AnimaMundi

Aldo Pacino The Pygmy aka Queen Latifa

Aldo is very photogenic, as are most French bulldogs. K. has seen fit to adorn Aldo a la Queen Latifa. Number 8/20.

Find more photos like this on CLUB CHIEN

Aldo's Moving On Up, Hits Club Chien Homepage Slideshow

Aldo (#1 of course) is one of the French bulldogs pictured in Club Chien's "Oh Balls!" slideshow.

Aldo, Food and Customer Service

The Japanese know customer service. American companies are slow in getting the message, much to their detriment. I'm sure that there are many American-Global companies-corporations that provide courteous unstinting customer service. For instance, we have found that Cuisinart backs their products beyond the warranty period without question. A part has broken, a replacement is mailed out pronto.

Aldo, as some of you may know, was born with a diaphragmatic hernia. This has resulted in occasional digestive problems. K watches his diet closely and gives him the best food that we can afford or not afford. She recently went to PetSmart, a dubious retailer that has had various problems, to buy some dog food and redeem a coupon for a free 5 lb bag of Natural Choice from Nutroproducts. The salesperson at PetSmart (or dumb) refused to honor the coupon and voided it by writing in the merchant space and then crossing it out. K. was furious and complained, but to no avail. She then contacted Nutroproducts by e-mail and they telephoned her within a day. Jeff from Nutroproducts noted all the information and is going to contact PetSmart. In addition, he is sending us samples of Natural Choice for Aldo and a voucher to redeem for a bag of food for the little porker. This is good customer service. The product is good and the company backs it up to the hilt. Square biz.

Aldo Misses Frenchie Halloween Parade

Since Aldo does not travel well, like  a delicate fruit or baby vegetable, he missed the NYC Frenchie meet up Halloween parade on Sunday October 28th. "Hi, Frenchies! Sorry I couldn't make da' parade."

Get Your Ticket In Your Hand...

Aldo's got his ticket in his... mouth. Is it to the NFC title game or to see the Zulu Queen?

ALDO's Photo Gallery Is Up

In the left side bar, there's pictures of the fabulous wonder dog, Aldo. More to be added soon.

ALDO TIME

Aldo saw his first ponies yesterday. He didn't quite know what to make of the creatures with other small creatures on their backs. The Quizno can-of-soda-guy freaked him out though. He met him head on as we walked home. Aldo barked and backed off a little to the side, but held his ground, bull dog that he is. So for all you Aldo fans and I know who you are, here are some pics of our fabulous friendly Frenchie.

Aldo Pacino's Spring Collection

This is Aldo on the runway looking the other way. We bought him this winter coat last year and it has the pliability of sheet metal. He dragged it out of the closet the other night, as his wont. Attached to the velcro of the said coat were a sweater and assorted toys. He looked like a walking pantry. Of course we added a few items and laughed our asses off. Aldo is very patient for photos.

Afternoon snooooooze

At his watch perch, where he monitors who goes up and down the street.

The Devil & The Joker

Here's Aldo Pacino in his little divil sweater. Thankfully, the little fella's doing well. Thanks to all who kept him in your thoughts through the ordeal. He seems stronger than ever. He's eating well and playing hard. He has less patience with younger pups than he used to. Maybe it was the surgery or just the onset of his 20's or both. Here he is at Christmas in his red and green joker collar.

Bad Breeders

Evidently, Aldo was not the only Frenchie born with defects sold by this breeder, Pat Rauh. This meetup group in NYC has some horror stories too. I've read of at least four or five people in the NYC Frenchie meetup group who have purchased very unhealthy Frenchies from this breeder. There's no way that anyone is going to receive compensation from this breeder. I believe she no longer is selling to individuals due to the bad press that she's deservedly got. She's reportedly selling to pet stores in the Saugerties-Woodstock-Purling NY area. This woman has sold horses, birds and English bulldogs too. The only recourse that people have is to somehow throttle her source of income.

Aldo's Coming Back

Aldo's digestive system seems to have come around some. A special high-fiber canned food, baby food, some chicken stock-braised chicken breast, tagamet and antibiotics and fresh air have all combined to help the little guy regain some of his dog normality. He had his first bath in a while yesterday. It's encouraging to us. He'll play quite a bit and then collapse in his bed. His snoring is as loud as ever, on a par with a small rhino.

French Bulldog Problema?

According to the vet, whom we trust, he can't find anything wrong with Aldo. That was his opening line this afternoon when we went to pick up the little guy. Xrays and blood tests were right on. They're rehydrating him plus pumping him up with antibiotics. They want to keep him overnight to make sure that he stabilizes, whenever that might be. He's eating baby food and was peppy when we saw him at 5 pm today. Aldo's a big hit with the staff there. There's not many people unaffected by Aldo's pure affection. We also found out that he has no hip joints via Xrays. That doesn't bother us much at the moment. The breeder from whom we bought Aldo is not very ethical. She was out to make a buck and she did. She seemed to be credible and all that. Caveat emptor again. Don't buy a Frenchie from a woman in the Saugerties, NY area by the name of Pat Rauh. She never answered Kathy's enquiries as to Aldo's brother. No wonder. Her bitch gave birth to a litter of nine that included Aldo. We saw the bitch when we picked up Aldo and it wasn't pretty. Aldo's mother died in the spring of 2005 after giving birth to a large litter of Frenchies.

Post-Op Problems

Aldo's not keeping his food down. The little guy's had a couple of tough nights. So, Kathy brought him to the vet this morning so they can get some fluids into him and xray his digestive tract to see what the hell's going on. They might put him on medication for digestion. We'll need some too. He tries to play and is in good spirits. That's his nature. Most days he's ok, but he has to digest and retain hydration.

Back From Boston

Although Aldo missed Halloween, his operation went very well. The staff at Angell Animal Medical Center are very competent and personable. Their phone updates are much more than you'd get from a doctor at a human being hospital. Angell has an international reputation and it's well deserved. The trick now is to keep Aldo relatively quiet for the next two weeks. Keeping a young Frenchie quiet who's been penned up from last Monday until Friday morning is no mean feat. The only symptoms that we have to look for would stem from those parts of the abdomen that weren't receiving the blood flow that they're now getting. I forgot the tech term for it. He was a hit with the staff and even charmed a doctor to whom he hadn't paid any attention to earlier. He's coming back each day and we thank all who kept him in their thoughts.

We didn't see much of Boston other than Brookline and Jamaica Plain but even that was helpful in occupying our tired heads and hearts. In Brookline, exceptional Indian food at Rani (Hyderabadi) on Beacon St., great cod fish and chips at Matt Murphy's Pub Harvard St., excellent Vietnamese at Pho Lemongrass on Harvard St. In Jamaica Plain, Wonder Spice had very good Cambodian/Thai food. Best ice cream: JP Lick's in Jamaica Plain & Brookline.

We stayed at an enormous well furnished B&B on Pill Hill in Brookline. The couple had bought the home in the early 70's when it was still a commune reeking of cat urine. They were very welcoming people who raised a family that sings, dances and plays musical instruments. Their home is located on a cul-de-sac in Pill Hill, known for the concentration of doctors that used to live there. Today even doctors can't afford to live there.

A Man's Best Friend

We're off to Boston tomorrow. Angell Animal Med. Ctr. changed our appointment last week. Actually, Monday is better for Aldo and us. He would've had to stay an extra 2 days at the center. We have a consulation scheduled for 2 p.m. We'll see what the course of events is after that. The B&B we're staying at is nonrefundable so  we lucked out with the re-booking. It's close to the hospital so hopefully we can navigate. I've printed out about 17 maps and directions to the center, from the center to the B&B and places to nosh in Jamaica Plain and Brookline.

The anxiety quotient comes up every now and then. For the most part we are pretty positive and know that this is something that has to be done to prolong Aldo's life. If you ever buy an animal that's expensive, have the creature x-rayed the week you bring it home. Most breeders have a contract that states after 6 months, they are not responsible for any congenital problems with any pet they sell.

Aldo and a City

After speaking with the vet this morning, Kathy is considering taking Aldo to Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. The vet's cousin works there and he can make the going easier for us. In this case, anything that smoothes the way is for the good of all. Whatever, Aldo should have this done soon while he's healthy as a small ox and almost as strong.

On the New Orleans housing situation, here's an excellent post with links about how the re-housing of low income people within their city isn't happening or maybe will never happen. Urban planning at its racist best. The soul of New Orleans will always live in the hearts of its people, their music, their food, their art, their openness.

Here's a blog about what Katrina did to one family in the New Orleans area by a very talented photograher, Clayton Cubitt, now based in Brooklyn. Phenomenal photos with lots of grit and soul. Check out his other site too for a sample of his work.

Unique Arrangement

Well, Aldo's going to NYC for the first time. It seems that his lower abdomen innards are located in his upper chest cavity. They're not supposed to be there. It's very complicated and difficult to describe. Even the local vets were in disagreement over what was what. The good news is that he doesn't have inoperable terminal cancer. The other news is that this is a tricky and very expensive operation. We're taking him to the Bobst Hospital of the Animal Medical Center on E. 62nd St. We have no insurance so it's going to hurt. But it's Aldo.

Since he was a pup, Brian Eno's "Ambient4/On Land" has been one of Aldo's favorite chill albums. The 6th track "Unfamiliar Wind(Leeks Hills)" seems to put him into a trance/sleep. I played it for him tonight. We're all emotionally spent from the last few days. Aldo's strong at heart and we hope that this will see him through whatever he has to go through in the city. God bless Aldo. Thank you, Lord. We drank a bottle of Arzuaga 1996 Crianza to Aldo and his health.

Living Between the Ticks of the Clock

Aldo hates the vet's office. He's terrified and pisses a lot when he's there. Right about now he's probably being x-rayed and scanned. They'll have to put him out for that because he's so hyper. We'll pick him up later this afternoon after he comes to. Someone once said that you have to live between the ticks of the clock. Unless I'm doing something like typing out my feelings, running errands or putting in a new shower cady, I can only sense the anguish of Aldo and my beating heart. Right now, I don't sense anything between the ticks of the clock except silence.

Aldo

Aldo got his distemper shot today and the vet felt a large growth in his mid-section. My mate came home and said she needed some sherry. He has to have an ultrasound and bloodwork on Thursday to find out what the growth is. I have a lump in my throat already. This is going to be very tough. I'm hoping with all my heart that it's not cancer. I have to say a some prayers.

Unlike humans, animals have no reflective consciousness as far as we know. They're lucky there. He played his heart out tonight. So did I, knowing that maybe this time next week he'll be gone from our household. In 2+ short years, I've grown to love this wonderful creature of God. At the outset, I was against another dog, thinking of walking at times when the temps in upstate NY are downright unbearable. Luckily, Aldo doesn't care for these temps either. So it's with a heavy heart & soul that I look to the next few telling days. I don't like being maudlin, but....I am drinking much red wine.

Aldo Preps for Halloween

DogZilla!

Target Mascot

Refugee

Harley Up

Don't Look At Me That Way

Aldo Meets Junior

Aldo and Junior, an 8 month old pug and able playmate, on the turf tuffing it out. After feeling Aldo out on his home field for a while, Junior came around and started chasing Aldo and barking. This resulted in long tongues and many pit stops for water. We served a Spanish tortilla and pork tenderloin marinated overnight in olive oil, white vermouth, paprika, garlic, cumin and red pepper. A good time was had by all and this is Aldo a few hours later

It's a Dog's Life

Tomorrow Aldo, our French bulldog, gets to meet Junior, an 8 month old Pug. Many people mistake French bulldogs for Pugs. In the USA, Pugs have had the cachet longer than the French bulldog. This fact doesn't even enter Aldo's subliminal consciousness. Last night Aldo played some with Cyrus, a magnificent 3 year old Great Dane. I wish I could show you video. I'll try to invite Cyrus into the backyard soon for a photoshoot with Aldo. Aldo's "Dogzilla" Halloween costume came in the mail the other day. The pictures of that might make for a few laughs and brighten your day.

Before I go any further, I must extend my heartfelt congratulations to Tom DeLay for being such a shithead. (Maud, we all know that you always have that bourbon bottle taped under your desk.)

Speaking of bourbon, as a result of the horrible events of the past month, I have learned more about the great city of N'Awlinz through articles like this and this.

E.J. Bellocq  c.1912

Incidentally, French bulldogs were/are the dog of choice for French women of the night.