This blog is maintained for the sole purpose of allowing the people of Peru and those interested in the cities of the Illinois Valley to express their views.
“It doesn’t take a majority to win, just a tireless minority that will keep starting brush fires in the mind and hearts of their fellow men.” Samuel Adams
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Dog Pulling Event Must See
87 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Will there be a vet on site for this event? Some of those dogs didn't look like they could handle the weight they were expected to pull. Has anybody called the local vets to gather their opinions?
Lois: Peru citizens are asked to leave the park with their dogs but we allow strangers to bring many dogs into our parks? Maybe citizens want equal rights! Food for thought aldermen!!
Lois, I think the purpose is to make your dog become active, which would require the owner of the pet to become active as well, which may be what some people need in this area (I hear CONSTANT COMPLAINTS that there is NOTHING to do in this area besides go to the bars). Look at professional body building, there really is no purpose behind that, except to get huge, it doesn't really help them in their day to day activities, but we as humans do it anyways. I can understand Alderman O'Beirne's frustration at the council meeting, it doesn't make sense for us as a community to criticize something we have never seen before. I think a good approach as an alderman would be to contact other municipalities and ask them how they felt about the event and whether or not they would approve that event again in the future(which our current alderman did have time to do, but whether or not they did I have no idea). Please understand I am not here to take sides, but I believe in getting as much information as possible so I can make the best decision as possible.
I grew up in a household where my father was very much into body building which he continued to do until he was almost 90 and I think the workouts he always did helped him stay healthy for much of his life. But like many hobbies it can become all important to the individual. As for the dogs I don't have a problem with the people that wish to work with them but I do have a very big problem with the fact they picked Baker Lake to showcase their dogs. This is probably the one park in our city that is used daily by its residents. I don't know if they asked LaSalle or Oglesby which both have better venues for this event. Also the aldermen that voted yes asked very few questions and for the last few weeks, it has been residents asking questions. I wonder how many will be there to see for themselves how many locals will be there. Many dog owners are upset about the fact that they can't walk their dogs through a park in Peru and if they do and the police see them, they will be told to leave and we don't even know how many dogs will be in the event of dog pulling at the park. I will be picking up the letter written to the dog promoter and will give more information after that. Thank you Justin for your comments.
I agree that some of the alderman that voted "yes" to it didn't even ask a SINGLE question. To me that is unacceptable. I would of at least liked to hear SOME comment or SOME thought about it.
Justin: You are not familiar with Mr. O'Beirne's behavior and attitude toward those who disagree with him. He is, at times, arrogant, rude and out of place. Besides, Lois was not saying she was against his wishes, she was just asking legitimate questions since the aldermen did not. They did not even ask how much of the park he would be using, how long they would be there, would food or alcohol be present, what about parking, etc., etc. These are questions that are normally asked if someone else wants to use one of Peru's facilities. I, as Lois, appreciate your comments but I still firmly believe no representative of Peru should behave in that way manner.
Tomorrow starting at 9 A.M., the court will be in session in Ottawa at the Etna Road Complex. There is no published scheduled docket. It will be held in Judge Ryans' court
Apparently nothing has happened as of yet regarding the "airport incident money". I haven't seen anything reported on the news tribune web site. I wonder if we will ever hear anymore regarding this investigation and the incident.
i dont believe that there are people that are giving their opinions about the dog pulling without knowing what its about,but its ok to have horse races with body weight and whips to make them run as fast as they can whether they want to or not? Horse racing is gambling this event is for humanity(for the community).Everyone is so concerned about the well being of our dogs but no one has done anything to help the abandoned or abused aminals. Now that someone is doing something positive to raise money not only for the animal shelters but for the community as well they are being critisized. Lets see what its about before we start bashing it.
5:39PM The horses won't be racing at Baker Lake. Why is no one answering my questions that are a part of this event? Where before? Give me a list!! Where have you been hiding, under what rock? We have a very active animal rescue in this area that does an immense amount of work helping what you call abandoned and abused animals. I do believe you have just opened Pandora's box! I keep asking but no one will answer my questions from the city council to you whoever you may be.
Im very upset that there are negetive comments about the dog pulling event when its something positive to help the community. There arent many poeple that contribute or help in any way our community and now that someone is trying to make a difference people have negitive things to say without having any knowledge of the dog pulling. I personally am an animal lover and back this event up 100% because there is no abuse to these animals unlike other sports that involve animals. GREAT JOB TO WHOEVER IS DOING THIS EVENT AND TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Lois, we never know what will be next,but for now i have lived in this community for a long time and i have never heard of or seen anyone go out of there way to do something good and positive and something that they believe in so much. To go through the city council and take all the critizisum and still feel good and strong about what they believe in. Every penny is going to different charities one would thing that is a good thing. Thanks to the people that are doing this event and giving to these charities because we never know when we will be in need or have to use these charities!!
How do these events get so much money to contribute to all these charities? No one is criticizing Mr. Rodriguez. They are just trying to get answers to questions such as "why not hold it in Oglesby (his home town) or La Salle (location of his business). Have you, the writer of 5:53 or the writer of 6:08, ever attended such an event? If so, fill us in on such matters as where and when and what was all involved. Do you think it's fair for the city to allow out of towners to enter our parks, with their dogs, when Peru citizens are denied such priveleges? Why Baker Lake and no other location or town?
6:08PM I hear about good and positive in this community with many very upstanding organizations donating their time to raise money for people in the Illinois Valley. There are people who work through the Food Pantry, people that provide shelter at Pads, how about the United Way and Red Cross. There are events frequently to raise money for medical care. I could go on and on but I'm sure you get the message. The people in this community do care and I am sorry you are not aware of it. Didn't you read about Illinois Valley Animal Rescue and the auction they had last week and raised $8000 to provide shelter and care for the abandoned and rescued pets.
then why not have another fundraiser why not do something that no one has seen in this town lets bring something new to the table something new to the community and thats exactly what Mr. Rodriguez is going to do. I am also a dog lover and I wouldn't agree with something that i knew would hurt any kind of animal. thats great they raised so much money for abandoned and rescued pets and Mr. Rodriguez is another one of those people who is willing to stick out his neck for something he loves and make a change for the better dog pulling is a sport its a work out for the dog and the owner how many dogs around the world are over weight? their are many animals in that kind of state and weight pulling is just like working out just like lifting weights to stay fit.
8:02 From the way your writing one would assume that you have experienced dog pulling yourself. If so, then why not tell us where and when so we can talk to those involved so we have a better idea of what to expect. Have any of these places invited dog-pulling back to their community?
8:46 I think that it doesn't matter whether someone else has been to one of these events or not everyone is going to have their own opinion,but now its going to happen in our area so anyone that wants to know what happens or goes on at these events can come and experience it first hand and then give their opinion. As far as dogs not been allowed at our parks well i think that should be brought to the city not taken it out on Mr.Rodriguez's event because it was ok'd and yes i don't think its fair. That is something that people should stand up for and get changed. Like any charity when you donate how do you know that every penny is going to the charity? Sometimes you donate and hope that that money is going to where they say it is. What Mr.Rodriguez is doing just tells me that his heart is in the right place and i will donate to his event without a second thought. I give Mr.Rodriguez a lot of credit for doing this event.
I believe it's true we would not have all the help that is offered to the people in our community if it wasn't for the charities and the people that donate their money,time and effort and we the community appreciate it and i don't want to sound like no one is doing or giving to these charities. Why not support the positive that Mr.Rodriguez is trying to bring instead of giving him a hard time about it. There is already so much negetivity not only in our community but in the world that we DO NOT need to turn something that someone wants to do that is positive to negitive
I've read a lot of questions about dog weight pulling. I am 16 years old and have been weight-pulling for two years all over the nation. My dogs do it because they love to pull, and they love me. If they wouldn't want to pull, they wouldn't as I can't make them. At all of the weight pulls that I have experienced I have had a great time. I meet new, friendly people each time I go to one. What happens at a weight pull? We put our dogs in harnesses; we weigh the dogs; we put them in appropriate classes so it isn't a 25 lb dog vs a 125 lb dog (like mine); there are usually concession stands and bathrooms; a judge times and records every dog's pulling time/weight; we hook the dog's harness to the cart; they pull when we call to them from across a line 16 feet away from them; they come if they want, and if they don't, they don't come to us until we help them; this process is repeated until all dogs have either quit or fouled out. It is a great experience, and I'd suggest you come to the one in Peru to get a fun learning experience.
i weight pull competitively my dogs for prairieland pullers club and yes, you can look us up on the internet. year after year we pull at purina farms in gray summit, mo. year after year we pull at the abingdon american legion in abingdon, il. year after year we weight pull at the monmouth eagle club in monmouth, il. these are just a few of the places we pull at and we have NEVER had an issue of any of the towns not wanting us back. and there are hundreds of events held all over the nation through the united kennel club, alaskan malamute club of america, greater swiss mtn. dog club of america, st. bernard club of america, international weight pulling club, american pulling alliance, national kennel club, irondog, etc. i welcome anyone asking me questions about weight pulling, the pull atmosphere, why we pull, how we train. at the council meeting the week before the vote alot of literature was given out to the aldermen about weight pulling, organizations that weight pull, etc. these events are very family friendly. dogs are kept in crates when not competing. pulls are very organized, and strict rules are enforced. the dogs pull the weight 16' in 60 seconds or less. the owner is not allowed to touch the dog or bait them in any way. it is purely done by obedience training. the more conditioned a dog is the better your results will be. but a dog also has to have the desire to pull to be successful. you can't force a dog to pull. ask questions and i'll answer!
My position remains that I don't have a problem with your dog pulling but I would not be interested in my dog doing it but that is not the reason this ever came up. Your choice of location is inappropriate and no one even has attempted to answer why this park? Did you ask in other cities such as LaSalle and Oglesby or perhaps even Ottawa or Streator. The city has not allowed ANY dogs in that park since its inception and people are not happy that you are being allowed to bring your event to Baker Lake. The rest of your information is interesting but not relative to what the problem is for many people who read this blog. Will someone answer the real question?
Lois, I don't know about why Baker Lake was chosen. Maybe because it a popular location and has plenty of room for this event. what i do know is that there has been dogs allowed in this park before because i have been there with my dogs. like the walk for arthritis and an event that ivar had,so really this is not the first time that dogs are allowed in this park for an event. Lois what is really the problem with these event? is it the dogs,the park,or that Mr.Rodriguez is having this event? Be glad that it is at Baker Lake and that the procedings are going into our community to help and educate and have the opportunity to not only hear about dog pulling but to be a part of it as well.
I really wish a local and reputable vet would give his or her blessing on this type of event. He or she would be the professional to make the best decision about the safety and well being of the animal. Until I hear a real vet comment, I won't take the opinions of pullers seriously. I am a Peru citizen as well as many others that have stated that we do not want this event held in our City. I have read the News Trib comment section and many people on that site are against this event too. If the towns that held the event in the past were so pleased with the outcome, by all means, take the event back there. As for the organizer, I would not give him one dime for his "charity" plans or to any person, business, or charity that supports this type of activity. I sure hope that our City recognizes the wishes of THEIR citizens first.
when this park was chosen, not being from your community i did not know the policy that dogs were not allowed. we chose it after reviewing all the area. we wanted a beautiful location, family friendly, a place that positively represented your area, and a place that would draw a lot of people in because they frequented it so that more people could be educated about the event.
I would like to know, where all this money is supposed to come from, that is going to go to charity. Are they having a beer garden, concert, foor stands? I thought you have to have special approval for all that????
lois, BAKERS LAKES HAS HOSTED SO MANY BENIFITS FOR THE AREA,IN WHICH TOM HAS SUPPORTED AND WILL KEEP DOING SO. AND ALL HE WANTS TO GET OUT OF THIS IS TO KELP DOGS IN NEED,FIND HOMES,DONATION OF ANY KIND.AND TO SHOW THAT KEEPING YOU DOG HEALTHLY AND STRONG. WILL PERLONG HIS LIFE AND STAY FIT. LETS FACE IT ANY PET CAN GET CANCER,GO BLIND,ETC THERE LIKE US IF WE DONT TAKE CARE OF OURSELF.WE ARE MORE LIKEY TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS WE GET OLDER. WELL THERE LIKE US.AND HE HOPES TO EASE THE BAD RAP SOME OF THIS DOGS HAVE, AND HELP TO SEE THERES MORE WAYS TO DO WITH YOUR PET THEN TO TEACH THEM TO FIGHT,KILL,HUNT,ETC. LETS BE OPEN TO NEW THINGS THANKS FITTOBEME
I think you people need to also realize that we have nothing against Mr. Rodriguez and have not given him a hard time. We just feel our aldermen did not ask enough appropriate questions nor did they allow the public their opinions or questions and as Lois said - Why Baker Lake?
7:39AM I actually had to be at our vet on Wed. and asked him if he was aware of the dog pull scheduled at Baker Lake. He did not but mentioned that dogs can be susceptible to heat stroke in temperatures as low as 70 if they have to exert themselves. A vet should definitely be on the premises when the "event" occurs.
the dogs' well being will be first and foremost in priority. if it is warm, we will have wading pools for them to cool off in. we will have ice buckets for them to get water from. if needed we will have fans going. i have shown at akc events in 100+ degrees long coated dogs and no vet is on site. everyone just has to be aware of the conditions. you don't pull your dog if it is overheated. the dogs pull 16' on carpet, in the shade. they can pass as many as 4 rounds in a row. dogs are pulled in rounds so your dog is not pulling back to back most of the time. our sanctioning body also allows 5 minutes between pulls if you need it if your dog is pulling back to back. most dogs pull no more than 5-10 times in an entire pull. this is not like dogs are out dragging heavy weights for miles in the heat. however, the judge will not let any dog pull that he deems is not up to pulling because of health.
in regards to the donations, we are hoping we have alot of generous people bringing out cans and bags of dogfood. a representative from the charity will be there. also each of the weight pullers pay an entry fee to pull. we have no way of knowing how much money will be donated or number of dogs that will pull. but i don't think this should be about a specific dollar amount. a donation to help dogs find loving family homes, get the medical treatments they need, provide food and lodging for discarded animals, ANY DONATION is better than none. it is my understanding there will be food there for the public and the weight pullers to buy. however, to the best of my knowledge no one stepped up to donate all proceeds from food sales to the charity. no alcohol is allowed at all the weight pulls i have ever competed in.
as far as your politicians go, i attended the meeting the week before the vote. questions were allowed by the public. the alderman did ask questions. a slide presentation was presented and literature was handed out. a professional dog handler and a spokesperson for weight pulling spoke in addition to mr. rodriguez. some of the public, including the reporter on hand came up and spoke afterwards to those who had spoken at the meeting. everything was done to educate the public and the politicians about the event so the correct decision could be made.
I do not know if you think that dogs will pull a lot and for long distances... usually dogs only pull around 5-10 times. They pull 16 feet total, it's not like they pull for miles on end. No vets are necessary (at all the weight pulls I've been to there has never been a problem in the past where we would need one). I'm sure that if it is too hot, water, fans, etc will be provided; they always have in the past. Go to prairielandpullersclub.com to learn more about weight pulling.
Which charity is receiving money from this event? Is the charity condoning this event and aware of how unhappy the local citizens are about this issue? I hope the charity is appreciative of who supports them Year Round long after this freak show is gone.
I believe the original request to the Peru Council containded a detailed description of waat was planned for the park. And why is THIS park your biggest concern? It seems like your concern is not the pull but the park. These dogs are kenneled or leashed and clean up is required by the owner. To many people want to walk dogs through the park and leave the mess for some kid to run along and steop in. The park is centrally located and there track is very helpful. If would be easier to reach and set up here. I know the alterman did ask questions and Tom had to apply twice for approval. Tom knows what this consists of and he selected Bakers for convenience and the opportunit to get the community involved in a new sport using there pets. The charities receiving money will be the ones that show up to assist. IVAR wants money they need a booth there and so on. What ever legitament charity.
i think all of the name calling about an event you obviously know so little about is prejudicial. after numerous attempts to educate you about this event, answer questions in a professional manner, explain why use of the park was requested, welcome further questions, etc. i do not believe the response by anonymous at 4:52 pm is warranted. we live in a democratic country. by a majority of votes of the council the event was approved. further comment is unnecessary by anyone.
all of us involved with the pull ask one thing of everyone before judgement is passed. give us a chance. you don't have to be in favor of the location. you don't have to like the event. give us a chance to put on a charity event, bring new people to your community, showcase the event, and then if we fail to live up to your expectations you can pass judgement. but to be so highly critical of an event not one person on here has ever admitted to being involved in other than myself and a 16 yr old young man, is not fair. just take the chance of looking at the possible good and educate yourself to what it is truly like. i understand having fears of the unknown. but give the unknown a chance before you make your judgement. then if we fail to live up to your expectations take it before the town board if we ever try to repeat the event. but you won't have to worry, i have such HIGH expectations and demands for weight pulling events i am involved in that if it doesn't meet my high standards i would never ask to come back. all i am asking is that you respect us enough to let us try. if we blow that respect at our event, then we deserve any high criticism you would want to send our way.
Mr. Rodriguez (I assume it's you 10:58) obviously our city is giving you a chance. What you don't understand is that we, as concerned citizens of Peru, do not feel our aldermen asked the appropriate questions or that public comments were taken seriously. You state that your event is a charity event but, if and only if the charity is present and sets up a booth. You indicate that only trained dogs participate in your event yet someone else said local dogs are welcome to participate. One of the rules submitted to you was that a vet be present yet you told us they're not needed. Do you see and understand the discrepancies that are becoming more and more frequent with each post that is being submitted? Now can you understand why people are getting upset and questioning your event? There is nothing against you it's against the way this event is turning into a more complex situation than originally indicated. (i.e. swimming pools were mentioned to cool dogs - where's the water supply coming from or fans were mentioned = where's the electricity coming from?)
What happens to the money and donations if no charity shows up and sets up a booth? 11:36 if you are sincere you would not hesitate to sign your name to your post.
my name is connie, not mr. rodriquez. i do not know if he has written on here at all. i am very sincere, but with all the negativity i honestly have some fear about my safety, safety of my family, and my animals if i revealed too much about who i am. i am an avid weight puller, have hosted 10 weight pulls myself in the last year. i have driven several hours to attend your city council meetings and to inform the public of what weight pulling truly is about. i have written honestly and unemotionally to everyone that i could about what all is going on and what a weight pull is. i have not tried to hide the truth from anyone. i have only tried to protect my family and the charity involved. there are two purposes for this event. the first is to donate to our charity (and yes we have a charity and there will be a representative there of the charity). it is a charity that like all of the rescue organizations are in dire need of any financial aid they can get as we have way too many dogs going into rescue. the second is to educate your community about what weight pulling is and how much fun it is to work with your dogs rather than let them be unhealthy mentally and physically. i realize not everyone will like weight pulling. but in all the weight pulls i have pulled at all across the country i have never experienced the closemindedness i am seeing here.
there is from my understanding a gas station that sells ice right near the park. and i always bring gallons of bottled water for my dogs. as far as electricity goes, are there no electrical outlets in the pavilion? however, if it is so hot we need fans i personally will not pull dogs nor would most of the people i know. always the safety of dogs comes first. one of my concerns in having a vet present is the cost involved. i do not know your vets in the area. would one of them be willing to attend for free so that our profits truly can go straight to charity as we want? a weight pull itself does not generate enough income to pay weekend rates for a vet to be there to watch a pull and have money to donate to a charity at the same time. the entire hope of what this pull would do for your community is being negated by unrealistic expectations of people who have no knowledge of what will even be happening. you want us to have a vet, but you don't even understand the event. even AKC and UKC conformation shows that are held by a world recognized organization do not require vets. and yes, there are weight pulls held at these events. they do have access to an emergency clinic that is open 24/7 and that is what i propose here. we have access to a 24 hr emergency clinic if it is needed. no vet would treat a dog on site anyway, it would be required to go to their facility.
if any of you are sincere rather than people just being closedminded, you would have requested rules of the pull, name of sanctioning body, looked into other weight pulling organizations to see how their events are run, maybe even attended a weight pull to see what they are, read on line about conditioning dogs, etc. instead of trying to tear it apart. even though weight pulling might not be for you - you should be so happy that someone is stepping up to help a charity in this time of economic hardship where so many people no longer can donate and so many people are turning dogs back in to charity.
i leave you with this thought. IF in our communities we never tried anything new or accepted people with slightly different ideas, what great things and people would we be missing out on knowing? do you want your community known for being friendly, welcoming, accepting of change or for being prejudiced towards those they don't understand or agree with?
A representative of a charity is coming for sure. So there do not need to be any more questions about "Which charity is receiving money from this event? Is the charity condoning this event and aware of how unhappy the local citizens are about this issue?" or "What happens to the money and donations if no charity shows up and sets up a booth?" If there is no electricity at the park, I have cords, adapters, etc in my car that they could use. If need be, I'm sure water will be bought from a grocery store. I agree with the writer of 10:58 that you need to GIVE US A CHANCE. It is ridiculous how judgemental you have been when you have yet to experience it. You are mad at us for using your "dog-free" park, when YOUR council voted a yes for us, or have you noticed the title of this article???
3:40PM Don't twist my words around, the title meant it was a "must see" for the Utube video I posted, it had nothing to do with your event. We have a "lame duck" council at this time and I sincerely believe that if the 2 new council members had already been seated you would not have received a yes vote. Back off what you are hearing is the residents of Peru speaking to you and this town is theirs and not yours.
it seems to me there are a few vocal residents voicing a negative response. but hundreds signed a petition in favor of it. also many have expressed interest in sponsoring it. had your "new council members" voted no a different location would have definitely been found. peru is a town of many thousand and definitely those many thousand have not all said they do not want the weight pull.
My question is will there be any donations going to any charity in our area? Nobody is trying to down play your event. They are just trying to get answers to legitimate questions. Petition - I too have heard nothing about it. As far as your rules I believe a small list was sent to Mr. Rodriguez to sign before the event. I already know that you are not going to abide by several of them (i.e. vet, age limit for human competitors - Eric is 16)
12:52PM It is evident to me that you have not visited the park. There is no gas station near the park which is located in the middle of a very residential area on the dividing line between la Salle and Peru. As you well know small communities do not have 24 hour emergency vet clinics. We do have several vet services that do cooperate on weekends and one of the vets is on call. None of the vets live in Peru as one vet is from Mendota, 2 from Spring Valley and another in Oglesby. There is one living in Peru but I believe she is on leave right now.
I think these are things you should have researched before making your location decision.
maybe had you bothered to become aware of all of the facts instead of just placing judgement on things you only new part of the story on, you would have been aware of the petition. the petition was read to me by one of the individuals who gave of their weekend to inform the public. it was started the weekend before the vote, so not everyone in your community would have been given the opportunity to sign it. there is no way possible that a few people could have canvassed an entire community of 10,000 in 3 days. however, the individuals did try to inform as many people as they physically could in businesses and in their neighborhoods. i was also told, but do not know it for a fact, that people opposing the weight pull were doing a petition to. but once again, i only know what i was told and did not see or read the opposing petition for myself nor am i aware if they received any signatures or how many they might have had.
you need to really look at it from our perspective. we canvassed some of the community and were supported. we had several individuals and businesses step up and want to sponsor our efforts. we talked to the local police chief as we were requested to by council members prior to the vote and explained our pulls, training procedures, rules, etc. we were interviewed by a local reporter. we went to 3 different city council meetings and at least at 2 were given opportunity to explain our proposed event. there were citizens of the community there expressing opinions both for and against so both sides were given ample opportunity to discuss the issues. proper procedures were followed as far as applying for permission. the vote happened and the pull was approved 6-2. now it is time for your community to step up and accept the vote.
you can do alot to help make this charity event successful by accepting and supporting it. this does not mean you have to like weight pulling or even participate in weight pulling. but i would have to assume that most of you are people of generous spirit that want to help others in need - included the need of our 4 legged friends. these are really rough economic times and our shelters are bursting at the seams with dogs that have not been placed in homes, dogs that need extensive medical rehabilitation before they can be placed in homes, etc. this event can really be a gift of life to these dogs and the loving people that are working so hard to avoid euthanasia in unwanted animals. i truly believe that there have to be a lot of animal loving, kind hearted people in your community that whether they agree with a weight pull or not or whether they agree with the council's vote to allow a weight pull at baker's lake or not they can agree to put aside their bitterness and help animals in need.
there will also be people coming from out of state and out of your community. what image do you want to project about your community? funds will be spent in your community in hotels, restaurants, gas stations, stores, etc. by these individuals visiting your community for the first time. is your community so financially well off that you have no need for a little economic boost on a weekend? or are you so unfriendly of a community that you would rather never have people visit your community again?
what difference does it make where a gas station is? there are gas stations all along interstate 80 and up and down 251. all of them sell ice. as far as having a vet on call or present, this was never an issue as never had one requested to be present before so it would never have been a consideration. i have weight pulled more than all of the people writing on this blog put together. all of the sanctioning bodies (ukc, akc, iwpa, nkc, gsmc, amca, irondog, apa, etc. - and by the way if you do not know what these initials stand for i will be happy to tell you so you can google them on-line and read their rules, see the standings worldwide, see how many people participate in this sport, etc.) have rules they enforce at each pull. these rules are enforced by a judge that has gone through a rigorous testing procedure and had to apprentice at a certain number of pulls under another judge before they could become an official judge. they determine age limit of handlers, age of dogs competing, weight increments to be pulled, weight classes, declare fouls, etc. these rules are not determined by an uninformed community but rather by the organization themselves that has been in existence for years and know what works and is most fair/safe for the dogs. each host has to follow the rules of the organization. and also don't worry, when we leave we will return the park to as good a condition or better than when we arrived. there will be bags provided for all handlers to pick up after their dogs. hosts of the pull will also check the entire area before they leave to make sure any trash or poop left by anyone is picked up (even if it was not left by us).
in regards to a charity in your area, ivar has made it clear they are not in need of financial aid. read the comment above by a heidi milner. the charity selected services all of illinois, including peru/lasalle and other parts of the midwest in conjunction with other rescue organizations. come to the pull and you will see a legitimate charity who has a need and is glad we want to help them. this is a charity i have helped donate items to for their on-line raffle in the past and have also driven 4 hours to have my dogs pull at another fund-raiser. so regardless of what others might say, i have helped this organization in the past and will continue to help them in the future. what about you all - how do you help your local animal shelters with their financial and physical needs? are you willing to adopt one of their homeless dogs or foster one of them like mr. rodriquez has? are you willing to donate dogfood like mr. rodriquez has? put your money where your mouth is and support this charitable event.
I have taken great offense to "connie's" comment calling our community closeminded. You have NO idea what a phenomenal community this is!! This community is like no other---the caring, compassion, pride and giving here is awe-inspiring! We have helped many people, families and yes, even animals in need. To berate the people because we CARE about the choice in which you are having your event is an insult. You really have no idea, and are trying to simply justify something that people to be frank do not want at Baker Lake. Please do your homework a bit better and try to be respectful of the residents and our values.
i have always stood up for my town, but i am absolutely disgusted with how some of you have dealt with this matter. i am not a weight puller, as i only have a weimaraner, but i looked at a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6j-R-iK7As) and thought it looked interesting and unharmful to the dogs, or anyone. it looked as though the dog was wagging his tail... i think some of us should stop being jerks to people who might bring publicity to our town. havent you ever heard of being good hosts and being nice to guests? i am embarassed with how we have handled this matter. please accept my appologies: mr. rodriguez, connie, eric, and anyone else who have been dealt with harshly and injustly. -steve
Connie - I think you are being rude and inconsiderate toward people you do not even know. And yet, you want those very people to support you and your event and let you use their park freely? Mr. Rodriguez, if I were you, I would instruct Connie to back off. She could very well lose your location for you. She acts as though we are here to serve you and her organization and that we should do so without question. I personally find her behavior offensive.
In response to Connies question is not "in my mind". Common sense dictates===NOT a public, family oriented park! This park is also in very close proximity to a nursing home. Do you feel this would be appropriate if any of the family members would like to take a resident to the park that day? Simply choose a location that is not a family gathering place...how about a fairground? There are several in this area. They are also not in use during this time of year.
i find this to be very unacceptable how A Peru Citizen and Lois are so rude to guests that are bringing our town some help. didnt anyone tell you to treat guests nicely and be a good host? i am very embarassed with how some of my fellow citizens have treated this predicament so badly. please accept my appologies weight pullers.
I didn't know our town needed help, what are you referring to? If you are talking about IVAR, I find your comment insulting because the communities in the Illinois Valley totally support this animal rescue organization each and every year both with money and assistance. Please research before you condemn.
this was not meant to be rude, but a genuine question. where would be acceptable? you know your community, i don't. if there is an alternative location that we are not too late to consider that would keep the peace, why not try it? our needs are: a pavilion that is at least 60 x 40', electricity would be great, access to public bathrooms if at all possible, parking for a large number of vehicles, a place where we could be sure to keep all dogs in crates close to pull site but where we could be sure the dogs were safe from the public and the public safe from them, visibility so that the public and community can observe the pull and learn to appreciate what we do and see that is it totally unrelated to anything resembling dogfighting or animal cruelty, a place to interact with the public and answer any possible questions, a place to hang banners (that will be removed before we leave) to honor our sponsors, and a place that will have room for a small concession stand and area to be roped off for dogs to be taken to potty, and a place that is available on may 14th.
i have not talked to mr. rodriquez, so my posts do not in any way reflect his thoughts nor is he even aware of my thoughts on changing location. i can't even promise that a change of venue could happen as i do not have complete say so. i would have to contact the sanctioning body for approval. i would have to try and contact as many people as possible that have been invited to the pull to change the location. mr. rodriquez, the people helping him, the sanctioning body, the charity, and anyone in peru that would need to be contacted would have to be convinced. but as passionate as i am about weight pulling, i definitely do not want to go where we are not wanted for whatever reason we are not wanted. this whole weight pull was to educate your community and maybe involve more people in this event. it was to be a positive experience for your community, those from outside your community, and to earn money for a good cause. sadly, it is turning out to be anything but this.
if i came across as rude, i apologize. i am very passionate about weight pulling, but i also am a straight shooter. that straight and to the point attitude sometimes causes offense to others. and i also was defensive at what i felt were personal attacks no matter how honest and open i tried to be to educate you all in what all was going on and why. i honestly felt like no matter how much info i provided you, it was never enough. so i am apologizing for anything i said that caused people to be hurt or upset. and i am not saying this because i am fearful we will lose the location and trying to appease people. i genuinely do want to make everyone happy if i at all can.
i do ask that you help me come up with a perfect location that meets the above requirements. then i ask that if i am able to get this event moved to the new location you all come out and support us in a positive way. as the saying goes, " the ball (pull) is now in your court." i am not asking you to serve me, but to help me find a place that will be acceptable to you and to us. we are both here to co-exist peacefully and if at all possible help a charity.
Lois, still waiting to hear back from Connie regarding the name of her charity. I feel that once she reveals the name of a legitimate organization that will help to alleviate some of the concerns.
by the way, just so the air is clear, i have not named the charity to be supported as i did not want them contacted with any negative publicity. i felt it was a professional courtesy to leave them out of this as they are just the recipients of any money we can generate for them, and are not in any way sponsoring the event. it would not be fair to them if they felt threatened about receiving future funds or support because of this event. please respect my protecting their privacy although they will be very visible and present at the pull.
also if anyone has any suggestions on a better location, because i am not from your community i would need the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses of people to contact about using their facility. thank you.
9:25 Lois and a Peru Citizen are not being rude, they are just asking questions that should have been asked by the council. Our town does not need help, we have a wonderful organization called IVAR. They go above and beyond the call when it comes to rescuing and housing the animals in our area.
12:52PM You posted and asked about a gas station that you believed was near to the park and I replied that there was not that the area was residential. AND then you replied back and I quote "what difference does it make where a gas station is?" I'm mystified by your comments. First you are interested in finding a place to purchase ice and water and then you don't care.
To whom did you present this petition you circulated through parts of Peru? It sounds like you were doing a survey and had no plans to present a petition to anyone. Am I right?
I don't expect this to appear, as I am not one of the chosen, but you people really need to catch a clue.
Those of you posting here, don't represent the majority of Peru citizens. You just, for some reason known only among yourselves, feel you are entitled to speak for the rest of us.
But you are not. And most of us wish you would quit your constant complaining about any and every thing going on and find something positive to contribute to our community instead.
LaSalle saw children lost and almost trampled at a 'family' event yesterday. So it's not the event, it's the planning that goes into that event.
If you are truly concerned about the reputation of Peru, become a volunteer. Help make the event a successful one for Peru. Find out what you can do to make this work rather waste everyones time sitting here complaining.
I thought Mr. Rodriguez asked our council for permission to host this event? My question is why is "Connie" interfering and, quite frankly, being rude? Why is Mr. Rodriguez not defending himself? Why won't Connie (who I believe lives 2 hours away from here) reveal the name of the charity she wants to promote at Baker Lake. Smells fishy to me!
As a RESIDENT of the City of Peru, I absolutely do NOT want this event held in our public parks! Please take your head out of the ground and read all the commentaries. Take your "special" family friendly activity and play in your own back yard. Also, I do want to see your list of business sponsors. Is this BS strategy something new? You see to come up with something new each day! I can't imagine anybody wanting to associate with this event that plans on continuing their business in the community. I am very vocal and I will make sure that others will see the list of businesses from our town that think this event is characteristic of what Peru has to offer. I won't be shopping there any more and I will state my opinions to as many as I can. Better yet, why don't one of your sponsors hold the event on their property? Now that's a great idea!!!!! Let's put money on how many return customers they get. I'm not asking questions anymore to our alderman who think this event is a good image for the City. I am telling the organizers and sponsors that I will not patronize them anymore. Maybe now, somebody will listen.
Citizens of Peru (especially those who are in favor of this event) please count from top to bottom the number of times "THE CHARITY" is mentioned in the responses that are supporting this event. But, when asked to please identify 'THE CHARITY" no response is given. I find that strange - don't you?
ANON 9:31 I would be more than happy to volunteer if I knew what charity was going to benefit from this event. Obviously it's not a local charity (IVAR).
Catching up on some older comments. 4-15 5:53 "There aren't many people that contribute or help in anyway in our community? Are you nuts? The Illinois Valley is one of the most charitable communities I have ever worked or lived in. We have events held locally that clear more than $100,000 in contributions. THAT'S IN ONE NIGHT!!! IVAR just cleared $38,000 last week. Look at March of Dimes, Easter Seals, Arthritis Foundation, MDA, Relay for Life,youth sports, cancer/tragedy victims, etc. These are respected events that local residents believe in and are willing to support financially. We are absolutely and foremost the community that is willing to help out! And trust me, these events are not managed and organized by the "event fairy." Most of the volunteers are full time workers outside of their home that are willing to give up more to help someone else. And we believe in them enough to support them in any way we can. All they have to do is call! One of the other comments mentioned "IVAR is not in need of financial aid." Nuts again? They always need help and our community provides for them. We RESPECT them and their volunteers and we believe in their goals! Enough said. Connie - you stated on 4-17 around 9:36 that you do not want to go where you are not welcome. I think that the multitude of commentaries to date should make that clear. Did you try the state parks that allow dogs? Did you ask one of your sponsors? Maybe they have property that is available. Did you try your own cities? I don't know why you insist on slamming this "down our throat." We can't bring our pets in our own parks, we sure don't want yours. 10:27 4-17 Get active and become a volunteer? Trust me, I write checks and work at every event I believe in. And that's quite a few. I have yet to turn down an activity or event or situation that is in need of help in the Illinois Valley. You will see my family at almost every activity with checks in hand. Its rather nice that I see many (and I mean many) of the same people at the events contributing and supporting to the same capacity as I do. Unfortunately, we do not believe in your activity at this time and I don't foresee anybody liking it any better in the future. Please take your "sport" to a community that supports it. Right now, we don't. Also, where is the petition I am hearing about. Really, how valid could it be? I would love to see the names on that list. Please enlighten me!
I wish our aldermen and mayor would read these comments and think twice before they proceed. At least, ask more questions as many new facets of this event have been added to the agenda.
how can a town do this? tell you one thing,then superise you the next. well and we will take it away! all this is about is control when someone wants to do something good.if the big shots dont like well then its no good for the town.give me a break!! lets keep something in mind "all living things can be good and bad" lets give mr rodriguez a break! for the love of god let him prove his point and let some dogs get some donations.
A very good question has been asked, "How can a town do this?". There are a couple of answers: #1 Council precedures were not followed - this request should have gone to committee first and then the "recommended" decision to the city council. #2 Simply, the citizen of Peru are the town you are referring to and they have informed you what they want and do not want!
This discourse alone should be notice enough but if you need to be told in a more direct manner here it is......THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS OF PERU HAVE SPOKE UP AND THEY DO NOT WANT A DOG PULL IN THEIR PARKS!!!!!!!
Who are you referring to as big shot? I, for one, am a common working individual who is a Citizen of Peru. I have the greatest little black cocker spaniel and I treat her as a part of my family. I have had a dog as a pet all my life and at a few different times have had more than one.
Today, being Good Friday , I think it would be appropriate for all of us to send a donation to IVAR as a celebration of the Easter season. I personally am going to send Heidi Milner a $25.00 donation for IVAR.
Lois I am going to borrow your blog to wish everyone and their family and their pet a HAPPY EASTER.
If we let these dog pulls go on, what's next? cock fighting at the Taste of the Illinois Valley! I think Art has it right... let's show support for keeping this type of activity out of Peru.
Cock fighting, seriously, get real don't b so ignorant. I for one don't doubt Mr. Rodriguez will host this event and I will b there on the sidelines :)
87 comments:
Will there be a vet on site for this event? Some of those dogs didn't look like they could handle the weight they were expected to pull. Has anybody called the local vets to gather their opinions?
Looks like a job for one of those huge Belgian draft horses not a dog. Haven't figured out the purpose of pulling yet.
If you had to propose an area for this event where you would cause the least disruption to the population of La Salle Peru where would you go?
And if you wanted to be right in someones face, where would you like it to take place?
BTW I heard the police asked some people to leave Washington Park with their dogs tonight.
Lois: Peru citizens are asked to leave the park with their dogs but we allow strangers to bring many dogs into our parks? Maybe citizens want equal rights! Food for thought aldermen!!
Lois, maybe the citizens of Peru are starting their protest early.
I hope Peta, gets involved.
Lois, I think the purpose is to make your dog become active, which would require the owner of the pet to become active as well, which may be what some people need in this area (I hear CONSTANT COMPLAINTS that there is NOTHING to do in this area besides go to the bars). Look at professional body building, there really is no purpose behind that, except to get huge, it doesn't really help them in their day to day activities, but we as humans do it anyways. I can understand Alderman O'Beirne's frustration at the council meeting, it doesn't make sense for us as a community to criticize something we have never seen before. I think a good approach as an alderman would be to contact other municipalities and ask them how they felt about the event and whether or not they would approve that event again in the future(which our current alderman did have time to do, but whether or not they did I have no idea). Please understand I am not here to take sides, but I believe in getting as much information as possible so I can make the best decision as possible.
I grew up in a household where my father was very much into body building which he continued to do until he was almost 90 and I think the workouts he always did helped him stay healthy for much of his life. But like many hobbies it can become all important to the individual.
As for the dogs I don't have a problem with the people that wish to work with them but I do have a very big problem with the fact they picked Baker Lake to showcase their dogs. This is probably the one park in our city that is used daily by its residents. I don't know if they asked LaSalle or Oglesby which both have better venues for this event.
Also the aldermen that voted yes asked very few questions and for the last few weeks, it has been residents asking questions. I wonder how many will be there to see for themselves how many locals will be there. Many dog owners are upset about the fact that they can't walk their dogs through a park in Peru and if they do and the police see them, they will be told to leave and we don't even know how many dogs will be in the event of dog pulling at the park. I will be picking up the letter written to the dog promoter and will give more information after that.
Thank you Justin for your comments.
I agree that some of the alderman that voted "yes" to it didn't even ask a SINGLE question. To me that is unacceptable. I would of at least liked to hear SOME comment or SOME thought about it.
Justin: You are not familiar with Mr. O'Beirne's behavior and attitude toward those who disagree with him. He is, at times, arrogant, rude and out of place. Besides, Lois was not saying she was against his wishes, she was just asking legitimate questions since the aldermen did not. They did not even ask how much of the park he would be using, how long they would be there, would food or alcohol be present, what about parking, etc., etc. These are questions that are normally asked if someone else wants to use one of Peru's facilities. I, as Lois, appreciate your comments but I still firmly believe no representative of Peru should behave in that way manner.
Lois, have you heard anything about the forfeiture proceeding tomorrow in Ottawa?
Tomorrow starting at 9 A.M., the court will be in session in Ottawa at the Etna Road Complex. There is no published scheduled docket. It will be held in Judge Ryans' court
Apparently nothing has happened as of yet regarding the "airport incident money". I haven't seen anything reported on the news tribune web site. I wonder if we will ever hear anymore regarding this investigation and the incident.
i dont believe that there are people that are giving their opinions about the dog pulling without knowing what its about,but its ok to have horse races with body weight and whips to make them run as fast as they can whether they want to or not? Horse racing is gambling this event is for humanity(for the community).Everyone is so concerned about the well being of our dogs but no one has done anything to help the abandoned or abused aminals. Now that someone is doing something positive to raise money not only for the animal shelters but for the community as well they are being critisized. Lets see what its about before we start bashing it.
5:39PM
The horses won't be racing at Baker Lake. Why is no one answering my questions that are a part of this event?
Where before? Give me a list!!
Where have you been hiding, under what rock? We have a very active animal rescue in this area that does an immense amount of work helping what you call abandoned and abused animals. I do believe you have just opened Pandora's box!
I keep asking but no one will answer my questions from the city council to you whoever you may be.
Im very upset that there are negetive comments about the dog pulling event when its something positive to help the community. There arent many poeple that contribute or help in any way our community and now that someone is trying to make a difference people have negitive things to say without having any knowledge of the dog pulling. I personally am an animal lover and back this event up 100% because there is no abuse to these animals unlike other sports that involve animals. GREAT JOB TO WHOEVER IS DOING THIS EVENT AND TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Lois, we never know what will be next,but for now i have lived in this community for a long time and i have never heard of or seen anyone go out of there way to do something good and positive and something that they believe in so much. To go through the city council and take all the critizisum and still feel good and strong about what they believe in. Every penny is going to different charities one would thing that is a good thing. Thanks to the people that are doing this event and giving to these charities because we never know when we will be in need or have to use these charities!!
How do these events get so much money to contribute to all these charities? No one is criticizing Mr. Rodriguez. They are just trying to get answers to questions such as "why not hold it in Oglesby (his home town) or La Salle (location of his business). Have you, the writer of 5:53 or the writer of 6:08, ever attended such an event? If so, fill us in on such matters as where and when and what was all involved. Do you think it's fair for the city to allow out of towners to enter our parks, with their dogs, when Peru citizens are denied such priveleges? Why Baker Lake and no other location or town?
6:08PM
I hear about good and positive in this community with many very upstanding organizations donating their time to raise money for people in the Illinois Valley. There are people who work through the Food Pantry, people that provide shelter at Pads, how about the United Way and Red Cross. There are events frequently to raise money for medical care. I could go on and on but I'm sure you get the message. The people in this community do care and I am sorry you are not aware of it. Didn't you read about Illinois Valley Animal Rescue and the auction they had last week and raised $8000 to provide shelter and care for the abandoned and rescued pets.
6:08 How do you know that EVERY PENNY is going to charity?
then why not have another fundraiser why not do something that no one has seen in this town lets bring something new to the table something new to the community and thats exactly what Mr. Rodriguez is going to do. I am also a dog lover and I wouldn't agree with something that i knew would hurt any kind of animal. thats great they raised so much money for abandoned and rescued pets and Mr. Rodriguez is another one of those people who is willing to stick out his neck for something he loves and make a change for the better dog pulling is a sport its a work out for the dog and the owner how many dogs around the world are over weight? their are many animals in that kind of state and weight pulling is just like working out just like lifting weights to stay fit.
8:02 From the way your writing one would assume that you have experienced dog pulling yourself. If so, then why not tell us where and when so we can talk to those involved so we have a better idea of what to expect. Have any of these places invited dog-pulling back to their community?
8:46 I think that it doesn't matter whether someone else has been to one of these events or not everyone is going to have their own opinion,but now its going to happen in our area so anyone that wants to know what happens or goes on at these events can come and experience it first hand and then give their opinion. As far as dogs not been allowed at our parks well i think that should be brought to the city not taken it out on Mr.Rodriguez's event because it was ok'd and yes i don't think its fair. That is something that people should stand up for and get changed. Like any charity when you donate how do you know that every penny is going to the charity? Sometimes you donate and hope that that money is going to where they say it is. What Mr.Rodriguez is doing just tells me that his heart is in the right place and i will donate to his event without a second thought. I give Mr.Rodriguez a lot of credit for doing this event.
I believe it's true we would not have all the help that is offered to the people in our community if it wasn't for the charities and the people that donate their money,time and effort and we the community appreciate it and i don't want to sound like no one is doing or giving to these charities. Why not support the positive that Mr.Rodriguez is trying to bring instead of giving him a hard time about it. There is already so much negetivity not only in our community but in the world that we DO NOT need to turn something that someone wants to do that is positive to negitive
I've read a lot of questions about dog weight pulling. I am 16 years old and have been weight-pulling for two years all over the nation. My dogs do it because they love to pull, and they love me. If they wouldn't want to pull, they wouldn't as I can't make them. At all of the weight pulls that I have experienced I have had a great time. I meet new, friendly people each time I go to one. What happens at a weight pull? We put our dogs in harnesses; we weigh the dogs; we put them in appropriate classes so it isn't a 25 lb dog vs a 125 lb dog (like mine); there are usually concession stands and bathrooms; a judge times and records every dog's pulling time/weight; we hook the dog's harness to the cart; they pull when we call to them from across a line 16 feet away from them; they come if they want, and if they don't, they don't come to us until we help them; this process is repeated until all dogs have either quit or fouled out. It is a great experience, and I'd suggest you come to the one in Peru to get a fun learning experience.
i weight pull competitively my dogs for prairieland pullers club and yes, you can look us up on the internet. year after year we pull at purina farms in gray summit, mo. year after year we pull at the abingdon american legion in abingdon, il. year after year we weight pull at the monmouth eagle club in monmouth, il. these are just a few of the places we pull at and we have NEVER had an issue of any of the towns not wanting us back. and there are hundreds of events held all over the nation through the united kennel club, alaskan malamute club of america, greater swiss mtn. dog club of america, st. bernard club of america, international weight pulling club, american pulling alliance, national kennel club, irondog, etc. i welcome anyone asking me questions about weight pulling, the pull atmosphere, why we pull, how we train. at the council meeting the week before the vote alot of literature was given out to the aldermen about weight pulling, organizations that weight pull, etc. these events are very family friendly. dogs are kept in crates when not competing. pulls are very organized, and strict rules are enforced. the dogs pull the weight 16' in 60 seconds or less. the owner is not allowed to touch the dog or bait them in any way. it is purely done by obedience training. the more conditioned a dog is the better your results will be. but a dog also has to have the desire to pull to be successful. you can't force a dog to pull. ask questions and i'll answer!
My position remains that I don't have a problem with your dog pulling but I would not be interested in my dog doing it but that is not the reason this ever came up. Your choice of location is inappropriate and no one even has attempted to answer why this park? Did you ask in other cities such as LaSalle and Oglesby or perhaps even Ottawa or Streator. The city has not allowed ANY dogs in that park since its inception and people are not happy that you are being allowed to bring your event to Baker Lake. The rest of your information is interesting but not relative to what the problem is for many people who read this blog. Will someone answer the real question?
Lois, I don't know about why Baker Lake was chosen. Maybe because it a popular location and has plenty of room for this event. what i do know is that there has been dogs allowed in this park before because i have been there with my dogs. like the walk for arthritis and an event that ivar had,so really this is not the first time that dogs are allowed in this park for an event. Lois what is really the problem with these event? is it the dogs,the park,or that Mr.Rodriguez is having this event? Be glad that it is at Baker Lake and that the procedings are going into our community to help and educate and have the opportunity to not only hear about dog pulling but to be a part of it as well.
I really wish a local and reputable vet would give his or her blessing on this type of event. He or she would be the professional to make the best decision about the safety and well being of the animal. Until I hear a real vet comment, I won't take the opinions of pullers seriously. I am a Peru citizen as well as many others that have stated that we do not want this event held in our City. I have read the News Trib comment section and many people on that site are against this event too. If the towns that held the event in the past were so pleased with the outcome, by all means, take the event back there. As for the organizer, I would not give him one dime for his "charity" plans or to any person, business, or charity that supports this type of activity. I sure hope that our City recognizes the wishes of THEIR citizens first.
when this park was chosen, not being from your community i did not know the policy that dogs were not allowed. we chose it after reviewing all the area. we wanted a beautiful location, family friendly, a place that positively represented your area, and a place that would draw a lot of people in because they frequented it so that more people could be educated about the event.
I would like to know, where all this money is supposed to come from, that is going to go to charity. Are they having a beer garden, concert, foor stands? I thought you have to have special approval for all that????
lois, BAKERS LAKES HAS HOSTED SO MANY BENIFITS FOR THE AREA,IN WHICH TOM HAS SUPPORTED AND WILL KEEP DOING SO. AND ALL HE WANTS TO GET OUT OF THIS IS TO KELP DOGS IN NEED,FIND HOMES,DONATION OF ANY KIND.AND TO SHOW THAT KEEPING YOU DOG HEALTHLY AND STRONG. WILL PERLONG HIS LIFE AND STAY FIT. LETS FACE IT ANY PET CAN GET CANCER,GO BLIND,ETC THERE LIKE US IF WE DONT TAKE CARE OF OURSELF.WE ARE MORE LIKEY TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS WE GET OLDER. WELL THERE LIKE US.AND HE HOPES TO EASE THE BAD RAP SOME OF THIS DOGS HAVE, AND HELP TO SEE THERES MORE WAYS TO DO WITH YOUR PET THEN TO TEACH THEM TO FIGHT,KILL,HUNT,ETC. LETS BE OPEN TO NEW THINGS THANKS FITTOBEME
I think you people need to also realize that we have nothing against Mr. Rodriguez and have not given him a hard time. We just feel our aldermen did not ask enough appropriate questions nor did they allow the public their opinions or questions and as Lois said - Why Baker Lake?
7:39AM
I actually had to be at our vet on Wed. and asked him if he was aware of the dog pull scheduled at Baker Lake. He did not but mentioned that dogs can be susceptible to heat stroke in temperatures as low as 70 if they have to exert themselves. A vet should definitely be on the premises when the "event" occurs.
the dogs' well being will be first and foremost in priority. if it is warm, we will have wading pools for them to cool off in. we will have ice buckets for them to get water from. if needed we will have fans going. i have shown at akc events in 100+ degrees long coated dogs and no vet is on site. everyone just has to be aware of the conditions. you don't pull your dog if it is overheated. the dogs pull 16' on carpet, in the shade. they can pass as many as 4 rounds in a row. dogs are pulled in rounds so your dog is not pulling back to back most of the time. our sanctioning body also allows 5 minutes between pulls if you need it if your dog is pulling back to back. most dogs pull no more than 5-10 times in an entire pull. this is not like dogs are out dragging heavy weights for miles in the heat. however, the judge will not let any dog pull that he deems is not up to pulling because of health.
in regards to the donations, we are hoping we have alot of generous people bringing out cans and bags of dogfood. a representative from the charity will be there. also each of the weight pullers pay an entry fee to pull. we have no way of knowing how much money will be donated or number of dogs that will pull. but i don't think this should be about a specific dollar amount. a donation to help dogs find loving family homes, get the medical treatments they need, provide food and lodging for discarded animals, ANY DONATION is better than none. it is my understanding there will be food there for the public and the weight pullers to buy. however, to the best of my knowledge no one stepped up to donate all proceeds from food sales to the charity. no alcohol is allowed at all the weight pulls i have ever competed in.
as far as your politicians go, i attended the meeting the week before the vote. questions were allowed by the public. the alderman did ask questions. a slide presentation was presented and literature was handed out. a professional dog handler and a spokesperson for weight pulling spoke in addition to mr. rodriguez. some of the public, including the reporter on hand came up and spoke afterwards to those who had spoken at the meeting. everything was done to educate the public and the politicians about the event so the correct decision could be made.
I do not know if you think that dogs will pull a lot and for long distances... usually dogs only pull around 5-10 times. They pull 16 feet total, it's not like they pull for miles on end. No vets are necessary (at all the weight pulls I've been to there has never been a problem in the past where we would need one). I'm sure that if it is too hot, water, fans, etc will be provided; they always have in the past. Go to prairielandpullersclub.com to learn more about weight pulling.
10:02AM
You do realize that is one of the stipulations asked for by the Peru City Council.
Also if you wish to converse with Tom, please use the telephone or text message. This will not be used as a 'cheer him on" board.
Which charity is receiving money from this event? Is the charity condoning this event and aware of how unhappy the local citizens are about this issue? I hope the charity is appreciative of who supports them Year Round long after this freak show is gone.
I believe the original request to the Peru Council containded a detailed description of waat was planned for the park. And why is THIS park your biggest concern? It seems like your concern is not the pull but the park. These dogs are kenneled or leashed and clean up is required by the owner. To many people want to walk dogs through the park and leave the mess for some kid to run along and steop in. The park is centrally located and there track is very helpful. If would be easier to reach and set up here. I know the alterman did ask questions and Tom had to apply twice for approval. Tom knows what this consists of and he selected Bakers for convenience and the opportunit to get the community involved in a new sport using there pets. The charities receiving money will be the ones that show up to assist. IVAR wants money they need a booth there and so on. What ever legitament charity.
i think all of the name calling about an event you obviously know so little about is prejudicial. after numerous attempts to educate you about this event, answer questions in a professional manner, explain why use of the park was requested, welcome further questions, etc. i do not believe the response by anonymous at 4:52 pm is warranted. we live in a democratic country. by a majority of votes of the council the event was approved. further comment is unnecessary by anyone.
IVAR is setting up a booth at this event?
For the record... IVAR will NOT be in attendance.
all of us involved with the pull ask one thing of everyone before judgement is passed. give us a chance. you don't have to be in favor of the location. you don't have to like the event. give us a chance to put on a charity event, bring new people to your community, showcase the event, and then if we fail to live up to your expectations you can pass judgement. but to be so highly critical of an event not one person on here has ever admitted to being involved in other than myself and a 16 yr old young man, is not fair. just take the chance of looking at the possible good and educate yourself to what it is truly like. i understand having fears of the unknown. but give the unknown a chance before you make your judgement. then if we fail to live up to your expectations take it before the town board if we ever try to repeat the event. but you won't have to worry, i have such HIGH expectations and demands for weight pulling events i am involved in that if it doesn't meet my high standards i would never ask to come back. all i am asking is that you respect us enough to let us try. if we blow that respect at our event, then we deserve any high criticism you would want to send our way.
10:58 AM
Who are you?
Mr. Rodriguez (I assume it's you 10:58) obviously our city is giving you a chance. What you don't understand is that we, as concerned citizens of Peru, do not feel our aldermen asked the appropriate questions or that public comments were taken seriously. You state that your event is a charity event but, if and only if the charity is present and sets up a booth. You indicate that only trained dogs participate in your event yet someone else said local dogs are welcome to participate. One of the rules submitted to you was that a vet be present yet you told us they're not needed. Do you see and understand the discrepancies that are becoming more and more frequent with each post that is being submitted? Now can you understand why people are getting upset and questioning your event? There is nothing against you it's against the way this event is turning into a more complex situation than originally indicated. (i.e. swimming pools were mentioned to cool dogs - where's the water supply coming from or fans were mentioned = where's the electricity coming from?)
come meet me at the pull. i will be very visible there. are you wanting my first name, last name, or my relationship to this event?
What happens to the money and donations if no charity shows up and sets up a booth? 11:36 if you are sincere you would not hesitate to sign your name to your post.
my name is connie, not mr. rodriquez. i do not know if he has written on here at all. i am very sincere, but with all the negativity i honestly have some fear about my safety, safety of my family, and my animals if i revealed too much about who i am. i am an avid weight puller, have hosted 10 weight pulls myself in the last year. i have driven several hours to attend your city council meetings and to inform the public of what weight pulling truly is about. i have written honestly and unemotionally to everyone that i could about what all is going on and what a weight pull is. i have not tried to hide the truth from anyone. i have only tried to protect my family and the charity involved. there are two purposes for this event. the first is to donate to our charity (and yes we have a charity and there will be a representative there of the charity). it is a charity that like all of the rescue organizations are in dire need of any financial aid they can get as we have way too many dogs going into rescue. the second is to educate your community about what weight pulling is and how much fun it is to work with your dogs rather than let them be unhealthy mentally and physically. i realize not everyone will like weight pulling. but in all the weight pulls i have pulled at all across the country i have never experienced the closemindedness i am seeing here.
there is from my understanding a gas station that sells ice right near the park. and i always bring gallons of bottled water for my dogs. as far as electricity goes, are there no electrical outlets in the pavilion? however, if it is so hot we need fans i personally will not pull dogs nor would most of the people i know. always the safety of dogs comes first. one of my concerns in having a vet present is the cost involved. i do not know your vets in the area. would one of them be willing to attend for free so that our profits truly can go straight to charity as we want? a weight pull itself does not generate enough income to pay weekend rates for a vet to be there to watch a pull and have money to donate to a charity at the same time. the entire hope of what this pull would do for your community is being negated by unrealistic expectations of people who have no knowledge of what will even be happening. you want us to have a vet, but you don't even understand the event. even AKC and UKC conformation shows that are held by a world recognized organization do not require vets. and yes, there are weight pulls held at these events. they do have access to an emergency clinic that is open 24/7 and that is what i propose here. we have access to a 24 hr emergency clinic if it is needed. no vet would treat a dog on site anyway, it would be required to go to their facility.
if any of you are sincere rather than people just being closedminded, you would have requested rules of the pull, name of sanctioning body, looked into other weight pulling organizations to see how their events are run, maybe even attended a weight pull to see what they are, read on line about conditioning dogs, etc. instead of trying to tear it apart. even though weight pulling might not be for you - you should be so happy that someone is stepping up to help a charity in this time of economic hardship where so many people no longer can donate and so many people are turning dogs back in to charity.
i leave you with this thought. IF in our communities we never tried anything new or accepted people with slightly different ideas, what great things and people would we be missing out on knowing? do you want your community known for being friendly, welcoming, accepting of change or for being prejudiced towards those they don't understand or agree with?
A representative of a charity is coming for sure. So there do not need to be any more questions about "Which charity is receiving money from this event? Is the charity condoning this event and aware of how unhappy the local citizens are about this issue?" or "What happens to the money and donations if no charity shows up and sets up a booth?" If there is no electricity at the park, I have cords, adapters, etc in my car that they could use. If need be, I'm sure water will be bought from a grocery store. I agree with the writer of 10:58 that you need to GIVE US A CHANCE. It is ridiculous how judgemental you have been when you have yet to experience it. You are mad at us for using your "dog-free" park, when YOUR council voted a yes for us, or have you noticed the title of this article???
3:40PM
Don't twist my words around, the title meant it was a "must see" for the Utube video I posted, it had nothing to do with your event.
We have a "lame duck" council at this time and I sincerely believe that if the 2 new council members had already been seated you would not have received a yes vote. Back off what you are hearing is the residents of Peru speaking to you and this town is theirs and not yours.
it seems to me there are a few vocal residents voicing a negative response. but hundreds signed a petition in favor of it. also many have expressed interest in sponsoring it. had your "new council members" voted no a different location would have definitely been found. peru is a town of many thousand and definitely those many thousand have not all said they do not want the weight pull.
4:18PM
Tell me about the petition, first time anyone has mentioned it.
My question is will there be any donations going to any charity in our area? Nobody is trying to down play your event. They are just trying to get answers to legitimate questions. Petition - I too have heard nothing about it. As far as your rules I believe a small list was sent to Mr. Rodriguez to sign before the event. I already know that you are not going to abide by several of them (i.e. vet, age limit for human competitors - Eric is 16)
12:52PM
It is evident to me that you have not visited the park.
There is no gas station near the park which is located in the middle of a very residential area on the dividing line between la Salle and Peru. As you well know small communities do not have 24 hour emergency vet clinics. We do have several vet services that do cooperate on weekends and one of the vets is on call. None of the vets live in Peru as one vet is from Mendota, 2 from Spring Valley and another in Oglesby.
There is one living in Peru but I believe she is on leave right now.
I think these are things you should have researched before making your location decision.
maybe had you bothered to become aware of all of the facts instead of just placing judgement on things you only new part of the story on, you would have been aware of the petition. the petition was read to me by one of the individuals who gave of their weekend to inform the public. it was started the weekend before the vote, so not everyone in your community would have been given the opportunity to sign it. there is no way possible that a few people could have canvassed an entire community of 10,000 in 3 days. however, the individuals did try to inform as many people as they physically could in businesses and in their neighborhoods. i was also told, but do not know it for a fact, that people opposing the weight pull were doing a petition to. but once again, i only know what i was told and did not see or read the opposing petition for myself nor am i aware if they received any signatures or how many they might have had.
you need to really look at it from our perspective. we canvassed some of the community and were supported. we had several individuals and businesses step up and want to sponsor our efforts. we talked to the local police chief as we were requested to by council members prior to the vote and explained our pulls, training procedures, rules, etc. we were interviewed by a local reporter. we went to 3 different city council meetings and at least at 2 were given opportunity to explain our proposed event. there were citizens of the community there expressing opinions both for and against so both sides were given ample opportunity to discuss the issues. proper procedures were followed as far as applying for permission. the vote happened and the pull was approved 6-2. now it is time for your community to step up and accept the vote.
you can do alot to help make this charity event successful by accepting and supporting it. this does not mean you have to like weight pulling or even participate in weight pulling. but i would have to assume that most of you are people of generous spirit that want to help others in need - included the need of our 4 legged friends. these are really rough economic times and our shelters are bursting at the seams with dogs that have not been placed in homes, dogs that need extensive medical rehabilitation before they can be placed in homes, etc. this event can really be a gift of life to these dogs and the loving people that are working so hard to avoid euthanasia in unwanted animals. i truly believe that there have to be a lot of animal loving, kind hearted people in your community that whether they agree with a weight pull or not or whether they agree with the council's vote to allow a weight pull at baker's lake or not they can agree to put aside their bitterness and help animals in need.
there will also be people coming from out of state and out of your community. what image do you want to project about your community? funds will be spent in your community in hotels, restaurants, gas stations, stores, etc. by these individuals visiting your community for the first time. is your community so financially well off that you have no need for a little economic boost on a weekend? or are you so unfriendly of a community that you would rather never have people visit your community again?
what difference does it make where a gas station is? there are gas stations all along interstate 80 and up and down 251. all of them sell ice. as far as having a vet on call or present, this was never an issue as never had one requested to be present before so it would never have been a consideration. i have weight pulled more than all of the people writing on this blog put together. all of the sanctioning bodies (ukc, akc, iwpa, nkc, gsmc, amca, irondog, apa, etc. - and by the way if you do not know what these initials stand for i will be happy to tell you so you can google them on-line and read their rules, see the standings worldwide, see how many people participate in this sport, etc.) have rules they enforce at each pull. these rules are enforced by a judge that has gone through a rigorous testing procedure and had to apprentice at a certain number of pulls under another judge before they could become an official judge. they determine age limit of handlers, age of dogs competing, weight increments to be pulled, weight classes, declare fouls, etc. these rules are not determined by an uninformed community but rather by the organization themselves that has been in existence for years and know what works and is most fair/safe for the dogs. each host has to follow the rules of the organization. and also don't worry, when we leave we will return the park to as good a condition or better than when we arrived. there will be bags provided for all handlers to pick up after their dogs. hosts of the pull will also check the entire area before they leave to make sure any trash or poop left by anyone is picked up (even if it was not left by us).
in regards to a charity in your area, ivar has made it clear they are not in need of financial aid. read the comment above by a heidi milner. the charity selected services all of illinois, including peru/lasalle and other parts of the midwest in conjunction with other rescue organizations. come to the pull and you will see a legitimate charity who has a need and is glad we want to help them. this is a charity i have helped donate items to for their on-line raffle in the past and have also driven 4 hours to have my dogs pull at another fund-raiser. so regardless of what others might say, i have helped this organization in the past and will continue to help them in the future. what about you all - how do you help your local animal shelters with their financial and physical needs? are you willing to adopt one of their homeless dogs or foster one of them like mr. rodriquez has? are you willing to donate dogfood like mr. rodriquez has? put your money where your mouth is and support this charitable event.
I have taken great offense to "connie's" comment calling our community closeminded. You have NO idea what a phenomenal community this is!! This community is like no other---the caring, compassion, pride and giving here is awe-inspiring! We have helped many people, families and yes, even animals in need. To berate the people because we CARE about the choice in which you are having your event is an insult. You really have no idea, and are trying to simply justify something that people to be frank do not want at Baker Lake.
Please do your homework a bit better and try to be respectful of the residents and our values.
i have always stood up for my town, but i am absolutely disgusted with how some of you have dealt with this matter. i am not a weight puller, as i only have a weimaraner, but i looked at a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6j-R-iK7As) and thought it looked interesting and unharmful to the dogs, or anyone. it looked as though the dog was wagging his tail... i think some of us should stop being jerks to people who might bring publicity to our town. havent you ever heard of being good hosts and being nice to guests? i am embarassed with how we have handled this matter. please accept my appologies: mr. rodriguez, connie, eric, and anyone else who have been dealt with harshly and injustly. -steve
So what location would be an acceptable place in your mind, anonymous of 7:10 pm?
Connie - I think you are being rude and inconsiderate toward people you do not even know. And yet, you want those very people to support you and your event and let you use their park freely? Mr. Rodriguez, if I were you, I would instruct Connie to back off. She could very well lose your location for you. She acts as though we are here to serve you and her organization and that we should do so without question. I personally find her behavior offensive.
Connie, what is the name of the charity you so adamantly support? After being asked numerous times you still refuse to name the charity.
In response to Connies question is not "in my mind". Common sense dictates===NOT a public, family oriented park! This park is also in very close proximity to a nursing home. Do you feel this would be appropriate if any of the family members would like to take a resident to the park that day?
Simply choose a location that is not a family gathering place...how about a fairground? There are several in this area. They are also not in use during this time of year.
i find this to be very unacceptable how A Peru Citizen and Lois are so rude to guests that are bringing our town some help. didnt anyone tell you to treat guests nicely and be a good host? i am very embarassed with how some of my fellow citizens have treated this predicament so badly. please accept my appologies weight pullers.
9:25 PM
I didn't know our town needed help, what are you referring to? If you are talking about IVAR, I find your comment insulting because the communities in the Illinois Valley totally support this animal rescue organization each and every year both with money and assistance. Please research before you condemn.
this was not meant to be rude, but a genuine question. where would be acceptable? you know your community, i don't. if there is an alternative location that we are not too late to consider that would keep the peace, why not try it? our needs are: a pavilion that is at least 60 x 40', electricity would be great, access to public bathrooms if at all possible, parking for a large number of vehicles, a place where we could be sure to keep all dogs in crates close to pull site but where we could be sure the dogs were safe from the public and the public safe from them, visibility so that the public and community can observe the pull and learn to appreciate what we do and see that is it totally unrelated to anything resembling dogfighting or animal cruelty, a place to interact with the public and answer any possible questions, a place to hang banners (that will be removed before we leave) to honor our sponsors, and a place that will have room for a small concession stand and area to be roped off for dogs to be taken to potty, and a place that is available on may 14th.
i have not talked to mr. rodriquez, so my posts do not in any way reflect his thoughts nor is he even aware of my thoughts on changing location. i can't even promise that a change of venue could happen as i do not have complete say so. i would have to contact the sanctioning body for approval. i would have to try and contact as many people as possible that have been invited to the pull to change the location. mr. rodriquez, the people helping him, the sanctioning body, the charity, and anyone in peru that would need to be contacted would have to be convinced. but as passionate as i am about weight pulling, i definitely do not want to go where we are not wanted for whatever reason we are not wanted. this whole weight pull was to educate your community and maybe involve more people in this event. it was to be a positive experience for your community, those from outside your community, and to earn money for a good cause. sadly, it is turning out to be anything but this.
if i came across as rude, i apologize. i am very passionate about weight pulling, but i also am a straight shooter. that straight and to the point attitude sometimes causes offense to others. and i also was defensive at what i felt were personal attacks no matter how honest and open i tried to be to educate you all in what all was going on and why. i honestly felt like no matter how much info i provided you, it was never enough. so i am apologizing for anything i said that caused people to be hurt or upset. and i am not saying this because i am fearful we will lose the location and trying to appease people. i genuinely do want to make everyone happy if i at all can.
i do ask that you help me come up with a perfect location that meets the above requirements. then i ask that if i am able to get this event moved to the new location you all come out and support us in a positive way. as the saying goes, " the ball (pull) is now in your court." i am not asking you to serve me, but to help me find a place that will be acceptable to you and to us. we are both here to co-exist peacefully and if at all possible help a charity.
Lois, still waiting to hear back from Connie regarding the name of her charity. I feel that once she reveals the name of a legitimate organization that will help to alleviate some of the concerns.
Anon 9:25 What kind of help are they bringing to this town? Connie will not even tell us the name of the charity that she says is coming.
by the way, just so the air is clear, i have not named the charity to be supported as i did not want them contacted with any negative publicity. i felt it was a professional courtesy to leave them out of this as they are just the recipients of any money we can generate for them, and are not in any way sponsoring the event. it would not be fair to them if they felt threatened about receiving future funds or support because of this event. please respect my protecting their privacy although they will be very visible and present at the pull.
also if anyone has any suggestions on a better location, because i am not from your community i would need the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses of people to contact about using their facility. thank you.
9:25 Lois and a Peru Citizen are not being rude, they are just asking questions that should have been asked by the council. Our town does not need help, we have a wonderful organization called IVAR. They go above and beyond the call when it comes to rescuing and housing the animals in our area.
12:52PM
You posted and asked about a gas station that you believed was near to the park and I replied that there was not that the area was residential.
AND
then you replied back and I quote
"what difference does it make where a gas station is?" I'm mystified by your comments. First you are interested in finding a place to purchase ice and water and then you don't care.
4:18PM
To whom did you present this petition you circulated through parts of Peru?
It sounds like you were doing a survey and had no plans to present a petition to anyone. Am I right?
I don't expect this to appear, as I am not one of the chosen, but you people really need to catch a clue.
Those of you posting here, don't represent the majority of Peru citizens. You just, for some reason known only among yourselves, feel you are entitled to speak for the rest of us.
But you are not. And most of us wish you would quit your constant complaining about any and every thing going on and find something positive to contribute to our community instead.
LaSalle saw children lost and almost trampled at a 'family' event yesterday. So it's not the event, it's the planning that goes into that event.
If you are truly concerned about the reputation of Peru, become a volunteer. Help make the event a successful one for Peru. Find out what you can do to make this work rather waste everyones time sitting here complaining.
I thought Mr. Rodriguez asked our council for permission to host this event? My question is why is "Connie" interfering and, quite frankly, being rude? Why is Mr. Rodriguez not defending himself? Why won't Connie (who I believe lives 2 hours away from here) reveal the name of the charity she wants to promote at Baker Lake. Smells fishy to me!
As a RESIDENT of the City of Peru, I absolutely do NOT want this event held in our public parks! Please take your head out of the ground and read all the commentaries. Take your "special" family friendly activity and play in your own back yard. Also, I do want to see your list of business sponsors. Is this BS strategy something new? You see to come up with something new each day! I can't imagine anybody wanting to associate with this event that plans on continuing their business in the community. I am very vocal and I will make sure that others will see the list of businesses from our town that think this event is characteristic of what Peru has to offer. I won't be shopping there any more and I will state my opinions to as many as I can. Better yet, why don't one of your sponsors hold the event on their property? Now that's a great idea!!!!! Let's put money on how many return customers they get. I'm not asking questions anymore to our alderman who think this event is a good image for the City. I am telling the organizers and sponsors that I will not patronize them anymore. Maybe now, somebody will listen.
9:41 Are they seeking sponsorships throughout the businesses in Peru?
Citizens of Peru (especially those who are in favor of this event) please count from top to bottom the number of times "THE CHARITY" is mentioned in the responses that are supporting this event. But, when asked to please identify 'THE CHARITY" no response is given. I find that strange - don't you?
ANON 9:31 I would be more than happy to volunteer if I knew what charity was going to benefit from this event. Obviously it's not a local charity (IVAR).
Catching up on some older comments. 4-15 5:53 "There aren't many people that contribute or help in anyway in our community? Are you nuts? The Illinois Valley is one of the most charitable communities I have ever worked or lived in. We have events held locally that clear more than $100,000 in contributions. THAT'S IN ONE NIGHT!!! IVAR just cleared $38,000 last week. Look at March of Dimes, Easter Seals, Arthritis Foundation, MDA, Relay for Life,youth sports, cancer/tragedy victims, etc. These are respected events that local residents believe in and are willing to support financially. We are absolutely and foremost the community that is willing to help out! And trust me, these events are not managed and organized by the "event fairy." Most of the volunteers are full time workers outside of their home that are willing to give up more to help someone else. And we believe in them enough to support them in any way we can. All they have to do is call! One of the other comments mentioned "IVAR is not in need of financial aid." Nuts again? They always need help and our community provides for them. We RESPECT them and their volunteers and we believe in their goals! Enough said. Connie - you stated on 4-17 around 9:36 that you do not want to go where you are not welcome. I think that the multitude of commentaries to date should make that clear. Did you try the state parks that allow dogs? Did you ask one of your sponsors? Maybe they have property that is available. Did you try your own cities? I don't know why you insist on slamming this "down our throat." We can't bring our pets in our own parks, we sure don't want yours. 10:27 4-17 Get active and become a volunteer? Trust me, I write checks and work at every event I believe in. And that's quite a few. I have yet to turn down an activity or event or situation that is in need of help in the Illinois Valley. You will see my family at almost every activity with checks in hand. Its rather nice that I see many (and I mean many) of the same people at the events contributing and supporting to the same capacity as I do. Unfortunately, we do not believe in your activity at this time and I don't foresee anybody liking it any better in the future. Please take your "sport" to a community that supports it. Right now, we don't. Also, where is the petition I am hearing about. Really, how valid could it be? I would love to see the names on that list. Please enlighten me!
Well put 12:57. What I would like to know is how this event is going to benefit our community and Connie insists it will.
I wish our aldermen and mayor would read these comments and think twice before they proceed. At least, ask more questions as many new facets of this event have been added to the agenda.
The Peru council has certainly given itself a black eye by approving this animal cruelty event.
Refusing to name the supposed charity that is going to benefit sure raises my eyebrow.
how can a town do this? tell you one thing,then superise you the next. well and we will take it away! all this is about is control when someone wants to do something good.if the big shots dont like well then its no good for the town.give me a break!! lets keep something in mind "all living things can be good and bad" lets give mr rodriguez a break! for the love of god let him prove his point and let some dogs get some donations.
Wiggly Field is for Dogs. Let them go there!
A very good question has been asked, "How can a town do this?". There are a couple of answers: #1 Council precedures were not followed - this request should have gone to committee first and then the "recommended" decision to the city council. #2 Simply, the citizen of Peru are the town you are referring to and they have informed you what they want and do not want!
This discourse alone should be notice enough but if you need to be told in a more direct manner here it is......THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS OF PERU HAVE SPOKE UP AND THEY DO NOT WANT A DOG PULL IN THEIR PARKS!!!!!!!
Who are you referring to as big shot? I, for one, am a common working individual who is a Citizen of Peru. I have the greatest little black cocker spaniel and I treat her as a part of my family. I have had a dog as a pet all my life and at a few different times have had more than one.
Today, being Good Friday , I think it would be appropriate for all of us to send a donation to IVAR as a celebration of the Easter season. I personally am going to send Heidi Milner a $25.00 donation for IVAR.
Lois I am going to borrow your blog to wish everyone and their family and their pet a HAPPY EASTER.
If we let these dog pulls go on, what's next? cock fighting at the Taste of the Illinois Valley! I think Art has it right... let's show support for keeping this type of activity out of Peru.
Cock fighting, seriously, get real don't b so ignorant. I for one don't doubt Mr. Rodriguez will host this event and I will b there on the sidelines :)
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