Saving America's dog

 By Larry Burks

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Unknown

What would Darla, Spanky, Buckwheat and the rest of Our Gang think?

Twenty years ago, I had the experience and pleasure of knowing an American Pit Bull Terrier named Angus. When it came to evaluating a dog’s behavior, Angus was as well behaved as any dog I have seen. Loyalty to owners was typical of the breed and Angus’ obedience expanded beyond his owner to whoever held his leash. Angus would sit and he would stay until a release command was given. He would respond to any friendly voice. His two favorite things were to sit in your lap and to hold the knot at the end of a four-foot rope and swing in circles as fast and as high as possible. Angus could hold the rope longer than any one could swing him. Angus, like many American Pit Bull Terriers of his time, was remarkably respectable and desired. It is fitting that Angus, and others like him, are considered by many to be one of America’s dogs.

            Today, America’s dog needs saved. According to Pam Wiess, Public Relations Director of the Nebraska Humane Society, owners who breed American Pitt Bull Terriers for fighting are committing a felony. Not only is it inhumane, Wiess feels “these cruel criminals are ruining America’s dog.”  Like Angus, most American Pit Bull Terriers were well-behaved and loyal family dogs twenty years ago. Today Wiess feels owners who breed for dog fighting are “wrecking the breed.”

            At the turn of the 20^th Century, the American Pitt Bull Terrier was revered as a symbol of American pride, loyalty and perseverance. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt owned an American Pitt Bull Terrier and worked with ratting dogs in the White House basement. It is the rat pits where the American Pit Bull Terrier got its name – not from fighting other dogs.

            During World War I, the American Pit Bull Terrier was see as a military mascot; no doubt due to the breeds strength, loyalty and toughness. According to the American Pit Bull Registry, a Pit Bull by the name of Sgt. Stubby became a war hero in 1917 for saving several soldiers lives and even capturing a German spy while in the trenches of France with the 26th Yankee Division. It is unfortunate that a remarkable breed, with a rich history of positivism and joy, is now perceived as a menace to society.

            Today the American Pit Bull is associated with aggressiveness, fear, drugs, gambling, drowning, rape stands, electrocution, hanging and death. In many areas around the country, there are even reports of family pets being stolen and used for dogfight training. However bad the Pitt Bull may become, society must remember there are more bad owners than bad dogs.

            There are owners in Omaha who take part in the wrecking of America’s dog. Wiess advised that Omaha Police and Nebraska Humane Society field service officers frequently find evidence of dog fighting in Omaha communities. Knowing these criminals are breeding dangerous dogs in our community creates the realization that citizens need to recognize the possibility of a dangerous environment in their urban neighborhood. It is no surprise the Nebraska Humane Society offers large rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of felony dogfighters.

            The Omaha Inner-city Coalition on the Environment (ICE) has recognized this issue as an opportunity to help inner-city neighborhoods therefore, ICE is providing citizens of the Omaha community an opportunity to learn more about dog fighting in Omaha.

            Pam Wiess will be giving an informative presentation, with questions and answers to follow. This presentation is part of ICE’s annual banquet held at Old Market Spaghetti Works, 502 S.11th St. Thursday, October 4 2007 at 5:30 pm. Please join ICE members and Pam Wiess on October 4 and learn how to help save America’s dog.

            In addition to the dog fighting presentation, ICE will announce its Bob Light Community Service Award. Event registration fee is $15.00, which includes meal and presentation. More information and  registration forms can be found on the ICE website at www.omahaice.org or call 402-305-3599 for more information.

Tipping: A server's oxygen

BY Ryan DeHarty

     In today’s service industry, people are relying on tips more and more to help cover the bills. With the rising cost of fuel, taxes and tuition, more and more people are picking up second and third jobs to help make ends meet. This in not limited to just younger people are in school. Many people in the service industry are college graduates with good paying day jobs. I personally know many professional people who have started to wait tables or bartend in order to pay for weddings, vehicle repairs and even new homeowners sometimes need that extra dollar or two.

     Why do we tip? Well bars and restaurants pay employees different wages depending on their position. Cooks receive the highest pay under the management because they do not receive any tips for the service they provide. Bartenders, wait staff and bus help, however, receive a considerably lower hourly wage. Their hourly wage is typically lower than federal minimum. Why is this you wonder? According to the ‘Tipping Etiquette Guide’, “Restaurants report a percentage (around 12%) of the gross sales for food and beverage to the IRS for their staff. This means that if you have a $200 food bill and $200 wine bill, the restaurant will report 12% of $400 or $48 as income to the server. In other words, the server has to pay tax on it whether you tip it or not. If the restaurants do not report it accurately, the restaurant and the wait staff get audited by the IRS.”

     Wait staff and bartenders do more than merely make a drink or serve you your food. Servers have tables to greet, orders to take, food to run, beverages to refill, plates need clearing along with a host of other requests for their customers. Unlike many people that have office jobs who may only have to accommodate one or two people at any given time, servers must keep up with the demands of numerous tables with more than one person at each, so realize that you are not the only customers that your server is taking care of.

     As many people in the service industry know the word ‘TIPS’ means ‘To Insure Proper Service’. This does not just apply just to fine dining or upscale places. The proper level of service will vary depending on the establishment you frequent. So don’t except four-star service in a sports bar or even your local eatery. Try to be more patient. Saying ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘excuse me’ does still go a long way. Try not to be condescending. Most importantly when ordering put down that cell phone. You would think that these curtsies should be second nature, but they are not. Just look around next time you are out relaxing.

     These men and women are the individuals who feed our cravings for tasty meals and quench our thirst with mouth-watering libations of all sorts. Without them we would be sitting at home with microwave dinners or fast food take out.

     So before you decide to be stingy on tipping your next bartender or server remember that they will service more people in one shift then most individuals will have to deal with in a day or even all week. Anyone that must deal with the public all day or night can be very stressed, so be patient. The most important thing to remember is that they have to pay taxes on their sales regardless of what you leave for them. Don’t make them struggle just because you are cheep.