2012 Ride to Rescue Q & A!

We are very excited about our Second Annual Ride to Rescue - a Ride and Festival to help end dog fighting in Indiana! Not only is it one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, it is a chance for us to raise awareness, take a stand against dog fighting and to celebrate the many dogs we have freed from their heavy chains.

Our Ride to Rescue, on August 25th, is two fun events on the same day making it a truly unique event! Since a lot of our fans have asked questions about our event, we compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions. Consider it your go-to-guide for the festival and ride!

Let’s start with the ride…

Where is the ride?

The ride kicks off at 10:00 am at IndyWest Harley-Davidson, 6201 Cambridge Way, Plainfield, Indiana 46168, with registration for riders starting at 8:30am. The ride will end at approximately 1:30pm at the Hendricks County Senior Service Center, in Danville, Indiana.

What is the fee for riders?

Riders can pre-register, through 8/24, and save $5.00! For a single rider the fee is $15.00, for a rider and a passenger the fee is $20.00, and if you would like to attend as a virtual rider the fee is $15.00. All riders, with the exception of the virtual riders, will receive a t-shirt. On the day of the ride, each registration price will go up by $5.00, so register now to save!

Where is the festival, and what time does the festival start?

The festival is located at the Hendricks County Senior Services, 1201 Sycamore Lane, Danville, Indiana 46122. The festival kicks off at noon and will officially wind down around 5:00pm.

 Is there an admission fee to the festival?

No! The festival and parking are free!

What kind of activities will be at the festival? Is this a family friendly event?

The festival is an action packed day for the whole family! We have many vendors attending the festival selling products for your pets, arts and crafts and so much more! In addition we have our Rescue Alley which features adorable adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes. In our Carnival Alley, we have games such as the Duck Pond, a Bounce House, and a Dunk Tank. Come take a chance and win some cool prizes! And wait, there’s more! We also have a great line-up of local bands that will be performing throughout the event! In addition, we will have a live auction with the chance for you to bid on some unique items, and a lots of items in our raffle. Of course, no event would be complete without really great food!

Is there a fee for all of the different activities?

One of the great things about our event is there are plenty of free activities and some that cost a nominal fee. We believe our prices are affordable for the whole family! 

Is the festival just outside?

The majority of the festival is outside; however we have activities going on inside the Senior Center as well! This new addition will allow our supporters to take a break from the heat and sit and relax inside while enjoying some of our tasty festival food. Inside, we will also have information about Casa Del Toro and all of the things we are working on.

Are pets allowed to attend?

Unfortunately, this is a people only event so please leave all pets at home. We will have many adoptable dogs in attendance that would love to meet new people.

Why is Casa Del Toro raising money and what will the money be used for?

The funds we raise will help aid in our mission to end animal fighting, and rescue abused and neglected pit bulls in Indiana. Our Ride to Rescue is an event meant to raise awareness and to help end animal fighting. We ride to pay respect and to remember those no longer with us. We hope you will join us this year. To learn more about Casa Del Toro, please check out our website.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to end dog fighting in Indiana! Because of your generous support we can continue our work and help those that have no voice. Our deepest gratitude to all of you. ♥ .

Apple, the dog with no label, unpacks her bags

Today we celebrate the adoption of "Apple."

While all of our adoptions are always special and very meaningful to us Apples adoption brings us a little bit of extra joy-

We don't like to focus on her past or what the intended purpose was for her , we can only speculate from this;

Muncie man charged in dog fighting

Updated: Thursday, 05 Apr 2012, 3:57 PM EDT
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) - A Muncie man was arrested Thursday after more than two dozen pit bulls were seized from a mobile home last week.

Muncie Police Department confirmed Rahsaan Johnson, 36, 1703 N. Brady, Muncie, was arrested Thursday morning in connection with the seized dogs. He faces preliminary charges of purchase/possession of animals for fighting, neglect of an animal, possession of animal fighting paraphernalia and animal cruelty.

According to the probable cause affidavit, MPD said they were tipped off March 20 to Johnson’s alleged involvement in dog fighting when the U.S. Customs Department and Indianapolis Airport Police officials alerted them that he had picked up pit bulls shipped from the Dominican Republic.

Then, on March 29, the Muncie animal shelter called MPD regarding animal abuse at a mobile home on North Blaine Street. Police took away 25 pit bulls from the home. Many of the dogs had injuries consistent with dog fighting. One dog had to be put down Tuesday due to severe injuries and a skull fracture.

Also removed from the property that day were items used to train dogs to fight, including weighted dog collars, pet supplements and special treadmills, including documents in Johnson’s name, according to court documents. Police also spoke with the owner of the property, who leased it to Johnson.

Since then, MPD had been looking for Johnson, and arrested him Thursday.

End news story -

Apple, having come from the situation above, automatically puts a label on her " A dog from a Dog Fighting Operation". In some places, this label would be her death sentence,point blank, no questions asked. Some people would fear that she might "snap" or "go crazy" - Instead of evaluating her like the individual dog that she is. [ That prehistoric closed minded thinking has been the death of thousands of dogs]

In Apples case, she was very lucking to not have landed with a shelter,rescue & foster that would place a label on her.

Apple would be given the same chance to be evaluated as an individual dog , placed in a proper foster home that would give her the proper training schedule of any dog of her age.

Apple passed her evaluations with flying colors and flourished in her foster home  engaging in many activities that would satisfy a dog of her age.

On Thursday July 12,2012 just a few months from the time she was removed from the suspected dog fighting operation , Apple has found her place in this world. She is finally HOME.

She was given this chance because she was lucky enough to not have had a "label" pinned on her that screamed "DO NOT ADOPT"  "DANGER DANGER"! RUN FOR THE HILLS!  or the infamous statement we hear alot " GASP" [ as they step back after having petted her for over 5 minutes], shes a fighting dog?Step back! shes going to attack you!!"[Rubbish!] - Instead, she had landed with qualified,knowledgeable  people who know that every dog, no matter what breed or origin, should be evaluated as an "individual" dog. A plan was made for her and implemented from the beginning- She was not lost in the cracks, she was not euthanized because of her breed or because of the original purpose for her.

Dogs that are labeled bait dogs or fighting dogs etc etc  can actually lose their lives because of "unintended consequences" of placing  these labels.

We as caring human beings who want to see them have a chance often times think that if we give them these labels people may look at them and say "poor dog" - maybe someone will feel sorry for the poor soul. In all actuality this can work against them -

As much as we do not want the dogs euthanized for these labels, we also do not want them adopted just BECAUSE of these labels. One thing we can agree on is that we want them all to have the same opportunity as any other dog in the world to have a fair chance at adoption.

Labels could be the reason why , if a shelter is full and has to euthanize for space, one might choose the dogs from " A dog fighting operation" or "the bait dog"  thinking, they are the least likely to be adopted-  This doesn't mean that we should not be cautious, we should always be cautious of any dog of any breed from any situation-Dogs are animals- we should always be cautious of animals we do not know- but we do not have to label the dogs- Instead, we evaluate each one of them as individuals and go from there.

The reality is, not all dogs are going to make it to the adoption floor- but these dogs, no matter what situation they came from should have the same chance as the dog in the kennel next to it , we should  be more conscience of what label we are giving the dog when it enters the shelter.

Its such a false statement to make that a dog with scaring on its body is indeed a bait dog- One rule of thumb we have here is " If we indeed do NOT know for sure that is what happened, it is pure speculation" and we will NOT label that dog- and even if it were to be the truth what actually does that mean? I mean really? think about it- "this dog was a bait dog" , Does that mean we are to treat the dog with "special considerations"? No. that means the dog no matter what, is evaluated exactly the same as any other dog- So if we put it through the same evaluations why is it necessary to deem it with a label? the short answer is. It isn't.

Do not judge a book by its cover.

If we ask them to show us "who they are" They will tell us- Its then up to us to make sure that we "follow thru" with a plan for them.

To set them up to succeed and not to fail.

In the end, we were able to help Apple & 8 others from this situation  move on  to the next step of their lives.

Today, we celebrate Apple- and we celebrate the rest of the shelters,rescue & people around the world who refuse to "label" these dogs in any way, shape or form.

We hope to see more of this "Makes Total Sense" thinking happen in years to come-

I'm reminded of a very old Sioux Indian saying that goes :

All birds, even those of the same species, are not alike, and it is the same with animals and with human beings. The reason WakanTanka does not make two birds, or animals, or human beings exactly alike is because each is placed here by WakanTanka to be an independent individuality and to rely upon itself.

Congratulations Sara & Apple, for showing the world that a "label" is something we should place on the inside collar of our shirts- not our dogs!

Hello CDT Fans and Volunteers!

Welcome to Casa Del Toro NEW Website!  Here you will find news from us about new adoptabulls, local events, changes in animal rights, just about anything you can think of.  You'll be more than welcome to leave whatever comments you feel and we hope to see great dialog created amongst our fans, volunteers and more.

Meet Zoey, A 4 month old female spayed puppy

We pulled Zoey from IACC where she was confiscated for Cruelty, but we are not focusing on that part of her past - We have our noses in to the future! Zoey will be available for adoption soon - Stay tuned.