Introduction.

Greetings,

My name is Vera Voodoo and I'm a burlesque performer. I love everything vintage, kustom, cheesecake, retro, rockabilly, guts, glittery, gory and HORROR! I'm no pinup girl, but I have always loved the girls, and trying to become one. The most important things you should know about me, is that although I don't consider myself "religious", I'm very spiritual, and have a connection with God, please don't judge or write me off on that, I'm far from the stereotype that most of 'them' (haha) give off. ... I'm happily married, and that I'm a bleeding heart animal lover.

This is a picture of my husband and I during our first dance. We have almost been married a year, and together over 5 years! I love him so much!


I'm owned by four dogs. Ozzy is my old lady. She was on death row at the shelter, her last 'scheduled' week to live. My dog was stolen in middle school, and after a year of not having a best friend, I gave in and looked for one at the shelter. It was love at first sight and she has been my best friend ever since. She is a brindle American Pitbull Terrier, and has been with me for about 11 years, now! My husband grew up not really liking dogs, and after meeting Ozzy once, he became a head over heels dog lover.


Brisco is my dog that passed this year. Although he is gone, he is still someone I talk about when you are getting to know me. We adopted him from the local kill shelter in Oklahoma City. My husband and I had just bought our house and moved my older dog Ozzy in with us (she stayed with my parents though college... she would have HATED apartment life.. it would be awful to her because she has always lived in the rural countryside). She was extremely lonely being the only dog, so we gave in, looked in the shelter... the worker lied to us and didn't let us have the dog we first picked out. I was bummed, so I spent a few hours combing through every option, and as soon as I saw Brisco, I knew we had to have him. He was white, but so so dirty. he had icy blue/white eyes, and a ring of just.. crust around his neck from being chained. He had heartworms, and broken teeth. It was apparent that he was a big dog, but he was soooo skinny he had tons and tons of extra skin.. he always looked so funny with a giant ring of skin around his neck. He was a bait dog or a fighter.. but due to his scars, probably a bait dog. He was VERY thin, but something in his attitude, smile and eyes spoke to me. Without consulting my husband (which is SO unlike me) I reserved him so no one else could adopt him (but doubtful anyone would have wanted his pathetic self.. due to his appearance.) He was the BEST dog since day one. Friendly, loving and everything the opposite of the horrible "pitbull" stereotypes. HE could have been the poster child for American Pitbull Terriers. He was very special to us. He was my husband and I's first dog that we got together. New house, new dog, new life. He was namd after the Bruce Campbell show that Drew and I LOVED and watched as children: " The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.", he always wore a red bandanna.. he loved the attention he got for it. He was my best friend and kept me sane through planning a wedding and adjusting to the new pile of bills.. etc He LOVED being loved, our dog, our life, my 6 year old sister, my niece. He LOVED kids.. so much... he loved everyone, really. Months into having him, after he finally got over the heartworm issue... he was looking so good, we built a bit of his muscle mass back, his coat looked better, he just looked so great, not like the pathetic dog we adopted. Not long after he recovered.. he started having seizures. He took suppressants, and we tests upon tests. The vet was so sure that he had been fed gunpowder due to the damage he had. Between untreated heartworms and the gunpowder, it wasn't terribly long before his body started shutting down. Months and months later, the seizures kept becoming more and more frequent. It came to the point that he could no longer stand on tile. He had to lay down when eating. He started falling a lot, and having to be carried around. I spent a week with him at my parents' house in the countryside.. He had such a fun week. Towards the end of our visit, he finally gave out. He could no longer move, and we had to put him down. He couldn't move and he still smiled and gave me kissed (his FAVORITE thing to do). Even in his last few breaths he wagged his tail and smiled at me. It was so tough. I have lost dogs before, and I loved them so much.. but Brisco still haunts me, and hurts more than losing them all combined. I lost him because some low lives get off on torturing dogs. I'm very pro-APBT, and overzealous in stopping these people, and very anti-bsl. His life ended too soon, after about 11 months of finally getting love and affection, he was gone. He was only 4 years old.. but due to his past he looked about 11 years old. I was involved before, but have become more active than ever because of this dog.


My husband is allergic to cats, so we cannot have any. In their place are our small dogs. Luna was taken from a trashy, trashy lady who didn't care for me. She was mean to her. She is a Hairy Hairless Chinese Crested dog. She is over a year, and is a silly dog. She is more my dog than my husband's. He suprised me with her, he knew I was bummed about not having cats and suprised me before our wedding. I love her. She is not breed standard.. she has coarse hair, poor skin and complexion, but I love her. Due to hr gruff appearance, she is my punk rock dog. She gets completely chemical free hair color in her stripe of hair that grows on her head from time to time.. she is soo silly but I love her.


Falcor is our male hairy hairless Chinese Crested dog! He is still more of a pup. He is the only dog that has an official birthday (October 2, 2008), and not one that we gave the dogs AROUND when they were born. I got him for my husband around Christmas time, and when he was a tiny pink puppy, he looked like the luck dragon from "The Neverending Story", hence the name. He is now a chocolatey/apricot color. He is beyond goofy and we think he looks like a Muppet. I want to make a muppet version of him sometime.... then you would truly see the resemblance. haha He is more of my husband's dog.

Frankenstein is the newest addition to the family. After Brisco died, I could not think of getting another dog. We fostered a couple of dogs that needed help before we got Frankie. Frankie was just a fated sighting. I browse the pet home finding sites from time to time. from craigslist to petfinder and petharbor. While on petharbor I found him. A smaller looking American Pitbull Terrier... a beautiful blue and white color, cowering in front of the person who I guess found him as a stray and brought him in. After getting the puppies (Luna and Falcor) we agreed when the time came to get another dog, it would have to be about a year old. I showed my husband Drew and we impulsively headed to the shelter... he was beautiful, our favorite breed, and we both just felt like we should get him. Well, he was not ready. You can no longer reserve dogs at this shelter, so it was a race. He was going to be fixed within the next week or two.. and as SOON as he was.. it was a first come first serve basis. The next few days were torment. I called them frequently, and when I was stuck with no internet, asked my friend to check his web page to see if he was ready for adoption yet. the first day he could have been ready, I was babysitting, an agonizing day with no internet. I was obsessed with him. As soon as Drew was done with work, I asked to go visit the shelter because they stopped answering my calls! We went and to our joy saw he had been neutered.. so he was ready to go. We were there 15 minutes before close, he could be adopted the next day. The next day I was there 45 minutes early. I impatiently waited.. 15 minutes before they opened the doors, a very skeezy thug-like family showed up. They talked to a differnet guy waiting at the doors about a dog they had their eye one.. and described my dog.. they went on about how great of a guard dog he would be and how "tough" they were going to make him. No effin way, dude. as SOON as the clock hit noon, and the worker opened the door, I bolted. I weaved around the plethora of children they brought with them, and after i cleared the group I RAN to him. I grabbed his adoption papers just seconds before the guy did. If I hadn't of visited before he would have beat me.. I would not have known where his cage was. The guy stood behind me, pissed off. I could swear he was contemplating how to steal that. Apparently one of the volunteers thought so too, because he walked by and offered to escort me and the dog to the front to adopt him. The guy ended up following me in the car, aswell. Crazy? Just a bit!? Haha Anyway, sorry for the long story.. I just find it funny I had to race to get him. hahaha

Frankenstein has been amazing. He was somewhat trained. He could sit, and when we first met him he would lean against the cage all cute hoping that you would pet him. he definitely knew how to dial up the cuteness. Found out that he was actually 9 months, instead of over a year, but I loved him so much already that I couldn't care. We figure he was born in September.. so we are giving him Drew's birthday.. September 28, 2008 is his general birthday that we will celebrate!

He was TERRIFIED of steps(stairs), and leashes, but by day 2, he went on his first walk. He is definitely stereotypical in the fact that this guy will do EVERYTHING to make you happy. He is a fast learner, and has amazed me for being just a stray that no one knew anything about. He is amazing with cats, dogs, children, and older people. Heck, he is good with everyone. We have not had him very long. He is definitely a godsend for us. We still ache about Brisco, but he has helped so much.. plus he is so well behaved we are not kicking ourselves for getting another dog too soon. (A few months is kinda fast for us to get another one).

Frankenstein is going to his first obedience class this Saturday. After he passes the basic house manner and obedience, I will move him up to ACE classes. As I am positive that he will do well in those, my plan is to see if he can get into the Canine Good Citizen class... and then try for therapy classes. This dog has so much potential it is dizzying. I want to use him to help people who need comfort. It is a lot of work, but I know it will be good for everyone... plus, it will be another light shining on his amazing breed.

Although I cannot volunteer that much, I support and donate rescues and the like as much as I can. I do a bit of rescuing, though. I get a dog from either a horrible person, saving it from abus/neglect, or pick up strays.. and I work with them. I give them a loving home...take them to the vet, give them medical attention. They get socialized with my dogs and friends/family's dogs and pets... and broken of bad habit.. basically I get them in a more ideal state to be adopted. Spaying/Neutering them and keeping them UTD is just as important as the emotion/obedience stuff. I'm an avid supporter of the spay and neuter 'movement.' We have successfully re homed some fosters. Even if they are an animal that we cannot help at the moment.. if we cannot find a person to help like we usually do, if they cannot, we find a rescue.. rescues have been so full lately, so they get taken as a shelter. I figure; we tried, at least they get guaranteed medical attention, and a shot at a better life. Some think I am harsh for eventually taking strays and sicklies to the shelter, but I would think slowing starving to death, or getting hit by a car... or just NEVER getting a chance to be loved is a lot worse...

Wow, that was a lot, but I love talking about my doggies.

Stay Spooktacular, Boils and Ghouls!

-Vera Voodoo