ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Violence Abuse Neglect’ Category

Imagine what it would be like if police officers would be allowed on the street without first receiving extensive training in their local, state or federal law enforcement academy.  We would think this to be outrageous and would hear the outcry of the citizenry.  Why then wouldn’t we expect the same of our animal services officers who represent animals and protect citizens in the communities they serve?

In most, if not all police departments, an officer must successfully complete comprehensive law enforcement training that is consistent from recruit to recruit before being allowed to operate on the street.  Have you ever wondered what animal services officers are schooled in before they’re released to the street?  It is more a question of variance than one of any real constant answer even if the animal services division in a community is located within the local law enforcement entity.

I got a great article I wanted to share with you from my friend, Steve Dickstein, a writer for the examiner.  This is such an important topic, which can save the lives of so many animals.

Recently, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) released a groundbreaking research study that   “. . . stresses the critical role that animal services and animal cruelty investigations play in communities nationwide while pointing out the obstacles that law enforcement professionals face in responding to animal abuse.”  The question is how can animal services and law enforcement officials fulfill this role without targeted basic, specialty and continuing training that will allow them to appropriately react to incidents involving the safety and well-being of animals and the communities they serve.

According to Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, the impetus for a recent study entitled “Professional and Public Perspectives on Animal Cruelty” was to try and get a sense of how the ASPCA could outreach to the public and law enforcement on animal cruelty.  The goal is to help them take animal cruelty more seriously.

The research study was conducted primarily in three phases, as follows:

1. Qualitative – – utilized law enforcement focus groups in New York, Dallas and San Diego.  There were more than 30 police officers and several animal control officers included;
2. Quantitative – – consisted of two 15-minute online surveys targeting the general population and law enforcement officers throughout the country; and
3. Media Analysis – – gathered animal cruelty coverage visualized in print and online media outlets during a finite period.  More than 175,000 news stories were gathered of which 9,552 animal cruelty stories (excluding wildlife) were deemed qualified and included as part of the analysis.

Pup with Police Dad

Dr. Lockwood emphasized the high level of dog ownership (78%) amongst law enforcement personnel and pointed out how that allows them to relate to the impact of animal cruelty on both the animal and law enforcement.  Nonetheless, they still rank animal cruelty issues below crimes such as “. . . violence against a minor, domestic and family violence, assault against another person, drug-related crimes and property theft in terms of importance.  However,  animal cruelty ranks above white-collar crime and traffic violations.”

The report, in talking about obstacles in dealing with animal cruelty cases, states that law enforcement officers were “. . .  being asked to do more with less.  For officers it comes back to the issue of humans versus animals, and with limited time and resources, humans become their priority.”

Said Dr. Lockwood, “These findings validate what we have long assumed—that there is a major need for training for officers charged with enforcing animal cruelty laws and investigating cruelty cases.  The ASPCA is unique in that we offer staff with specialized knowledge on this topic and have developed partnerships with shelters to help facilitate temporary housing for animals seized in such cases.  We support local agencies across the U.S. with law enforcement training programs and other resources.”

Starved Dog

The ASPCA training, in conjunction with the United States Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, includes “. . . an in-depth, free on-line course on combating dogfighting and is developing a ‘dogfighting tool kit’ for law enforcement and animal welfare professionals.”

It is important to understand the multi-faceted world that animal related incidents penetrate in terms of response.  The line between criminal and civil citation action is often misunderstood by the public at large with regard to animal concerns. This is further complicated by the way in which jurisdictions approach the investigation of animal complaints; sometimes handled by personnel within a government law enforcement agency, an independent government agency, contracted to a local non-profit humane entity or a combination thereof.  It is often not as simple as dialing 911 for help.  You should become familiar with the set up wherever you live and the reporting agency to contact should you need animal related services.

For example, under Florida Statute 828.27(1)(b), “‘Animal control officer’ means any person employed or appointed by a county or municipality who is authorized to investigate, on public or private property, civil infractions relating to animal control or cruelty and to issue citations as provided in this section.  An animal control officer is not authorized to bear arms or make arrests; however, such officer may carry a device to chemically subdue and tranquilize an animal, provided that such officer has successfully completed a minimum of 16 hours of training in marksmanship, equipment handling, safety and animal care, and can demonstrate proficiency in chemical immobilization of animals in accordance with guidelines prescribed in the Chemical Immobilization Operational Guide of the American Humane Association.”

The Florida Animal Control Association (FACA) believes in “. . . an initial mandatory certification program, special certification training, and ongoing certification training for animal control and protection officers.  An initial mandatory certification program for county animal control officers became effective on January 1, 1990, and requires animal control officers to complete a minimum 40 hour training curriculum approved by FACA before they can issue citations, as outlined by FL Statutes, 828.27.  This certification program should impart both the knowledge and the skills needed to perform the job in a professional manner.”

In Orange County, Florida, Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) adheres to the following protocol for educating their officers:

• Florida Animal Control Association (FACA) requires a 40-hour ACO Certification Course; every 2 years required to complete 4 hours of post certification continuing education training.  Training may include, but not limited to, training for animal cruelty investigations, search and seizure, animal handling, courtroom demeanor and civil citations.
• Orange County Animal Services provides ongoing in-house training including ordinance training, report writing, dangerous dogs, animal handling, impound/identification, cat and dog first aid, aging and sexing, bite investigations, cruelty investigations, heatstroke, heartworms, vaccines, medications, toxicology and citation training.
• As budget allows, officers complete Level I, II, & III National Cruelty Investigation training, including dogfighting and hoarding.

OCAS officers possess varied educational backgrounds ranging from high school graduates to those on staff with college degrees.

When asked what importance their agency places on training and development of staff, OCAS responded that:

• Animal Services places a high priority on providing ongoing training to officers to help enhance and professionalize their position.  In addition, non-officer staff are encouraged to attend industry, technology or other specialty conferences when held locally.  Within the last year, staff have attended conferences including the Florida Veterinary Medical Conference, Chameleon (in-house database) Conference, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) workshops, and domestic violence response training.
• Recently we partnered with the HSUS to host an Illegal Animal Fighting Investigations Workshop, which was attended by local law enforcement and animal welfare organizations.
• In November, officer and non-officer staff attended the 2010 FACA Educational Conference.

And yet, in other local communities across the country, so-called training may be nothing more than riding around with different animal control officers for a number of weeks without the benefit of any formal and dedicated training curriculum in place. If you’re a service contracted to government, depending on how the contract language is written, formal training may go almost unnoticed with some form of on the job training passing as the standard.

The point is training for animal services officers or those charged with responding to animal related concerns is all over the map.  It is often inconsistent, may be even non-existent and in the words of Dr. Lockwood “quite spotty.”  That is in the eyes of this column a failing of many local governments to adequately train responders to protect both animals and their human counterparts in the communities they serve.

Dr. Lockwood feels that funding is a big obstacle to obtaining appropriate training and notes that animal control is often the first thing to be cut when there are municipal budget woes.  Whether located within a law enforcement agency, independent or a contracted service, he further believes that leadership is needed to take the training issue for animal responders seriously.

OCAS provides training for their officers through the Animal Services Trust Fund.  According to Kathleen Kennedy, OCAS Program Coordinator for Marketing & Public Relations, “The trust fund is comprised of public donations and surcharges from citations.  The surcharge line item is used for officer training.  Usage of the other donations is approved by our Advisory Board and County Administration.”  The current fiscal year budget for officer training is $8,500.

Said Dr. Lockwood, “Animal services officers are a vital part of the crime fighting and violence prevention team in a community.” Unfortunately they are still often perceived at the dog catcher level instead of animal care and control professionals.  He believes they need respect and more recognition for the role animal services plays in the community.

Furthermore, Dr. Lockwood maintains animal services is part of the broader community response and believes in the notion of true community oriented policing instead of a lack of communication between various services.  Often animal related calls are first identified to local law enforcement.  If there is a law enforcement response they may then kick the call back to animal services to handle, but without certain enforcement power to fully carry on with the case the system may then bog down between those and other agencies that are needed to respond.

All responders need to be appropriately trained in their own disciplines, but also need to have the ability and philosophy to communicate as partners to help the victims they are responsible to protect.  For many situations responded to there is an interconnection and the trick is to get responders that are already doing their jobs to talk with one another.  In short, there needs to be better communication between agencies on interconnected cases and concerns.

The animal welfare or protection movement has managed to move laws nationwide on animal cruelty forward, but still according to the ASPCA study less than 30 percent of law enforcement officers are familiar with the penalties. There needs to be more awareness incorporated into police training and Dr. Lockwood advocates making animal cruelty training a standard part of law enforcement training.

While likening animal cruelty training today to the same lower level domestic violence training for law enforcement officers was at a point in times past, Dr. Lockwood wants to see a standard recognition for animal cruelty training similar to what domestic violence training has become.  For law enforcement officers domestic violence is now more widely recognized for the true crime it is, but recognition of animal cruelty as part of an officer’s everyday psyche still has a long way to go.

Dr. Lockwood believes a multi-faceted approach to animal cruelty is needed if we are to be successful long term in fighting animal cruelty.  This approach would encourage the following to take place:

1. The development of decent laws to address animal cruelty;
2. Persuade the public to report the animal cruelty they see by teaching them what the law is and who to call;
3. Train police officers how to respond to complaints of animal cruelty, explain why they should respond and to emphasize animal cruelty complaints should be taken seriously;
4. Train veterinarians how to document animal cruelty;
5. Educate prosecutors on how to effectively prosecute animal cruelty cases; and
6. Educate judges to take animal cruelty cases seriously and to make sound recommendations.

The ultimate goal is to set up greater involvement by law enforcement in recognizing animal cruelty and animal cruelty investigations.  For example, Dr. Lockwood pointed to the high level of recognition by police of animal hoarding as a real concern.  This recognition is a major step forward from even five years ago.

Animal cruelty is something that continues to invade our sense of right and wrong and desire to protect those four-legged souls we love.  In a mere three-month period (between March 12 and June 14, 2010), according to the ASPCA study, “. . . there were 9,552 animal cruelty stories (non-wildlife) visible in print and online media outlets in the US . . . Nearly 300 animal cruelty stories reported on the link between acts of animal cruelty and violence on humans.  Overall there were more than 109 million opportunities to see reports that those who have committed cruelty on animals are significantly more likely to carry out violence on another human being.”

The need for mandatory training nationwide for animal services, animal control,  humane law enforcement officers, or whatever the given name in a local jurisdiction is long past due.  Diana Culp, fellow Examiner and former director of education for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is an advocate for training but also realistic in her thinking.  She asks how certification could be made mandatory if there are not widely available programs?

Ms. Culp is correct, but whether the solution is for the animal community to develop training locally, seek regional cooperation, ask for help from the state or rely on national animal organizations to supply a curriculum with appropriate input particular to a specific jurisdiction is a concern that should be raised as a priority issue within the animal community and the governmental community that is ultimately responsible for the health, protection and well-being of both the two and four-legged citizens it serves.

Just like training police officers before they hit the street fresh with their new found responsibility, and adorned with badges of enforcement power, animal services officers should be provided with standard professional training so they too can bear the heavy responsibility their community places on them to appropriately and successfully protect and investigate animal related matters.

Training should not be considered a luxury item in an agency or organization’s budget, because it is a necessity. As citizens we need to encourage this and make sure to hold our local governments accountable to provide the resources necessary to government agencies or contracted organizations (on their behalf) to provide the community with professionally trained animal services personnel and law enforcement officers who can identify and respond to animal cruelty.

For more information on the ASPCA research study, please contact Emily Schneider at emilys@aspca.org or (212) 876-7700 x4575.

The oil disaster in the Gulf is far from over.  Even though it’s no longer in the news, there are a lot of environmentalists and experts in engineering, science, commerce, culture, socio-economic studies and research wanting to educate the public about solutions to sustainability issues.

Deltas and estuaries are among the most productive and the most threatened ecosystems on earth. As such, there is an unprecedented urgency for collaboration across deltaic regions of the world to share technology, develop intellectual capital and build knowledge about sustainable deltaic systems.

“The greatest tragedy that we face is not the oil spill itself, but our own willingness to believe that our wildlife and way of life is back to normal. This is a great disservice to our country, our people, and those who will be here long after we are gone”.  Roger Ivens  Defenders of the Coast

I want to bring more information to the pubic so people can feel empowered to do things in their own lives that will have a positive impact.  Education and awareness is the key to opening these doors.  On November 18th there will be an event in New Orleans.  It is called, “Celebrating Critters and the Coast”.  It will benefit two non-profit organizations on the front lines. They help the wildlife and companion animals affected from this situation.

Even if you can’t attend this very special event in New Orleans, you CAN be part of it.  Go to our website homepage and click on “Celebrating Critters and the Coast” If you buy a ticket to the event, you will be entered into the contest to win a 1 week stay in Costa Rica or Steamboat Springs.  You pick the one you want.  They sleep 6-8 people and valued at $3500.

Steamboat Chalet

Can anyone explain why the USDA will NOT step in and help the dogs and puppies in the mills? There has been so much evidence of mills abusing and neglecting these animals.  Many of these animals are dying horrible deaths.  Most people have heard about these atrocities.  The flip side, they go into a pet store to buy something for their animal. When they are there they see the poor puppy eyes looking at them.  At that very moment they feel they need to buy this puppy and give it a good home.  They forget where the puppy came from.   It is a vicious cycle.  I like what they have done in West Hollywood California.  The stores only sell puppies that come from shelters or rescues.  Click here to learn how you can do the same thing in your community.

This past week there was a report about the USDA failing to cut down on puppy mills.   They detail the horrific conditions and lax enforcement.  If you would like to read this article, click here.

There was also a show on Animal Planet that exposed Petland puppies. Since the airing of that show they have had so many people coming forward telling them stories about the health issues, and medical challenges, their puppies have had. In addition, the cost to care for these animals.

So many stories were sent in describing what it has been like for the owners of these puppies since they purchased their new family member.  The stories include Bailey, a Cairn terrier (pictured here), who became deathly ill and had to be hospitalized after she was purchased in Texas, and Little Red, who reportedly had the worst hip dysplasia her veterinarian had ever seen.

On the positive side, hopefully this show will get people to do more research on the stores and breeders of  puppies.  Even people in your community might have a small mill going and you don’t even know it.

If you would like to read more about this, or know of a puppy that you want to report because they have medical issues, click here.

Over the past few weeks I have had so many conversations regarding our world and where we are headed.  I have always said, “Humans are blessed with an exceptional brain.  We have made wonderful advances in technology, medicine, etc.  At the same time, we also seem to use it to destroy the world and harm innocent animals.  Right now we are harming and destroying at the same time (oil drilling, polluting the waters and killing all kinds of fish and wildlife).

I came up with the name of my show, “Animal Connection” because I know animals and humans are connected.  I never realized the timing of my show would be so perfect with the events going on in our society, in such an extreme way.  One major issue, once we destroy this earth that’s it.  No matter how much money anyone has, we can’t replace it!

The animals were here long before we were.  We should respect them and not use them for profit.  Someone said to me, “We should go back to the times of Little House on the Prairie”.  I’m starting to believe that’s not such a bad idea, although it was a very hard life!

I don’t know what the answer is.  We don’t seem to be able to get along and respect other humans (look at the wars).  How do we expect people to respect animals?

I have had emails asking about the status of Buddy’s case from my post on January 9, 2010.  Buddy was  the German Shepherd dragged to death at the Colorado National Monument.  Steven Romero admitted his act and pled guilty to aggravated animal cruelty.  Sentencing is scheduled for July 30.

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. I also want to empower people. Please pass this link on to bring awareness to these wonderful organizations, thanks!

1. A French Journalist contacted me.  She wanted to know if I could send her true stories depicting peculiar relationships between a child and one or several wild animal(s).

Some examples:

* They’re going to tell the story of a little girl in South Africa looking after elephants with her parents in a sanctuary.

* Two little boys in India who protect snakes with their father and who are not scared to handle them. They’re “working” with their father at freeing the snakes they find in the cities to protect them.

They’re looking for a young girl or boy (aged under 15), fond of scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, whales…. In the end a child passionate in marine life.   Any histories are welcomed!!

One important thing: Their aim is not to promote proximity between wild animals and humans. They DO NOT want promote people taming wild animals!  They’re just looking for extraordinary stories relating a peculiar relationship between a child and an animal at a specific moment.

If you’ve heard about such stories you are welcome to contact Mélodie TISSOT directly.

melodie@maijuin.com

+33 1 58 05 16 60

+33 6 77 24 58 03

Www.maijuin.com

2. Emergency Situation at Wild Animal Orphanage, San Antonio, Texas

The Board of Directors of The Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, Texas, announces the existence of a financial, personnel, and management crisis at their sanctuary where more than 400 wild, exotic, and domestic animals reside.  The sanctuary has been in operation for 24 years and the decline in contributions along with the recent discovery of severe personnel and management issues have created this crisis.  Steps have been taken by the Board of Directors to resolve some of the problems including replacement of the CEO with an acting director, Mr. Jamie Cryer, a Texas businessman, who has willingly agreed to work without compensation to assure the feeding and care of the resident animals.

Funds are needed immediately to continue providing food and care for the lions, tiger, bears, wolves, cougars, primates, and other species that reside at the 2 sites of the WAO. Compassionate animal care-givers are still reporting to work to feed, clean, and care for the animals, however, there are no funds available for payroll and their pay is already several weeks behind.  Six of the animal care-givers are temporarily working without compensation. The Board of Directors is reaching out to all caring individuals and humane organizations to please step up to the plate and help us take care of these 400 animals that have no one to depend on except generous people.  To learn more and find ways you can help click here.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated.” — Mahatma Gandhi

3. Tragically, 50% of domestic violence victim’s delay seeking help for fear that an abuser will harm a pet… Animals are the silent victims of domestic violence. Most people treat pets as members of the family. Unfortunately, when it comes to domestic violence, pets are also deemed part of the family unit and forced to suffer in silence at the hands of abusers. Some studies estimate that: *50% of domestic violence victims delay seeking help out of concern that their pet may be harmed by the abuser. *88% of companion animals living in households where domestic violence occurs are routinely threatened, harmed or even killed. The ASPCA witnesses firsthand the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence. Just last month, police in Little Falls, NY, arrested Mark Beacraft, Jr., for assaulting a four-year-old child. The suspect has a history of violence—including a guilty plea in 2007 for murdering a neighborhood cat. He was sentenced to one year in a county jail but was later released under house arrest. This is unacceptable—and they need your help to keep criminals like Beacraft off the streets. The ASPCA works tirelessly to educate law enforcement and the public about the link between animal cruelty and domestic abuse and to lobby for stricter punishments for pet abusers. To help click here

4. May is National Arthritis Month

Just like humans, many dogs suffer from arthritis pain and inflammation as they age. Joints and bones naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can often be managed with the help of acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements and nutrition. Natural and alternative therapies are generally safe, effective and can be used in conjunction with western medicine.

Ancient Solutions for Canine Arthritis is a site for dogs suffering from arthritis.

If you are an acupuncturist interested in learning more about treating arthritis in dogs with TCM, and getting continuing education credits, click here.

5. Best known for the  “I’m Tired of” bracelets, ITo introduced the No More Homeless Pets bracelet and now supports nine different animal causes. ITo will give half of every sale to Best Friends Animal Society to help support their efforts to dramatically reduce the number of homeless pets.

Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. In the late 1980s when Best Friends was in its early days, roughly 17 million dogs and cats were being killed in shelters every year. Despite the commitment of shelter workers to the animals in their care, the conventional belief was that little could be done to lower that terrible number.  Read more about this on their site by clicking here.

6. If you live in California, or will be visiting, you might want to attend the “Power and Action for the Animals” May 9th Newport Beach, CA.

It’s a gathering of animal advocates, lovers, caretakers, guardians & protectors. Click here for more details.

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7. MOSCOW DOGS

I thought you might enjoy this story. Dogs are allowed on public transport in all of Europe, but generally with their master. This is even more interesting.

Here is a Canine commuter…. A wild dog waits on the platform!!

STRAY dogs are commuting to and from a city centre on underground trains in search of food scraps.  The clever canines board the Tube each morning.  After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and   return to the suburbs where they spend the night.

Experts studying the dogs say they even work  together to make sure they get off at the right stop after  learning to judge the length of time they need  to spend on the  train…

The dogs choose the  quietest carriages at the front and back of the train.  They have also developed tactics to hustle humans into giving them more food   on the streets of Moscow.

Scientists believe the  phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs.  Dr. Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses”.

Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway to get to the centre in the morning, and then back home in the evening, just like people.

Here is an experienced dog enjoying a nap on the underground.  Dr. Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute.  He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed”.  They do it for fun. Sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.

This dog is tired …  A mutt naps on tube seat in Moscow.

The dogs have learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said  Dr. Poiarkov.  They use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow.  They sneak up behind people eating shawarmas then bark loudly to shock them into dropping their food.

With children, the dogs play cute by putting their heads on youngsters’  knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy and scraps.  Dr. Poiarkov added: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists”.

The Moscow mutts are not the first animals to use public transport.  In 2006 a Jack Russell in Dunnington, North Yorks , began taking the bus to his local pub in search of sausages.  Two years ago, passengers in Wolverhampton were stunned when a cat called Macavity started catching the 331 bus to a fish and chip shop.

What are your thoughts about the Supreme Court ruling? There are two sides to this story.  I wanted to share some comments on both sides and their links.  I know your feedback and thoughts would very much be appreciated.  There is a never ending battle about what is “right” , our constitutional rights and what they really mean, views on animals and how they should be treated, etc.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday forcefully struck down a federal law aimed at banning depictions of dog fighting and other violence against animals, saying it violated constitutional guarantees of free speech and created a “criminal prohibition of alarming breadth.”

The 8 to 1 ruling, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., was a ringing endorsement of the First Amendment’s protection of even distasteful expression. Roberts called “startling and dangerous” the government’s argument that the value of certain categories of speech should be weighed against their societal costs when protecting free speech.

The law was enacted in 1999 to forbid sales of so-called crush videos. They appeal to a certain sexual fetish by depicting the torture of animals — cats, dogs, monkeys, mice and hamsters, according to Congress — or showing them being crushed to death by women wearing stiletto heels or with their bare feet. While dog-fighting and other forms of animal cruelty are already illegal, Congress said the legislation was necessary to stop the production of videos for commercial gain.

Wayne Pacelle with the Humane Society of the United States states, “The U.S. Supreme Court dealt animals a serious blow in its ruling today, upholding an appellate court decision that invalidated the federal law banning the commercial sale of videos showing illegal and extreme acts of animal cruelty. The Court got hung up in a stream of hypothetical scenarios, imagining that the law as worded might sweep up the sellers of hunting, bullfighting, and other videos that the federal lawmakers never intended to address.

With Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the eight justices in the majority, the Court ruled that the statute was substantially overbroad, saying that the criminal prohibitions in the statutes were of “alarming breadth.” The justices did conclude by saying we “do not decide whether a statute limited to crush videos or other depictions of extreme animal cruelty would be constitutional. We only hold that §48 is not so limited but is instead substantially overbroad, and therefore invalid under the First Amendment.”  The Supreme Court also reinforced the important and compelling government interest in protecting animals from cruelty and abuse, noting that “the prohibition of animal cruelty itself has a long history in American law, starting with the early settlement of the Colonies.”

We look forward to your comments and suggestions on this issue.

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. I also want to empower people. The best way to do that, give people options so they can make a difference.  All of my posts give you options to help.  If you have information you want to share, send me a paragraph on the topic with a link to the website, by 11am on Thursday.  I will do this each Friday.  Please pass this link on to bring awareness to these wonderful organizations, thanks!

At the end of this post is a wonderful, entertaining, loving, inspiring video from National Geographic.

My Adopter

1.  You’ve adopted animals but have you ever been adopted by an animal?  Here is a website where you can read stories about animals that have a happy ending.  Join the Story Club. It is totally free and safe. Just by joining you will be helping to save lives and ease the suffering of unfortunate animals.

Floyd the Dog writes, and encourages others to write, stories about animals and their interaction with each other and with humans. His concern and compassion for animals is the basis for the free website publication of these stories both here and on his Story Club.

Daphne adopted me. She hates the cold and was flying from the north of England, where she says she was born, to her winter home in the much kinder climate of southern Spain.  Click here read more about my adopter.

Greyhound Needing A Home

2. With the seasonal closing of the Melbourne track in Florida, it is wonderful how various Greyhound organizations have supported one another to ensure good homes for the Greyhounds. While Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions has already fostered a handful from Melbourne already, they need additional foster homes.

Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions is greyt to work with, as they pay for all expenses related to the care of the fostered Greyhound.  It includes food, medical, crate, etc.  All you do is supply the love.  It takes anywhere from 2 days to several weeks to find a home for a Greyhound.  You are not expected to adopt the fostered Greyhound, either.

Mombo Needs A Home

If you are able to foster, or know of someone interested in fostering a Greyhound, contact Joanne at: joanne.wuelfing@gmail.com

Update—April 14, 2010: Congratulations, New Hampshire advocates! At around noon today, the New Hampshire Senate overwhelmingly voted to end greyhound racing in the state forever. We expect that the governor will sign the bill into law. Click Here To Keep It Enforced and get the bill passed in your state!

3. This was sent to me by, Jacob Versnel, one of my contacts in the Netherlands. It’s a hard story to read but they are working towards a happy ending.  You can help.

No rest. No water. No care…  He traveled more than 1,000 miles to his death.

Bred only for food, he spent his life unloved and unnamed.  His final indignity was the tortuous journey from Romania to Italy to his slaughter.

Every year over 50,000 horses are transported from Eastern Europe to Italy for slaughter. Compassion has investigated the long distance transport of horses across Europe – we were shocked by what we found.

Just imagine being pushed and pulled into a truck, standing for hours on end, without water or a chance to rest. It is proven that horse welfare deteriorated after 8-12 hours of transport. Yet our investigators found that the truck filled with horses that they followed, traveled for over 24 hours.

What a sad reflection on modern Europe that this cruel practice is still allowed to continue. But you can help.

The final journey – When our investigators followed a truck transporting horses from Romania to Italy, they found the drivers broke an important EU regulation by not providing these animals with water. They also broke with basic human decency, in their cruel disregard for animal welfare.

If, like us, you believe that no farm animal should be transported for more than 8 hours, please support our work to end live transport and factory farming.

We want to stop to this heart-breaking disregard for animal welfare. Through investigations, lobbying and vigorous campaigning, we’re working to limit transports of farmed animals to 8 hours and ultimately to stop the long distance trade in live animals. At the very least, we want to see the existing welfare laws properly enforced.  YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY CLICKING HERE.

Tony the Tiger

4.  The eye of the Tiger.  Have you ever heard of Tony The Tiger?  He does exist.

Tony the Truck Stop Tiger is a 9 y/o Siberian/Bengal tiger who has lived his whole life at a truck stop in Grosse Tete Louisiana. His home is one of concrete and steel. In Dec 2009 the Louisiana Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries granted a permit to Tony’s owner to keep him at the Truck Stop. This permit is valid for 1 year.

Tony’s living conditions are abhorrent.  He is not living the life of a Tiger. He urgently needs to be rescued and allowed to live out his life in a sanctuary. Big Cat Rescue will take him in.  Tony needs heros, click here to help.

The people who have Tony say that they have had him since he was a baby and he’d be traumatized if he were sent to live someplace else. They also say the Big Cat Rescue would not love, and care for him, the way they do. They say they are providing him a good home.   The owner, Michael Sandlin, says: “People from out of state are telling the most outrageous lies and half truths about Louisiana’s Tiger Truck Stop. When they came to the Parish Council Meeting to argue against my rights, they resorted to yelling and name calling, finally stooping so low as to demean me and my family by labeling us as “inbreds”.  Classy talk from supposedly sophisticated activists.”  Michael’s family and friends extended every courtesy to those people and were repaid with ugly slurs and hate speech.

Please let us know your thoughts and ideas to resolve a situation like this.  There are a lot of issues like this in the US and around the world.

5. They lay on an ice pan, just a few feet apart — two seal pups sleeping quietly, blissfully unaware that a sealing vessel was bearing down on them, just 100 meters away.

As painful as it is to bear witness to this horror, the people with HSUS know they have to keep going there — because every picture, video, and word that they send out to the world touches the hearts and minds of people and governments. That’s why the sealing industry doesn’t want them there. And that’s why they need your help.

Give now and your donation will be tripled by the Giant Steps Foundation and other generous donors.

Watch this video of the beautiful harp seal nursery to see what your donations and support are working to protect.

6. “The Cove”, a documentary and winner of audience awards across the world, including Sundance, SilverDocs and Hot Docs. The Cove follows a team of activists and filmmakers as they infiltrate a heavily-guarded cove in Taiji, Japan. In this remote village they witness and document activities deliberately being hidden from the public: More than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are being slaughtered each year and their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan, often times labeled as whale meat.

Under the direction of the film’s Ric O’Barry, Save Japan Dolphins.org/Earth Island Institute is actively working in Japan to shut down this brutal practice.

There are ways you can help make a difference.  You can donate here or you can send letters, emails, sign petitions or help in other ways.  Learn about other options here.

7. What will happen to the rescued animals that Martina Navratilova has at the sanctuary she owns, but is selling?

Martina and her partner were very much in love when they paid more than $1 million for land where they could rescue 26 malnourished cows likely to be made into dog food.

They bought the land through their new company, MT Nest. M stood for tennis legend Martina Navratilova; T was her partner, Toni Layton.

The couple turned the 20-acre site in East Sarasota County into a sanctuary where about 100 cows, horses, pigs and other animals, many saved from slaughter, could live in peace.

But in 2008, the couple split and Navratilova threw Layton out of her luxury home on Casey Key, a claim by Layton based on lawsuit records.

Now Layton and other local animal lovers say Navratilova plans to sell the sanctuary and the animals with it. Animal activists who placed animals there are worried they will now be sold to farmers and slaughtered for meat.  Read the whole story here.

8.  Watch this video that was on National Geographic.  It is funny, heartwarming, educational and something that will make you feel good all over.

Today there are believed to be fewer than 2,500 breeding adult Tigers left in the wild, and their numbers are declining. Tigers are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

A friend of mine is getting ready to do a documentary about these Tigers and made me aware of this horrific practice.

The greatest threats to Tigers are habitat loss, poaching and lack of sufficient prey.

Once found across Asia, from Turkey to eastern Russia, over the past century Tigers have disappeared from south-west and central Asia, from Java and Bali in Indonesia and from large parts of South-east and East Asia.

Tigers have lost 93% of their historic range, and more than 40% of their range in the last decade. Much of the remaining habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented.

Today, Tigers are found only in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and VietNam, and possibly in North Korea.

Tigers, and numerous other species of endangered wild life, have to contend with poaching! Regardless of the tigers’ classification as a “Critically Endangered” species, the demand for its parts has drastically increased at an alarming rate since the end of the 20th Century. The tiger is primarily killed to supply underground black markets with its organs, pelts and bones. These items are highly regarded in eastern medicine, claiming to posse’s capabilities to heal all sorts of human illnesses and dysfunctions. In addition, this regal and magnificent symbol of nature’s beauty and power is hunted recreationally for sport/trophies, perceived fear, and just out-rite ignorance! Unfortunately, poaching is not isolated to any one subspecies or population. All tigers, no matter were they live, seem to be under attack!

The import and exportation of tiger parts is a sizable business.  The penis sells for $6,000 (USD in 2008) which is used in a soup as an aphrodisiac.  Dried white tiger penis is worth even more. It is probably the most expensive piece of animal material in the world and probably the reason for the deaths of many magnificent wild tigers.   A large number of Chinese still believe that the body parts of animals can cure their ailments. And the doctors who practice traditional Chinese medicine haven’t yet decided to do what they do in the west, substitute animal parts for man made ingredients.  Despite the widespread availability of aspirin, a highly effective pain killer and indeed many other pain killers, many Chinese prefer to ingest crushed tiger bone for pain relief.

This practice takes place in China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and the other Asian countries.  In 1990, over 4,180 pounds of tiger bones were exported from Taiwan to Japan. Documented records from the Korean government state that over 8700 pounds of tiger bones were imported into South Koreas from Indonesia.  In Hong Kong black markets, venders sell a pound of powdered tiger humorous bone sells for over $1700.

Other tiger body parts are believed to do the following to the person who consumes them:

• 1. Heart – gives strength and courage
• 2. Tail – body rub for skin problems
• 3. Bones – put in wine for rheumatism
• 4. Brains – body rub to cure acne
• 5. Eyes – turned into pills for epilepsy
• 6. Whiskers – cure for toothache

It is still cheaper to kill and export the body parts of a wild tiger than to farm them.  At this rate how long will it take for their complete extinction in the wild? Keep in mind that all of these so-called treatments are completely unproven by science and have absolutely no real medical value.

How is man considered to be of superior intelligence compared to these animals when this happens?

If man has no respect for such a remarkable animal as the tiger, how can mankind be expected to protect all of the other animals, plants and wild places sharing the planet with us?  One way to help, don’t purchase items made from animal parts or made by animals (elephant paintings).

Many organizations are in need of volunteers to help save these animals and educate the public.  To learn more about the tigers and things you can do,  go to these websites:

Wildlife 1

Traffic

Tiger Homes

New Orleans, LA – Earlier this week, New Orleans police arrested Richard and Marian Kreutzer on charges of severe animal cruelty and neglect after more than 130 corpses of dogs and other animals were discovered buried in their backyard. The discovery was made after the house had been sold and the new owners were digging flower beds.

“We found the first few bodies and thought nothing of it.” The current homeowners commented. “We thought that maybe they had just not marked where their pets were buried. But when we kept finding bodies all over the yard, some one on top of the other, we knew something was wrong.”

All in all, it took 10 people over 6 hours to exhume all of the remains and police speculate that there could be more buried deeper. “There really is no way of knowing exactly how long this went on.” An officer stated. “They could have been at this for years.”

Early examination of some of the fresher remains shows that they endured severe torture both pre and post mortum. Burns, lacerations and dismemberment to name a few.

The animal rights community in Louisiana is currently in outrage over these events and is calling for the couple to be jailed for life. “Never should people like these be allowed to walk free.” Said one protester outside the prison where the couple is currently being held.

The police have yet declined to comment on exactly how the Kreutzer’s came to have so many animals but have noted that more than 30 were shelter rescues and most of their remains still contained microchip implants.

“It make me sick to my stomach.” Noted an employee of a local animal shelter. “They killed so many of these animals that wanted nothing more than a loving forever-home.”

The couple has been set to be arraigned next week.

You may sign a current petition to see to it that these monsters get the maximum sentence allowable by clicking here.

I want Friday’s to bring awareness to other organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals. If you have information you want to share, send me a paragraph on the topic with a link to the website, by 11am on Thursday.  I will do this each Friday.  Please pass this link on to bring awareness to these wonderful organizations, thanks!

Enjoy the 6 posts below:

1.  A Love Story: A) Here, his wife is injured and the condition is fatal.  She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

B) Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

C) He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead. He tried to move her….a rarely-seen effort for swallows!

D) Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again,he cries with adoring love.

E) He stands beside her, saddened by her death.

F) Finally aware that she would never return to him, he stays beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

Millions of people cried after seeing this picture story in America and Europe and even in India .  It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France .  All copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published. And many people think birds and animals don’t have a brain or feelings!!

1. 2.  On December 15th, 2009 the SPCA of Texas took custody of 26,000 exotic animals from US Global Exotics in the largest animal seizure in US history. USGE was a major distributor of exotic animals from wallabies to hamsters; warehousing them in horrific conditions until they could be brokered to stores, breeders and retailers. Thousands of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, arachnids, and many other animals were cruelly confined in filthy conditions, literally crammed into cattle-feeding troughs, boxes, bags, and even pop bottles. They did not have food, water, or veterinary care. According to reports 500 animals a day were dying at USGE, ending up tossed in their dumpster.

Thanks to an undercover PETA investigation the animals were permanently awarded to the SPCA of Texas on Feb 1, 2010. Love or hate PETA you have to give them credit for this one.  Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary was proud and honored to be selected as one of 30 rescues in the nation to receive some of the rescued animals from the US Global Exotics animal cruelty and neglect
case. Located in Northern Illinois Critter Camp board member Shary Stelter made the trip to Nashville, TN to meet up with the SPCA of TX transport on Superbowl Sunday where she was interviewed by Nashville Television station WSMV.  See the 75 critters from USGE now calling Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary their home, including adorable Texas Spotted Ground Squirrels, short-tailed opossum , Roborovski hamsters and little white mice; and find links to more information on our Global Exotics Rescue Page:
Click Here For More Information.

Critter Camp is the only exotic pet sanctuary of its kind in the U.S. giving a safe, healthy happy home to the elderly, sick, disabled and aggressive un-adoptable exotic pets that have nowhere else to go, currently caring for over 300 animals of 36 different species!  Click Here to go to Their Website

3. Pepsi is funding grants in various categories until 2/28. Many Houston dogs are euthanized due to heartworms in a good economy, it is at a horrendous pace currently.

The drug to treat this is very expensive and each bottle only treats 22 lbs. This group is desperate to move up into the funded top ten. More information and pictures of saved dogs are on the site.  This could help dogs at many rescue groups and shelter.  People can vote every day, until the 28th. PLEASE, CLICK HERE to go to this site to vote today, and everyday until the 28th.

4. TAKE ACTION TODAY!!! 36,000 elephants were killed last year for their ivory. In 16 DAYS 111 tonnes of ivory will be traded at the CITIES* conference if certain countries have their way.

This will pretty much kick-start the ivory trade in a massive way meaning the end for tens or even hundreds of thousands of elephants.

If this bothers you too, please try and stop this happening by signing this petition, CLICK HERE (you’ll need to confirm your signature).

5.   A documentary was just completed.  It’s about No Kill Pet Rescues and Shelters as well as the challenges they face. In November of 2008 a family adopted a new family member from the Animal Welfare Society and learned about the lack of awareness of the No Kill shelters.  They took it upon themselves to finance and create a program about these shelters.   They have pledged 60% of all profits to go to the AWS and if they can get great distribution, will split some for other local shelters in the Detroit area.

6.   Dachshund Rescue of Bucks County & NJ  have on-line workshops. They are hosted by dachshund experts and are designed to help you have a long and happy relationship with your doxie of any size.  There is a small donation fee charged for attendance with all proceeds donated to DRBC for the high medical fees incurred in the rescue and rehabilitation of our beloved breed.

This Month’s First Topic: Dental Disease and Your Dog
Those amazing toofers. How to keep them clean, bright and where they belong.  Are doxies more prone to dental disease?   How often should I clean my dogs teeth. How often should my vet clean my dogs teeth?   Dental and cardiac disease,yes, they are related.  Did you know there is anew vaccine to eliminate 4 out of 5 of the causes of tartar?   You can find out all about it at this session.

Click Here To Register