ANIMAL CONNECTION

Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category

An update on my post last week….. The West Hollywood City Council passed an ordinance on February 16, 2010 banning the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores unless from rescues and shelters.  I was overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to know, how can they do the same thing in their own town?

I contacted Carole Davis with the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) to get the information.  They did the work to get this passed.  The Animal Legal Defense Fund and Humane Society of United States helped as well.   CAPS now helps other cities with the drafting of legislation against puppy mill sales in other communities.  Here are excerpts from The American Dog Magazine, with links to each article and videos.

If your state has the puppy lemon law then move forward by going to your pet stores and asking for information about the breeder they buy from.  If not, ask your legislators to get the Lemon Law.  This law allows you to get the information about the breeder from the pet store.  Once you have that information, go to CAPS website and fill out a puppy complaint.   Please read all of the information below if you have interest, or know someone who does.  It was very time consuming and costly for CAPS to do this, but it has been worth it.

1. Pets, Lies & Legislation

Puppy mills are a hot political issue. Public outrage is growing over the legal multi-billion dollar puppy-producing business that forces millions of breeding dogs to endure inhumane treatment in factory-like conditions until death. They’re kept 24/7 in wire cages caked with their own feces, with no veterinary care or socialization. Average dog lovers want puppy mills to become illegal.

Consequently, a war about dogs is escalating in America –  a battle as complex as any fought in the history of social movements and waged with a proportionate scale of strategists, lobbyists, and commanders vying for control, power, and money.

To puppy mill investigators, the idea that commercial breeders are treating their dogs well or socializing them is laughable. A miller’s idea of playtime is to throw a bunch of females in heat with a male in one cage. As for being responsibly placed, mass volume breeders use brokers to ship barely weaned (and often sick) pups indiscriminately to pet retailers around the country. The dogs are crated in trucks for thousands of miles at an age when they need food and water every two hours. They are also sent in crates to buyers across the country on long flights with layovers. Transporting eight-week old dogs that way isn’t safe, and according to Lewis Turner, owner of the Petcare Company in California, four out of ten dogs that were trucked in to him by brokers Lambriar and Hunte were sick, “with green liquid coming from their eyes or nose.” Hardly “responsible placement” by any standard.

To Read More about This Subject Click Here.

2. Spay and Neuter Laws ……..Humans Debate While Dogs Die

It’s Tuesday, 9 AM at a Los Angeles shelter and a worried little terrier has just been “red-listed.” Unless someone adopts her, she’ll be killed. Another dog will take her place and that dog, too, if he isn’t adopted, will be killed. Could spay and neuter laws make a difference in this dog’s life?

In California, in 2008, municipal shelters reporting to the California Department of Public Health took in 833,304 dogs and cats. Of those, 429,987, or 51%, were killed. That would be a sad enough number for the whole country but it’s just for the state of California. In the U.S., the number of pets killed in shelters is astounding. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) reports that every year, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters and three to four million of those animals are killed because there aren’t enough homes for them. In 2009, uncontrolled breeding compounded by record job losses and home foreclosures are causing the number of animals flooding our shelters to rise sharply. When the figures are finally reported, they’ll be tragic.

Until we get a handle on this crisis, we need to refrain from buying animals and adopt from shelters instead. We ought to promote adoption to our friends. And we must fix the dogs we have.  To Read More About This Click Here.

3. Undercover Investigations Prove Pet Shop Puppies Were Coming From Puppy Mills

Though there has been lots of press coverage on the subject, there are still people who don’t know that pet stores are supplied by large brokers and inhumane breeding operations. There is no other way for pet shops to have a constant supply of puppies of different breeds. It was time to take a stand and convince puppy buyers to stop shopping and start adopting. Los Angeles, the second largest market for pets after New York, was the perfect place to tell the public about the ugly truth behind the pretty store fronts.

In California, they have a Puppy Lemon Law, which requires pet store owners to post the name and address of the breeder of the dogs on their display enclosures. Putting that law to use, people were recruited who were willing to do some reconnaissance trips to pet stores. They wired themselves up with undercover cameras and disguised themselves.They fanned out across the city, hitting all the pet stores to find out exactly where the puppies were coming from.

They called on some professional investigators from LCA (Last Chance for Animals) to go and film the addresses they provided. When the photos and video came in, the proof was irrefutable. Bingo. Just like they expected, the puppies at Posh Puppy were coming from a puppy mill.

What they found out through their in-store investigations is that pet stores are openly defrauding the public – not just Posh Puppy in Beverly Hills, but all the pet stores they visited. They discovered that pet store owners, managers and employees routinely lie to people.   To Read More About This Subject Click Here.

4. A March for Free Speech for Those Who Have No Speech – PUPPY MILL DOGS

On December 19, 2009, the Saturday before Christmas, eighty animal welfare activists marched in a silent vigil for dogs suffering in puppy mills. The grass roots group was also marching for the five million companion animals who are killed every year in the shelter system because there are not enough homes for them. Local activists had been planning the event for months following an investigation by the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), which claims that Barkworks, a pet store chain in California, sells animals from puppy mills. The CAPS investigation included evidence from the United States Department of Agriculture inspection reports that the Midwest commercial breeders supplying the stores had multiple violations.

The puppy mill awareness drive that took place on the busiest puppy-buying day of the year, was intended to raise the awareness of consumers and to steer them to the overcrowded Los Angeles shelters to adopt or rescue a pet for Christmas.  Read More Here.

5. Victory for Dogs as Pet Stores Go Humane

Sadly, millions of dogs are suffering in shelters and puppy mills. This year, a record number of dogs are being dumped and euthanized at shelters because of the current economic crisis. Commercial breeders and pet stores are also feeling the pinch. “People just aren’’t buying puppies right now,” says pet store manager Justin Vanert.

Growing numbers of commercial dog breeders in the Midwest are selling their homes for a pittance – advertising them as “turnkey investments,” which often include kennels with hundreds of breeding dogs “free with the property.” As bleak as it all sounds, this recession just might have a silver lining for the dogs who are wasting away in puppy mills and shelters.  Perhaps this economic downturn might be a dog’s chance to get out alive.

The dog trade is showing signs of weakness. Successful business is all about supply and demand and right now the demand side is shrinking as buyers of puppy mill dogs snap their wallets shut. But the reasons aren’t just the economy – it’s a combination of decreased spending, public awareness of inhumane breeding practices, legislation that limits and criminalizes dog factory cruelty and effective campaigns led by animal rights activists.

This spring, a group of Los Angeles activists celebrated yet another victory. After five weeks of protests, the owner of Elaine’s Pet Depot signed an agreement to hand over all of her puppy mill dogs to Good Dog Animal Rescue for adoption. The agreement with the lynchpin store of a national chain of pet stores included a statement that reflected the store’s commitment to working with rescue organizations. The store agreed to hold adoptions and end its sale of puppy mill dogs. Reliable sources from within the franchise claimed that the entire Pet Depot chain was considering conversion to a humane business model within a few months. If the large chain stops buying from brokers and mass volume breeders, the strategy to cripple the puppy mill industry by hitting them where it hurts, in the wallet, is working.

The “go humane or go out of business” campaign has been able to gain momentum by combining its ability to exploit the current economic downtown and its skilled use of visual evidence from undercover investigations. The stores that were protested saw as much as 70 percent of their weekend business deterred by activists brandishing signs depicting graphic photos of dogs suffering in mills. An increasing number of stores in the heart of Los Angeles have been closed down or converted – more than a dozen so far in a little over a year.  Learn How You Can Do This, Click Here.

6. Now the Internet is overflowing with puppy mill sales

As the animal protection movement wages its battle against the maltreatment of dogs in puppy mills, it faces a powerful new enemy –  the Internet Pet Store. The Internet, as helpful as it has been for rescuing animals with sites like AdoptAPet.com, has become a perfect stealth shield for abusers of animals looking to make a buck. A Google search for information on dog breeds will lead any gullible browser to tens of thousands of online breeders. For the buyer in a hurry, there are Web portals to make shopping easy, like NextDayPets.com, which unite hundreds of dog dealers on one site. With a click, you can pay to have a pup mailed to you in a crate. Though it’s a convenient way to buy a dog, you might be inadvertently contributing to animal abuse.

Deborah Howard, president of the Companion Animal Protection puppy dealers. “One should never, ever buy a dog on the Internet because you’re not seeing the conditions under which the puppy is being raised,” she said. “There are no good ones because reputable  reeders don’t sell puppies this way.” “The HSUS receives hundreds of complaints about sick and dying puppies sold over the Internet,” says Kathleen Summers, Deputy Director of the puppy mill campaign of  The Humane Society of the United States. “In fact, several of the puppy mills that the HSUS has helped close down recently were Internet sellers, including a mill in Tennessee with almost 700 dogs and a millin West Virginia with almost 900 dogs. Both of these facilities posed online as small family breeders.”

A lot of them arrive sick with Parvo, worms, Giardia, coccidia, kennel cough or pneumonia. It’s even more dangerous than buying in a pet shop because legal recourses are more challenging. You have to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office in the state of the breeder and if you want to sue the seller, you have to go to small claims court in their state, not yours. These Internet sellers know this.

Many of the sites linked to substandard breeding operations will say anything to deceive buyers into believing the business is ethical or humane. They often describe themselves as “Christian” and “familyrun.” A common lie is that their dogs are “raised in the home.”

Read More About This 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!

Jake

Urgent: Jake needs a new home today, Friday! This dog is at Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood Florida. Jake is cage stressed and is going to be euthanized on Friday. He is a great dog and loves people and toys. He just doesn’t like being confined in a run and has damaged his tail. A great dog. We can help with transport from englewood to anyone that will take him. He is fully vetted.
If you can help email Michele at doggieresqr@yahoo.com

1.  A documentary on the pairing of seniors with seniors was recently completed.  The purpose is to raise awareness, and secure more homes, for older shelter pets as well as bring companionship to the elderly.  It’s called:  Old Friends… Timeless Love.  Perfect Pairings.

“Old Friends…Timeless Love” came about when Maureen Kelly realized the beautiful energy of pairing seniors with seniors: bringing companionship to the elderly, saving older pets from shelters, and honoring the magic that animals bring into our lives.

Working with a variety of organizations across the United States, she has had the great joy of meeting not only hard-working, loving people, but remarkable dogs, cats and horses.

This is a film in their honor.  Hopefully, it will ignite a spark that will inspire many more such pairings.

View the heartwarming video here.

2. Pattie Roberts has a ranch called Dudette Ranch. Pattie spent years promoting good causes with local radio station KFROG and then with her own agency, MarketingWithACause.com. Through the years she has served on various Board of Directors. She has worked tirelessly to promote organizations such as Exceed, work programs for Adults with Disabilities, Animal Friends of the Valley, the Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s awareness, she supports four school districts Student of the Month programs and many others good causes.

Last year she relocated her horse ranch to Murrieta and retired from advertising to pursue her lifelong passion of horses. She started the Dudette Ranch.  The concept is a local take off of the vacation destination Dude Ranch. “Although we aren’t wrangling cattle or sleeping under the stars, this is a working horse ranch and the monthly membership allows members daily access to hang out at the barn and work with the horses as we care for, train and ride.

Here is one great story: Dakota is a tall rangy bay Quarter horse gelding, he was a competitive working cow horse in his younger day.  A knee injury took him out of the show ring years ago. Dakota has been totally healed from his injury for years, but he still favored it not out of pain but out of fear.  This beautiful horse, with plenty of life left in him, was just standing in a stall.  This summer he became the best friend of a troubled teen.  She worked with him daily, riding him slow and easy until he got stronger and realized his knee didn’t hurt any more.  He thrived on the attention and got strong and muscled up again.  Unfortunately, the teenager went back to her old ways and left Dakota alone.  Lucky gelding though because he now has a brand new best friend!  A really nice lady named Micheal.  She has fallen in love with him and signed up to sponsor him.  She already takes lessons here and after riding him last Saturday well….no other horse would do she just had to have him!

Individual Sponsorship programs are one way you can have a horse without really owning one, there are horses available for Adoption and Lease and a Sponsorship Program Geared to the whole family!  To learn more click here.

3. Small Angels Rescue, a non-profit based in Frederick, MD, finds homes for rescued chinchillas, degus, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice and rats.

They do not have a shelter and use a network of foster homes for these rescued animals until they are permanently adopted.  They have very dedicated foster parents involved with this organization.  One guinea pig foster mother-in-charge has a wonderful web page (click here) where you can scroll through, looking at pictures and reading very engagingly written bios of rescued guinea pigs awaiting adoption.

Enzo and Eva, a bonded pair of guinea pigs, were adopted. I’ve been told the Small Angels vetting process is very meticulous.  The owners of Enzo and Eva had a process to go through before adopting.  They were invited to the foster mother-in-charge’s home to meet her and the guinea pigs. This kept Enzo and Eva from being subjected to undue stress by taking them from place to place to show to prospective adopters. Then they had to fill out a detailed, five-page questionnaire containing questions that would really screen the potential owners to be sure they’re responsible. It takes about a week for the application to be approved.  The new owners said, “Adopting from Small Angels Rescue has been one of the most satisfying things we’ve have ever done”.

To learn more about Small Angels Rescue, click here.

4.  Nature’s Variety Issues Nationwide Voluntary Recall

Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet for dogs and cats with a “Best If Used By” date of 11/10/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Click here to learn more.

I want Friday’s to be fun and 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.  Information about animals in need will be posted at the bottom.  This week……. ferrets need transportation help.

1. Have you heard of these sites that give away free kibble to dogs and cats?

http://www.freekibble.com/

http://www.freekibblekat.com/

Not only do they give away free kibble, but it’s fun.  Each day the sites have trivia questions regarding dogs and cats.  It’s interesting to see how much you really know about these animals.

As of today they have donated over 2.2 million meals to homeless dogs and cats in shelters across the country!   There is a very neat event happening today, Friday.  It’s call the “Free kibble kat Hi-5”

The “Free kibble Hi-5 “event for dogs was a huge success and they raised 20,000 meals for homeless dogs in one day! Now, on February 5th, they are going to be having the first ever FreekibbleKat Hi-5 event for homeless cats!

Please go to  www.freekibblekat.com TODAY.  They will be donating 5x’s the kibble when you play Meow Trivia! Their goal is to generate 5 million pieces of kibble in one day!   Halo Pets is sponsoring the event with no limit on the kibble!

2. Cat Depot, is one of the largest nonprofit no kill feline adoption, rescue, education and resource centers in the nation.  This might sound crazy, but they have a working dog that works with the cats.  Her name is Beignet.  She takes her job seriously. Rising before dawn every day, she heads to Cat Depot in Sarasota, Florida, where she socializes with more than 100 cats and kittens. Some dogs might think her job is a bit silly, but not Beignet. She knows that when she works with the kittens, she is acclimating them to live with a family dog. And that might makes their chances of getting adopted a little bit better.

Some adult cats are larger than her, but that doesn’t stop her from saying “hello.” In fact, their reaction lets cat caregivers know if a cat is dog-friendly. Heck, every once in a while a cat will get downright mushy and kiss her all over.

They can tell Beignet has an affinity for animals in need. A survivor of Hurricane Katrina, Beignet understands being alone, hurt and confused. Not finding her family, she too was once in an adoption center. Rescued with a broken jaw and broken teeth, an eye injury and missing fur, she can relate to misfortune. But Beignet also knows about hope, and every day she spreads the word to Sarasota’s cats and kittens that find themselves temporarily placed at Cat Depot. Beignet may not be the cutest or the youngest girl in town, but she knows she has an important job and that makes her feel good about herself. She welcomes all visitors, too, and demonstrates daily that you don’t have to be perfect to give love

Vote for Beignet!  It only takes a few seconds at http://www.sarasotamagazine.com/Misc/Best-Pet-Finalists-2010.asp.  Cat Depot and all the homeless cats and kittens appreciate your support!

3. Many health problems in pets can be traced back to the foods they are being fed. There is a huge debate in the pet industry about the quality of foods we feed our dogs. One thing that is often discussed is the need to change your dog’s diet – both to give them variety and to ensure they get quality and nutritionally balanced food to maintain optimum health. This article gives some really easy recipes to make at home that are quick, affordable, nutritionally balanced and that your dogs will love. There should be certain proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables and fruits in a healthy canine diet.  Go to this website to get specific recipes that you can make in 3 minutes or less. http://www.squidoo.com/dogfoodrecipies

This was sent to me by CampingDog.  They deal with dogs exclusively.

4. Ferrets Need Transportation Help in Florida. A woman named Sheri has 3 ferrets she needs to give up.  She lives in Casselberry, Florida.  A wonderful ferret rescue in Broward County, Florida will take them if they can be driven down to that area.  The name of the woman who runs it is Dona.  If you are able to assist please contact Sheri at may_8th_2006@hotmail.com or Dona at fuzzyrescues@aol.com

5. My Name is Brogan Horton, I am an investigator for Animal Recovery Mission ( A.R.M) We are facing an enormous crisis here in Miami, Florida concerning the illegal back yard slaughter. Hundreds of horses are bought straight from the track and transported to these “facilities” which are car ports and razor wire fencing. They are forced to drink rancid water, and stand in 1-2 ft of mud in the backing sun.  Mares, foals, geldings, stallions are all mixed together in dog pens. Once an order is placed for a horse, they are lead to the “kill pen” where they are axed, hit with hammers, or stabbed with knives. Almost all of them are butchered alive to “ keep the blood flowing”. And its not just the horses. There are pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and geese . They also have puppy mill’s set up.   There are currently 150 of these farms around Miami. The conditions are horrid and the treatment is beyond inhuman.  Miami date animal services and the SPCA are over whelmed and unable to  take in a house these animals.  They also don’t have the man power or means to prove the help and investigations it takes to shut these places down.
We at ARM work exclusively in investigating and shutting down these facilities. Please, check out our website to follow along with what we are working on. CNN, ABC, NBC, have all aired stories featuring ARM and directly concerning the backyard slaughter.
We are about to raid and seize the animals on about 25 farms.  This will include, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, lots of chickens and geese. Were talking over 500 chickens and geese.  The Media will be very much involved and will spotlight any rescue involved unless you wish to remain unnamed.
We are in desperate need of rescues to take in what ever you can take. We have horses of every type including some high name thoroughbreds, donkeys, sheep, pigs of every type and breed, goats, chickens and geese, as well as some puppies.
Please- if you can help contact me ASAP so we can start working out the details. Even if you know someone who might be able to, please forward this to anyone you know.  We need homes and transportation.

Thank you very much for your time,

Brogan Horton
Investigator
Animal Recovery Mission
207-939-7852
www.animalrecoverym ission.org

Click Here to See Horse Videos

6. The Road Ahead in Port Au Prince

Devastated by a recent earthquake and its aftershocks, the people in Port Au Prince were left with little ability to care for the animals there, including more than 150,000 community dogs.

After a thorough assessment of animal welfare issues, the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), which includes Best Friends, sprang into action, setting up veterinary services in and around the city.

Right now team members from ARCH – including Best Friends Rapid Response Manager, Rich Crook – are on the ground, working with a regional partner from neighboring Dominican Republic. Rich had this to report from the field:

“The team is now on the ground in Port au Prince and I can tell you firsthand that this is the greatest devastation I have ever seen … The scope and scale is overwhelming as you enter the city. After being here only a few hours, we saw several dogs that are in need of our help.“

In the coming weeks, ARCH also plans to open several veterinary clinics. Not only will these clinics help animals right now, but part of their goal will be to put longer-term strategies in place for the care of both family pets and stray animals. These strategies will include lifesaving spay and neuter for Haiti’s dogs and cats.

That means your support will be saving animals for years to come!

The Haitian government and people have been very welcoming of this news, too. They have been providing lots of support and even security.

But not only will animals be touched by your kindness. ARCH is hoping to staff several of these mobile clinics with local, young veterinarians with mentoring from international veterinarians from ARCH.

So your support will benefit animals and humans alike!

That’s the miracle Best Friends members make possible every day! On behalf of the entire Best Friends family and all of the animal lovers from Port Au Prince, thank you for all that you do.

P.S. And there’s more good news! All of your donations for Haiti are tax deductible on your 2009 taxes! See HR Bill 4462www.mGive.org/receipt. and consult your tax advisor for more information.

Donna Paige and Rescued Horse

There are lots of horse issues rearing their heads.  From horses being bred then discarded for not performing, to horses being roundup in the wild, captured and kept in corrals.

This past weekend I asked my local TV station go with me to our local polo fields.  I wanted to do an interview with a local Restaurateur, Jaymie Klauber, who is a polo player but also rescues horses that need a home.  If she did not adopt them, they would be sent to the slaughter house. She takes them then trains them to play polo.  They have a wonderful home and a productive life playing polo.  The day I was with her she got a call that other horses needed to be rescued.  If she can’t take them she does find them homes.  She will not let them go to the slaughter house.  If you are looking for horses, let us know.  We can get you in touch with Jaymie.

Jaymie Klauber & Her Horse

I also met with Larry Robinson, NHL Hall of Fame, Stanley Cup winner and on the board of Animal Connection.  Larry is a polo player and also rescues animals that need a good home.  He was raised on a farm and has always had a special place in his heart for animals.

Donna Paige, Larry & Jeannette Robinson

Click Here to see the interview with Larry Robinson and Jaymie Klauber.

Not all horses are cared for as well as these polo ponies. There is an issue going on in the Wild West…..there has been a big roundup going on in Nevada.  There have been over 2,500 wild horses captured.  They use helicopters and horseback riders to herd them into corrals.  These corrals are in the Black Rock Range, a chain of mountains 100 miles North of Reno.  The local Land Management estimates there are nearly 37,000 wild mustangs. About half of them live in Nevada, with others concentrated in Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The Land Management feels if this is not controlled now, the horse population will double in 4 years.  They also say that many of these horses are ill.  The challenge, where will these horses end up?  The plan is to have the horses adopted or sent to holding facilities in the Midwest since the space near Reno is full.

The roundup has upset a lot of people for many reasons.  Using helicopters frightens the horses which can cause injuries like broken legs, and is inhumane.  If a horse breaks its leg it has to be put down.  There is also the risk of respiratory illness to these horses.  Foals also can’t keep up and get separated from their mothers.

There are a number of celebrities who do not approve of this roundup.  Two of these include Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow.  Willie Nelson has said he feels these animals will become extinct if this continues.

Please give us your feedback and thoughts in the “Comment” section below.

Judy Landers, who is on my board of advisers, her two daughters (Lindsey and Kristy), as well as Judy’s husband, Tom Niedenfuer (retired, American Major League Baseball Pitcher) are all animal lovers.  Judy’s sister, Audrey Landers, and her mom, Ruth Landers, also love animals.  All of them have saved many animals over the years.  This is what they had to say when I asked them about their animals…..

They have one dog named Champ.  He is an 8 year old Collie who has been a loving Landers-Niederfuer family member for 71/2 years.  The most amazing thing about Champ is his sweet, gentle personality and sense of humor (along with his amazing looks).

Teddy is a 3 year old mixed breed who was adopted from the Sarasota Humane Society.  When they first saw him, he was so shy and stressed, he wouldn’t even come out to socialize.  If you raised your hand to pet him lovingly, he would cower to the ground in tear.  It was very clear that he had been as abused dog, but they knew that with all the love they could give him, they would turn his life around.  Now, Teddy has become the most loving, loyal dog they could ever imagine, and lives to snuggle and get hugs.

Sage is a baby Cockatoo (one of five birds that they have) who travels with them wherever they go.  At only 6 months, Sage is a seasoned traveler, having been to Hollywood over 10 times and New York City as well.

All the animals in the Lander-Niederfuer family are fed holistic pet food along with an organic, healthful, vegetarian concoction (that Judy prepares herself) of brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Incidentally, other pets they have are: Princess Iggy, a 16 year old, 5 foot long Iguana.  Birds: Zorro, Mary-Kate and Ashley and Baby Spice.

They like the message of this show, helping animals all over the world, and are very supportive, in many ways.

How many people have gotten a puppy, kitten or rabbit as a gift?  Animals, especially babies, are cute and cuddly.  Most people love the feeling they get when they give an animal as a present.  They feel really good inside.  That feeling only lasts a short time, and then reality sets in.

The person realizes the new owner now has a responsibility, lasting long after the holiday, or special occasion, is over.  There are issues that have be dealt with as well.  Does the person know how to care for the animal properly?   Many pet owners are not aware of the kind of food their animal should eat.  I see countless ferret owners feeding their ferret cat food.  That is very unhealthy for ferrets.  Ferrets are carnivores.  Their food should have at least 3 out of the first 5 ingredients be meat products.  Not soy, grain or oats.  Same goes for other animals.  You should do research to be sure your animal is eating the proper diet.

There are also illnesses and disease that different animals have.  Do you know what to look for?  Do you have a veterinarian who has had extensive training for your type of pet?   Many veterinarians say they treat your type of animal, until a major illness arises.  Then you find out they don’t have the proper experience or training.  By then your animal could be seriously ill.

If you do decide to give an animal as a gift, where do you get it?  There are millions of animals that are in need of a home.  You can find these animals at rescues and shelters.  25% of these animals are pure bred.  If the organization near you doesn’t have the kind of animal you are looking for ask them to refer you to an organization that does have that kind of animal.  There are small, home based rescues all over the country.  I’m sure there is one near you.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is personality, size and color.  You find an animal you think is sweet, beautiful color and small (at least right now).  You give it as a present and find that the animal cowers with its new owner.  Maybe the new pet was abused by someone that resembles that person.  Animals have personalities just like we do.  They don’t forget the bad times.  BUT, with time, patience and love they can learn to trust again.  Is the new owner willing to do what it takes to transition the pet into the new surroundings?  The puppy you got is a large breed dog.  It was really small at 8 weeks old, so you were not thinking how big it would get.  At 4 months it’s getting to be very large.  What if the new owner is not allowed to have an animal over 35 pounds in their home?  Will the animal be given up again?

If the animal develops an illness, does the new owner have the financial ability to pay for the bills and make sure the animal has a good, long life?

Are there other animals in the home already?  Many animals don’t get along.  The best thing to do, before bringing an animal home, is introduce them to each other.  You don’t want to get them home then there is the danger of one getting hurt because they don’t like each other.  If you have a hunting breed of dog, don’t get the family a new ferret or rabbit.   Do you have a small child?  Consider the size, strength and personality of the animal.

Another important issue is spay and neuter.   Is the animal fixed so there aren’t any other “surprises” that might come along?  Even if you have a fenced yard your animal could get out.  Look what happened during Hurricane Katrina.  A lot of animals that were in secure homes, and yards, got out.  They multiplied in a very short period of time.

There are a lot of considerations when giving a pet as a present.  If you have your heart set on giving one, think about a gift card.  In the card say “your present is the pet of their choice”.  Let them pick it out to be sure it’s one they really want.  I also recommend you get your pet from a rescue or shelter.

I look forward to any feedback, comments or recommendations you have.

The story about Mr. Bojangles was sent to me by a friend in Atlanta.  He is a super sweet and cuddly blind Chihuahua/Dachshund mix looking for a loving forever home.

He is approximately 1-1/2 years old and weighs about 12 lbs.

Mr. Bojangles is a special case, however, and will need a very special person to take care of him. He has been diagnosed with hydrocephaly, an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. While medically there is little to nothing that can be done, we feel that so long as he is enjoying life, we will do everything we can to keep him comfortable and happy. He is severely underweight and needs more than a little love to even have a shot.

All Mr. Bojangles really wants to do is curl up in your lap and sleep. If you think you have the lap and the love to make a big difference in the life of a little dog, please apply today at Lifeline www.atlantapets.org or call them at 404-292-8800

Or, call Devajoy at 404-892-1476 Or email devajoy@comcast.net

We need an emergency foster home with a separate air quarantine or no birds in the home but with bird experience ASAP in the Sarasota area. We have two sulfur crested cockatoos who’s mom is in ICU and she is being evicted! If you know anyone that can help please contact me ASAP! Contact info can be found at www.fwcas.org

Lynda Lewis
President FWCAS

Share the story of your pet’s adoption along with photo and you could win a trip for two to New York City to attend a taping of The Martha Stewart Show, a year’s supply of Purina ONE pet food, and the chance to choose which One Hope Network shelter receives a $10,000 donation from Purina ONE.  Click on this link

There are so many wonderful people in this world who care so much about animals and do what is right for them.  It is so inspiring to see some of the people I have met over the years and how they put their own lives on the back burner to better the lives of animals.  I recently asked a couple of shelter owners how they manage to save so many animals and pay for all of their needs (shelter, food, medical, advertising, etc)?  They told me they get small donations from individuals and sometimes companies but most of the time they sell things.  One shelter goes to garage sales and salvation army stores to buy things really cheap then sells them on Ebay.  They said it’s a lot of work but it can bring them enough money to keep their doors open and animals taken care of for basic needs.

It’s people like that who seem to really live life.  They love what they do and seem to be as grateful for their lives as the animals they save.

If you have a story about a person that fits into this category, please post a comment about them just under this blog “comments” so that other people can read your post.

How About a Dog Whose Cowardly Owner Leaves Him on the Side of the Road?