Archive for the ‘Companion Animals’ Category
Pay-It-Forward Friday 5/7/2010
May 7th, 2010
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.
+33 1 58 05 16 60
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.
Pay-It-Forward Friday
April 11th, 2010
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.
Have Fun With Your Pet Anywhere in the World
March 28th, 2010
Have you ever thought about going on vacation but you’re concerned about what to do with your pet? How about taking your pet with you?
It is estimated around 85% of pet owners travel with their pets by car. If you’re planning to take your pet with you on trips in the car, start early when the pet is young so they get used to the routine. Short jaunts across town and back, or easy day trips, will get your pet used to the ride. A carsick pet can make the trip miserable for everyone.
A seat upholstery protector, such as a pet hammock or waterproof seat cover will make clean-ups easier in case your pet does get sick or has an accident.
Be sure to bring along cleaning supplies to avoid having to search out a place to purchase them at the last minute.
If you are going to be riding on buses or trains you need to check the state and local restrictions. Some prohibit pets from riding on buses or trains unless they are assisting visually impaired or physically challenged persons. Always check in advance with these transportation providers to find out what regulations they may impose.
Before you travel with your pet, check with your veterinarian to make sure your pet is physically able to make the trip. Some senior or physically impaired dogs and cats do not travel well. You may want to consider a local, reputable kennel for your pet, or if your pet is would be more comfortable at home, you may want to contact a pet sitting organization to locate a pet sitter in your area who can take care of your pet in its own, familiar surroundings.
If you decide that your pet is able to take the trip there are still a number of things to consider.
Traveling with pets internationally can be much more challenging than domestic travel with pets because of long waiting periods, quarantine requirements and other importation regulations. If you are considering traveling internationally with your pet, it’s important to begin planning way ahead of your intended time of travel. Proper planning will help better prepare you and your pet for the trip, lessen the stress on both of you and provide realistic expectations of international pet travel.
Here are a few things you should think about:
- What types of airline restrictions do you have for international pet travel?
- Do you limit the number of pets allowed in cargo and in the cabin?
- Are certain breeds of pets not permitted or not advised to travel internationally?
- What are the container requirements?
- Will my pet have to change planes?
- Will my pet be able to relieve himself somewhere if it is a long flight?
- When and where should I drop off my pet?
- What documents will I need to transport my pet?
- Where will my pet clear customs?
What do you do if your pet needs emergency care, at home or while you are away? What if your pet gets lost or even worst, what if there is a disaster in your area? You will need to find resources for all of these issues.
We can help you find answers to these and other issues. If you have suggestions you have used for your animals, please post them so that other pet owners can learn from your experience.
How Animals Fit Into An Ever Changing World
March 4th, 2010
Our world is ever changing. Remember when there were only three networks on TV? Now there are so many choices that people are overwhelmed. You add reality TV networks to the mix and it’s impossible to keep up. A lot of people record, or “Tivo” shows so they can see them “when they have time”. When does that happen? We have become so overwhelmed with keeping up with work and family life that most people don’t have time for TV. When they do watch it I wonder, how many people really take in what they are watching? Are their minds still on something else?
Now, add the internet to the mix. Most people are on their computers for work and play. It’s no wonder TV shows try to direct you to their website. That’s where most people spend their time. It is the place to find love, food, cars, investments, TV shows you missed, coupons and specials, old friends, as well as anything you need regarding animals. That is why I am placing my show on the internet, so I know you will see it!
I wanted to share with you some sites I think you might want to put into your database. You never know when you might need them. You’re already on the computer reading this 🙂 I have posted them below.
There is also a term a lot of people have heard but really don’t understand. It is called “Fostering”. I recently did a report on Greyhounds. The dogs are rescued, sent to prison and trained by the prisoners. After they are trained they are sent to foster homes, or rescues, until they are adopted.
I always thought that fostering meant you HAD to keep the animal until a new home was found. That is not the case. Most of the time animals are only with you for a short time, maybe a week or two. If you have to leave for a trip, the organization will take the animal. If you only want a “friend” for a few weeks or a month, that is fine. There is a HUGE NEED for foster homes everywhere. There are all kinds of animals that need a foster home. It can be fun to learn about a new animal without the long term commitment. The animals come with food. Any medical care is also taken care of for you. All the animal needs is a safe and loving place to stay, temporarily. In addition, think of the love you will get in return.
The other nice thing about fostering is that you just opened up a spot for another animal. If it had not been for you, that animal might have been put down because there was no place for it to go.
If you would like to find out more regarding fostering, I suggest you contact your local shelter, rescue or other animal organization. Ask, “what does takes to be a foster parent”?
If you are looking for animals to adopt:
1.www.petango.com – These are all PetPoint Shelters. They also have a web based store and will make a donation to a selected shelter as a result of the person’s purchase.
2. www.adoptapet.com – People can do a “search saver” which will send them an email when a specific breed they are looking for becomes available.
5. www.akc.org – breed specific rescue groups
If you lost an animal:
4. http://haveyouseenthispet.com
Organizations that will help owners that cannot afford vet care.
Most of them handle serious medical conditions and injury. Some focus on low income, elderly and handicapped owners. A couple of them are for rescue organizations and homeless pets.
3.www.fveap.org/sys-tmple/door
I am sure there are many more organizations that can be added to this list. If you would like to post about one you know of, please submit it under our “Resources/ Organizations” page. Thanks for all you do for animals around the world!
Rescued Dogs are Sent to Prison, Go Behind The Scenes
March 1st, 2010
Donna Paige with Greyhounds
What is your first impression when you hear a rescued dog was sent to prison? Do you conjure up images that are not pleasant? READ THE INFORMATION AND GO BEHIND THE SCENES, WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and your heart will pound, in a good way.
There is an organization called 2nd Chance at Life. They place Greyhounds in prisons once they have been rescued. They have placed over 600 dogs nationwide. These dogs are fostered by the prisoners.
Keira
What Does The Greyhound and Inmate Prison Partnership Do?
Greyhounds
1. Delivers an Obedience Trained Greyhound to the Community
2. Provides a Network of Prison Foster Homes for Greyhounds
3. Gives them a place to live until they can be adopted
4. Allows two 24/7 inmate caretaker’s for each greyhound
5. Saves thousands of retired racing greyhounds
Huney
Prisoners
1. Allows inmates to give something back to the community
2. Allows inmates to experience un-conditional love
3. Relieves inmate idleness in prison facilities
4. Teaches inmates patience and responsibility
5. Establishes vocational jobs for the inmates
ALL OF THE DOGS ON THIS POST ARE UP FOR ADOPTION!
Chief
Who is a typical adoptable Greyhound?
They’re really a 45 mile an hour couch potato!!!!!!
Usually between eighteen months and five years old.
They do not require a great deal of space to run, as many people think, but they do enjoy their daily walks.
These ex-racers are intelligent, quiet, clean, good-natured, adaptable, sensitive, dogs who adjust readily to their new home environment.
They are eager to please and respond positively to any attention.
They provide their new owner with never ending loyalty and affection.
Pebbles
What does Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions do?
Find the best prescreened, match as possible for your family, with current shots, cleaned teeth. Prescreening includes cat testing that would help ensure compatibility with cats and other small animals.
Find loving and qualified homes for the Greyhounds entrusted to our care. We spay/neuter provide vaccinations and make sure all Greys are in excellent health, including teeth.
Provide ongoing support to those who adopt Greyhounds from Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions, Inc. or any other group.
Educate the public and raise awareness about the availability and suitability of retired racing Greyhounds as pets.
Promote harmony and teamwork among all segments of the worldwide Greyhound community.
Shaye
How can someone adopt a prison trained or even a non-prison trained rescued Grey?
There are a number of organizations where you can adopt these wonderful dogs. One that I know about, in my area, is Gold Coast Greyhound.
ALL OF THE DOGS ON THIS POST ARE UP FOR ADOPTION
You can complete the adoption form from Gold Coast Greyhounds here. You can also call them at 941-312-1750.
Katie
More Foster Homes Are Needed!!
1. They provide extension into the community
2. Conduct reference checks
3. Provide ongoing support to the Grey and his forever home.
4. Great option for snow birds or anyone without a long term commitment.
Tupelo
Everyone asks, “Is it difficult to give up a foster?” Yes and No. It’s very easy to develop an emotional attachment but when you place a happy Grey in his forever home with wonderful & caring families we are very happy! Then we know we can foster another Grey and help them find a loving home. If you cannot foster and cannot adopt, donations help support the cost of caring for our Greyhounds and preparing them for our prison training program.
Sophia
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION….
ALL OF THE DOGS ON THIS POST ARE UP FOR ADOPTION.
Racing Greyhounds spend most of their lives in the company of other dogs, their trainers and handlers. Racing Greyhounds have all the advantage of breeding and training when it comes to being a good pet. Their social ability generally makes them great with other pets. Their temperament makes them wonderful around children and friends. Their intelligence and breed make them perfect house pets. A clean, quiet loving companion, a well-mannered Greyhound could be just the pet for you.
Pay-It-Forward Friday
February 25th, 2010
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!!
- 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.
Undercover Investigation Expands To Your Community
February 23rd, 2010
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.”
Pay-It-Forward Friday
February 18th, 2010
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.
Bob Peterson (Director) / Glenn Close (Actress) and their Dogs
February 17th, 2010
Bob & His Pups
Bob Peterson is an animator, screenwriter, director and voice actor who, for the past 15 years, has worked for one of the coolest companies in the world—PIXAR Animation Studio. He has stated that he has a special place in his heart for animated features because, as a child, his highly fertile imagination was deeply informed by the now iconic films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp and, of course, 101 Dalmations. He says that animated features are the fairy tales of today and have as profound an impact on the children who experience them as the stories of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm had on his generation and many generations before him.
He was interviewed by Glenn Close, another animal lover. Having been the voice of Kala, Tarzan’s gorilla mother, in Walt Disney’s animated feature, Tarzan, Glenn Close was particularly interested in how Bob came up with the voice of the lovable Dug. Here is part of that interview with Bob and his three dogs, Rosy, Ava and Dug:
Glenn, Bill, Jake & Sweet Pea
Oh, the LOVE!
Glenn Close: When and how did you become a dog lover?
Bob Peterson: I’ve always loved dogs and have had one since I was three. We bought her from a kid selling puppies out of a cardboard box on the street where we lived in New York City. Great dog. We named her “Marcella” after a Raggedy Ann character. She grew up with us.
GC: Why dogs?
BP: When you look into the eyes of a dog you know someone is there. Plus, DOGS ARE JUST AWESOME!!!
GC: Have you ever rescued a dog?
BP: Yes. After my wife and I were married we obtained a rescue dog from a family that didn’t want her anymore. She was a beautiful Collie/Shepherd mix named “Precious.” It then came to pass that our first marital “debate” was whether we should change the dog’s name away from the same name used by the wacky villain in Silence of the Lambs. Yes, that dog was also named “Precious.” Whenever we were out walking the dog in public we would chicken out from using her real name and refer to her as “Vicious.” But she wasn’t vicious, so we gave that up. Finally, we decided, that, darn it, “Precious” was her name, and what right did we have to change it? After a while we grew to know that she was a precious dog. She became part of our family and our children’s lives. Now that she’s gone we miss her a lot. Great. I’m crying. Thanks, Glenn Close!
GC: Is Dug based on a specific dog? If so, how did the animators translate a real dog’s behavior into an animated dog’s behavior?
BP: I wrote Dug as a combination of all the dogs I’ve owned. Marcella, Precious, Rosy, and Ava are all in there. The distractibility of Dug (SQUIRREL!!) is based on a game I’d play with my dogs. On a hot day the dogs would be panting to cool themselves down. So, I’d jump in and pant along with them. Then I’d stop abruptly and pretend I’d seen something important. The dogs would do the same and go to attention along with me. Long pause. Then, everyone back to panting. It was hilarious. Also I’ve noticed that dogs have an amazing capacity to give love immediately to people that they meet for the first time. Hence the line “I have just met you and I love you.” Dug says this to our old man character, Carl, when they first meet. It’s a challenge to Carl accept his new “family” who loves him and needs his attention. That line was also born out of something a camper said to me when I was a camp counselor in college. The kid had just met me but his first words were “you are my counselor and I love you.” This phrase has been tucked away for 20 years but it felt so right for the instantaneous love a dog gives that I put it in the film. The wonderful thing about the talking dog collars in UP is that we were able to hear the thoughts of the dogs without moving their mouths or emoting like a human. The dogs could pant, scratch, and move the way dogs truly do. The animators studied the movements of many dogs, and we had a dog specialist come in and talk to us about dog behavior.
GC: How did you come by your Dug voice?
BP: I never know exactly how I’ll do a voice for a character until I step up to the mic. Since I had written his dialogue, I knew that his dog collar would mishandle English a bit in a charming dog-like way, but I didn’t know just what he’d sound like. And then, Dug’s voice just started coming out. It was like that with Roz too. In analyzing it, I realized that Dug’s voice sounds a lot how I talk to my dogs. I use overly sincere elongated words: “Hiii You Dawwgs.” That pattern of speech feels dog-like somehow and they love it.
All In the Family
To read more of this interview, and others, click on this link.
Pay-It-Forward Friday
February 11th, 2010
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.
1. I did not realize that fox hunting was still alive and well in other parts of the world. I was sent some information about a campaign going on in the UK to repeal the hunting act. Hunting of foxes, deer, hare and mink by using hounds, has been illegal over there sine 2004. Now, a guy by the name of David Cameron, who is running in an election, wants to repeal the act.
I wanted to learn more about this type of hunting, since I don’t know much about it. What I read disturbed me. A fox will be trapped. Then, rather than kill it right away, it is let lose so that it can be caught by the hounds and killed later. This is a sport for the people involved. The hounds, horses, men and children will chase the fox through the countryside with blasting horns. The fox is gripped with fear and stressed beyond capacity until finally, with the internal organs failing and exhausted, the fox will be unable to continue. To read more about this please click here to visit the site where you can learn more, and help.
Fox That Was Caught
There is a man by the name of Clifford Pellow. For more than 2 decades he was a professional Huntsman with several packs of Fox hounds in England and Whales. Because he is a stickler for rules, he became more and more outraged at the abuse the foxes were enduring because the Hunt Master continued to break the hunting code of ethics. Eventually he could no longer stomach it, he protested and lost his job as a Huntsman. To read more about Clifford, the cruelty in fox hunting and what Clifford is doing, check out his story here.
Lucy
2. Did you know there is an organization that helps rescued Labradors in need of medical attention? I had no idea until they contacted me. The organization, Labmed, was founded in 1996 and has funded a total of 1,132 dogs. These dogs would most likely not be alive if it had not been for this organization.
Here is a photo of one of their newest applicants, Lucy, who needs emergency surgery for internal bleeding in order to save her life. If you would like to help other dogs and learn more about this organization, click here.
Dr. Greg Martinez
3. After almost 30 years as a veterinarian Dr. Greg Martinez has spent 10 of those years treating his patients, and his own pets, with a combination of medical and nutritional science. He believes that pet owners have it within their power to cure many of their animals’ most common ailments. He says that healthful eating is critical to human’s well-being and that pet junk food, empty calories and food allergies are making our dogs and cats similarly sick. He has published a book called, Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet.
He has lots of positive feedback from clients and readers. He says it amazing that there could be any doubt that food allergies have such a great role in skin, ear, stomach, bowel, anal gland, obesity, and seizure problems. Veterinarians are still taught that the incidence of food allergies are low, even though thirty percent of his patients respond to elimination of allergens and addition of healthy food ingredients.
If people start to pay attention to what they are feeding their animals, maybe they will do the same for their families. He wants to spread the word that successful nutritional management of the above chronic diseases will get educators and researchers to take another look at canine nutrition, and help avoid needless misery, medications, and money for millions of dogs. When you buy the book, Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet, you are helping spread the message.