tagged w/ Animal Rescue
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Two icebound deer were rescued Friday in dramatic fashion, one with the draft of a low-hovering helicopter, the second by a man who went onto the ice and forced the animal to shore, with the help of a second man.Two icebound deer were rescued Friday in dramatic fashion, one with the draft of a... more
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Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM
Officer Chris Peck holds an abused and tortured cat found in Riverside.
(credit: rivcocha.org.)
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (CBS) — Officials are looking for the person, or persons, responsible for abusing and torturing a 4-year-old cat found Friday with her face duct taped.
The cat, who apparently is also a recent mom, was found inside a clothes dryer at a Riverside apartment complex.
The feline was discovered early this morning in a laundry room at a building in the 3000 block of Watkins Drive, near UC Riverside, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.
He said a resident opened a dryer and found the gray tabby inside with duct tape over part of her face.
It’s unclear whether the cat was in the dryer while it was running, but the feline’s injuries indicated she was, said Animal Services Sgt. Jason Sanders.
“This is an act of a coward,” Sanders said. “Who would do something like this to a defenseless animal?”
The cat suffered a punctured left eye and fractured tooth, according to Welsh.
Animal Services veterinary technician Eileen Sanders said the tabby is able to drink and eat.
“I can’t imagine what this poor thing must have felt going through that ordeal,” Sanders said. “Whoever did this is going to move up and harm other animals, or maybe people.”
She feared the mommy cat’s kittens were starving — “if they haven’t already been tortured.”
Welsh said Animal Services personnel looked around the apartment complex, but couldn’t find any trace of the kitties.
He said a kitten was found in the area a few hours later. Animal control officers weren’t sure whether it belonged to the injured feline, but when the two were introduced, “the little kitty cuddled right up.”
Animal control officers encouraged anyone who might be able to help with the investigation to call (951) 358-7387.
The cat is not available for adoption yet because of her condition.
Welsh said anyone interested in adopting her in the future should e-mail the shelter at shelterinfo@rivcocha.org.Cat Found Injured And Tortured Inside Riverside Dryer
December 3, 2010 4:23 PM... more
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At Thanksgiving, some adopt a turkey instead of eating one
By Stephanie Chen, CNN
November 25, 2010 9:04 a.m. EST
Mordecai and Fiona, two heritage turkeys, would have been slaughtered if Joan Poster hadn't adopted them.
(CNN) -- Only two weeks into the adoption, Mordecai and Fiona are already exhibiting distinct personalities.
Mordecai, the male heritage turkey, is outgoing and playful, bobbing his head happily as his neck changes color from bright red to blue, depending on his mood. Fiona, the mellower of the two, prefers to sit next to her new parents.
They will not be on the table this Thanksgiving.
"They are wonderful," says Joan Poster, 66, of Westport, Connecticut, who adopted the turkeys last month from Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project. "They are just really sweet turkeys."
Come Thanksgiving, turkey is often a quintessential part of the celebration for many American families. The National Turkey Federation estimates that Americans consumed more than 46 million turkeys last Thanksgiving. Nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the organization say they eat turkey during Thanksgiving.
But a few animal lovers and meatless eaters are saving a turkey this Thanksgiving rather than feasting on one.
Gobbling and hobbling at about 15 pounds each, Mordecai and Fiona are organic heritage breed turkeys, cherished for their rich flavor and colorful plumage. Heritage turkeys have become more popular to eat in recent years, Poster said.
The birds would probably have been Thanksgiving dinner if not for Poster, a veterinarian who does not eat meat, and her husband, Dennis, who figured their spacious farm could be a refuge for the desperate birds.
Poster is one of dozens of volunteers this year who have agreed to welcome a turkey into their home. Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit that works on saving farm animals from slaughter, has placed more than 600 turkeys into homes through the Adopt-A-Turkey Project.
Animal activists say they do this because the turkeys are often treated inhumanely, living in cramped and unsanitary holdings.
Most of the spared birds are commercial turkeys, bred for the dinner table. Commercial turkeys tend to be larger than wild or heritage turkeys; many of them are overweight because of hormone injections that take them up to about 30 pounds. As pets, commercial turkeys can be more of a challenge since they often suffer from arthritis in their old age.
Like in any proper adoption, volunteers must pass a screening process. Although it's not a requirement, a majority of them are vegetarians or vegans. The individuals must have an adequate facility to care for the bird, such as a barn or a sizable yard. The organization prefers adoptive "parents" who don't have other domestic animals or children who might chase turkeys.
The nonprofit will deliver the turkey to the adoptive homes.
Adopting a turkey, some volunteers say, is no different from having a dog or a cat.
"Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday for vegetarians and for people who care about animals on farms," explains Gene Baur, co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary. "There is this celebration that revolves around these tortured bird bodies. We wanted to come up with a Thanksgiving tradition that honors animals and that is humane and compassionate."
Baur, a vegan, says there are plenty of alternative dishes to turkey. His Thanksgiving meal will be complete with butternut squash, beet casserole, mashed sweet potatoes and a spread of whole-grain breads.
He says the public is becoming more receptive to his turkey adoption project as a burgeoning food revolution -- thanks to films such as "Food, Inc." and "Super Size Me" and books such as "The Omnivore's Dilemma" -- continues to change the way Americans think about food. He points out that alternatives such as Tofurky, a vegetarian "turkey" made of soy, are being substituted for turkey.
The food awareness is a contrast from when Baur started the Adopt-A-Turkey Project in the 1980s. Back then, people were shocked at the idea of liberating a turkey from the farm.
"People thought we were crazy to rescue these animals," he said. " 'Why are you saving them?' You know, that kind of attitude."
Although not every family can welcome a turkey into their home, people can donate money to sponsor a turkey to live at one of Farm Sanctuary's spacious farms in New York and California. The turkeys are placed in a new home along with other pigs, goats and cows the organization has saved from slaughter.
The official tradition of pardoning turkeys has been going on at the White House since 1989. This week, President Obama pardoned two 45-pound turkeys named Apple and Cider. They will live the rest of their lives in Mount Vernon.
Others have taken up the turkey saving cause on their own.
Karen Dawn, an animal rights activist and author in California, rescues two turkeys each Thanksgiving. She drives to the local slaughterhouse, where she purchases the birds for $1.59 a pound. She named the two female commercial turkeys Portia and Ellen after celebrity vegans Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres.
After a few months, she usually donates them to a larger farm that houses rescued animals.
When the fluffy white birds arrived at her home, she washed them in her bathtub and blow-dried their feathers. She lets them live in her backyard, where the children in the neighborhood can visit them.
"They would have been dead in a day or so if they hadn't come home with me," Dawn said.At Thanksgiving, some adopt a turkey instead of eating one
By Stephanie Chen, CNN... more
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10 Things Everyone Should Know About Free-range Turkeys
posted by: Angel Flinn 1 day ago
Care2.com
Over 280 million turkeys are slaughtered annually for human consumption in the United States, despite the fact that such consumption is unnecessary for humans and absolutely horrifying for turkeys. 45 million of those deaths occur for the ritual of Thanksgiving alone.
Increasingly, as consumers are becoming more aware of the extreme cruelty of animal farming, free-range, organic and ‘natural’ animal products are gaining popularity. What many people don’t realize, however, is that animals raised under these labels frequently suffer through much of the same torment as those in standard factory farming operations.
1) According to the USDA, the terms “free range” and “free roaming” can be used to describe animals that “are allowed access to the outside for 51% of their lives”. There are no other requirements, including the amount of time spent outdoors or the quality and size of the outdoor area. For this reason, contrary to popular belief, “free-range” facilities are generally no more than large sheds in which tens of thousands of turkeys are crammed together on filthy, disease-ridden floors, living in their own waste. The conditions are often so poor that many turkeys die simply from the stress of living in such an environment.
2) Lighting is often kept dim to discourage aggression, since birds can engage in feather plucking and even cannibalism when they become highly stressed. Low lighting can cause reduced activity levels and result in abnormalities in growth, such as in the eyes and legs.
3) When raised for food, turkeys (even those described as free-range) are genetically modified to grow abnormally large -- often twice their normal size -- for producer profits. This genetic modification causes severe health problems, but since turkeys are generally slaughtered five months into their natural life span of 10 years, most are killed prior to the heart attacks or organ failure that would otherwise occur after six months. (This becomes apparent when genetically modified turkeys are rescued and allowed to live out the rest of their lives in sanctuary situations.)
4) “Natural”, “free range,” and “organic” turkeys are routinely subjected to debeaking, which is intended to prevent overcrowded birds from pecking at each other. Debeaking involves slicing off about one-third of a bird’s beak with a red hot blade when the turkey is around 5 days old (or often even younger).
5) To prevent cannibalism due to stressful conditions, turkeys sold under the above labels are just as likely to be subjected to detoeing. Detoeing is a very painful procedure which involves cutting off or microwaving the ends of the toes of male turkeys within the first three days of life.
6) Free-range, organic and natural operations are also allowed to practice desnooding, which consists of the cutting off of the snood (the fleshy appendage above the beak). Desnooding is an acutely painful procedure, and is often done with scissors, or using methods that are too brutal to describe here.
7) By the time the birds are sent to slaughter, as much as 80 per cent of the litter on the floor of the shed is their own feces. This results in a buildup of ammonia, causing turkeys to develop ulcerated feet and painful burns on their legs and bodies.
8) When they reach market weight, free-range turkeys generally undergo the same horrifying conditions on their way to slaughter as does any factory-farmed animal. Workers gather these birds up to four at a time, carrying them upside down by their legs and then throwing them into crates on multi-tiered trucks. During transport, they are at the mercy of the elements, sometimes enduring extreme cold, and are denied access to food or water.
9) After transportation, free-range turkeys arrive at the same slaughterhouses as turkeys from any other facility. In these places, workers often torture the turkeys – kicking them, throwing them into walls, and breaking their necks and bones.
10) Even when turkeys are not intentionally tortured during transportation or at the slaughterhouse, the killing process itself would certainly be considered torture if done to a human being. The birds are hung upside down by the legs, and dipped in an electrical bath that is supposed to “stun” them, but often only causes convulsions and terror. If they miss the stunning bath, their throats are slit while they’re still conscious. Sometimes, because they are flailing around, they miss both the bath and the blade, and end up alive in a scalding tank designed to remove feathers.
As anyone familiar with animal sanctuary operations will tell you, turkeys are intelligent, social beings who nurture and protect their young and thrive in their natural habitat. Even when they are stressed and confined in “free-range” concentration camps, they have an amazing will to live, as do all sentient beings.
In the extremely rare cases where turkeys are raised gently in someone’s backyard, slaughter by any method is intentional killing of the innocent and clearly unnecessary for humans, and is therefore wrong and logically indistinguishable from murder.
Instead of practicing the primitive ritual of making the sacrifice of a turkey the focus of Thanksgiving dinner, consider giving thanks for all life by having a vegan thanksgiving. Being vegan inspires a new sense of self-esteem which comes from not contributing to the unnecessary and heartless killing of those who simply want to live their lives, as you do.
with Dan Cudahy10 Things Everyone Should Know About Free-range Turkeys
posted by: Angel Flinn 1 day... more
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The fat lady who threw a cat into a garbage bin has avoided being sent to the slammer herself. However, Mary Bale — the perp caught by the UK’s ubiquitous surveillance cameras — has been fined 265 pounds ($420) for animal cruelty (per Reuters). She could have received a sentence of up to six months in jail — should she have?
http://www.disinfo.com/2010/10/woman-caught-by-cctv-throwing-cat-in-garbage-bin-only-receives-fine/The fat lady who threw a cat into a garbage bin has avoided being sent to the slammer... more
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Animal Abuse Registry: Suffolk County, NY Creating Nation's First Public Database Tracking Animal Cruelty Offenders
FRANK ELTMAN | 10/14/10 05:12 PM | AP
FARMINGVILLE, N.Y. — You've heard of Megan's Laws, designed to keep sex offenders from striking again. Now there's a law created in the hope of preventing animal abusers from inflicting more cruelty – or moving on to human victims.
Suffolk County, on the eastern half of Long Island, moved to create the nation's first animal abuse registry this week, requiring people convicted of cruelty to animals to register or face jail time and fines.
"We know there is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence," said Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper, the bill's sponsor. "Almost every serial killer starts out by torturing animals, so in a strange sense we could end up protecting the lives of people."
The online list will be open to the public, so that pet owners or the merely curious can find out whether someone living near them is on it. Some animal abusers have been known to steal their neighbors' pets.
Cooper is also pushing legislation that would bar anyone on the registry from buying or adopting a pet from a shelter, pet shop or breeder.
The law was prompted by a number of animal abuse cases in recent months, including that of a Selden woman accused of forcing her children to watch her torture and kill kittens and dozens of dogs, then burying the pets in her backyard.
Animal welfare activists hope the law, passed unanimously Tuesday in the suburban New York City county of 1.5 million people, will inspire governments nationwide in the same way Megan's Law registries for child molesters have proliferated in the past decade.
A spokesman for county Executive Steve Levy said he intends to sign the legislation. It then requires a six-month review by state officials before it goes on the books, said the spokesman, Dan Aug.
As Fred Surbito took his Yorkshire terrier, Sasha, in for grooming at a Farmingville pet store this week, he applauded the legislation.
"It's very, very important," he said. "If you don't love an animal, you should not have an animal. An animal is part of your family. Like your children, they should never be neglected or harmed. Anybody that does should never own a pet again."
More than a dozen states have introduced legislation to establish similar registries, but Suffolk County is the first government entity to pass such a law, said Stephan Otto, director of legislative affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will administer the database, to be funded by a $50 fee paid by convicted abusers. All abusers 18 or older must supply authorities with their address, a head-and-shoulders photograph and any aliases. Convicted abusers will remain on the registry for five years. Those failing to register face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
After the 2009 arrest of Sharon McDonough, accused of burying kittens and as many as 42 dogs in her yard, neighbors whose pets had disappeared feared the worst. But authorities later concluded that McDonough – who is expected in court this month and could get up to two years in prison if convicted – bought the animals or adopted them through shelters or other traditional outlets.
While some abuse is motivated purely by cruelty, Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said, some recent cases are linked to the poor economy.
For instance, an emaciated Doberman mix was recently found near death inside a foreclosed-on home, he said. And sometimes, pet rescuer Cathy Mulnard said, elderly people on fixed incomes must decide between eating, or feeding their pets.
"They don't mean to be bad to the animal, but they get overwhelmed and don't know how to ask for help. They may be innocent abusers," said Mulnard, a founder and co-director of Second Chance Rescue, a Suffolk animal shelter that works closely with the SPCA.
Mulnard called the legislation "a godsend for the animals."
"We take care of our animals and love our animals the way you do your children," she said. "We need to protect every animal that's out there because they don't make the decisions in their life; human beings do."
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Associated Press researcher Monika Mathur in New York contributed to this report.Animal Abuse Registry: Suffolk County, NY Creating Nation's First Public Database... more
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Missouri Tea Partiers Campaigning Against Proposition Mandating Humane Conditions At Puppy Mills
The main philosophical principle of the conservative-led tea party movement is an “aversion to big government,” with tea party organizers turning their ire on comprehensive health reform, clean energy legislation, and even mandatory trash collection.
Now, a group of Missouri tea partiers have found a new target: regulations that would mandate more humane conditions in the state’s puppy mills. This November, Missouri voters will go to the polls and decide the fate of Missouri’s Proposition B, which would place new regulations on puppy mills, including mandating that they provide “sufficient food and clean water, necessary veterinary care, sufficient housing, including protection from the elements, sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her limbs, regular exercise, and adequate rest between breeding cycles.”
As TPM Muckraker’s Jillian Rayfield reports, the Missouri Tea Party and the Tea Party Patriots have begun organizing meetings against the proposition. One tea party activist described the measure as being about the “government or the big company trying to tell people what to do“:
The Tea Party has also gotten on board the anti-Prop B bandwagon. A meeting called “Vote NO on Proposition B” on October 12 is advertised on websites for the Missouri Tea Party and the Tea Party Patriots. The event, held at Coach’s Pizza World, is being organized by the Mexico Tea Party, which activist Ron Beedle told TPM is a relatively new chapter of the Tea Party. This is their first meeting, he said, and Prop B is about the “government or the big company trying to tell people what to do.”
Also campaigning against the proposition is the local chapter of conservative Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum and Samuel Wurzelbacher (”Joe The Plumber“). Wurzelbacher has teamed up with the Alliance For Truth, an anti-Prop B organization strongly backed by the kennells and mills across the state, to blog against the measure. One blog post by him features an animal rescue officer kicking down the door of a home. Meanwhile, the Missouri Cattleman’s Association is warning that if the Humane Society — which is a big booster of the proposition — manages to pass the measure, they may be able to succeed in bettering conditions for farm animals as well.
It appears that for certain segments of the conservative movement, any regulation by the government is too much regulation by the government. Even when it comes to protecting the welfare of puppies.Missouri Tea Partiers Campaigning Against Proposition Mandating Humane Conditions At... more
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Katherine Heigl pledges $1 million to help animal shelters
People
September 24, 2010 5:17 p.m. EDT
Photo: Katherine Heigl plays with a pooch at a press conference on September 23.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Katherine Heigl donates $1 million to help no-cost spay and neuter programs in L.A.
* More than 50,000 of 80,000 shelter animals in L.A. County were euthanized last year
(PEOPLE.com) -- It's more than just puppy love. Katherine Heigl is behind a $1 million initiative to help no-cost spay and neuter programs in the Los Angeles area.
The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, named in memory of the actress's late brother, will work with the Cesar Millan's Millan Foundation, the City and County of Los Angeles and various other organizations on the project, called the Compassion Revolution.
Heigl, who herself has six dogs, three of them rescues, told PEOPLEPets.com at the press conference to announce the pledge that she and her mother had felt hopeless and overwhelmed by the pet population crisis in L.A.
Over 50,000 of 80,000 shelter animals in Los Angeles County were euthanized last year, according to the Heigl Foundation.
"How can we change the results for these animals?" she said. "[Shelters are not only] euthanizing sick, old dogs. It's gotten brutal, you know. It's inhuman, really."
The Heigl Foundation wanted a solution -- training and education on how to reduce the pet population compassionately, instead of having to put down healthy animals. Heigl says that her upbringing influenced her when it came to the importance of spaying and neutering.
"When I was growing up, my mother and father had zero desire for any one of our animals to have a litter," she said. "I think it's a lot of work, it's a lot of energy. Then, as an adult, because of the way I was raised and because I had the means to do it, [spaying and neutering] goes without question.
"But there are a lot of communities that don't have that education, weren't raised that way and don't see their pets that way," she added. "They have no idea that a litter of 10 means a litter of, like, 400 in the future. We can tell them and educate them, and provide a way for them to spay and neuter their pets."
For more information on the initiative, visit compassion-revolution.com.
See the full article at PEOPLE.comKatherine Heigl pledges $1 million to help animal shelters
People
September 24, 2010... more
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Craig Grant bought a tree farm far away from the city and turned it into a sanctuary for all the cats he has rescued. He lives there with the cats and provides lots of love, care and companionship. The farm was named Caboodle Ranch and is now a permanent home for all the homeless, rescued cats. Each of them has a sad story of their past, but now they are living in heaven. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/bizzareweird/5511-cat-shelterCraig Grant bought a tree farm far away from the city and turned it into a sanctuary... more
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Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society Van_20100902174506_JPG
(Credit: myFOXDetroit.com)
Anti-Cruelty Society Worker Shot on Detroit's East Side
Updated: Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 11:04 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 5:45 PM EDT
By TARYN ASHER
DETROIT - It all started when Detroit Police went to check out a house that allegedly doubled as a chop shop and realized it was protected by pit bulls.
Neighbor Terrence King told us cars have been coming in and out on a regular basis.
Finally, Detroit Police investigated what neighbors, such as King, suspected all along; the people who live in a house on Fairport may have been stealing cars and selling their parts and were using three pit bulls to keep the curious away.
"I have to go around the block because I don't want to be bothered with them because they (jump) out at me, too," said James Adams.
Detroit Police needed to remove the dogs, so they called the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society. While the rescuers were setting traps for the three pit bulls, one got loose and started running towards a police officer. That's when, we're told, she pulled her gun and fired off twelve rounds.
King was watching.
"The police pulled a gun out and shot, but she missed the dog. I guess she was scared or something, and she hit the animal control person," he said.
One animal rescue worker took a bullet in the back of the leg. Another grazed his back side. A stray bullet also clipped his co-worker's boot.
It's not clear if the pit bull was hit because it got away and is still on the loose.
"They need to go back to the range and learn how to shoot accurately, that's what I think," King said.
Only one of the Anti-Cruelty rescue workers had to be rushed to the hospital. He's expected to be okay.
It's a different story for the dogs. One dog they were able to trap is said to be sick with mange and is severely wounded from dog fighting injuries. It had to be euthanized.
Neighbors claim they have been complaining about these dogs for months.
"It is what it is. You're in Detroit. You see and hear a lot of (explertative), but when you (have) police that don't do their job, this (explerative) (is) going to keep on going on," said neighbor Tasha Thomas.
As for the Detroit Police officer who fired the shots, we're told Internal Affairs is still investigating her actions.Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society Van_20100902174506_JPG
(Credit: myFOXDetroit.com)... more
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Baldwin Park, CA - The dog was dragged by a car, but survived. Whether he was intentionally dragged, or if it was an accident, we'll never know. But the dog did survive, albeit with extremely painful wounds to his paws.
The lab mix, with no name, was picked up by animal control along side a freeway on Saturday, the 21st. Since that time, he has been in the back of the shelter, with staff tending to his painful wounds.
Sadly, this beautiful dog, having survived the horror of being dragged, is now scheduled to be euthanized - tomorrow.
According to the woman that discovered him in the back of the shelter, there will be no extensions to save him. Rescues did not know that he existed as he was "in the back", and now he is nearly out of time.
Time is of the essence for this beautiful, young dog. He is estimated to be just one year of age. Technically, still a puppy. Right now, he desperately needs a safe, loving home to recuperate in.
Injured, black lab mix with no name has only an impound number to identify him - A417-6612.
If you, or anyone that you know is able to foster or adopt this dog, please contact Sasha Abelson at sasha@sgadvisors.org.
If you are not able to adopt of foster, please take a moment out of your day and post his story to your Facebook profile, Tweet and/or email to friends and family.
Sasha has established a Chip-In for this dog's medical care. If you are interested in contributing to his care, please click here: http://leonardossurgery.chipin.com/dragged-dog.
According to the shelter staff, the injured dog is "a trooper", but is a bit grumpy, most likely due to the extreme pain of having the pads and toenails ripped from his paws.
Injured, black lab mix #A4176612 needs a chance for happiness, compassion and kindness. Please do your part to help make that happen.Baldwin Park, CA - The dog was dragged by a car, but survived. Whether he was... more
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Arizona - Two Yellow Labradors recently found themselves in a precarious position. The dogs, owned by a soldier currently serving in Iraq, had been in the care of a friend of the deployed soldier. The couple caring for the dogs was entrusted with the dogs care until the soldier returned from duty.
Dogs cared for by a friend, and therefore safe - right? Not so fast. Apparently, legal guardianship was transferred to the friend for vet purposes, and the friend had a wife with allergies.
Despite being entrusted with the dogs' lives by a man off serving his country, the friend chose to turn the 2 dogs over to the Pinal County Animal Care and Control, rather than finding the dogs a guaranteed safe haven.
Thankfully, the shelter took pity on the 2 dogs, and contacted Helping Orphaned Hounds for help. Had they not, the dogs would have had only 24 hours to either be adopted or euthanized because they were considered to be an owner surrender to the shelter facility.
Boulder Falls Pet Resort wants to see the dogs reunited with their true owner and is currently housing them for free until every effort has been made to make that reunion possible. The rescue volunteers desperately want to contact the deployed soldier to let him know that his dogs are safe, and that they will be held until his return, but they have no way to contact him.
The friend that surrendered the dogs to the shelter refuses to release the soldier's name - merely stating that the person is deployed to Iraq. The public's help is needed to help locate the owner of these dogs. Someone is bound to recognize the dog's beautiful faces and can help to get word to the soldier to let him know what has transpired.
The dogs are approximately 2-4 years of age, one male, and one female. One dog is named Wyatt and the other is named Storm. If anyone has information about the person that owns Wyatt and Storm, they are asked to contact Rhonda Wagner Kuehn at Helping Orphaned Hounds at 406-697-5975.
Please circulate this article and ask others to do the same. The more people that read about Wyatt and Storm, the better the chances of a happy reunion.Arizona - Two Yellow Labradors recently found themselves in a precarious position. The... more
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Activist Arrested After Attempted Dog Rescue
knbc-tv
The case began after neighbors called LA Animal Services about abandoned dogs.Activist Arrested After Attempted Dog Rescue
knbc-tv
The case began after... more
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Born in India, Minku started out vegetarian but started eating flesh products in the U.S. He has been vegan for several years now, and currently lives in Chicago, IL. He works as a pedicab driver and does animal rescue with his girlfriend, Emelda, and he would like to open a vegan co-op some day. To better know a vegan, press play! For more information and videos, visit vegandocumentary.com.Born in India, Minku started out vegetarian but started eating flesh products in the... more
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New Pit Bull Law in San Bernardino
Starting Friday People Living in Unincorporated Areas of San Bernardino County Must Spay or Neuter their Pit Bull Dogs or Face Fines.
By JULIE BRAYTON
Updated 8:00 AM PDT, Fri, Aug 13, 2010
Pit bulls and pit bull mixes are among the top three breeds of dogs being admitted to inland shelters. Yet, fewer than 10 percent are actually being adopted.
Animal rescue groups have worked to save the dogs.
"Since January 1 this year, we have been able to get 400 dogs out of here (the shelter) and about 40 cats, but quite frankly it hasn't really made a dent. People by the droves keep dumping their animals here because they're not spayed or neutered," according to Kim Sill from Last Chance for Animals.
Starting Friday, Aug. 13, a new law takes effect requiring pit bull owners in unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County to sterilize their dogs, or face stiff fines.
A first offense fine is $100, the second offense $200, and a third offense within the same year costs $500.
"We feel that there is an overpopulation problem resulting from pit bulls, and state law does allow us to establish breed specific legislation or laws to control pet overpopulation of any given breed," according to Brian Cronin of Animal Care Control.
But the new law targets pit bulls because more than one person was fatally attacked by the breed in recent years here. It's fashioned after pit bull legislation first introduced in San Francisco, a city that experienced the same thing.
"The idea of spaying or neutering is to lower the population, because right now every shelter around is way too overcrowded. The minute we can get that under control then other possibilities can happen," according to Teri Seymour of the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley.
The county is offering $50 and $100 vouchers to help pit bull owners defray the cost of surgery, and comply with the new law.
First Published: Aug 12, 2010 6:17 PM PDTNew Pit Bull Law in San Bernardino
Starting Friday People Living in Unincorporated... more
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Haiti's injured animals lowest priority
More than six months since Haiti's earthquake, family dogs and pigs search for food in the rubble. "Animal welfare is a new concept in Haiti," said Max Millien, director of animal health at the Haiti Ministry of Agriculture.
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First aid groups treat Haiti's injured animals
By Daphne Sashin, for CNN
August 9, 2010 10:44 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Groups say animals are lowest priority in aftermath of Haiti's earthquake
* For the first time, the nation has non-profit animal welfare organizations
* They have treated tens of thousands of animals since the January disaster
* One group plans to build an animal care and veterinary training center
(CNN) -- More than six months since the earthquake in Haiti, family dogs and pigs paw through garbage and rubble in search of food, putting them at risk of infections, abscesses and parasites, according to animal welfare groups.
Owners want to help their pets and livestock, but they have little to give. With 1.5 million people still living in tents and the nation in the middle of hurricane season, animals are the lowest priority, animal rescue groups say.
Despite this, tens of thousands of animals have been treated while a public service campaign features a Creole-speaking dog telling families to include their animals in evacuation plans.
"The animal situation is only a reflection of the people's situation," Gerardo Huertas, of the UK-based World Society for the Protection of Animals, told CNN from Costa Rica.
"They live together. Until the whole shelter situation resolves, all you can do is help them with little veterinary support that we can provide," added Huertas, the society's Director of Disaster Management for the Americas.
But animal welfare groups are hopeful that in time they can actually give the nation and its people something it didn't have before the earthquake -- equipment, training and an awareness that animal welfare is critical to their own survival.
"Often in disasters we try and only deal with the problems caused by the disaster and not the underlying problems ... but Haiti was a special case," said Ian Robinson, Emergency Relief Program Director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, based in Massachusetts.
The animal situation is only a reflection of the people's situation
--Gerardo Huertas, World Society for the Protection of Animals
"To put it back like it was before the earthquake wasn't good enough."
There wasn't a single animal welfare organization in Haiti before the earthquake. The government was focused on preventing the spread of animal-to-human diseases like anthrax, rabies and classical swine fever.
"Animal welfare is a new concept in Haiti," said Max Millien, Director of Animal Health at the Haiti Ministry of Agriculture.
"The children have to start to understand ... if you treat the animals well, that's a way to protect yourself."
Robinson and Millien recently presented their observations at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association conference, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The earthquake damaged the buildings that held vaccines for rabies, heartworm and other diseases. Vets lacked supplies. International volunteers struggled to get around the country.
As for the animals themselves, hundreds were injured. Some of them had wounds caused by the quake or from having to find food in dumps. Others had infections and needed immediate treatment.
Days after the earthquake, the two non-profits created The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), with a dozen other animal rescue groups to provide more than $1.1 million in aid to the Haitian government over the next year, including:
• A team of Haitian vets to reach the hardest hit areas with antibiotics, vaccinations and other treatments for animals that in many cases had never been seen by a doctor. Since January, the ARCH mobile clinic has treated 30,000 pigs, goats, dogs, cats and other animals.
• Solar-powered freezers and refrigerators to store temperature-sensitive vaccines in rural areas without electricity, along with coolers that will fit on the back of motorcycles, horses or bicycles for mobile veterinarians.
• Haiti's first census of dogs and cats to determine the level of care they are receiving, people's attitudes toward companion animals and the risk of rabies and other diseases to humans.
• A public awareness campaign to educate families about disaster planning. Last month, public-service announcements began airing a speaking dog telling families to take them along if they have to evacuate.
"Any emergency plan is better than no plan," Huertas said. "We're just asking them to include their pets."
Separately, The Christian Veterinary Mission has promised laptops and projectors for mobile veterinarians to give presentations on animal care.
In addition, Humane Society International has spent $400,000 in Haiti and pledged more than $1 million over the next five years. It has begun planning an animal care and veterinary training center in Croix-des-Bouquets and is also working to establish spay-neuter and vaccine clinics.
"I do consider the earthquake as an opportunity," Millien said. "We have a lot of promises ... I hope the situation will be better than before."
Click here to see photos of our voiceless friends...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/08/06/haiti.animals/index.html?hpt=C1Haiti's injured animals lowest priority
More than six months since... more
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Mila the Miracle Kitty – One Year Later!
Posted in Veganism/Animal Issues with tags bobby rock, veganism, animal rescue, mila the miracle kitty, animal rights on August 1, 2010 by Bobby Rock
Friends, it’s been almost one year since I did those posts on Mila, the barely-alive kitty who my friends and I rescued from a local shelter. The Militant (great friend and rescue partner on this excursion) received a fantastic update today from Mila’s guardians, so I just wanted to relay the great news.
For those of you who missed the posts last year, here’s the quick overview:
I was at a local LA shelter with my friends the Militant and Parker, rescuing a bunch of “death row” dogs who were due to be put down any day. (See link to their story at the bottom.) The shelter was just about to close, when two women and a young girl came walking in with a shoebox that had what appeared to be a dead kitten.
Mila, as we first saw her, barely alive…
They said this kitty had pulled herself out from underneath their house where she had been trapped for at least three days, with no momma or siblings anywhere to be found. So these good folks washed the blood off of her (from all of the flea bites!) and – not knowing that they would basically be handing her over to her execution – brought her to the shelter. (Shelters are just not equipped to deal with this level of medical trauma, so they will usually euthanize animals in this condition.)
We intercepted, and then quickly set up shop over at the Militant’s house. The next 24 hours were touch-and-go. We had to bathe her, give her flea meds, massage her to keep the blood flowing, and keep her between a heating pad and blanket, since she was so cold. And since she was so malnourished and dehydrated, we had to syringe feed her and give her subcutaneous fluids… even though she hated every minute of it. She had such a will to live, though, that within 24 hours, we knew she was gonna make it.
This short video details everything. Scope it real quick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZJnUkiSr8E&feature=player_embedded
Mila’s New Life
As a result of the Militant’s tireless efforts in finding Mila a perfect forever home – which included live adoptions, postings at petfinder.com and her very own YouTube video – potential adopters went nuts for this little kitty. (So ironic, given her initial condition.) The Militant eventually placed Mila with what has turned out to be the perfect family.
Mila today – wow! Can you believe this is the same kitty we first saw in that shoebox?
These days, we understand from her papa guardian that Mila is quite the princess in her new home, with somewhat of an independence streak in her by day. (No surprise there.) By night, though, she becomes an affectionate “cuddle monster.” She adores – and is adored by – her big brother and sister cats, and she could not have found cooler human guardians to have invited her into their family. Basically, all is perfect!
To anyone who deals with animal advocacy, animal rights, animal rescue… you know how often you can potentially feel anger, depression, extreme frustration, and hopelessness. And then there’s the dark side of it all! Seriously, it’s rough, and we seldom are privy to the full, quantifiable results of our efforts. So when a story like this comes along, I think we all have to take it in, to savor it, to fully assimilate it… and remember the powerful karmic ripples that are set in motion with every act of compassion and sacrifice that you offer… even if those ripples remain unknown to you.
Until the next one,
BRMila the Miracle Kitty – One Year Later!
Posted in Veganism/Animal Issues... more
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"As the Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues to extend, concern is growing for the wildlife that stand in its path, especially since many of the coastal animals are currently in their reproductive seasons. We've compiled some of the animals most threatened by the spill.""As the Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues to extend, concern is growing for the... more
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