tagged w/ Companion Animals
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Dog Born With Just Three Legs Up For Adoption
MOBILE, Alabama - A dog born with just three legs is up for adoption at the Mobile County Animal Shelter.
Someone dropped off the six week old black lab Monday morning. He's a little unsteady on his feet, but is expected to learn how to walk just fine.
* He also has some four legged siblings that are available for adoption.
If you're interested in adopting this little guy, or any of his siblings, call the Mobile County Animal Shelter at 251.574.3647. The shelter is located at 7665 Howells Ferry Road.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Dog Born With Just Three Legs Up For Adoption
MOBILE, Alabama - A dog born with... more
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For Companion Animals Caretakers: An Important Consumer Update
"Discount pet drugs—no prescription required" may appeal to pet owners surfing the Web, but FDA experts say it can be risky to buy drugs online from sites that tout this message and others like it.
Some of the Internet sites that sell pet drugs represent legitimate, reputable pharmacies, says Martine Hartogensis, D.V.M., deputy director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). But others are fronts for unscrupulous businesses operating against the law.
FDA has found companies that sell unapproved pet drugs and counterfeit pet products, make fraudulent claims, dispense prescription drugs without requiring a prescription, and sell expired drugs.
Pet owners who purchase drugs from these companies may think they are saving money, says Hartogensis, but in reality, they may be short-changing their pet's health and putting its life at risk.
Read more at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm
Go to links for more info:
Red Flags
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm#RedFlags
NSAIDS and Heartworm Preventives http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm#NSAIDSandHeartwormPreventives
Tips for Buying Pet Drugs Online http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm#TipsforBuyingPetDrugsOnline
*PLEASE NOTE*
ALWAYS PURCHASE PRESCRIPTION MEDS FROM YOUR VETERINARIAN FOR YOUR COMPANION ANIMAL.
THIS WILL HELP ENSURE THE QUALITY AND CONTENT.
EXAMPLE - IF THE DRUG FAILS (IE HEARTWORMS), THE PHARMACEUDICAL COMPANY PAYS FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT.For Companion Animals Caretakers: An Important Consumer Update
"Discount pet... more
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Petfinder - Deaf Awareness Week
Petfinder celebrates Deaf Awareness Week by showcasing the many homeless pets listed on our site who are available, adoptable, and deaf.
Deaf animals, like other special needs pets, make wonderful furry family members. Their deafness in no way reduces their potential to bring joy to your life and become a loving companion for your family.
Deaf pets are just like hearing pets
Deaf pets are just as intelligent as hearing pets. They make great only pets or do well with other animals in the home--it's a myth that a deaf pet "needs" a hearing companion to function successfully.
Deaf animals bark, meow, whinny, and make all the regular sounds their hearing counterparts make. They can be taught sign language commands and are fully trainable. The only real caveat in adopting a deaf pet is that it should never be allowed to roam freely outdoors unless it is in a securely fenced enclosure, since they cannot hear cars or other dangers approaching.
What causes deafness?
Deafness in animals can be congenital (inherited from birth) or acquired through trauma, drug reactions, or old age. Deafness is more common in white animals, though any animal can be deaf. Some breeds, such as Dalmatians and Boxers, are more prone to deafness than others. Thirty percent of all Dalmatians born are either unilaterally deaf (deaf in one ear) or bilaterally deaf (deaf in both ears).
Some deaf animals also have albinism, meaning that they lack normal melanin pigment in their eyes, nose, or skin, though not every albino animal is deaf. Deafness is also sometimes accompanied by other medical issues such as blindness or low vision.
Adopting a deaf pet
There are several Petfinder rescue groups who focus on deaf animal rescue and adoption. They are Deaf Paws Haven, Deaf Dane Rescue, Sounds of Silence (S.O.S.) Deaf Dog Rescue, and D.A.R.T. Deaf Aussie Rescue and Training. The dogs and cats on this page are just a few of the adorable, adoptable, and deaf pets available on Petfinder. To see more, do an Advanced Search and check the box marked "Only Special Needs Pets."
Deaf pet resources online
Two great online resources for deaf animals include:
Dr. George Strain's Deafness in Dogs and Cats site http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/deaf.htm is a wonderful resource written by Strain, a professor of neuroscience at LSU's veterinary school. This site lists common breeds of dogs and cats affected by deafness, hearing frequency ranges for different species, causes of sudden onset of deafness, and a comprehensive list of where to get the brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAER) test done. The BAER test is the most accurate measurement of hearing in animals, and is the same test given to infant humans.
The mission of the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund (DDEAF) is to provide education and funding for the purpose of improving and/or saving the lives of deaf dogs. They are working to find homes for adoptable deaf dogs, and to increase awareness of the noble and loving nature of deaf dogs. For more information on living with or training a deaf dog, visit http://www.deafdogs.org.Petfinder - Deaf Awareness Week
Petfinder celebrates Deaf Awareness Week by... more
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Rescue workers saved a deaf dog after being trapped in a cave for five days in Australia’s Hunter Valley.
Scooby the dog, a deaf cavalier King Charles spaniel, did not come out from the cave despite calls from his owners.
[Melissa Newton, Scooby’s Owner]:
"I think he can sense us here, he can smell us so he is actually... I think he knows that someone is trying to get to him but he just can't make his way out."
Scooby’s anxious owners were able to monitor him by a camera that rescue workers managed to put into the cave through the cracks.
Scooby was given food and water during the ordeal.
Eventually a mine rescue crew used compressed air bags to move a rock out of the way. Scooby was finally freed and returned to his owners.
more video -
http://video.ap.org/?f=1136864&pid=RyWF0_KmuUNq3ZRQjP6e3Eiox7enM_FnRescue workers saved a deaf dog after being trapped in a cave for five days in... more
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You're out for a walk with your dog when two men suddenly appear and grab him before you have a chance to react. In an instant, your canine companion is gone. Then—as if that weren't horrifying enough—you later learn that your beloved friend is caged in a medical school laboratory, slated to be cut open and killed in a training exercise.
It's every animal guardian's worst nightmare, and it allegedly happened recently to Carmen Valverde of Lima, Peru, and her dog, Tomas.
After Tomas was stolen, a neighbor of Carmen's who works at the teaching hospital in the University of San Marcos recognized him while looking in the surgery room in which the school routinely dissects dogs.
The neighbor alerted Carmen and, wearing a lab coat, Carmen was able to sneak into the facility at the university and rescue Tomas, who was already sedated and strapped down for dissection.
While the school claims that it only dissects "dogs [who] don't have owners," after Tomas' story was made public, at least one other guardian found her missing dog in the same laboratory.
We're following this case and will keep you posted on any developments.
This problem isn't limited to Peru. Animals suffer in laboratories no matter where they come from, but laboratories that are willing to pay for animals provide an incentive for unscrupulous people to get animals wherever they can—often from our streets and yards. "Bunchers" may drug animals, pose as animal control officers, or answer "free to a good home" ads to get puppies and kittens to sell.You're out for a walk with your dog when two men suddenly appear and grab him before... more
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The skies next month will be filled with thousands of dogs, cats and other creatures escaping death row through the kindness of strangers.
From Sept. 12 to Sept. 20, small-plane pilots — who for 18 months have been volunteering their planes, fuel and time to fly pets from high-kill shelters to areas where there's space and demand for them — are aiming to fly 5,000 animals.
It's an ambitious goal," says Debi Boies, co-founder of Pilots N Paws (PNP), a non-profit message board that allows animal shelters and pet rescue groups to post their transport needs so general-aviation pilots willing to fly an animal can provide the means.
In the 18 months since PNP was born, 604 pilots have signed up, and more than 1,000 animals have been flown. Retired businessman and PNP co-founder Jon Wehrenberg rallied pilot interest after learning that over 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters every year, most of them because they are in an area of rampant pet overpopulation.
A menagerie of dogs, cats, snakes, pig --Beagles, Border collies, Dobermans, Greyhounds, Shih Tzus and scores of other breeds and mixed breeds; seniors and puppies; plus a few cats, rabbits, a pot-bellied pig and even some reptiles — all have been transported without incident, Boies says.There have been some weather delays, pilots have sometimes had to spend a night with an animal or two before continuing, and in some bad-weather instances a pilot has landed the plane and finished the trip on the ground. But by all reports, the animals are generally calm and the transfers are made with military precision.
Transferring animals from overpopulated areas — mostly in the South — to mostly Northern states, where pet sterilization has long been practiced, is not new. Volunteer rescuers ply highways every weekend, saving animals two or three or nine at a time. But the journey is long, it takes scores of people to drive part of the way and link up with others in parking lots, and it's stressful for the animals as well as expensive for the rescuers.
'Working every avenue' of rescue
-- PNP hopes the September event will increase awareness and prompt even more rescuers and pilots to sign on.
"We're working every avenue we can think of to make sure that, in addition to the usual number of animals saved through our flights every week, we get thousands more to new homes in September," O'Connell says.
Every pilot finds these flights "gratifying," he says. They share stories online about dogs with trusting eyes, climbing into the crates and quickly settling down, as if they know this is their shot at a new beginning.
And yet every pilot also knows "you're just a drop" in a situation that requires an ocean of help. Pilots photograph the animals they fly, remember them by name and take comfort that five or 15 were saved this week. "We're so happy to help," O'Connell says.
But in the end, "my dream is that this could be the last 5,000 we ever have to do."The skies next month will be filled with thousands of dogs, cats and other creatures... more
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By Sharon L.. Peters, Special for USA TODAY
He was too old (maybe 8, maybe 10), too big (a rangy 83 pounds) and, truth be told, sort of goofy looking. He was no one's idea of the perfect dog to take home.
But I was riveted from the moment I saw him happily waving his huge tail back and forth like a welcome banner as a noisy band of kids he didn't know poked and tugged and climbed all over him at the animal shelter.
Then he trained his whiskey-colored eyes on the center of my soul. I was hooked.
It scared me, this instant connection with a dog that surely wouldn't live more than two or three or four years. I wasn't altogether sure, since it had been only six months since I'd had to put down my beloved old Buck, that I'd be able to face it again so soon.
That was four years ago this month, and for 3½ years, that dog, my late Rufus, devoted all of his remaining seconds on earth to spreading his gentle love across every mile he covered.
No dog could have been more perfect.
Perfect. That's how my friend Caryn describes Al, a sweet-tempered Hurricane Katrina survivor, her enthusiastic walking and road-trip buddy. Caryn made Al's acquaintance just before Christmas 2005. She immediately understood that young Al had no intention of living a limited life just because he'd lost a leg in the chaotic aftermath of the storm, and she had no interest in convincing him otherwise. Now she's sort of startled when people ask what happened to the leg. She forgets he's a tri-pawed.
And I can promise you the couple who adopted Mocha, a patrician chocolate Lab who spent months at the shelter where I volunteer, have no regrets about choosing her. Mocha was 7 when they took her home, and she was nearly blind from diabetes. She was also irrepressible — she loves all creatures, adapts quickly, and quivers with joy when she picks up the scent of a fox she can track through the tall grass. Life is good for everyone at her house.
The folks at Petfinder.com, which lists homeless animals from 12,656 shelters and rescue groups, are hoping to spur more interest in the likes of Rufus and Al and Mocha, pets that are never the first chosen, pets that languish for months (if they're lucky enough to land where there's sufficient space to give them some extra time).
They've designated Wednesday as Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day and are working to help promote the animals that for any of a variety reasons don't top anyone's most-wanted list.
In some case these are animals that might be older, or have a health issue or a completely fixable training issue like over-exuberance or leash-tugging. In some cases, says Betsy Saul, founder of Petfinder.com, which boasts 1.5 million adoptions annually, they may simply have the misfortune of being "a black dog lost in a sea or many black dogs in the shelter" or "might be a little shy in that environment."
A Petfinder survey, in fact, found that 96% of responding shelters and rescues said they have at least one, sometimes many adoptable pets for which they're having extreme difficulty finding homes; 43% said some have been there for one year or more.
"This just isn't right," says Saul. "We're all aware that they're great pets."
But the reality is, many people aiming to adopt think only puppy or kitten. "So what we have here is an issue of marketing," says Saul, a need to communicate that while kittens and puppies are wonderful, and may be the right choice for many, they're not the be-all, end-all for everyone who wants a great companion.
Older animals are usually house-trained, generally more mellow, have mature bladders and "know what the deal is" when it comes to making a mutually agreeable life with humans, Saul says.
When you get into the category of not just older, but senior, many people have deep reservations. "People are afraid of loss," she says... more at linkBy Sharon L.. Peters, Special for USA TODAY
He was too old (maybe 8, maybe 10), too... more
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Many pet products for sale contain toxic chemicals that can harm people and poison pets.
Over the last 8 years, NRDC helped remove six of the most dangerous toxics from pet products. But we need your help to get rid of the rest. Learn how to protect your pet without chemicals. This site provides links, factsheets and more.
See if your flea and tick product is safe! Check the GreenPaws guide http://www.greenpaws.org/products.php to brand name flea and tick products to find out which products could harm your pet or young children.Many pet products for sale contain toxic chemicals that can harm people and poison... more
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Certain products used to control fleas and ticks are raising hairs. In April 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an advisory after an increase in the number of reported health incidents in pets treated with some flea and tick control products.
Following the EPA advisory, in an unrelated effort, the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit in California against major pet product retailers and manufacturers for allegedly failing to use warning labels on flea and tick control products that contain a chemical linked to cancer.
EPA URGES PRECAUTION WHEN USING SPOT-ON FLEA & TICK PRODUCTS
The EPA is advising consumers who use specific types of flea and tick control products on their pets to take precautions. The advisory applies to nearly 70 “spot-on”
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/prodname-reg.pdf products that contain registered-pesticides; spot-on products generally come in tubes or vials and are directly applied to specific areas of the pet’s body to control fleas and ticks, as opposed to other control products, such as flea collars.
In 2008, about 1,300 major or fatal pet incidents linked to spot-on products were recorded in the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs database. Adverse reactions ranged from skin irritation to seizures, and in some cases death.
The EPA’s advice to consumers who use spot-on flea and tick products includes carefully following label instructions and closely monitoring pets for any signs of adverse reactions after use, particularly when using a product for the first time http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/eeffe922a687433c85257359003f5340/cb98fe802d1162a78525759a00686ef0!OpenDocument
The agency also suggests consulting a veterinarian about the responsible and effective use of flea and tick products.
While other flea and tick products, such as sprays, collars, and shampoos have also reportedly caused health effects in pets, the EPA says most incidents have been associated with spot-on products. At the same time, the agency says many flea and tick products are used without harmful effects and notes their importance as part of effective flea and tick control.
Meanwhile, Health Canada, a Canadian government agency, has noticed similar problems with spot-on products. Both the EPA and Health Canada are intensifying their evaluation of those products and working with spot-on product manufacturers to address the issue, including whether further restrictions are necessary.
LAWSUIT PINPOINTS CHEMICAL IN FLEA & TICK PRODUCTS
On the heels of the EPA advisory, NRDC filed a lawsuit in California against major pet product retailers and manufacturers that sell flea and tick control products. The suit alleges the companies, including PetSmart, PETCO, and PetStore.com, are illegally selling flea and tick collars (and potentially other products) with propoxur, a chemical on California’s Proposition 65 list because it’s known to the state of California to cause cancer, without the proper warning labels required by the state.
NRDC is also petitioning the EPA to ban all “pet uses” of propoxur and another chemical, tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), which is considered to be a likely carcinogen by the EPA.
Get the full list of spot-on products under evaluation and other advice from the EPA on taking care of fleas and ticks. The NRDC has also published a pocket guide to flea and tick treatments, http://www.greenpaws.org/_docs/GP_pocketguide.pdf which provides the group’s assessment of chemicals used in pet pest control products.
Aditional info:
"GreenPaws.org" a non-profit organization for people who love their companion animals. http://www.greenpaws.org/products.php This site includes a pocketguide (*pdf) and other important info on keeping your best friend healthy.
FDA: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm169831.htmCertain products used to control fleas and ticks are raising hairs. In April 2009, the... more
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*NOTE* In 2008, over 17 million dogs were placed in America's animal shelters. Only 1 in 10 were adopted out. Pet over-population is a HUMAN problem and it is our responsibility to fix it.
The LA Times original post - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/06/california-budget-cuts-could-mean-pets-are-put-to-sleep-faster-in-animal-shelters.html
California's animal shelter system is facing cutbacks because of the state's current budget crisis. California Governer Arnold Schwarzenegger has a proposal which could cause shelters to reduce the minimum hold time for strays. This means that euthanization could happen in just three days instead of six.
It's no surprise that animal advocates disagree with the proposal. Jennifer Fearing of the Humane Society testified at a budget committee hearing Thursday: "If shelters are no longer reimbursed by the state for holding animals, they will be forced to cut services. The 'savings' generated by suspending this mandate is a paltry 0.1% of the $24-billion deficit. These funds are the only state dollars that presently go to assisting local governments with the costly problem of pet overpopulation."
The saddest part is that many animals find homes through adoptions at shelters, not to mention the many pet owners who reclaim their pets from a shelter. Shortening the time that animals can be held will obviously lead to an increase in animal deaths, including the deaths of animals who could be adoptable. With the cost of caring for the animals offset by adoption fees and owner reclaimation fees, it makes very little sense to make such a change.*NOTE* In 2008, over 17 million dogs were placed in America's animal shelters. Only 1... more
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Deadline by: 06 June 2009 – Signatures: 5,882!
British troops fear for fate of mascot Sandbag the dog who could be killed when they leave Iraq.
Rumour has it that Sandbag the dog has survived being shot five times.
But the British soldiers in Iraq who have adopted him as a camp mascot fear he will not last long after they return to the UK at the end of this month.
They are worried he will be put down by local Iraqis or killed by other dogs when they leave ... :(
A true military dog, he loves helicopters and often follows the troops out on patrol.
He also bears scars from numerous scraps with other dogs and - according to base legend - several bullet wounds.
Captain Guy Myram, the squadron's second in command, said: "Apparently anyone in combats is his master - although he doesn't warm to the Americans so much because they're not wearing the same as us."
Another soldier said: "He's very loyal to the troops - if you get mobbed by other dogs, he will literally fight every single one of them. "He's a Tyson among the pups."
Sandbag was born on the forward operating base at North Port in Umm Qasr about two years ago and quickly endeared himself to the British troops stationed there.
The soldiers have had him vaccinated, given him a collar, and even know to let him into the camp when he barks outside the front gate.
Sandbag is not the only animal to make the base their home. There is also Hesco the cat, named after the sand-filled blast walls on top of which the feline likes to sleep.
The soldiers from the Queen's Royal Hussars, based at Paderborn in Germany, are now trying to work out a way of saving Sandbag when they hand the base over to the Americans at the end of this month.
The men investigated getting the much-loved mascot flown back to Britain, but discovered it would cost several thousand pounds to put him in quarantine.
One soldier joked: "We thought about putting him inside a container of kit back to Germany and throwing in a couple of steaks."
The current plan to take Sandbag to the nearby Umm Qasr Naval Base, where British troops are expected to be stationed until at least 2011.
But it remains to be seen how well he will get on with Jack and Royal, the two dogs who already live at the Royal Navy-led coalition camp on the naval base.
Information from a Facebook group "Help British Troops Save Sandbag (the dog) Please join and sign :)"
From petition creator - "There is a dog that has been helping the Military in Basra and when the troops pull out he will be left there,probably to die! He must be allowed to return to the UK with the Troops he has served alongside"
Please sign this petition to the Prime Minister to Save Sandbag the Dog!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/sandbag/
IF YOU ARE NOT BRITISH, PLEASE X-POST AND FORWARD ANYWAY!
Or, if you would please spare 2-3 minutes of your time, write a quick email to the Prime Minister. Let him know that you are aware of the immense and unjust suffering of Iraq's dog population. Ask that he spare Sandbag such a cruel fate.
NOTE: All homeless animals are considered an ENEMY. Dogs and puppies are beaten to death. They are shot at. For entertainment, they are even burned alive.
* Please see post for PM contact infoDeadline by: 06 June 2009 – Signatures: 5,882!
British troops fear for fate of... more
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The population of Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades may have grown to as many as 150,000 as the non-native snakes make a home and breed in the fragile wetlands, officials said Thursday.
Wildlife biologists say the troublesome invaders -- dumped in the Everglades by pet owners who no longer want them -- have become a pest and pose a significant threat to endangered species like the wood stork and Key Largo woodrat.
"They eat things that we care about," said Skip Snow, an Everglades National Park biologist, as he showed a captured, 15-foot (4.6-meter) Burmese python to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who was on his first fact-finding mission to the Everglades since the Obama administration took office.
With Snow maintaining a strong grip on its head, the massive snake hissed angrily at Salazar and the other federal officials who gathered around it at a recreation area off Alligator Alley in the vast saw grass prairie. It took two other snake wranglers to control the python's body.
"A snake this size could eat a small deer or a bobcat without too much trouble," Snow told Salazar before the secretary boarded an airboat for a tour of the Everglades.
Everglades biologists have been grappling with the growing python problem for a decade. The snakes are one of the largest species in the world and natives of Southeast Asia, but they found a home to their liking in the Everglades when pet owners started using the wetland as a convenient dumping ground.
"They're fine when they're small but they can live 25 to 30 years. When they get bigger you have to feed them small animals like rabbits, and cleaning up after them, it's like cleaning up after a horse," Snow said. "People don't want big snakes."
TRAPPERS AND HUNTERS
Pythons captured in the Everglades are often killed. Wildlife officials are trying trapping and other eradication methods, and are considering offering bounties to hunters. Scientists are experimenting with ways to lure the snakes into traps, including the use of pheromones -- chemicals that serve as sexual attractants -- as bait.
"They are estimating there are 150,000 of these snakes. They proliferate so quickly," said Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who accompanied Salazar on the airboat tour of the Everglades. "They've already found grown deer, they've found full sized bobcats inside them. It's just a matter of time before one gets the highly endangered Florida panther."
But biologists played down the risk to the panther, the most endangered species in the Everglades. There are believed to be only about 100 left, but they range over a territory of some 2 million acres.
"It would take some awfully unique circumstances for a python and a panther to meet up," said Darrell Land, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist. "And the cats are very wary and they have very quick reaction times."
Pythons are not the only invader troubling the Everglades.
New fish and rodent species have also become pests, and two thriving colonies of the Nile monitor lizard, an Africa native that can grow to 7 feet in length, have established themselves on opposite sides of the state.
Nelson, a Democrat, said the Obama administration had committed $200 million, including $100 million of stimulus money, so far this year to Everglades restoration, a 35-year project valued at $8 billion when it was started nearly a decade ago.
The project is designed to restore natural water flow and native wildlife populations to the shallow, slow-moving river that dominates the interior of southern Florida.
NOTE: Pythons & the Nile monitor lizard can eat many of Florida's endagered species. Including tortoises, turtles, salamanders... and even marine mammals that come close to the area's waters.The population of Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades may have grown to as many as... more
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“Dying to Learn: Exposing the Supply and Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education” documents the hidden practices of colleges and universities in which unscrupulous Class B dealers, who obtain animals from shelters, sell former pets to education facilities, where these animals are used, and often killed, for dissection and live surgeries in teaching laboratories.
It traces the route that brings dogs like Cruella, a shepherd-mix from Michigan, to an unhappy end at university teaching labs.
The result of a two-year investigation of animal acquisition and use at 92 public colleges and universities in the U.S, “Dying to Learn” reveals that 52% are using live and dead dogs and cats for teaching, despite the availability of viable alternatives.
The report also dentifies specific schools that are obtaining animals from unethical sources.
DETAILS:
Cruella's story: http://www.dyingtolearn.org/cruella.html
Download report in full: http://www.dyingtolearn.org/dyingToLearn.pdf
What you can do to help the animals: http://www.dyingtolearn.org/takeaction.html“Dying to Learn: Exposing the Supply and Use of Dogs and Cats in Higher Education”... more
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Stop Shelter Animals From Being Sold for Research!
Target: Michigan House
Sponsored by: American Humane Association
Michigan House Bill 4663 will eliminate pound seizure in Michigan animal shelters.
Pound seizure is the practice of allowing shelter cats and dogs to be used in experimental research. HB 4663, called "Koda's Law," is named after a shelter dog that, instead of being placed for adoption, was sold to a USDA Class B Dealer (animal broker) and resold to the University of Michigan, where he was used in the university's Advanced Trauma Life Support Class, and then euthanized. Koda's former family believed that taking him to a shelter would allow him another opportunity to find a home and did not know he would be used in a research experiment. Sadly, this happens to far too many shelter cats and dogs in Michigan.
Companion animals depend on humans for their safety and well-being. Tragically, this dependency is betrayed when shelters allow these pets to be taken by Class B Dealers for resale to research. When Class B dealers and research facilities can obtain cats and dogs -- like Koda -- from animal shelters, it diminishes the shelters' credibility and purpose, and betrays public trust.
Currently only 4 county animal control shelters practice pound seizure (Gratiot, Mecosta, Montcalm and Osceola). Koda's Law will not prohibit legitimate medical research. Research facilities will still be able to obtain cats and dogs from licensees who breed animals for research. This bill simply stops shelter cats and dogs from being used in research. The bill permits several veterinary training/research activities of shelter cats and dogs, including allowing spay-neuter training, correcting pre-existing medical conditions (such as broken bones or illnesses), and allowing blood banks to obtain life-saving animal blood. The cats and dogs are then placed for adoption.
Please sign to show your support for Michigan House Bill 4663 so we can make Michigan the 19th state to outlaw pound seizure.Stop Shelter Animals From Being Sold for Research!
Target: Michigan House
Sponsored... more
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No Protection for Pet Food: H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act
This bill is appalling! The FDA is meant to protect the consumer! Not Big Corporations!
The Food Safety Modernization Act, currently being considered by Congress as the "answer to the many food safety concerns in the U.S.", blatantly gives pet food manufacturers 'carte blanche' opportunity to dump risky garbage into your pet’s food bowl without accountability. If this bill is approved, pet food can easily and legally get far worse than it is today.
Congress as the answer to the many food safety concerns in the U.S., blatantly gives pet food manufacturers carte blanche opportunity to dump risky garbage into your pet’s food bowl without accountability. If this bill is approved, pet food can easily and legally get far worse than it is today.
It is crystal clear the existing FDA needs an overhaul. Just as clear, the existing FDA has shown no genuine concern for the safety of pet food; the FDA has allowed pet food to be the dumping ground for useless waste of human food processing for many years despite Federal laws that should prohibit it. Over recent years, Congress has made a few half hearted attempts to improve the safety of pet food, especially after the deadly 2007 recall; seemingly just to quiet their pet owning constituents. However, the truth continues to clearly show Congress has no intentions to initiate responsible legislation demanding the safety of pet foods and the FDA has no intention of enforcing existing laws that would improve pet food safety.
To provide you with a little history, in November 2008, pet owners from across the U.S. wrote their Representatives in Congress politely demanding the FDA enforce existing Federal laws. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act laws clearly defines food to include pet food and clearly defines adulterated foods (thus prohibited by Federal law) to be foods containing sick, diseased, or euthanized animals; many of the most popular pet foods sold in the U.S. could contain ingredients, determined by the FDA, known to include sick, diseased, and/or euthanized animals.
The FDA website itself states that although some pet foods appear to be in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, they WILL NOT ENFORCE THE LAWS WITH PET FOOD..
Every single member of Congress who received a letter from their pet loving constituent, ignored the point. Not one Representative addressed the FDA’s violation of Federal laws. Some spoke of ‘hope’ to improve the FDA with H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act. http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/pages/We-are-Changing-Pet-Food.html
This unethical attempt to protect interests of BIG CORPORATION is outrageous, immoral and most importantly, at the cost of our companion animal's health.
CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AT IT'S FINEST!
It is apparent, with the multitude of food related sicknesses and deaths over the last 2 years, that the FDA and USDA needs a serious overhaul.
H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 is no safety modernization for pet food.
H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 is the same old story and worse; forgetting the concerns of our pets yet looking out for the interests of industries that earn billions in profits re-selling waste. If H.R. 875 is passed as it is currently written, it appears caring pet owners will be completely without resources to hold a pet food manufacturer accountable for their actions. This is not something to let others be concerned about and act on; every single caring pet lover needs to take immediate action.No Protection for Pet Food: H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act
This bill is... more
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As recently as September, live dogs from shelters were cut open by physicians practicing emergency medical procedures at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. And on Feb. 2, live pigs were unlawfully killed after undergoing the same thing at MeritCare Medical Center in Fargo, N.D.
After both Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) courses, the animals were killed. Although the animals were anesthetized during the procedures, they were subjected to the trauma of confinement, shipping, preparation, and experimentation—although effective nonanimal alternatives have been approved by the American College of Surgeons, the body that oversees these courses.
Of nine facilities in Michigan that offer ATLS courses, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is the only one using live animals—including an Australian shepherd named Rocket in one of its classes—rather than TraumaMan, which is already part of the school’s state-of-the-art simulation center.
"The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus is one of the last facilities in the country still using live dogs for advanced trauma life support training," says cardiologist John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., PCRM’s senior medical and research adviser. "The school should stop using animals in these inhumane classes immediately, especially since nonanimal teaching methods actually offer a better way to master lifesaving procedures that will be used on human beings."
Based on the documents obtained under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, PCRM's complaint, which was filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eastern Region, states, "We believe that this animal use is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act because the principal investigator provided false information about alternative nonanimal technologies to justify animal use in his IACUC protocol."
The Michigan complaint received extensive media coverage, including news stories and op-eds in University of Michigan's newspaper, The Michigan Daily, and an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press by Edward J. Linkner, M.D., an assistant clinical professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.
The MeritCare complaint, which was filed with the USDA’s Western Region office, states, "We believe that this animal use is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act because there are equivalent alternative nonanimal technologies available."
"MeritCare Medical Center is one of the last facilities in the country still using live animals for advanced trauma life support training," says Neal Barnard, M.D., president of PCRM and a Fargo native. "MeritCare is a leader in so many other ways. It should be using newer, nonanimal teaching methods."
In North Dakota, other than MeritCare, the only other facility that offers ATLS training is one of the more than 90 percent of United States facilities providing trauma training with lifelike human patient models and other high-tech nonanimal methods.
Visit www.SaveMichiganDogs.org to urge University of Michigan to end dog use in its ATLS courses and www.PCRM.org to stop pigs from being killed at MeritCare.
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Take action: https://secure2.convio.net/pcrm/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=219&AddInterest=1781&JServSessionIdr006=oya3nfk391.app14aAs recently as September, live dogs from shelters were cut open by physicians... more
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anyone who loves animals or creative photography will love these...
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PHILADELPHIA - Winter’s deep freeze has hit the Commonwealth and the Pennsylvania SPCA reminds you to protect your pets from the cold and bring them inside your home. A dog or cat’s fur coat doesn’t mean that it can survive if left outdoors in the cold. Give your friend a warm place to sleep inside, away from drafts.
Recently the PSPCA investigated the case of a dog found frozen to a fence in Philadelphia. The dog’s owner had left the dog outside tied to the fence overnight when the temperature dipped to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your pet has short hair, invest in a sweater or coat he or she can wear to keep warm when going on walks. If you must take your pet in the car when the weather is cold, don’t leave them alone. Like a car can become an oven in the summer, in the winter, your vehicle is like a refrigerator with the potential to freeze your friend to death.
Not only is the temperature dangerous for our pets, but many products used during this time of year can also be hazardous to your dog’s or cat’s health. While the sweet taste of antifreeze is appealing to animals, when swallowed, the chemical can be deadly. Be sure to clean up all antifreeze spills and keep the container out of your pet’s reach. Use antifreeze coolant made with propylene glycol. This form is not dangerous for animals if ingested in small amounts.
Rock salt and snow melting products can irritate your pet’s feet. After walking outside, be sure to wipe off your Fido’s or Fluffy’s feet before he or she licks them and hurts his or her mouth.
Be mindful of wild animals, feral cats and stray animals that often climb under the hoods of cars to keep warm during bitter nights. Bang on the car’s hood before starting the engine to wake the animal.
If you see an animal left outside or in a cold car for a prolonged period of time, contact the PSPCA’s toll free cruelty reporting hotline, 1-866-601-SPCA. A PSPCA law enforcement agent will investigate the call to protect an animal in danger.PHILADELPHIA - Winter’s deep freeze has hit the Commonwealth and the Pennsylvania... more
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A homepage dedicated to the (late) 6 month old puppy, Karley.
Story links, news updates, contact information and most importantly, petition links.
PLEASE DO NOT LET HER CRUEL DEATH GO UNPUNISHED.
Society must take responcibility... this horrible act against a helpless creature is a disgrace to what it means to be human.
There is NO excuse for animal cruelty.
If you witness or suspect animal abuse or animal cruelty, PLEASE speak up... your voice might be their only chance.A homepage dedicated to the (late) 6 month old puppy, Karley.
Story links, news... more
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Brave little 'Bobo', died several days later from the burns.
**--GOLDEN, Colo. -- A woman accused of tying up her dog and setting him on top of a stove had her arraignment continued today in Jefferson County.
Tanya Martin, 38, appeared in court Monday morning and her arraignment continued to Feb. 17 at 8 a.m.
Prosecutors say in October, Martin put her 6-year-old Yorkshire terrier on top of a telephone book on a lit stove burner.
When officers arrived, they found the terrier laying on his back on top of the burning telephone book, his legs tied down with speaker wire.
The terrier, named Bobo, suffered second- and third-degree burns to 50 percent of his body and died a few days later.
Martin has been charged with animal cruelty and arson.
Martin's uncle, Leo Cordova, says she suffers from mental illness.
*FOLLOW LINK FOR NEWS VIDEO & SLIDESHOWBrave little 'Bobo', died several days later from the burns.
**--GOLDEN, Colo. --... more
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