tagged w/ Companion Animals
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Animal Blawg...
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Link Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse?
Posted on January 1, 2012 by David
Ciara Smyth
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On November 26th, 2011, Chicago police officers responded to a call and found little Christopher Valdez dead had been beaten to death in his home, as his family prepared to celebrate his fourth birthday. The boy was found to have died from multiple blunt force trauma and his death was ruled a child abuse homicide Saturday. Police were alerted to the house after he was discovered by his aunt and uncle, who had come to investigate after a neighbor told them that Christopher was sporting a black eye when he attended Thanksgiving at their home the previous day. Police charged the toddler’s live-in boyfriend, Cesar Ruiz, with first degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death, and for having a suspended driver’s license. The mother of the toddler was originally charged with concealment of a homicidal death and with endangering the life of a child. However, after it was revealed through police questioning that she observed Ruiz beating her son earlier in the week he was murdered, and had joined in by spanking the toddler herself, the charges against the mother were upgraded to include first-degree murder. Steven Valdez, the boy’s great uncle, previously described Ruiz, as anti-social and violent. He said that two weeks before the boy’s death, Ruiz beat a dog severely after it relieved itself in his home.
Family members want to know why Christopher was allowed to stay with his mother and Ruiz following her conviction in October for domestic battery after she admitted to punching Christopher in July “because she was angry” and to using make-up to cover his injuries. She was sentenced to parenting classes, given a conditional discharge, and was not sentenced to jail. Following the incident, but prior to her conviction, the Department of Children and Family Services determined that that there was “no credible evidence” of abuse and allowed the boy to remain in the home. The toddler’s death this month has naturally raised a lot of discussion and commentators to ask questions on DCFS’s oversight in allowing the child to remain at home.
What is disturbing to me however, is the statement by the toddler’s uncle that just two weeks prior to the deadly beating, the alleged killer had just severely beaten a dog for relieving himself in the house? This statement deserves further examination and attention, just as DCFS’s oversight does. His family wondered how little Christopher could have been allowed by social services to remain with his mother after the domestic battery incident. The next natural question that should follow is how the family let him stay with her and her live-in boyfriend after they knew he severely beat a dog just two weeks prior to beating the boy to death. And the fact that no one called the police to report that an animal had just been severely abused is beyond disturbing! Had that been done, perhaps the creep would be behind bars, which would have made it conceivably more difficult for him to beat the toddler to death. After all, under Illinois law, severely beating a dog could potentially constitute the felony of Aggravated Cruelty, pursuant to 510 ILCS 70/3.03, or even possibly Animal Torture, pursuant to 510 ILCS 70/3.02, depending on the facts. Sentences for both felony charges can involve jail time.
In a Utah State University study done in 1997 by Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D, Claudia V. Weber, M.S., and David S. Wood, on the connection between domestic violence and animal mistreatment and cruelty, women in domestic violence shelters were more likely to report that their partners had threatened to hurt their pets (52%) than the sample of women who were not living in domestic abuse shelters (16.7%). The severity of these threats was also higher in the shelter sample. Actual hurting or killing of pets was reported by 54% of the shelter women but only 3.5% of the women sampled who were not living in shelters. In the majority of cases, shelter women reported that multiple incidents of hurting or killing pets had occurred. In the shelter group, nearly one in four women reported that concern for their pets had kept them from coming in to the shelter sooner. Regardless of group membership, some women indicated that pets had been hit or kicked, or had been shot. The more horrific instances seemed to be restricted to the reports of shelter women who reported the following examples (among many others): pet was drowned, pet was nailed to the woman’s bedroom door, pet was given alcohol and poison, pet’s entire fur coat was shaved during the winter, and pet was thrown out of a moving car. Most of the incidents involved cats or dogs, but in the shelter groups, birds, gerbils, and rabbits were also mentioned as victims of abuse or killing.
The Animals & Society Institute’s website contains several links to recent studies that have been done on the connection between violent criminals and animal abuse. One such study done in 1997 by Northeastern University in conjunction with the SPCA in Massachusetts (MSPCA) revealed that 40% of all animal abusers had committed violent crimes against humans.
Studies also found that a history of animal abuse was found in 25% of male criminals, 30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of domestic violence cases and 46% of homicide cases.
While these studies reveal a lot of numbers and percentages, they also open the door to further examination on whether animal abuser is an indication of abuse against spouses, children, and other humans. In fact, taking into consideration what is potentially at stake, further exploration should be demanded. Consider the situation with little Christopher Valdez: in looking at the brutal bruises that covered his body from head to toe, police were shocked and horrified that a grown man could unleash so much violence on such a small little frame.
In conclusion, little Christopher Valdez died in vain. But perhaps he did not have to. Had this community stepped up to the plate and protected its most vulnerable members when required to, perhaps he would still be alive. I hope this brings encourages everyone person who has read or heard about this case in the news, to never take animal abuse lightly.
.Animal Blawg...
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Link Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse?
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CBS News...
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December 28, 2011 11:31 PM
Rescue group in crisis mode after cat euthanized
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In a Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 photo, Daniel Dockery is pictured at his job in Phoenix, Ariz. Dockery's 9-month-old cat Scruffy, was euthanized recently by the Arizona Humane Society not because of her wounds but because Dockery couldn't immediately pay for her treatment. He had been searching for Scruffy for three weeks ago and learned of her fate Tuesday, Dec. 27.
(Charlie Leight,AP Photo/The Arizona Republic)
(AP)
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PHOENIX - Animal lovers threatened to pull donations to an animal rescue group and the public flooded the agency with scathing comments and calls after a man's cat was euthanized when he couldn't afford its medical care, prompting the Arizona Humane Society to go into damage-control mode Wednesday.
The group has hired a publicist, removed dozens of comments on its Facebook page and directed a team of five volunteers to respond to the overwhelming calls and emails it has received since The Arizona Republic published a weekend story about Daniel Dockery and his 9-month-old cat, Scruffy.
Dockery, a 49-year-old recovering heroin addict, told the Phoenix newspaper that he took Scruffy to a Humane Society center on Dec. 8 because she had a cut from a barbed-wire fence, an injury that he described as non-life-threatening. The agency said it would cost $400 to treat Scruffy, money he didn't have.
The Humane Society cited policy when it declined to accept a credit card over the phone from Dockery's mother in Michigan or to wait for her to wire the money. The staff said if he signed papers surrendering the cat, Scruffy would be treated and put in foster care, he said.
Instead, Scruffy was euthanized several hours later.
Dockery told the Republic that he was devastated.
"Now I've got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal," Dockery said. "I failed her. ... That's so wrong. There was no reason for her not to be treated."
He described the cat as helping him stay off drugs for more than a year, the longest he had ever been clean. He hand-fed the feline before she opened her eyes at 4 days old, giving her fresh tuna and letting her sleep on his pillow.
Stacy Pearson, who was hired by the agency specifically to deal with media questions about the cat, said Dockery's case has led to two changes. The Arizona Humane Society has set up an account, funded through donations, that would cover the costs of emergency treatment of animals whose owners need a day or two to come up with money for payments. And the group is now accepting credit card payments by phone, Pearson said.
Dozens of scathing comments have since inundated the group's Facebook page, with animal lovers demanding to know why the cat was put down. Pearson said angry comments were removed because of their content: One called for the staff to be euthanized, while another said what happened to Scruffy was murder.
Pearson said Scruffy was put down over a number of reasons, including Dockery's lack of immediate funds, a lack of veterinarians to treat her and what Pearson described as a very serious cut on Scruffy from her abdomen to her knee that went to the muscle.
She said the Arizona Humane Society at the time didn't accept credit card payments over the phone because of possible fraud and can't treat pets with only a promise from owners that they can pay the next day. She said staff had every intention of getting Scruffy the help she needed but the number of animals requiring help at the group's second-chance clinic was too much for the resources available.
If Dockery had been able to pay, Scruffy would have been treated at the facility where he brought her, Pearson said.
"There was no malicious intent to take Scruffy away from her father," Pearson said. "Pulling funding is only going to make a problem like this worse."
On Facebook, where only the agency's executive director is allowed to post comments now, Guy Collison wrote that "Scruffy's story is heartbreaking, and underscores the worst-case-scenario of need eclipsing resources available." He said that his agency has always done what's best for animals.
In less than an hour after his statement was posted, more than 100 people responded, with most slamming the agency and some defending it as doing the best it can with available resources.
Pearson said the group told Dockery on Tuesday that when he's ready for another pet, he could come in and pick one out, but he declined, telling them: "No thanks."
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http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/12/28/111221-euthanized_cat-AP111221077774_620x350.jpg
.CBS News...
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December 28, 2011 11:31 PM
Rescue group in crisis mode... more
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MyFox News...
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Wonderful video!!
Blind Dog Gets New Leash on Life
Updated: Wednesday, 02 Nov 2011, 4:18 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 02 Nov 2011, 4:18 PM CDT
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Memphis, Tn - When an energetic black lab named Shelly started losing her sight at three, her owners knew they had to do something.
"We knew Shelly would need to run, play."
Putting her down was not an option, so Gail and Charles Silverstein took Shelly to a nearby animal shelter where a dog trainer suggested they look for a two-year-old male.
She took to a lab mix named Tommy immediately, but what happened when they took him home sealed the deal.
"He laid down beside her and started licking her eyes. It was like he knew she was going blind and I guess he was trying to heal her."
Within a year, Shelly lost her sight completely to a disease that destroyed her retinas.
Now, Shelly uses her other senses.
The Silversteins use a double leash when they walk the dogs, but sometimes they let Tommy take his girl for a stroll on his own.
Tommy has become a seeing-eye dog for a blind dog, Shelly feels comfortable and safe with Tommy taking the lead.
"It's like they communicate with each other. He just kinda leans towards her and puts his head near and (she) just follows him."
Tommy has never lost sight of his mission. He's there to lead, and protect.
"She's never afraid with him around. When strangers come up and she is afraid, he'll go and comfort her. It's like he knows that that's his job," said Gail.
The Silversteins are convinced that Shelly saved Tommy's life by choosing him at the pound. But, it's easy to see Tommy saved Shelly from a life lived on a short leash.
Charles Silverstein is eternally grateful, "She's blind...but she doesn't know she's blind."MyFox News...
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Wonderful video!!
Blind Dog Gets New Leash on Life... more
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NBC NEWS | LOS ANGELES...
Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
The Glendale city council is considering a ban on dog and cat sales in pet stores and from backyard pet breeders.
By Angie Crouch and Julie Brayton
| Thursday, Aug 18, 2011 | Updated 7:36 PM PDT
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Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
Soon Sales of Cats and Dogs in Glendale Pet Stores may be Banned
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Animal rights activists say an investigation into deplorable conditions of a puppy mill in the Midwest that allegedly supplied dogs to several Glendale pet stores, helped convince the Glendale city council to consider banning the sale of dogs and cats from pet stores in the city.
"Animals that were injured," said Carole Davis, of the Companion Animal Protection Society, speaking about the conditions in the puppy mill in the midwest. "Animals that were covered in feces and urine. Animals that had hair that was matted so much that the eyes were closed off, and that they couldn't see."
The proposed ban comes on the heels of West Hollywood's city council adopting a similar policy last year. Los Angeles is also considering a ban.
"What's happening in California," according to Davis, "is a result of direct action by animal rights activists. Los Angeles is the second largest market for puppy mill dogs, after New York City.”
At Pets R Us in Glendale, the manager says they still sell rescued cats, but they stopped selling dogs a few months ago after the C.A.P.S. investigation revealed their supplier got them from a puppy mill.
Like Pets R Us, most Glendale pet stores have already voluntarily stopped selling dogs.
The new ordinance would still allow residents to sell kittens and puppies that come from unexpected pregnancies, but the ordinance would also prohibit so-called backyard breeders.
The city council voiced support for the prohibition after roughly 30 people crowded City Hall in support of the ordinance.
.NBC NEWS | LOS ANGELES...
Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales
The Glendale... more
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WASHINGTON - Dave Sharpe was troubled by thoughts he could not share after he returned from a tour in Iraq. "I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, punching holes in walls, kicking and beating the refrigerator door," he said.
Then one day, the former Air Force senior airman went with a friend to a local pit bull rescue and took home a puppy, Cheyenne. Next time he found himself kicking something, "I saw this puppy, cocking her head, looking up at me, like, what are you doing?"
Finally, Sharpe had someone he could open up to. "I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed," he said. "I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn't feel judged."
The experience inspired Sharpe, who lives in Washington's Virginia suburbs, to start Pets2Vets, a group that pairs veterans with homeless pets by arranging adoptions of shelter animals. It has made two or three matches a week since its start in October.
One of the goals of Pets2Vets is to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder. Sharpe says that while a few groups provide veterans with service dogs, many PTSD and traumatic brain injury patients do not qualify for these programs. Even when they do, because of the stigma still attached to psychological problems, they may hesitate to apply.
A reason to go on
Cheyenne showed, however, that even a "regular" dog can work miracles, Sharpe believes, and former Army Staff Sgt. Will "Ace" Acevedo agrees. Acevedo took Xena, a Jack Russell mix puppy, home to North Carolina at the beginning of December.
"She's done wonders for me," he says.
Diagnosed with PTSD in 2003, Acevedo says medication can do only so much. Xena gives him something else to think about instead of feeling sorry for himself, and with an energetic puppy in a house with brand-new carpets, he has plenty to concentrate on.
"Instead of you focusing on yourself and your battle wounds, you focus on the dog," he says.
And like Sharpe, he says, "I talk to her. I tell her how I feel. She looks at me like, `Don't worry buddy, everything's going to be all right,' and she licks my face."
Currently, veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the DC VA Hospital are adopting pets from the Washington Animal Rescue League, where staff help make the right match. Ray Crook of suburban Maryland says that when he visited the shelter and talked about what his family wanted in a dog, the staff brought out Meyer and "it was love at first sight."
After just a few weeks, Meyer, a medium-sized shepherd-Akita mix, "feels like he's been part of my family for a very long time," he says. The dog loves the grandchildren, but he's also especially attached to Crook, who says "I should have named him Shadow — he follows me everywhere."WASHINGTON - Dave Sharpe was troubled by thoughts he could not share after he returned... more
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Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The proposal started with dogs and cats, expanded to birds and hamsters, and now includes any animal that walks, flies, swims, crawls or slithers — unless you plan to eat it.
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By Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times
June 26, 2011, 6:29 p.m.
Reporting from San Francisco—
The first vision was simple and straightforward: To curtail puppy mills and kitten factories, the sale of cats and dogs should be banned in San Francisco, where the loving guardians of animal companions come to regular blows — politically — with the loving parents of children.
The ban was put on hold last year after animal advocates broadened it to include anything with fur or feathers. Now it's back, with a new name and a new strategy: More is more. The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal is on its way to the Board of Supervisors, and it hopes to protect everything from Great Danes to goldfish.
Yes, goldfish. And guppies, gobies, gouramies, glowlight tetras, German blue rams. No fish, no fowl, no reptiles, no amphibians, no cats, no dogs, no gerbils, no rats. If it flies, crawls, runs, swims or slithers, you would not be able to buy it in the city named for the patron saint of animals.
Representatives of the $45-billion to $50-billion-a-year pet industry call the San Francisco proposal "by far the most radical ban we've seen" nationwide and argue that it would force small operators to close. Animal activists say it will save small but important lives, along with taxpayer money, and end needless suffering.
"Why fish? Why not fish?" said Philip Gerrie, a member of the city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare and a coauthor of the proposal. "From Descartes on up, in the Western mindset, fish and other nonhuman animals don't have feelings, they don't have emotions, we can do whatever we want to them. If we considered them living beings, we would deal with them differently.… Our culture sanctions this, treating them as commodities and expendable."
The commission voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. Commissioners are now looking for a supervisor or two to sponsor such an ordinance.
Snake food was almost exempt from the proposal. After all, pythons have to eat, and they like their lunch alive. But at a heated meeting, Commissioner Pam Hemphill questioned how it could be humane to sell live animals to be fed to other live animals.
"If a snake is caught with a rodent in a box, the rodent can scratch its eye and cause an infection," said Hemphill, who noted that reptiles on display at the California Academy of Sciences eat dead, frozen prey. "The snake can't escape, and the rodent might be stuck for one or two days in the box with the snake because the snake's not hungry right then.
"So it doesn't seem very humane to me," she continued. "And if the frozen [food] works, then I think the killing of the animals to be food is probably more humane."
It is legal in San Francisco to sell live animals for eventual human consumption, and the proposed ban would not stop markets from selling live fish, poultry, turtles or seafood for that purpose.
Rebecca Katz, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said her agency supports a ban on pet sales — particularly one that includes the so-called smalls, such as hamsters, which are euthanized at her city shelter at a higher percentage than any other domesticated animal. Although she did not advocate for the inclusion of fish, she is not against it.
"We're the agency that receives the old, filthy fish bowl with the goldfish at risk and have to determine whether we can make them healthy and adopt them out or flush them down the toilet," Katz said. "These are the lucky ones. Most people just flush them themselves."
Jennifer Scarlett, a veterinarian and co-president of the San Francisco SPCA, notes that only a handful of stores in San Francisco sell animals of any kind and that the effect of a ban would be largely symbolic. But she said that symbolism, and the conversation that it raises, is critical in improving the lives of millions of helpless creatures.
"For us as an organization, we've identified the larger problem of online purchasing of dogs, and we hope this is an avenue to get to that," she said. Still, when it comes to birds and fish, "there's a lot of cruelty around where they are sourced from. We see the cruelty."
But Jonathan Ito finds the proposal to be far more than symbolic. To the owner of Animal Connection — who has sold fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, rats, mice and hamsters for a generation — the ban is a threat to his livelihood.
"It would put us out of business and our employees out of work," said Ito, who believes there is "no cause and effect" to the proposal.
Pet stores, he said, do not cause overcrowding at the shelters. They do not promote impulse buys of small, cute creatures that will later be tossed aside by bored children. And they work hard to educate prospective pet owners.
"The animal-rights activists are trying to drive a wedge any way they can in order to get a foothold on changing the ownership of animals," Ito said. "They don't believe they should be bred. They don't believe people are responsible to care for them.… They are about eliminating animals as pets."
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PHOTO: Jonathan Ito is the owner of Animal Connection in the Sunset District. The city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted earlier this month to send a proposal to the Board of Supervisors recommending a ban on the sale of all pets in the city to shore up the adoption of unwanted creatures from shelters and rescue organizations. (David Butow, For The Times / June 22, 2011)Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco considers banning the sale of all pets
The... more
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CNN...
Pet rescuers brave Fukushima danger zone
From Kyung Lah and Whitney Hurst, CNN
April 13, 2011 6:05 p.m. EDT
Photo: A dog wanders Tuesday about 4 miles from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Many owners left pets behind when evacuations were ordered
"We tried to save him, but we couldn't get in," one says
Japan has no plans to retrieve animals from contaminated areas
Tokyo (CNN) -- The image was horrific: A whimpering beagle, ribs showing through its fur, tethered to a post inside the no-go zone around the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
The scene was captured by freelance journalists who drove through towns within a few kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and who left food for the animal. But animal rescue activists who have braved the exclusion zone around the plant say there many others like it.
"I understand the nuclear danger and everything, but they're just being left to starve to death, basically," said Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support.
Gallaon-Aoki and others like her have been slipping into the 20-km radius around Fukushima Daiichi to retrieve pets and feed livestock left behind when their owners were forced to evacuate. Pet owners have sent her group their addresses, accompanied by pleas to rescue their animals, left behind when they fled for what was supposed to be a short time.
A month later, the volunteers are putting their long-term health on the line, putting on protective gear and entering the 20-km radius around the plant that was declared off-limits in the early days of the crisis. Hiroko Ito's 5-year-old Shiba, Non, is among those rescued by Gallaon-Aoki's group. Ito said she left food for the dog, but didn't expect to be gone a month.
"We tried to save him, but we couldn't get in," Ito said.
Radiation levels recorded by photographers Shuji Ogawa and Naomi Toyoda were not high enough to cause immediate illness, but would pose potential health risks with prolonged exposure. Gallaon-Aoki said she knows the risks, "but I feel personally that the risk that there is is worth taking for what I can achieve by doing so."
From the prime minister's office to town halls, Japanese authorities told CNN they have no provisions for dealing with animals when their owners are ordered to clear out -- orders that have been expanded to other towns around the crippled power plant, which has been emitting radioactive particles since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that knocked out its coolant systems.
Gallaon-Aoki called that "unforgivable."
"I understand they have a huge problem as far as people are concerned. They are dealing with a lot," she said. "But, I mean, there are people and groups who would be willing to help, and surely they could kind of set some sort of well-coordinated effort."
The fate of the tethered beagle Ogawa and Toyoda captured on video was not known early Thursday.CNN...
Pet rescuers brave Fukushima danger zone
From Kyung Lah and Whitney... more
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Welfare groups race to rescue Japan's abandoned animals
By Mark Tutton for CNN
March 17, 2011 9:29 a.m. EDTTwo women walk in a tsunami devastated street in Hishonomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on March 15, 2011.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
World Vets group assisting animal rescue efforts in Japan
Many people leaving the country are leaving their pets behind
Japanese animal welfare groups trying to house abandoned pets
Fears that Japan's animal shelters will be overwhelmed
(CNN) -- While rescue workers continue to search for human survivors in the rubble of buildings destroyed by Japan's earthquake and tsunami, animal welfare groups are leading efforts to rescue Japan's animals.
Isabella Gallaon-Aoki of Animal Garden Niigata is currently in Sendai, a coastal city badly damaged by the tsunami.
"The animals are dying by the day," she said.
"It's cold here, they have no food. Dogs in Japan can be tied up, especially in rural areas, and the dogs who are tied have no chance of foraging for food or anything so I'm sure they're in a pretty desperate condition."
But Gallaon-Aoki says efforts to rescue animals in the region have so far been hindered by a severe fuel shortage and damage to roads, which has made it difficult to access coastal areas.
"So far we've seen the very worst areas where there is basically nothing -- I mean everything has been completely wiped out, there's no sign of life at all, it was total destruction," she said.
"What we're going to do from now on is go out to the areas where we think animals have been left and we're hoping there's a chance we can find some alive."
Animal Garden Niigata is being assisted by a volunteer veterinarian from U.S. organization World Vets.
World Vets CEO Cathy King said: "It's probably going to be a few days before there's going to be a lot of serious animal rescue going on inside the main disaster zone because access is so restricted, and obviously the focus right now is on finding any people that might be there.
There are a lot of people -- especially foreigners -- fleeing the country and leaving their animals behind.
--Cathy King CEO, World Vets
"But one of the really big issues is that there are a lot of people -- especially foreigners -- fleeing the country and leaving their animals behind.
"Shelters are getting calls from people saying 'I'm on my way to the airport, I'm leaving, I have four dogs left in my apartment and my neighbor has the key.'
"The urgent thing right now is taking care of those animals."
David Wybenga, an American living in Japan, is the director of Japan Cat Network, based in Shiga Prefecture, about 550 kilometers south-west of Sendai.
His group has joined forces with Animal Garden Niigata and animal welfare group HEART-Tokushima to form Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support.
Wybenga agreed that the biggest challenge at this stage is helping animals left behind by those escaping the disaster.
He said: "What has emerged is that people in less affected areas are deciding to leave those areas: some embassies have decided to call back their nationals, some international schools have decided to close, some educational programs have said, 'this is enough let's bring you all back.'
"Suddenly they have to leave and depending on the country you have to go to there are procedures for traveling with a cat or dog, and if you're leaving suddenly you're probably not ready -- you don't have the necessary papers.
We will do our best to take their pets and hopefully to reunite them with them when they return.
--David Wybenga, director, Japan Cat Network
"We are trying to reach out to those kinds of folks and we will do our best to take their pets and hopefully to reunite them with them when they return, but that's going to be something with a lot of unknowns."
King said World Vets has previous experience helping animals after natural disasters, including working in Haiti after its earthquake last year, and in the United States in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
She said one problem that emerged after Katrina was that because pets were rescued by different groups and taken to different locations, their owners were often unable to trace them, meaning the animals had to be adopted.
It's a scenario King wants to avoid in Japan. She said a priority would be to set up a centralized database of rescued animals, containing information about where and when they were found and where they were taken.
She added that World Vets has four teams of four volunteers -- veterinarians, translators and animal workers with experience of natural disasters -- on standby, ready to fly to Japan once it has identified where their expertise is most needed and will be most effective.
King believes that in the weeks to come their efforts will include helping agricultural animals as well as pets, a situation that will strain the resources of Japanese animal welfare groups.
"Really the biggest issue is that these shelters are all going to be totally overwhelmed with animals," said King.
"The groups have areas for sheltering animals but they're already filling up. They've reached out to us -- they need some kind of warehouse or prefabricated buildings or enclosures where they can start housing animals in individual cages -- so we're trying to help them with finding that."
She added: "Pets are very meaningful to people in Japan. People love their dogs and cats there -- a lot of people have pets that are part of the family."Welfare groups race to rescue Japan's abandoned animals
By Mark Tutton for CNN... more
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Separation Anxiety and Pets
By | September 8, 2008 4:46 PM
Now that the summer is over, with school and work schedules back in full swing, many pet owners find it difficult to arrange sufficient quality time to spend with their beloved “fur kids”. Our pets dearly look up to us, and they value our company very deeply. They may not understand why they are being left alone for long periods, and some pets can become anxious.
Dogs who develop separation anxiety can demonstrate destructive behaviors; chewing on furniture, barking constantly, pace, ruin plants and scratch at doors and windows. Often these anxious dogs whine loudly, which of course is highly disturbing to neighbors. Dogs are pack animals, so most of them long to be in the presence of their companion humans all the time. After all, we are part of their pack, and our presence is necessary.
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Depending on the breed, most adult dogs over the age of twelve to sixteen months, can do well being left alone for 8 hours or more, providing they have access to an area for elimination. Doing some research about your dog breed's characteristic is helpful in assessing any behavior problems.
Some dogs become bored and miss their humans, but they do not succumb to separation anxiety. Dogs that are affected however will become visibly anxious as we prepare leave. As we approach the door to depart, the dog may attempt to follow us out of the house. Once the door has closed behind us, we may even hear them scratching and whining. Some dogs who have experienced a traumatic event, a burglary, a thunderstorm or earthquake or fire, or who have been placed in several homes, may be fearful that this event may recur without our being there to protect them.
Of course, not all misbehavior is due to separation anxiety. Some high-spirited dogs, may rummage destructively through the house, like a young child left on its own. This is a training issue, which needs to be addressed differently. A happy dog who is thrilled to have free rein to cavort and play freely, will appear relaxed and happy, while the dog with separation anxiety will appear nervous and perhaps even frantic.
Cats on the other hand, generally do not howl or whine when they are anxious about being alone. Separation anxiety in either species may be caused by being overly dependent on others, and having low self-confidence. Oriental breeds, such as Siamese, Oriental Shorthairs and Burmese may more genetically pre-disposed to separation anxiety than other breeds whose temperaments are not as sensitive. Additionally, kittens that were weaned too early, orphaned kittens and kittens purchased in pet-stores are also more susceptible to separation anxiety.
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Symptoms of separation anxiety in cats range from sulking, pacing, excessive meowing and refusing to eat when left alone for long periods. Some cats will follow us from room to room, as we prepare to leave, vocalizing their distress. One of the more common expressions of separation anxiety is the highly frustrating one of sudden inappropriate elimination which may take the form of urine spraying to mark their territory and urinating on clothing, bed sheets and other personal affects of their owner. Some cats leave fecal markings deposited around the house as well. These behaviors are strong signals communicated to owners that their cat is overly anxious when left alone. Some cats engage in the displacement behavior of compulsive self-grooming. If left untreated, the cat may continue this "habit" even in the presence of the owner. This can sometimes escalate to self-mutilative behavior, which can lead to open sores that need veterinary intervention. Providing your cat with an enriched environment in which to hang out may be very helpful. A high perch cat-tree near a window gives the cat a place to look out on the world and enjoy the scenery and some interactive toys left in strategic places gives them the opportunity to "hunt" to relieve boredom and stress. I also leave my radio on for my cats, tuned to a public radio station with music and talk shows, which they seem to enjoy.
It is essential, however, not to dismiss these untoward behaviors as simply separation anxiety. These behaviors may also be the sign of a developing medical condition, which needs to be addressed immediately by your veterinarian. Once medical conditions are ruled out, your veterinarian may prescribe medications to help alleviate the stress your pets experience when alone. There are some excellent drugs available now which are quite helpful. Your veterinarian may also suggest that you consult with an animal behaviorist as well.
With patience and consistency, we can help our pets to be more comfortable and to feel safer when we are away. Taking swift, appropriate action is the key to success.Separation Anxiety and Pets
By | September 8, 2008 4:46 PM
Now that the summer is... 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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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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SWAT team breaks into home, fires seven rounds at family’s pit bull and corgi (?!) as a seven-year-old looks on.
They found a “small amount” of marijuana, enough for a misdemeanor charge. The parents were then charged with child endangerment.
So smoking pot = “child endangerment.” Storming a home with guns, then firing bullets into the family pets as a child looks on = necessary police procedures to ensure everyone’s safety.
(video below the fold)
This is what happens when you give a bunch of cowboy assholes heavy weapons and fill them with a God complex. Although I’m sure Joe Lieberman would suggest we strip this family of their citizenship.
Oddly enough, I doubt the tea partiers screaming about individual liberty will notice this. After all, it isn’t like the cops were going to raise their taxes or provide them with affordable healthcare coverage. They were just shooting his dogs in front of his family and then made up some bullshit excuse to try to take away the kid. No big deal.SWAT team breaks into home, fires seven rounds at family’s pit bull and corgi... more
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Gov. Bill Ritter is signing a measure that will provide animals and pets protection from domestic abusers.
The measure being signed Monday would allow judges to order suspected domestic abusers in Colorado to stay away from family
pets and livestock.
Democratic Sen. Linda Newell says domestic abusers can harm or
threaten to harm pets as well livestock to intimidate their victims. Advocates say some are afraid to leave abusive homes out of fear for the animals they may have to leave behind.
RELATED NEWS:
Candlelight Vigil Planned for Buddy the Dog
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo (KKCO) -- A candlelight vigil has been planned for Buddy the dog, just days before his alleged killer is expected to enter a guilty plea.
The vigil will take place on Tuesday, April 27th in front of the Buddy memorial at the Roice-Hurst Humane Society. Organizers say a short memorial ceremony will start at around 7:30pm.
Earlier this year, the German Shepard - Blue Heeler mix was stolen from his owners, then dragged to death on the Colorado National Monument.
Steven Romero -- the man arrested for Buddy's death -- had intially pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated animal cruelty. However, the U.S. Attorney's office says he will change that plea when he appears in a federal court in Denver on April 29.
VIDEOS:
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/90720409.html
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/90639269.htmlGov. Bill Ritter is signing a measure that will provide animals and pets protection... more
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The junk food and poor eating habits affecting humans is also killing their four-legged pals, say veterinary surgeons and experts.
Allergies and obesity are reducing the life expectancy of Lassies and Mittens nourished worldwide on industrial foodstuffs, said Gerard Lippert, a Belgian acupuncturist for animals who has just completed a study on the diets of 600 dead dogs.
“Pets, like humans, are victims of junk food,” he said.
Of the 600 furry corpses he examined “those fed on processed foods died three years earlier than those fed on food made in the home.”
Dogs, he said, “originally were omnivores who shared their food with humans.”
Rippert said he was increasingly called on to heal skin, motor and digestive problems as acupuncture was an all-embracing method enabling work on practically all organs.
“Dry dog food and cat food croquettes are overheated, which destroys vitamins, trace elements and other basic nutritional elements,” he said.
“We don’t know the origin of the proteins in the foods,” he said. “And there’s an excessive amount of cereal, often genetically modified, and very little vegetables.”
*Follow linked page for more - http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2010/04/13/2003470434The junk food and poor eating habits affecting humans is also killing their... more
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After an increase in adverse reactions from spot-on (which are dispensed between the shoulders or along the back) flea and tick medications, the EPA is taking a closer look at them.After an increase in adverse reactions from spot-on (which are dispensed between the... more
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There's no simple carrot-and-stick solution, but a caring home would be nice
By JONATHAN LLOYD
Updated 2:01 PM PDT, Fri, Mar 26, 2010
The bunny boom at Long Beach City College has come to this.
Furry-ous campus officials posted signs that make it clear: "RABBIT DROP-OFFS ARE PROHIBITED ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS... PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE RABBITS AT LBCC."
The smaller print: "Long Beach City college is NOT a sanctuary for rabbits or any other domestic animal. Anyone who abandons an animal is subject to a $500 fine and/or up to six months in jail."
It goes on the mention California Penal Code Sec. 597S, to be known from now on as Thumper's Law.
School officials said there were at least 300 rabbits -- at last count -- hopping around the campus' grassy areas. Knowing rabbits, that number has increased. That's a lot of digging and chewing, most of it resulting in damage to the campus' landscaping.
But the real threat is to the bunnies -- these rabbits were pets who became used to the domestic lifestyle. Things can get wild on a college campus.
"People are under the false impression that LBCC is a safe haven for rabbits so they tend to drop them off when they are no longer wanted as family pets," said Jacque Olson, a LBCC employee who has provided care for the rabbits. "Unfortunately, the rabbits live in unsafe conditions and are injured and preyed upon by predators because they were bred to be pets."
Veterinarians are attempting to spay-neuter the animals. Volunteers collect the rabbits, take then to the vet and become bunny foster parents after surgery.
"These bunnies are so happy and relaxed to be in a sheltered environment," Diane McClure, a professor of veterinary medicine at Western University, told the LA Times. "They deserve to have a forever home."
To adopt a bunny, first consider the consequences of adopting a bunny. If you're ok with that, contact Jacque Olson at jolson@lbcc.edu or 562-938-4370, or Donna Prindle at dprindle@lbcc.edu or 562-938-4356.
First Published: Mar 26, 2010 8:03 AM PDTThere's no simple carrot-and-stick solution, but a caring home would be nice
By... more
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Whether it's a grieving dog, a depressed horse or even a whale mysteriously beaching itself, there is a long history of animals behaving suicidally, behavior that can help explain human suicide, says newly published research.
The idea that animals could actually be very good models for human suicide started to take root in the 20th century, said Edmund Ramsden, one of the study's authors.
If animals can be deliberately self-destructive, they could also then help us to better understand the same behaviors in humans, argue the study's authors, Ramsden, of the University of Exeter in the U.K. and Duncan Wilson of the University of Manchester.
"You begin to challenge the definition of suicide. The body and mind are so damaged by stress and so it leads to self destruction. It's not necessarily even a choice," he said.
There are many stories of animal suicide dating back centuries. In 1845, for example, the Illustrated London News reported a "Singular Case of Suicide" involving a "fine, handsome and valuable black dog, of the Newfoundland species." The dog had for days been acting less lively than usual, but then was seen "to throw himself in the water and endeavor to sink by preserving perfect stillness of the legs and feet."
The dog was rescued and tied up. But as soon as he was released he entered the water again and tried to sink himself. This occurred several times until at last the dog appeared to tire and "by dint of keeping his head determinedly under water for a few minutes, succeeded at last in obtaining his object, for when taken out this time he was indeed dead."
Such anecdotes tend to reflect the values of the societies they are from, said Ramsden.
In the 19th century animal suicides were often seen as acts of abuse, madness, love or loyalty — the same causes then given for human suicides. In earlier times, such qualities were denied, but animals were still used to help define suicide.
"For (St.) Augustine and (Thomas) Aquinas it goes against natural law and so goes against God's law," Ramsden told Discovery News. They called on the lack of suicide in Nature as proof that people should not kill themselves.
"...suicide is contrary to the inclination of nature," Aquinas wrote.Whether it's a grieving dog, a depressed horse or even a whale mysteriously... more
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March 10, 4:59 PMMinneapolis Pets ExaminerMike Fry
PART ONE...
Myth: Noun - A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.
Meme: Noun - A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another
Zeitgeist: Noun - The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation
In 2005 a grotesque news story broke about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Two employees for the national animal rights group were charged with 31 counts each of felony animal cruelty after authorities found the bodies of 18 animals just “rescued” by PETA in a dumpster. Thirteen more dead animals were found in a “euthanasia van” registered to the organization.
As this disturbing story unfolded, more shocking information came to light: the animals killed by PETA staff were generally healthy and some were in no danger at the time they were killed. One group of animals, a mother cat and her kittens, were turned over to PETA by a veterinary clinic where they were available for adoption. The felines were healthy and well cared for by all accounts.
To get the vet clinic to release the cats PETA told the veterinary staff they planned to find homes for the felines. However, the kitties were killed in one of PETA’s mobile euthanasia vans moments later -- right there in the parking lot. The bodies of the cats were some of those found in dumpsters.
More shocking still: this was apparently not an isolated case of fringe employees going off-script. USDA documents were uncovered showing that PETA consistently kills between 88% and 97% of the animals it “rescues” each year.
When all was said and done cruelty charges against the PETA employees were dropped. Because they used lethal injection to kill the critters, and because lethal injection is classified as an appropriate means to dispatch unwanted pets, prosecutors could not make cruelty charges stick. Ultimately, the only convictions that resulted from this case were trespassing and illegal disposal of animal carcasses in dumpsters.
Rather than distancing themselves from the horrendous acts of these employees PETA called the deaths compassionate and necessary. PETA blamed the deaths of these animals on “pet overpopulation,” a national tragedy that many animal welfare advocates say results in deaths of about 4 million healthy dogs and cats in animal shelters every year.
“Pet overpopulation” is a phrase repeated with much regularity by those who work and volunteer in animal shelters and rescue groups, so much so that the notion that there are too many animals and not enough homes has generally not been questioned. The single piece of data used to define the problem has been the numbers of animals killed in shelters. Rarely has the question been asked, “what if these deaths are caused by something else?”
Recently data from a variety of sources has begun pointing to the fact that deaths in animal shelters are not due to a problem of animal overpopulation. The data suggests the actual problem may be more insidious.
The most compelling data suggesting that pet overpopulation is a myth comes out of a study jointly commissioned by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council. The study concluded that every year about 21 million families bring a new dog or cat into their homes. To put that number into perspective, the total number of dogs and cats that enter animal shelters is around 8 million.
Because not all animals that enter animal shelters need new homes - some need to be reunited with their families and a small percentage (around 7%) need to be humanely euthanized due to terminal illness or severe behavior problems - the actual number of animals entering shelters that need new homes each year is estimated to be between 4 million and 5 million. In other words, there are about four times as many homes looking to acquire a new dog or cat than there are dogs and cats needing new homes.
CONTINUED...March 10, 4:59 PMMinneapolis Pets ExaminerMike Fry
PART ONE...
Myth: Noun - A... more
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The Companion Animal Protection Society (www.CAPS-web.org) organized this multi-org protest to uphold CA Supreme Court Law, making history for animal rights in the state of California.
This store is supplied by puppy mills in the Midwest with many USDA violations. It is unconscionable to breed, sell or buy, while 5 million companion animals die in our nation's shelters every year.
Puppy mill fronts will no longer be able to hide inside CA malls as they have before this peaceful assembly by concerned citizens.The Companion Animal Protection Society (www.CAPS-web.org) organized this multi-org... more
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Barkworks Chain Sells Puppy Mill Puppies
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - December 17, 2009) -
WHO: Deborah Howard, Founder and President of the Companion Animal
Protection Society (CAPS). Carole Davis, West Coast Director
of CAPS and organizer of the Barkworks protest. More than 75
protesters will be participating in this landmark event.
CAPS, www.caps-web.org, is the only national non-profit
organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals
from cruelty in pet shops and puppy mills.
WHAT: CAPS is conducting a pro-adoption/anti puppy mill awareness boycott
of Barkworks, a pet shop chain that sells dogs from puppy mills --
commercial breeding facilities that mass produce dogs for resale.
This is a landmark demonstration for the California animal
protection movement because pet shops that sell puppy mill dogs
inside shopping malls, have, until now, been immune to the
increasing public outcry over the puppy mill issue. This peaceful
demonstration will open the doors of every mall in the state of
California to animal welfare activists who will bravely uphold
California Supreme Court Law.
Local activists will be gathering in front of Barkworks in silence
to grieve for the millions of companion animals who died this year
in our nation's shelters because there are not enough homes for
them. Animal welfare activists are asking shoppers to be mindful
that over 60% of pets are bought during the weeks leading to
Christmas and that the true spirit of Christmas is in giving -- as
in giving a homeless pet a loving home. During this severe economic
downturn, we are asking people to help our community by adopting a
companion animal from our local shelters.
The activists are also upholding a California Supreme Court
decision, which, until now, has remained untested by the animal
protection movement. This landmark boycott will open the doors
for activism and free speech on private property. After Saturday,
stores that sell puppy mill dogs will no longer be able to prevent
protests inside California's malls.
WHEN: Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 2:30 pm
WHERE: Barkworks, 10800 West Pico Blvd., #391, Los Angeles, CA 90064 in the
West Side Pavilion
WHY: Barkworks sells dogs from puppy mills. CAPS has evidence from USDA
inspection reports of inhumane treatment in puppy mills that supply
Barkworks.
According to Carole Raphaelle Davis, West Coast Director of CAPS,
author of "The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife" and
investigative reporter for American Dog Magazine, "Saturday is a
history-making day for the animal protection movement. Pet shops
are routinely defrauding customers by telling them, like Barkworks
has told CAPS' under-cover operatives, that the dogs sold in the
store are 'family-raised in homes.' The parents of the dogs sold
in pet shops are treated inhumanely, raised like livestock and
bred like machine parts until they die. The public is becoming
increasingly aware of the cruelty of the pet industry and the
California stores selling the offspring of this cruel business,
after Saturday, will no longer be able to hide from the truth
inside the malls."
About CAPS
Founded by President Deborah Howard in 1992, Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy mills. CAPS actively addresses the abuse and suffering of pet shop and puppy mill dogs through investigations, education, media relations, legislative involvement, puppy mill dog rescues, consumer assistance and pet
http://www.csindy.com/imager/mill_treatment/b/original/1143435/931f/9a20_cover-27394.jpegBarkworks Chain Sells Puppy Mill Puppies
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - December... more
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