Anytime, Anywhere, Any Job

Thank you to the Hyannis Police and Fire Departments for a job well done!

via WCVB.com



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Noah's Ark Rescue Needs Your Vote Now

This is the group that helped Miley/Smiley, Sydney, and many others who have needed extensive medical assistance, but who pulled through and are in loving situations at long last.

The funds from the shelter challenge mean a lot to us helping more abuse cases. Please, cast your vote for Noah's Arks Rescue, Okatie, SC 29909. They are in first place in South Carolina. These funds mean a great deal to them.

Thanks for your daily vote. It literally takes 30 seconds. It could mean thousands of dollars for Noah's Ark Rescue.






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Give Thanks On Memorial Day

A old post on dogs in war and the soldiers that handled them. Notice all the pits!

Consider fostering the dog, cat, or other small animal for a soldier while they are deployed overseas.  The most excellent Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet (GASP) is a reliable organization (click the link or the logo in the left column of this blog).  Here is an interview I did with them a couple of years back which explains exactly what they do. You would do a great service to a soldier by giving them enormous peace of mind while they are working on behalf of our country. So many feel they have no option but to bring their dog to a shelter. Owner surrenders are put down first, since the shelter knows no one is looking for them. You would be making a lasting contribution and not only saving a pet's life, but helping to preserve the mental well being of the soldier. There have been many happy reunions thanks to GASP.

Other old posts about the value of the relationship between dogs and soldiers:

Dogs helping soldiers cope.
Dogs helping soldiers stay alive.
Dogs helping soldiers cope AND stay alive.

Have a Happy Memorial Day!  Please give thanks to those who have made our lives possible by making the ultimate sacrifice for others.


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Please Sign Petition To Establish National Animal Abuse Registry

Le'ts make Congress work for their money!

Go here and sign now.

People that abuse animals move on to abusing people before too long. Let's stop them in their tracks. Let's stop them because they animals need us to speak up for them!

Suffolk County, Long Island (NY) has been way ahead of the curve!



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About The Size Of It

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Pig Ear Treat Recall

Go here for details.

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Dedicated Dog

Wow, this story just blew me away. A terrible pun, but there's no other way of putting it.

"This is probably the most dramatic we've seen as far as an injury in an animal that's survived this long. It's kind of tapering off, the amount of animals we're seeing because of the storm. For an animal just to show up on someone's porch after this time was pretty remarkable, especially with the condition he's in," added Phil Doster, also with the shelter.

Thank You God for connecting Mason and his family, and I hope he can stay with them.


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Compassion Program in NYC Animal Care and Control (AC&C)... the Yin to the Yang of Emily Tanen Being Fired

These people are hardcore. Take a look. Absolutely admirable. These people go into the "belly of the beast" as far as I'm concerned. But it's not the dogs that are the beasts... it's our national penchant for buying animals when so many die in shelters.

Every night one of nine people show up at the Animal Care and Control center in New York to spend the night, and create a lasting memory for a dog who will be euthanized the following morning. Whether it is a long walk, a special treat, or just time spent cuddling, members of the Compassion Program make it their priority to ensure the dog is happy and loved on his final night.

As a person who never thought she could even walk the dogs at a shelter, and now I (with the help of other volunteers) manage my way through that, this is The Brass Ring -- not only of what needs to be done for shelter dogs but it is truly the hardest thing there is to do. I respect these people so much.

To be clear, NewYork City's Animal Care & Control partners with many non-profits and even spontaneously-started citizen efforts that provide comfort to the system's animals, like the Compassion Program, started four years ago by people who wanted to provide love during an animal's last moments. You can visit the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals to get more info on all the groups and people that partner. It is a truly impressive consortium of organizations working on behalf of the animals in NYC's shelters.

But every good thing has a bad side, right?  Coins have two sides. This week Manhattan Animal Care & Control (AC&C) did something right and they did something wrong.

The Compassion Program and it's fine work does not un-do the recent firing of an animal advocate at NYC's AC&C. Her name is Emily Tanen (from the New Hope Program) and not only did she help partner with local rescue organizations that adopted out the many dogs on the nightly euthanization list at Manhattan's AC&C, but she took beautiful photos of dogs who needed exposure with the public. Those efforts lead to many dogs being adopted. People cannot respond to a dog in need if they don't know she/he exists. I responded to the picture taken of my Mr. Wiggins (from a gassing shelter in Lousiana) and it prompted me to get on a plane to get him. I'll always be grateful to Bonnie E. on Facebook, who "shared" my little guy and pitched for his life to be saved.

Emily Tanen's story has been told by Penny Eims, nationally-known animal advocate and writer of a column for the National Examiner. You might consider writing a note on her behalf. Penny provides the address of NYC's Mayor and various appropriate parties. Many of us are angry Emily Tanen was fired, and are concerned dogs will now not get enough exposure to get adopted. Remember the slide I posted that showed the rate of euthanization going down in NYC? That success will be in jeopardy now.

Here are two graphs from New Hope's own site. These demonstrate the success that can be had when rescue groups and animal shelters are closely connected, and when animal's stories get told.

Please take a moment and protest Emily's firing.

From Penny's article about Emily Tanen:

If you would like to take part in bringing this situation to the attention of officials in the area, please do one or all of the following:

Sign the petition (there are currently 3,930 signatures on it and the goal is 10,000)... please pass this around!

Email Julie Bank, Director of NY ACC at jbank@nycacc.org

Drop Mayor Bloomberg a note at mbloomberg@cityhall.nyc.gov

Send Jane Hoffman (Mayor's Alliance) an email at info@animalalliancenyc.org

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Broken - A Book About Dogs

I was reading the blog of one of my favorite groups that does amazing work, Rolling Dog Ranch in New Hampshire, and they mentioned this cool effort. Someone is writing a book about disabled dogs and is requesting stories. Good stories. Not your basic "my dog is great," but something compelling which tells the story of the unexpected riches of having an imperfect dog.

Check it out. I may write about little Renaldo, who - in his separation anxiety, fueled by being both deaf and abandoned twice at the shelter, broke out of my Mother's house to look for me. (Broke out, as in knocked the screen out of the kitchen window and was patrolling the neighborhood!)  Good thing he was tagged (and microchipped!) and Mom has an alert neighbor.


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A Lot Going On In China This Week

Two stories to share. Then I will get off the China kick for a bit.

One about a guy who didn't know who he was messing with!  I think the Heroes of this story (aka Netizens) are the same in the last post I made, about the dogs rescued by Good Non-Dog-Eating People in China.

The second China article is about a One Dog Rule, something similar to the One Child Rule. They are kind of heavy handed over there, me thinks. Ostensibly, they are saying it's to cut down on rabies, but why not just vaccinate?





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Thank You God

"Chinese dogs saved from cooking pot."

I have said before and I'll say now that I have no interest in traveling to China or even to Southeast Asia. It's just too likely I'll run into this, and then I'll be in a Chinese jail. I applaud these fine Chinese citizens, who deal with something beyond unsavory, pun intended!  I know the animal loving community there has been protesting the treatment of dogs and cats for a while, but it's good to see in real terms that some of them were saved.  Don't let anyone tell you "they don't really eat dog in China."

The China Daily quoted activists as saying many of the dogs still had collars with bells and name tags, indicating they had been stolen from their owners and that the trucking company transported a load of dogs to Jilin each week.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/animals/chinese-dogs-saved-from-cooking-pot-20110418-1dld9.html#ixzz1LwjtVvQK

Each week.




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You Heard About This, Right?

Hero Dog Helps Snare Osama

by Laura Caroe of The Sun (in the UK)

And here is another article by the NY Times about it.

 

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Happy Mother's Day To All The Moms Out There

Enjoy this from Animal Planet.



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BEFORE I WAS A DOG MOM  

Before I was a Dog Mom: I made and ate hot meals unmolested; I had unstained, unfurred clothes; I had quiet conversations on the phone, even if the doorbell rang. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I slept as late as I wanted and never worr...ied about how late I got to bed . . . or if I could get into my bed. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I cleaned my house everyday, I never tripped over toys, stuffies, chewies, or invited the neighbor's dog over to play. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I didn't worry if my plants, cleansers, plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or deodorant were poisonous or dangerous. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I had never been peed on, pooped on, drooled on, chewed on, or pinched by puppy teeth. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I had complete control of my thoughts, my body and my mind. I slept all night without sharing the covers or pillow. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I never looked into big, soulful eyes and cried. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop a hurt. I never knew something so furry and four-legged could affect my heart so deeply. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I had never held a sleeping puppy just because I couldn't put it down. I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was well. I didn't know how warm it feels inside to feed a hungry puppy. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important. Before I was a Dog Mom:  I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being A Dog Mom ~  

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Miss Sophie Needs a Home

Things are always tough when a shelter is crowded. This dog, Miss Sophie, is a favorite of mine. She is actually the first pitbull I ever walked, so in her own way was a breed ambassadoor.

If you are interested in Miss Sophie, give Leslie - the Adoption Coordinator at Yonkers Animal Shelter - a call. You won't be sorry with this girl. I wish I could adopt her myself. She gives kisses, is sweet as can be, and would be a totally loyal and happy pet. My thought is that if I hit lotto, I would buy a house for Sophie. In the meantime, come to Yonkers, NewYork and meet her!

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Pitbull Signing The Blues

You have to see this.

It's my personal dedication to Miss Healy, who died last week. She was a favorite of mine at the shelter.

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Abused Dog Dies From Its Injuries

Remember this putz?

Well, the little dog he beat up died of kidney failure just this week.

If it weren't illegal to off someone like him, I think many of us would step forward.

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