V for Vegan: easyVegan.info » pets

Tell them stories! Also: vegan experts needed, VegListings, and shopping vegan on etsy.

Kelly Garbato — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:11 +0000

Emma loves her papa!
CC image via flickr user Vegan Flower (Molly!).
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Hey there lovely people! I have a homework assignment for the dog people in the audience. Don’t worry, it’s short and kind of sweet and won’t distract from your holiday festivities. Dr. Frank McMillan at Best Friends Animal Society is studying human-nonhuman bonding and, as part of his background research, is soliciting stories of love and devotion from those who share their lives with dogs. How do you know that your dog friend loves you? The answer can be short or long-form, simple or multifaceted. Just TELL HIM STORIES! (Always quote His Dark Materials. ALWAYS!)

Here’s the call for submissions, which appeared in the November/December 2011 issue of Best Friends magazine:

BEST FRIENDS NEEDS YOUR HELP

If you have a dog who expresses love toward you, we would like to hear your story.

In a very special new study, we are looking in-depth at the emotions of bonding and affection – love – shown by dogs toward their human companions. For background research, we would like to collect stories of dogs’ expressions of love. The story could be about a single incident of your dog’s show of love and devotion, or the ways your dog demonstrates love within your overall relationship. It could simply be an answer to the question: How do you know your dog loves you? If you would like to share your story, please email it to Dr. Frank McMillan at dr.frank@bestfriends.org.

You may recall that I’ve written about Dr. McMillan’s research previously in this here space; see, e.g. Scientists, Poets, Changemakers and Heroes (Volunteer Opportunities & Action Alerts). (Wow, has it been two years already?) Participating in vegan-friendly research projects such as this is an awesome and fun way to contribute to science. And easy, too!

Dr. McMillan posts notices of current research opportunities in Best Friends magazine, which comes “free” with a $25 donation to Best Friends. (We made a donation in Ozzy’s name for their annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony.) In the future, I’ll try to relay new notices as quickly as possible, for those who don’t get the magazine. Forgetting is easy, since a) I tend to let my subscription lapse and b) the notices are somewhat inconspicuous and easy to miss! But I’ll do better, I promise. This stuff is important, yo!

While we’re doing the bulletin board thing, joyful vegan goddess Colleen Patrick-Goudreau recently posted this notice on her FB page:

Call for vegan experts: I’m building a directory of everything from vegan wellness practitioners (chiropractors, acupuncturists, dietitians, naturopaths, nutritionists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, massage therapists, veterinarians) to vegan cooking class instructor and chefs. Wherever you are, if you are vegan and fall into any of the first categories, please email lisa@compassionatecooks.com so we can include you. If you teach cooking classes or have a catering company or are a personal chef, please email colleendavis@compassionatecooks.com. We need the city and state your in, your name, and your website! PLEASE PASS IT ON!

Also, VegListings is a newish directory for vegetarian and vegan businesses; it might come in handy for shoppers as well as business owners, especially with the holidays fast approaching! In the past I’ve put together social justice-themed buying guides; this year, I briefly considered compiling a list of vegan shops on etsy (love me some etsy!) – and then I stumbled upon the Vegan Etsy Team page, making my idea seem redundant.

…and I hope you will too!

So go, browse, buy (if you can). If not, maybe you’ll be inspired to give gifts crafted by your own two hands this holiday season. It’s fun!

(Image via Herbivore, by way of Vegan Etsy.)

No Kill Advocacy Center: Free Copies of Irreconcilable Differences to Elected Officials

Kelly Garbato — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:41:55 +0000

Last year, Nathan Winograd and the No Kill Advocacy Center offered up free copies of Winograd’s book Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America to any elected official who requested one. Since then, Winograd has released Irreconcilable Differences: The Battle for the Heart & Soul of America’s Animal Shelters, an anthology of essays related to animal rescue and the no-kill movement. As with Redemption, elected officials can receive a copy, free of charge.

The details and fine print:

The No Kill Advocacy Center is offering free copies of Irreconcilable Differences: The Battle for the Heart & Soul of America’s Animal Shelters to any elected official.

We need to change the way shelters operate and our director is willing to pay for it! He has generously donated “as many copies as it takes” of his award-winning book to get City Council Members, Members of the Board of Supervisors, Mayors, Assemblymen, Senators, County Commissioners, or any elected official to read it. All they have to do is ask for it.

If we receive a letter on official stationary from them asking for a copy, we’ll send it free, no strings attached.

Limitations:

1. Letter must be postmarked by April 30, 2010 and sent to our address.
2. Request must be on official stationary (No e-mails, telephone calls, or third-party requests).
3. One book per letter and per elected official.
4. This offer is only valid for elected officials in the U.S.
5. There are no exceptions or extensions.

Please let your elected officials know about this opportunity. A leader in the no-kill movement and a vegan, Winograd is a fierce and outspoken champion of nonhuman animals – of all species.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare book redemption nathan j. winograd pet companion animal dog canine cat feline animal shelter overpopulation adoption no-kill free flickr photos Irreconcilable Differences anthology

Odds & Ends: Flu Factories, Shelter “Pets” & JVM

Kelly Garbato — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:08:16 +0000

Here are a few links I’ve been sitting on for awhile. So much to discuss, so little time. Oh, the life of a B-list blogger!

In no particular order:

1. Flu Factories: Tracing the Origins of the Swine Flu Pandemic

Dr. Greger, whose Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching I reviewed several years back, was kind enough to send me a copy of his latest project, Flu Factories: Tracing the Origins of the Swine Flu Pandemic. Flu Factories is a one-hour presentation by Dr. Greger on the H1N1 influenza pandemic; it’s available for purchase on DVD, or for free viewing (in 40 parts!) on the HSUS’s website.

While I haven’t yet had a chance to view the entire video, if it’s anything like Bird Flu (and, judging from the chapter titles, there looks to be much crossover, particularly in the areas of biology and history), it’s bound to be both illuminating and terrifying. Although Dr. Greger doesn’t take an explicitly animal rights/vegan position in Bird Flu (nor do I know anything about his personal politics, his position at the HSUS notwithstanding), he does emphasize the role that factory farming – and, to a lesser extent, animal agriculture in general – plays in zoonotic diseases, including the influenza (avian and swine). If you can ignore the speciesism (e.g., in the quoted resources), it’s well worth a watch.

Embedded above is a clip from the presentation: Chapter 2, the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

2. The Shelter “Pet” Project

The HSUS, Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council have launched The Shelter Pet Project (SPP), a PSA campaign to encourage animal adoption. Here’s a brief intro, in video form, that explains the project.

Of course, you and I know that rescue animals aren’t damaged or defective, but probably a large chunk of the U.S. population (President Obama included) could stand to be re-educated. Indeed, the Shelter Pet Project identifies its primary demographic as

The “Swing Voter.” These are the approximately 17 million individuals who will be acquiring a pet within the next year, but remain undecided on where they will acquire their pet from.

If you know someone who plans to start or expand their nonhuman family – but insists upon buying a shiny new puppy or kitten – please refer them to the Shelter Pet Project, along with Petfinder, Adopt a Pet, Pet Ark and similar. Google is also helpful in locating species- and breed-specific rescue groups.

You can view the Shelter Pet Project’s PSAs here; the Ad Council also has a dedicated You Tube channel, which hosts all of its PSAs. I’m especially enamored of the pro- (human) adoption ads, which are crazybittersweet.

3. Jane Velez-Mitchell @ Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals in NYC (October 4, 2009)

I have few Issues with the ever-awesome Jane Velez-Mitchell: She’s a woman of color, a lesbian and recovering addict. She’s progressive: feminist, anti-racist, pro-LGBT rights, green – and, vegan, too! As HLN’s 7PM anchor, she uses her soapbox to advance a progressive agenda: every night she covers what she’s termed “the war on women” (oftentimes arguing with her male guests about the war’s very existence, even as female bodies dominate the screen beside her), and she’s quick to denounce her guests’s speciesist language and attitudes. Simply put, she’s one of a kind – there’s no journalist like Jane on any other cable news network. Not even close.

Velez-Mitchell attended and spoke at Farm Sanctuary’s recent Walk for Farm Animals in NYC. Here’s the footage:

Now tell me you didn’t get a little chill when she proclaimed, “My name is Jane Velez-Mitchell, I’m the host of Issues on Headline News, AND I’M A VEGAN!” Total We Can Do It moment.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare hsus michael greger swine flu bird flu h1n1 h5n1 factory farming videos jane velez-mitchell farm sanctuary walk for farm animals vegan veganism issues hln cnn the shelter pet project animal adoption dog canine cat feline psa the ad council maddie’s fund

Kinship Circle: Act/ Cop Shoots Deaf, 19-Year-Old Family Cat

Kelly Garbato — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:59:01 +0000

Astute readers may notice that I linked to this particular Kinship Circle alert several weeks ago as part of my weekly link roundup. Even so, since this shooting occurred in Raymore, Missouri – i.e., in my neck of the woods – I formatted and posted the alert in full on the KC Freecycle blog, and figured I may as well repost it here as well.

This is just one of several animal cruelty cases highlighted by Kinship Circle in the past month; see also:

10/20/09: Two Dogs Shot At Point Blank Range In New York

10/13/09: Get Serial Cat Killer Off New York Streets

If you choose to contact officials in any of these cases, feel free to append this animal abuse reference list to your correspondence.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Subject: Act/ Cop Shoots Deaf, 19-Year-Old Family Cat

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST
10/10/09: Cop Shoots Deaf, 19-Year-Old Family Cat

Tobey the cat who was shot and killed by Raymore, MO police. (source)

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EMAIL BLOCKS: Sample letter follows. Full contact info at end of alert.

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* TO SEND: COPY/PASTE EMAIL BLOCKS INTO BCC: LINE OF YOUR EMAIL
* TYPE YOUR OWN EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE TO: LINE
* COPY/PASTE SAMPLE LETTER INTO SAME EMAIL.
* Change some words, sign with your name/full address and send!

RAYMORE & CASS COUNTY, MISSOURI OFFICIALS:

info [at] hsmo.org, rmayberry [at] raymore.com, eberlin [at] raymore.com, jfeuerborn [at] raymore.com, jalonzo [at] raymore.com, john.seimears [at] yahoo.com, kkellogg [at] raymore.com, jeffreycox1 [at] comcast.net, mmedsker [at] hotmail.com, councilmanadams [at] yahoo.com, mlewis250 [at] comcast.net, chhubach77 [at] comcast.net, pkerckhoff [at] raymore.com, thensley [at] casscounty.com, hensley [at] casscounty.com

EMAIL HUMANE SOCIETY OF MISSOURI, THE INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY IN THIS CASE:

hsmo.convio.net/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1403&JServSessionIda012=pqwxgz88w1.app11d

***KINSHIP CIRCLE CANNOT GUARANTEE ALL EMAILS WILL WORK***
During campaigns, recipients may change or disable their email addresses.
Emails from government, corporate, or institute websites may be incorrect.

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ASK FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC): info [at] kinshipcircle.org

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Dear Humane Society Of Missouri, Cass County and Raymore, Missouri Officials:

I am shocked by the Labor Day 2009 shooting death of the Wesner family’s 19-year-old cat Tobey in Raymore, Missouri I understand a Raymore police officer fired two bullets into the elderly cat’s head, wrapped the body inside a plastic bag and tossed Tobey into a city dumpster.

As you know, Tobey had slipped out of his house and roamed into a nearby garage where a neighbor forced him out with hose spray. Raymore police were summoned to apprehend a “large, vicious, feral cat.” Though Kelly Wesner describes her six-pound cat as declawed, deaf, and on prescription meds — a supervisor directed an officer to “put [the cat] down” in a remote area. Unbelievably, no one involved with the cat’s slaying has been penalized.

I trust that an unbiased internal investigation is underway. If inquiries by the police department and/or Humane Society of Missouri warrant animal cruelty charges, these officers should be prosecuted under Missouri Revised Statues, Chapter 578. Punitive action is reasonable, whether Tobey’s killing stems from malicious intent or stupidity. At the very least, the unprovoked killing of a family’s companion animal denotes police misconduct.

When officers encounter any animal perceived as sick, aggressive, or feral — they should know how to neutralize the animal without resorting to lethal force. I commend Captain Roger Mayberry for arranging such training after Tobey’s death. Officers ought to be able to distinguish anxiety, fear and protective behaviors from genuinely hostile or diseased behavior. If they can’t, an experienced animal control officer needs to make that decision.

Circumstances in the case do not make sense. If police believe Tobey had rabies, why did they destroy his head and discard his remains? Certainly they know that the brain of any potentially rabid animal is preserved for analysis. Moreover, this was not their decision to make. Strays, even those deemed dangerous, are taken to shelters rather than gunned down in fields.

Armed law officers displayed an utter lack of judgment. Their response was inappropriate and demands your utmost attention. Please inform me of any progress in this disturbing case.

Thank you,

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FULL CONTACT INFORMATION

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Humane Society of Missouri
1201 Macklind Ave. / St. Louis, MO 63110
HSOM Rescues And Investigations Department: 314-647-4400
fax: 314-647-4317; email: info [at] hsmo.org
web contact form:

hsmo.convio.net/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&

SURVEY_ID=1403&JServSessionIda012=pqwxgz88w1.app11d

Captain Roger Mayberry, Acting Chief of Police
100 Municipal Circle / Raymore, Missouri 64083
ph: 816-331-0530; fax: 816-331-0564
email: rmayberry [at] raymore.com

Eric Berlin, Raymore City Manager
100 Municipal Circle / Raymore, MO 64083
ph: 816-892-3002; fax: 816-892-3056
email: eberlin [at] raymore.com

Jim Feuerborn, Assistant City Manager
ph: 816-892-3026; fax: 816-892-3056
email: jfeuerborn [at] raymore.com

Juan I. Alonzo, Mayor
109 N. Darrowby / Raymore, MO 64083
ph: 816-331-4504; email: jalonzo [at] raymore.com

Raymore City Council
100 Municipal Circle / Raymore, MO 64083
John Seimears, Ward 1 Council Member: john.seimears [at] yahoo.com
Kevin Kellogg, Ward 1 Council Member: kkellogg [at] raymore.com
Jeff Cox, Ward 2 Council Member: jeffreycox1 [at] comcast.net
Mike Medsker, Ward 2 Council Member: mmedsker [at] hotmail.com
Jeffrey Adams, Ward 3 Council Member: councilmanadams [at] yahoo.com
Monique Lewis, Ward 3 Council Member: mlewis250 [at] comcast.net
Charlene Hubach, Ward 4 Council Member: chhubach77 [at] comcast.net
Peter Kerckhoff, Ward 4 Council Member: pkerckhoff [at] raymore.com

Teresa Hensley, Cass County Prosecuting Attorney
Cass County Justice Center
2501 W. Wall Street, 2nd Floor / Harrisonville, MO 64701
ph: 816-380-8250; fax: 816-380-8252
email: thensley [at] casscounty.com, hensley [at] casscounty.com

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION / REFERENCE LINKS

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Kinship Circle member Carol McCormick
EndCruelty [at] aol.com

Raymore, Mo., police shooting of cat investigated

www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/pets/story/F3FC4DE15FD1E0738625762F008251C3?OpenDocument

Raymore police mistakenly kill family cat

www.kansascity.com/115/story/1437680.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_sub

Additional information from Kinship Circle Investigative Researcher

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SUBSCRIBE NOW – FOR BREAKING NEWS & ACTION:
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Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Aid Network: disasteraid [at] kinshipcircle.org
Animal rescue coordination/news in disasters + companion animal alerts

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*DISCLAIMER: The information in these alerts is verified with the original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information or for the consequences of its use. Nothing in this email is intended to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful activity. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alert kinship circle cat feline pet nonhuman animal animal companion tobey raymore missouri mo kansas city missouri kansas kcmo kcks Tobey Wesner police brutality police misconduct animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals flickr photos

Kinship Circle: Pass California Declaw Bans, So Other Cities Follow

Kelly Garbato — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:09:27 +0000

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Subject: Act/ Pass Calif Declaw Bans, So Other Cities Follow

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY / PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

10/8/09: Pass California Declaw Bans, So Other Cities Follow
**SEND COMMENTS BEFORE 10/27/09, WHEN SANTA MONICA MAY VOTE ON A BAN**

EVERYONE SHOULD SEND COMMENTS to Santa Monica and Malibu city officials.
Opposing lobbies such as the CVMA and SCVMA certainly will. Let’s be louder. Declawing hurts. It’s a “surgery of convenience” for people with no benefit for cats. Every city that bans it sets an example for the next city…

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EMAIL BLOCKS: Sample letter follows. Full contact info at end of alert.

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SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS:

richard.bloom [at] smgov.net, gleam.davis [at] smgov.net, robert.holbrook [at] smgov.net, kevin [at] mckeown.net, bobby.shriver [at] smgov.net, city [at] genser.org, pam.oconnor [at] smgov.net, manager [at] smgov.net, manager [at] smgov.net

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS:

astern [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, sbarovsky [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, jwagner [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, jsibert [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, pcu [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, jthorsen [at] ci.malibu.ca.us, mlinden [at] ci.malibu.ca.us

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ASK FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC): info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.

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Dear City Officials of Santa Monica and Malibu, California:

I thank both Santa Monica and Malibu City Council Members for their support of a ban on the declawing of cats. Your informed position on this inhumane practice is highly commendable. I urge officials in both cities to enact the proposed bans and thereby establish a precedent for communities worldwide.

Declawing is already illegal or restricted in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. The Humane Society of the United States and ASPCA oppose declawing. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons also rejects the operation, describing it as “mutilation.”

Overwhelming evidence shows declawing causes severe behavioral problems that often lead guardians to abandon their animals in overcrowded shelters. Undesirable behavior in 33% of declawed cats begins post-procedure, according to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association (JAVMA). National shelter surveys reveal that 70-80% of cats surrendered for offensive behavior are declawed.

San Francisco Care and Control, East Bay SPCA, Palo Alto Humane Society, and other shelters oppose declawing. Los Angeles SPCA portrays the act of declawing cats as “cruel, unnecessary, and inhumane.”

Cats with intact claws are relinquished for human-related reasons such as “moving” or “new baby,” whereas declawed felines enter shelters with behavioral issues, claims shelter director William Lombardi of Gloucester County, New Jersey. “When a cat is brought into the shelter because it is biting or (not using the litter box),” Lombardi says, “the first thing we ask is, ‘Is it declawed?’” For the estimated 70% of surrendered, declawed cats who are euthanized, the surgery is a literal death sentence.

Moreover, declawing generates suffering and permanent disability. The invasive procedure amputates not only the claw, but also the entire last “knuckle” of a cat’s toes. Veterinary experts recognize laser or scalpel declawing as among the most painful surgeries routinely performed.

When declaw bans reach the floor for a vote in Santa Monica and Malibu, I encourage both cities to endorse this model legislation.

Thank you,

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FULL CONTACT INFORMATION

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SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
1685 Main Street, Room 209 / Santa Monica, CA 90401
ph: 310-458-8201; fax: 310-458-1621

Mayor Ken Genser: city [at] genser.org
Mayor Pro Tempore Pam O’Connor: pam.oconnor [at] smgov.net
Councilmember Richard Bloom: richard.bloom [at] smgov.net
Councilmember Gleam Davis: gleam.davis [at] smgov.net
Councilmember Bobby Shriver: bobby.shriver [at] smgov.net

Councilmember Robert Holbrook
760 Ermont Place / Santa Monica, CA 90402
ph: 310-394-1094; fax: 310-393-7948, 310-393-7948
email: robert.holbrook [at] smgov.net

Councilmember Kevin McKeown
848-E 16th Street / Santa Monica, 90403
hm: 310-393-3639, wk: 310-458-1621; fax 310-393-3609
email: kevin [at] mckeown.net

City Manager P. Lamont Ewell: 310-458-8301; manager [at] smgov.net
Assistant City Manager Jennifer Phillips: manager [at] smgov.net

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS
CITY OF MALIBU
23815 Stuart Ranch Road / Malibu, CA 90265
ph: 310-456-2489; fax: 310-456-3356

Mayor Andy Stern: astern [at] ci.malibu.ca.us
Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Barovsky: sbarovsky [at] ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember Jefferson Wagner: jwagner [at] ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember John Sibert: jsibert [at] ci.malibu.ca.us
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich: pcu [at] ci.malibu.ca.us

City Manager Jim Thorsen: 310-456-2489 x226; jthorsen [at] ci.malibu.ca.us
Executive Assistant Mary Linden: 310-456-2489 x226; mlinden [at] ci.malibu.ca.us

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION / REFERENCE LINKS

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Kinship Circle member Armaiti May, DVM
kind_dvm [at] yahoo.com
The Paw Project

www.pawproject.com/

Declawing law may be clipped

www.smdp.com/pdf/092409.pdf

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts kinship circle brenda shoss animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals cat feline pet companion animal animal companion declawing california santa monica malibu flickr photos

IDA: Dennis Zeglin Shoots and Kills “Pet” Parrot; Calls Needed!

Kelly Garbato — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:32:50 +0000

I haven’t been able to find this alert on IDA’s website in order to link to it, and seeing as the deadline for taking action is this Wednesday, September 9, I’ve copied it below in its entirety.

For more on the case, search for “Dennis Zeglin” on Google news or at www.pet-abuse.com.

In particular, I find this snippet from the Bleacher Report extremely disturbing:

Mikey the parrot was instead autopsied by a local veterinarian. His owner was then charged with several counts of animal cruelty.

Since the filing of the charges, Zeglin has gone into counseling for his drinking problem. His attorney has also applied for Morris County’s Pre-Trial Intervention Program, which offers probation for first time offenders.

Zeglin is due back in court on Sept. 9.

Until that time, the local police have advised him that the next time another family pet, like his Labrador Retriever, or a family member bothers him during a NASCAR race, he should call animal control or the police instead of reaching again for his BB gun.

After brutally slaughtering the family’s “pet” bird, the local authorities left another “pet,” a dog, in Zeglin’s care, with advice to “call animal control” the next time he’s drinking, angry, and in possession of firearms. Jeez, officers, you’re beginning to make me feel as though you don’t take animal abuse seriously. I mean, WTF!?

While it’s great that Zeglin has sought counseling for alcoholism, animal abuse should preclude him from “owning” nonhuman animals, at least in the near future. Should Zeglin relapse, who will bear the brunt of his rage the next time around?

Zeglin, by the by, is from Morris County, New Jersey; methinks the local police need to be schooled about animal abuse as well.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: In Defense of Animals – idainfo [at] idausa.org
Date: Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Subject: Man Shoots and Kills Companion Parrot – Your Calls Needed!

YOUR CALLS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED or Mikey’s cruel killer may get away with murder!

While Watching TV, New Jersey Man Shoots and Kills Companion Parrot.

Terrified Mikey who was isolated in a cage and had no way to escape, was Zeglin’s innocent target.

On June 7th 2009, 67 year old Dennis Zeglin brutally shot and killed his family’s African Grey parrot with a Daisy Powerline Model 93 C02-powered BB gun. His wife called police and animal control officers were summoned to investigate.

Dennis Zeglin admitted to animal control officers that he shot Mikey in his cage because the bird “irritated” him while he was watching the NASCAR races on TV. According to reports, Zeglin had been drinking and was intoxicated when he fired the three shots that killed Mikey. Since the animal cruelty charges were filed, Zeglin has been undergoing counseling for his alcoholism according to Zeglin’s Defense Attorney, Stephen Fletcher. Fletcher also claims that Zeglin is a first time offender and has applied for an Intervention Probationary Program. This may suggest that Mikey’s cruel assailant may get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for brutally murdering an innocent, and highly intelligent creature.

Undisputed, scientifically proven evidence supports the link between violence to humans and violence to animals and we believe that Zeglin’s violent act could have easily been directed toward a human family member or their family dog.

Every year millions of captive birds suffer from abuse and neglect like Mikey. It is estimated that the majority of captive birds suffer and die prematurely, secretly and silently behind closed doors, from horrendous abuse, malnutrition, and starvation, and live in deplorable conditions, with no hope for rescue. It is also estimated that the majority of captive birds who do survive, suffer an entire lifetime of agony and loneliness.

What You Can Do

PLEASE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR MIKEY NOW!

Let his story remind you that millions of captive birds need your help before they endure similar tragedies.

Please call Judge Thomas Manahan and politely let him know that there is no excuse for animal abuse and urge him to sentence Zeglin to the fullest extent of the law, incarcerating Zeglin for his cruelty. Also request that Zeglin be required to undergo counseling and attend humane education classes.

Your voice must be heard before Zeglin’s court hearing, which is set for September 9, 2009.

Contact Judge Thomas Manahan
RE: Dennis Zeglin
Case # 09001561
(973) 656-4050

Go to IDA’s Exotic Birds Campaign site for more information on the captive bird crisis.

About IDA

In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa.

In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible.

In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031
idainfo [at] idausa.org

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Photo via the Bleacher Report.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts in defense of animals ida animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals pet companion animal animal companion bird pet bird parrot mikey Dennis Zeglin Morris County New Jersey NJ photo african grey parrot Thomas Manahan

Kinship Circle: Louisiana Vet Marcy Miranov “Kills Without Cause”

Kelly Garbato — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:47:39 +0000

I’m a little late in forwarding this alert from Kinship Circle, and in the interim, there’s been a development in the case. Not surprisingly, it hasn’t resulted in justice for the animals killed by veterinarian Marcy Miranov (and Dr. John Edwards, as well).

Reports The Times-Picayune:

Raw emotions and poor record-keeping triggered whirling accusations of animal cruelty at Jefferson Parish’s animal shelters, according to the results of an independent study released today.

But no laws were broken when 51 cats and dogs were euthanized on Aug. 13 at the parish’s Elmwood facility, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered. [...]

“Our report is not a glowing report about what’s going on in interoperation,” said Ana Zorrilla, chief executive officer of the state SPCA. “We certainly hope that it’s well received and we certainly hope that the public reads parts and pieces of it, that it’s really seen as an opportunity to improve those operations, not just as criticism or critique of what’s been going on there.”

The SPCA’s representatives worked in an atmosphere already emotionally charged by the abrupt resignation of the shelters’ director, Lee Ann Matherne. She quit the day before the animals were put down.

The most glaring problem appeared to be shoddy record-keeping and lackluster policy management, Zorrilla said. The shelters have four different written policies governing euthanasia. Each one says a different set of people need to approve each procedure.

As far as the SPCA could tell, none of them were being followed. But since none were being implemented, no policies were broken, Zorrilla said.

The SPCA report, however, dispelled several rumors that arose from that incident. Dr. Marci Miranov, the parish’s senior veterinarian in Marrero, had clearance to work at the Elmwood shelter, Zorrilla said. Her colleague, Dr. John Edwards, did not stop her from euthanizing the animals on Aug. 13, as some animal activists suspected. Rather, he assisted her in her work.

The cats put down that day had been sedated, Zorrilla said, contrary to reports that Miranov was lethally injecting the animals without killing the pain first.

The report also found the number of animals put down that day were average. Euthanasia sessions don’t occur daily, which accounts for larger numbers when one is conducted, officials said.

Zorrilla did say that the SPCA found that some of the animals killed that day were adoptable.

“Some were sick, some were feral, but some were strictly space conditions,” she said.

Parish President Aaron Broussard said he would be asking the Parish Council to enact several ordinances Wednesday that would go a long way to cleaning up the poor conditions at the shelters. Broussard has asked that the parish hire the American SPCA to take over the shelters for 90 days, that his administration begin searching for an outside group that could permanently run the facilities and that he enter negotiations to transfer the Marrero shelter to a new site – a former West Jefferson Medical Center clinic near the Oakwood Mall.

(Background here.)

If you choose to act on this alert, please take the SPCA’s findings and recommendations into account. In addition to turning control of the parish shelters over to an outside organization, please urge Jefferson Parish to work in concert with local animal rescue organizations in order to make NOLA a no-kill city. By “no-kill,” I mean truly no-kill – this goes for “feral” and “less adoptable” cats and dogs, too. While shelters may not have the time or resources to rehab animals with medical or behavioral problems, some rescue groups do; some even specialize in these cases.

Whether any human law was violated or not, this slaughter needn’t have happened. Judging from ARNO’s comments, little-to-no effort was made to place these animals in rescue groups prior to killing them – and this is simply unacceptable.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Subject: Louisiana Vet Kills Without Cause [Friends of Kinship Circle]

FRIENDS OF KINSHIP CIRCLE, friendsofkinshipcircle.wordpress.com

* KINSHIP CIRCLE DOES NOT WRITE OR RESEARCH THESE ALERTS.
* QUESTIONS? CONTACT ALERT WRITER. PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY.

8/28/09: Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana Vet Kills Without Cause

ALERT WRITER: Charlotte Bass Lilly, executive director, ARNO
table25 [at] bellsouth.net, 504-522-0222, www.animalrescueneworleans.org

BACKGROUND: [EDITED FOR LENGTH]

Charlotte Bass Lilly, ARNO, writes: [August 14] between 6am and 9am, Dr. Marcy Miranov, Westbank Jefferson Parish shelter contract veterinarian, traveled to to the Eastbank shelter and took 18 dogs out of the adoptable kennels, some of whom had been adopted and awaited pickup. In addition she took the entire population of cat ISO, 13-15 cats and kittens, and euthanized all by lethal IV injection (with NO pre-sedation).

WHY? There were 12 empty kennels in stray hold, as well as open small kennels. Many [killed] were highly adoptable small and medium dogs, i.e. jack russell, min pin, boston terrier mix, chi mix… I can figure no reason why any doctor of veterinary medicine would do such a thing.

I understand that Dr. Miranov’s contract does not authorize her to be at the Eastbank shelter, except in a medical emergency. No one okayed the killings, but the kennel manager and staff stood by quietly — perhaps afraid after the unexpected firing of Leeann Matherne, past director of Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter Division. The slaughter continued until Eastbank veterinarian, Dr. John Edwards, arrived at 9am. He was horrified…

Some Jefferson Parish adoptables…

LT: Princess, CONTACT Amy, 304-832-4112 or ahmoloney [at] earthlink.net

RT: Miri, CONTACT fjaskittens [at] yahoo.com

VIEW MORE ANIMALS: www.petfinder.com/shelters/jpas.html

PLAYING POLITICS WITH ANIMALS’ LIVES?

Dr. Miranov had recently reported to the DEA that Ms. Matherne was stealing drugs for resale. DEA found no drugs missing…Matherne was drug tested and passed. The “drug rumors” arose as retaliation after Dr. Miranov was terminated by Matherne (but somehow kept her job). This stirs questions about Jeff Parish authorities. Why was Dr. Miranov allowed to return? Whose agenda did this suit? Certainly not those with animal welfare in mind…

[ARNO's] relationship with Jefferson Parish shelters, as well as municipal shelters in a five parish area, is well-known among rescuers. ARNO has supplied wet cat food pallets to encourage volunteer TNR efforts. We’ve sent donated pallets of quality canned dog and kitten food… We’ve taken dogs, cats, and kittens considered unadoptable due to health/behavioral issues older age… Our role in helping these shelter animals is purposefully done to work together towards a no-kill community. Events like [needless slaughter] send this shelter, and Jefferson Parish, reeling into the past…

TAKE ACTION:

Charlotte Bass Lilly, ARNO, writes: I urge you to call, fax or write. The horror of this occurrence should result in Dr. Miranov —

1. Losing her license to practice veterinary medicine, as she has violated her oath;
2. Charges and prosecution for 33 cases of animal cruelty/abuse;
3. Termination of her contract to serve the parish in any capacity; and
4. Reinstatement of Leeann Matherne as Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter Division director.

Aaron F. Broussard, Jefferson Parish President
1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Suite 1002; Jefferson, LA 70123
ph: 504-736-6400; fax: 504-736-6638
email: ABroussard [at] Jeffparish.net
SOURCE: www.jeffparish.net/index.cfm?DocID=4

www.jeffparish.net/index.cfm?DocID=1376

Jefferson Parish Council:
ChrisRoberts [at] jeffparish.net, BJLawson [at] jeffparish.net, EltonLagasse [at] jeffparish.net, BBordelon [at] jeffparish.net, ByronLee [at] jeffparish.net, PWJackson [at] jeffparish.net, JohnYoung [at] jeffparish.net, SBurke [at] jeffparish.net, RBlanchard [at] jeffparish.net, ThomasCapella [at] jeffparish.net, MThomas [at] jeffparish.net, BGrenrood [at] jeffparish.net, LouisCongemi [at] jeffparish.net, NNicolosi [at] jeffparish.net, CynthiaLeeSheng [at] jeffparish.net, RHinyub [at] jeffparish.net

FOR DISTRICT AFFILIATION + FULL CONTACT INFORMATION:

www.jeffparish.net/index.cfm?DocID=7

The Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter Department
Tiffany Peperone, Interim, Director
#1 Humane Way; Jefferson, LA 70123
ph: 504-736-6111; fax: 504-736-8729
email: JPAnimalShelter [at] jeffparish.net
SOURCE: www.jeffparish.net/index.cfm?DocID=1149

Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine
263 Third Street, Suite 104; Baton Rouge, LA 70801
ph: 225-342-2176; fax: 225-342-2142
email: admin [at] lsbvm.org
Complaint Form: www.lsbvm.org/complaint.pdf

www.lsbvm.org/complaints.htm

======================

Take Meaningful Action — Quickly

1. Go to any link below and click EMAIL THIS LETTER, beneath the sample letter.
2. A ready-to-send message opens in the email software on your computer.
3. Sign letter (personalize words if you have time) and hit send.

8/18/09: Put Petland Out Of Bunny Business And Jail Killer

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1852&seriesfirst=true

8/4/09: Target – HLS Top Customers AstraZeneca & GlaxoSmithKline

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1850&seriesfirst=true

8/1/09: Stop Live Cat Labs At St. Louis Children’s Hospital

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1849&seriesfirst=true

7/28/09: Puerto Rico – New Source For Primate Suffering?

kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1848&seriesfirst=true

7/21/09: Cruelty For Sale At San Francisco Live Animal Markets

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1847&seriesfirst=true

7/10/09: Namibia Seal Slaughter Has One Buyer Left. Stop Him.

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1846&seriesfirst=true

6/8/09: Protect ALL Downers: Cows, Pigs, Goats, Sheep…

www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter_new.asp?LetterID=1836&seriesfirst=true

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KINSHIP CIRCLE
ACTION CAMPAIGNS * EDUCATION * ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK
www.KinshipCircle.org * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters

UNSUBSCRIBE:
* Select a Kinship Circle ALERT received in your mailbox
* Hit “FORWARD” + Enter info [at] kinshipcircle.org
* Type UNSUBSCRIBE in your subject line and hit send

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The photo – which has nothing to do with the actual content of the post; rather, I stumbled upon it by accident while searching for pictures of a Jefferson Parish animal shelter and found it friggin’ adorable – is via Paul Douroux on Flickr.

Title & caption: Hipbone in Jefferson Parish; Mardi Gras Day 2008.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts kinship circle brenda shoss animal abuse animal cruelty cruelty to animals dog canine pet companion animal animal companion cat feline nola new orleans la louisiana gulf coast arno animal rescue new orleans Dr. Marcy Miranov Westbank Jefferson Parish Eastbank Jefferson Parish Jefferson Parish politics flickr photos natural disaster

And what if I love dogs, yoga and yogurt?

Kelly Garbato — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:26:38 +0000

The recent spate of probiotic/fiber-filled yogurt commercials is starting to make me loathe yogurt – even the vegan kind. And I freaking adore cherry and lemon Whole Soy!

These dairy-based offenses have become so frequent that even Sarah Haskins – who has poked fun at yogurt ads not once, but twice – cannot keep up with all the stupid.

First, we have this uber-obnoxious ad from Fiber One:

In case you can’t view the video, here’s the gist: A thin, blonde, WASP-y looking woman – who, incidentally, appears to have stepped straight out of the ’80s – runs into a friend at a Fiber One sample station, located outside the supermarket’s exit. Our fair WASP is dressed head-to-toe in oversized accessories: softball-sized “pearl” earrings and necklace; a bracelet that might have been fashioned out of a mug from Central Perk; huge, Pee Wee Herman sunglasses; a purse the size of a backpack; a heart-shaped pendant nearly as big as her head. And…a large dog. A Great Dane, perhaps?

The large accessories are supposed to make her body look smaller and thinner when viewed next to their comical monstrosity. Why resort to such crazy antics, the commercial suggests, when you can just go on a semi-liquid Fiber One yogurt diet and slurp your way to an eating disorder?

Aside from the emphasis on thinness (incidentally, neither of the two women are what you’d call “fat,” yet the need for dieting is not questioned, but reinforced), there’s some pretty casual and nefarious speciesism at play here. The dog is likened to an object, a fashion accessory, a tool of sorts; something to be disposed of when no longer needed. He’s not treated as someone, but something. Earrings, necklace, bracelet, sunglasses, purse, pendant, dog: one of these things is not like the other.

The disposal of “pets,” by the by, is a pretty serious problem. Perhaps this commercial might seem like a harmless joke – but try explaining the punch line to the three to four millions cats and dogs killed in U.S. shelters each year.

Thankfully, the next offender isn’t speciesist, rather, it’s just plain stupid.

Here, a woman visits her friend at home, only to find said friend in the middle of a yoga workout. And an advanced one, at that: I’ve been doing yoga for several years, in the comfort of my own home. If pressed, I’d call myself an intermediate yogi: not a beginner, not advanced, just so-so. I don’t know whether the pose our Yoplait victim has twisted herself into is a “real” one, but it’s fairly impressive.

Anyhow, the friend comes bearing not one, but two containers of Yoplait yogurt – the one she’s snacking on, and an extra she just happens to have in her purse (!). When our yogi asks what she’s eating, the friend smugly explains that it’s Yoplait’s Yoplus yogurt, a “special blend” for “digestive health” (as if probiotics are unique to this one particular brand of yogurt – not!). The friend offers her the second, unopened container from her purse, at which point the yogi whines, “I can’t find my hand.”

The message: why waste your time exercising when you can just consume our product? (Nevermind that the yogi’s ass looks so toned that you could bounce a quarter off of it.) Yoplait one-ups Fiber One by promoting dieting to the exclusion of exercise.

Then again, at least Yoplait doesn’t encourage its audience to toss out their “pets” like yesterday’s fads once they’ve outlived their usefulness.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare commercial ad video video blogging dog canine pet companion animal animal companion yogurt yoplait fiber one probiotics dairy speciesism yoga exercise dieting sexism misogyny beauty fat thinness obesity

In celebration of my “special” fireflies.

Kelly Garbato — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:20 +0000

Kaylee & Jayne, x-mas 2006

So. When last we talked of my furkids, I told you how my husband and I came to adopt Ralphie, Peedee and O-Ren – none of whom were considered “less adoptable,” or at least not at the time of their adoption. In fact, I doubt that each dog’s respective rescue group would have had much trouble placing them, had Shane and I not come along. We both recognized this, and felt rather guilty about it. So when we decided to adopt dog number four (and possibly five!), we resolved to find a “special” dog – a senior, someone with medical or behavioral issues, maybe even a bonded pair of dogs.

Our first choice was a pair of teeny lil’ rat terrier sisters, Bella and…I forget the other dog’s name. They were older adults with behavior issues, namely, anxious temperaments and a fear of men. They also needed to be adopted together – strike three. Ultimately, the adoption didn’t pan out; we were never able to meet the girls, in fact, because their fear of men was so great that their foster mom had more or less decided to adopt them herself. When we inquired about them, they’d already spent a few years in their foster home and were still fearful in the foster dad’s presence. I can see why mom gave up any hope of rehoming them, dog bless her heart.

So we hit Petfinder again, specifically in search of a pair of dog-friends who had to be adopted together. Unfortunately, Petfinder’s search parameters don’t easily allow for such a search (or even easy browsing), so when looking for a pair, you really just have to hope that they share a single listing. (Or else be prepared to pour over every single profile!) There really weren’t many bonded pairs of dogs listed at the time; besides Bella and her sister, Kaylee and Jayne were the only smallish dog-friends up for adoption. So, three years ago this September, we went out to Lexington, MO – about an hour’s drive from where we lived – to visit them.

From Kaylee’s Petfinder listing

Kaylee and Jayne originally came to Friends of the Friendless with a third dog, Paige, roughly six months before we met them. The three had been abandoned in a home when the tenants moved out; the landlord found them, several weeks later, starving and in rough shape. Jayne had heartworm, while Kaylee suffered from some serious dental problems, the result of both bad genes and a lifetime’s worth of neglect.

Curiously, Jayne had already been spayed by her previous owners, while Kaylee had not. From the looks of her sagging belly and, shall we say “well used” nipples, Kaylee had obviously birthed a few litters during her eight years. Jayne, in contrast, doesn’t appear to have ever had pups – odd because Jayne is a classically handsome terrier, while Kaylee is…not. (I joke that she’s so ugly, she’s back to being cute, much like a rhinoceros or ground mole. I totally mean that in a nice way, though.)

From Jayne’s Petfinder listing

Paige had since been adopted, while Kaylee and Jayne languished in the shelter/rescue. Supposedly, an older women had committed to adopting them, but died while on a cruise she’d already booked and had to take before she could bring them home. (Shane is convinced that this is the most elaborate cop-out, ever.) So I can only imagine what their foster mom, Gina, thought when we committed to adopting them, but said we’d be unable to bring them home until after we got back from an already-scheduled trip to New York! Unlike their would-be fairy dogmother, Shane and I kept our word; we welcomed Kaylee and Jayne into our home several weeks later, on September 30, 2006.

One of the few photos in which all five dogs appear.

For the most part, everything has worked out beautifully. They each have their “issues,” but that’s precisely why we adopted them!:

* As I mentioned, each has dealt with medical problems. Jayne was just finishing up heartworm treatment when we brought her home; while her bout with heartworm may have shortened her lifespan, Gina her vet able to treat it successfully. Don’t let a heartworm diagnosis deter you from adopting a dog – the treatment can be difficult (especially for the patient), but it is a treatable disease.

At least she has a sense of humor about it.

Kaylee, on the other paw, has had ongoing dental issues. She’s been under for dental surgery at least twice, in order to have ten or so teeth removed. Friends of the Friendless also spent a small fortune in dental work prior to the adoption. I know it can be a chore, but it’s important to brush your dog-kid’s teeth every day. (Cats, too, though I’m hardly one to lecture – Ozzy won’t let us anywhere near his mouth!)

* Both girls are terrified of rain, thunder and loud noises – much more so than Ralphie, Peedee and O-Ren combined. A heavy rainfall is enough to send them each to their respective hiding places: Jayne, under the bed, and Kaylee, in the bathroom or closet. The July 4th fireworks display is like Armageddon to them. We’re fairly certain that they were kept outdoors, irregardless of the weather, which would explain their sometimes irrational fears.

Jayne is afraid of the camera, too; each flash is like a stab to the heart!

* Jayne is especially nervous and aloof, probably owing to poor (or no!) early socialization. While she was mostly afraid of human contact in those early days, she’s gradually gotten used to our affections. When you pet her, she freezes up, as if terrified; but pull away, and she looks at once puzzled and annoyed: Why’dya stop!?

She spends much of her time alone, near but not in the action: when everyone’s in the living room, watching tv or eating, she’ll hang out across the hall, in the office; when we’re in the office, she’s in the living room, sleeping on the couch. Even at night, it’s hard to snuggle with her: everyone (save for the cat) sleeps in bed with us, but as always, Jayne stays back, claiming the guest bed as her own. She seems extremely conflicted about humans: are we friends or foes?

I suspect that some of Jayne’s issues might be due to something more insidious than a simple lack of socialization. For instance, the dogs jump at the chance to lick spoons and dishes, especially when covered in peanut butter. While Jayne will happily clean an unattended bowl, she cringes when I offer up a spoon; the larger the utensil, the more pained her expression. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that her previous owner used to hit her with similar objects. This would also explain her ambivalence in regards to human attention and kindness.

Kaylee spurns my advances.

Luckily, Kayle doesn’t share Jayne’s uncertainty. Though she’s hardly one for hardcore snuggling, Kaylee enjoys giving and receiving affection. A little too much, perhaps: Kaylee and O-Ren are my two little shadows, following me everywhere. And I do mean everywhere, including the bathroom. Kaylee’s struggles with anxiety are the polar opposite of Jayne’s: she has separation anxiety, and will mark up the house when left alone, particularly if she knows I’m around, but cannot get to me. Thus, we’re rarely apart: while I do yoga in the spare room, she naps in a cage behind me; when I shower, she relaxes in the corner of the bathroom; she’s even at my heels while I vacuum, scaryloudrobot be damned.

Thankfully, Kaylee’s separation anxiety is on the mild side, and can usually be prevented by crating her on the rare occasions when she’s left alone. More often than not, we try to accommodate her, for example, by taking her to the drive-in with us. (Hey, she’s quiet – which is more than I can say about our first three adoptees!)

Jayne & Kaylee

* Shane and I really, really wanted to adopt a bonded pair of dogs who couldn’t live without one another. We gave it our best shot, but even though Friends of the Friendless fought to keep them together, the two mostly seem indifferent towards one another. Perhaps they’ve simply grown apart in the three years they’ve been with us. It’s hard to remember exactly how they regarded one another in those early days.

The rescue group thought that Kaylee and Jayne might be mother and daughter, but I don’t see the resemblance; both are mostly white terriers, and that’s about it. Short of doing a DNA test, though, we’ll never know. Personally, I think Kaylee and O-Ren look more like mother and daughter than do Kaylee and Jayne. Both girls have decidedly porcine bodies: Kaylee is the momma sow to Rennie’s piglet.

Kaylee, lovin’ on O-Ren

* Eight years old at the time of adoption, Kaylee was considered a “senior” even then; now going on eleven, she’s practically ancient! She’s also smart, alert and athletic – and more active than her soon-to-be five-year-old daughter Jayne. Don’t write off an adult or senior animal based on age alone – it’s just a number, even for dogs.

To use another example, Ralphie the dachshund will be twelve this October, yet he’s more active, playful and fit than when we adopted him eight years ago. Having plenty of playmates, a large yard, a healthy diet and lots of exercise has kept him young. There’s plenty of life yet in each of our “old people”!

Kaylee can still keep up with Peedee!

Besides, old folks need love, too. There something especially heroic in adopting an animal who’s not long for this world; in loving someone whom you’re destined to lose much, much too soon; or in attempting to redress a life’s worth of neglect, abuse or loneliness in a few short months or weeks.

Even though Kaylee and Jayne faced some barriers to being adopted, I still think they’re on the “easy” end of the spectrum. Reading about Alec and his guardian Nicole, I wonder whether I could ever overcome such difficult obstacles. Anxious peeing? Cat trouble? Rotting teeth? Meh, these vegan cake when compared to sudden paralysis and incontinence! But I imagine that many people find unexpected resolve when faced with tragedy. Of course I’d continue to love and care for Ralphie if his back were to go, or Kaylee if she became incontinent in her old age. What other choice does one have?

Likewise, adopting a “less adoptable” animal can be an especially rewarding experience. You may not initially bring the benefit of a lifetime’s worth of love and bonding to the table when confronting the animal’s “special needs” – but these will develop in time (perhaps a surprisingly short time!). Until then, take comfort in the knowledge that you’ve saved a life – a life that so many others consider not worth saving. Beyond rescue. Undeserving. Unlovable. A throwaway.

But all animals deserve a safe, loving home. Every one.

From their Twitter profile (!);
Counterclockwise: Ralphie, Peedee, O-Ren, Ozzy, Jayne & Kaylee

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare holidays observances events adoption pet companion animal animal companion dog canine cat feline special needs senior petfinder my furkids furkids dogkids flickr photos Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable- Pet Day August 12 kaylee jayne rat terrier fox terrier jack russell terrier terrier mutt

Be a Fairy Dog-Mother: Adopt a “less adoptable” animal companion!

Kelly Garbato — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:09:31 +0000

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, today is the first (?) annual Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day! Petfinder created the holiday in order to raise awareness about animals who have an extra difficult time finding their forever homes, for a whole host of reasons.

Among cats and dogs, animals who face added obstacles to being rehomed include:

- Seniors and adults;
- Animals with medical issues, including disability and disease;
- Animals with emotional or behavioral issues, such as shyness or a nervous temperament;
- Animals who must be the only nonhuman in the home;
- Bonded animals who must be adopted as a pair – or, worse still, a trio, quartet, etc.;
- Cats with feline leukemia (a transmissible disease);
- Black dogs (for additional information, please see my post at Change.org on Black Dog Syndrome); and
- Dogs who belong to a so-called “dangerous” breed (pit bulls being the “dangerous” breed de jour).

If you plan on adopting an animal companion (or have adopted in the past), congratulations! With this one simple act, you become a hero to two animals – the one you rescued from a pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary, and also to the animal for whom you’re freed up a space in said pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary. According to the HSUS, between 3 and 4 million cats and dogs are killed (note: not “euthanized”) in U.S. shelters every year. While adopting one or two or even ten animals might seem a drop in the bucket, it makes a world of difference to the animals whose lives you’ve saved by adopting instead on buying.

But, as always, there’s more you can do! In regards to animal adoption, go out of your way to choose a cat or dog who meets the above criteria. Naturally, you may not be able to deal with all of these issues; for example, if you already live with one healthy cat, a FIV+ feline is out of the question. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, however, concentrate on how you can help animals in need. For example, adopting a black dog doesn’t take any more effort than adopting a multi-colored one.

If your home is already filled to capacity, you can urge friends and family members to adopt – and to consider adopting a “less adoptable” animal, to boot. Or make a donation to any one of the hundreds+ animal rescue organizations across the country (and the globe) – many of which specifically focus on a population of “less adoptable” animals, be they companion, farmed, or “exotic”/wild animals.

Of course, you can also help by spreading the word. Make this Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day a success by linking to Petfinder on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., and by telling the world about your “special” kids!

Speaking of which, part two of my family’s own story is coming up next!

[Pictured above is a very young me, circa 1997 - note the leather purse, ugh! on each count - with two of my family's own "less adoptable" girls:

Shannon the black mutt, one half of a 6-year-old pair of sisters we adopted from the local humane society (her sister, Shana, had already passed when this photo was taken); and

Shadow the pit bull mix, who had been hit by a car and had a crushed leg when we found her.

As with all our kids, they were both pure awesomeness, and I miss them more than words can say.]

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