Wanted: A Forever Family

Every Friday Sit. Stay. Speak Up! will feature some wonderful little ones who are in search of their forever families. These dogs will be from around the country and come from rescues, shelters and animal control facilities. This also means that some of these animals unfortunately are up against a clock. Most of us don't like to think about this, but just over 5,500 dogs are put down EVERY DAY in the United States so every extra opportunity of exposure can help save a dog's life. All dogs will be listed with their picture and a link to the site where all their information is. If those puppy dog eyes draw you in and you would like to adopt but are hesitant about them being in another state, please do not let this detract you from adopting. Transportation is actually extremely easy and in some cases (such as on Pet Pardons) there are people willing to donate towards transportation and adoption fees. I am working on putting together a list of groups, volunteers and companies that assist in pet transportation and I will post that next Friday. If anyone has worked with any groups or has recommendations, please let me know so that I can make sure they get on the list.

Without further ado, here are the lovable adoptables for this week.

This is Libby, a 2 year and 3 month old lab mix, available for adoption from the Black Dog Animal Rescue. She is absolutely brimming full of love and energy. Her story and adoption information can be found here: http://bdar.org/adoptable_animals.html

This is Trucker (named this after being thrown from a semi-truck at a truck stop) and he is a 1 year old lab mix. He is very friendly and loves everyone. He can be found on Karma's Black Dog Rescue page at this link:
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17820219

Geisha is our Pet Pardons featured dog. At this time her PTS (put to sleep) date is unknown but it could be at any time). She is a 2 year old lab mix with one blue eye (so beautiful!) and all her information can be found here: http://apps.facebook.com/petpardons/pet-view/id/2920

Our final featured dog is Kira who is a 9 year old pure bred husky. She has had a hard past which consisted of spending her entire life up until now chained outside in the woods in New York state. She is very laid back and just enjoys watching everyone while snuggled in her bed. She is also a huge fan of anything remotely connected to bones. If you are interested in learning more about Kira, please follow this link:
http://www.blackdogsecondchance.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=3003785#animalOtherPictures

Thank you for taking the time to look at these little ones. If you have any friends or family that you know are looking for a new family member, please share these guys with them and always suggest that they adopt instead of buy.

If you know of any dogs that you would like to see featured, please send a picture, brief description and/or web link to bringhearttotheworld@gmail.com.

Celebrating Mothers of all Kinds

It is a very good bet that come this Sunday morning, May 8th, there will be many moms waking up to breakfast in bed, bouquets of flowers and cards that always make them cry (in a good way). What people usually don't think of is the connection of Mother's Day to pets. Isn't it funny that we spend all year showing off pictures of our "kids" and talking about how they "did the funniest thing yesterday" to everyone we can corner in an elevator, office, store or coffee shop, yet on this holiday we fail to celebrate this relationship? A couple of years ago I suddenly realized, and by that I mean my incredibly creative and amazing sister came up with the idea, that pet moms should get some love too on Mother's Day. You may never have to worry about them asking to borrow the car but your dogs look to you the same way human kids do. Are there snacks in the fridge? Do we have to go to bed yet? Why I am not allowed to put that in my mouth? See, totally the same. So this Sunday when cards are being handed around don't forget about all the Doggie Mommies that you know. Why not send them an e-card thanking them for all the treats, walks and belly rubs and sign it from their pet. My favorites are hoops & yoyo. Ok, they aren't the classiest or most sophisticated cards but if you really want to make someone smile, this is the way to do go. http://www.hallmark.com/online/hoopsandyoyo/

And while we are all showering (most deservedly) our mom's with gifts and love, please take a moment to think of the all the actual doggie mommies in puppy mills around the world.
(Photo from www.flushdoggy.com.)

Bred every single cycle from the moment they are able, these mommies spend their entire lives cramped and often unable to even stand or move around in metal wire cages exposed to all of the elements. Once they have worn out their usefulness in the eyes of the miller they are then killed often in horrific, inhumane manners. In coming articles there will be much more on puppy mills and what you can do to end the era of pet store puppies. For now though, give a Mother's Day gift to them by asking eBay to discontinue animal sales on their classifieds site. In 2005 when the company announced plans to include a live pets section the public outcry caused them to discard the idea. With time however, this decision has been reversed yet again and eBay has launched the live pets section in their classifieds section making this an ideal location for puppy mills to operate from - and they do. Currently this petition is closing in on 100,000 voices speaking up for puppy mill dogs.
Speak Up! and add your voice here: http://www.change.org/petitions/ebay-classifieds-stop-selling-live-animals

To close, I would like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there of human and animal kids including my sister who is mom to Piper, my sister-in-law who is mom to Java and Meeko and new human arrival Aurelia, and all my family and friend mommies around the world. An extra special "I Love You!" to my own mom, who has raised me, my brother, my sister, Sailor, Sage and Shadow and who taught me that every dream is possible and that you should never talk with your mouth full. You taught me everything I know about kindness, helping and everything else! I love you mommy! :)

Speak Up! of the Week

Welcome to our first Speak Up! of the week. Every Wednesday you will have the chance to bring real change with the power of your voice as we feature a petition focusing on a current event, legislative issue, court case or a situation where those who need us most need us to Speak Up! Signing petitions is a great way to dip your toes into the animal welfare world as they require only a couple of minutes (at most) of your time but make a huge difference when your signature is added to thousands of others around the world who care just like you.

Created in 1915 by American Humane, Be Kind to Animals Week (May 1st -7th) celebrates our relationship with animals and all the ways we can ensure their humane treatment. In honor of Be Kind to Animals week we will feature a petition sponsored by the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) supporting the passage of the Pet Safety and Protection Act.

As the ASPCA states, "The U.S. Pet Safety and Protection Act would provide a much-needed safety net to ensure that beloved family pets aren't stolen or acquired under false pretenses for sale to research laboratories.

The act would prohibit Class B Dealers -- people who make their livings selling animals to the research industry -- and unlicensed individuals from selling dogs and cats to research labs. Currently, under the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, these people aren't held accountable for where they obtain their animals.

This is a problem because dealers sometimes acquire them through illegal or unethical means -- such as responding to "free to a good home" ads in newspapers, falsifying records to keep the animal's true origins unknown and stealing pets kept in outside yards.

Passing the Pet Safety and Protection will ensure that stolen pets and animals acquired illegally or unethically won't end up in research facilities. Tell Congress to pass the Pet Safety and Protection Act today."

Speak Up! and add your voice here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/714/448/113/ 

For all my Canadian friends, I have not forgotten about you. May 2nd through the 8th in Canada is Puppy Mill Action Week. 

As the Humane Society International: Canada writes, "Because of inadequate laws, puppy mills have proliferated throughout Canada. An estimated 2,000 of these unethical mass breeding facilities operate in Quebec alone. Puppy mills are large scale operations that force "breeder dogs" to produce litter after litter to support consumer demand for purebred pets. These puppies are sold to pet stores across the country and directly to the public over the internet, through newspapers and at the mills. Hidden from the public is the suffering, disease, malnutrition, and loneliness of the breeding dogs confined in the puppy mills. Moreover, puppies produced in puppy mills often suffer from genetic weaknesses and disease, leading to unanticipated, substantial veterinary costs for the unsuspecting purchaser.

BUT YOU CAN HELP: Please join us in writing to your Member of Parliament to demand a strong federal law to stop puppy mills now."

Speak Up! and add your voice here:

http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=1745 

 

I Must Do Something

"I must do something" always solves more problems than "something must be done." - Unknown

You only need to glance at the world events to see that change is in the air and in the area of animal welfare this is no exception. Beginning early this year, in January, China issued a total ban on animal shows and circuses as well as putting regulations into effect to protect animals from abuse in their 300 state-run zoos. While advances steadily move animal welfare and animal rights in the right direction, there is still a long way to go even with regards to one of our favorites - dogs. Though they are man's best friend, our family members and our cherished four-legged children or siblings, many people are shocked to hear about the horrible issues facing our canine buddies including overpopulation, puppy mills, hoarding, BSL (breed specific legislation), dog fighting and chaining. In fact, the mere thought that those we love so much are vulnerable to harm is downright frightening.

But as the quote above says, we get more done when we go out and take action. Even something as simple as signing a petition can entirely change the course of how animal welfare is handled in a community. Many of us are aware of the mass killing of 100 sled dogs by Outdoor Adventures Whistler in British Columbia, Canada which occurred in April of 2010. But did you know that within days of the story breaking, several hundred thousand people from all over the world signed petitions calling on British Columbia to reform its anti-cruelty laws? The result: British Columbia is in the process of introducing the toughest animal cruelty laws in Canada and the reason is because people stood up and asked for it. Single voices that one by one joined together to form one large chorus. Your voice does make a difference. Whether you sign one petition a week or you teach school children how to safely and properly approach dogs, every bit changes the futures of dogs around the world for the better.

So with my voice I will bring you this blog, filled with information on the issues, opportunities to Speak Up!, ideas for supporting your local shelters and rescues and much, much more. My challenge to you, dear reader, is that you find a way to Speak Up! So stayed tuned and educate yourself so that you can educate others.