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