No More Homeless Pets
Weekly News

August 1, 2004
From super adoptions to revolutionary changes in animal control, each week we bring you news of successes large and small in the campaign to bring about a time when there will be No More Homeless Pets.

TOP STORIES:

Their local town said it couldn't be done: There were just too many homeless dogs to save them all. But against all odds, and with the help of a remarkable army of 11-year-olds, Diane Trull and her husband, Mark, are proving them wrong. Special Report

Two prominent veterinarian associations have endorsed the use of trap, neuter, return to combat the problem of feral cats. Special Report

Spay/Neuter News

• New Washington license plates would fund spay/neuter
• Arizona prepares for high demand at its Big Fix
• New Jersey clinic gets start by fixing 45 felines

Adoption News

• Florida adoptables become TV stars

Feral Cat News

• Illinois teen makes saving ferals her mission in life
• Las Vegas woman dedicates life, and house, to ferals

Fabulous Fundraisers

• Pennsylvania radio campaign brings in big bucks
• "Teacher's pets" compete to benefit Montana shelter
• PETCO urges people to "round-up" for spay/neuter

Community Campaigns

• Boeing honors Florida employee for helping homeless pets
• Massachusetts school uses kittens to put a little life into science

International News

• Korea seeks to improve image with animal website
• Trap/neuter/return hits the streets of Istanbul

SPAY/NEUTER NEWS

Washington State - Two Clark County residents are trying to make Washington the 23rd state to offer animal-friendly license plates to its drivers, with the proceeds to benefit spay/neuter projects. In addition, Ann Labe and Penny Wagoner hope that some of the revenue from plate sales will go into an emergency pet medical fund for needy people with pets. The women are collecting petition signatures and will be accepting design proposals for the plate until August 31. Read more about this drive, and how it has been successful in other states, in The Columbian.

Maricopa County, Arizona - As part of its Big Fix, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control will offer 200 free spay or neuter surgeries for the cats and dogs of needy families on August 14th. The program is first-come, first-served, so people are encouraged to arrive early to get a spot for their pet on the operating table.

Vineland, New Jersey - A new feline spay/neuter clinic was inaugurated recently by the Animal Friends Foundation of Vineland and Gloucester County's Save the Animals Foundation. Using a mobile van for the surgeries and a real estate office as a preparation and recovery area, the clinic performed 45 surgeries for $30 each, and plans to do more soon - 182 cats are already on the waiting list. Read more about this program in The Daily Journal.

ADOPTION NEWS

Naples, Florida - A local government access channel now features Happy Tails, a half-hour program featuring pets at Collier County Domestic Animal Services, on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The program started in June with a show that profiled 25 pets, and will feature cats, dogs and other adoptable animals such as rabbits. Read more about this show and other programs to help Collier County pets in the Naples Daily News.

FERAL CAT NEWS

Lincolnwood, Illinois - Shana Belluomini, 16, already knows her mission in life - to save feral cats. The remarkable high school junior already has a good start, having trapped, sterilized, and found homes for some 200 cats. But she is determined to do more. She's working hard to save her money to open a shelter in her community - one she hopes will eventually become the biggest no-kill sanctuary in the country. (We at Best Friends will keep an eye on Shana, and hope she gives us a run for the title!) Read more about Shana's special love for feral cats in the Lincolnwood Review.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Restricted by Las Vegas pet-limit laws, Bobbi Klocker has built a special house outside the city, in Pahrump, for her 80 cats - all unadoptables that she has had spayed or neutered. Klocker works two jobs in order to care for these permanent feline residents. She also rescues cats for adoption, braves muggings on the Las Vegas streets to do trap/neuter/return, and manages feral colonies. Read more about Klocker's heroic efforts in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

FABULOUS FUNDRAISERS

Coopersburg, Pennsylvania - Animals in Distress, in conjunction with local radio station WAEB-AM-790, recently completed its annual radio-thon, with stunning success. The fundraiser has brought in more than $72,000, topping last year's record of $71,000. The funds will go to pay for the veterinary expenses for the organization, which has tripled its rescue work in the last year. Learn more in The Express-Times.

Kalispell, Montana - Lakeside Elementary students raised $205 for the no-kill Charlotte Edkins Animal Adoption Center recently by selling cookies and paying 25 cents apiece to vote for their favorite "teacher's pet." The project was spearheaded by first-grade teacher Ashley Stern, a volunteer at the adoption center, who also coordinated humane education projects at the school for National Pet Week. Find out more about Stern's project in the Daily Inter Lake.

Davis, California - PETCO Foundation is holding its annual Round-Up/Spay Today fundraiser, which encourages PETCO store customers to "round up" their purchases to the nearest dollar. The proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Spay/USA as well as local charities selected by each of the company's 675 stores. Read more in the Daily Democrat.

COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNS

Kennedy Space Center, Florida - The Boeing Company has given a prestigious award for community service to an employee who dedicates her time to helping homeless animals. Janet Thompson, an office administrator, received one of eight William M. Allen awards for her work with the Central Brevard Humane Society in Florida. Thompson, the secretary of the humane society's board of directors, donated more than 330 hours to the group last year, and has directed many successful annual animal fundraisers.

Weston, Massachusetts - The Cambridge School of Weston has livened up its science curriculum with the help of some homeless kittens. The school offers a summer course called "Feline Anatomy and Kitten Care," during which the students learn with live exhibits -- five kittens who chew on their pencils and walk over their papers. In addition to serving as walking models for biology and anatomy, the fuzzy assistants help students learn about responsible pet care. Learn more about this creative class in the Metro West Daily News.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Korea - Animal Freedom Korea, a leading non-governmental organization for animal protection, has opened an English-language website to promote Korea's image as an animal-loving country, and to help shed its infamous label as a dog-eating culture. The website, along with printed materials sent to embassies, will publicize Korea's efforts to promote animal welfare, such as the amendment to the animal protection law that will be considered by the National Assembly in October.

Keeping dogs and cats as pets has been on the rise in Korea since 2001, and the country now features a new line of businesses to cater to this trend: pet hospitals, department stores and photo studios, pet-friendly cafes and restaurants, pet sitters and hotels, and even a growing number of pet beauticians. Read more about the country's turn to dogs as pets in The Korea Times.

Istanbul, Turkey - The Istanbul branch of the Fethiye Friends of Animals Association started its operations in June 2004 with a mobile spay/neuter clinic and, within the first six weeks, trapped, neutered, vaccinated, tagged, and released 421 stray animals on the streets of Istanbul. The clinic has two full-time vets, one vet tech, and two other staff members, and aims to catch and treat 15-20 animals per day. The association, which is in need of volunteers, supplies, and donations, encourages like-minded people to participate and "make us feel that we are not alone." The leaders of the group can be reached via e-mail at acctic@tnn.net and doganci@superonline.com.