No More Homeless Pets
Weekly News
November 7, 2004
From super adoptions to spay/neuter successes, people working together to bring about a time when there will be No More Homeless Pets.
TOP STORIES:
Howlin' Halloween!
Although many rescues and shelters are wary of Halloween and even put a temporary halt to adoptions, others view Fright Night as a great opportunity to have fun -- and raise funds.
Read more.
In Memoriam
Ann Cottrell Free, an early champion of animal rights and a pioneering woman journalist, passed away at the age of 88.
Read more.
AMAZING ANIMALS
Dog's 911 call brings help -- and fame
Richland, Washington - When trouble came calling, Faith, a four-year-old Rottweiler, knew just what number to dial. When her person fell to the floor unconscious, Faith remembered her service dog training and dialed 911 via speed-dial. She barked so persistently into the phone that the dispatcher decided to send an emergency crew, and when they arrived, Faith opened the door for them. Now Faith has become a star, after being featured on national news networks and papers across the country. For more on this story's happy ending, read the
Tri-City Herald.
SPAY/NEUTER NEWS
Partnership makes it easy to "do the right thing"
Nobelsville, Indiana - A new county animal shelter will bring a large public-private partnership to Hamilton County's humane movement. The county commissioners' plan calls for taxpayers to build a $2.3 million shelter for the
Humane Society of Hamilton County, which will share its space with an independently-run low-cost spay/neuter clinic. One of the clinic's organizers states the goal of this partnership clearly: "We want to make it easy for people to do the right thing. Preventing the birth of unwanted cats and dogs is less expensive than dealing with them later." Read more from the
Nobelsville Ledger.
ADOPTION NEWS
MTV gets real with adoption event
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Philadelphia's
People-Pet Partnership is making a play to be the hippest animal welfare group in the country -- after being the beneficiaries of a Beastie Boys concert last month, now the group has managed a spot on MTV's
The Real World.
When several Real World cast members walked past a PPP adoption event at BONeJOUR Pet Supply, two of their group (Sarah and Melanie) signed up as volunteers and showed up for a May super adoption event -- with a camera crew in tow. They stayed for three hours, and the episode premiered October 26 on MTV. Keep an eye out for reruns!
It's not just about cats and dogs
Hagerstown, Maryland - You're likely to see far more than just dogs or cats in the lobby of the
Humane Society of Washington County -- an albino ferret, a few guinea pigs, two adult rabbits, tame raccoons, and dozens of birds in the last few weeks. In fact, the shelter took in 126 animals other than dogs and cats in 2003 -- and has already taken in 312 this year, including 130 color-dyed chicks from a farm supply store. The shelter places many of these animals itself, and passes others on to more appropriate rescues or wildlife rehabilitators. Read more about this consequence of exotic pet fads in the
Herald-Mail.
St. Croix dogs celebrate reunion
Boston, Massachusetts - An estimated 100 dog lovers turned out for Barktoberfest, the
St. Croix Connection Puppy Rescue's first local reunion of foster and adoptive families and their rescued pups. Guests of honor included the latest puppy arrivals who met their new families for the first time at the Cohasset Kennel. More than 200 dogs and puppies are put down each month on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, and Puppy Rescue organization is working hard to get that nukmber down. Typically the dogs are flown to Boston two at a time, with a volunteer "travel partner." They then live in foster homes until they are adopted -- 178 since last May! Read more from the
Hingham Journal.
FERAL CAT NEWS
Cat management program launched
Santa Clara, California - Volunteer veterinarians performed surgeries and provided basic medical care for 50 feral cats as part of the launch of the new Homeless Cat Coalition, spearheaded by the
Humane Society Silicon Valley. Hopefully the first of many, the clinic was co-sponsored by Peninsula Fix Our Ferals, a coalition member that has spayed and neutered almost 7,000 cats since 1998. Read more about this new coalition on the
Business Wire.
FABULOUS FUNDRAISERS
But were the pets dressed like showgirls?
Pasadena, Texas - It was a casino-like atmosphere at this year's benefit for the
Pasadena Pet Adoption, "Lucky Dogs and Charmed Cats," where guests could ogle genuine Las Vegas showgirls and try their hands at gambling. Those who paid the $40 admission fee were given play money to gamble the night away playing poker, roulette, craps and blackjack, with their "winnings" earning them raffle tickets -- all the while being entertained by a jazz band and bidding in a live auction. In previous years, the gala has earned more than $40,000 to help stray pets. The best part? The homeless pets were invited to the faux casino as well -- all dressed in their most fashionable outfits. Read more from the
Pasadena Citizen.
Give that girl a clothing line!
Fremont, Nebraska - Twelve-year-old Courtney Cook has graduated from Kool-Aid stands to jewelry, and the
Dodge County Humane Society is the beneficiary. Her past Kool-Aid sales helped provide pet food for the humane society. Her new jewelry line -- featuring gold or silver safety pins, elastic cord, and a rainbow of glass or plastic beads -- has been such a hit with her Fremont Middle School classmates that she has collected $175 for homeless animals. Although lots of kids have conducted fundraisers to help the shelter, Cook's donation is the largest ever made by a child. Read more about this amazing pre-teen in the
Fremont Tribune.
Bikers do it for the dogs
Leesburg, Florida - Some 68 motorcycle riders turned out for ABATE of Florida's sixth-annual Waggin' Tails Poker Run. ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) sends all profits from the event to the no-kill
South Lake Animal League. The poker run covered 100 miles of asphalt through Lake County, Florida and riders had to pay $5, plus donate one pet item, to participate. Read more from
The Daily Commercial.
Artists -- and cats -- show their stuff
Peoria, Arizona - Artwork both by and about cats will be featured during the second annual Cat Art Show sponsored by
4 Paws Animal Rescue. The event, which continues through Nov. 14, showcases works by local, national, and international artists in large, open rooms, where shelter cats live and play within a cage-free environment (and where one cat, an American shorthair aptly named Picasso, does some painting of his own). All art work at the show is for sale, and half the proceeds go to help the animals. Read more from the
Arizona Republic.
IN YOUR COMMUNITIES
Headed for a no-kill year
Templeton, California - Cheers go to San Luis Obispo County, which is on track to reach its no-kill goal in 2004, according to figures recently released to
Maddie's Fund. County animal services destroyed 190 healthy, adoptable animals in 2001, and just 34 last year. This year it hopes for none.
The San Luis Obispo County Animal Welfare Alliance, a coalition of animal services and six no-kill organizations, applied for a Maddie's Fund grant two years ago. Meanwhile, they have a strong spay/neuter campaign, successful partnerships between animal services and private humane groups, and regular advertisement of homeless pets on the Web, television, and newspapers. Read more about how they did it in
The Tribune News.
Second chance gets new beginning
Flagstaff, Arizona - Life-sized mummies and rubber rats were on hand this Halloween to celebrate the official opening of a new facility for the
Northern Arizona Second Chance Center for Animals -- a 20,000-square-foot, no-kill animal shelter that can house between 150 and 200 dogs and cats. The center will take animals that are in line to be killed at other shelters, as well as homeless pets from the nearby Navajo Reservation. The new building offers "kitty condos," "get acquainted rooms," and a spay neuter clinic, as well as space for educational workshops and outreach programs, and even a pharmacy and gift shop. Read more from the
Arizona Daily Sun.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
First animal shelter under construction in Iran
Iran - Fatemeh Motamedi's dream is becoming a reality. As first described in the
Nov. 2003 issue of
Best Friends magazine, her goal was to build the first-ever animal shelter in Iran, and with the help of her husband, Sirous (who donated the land), she has started the project. First priority: providing care for sick and injured cats and dogs. Volunteers have been helping with the construction of the shelter and care for the animals. Fatemeh Motamedi can be reached at
fatemehmotamedi@hotmail.com.
