Jail Dog Program

I just learned about a terrific program - Operation Second Chance is a unique partnership between the Society of Humane Friends of Georgia and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department. The program gives carefully selected inmates at the local jail the opportunity to give back to society by providing foster care and obedience skills to animal control dogs slated to be euthanized. 

Sheriff Butch Conway conceived the idea after looking at the staggering number of animals that are being put down in Gwinnett County for lack of resources to save them. He believed his department could make a difference not just in the lives of the dogs, but also in the life of the inmate population. While there are some prisons that operate dog programs across the nation, Gwinnett County may be the first jail in the country to have such a program.

Operation Second Chance is designed to place a dog with two inmates. The dog is pulled from the euthanasia line at Gwinnett Animal Control by the Society of Humane Friends and taken to the Gwinnett County Jail. Once there, the dogs reside with the inmates chosen to work with them, and those inmates train them in basic obedience. They also learn to groom and care for the animals. Not only is the dog getting a second chance, but the inmates are learning valuable social and vocational skills that will help them become more productive citizens once they are released from jail.

The program is at no cost to the taxpayers of Gwinnett County. The care, food, training and veterinarian services for the dogs are all being provided through volunteers and the Society of Humane Friends. The dogs are placed for adoption through the Society of Humane Friends. Check out this video to see the program in action.

Thanks to Felissa Elfenbein at Two Little Cavaliers for sharing information on this great program.

Free Tony The Tiger

This week's Be the Change for Animals cause is Free Tony the Tiger. Tony is a 10 year-old tiger who lives at a truck stop in Gross Tete, LA. He is kept in a chain link and concrete cell surrounded by idling truck engines and diesel fumes. He can never escape the noise, the lights, or the boredom as he paces back and forth. Sight-seers continually crowd around his cage flashing lights in his face from cameras. There are even signs posted asking people not to throw things at him. It is a miserable existence for a magnificent animal - living alone with no enrichment or animals of his kind. Big Cat Rescue of Tampa, FL has offered Tony sanctuary, but his owner refuses.

In December 2010, the permit allowing Tony's owner to continue his exploitation is up for renewal. You can help free Tony by doing the following: 1) Send a letter to Louisiana representatives asking them deny this renewal and put an end to the private trade of tigers. 2) Sign the Change.org petition calling for the denial of the permit. 3) Share this story with your friends and followers and ask them to act too. Help free Tony so he can live his remaining years 5-10 years in the peaceful environment he so deserves!

Happy Turkey Day

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought I would share a picture of my pal Nigel Buggers at Life with Dogs. I am very thankful for all of my friends and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Thanks to Neil Brogan for the use of the photo, which can be found at facebook.com/nigelbuggers

Summer at the Lake with Petie

The anipal community has gone through some rough times lately with several friends going to the Rainbow Bridge, so I thought it would be nice to recognize the power of love and friendship within this very special group.  Our friend Pumpkin Puddy has put together a book called Summer at the Lake with Petie.  It describes how the anipals gathered together to help our pal, Petie The Cat through a very tough summer.
 
This book is about fun, friendship, laughter, antics, and the healing power of love.  The anipal twitterverse may seem odd to those who don't participate, but those who are involved have felt the power of being part of a community of like-minded souls.  When one of our own is sick or in trouble, we rally round to provide love, emotional support, and sometimes even financial support.  The pictures and writings in this book reflect that love and support.
 
This book is special not just because it's about our love for Petie and the miracles that love can work.  The proceeds of the book benefit Duncan's Place, a cat sanctuary in Loveland, CO.  It's a wonderful group of people who foster cats in their homes, help them find forever homes, and help families down on their luck keep their pets with them.
 
You can remember this special summer with Petie and help support the kitties at Duncan's Place by ordering your book here.
 

Summer at the Lake with Petie by Edited by Pumpkinpuddy

Bully Breed Rescue

This week's Be the Change for Animals cause is Bully Breed Rescue in New Canaan, CT. Of an estimated 3 million pit bulls in the US, approximately 1 million are killed each year! Only a handful of pit bulls are adopted from animal care and control facilities, many of which automatically destroy them due to breed specific legislation or internal non-adoption policies.

For the last ten years, the number of pit bulls entering the shelter system has increased. A survey taken in 2000 by ASPCA reported more than 20% of their population was pit bull or pit bull mix. The national average today is estimated to be 33%.

Take pity on the Pitties; they need your help! For more information on Bully Breed Rescue, visit their website, blog or facebook page. Please help spread the truth about this breed by sharing with your facebook fans and twitter followers.

Help Joey

Help Joey is a humorous look at a serious problem - 11,000 animals are euthanized each and every day because of overpopulation. And it’s all because not enough animals are being fixed. Joey wants to stop this horrible trend, but he can’t possibly go out and start spaying and neutering dogs and cats. So he has another plan, he'll just stop animals from having sex. Check out his latest webisode:

 

November Pawpawty

Dis weekend is da November Pawpawty, and our charity is The Last Resort,  a nonprofit 501c3 animal rescue located in West Milford, NJ. Der mission is to provide a safe refuge, rehabilitation and permanent re-homing for all da animals dey rescue.  Our theme is Harry Pawter - so grab your wands and join us for a magical Hogwarts weekend! You can RSVP using twtvite.

Help Peanut

My friend Boris Kitty recently told me about Peanut, a kitty dat had been shot by a mean person. And Peanut's human said dis is da second time in a year dat she has been shot! Da first time da injuries were minor, but dis time it cost over $2,400. Boris is hosting a pawty tonight from 6 - 10 pm to help raise money for Peanut's vet bills. If you're not able to attend, you can still make a donation at dis site. And you can help spread da word by tweeting da links and posting dem on facebook. Join us for some fun and help put da bitey on da bills!

Project Dog

Dis week's Be The Change for Animals cause is Project Dog, a new grassroots movement aimed at bringing together da worlds of purebred and rescue dogs through a creative, modern dog photography project. Photographer Kira Stackhouse plans to capture all 150+ AKC-registered dog breeds and der rescue counterparts.

Project DOG is seeking dogs from across da country to photograph for der blog and book. If you have a purebred dog or a rescue dog of one of da AKC recognized breeds, you may be eligible to receive a complimentary professional photo session. Dey are looking for dogs in da following cities: SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Austin, New Orleans, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Knoxville, Miami, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Da search is open until a purebred and rescue dog of each AKC breed is found – so submit your dog today!

Blogathon 2010

This Saturday, November 13 is Blogathon 2010! Last year, Dr. V at Pawcurious did a 24 hour blogathon to raise money for charity. This year, she will be joined by seven other bloggers: Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby at About Vet Med, Vicki Boatright (a.k.a. Bztat) at Bztat Studios, Jen Cleere at Fetching Tags, Michelle Maskaly at My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much, Dr. Shawn Finch at Riley and James, Felissa Elfenbein at Two Little Cavaliers, and Dr. Laci Schaible at Vet Live. That's right eight crazy women blogging (or in the case of Bztat - painting) for 24 hours! Each blogger will be raising funds to support a cause that is near and dear to her heart. I will be in Ohio for the opening of the new Bztat Studio at Embrace Pet Insurance and online providing moral support for our intrepid bloggers. You can show your support by visiting their blogs, commenting, tweeting, and posting on facebook. See you there!

National Shelter Appreciation Week

Did you know that the Humane Society of the United States has named November 7-13 as National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week to honor animal shelters and their dedicated staff across the country? There are approximately 4,000 animal shelters across the US that serve an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals each year. You can help spread the word about animals waiting to be adopted and celebrate the services of animal shelters.

Here are a few ideas: 1) Purchase a "Laugh, Dance, Rescue" t-shirt - proceeds support HSUS shelter services. 2) Donate a subscription to Animal Sheltering magazine to your local shelter. 3) Learn how to help injured or abandoned animals and assist your local shelter. 4) Be an email ambassador - add a shelter-friendly message to all your email. 5) Adopt or foster a shelter animal - find your perfect pet on Petfinder. 6) Say "thank you" to your local shelter by sending them a note or email. 7) Volunteer your time and skills - your shelter can match your talents to their needs. 8) Support spay/neuter programs - help reduce the number of unwanted pets in your community. 9) Donate a dog bed through the Kuranda shelter donation program. These beds can increase the overall physical and mental well-being of shelter dogs. 10) ID your pet - it's the #1 way lost pets are returned to their owners.

Be The Change For Shelter Animals

Here's another opportunity to help shelter animals - All Things Dog Blog has teamed up with MANKINDog to Be The Change! Here's what you can do to help: 1) link this blog post your blog; 2) link your blog to MANKINDog; 3) link the blog post to your facebook page, and 4) tweet the blog post. MANKINDog and All Things Dog Blog will donate $1 for each link up to $100 each. The donations will go to A New Beginning in Orlando, FL and the Santa Cruz Humane Society in Nogales, AZ. You'll also receive a special gift and be listed in a special blog post on November 20. Help be the change for shelter animals!

Operation: Give Big Dogs A Break

Dis week's Be the Change for Animals challenge is Operation: Give Big Dogs A Break. Lots of people like to travel with der pets, and more hotels den ever are allowing dogs. But da majority have weight restrictions – some as low as 20 pounds. Dat means lots of dogs can't go along with der families on vacation. GoPetFriendly.com and AndASmallDog.com have teamed up to encourage hotels to lift der weight restrictions and allow big dogs. You can help by signing da petition below. Da goal is to reach a 1000 signatures. Please help because big dogs deserve vacations too!

Wabbit Wednesday - Meet Parker

Dis is Parker, one of da many adoptable bunnies at Animal Friends in Pittsburgh. Parker is an 8-month-old Jersey Wooly bunny who is spayed, microchipped, and has received all of her shots. She is a shy bunny, but once she is used to you, she will become your best friend. Like many bunnies, she doesn't really like to be carried, but she is quite da cuddle bunny. She would love to sit with you while you read a book or watch TV. Her favorite snacks are carrots, celery, and parsley. And she loves to play, so don’t be shy about providing her with toys. Could you use a cuddle bunny in your life? If so, please contact Animal Friends!

Help Pawcurious Help Homeless Pets

Dr. V. at Pawcurious is working with Iams Home 4 the Holidays to help homeless pets. Dis year’s goal is to adopt 1.5 million animals and donate 5 million bowls of food to shelters in need. Here's how you can help: 1) Go to dis blog post and leave a comment. Each comment = 25 meals to a shelter in need. 2) Post a picture on da Pawcurious facebook page with a comment about what your pet is most curious about (make sure @Iams is tagged in your comment). Each picture = 50 meals. 3) Adopt a pet in need and/or encourage others to do da same. Visit Petfinder to find da perfect pet for your family. It's dat easy to make a difference in da lives of homeless pets!