The Grey: A Misleading Portrayal of Wolves

Critics are calling The Grey an entertaining tale of man vs. beast, but animal-rights activists think the movie is absurd. The film, which stars Liam Neeson, shows a group of roughneck oil riggers who fight off a vicious pack of wolves after a plane crash dumps them in the Alaskan wilderness.

“The notion that wolves attack humans is ridiculous,” says Wendy Keefover, carnivore-protection director for WildEarth Guardians, one of several groups that has called for a boycott of the film.“Most people don’t know anything about wolves. This movie will tap into their primal fears and create mass hysteria."

Only two fatal wolf attacks have been documented in the history of North America, yet The Grey depicts wolves as eviscerating man-eaters. Maggie Howell, managing director of America's Wolf Conservation Center, says, "Wolves don't hunt humans - they actually shy away from them."

In addition, animal rights groups are upset because cast members ate wolf meat while shooting in Alaska. Director Joe Carnahan ordered wolf carcasses flown in for the cast to eat so that the actors would "have a sense of the movie we were making." He bought the meat from a trapper, meaning that the wolves likely suffered horribly in traps before being killed.

Grey wolves have been brought back from the edge of extinction to a population of 5,500 in eight states in the Northern Rockies. Last year, the Interior Department caved to pressure from ranchers and hunters to allow regular wolf hunts.

Here's the truth about grey wolves: they are delisted and have a fragile hold on survival. They need our help and our understanding. Not our ignorance and exploitation.

Sources: The Daily Beast, Global Animal, The PETA Files
Image by Joel Sartore

I Was a Middle-Aged Blog Award Slacker

Recently, some of my blogger friends have written about the various awards they have received – including my friend Helen at Whiskered Paintings, who was kind enough to pass the Kreativ Blogger Award on to me. One of the conditions for receiving this award is to write something about yourself and pass it on to other deserving bloggers.

Now I have a confession to make – I appreciate receiving the award, but I HATE writing about myself, which is why I haven’t passed on any awards I’ve received in the past. But since it’s a brand new year, I will attempt to change my errant ways by accepting the award and bestowing it to other worthy bloggers.

5 Things You May Not Know About Me:

1.  I was born in Pennsylvania, but I spent my early childhood in the South. We moved back to PA when I was in elementary school, but sometimes in my dreams, I still speak with a Southern accent.
2.  I have always known that I would be a crazy cat lady when I grew up. One of my first essays in elementary school was entitled “The Care and Feeding of the Domestic Housecat.”
3.  I wanted to be a doctor when I was in high school, but I only got as far as freshman biology in college because I couldn't dissect a live frog.
4.  I spent the next nine years working at a bank, where I was surprised to learn I had a natural ability for accounting.
5. I went back to college in my late twenties and graduated when I was thirty. After graduating, I went to work for a public accounting firm and learned that, even though I may be good at accounting, I didn't necessarily enjoy doing it.

So now that we are done with the talent portion of our awards program, let’s move on to the presentation of our new winners. Here in no particular order are some blogs I really enjoy:

The Creative Cat - Written by Bernadette Kazmarski, this is a blog I read every single day. I met Bernadette at the very first Blogpaws conference, and through her blog, I’ve gotten to know the seven wonderful kitties who are her muse.

The Cynical Girl – What I can say about Laurie Ruettimann that hasn’t already been said? Yes, it’s an HR blog, but it’s so much more than that. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll have a wonderful time - and of course, you'll meet Laurie's cats too!

Okey’s Promise: Art for a Cause – This blog is written by Vicki Boatright (a.k.a. Artist Bztat). Vicki rescued her little cat Okey from the streets of Canton, and possibly from a life of abuse and neglect. She was inspired by Okey to do a public art project that addresses the connection between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic violence, and her blog continues to address these issues.

Be the Change for Animals – Inspired by the Be the Change movement that began at the first BlogPaws conference, Kim Clune and Amy Burkert created this blog to focus on one animal-related cause each week. I loved this concept so much that I wrote a blog post about almost every cause of the week! Eventually, Kim and Amy asked me (and some other blogger buddies) to join the BtC4Animals team.

Your Daily Cute – Dorian Wagner searches the web to bring you the cutest pictures and videos every day. But it’s not just cute - Dorian has also used her blog as a platform to help find forever homes, raise funds and sound the alarm to help homeless kitties when necessary.  

So there you have it! If you have received this award, you are not obligated to pass it on. But if you choose to do so – write a brief post, tell us something about yourself we may not know, and then pass the award on to some blogs you really enjoy!

National Program to Save Lives of Most At-Risk Pets

PetSmart Charities, the country’s largest funder of spay/neuter efforts, has announced a new $1 million spay/neuter grant program aimed at saving the lives of pets that have the highest risk of being euthanized due to overcrowding in shelters.

The new grant program builds on PetSmart Charities’ efforts to improve spay/neuter rates, reduce shelter overcrowding and increase pet adoption. Since 2007, PetSmart Charities has provided $26.3 million in grants that have subsidized almost one million spay/neuter surgeries in the United States.

“In 2012, the new grant program will help 65 non-profit spay/neuter clinics around the nation provide high-quality, affordable spay/neuter surgeries for more than 23,000 cats and pit bull terriers during February and August,” said Susanna Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities.

Four million adoptable pets are euthanized every year in the United States because they aren’t adopted – that’s half of the 8 million pets that land in shelters each year.

“Approximately 34 percent of dogs and cats in U.S. households are not spayed or neutered - yet the procedure is one of the most effective ways to reduce pet overpopulation,” said Della Maddalena. “With our new national grant program and our ongoing efforts to make affordable spay/neuter available to the public, PetSmart Charities is addressing the root cause of pet homelessness.”

PetSmart Charities’ new grant program will support two spay/neuter campaigns:

•  “Beat the Heat” will be held in February 2012 to spay female cats before they go into heat, preventing unplanned litters that create “kitten season” during spring months.
• “Primp Your Pit” will be held in August 2012, giving clinics resources to spay or neuter pit bull terriers.  This breed, in particular, ends up in shelters in large numbers due to the myths and negative perceptions that are associated with pit bulls.

Through these special campaigns, spay/neuter clinics receive: grant funds to help lower the cost of spay/neuter for the public; professionally-developed marketing materials to educate the public; and funding and support to advertise and promote the campaigns in local communities.

To find high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services locally, the public can go online to access a free searchable database made possible through a partnership between PetSmart Charities and the ASPCA.

Members of the public can also go online to make a donation to PetSmart Charities and stay up to date on the lives that are being saved through PetSmart Charities’ Facebook page. 

Pet Peace of Mind Helps Hospice Patients Keep Pets

Pet Peace of Mind, a program of Banfield Charitable Trust, is designed to help nonprofit hospices keep patients and their pets together during the end-of-life journey. Support for the program also helps hospices find adoptive homes for pets, giving patients peace of mind that their pets will always have loving homes.

Banfield Charitable Trust is working to change the way hospices care for their patients and building a movement within the hospice community that recognizes the pet as an important member of the patient’s family.

For many in hospice care, changes in their physical condition lead to a decrease of previously enjoyed social opportunities and relationships. Their pets offer unconditional love, acceptance, comfort and companionship when it’s needed most – the time when friends and family aren’t seen as frequently or when words are too hard to say.

The Pet Peace of Mind program provides helping hands and financial assistance so that caring volunteers are able to help patients with pet care needs. With this loving support, patients are able to complete their end-of-life journey without worrying about their pet’s current or future needs.

Pet Peace of Mind is available in 23 states and growing. Click here to see a current list of nonprofit hospice partners.

 

States Seek to Establish Animal Abuser Registries

Via ABC News - A movement that started in Suffolk County, New York, is quickly spreading across the country. Its goal: to require animal abusers to sign up for online registries, much like those required for sex offenders.

The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Animals was the first in the country to set up an online registry in 2010, where convicted animal abusers must register a photo and current address for ten years as well pay a $50 per year fee.

Now, as many as five states, including Arizona, Maryland, Florida, New York, and Colorado, have legislation pending.

Senator Ronald Young of Maryland is working on drafting his version of the bill after he said he received reports of a puppy being shot by a bow and arrow and a small dog being thrown out of a window from 23 stories within his district.

“I’m a pet owner, and I’ve also met and talked with a lot of people and groups that support it,” Young said. “People with pets should know who is living near them for the protection of their own animals. We want to prevent future victims.”

“Dexter’s Law,” Florida Senator Mike Fasano’s proposed legislation, sets the same parameters as Suffolk County and Maryland’s bills, and Fasano said he has received an overwhelming positive response from his constituents.

Representatives of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization that works to promote animal protection, said their baseline legislation has two goals. The first, to reduce the number of animal victims by raising awareness in communities, and, the second, to help communities save money by reducing rehabilitation costs.

“It’s a doable proposal and it will not only help animals and save money, but also prevent potential violence against human beings,” said Stephan Otto, attorney and director of legislative affairs for ALDF.

Otto said many animal abusers have a strong risk of becoming human abusers, and the registry allows more eyes in the community to watch them and prevent future violent crimes.

 Read more: http://abcn.ws/yk7MHF
Written by Ashton Marra
Image via MorgueFile.com

Pilots N Paws Flies Homeless Animals to New Lives

Via Petside.com - Mornings come all too early for Debi Boies. She’s up at the crack of dawn caring for her three Morgan horses, three dogs and a cat. It was her incredible love and concern for the welfare of animals that led her to embark upon her journey into the world of animal rescue in the form of Pilots N Paws, a non-profit organization that is currently soaring high.

Pilots N Paws was born out of Boies own experience with animal rescue; shortly after the death of her beloved Doberman named Carly in 2007, Debi learned about Brock, a Doberman being used as a bait dog in the fighting ring whom she desperately wanted save. But the long distance between them complicated the rescue. It was then her friend Jon Wehrenberg, a recreational pilot, offered to fly her down to Florida to bring him home.

“I was flabbergasted and in awe that anyone would make such a generous offer,” Boies said. “But I soon learned that recreational pilots are as passionate about flying as animal people are about rescuing pets. Since pilots are always looking for reasons to fly, introducing them to animal rescuers seemed like a perfect match.”

Pilots N Paws’ mission is saving the lives of animals that might otherwise be euthanized by transporting them from overcrowded shelters to participating foster and adoptive homes that are ready and eager to take them in. Their interactive website gives those involved a common place to share all vital information such as arranging and scheduling flights and any overnight care for rescued animals which may be needed.

Passion abounds at Pilots N Paws. All pilots involved in the program are nuts about flying; these are avid animal lovers who donate both their flying time and planes. And since a mandated number of hours must be flown to maintain their licenses; it is an incredible win-win situation for all concerned. Today there are 2,529 pilots registered on PNP, with a goal of 10,000 pilots participating in the future.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/xQTxJm
Written by Jo Singer

HSUS Releases 2011 Humane State Ranking

Via HumaneSociety.org - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s largest animal protection organization, has released its third annual “Humane State Ranking,” a comprehensive report rating all 50 states and Washington D.C. on a wide range of animal protection laws, including animal cruelty codes, equine protection standards, wildlife issues, animals in research and farm animal policy.

Earning the highest scores are California (first place), New Jersey and Oregon (tied for second place), and Illinois and Massachusetts (tied for fourth). Earning the lowest scores are South Dakota (last place), Idaho (50), North Dakota and South Carolina (tied for 48), Mississippi (47) and Alabama and Missouri (tied for 45).

“Our Humane State Ranking provides a big-picture look at how states are faring on animal-protection policies, and how they rank in the nation,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS. “There are some states that are adopting innovative and strong policies to protect animals, while others are lagging badly. Animal protection is a serious matter for tens of millions of Americans, and we hope state lawmakers fulfill their moral responsibility and help us crack down on abuses.”

The ranking was based on 66 different animal protection issues in 10 major animal protection categories including: animal fighting; animal cruelty; puppy mills; use of animals in research; equine protection; wildlife abuse; factory farming; fur and trapping; exotic animals; and companion animal laws. The HSUS ranking provides a different frame of reference than the recent report published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which are focused on the broad range of provisions that are included in state and territorial anti-cruelty statutes. Together, both the HSUS and ALDF ratings provide important yet distinct measures of how states are dealing with a broad range of animal welfare problems in society.

 To see the complete 2011 Humane State Rankings, click here.

Image via MorgueFile.com

Bloggers Against SOPA and PIPA

For more information, visit TwoLittleCavaliers.com

Sanctuary Provides Haven for Former Lab Animals, Pets

Via Bloomberg.com - The approach to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Dilley, Texas, has an ominous look - lonely dirt road, padlocked gate, a sign warning “Not Open to the Public.”

Inside the fence, however, the place is full of life, with dozens of macaque monkeys roaming the grounds.

The 186-acre sanctuary is the last home for macaques, baboons and vervets, many saved from miserable existences in roadside zoos, as lab experiments or, perhaps worst, as pets.

“There’s something inherently wrong with these animals living their lives in little cages,” says the sanctuary director, Tim Ajax. 

Most of the more than 500 nonhuman primates here have the run of a 56-acre area, while the rest stay in fairly spacious enclosures.

“We’re at capacity right now,” Ajax says, but he’s preparing for more newcomers.

Last August, Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, 75 miles to the north, closed its doors “due to overpopulation, underfunding and inadequate housing for the animals,” according to its website. As a result, 112 macaques and one baboon will soon be moving to the Born Free facility.

The new macaques had hard lives before San Antonio. A rhesus female had been a pet in a tiny cage in a New York City basement, her tail amputated to accommodate diapers. A Javan male was a research subject in a New Jersey lab. A male stump-tail, another former lab inmate, is missing some fingers.

Read more: http://bloom.bg/yajbCi
Written by Mike Di Paola
Image by Mary Reininger/Wild Animal Orphanage 

Ebay still sells live animals

It has been almost exactly a year since Felissa Elfenbein of Two Little Cavaliers posted about Ebay selling live animals through their Classified Section. Ebay had previously responded to complaints from animal lovers by disallowing the sale of live animals through auctions, but they continued to allow animals to be sold through classified ads.

Felissa’s concern was that Ebay was providing a backdoor for puppy mills and other unscrupulous people to sell animals over the internet. Pet lovers purchasing an animal over the internet have no way of determining the health of the animal or the conditions under which it was raised. Many fellow pet bloggers agreed, and a petition was started on Change.org asking Ebay to stop selling live animals in their Classified Section.

Six months later, Stephanie Feldstein from Change.org released an update on the petition. At the time, dozens of pet bloggers had supported the cause and over 100,000 people signed the petition. And yet Ebay did nothing to change their policy about selling live animals in Ebay Classified.

If you visit Ebay Classified today, you will see lots and lots of listings of dogs, cats and other animals for sale.  Ebay has blatantly disregarded the wishes of over 125,000 people who have asked them to stop selling live animals. I have even been approached by one seller with a request for a text link on my blog (buy puppies) that would link to Ebay Classified – and I know other pet bloggers have been approached too.

Please do not let Ebay get away with ignoring this issue. Pet bloggers and animal lovers must continue to put pressure on Ebay by blogging, tweeting and posting on Facebook. Let Ebay know that we are NOT going away!

Image via Ebay Classified

Pet Overpopulation Challenge

Found Animals Foundation has created the following infographic about the issue of pet overpopulation. My friend Gracey at The Tiniest Tiger's Conservation Club has written a post about these statistics - highlighting the good, the sad and the changeable. You can read the full post here.

Found Animals recommends the following strategies you can use to help decrease pet overpopulation:

• Pet Adoption - encourage people to visit animal shelters and consider the adoption option.
• Pet Care - share pet care tips with new pet parents so they can live a long, happy life together. 
• Pet Spay/Neuter - make sure your dog/cat is spayed or neutered, and consider making a donation to a low cost spay/neuter program. 
• Pet Identification - make sure your animal has a collar with a tag and/or is microchipped. 

Loews Universal Orlando Reverses TNR Policy

As I have mentioned previously, I support Trap-Neuter-Return programs. So when I heard that Loews Universal Orlando had reversed its policy regarding TNR, I was (to say the least) distressed.

Loews Portifino Bay Hotel, located at Universal Orlando Resort, had a model TNR program. They were a great example of how the program works, and they had even built "cat mansions" as feeding stations.

Then Loews decided to end the TNR program, and they hired a company to trap and remove the cats. One mother and four kittens have already been trapped at a sister property, Hard Rock Hotel. They were sent to a kill shelter and euthanized!

On their Facebook page, Loews Portifino Bay Hotel stated:

“Loews Hotels is a pet-friendly hotel brand and we support the humane treatment of animals. It is important to share the facts surrounding this issue. Feral cats at our Orlando hotels are being humanely trapped and taken to a local shelter. For liability reasons, we were advised not to maintain a cat colony in our hotel environment. All cats that were part of an established colony on property are being safely re-located. Our commitment to addressing this issue in a humane and responsible way will continue.”

I don't see sending cats to a kill shelter as being a humane and responsible way of addressing the issue. Remember these are cats that Loews had been caring for - they are friendly and trust humans! These cats are spayed/neutered and vaccinated - they pose no health risk to the guests or staff.

Loews General Manager David Bartek has stated that the decision was made by the property's landlord Universal Orlando Resort. I am asking you to contact Loews and Universal and tell them that sending these cats to certain death is not the way to address this issue. Let them know that you do not support their decision and consequently you will not support their businesses.

Please be polite and respectful in your communication. Contact information is listed below:

General Manager David Bartek: 407-503-9000, dbartek@loewshotels.com
Director of PR Jennifer Hodges: 407-503-9090, jhodges@loewshotels.com
Loews Universal Orlando Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LoewsUniversalOrlando
Loews Hotels CEO Jonathan Tish: jtish@loewshotels.com
Loews Hotels Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LoewsHotels
Loews Hotels Twitter account: http://twitter.com/Loews_Hotels
Universal Orlando Director of PR Vince Laruffa: vincelaruffa@universalorlando.com
Universal Orlando Resort Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/UniversalOrlandoResort

Image via Catster.com

Blog the Change Day

This Sunday is Blog the Change Day! Sponsored by BtC4Animals.com, Blog the Change Day happens four times a year -  every January, April, July and October 15. It's a day when pet bloggers come together to write about a cause that's near and dear to their hearts.

It's easy to participate - just write a blog post on January 15 and add it to the link list on BtC4Animals.com. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• What have you done to Be the Change for Animals?
• Who do you know that acts tirelessly on behalf of animals?
• What favorite cause has a special need right now?

You can show your support of Blog the Change Day by grabbing the badge on BtC4Animals.com and posting it to your blog or website. You can also help spread the word by posting the following on Facebook and Twitter:

JANUARY 15: BE, BLOG AND READ THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS! Get the badge and spread the word! http://bit.ly/cGGOue

Then join us on the 15th to share the goodwill - read posts, leave comments, and share your favorites on Facebook and Twitter. It's a great way to encourage others to Be the Change for Animals!

2012 Pet Blogger Challenge

As I mentioned in a previous post, I participated in last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge and found it helpful for reviewing where I've been and where I want to go in the coming year. So when Amy and Edie issued another challenge for 2012, I knew I wanted to participate!

This time two sets of questions were posed - one for new bloggers, and one for bloggers who participated last year. Here are my answers to this year’s questions:

1. Provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.

http://bunnyjeancook.blogspot.com/2011/01/pet-blogger-challenge.html

2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?

My goals from last year were to continue writing about animal-related causes, write more about rabbits, and monetize my blog.

3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?

I have continued writing about animal-related causes. It is the subject that interests me the most.

I have not written as much about rabbits. Although they interest me personally, I do not want my blog to be viewed as a rabbit blog. I am interested in writing about all kinds of animals.

The most difficult goal to achieve has been monetizing my blog – mostly because I’m on the fence about it. As a result, I haven’t actively pursued sponsors or advertising.

4. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed? Which are you doing now? Do you still worry about lost traffic, momentum, etc?

I continue to blog every other day, and it seems to work well for me. I occasionally take a day off or post two days in a row.  I set a goal of 15 posts per month to keep myself on track. Sometimes I hit it and sometimes I don’t, but it gives me the ability to gauge were I’m at. My annual goal was 180 posts, which I hit on December 20.

This year, it was harder for me to stay on track because BJC passed away in early June.  I was tempted to take some time off, but I was afraid I would lose momentum so I continued to write through the grieving process. I’m sure they were not my best posts, but I managed to work my way through it.

5. Are you generating income from your blog? Has this changed since last year?

As I mentioned above, I’ve wrestled with whether I want to monetize my blog. Right now I am not actively pursuing sponsorships or advertising.

If you are generating income, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)?

 I’ve had a few people approach me, but I’m also particular about who I’m willing to work with. One person wanted to purchase a text link for selling puppies on eBay Classified. That was a definite no!

If not currently, do you hope to in the future — and how?

I’m not sure I want to monetize my blog. I’m more interested in fundraising and increasing awareness of animal-related causes. Coming from a nonprofit background, I would love to work with some of the major brands in relation to the charitable work they do.

6. Have your likes and dislikes about blogging changed since last year?

My favorite thing is still the people l have met both online and in person. Pet bloggers are wonderful, caring people. I especially enjoy working with other bloggers and being a part of the BtC4Animals team has really helped me grow.  I do occasionally get frustrated, and sometimes that comes through in my posts.  But in general, I have to say that I really enjoy blogging. 

7. Overall, are you pleased with the progress you made in 2011?

Yes. My blog is nothing like it was when I first started, but it is continually growing, changing and evolving.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012?

I can see myself moving more toward issues of animal welfare and animal rights.  I’ve met some really interesting people who are working to make a change both locally and nationally.

I would also like to get clear about whether I want to monetize my blog or keep it as my own personal playground. Something tells me I already know the answer. 

Dogs Can Read Our Intent To Communicate

Via EureckAlert.org - Dogs pick up not only on the words we say but also on our intent to communicate with them, according to a report published online in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on January 5.

The findings might help to explain why so many people treat their furry friends like their children; dogs' receptivity to human communication is surprisingly similar to the receptivity of very young children, the researchers say.

"Increasing evidence supports the notion that humans and dogs share some social skills, with dogs' social-cognitive functioning resembling that of a 6-month to 2-year-old child in many respects," said József Topál of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. "The utilization of ostensive cues is one of these features: dogs, as well as human infants, are sensitive to cues that signal communicative intent."

Those cues include verbal addressing and eye contact, he explained. Whether or not dogs rely on similar pathways in the brain for processing those cues isn't yet clear.

Topál's team presented dogs with video recordings of a person turning toward one of two identical plastic pots while an eye tracker captured information on the dogs' reactions. In one condition, the person first looked straight at the dog, addressing it in a high-pitched voice with "Hi dog!" In the second condition, the person gave only a low-pitched "Hi dog" while avoiding eye contact.

The data show that the dogs were more likely to follow along and look at the pot when the person first expressed an intention to communicate.

"Our findings reveal that dogs are receptive to human communication in a manner that was previously attributed only to human infants," Topál said.

As is often the case in research, the results will undoubtedly confirm what many dog owners and trainers already know, the researchers say. Notably, however, it is the first study to use eye-tracking techniques to study dogs' social skills.

"By following the eye movements of dogs, we are able to get a firsthand look at how their minds are actually working," Topál said. "We think that the use of this new eye-tracking technology has many potential surprises in store."

Image via MorgueFile.com

Gracie the Rabbit Gets a Second Chance

Via Peta.org - Gracie had been relegated to a tiny cage for weeks when a PETA staffer noticed her and asked her owner if she could give the rabbit a new home. Gracie's owner agreed. After all, she said, she didn't really want a rabbit companion - she'd bought Gracie to feed to her snake, but the rabbit had proved to be too big.

Gracie didn't let her harrowing start to life dampen her spirit, and she became a superstar, posing with actor Charlotte Ross in a PETA anti-fur ad. And in her new home, where she is wanted, Gracie enjoys romping through the vegetable garden and digging holes. She doesn't like it when her chicken companions try to eat her food, but the wily rabbit never hesitates to steal theirs.

While sweet Gracie got her happy ending, she would be saddened if she knew that rabbits just like her are confined to tiny cages every year in laboratories in the U.S. They have cosmetics and household cleaners dripped into their eyes. Their backs are shaved, and corrosive chemicals are painted onto their raw skin and left to burn away the tissue for weeks. Then they are killed.

Show rabbits a little grace. Buy cruelty-free products.

For more information on cruelty-free products, visit Peta.org.
Written by Michelle Sharrow
Image via Peta.org

Monsters Take Over Nipclub

From time to time, you may notice a tweet about Nipclub and wonder what it's all about. My friend Lisa Illman at Kritters That Twitter wrote the following to help explain:

Dogs tending bar and serving appetizers, cats spinning the tunes, bunny rabbits hopping and twirling for joy. What on earth are these animals doing and why are they doing it on Twitter?

Co-Founder and Proprietor Georgia Manley (@Flacatlady) explains, “with so many animals and displaced pets in today’s economy, a group of us knew we had to think outside the litter box and really get creative. My Twitter friend @MaggieTKat and I were having a bad day and decided we wanted to virtually party together. But we also wanted our energy and tweeting skills to go towards a good cause. With all the furry friends we started making on Twitter, we thought it would be fun to host a Thursday afternoon Twitter party while trying to raise money for an animal charity.”

Since that day back on May 10, 2010, more volunteers have been recruited to help with Nipclub. Two stellar Nipclub managers, @Thenascarkitty and @Tinypearlcat, pounced on board to really grow this litter. Eventually a schedule with specific job openings was created that included Barktenders, DJs and even Security Officers.

On Thursday nights starting at 4pm EST, things start heating up with animals from all over the world coming together on Twitter to tweet party messages to each other, including a link to the Nipclub blog. Once on the blog, attendees are dazzled by the glamour and posh menu. A barktender eagerly greets each guest and offers a drink of their choice. Flashing lights, red carpet fashion, a disco ball for dancing, full service valet parking; Nipclub is the place to be for high rolling party animals.

If you are having a hard time imagining so many pets on Twitter, just show up on any given Thursday evening and join in the fun. Nipclub is a virtual animal group. Their main purpose is to raise money for the designated animal rescue of the night. Participation is very easy. Show up on Twitter and follow some of these animals and start tweeting with the hash tag #nipclub. You will be welcome with open paws.

So are you ready to become a party animal? If so, join us tonight starting at 4pm EST. This week's theme is TV/Movie Monsters. You can dress up or come as you are! We will be raising money for Duncan's Place, a sanctuary for homeless cats located in northern Colorado. For more information, visit nipclub.blogspot.com.

Stop Taking in Stray Animals

I wanted to share this informative video about why people (myself included) take in stray animals. However, I think the logic may be faulty since I do NOT have a scraggly beard!

Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions for the same reason that I don’t play the lottery – the odds aren’t in my favor. Many people make New Year’s resolutions, yet most people don’t stick with them for more than six months.

I prefer to accept my life as it is rather than deal with the guilt of having made a resolution and given it up. And that’s why I love this post by Joanne McGonagle on her blog From Freezer to Field.

In her post, Joanne states that research indicates our subconscious is better at remembering unfinished tasks than completed ones. She goes on to say that our subconscious actually moves our accomplishments to the back burner while the remnants of our resolutions move to the forefront. The end result is increased stress and decreased self-esteem.

Joanne suggests that one way to keep our subconscious from sidetracking us is to reject resolutions, reduce material clutter and count our blessings. Research has shown that individuals with a sense of gratitude are less materialistic and more satisfied with their life.

I began this path about 12 years ago when I was going through a major life change and doing a lot of reading about happiness, simplicity and frugal living. What I’ve learned is that I am a much happier person when I focus on who I am, what I’ve done and what I have rather than the opposite.

I've learned that it does not take a lot to make me happy – food, clothing, shelter, friends, family, pets, a job I enjoy and my health. These are the basics I need to live a happy life.

Adopting this attitude is freeing - there is so much that clutters up our lives, and when we let it go, we can see that we really have everything we need right here.

So that is my New Year’s gift to you. Give up resolutions and accept what you have. And do read Joanne’s post – it may start you down a path of your own!