Military Wants Harsher Consequences for Pet Abandonment

Via Stars and Stripes - The Defense Department is seeking greater authority from the president to prosecute service members who abandon their pets - a perennial problem within the transient military community.

The Pentagon wants to broaden its current animal cruelty policy to include abandonment and to cover personal pets, not just “public animals” owned by the military, said Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale.

Troops already can be charged with “dereliction of duty” and “conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline” for abandoning or physically harming their family pets, Breasseale said. But specifying the bad behavior in the Manual for Courts-Martial - the rulebook for prosecutions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice - would strengthen those cases and increase the chance of prosecution.

Study Finds Dogs Relieve Stress at Work

Via CBCNews - Bringing your dog to work may cut your stress level and provide you with a higher sense of job satisfaction.

Seventy-six employees of a service, manufacturing and retail company located in Greensboro, N.C., were studied over the period of a week to determine their stress and job satisfaction levels with and without their dogs in the workplace. The firm is dog-friendly, with approximately 20 to 30 employees bringing their dogs to work each day.

Workers’ stress levels were assessed by researchers through surveys and saliva samples, which measured cortisol, a hormone that increases in the body when a person is stressed. Employees were placed in three groups: those who brought their dogs to work, those who did not have dogs and those who had dogs but had left them at home.

Update on Loews Universal Orlando TNR Policy

In January, I wrote a post about Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando Resort reversing its policy on its Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. Loews announced that it had decided to end its TNR program and hired a company to trap and remove the cats. Many pet bloggers and animal lovers contacted them to protest the decision, and Loews put the decision on hold while they investigated other options.

Today I received the following comment on the original post:

URGENT UPDATE on Loews Hotels and the TNR/managed colonies living on Loews properties: Loews has recently decided to ignore the facts and data provided to them by well known authorities and animal lovers alike. Traps have now been set by Critter Control at all 3 Lowes hotel properties - Loews has stated that the cats will be "relocated" to Animal Services (the local animal control facility).

Thousands of Service Dogs to Receive Free Eye Exams

Guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs selflessly serve the public. So, for the month of May 2012, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is launching the 5th annual ACVO/Merial National Service Dog Eye Exam Event to help serve these dogs and other service animals who dedicate their lives to serving the public.

More than 200 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists throughout the U.S., as well as Canada and Puerto Rico, are estimated to provide free sight-saving eye exams to thousands of eligible service animals. Registration for service animal owners and handlers begins April 1 at www.ACVOeyeexam.org.

Animal Activists Fight Selling of Adopted Pets

Via Huffington Post - Some looking to make a quick buck are willing to go so far as to adopt a dog in need and sell it to the highest online bidder.

Animal experts are calling the concept "dog-flipping" and say the cruel practice of adopting a free pup only to turn around and sell it is on the rise, WMC reports.

These "dog-flippers" are posing as feasible adopters, but then go on to just pack them in at home with the other pooches they're looking to sell.

"There are some predatory people out there who will take your dog in, say they are going to give it a good home," animal rescuer Sarah Clinton told WMC, "and then turn around and sell that dog for $50, $60, a couple of hundred dollars."

IFAW Helps Rescue White Tiger and Cougar in Ohio

Via PRNewswire - On Monday, Nikita, a 7-year-old white tiger, and Tasha, a 10-year-old cougar, are being loaded onto a rescue trailer in Ohio and moving 800 miles away to their new home at The Wildcat Sanctuary. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is providing an emergency grant to help cover the costs of the move and spacious enclosure in Sandstone, Minnesota. The rescue comes on the heels of new federal legislation which seeks to prohibit private ownership of big cats. 

"Since 2003, IFAW has helped rescue more than 30 tigers and lions from unsanctioned shelters, closing sanctuaries and other poor and unsafe living conditions in the US," said Gail A'Brunzo, IFAW Animal Rescue Officer. "Big cats should never be kept as pets. When these wild animals are privately owned, the animals and their owners always suffer."

Unlicensed Pet Dentistry is Illegal and Dangerous

Via MyVNN.com - Non-anesthetic dental scalings (NADS) or “anesthesia free pet dentals” involve removing tartar from an animal’s teeth by simply holding the pet and not using any sort of sedation or anesthetic. Many of the websites promoting this service tout their “proprietary restraint techniques” as the reason they are able to work in your pet’s mouth while he or she is awake. 

Businesses that encourage these types of procedures claim that their methods are safer, healthier for the pet and less costly for the owner. However, understanding the risks of these supposedly safer options might offer an opposing view. 

Air Force Base Honors Dog for Lifetime of Service

Via DaytonDailyNews.com - Nisan, who helped guard Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and was deployed to Iraq during a lifetime of military service, was remembered Friday as “an American hero.” 

With a bugler playing “Taps,” a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” and the firing of a 21-gun salute, the 10-year-old German shepherd was memorialized with full military honors, less than two weeks after he was put down because of old age and ailments.

Wright-Patterson’s 88th Security Forces Squadron, which had custody of the Air Force dog, displayed his kennel and photos of him with his most recent human handler, Staff Sgt. Seth Dale, at a memorial service on the base.

Third Annual SciFiPawty Raises Funds for Cat Rescue

This Saturday, March 24 is the third annual SciFiPawty, a virtual science fiction convention on Twitter hosted by our pal @BorisKitty!  This year’s event is dedicated to his foster siblings, Tippy and Drizzle, who came from One by One Cat Rescue and unfortunately lost their battles with FIP.

The pawty starts at 11am EDT. There will be DJs spinning tunes, barktenders offering out of this world food and drinks, sekurity to keep the spammers and scammers away, a costume contest, quizmasters with fast-paced, fun-filled trivia, and a chance to win door prizes!

The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of animals in shelters and the need for adoption/rescue, as well as raising much-needed funds. All proceeds benefit One by One Cat Rescue located in Kutztown, PA.

Puppy Mill Dogs No Longer Sold On Facebook Markplace

Via PRNewswire - In response to concerns from the ASPCA, measures will be put in place to ensure that puppy mill dogs will no longer be sold via Marketplace on Facebook, an action the ASPCA believes will help combat the inhumane puppy mill industry.

Many puppies sold online come from puppy mills and are commonly bred in unsanitary, overcrowded, and often cruel conditions without sufficient veterinary care, food, water, or socialization.

As part of its national "No Pet Store Puppies" campaign, the ASPCA worked with Facebook and Oodle, the company that powers Marketplace on Facebook, to restrict online classifieds listing puppy mill dogs for sale from the site. Through an ongoing removal process, ads listing puppy mill dogs have begun to come down this month. The process was designed to allow users to continue posting dogs available for a nominal adoption or rehoming fee.

Clark G Talks About Hero Dogs Awards

Via PRNewswire - YouTube viral video sensation, Clark G the Talking Dog, has just completed a new video promoting nominations for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards.

Hero Dogs are ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things and can be nominated at www.herodogawards.org until March 26. Clark G's latest video stars the world famous multilingual talking dog who has been named as the official spokesdog for the 2012 national campaign.

The Hero Dog Awards were created by American Humane Association to celebrate the powerful relationship between dogs and people and promote the human-animal bond.

Pawpawty Suspended Indefinitely

Yesterday was a sad day on twitter. @Frugaldougal announced that Pawpawty, the monthly online fundraising event to help animal charities all over the world, has been put on hiatus. This is especially sad because this month would have been the three-year anniversary of the very first Pawpawty held on St. Patrick’s Day 2009.

I have been a part of Pawpawty since its inception. I have watched it grow from a small impromptu event with a core group of participants to become an established online event that has inspired so many other people to “Be the Change” for animals.

Pawpawty is the “grandfather” of all twitter fundraisers – a 24 hour virtual event that incorporates quizmasters, djs, barktenders, sekurity officers, event sponsors, and people who just want to help animals and have some fun too.  It is a major undertaking on the part of the event coordinators, who work together to recruit and schedule volunteers, secure sponsors, design menus, develop invitations, and do pre-pawty marketing.  

Pets Prefer to Pick Their Own Music

Via msnbc.com - Many pet owners leave their home radios playing all day for the listening pleasure of their dogs and cats. Station choices vary. "We have a very human tendency to project onto our pets and assume that they will like what we like," said Charles Snowdon, an authority on the musical preferences of animals. "People assume that if they like Mozart, their dog will like Mozart. If they like rock music, they say their dog prefers rock."

Against the conventional wisdom that music is a uniquely human phenomenon, ongoing research shows that animals actually do have the capacity for music. But rather than liking classical or rock, Snowdon, an animal psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has discovered that animals march to the beat of a different drum altogether. They enjoy what he calls "species-specific music": tunes specially designed using the pitches, tones and tempos that are familiar to their particular species.

Campaign Results in Over 17,000 Sterilizations

Last month, spay/neuter clinics in 31 states offered $20 spays for female cats, resulting in more than 17,000 sterilizations. The "Beat the Heat" campaign was held in February to spay female cats before they go into heat, preventing unplanned litters that create “kitten season” during spring months.

The “Beat the Heat” campaign is part of PetSmart Charities new $1-million spay/neuter blitz grant program aimed at saving the lives of pets that have the highest risk of being euthanized due to overcrowding in shelters: cats and pit bull terriers. 

10 Ways to Save on Cost of Pet Care

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) recently announced that pet owners spent over $50 billion in 2011, a 5.3% increase over the previous year. As a proud pet parent, Kendall Perez is familiar with the rising cost of pet care.

Perez is the owner of two Labrador-Australian Shepherd mixes and founder of HassleFreeSavings.com. In addition to frequent exercise and annual vet check-ups, Perez recommends the following ways to save hundreds of dollars per year on pet care.

1. Create an Emergency Fund: According to Kipplinger.com, there are at least nine reasons to create an emergency fund - including emergency pet care. Having an emergency fund can help offset the cost of emergency procedures without creating a financial hardship.

Prevent Accidental Pets Poisonings

Via PRNewswire.com - On the 50th anniversary of Poison Prevention Week, March 18-24, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is reminding pet owners that accidental poisonings are a common problem.

The vast majority of accidental poisonings in humans happen in the home, and that's true of pets as well. Many pet owners are surprised to learn how many common household items are hazardous to pets. The AVMA online brochure and video can help pet owners recognize threats to their companion animals. 

"Every year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control hotline handles over 150,000 cases of pets being poisoned, and many of those cases involved common household items," explains Dr. Steven Hansen of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). "In our homes, the bathroom is the most dangerous spot for pets. The single most common reason for calls into the poison hotline is because pets have consumed medications."

March Madness Takes on New Meaning

Humans have long been the dominant species when it comes to gaming, but Friskies introduces a new contender: the cat. While humans are wasting time bragging about who’s got game, cats are in the zone at home perfecting their paw-eye coordination.

“You vs. Cat” is the first tablet game designed for two players – one human and one cat – to bring big-time competition to playtime. It’s on starting today – download the free game for you and your cat at YouvsCat.com and iTunes, and start playing together like never before.

Great Dane Receives National Hero Dog Award

The Humane Society of the United States recently announced that Hank, a Great Dane from Kansas City, Missouri, has received the top honor in its fifth annual Dogs of Valor Awards. Hank was named not just Valor Dog of the Year by celebrity judges Tamar Geller and Braylon Edwards, but also received the highest number of votes in the People’s Hero Award.

Hank earned the Valor Dog of the Year and People’s Hero awards by helping to shield his owner, a woman named McKenzie, from her boyfriend who was viciously attacking her with a hammer. When Hank crawled on her to block the blows, the man turned on Hank, shattering several ribs and a hip.

Dying Man Wishes To Be With His Dog

Via WTAE.com - It was Rob Calvert's dying wish to see his dog one last time, and people from Pittsburgh and Florida worked Tuesday to fulfill the cancer patient's wish.

Calvert said he just wants his best friend to be with him through his final journey. Bailey is Roger's beautiful 7-year-old yellow Labrador.

The Pittsburgher-turned-Floridian returned to Pittsburgh for a checkup, and it revealed that his cancer is back, and he has but days to live.

The Easter Bunny That Grew Up

Via Send2Press.com - The Easter Bunny That Grew Up is a children's book that pays tribute to a little rabbit that captured the hearts of people around the world and the contributions he made to rabbits in rescues and shelters. In September 2010, Gretta Parker started a journey she was not planning on when she adopted a little white rabbit for $7.50 from a local shelter.

On a whim she made him a Facebook page where she could talk about adopting rabbits and rabbit care. She posted adoption ads and wrote about how Flopsy loved to flip things. She started making adoption awareness posters using his image. People began to share them and his page. Gretta told her family and friends that he was going to be the $7.50 rabbit that changed the world for all rabbits.

AHA Reports on the Animals of Fukushima

Via PRNewswire - One year ago, on March 11, 2011, the world watched in horror as one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded hit off the coast of Japan, causing devastating tsunamis and triggering a meltdown at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

The result of the disaster was catastrophic with more than 15,000 deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes. In addition to the human tragedy, uncounted numbers of animals were swept away, killed or lost their homes. Thousands more were abandoned or tied up in backyards — left by owners who thought they would be returning soon.

Welcome Back Cookie

Like most bloggers, I have a routine that I use to get ready to write. I grab a cup of coffee and fire up my laptop.  I check my usual social media sites - LinkedIn, Facebook, Google + and Twitter - and I check my email. Then I’m usually ready to settle down and start writing.

But I knew that wasn’t the case on Friday. You see, I woke up with a headache. And for me, headaches come in two varieties – the kind where you can pop two Tylenol and keep on going, and the kind where all you can do is spend the next two or three days in a dark, quiet room. Friday’s headache was of the latter variety.

Some Days You Just Want to Watch a Cute Video

This little guy is certainly enjoying his toy mouse. Have a great weekend!

Pet Tips for Tough Economic Times

Via MNN.com - Our unemployment rate may be dipping, but many U.S. families still struggle to make ends meet. “Doing more with less” requires tough decisions about household expenses, and many pet owners face the possibility of losing their pets.

Fortunately, there is a network of resources available to keep pets and their people together. Here are a few options compiled by Morieka Johnson at Mother Nature Network if you need help.

Ten Tips for Finding a Professional Pet Sitter

Via PRNewswire.com - Going on vacation and unable to take your dog or cat with you? Pet sitters can be a saving grace! Many people, however, struggle to find someone they trust to care for their four-legged friends. In honor of Professional Pet Sitters Week, petMD.com provides the following ten tips for finding a qualified and professional pet sitter.

1) Ask Your Veterinarian: Any pet sitter worth their salt will have a support network. What better place to get a recommendation than your veterinarian? Especially for older and special needs pets, a pet sitter who has an established professional relationship with your pet's doctor will provide you with peace of mind should there be a medical emergency.

Use of Pet Therapy Increases

Via NPR.org - Those of us who own pets know they make us happy. But a growing body of scientific research is showing that our pets can also make us healthier.

That helps explain the increasing use of animals - dogs, cats, birds, fish, and even horses - in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, jails, and mental institutions.

The use of pets in medical settings actually dates back more than 150 years, says Aubrey Fine, a clinical psychologist and professor at California State Polytechnic University.

"One could even look at Florence Nightingale recognizing that animals provided a level of social support in the institutional care of the mentally ill," says Fine, who has written several books on the human-animal bond.

Husband surprises wife with pet adoption center

John Breslow of Scottsdale, Arizona wanted to give his wife Sonia the gift of a lifetime for her 60th birthday. He knew she had a love for dogs and a passion for no-kill shelters, so he approached the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA (AAWL) to see if they needed support.

On Saturday, the gift he had managed to keep secret for more than two years was revealed when a black tarp dropped from the front of a just-finished building. Large blue letters spelled out Sonia Breslow Adoption Center, which will house more than 150 homeless dogs and cats.

"I can't believe this is all for me; this is overwhelming," said a teary-eyed Sonia, a lifetime animal lover.

ASPCA Teams Up with Rachael Ray for $100K Challenge

The ASPCA recently announced that it has teamed up with television personality, bestselling author and philanthropist Rachael Ray for the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, with more than $500,000 in prize grants to help shelters save more homeless cats and dogs.

The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a groundbreaking contest that challenges animal shelters across the country to come up with innovative ways to engage their communities and get more homeless cats and dogs into loving homes. Fifty competing shelters across the country will work harder and smarter in order to save at least 300 more cats and dogs during the months of August, September and October 2012 than they did during the same period last year.

Pet Owners Spent More Than $50 Billion in 2011

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced this week that overall spending in the pet industry was at an all-time high in 2011, surpassing $50 billion.

APPA also projects a steady 3.8 percent growth rate through 2012, with nearly $53 billion in overall pet spending.

Reported categories include: food, supplies/over-the-counter (OTC) medications, veterinary care, and other services such as grooming, boarding, and pet-sitting.

PETA Responds to Bunny's Blog

Earlier this week, I wrote about a report that stated PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) killed over 95% of the animals in its care in 2011. Amanda  Schinke, Media Writer for PETA, responded to Bunny's Blog in the following email:

"We are writing about your recent post about the animals PETA had to euthanize in 2011. We know that you care deeply for animals, which is why we were disappointed by your post's unfair and untrue statement that 'PETA … doesn't like pets—which it sees as a form of animal slavery.' On a daily basis, PETA works to encourage people to adopt animals from animal shelters, and most PETA staffers (including me) share their homes with animals as well.

Pet Custody Cases on the Rise

Via USAToday.com - In a 2006 survey by the 1,600-member American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a quarter of respondents said pet custody cases had increased noticeably since 2001.

While the academy is due for another survey, there is no doubt such cases have grown steadily since then, said Ken Altshuler, a divorce attorney and AAML president.

If there is a child involved in a divorce, many judges will keep the pet with the child. "But what do you do when the pet is the child?" Altshuler asked.