ScapeGoat Sanctuary

Neuter Michael Vick!

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:25:00 +0000

Rooster Gets Revenge!

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:19:00 +0000

DELANO, Calif. -- A Central California man who was at a cockfight died after being stabbed in the leg by a bird that had a knife attached to its own limb, officials confirmed Monday.

Jose Luis Ochoa, 35, of Lamont, was declared dead at a hospital about two hours after he was injured in neighboring Tulare County on Jan. 30, the Kern County coroner said.

An autopsy concluded Ochoa died of an accidental "sharp force injury" to his right calf.

Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said it was unclear if a delay in seeking medical attention contributed to Ochoa's death.

"I have never seen this type of incident," Sgt. Martin King, a 24-year veteran of the sheriff's department, told the Bakersfield Californian.

Ochoa and the other spectators fled when authorities arrived at the scene of the fight, King told the newspaper. Deputies found five dead roosters and other evidence of cockfighting at the location, he said.

No arrests were made at the cockfight.

Cockfighting is a sport, illegal in the United States, in which specially bred roosters are put into a ring and encouraged to fight until one is incapacitated or killed.

According to Kern County Superior Court records, Ochoa paid $370 in fines last year after pleading no contest to one count of owning or training an animal for fighting, according to the newspaper.

Attending or organizing a cockfight, or training an animal to participate in one, are all misdemeanors under California law, although a second offense is a felony.

Help Stop Repeal of Missouri Puppy Mill Law

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:40:00 +0000

One of the biggest stories in the animal welfare world in 2010 was the grassroots campaign to pass Proposition B, the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. It was a tough battle, but in the end, the Show-Me State’s long-suffering puppy mill dogs won the hearts and minds of the voters and passed by a popular majority, ushering in a new era for our nation’s undisputed puppy mill capital.

Unfortunately, this story’s happy ending is now in jeopardy. Several state-level senators and representatives serving in the Missouri General Assembly have expressed their intentions to pursue full or partial repeals of Prop B. But the numbers don’t lie: November’s vote proved that the majority of Missourians do not approve of keeping dogs in tiny cages for their entire lives, or forcing them to bear litter after litter without any time to recover. For state lawmakers to dismiss the decision of voting citizens is an affront to democracy and illustrates a stunning lack of respect for the intelligence of their constituents.

Missouri is home to one-third of all commercial dog breeding facilities in the U.S.—as many as the next three largest dog-breeding states combined—and supplies more than 40 percent of all puppies sold in pet stores nationwide. No matter where you live, there’s a good chance that the puppies in the window of your local pet store came from a Missouri puppy mill. Implementation of the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act (scheduled for November) will impact other states, and so would the Act’s repeal. Allowing Missouri’s many substandard commercial breeders to continue treating dogs as they always have means that the flood of unhealthy puppies will continue unabated into pet stores.

Missouri’s state legislature convened earlier this week for its 2011 session. The ASPCA is asking Missouri citizens to contact their elected officials, many of whom are new to this issue, to express their opposition to any effort to repeal Prop B. If you don’t live in Missouri but still want to help, please spread the word by sharing this article via Facebook and Twitter.

"Puppy Mill Capital" Missouri passes Prop B!

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:51:00 +0000

Fed up with their state’s reputation as the Puppy Mill Capital of America, Missourians hit the polls on Election Day to declare that enough is enough! On Tuesday, November 2, voters in the Show Me State passed the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, which appeared on their ballots as Proposition B. (Although policy reform is most often generated through state legislatures, Prop B was a citizen-supported initiative). It is an incredible victory, and one we hope will send a strong message to the governments of other states—namely, that the public wants better conditions for puppy mill dogs, and will take on the task of changing the law themselves if elected officials fail to act.

In the last three years, 15 states, including major puppy mill states such as Iowa, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, have passed laws to crack down on puppy mills. However, in no other state were the stakes higher for puppy mill dogs than Missouri.

Missouri’s weak laws regulating commercial kennels have made it a haven for substandard breeders. As home to one-third of all the commercial dog breeding facilities in the U.S.—as many as the next three largest dog breeding states combined—Missouri supplies more than 40 percent of all puppies sold in pet stores nationwide. No matter where you live, there’s a good chance that the puppies in the window of your local pet store came from a Missouri puppy mill. Implementation of the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act will provide welcome relief to tens of thousands of adult breeding dogs—not to mention the approximately one million puppies born in Missouri kennels every year.

The new Missouri law, which becomes effective in one year, requires that dogs at these large-scale facilities be provided with sufficient food and clean water, regular veterinary care, adequate housing and space, and access to regular exercise. And with passage of Proposition B, Missouri becomes the fifth state—joining Louisiana, Oregon, Virginia and Washington—to create a limit on the number of intact, adult breeder dogs a commercial dog breeder may keep.

“Tuesday’s passage of Proposition B reflects a landmark achievement in the ongoing fight against animal cruelty,” says ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “We are proud to have worked diligently on this campaign, and we celebrate this victory alongside the caring citizens of Missouri. The ASPCA is committed to working with local animal welfare groups to help breeders transition to the new humane standards and find loving homes for any displaced Missouri breeding dogs.”

Pitt bull that used police car as chew toy

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Remember Winston, the dog who turned a police car into a gigantic chew toy in March? In the dashcam video it looked like Winston was having a great time with his big shiny new toy. The officer was pretty patient, too. The dog went to doggy jail until his owner could retrieve him. He got a slap on the paw, and had to go to dog school, which he did. He hasn’t eaten any cars since. (And on his Facebook page he thanks the cops for not shooting him.)

The boy is back in the news, but not because of his chewing. Sadly, Winston is dead at the ripe old age of 2. He was strong enough to dismantle the bumper of a cop car, but not to beat out hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a deadly thickening of the heart muscle.

Over Vaccination of Pets

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:37:00 +0000

Some veterinarians believe that annual revaccination is an important and critical part of preventative health care. Others suggest that there is little scientific information to suggest that annual revaccination of older dogs is necessary for some diseases. There is insufficient information regarding the duration of immunity beyond a year. Of course, some vaccines (rabies) are required by law.

Vaccine "titers," a blood test that determine the presence of antibodies that develop in response to the vaccine, can be done to help determine if a pet really needs a vaccine prior to actually getting a vaccine. The problems associated with "titers" is that very few laboratories perform the test and titers are often more expensive than the vaccines.

According to several veterinarians interviewed, the biggest obstacle to vaccine titers is that pet owners don't want to pay $100.00 to $200.00 for titer testing to determine if a vaccine is required when they can get the vaccine for a fraction of that cost.

What vaccines are recommended?

Until recent years, annual vaccines were recommended in both dogs and cats. However, in 1998, the American Association of Feline Practitioners published a report recommending vaccinating adult cats against panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus-1, and feline calicivirus, every three years, rather than annually.

In the spring of 2003, the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force released its vaccination guidelines that recommended three-year booster intervals in adult dogs for distemper virus, parvovirus, adenovirus-2, and parainfluenza virus.

The above recommendations may change as more information is being made available in a regular basis. The important factor is that the benefits must outweigh the risks. For example, if you have an outdoor cat the benefit of an annual vaccine to prevent some very deadly contagious diseases common in outdoor cats probably outweighs the risks of the vaccine in the eyes of most veterinarians.

Do vaccines actually cause harm?

Vaccines have been associated with minor allergic reactions such as facial swelling and itching to severe reactions associated with the formation cancerous tumor in cats. Vaccines have also been linked to autoimmune diseases in dogs such as anemia, platelet problems,and joint disease.

The number of pets that experience a reaction is very low, although it is difficult to find accurate data as many reactions are not reported or either falsely-associated, or not-associated with the vaccine.

Unfortunately, there is also no longer a national database in the United States that allows veterinarians to report adverse vaccines reactions or to obtain information about adverse reactions to particular products. The U.S. Pharmacopeia's Veterinary Practitioners' Reporting Program lost funding and was discontinued in April 2003.

According to information published in the AVMA.org website, some vaccine reactions may be as frequent at 1:1,000 to 1:10,000.

Conclusion

Vaccinations have saved the lives of millions of dogs and cats. Before the days of effective vaccines, dogs routinely died from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and complications of upper respiratory infections. Current vaccination programs protect our dogs, cats, and us from the threat of rabies.

Despite the well-known benefits of vaccination, the practice of annual vaccination of mature dogs and cats is a matter of debate. One fact is clear, pets should not be over-vaccinated. Vaccines can be associated with some significant problems and the benefit of the vaccine must outweigh the risk of the vaccine. To determine what vaccines your pet needs, your veterinarian should weight the risk-benefit relationship that is relevant to your pet and based on the most current research and recommendations available.

Until more research is done and better data is collected to definitively determine the needed frequency of vaccinations, choose a veterinarian you trust and ask them what they believe is best for your pet. Regardless, your pet should receive an annual examination by your veterinarian..................................................Dr. Jon

New Yorkers Arrested In Separate Cat Abuse Cases

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:24:00 +0000

With the help of astute observers and anonymous tips, the ASPCA is cracking down on cat abuse in the Big Apple. On October 13, the ASPCA arrested Brooklyn resident Tiffany Feliciano for neglecting her nine-month-old kitten, Marty. The very next day, our Humane Law Enforcement Agents arrested Davanand Raghunath for allegedly starving his cat in Queens.

When ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agent Paul Lai arrived at Feliciano’s apartment, he discovered an emaciated, dehydrated, black-and-white kitten in a filthy cage without food. Marty was immediately transported to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, where he received life-saving medical care.

The following day, ASPCA Special Agent Debbie Ryan arrested Davanand Raghunath after finding a starving, flea-infested orange Tabby in the basement of his store in Ozone Park. The seven-year-old cat, Leo, also received emergency medical treatment from ASPCA veterinarians. Both Leo and Marty are now in stable condition and recovering from starvation and skin inflammation, a secondary result of flea infestation.

What is wrong with people these days???

KILLING DOGS THAT DISTURB THE PEACE IN TENNESSEE

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Friday, August 27, 2010

LEBANON, Tenn. – The city of Lebanon might adopt a new ordinance that could lead to a dog being euthanized if it "disturbs the peace" and local pet owners are not happy.

City Councilman William Farmer is trying to pass a city ordinance that would help control dangerous dogs and dogs that cause a nuisance within the city limits.

Michelle Lee, with the animal welfare group New Leash on Life, is opposed to the ordinance.

"I think there are two many issues lumped together in one ordinance. You have issues of dangerous dogs, and then you have [dogs] running at large and disturbing the peace buy excessive barking," she said.

The ordinance would also allow the government to euthanize a dog if the owner does not change its behavior.

Farmer told News 2 that there is some miscommunication regarding that aspect of the ordinance, though.

"Anybody that thinks you can just take your dog and euthanize it because of this ordinance, No. 1, doesn't understand the ordinance," he said. "There are three steps of due process that protect the dog from being officially harmed."

Farmer said that he loves and owns dogs himself, so the ordinance is written to give animal owners multiple opportunities to correct their pet's behavior before being subject to an order of destruction.

Barking dogs can be annoying in any neighborhood, but the idea of a dog being euthanized, regardless of how many warnings an owner gets, does not sit well with animal lovers.

"I don't think an animal should be euthanized because an owner leaves it outside on a chain for it to bark and disturb the neighbors," said Lee.

Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead has already vetoed the ordinance.

The veto, however, could be overturned by the city council at their next meeting, which is set for September 7.

Good news! Shot down for now!

Bionic Cat

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:48:00 +0000

http://www.perezhilton.com/tv/The_Worlds_First_Bionic_Cat/?ptvid=eb43c0ce15a18

Click on the above link to see a Bionic Cat. Lost 2 back legs and now he has 2 replacements.

Animal Horder in Alabama - Mental Illness?

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:10:00 +0000

ATHENS, AL (WAFF) - Officials are investigating an illegal puppy mill where more than two dozen dead dogs were stored in a freezer.

Limestone County Sheriff's Investigator Eric King talked to suspect Nannie Johnson late Monday afternoon.

"I'd asked her about the number of dogs in the freezer, she said she hadn't had time to bury them," said King.

King said he also asked her why so many dogs died.

"She said, 'yea, something's wrong with it. The devil's killing them,'" King said.

King said in addition to lots of dogs, Johnson had lots of dolls.

King said Johnson also told him some of her behavior might be linked to health problems and medication.

He said that is under investigation.

Right now Johnson is facing serious jail time.

"It's all misdemeanor charges," said King. "Each misdemeanor charge could carry up to a year in jail."

King said Johnson is facing up to 43 years in prison if convicted. (coutesy of waff)

Pets are Flood Victims Too

Mon, 31 May 2010 02:51:00 +0000

ALERT! Several Counties in Tennessee have been declared a State of Emergency. Families directly affected by this disaster (loss of home and/or job) and whose pet needs care are encouraged to apply for Disaster Relief Funds.

The Program offers to stabilize and/or treat your pet for:

1) injuries sustained as a result of the crisis

2) illness caused by contaminated water

3) to replace medications lost in the flood

(heartworm and flea/tick preventative included)

Families are required to prove that they own the pet and that they were directly affected by the disaster.

Check out the Brown Dog Foundation in Nashville , Tn

Watch the WKRN/Channel 2 Story about our Program

Donations are now being accepted to help families affected by this disaster. Please make a donation today and make a note that the funds are to be used for the TN Disaster. 100% of funds raised will be used for this disaster.

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How Cats Adapt to Being Disabled

Sun, 23 May 2010 05:45:00 +0000

This section provides answers to some of the more commonly asked questions.

Do Other Faculties compensate for the missing one?

After losing a sense or a limb, cats must rely on their remaining faculties. Many owners notice that the remaining senses may become more acute or remaining limbs may become stronger. For example, a blind cat may have extremely acute hearing while a hind limb amputee may have front body strength comparable to a weightlifter.

Physical attributes are much the same. A cat that lacks one leg spreads his weight across his remaining limbs. Like anyone who weight trains in a gym, those muscles are used more and get stronger. In cats and dogs, the front limbs carry most of the weight, especially when moving. In a hind limb amputee, there is additional weight on the fore limbs and these develop even more than usual. The muscle responds to the strain by growing and becoming stronger.

In addition to adaptive changes in the brain and muscles, cats use their intelligence to cope with disability. A cat with mobility problems can often be watched figuring out the best route onto or off of a shelf - it might figure out a route where it can get onto the shelf in a series of steps with little jumps, rather than a single leap. A blind cat might gauge the height of a chair seat by reaching up on hind legs to pat its forepaws on the seat before making the jump. A cat with one eye swivels its head to get several angles of view to get some depth perception before making a jump.

Where a sense is lost gradually, the brain can compensate over a long period of time. For example, we may not realize our cat is going deaf until all hearing is lost. Where a sense or limb is lost suddenly (illness or accident) the speed at which a cat adapts seems to be related to its age. It just takes older cats a little longer and the adaptation may be a little less perfect.

Do disabled pets become more affectionate than able-bodied ones? Is this gratitude towards their humans?

"Gratitude" is anthropomorphism - i.e.- reading human emotions into animals. Animals do have emotions (Do Cats Have Emotions?), but not the complex abstract emotions of humans because they perceive the world in a different way to us. A better explanation of the "gratitude effect" in disabled cats is that the cat allows itself to become more dependent on its human family. Cats frequently relate to humans as though we are parents (providing food and comfort) and they are juveniles. A disabled cat is even more likely to view the owner as provider and may exaggerate its own role as kitten. The owner makes additional efforts to accommodate a feline disability and the cat modifies its own behavior to suit this relationship - we may not even realize this is happening, but it is a continual process. Remember that cats interpret owner/cat relationships in feline terms, not in human terms.

Are cats with genetic disorders also genetically programmed to adapt in certain ways? For example are Twisty Cats genetically programmed to have stronger hind legs?

A Twisty Cat will have relied on its hind legs since kitten-hood hence these will have grown stronger. The same extra-strong hind legs would be seen if the kitten's forelegs were deformed through birth accident rather than genetic mutation. In genetic mutations, the gene(s) affected have all sorts of visible and invisible effects (there is not a one-gene-one-trait correlation) and it is possible, though unlikely, that some of the gene's effects will compensate for its other effects. However, it is more often the case that all of the genetic effects will be detrimental - throwing one part of a delicately balanced machine out of balance has a detrimental knock-on effect on other parts of that machine. Genes give cats the potential to develop in a certain way, the environment hones how the cat actually develops.

SUMMARY

A caring owner can think of other ways in which to help a disabled feline companion, but beware of being overprotective. A disabled cat still requires some semblance of independence to allow it to fulfill that inner 'catness' that we love in our feline friends. Most seem unaware of their disabilities and they do not expect life to make allowances, but a helping hand and some adjustments to their lifestyle and perhaps your own lifestyle will ensure a disabled cat has a healthy, happy and safe life.

Grief of Losing A Friend

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:58:00 +0000

We recently lost two of our cats that had lived with us for the last ten years. Zachary & Piper. This is dedicated to them. They will forever be missed.

When someone close to us dies, our loss is met with sympathy, comfort and offerings of sincere condolence. We are allowed to grieve. We are allowed to cry. We are allowed to experience our emotions.

But when the death is that of an animal, the story is very different. Often, others fail to appreciate the depth of our grief. Some may even display gross insensitivity by making comments like, "Why don't you just get another pet?" Mourning an animal companion is painful enough due to the loss itself. But it may be deeper still due to the loneliness of this type of grieving.

Why are the feelings so painful?

Loss of unconditional love. Animals provide emotional responses that are uninhibited, unedited by concerns for how their expression appears to others. Many of our human relationships aren't that simple; they can be riddled with anxiety about rejection and other fears that often dictate how we behave and what we share. Our animal companions don't judge insecurity or imperfection. They are all-accepting in ways few humans can achieve.

Caretaking. Loving an animal is much like being a parent. We are responsible for these living beings, and often go to great lengths to ensure their physical and emotional comfort. Numerous activities were centered around our animal companions' needs. We hired walkers and sitters so that they had company or exercise. We went to dog parks to enhance their lives with social activity. All were efforts to provide them with the best caretaking possible.

Animals as life witness. Our animal friends not only provide us with their uninhibited emotional expression, but they allow us to express parts of ourselves that we may never let other humans see. They observe our weaknesses and our victories, and share years of our lives with us. During periods of upheaval that we inevitably confront over long periods of time, they may provide us with our only security, stability and comfort.

Many goodbyes. We must say goodbye to each role the animal occupied — friend, child, significant other — as well as to feeding time, walking routes, and all the aspects that made up our practical routines. We must say goodbye not only to the physical activities, but to the reflexive way we called to them when we wanted comfort and love. These goodbyes all serve to make grief a course that requires time and patience.

Loss of our primary companion. For some of us, our animal friend was our only social companion in the world. We may not have had any other close contacts, whether due to depression, anxiety or a debilitating physical illness. We relied on her as our sole means of support and love.

What might make my grief more complicated?

Guilt. This is the primary stumbling block to a healthy grieving process. Did I do enough? Or "If only I…" Whether death came after a short or long struggle, many of us wonder if there were routes not explored, medications not taken, surgeries not performed. If we were unsure whether all options were exhausted, then residual guilt may hinder moving through grief effectively.

Euthanization. Many of us are called upon to make the excruciating decision to end the life of a beloved animal. We spend our lives ensuring their health, and while euthanization may end their suffering, it contradicts every instinct we have. Grief is further complicated if we are plagued by doubt: Was it really the right time? Was she really getting worse? Questions like these may never be answered. Further, we are left with the image of her as she died, which can be overwhelming.

Circumstances of the loss. If we perceive that the death might have been avoided, the duration and severity of our guilt can be intensified. "I should have closed the screen door tighter so he didn't run into the street," or "I wish I had noticed her symptoms sooner, because she'd be alive today if I had." These kinds of comments only further punish ourselves.

Grieving timeline. Grief gets derailed when a timeline is imposed: "I should be better by now," or "Why is she still so sad?" Not having the necessary time to mourn, which varies for all of us, creates emotional pressure to "get better quickly." This ultimately results in the opposite of what we're seeking, which is to work through our feelings of loss.

Reawakening an old loss. A companion animal's death may remind us of a previous loss, animal or human. This complicates the current situation if our prior loss was not dealt with or went unresolved. It is then important not only to mourn the lost animal, but to take this opportunity to find closure with both losses.

Resistance to mourning. This complication often arises out of our efforts at coping. Some of us may suppress feelings so we don't appear weak. We may fear that the tears will never stop if we allow them to begin. Whatever we use to defend against our true emotional experience will complicate our natural progression of grief.

Many of these complications have important functions. Staying conflicted about the death of an animal often binds us to our deceased companion, keeping us closer to the time when she was alive. Letting go of grief can also be mistakenly interpreted as a betrayal, as though trying to feel better equals trying to forget. But that is not the goal of grieving. We'll always love the animals we've lost. Healthy grieving means getting through — not getting over.

What can I do?

Be patient. This is the first key to effectively dealing with your grief. Our losses are real, painful, and evoke a variety of feelings and memories. Anytime you find yourself wishing you were better, wanting to be "past" it, remind yourself that your emotional processing has no set endpoint. You're in mourning. By pressuring yourself, you only make yourself feel worse.

Find an ally. Find at least one safe person you can talk to about your loss. If you can't identify someone safe, call your veterinarian and ask for the name of someone who recently experienced a loss, or look into joining a support group specifically for pet loss. (Check these Web sites: The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, at aplb.org; or petloss.com, which has chat rooms and online memorial services.)

Do an overview of your companion's life. You can do this by writing, or sharing with an ally. When did you adopt the animal? What are some special memories? What personality features stand out in your mind? What will you miss the most? This overview helps cement the things you want to make sure not to forget.

Rituals. Humans have prescribed ways to mourn. We have funerals, ceremonies and anniversaries of the beloved's death acknowledged. These rites are designed to help us grieve and to remember our loved ones. Create your own rituals for your companion. Have a ceremony in the dog park. Hold a service at home, or in a place special to you both.

Possessions. Often, we encounter the food bowl, bed, blankets, and are immobilized as to what to do with them. The first step can be to move them to a different location. Take the bed out of your bedroom. This helps the transition, allowing you to move the items before you remove them. When you're ready, put the animal's tag on your key chain. Seal his belongings in a trunk. Donate her bed to an animal organization.

Memorials. Do a tree planting or plant a garden. These can be living tributes that serve as reminders for years to come.

This is a sorrowful time. There will be occasions when we won't have answers to our painful questions, or activities to quell our longings. But ask yourself: What would your companion do if he found you sad and in pain? Give you love, give you comfort, stay with you as long as it took. That's worth remembering — now, more than ever.

By Julie Axelrod, Psy.D., Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement

Humane Association of Wilson County

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Humane Association of Wilson County

P.O. Box 247

lebanon, Tennessee 37088

Phone: 615-444-1144

Fax: 615-444-4997

Email: divenany@aol.com

Website: www.hawconline.com/

On March 18th 2009, after reviewing the true mission of our organization, the board of directors of the Humane Association of Wilson County voted unanimously to move in the direction of becoming a limited admission shelter. We have decided that we will not continue to euthanize healthy, adoptable dogs and cats to make space for more. We will continue to help as many pets as possible but will not become hoarders, overcrowded or keep an animal in a cage for years. The changes will allow us to adopt healthier animals, do a greater number of adoptions, improve staff morale, attract and maintain more volunteers and develop more proactive community programs.

We will not use the term NO-KILL because we feel that it is misleading and offensive. We will still have to deal with euthanasia but on a much more limited basis. Because of a lack of animal control in our county in the past we felt it necessary to take on most of the animal related issues including the euthanasia of thousands of animals each year. Now that we have animal control programs in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon and Wilson County we hope to work together to achieve a common goal of eliminating the need to euthanize healthy pets to control the pet population.

On April 1, we made our future plans known to the Wilson County Urban Types Facilities Board. The county is aware that they will have to make some changes to their current animal control program including accepting strays. An animal control advisory committee is being formed that will include a representative of our organization. We hope this committee will be the first step in working together as a community regarding pet related issues.

84 Horses Rescued in Cannon County

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:55:00 +0000

http://www.humanesociety.org

The Humane Society of the United States and the Cannon County Sheriff's Department joined forces to rescue 84 horses from a property in Tennessee.

The horses were seized by the Sheriff's Department due to signs of neglect and poor health, and have now been surrendered by their owner. The horses, who were rescued from squalid conditions on a 100-acre Bradyville farm, are now under the ownership of The HSUS.

Rescuers also removed seven dogs, two goats and two chickens from the property. The animals were all in poor condition.

A Struggle to Survive

"This rescue came not a moment too soon for the animals, including 84 horses struggling to survive," said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at The HSUS.

"There's no excuse for starving or neglecting an animal. It is the responsibility of every horse owner to provide humane, responsible care for their horses at all stages of their life."

When rescuers arrived on the property, they found many Tennessee Walking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses, as well as quarter horses.

Tennessee Walking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses are two breeds that commonly suffer from soring, an abusive practice that involves the intentional infliction of pain to a horse's legs or hooves in order to force an artificial, exaggerated gait.

Many of the horses were extremely emaciated and suffering from a variety of medical ailments including overgrown, infected hooves and parasite infestation. Rescuers also found several dead horses on the scene.

Joining Forces to Help

Local law enforcement was alerted to this critical situation by citizens concerned for the health of the horses.

The sheriff's department called in The HSUS to act as the lead animal welfare organization in the case. The HSUS then called in United Animal Nations to provide sheltering support and Volunteer Equine Advocates to assist in animal handling and transport.

Invaluable assistance was also provided by officials from the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, who provided a stable to be used as an emergency shelter.

“Today marks a new beginning for these animals, who can now begin their journey to healthy, happy lives”

“This rescue would not have been possible without the outpouring of support we received from local horse lovers willing to come to the aid of these neglected animals,” said Leighann McCollum, Tennessee state director for The HSUS.

Rescuers are removing all of the horses from the property and transporting them to a temporary shelter. Once the horses reach the shelter they will be checked by a team of veterinarians and given any necessary immediate medical care.

Once they are strong enough to be transported again, these horses will be placed with local rescues and adopted out to responsible homes.

Humane Options Available

Horse owners who can no longer care for their horses have many humane options available to them:

Sell the horse to a properly vetted, private owner

Lease the horse to another horse enthusiast

Donate the horse to a therapeutic riding center, park police unit or similar program

Relinquish the horse to a horse rescue or sanctuary

Consider humane euthanasia.

Donate

Help us save horses and other animals

Charla Nash - update

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:56:00 +0000

The picture at the end of this post is graphic.....but I am posting it to show

people what a "grown-up" chimp can do to a person.

Please don't keep wild animals as pets....this could be your mother, sister, or friend.

Charla Nash is now blind, and scarred for life. Her courage is unbelievable. Thank God for her loving family that help her and the people at the hospital where she lives now.

She says she has no pain. I can't even imagine the emotional scars.

May God Bless & keep her in his arms. Please see below where you can help her. Every cent helps.

Make Your Impact

Feeling Inspired? Take Action Now

Make a donation to Charla Nash

Become a supporter of Charla Nash

http://www.nashtrust.com/

Looking for more ways to get involved?

Visit : CreateTheGood.org

Elephant Gets Fake Leg

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Motola, a female elephant who stepped on a land mine 10 years ago and endured painful operations, was fitted Saturday in Thailand for a permanent artificial leg. The 48-year-old pachyderm became a symbol of the plight of today's elephants, and her injury sparked international sympathy and donations. Experts were making a cast of her injured left front leg for a plastic prosthetic limb which will be attached later Saturday. "I do hope she will accept the new leg. It would be wonderful to see Motola and Baby Mosha walking together side-by-side," said Soraida Salwala, secretary general of the Friends of the Asian Elephant, a non-governmental group. Mosha, also a land mine victim, became the world's first elephant with an artificial leg, attached in 2007. Soraida said Mosha, now a 3-year-old, is faring well and has outgrown three of her prosthetic devices. Both elephants have been cared for at the Elephant Hospital, set up by Soraida's group in 1993. The world's first such facility, the hospital has treated thousands of elephants for ailments ranging from eye infection to gunshot wounds. Motola was injured in 1999 while working at a logging camp along the Myanmar-Thailand border, a region peppered with land mines after half a century of insurgency. Her mangled foot was amputated, and she hobbled on three feet until fitted with a temporary, canvas shoe-like device two years later. Motola's initial operation used enough anesthetic to floor 70 people - a record noted in the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records. "It has been 10 years now, but in all these long years Motola enjoyed a happy life, walking out of her shelter for a sun bath," Soraida said. Soraida said Motola has otherwise been in fine health, with her once bony frame now weighing more than 3 tons. The artificial leg has been constructed by the Prostheses Foundation, which also makes cheap but effective artificial limbs for human amputees. A number of elephants have had land mine injuries. But that is only one of many problems facing the domesticated giant, whose numbers have dropped from 13,400 in 1950 to today's estimated 2,500. The number of wild elephants has also dropped dramatically. Traditionally the truck, taxi and logging worker of Thailand, the elephant has lost most of its jobs to modernization. One saving grace has been the tourism industry, which employs large numbers for elephant trekking and other activities.

Pitt Bull Rescues in USA

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:42:00 +0000

Please see our new page that is listing all the Pitt Bull Rescues avaible throughtout the USA.

Sheriff Joe Strikes Again!!

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:13:00 +0000

This ain't the Ritz! If if you don't like it ............ Don't come back !

You gotta love this guy...the kind of organizer we need in Washington... You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb.

Well...SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN! Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay. The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows. The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.

The animals are neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip. Cost - $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6-$8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison. Yup, he was re-elected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA, ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER!. THESE ARE THE REASONS WHY: He created the 'Tent City Jail'. He has jail meals down to .40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights and cut off all but 'G' movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination. He took away cable TV until he found out there was a Federal Court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again only letting in the Disney and Weather Channel. When asked why the weather channel? He replied, "So they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on the Chain Gang". He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "this isn't the Ritz Carlton...if you don't like it, don't come back." He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape; that he pipes into the jails for the inmates to enjoy! Not! When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied "a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates are in his jail in the first place." With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 Degrees), the Associated Press reports: About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government-issued pink boxer shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatting in the tents; which reached 138 degrees inside the week before...many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their PINK SOCKS. 'It feels like we are in a furnace,' said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the TENTS for 1 year. 'It's inhumane.' he stated. Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear. But they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your mouths!" Way To Go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can come back to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things some taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

Woman Taped Puppy To Refrigerator

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Meet Abby Toll. The University of Colorado student, 20, is facing a felony animal abuse rap after she allegedly taped her boyfriend's puppy to the side of a refrigerator in a bid to teach the rambunctious animal a "lesson." According to police, Toll used clear packing tape early this morning to adhere the eight-month-old dog (a Shiba Inu named Rex) to the appliance in the kitchen of her boyfriend's apartment. Toll allegedly was angry at Bryan Beck, 21, for failing to get rid of the puppy, which, Toll told cops, bit her a few days ago. According to the below Boulder Police Department reports, when cops responded at 5 AM to a "report of a male and female yelling" at Beck's apartment, they discovered that "Rex's body was completely encased in packing tape." When Officer Kara Jurczenia asked what was on the side of the fridge, Toll replied, "The dog." Toll added, "I know this looks really bad, but the dog bites. He is aggressive." Jurczenia asked how long the puppy had been taped upside down to the side of the refrigerator. "Not long," Toll replied. "Like 20-30 minutes. It was just until he calmed down." The reports note that when Beck saw his dog stuck to the refrigerator, he told Toll, "Take him down," adding, "You are so sick!" Toll replied, "No, you are sick for not caring enough about me to get rid of the dog." The animal, whose paws had been bound with elastic hair ties, was clearly in pain and "yelped and screamed loudly" as cops worked to free him. "Rex just lay motionless, but breathing, on his kennel after he was removed from the tape." The puppy was handed over to the Boulder Valley Humane Society. Toll, seen in the above mug shot, was turned over to county jailers. Beck, who was arrested in connection with his scuffle with Toll, was not charged with animal abuse. Though he did reportedly tell police, "We were going to get rid of him anyway. We usually don't do this."

credit-Smoking Gun