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Australian Wildlife Holocaust – Please Help Now

Dear friends across the world,

Hell on earth looks a lot like Australia right now. The fires are so big they are generating their own lightning — and they’ve killed more than a **BILLION** animals! 

A billion! It’s a wildlife holocaust!! Thousands of koalas have been roasted alive in the trees, while rare flying foxes are falling dead from the sky. Even worse, this nightmare could be a glimpse of our whole planet’s future if we don’t urgently tackle the climate crisis that caused it.

This is a call to arms: we need to fight Australia’s fires with burning, urgent action. 

If 40,000 of us chip in now, we can provide immediate on-the-ground support — funding the heroes who are rescuing injured koalas and kangaroos, while backing a long-term recovery plan to plant billions of new trees to help nature recover.

But alone it won’t be enough. Even as their country burns, Australia’s leaders are denying climate change and trying to derail global action to reduce carbon pollution. We can’t let them win. So we’ll also bring all of our movement’s campaigning magic to face down blockers in Australia and all over the world ahead of crucial global climate talks later this year.

This is urgent — give what you can to help beat back Australia’s biodiversity apocalypse and spark the climate revolution our planet needs!

I’LL DONATE $2
I’LL DONATE $4
I’LL DONATE $8
I’LL DONATE $16
I’LL DONATE $32
OTHER AMOUNT

Can you imagine how brave you must be to run into the flames to save terrified animals? Across Australia, heroic wildlife rescuers are working against the clock to save animals from this catastrophe — they deserve our support, and if enough of us chip in, we can give it.

But to really make their heroism count, we must spark change in Australia — and that means taking on the powerful climate deniers who have the government in their grip. Right now, they’re flooding Australia with fake news to play down the link to climate change, but as deadly fires blaze through homes, hospitals and schools, wrecking people’s lives, Australia’s leaders are under pressure like never before.

Avaaz is one of the few movements positioned to power recovery plans and wildlife rescue on the ground, while launching fearless people-powered campaigns and investigations all over the world to face down the climate deniers.

So let’s not stand by and watch as wildlife burns — chip in now to power the global response to Australia’s climate catastrophe that the whole world needs:

I’LL DONATE $2
I’LL DONATE $4
I’LL DONATE $8
I’LL DONATE $16
I’LL DONATE $32
OTHER AMOUNT

This is personal for me. My brother lives in Australia, and I want my precocious, curious young nephews to grow up looking for koalas up in the treetops, and not just hearing about them in the history books. I hope they’ll be able to look out over the ocean, without choking on ash. And I’d love them to hear stories about a time when the world came together to defend their country’s splendid natural beauty — a moment that was both a global wakeup call and a tipping point toward building the healthier, more sustainable world we all want.

With hope, love and lots of grit,

Joseph, Bert, Marigona, Martyna, Francesco, Patricia, Aloys and the whole Avaaz team

PS – This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That’s why we’re fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who’ve donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.

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This Elderly Woman Was Afraid of this Pit Bull – Until He Saved Her Life

By J. Swanson

Everyone who knows Simba agrees the four-year-old pit bull is a very good boy. Unfortunately, the pup’s stellar reputation didn’t sway all of his neighbors, including one elderly woman who routinely rebuffed the friendly canine’s attempts to say hi.

“He always tried to greet her, but she called him mean and looked at him with fear,” Mehana, Simba’s guardian/owner, explained to The Dodo. “She never liked him because he was a ‘bad’ breed.”

Photo: Instagram/arjanitmehana

But the elderly woman’s chilly reception didn’t stop Simba from being a good neighbor. One day, Mehena and Simba were climbing the stairs to their apartment when the dog started acting peculiarly. “He stopped,” Mehana recalled. “He began to bark and run to the door where the neighbor lives. I pulled the leash but he refused to come.”

But when Simba’s owner bent down to pick the dog up, he noticed a muffled noise coming from inside the apartment. “I heard a weak voice shout for help,” Mehana said. “She said, ‘Please don’t go.’”

Photo: Instagram/ arjanitmehana

When Mehana opened the door, he found his elderly neighbor had broken her hip and collapsed on the floor, where she’d been waiting for help for two days. If Simba hadn’t heard her feeble cries, she would have continued to go unnoticed. The dog likely saved her life.

When the elderly neighbor realized that Simba had saved her, her previously frosty demeanor thawed completely. “She said, ‘Thank you for hearing me,’” Mehana recalled. “I thought she was talking to me at first. But then she said, ‘No, not you — the nice doggie.’”

Photo: Instagram/ arjanitmehana

The heartwarming story of Simba’s heroics have improved his reception around the apartment building, where residents had previously dismissed the pit bull based on their ignorance and fear. “I know Simba is a wonderful dog,” Mehana said. “But I hope this event will make people see bully breeds differently. We, as human beings, must deserve their loyalty and love.

 

J. Swanson is a writer, traveler, and animal-enthusiast based in Seattle, an appropriately pet-crazed city where dog or cat ownership even outweighs the number of kids.

From: https://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/home

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Christmas Eve (an excerpt from a novel in progress – Ollie & Spuds)

Spuds the cat and Ollie the dog watch from the hearth rug as Aunt Joan rolls out the dough with her grandmother’s rolling pin. She smooths butter on the dough, sprinkles it generously with cinnamon and brown sugar, rolls it up, and pops it into the stove. Outside it’s dusk. Snow is falling.

Tori comes into the kitchen, inhaling deeply. “Umm. What’s cooking?”

“Mouse. Your great-grandmother used to make it from the leftover dough from her pies. Did your mom make it?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t remember. Come on, Ollie. Let’s go feed the barn animals.” She motions for him to follow her.

Ollie sighs, reticent to leave the warmth of the kitchen, and rises. He follows Tori out the door, squinting his eyes to a gust of snow that swirls off the roof. They walk toward the barn. In the hills there glimmers the twinkling of lights of other farms. Tori looks up at the sky and sticks out her tongue to catch snowflakes.

They walk to the barn through the mounting snow. The donkey, Frank Sinatra, shakes his mane and the horse, Fred, whinnies in greeting. Tori pats them, gives them fresh water and hay and some extra grain, because it’s Christmas Eve. The chickens, which roam in the relative warmth of the barn, come over to them, clucking softly. Ollie noses them gently. Tori stoops down and runs her palm over their feathers, murmuring to them. She gives them extra feed and adds more hay to their nest for warmth.

They listen to the soft munching of the horse and donkey, the gentle clucking of the chickens. Tori closes the door and they step out into the snow, which has covered their footsteps leading to the barn. Stars have started to emerge, little pinpricks of light in the dark blue sky. The farmhouse roof is draped with snow, and each window is aglow with candles. Through the steamy kitchen window, Aunt Joan takes cookies from the oven. Through the living room window, Uncle Jon lights candles nestled in pine boughs on the mantle. Spuds follows Aunt Joan into the living room and sits beneath the Christmas tree. Uncle Jon turns toward Aunt Joan, laughing at something she says.

Ollie looks up at Tori beside him, who reaches down and scratches him behind his ear. Then they trudge through the snow together. At the doorway she dusts the snow off of Ollie’s back and kicks the snow off of her boots. They enter the house, which smells of pine and baking, and join the family.

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Kind Acts for Animal Shelters – Doable ideas from Humane Society of the US

What can you do today?  Animal shelters are the cornerstone of animal welfare in our communities and are often times the first point of rescue for lost, injured and stray animals. While awareness of their extraordinary work is growing, they need our support. Public animal shelters have to fight for every penny they receive, and private shelters struggle to find enough donor support to keep their doors open. Yet day in and day out, staff stretch their limited resources and work tirelessly to save as many lives as possible. We believe that these unsung heroes deserve our appreciation and support, and we think you do too! Here are somethings you can do today to thank shelter workers for their unwavering commitment to your community’s homeless and suffering animals:
1.   Send letters to the editor about the good work your community shelter is doing! Most people in your community likely do not know the volume of animals that enter the shelter, the number of animals nursed back to health from cruelty cases,or the community outreach that shelter staff is doing to keep pets in homes.Writing a letter to the editor can help change that, and highlight the great work your local shelter is doing.
2.  Work with the shelter staff to set up an Amazon.com supply list. People often are willing to donate to their local shelter but they don’t know what’s needed. Helping your shelter set up an Amazon.com supply list not only makes it easy for people to help, it ensures shelter staff gets exactly what they need, when they need it. If your shelter already has such a list in place, help them by spreading the word, especially around the holidays!
3.  Volunteer for a specific project.Shelters need regular volunteers to help with daily activities like cleaning and socializing animals, but there are often special projects they’d love to do but simply but don’t have the time for –things like building feral cat houses, creating play equipment for the dogs, even landscaping the outside of the shelter building. Ask the shelter what they’ve been dreaming of getting done, gather friends and knock a project off the list!
4. Bring the staff some treats.Imagine how good you would feel if someone stopped by your work just to quickly say thank you and leave behind some cookies or coffee! Remember that the holidays, July 5thand days after bad weather are the busiest days at the shelter. This is a great time to pop in, say thanks,and leave some much appreciated treats behind. And don’t forget to leave some special treats for the animals, too!
5.  Do a community supply drive. There are certain times of year when shelters need blankets, towels, kitten and puppy food, etc.. Check in with the shelter and get to know the times during the year when a supply drive for specific items would be helpful. Leave bins in local pet stores, places of worship, clubs, and the local coffee house. Before you know it the demand for supplies will be met! • Attend a local government meeting and speak up!In most meetings of local officials, the general public has the opportunity to make comments for the record.
6.  Take a minute to talk about the good work the shelter is doing or the value to the community. Not comfortable speaking in public? Write a letter and ask that it be read into the record.The people in your local shelter are saving lives every day, often under incredibly difficult circumstances –they’d love to know their hard work and dedication is appreciated by their community.
The smallest act of appreciation from you may be just the boost they need to keep going. For more information: http://www.humanesociety.org
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Giving Tuesday – You Can Help Animals Like Sweet Amelia

Amelia was just a little foal wandering the streets alone when Animal Rahat found her. The young donkey’s neck and thighs were covered with painful, open wounds left by the neighborhood dogs who tormented her. Animal Rahat treated her injuries and allowed her to recover at its sanctuary. After she was healed, she was transported to a partner sanctuary where she’ll grow up in the company of other rescued donkeys who, like her, will never face such danger again.

Left: A photo of Amelia as a foal with a large wound on her thigh. Right: A photo of Amelia today, looking into the camera as she stands in a clearing in the Nilgiri Hills.

The photo on the left shows Amelia the day she was rescued. The one on the right is Amelia today!

Please make a difference in the lives of animals like Amelia by making a special Giving Tuesday donation today.

A donkey sits on the ground with bandages on both hind legs and feet.

Animal Rahat was there for this donkey whose wounded legs needed emergency medical treatment.

It’s not only individual donkeys who find themselves in trouble—sometimes entire herds need help all at once. That was the case with a group of 45 donkeys rescued from forced labor in an illegal sand-mining operation and who now reside at the sanctuary with Amelia. Animal Rahat is responsible for the cost of their lifetime care.

A mother donkey and her foal graze at their sanctuary home in the Nilgiri Hills.

It costs Animal Rahat $65 to provide a single donkey with food and care for one month, and the cost of care for this mother-baby duo (who were rescued from the sand-mining operation) amounts to over $1,500 per year.

Your Giving Tuesday gift to Animal Rahat will help provide the resources that the group must have in order to assist animals in need.

Every day, Animal Rahat responds to emergency calls about donkeys and other animals desperate for help. When unexpected situations put lives at stake—like that of a mother donkey struggling to give birth as floodwaters rise around her—Animal Rahat will do everything that it can to help.

Will you be part of the team that’s changing animals’ lives in India by making a generous Giving Tuesday donation right now?
Thank you for making the compassionate choice to help donkeys and other animals this Giving Tuesday!

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
Founder

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The Hugging Rescued Kangaroo

(See the video link of hug-in-action at the end of this post)  Just like human beings, animals have feelings, too – there’s no doubt of it. Especially when it comes to those who take care of them, or more people who saved their life. And probably the best example it’s the story of Abigail, one of the most affectionate rescued animal in the world.

When she was just a few months old, the poor little kangaroo lost her mom. It’s when she arrived at the Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs in Australia. Here she was welcomed with the open arms and a lot of love by the volunteers. Of course, the little one responded with the same coin and now, ten years later, hugging those who rescued her and took care of her became part of her daily routine.

Due to her friendly, lovely attitude, Abigail earned the tittle of the sanctuary’s “Queen.” And now, all the staff at the centre start their day with a warm hug from Abi.

“Abi was raised from a joey with Roger and Ella…Abi came to me as an orphan of 5 months old and was quite busted up with cuts and scrapes. Abi has grown into a very healthy 7 year old, and is my only kangaroo who comes up and gives a great big rugby tackle cuddle. Abi is also unusually light in colour and I think she is very beautiful,” wrote the Sanctuary Alice Springs on their Facebook page.

Watch the “Queen” on her daily routine, here:

h/t: thedodo

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Pets in Peril as US Soldiers Leave Syria – You Can Help

My name is Daniel Rindone, and I’m writing to ask for your help. You see, I am a former Army Special Operations Non-Commissioned Officer who saved a dog from Syria last year with SPCA International’s help.

Today, dozens of other soldiers – including the one in this photo – are anxiously waiting to have their pets saved. Please donate $55 now to help them.  Any amount would be helpful!

You’ve seen the headlines. During the last month, U.S. soldiers have been rapidly pulling out of Syria. Those who thought they had months left at their location, were told they would be shipping out in days.

A flood of requests to save camp mascots and battle buddies have come in to us from these soldiers. These brave men and women have scrambled to deliver their dogs and cats into SPCA International’s care. But I would like to share the words of just one soldier with you. He has asked that we don’t share his photo, name or other identifying information because there could be serious ramifications for him.

Email from U.S. Army Soldier Deployed in Syria:
My name is  XXX . I’m a   XXXX  Syria, leaving behind our Kurdish friends. It is an order that will haunt me for the rest of my life. From our camp along the   XXXX we drove 6 hours to XXXX . It was there that I met up with a linguist friend,     XXXX , who was serving with our headquarters at the XXXx ; he had rescued a puppy.

When orders came for them to evacuate, their site was absolute chaos. The entire camp was set on fire and they left early when mortar rounds began to cook off in a warehouse only 100 meters away. They were not able to take even their own belongings, but he was able to get this pup out and he brought her to XXXXX . I told him that I had rescued a dog from Afghanistan years prior and he asked me to promise to get her to XXXx and take her to the states, I told him I would do my best.

I wasn’t able to help my Kurdish friends who I had become so close to over these past 5 months, the friends that I had shared meals with and joked and sang and danced with, so I’m really hoping to save this puppy from everything she would be subject to. She looks to be about 7-8 weeks old. I just made a 17-hour drive with her in the truck from XXX and arrived in XXX 2 hours ago. If there is anything I can do to get this puppy home please let me know because I don’t want to break my promise to a friend, and I assure you she will have a great life in the United States with my other two dogs.

PLEASE HELP NOW

I know this email seems unbelievable. But I assure you it is real. When I read this message, it cut straight to my heart and I knew it needed to be shared with you. Thank you for reading and thank you for considering a donation this Veterans Day to help this solider…and so many more.

Gratefully,

Daniel Rindone
SPCA International Board Member
Former Army Special Operations Non-Commissioned Officer

PS: With the huge influx of animals, the upcoming weeks will be extremely costly and complicated, but we can’t leave these animals behind. The soldiers and their pets are counting on your generosity. Please, donate today.

Note: All donations received will be immediately used to rescue animals from Syria. After which, any excess will be directed to help other military service members, veterans and their pets through SPCAI’s programs Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide and Operation Military Pets.