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A Day in the Life of a Dog Tied in the Backyard

yard dog 13118850_10154265457483729_1631893973372953599_n Source: http://www.spca.bc.ca/assets/documents/welfare/Tethered-Dogs/left-alone-to-watch.pdf

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You Can Help Protect Women and Pets From Domestic Violence

The proposed federal PAWS Act recognizes that domestic violence impacts all members of the family—including the four-legged

Goal: 25,000 • Progress: 14,391
Sponsored by: Humane Society of the United States

No one should have to choose between leaving an abuser and protecting a beloved pet, yet far too many women are forced to make this very choice.

The solution is the Pet and Women Safety Act (PAWS) Act. This legislation would help protect women and their pets in two ways: by setting a national policy that includes protections for pets of domestic violence victims and by establishing a federal grant program to assist in acquiring a safe shelter for pets.

The PAWS Act recognizes that domestic violence impacts all members of the family — including the four-legged.

Tell Congress you want pets to be protected under the Pets and Women Safety Act!  US readerslease consider signing this petition.  Thank you!

http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/petition/HSUS-PawsAct?gg_source=ars&gg_campaign=Ad%20-%20468x250petition-protect-pets-and-women-from-domestic-violencears&gg_medium=house&gg_content=2016-04/468x250petition_160418111633.jpg

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Pennsylvania Folks – You Can Have an Impact on the Ivory Trade

The Pennsylvania legislature has a bill before them–HB1537–which, if voted in, will have an impact on elephants.  How could ivory be an issue in PA – we don’t exactly have savannas and scrublands?  True, but the United States is the second largest ivory market in the world (according to National Geographic) and the largest ivory bust in history was in Philadelphia.  Philadelphia plays a key role in the ivory trade.

If you feel inclined to help, you can:

For more information, visit www.elephantsdc.org

Dear Editor,

According to National Geographic and African Wildlife Foundation:  One elephant is killed for ivory on average every 15 minutes.  At this rate, wild elephants face extinction within one decade – yes, within our lifetime.   As someone who has been fortunate enough to actually see and interact with elephants in their habitats in Africa and Thailand, I have contacted my state and local representatives to ask them to support HB1537, a bipartisan PA bill, to ban ivory and rhino horn sales.  Without my help, the bill may not pass.

How could ivory be an issue in Pennsylvania – we don’t exactly have savannas and scrublands?  True, but the issues are these:

  • The United States is the second largest ivory market in the world (according to National Geographic) and the largest ivory bust in history was in Philadelphia.  Philadelphia plays a key role in the ivory trade.
  • “When the buying stops – the killing will stop too!” – quoted from WildAid.org
  • The ivory trade funds terrorism and directly funds Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab, the Lord’s Resistance Army, Janjaweed, Boko haram, among other terrorist organizations (Bryan Christy – National Geographic).
  • New ivory is being “antiqued” to look like old ivory and is being sold on the open market.  (National Geographic)
  • While the US government restricts export, import, and interstate commerce of ivory and rhino horn, intrastate traffic is not regulated and only passage of HB1537 can achieve that.  Other states have already adopted similar legislation such as New Jersey, New York, etc. (public information)

Contacting my State Representatives was easy:  I searched them online, called and said I’m a constituent, and urged them to support HB1537 to end the ivory and rhino trade in Pennsylvania.

Speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves, I thank you.

Sincerely,
[your name here]

[your town, PA here]

 

photo from http://www.elephantsdc.org photo gallery

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The Elephant Herd That Comes to Dinner, Yearly

Mfuwe Lodge was built in Zambia in 1998 in the middle of a path that elephants take mango trees yearly.  The structure has not deterred them.  Every year when the mango trees’ fruit is ripe, the elephant herd arrives, peacefully tromp through the hotel’s reception area, descends the stairs into the courtyard, and feast on the fruits.  The matriarch, Wonky Tusk, brings her two-week-old baby, Lord Wellington, along, in an unprecedented show of trust between wild elephants and humans.  Short piece by wildlife photographer Nathan Pilcher.

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The FBI Makes Animal Abuse a Top-Tier Felony

Recognizing the link between animal cruelty and acts of violence against humans, the FBI has started tracking animal abusers nationwide the way it tracks domestic violence, arson, assault, and homicide.  It has made animal cruelty a Group A felony, on par with homicide, arson, and assault. This new policy is likely to help protect both animals and people, and represents a shift toward humane treatment of animals.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that animal cruelty is often a precursor to violence against humans. Tracking animal abuse perpetrators will help law enforcement to better understand and respond to animal abuse, and help prevent violence against people and animals. The majority of serial killers and school shooters, for example, abuse animals prior to turning on humans.

In the past, animal abuse records were thrown into a broader category with no ability to track the abusers. Now that incidents are tracked, police chiefs and law enforcement are given the data to identify abusers and change the way they police their community.

“Documented research is clear and long-standing, but most law enforcement agencies haven’t acted on it,” says John Thompson, Deputy Executive Director of the National Sheriffs’ Association, who worked to institute the new animal cruelty category. “The documented data is there, and it’s not just guesswork. The immediate benefit [of the new policy] is that it will be in front of law enforcement every month when they have to do their crime reports. That’s something we have never seen.”

Thompson said that translating the link between animal cruelty and violence against humans into enforcement is likely to be similar to the trajectory of domestic violence in the early 70s, when law enforcement was initially perplexed about why the abused woman didn’t just leave. “We didn’t understand the dynamics of domestic violence,” states Thompson, “and as that understanding changed, things got better. Animal abuse is going to follow the same timeline. For this problem to be solved you have to get the legislators to create the laws, law enforcement to enforce the laws, prosecutors to prosecute, and judges to convict.”

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, states that there will be “a real incentive for law enforcement agencies to pay closer attention to [animal abuse],” and will allow those agencies to better “allocate officers and financial resources to handle these cases, track trends and deploy accordingly.”

While this new FBI policy is focused on tracking animal abusers and not on prosecuting them yet, it is a promising harbinger that stronger animal abuse laws and enforcement will come to pass.

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/2016/01/16/463094761/along-with-assault-and-arson-fbi-starts-to-track-animal-abuse

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/fbi-animal-cruelty-felony_n_5913364.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-animal-abuse-tracking_568fd1d9e4b0cad15e6468c8?section=green

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10 Reasons to Adopt a Cat

Cats make up approximately 70% of shelter population. It’s sort of obvious what you should do…ADOPT! Don’t Shop! There are many advantages when it comes to adopting cats from shelters. Many are already spayed or neutered. They are also current on their shots. Shelter volunteers are there for one reason: the good of the animal. They aren’t interested in a profit and any donation you make goes right back into helping more animals in need. I love cats, how about you?

by Julie E.H., Animal Rescue Site blog
theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com

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A Puerto Rican Pup Whose Luck Changed

Valentina was found wandering the inhospitable streets of Puerto Rico. In an act of unthinkable cruelty, someone had covered her from the neck down in hot tar and set her loose to suffer. But Valentina was lucky; someone spotted her.

GreaterGood.org was born out of a desire to make a real difference—to connect people who want to help with people who are on the front lines in adverse situations. We work with over 150 charity partners worldwide, and operate several of our own on-the-ground programs to ensure your donation has maximum impact. Together, we can make a world of difference for people, pets, and the planet.

When emergency cases like Valentina’s come up, when disaster strikes a community in the U.S. or abroad, when biodiversity hotspots are threatened by development; when shelters are crumbling and schools are in desperate need of supplies, you can rest assured that your donation to Help Where It’s Most Needed is supporting meaningful programs that affect real, positive change.

Puerto Rico Animals pulled Valentina from the streets. With emergency medical funding from GreaterGood.org, they prepared for the agonizing process of removing the tar from her fur and skin. Afterward, she was practically a new puppy! We are thrilled to report that not only has she fully recovered from her ordeal, but she’s also been adopted into a loving forever home.

You can help. Your support makes all our work possible. Double the impact of your year-end donation today. 100% of your gift is tax deductible.

Click here to help dogs like Valentina

 

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A Christmas Gift? – Stop Cruelty Before It Starts

children and thailand dogThroughout Southeast Asia, including Thailand, many animals are treated in horrific ways. In fact, some of these cruel practices are socially sanctioned. Based in Thailand, Soi Dog Foundation has embarked on a teacher-training program directed at Thailand’s younger citizens – the children.

Soi Dog Foundation’s Humane Education Program cultivates empathy and kindness by teaching children to understand the feelings of others. The program instills a sense of responsibility to make compassionate choices, empowers kids to improve their communities, and produces caring members of society. The Soi Dog Foundation’s humane education is designed to inspire young people to become compassionate, caring adults that will protect and honor Thailand’s animal population for generations to come. In addition to training teachers, Soi Dog Foundation distributes age-appropriate educational reading materials throughout Thailand’s schools.

You can help. Just $10 educates one child in Thailand about humane practices of animal welfare.  Put humane education materials in a classroom in Thailand for $20.00.  Train a schoolteacher to teach humane education in Thailand for $30.00.  Click here to prevent animal cruelty through education.

© by Soi Dog Foundation

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What Are Animals Thinking and Feeling?

a short but powerful TED talk…

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It’s Cold Out There

Dog in snow ID-100144221Please bring your animals inside.  Fur helps but doesn’t do much in icy winds and frigid temperatures.

Please, have a heart.  Bring dogs and cats inside.  They feel pain too.

 

photo courtesy of Spaniel in the Snow by Tina Phillips, freedigitalphotos.com