This Week In the News

[Volunteers Needed for National Pet Transport]  [Art show aims to show plight of strays]   [Freed exotic pets are a fast-growing problem]  [New products help elderly pets and caretakers]  [Temple Israel rabbi blesses pets]  [Paw Prints: PETS Act protects animals in disasters ]

Volunteers Needed for National Pet Transport

By Stacy Mantle, PetsWeekly.com

Nov. 5 2006 —A new movement is forming for pets throughout the world. It's a bid to get animals from on part of the country to another in a hurry.  This system could be used in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane (the likes of which we just experienced last year in New Orleans) or something as simple as moving a dog or cat to anew home that was found in another area of a state. Pets are constantly moved in a bid to save their lives, and volunteers are constantly needed to transport them. 

If you have access to plane, train or automobile and are responsible and care about animals, please visit this list to sign up as a volunteer.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PetTransportList  

"The more transport volunteers that we have to draw from, the more animals we can help," says Cheryl Kaminski, organizer of the group, Pet Transport.   "If only one life is saved, it will have been worth the trouble."

Please take a moment to sign up with this unique group at the Yahoo address listed below.  Do not included phone numbers, only initial contact information where the group can reach you via email for more detailed information. 

Art show aims to show plight of strays

By Arrin Newton Brunson
Special to The Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune

BRIGHAM CITY - An art show designed to save lives is turning heads in Brigham City, where more than a thousand flags are raising awareness about the plight of stray animals.
   Red, yellow and white flags offer the eerie perspective of a cemetery on the large lawn of the Box Elder Animal Shelter in Brigham City. Unfortunately, the "cemetery" perception is accurate, according to Brigham City resident Phylene Anderson, the volunteer who organized the display to emphasize the impacts of pet overpopulation.
   Anderson is accomplishing her goal: to educate, during Utah's Week for the Animals, the hundreds of people who drive by the animal shelter each day. To do the job, she is using artwork by students in Debbie Compton's third-grade class at Bunderson Elementary and Jill Vanderwood's eighth-grade class at Box Elder Middle School.
   More than 1,000 8-by-11-inch flags are adorned with drawings, photos of former shelter animals and students' thoughts.
   "Some of the white flags have pictures and things that some people find very disturbing, but it's the truth," said the die-hard animal lover and volunteer who owns Ellie's Pet Hotel in Brigham City.
   "It's what happens when people don't spay and neuter their pets. It's what happens when they're not responsible for life. If people would spay and neuter their pets, we wouldn't have to have as many flags."
   Of the 1,012 animals that came to the Box Elder shelter in the past year, 638 mostly cats and dogs were destroyed by lethal injection. They are represented by white flags.
   The lucky 235 animals represented by red flags were claimed by owners, and 132 represented by yellow flags were adopted. Another seven were dead on arrival at the shelter.
    Brigham City resident Christine Wilkerson is another Box Elder shelter volunteer who has time and energy to devote for all animal-friendly causes. She uses words like "joyful," "kind," "forgiving" and "loving" to describe her four-legged friends.
    "All those flags that look like a cemetery out there are the best picture I've ever seen to show what really happens," Wilkerson said. "I think there's a wonderful God-given spirit in every creature - and those creatures are in our care.
   "We are responsible for making sure that those white flags don't happen. We are putting to death some of our best friends."
    abrunson@sltrib.com
   
   Week for the Animals all about pets
    Utah's Week for the Animals is sponsored by No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a nonprofit coalition of animal-rescue groups, shelters and veterinarians that is overseen by Kanab-based Best Friends Animal Society. The public is invited to visit the display this weekend at 1220 W. Forest in Brigham City. The Box Elder Animal Shelter will have extended hours on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to facilitate more adoptions. Door prizes will be awarded and a raffle for a TV set will take place. Proceeds will be used for a spay/neuter fund. Animals available for adoption can be viewed online at www.brighamshelter. petfinder.com.

Freed exotic pets are a fast-growing problem
The Florida Department of Agriculture released a public service announcement urging exotic pet owners to be responsible when it comes to their unique pets.
BY ANI MARTINEZ
armartinez@MiamiHerald.com

Florida's latest resident is freckled, has eight black legs and red hair.

It also has an unlikely name -- the Mexican red rump tarantula, one of many exotic species purchased as pets then set free by their owners.

''Florida and California are the two worst states with imported exotics,'' said G.B. Edwards, the entomologist with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. ``The main centers are Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Fort Myers.''

The department hopes to drive home the problem by using Frida, a nonnative Mexican red rump tarantula, as the star of a new public service announcement now online.

The PSA video targets exotic pet owners who release their animals into the wild after the excitement wears off.

The problem?

The newcomers can endanger native species by eating their food or attacking them. Or, in some cases, they can be a threat to people or domestic animals and plants.

''They could depopulate our native species in some ways,'' said Edwards, who is known as the State Spider Man. ``The Nile Monitor [lizard] is aggressive. They could attack children.''

Instead of dumping the pet in the Everglades or outside your neighborhood, experts say there are other options.

• First, try to return the animal to the place where you bought it -- even if the store doesn't refund your money.

• Find a vet who is familiar with the species. The vet may counsel you to keep the animal or refer you someone who wants the animal.

• Ask your local zoo or college if they can use it for teaching purposes.

''Whatever they do, they shouldn't let it loose,'' Edwards said.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

Experts warn that the best way to avoid releasing an exotic pet is to do the homework before buying one.

''For 11 years that I've been a vet, two people have come in for a $50 pre-purchase pet consult and a few people have called me,'' said Susan Kelleher owner of the Broward Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital in Pompano Beach. ``The biggest reason exotic pets are returned is because they are impulse purchases.''

Kelleher said rabbits and ferrets are the most common exotic animals people want to leave at her clinic.

''But I can't even take any more drop-offs,'' she said. ``I can't act as a humane society.''

The Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale also feels the burden.

''We are not the dumping grounds for these animals,'' said Judy LaRose, the center's senior director of animal services. ``Unusual exotic animals are not as easily placed in other loving homes. Not everyone wants a tarantula or six-foot snake as a pet.''

''It would be nice if the pet shops would stop selling these exotic animals,'' LaRose said.

PET-SHOP GREED

But just like the exotic species, the pet stores are here to stay. Exotic pets can be profitable because many people want to buy them.

''Pet stores won't stop selling them,'' Edwards said. ``Having a bearded dragon or some exotic is the in thing and they're selling like hot cakes.''

Edwards said breeders have gone one step further and are crossbreeding tarantulas and making hybrids.

''That is really going too far,'' he said.

Although the state and federal government have rules against bringing in certain species, experts said the availability on the Internet is easy and the problem is too far out of control to enforce the laws.

''As far as the pet trade, we spend very little now because we don't have the time, researchers or manpower,'' Edwards said.

To see the PSA, visit www.doacs.state.fl.uspi/videos.html.

SOURCE: http://www.thestate.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15925757.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

New products help elderly pets and caretakers

By Laurie Denger , Staff Writer

Sunday, November 05, 2006

The good news is that our pets are living longer. The bad news is that our pets are living longer.

Don't get me wrong. It's great to have a pet around for as long as possible. But that also means that owners will need to deal with a lot of health-care and quality-of-life issues — and that's not always easy or pretty to face.

But there is some help out there. Three interesting products came to my attention recently — one a really good idea to make dealing with a physically impaired pet more mobile, a second to make cleanup easier and the third is a fun way of dealing with a pet recovering from surgery.

First, the Pet Zone Lift-n-Aid mobility dog harness is made for larger dogs with arthritis, hip dysplasia or limited mobility. By supporting the rib cage, the harness helps maneuver large dogs without lifting the animal's entire weight. It's made of washable cloth and has strong handles. Made in two sizes, they fit 55-80 pound dogs and 80-125 pound dogs. It sells for $27.99 at many pet stores or visit www.petzone.com.

Second, handicapped and older pets sometimes have accidents. Now, there are Peepers, disposable pet diapers — with a hole for the tail — that come in five sizes and protect carpets, wooden floors and keep pets from being banished because they can't control themselves. Visit www.PetPeepers.com.

And finally, one of the saddest sights is seeing a recovering dog wearing one of those plastic collars while it recovers from surgery or injury. Humans with casts often get them decorated. Why not the e-collar?

At least, that's what Cardinal Laboratories wondered before they came up with E-Collar Designer Stickers, decals owners can use to decorate a collar while the pet heals.

There are alphabet stickers to spell the pet's name or a get-well message and doggie-themed designs, such as "it only hurts when I bark" and "top dog," along with bones, stars and other stickers. Selling for $2.99 to $3.99, stickers can also be used for greeting cards and scrapbooking. Visit www.cardinalpet.com.

Annual cat show

at Hara Arena

Dayton Cat Fanciers, Inc. will hold its annual CFA cat show this weekend at Hara Arena, 1001 Shiloh Springs Road, Trotwood. On Saturday, the hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday's hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and free for kids ages 12 and younger.

KeyBank helps local animals

The Humane Society of Greater Dayton is teaming with KeyBank to provide pet-themed checks and help local animals. Key donated $20,000 and will donate $25 for each new account opened.

To find out more information, visit www.humanesocietydayton.org/keybankadoptiontour.

Memorial bricks

to help build shelter

The Clinton County Humane Society is selling memorial bricks to raise funds for a new shelter being built on Fife Avenue. For $50 a brick (or two for $75), the bricks will be placed at the shelter as a permanent tribute to someone or a pet. The Clinton County Humane Society is trying to raise $120,000, said Becky Thumma, president of the humane society, which gets no government funds.

The new facility, currently being built by John Stanforth Construction, will have much more space for the animals and will include such amenities as built-in heating.

Forms for "Brick By Brick ... We Shelter Pets" memorial bricks may be picked up at the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and Bush Auto Place in Wilmington, or call (937) 685-3105, or visit clintoncohumanesociety.org.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Temple Israel rabbi blesses pets

November 04, 2006

Members of Temple Israel of the Poconos congregational family brought their pets to the first ever Bark-Racha and Meow-Shebayrach Sunday, Oct. 29.

In honor of the Torah portion of Noah, Rabbi Mel Glazer blessed all of the family pets brought to the Temple grounds for the creatively designed ceremony.

There were a variety of dogs, an assortment of cats, a few stuffed animals including a pink flamingo, and a large, green, pet parrot.

The animals were treated to wholesome snacks during the blessing ceremony and the almost two dozen people handlers were provided hot chocolate and doughnuts.

Ellen Greenfield,a licensed social worker, and her therapy dog Annie spent time teaching all of those in attendance about the jobs and purposes of therapy dogs. She spoke about the value of having two or three pets to love and care for and how family pets assist each adult and child to be better people.

Temple Israel of the Poconos is located at Avenue A and Wallace Street in Stroudsburg.

SOURCE: http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061104/NEWS18/611040316&template=printart

Paw Prints: PETS Act protects animals in disasters

By Niki Laviolette
Special to the Tribune-Star

On Oct. 6, President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (HR 3858) into law. The Humane Society of the United States has been working with Congress to ensure that animals will not be left behind in the next disaster. The legislation was also supported by the Doris Day Animal League, Best Friends Animal Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The HSUS was the first group to respond to Hurricane Katrina’s stranded animals. Some 10,000 animals were rescued in Louisiana and Mississippi but many others were left behind. An estimated 50,000 pets had been abandoned.

A city or state must submit a plan that details a disaster preparedness program to qualify for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The PETS Act will require the state and local emergency preparedness officials to include a plan of how they will accommodate households with pets or service animals.

Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that when given a choice, many people will remain behind with their pets, thus risking their lives. It is clear that it’s necessary to have a plan that includes populations with pets as a “matter of public safety.” Health and safety risks within a disaster area are only exacerbated by abandoned pets.

The PETS Act also authorizes federal funding to states to assist emergency shelter facilities that are pet-friendly. This act allows FEMA to provide assistance for people with pets and service animals, and for the animals themselves after a major disaster.

The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate and by 349 “ayes” in the House of Representatives. “The House and Senate have taken an important step in ensuring that Americans will never again be forced to make an impossibly difficult choice: leave their animal behind while they flee a disaster or take their chances by staying in a disaster-stricken area with their pet,” said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. Pacelle goes on to say that, “It’s important to have pets included in government disaster and evacuation planning, but responsibility still lies primarily with individual families to plan ahead and be prepared. If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for your pets.”

Currently there are more than 358 million pets in the United States living in 63 percent of the households.

SOURCE: http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_309000717.html

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