CHIVALRY IN THE DOG WORLD

A new study has found that young male dogs playing with female pups will often let the females win, even if the males have a physical advantage.

Male dogs sometimes place themselves in potentially disadvantageous positions that could make them more vulnerable to attack, and researchers suspect the opportunity to play may be more important to them than winning.

Such self-handicapping has been documented before in red-necked wallabies, squirrel monkeys, hamadryas baboons and even humans, all of which frequently take on defensive positions when playing with youngsters, in particular.

FLIGHT OF THE PENGUINS - THANK YOU RESCUERS

Flying penguins are unusual. Especially when they fly on a C-130 Hercules military plane.

Almost 400 lost Magellanic penguins march back to the sea after being rescued by animal-welfare groups.

In Brazil, 373 young Magellanic penguins were rescued, rehabilitated and released last weekend after their search for food left them stranded, hundreds of miles from their usual feeding grounds.

Animal-welfare activists loaded the birds onto a Brazilian air force cargo plane and flew them 1,550 miles to the country's southern coast, where a crowd of onlookers celebrated as the penguins marched back into the sea.

"We are overjoyed to see these penguins waddle back to the ocean and have a second chance at life," said veterinarian Dr. Valeria Ruoppolo of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the group that oversaw the rescue. See photo gallery of rescued penguins »

Magellanic penguins are warm-weather birds that breed in large colonies in southern Argentina and Chile. The young animals then migrate north between March and September, following their favorite fish, the anchovy. The birds are named after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who first saw them in 1519.

But changes in currents and water temperature apparently confused the juvenile birds, who strayed too far north to the warm beaches of Salvador, Brazil, 870 miles north of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Starting in mid-July, in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahía, "It was just about raining penguins," Ruoppolo said. "There was not much of a food supply. The birds were stranded and emaciated. They had lost all their muscles and body condition."

While occasionally a few birds show up so far north, the unusual sight of hundreds of wayward penguins posed a challenge for animal conservation groups.

"We had to learn how to work with them," said Carlos Garcia, a spokesman for IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Resources. "Fewer than 20 penguins usually wash ashore, but with such a large number, we had to really understand their biology and learn how to treat them."

The Instituto Mamíferos Aquáticos (Institute for Aquatic Mammals) also fed and cared for the hungry and disoriented birds.

Ruoppolo, who is also the emergency relief officer for IFAW, has a lot of experience saving penguins and other animals injured in oil spills. Last week she worked with conservation groups and volunteers to save as many of the birds as possible.

"We showed them how to stabilize the animals, to feed them and give them proper care," she said. Healthy Magellanic penguins grow to about 27 inches tall and weigh about 9 pounds.

Ruoppolo said IBAMA -- the government's environmental authority -- and the Brazilian military were supportive throughout the unusual relocation mission.

On Friday, the penguins were loaded into special crates and put onto the plane for the journey to Pelotas, in southern Brazil. After their first-ever flight, the birds went on a truck ride to the Center for Recovery of Marine Animals, where they rested for 24 hours.

The birds released at Cassino Beach the next day had to meet very specific health criteria, said Ruoppolo.

"Their feathers had to be waterproof, their overall body condition had to be good, their lungs healthy, and they had to be able to catch food," she said.

The youngsters had some adult supervision for their return to the wild. They were released with a small group of adult penguins that had been nursed back to health after surviving an oil spill. Scientists expect the older birds will help guide the little ones to nearby feeding grounds.

Some penguins are still being cared for, both in the north and south of Brazil. The newly released birds have bands on their flippers so scientists can follow their progress and learn more about their migratory habits.

Of more than 1,600 penguins that washed ashore in northern Brazil, about half are still alive. That is a fairly good outcome, given the fragile status of young birds on their first migration, said Ruoppolo.

"For all species you have animals that die within the first year," she said.

And without quick human intervention, the consequences would have been much worse. At this point there is no way to know exactly why the animals became stranded.

While the Magellanic penguin population is not in jeopardy because of this one event, Ruoppolo said there are other threats, primarily from overfishing.

(Source)

LAW TARGETS PUPPY MILLS

From MSNBC: HARRISBURG, Pa. - Sammy, a Shetland sheepdog, wouldn't touch his food, retreating to a corner of the yard and devouring mouthfuls of dirt — behavioral oddities his owner later learned came from a lifetime of abuse as a "stud" in a large puppy mill.

The 10 years of caged confinement Sammy endured would have been illegal under a bill signed late Thursday by Gov. Ed Rendell. The governor, who owns two rescued golden retrievers, and other dog advocates hope the new law will help Pennsylvania shed its reputation as the puppy mill capital of the East.

The Humane Society of the United States has counted Pennsylvania among a handful of states where lucrative, largely unregulated puppy mills are concentrated.

The issue caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey after a suburban Philadelphia rescue organization put up a billboard in Chicago begging her to do a show on dog breeder abuse. The movement took on new momentum when, in August, operators of two eastern Pennsylvania kennels shot 80 dogs after being ordered to let veterinarians examine some of them.

The new law imposes strict standards on commercial kennels, including at least twice-a-year veterinary exams, larger cages and exercise requirements.

"We've catapulted ourselves into having one of the best laws in the country," said Sara Speed, the Humane Society's Pennsylvania state director.

Three other states have cracked down this year
At least three other states have passed crackdown measures this year. New laws in Virginia and Louisiana limit the number of dogs that can be housed in kennels, and Arizona law enforcement officials were given the power to impose a $50 fine against anyone caught selling animals along public roads or in public parks in urban counties.

The new law in Pennsylvania targets about 650 large-scale commercial breeders, or roughly one-quarter of the state's 2,600 licensed kennels, that sell any dogs to dealers and pet shops or traffic in at least 60 dogs per year. Violators would be subject to both criminal and civil penalties.

The law also gives dog wardens the authority to act on alleged violations, a power previously given only to police and humane officers. Also, only veterinarians will be allowed to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels.

The cost of larger cages and exercise areas could drive some kennels out of business, said Mark O'Neill, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

The new law is also stricter than federal inspection standards to which kennels are subjected, said Ken Brandt, lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Professional Dog Breeders' Association, which represents about 400 breeders.

"Quality breeders got shortchanged by the ones that have not been operating properly," Brandt said.

Sammy's owner, Linda Eroh of Douglassville, said the changes are long overdue. In the meantime, she said Sammy has come a long way from being the miserable, cowering creature she rescued two years ago after answering a classified ad that read: "10 year old sheltie, free to a good home."

"He's very strong, and he has personality plus," Eroh said. "He's making up for lost time."

CRUELTY-FREE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU

Dear Christopher,  From the shampoo or shaving cream we use in the morning to the cologne we apply to go out on the town, our personal care products say a lot about us.  But there's one thing your makeup or shampoo choices should never say: that you support torturing and killing animals. Of all the ridiculous reasons that people inflict needless suffering on animals, vanity is one of the most pathetic. Despite the availability of effective and cruelty-free product-testing methods, countless individual rabbits, mice, and other animals are still poisoned, blinded, and killed every year in outdated and ineffective tests—all for the personal care products that fill many people's bathroom cabinets.  You can help end this horrific cruelty by donating to PETA today for our special "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge. Your gift will be matched, dollar-for-dollar! Thanks to all our supporters who've stepped up in this special challenge, PETA has raised $64,417 toward our $250,000 goal. Please donate as much as you can today–your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $250,000 and will go towards helping end the terrible experiments done on animals in laboratories.  Your generous gift in this campaign can help strengthen our unique Caring Consumer program. When PETA's investigations expose companies testing on animals, we tell people to shop elsewhere. And this economic pressure gets corporate attention, often when nothing else will. Major corporations, including Revlon, Mary Kay, Method Home, Estée Lauder, Bath & Body Works, and others, have signed PETA's pledge against animal testing. In the last year alone, 44 companies have licensed PETA's cruelty-free bunny logo, which certifies their stand against cruel and unnecessary tests on animals.  Yet some companies, such as L'Oréal, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson, remain in the "dark ages," performing cruel and crude tests on rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and other animals. Companies like these drip caustic chemicals into the sensitive eyes of rabbits, blinding them before they kill them, or they pump nail polish down animals' throats to see how much they can endure before dying in agony.  And for what? Animal tests on most consumer products are not required by the government. These experiments are bad science and do nothing to make products any safer. Even if a cosmetics maker finds that its mascara blinds animals, the company can still legally sell it to you! With the availability of so many effective non-animal testing methods—which are cheaper, faster, and more reliable—conducting animal tests for personal care products is not just unnecessary but also inexcusable.  Please make a generous donation to PETA today to help us end this senseless cruelty during this special matching campaign. Your gift today can do twice as much good for these animals.  You—both as a caring consumer and a PETA supporter—are the single most important person in our efforts to go after companies that continue to experiment needlessly on animals.  Thank you for taking action to help end this injustice.  Ingrid E. Newkirk  President  P.S. You can help PETA encourage others to follow your fashionable example and stop corporations that are still conducting unnecessary animals tests by making a generous gift towards this "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge. Your donation today will have double the impact!

ANIMAL TESTING: CRUEL AND INEFFECTIVE

Dear Christopher,  Picture a group of dogs, hamsters, or other animals trapped in cages and given higher and higher doses of toxic chemicals or drugs until they die.  This is called lethal-dose testing. It is so cruel and unreliable that even the companies that perform it want to use other methods. But because of resistance by the federal government, which blocks more effective testing methods that do not involve animals, they can't. PETA is aggressively calling on the government to end its use of cruel and outdated animal experiments—and to stop stonewalling more accurate alternatives that don't cause suffering to animals. And we urgently need your help.  By making a donation to PETA today, your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar and will help us bring an end to the needless torture that is inflicted upon millions of individual animals who are innocent victims in government-mandated tests. Through our special online "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge, we've already raised $98,455 toward our vital $250,000 goal. But we have a long way yet to go to reach the matching goal set by generous PETA donors. I hope I can count on you to help us get there! Over a decade ago, because of the initiative and hard work of animal protection groups, Congress created the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) to encourage the development of non-animal tests. It was supposed to be a turning point for animals who were trapped in laboratories. Ten years later, ICCVAM has approved only four non-animal testing methods and has ignored or even rejected many tests that have been government-certified in Europe and widely used there for years.  Even one of the creators of ICCVAM says that the committee is failing to do its job. "One should ask why after years of existence they have reviewed so few tests," said Dr. Neil Wilcox, who also worked for the Food and Drug Administration. "The fundamental reason, in my opinion, is that the ICCVAM process has become recognized as an obstacle to getting tests validated as opposed to helping having tests validated" [emphasis added].  The stonewalling by ICCVAM is only part of the problem. Through its lack of initiative and head-in-the-sand approach to testing issues, the U.S. government's policies are forcing hundreds of companies to use hopelessly outdated and cruel experiments such as lethal-dose testing, which I mentioned above. The government is needlessly condemning millions of individual rabbits, dogs, mice, guinea pigs, and other animals to die in pain and terror.  Please donate online to PETA today and have your gift doubled to help us push the government to stop turning a blind eye to the misery that it causes to so many helpless animals. Backed by some of the most credible experts in the field, PETA scientists and researchers are forcing the U.S. government to recognize that advancements in biology and computer modeling have made its reliance on animal testing as wasteful as it is cruel. Our efforts have recently been validated by the government itself. The National Academy of Sciences—the government's chief scientific advisory body—has released a report calling for an immediate shift to more reliable non-animal tests. And PETA is working hard to compel Congress, scientists, and regulators to make sure that this happens.  By modernizing regulatory testing, the government can stop wasting your tax dollars and?more importantly—save the lives of many scared and vulnerable animals. But we can't do it without your support.  I urge you to make a generous online gift to PETA today. In this "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge, your donation will do twice as much to protect animals who are suffering in government-mandated tests.  Thank you for coming to the aid of these animals.  Very truly yours,  Ingrid E. Newkirk President  P.S. I refuse to accept that our taxpayer dollars are used to fund the government's cruel and pointless experiments on animals. I won't have these abuses committed in my name. Please join me in working to end this terrible injustice by donating to PETA's online "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge today.

BIO SPOT WARNING

As alway, do your research. But, see the below that I was asked to forward on: 

Bio Spot Warning

We were asked to post a warning about Bio Spot, the flea/tick topical product. This product is dangerous for you pet, dog and especially cats. The product has sickened dogs and killed cats. Here are some articles on it and also a petition if you would like to sign.
http://www.elversonpuzzle.com/biospot.html.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Bagheera/petition.html
http://particlesofspirit.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/i-think-i-poisoned-my-dog/
http://cats.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/8382#message_1
Do not use any topicals except for Advantage, Advantix or Frontline and only if needed. Other products can kill your pet. I used to work at a Veterinary Hospital and saw pets come in that were sickened by the product. If you have applied the product, use Dawn detergent to remove it.
Bio Spot, Hartz topical, any of those sold over the counter are dangerous and should be taken off the market, but they have not been. Guess they are waiting for the right number of pets to die before removing it. Read the articles, sign the petition. Thanks.

CELEBRATE WORLD ANIMAL WEEK

October 3, 2008 Every year during World Animal Week, October 4 - 10, we have the chance to celebrate the difference animals make in our lives, and to give something back to them.  This year WSPA offices, member societies, and supporters around the world are recognizing World Animal Week in a variety of ways - from running free spay/neuter clinics, to holding fairs and photo exhibitions and taking to the streets to collect petition signatures.  You can join us in celebrating this important event by taking part in the actions below: Act beautiful for animals WSPA has teamed up with international cosmetic and beauty chain The Body Shop to ask people around the world to make themselves beautiful by signing our petition to promote the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.  During World Animal Week, The Body Shop will encourage their in-store and online customers to add their name to the petition by visiting their interactive website.  You can make yourself beautiful by signing the declaration, or if you've already signed, by inviting your friends to do so at www.makeyourselfbeautiful.org.  Get involved for animals Help us achieve our mission of creating a better world for animals by participating in our projects for animals around the globe.  Visit our Urgent Action Needed page to take action on some critical issues affecting animals right now, make a donation in support of our work, or spread the word by telling others about WSPA's campaigns and projects. Also make sure to check out what our other offices around the world are doing to celebrate World Animal Week. Make a difference for animals Visit our website to find out about ten ways you can help animals. You'll find some great tips and simple yet effective actions you can take to make a difference for the animals around you - such as making more humane food choices, being a compassionate traveler, reporting cruelty to animals, living in harmony with your wild neighbors, and being considerate of your companion animals.  You can also download and print a poster with these tips to display in your office, home, or school - in honor of World Animal Week or year round!

Would your university get an "F" from animals?

Dear Christopher,  Dozens of university campuses across America deserve a resounding "F" from animals for the dark secret they're hiding behind campus walls. These schools house laboratories where animals are subjected to painful and outdated tests—often funded with your tax dollars. I will tell you in a moment exactly what we are doing to stop this mess, but first let me explain.  If you donate to PETA today for our online "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge, your gift will be doubled, and you will help us teach universities that they must stop torturing and killing animals. For every dollar we raise from supporters like you, the donations will be doubled, up to $250,000, to help animals in laboratories!  Those resources will help PETA save more animals on campuses than ever before. Already, we've won crucial victories for animals at the University of Washington, the University of Connecticut, and other places. Our work is leading to federal fines, the revocation of research grants, the suspension of cruel experiments, and public outcry. No one else is doing so much in so many different ways to help these animals!  While we've accomplished much, millions of individual dogs, monkeys, mice, rabbits, and other animals are still suffering in university laboratories. Won't you please help us attack these experiments by making a gift to PETA today to have it matched dollar-for-dollar? To show you the lifesaving difference your support makes, I want to update you on our Columbia University campaign. Some time ago, PETA was contacted by Dr. Catherine Dell'Orto, a veterinarian who worked in a laboratory at Columbia and was horrified to witness the "cruel and negligent" treatment of animals. Her accounts were sickening and enraging: "What I saw at Columbia still gives me nightmares. I saw baboons whose left eyes had been cut out—so that major blood vessels could be clamped off through the empty sockets to induce strokes—and who had collapsed in their cages, unable to lift their heads, eat, or drink after this horrendous surgery. They were left in these dire conditions without any painkillers ?. In another experiment, in which baboon fetuses are infused with nicotine, I saw a pregnant baboon who had lost 40 percent of her bodyweight. It was a tragic sight, and resulted from nothing short of intentional neglect, as her condition had been documented on her chart for weeks." Dr. Dell'Orto tried to improve the conditions in Columbia's laboratory but was stonewalled by university officials. Frustrated, she turned to PETA for help. Our investigators collected video footage and other documentation of the abuses in the laboratory, and PETA filed federal complaints. We held a news conference outside Columbia's gates and launched a vigorous campaign against the university's cruel primate experiments.  Thanks to PETA's hard work, the stroke experiments on baboons were canceled. Dr. Dell'Orto's supervisor, who had allowed the abuses to go unchecked, was fired. The U.S. government then cited and fined Columbia for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Columbia also had to create a full-time position to ensure that the animals in its laboratories receive environmental enrichment to ease the misery of life in a cage.  Your support for PETA helps end the torture of animals in laboratories. And by donating in this special online "Stop Animal Testing" challenge, your gift can have twice the impact. Thank you for bringing hope to animals abused in university experiments.  Very truly yours,  Ingrid E. Newkirk  President  P.S. PETA's "Stop Animal Testing" Challenge is a vital opportunity to raise the funds we must have to protect more animals who are locked away in laboratories. Your special online gift today in this special Challenge this will help us expose these painful experiments and work aggressively to bring them to an end, once and for all. With the lives of so many vulnerable animals at stake, please be as generous as you can afford to be.

SOME DRY PET FOODS RECALLED FOR SALMONELLA

It sounds like there's no immediate risk, but according to MSNBC, here are the brand names to watch out for:

Country Acres, Retriever, Doggy Bag, Members Mark, Natural, Ol' Roy, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Pedigree, Wegman's, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition and Red Flannel.

DOG CALLS 911

PHOENIX -- "Man's best friend" doesn't go far enough for Buddy - a German shepherd who remembered his training and saved his owner's life by calling 911 when the man had a seizure.

And it's not the first time Buddy has been there for owner Joe Stalnaker, a police officer said Sunday.

On a recording of the 911 call Wednesday, Buddy is heard whimpering and barking after the dispatcher answers and repeatedly asks if the caller needs help.

"Hello, this is 911. Hello ... Can you hear me? Is there somebody there you can give the phone to," says the dispatcher, Chris Trott.

Police were sent to Stalnaker's home, and after about three minutes Buddy is heard barking loudly when the officers arrived.

Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said Stalnaker spent two days in a hospital and recovered from the seizure.

"It's pretty incredible," Clark said. "Even the veteran dispatchers - they haven't heard of anything like this."

Clark said police are dispatched whenever 911 is called, but that Stalnaker's address was flagged in Scottsdale's system with a notification that a trained assistance dog could call 911 when the owner was incapacitated.

Clark said Stalnaker adopted Buddy at the age of 8 weeks from Michigan-based Paws with a Cause, which trains assistance dogs, and trained him to get the phone if he began to have seizure symptoms. Buddy, now 18 months old, is able press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line, Clark said.

Clark said Buddy has made two other 911 calls when Stalnaker was having seizures.

He said Stalnaker's seizures are the result of a head injury he suffered about 10 years ago during a military training exercise.

Stalnaker was not listed in the phone book, and he did not immediately respond to a request through police for an interview.

(Source)

SHOTS OF THE "KIDS"

Olive (the littlest), Wilbur (the brindle Boston), and Edna (the seal-colored Boston).

BRING HOPE TO WORKING PONIES IN CAMBODIA

Dear Friend, Right now a small pony in rural Cambodia is struggling to carry a heavy load strapped to his already fragile back. Beneath the burdensome cargo the sharp outline of his spine and protruding ribs are shockingly visible. He hasn't had enough food for days, perhaps weeks, and he is on the verge of collapsing... Another pony is limping as she pulls a cart through the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city. Chronic malnutrition and bad equipment have left her lame and in constant pain, with infected wounds that are opened fresh every day. With no veterinary care available, she will continue to grow weaker and sicker... The working ponies of Cambodia desperately need our help. Overworked, overloaded, sick, weak, and starving, they can't take much more. You can change this by making a gift to WSPA today. A lifetime of suffering Rural Cambodia is a land of extreme poverty and hardship. The farmers and laborers who live there cannot afford vehicles and rely on working ponies for their livelihoods - every day around 30,000 ponies can be seen on the streets from early morning until late evening, pulling carts, carrying heavy loads, providing transportation, and giving rides to tourists. Despite their importance these ponies endure chronic neglect and abuse. In Cambodia there are no trained equine vets, and there is no tradition of equine care, nutrition, and farriery. In addition, most owners cannot afford appropriate food and equipment for their ponies. As a result many ponies die from easily treatable diseases and injuries, while others slowly starve to death - some ponies eat only what food they can find for themselves. Many also suffer from open wounds, skin infections, and chronic lameness. Sadly, it is not uncommon to see ponies limping and dragging their legs as they pull their heavy loads. Bringing hope to the ponies of Cambodia WSPA and our member society, the Lampang Pony Welfare Organization (LPWO) are running an ambitious new project to help these ponies - and we need your support. Our project, now in its pilot year, has already brought medical treatment, care, and relief to hundreds of ponies throughout Cambodia and is continuing to deliver aid every day. We're also reaching out to communities and equine owners to educate them about proper care of their animals, and we're training local veterinarians and farriers in equine care and welfare. Although we have made great strides so far, there are so many ponies who are still waiting for relief from hunger, pain, and suffering. Without our intervention, there is little hope for these animals - WSPA and LPWO are the only organizations working in Cambodia to help them, and if we do not step in they will continue to suffer. But with your support we can change this. These ponies can be saved. Join us now and make your gift to bring aid to these ponies and other animals in need around the world today. Sincerely, Cecily West Executive Director WSPA USA

All gifts to WSPA represent a contribution to WSPA's entire mission. Donations will be used where they are most needed to help animals.

WSPA USA, Lincoln Plaza, 89 South Street, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02111, 1-800-883-9772

VIVA PAM ANDERSON!

Before seeing Pam's show on E!, I thought what most people thought: That she was pretty much an aging sexpot with very little up in her head. I knew she cared for animals, but that's it.

How wrong I was. I find her to be quite bright and passionate to the end about the causes she believes in, honest to a fault, and with just a little bit of crazy is thrown in. Love it.

Here are her thoughts on Sarah Palin, and I couldn't agree more.

END JAPAN'S CRUEL DOLPHIN HUNTS

August 28, 2008 Every year between September and April thousands of small whales and dolphins are brutally killed off the shores of the Japanese coastal towns of Taiji and Futo. In what are known as "drive" hunts, fishermen in these towns drive pods of dolphins towards shore and kill them using crude, inhumane methods. Every aspect of these hunts is extremely cruel, from the exhausting drive from the open ocean that can separate family groups, to confinement in a netted cove where the dolphins are trapped and stabbed. Some young dolphins are spared this terrible fate, only to be sold into captivity - they spend the rest of their lives in small tanks in aquariums and marine parks where they are used for public display. Government authorities in Japan know that the world will not tolerate the killing of these beautiful animals, and they go to great lengths to hide these hunts from public view. Fishermen even put up tarps behind which the dolphins are slaughtered, and people are barred from filming and photographing the bloody hunts. Take Action Urge the Japanese government to stop these cruel dolphin drive hunts immediately. Let the Japanese government know that they cannot hide these inhumane hunts from the public, and join the growing global community in calling for an end to these hunts. Take action now >> Protest for Dolphins Dolphin advocates around the world will unite for the 5th annual Japan Dolphin Day - an international day of protest against Japan's bloody dolphin drive hunts. The Boston protest will be held at noon on Friday, September 5th, and WSPA's US office will coordinate the event. Speak out for dolphins and show your support by participating in an event near you. Read more >> © Photo copyright Sea Shepherd Society

TAKE ACTION NOW BY SENDING AN EMAIL OR LETTER BY CLICKING THE LINK ABOVE (I JUST DID IT)

Help us guarantee a future for orangutans

Dear Friend, Imagine a baby orangutan sitting alone on the rainforest floor.  Too scared to even move.  Her mother nowhere in sight.  She's alive, but she's severely traumatized from watching as her mother was killed with a machete.   This poor orphaned orangutan and countless others cannot survive on their own.   They need a safe place to call home where they can receive the care they need to one day return to the wild.  The Nyaru Menteng Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Borneo, Indonesia, provides a lifeline for these many orphaned, injured, and abused orangutans.  But now this place of refuge needs saving, and we need your help. A growing crisis Orangutans are one of the most critically endangered species on the planet, as a result of both poaching and habitat loss.  These gentle and intelligent apes are found only in Sumatra and Borneo, and over the past two decades 90% of their natural habitat in Borneo has disappeared. Why are orangutans under threat?  The answer is simple - they're in the way.  As the growing palm oil industry expands, it encroaches on the orangutans' natural habitat, cutting down trees and burning the land.  Orangutans are either left to wander through burnt areas of deforested land or are caught and killed by poachers as they try to escape.  Often mother orangutans are killed as their young still cling to them.  Many orphans die from falling out of trees when their mothers are attacked or from the trauma of seeing their mothers get killed.  A permanent solution The Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary, run by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS), is the largest primate sanctuary in the world.  The center rescues endangered, injured, and orphaned orangutans from the wild and from illegal captivity, and rehabilitates them when possible. Last year when the sanctuary's main source of funding ended, our supporters around the world stepped in to provide emergency assistance. Now, we are making an even bigger commitment, as we embark on an ambitious project to secure the long-term sustainability and independence of the sanctuary.  I am appealing to you as one of our most dedicated supporters to help support WSPA's work for orangutans and other animals in need around the world.  We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us, but with your support we can make a difference. Thank you for all you have done, and all you can do now! Yours sincerely, Dave Eastham WSPA Head of Wildlife © Photos credited to Sam Gracey and Steve Leonard for Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation

All gifts to WSPA represent a contribution to WSPA's entire mission. Donations will be used where they are most needed to help animals. 

WSPA USA, Lincoln Plaza, 89 South Street, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02111, 1-800-883-9772

DOGS + NEW GRASS = SPOTTY DISASTER?

Culprits #1 and 2 above

We just got a new dog and have two others, and we have a newly sodded lawn, and it's painful to see yellow/brown spots on it already from the dog pee. Of course, it's a trade-off we're willing to make, but painful nonetheless.

After doing a little research on how to stop this, I have read many different options from feeding them tomato soup (I don't think so), to giving them biscuits from the pet store (I've tried this one) that weakens their ammonia or whatever, but the most common thing I'm reading is also the simplest. Try watering the spot right after they pee and keep a watering can handy and according to what I'm reading, no more spots!

So simple, but I shall try it and let you all know.

Culprit #3 below

CHARGES FILED IN PUPPY SLAYING

Imagine if everyone that was annoying got this treatment, what would the world be like? I guess maybe this woman's about to find out. Shameful, just shameful. 

An Auburn woman accused of killing her neighbor's puppy is facing felony animal cruelty charges in the shooting.

Denise Leahy, 46, was charged Thursday with a single count of first-degree animal cruelty for the July 4 killing.

That afternoon, a neighbor of Leahy's returned home to find Taz, her 7-month-old bull mastiff, laying dead in her yard soaked in blood, according to court documents. She called police while her husband rushed the puppy to Sumner Veterinary Hospital, where a necropsy was completed.

Veterinarians determined the puppy had been killed by a small caliber bullet, which had blown through its torso. That discovery caused Auburn police to respond to the home in the 5200 block of 55th Street Southeast.

Officers spoke with a neighbor who described hearing a loud explosion earlier that day. He said he thought little of it – it was Independence Day – until he saw Taz running frantically in the large yard where he was fenced in. Even then, though, he told officers he assumed the puppy was simply bothered by the fireworks.

According to police reports, Leahy later told a friend that she'd shot the puppy because it was "barking and being annoying." That friend later relayed that conversation to police.

Leahy was arrested July 31 at her home and briefly jailed. She is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 20.

SOURCE

SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR PETS!

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM
The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Cici confesses on her Web page that she likes to greet everyone by licking their feet. Dolce admits to being a mama's boy. And Jake and Tycho posted a video that chronicles their adventures of rolling around on their backs.

It's not on Facebook or MySpace, but the canine equivalent: Doggyspace.com.

A cross between MySpace and YouTube, Doggyspace allows dog owners from throughout the world to create profiles and share photos and videos of their pups.

The Virginia-based site is part of a growing trend of niche, or content-focused social-networking sites that target interest groups aiming to connect with like-minded people.

"It's not so much social networking, it's having a social experience around things that we care about, so pets are just such a great example of that," said Fred Stutzman, an Internet researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Stutzman said many people are using more general social-networking sites but signing up for sites such as Doggyspace that offer a more focused experience.

Since launching in mid-July, Doggyspace has logged more than 700 registered, active-user profiles, 73 percent created by females, said Levi Thornton, founder of the site and president of Web development firm Mad Frog Productions in Fredericksburg, Va. He projected that Doggyspace will have more than 2 million accounts by the end of the year.

Standard accounts for the site are free, Doggyspace plans to offer premium accounts for a small fee that will give users extra features. A portion of that fee will go to an animal charity of the members' choice.

Thornton, 30 — who has a Yorkie, Nokie, and a pit bull, Ein — said the site is a place for pet owners to share stories or learn about a breed. It can also help people form friendships based on a love of dogs or connect people interested in finding a play date for their dog.

Connie Mandrozos found the site while searching for information for her golden retriever, Boomer, 12, who has cancer. She received support from other dog owners with similar experiences and some told her they "have their paws crossed" for Boomer.

Mandrozos, 36, ended up spending more time on the site, creating profiles for Boomer and his "sisters": a pit-bull mix, Darla, and another mixed-breed, Violet.

"It's been a goofy thing to do at the end of the day when you get home from work and you just want to talk to somebody in your dog's voice and say, 'Hey, how was your day? Woof,' " said Mandrozos, of Bridgeport, Conn., who sometimes uses her dogs in her job as a behaviorist.

Three ways that you can help animals in China now

Dear Christopher, I recently sent you an urgent appeal to help the 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs tortured and killed for their fur in China. Since then, thousands of PETA members like you have voiced their outrage at the treatment of animals in this year's Olympic host country. Unfortunately, the Chinese fur industry continues its unrepentant slaughter of dogs and cats, whose skins are often deliberately mislabeled as "Asian Jackal" or "rabbit" when sold overseas. While the attention of the world is on the Olympic Games, we want to spotlight this cruel practice and invoke worldwide pressure against the Chinese fur industry. Now more than ever, we need your help to make sure as many people as possible know about the suffering that goes into the production of every fur garment. Please take a moment to help us in our work to stop the suffering of animals caught in the fur trade in China and around the world by taking the following three critical actions: 1) Forward PETA's shocking undercover video to as many friends as you can before the Games end on August 24. Our goal is to expose the horror of the Chinese fur industry to 1 million viewers before the closing ceremonies. 2) Sign the fur-free pledge, and join the thousands of compassionate people around the world who have pledged never to purchase or wear animal skin. If you've already signed the pledge, please ask your family members, friends, and coworkers to do the same. 3) Make an urgent online donation right now. Your gift today can help us do even more in the coming weeks to end the torture and killing of dogs, cats, and other animals for their skin in China and around the world. By taking these three actions today, you will be drawing attention beyond the lights of glittering Olympic stadiums to the hell in which many cats and dogs in China languish and die. By taking these actions, you will be doing all that you can to help end the suffering of these animals. For all animals—including those confined and killed for their fur—thank you. Kind regards, Ingrid E. Newkirk President P.S. While many of the world's best human athletes compete, millions of individual dogs and cats—some still wearing collars from their former families—are facing a painful and petrifying death at the hands of the Chinese fur industry. We need your support now to help us call attention to this horror and work toward shutting down the fur industry for good.

IMAGINE...

I'm not yet a filmmaker, but at least enjoy the song and the sentiment. Otay?