Payback by Sylvester the Cat

August 27, 2010 by · 2 Comments

By now most if not all animal lovers know about the infamous Mary Bale, dubbed the “Cat Woman”.  She tossed a sweet tabby cat named Lola into a trash bin. Apparently she has now lost her job at a bank where she has worked for many years. The video below has gone viral on the internet over the incident. Leave it up to the Brits to inject some humor. There even is a fake Twitter account, @CatBinLady which has been created. And yes there is a Facebook page as well, Cat Lady should do time in a bin.

The most important message in all of this is that animal cruelty of any form is wrong and inappropriate behavior. So please be vigilant in observing such acts and immediately report it to your local rescue or shelter. PLEASE NOTE that the @CatBinLady Twitter account’s web address is the RSPCA. They along with the SPCA do incredible work to support and protect animals…..MANY THANKS!

Filed Under: Animal Rescue, Animal Safety, Cats, Dogs, Pet News, Petfinder, Rescue Groups · Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Kittens & Cats Still in Need

July 1, 2010 by · 1 Comment

Aren’t these kittens adorable?! With it being the 1st of July the annual Adopt a Cat month of June for this year has now passed. But unfortunately that has not ended the urgent need for cat adoptions.

The weather is heating up across the country and kitten season is well underway.  Adult cats come out from hiding and reproduce. On average, female cats that haven’t been spayed have two or three litters per year, with one to eight kittens per litter.

Shelters have limited space and are overwhelmed.  This is compounded with communities suffering from natural disasters. And with the economic downturn people are unable financially to keep their pets.

Creativity is the operative word for how shelters are trying to reduce number of cats/pets waiting to be adopted:

  • low cost spay and neutering to reduce number of kittens
  • adoption fees waived
  • purchase two cats for price of one
  • fostering a cat

Resources:

adoptapet.com

ASPCA

Local Feral Cat Groups

Petfinder.com

SpayUSA

Filed Under: Animal Rescue, Cats, Kittens, Pet Adoption, Pet Fostering, Rescue Groups · Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pups and a Girl collecting Pennies

May 21, 2010 by · 1 Comment

Not sure that I was as mature as Ciara at 12 years old. She is certainly a role model for other kids her age and for us adults too. As with anyone who has a pet, Ciara had the good fortune to grow up with a Golden Retriever, named Dakota. When Dakota passed there was an incredible void in her life. Instead of withdrawing after losing Dakota she volunteered at a local golden retriever rescue, Rescue a Golden, of Arizona.

But Ciara’s passion for animals did not stop there. She started a non-profit charity called Pennies For Pups.

“Pennies For Pups was founded to help raise awareness, money, medication and food for sick, injured and abandoned dogs in local animal shelters and foster care.”

Through Pennies for Pups she has established:

  1. Annual weekly fundraiser at her school, Desert Arroyo Middle School.
  2. Annual Book Sale and Dog show
  3. Annual Four-Legged Food Drive

Yikes…..all at the ripe young age of 12! She most certainly is “a voice for the “bark” less”. Think she has a lot of MOXIE too…..”energy, nerve, courage & spirit!”


Filed Under: Animal Rescue, Animal Shelter, Dogs, Pet Fostering, Pet News, Rescue Groups · Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hair & fur cuts for Oil Spills to save Animals/Wildlife

May 11, 2010 by · 1 Comment

I got my haircut this past Friday at my local hair salon, Radiance Aveda. And was watching video, “How to Make a Hair Boom” from Matter of Trust, the environmental charity making headlines. Low and behold at 36 seconds into the clip I notice that Radiance Aveda is one of the salons donating hair clippings….WOW….YEAH!

Matter of Trust collects hair and fur from salons and pet groomers to create hair stuffed containment booms with recycled pantyhose, which are then sent to areas that suffer from oil spills.  Most recent of course in the Gulf of Mexico. These booms are laid out on beaches and are magnets for the oil.

Facts & Figures

  • Since April 20th 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) daily is escaping from the BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • On average there are 2600 million oil spills annually.
  • On average 726 million gallons of oil are spilled annually.
  • 363 million gallons of motor oil are washed into ocean annually.
  • 1 Quart of oil can contaminate 1 Million gallons of drinking water.

(My town was one of communities in Boston area a couple of weekends ago that did not have ready access to drinking water due to pipe bursting. A minor inconvenience for a couple of days. But what a wake up call with respect to not having access to clean, drinkable water long term.)

How you can help:

  • Any type of clean human hair can be sent.
  • Fur, horse hair, wool waste and feather is acceptable.
  • Fur or hair with garbage; metal or paper is unacceptable.
  • Wash nylon stocking even if it has runs.
  • Put in separate plastic garbage bag inside separate box labeled debris-free hair/fur or nylons.
  • Shipping details can be found at Matter of Trust.

Matter of Trust can be found on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MatterOfTrust), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matter-of-Trust/) and Excess Access (http://excessaccess.com/).

Filed Under: Animal Rescue, Animal Safety, Animals, Pet Safety, Rescue Groups, Video · Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Choosing a Rescue Group by guest blogger, Kim Clune

May 10, 2010 by · 1 Comment

Are you ready to open your home to a new, furry family member? If you plan to adopt, choosing a rescue group is just as important as choosing your next pet. Consider this: When you enter into an adoption contract, you are legally bound by its rules for the life of your animal. As with any long-term relationship, it is best to start off on the right foot.

Examine Your Needs

The first step is to honestly assess your situation. Think about “a day in the life” of your perspective pet. How will you manage vet care, exercise, obedience, etc.? Do you have a fenced dog yard? Will you leash walk? Will your cat be indoors or have outdoor access?

While my husband and I more than meet the typical adoption criteria, our 2 dog doors pose an interesting issue for cats. Knowing that many agencies require adopted cats to remain indoors, we could not promise ours wouldn’t learn a way out. Cats are smart. Cats are crafty. And cats are persistent. Realistically, rapid-fire water blasts rarely deter instinctive quests for the natural environment.

Find a Contractual Match

The next step is to research your local rescue organizations for a good fit. Understanding your contractual responsibilities will expedite your connection with the new friend you are meant to have.

We found an amazing cattery with an truly holistic approach. Respecting the life that each cat has previously known, indoor cats seek indoor adopters, barn cats from bad situations seek responsible barn owners, and so on. This seemed like the place for us.

Find Your Perfect Pet

Once you find the perfect place, it’s time to choose your new friend. If you still have questions, find somebody in the know. Then find your new friend.

Although I assumed this organization was a good fit, I explained our circumstances to the woman in charge. She appreciated our honest concerns and happily accepted our application. Because we were all on the same page, our adoption experience was perfectly positive.

Let the Love Fest Begin

I am proud to introduce you to our new boys, Jackson and Jed. You can see their heartwarming adoption day in the video below. We sincerely wish you the same success and incredible joy that we’ve experienced through this process. The love these animals give is well worth the little bit of investigative work it takes to place the right one in the right situation.

Kim Clune writes for This One Wild Life (http://ThisOneWildLife.com), a video blog about life with foster and rescue animals. You can also find her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kimclune), Facebook (http://facebook.com/thisonewildlife) and YouTube (http://youtube.com/kimclune) more often than she cares to admit.

Filed Under: Animal Rescue, Animals, Cats, Pet News, Pet Shelters, Rescue Groups · Tagged With: , , , ,
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