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The Truth about
Declawing 
For many of us,
declawing is not an option for our beautiful,
loving feline friends. For others, it is
standard procedure. Before you make the
decision to have this surgery done, consider
this:
The term "declawing"
implies the removal of the claws, but it is
much more than merely the removal of the claws.
Rather, it is a series of amputations. The last
bone of each of the ten front toes are cut off,
and tendons, nerves, and muscles that allow for
normal function of the paw, are severed. An
analogy in human terms would be cutting off
each finger at the last
joint.
Declawing, is not a minor
procedure. It is an extremely painful and
potentially crippling one. In DVM Best
Practices, August 2002, veterinarian Kip Lemke
illustrates typical levels of post-surgical
pain using common surgical procedures.
Declawing is associated with "severe pain,"
compared to spaying ("moderate pain") and
neutering ("mild pain").
A survey of over 1000
veterinarians by Wagner and Hellyer (JAVMA Dec.
1, 2002) found that 44% of veterinarians
administered no pain medication after declaw
surgery. In another report it was stated that
“it appears that under medicating cats after
declawing is the norm. Cats undergoing
onychectomy (declawing) are not given any
analgesics (pain medication) or are only given
a single dose of analgesic before or after
surgery…. There is a physiological cost
associated with uncontrolled
pain.”
Some declawed cats behave
as they did before they were declawed, but
others undergo a profound personality change.
They may become extremely timid or unusually
aggressive.
There is ample evidence
that declawed cats are disproportionately
abandoned at shelters, due to the fact that
they have become more prone to biting because
they have no claws, and litter box avoidance
because their paws hurt. In a 1996 JAVMA
article, Gary Patronek, VMD, PhD, found that
52.4% of declawed cats were reported to exhibit
litter box avoidance. 80% of these relinquished
animals are euthanized.
Cats do not scratch to
annoy us, they use their claws to maintain
proper condition of the nails, for fun and
exercise, and to mark territory visually as
well as with scent. They stretch their bodies
and tone their muscles by digging their claws
into something and pulling back against their
own clawhold. A cat's natural instinct to
scratch serves both physical and psychological
needs. Before domestication, cats satisfied
these needs by clawing tree trunks. House cats
can be trained to satisfy their desire to claw
without damaging valuable property. Pet owners
typically cite protection of their furnishings
as being foremost among their reasons for
having a cat declawed; however, such owners may
not realize that the pain and other
complications from the surgery can cause
behavioral problems that are even worse than
the problems for which the cat's toes were
amputated.
Alternatives do exist.
Cats are creatures of habit. Start them off
with good ones. A cat can be trained to use
scratching posts to sharpen its claws. From the
beginning teach your kitten the appropriate
place to scratch. You can't make a cat do
anything she doesn't want to do. And getting
her to stop something she enjoys is just about
as difficult so take advantage of your kitten's
desire to play and attach toys to the post. She
will soon "dig in" to catch her toy and
discover how good it feels to scratch this
surface.
Bear in mind that your
idea of desirable and Kitty's may not coincide.
Cats like rough surfaces that they can shred to
pieces. The scratching post with the most
aesthetic appeal to your cat is often a tree
stump. Whatever post you choose, it must be
tall enough for her to fully extend her body,
and most important, it must be secure. If it
topples over even once, she won't go back to
it. Never make the mistake of trying to "show
her how" to scratch anything. You'll only
offend her. She knows perfectly well how to do
it. She just reserves the right to scratch when
and where it suits her. Initially, put the post
where your cat goes to scratch. This may be by
a sofa, a chair or wherever Kitty has chosen as
her territory, and you may need more than one
post to cover her favorite
spots.
If at first Kitty is
reluctant to give up her old scratching areas,
there are means you can use to discourage her.
Covering the area with aluminum foil or
double-sided tape is a great deterrent. These
surfaces don't have a texture that feels good
to scratch. Cats have an aversion to citrus
odors. Use lemon-scented sprays or a potpourri
of lemon and orange peels to make her former
scratching sites less agreeable to her. The
point is to establish an aversion to the spot
you don't want her to scratch. If Kitty still
persists in scratching the furniture, try
squirting her with a water gun or a spray
bottle set on stream.
Also, regular nail
trimming may defray some of your cat's
potential for destruction by carefully trimming
the razor-sharp tips of her claws. You will
find this endeavor more easily accomplished by
two people, one to hold Kitty and one to trim
her nails. Though she enjoys other forms of
pampering, Kitty will not find a manicure
soothing.
Gently hold Kitty's paw in
one hand and with your thumb on top of the paw
and forefinger on the pad gently squeeze your
thumb and finger together. This will push the
claw clear of the fur so it can easily be seen.
You will notice that the inside of the claw is
pink near its base. This is living tissue that
you do not want to cut. Trim only the clear tip
of the nail. Do not clip the area where pink
tissue is visible nor the slightly opaque
region that outlines the pink tissue. To be
safe, trim just half the distance from the tip
of the nail to the pink tissue, approximately
three millimeters away from the pink tissue.
This will avoid cutting into areas that would
be painful or bleed. The desired effect is
simply to blunt the claw tip. Many different
types of nail trimmers are available in pet
stores, but I find human toenail clippers easy
and effective to use. Rushing into a full-scale
claw trimming is a foolhardy move unless you're
really into operatic drama and traumatic
events. As you well know, some cats hate to be
restrained. And some don't like you fooling
with their paws, which comes across as
threatening. After all, their claws are a major
tool for survival, and Kitty may consider your
motives suspect.
This is where preparation
comes to the rescue. For approximately a week
before her manicure, begin making Kitty
accustomed to having her paws handled. While
petting and soothing her, start massaging her
paws, especially on the under side. Gently
press on the individual pads at the base of her
claws. You may want to give her treats to
reward her for not protesting. The point, of
course, is to make the process reassuring so
that she will eventually feel comfortable
enough to let you handle her paws without
protest.
Next, be patient. Don't
attempt to trim all her nails at once. Trim one
or two at a time, reward her with affection or
food, and then let her do as she wishes. Cats
are not strong on patience or restraint. Don't
attempt to change your cat. Instead make it
tolerable for her. Eventually trimming will
become a completely non-threatening
experience.
Fortunately for cats fewer
and fewer people favor declawing. The suffering
and disfigurement does not benefit the cat in
any way, it is done strictly for the
convenience of people. So please...if you love
your cat --make the humane choice---don’t
declaw.
--Karyn Moltzen
 Pit
Bulls...Fighting for their
lives
At one time the American Pit
Bull Terrier was the most popular pet
in
America because of their reputation as a
friendly, family dog. Now they are abused,
maligned, and misrepresented because they are
the dog of choice in the loathsome and sadistic
dog fighting industry.
Immigrants brought the first Pit Bulls to
America. They quickly became protectors of
homesteads, family farms, and hunting partners.
They were constant companions to children. This
dog was one of the most valuable resources an
early American settler could have.
Generally, pit bulls are remarkably gentle, and
intelligent dogs. Their love of humans and
eagerness to please has made them particularly
attractive to dog-fighters because they will
withstand considerable abuse and neglect at the
hands of their owners and still, remain loyal
and non-aggressive toward humans. The very
qualities that make them excellent pets — make
them targets for dog fighting. They will do
whatever their owners want them to do — even
fight to the death.
The following are a few
facts that many do not know about this
wonderful breed: Pete the
Pup on the original Little Rascals was a
Pit Bull. The Pit Bull was so popular in
the early 1900's they were our mascot not
only in World War One, but World War Two
as well. They were featured on recruiting
posters during this time. Sgt. Stubby. A
Pit Bull war hero was wounded in action
twice, he saved his entire platoon by
warning them of a poison gas attack and
he single handedly captured a German
spy.
Pit
Bulls are commonly used as
therapy dogs. They also assist physically
challenged owners who must be able to
depend on them to respond to all commands
in any situation. Spike, a black pit
bull, faithfully served his quadriplegic
owner who said, "Spike just gave me
another part of life. He was the most
loving, obedient dog ever." Spike even
accompanied his
owner to receive his associate degree as
software support specialist. Pit Bulls are used
in Search and Rescue work. Weela, the
Ken-L-Ration Dog Hero of 1993, was a pit bull
who saved the lives of 30 people, 29 dogs, 13
horses, and a cat when the Tijuana River Dam in
California broke during a flood. She led the
people to safety, finding the safest crossings
through the floodwaters, and later braved a
raging river while towing food to stranded
animals.
Alexis and
Rose, two pit bulls owned by the
president of Out of the Pits, are
certified therapy dogs. They regularly
work in schools to educate children and
visit nursing homes and hospitals.
Cheyenne, Dakota, and Tahoe participate
in the Valley Humane Society Animal
Assisted Therapy program, as well as
locate missing persons. Their
determination, so characteristic of pit
bull terriers, makes them wonderful
search dogs. In rough and dangerous
terrain, where other dogs and handlers
turn back, these dogs keep going. Pit
bulls will struggle through bushes and
thorns, to the point of needing stitches,
to find a missing
person.
Pit
Bulls serve as narcotic and
bomb sniffing dogs. Popsicle fell into
the wrong hands and had been used in
fights when a police officer in Buffalo
rescued him, caked with blood and
undernourished. Now, with training, he
routinely works among civilians as a drug
dog. He once sniffed out 3075 pounds of
cocaine crossing the Texas/ Mexico border
under a tractor/trailer rig. Another pit
bull mix, employed with a K9 unit in San
Diego, searches airports for narcotics.
He works in close contact with the public
and has identified $30 million worth of
illegal drugs.
Pit
Bulls are great with
kids. It was a pit bull terrier, named
Sebastian, who responded when a
Rottweiler attacked a 6 year old child.
He, unhesitatingly, attacked the
Rottweiler and kept the dog away from the
child until his owner, an off duty police
officer, arrived.RCA, another fine
example of the pit bull breed, became
Alaska's first hearing ear dog. She
scored highest of 170 dogs in a
temperament test and performed her
hearing duties to perfection. However, as
talk of a pit bull ban increased, she was
never placed in a home that may have
later had to give her up. She became a
demonstration dog and visited schools. As
the children lined up, she offered them
all kisses. At home, her favorite
activities were "rescuing logs" from the
pond, playing tug of war with the Sheltie
and allowing the cockatiel chicks to
nibble her ears.
Pit
Bulls are not human
aggressive. Pit Bulls score an 83.4%
passing rate with the American
Temperament Test Society. That's better
than the popular Border Collie (a breed
who scores 79.6%)
We must stop blaming this breed of dog for the
sins of their owners. These dogs are under
attack and fighting for their lives. Most
people have no idea that at many shelters
across the country, any Pit Bull who comes in
the front door, goes out the back door - in a
body bag. This is their darkest hour in
history.
We have the
power to change the status
quo for these animals and a
responsibility to keep an open mind. Each
dog should be judged on an individual
basis. We should not be blaming the whole
breed because some of these dogs have
been ruined at the hands of uncaring
humans. It is irresponsible humans not
pit bulls that deserve our derision.
Pitbulls in the hands of loving and
responsible people are amazingly
forgiving and gentle dogs....we could
learn a lot from
them.
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The effects of in
breeding Back to
top
Meet Puff and Little
Bit....
Puff was born
with only half of his back leg. His foot
is missing so he walks on his
“knee”.  Whenwe first got him, he had an
open wound at the end of his leg because
there is no cushion between the skin, the
bone and the floor. But you can't tell a
cat not to use his leg ....well, you
can... but he won't listen. He is so full
of kitten charm and curiosity that he has
no idea there is anything wrong with him.
He charges around the office with his
catnip mouse, tossing it up into the air
and catching it, racing to and fro (the
mouse is very fast... but Puff is faster).
He is quite a little
rascal.
Little Bit was born with her
left front leg missing. She has about one inch
of leg below her shoulder. She hasn't
quite figured out that all four legs don't
touch the floor. When she walks, she steps down
on the missing leg and her chest almost touches
the floor before she realizes that the leg
isn't there.  When she uses the kitty box she
rests her chest on the side of it to keep
herself from falling over. (She is very
resourceful.) She is the tiniest of
kittens...barely anything to her, she only
weighs two pounds.
These kittens are a product of inbreeding.
Life outside would not be easy for them.
I am not so sure Little Bit would have made it.
This is one of the reasons it is so important
to spay and neuter.
Nature goes to great lengths to discourage
inbreeding. Related animals rarely mate, which
prevents genes for diseases and defects from
coming together with any great frequency.
Sometimes circumstances give animals no choice
but to mate with relatives. If those conditions
persist for any length of time they create a
"genetic bottleneck." Inbreeding reduces
fertility, vigour, overall health and mental
stability. Inbred animals are more prone to
sickness and disease as it always affects the
immune system. A feral colony or barn cats that
are isolated from other cats, by geography
or other factors, can become very inbred
especially if a dominant male mates with his
sisters, then with his daughters and
grand-daughters. When he is deposed it will
most likely be by his own son or grandson
which
therefore continues the inbreeding. The effect
of any deleterious genes becomes noticeable in
later generations as the majority of the
offspring inherit these genes. Within such
colonies there may be a higher than average
occurrence of certain traits. Some are not
serious, such as a predominance of calico
pattern cats and polydactyly (multiple
toes on each foot). Dwarfism,
miscarriages and physical defects on the other
hand are serious, and will begin to show after
about three generations.
A cat left to make it's own way in the world
needs all the help it can get. A strong
immune system and all four legs are essential
for survival. These precious little kittens
will not have to worry about the perils of
living outdoors anymore because they are in the
safe and loving arms of AniMeals.
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Prisoners of Greed -
Bred to
Death Back to
top
Dogs hold a special place in our
hearts. Domesticated thousands of years
ago, they were chosen to be our
protectors, companions, and best friends.
And although we have betrayed our
responsibility towards them in many ways,
none is so distressing or disturbing as
the puppy mill. The word "mill" refers to
an operation that churns out dogs in
mass, using female dogs as nothing more
than breeding machines, valued not for
their companionship or loyalty, but for
the cold hard cash they
bring.  These dogs spend their whole
lives crowded in wire cages, living in
their own wastes, shivering from the cold,
or baking in the heat. Most people
are shocked when confronted with the bleak
images of dogs housed and bred in puppy
mills.
Many people possess an image of puppies at a
family farm, lovingly raised and cared for.
Others may not even think about where a pet
store puppy comes from. Drawn to a pet store
window by a bin of wriggling puppies, the
furthest thing from a customer's mind is the
origin of these cute bundles of fur. But by
buying a puppy, the consumer is unknowingly
supporting a cycle of abuse that begins at the
puppy mill.
What the consumer can't see is
the puppy's mother, imprisoned miles
away, pregnant again, her body being used
to produce more money-making puppies.
Starting at six months, she is bred every
heat cycle. She is often weak,
malnourished, and dehydrated. Rarely, if
ever, is she provided with veterinary
care. She knows no human kindness, she is
sick, filthy, her coat is matted with
urine and feces, and her toenails are
grown completely around piercing her
little feet. She cannot maintain her
productivity past her fourth or fifth
year. After that, she is nothing more
than a drain on the mill's operation and
must be disposed of. More often
than not, she will be shot or bludgeoned
to death. Discarded, her wasted body will
lie forgotten in a local landfill or
garbage dump.
There are 5,000 puppy mills across the country
that produce well over 500,000 puppies a year.
They insist that it doesn't make good
business sense to sell sick puppies or house
breeding females in less than humane
conditions. But evidence gained after years of
documentation and investigation directly
conflicts with these
assertions. Only half of the dogs bred at puppy
mills make it to the pet store; the other half
die from the mill’s squalid conditions,
hypothermia, starvation, or other horrors of
transport.
It is virtually impossible to breed in a humane
fashion and make money at the same time. In
order to make a profit and cover costs, corners
must be cut, and puppies must be churned out at
a furious rate. The cut corners are the animals
themselves: their housing, their health, their
cleanliness. Until the demand for
mass-produced pet store puppies decreases,
 there will always be a buck to
be made in the production of dogs.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Puppy mills and the pet store industry have
begun to feel the scrutiny. No one has more
power to fight puppy mills than the consumer.
In each individual's hands is the ability to
stop the cycle of abuse that ends with the
purchase of a puppy mill puppy at a pet store.
Collectively, we can fight an
industry that views dogs as mere profit
machines. Dogs, our best friends and
companions, deserve our best effort. After all
the licks, wags, and love they have given us,
we owe them this fight.
Don't Buy
A Dog From A Pet
Store.
It's that simple. Most puppies
sold in pet stores come from puppy mills.
After years of artfully dodging the
question of how AKC papers could be
registered to dogs and puppies found in
the worst of puppy mills, the AKC itself
is admitting the misconceptions that are
connected with purebred papers. When
you're ready to bring a dog into your
life, visit your local animal shelter.
Millions of homeless dogs are waiting at
animal shelters for life-long,
responsible homes. You won't be
supporting the puppy mill industry, and
at the same time, you'll be fighting the
tragic pet overpopulation problem. If you
are interested in a particular breed,
your animal shelter can help you locate a
breed specific adoption group that will
match you with the type of dog you
want.
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Living in the
Grey Zone – the Plight of Feral
Cats Back to
top
In today's world, feral cats
exist because of irresponsible pet
ownership. They are the offspring of
abandoned pets, unaltered strays that
previously lived in human homes, but now
are forced to live on the street.
They are born outdoors and usually
hidden by their mothers; they have had
little or no human contact in the
formative months. Not socialized to humans, they
view people as a danger. Raised
without human contact, they quickly revert
to a wild state and form colonies wherever
food and shelter are available. As they
are often nocturnal, you may not be aware
of their presence or total colony size.
Neither pets nor fully wildlife, feral
cats live somewhere in the grey zone.
Some feline experts now estimate 70 million
feral cats live in the United States, the
consequence of people assuming their cats will
survive on their own when they move away. They
live on the streets, in parks, in parking lots,
and in the shadows of human civilization.
The number concerns wildlife and ornithology
organizations that believe these stealthy
predators decimate bird populations and
threaten public health. Predation is the most
controversial issue surrounding feral cats.
Certainly cats do kill birds, but no one
has a clear handle on the exact numbers. Most
of us love birds as much as we love cats. So we
are not trying to choose one species over
another, we are trying to come up with a
solution that benefits everybody involved. The
goal is to reduce the feral cat population.
Eradication is the traditional method for feral
cat control, although several studies show that
eradication programs do not work. Cats are
removed, but the food source – rodents,
dumpsters, etc. – remains.  Thus, the surviving cats have
less competition for food. They will breed
several times a year, quickly
recolonizing. A study by Karl Zaunbrecher,
DVM, published in The Journal of the
American Veterinary Medical Association,
also showed that removal creates a vacuum,
which can be followed by an influx of an
equal number of new
cats. In little time, you are back to square
one. Killing is not the
answer.
Julie Levy is a veterinarian and
professor at the University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine in
Gainesville. She says the answer to
permanently reducing wild cat populations
is through the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
method, in which entire colonies of cats
are trapped, vaccinated, and sterilized
by a veterinarian.  Homes are found for young
kittens, which can be tamed. Healthy
adults that are too wild to be adopted are
returned to their familiar habitat
outdoors, where volunteer caregivers feed
and look after them for the remainder of
their lives.
An established colony will defend its territory
to protect the food source, limiting the
addition of new cats to the group; for this
reason, leaving spayed and neutered cats in a
colony is the best deterrent to population
growth. The TNR approach stabilizes the
colonies and eliminates many of the problems
people find annoying about feral cats. Spraying
and urine odor abates; mating yowls are
eliminated; and fighting is reduced.
Feral cats exist due to people's failure to
make a lifetime commitment to cats in their
care and their reluctance to spay/neuter.
Killing the victims of such negligence
should not be a consideration. For decades, the
public has been apathetic regarding the plight
of these homeless animals. It is time for us to
take responsibility for the tragedy we have
created.
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How Sweet It .... Isn't. The Dangers of
Xylitol Back to
top
A sugar substitute found in a
variety of sugar-free and dietetic
cookies, mints and chewing gum is proving
highly toxic, even fatal, to
snack-snatching dogs. Xylitol can be
"very, very serious" to dogs when
ingested, says the Animal Poison Control
Center of the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"It doesn't take a whole lot (of xylitol), and
the effects are so rapid that the window of
opportunity to treat the dog is extremely
small.” Within 30 minutes of consuming a small
amount of a xylitol-sweetened product, dogs can
experience a dramatic drop in blood sugar, and
they usually begin vomiting, become lethargic
and can have difficulty standing or walking.
Some have seizures, develop internal
hemorrhaging and lesions and suffer liver
failure. As few as two or three sticks of
xylitol gum could be toxic to a 20-pound
dog.
Immediate and aggressive
veterinary treatment, which includes
glucose drips and IV fluids, has proved
effective in many cases. The ASPCA's
poison control unit has received scores
of reports of dogs becoming gravely
ill.
It's not always entirely clear what has caused
the problem when a dog arrives at a
veterinarian's office with seizures or liver
failure. It is suspected that there are more
cases than those reported because they come in
with liver failure, and the owner is not aware
of what has been ingested.
Right now, xylitol is used mostly in cookies,
candies, cupcakes and other sweets developed
for people who have diabetes. It's also sold in
bags of crystals for baking. Because of its
bacteria-killing properties, it is put into
some oral care products, including Tom's All
Natural and Biotene toothpastes. It also is
beginning to be used in a broad assortment of
products including: Jello, sugar-free puddings,
and a wide variety of sugar-free gums,
including Trident, Orbit, Stride, Icebreakers
and Altoids.
Makers of products with xylitol say their
products were never recommended for dogs and
were neverintended to be ingested by dogs.
“Owners should be careful because some dogs get
into just about everything and eat everything
they find.”
There is no indication that any of the other
sweeteners on the market adversely affect dogs.
And there is no evidence so far that xylitol is
toxic to pets other than dogs. But cats, for
example, don't scavenge for sweets as dogs do,
so it's possible there are risks that have not
yet been discovered. For now, veterinarians
advise pet owners to keep
xylitol away from all animals.
...AND MORE TOXIC FOODS TO BE AWARE
OF....
GRAPES AND RAISINS
These fruits can cause acute kidney failure
mainly in dogs, depending on their sensitivity.
Just a handful can be disastrous. In fact, just
five or six grapes can kill a 20-pound dog. So
little is known about their toxic potential
that experts, including those at the American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, say don't give these to your dog or
cat in any amount. In fact, don't even let your
kids give the dog a bite of a cookie with
raisins.
Symptoms: Vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea,
abdominal pain and lethargy.
ONIONS AND GARLIC
Humans sure like
them, but they contain a substance that zaps
red blood cells in dogs and cats, causing a
form of anemia, according to the Website
wisegeek.com. Onions are worse for your pet
than garlic, and raw ones are more toxic than
cooked. They seem to be worse for cats than
dogs.
Symptoms: Labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea
and discolored urine.
CHOCOLATE AND COCOA
These contain two
toxins for pets - caffeine and a substance
called the obromine. Unsweetened baking
chocolate, semi-sweet and dark chocolate
are more toxic than milk chocolate. Be
vigilant during the holidays. Dogs get
into Easter baskets all the time. And we
see problems at Christmas and
Halloween.
Symptoms often don't surface for several hours,
falsely causing some pet owners to believe
nothing is wrong. Toxicity depends on the size
of your pet and the amount and type of
chocolate consumed. Symptoms include vomiting,
diarrhea, increased heart rate and panting,
muscle tremors, seizures, coma or death.
MACADAMIA NUTS
This is
another new one. It isn't clear what toxin
exists in macadamia nuts - an ingredient in
some cookie recipes but dogs can become very
ill. Up to nine or 10 are poisonous for a
20-pound dog.
Symptoms: Weakness, depression, vomiting,
unsteadiness or drunk acting, muscle pain,
joint pain and swelling.
To
Kill Or Not To Kill...that is not the
question anymore.
Back to
top
We live in a shallow, throw away
society. An estimated ten million animals
are abandoned to the streets or shelters
every year. While some reasons animals
are surrendered to a shelter are
unavoidable, (life has a way of throwing
us curve balls) others can be prevented.
People give all kinds of reasons why they
surrender their animals, from the tragic
to the ridiculous. The latest studies
indicate that most homeless pets are
abandoned by people in their thirties
that are moving, or changing their
lifestyles. Every animal that ends up in
a shelter or on the streets has a story
that involved someone's choice. We need
to remember that a pet is for life. And
every life is precious.
Five million animals are being killed annually
in shelters across the country. The national
average is half of all dogs and 70% of cats. In
my way of thinking, killing homeless pets is
unacceptable.  The decision to end an animal's
life is an extremely serious one and
should be treated as such. We need to stop
killing animals just because they have
lost their homes, and take euthanasia off
the table as our solution to pet
overpopulation. There is a huge No-Kill
movement gaining momentum across the
country where all healthy or treatable
animals, including feral cats, are saved.
Far too many shelters and even some
national animal protection organizations
still cling to outmoded, failed policies
and rigid shelter protocols instead of
embracing no-kill approaches. They lose
sight of individual animals and as a
result the animal loses it's life.
No Kill requires community involvement.
Sterilization is the single most effective way
to stop pet overpopulation in it's tracks.
Studies have shown that cost and access- not
irresponsibility-are the primary reasons people
do not alter their pets. Veterinarians are on
the front lines when it comes to this issue.
They have an enormous impact when they
participate in low cost spay and neuter
clinics/programs. “Philosophical reasons for
not doing it” just doesn't cut it when the
leading cause of animal deaths in this country
is euthanasia. Ask your vet if he/she
participates in these programs. Give your
business and support to those vets that do
participate.
Become part of the NoKill movement. Get your
animals spayed/neutered. Encourage your friends
to do the same. Volunteer at spay/neuter
clinics. Save the life of an animal by becoming
a foster parent.
Ending the killing of healthy and treatable
pets means building the programs, facilities,
and community involvement necessary to lower
birthrates, and increase adoptions. The
challenges are great, but not insurmountable.
The bottom line is...these animals need to go
home... alive.
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BABY
BOOM Back to
top
Kitten season-the time of year
when cats give birth, flooding animal
shelters across the nation with homeless
litters. Although kitten “season” is
primarily three seasons in one, starting
in spring, peaking in early summer, and
ending in the fall, vets are seeing more
and more pregnant cats all throughout the
year.  In every community in the
nation, there is an over-abundance of
unsterilized cats, both owned and unowned.
These unwanted cats and kittens, when not
left on the street to fend for themselves,
often turn up in high volume at the local
shelters.
Kitten season presents many challenges for
shelter staff and the cats in their care.
Resources already hard to come by-like food,
money and space-are often stretched to the
limit with the onslaught of these
homeless little creatures. Typically, the adult
cats feel the most immediate effects, as they
are often overlooked by potential adopters when
kittens are in abundance. Even when people come
in to specifically adopt an older cat their
heads are often turned by the adorable
kittens.
As shelters struggle to accommodate as many
cats as possible, the risk of illness also
increases. As they reach their capacity, the
close quarters cause the cats additional
stress, and they begin to spread germs, get
sick and the whole population suffers.
The animals aren't the only ones who feel the
effects of the stress. The burden carries over
to shelter staff and vet services as they
attempt to cope with the overwhelming number of
cats. Rescue groups and foster families
scramble to make room. It is critical that the
very young kittens are placed in foster rather
than a shelter because of a condition known as
“failure to thrive”. A kitten's odds are
greatly diminished when their first days are
spent in a shelter. They NEED a home.
You can make a difference...here's how you can
get involved:
1.The easiest way to help
reduce the number of unwanted cats and kittens
is to spay and neuter your own cat and
encourage others to do the same. It makes a
huge difference.
2.Help your local shelters.
Donate supplies, money, or your time. Contact
Missoula Animal Control, The Western Montana
Humane Association and AniMeals and find out
what's needed most.
3.Care for homeless or feral (
they are homeless descendants of an abandoned
pet) cats in your area.
Work with the shelters & feral cat groups
to help control your neighborhood's feral and
stray cat populations.
4.Become a foster parent.
5.Adopt. Open your home to a
new cat or adopt a playmate for your existing
pets.
Spaying and
neutering our pets and feral cats is simply the
most effective way to stop the tragedy of the
vast numbers of animals who are born, only to
die prematurely, never having
a
family to love
them.
FASHION TO DIE
FOR Back to
top
Fur is back ....and the fashion industry should
hang its head in shame. There
isabsolutely
no excuse
for using fur for human
vanity. The fur should remain on the
animal as God intended. There was a time when
women would not have dared venture out
onto the streets wearing fur, for fear of
someone throwing paint on them. But this
winter, it seems, this is no longer the case.
Fur is back with a vengeance. It is
everywhere. On pockets, on sweaters, on skirts,
on belts, on cuffs and lining collars. What
ever happened to “I would rather go naked than
wear fur”?
50 million animals are
killed for their fur world wide every year.
China is the leading source of fur imported
into the United States. An estimated 2
million dogs and cats are being skinned, every
year in China, which has a history of cruelty
to animals. Yes, you read that right...dogs and
cats. In 1998 the Burlington Coat
Factory was found to be selling dog fur-trimmed
garments to an unwitting American public,
labeled as "Mongolia Dog Fur," one of the many
names used for domestic dog fur from China.
In response, the U.S. Congress enacted
the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000, which
prohibits the import of any dog or cat fur
product making it a Federal
offense. On
December 11, 2006, The Humane
Society of the United States accused the
Burlington Coat Factory of once again selling
coats trimmed with real animal fur. BCF is
billing the fur, “faux”. The hooded, down
jackets carry the Baby Phat label. The HSUS is
conducting DNA testing on the garments in
question. The garment label says
it's raccoon or coyote from China. The
HSUS believes it to be dog or cat fur.
Baby Phat refuses to
comment.
Fur is
fatal.
An animal dies for each
fashion item, and that death isn't pretty.
If people realized the incredible cruelty
associated with the fur trade, the industry
would die overnight. Do some research.
You will be outraged.
If you like the furry look, go faux. When
you buy faux, you save an animal's life.
You can buy faux and real fur from the
same rack so be sure to read the label.
If in doubt, DON'T buy it. Synthetic
fabrics have eliminated the need for fur
apparel. The R value (how heat retention
is measured) of faux fur and real fur is
actually about the same. Make the world a
better place by using compassion when you
choose your fashion. Wear clothing that makes
you look good on the outside and feel good on
the
inside.
Boycott fur and save a
life.
Black Dog
Syndrome Back to
top
“My name is Max. I have been
here at the shelter for months now. I am
not invisible. I am not hidden in the
back. I’m right here in plain sight in
the kennel next to the cute dogs, and the
puppies, and the small dogs, and the
light colored dogs.  People walk by me every
day…but no one sees me. I am black.
Shelter life is taking its toll on me. I
am getting depressed because nobody wants
me. Please, please, look at me. Take me
home and I promise I’ll be a good boy. I
will do my best and try to make you proud.
I will be there to greet you when you come
home and be your faithful companion till
the last beat of my heart. If only you
will give me a chance…”
Max’s story is a common one and unfortunately
his days are numbered. Most people are not
aware of how doomed black dogs are when they
are brought to the average animal shelter. They
are usually the last, if at all, to be
adopted…particularly big black dogs like
Labradors or Lab mixes. It is a fact known to
most pet store owners and the reason why they
stock light colored animals.
Take a walk down kennel row and you’ll see the
same dog over and over again. They don’t look
exactly alike but the similarities are
astounding. They are over 50 pounds, Lab mix,
Shepard mix, Rotty mix, Chow mix, black dogs
often with a little crest of white or brown on
their chest. Most of these dogs never make it
out of the shelters they are turned into. They
are euthanized in horrifying rates across the
country. They are just too ordinary.
If you are thinking about adopting a dog,
please don’t overlook black dogs. They will
never clash with your furniture and they will
always go with that little black dress.
Black is beautiful….
Unchain your
Dog Back to
top
All people would agree that the
intentional physical abuse of a dog is a
terrible thing. Yet there is another
cruel practice to which dogs are
subjected far more frequently than
corporal abuse. It is a form of
mistreatment which is also devastating
and painful to a dog, yet often fails to
be regarded as abuse at all. It is
neglect. Because dogs, like human beings,
are pack animals, they, like us, need to
socialize in order to remain
psychologically healthy. Since
domestication, however, companion dogs no
longer have packs of dogs with which to
live. As a result, they consider humans
to be their families, and we serve as
their surrogate “pack”. Keeping a dog
isolated in a back yard results in
miserable, lonely dogs who exhibit
aberrant behavior and often annoying
traits, such as persistent barking and
whining. For the dog, the absence of
affection and attention is tragic. You
couldn't invent a worse punishment than
to keep a dog permanently
chained.
Imagine being chained to a tree year after
year. You watch the back door hoping someone
will come out to play with you. No one ever
does. Sometimes you get tangled in your chain.
You shiver in the winter and pant in the hot
summer sun. Eventually you stop barking. You
have given up hope.
Some dogs live their entire lives chained
outside. Many of these dogs sit, lay, eat, and
defecate in the same 10 foot radius. Chained by
the neck, they exist without respect, love,
exercise, social interaction, and sometimes
even basic
nourishment.
They live as prisoners, yet long
to be pets.
If you are concerned about a dog
who is chained outside without proper
shelter, food or water please contact
Missoula Animal Control. Even if the
owner's are not violating any laws, the
animal control
officer may be able to persuade the dog owner
to take steps to improve the situation. In some
instances, persuading the owner to give up the
dog is the best solution for the animal.
A dog is a social being that should live and
sleep inside the house like the rest of the
family. To banish a dog to the backyard while
the rest of his “family”live, enjoy one
another, and sleep inside goes against a dog's
most basic instincts. And it is no way to treat
man's best friend. Your dog is depending on you
to make his life a good one or a terrible one.
His fate is in you hands. If you can't give
your dog a happy life, should you even have
him?
For more information
visit
www.unchainyourdog.org
THE PET OVERPOPULATION
CRISIS Back to
top
Each day 70,000 puppies and
kittens are born in the U.S. (approximately 25
million annually). Of those, only one in five
stay in their original home for his/her natural
lifetime. The remaining four are abandoned to
the streets or end up in a shelter.
It is a sad fact of life in our society that
millions of “surplus” cats, dogs and other
domesticated animals have no place to call
home. The kennels and cages of America’s animal
shelters are filled to capacity with these
abandoned, lost and unwanted creatures. New
strays and discarded family companions arrive
continuously, yet there is not nearly enough
space for them all so their stay must be short
as they await an uncertain fate.
It is estimated that ten million
cats and dogs enter animal shelters every year
in the United States, but only about half of
them make it out alive. As a society we have
the ability and the obligation to reduce the
number of needless animal deaths, and each one
of us can make a difference. Here’s
how:
1.Spay and neuter animal
companions – sterilizing dogs and cats
drastically reduces the number of puppies and
kittens born. Shelters can then care for and
place those that are already here in loving
homes. Having our pets altered is a solid,
effective defense against pet overpopulation.
Please spay and neuter your animal companions
and urge others to do the same.
2.Adopt animals from shelters –
If you have room in your home and your heart
for an animal companion, save a life by
adopting one from your local
shelter. Never,
ever
buy from a pet store. A huge
number of pet stores buy their dogs from
puppy mills and back yard breeders that
mass produce dogs in deplorable
conditions. The fmale dogs are kept
pregnant all year around and as a result
are unhealthy and lead extremely
miserable and very short lives. If you
are looking for a purebred animal, you
can find it. There is a rescue
organization for nearly every kind of
purebred dog imaginable. (We can help you
with your
search).
Every animal’s life has value,
and each dog or cat is a unique,
irreplaceable individual with needs and
feelings. The fact that most are healthy
and affectionate when they are killed
makes their deaths all the more
unnecessary and poignant. Such is the
seemingly never-ending tragedy and
heart-rending reality of the companion
animal overpopulation crisis. There is
nothing more powerful than the film "In
Hope: An Animal Shelter Story" to drive
this message home. View at
www.brightlion.com/inhope.aspx
Remember…..while you have been
waiting for your best friend, your best
friend has been waiting for you. Visit
your local
shelter.
UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE Back to
top
If you've
ever helped take care of a group of feral
cats in you neighborhood, you know that
it can be one of life's truly rewarding
experiences.Feral cats (or alley cats)
are not the same as strays. Strays, who
once had a home, can usually be rescued
and put in a good new home. Ferals, on
the other hand, are born on the streets
and never connect with people at an early
age. They tend to be wary of people and
usually cannot adjust to being brought
into a home.
People often talk about the unconditional love
that our pets have for us. But I'm always
especially struck by the unconditional love
that's shown to feral cats by the people who
care for them.
That's because, unlike your pets at home, a
feral cat is never going to show its
appreciation by jumping into your lap or
purring in your ear. The reward of caring for
ferals is simply knowing that you've done good
for them. The cats themselves will almost
always keep their distance-a bit like the birds
and squirrels who come to your bird feeder, the
ducks who visit your pond, and other urban
wildlife who like to come by but are not pets.
But if feral cats are not pets, they are not
quite wildlife either. They exist somewhere
between the
two.
They may
have grown up in the urban “wild”, but
nature has not equipped them for life on
the streets of a modern city. So they are
very dependent on the kindness of people.
With good care, most ferals can live a
decent life. Even without care, they can
eke out an existence on their own.
Indeed, some of them learn to do very
well for themselves.
Of course, there's always a danger that they
will get sick or be injured and come to a
sticky end. For that reason, certain animal
rights organizations hold the view that the
“kindest” thing to do for feral cats is to
gather them up and kill them-thus sparing them
the possibility of present or future suffering.
This approach may be well intentioned, but it
is, in our view, completely misguided.
Life on earth has never been a bed of roses. It
may never be. But no living creature wants to
give up. We all have a basic instinct to
survive and to live the best life we possibly
can-feral cats
included.
Once any of us starts undermining an animals'
own will to live, we have begun to play God,
preemptively deciding who shall live and who
shall die. It's understandable that
well-meaning people under stress can get into
the head space of “Since we can't look after
them better, perhaps we should kill them.” But
the whole premise is upside down. The real
questions is: “Since killing them is obviously
wrong, what can we do and how can we work
together to help them have a better life?” By
agreeing that killing is no longer an
acceptable way of helping cats, we
automatically commit ourselves to finding new
and better options. And, as anyone who has
cared for feral cats knows, that's what
unconditional love is all
about.
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