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 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 is absolutely 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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