Afghanistan Veteran Reunited With Bulldog After She Was Given Away

December 8, 2014
Good Morning America

Sometimes true love trumps all, as was the case with John Russo and his beloved American bulldog Bones.

Given to Russo as a Christmas present in 2008 from his mother, Bones stayed with Russo’s ex-girlfriend when he joined the Army and left for basic training and a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009.

“We were broken up before I left, but she was taking care of her [Bones], so I thought,” Russo told ABC News. “Then I got home and realized she had surrendered her.”

Russo attempted to contact his ex, but found out her number and address had changed. Russo tried to find Bones, but didn't have any luck. As an animal lover, he often checks humane society websites just to see the animals there, and he had an unbelievable spotting last week.

“I had a feeling that day and I went on the website and there she was,” Russo said of Bones.

The 5-year-old bulldog had been safely sheltered and up for adoption at the Flagler Humane Society in Palm Coast, Florida.

Read the full story on Yahoo News.

Humans Rescuing Animals - Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Restore your faith in humanity in four minutes!

KERMIT NEEDS RESCUE! GETTING URGENT NOW! (Logan, OH)

UPDATE 11/10/2014:  KERMIT HAS BEEN RESCUED!!!

HOCKING COUNTY DOG SHELTER, LOGAN, OH

CONTACT: beougher76 [at] yahoo.com

Kermit hasn't had any adoption interest at the shelter. We don't get a lot of adoption traffic here. :(

Kermit has served his time, and now needs a rescue to help get him the life he deserves. He is approximately 9-12 months old & weighs 40 lbs. Kermit is a mixed breed and has a wonderful temperament and personality.  He does get along with others.  He would like nothing more than to get out of his concrete cell. Kermit is still a pup and desperately wants to play.

Can anyone please help Kermit?

UPDATE 11/10/2014:  KERMIT HAS BEEN RESCUED!!!

Woman Rescues Burned Puppy and He Grows Up to Save Her Life

From Care2.com

Anyone who has ever saved an animal will tell you that its the kind of experience that shakes up your DNA. You won’t regrow hair on a balding head or suddenly run a four-minute-mile, but there is a pulse of positive energy that churns through the human body much like a twister. In some cases, fragments of that emotional explosion are powerful enough to be credited with modern medical miracles. And for one Texas woman, the experience was profound enough to help wake her from a coma.

My Name is Danielle…
“My name is Danielle and it’s been over a year since something terrible happened to me. I am ready now to share my story,” explained the letter we received recently from veterinary technician Danielle Torgerson of Killeen, Texas. ”Four years ago somebody brought a puppy to the clinic. I was not assigned to that room but I was in the second room when I felt something pull me into the hallway. It was strange, but I glanced into the other exam room and saw a puppy on the table. He looked at me with so much pain and despair. A man had brought him in for a ‘sting’ but I knew instantly that was not the case. The puppy was horribly burned on the head like somebody had poured gasoline over him and set him on fire. He was there to be euthanized.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/woman-rescues-burned-puppy-and-he-grows-up-to-save-her-life.html#ixzz3GslfJEfi

Duke n' Matt: Rescue Road Warriors

Duke, a friendly red beagle, was rescued by Matt in 2009. Now Duke and Matt are a team.  They volunteer to help transport rescue dogs from puppy mills and other places around the United States. They are RESCUE ROAD WARRIORS! They set out with many other volunteers to drive their canine "passengers" to safe shelters, foster homes, and adoptive families. Kids will meet Duke ‘n’ Matt, learn what it's like to be a Rescue Road Warrior, and find out why these volunteers help rescue dogs and puppies in this new Grammy Pags Story. Special "Learn More" and "Fun Stuff" pages included.  Available at Amazon in print and Kindle versions.

Note from Jo Ann:

Since I’m part of the Rescue Road Warriors team, this book is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the rescue world and help them understand just how important these volunteer transport drivers really are.  Without their dedication and selflessness, a lot of dogs and cats would die because they had no ride to a rescue that had room for them.

Some of these animals travel hundreds, even thousands of miles to reach a foster home or, hopefully, their forever homes.

So, the next time you’re out on the road and happen upon a caravan of mini vans, SUV’s, or maybe just those ordinary automobiles, that are loaded down with doggies, puppies, cats and kittens, be sure to honk your horn, give them a BIG THUMBS UPS, and wish them a safe journey.
 
They truly are amazing people who freely give of their time and gasoline to save as many lives as possible.

And please let me know how you enjoyed the book.  Your comments are always welcome!

Grieving Goat Transforms After Sweet Reunion With His Best Friend

Meet Leon Trotsky: Piglet on Wheels

Rescued by a kind hearted soul and brought to Edgar’s Mission farm animal sanctuary, Leon Trotsky is a piglet with more spunk and tenacity than most.

Taking on the world with his brand new set of wheels, Leon is trotting his way into the hearts of people all over the globe as they fall head over heels in love with his adorable character.

At just three weeks old, little Leon Trotsky has beaten the odds not once, but twice! Destined for the plate, Leon’s future didn’t look so bright, and when an accident claimed the life of two of his siblings, it seemed as though things weren’t going to get any better for this innocent little chap.

The accident which was caused by his injured mother falling on him, leaving Leon with a broken and dislocated femur, injured hock and ligament damage.

Sadly, for most piglets on commercial pig farms that suffer from similar injuries, their fate would be a blunt trauma to the head as this is the easiest and most cost effective way to address the problem because their life is considered worthless.

Luckily for Leon, he found his way to Edgar’s Mission sanctuary, where the incredible Pam Ahern and team assembled to give this courageous piglet the life he deserves. Ironically, it is Leon’s injury that saved him and will allow him to be known as someone and not something for the rest of his days.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/meet-leon-trotsky-piglet-on-wheels.html#ixzz30sQdpCUm

Woman Squeezes Lifetime of Love into One Week

From Care2.com:

Annie had never known happiness. She had been beaten, neglected, and starved all of her life, and then she was dumped at a shelter to die. Annie waited on death row, terrified and lonely, crying every night for someone to help her. She was very ill, and the pound asked if I was willing to take her. Yep, I’m on my way.

I was asked to share the story about what I do for special case dogs on death row in shelters. I do realize that this might not be the most popular idea with all of you, but I’m hoping that maybe it will inspire someone to do the same. If you ever have the chance to do this, it will change your life. When there are terminally ill dogs on death row, I’ve made the decision to do something very special for them.

Because treating these dogs for their conditions would cause them immense suffering, I choose not to treat them. However, I also choose not to leave them in the shelter to be killed. In short, I bring them into my home for a few days. I adopt them into my heart. I love them with all that I have. And then I do what’s best for them… and let them go…

Before She Goes to Heaven – Annie Needs to Know Love
When I saw Annie, it was obvious that she was very sick. She was underweight, coughing, and having trouble breathing, in addition to skin and eye issues. The vet told me that Annie had advanced heartworm disease, congestive heart failure, and several other severe medical conditions. It was highly unlikely that she would pull through any of the treatments, and she would suffer tremendously throughout the process. The vet asked me if I wanted to go ahead with euthanasia. “No. I’ll bring her back next week. Before she goes to Heaven, she needs to know love.”

Read full story at Care2.com.

WAG! Fest - August 24, 2013 - Hillard, OH

WHAT:  WAG! is FUN, FREE, and FAMILY-FRIENDLY

As the region’s largest dog event, WAG! is a perfect day’s adventure for dogs and people together. Taking place in the beautiful Darby Bend Lakes area of Prairie Oaks Metro Park, there will be pet-friendly trails to wander and lakes to splash in…where the route to activities leads past appealing booths, where attendees can stop, shop, and learn from the area’s best dog-related product and service providers.

Admission is FREE.

Activities include:

• The WAG! Marketplace will include exhibits of products, samples and services from pet retailers, clubs and organizations dedicated to the health and well being of canines.
• Dogs can take a dip at the Water Bark Beach off-leash swim area.
• Demonstrations, entertaining programs and contests at the Take a Bow-Wow Stage. Pups that stand out from the pack will have a chance to compete in the Top Dog Contest.
• Guests can meet experts from various area rescue groups to learn about the best four-legged match for their home and lifestyle at the Meet the Breed Pavilion.
• The icy oasis of the Canine Ice Castle will provide for a cool canine respite on a warm afternoon.
• Captivating disk demonstrations and dog agility demonstrations by some of the area’s most talented canines.
• Canine companion adoptions available through various dog rescue groups. And much more!

WHEN:   Saturday, August 24, 2013  10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE:  Darby Bend Lakes Area of Prairie Oaks Metro Parks, 2755 Amity Road, Hilliard, Ohio 43026

WHY WAG!:  Supports dogs in need. We help over 30 Central Ohio dog-serving organizations reach thousands of donors and potential adopters each year.

MORE INFO:  Visit www.WAGFEST.com

Cat nurses week-old abandoned puppy

A pit bull rejected by its mother is being taken care of by an unlikely surrogate: A mama cat.

When Noland was merely 1 day old, he was taken to the Cleveland Animal Protective League without his mother.

"Obviously a 1-day-old puppy, even in the best of circumstances, [the chance of survival] is pretty iffy," Sharon Harvey, president and CEO of the CAPL, told Yahoo News by phone. "We want to give him every chance we could."

The staff decided Noland's best chances were to join a litter of nursing kittens. The question: Would the cat accept a puppy into her brood of four? Amazingly, mom-cat Lurlene welcomed the outsider.

The image says it all: The pit bull is being nursed back to health by a very tolerant feline.

“They’re a happy family now,” said Harvey.

Read the full story on Yahoo News.

100 Problem Puppy Mills

PRESS RELEASE
The Humane Society of the United States
May 9, 2013

As part of its seventh annual Puppy Mill Action Week, The Humane Society of the United States is releasing “A Horrible Hundred,” a report listing 100 puppy mills. The HSUS is calling on authorities to more closely monitor these and the thousands of other facilities across the country and is also urging state legislators to pass stronger laws to protect dogs in puppy mills. The puppy mills were selected based on the conditions documented in publicly available inspection reports and on evidence obtained during HSUS research and investigations.

“Every year, millions of puppies are born in horrific puppy mills and sold to unsuspecting families,” said Melanie Kahn, senior director of The HSUS’s Puppy Mills Campaign. “We urge consumers to do serious homework before buying a puppy, and we ask lawmakers, law enforcement officials and the pet industry representatives to support laws that will crack down on this cruelty.”

During Puppy Mill Action Week, The HSUS asks supporters to spread the word about the realities of puppy mills by sharing this video, pledging not to buy a puppy mill dog from a pet store or Internet site and by always considering adoption from a shelter or rescue or purchasing only from a responsible breeder they have met in person.

The HSUS is not charging that these are the worst 100 mills in the nation, but these are operations with deficiencies and inadequate attention to animal welfare. They are indicative of the puppy mill culture that has become widespread and causes immense suffering for dogs.

Some states require pet stores to post the names of the breeders in a visible location, such as on the dogs’ cages, so consumers have additional information about where the puppies came from, and other large-scale commercial dog breeders sell directly to consumers over the Internet.

The HSUS found that:

• Most of the 100 facilities have been cited repeatedly by federal or state inspectors for violations such as injured and sick dogs who had not been treated by a veterinarian, animals left in the freezing cold or blistering heat without protection, filthy conditions, and, in some cases, operators who performed surgeries on dogs without a veterinary license or shot and killed unwanted dogs.
• States with the highest numbers of puppy mills on this list include Missouri (24), Ohio (15), Kansas (11), Iowa, (8), and Indiana and New York (6 each).
• More than half of the puppy mills listed had more than 100 dogs and puppies on the premises according to their most recent state or federal inspection reports. At least 30 of the facilities had more than 200 dogs and puppies, and one (Clearwater Kennel in Minnesota) had more than 1,100.
• The report covers puppy mills in 20 different states, but puppies from these breeders are shipped to pet stores and Internet buyers across the country so consumers never see the real conditions in which they were born and raised.
• Many of the facilities in the report claim to be affiliated with the American Kennel Club. The AKC increasingly lobbies against laws that would require puppy mills to be more uniformly licensed and inspected.
• The HSUS urges the USDA to swiftly finalize a rule to require all large-scale commercial puppy sellers to be uniformly licensed and inspected, including those that sell directly to consumers over the Internet. Additionally, the USDA needs to streamline its procedures for reporting problem operators to law enforcement and preventing operators from re-starting under a new name or license number.

See the list by state here.
Read the full report here.

FACTS:

• Puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that churn out puppies for the pet trade with an emphasis on profit over welfare. Breeding dogs in puppy mills have no real quality of life, often living continually in small wire cages with little or no personal attention, exercise or veterinary care.
• In recent years The HSUS has assisted in rescuing nearly 10,000 dogs from more than 50 different puppy mills across the country churning out more than 2 million puppies per year for the pet trade.
• While The HSUS stands ready to assist law enforcement with closing down illegal puppy mills whenever feasible, there remain an estimated 10,000 puppy mills across the United States, and many of them are legal. 

Media Contact: Niki Ianni, 301-548-7793, 610-999-6932, nianni@humanesociety.org

Chester's Music

This letter was written and submitted to the website An Open Apology.  The owner of the website invited me to share this letter with my readers:

You were filthy. You were matted. Your teeth were a mess, jutted-out-under-bite, yellow, and neglected. There was dry poop crusted onto your back leg, something I mistakenly assumed might bother you. When I tried to clean it off, you tried to bite me with those ridiculous teeth of yours.

Chester, you were not my dog. I was nobody to you. Your somebody left you at a vet’s office months ago and never came back. I suppose they had been trying to do the kinder thing by not leaving you at the shelter, knowing that at eleven years old, your chances would be so low. Knowing that with a big tumor on your side, your chances would be so low. And really, chances for everyone there are so low.

The vet called me because he knows I foster dogs. Because he knows I’m insane like that. Because he knows that I care. And I did care, Chester; and I wanted to help you. But that Wednesday, I just could not. I could not because I was caught up in the ego and in the trivial and in the me me me. I justified to myself that I always care too much. I asked myself how good could I possibly be for you being spread so thin? On that day I was drowning from the inside out, my heart already bursting with pain for the suffering of animals. That ache lives right there, just exists and hangs, so thinly veiled that I’m almost never without it. On that day, it was furious and it overtook my insides, and it shredded me. I had nothing left for you.

So after only a few hours in my home, I took you back to the vet because my fingers feared your mouth. Because I didn’t choose to give you time to bloom. Because that Wednesday I wanted faster and easier. I vowed to come walk you. I vowed to come see you. I vowed to bring you home once more. But deep in my belly, even as I waved goodbye, I knew I should’ve give you a chance. I knew I was your last hope. I knew you would perish there, after months of calling a kennel your home, and it is not a home - the concrete floor and the constant barking and the coldness. I knew that it would be a tragedy to end a life you never got to live. Because how good could it have been before we met? Because what kind of a person leaves their pet behind?

Now I’m on the phone with the vet’s, put on hold. I’ve called for you, Chester. It’s me. I’m here. It’s been a few days, and I want to take you on a stroll so you can feel the sunshine on your skin. I want to try again. I told them I would try again. You deserve someone to try again. Yvette, the head vet tech, sounds small when she returns to the line, smaller than her usual mousy self. “They decided to euthanize him,” she says. And I think she’s confused you with some other shaggy old Terrier. Because there had been vows and there had been promises. But she is not confused. I’m just too late.

They didn’t call me, Chester. I swear I told them I’d be back. I even bought you mushy treats to eat out of my hands so you could meet my smell again and warm to me. But I had you here and the moment was then, and I let you down. I’ve yanked my car into a Trader Joe’s parking lot because I can’t drive through my streaming tears. I’m sitting in front of a dumpster, and I want to jump into it. I want to throw away this regret. I want that bin to be a time capsule that takes me back and lets me do it over, and lets me do it better. I want it to bring you back to life.

And I don’t know if anyone held you as they slid the needle into your vein. I don’t know if you felt affection escorting you out of this world. I don’t know if someone wept by your side. And I know you were old and sick and discarded, but somebody should have held you anyway. It should’ve been me. And now all I can think is: how did you go?

I get hundreds of emails every day, Chester, a constant punch of pleas for homeless pets like you. I see countless faces every weekend, each eager for belonging and safety and tenderness. But I can’t stop thinking about how many animals we never see at all. How many don’t get their stories shared. How many faces we don’t notice. And then - who knows they were ever even here? I want you to know that you were here. I learned of your story and it affected me. I heard your feet on my wooden floor and it made music. I pushed the coarse fur out of your eyes so you could know what friendship looks like.

But real friends don’t give up so fast, the way I did. Real friends care, the way I always thought I would. That one day I had you here, I wasn’t your friend and I didn’t care enough. I took a moment to harden my flooded-heart. I took a moment to create a divide between you and me. I took a moment to put your situation aside, murmured, “wait for me, I’ll try again when it’s more convenient with my schedule.” But it wasn’t up to you; you couldn’t wait. And it cost you your life. My uncaring moment cost you your life. And it cost me something, too: the price of living with guilt and with shame.

Don’t feel bad for me, Chester. I am not a martyr or a saint or an angel. Others are heroes; I am not. I have terrible road rage and I’m impatient and I don’t always wash my hands. But I care. I care deeply. I care deeply and yet I failed you. And I don’t think I like people anymore because people leave their animals in the dust. And where was your “owner” on that day? Huh? Where? It’s not that it’s a bother for me to hold this now. It’s not that it’s a drain. It’s just that it demands so much strength.

I don’t even know if I am good anymore, Chester. All I know is I can’t breathe. Caring takes so much time and so much energy, that I forget to breathe. And I want to shout, “Help me! No one can do it alone!” I want to insist, “You are somebody! It takes all of us to stop this!” I want to declare, “I am not an enabler, I am not a doormat. I must not absorb it all!” But I can’t tell anybody what to do. And at the end of the day, only the animals suffer for my rebellion. Like you.

Some may say, “he was just a dog.” But you were a life, and now you are not. And why should it be this way, this calloused way, why should some live and some die? Why do we get to decide when we are so flawed and so faulty? My husband says, “you can’t care that much every single time.” My mother says, “you’re doing the best you can, more than most.” My father says, “you cannot save them all.” But I can’t hear them.

All I hear is the rhythm of your paws on my floor. And sometimes it feels like too much. It always feels like too much. It feels like I am wearing a hundred cloaks. A thousand. A million. It is hot and humid, and I am lost in fabric. You may never see me again, it is so heavy. I am a hangar, I am a coat rack, I am here to carry cloth. The weight of all that fur. But the alternative is not to care and look where that led me. You are gone.

heart breaking

Read this story on An Open Apology.

We Must Make Laws Tougher in 2013

From Amy Beichler, Director
PAWS Ohio (Public Animal Welfare Society)

Dear volunteers, friends, family, fellow animal welfare advocates,

I am requesting strongly that those of you who have a Facebook Page, please post the flyer image (below) by our volunteer Tricia Ringholtz concerning Forrest, the beautiful Mastiff that was chained to a tree in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and shot 2 times and left to die.

Forrest was shot on Sunday afternoon of November 25, 2012, Forrest lay bleeding all night long.  Forrest was discovered by a dog walker the following morning and rescued. Please know, unfortunately HB 108, otherwise known as Nitro’s Law, WOULD NOT protect a situation like Forrest, and make it a felony to shot him. The individual that has been arrested in conjunction with the Forrest shooting has been charged with a second degree misdemeanor.   Herbie, the dog in Lorain Ohio, neglected and tossed aside, unfortunately HB 108 WOULD NOT make it a felony for the neglect and abuse this helpless dog suffered. We need HB108, but we also  need more.  Someone shot a dog, left him to die, and under Ohio law could only be charged with a second degree misdemeanor.  Please see below the focus of HB 108:

http://www.nitrofoundation.com/nitros-law.html

Two Democratic lawmakers say they will reintroduce legislation allowing increased criminal penalties against kennel owners who abuse or neglect pets.

State Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry, from Austintown, and Rep. Bob Hagan, from Youngstown, offered comparable legislation last session after an incident at a Youngstown kennel.

“If you are the owner of a kennel and you mistreat an animal, the county prosecutor or the city prosecutor should have the right to charge you with a felony,” Gerberry said. “[I’m] not saying they have to but saying they should have that option.”

The proposed legislation would have enabled prosecutors to seek felony charges against kennel owners who abuse animals in their care. About 45 other states already rank some animal- cruelty charges as felonies.

“The abuse of someone’s pet is deplorable and disgusting,” Gerberry said in a released statement.

Hagan added in the statement: “Every time you pick up the paper or turn on the news you hear about another case of animal abuse. This bill will give local prosecutors the necessary tools to punish those inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on pets.”

The two lawmakers offered the legislation in response to an October 2008 incident in which humane agents found 15 dogs dead or dying at the High Caliber K-9 on Coitsville-Hubbard Road near Youngstown.

The kennel operator initially faced 19 counts of cruelty to animals, but those charges were later reduced to four with misdemeanor penalties.

The bill is being called Nitro’s Law, after one of the dogs that died at the Kennel. Comparable legislation cleared the Ohio House last session on a split vote but died in the Ohio Senate.

As a community that values our companion animals we need to work together to support not only HB 108, but also the other 6 below:

ACTION ALERT!  It's important for Ohioans to recognize that SEVEN companion animal bills languished in the 129th General Assembly! All of these bills dealt with companion animal cruelty - three of which recommended prosecution of criminal offenses as a felony of the fifth degree - in one form or another:

1. Ohio Dog Auctions Act (would have banned Ohio ‘puppy mill’ dog auctions)

2. HB 25 (would have included companion animals in domestic violence/stalking protection orders)

3. HB 108 - Nitro’s Law (would have provided discretion in prosecuting kennel owners, managers and employees who knowingly committed an act of animal cruelty as a felony of the fifth degree)

4. HB 138 (would have required a person to file proof of successful completion of training with the county recorder prior to being appointed as a humane society agent)

5. HB 289 (would have made bestiality a felony of the fifth degree)

6. HB 290 (would have made an assault against a dog warden, deputy dog warden, humane agent, or animal control officer a felony of the fifth degree)

7. HB 300 (would have provided protections for search and rescue dogs)

Cruelty to animals and violence towards people share common characteristics. Until recently, however, violence towards children and the elderly, and other domestic violence had been considered to be unrelated to violence towards animals. A correlation has now been established between animal abuse, family violence, and other forms of community violence. A growing body of research indicates that people who commit acts of cruelty towards animals rarely stop there. People who abuse animals are not only dangerous to their animal victims but may also be dangerous to people.

2013 must be a year of new beginnings – for every aspect of companion animal cruelty in Ohio. It is my firm belief that until our legislators reorder their concerns, those atop the food chain will continue to be the victim of violent crimes as long as Ohio continues to have some of the weakest animal protection laws in the nation.

TAKE ACTION!

1. Write to info@OhioCompanionAnimalLobbyDay.com to learn more about plans for a 2013 Ohio Companion Animal Legislative Summit!

2. Read the Animal League Defense Fund (ALDF), 2012 U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings™ - Ohio ranks 34th!

Thank you for supporting and advocating for animals,

Amy Beichler, Executive Director
Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio (PAWS Ohio)
A Nonprofit Humane Society Serving the Animals & People of Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Since 1976
www.pawsohio.org
Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/PAWSOhio
Twitter: @PAWSOhio

Dog who wouldn't die

January 8, 2013

A dog found shot in the head and face with a pellet gun, stuffed in a garbage bag and left to die is recovering from his injuries at an animal clinic in Texas. And it's thanks, in part, to a Facebook campaign launched to help pay for his veterinary bills.

The bag containing the 3-year-old male mixed breed was discovered tied to a fence in Conroe, Texas, earlier this month. When local residents opened the bag, the dog emerged, took a few steps and collapsed, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

The dog was covered in blood, said neighbor Tami Augustyn, leading her to believe he was a "bait dog"—or a dog used by fight dogs for practice.

Augustyn rushed the dog to an emergency animal clinic, where he was treated for multiple bird-shot pellets to the face, eyes, mouth, neck and shoulders, and hypothermia from being left outside overnight.

Read the full story on Yahoo! News.

Bringing Home Bruno

What a truly amazing story of love and commitment.  Bless this wonderful family for giving Bruno the chance he deserved.

I, too, have been captured by a “set of eyes” many times over my 50 years in rescue.  Yes, they do indeed reach out through a picture or the computer screen, grab your heart... and NO, they won’t let go.  These are the dogs that have already chosen YOU to come save them.

It is an honor to put this video and the story of Bruno on my blog.  I hope it inspires others to get involved and adopt a dog in dire need of another chance at life.

May God Bless this family for their generous hearts and selflessness.  I wish them the very best.

California 'actively reviewing' charity executive

This is a follow-up on the SPCA International "Baghdad Pups" charity investigation (see my previous post).

On July 13, 2012, CNN filed another story, this time focused on SPCA International employee and former Noah’s Wish president Terri Crisp.

Read the CNN story at the following link:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/13/us/california-charity-review/index.html

Related video:

In 2007, Terri Crisp made headlines when she was fired from Noah’s Wish, a nonprofit she founded. Crisp and Noah’s Wish raised 8 million dollars during Katrina. Crisp and her daughter Jennifer McKim (also employed by SPCAI) live in Somerset.

The California Attorney General’s office investigated the nonprofit for misuse of funds raised during Katrina and settled the case against Noah’s Wish in 2007. The AG stipulated that 4 million of the 8 million dollars raised go back to the state of Louisiana where donors had intended for the funds to be used.

Additionally, the founder of the nonprofit, Terri Crisp, was fired from the organization and the settlement agreement was banned from having a fiduciary role with another nonprofit for a period of 5 years.

This is the settlement agreement with Noah’s Wish:
http://ag.ca.gov/charities/pdf/ms.pdf

According to the CNN story, Ms. Crisp is once again being looked at by the California Attorney General’s office. SPCA International is also being investigated.

MyPetRescueBlog.com is a Petties DogTime's Pet Blog Award Finalist!

WOW!  I am so honored that MyPetRescueBlog.com has been chosen as a finalist in the "Best Overall Pet Blog" category for DogTime.com's Petties Annual Pet Blog Awards.

You can vote for MyPetRescueBlog.com at the following link:
http://petties.dogtime.com/

 

Thank you very much to my loyal vistors and DogTime.com for this HUGE honor!

Forever Ellen & Leo - Farewell Angels

Ellen:  Michael Vick Dog Fighting Survivor Euthanized

One of the rescued pit bulls, otherwise known as the Vicktory dogs, saved from the dog fighting ring bankrolled by Michael Vick in 2007 was euthanized after coming down with an unknown illness.

11-year-old Ellen was living at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. Sadly, she began rapidly, and inexplicably, losing weight and muscle leaving her caregivers with humane euthanasia as the only choice after exhausting all other options.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/michael-vick-dog-fighting-survivor-euthanized.html#ixzz20RzBXA31


Leo, Former Michael Vick Dog Dies

Leo, one of the dogs brutalized in Michael Vick’s Bad Newz kennel, died last week of a seizure disorder. Gaining fame as a therapy dog, Leo was a shining example of how animals can heal if given the chance.

In 2007 Leo became one of fifty Pit bulls rescued from the dog fighting kennel owned by Vick. He went to live with Marthina McClay, founder of Our Pack Pit Bull Rescue and under her guidance earned his mark as a superstar therapy dog. Together the duo worked in hospitals to bring comfort to cancer patients.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/leo-former-michael-vick-dog-dies-slides.html#ixzz20S0cck1C.

Little of charity's money going to help animals

(CNN) -- A charity that raised close to $27 million to help animals worldwide spent nearly all of that money on fund-raising expenses paid to a direct-mail company.

In addition, CNN found that the charity, SPCA International, misrepresented one of its programs called "Baghdad Pups" on its tax filings and hired an officer for that program with a questionable background.

Click here to read the full article.

Jo Ann's comment:

There is certainly nothing wrong with making charitable donations to the larger organizations, but it has been proven, time and time again, that too much money is wasted on other things leaving little for the actual rescue or care of animals.

I have always been a strong advocate for the small, local rescue groups... as they are the ones who do a far better job for the prevention of cruelty and neglect, fighting for affordable spay/neuter programs, and giving our homeless animals a second chance through careful adoption policies.  They do all of this with very little funds.

So, if you really want to help the animals and make charitable donations, please support the local rescue groups in your own hometown.  They will spend those donations wisely and you will indeed be helping to save a life.

Should You Microchip Your Dog?

By Cesar Millan

I just heard a story in the news about a family who had lost their dog. They did everything to find him—putting up posters, checking shelters—nothing. Then, after two years, they get a phone call. Their dog was found. The person who found the dog took him to be scanned for a microchip and it showed who his family was and they were reunited.

The chip’s only as big as a grain of rice. It’s usually implanted in the scruff of your dog’s neck and doesn’t cause any pain for your pet. And it only costs around $25 to $50, depending on your vet.

I think it’s so much safer than other forms of identification. If your dog gets lost, he might lose his collar and tags; if your dog is stolen, the thief might remove his collar and tags. With a microchip, you can help people who find your dog find you and if someone else says it’s their dog, you can prove the dog is yours.

They make some neat stuff that works with your dog’s microchip, too. Like a pet door that recognizes your dog’s chip and lets him into the house (but not the raccoon that comes by later). The microchip won’t track your dog though. Your dog has to be taken somewhere to be scanned.

To me, the decision whether to microchip your dog or not is an easy one. You should microchip your dog as soon as possible, and you’ll rest easier knowing that if anything happens to your dog, you’ll have a better chance of recovering him.

Read the full story on Cesar's Way.