The Reminder Pet Owners Need

The commonly known figures are 6 to 8 million for animals taken to shelters every year and about 4 million for animals that are euthanized at these shelters. When numbers get so large (above hundreds, thousands, millions) that we can't wrap our minds around them, a number merely remains a number and there is no impact on us. But what if you could see everyday a few of the faces of the cats and dogs whose lives will be purposefully ended because no one has come their way to save them?

What if I told you that this one year old dog named Trudy will be put down in Texas TOMORROW if no one decides to take her in?

What if I told you this 7 months old girl will be killed within hours, TODAY, in Las Vegas?

What if I told you this 7 months old kitty was already put down today..

..as well as this two years old female named Faith?

There is the most thoughtful application on Facebook called "Pet Pardons" that allows people across the states to post up information on animals in shelters whose lives have a decided timeline: http://apps.facebook.com/petpardons/

If you have a Facebook account, this is one of the best thing you can do for animals truly in need. Simply add the application and share postings with your social networks. If you know of any animals that will be put down at a shelter, this is also one of the places to spread the word and get help for the animal.

I will leave you with two more tidbits of information.

For those that have found an animal, please refer to the lists of NO-KILL animal shelters for each state via http://www.nokillnetwork.org/

Also, if you are a pet owner or guardian, please consider neutering and spaying your pet. If you are an animal lover, I know you would want other animals to get the same chance at life as your pet. Always remember, what if your pet was in the position of being an unwanted animal in a shelter because there are not enough homes for all the animals out there?

Edit: And just as importantly, please choose to adopt and save a life rather than buy.

Bet You Didn't Know These Facts

Here are some facts that blew me away today (although I did know a few). Tell me- how many of these do YOU know?

Btw, these facts were playing on a slideshow that I could not pause, so I typed furiously away and repeated them until I could catch every word! All credits to PETA2: http://ht.ly/4K5JO. Photo credit: http://www.animalrescuesoc.org/

1. Each time an animal is bought from a breeder or pet store, an animal in a shelter loses a home.
2. Pet shops acquire most of the puppies they sell from puppy mills.
3. About 25% of dogs dropped off at shelters are purebred. 
4. Many "no kill" shelters  are, in reality, "slow kill" shelters.
5. Kittens and puppies can be spayed or  neutered as young as 8 weeks old. 
6. Neutering makes male animals less likely to roam or fight, prevents testicular caner, and reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
7. Areas with mandatory spay-and-neuter laws have reported a significant reduction in the number of animals who are taken to their facilities and subsequently euthanized.
8. Every year, 6 to 8 million unwanted dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters
9. 8 million unwanted dogs and cats = the population of New York City or Switzerland
10. Nearly half of all dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters ever year (3-4 million) are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.
11. In U.S. shelters, more than 900 animals are euthanized every hour-- that's more than 10,000 animals a day.
12. Approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the U.S. each day.
13. In only six years, one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies.
14. In only seven years, one unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens. 
15. It is estimated that between 30 and 40 million homeless (feral) cats live in the U.S. 

It's The Year of the Rabbit, But Rabbits Are Not Celebrating

Helloo,

Today is Chinese (Lunar) New Year, and this marks the beginning of the year of the rabbit according to Chinese astrology.

Rabbits are supposed to be a lucky entity this year, especially for those born as the rabbit zodiac sign, but rabbits themselves are not so lucky. In Asia, there is high demand for pet rabbits right now, but as with other past "animal trends," many rabbits will very well be abandoned when the year is over or will be mistreated as pets. For example, after the 101 Dalmatians movie, many people bought dalmatian dogs but later dumped them in animal shelters when the hype was over. Furthermore, rabbits need even more care than cats and dogs. Rabbits can not be just stuffed into a cage says Ashley Fruno, Asia representative for PETA. (source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/rabbits-threatened-by-zod_n_814822.html)

As with the recent chihuahua trend that originated from Hollywood (California) and led to widespread abuse and neglect of the chihuahua dogs, I believe that people need to rethink before deciding on a pet. People should definitely NOT be picking up a pet because the animal looks cute or brings luck, as I suspect many people are doing this year for rabbits.

Sadly, being adopted or purchased as pets for the wrong reasons are the least of the rabbits worries. Rabbits have become one of the most endangered animals on earth, and thousands face slaughter every single day for their meat or fur. Because meat is a much more multi-sided topic, I will only say that there is no justifiable reason for rabbits to be killed for their fur, which again happens every single day in fur farms.

• In France only, 70 million rabbits are slaughtered for their fur on fur farms. 
• Rabbits are stunned with an electrical device before being hung upside to have their throats slit. 
• Being stunned does not make rabbits unconscious, but instead as you can see in the video, they are aware of their pain and continue to struggle.
• Fur farms in China are just as cruel.
• In a Shang Dong region in China, as many as 2,000 rabbits are killed each day. 
• They are hung by their foot upside down on a wire and have their throats slit by a knife while kicking and screaming.
• It takes 30 to 40 rabbits to make just one coat
• source: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1137

Instead of loving and respecting rabbits this year, many are instead killing, eating, or testing on millions of these gentle creatures all over the world. Please keep a conscious mind about this matter this year and for years to come, because simply boycotting fur-brands or avoiding eating rabbit meat (when you're not facing life-death situations) can reduce demand and prevent more rabbits from being killed.

A last note: I do NOT believe in categorizing whole groups/ethnicities of people (Chinese, French) and attacking them simply because a small % of their people engage in animal cruelty. In this particular case for fur farming, I believe (1) you and I as consumers are responsible for generating demand and giving clothing companies incentive to outsource and pay people to kill animals, and (2) designers and clothing corporations who continue to use real fur are greedy, inhumane beings who needs to be pressured to change or go out of business. I only say such a harsh statement because many of them still refuse to drop real fur from their clothing even when they are aware of animal cruelty. 

Two examples:

Donna Karan is one designer that knows about the suffering of rabbit in fur farms, yet she refuses to stop butchering them for their fur- find out more here: http://dkbunnybutcher.com/. Sign a petition against DK here. 

Giorgio Armani continues using real fur in his new deigns, such as fur coats for babies and children. Sign a petition here.

Did You Know Sled Dogs are Routinely Killed?

Recently, news has been circulating about the killing of 100 huskies in Whistler, British Columbia (Canada). The mass slaughter of these 100 healthy sled dogs occurred in April 2010 and has been investigated by SPCA of British Columbia as well as RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).


The incident actually became revealed when the employee who did the killing for Outdoor Adventures Whistler, a dog sled tour company, filed for Worker's Compensation due to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). PETA has reported the reason for the killings is that business for dog sled operations have slowed down since the Vancouver Olympics. 


The man (employee) clearly chose to take the killing orders and also chose to kill the dogs inhumanely by both shooting and cutting their throats and then dumping them into a mass grave, yet he has claimed to be a victim and wants compensation for his acts of murder. Furthermore, this man has described to authorities how the dogs faces had to be shot multiple times and have their faces blown off. Furthermore, the dogs were killed in front of all the other dogs at the Outdoor Adventures site.  

Here is an excerpt from an article by NowPublic.

"The first significant incident occurred when he noticed a female, Nora, who he had shot approximately 20 minutes before, was crawling around in the mass grave he had dug for the animals. He had to climb down into the grave amidst the 10 or so bodies already there and put her out of her misery....He also had to perform what he describes as execution style killings where he wrestled the dogs to the ground and stood on them with one foot to shoot them."

However, according to PETA, sled dogs are routinely shot, abandoned, bludgeoned, or drowned by mushers of dog-sled operations when the dogs fall ill, run too slow, or are unneeded anymore. For example in 2005, a dog-sled tour company in Aspen, Colorado (U.S.) was exposed for killing as many as 35 dogs every year because it was "part of the circle of life" for the dogs. 

My thoughts: People everywhere use animals for various purposes, but all too often the animals become exploited and subjected to inhumane conditions. I would never support dog sled tour operations, and I encourage you to do the same if you believe sled dogs deserve to be treated with gratitude, respect, and love, rather than objects to be used and disposed. Also, sled dogs are only one among many examples of how innocent animals are harmed everyday without justice. 

sources:

Outdoor Adventures Whistler: Sled Dog Slaughter? 100 Huskies Shot http://www.nowpublic.com/world/outdoor-adventures-whistler-sled-dog-slaughter-100-huskies-shot-2752870.html#ixzz1CvYxnQzK

Dogs Killed When Dogsled Business Slows (PETA): http://ht.ly/3PIle

note: There is a facebook page that you can join for Boycotting Outdoor Adventures in BC, Whistler. 

Help! 2 million cats/dogs in S.Korea tortured in profit-driven meat industry

Please help and spread the word to save 2 million cats and dogs in South Korea from torture and consumption based on the myth that the meat improves health and sexual powers, which is conjured by the greedy industry.
“The man dragged the dog for about twenty meters and tied him to a post. The dog was screaming in pain. The man used his two hands to pull the dog’s tail with all his strength, causing the dog to be choked, crushing his backbone.” 

"She continued, “Using all his strength he pulled the dog by his left leg. Next he did the same with the right leg. While the dog was still alive, he was tearing his body apart. The dog was moaning with horrible pain. I asked the man why are you killing the dog so painfully, so cruelly? He smiled at me and proudly told me, ‘Dogs should take a long time to be killed, that way they taste better.”

If you are not able to donate to IDA's fund specifically for this cause, please spread the word and share this with someone. 

https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Donation2?2480.donation=form1&df_id=2480&JServSessionIdr004=vp2e832pa1.app246b#signature

Top 10 Reasons To Not Dissect

High School Musical's Matt Prokop on Animals

Twenty-years old actor Matt Prokop, who is in High School Musical 3, gives us a few pointers on how to help animals.

Animal Gas Chambers

I need to share a shocker that I read about on http://animalwelfare.change.org/ I have never heard of this issue before.. that animal shelters across the U.S. use gas chambers to kill homeless animals slowly and torturously. Read the actual article here.

According to a response to the article by Mary Cook:

"As of 04/02/2009 Twelve states currently ban carbon monoxide gas chamber use as a means of animal euthanasia.

Arizona
Arkansas
California
Delaware
Florida
Maine
Maryland
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Virginia

Source: The Humane Society of the United States

Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have legislation pending, according to Kimberley Intino, director of the Shelter Services Program for the Humane Society of the United States."

What are gas chambers? 

They are airtight chambers that release a high concentration carbon monoxide, a gas euthanasia, and slowly kill cats and dogs through lack of oxygen. The process of gassing animals takes about 25 minutes and most animals are unconscious within a minute. (source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0411_050411_peteuthanasia.html )

So it doesn't sound too bad right? It sounds like a painless process where animals inhale carbon monoxide gas and sleep to death. However, it is nothing like a gentle or painless death.

The animals gasp for air, panic, and attack each other during the process, while trying to claw their way out. It is not only a painful but terrifying death.
(source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-01-animalgaschamber_N.htm)

The only acceptable method of euthanizing animals is by injecting sodium pentobarbital, a barbiturate anesthetic, into their veins. This is the only method that allows for a quick death without the pain and stress.

Although euthanizing animals via injection involves more staff labor and training, it is the most cost-effective and least expensive, according to the Michigan Humane Society. (source: http://www.animal-abusesite.info/euthanisia.html)

Here is a personal account of someone that witnessed the gassing of animals...

"A personal transformation took over my life in 1988, when I was a
witness, through a small porthole window, of an animal shelter gas
chamber doing its savage business.

Two of the employees began pulling and tugging larger dogs toward the chamber -- this, in itself, was savage. The eyes of the dogs were full of fear as they were shoved into a large cylinder with another six dogs, all types. Next, five puppies were placed in the chamber.

Noise. Yelling. Fighting. All scared, they shivered again and again,
their eyes huge, their nostrils flaring. They were completely
bewildered. One dog in the chamber, a male chow mix about one year old, started snapping at the puppies. All the dogs and puppies were in a desperate struggle, and the gassing had yet to begin.

Then a button was pushed, and the two employees walked away as the chamber machine began pumping out streams of carbon monoxide. The little puppies started to paw at the glass window. After one full minute they started to whine and then produced a piercing squeal. Then the larger dogs started a high, mournful wailing, then a deeper howl that rose in great desperation for 45 seconds.

That morning of my witness, the time from inception of hell for the
dogs and puppies, to the completion of their cries of desperation, was between two and six minutes.

As the employees walked away, I knew it was my love, my honor, my devotion to animals that I must not blink and watch every second, every animal struggle to avoid death. However, tears from my heart did overwhelm me that tragic morning, and the final insult was having to load the bodies of the dogs and puppies into a pickup truck and haul them to a local garbage dump."

Loves, the only way to stop this very inhumane way of killing unwanted animals is to be aware and open your mind to the facts, as well as spread the word to others. I believe it takes only a little prod of the first piece of the domino chain to get the word around and impact the animal shelters, policymakers and legislature.

Also, because overpopulation is such a problem and the root of euthanizing millions of animals every year, it would help a LOT if you spayed/neutered your pets or adopt a friendly pet from your local animal shelter.. an animal that may not be given a chance at life without your help. I adopted my cat when she was a baby at Animal Care & Control in SF, and she is truly my love. I can not imagine being without her and I know that she is a blessing to my life. Other animals in the streets and at the shelters deserve to be fed, loved, and sheltered- it is not their fault for being homeless or born into this world.