Pet Awareness

Shelters must adopt 'no kill' approach in developing more humane solutions for pet overpopulation

The article below shares some of what is going on in South Florida in our KILL shelters. Revamping the shelters is more than possible to become nokill, even for the Humane Society/Aspca and others that are hugely funded with veterinary staff on premises. Getting to the source of the over population of abandoned pets ALSO needs to also be targeted.

In Europe there are large fines if your dog is found in whatever condition. In Denmark, for example, all breeders are registered and physically inspected weather a large scale kennel or home breeder. All other pets MUST BE SPAY NEUTERED! A female can legally only be bred TWICE in a lifetime! Little rescue like us don't exist because there is not a need! Sounds like a blessed dream I would love to call reality and start another non-profit for children, knowing the pets are safe!

Palm Beach County has started registering breeders and closing many of them down because of their inhumane breeding tactics. These new laws in Palm Beach are working as we have witnessed breeders dumping quantities of dogs at vets offices and rescues to avoid fines.

You can take action by contacting your state and city legislators to impose these laws, turn in breeders and puppy stores that are neglectful and inhumane to Animal Services and Code Enforcement, sharing dogs available in shelters and rescue groups... Take Action, 200-300 dogs are being killed a day in just one South Florida shelter! Multiply that by the hundreds of Kill shelters in the state! Isn't it Sick!?! Help us adopt more so we can take in more because No Kill shelters like us are at a standstill with the economy and adoptions being low so once our foster homes are full we just wait for the best match for an adoptable home till we can save another life!

**Shelters must adopt 'no kill' approach in developing more humane solutions for pet overpopulation

Related
Animal magnetism

Mike Schwager
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
April 25, 2010

They are the beloved and comfort of millions. They connect us to what is natural and spontaneous and unconditionally loving in our lives. They take us out of our busyness and complexity, out of our everyday stresses, out of our heads, and bring us into the wonder and joy of each moment.

Dogs are members of more than 43 million households in America, and cats of more than 37.5 million. These feeling, intelligent, loyal creatures give comfort to people of all kinds - to the young, middle-aged and elderly, to families with children, to couples without children, and to those living alone. When they are brought into hospitals caring for children with grave illnesses, or into nursing homes tending to the aged, they become healers who bring smiles to faces. They defend homes as faithful watchers. They save lives, whether on the battlefield, or as brave aides to firefighters.

The fact is, each year we kill 3 million healthy and treatable dogs and cats at our shelters. Here in Broward, the number killed is 10,000 per year. At Miami-Dade Animal Services, it is a horrifying 40,000; and in Palm Beach it averages 18,000.

If we are agree that these animals are precious individuals who have a right to live, then we can also agree that a fundamental paradigm shift must take place at all animal shelters. The new underlying principle must be no-kill.

For those who don't believe it is possible to transition from kill to no-kill, look at other shelters who've done it - in Charlottesville, Va., in Tompkins County, New York and in Reno, Nev. They've done it. They show it is possible.

Here are strategies needed for a transition to succeed:

Hire a director who embodies humaneness towards animals in his or her philosophy - someone committed to no-kill. This is the linchpin element in a successful conversion, and in the implementation of the other essential elements that must follow. The director must support a "culture of life."

Hire staff people who are likewise committed to humaneness, and the no-kill principle. This means a review of the people on staff to determine who would support the new principle, the weeding out of those who don't, and the recruitment of those who do.

Make comprehensive adoption programs central to the shelter strategy. Some examples:

Ongoing and intensive public relations/marketing programs. The new director should hire a director of PR/Marketing equally committed to the no-kill principle. If budget precludes a hire, enlist the support of a retired PR professional. This individual should enlist a team of other volunteer PR pros. Consultation with chapter leader of the local Public Relations Society of America can help pull a team together, as well as outreach to the heads of local PR agencies.

Outdoor or indoor adoption events. Work with local Petsmarts, Petcos, pet supply stores, community wellness centers, festivals and carnivals to set up booths presenting dogs and cats from shelters, and literature about the shelters. Arrange ongoing creative vehicles, and redesign a shelter's website to reflect new culture of life, with a new name, e.g., "Friends of Best Friends." Conduct active search engine optimization campaign for this website. Air public service spots on television and radio, and complement those with animal photos on major websites like Craigslist. Follow-up with speaking appearances by shelter officials at PTAs, churches, synagogues, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, as well as in-studio appearances on radio/TV. Use those venues to announce off-site adoption events, and incorporate effective signage allowing traffic to shelters.

Help to increase pet retention. The shelter must be perceived by the community as a place to turn to for advice and support on how pet owners can keep their animals at home. Advice can include everything from discipline and house-breaking training programs to neutering programs to food budget savings.

Volunteers. An impassioned, dedicated and large group of volunteers needs to be the lifeblood of the shelter, often complementing too few-in-number paid staff. At Broward's ACARD, limits have been put on the numbers of volunteers recruited, and volunteers have been discouraged to photograph animals and post on sites like Craigslist, which previously had brought in hundreds of adopters. Recruit volunteers at booths showcasing animals at festivals, carnivals and local pet supermarkets. Heading the Volunteer Corps should be a humane, paid (or retired) director of volunteers. Reports from other shelters indicate that more enthusiastic volunteers will be recruited after it's known that a transition to no-kill has occurred.

Rescue groups currently account for only a relatively small percentage of animals saved. They need to be encouraged to pull as many animals as possible from a shelter - and not get discouraged from doing so. And that includes not only purebreds but the many greater-in-number and wonderful mixed breeds as well. Rescuers free up cage and kennel space, and reduce costs for feeding, cleaning - and killing. They need our support, not our discouragement.

Feral cat TNR programs. Trap, neuter and release programs have been effected by a number of communities across the country to reduce death rates.

Proactive redemptions. Often overlooked are lost animal reclaims. Sadly, besides having pet owners fill out a lost pet report, very little effort is made in this area. Becoming more proactive has proven to have a significant impact on life-saving and allow shelters to return a large percentage of lost animals to their families. Read animal advocate Nathan Wingrad's book, Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation.

When you visit an animal shelter, walk up close to a dog or cat, and really look at it, appreciating it for its life and being. You can see and feel that you have simply connected with life, not only its life but your life. Then you can love it as you love yourself.

Mike Schwager lives in Plantation. His animal advocacy site: www.CompassionateAnimalFri endsofBroward.org. E-mail him at mikemaven@comcast.net.
Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.co m/news/opinion/sfl-outlook -dogsandcats-42510,0,23365 63.story

From: Speaking for Spot.com

Puppy Mills: People and Their Puppies Pay the Ultimate Price

Twice during the last month, I’ve experienced feelings of anger while in the midst of euthanizing one of my patients. Normally I feel mostly sadness, often combined with an element of relief knowing that suffering is gently and humanely coming to an end. Anger is an unusual visitor, but this emotion is sure to surface whenever I euthanize the innocent victim of a puppy mill (puppy mills are large scale breeding operations that produce puppies for profit with little or no attention paid to breed related inherited diseases). I feel angered when confronted with a sweet little life, cut way too short and clients left confused, bereft, and devastated by the untimely loss of their beloved puppy. Such was the case with Max and Chloe and the people who cared for them.

Max, was an insanely sweet and adorable Boston Terrier. Once an effervescent, bubbly Boston, this nine-month-old pup had become listless- fatigued by the exertion of breathing. You see, Max was born with an abnormally narrowed windpipe (imagine you or me trying to breathe through a straw). My client Ed recalled thinking that his new pup’s breathing seemed abnormally noisy when he picked him up from the airport. He was shipped to California at 10 weeks of age from a breeder in Missouri. Ed had been looking for a Boston Terrier and fell in love with Max the moment he saw his photo online. He did not feel the need to visit the kennel where Max was born because he was so reassured by the emails and telephone conversations he and the breeder had exchanged. She seemed to provide all the right answers to Ed’s questions. Max’s health was guaranteed- any problems and Max could be returned, no questions asked.

Other than the extra noise associated with Max’s breathing (not uncommon in a smoosh-faced breed such as a Boston Terrier), Ed thought he had a normal puppy on his hands. It was only as Max’s body grew in relation to his small windpipe that he developed labored breathing, eventually needing to utilize almost every ounce of energy struggling simply to breathe. Ed was devastated by the news that we had no way to fix this problem. With his own heart breaking, he held his sweet little Max tightly as I injected the euthanasia solution.

Chloe, an eleven-month-old Cocker Spaniel, was born with defective kidneys. Joe and Cindy first laid eyes on Chloe when they happened to pass through a shopping center pet store on their way to the movie theatre. They never made it to the movies that afternoon- they bought a puppy instead! They simply couldn’t resist the charms of the little blonde puppy with the big brown eyes. Joe and Cindy noticed that Chloe drank lots of water, and she could never be fully housetrained. A few months later, when she began vomiting and refusing her food, kidney failure was diagnosed. Ultrasound revealed that both of Chloe’s kidneys were small and malformed- clearly a birth defect. The once vigorous playful puppy gradually had become profoundly weak and lethargic. Unfortunately, we had no reasonable way of creating long-term improvement for Chloe. Heartbroken, Joe and Cindy gently stroked and loved their little girl as I ended her life.

Puppy mills stay in business by preying on people who are willing to buy a puppy without doing their research. These puppy purchasers simply don’t know better or allow their emotions to override their sensibilities. They are vulnerable to the precious face in the online photo or the adorable puppy in the pet store window (pet stores are notorious for purchasing from puppy mills). Puppy mill breeders often “seal the deal” by guaranteeing their puppies’ health, knowing full well how emotionally traumatic and near impossible it is for most people to “return a pup” once deep attachment occurs (deep attachment typically requires less than five minutes!).

My new year’s wish is that my veterinary colleagues and I will see far fewer victims of puppy mills in 2010. You can help my spreading word to people you know who are interested in purchasing a purebred or “designer hybrid” pup. Educate them about the dangers of purchasing a puppy online, sight (and site) unseen. Encourage them to avoid the impulsive pet store purchase. By buying online or from a pet shop, they may be risking losing their beloved new family member at much too young an age, or inadvertently committing the next 10-15 years of their lives to taking care of an inherently unhealthy product of a puppy mill. One less purchase from puppy mills, even indirectly is one step closer to their eradication. Please stay tuned. In my next blog, I will teach you how to recognize the telltale signs of a conscientious breeder.

Wishing you and your four-legged family members abundant good health,

Dr. Nancy Kay
Specialist, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Please visit http://www.speakingforspot.com to read excerpts from Speaking for Spot. There you will also find “Advocacy Aids”- helpful health forms you can download and use for your own dog, and a collection of published articles on advocating for your pet’s health. Speaking for Spot is available at Amazon.com, local bookstores, or your favorite online book seller.

Order a copy of Speaking for Spot personally signed by Dr. Kay – http://www.speakingforspot.com/purchase.html

Join our email list – http://speakingforspot.com/joinemaillist.html

Look for us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/speakingforspot

Become a Fan of Speaking for Spot on Facebook

Listen to Dr. Kay’s interview – A Veterinarian Advises “How to Speak for Spot” on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Tea Cup Pups = INBREEDING = RUNTS

Wikipedia: Inbreeding

Inbreeding is a genetic term that refers to reproduction as a result of the mating of two animals which are genetically related to each other. If the relationship is a close one or it is practiced repeatedly, inbreeding can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is called inbreeding depression.
Results
Inbreeding may result in a far higher phenotypic expression of deleterious recessive genes within a population than would normally be expected.[1] As a result, first-generation inbred individuals are more likely to show physical and health defects, including:

Reduced fertility both in litter size and sperm viability
Increased genetic disorders
Fluctuating facial asymmetry
Lower birth rate
Higher infant mortality
Slower growth rate
Smaller adult size
Loss of immune system function

Wikipedia: Runt

For other uses, see Runt (disambiguation).
Backyard breeders often come under fire for the rearing of unusually small dogs of toy breeds, which most dog clubs condemn as deliberately perpetuating runts that may incur future health complications and expensive veterinary care.
In a group of animals (usually a litter of animals born in multiple births), a runt is a member which is smaller and/or weaker than the others.[1] Due to its small size, a runt in a litter faces obvious disadvantages, including difficulties with competing with its siblings for survival and possible rejection from its mother. Therefore, in the wild, a runt is less likely to survive infancy. Rellington Vagner was one of the first biologists to study this phenomenon in his work "Parental-Offspring Relations". A runt may be a parent's way of 'hedging its bets' — if food is plentiful, it gets an extra offspring, if not, it lets it die having only invested little in it in the first place. This may generate parent-offspring conflict. Even among domestic animals, runts often face rejection. They may be placed under the direct care of an experienced animal breeder, although the animal's size and weakness coupled with the lack of natural parental care make this difficult. Some tamed animals are the result of reared runts.
Backyard breeders often come under fire for the rearing of unusually small dogs of toy breeds, which most dog clubs condemn as deliberately perpetuating runts that may incur future health complications and expensive veterinary care.
http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=G8HZjajpZ0I
http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=CYe5t7PNHQA
http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=KxYDAwxm7sQ

Wikipedia: Pedigree collapse

Pedigree collapse is a term created by Robert C. Gunderson to describe how reproduction between two individuals who knowingly or unknowingly share an ancestor causes the family tree of their offspring to be smaller than it could otherwise be.

Papers Don't Mean Pedigree & Pedigree Does NOT Mean Purebred

AKC and what ever papers don't mean anything as I can have AKC Cocker parents & PAPERS, you can bring me any puppies (newborns don't look to different if you get the coloring correct) I can put them as my AKC Cockers litter, charge people big bucks and pay my mortgage. No one over sees the breeding. Nothing is regulated. There is no proof that those pups came out of that mom and there could be multiple dads in breeding facilities.

Who's the Daddy? "Not me, I'm shooting blanks but my PAPERS look good so they are using my name!"

There have been articles of people getting their dogs DNA genealogy done and what they paid for was a mix breed with top dollar PAPERS.

What is a pedigree? A pedigree is a record of a dog's ancestors. If all of the ancestors are of the same breed, then the dog is considered purebred. If the dog's ancestors are not all of the same breed, that dog still has ancestors that can be recorded and a pedigree can still be written up. But, this dog would not be purebred, even though he's now got a pedigree. Having a pedigree only means a dog's ancestors are known, not that the dog is purebred. Some breeders count on people not realizing this, and sell mutts as if they were purebreds, saying they are "pedigreed".

Hey check the many lawsuits against these puppies stores for misleading age, health, breed and PAPERS. Age is common for puppy stores to say a dog is older so the buyer thinks the dog will be small, toy or tea cup- NOT!

So you love your puppy store dog and decide you want an another one just like that one or you have learned about puppymills and decided you want to buy and save the parents of your pup, you track the mill/breeder only to find out they have no clue what dog you are talking about because they don't keep track. They just put PAPERS to a dog and take the cash.

"Priscilla Nightingale who? Rh6fy342-07 what? Mam we can't track that information! We don't have Cocker Spaniels here. Yes that's our kennel but we can't help you!"

http://www.yourpurebredpup py.com/buying/articles/pet

shops-and-pet-stores.html

http://www.wonderpuppy.net /kc.htm

Buyer Beware! Soon, you may start seeing more dogs from registries other than AKC in pet stores. I know the Missouri and Oklahoma commercial dog breeder's association members are unhappy now that AKC's got stricter rules, and is requiring a DNA profile in stud dogs that produce 7 or more litters in a lifetime. Many of these breeders are breaking away from AKC and now registering their pups (often found for sale in pet shops nationwide) with other, less restrictive, registries. Regardless of where you get your pup, if your pup is registered with anything other than AKC or United Kennel Club, the chances of your pup being bred by an irresponsible breeder rises dramatically. It's up to you, the potential puppy buyer, to educate yourself and to avoid being part of the puppy mill/ backyard breeder problem. Do not put your money into the pockets of irresponsible breeders under any circumstances. The only thing they'll feel is getting hit in the wallet.

Puppies for Profit - http://www.digitaldog.com/ petshop.html THE MORE YOU KNOW- PAPERS DON"T MEAN ANYTHING! THE MORE YOU KNOW- PAPERS DON"T MEAN ANYTHING!

Two Dachshunds with AKC PAPERS
One had naturally erect ears so the owners docked the tail and called her a Miniature Pinscher! LOL!

How your kids will value you!

As we experience joy and pain in our lives, we do not always stop to think about choices we make. How we handle different situations and the little eyes, that are watching and the young minds, we are shaping.

How you handle yourself as a parent affects your kids in ways you can never really know and will translate in the way they treat other people and animals + life in general later on.

Many little things, that you do, will continue to accumulate in your child’s mind. Your values and the example you show them are what they learn.
-Whether good or bad and they do get transferred.

Since this is not really about you, all you can do is strive to be the compassionate, responsible and true adult, that you hope your child will grow up to become.

Here is how you probably should do it:

Be a responsible adult/human being and show commitment to your spouse, your kids and your pets.

When you take on a responsibility, you own it and it is within your power to rise to it. Sometimes you just have to put more effort into it, whether it is in regards to your kids or to your pets.
-Aim to be someone that can be counted on to do the best you can and try to be consistent.

Nobody is disposable when it comes to living things and nobody should be allowed to act as if they were.

-So think before you have kids and consider not having any, unless you want someone to love and care about for the rest of your life,
- And think, before you want something new for yourself and do not buy a puppy / kitten or adopt a pet, unless you aim to love and care for it for the rest of its life.

Remember little eyes are watching and little minds are always working, chances are that somewhere down the road,-You just might get back what you put out!

Awareness Author: Malene

WHEN DOGS GET OLD OR ILL,
SOME OWNERS MAKE THE CHOICE TO GIVE UP THEIR FAITHFUL COMPANION

Photo: Sunshine

They always have plenty of reasons, based on the belief that being a dog-owner is not a REAL commitment and others have unfortunate circumstances forcing them to give up their faithful companion.

A breeder only gives up the dogs, when they no longer can make a profit due to poor health and if the dog is very fortunate, it goes to a rescue. Most dogs never leave alive.

Sometimes serious things happen, the owners become very ill or pass away, or find themselves without jobs, homes & options and just CANNOT care for their pet.

In the breeders case, serious is when puppy-stores will not buy puppies, because they have congenital problems or are too ill. Again if the puppy is lucky, it is surrendered to a rescue.

Either way the now homeless pet needs medical care and we make sure that they get it.

Most times they also need physical & mental rehabilitation before we can focus on finding people with a heart & enough compassion to adopt a senior or Special-needs pet.

Photo: Baxter

If the dog is made available to rescue-groups from Animal Service, it means that we are its last hope. There are no more options! But if the dog had a choice, it would choose to LIVE and so we take the dog into rescue. -How could we not?

It is hard work, sometimes heartbreaking and costly, but there are dogs in need & we have made a commitment to not just walk/look the other way.

Photo: Toto

You can help by sponsoring one of our special needs dogs medical expenses and give them a new lease on life, you can read their rescue-story and on-going medical needs or donate to the whole rescue.

Photo: Lucy Lou

Awareness Author: Malene