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Wild Thing: You Don’t Make Anyone Sing

March 26th, 2010

Photo courtesy of the HSUS

Spring, the time of the year when everything comes back to life. The birds are signing, the flowers are blooming, and it’s also the time when feral cats are mating.

That is a bad thing not only for the cats, but also for our feathered friends, as well as for our dogs.

Feral cat colonies spring up when domesticated non-spayed/neutered cats are abandoned, lost, or dumped in urban or suburban neighborhoods. The Humane Society of the United States estimates there are 50 million feral cats in this country.

This is such a cruel thing, as the cats are subject to the elements and predators, have to learn to fend for themselves and can carry diseases from not being vaccinated for illnesses such as rabies and Feline Leukemia.

Also, any animal running lose can be potentially hit by a car or cause a serious accident when drivers try to avoid hitting them.

While feral cats can help reduce the rodent population, they also feast on birds. Audubon societies across the country claim that feral cats are responsible for greatly reducing the songbird population.

As well, feral cats pose a risk to our canine friends. Years ago, when I had my Maltese, Angel, I let her out into the front yard. She wandered over to a bush at the side of our house and let out a yelp. She had been clawed at by a feral cat under the bush. The gash was so long, it required 6 staples across her throat. In addition to the risk of disease, feral cats can also greatly increase flea infestations in an area.

Many times, feral cats cannot be trapped and socialized to become pets. However, there are other ways we, as animal lovers, can help them.

Trap, Neuter and Return (or Release) or TNR programs are the most effective and humane way to deal with feral cat populations. According to the HSUS, spaying and neutering feral cats greatly improves their quality of life, while prohibiting more cats from being born into this dangerous and cruel life. Studies have shown that TNR programs work and if the efforts are continued, could eventually eliminate feral cat colonies.

Many humane societies and some animal clinics across the country, such as Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital in Crawford, New York, offer low cost services to people who are trying to help feral cats through TNR programs.

“The Audubon Society attributes song bird population stresses to populations of feral cats and their hunting.  In our area, increasing feral cat populations have become not only a nuisance, but a public health concern as they defecate in gardens and around areas that they are fed, increasing the risk of parasitic disease to local pets as well as people,” says Dr. Keith Niesenbaum, owner of the clinic and founder of his clinic’s “Spay it Forward” program.  He adds feral cats are a big problem on Long Island.

His clinic, as many others, loan out humane live traps to capture the felines, but they can also be purchased at many hardware stores for as little as $30.

If you have a feral cat problem in your area, consult the Humane Society’s webpage to find out what you can do to help feral cats in your area and by extension, helping the wildlife and your pets as well.

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Tags: Crawford dog and cat hospital, feral cats, hsus, TNR programs
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Hope for Lexi

March 19th, 2010

Hope a.k.a. Grendel

Combining a home and family is not always easy for anyone, even the dogs. When Rebecca Brant Miller married her husband and moved into his home in Spokane, one of the canine family members didn’t take it well. The family’s male Terripoo began soiling anything of Rebecca’s or anything that had her smell.

Finally, Rebecca and her husband were forced to find the little guy a new home. “We were very selective and found him a good home and we mourned him for awhile,” says Rebecca.

Unfortunately, Lexi, the family’s aging black Lab/Australian Shepherd mix couldn’t quite get over the loss. “It was depressing seeing Lexi wander around the yard alone,” says Rebecca. “She lost interest in playing fetch. She didn’t even bother to bark at passersby. I knew I had to do something for her — and something for myself.”

Moving into an established home is complicated, even when you bring your own things. Rebecca felt as if it would always be “Grandma’s house,” “my husband’s dog.”

Rebecca wanted to find a companion for Lexi, as well as have something of her own. Rebecca’s husband didn’t want a puppy, thought small dogs were “yappy,” and he didn’t want anything “frou-frou.”

Rebecca scoured Petfinders.com and shelters for months, to no avail. She even looked as far away as Yakima, but by the time she called on dogs that fit their desires, they were already adopted.

“Because my husband is a teacher, we thought our only chance to really embrace a new family member would be during the summer, when he was off,” says Rebecca.

However, summer passed and the long, dark days of winter were approaching.

“One day in October, when I was feeling especially blue and needed a little hope, I logged onto Petfinders, and there she was, a little Carin mix,” says Rebecca.

The shelter was already closed, but Rebecca called first thing in the morning only to find out the dog had been put on hold. “I was heartbroken,” says Rebecca. “I called back and asked to be second in line, but they didn’t allow that,” says Rebecca.

She called again, this time being told that if the first person didn’t claim her by 5:15, the dog would be free, but they wouldn’t hold her. Rebecca thought about it and called back again. “What if I was THERE at 5:15 in case the other person doesn’t show?” Rebecca asked the shelter worker. The first person had already called and said they had changed their mind, but they still wouldn’t hold the dog.

Rebecca emailed her husband who responded, “RUN, RUN!” Rebecca made an excuse to leave her job and made it to the shelter in time to find the dog still available.

Although she had a microchip, it contained no information, not even a name. The shelter had named her Hope.

“She came home with me that afternoon, and she and Lexi have been wrestling and chasing and sleeping in front of the fire together ever since,” says Rebecca.

Hope not only saved Lexi from her doggy depression, but also gave Rebecca a family member that she could claim as hers.

“We’ve since changed her name to Grendel, as the feisty little terrier she is, she can be quite a monster. But her secret name, the name I call her in whispers when she curls up on my lap, will always be Hope,” says Rebecca.

Have you ever brought a new rescue home that greatly helped a current furry companion in the house? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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Tags: Grendel, Hope, petfinder.com, Rebecca Brant Miller
Posted in K9 Rescue | 2 Comments »

Hector: Changing Hearts and Minds

March 12th, 2010

While reading animal stories from around the globe yesterday, I saw an article about a journalist and animal blogger who suddenly found herself in an elevator with Michael Vick, the NFL player who was convicted and served time for running a dog fighting ring.

Journalists and animal lovers who followed the story did know that besides dog fighting, Vick plead guilty to the abominable acts such as electrocution, drowning and smashing dogs against the side of a concrete swimming pool. These acts lead to horribly painful deaths for many of his “losers.” Additionally, it’s believed some of the survivors witnessed the horrible torture deaths; something that any dog lover knows would leave psychological scars. After Vick joined the city’s NFL team, the Eagles, last year and was recently awarded the team’s honor for “courage,” the Pennsylvania SPCA says dog fighting has grown in Philadelphia.

So, what do you say to someone guilty of such acts?
”I would thank him for getting caught,” says Andrew “Roo” Yori, who has Hector, one of Vick’s former fighting dogs, now referred to by animal rescue organizations as one of the “Vic-tory” dogs.

It took Roo a few minutes of contemplation, but he added, “Of course, what he did isn’t right, but if he had to do it, I’m glad he got caught, it’s the best thing that could have happened to Hector and the rest of the victims.”

Hector plays well with others

Roo and his wife, Clara, were living their lives in Minnesota with two rescue dogs they adopted from a shelter and Wallace, another pit bull, when the Vick’s hidden dog fighting life was made public.

Wallace had already began changing hearts and minds about pit bulls by becoming a national dog Frisbee champion when the Yoris heard about the surviving Vick dogs, some of which were distributed to pit bull and animal rescue organizations for training and eventual adoption. After Roo flew to California to meet Hector, who had been rescued by BADRAP, they completed the adoption process.

Hector is now a celebrity in his own right. Sporting the physical scars of his fighting days with Vick, but according to Roo, none of the psychological scars, Hector is a certified therapy dog who visits nursing homes and hospitals bringing smiles and comfort to the sick and elderly.

Hector has his own Facebook page (he has over 1,000 fans of his own) and has been featured in People Magazine and on Animal Planet, as well as in many local and regional media outlets.

But Hector’s favorite place to be is in schools, and for Roo and Clara, these are also their favorite visits. It is their mission to help change the perception of pit bulls and says teaching children to be kind to animals early is key to their mission.

Hector and Roo’s most recent visit was to Philadelphia, where Hector’s former tormentor is a star. (“Hector” wrote on his Facebook page to an adoring fan, “I forgot about that guy a long time ago, he was a bad man.”)

Roo says the visit was a success and he thinks Hector’s shining personality made a positive impression on a lot of people.

“I feel the tide starting to turn,” says Roo. “But there’s still a lot more work to do.”

Hector now has a mission in life, as do the Yoris, who are packing their bags and moving to upstate New York, where Roo has accepted a position with The Animal Farm Foundation, an organization dedicated to changing the misconceptions of the breed, as well as ending abuse and neglect for all animals.

“Four months ago, I was designing DNA sequences for genetic testing,” says Roo. “This experience has also created a new career and I love it.”

Certainly a victory for everyone involved and many animals in the future.

Happy Hector

Do/Did you have a bias against pit bulls or any kind of breed? Has that changed and how? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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Tags: BADRAP, Hector the pit bull, michael vick, The animal farm foundation
Posted in K9 Rescue | 6 Comments »

Rescuing in the Lone Star State

March 5th, 2010

Saving 30-40 dogs per year may not sound like much, but when you consider that over 200,000 animals were euthanized in the Dallas-Fort Worth area shelters last year, saving as many as possible makes a big difference.

That’s the goal of Hillcrest Animal Rescue in Farmersville, Texas. Karan Graham founded the all-volunteer group in 2002. Cassie Meier, the president and veterinarian for the group, says that their goal is to rescue as many animals as possible. Karan also keeps some rescue farm animals, as well as 50-60 dogs at what they call their Broken Dog Rescue.

“These are lifers who will have no opportunity for adoption due to various illnesses or behavior issues,” says Cassie. “They live well and are well cared for and unfortunately, that number grows faster than the ones we adopt out.”
That may be because Cassie sees so many of the rescues come through her veterinary practice. If a dog is diagnosed with an illness that the owner cannot afford to treat, and if the dog can have a good quality of life by receiving treatment, they can relinquish their dog to the rescue.

Unfortunately, making tough decisions about care is just the tip of the iceberg for Hillcrest Animal Rescue, which has seen donations and adoptions drop in this down economy. Although the group does adoption events at local pet supply stores at least twice a month, adoptions have dropped from 2-3 dogs per month to just one per month. “We used to have people watching the kill shelters so we could take some out of the shelters too,” says Cassie. “We’ve had to stop that now due to the lack of foster homes.”

The board at Hillcrest does not believe in putting rescues in a kennel environment, so they have to find enough foster homes for the animals they rescue. They currently have about 15 foster homes that can care from 1-4 dogs each.

Cassie says a lot of people think they might want to foster, but don’t end up being a long-term foster or a good fit. “A lot of people think they want to do rescue and then they don’t end up doing it well,” says Cassie.

Humphrey

Humphrey is one of the lucky ones who ended up at Hillcrest. Humphrey’s owner either died or went to a nursing home and a nephew ended up taking the dog. Thrown in the backyard with other dogs, Humphrey just didn’t have the skills to fight the other dogs for his food. Not only was he emaciated when a Good Samaritan talked the nephew into giving Humphrey up, his matted coat revealed hidden bugs, garbage, fleas and wire that was wrapped around the dog’s feet. He also had hookworms.

He was given immediate vet care and completely shaved and is now recovered and awaiting a forever home.

If you can help by sending a donation to Hillcrest Animal Rescue or you’re interested in becoming a foster family, visit their website.

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Tags: hillcrest animal rescue, humphrey, texas animal rescues
Posted in K9 Rescue | 10 Comments »