K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into saving animals?
Anlina: As a child, the only pets we had were goldfish, which were pretty to look at but pretty boring and hard to get passionate about. Then, our neighbour across the lane passed away. Her cat, Kitty wandered over to our house and just never left, and my passion for cats was born. Over the years we adopted a lot of stray cats and I developed a real affinity for cats with socialization issues or other problems that makes them poor candidates for adoption.
For several years after I moved away from home I didn’t have any cats, as my husband was allergic. When we finally decided to adopt I started looking into our local Humane Society. I spent a lot of time at the shelter getting to know the cats and picking out one to adopt. From there it was an easy decision to start volunteering.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Anlina: When I decided to adopt from the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society, I also filled out an application form to volunteer. I made volunteering with the cats a regular weekly activity and took on tasks that weren’t getting enough attention from other volunteers, such as brushing, dematting, claw clipping and working with the shy or poorly socialized cats. I also volunteered my professional services and offered to create a new website for the Humane Society.
Being a regular volunteer with additional useful skills, one of the current board members suggested that I join, which I did. I’m now in my second year on the board. There’s no secret to it – I’ve gotten where I am by being committed and dedicated, by making my time and skills available, and by being willing to do tasks that needed to be done. Charitable animal organizations need good people that they can rely on, so if you can be that person, it’s not hard to get recognized for it.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Anlina: My other passion (and my day job) is marketing, advertising and design, so I’ve been able to bring those skills to the table to help the Humane Society. Having a passion for animals is essential, but being able to bring diverse skills and interests to the organization is extremely helpful, as there is so much that needs to be done beyond just caring for the animals.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about cats that you love?
Anlina: I love pretty much everything about cats. They’re great companions and extremely fun and entertaining to have around the house. Each cat has a unique and endearing personality, and I really enjoy getting to know them (even the cranky or shy ones.) I love that cats are independent, curious and fast learners. I love that they’re extremely clean, their fur is soft, they’re beautiful and they smell nice – I couldn’t imagine a more aesthetically pleasing animal.
I love that cats are like little people, but without all the failings of humanity. Cats are never malicious, mean or dishonest. They’re loving and loyal and forgiving and they’re sensitive to your moods.
Whenever I’m feeling lousy, I know I can count on my cats to give me comfort. And cats don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves. I have one cat with a missing eye and one cat with only three paws – they don’t let their disabilities hamper their lives and they don’t mope about or wallow in self pity. They adapt and continue to make the most of life. There are a great many lessons we can learn from cats.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Anlina: The neatest part of my work is socializing cats that are really timid or have really bad fear aggression and seeing the progress that they make.
I worked with one cat who was removed from a house during an investigation. When I came to him, he was hunched up in the corner of his cage with his ears flat back and he’d stopped grooming and so was covered with a thick layer of loose fur. If anyone approached the cage to clean it or feed him, he would turn into a little ball of fury and launch himself at the bars, spitting and clawing. He was genuinely scary and was just not doing well being around humans.
Once he trusted me enough to come right up to the side of the cage to get his treat, we moved on to touch. Rather than approach him with my big, scary hand and risk undoing the progress we’d made (and getting clawed up), I’d touch him on the back of the paw with the spoon. It was very non-threatening and we built a strong positive association with touch. The spoon would touch his paw and it’d leave behind a treat for him to lick off.
From there, we made slow but steady progress, feeding him with the cage door open, leaning in to touch him, petting him with my hand and eventually coaxing him out of the cage.
It took several weeks of almost daily visits, but by the time he left the shelter to go to his new home, he would sit in my lap, cuddle and let me brush him & pick him up. That kind of success feels so good.
You can’t ask for a better pay off than taking a fearful, aggressive cat and turning him into a loving, cuddly kitty.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the humane industry going?
Anlina: Current attitudes, in the humane industry and the general public, are undergoing a shift right now, both with regards to pets in general and homeless pets. There’s a very positive shift toward viewing animals’ lives as valuable and viewing animals as unique individuals, even members of the family.
We can see already that shifting attitudes have influenced the humane industry. The no-kill movement has made huge strides and I think it will continue to make progress. More and more shelters are going no-kill with great success.
More gentle and humane euthanasia methods are replacing things like gas chambers, which used to be considered by many to be just fine for strays and animals that no one wanted. Animals with injuries, diseases or behavioural issues that would have guaranteed euthanasia in the past are now being treated and rehabilitated.
Shelters are working to improve their image and environments, with more comfortable, harmonious spaces for both humans and animals. We’re recognizing more that the mental and emotional health of animals is just as important as a bowl of food and a roof over their heads.
People in the humane industry are taking a more positive outlook, too.
Rather than seeing pet over population as an impossible problem and the public as the irresponsible enemy that is compounding the problem, we’re seeing greater recognition that there are enough potential homes for all the homeless pets out there, and it’s a problem that can be solved if we work with the community. More humane workers realize that the general public may be uninformed but they are generally not malicious or deliberately negligent – people want to do what is right for animals in their community, but they don’t know what needs to be done, they don’t understand the scope of the problem or the services needed to enable people to be responsible pet owners just don’t exist (such as low cost spay/neuter clinics). No one thinks solving these problems will be easy, but it’s no longer written off by everyone as “impossible”.
I think we’re going to continue to see a move toward treating animals lives with more care and respect and will continue to see the problem of homeless pets approached with more optimism, creative problem solving and community cooperation.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Anlina: I plan to continue working with humane organizations, whether on the board, as a regular volunteer, as an activist or running my own. I’m very interested in getting into rescue, specifically of cats who are “unadoptable” because of physical disability or behavioural problems.
I believe that every cat deserves a chance and inside every problem cat, there’s a good loving cat that needs to be coaxed out. All too often these cats aren’t given a chance, which is really unfortunate.
Many of the cats I’ve had over the years started out as problem cats and with time and the right kind of attention, became extremely loving companions.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Anlina: You can visit the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society’s website. It’s still a work in progress, but there’s lots of information about the organization, our animals and how you can get involved.
You can find me on LinkedIn, or view my CV on my website, or find out more about me and my thoughts on animals at my blog.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Anlina: I currently live in Thunder Bay, Ontario. At my day job, I work as the creative director at a small marketing agency, doing everything from branding to print design to web design to TV production. I also do freelance illustration on the side, for stock image sites, books and online communities. Cats are my great passion, and in addition to working with the Humane Society, I also have a blog where I discuss various cat related topics. I currently have three cats – Violet, Clover and Cajun, and will be adding to the family very soon. I love good books, good food and new experiences. In the near future, I plan to move to a small farm where I can grow my own vegetables, raise my own farm animals and live humanely and sustainably.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog and cat food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet rescue and writing?
Stephanie: I have had a Poodle since the age of four, when my mother gave in to my pleas for a pet. I started writing for pet publications when I was in graduate school. I wrote about dogs because that was what I knew about. I joined the Dog Writer’s Association of America (DWAA) because someone who was a dog writer mentioned it to me and helped me join.
When I got a dog who was more than a little crazy from the local pound, I started in obedience. I then got a Poodle to compete with, and finished a CDX with her. Through the obedience, I met someone and started doing Pointer field trials and hunting tests. I ended up hearing about all the Pointers needing homes, and started working with local shelters. I finally, after 12 years and several moves, had to stop doing rescue because of health problems. That also ended my obedience career. However, I still train my dogs in house manners, and trained my service dog, a Standard Poodle. She acts as my hearing and mobility assistance dog, while my pet dog, an Australian Cattle Dog, provides the comic relief when we are home and watches the house when we are out (usually lying on my pillow).
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Stephanie: I am a member of the Board of Directors for DWAA because I wanted to make a difference. Someone mentored me and I feel obligated to give back to others. I train my dogs because that is part of my responsibility as a dog owner. I write because I enjoy it, and it is an excellent way to educate others on a variety of topics. I have lots of opinions, and writing them down is as good a way to express them as any.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Stephanie: I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, write, train my dogs, do woodworking, and am a master gardener. I have lots of trivia swirling around in my brain and can pull up a tidbit on most topics.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Stephanie: They return your love so gratefully and bountifully. I have only met maybe three dogs out of all the ones I have rescued that could not be saved because of behavioral issues, and that was because they had been treated horribly. All the others, even the ones that had been mistreated, responded to love. Not all were placeable – some lived out their lives with me, but they responded.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet rescue/pet writing industry going?
Stephanie: There are more people than ever that are obtaining animals as pets. Most of these people have no idea what is involved in properly caring for the animal they just brought home. Pet writers must better educate people through general purpose media as well as pet oriented media or more animals will be discarded because they are too much trouble or unmanageable. Rescue organizations are all ready overwhelmed and undermanned. We have to educate people or the animals will pay.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Stephanie: I intend to continue to educate people through the written word whenever I find someone who will let me. Now, writers have to eat too, so I cannot do it without being paid. I will continue to be creative in finding ways to both eat and to educate people about how to care for their animals whether they consider them family members or livestock.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Stephanie: My website is www.lambdafarm.mysite.com. I do freelance writing on practically any topic. People can find out more about dog rescue organizations through the American Kennel Club website, www.akc.org, and about Dog Writer’s Association of America through their website, www.dwaa.org.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Stephanie: As I mentioned, I am a freelance writer, have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, and do woodworking. I am also a master gardener. I live out in the country in Hunt Couty, Texas, with my Standard Poodle, Amber, and my Australian Cattle Dog, Sandy. I read pretty much everything but horror, but prefer forensic mysteries, history, and religion. I write nonfiction articles on most topics.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
Amelia was a tiny 5 month old, 3.4 pound tri-Color Chihuahua. She found her way to Atlanta Pet Rescue from a local vet, where she was surrendered because her owners could not afford to have her broken leg mended. They signed a waiver to have her euthanized if rescue could not be found.
Our guess is that someone accidentally stepped on little Amelia, breaking both bones in her left front leg, very close to her “ankle”. This was a serious fracture, and we were not sure if her leg could be saved, as she came to us on a Saturday. We got her in to Paces Ferry Animal Hospital as soon as we could for further diagnosis and a prognosis for recovery for Miss Amelia.
Dr. Whittle at Paces Ferry Veterinary Clinic, said Amelia needed surgery to have pins put in her broken bones to stabilize them and allow them to heal in the correct alignment. The location of her fractures was very near her ankle joint, and getting those bones to heal would be very, very difficult. The splints placed on her leg previously did not stabilize and immobilize the fracture sufficiently to allow the bones to heal, so surgery was essential if her leg was to be saved.
Thankfully, Dr. Whittle was able to re-position Amelia’s broken bones and obtain a good positioning of the bones without surgery. This was very good for little Amelia, because there is research that indicates that surgical repair in tiny tykes like Amelia can cause sufficient disruption in blood flow to delay or prevent the bones from healing.
Because the fracture was in a precarious location, good healing was very, very important. We were so pleased that Dr. Whittle was able to avoid surgery on Amelia’s leg.
About three weeks later, Amelia had her leg checked and new X-rays taken. Everything was showing to be healing beautifully. She would need the splints for six more weeks.
Six weeks later, the splints were removed, and Amelia was adopted shortly thereafter! Yay for Miss Amelia!
K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet advocacy?
Jessica: I knew from the time that I was a young child and was performing routine physical “exams” on our family cats that I would be in the animal field. I had always planned on being a veterinarian, however, and even started volunteering my weekends at a veterinary hospital while in high school. Once out of high school, though, I got my first job in advocacy, working at a Humane Society, and I was hooked.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Jessica: I was never afraid to take a step-up into a position that seemed beyond my abilities and area of expertise. If you have the fundamental context of the job down, you can learn anything new within it. I always say: as much as you advocate for the animals, advocate for yourself.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Jessica: My approach to advocacy. I firmly believe that animal-rights groups, and even rescue groups, can be somewhat militant in their beliefs and approach. I find that this tends to turn-off members of the public who may have otherwise been willing to step-in and volunteer. So what if a volunteer isn’t a vegetarian or a vegan? They are there to save a life; let’s not make them feel badly for not believing everything in which we believe. Ironically, this gives us less volunteers which in turn actually causes us to save *less* lives.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Jessica: Dogs do not have complex, over thought, emotions. They pretty much either love and/or fear. There are obviously other traits that we can see in them, but it is all very basic. How many humans, children aside, have that kind of emotional simplicity? I think there is a lot to be learned there!
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Jessica: That moment when I have educated someone to an issue and you see that “light bulb” go off in their head that shows that they really get what you are saying. It’s an amazing feeling to share that knowledge with someone else!
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see pet advocacy going?
Jessica: Pets are quickly taking on a whole new role in society. Whereas when I was younger and dogs were provided with basic needs: food, shelter, and water, dogs today are treated like actual family-members. Especially as young couples are opting to hold-off on having children to focus on their careers; their dogs really do become their “children”. As the emotional ties to dogs grow strong in society, it’s fair to say that our desire to protect our furry family-members will only get stronger.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Jessica: I am currently working on a business metric, The Stout Change-Profit Formula, which is aimed at changing the strategies behind animal advocacy to offer less antiquated techniques. Through my 12 years in the industry, I have seen many people not get involved out of frustration over extreme strategies and view-points. It will be rethinking traditional advocacy strategies that may have worked well in the past when people were less aware of animal issues, but are now dated in a society where people are talking about these issues more, and wanting to get involved on a grassroots level. My plan is to unveil a strategy that allows for the most efficient means of advocacy, and to include a broader range of people. In this way, we have more people involved, and more lives are saved. I am currently working with a data-collection firm for further insight into this issue, and plan to launch it by June of 2010.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Jessica: I am the founder of www.animaladvocating.com. I have been in the animal care profession for over 12 years, with an emphasis on animal rescue and advocacy. I began my career at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, before becoming a veterinary technician and staying in emergency medicine for 5 years with several organizations, including the San Francisco SPCA. After several years as Animal Care Manager for Solano County Animal Control, I went on to manage a veterinary hospital, before becoming General Manager for Wag Hotels, a start-up chain of luxury pet hotels.
I have always been an avid rescuer/foster-Mom; mostly focusing on Chihuahuas, rabbits, and Pit Bulls.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
K9 Cuisine was honored to interview Marta Aldriedge of HealeyGrisham Studio – a well-known pet photography studio.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet photography and pet rescue?
Marta: I’ve been heavily involved in commercial photography for 5 years. One of the things that attracted me to HealeyGrisham Studio is their reputation for helping the community – specifically in animal rescue for companion animals. My husband and my daughter are both passionate about working with animals, of all kinds. (We’ve also rescued and rehabilitated opossums, birds, turtles, reptiles.) It has always been a part of our lives. My first rescue was a poodle that found me in 2nd grade – at school.
Hooray for the Underdog! was created by the owners of HealeyGrisham Studio. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham have been lifelong animal lovers and rescue advocates. About 10 years ago, the couple began creating portraits of rescue animals to motivate others to open their eyes and their hearts to animal rescue. In 2006, they took their efforts one step further and created a stationery/gift line, aptly named Hooray For The Underdog!. 10% percent of all proceeds from “Hooray For The Underdog!” sales is given to a national charity that distributes funds to provide spay/neuter, adoption and emergency relief services to animals across the country. Last year alone, the charity contributed 24 million dollars to more than 3400 grassroots animal welfare agencies.
Janet and Joe’s animal rescue efforts have been recognized locally on Good Morning Texas, Channel 5 news, Larry Powell.com, the Daily Candy and in The Dallas Business Journal, as well as nationally on Oprah.com and CNN.com, The Haystack Needle and in Redbook magazine.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Marta: Hooray for the Underdog! is successful and growing because of the genuine desire to help grassroots rescue organizations. Along the way, there has been much support from friends and strangers who believe in the cause. When you combine something that you are good at (photography in this case) with something you care deeply about (giving rescue animals the homes they deserve), the only way you can fail is to do nothing with it. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham put a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and belief in their idea. When they didn’t know what to do next, or how to take the next step, they did extensive research, sought out professionals, and they did it to the best of their ability. Doing their personal best – that’s really the secret.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Marta: There are several things:
1) Janet and Joe don’t just rescue pets that they get to enjoy, (these days, they have 2 rescues that come to the studio every day), they also use their talents to make a difference for hundreds, maybe thousands, of companion animals across the country.
2) In raising awareness, rather than focusing on the abuse and neglect these animals suffer, their products showcase the beauty and charm of underdogs (and cats). The backs of these clever cards spotlight the animals’ personalities with each pet’s rescue story and their unique traits, their “special power.” In addition to greeting cards, there are also journals, notepads, folders, buttons, and pet id tags. You can purchase these items at the following websites: HoorayfortheUnderdog.com and Cardstore.com, at The Petropolitan in Dallas as well as in pet boutiques across the country.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Marta: It sounds cliche, but dogs love unconditionally. They are always happy to see you no matter how hard their day has been!
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Marta: Wow – you know, it doesn’t really seem like “work” at all… I think knowing that I am working with other people who have the same philosophies about the day to day – that our work and our personal lives really do have to blend in order to be truly successful on all fronts. I love what I do and so do the owners of the studio, so it is not like a typical “job”. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham found a way to integrate their passion for animal rescue and commercial photography into a business model, one that also gives back. I’m fortunate to be a part of it.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet photography industry going?
Marta: Up! There are several directions pet photography will grow. We are seeing in our portrait area that because pets are part of the family, and the emphasis on family has risen because of the economy, owners want professional, fine art portraits of their animals. A couple of candid shots at the holidays isn’t enough. In advertising, I’ve seen an increase in including pets in shots, not just for pet products, but across several consumer product lines. As consumers today, we are more emotional about the purchases we make, and whether consciously or not, we want to buy from companies that we feel a connection to. Animals, especially dogs and cats, provide a common ground for everyone. I’d venture to guess that almost every American today can tell you what type of dog, and probably his name, that President Obama has. Not because he/she voted for him, but because they relate on an emotional level. I don’t think that can be said of the past administrations pets. I believe this is due to the fact that literally everyone has been affected by the financial crisis and is more sensitive, more appreciative, of relationships – even with our pets.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Marta: We are gearing up for growth. Our stationery business has increased 200% over this time last year. Because the demand for pet photography has risen, we are brain-storming ideas that will facilitate efficiencies in locating the animals we want to shoot, both commercially and for our stationery line. As a result of attending the NY stationery show in May, we now have 30 reps across the US for Hooray for the Underdog! We expect big things in the years to come. Joe made a comment recently that he would like to see our cards become a household brand name – not unlike Hallmark. Imagine the difference it would make to the 5 million animals that are euthanized every year.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your organization?
Marta: My job title is Artist Representative – I represent HealeyGrisham – a successful commercial photography studio in Dallas, Texas. I’ve been working for over 20 years in commercial advertising services: design, photography, high end retouching and pre-media support. My strength and passion is in building teams and cultures – putting the right people with the right projects, and in providing over the top customer service. I have an adorable Yorkie, Sophie, who models professionally, so I get to see that side of the business as well. She is represented by an animal talent agency in Dallas, AgentBeast. They are also very involved in animal rescue. Every day I’m surrounded by people and companies who champion rescue animals. It doesn’t get any better than that!
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
We are honored to have interviewed Christine Barnett, lover of dogs and pet therapist.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into helping animals?
Christine: Since the day I was born, I have always had a dog. As an only child, I counted my dogs as my best friends. My dog passed when I got divorced, and I was on my own with no animals. About 5 yrs ago, I received a surprise Christmas gift…a kitty, which was my first cat and a total surprise to me. I immediately loved her. She was a rescue and had been living as a stray at the animal shelter. She had been picked up off the street , homeless and pregnant at only 1 yr old. At the shelter, they gave her an abortion. When she was brought to me, she put her head on my chest and fell asleep. She slept for almost 3 days straight, walking only to eat and visit the litter box. She seemed emotionally and physically exhausted.
Having this close relationship and basically nursing a grieving mother back to emotional mental health made a huge impact on me and my understanding of animals and their feelings. Soon thereafter, I decided to go to a volunteer orientation at the San Francisco animal care and control where I found a tremendous need. I started working with Give a Dog a Bone, which is a quality of life program for long term, legal custody dogs. These are the forgotten dogs, the neglected, abused, brutalized, forced to fight and breed. Many people do not know about them, however anytime someone is hurt, dies, is arrested, jailed, cited for cruelty – we take these dogs. While its the most heartbreaking thing I have ever done, it is also the most important thing in my life. Many have to be euthanized, but i give them endless love as long as they are with us (and beyond – I never forget any of these dogs). This morphed into working with Grateful Dogs Rescue, a group of angels who rescue dogs slated for euthanasia. Many of the dogs in Give a Dog a Bone are rescued by GDR, and I have been able to continue my socialization and healing work that starts in the SF ACC and then ongoing after they make it out of the shelter. It’s wonderful to see the dogs outside in the real world!
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your business-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Christine: I am a Reiki specialist and perform energy healing for people and animals. My secret? I found my passion. My calling is to be a friend to the animals. I volunteer, take classes, and I have become a Reiki Master and a Spiritual Animal Healer.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Christine: I will never stop trying to make a difference in the lives of all animals and of all the people who have a connection with an animal. It could be as simple as talking with someone on the street and telling them that they are a wonderful guardian to their animal – this causes a mental shift for many who see animals as possessions and people as owners. I take every opportunity to better the lives of animals. I am also a licensed psychotherapist and have helped people deal with their issues for years. I believe that my background as a mental health clinician and my current spiritual practice of Reiki allows me to help people and animals from both a scientific and spiritual perspective. I am always seeking additional ways to help. I incorporate Tellington T Touch with the Reiki I do on animals, which is slightly different from what others do.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Christine: Dogs are so zen – right here, right now. I admire their ability to forgive and trust, and find this to be the most incredible quality any being can carry. People hold grudges- dogs are the embodiment of love, compassion, joy, lightheartedness, and simplicity. Even if they have been abused, starved, or beaten, when you come to them with a loving kindness and a soft voice, their little tails start thumping.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Christine: Helping people and animals open the only thing that really matters – love. It’s so rich to bring animals and their guardians to a place of understanding one another and respecting one another. Animals and people can have amazing experiences of the simplest, purest nature, and it is astounding. This is something I love to see: joy. Playing in the shelter park with a dog who never learned to play and seeing them bounce and chase after a ball is an uplifting feeling. Another very important part of this work is helping animals cross over. This is an indescribable experience and I am always deeply honored to be part of the transition from this life to the next realm.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your work?
Christine: I have a new website featuring my reiki practice and also my reiki products: www.SassyMonkeyReiki.com. You can also visit the sites of Give a Dog a Bone http://www.gadab.org and Grateful Dogs Rescue http://www.gratefuldogsrescue.org.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Christine: I am Christine Barnett, MFT and DD, and a working and licensed psychotherapist for the past 10 years in SF, CA. My love for animals has been lifelong and my current focus is on spiritual animal healing (both in person and distant) and in co creating more effective human/animal relationships. I am an Usui Reiki Master who has received approximately 200 attunements to date. I am an avid animal rights advocate on many fronts from local city government to national and international issues. My specialty is in energetic healing of emotional and physical traumas and with animals crossing over. I am currently studying for my Doctorate in Metaphysics. I also a vegan chef and am more than happy to share my recipes to save more animals!
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet rescue?
Susan: I returned to Washington, DC from NYC with my first ever pets, who rescued me more than I really rescued them! The first was a laid-back Maine Coon kitty named Macaroon, who convinced me that cats were so cool I also adopted Ray. Originally Sugar Ray because he was such a fighter having survived surgery to remove his eye since he was born with herpes, he is a chandelier-hanging black cat who is Mr. Personality. A former colleague saw their pictures in my office and asked me to do a fundraiser for the Washington Animal Rescue League. I was so impressed with what they were doing, I started volunteering and soon after joined the Board of Directors.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Susan: Our organization started back in 1914 as the first animal shelter in the city, primarily to rescue horses that were discarded after working as part of a horse and buggy team and later expanding to dogs and cats. What started as a grassroots organization is still very much the same way today, with hundreds of volunteers and a staff who do what they do because they care. And we grew as the animals’ needs grew.
For example, we recently expanded what started as a program around the holidays to provide food, bedding and toys for the pets of low-income residents. As the economic crisis worsened, we started seeing more and more pets abandoned because people couldn’t afford them, so we created a full-fledged food bank to help provide for those animals. Or goal is to set a new global standard for the humane care of homeless and abused animals and that’s what drives us today.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Susan: Our organization is unique, which is part of the reason why I got so involved. We have a full-service medical facility that is dedicated to serving the pets of our low-income community. This is a huge need as veterinary care goes up in price just as healthcare costs do. We also take care of the shelter animals in the clinic. But this means we can treat the doggies with heartworm, cure the kitties of upper respiratory infections and ringworm or worse, and take care of the puppies with parvo or offer surgery to those who need it. These animals don’t deserve to die from these treatable ailments, which is almost certainly their fate in other places.
We can give them another chance at life with a loving family.
A few years ago, we also renovated the shelter extensively. Every detail was designed from the animals’ point of view to promote healing and maximally enhance the animals’ physical and emotional wellbeing as they recover from past traumas and await adoption. Steel-bar and concrete cages were thrown out and replaced with glass enclosed dog dens, cat condos, and puppy pads-a more humane, efficient, and responsible way to shelter homeless animals and set them up for a successful transition into their new homes. We now comfortably house up to 350 animals and we’re one of the largest shelters on the East Coast. The renovation also expanded the capacity of the clinic to help us fulfill our mission.
As a result, we are a very happy place. People like to come and visit the animals. And we get visitors from around the world who want to study what we’ve done so that they can replicate it in their own community.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Susan: I love dogs AND cats because of their ability to forgive and love again. Too many animals are abused, both physically and emotionally. Despite this, all they want is a loving touch, a kind voice and a lap to sit in once in awhile. They don’t care what you look like or what you do for a living. They just want to be with you.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Susan: I think the neatest part of this work is the ability to give an animal a second chance. These animals come to us from a variety of situations, some of which are very sad. They don’t know what they did wrong, or why someone stopped loving them. But they are scared. And then we go to work, doing everything we can to find them that forever home they deserve. Fixing them up if they need medical attention or training. Every day is a success story at the League because every day those animals receive love.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see pet rescue going?
Susan: I think the animal rescue field still faces many challenges, despite all the progress we’ve made. Too many people still don’t spay and neuter their pets, which contributes to the overpopulation crisis. Too many people still de-claw cats, a horrific surgery that removes the digits, not just the nails. Too many people still don’t understand the responsibilities that come with adopting a pet. Too many people would rather just kill off the feral cat colonies or cull the homeless dogs that roam the street rather than adopt a more humane and proven method such as trap, neuter and return, to reduce their numbers. It can be disheartening but also galvanizing, because there is still so much work to do.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Susan: These are issues we think about every day and we’re developing programs using the latest research and techniques to help create a more humane society. For example, we have a terrific humane education program that goes into the schools to teach children how to respect all animals, but we want and need to do more. We offer spay and neuter clinics, microchipping clinics, behavioral training and other initiatives aimed at saving more animals. We also work with federal and state lawmakers to pass and strengthen laws to improve the animals’ lives. And the power of the press is important to help people understand what is going on around them.
But sadly, it’s not enough. We have to keep busting up the puppy mills and shut down the stores that sell them. We have to keep educating people about the importance of spaying and neutering and how it improves the animal’s health. The list goes on, but so will we.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Susan: That’s easy – you can visit us online at www.warl.org. Or, next time you’re in Washington, come visit us at 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW. We’re open every day but Monday.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Susan: My friends are a bit surprised at how passionate I am about animal welfare issues because I did not grow up with animals. I didn’t even know anyone with cats, just dogs. And here I am a “mom” to six beautiful kitties! Not to mention that I am okay with the crazy cat lady title since I like to break silly stereotypes – I am married and have a successful career!
I also like to adopt animals that others tend to overlook, such as a kitty with one eye, or a heart murmur or neurological disorders. They include Ray, Ned, Ben, Sarah, Lucy and Norm. They are all beautiful creatures who are simply “perfect” to me. Every day they teach me how to love, and for that I will always be grateful.
Recently, after we received more than 100 dogs from a puppy mill bust in Pennsylvania, I grabbed two friends and we bathed the dogs because they were so smelly. Most of them had rarely, if ever, been touched by humans. The fact that they allowed us to bathe them was the first gift. The second - and most rewarding – was the look in their eyes. And that’s why I do what I do.
