Critter Comments

Bonded dogs in Miami need a home together

2012-01-28T18:32:00.002-05:00

Can you believe these two on the streets for years the neighbors say.Susy on the left , Pancho on the right (red collar)Husband and wife. The two dogs are forever bonded, They truly love each other, they kiss, rub noses, rub heads and cuddle together all the time. Neighbors where they were found said they have been on the street for a long time always together and managed to survive from handouts. They are about three years old and super friendly. They look like some kind of Aussie/shep mix. We took them off the street, but need a foster home asap. They are living in a vet office kennel. Please call Kathy if you can help. 305 401 4693--
Kathy
My Animals Rock, Inc., 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation
www.myanimalsrock.org klcremer@aol.com 305 401 4693
http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=FL879

Shelter Animals May be Put Down Sooner

2012-01-28T05:45:00.002-05:00

The great state of California is a study of opposites.
This week the HSUS released its list of states and where they rank as far as being humane. Guess who is number one? You are right. California. (Florida ranked 15th)
Now the Governor, Jerry Brown wants to appeal the Hayden Law, passed in 1998. This law requires animal control agencies to wait up to six days before euthanizing animals. This was done to allow more time for the owners to find a lost animal. Florida's hold policies are done on a county-by-county decision. Some agencies hold for three days and some for five.
He believes this will save so much money, a dent will be put in the budget and hopes to save $50 million dollars a year by doing this.
When the state governments begin using the most underfunded department they have, animal control, to try and come up with money to balance a budget which the legislature was responsible for setting, a disaster will happen and twenty years of progress will be wiped out. The slate will be clean so they can start over.
How sad for California, which has some of the most expensive real estate etc. they cannot come up with the money except on the backs of the animals. How truly sad.

Puppy With Eyes Gouged Out Recovers With Help From Donors

2012-01-28T05:25:00.002-05:00

This poor puppy was used for target practice, had his eyes gouged out and was starving after being left for dead in Phoenix.

These stories upset me, but I feel anyone who loves animals should be aware that all is not paradise, even now.

Check out the story here and help if you can. He is still a puppy and once he has recovered, a good home will be found for him.

To the abusers, who won't be reading this anyway I say, "You had better hope I never find you. I would be tempted to subject you to the same treatment this poor, little puppy suffered. Just remember, karma is a bitch and she will come back and bite you.

Florida Animal Rescue Act, the 2nd half

2012-01-28T04:41:00.003-05:00

This is, in my opinion, even more important. This would keep all shelters and rescues from over-zealous staff who may feel no one is good enough to adopt their dogs. It would require them to report their numbers. Wow, sunshine! Many private shelters are not required to report their numbers so can hide behind the no-kill philosophy all the while fudging the numbers by killing less desirable animals. I know this happens. I have seen it with my own eyes. Then if anything is said, you will lose your job. I WANT my shelters to be transparent. I want to know who is being good and who is slacking. Please contact your representative and ask them to support the Florida Animal Rescue Act.
The Second half
(8) An animal control agency or animal shelter shall provide for public inspection a monthly summary that includes the number of animals, by species type, during the previous month which: (a) Were impounded; (b) Were euthanized by the animal control agency or animal shelter; (c) Died, were lost, or were stolen while in the direct or constructive care of the animal control agency or animal shelter; (d) Were returned to their owners; (e) Were adopted; (f) Were transferred to other organizations or rescue groups; or (g) Remain in the custody of the agency or shelter. (9) Each animal control agency or animal shelter shall provide for public inspection an annual summary that includes the number of animals, by species type, during the previous calendar year which: (a) Were impounded; (b) Were euthanized by the animal control agency or animal shelter; (c) Died, were lost, or were stolen while in the direct or constructive care of the animal control agency or animal shelter; (d) Were returned to their owners; (e) Were adopted; (f) Were transferred to other organizations or rescue groups; or 181 (g) Remain in the custody of the agency or shelter. Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

Florida Animal Rescue Act will be too late for some dogs

2012-01-28T03:55:00.005-05:00

The Florida Animal Rescue Act when passed, will alleviate what is happening right now in Putnam County, Florida.

Putnam County, Florida is located in Palatka which is in between Jacksonville, Gainesville, Daytona and Orlando. You have probably never heard of it before now.

Their animal service agency, run by the county, is very rural and has only a few employees. I received an email several months ago about trying to help find some of these forgotten animals homes. The euthanasia rate there is high, I am sure.

The more we try and help these animals, the more roadblocks are thrown up. Right now, there is a pitbull with a terrible wound around his neck from an embedded collar. His picture is at the top of the page. He has had no veterinary care because Putnam County, Florida kills every pitbull which comes through the doors. So he must suffer in pain until his time is up (in most counties that is 3 to 5 days for strays) and then they will kill him. They legally have no call to do that, but they do it anyway. So they kill all the pitbulls and a large number of other animals and when a rescue steps up to pull the pitbull with the horrendous wound, they are turned away.

That's right. Turned away from helping this most defenseless creature who could have been saved while the human who caused this pain and suffering to the animal walks away. The Florida Animal Rescue Act will prevent (hopefully) these kinds of things from happening. When a 501(c)3 steps in and tries to pull a dog at no cost to the county, they must allow them to. They will be breaking the law if they don't.

If anyone reading this has any pull with or in Putnam County, Florida or if you know someone who does, please help us try and save these animals.

Update: Putnam County allowed this dog to be pulled and sent to a rescue in Jacksonville. He has been saved but there are many others who are still waiting for death.

Rescuers? abandon animals in Alabama kennels

2012-01-28T03:50:00.002-05:00

I am not sure I would call the women in this story rescuers. If they had truly been interested in these animals, they would not have abandoned them, some to starve to death but would have found someone to help them find spots in other groups.
To say I am appalled would be putting it mildly.
You can check out the story here.

Seven dogs need homes or rescue,Tavares, FL

2012-01-27T16:42:00.002-05:00

UPDATE 1/27 (AFTERNOON)

SORRY FOR RE-SENDING SO SOON...."BOSTON" THE GSD X IS NOW ADDED TO THE VERY VERY URGENT LIST

PLEASE HELP SHARE
***PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYONE URGENT, IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE DON'T WAIT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED***

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)
***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740
FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4
(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)
WE HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED ON GRITS IN THE TAVARES, FL ALBUM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ON FACEBOOK...JUST CLICK THE LINK...THANK YOU.
G.R.I.T.S. Animal Crossposting FL-GA-TN - Help Save a Life - Click Here to Visit us & Share us on Facebook

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE

THANK YOU,
MELINDA

I AM NOW URGENT LISTED. IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST
VERY VERY URGENT

3 YR OLD CATTLE DOG MIX, MALE (NO CATS!), HW+

BROOKLYN, 2 YR OLD FEMALE ROTT MIX

I AM NOW URGENT LISTED. IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST
VERY VERY URGENT
OWNER SURRENDER
ALREADY MICROCHIPPED

BOSTON, 2 YR OLD, GSD MIX, FEMALE, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS, MICROCHIPPED, HW+

2 YR OLD , PIT, MALE, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS, BUT HYPER

I AM NOW URGENT LISTED. IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST.
I NEED A COMMITMENT BEFORE 8 AM ON MONDAY JAN 30TH TO SAVE ME
♥ SWEET SENIOR ALERT ♥
1/26 UPDATE OFFER: LOUISE W/ SUNKIVA KENNELS IN HAWTHORNE, FL HAS KINDLY OFFERED TWO MONTHS FREE BOARDING IF A APPROVED RESCUE CAN TAKE THIS SWEET GIRL. SHE ALSO SAID SHE WOULD HELP DONATE TOWARDS HER BASIC VETTING. (IF NEEDED)
$100 RESCUE DONATION OFFER

PROB AT LEAST 10 YEARS OLD, FEMALE SWEETHEART HOUND, SMALL LUMP ON LOWER CHEST

MALE TERRIER MIX, 3-4 YRS OLD, STRAY, SHY BUT GOOD

BLACK LAB MIX, 9 MONTH OLD MALE, GOOD W/ OTHER DOGS

Cats and kittens to be euthanized if not rescued - Tavares, FL

2012-01-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

1/26 UPDATE (MORNING)

PLEASE SHARE W/ ALL CAT CONTACTS...THANK YOU

PLEASE SHARE..IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE DON'T WAIT..CALL/EMAIL DENISE ASAP. WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED URGENT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED.
LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)

***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 35...

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 35... MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4

(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP SAVE ANY????

LITTER OF 5 ...ONLY 3 PICTURED....OTHER TWO ARE IDENTICAL TO THE TWO PICTURED TOGETHER......8 WEEKS OLD

LITTER OF 4 ...... 8 WEEKS OLD

ALREADY SPAYED

2-3 YRS OLD LONG HAIR GREY, SPAYED FEMALE, TALKER, LOVER

ALREADY NEUTERED

2-4 YR OLD NEUTERED MALE, VERY SWEET TABBY, COOL MARKINGS

3-4 YR OLD FEMALE FRONT DECLAWED

ALREADY SPAYED

3 YR OLD FEMALE SPAYED, FRONT DECLAWED, SIAMESE, CAME WITH THE BIG FAT MOSTLY WHITE DECLAWED CALICO

NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL MONDAY JAN 30TH
ALREADY NEUTERED

CHOC POINT SIAMESE, NEUTERED MALE, SKIN ISSUES, AVAILBLE MONDAY....CHECKING ON AGE

Puppytown tomorrow, noon-1:30 to protest marketing puppies from puppy mills

2012-01-27T16:38:00.001-05:00

Please take only 90 minutes from your day and help suffering dogs. It can make a difference to dogs that are breeding machines and their sickly puppies….

Saturday January 28th from NOON-1:30

Puppytown
on 41 across from Best Buy

Protest marketing puppies that come from horrific puppy mills!

Bring a sign or just show up, there will be extra signs. Let's make it known that Sarasota will NOT tolerate dog cruelty!

PUPPIES ARE NOT PRODUCTS

WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE - PLEASE COME AND BRING FRIENDS!

PLEASE CROSS POST!!

Gorgeous and sweet American Bulldog, Land O'Lakes, FL

2012-01-27T16:35:00.001-05:00

Please post!

If you can help her by adopting her or taking her into your rescue, please contact Carey Johnson ASAP at: hhicarey@yahoo.com

This dog was rescued and adopted....adopters returned her to shelter when "rescue" would not take her back. She will be euthanized.

Carey Johnson

www.americanbulldogrescue.org

Shih Tzu - URGENT - GAINESVILLE, FL

2012-01-27T16:31:00.001-05:00

We have a little Shih Tzu in our facility that is in need of your help. She was microchipped but the original owner sold her and doesn’t know contact information of people she went to. The people she was sold to never change the microchip with their information. So, unfortunately, we have been unable to find her owners.

Sasha is older but she is heartworm negative.

If anyone can help this little girl please let us know as soon as possible.

1/24/2012 Vet exam

10 years

Not altered

12.2 lbs.

Dwinnie Slade

Senior Office Assistant

Alachua County Animal Services

3400 NE 53 Avenue

Gainesville, Florida 32609

Phone (352) 264-6870

Fax (352) 955-2542

Who is a perfect pet owner?

2012-01-27T02:52:00.003-05:00

I grew up in a household full of animal lovers. Our family dog, Blackie, lived to be almost seventeen years old. If you ask most of my friends, they will tell you a dog who comes to live at my house has hit the doggie lotto.
I have had the 'who is qualified to be a pet parent talk' with my friends and on some issues we simply agree to diagree. I had the same conversation with a co-worker who expressed interest in adopting a dog but simply did not have enough time for a dog and that wouldn't be fair. Fair? When an animal is facing death because there are not enough homes, how much time is enough? I have two rescues, work a job, have a home and spend, on the whole, about an hour a day of what most would consider quality time with my dogs. Is that enough? Growing up our family dog never spent "time" with my parents. He was simply part of the family and spent much of his time patrolling the fenceline, trying to find a way to get out to roam free. He stalked squirrels and birds, dug holes in the dirt and came inside only when he wanted to. He slept with one of us each night and everyone in the family cried when he died.
So should having a fenced yard be a qualification? What about how much time the dog is going to spend alone? If the pet gets sick, can you afford to fix him?
All these questions are asked sometimes by rescue groups and humane societies. Kris Weiskopf, the Chief of Manatee County Animal Services wrote a great article about this subject. You can check it out here. The article points out the costs of being so particular, the animals end up staying in the shelter and not going to a home. When this happens, many of these animals are killed and the shelters speak about not having enough "qualified" homes.
On the flip side of the coin, there is this article which brought up some very valid points about the qualifications for pet adoption. This article gives examples, unfortunately lots of examples, of people who tried to adopt an animal from a rescue group and were disqualified for reasons set up by the rescue. To the person in the article, they people then contacted a breeder or pet store and bought a pet.
Is this really what we want? Have we all become overzealous in our mission to find these animals homes?
So the next time a person calls or comes through the door who wants to meet one of your animals, think about what is contained here. If the animal finds a home, why does it matter if they are going to be alone for 8 hours? It sure beats the alternative which is usually death.

Oodles of tiny weeny adorable kitties for adoption at Sarasota County Animal Services

2012-01-26T16:14:00.001-05:00

Please come meet us........Bunches of kitties at Sarasota County Animal Services...

We all come tested, shots, will be spay& neutered and micro chipped for just $60, and you save a life !

The Sarasota County Animal Services section is located at 8451 Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota. The administrative offices are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

view all animals on line at

http://www.sarasotasheriff.org/template_s_1view.asp?code=PublicInterest_Animal_Main

Senior alert in Lake County, Florida

2012-01-26T16:09:00.002-05:00

Here is another one of my special seniors who stands a chance of losing her life because she is a senior. Please post and crosspost widely and if there are any rescues out there who can save this beautiful girl, please use the contact information. They are very rescue friendly.

PROB AT LEAST 10 YEARS OLD, FEMALE SWEETHEART HOUND, SMALL LUMP ON LOWER CHEST

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)

***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4
(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

WE HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED ON GRITS IN THE TAVARES, FL ALBUM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ON FACEBOOK...JUST CLICK THE LINK...THANK YOU.
G.R.I.T.S. Animal Crossposting FL-GA-TN - Help Save a Life - Click Here to Visit us & Share us on Facebook

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
NOW URGENT LISTED...IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST!!!!

Westminster introduces 6 new breeds to competition

2012-01-26T03:39:00.002-05:00

So, it is not enough we are swimming in breeds and mixed breed dogs, now th AKC has added 6 news one to the mix.
Check out the story here.

Horrific euthanization numbers in North Carolina

2012-01-26T03:28:00.002-05:00

The headline read, "45k Dogs, Cats Euthanized in Year at Triad Animal Shelters". I thought it must be a typographical error. Triad Animal Shelters are those around the Winston-Salem, Highpoint and Greensboro area. Forty Five Thousand companion animals in this small area simply astounds me.
North Carolina is such a pretty state. I would think they would be more progessive in their animal care, but I would be wrong. I should know better.
When I read the complete story, the numbers are even worse. According to the article, "Statewide, nearly 250,000 animals were euthanized at shelters in 2010." 250,000 animals in one year. Remember we are talking about government agencies, not private shelters. I am sure they do not have to report their numbers just like private shelters in Florida don't have to publish theirs.
You can check out the article here. Be prepared to be angry and saddened when you read it.

Manatee County Animal Services needs adopters

2012-01-26T03:03:00.002-05:00

If you are looking to adopt a dog or cat or know anyone who is, please check out the available dogs at Manatee County Animal Services.
MCAS is working on becoming a no-kill facility along with the rest of Manatee County. They will need the help of everyone in the county to achieve this goal.
They are extremely overcrowded right now due to the intact of a couple of momma dogs and their puppies. They have no available space so if you can't adopt, but can rescue, please contact them to free up some space.
Please use this contact information with questions.
Cheryl L. Thompson
Manatee County Animal Services
Animal Services Supervisor
305 25th St W
Palmetto, Fl 34221
(941)-742-5933 X 8304
(941)-723-4708 Fax
cheryl.thompson@mymanatee.org

K9 For Love has 200 Homestead dogs, need food, volunteers, donations for vet care

2012-01-26T02:55:00.002-05:00

For the past few weeks, I've been going to Homestead to help out with horrible overpopulation problem in the area. I came across a 73 year old woman named Adela who started a non-profit organization called K9 For Love in 2005. She started accepting owner surrenders and taking dogs from MDAS but soon after, the situation in Homestead got out of hand when people started dumping their dogs like yesterday's garbage.
Currently Adela has close to 200 dogs in her care. As you can see from our pictures, the makeshift kennels are in terrible shape and these dogs deserve better. We are working on getting them out of there one by one...
The saddest part about all this is that most of these dogs have been in their kennels ranging from a few months to a couple of years. Yes, you read correctly... Some have not left their kennels in YEARS. My friends Lorena, Amy and I are helping Adela network her dogs so that they can find forever homes or a rescue that will take them ASAP.
The problem is that Adela has ran out of food again... Imagine feeding 200 dogs per day!! The other problem is that there are about 80 dogs which are not spayed and neutered yet so in order to save these lives, we have to raise money for food and to spay/neuter them so that we can place them for adoption.
You can see some pictures/video of the dogs by clicking of these links:
Album of dogs that need rescue/forever homes- http://www.facebook.com/pages/K9-For-Love-Homestead-Dogs-Project/225285714219403#!/media/set/?set=a.225319364216038.55631.225285714219403&type=3
Album of kennels- http://www.facebook.com/pages/K9-For-Love-Homestead-Dogs-Project/225285714219403#!/media/set/?set=a.225503980864243.55656.225285714219403&type=3
Video of dogs/kennels- http://sharing.theflip.com/session/8768232ba7b70fd4e9e48378778abc8b/video/127750801
As you can see, this is a huge project and we cannot do it alone, we need your help!! There are many ways you can help so please share this e-mail far and wide...-You can donate through our chipin http://k9forlove.chipin.com/k9-for-love-rescue-inc
-You can donate directly by calling ROBBIE'S FEED & SUPPLY. Their phone # is 305-247-1256. Their address is 22390 Krome Ave. Please don't forget to mention that the donation is for Adela/K9 for Love.
-You can donate directly to Cutler Bay Animal Clinic located in 18699 S. Dixie Hwy. Their phone number is 305-251-4244. Please don't forget to mention that the donation is for Adela/K9 for Love.
-If you live in the South Florida area and would like to volunteer at adoption events which will take place every Saturday starting on Saturday Feb 4th in Petsmart in Coral Gables, Petsmart in Kendall Dr and SW 138th Ave and Petsmart in Flagler St and 84th Ave please let us know. We need to get these dogs out of there!!
-If you are on facebook, you can follow our rescue efforts step by step by "liking" our page and please help us share these wonderful dogs!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/K9-For-Love-Homestead-Dogs-Project/225285714219403?ref=ts THANK YOU!!!!

Rat Terrier needs rescue in Miami

2012-01-24T15:38:00.002-05:00

CROSSPOSTING FOR ELAINE 786-564-1306 OR 305-446-4027. HER E-MAIL ADDRESS IS BOR837@aol.com

She will be calling animal control to come take this pup this week. Can anyone help her?

From Elaine:

When I got home the dog was outside of my gate in the street again, but came back in when I called him, but I still can't get a leash on him. Here are the photos. If you can help with suggestions, because he clearly will keep getting out and I would hate to see him get hit. My street is heavy traffic at rush hours.

Her dog is suffering from cancer and is getting depressed because of this dog as he cannot go outside. If she cannot find someone to help her, she will be calling animal control so if anyone can help this rat terrier, please contact Elaine ASAP as this dog will not make it out of MDAS alive.

Please help overturn archaic BSL law in Dade County, Florida

2012-01-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

Florida Animal Lovers Take Action Today!
Help Best Friends Save Florida Dogs -Ask For SB 1322 to be Heard in the Senate

Because of an archaic exemption in state law, Miami-Dade County is the only county in the entire state of Florida permitted to engage in canine profiling, placing any short-haired muscular mutt at risk. Florida state legislators Representative Carlos Trujillo and Senator Jim Norman are leading an effort, with the help of Best Friends Animal Society, to right this injustice and to repeal the portion of the Florida statute that allows Miami-Dade to kill dogs simply because of their appearance. No other county in Florida is allowed such unmitigated power over people’s pets. HB 997 and SB 1322 will repeal the provision that grandfathered the Miami-Dade breed ban, which costs the lives of close to 1,000 innocent dogs per year and costs taxpayers upwards of $3 million per year. The legislative session is moving quickly and humanitarians only have a few weeks to get these bills heard in committees and passed. Lawmakers take notice when they hear from their constituents so we must fill their in-boxes with emails and call their offices, or we may miss this chance to stop the deaths of innocent dogs. Senator Mike Bennett is chairman of the first committee for SB 1322, so it is important to contact him to ask him to please put SB 1322 on the agenda as soon as possible so we can end the killing of innocent dogs in Miami-Dade County. Please contact Senator Bennett TODAY by clicking on our take action button. If possible, also call his office at (850) 487-5078. Ask him to hear SB 1322 so we can finally end breed discrimination in the entire state of Florida. Thanks for taking action for all animals. With your help we can achieve a time of No More Homeless Pets.

Hillsborough County bans most dog-tethering

2012-01-24T03:09:00.001-05:00

Yay! Another bill passes which helps protect animals. It could have been wortten in stronger language, but then it may not have passed.
Check out the story here.

Manatee County Animal Services needs help

2012-01-23T19:43:00.001-05:00

PLEASE HELP!!

We are in desperate need!! We have a momma dog that is giving birth today, 3 babies so far and another momma with 10 newborns and can't find anyone to transfer. Both mommas do not like other dogs, which makes it even harder.
We also are in desperate need for any and all transfers that you can help us with. We are going to have a hard time meeting our goal this month without your help!!
If you are able to help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!
Cheryl L. Thompson

Manatee County Animal Services
Animal Services Supervisor
305 25th St W
Palmetto, Fl 34221
(941)-742-5933 X 8304
(941)-723-4708 Fax
cheryl.thompson@mymanatee.org

Protest marketing puppies that come from horrific puppy mills

2012-01-23T11:23:00.002-05:00

Please take only 90 minutes from your day and help suffering dogs. It can make a difference to dogs that are breeding machines and their sickly puppies….

Saturday January 28th from NOON-1:30

Puppytown
on 41 across from Best Buy

Bring a sign or just show up, there will be extra signs. Let's make it known that Sarasota will NOT tolerate dog cruelty!

PUPPIES ARE NOT PRODUCTS

WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE - PLEASE COME AND BRING FRIENDS!

PLEASE CROSS POST!!

Why are people scared of kennel cough?

2012-01-23T11:15:00.003-05:00

Kennel cough is a common occurance with shelter dogs. Many are given the shot of medicine up their nose the minute they enter the shelter to prevent the spread.

Kennel cough is highly contagious to other dogs and those animals being fostered must be kept isolated or be fostered in a home with no other dogs.

Kennel cough is treatable and normally runs its' course in 3 weeks unless you are dealing with extremely young dogs or older ones who may have a compromised immune system. It can then go into pneumonia which can be deadly. Your dog may exhibit no other symptoms except for a cough.

Many animals in shelters are euthanized for kennel cough because it is so contagious to the other animals. When a dog begins to exhibit the hacking cough associated with this disease, they are isolated and then killed to prevent the spread.

Which is pretty sad if you think about it.

Kennel cough can be viral or bacterial and is much like a common cold to us humans.

You can have your dog immunized against kennel cough if they are around other dogs in a kennel situation or even in areas like agility class or flyball.

Check out this article by the ASPCA.

G.R.I.T.S. : Going above and beyond

2012-01-23T10:17:00.005-05:00

Every once in a while I come in contact with some of the most unselfish people in the world. Because of my work with rescue animals, these people tend to be animal people. It is like they have put all their personal issues aside and are working for the animals and only for the animals. They have no agenda except to help those less fortunate. This is what rescue is all about.

The internet has allowed us in rescue to communicate with others across the country, give animals exposure they would not have gotten any other way, and helped us save countless animals in need.

When I subscribed to G.R.I.T.S. which is an acronym for Girls Raised in the South, I became even more aware of the impact we could have on the homeless animals we deal with.

The women who started this crossposting page are simply wonderful. They are working tirelessly to keep these animals posted and out there for the world wide web to see. They concentrate on the animals of Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. They get no money, no fame and fortune, nothing like that. They do it for the animals. Because we are spread all over the country, I am sure no one has any idea how many animals have been saved through these womens' effort and the many subscribers they have. I am sure it is in the thousands. They are dependent on all of us to post these animals and share the listings. They do not hesitate to call us to task when the postings have slowed down. I, in turn, ask all my friends to share the listings and hope they ask their friends to do the same. I am sure anyone in any area who is reading this could do the same for their area.

So I just want to send out a big thank you to all the people who keep these posts going. They are important and they do help the animals. After all, that is what we want to do. Save as many as possible.

Check them out here.

N.J. animal shelter seeking permanent custody of Patrick the pit bull

2012-01-23T07:17:00.002-05:00

By now we all know the story of Patrick the Pitbull who was thrown down a trash chute and left for dead. He has recovered and we follow his story. I am sure many of us have contributed money for his rehabilitation.

So why are three agencies fighting over his custody? It seems they may want the financial windfall his celebrity may provide them. I hope they can reconcile their differences, make sure his abuser, pregnant or not, does time, and find him a forever home.

Check out the story here.

The Animal Connection: Why Do We Keep Pets?

2012-01-23T07:09:00.002-05:00

From Scientific American, I found this article which is pretty interesting. It examines the relationship between humans and pets and why this came to happen. It likens the original domestication of animals to being a tool for humans.

Check it out here.

Corpus Christie, Texas working on animal control issues

2012-01-23T06:58:00.002-05:00

After reading this story about Corpus Christie, Texas, I believe most animal control agencies want to do the right thing. They are hampered by inadequate funding and manpower. When the county decides animal control is important, things can begin to change. Animal control agencies were first begun to combat problems with rabies/dog bites and were included under the health department. Then, twenty or so years ago, many agencies were moved to be under the sheriff's department. Corpus Christie was not one of those cities. They are now.

They also received $80,000 more money to fund more officers. This may help get the animal situation under control there.

Kudos to Corpus Christie for trying to get better. It does take all of us working together to begin to get this under control

Opponents of Florida Animal Rescue Act Call Rescue Organizations "Hoarders"

2012-01-23T06:48:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, words cannot express the disgust I feel when I read a story like this one. To be working towards the ending of senseless killing of adoptable animals seems like the humane thing to do. So why would animal control agencies object? I have no idea.

Check out the story here.

Two year old female cocker looking for a home in West Palm Beach

2012-01-22T18:26:00.003-05:00

If you like Cocker Spaniels, this girl will win your heart! Abby is approx 2-3 yo. She was rescued from a high kill shelter and given a second chance in life. She is spayed, fully vetted, UTD with her shots and now needs her loving forever home. She is friendly with other dogs and children but not with cats. She loves to play as much as she loves to cuddle with you. She is fully house broken and full of love to give. Currently being fostered in North Palm Beach and her foster mom tells us what a great girl she is.

If you are interested in giving this girl her forever home, please contact Maria at out4sun68@yahoo.com. Her adoption fee is $300.

Two very handsome bully mixes in Tavares in urgent need of rescue or homes

2012-01-22T09:15:00.002-05:00

PLEASE HELP SHARE....WE ARE NOW SHORT ON TIME!!!!
***PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYONE URGENT, IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE DON'T WAIT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED***

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)
***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740
FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4
(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)
WE HAVE ALL THE DOGS LISTED BELOW POSTED ON GRITS IN THE TAVARES, FL ALBUM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ON FACEBOOK...JUST CLICK THE LINK...THANK YOU.
G.R.I.T.S. Animal Crossposting FL-GA-TN - Help Save a Life - Click Here to Visit us & Share us on Facebook

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE

OWNER SURRENDER
$75 RESCUE DONATION OFFER
I AM NOW URGENT LISTED. IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST

BEAUTIFUL 1-2 YR OLD MALE PIT MIX, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
OWNER SURRENDER ALREADY NEUTERED I AM NOW URGENT LISTED.  IF YOU CAN SAVE ME PLEASE ACT FAST

$75 RESCUE DONATION OFFER

MAXIMUS, 8 MONTH OLD, MALE NEUTERED PIT, NO CATS, WAS ADOPTED FROM US AS A PUPPY AND NOW RETURNED. OWNER STATES THAT HE WILL CHEW CHAIN LINK.....GOOD WITH KIDS

So many homeless animals, so few homes

2012-01-22T08:11:00.003-05:00

Every day I post animals. I post them on Facebook and on my blog. I post dogs, cats and pocket pets. I post news stories about animals.

Every day I read horror stories. Stories of cruelty and neglect from owners and shelters alike. I read countless accounts of hoarding, abandonment and euthanasia numbers which are simply not imaginable.

I see dogs I would adopt in a minute if I only had the time to spend with them. I, sadly, am only one person. I work, I try and keep my house up. I try to spend quality time with friends and have a well rounded life. I volunteer at a shelter. I have two dogs which take up the rest of my time.

I know I cannot have more than two dogs. More than two and I am overwhelmed. I am only one person.

There are so many homeless pets out there now. So many dogs and cats who have been abandoned by their owners. So many puppies and kittens who were born because they had irresponsible owners. So many animals which ended up in a shelter situation many times for no other reason than the owner doesn't want them any longer.

Humans can make all the excuses they want. They are moving, having a baby, have no time, it is not fair to the dog to leave them alone for 8 hours and the list goes on and on. Most people don't even try to make up a good excuse, but just dump off an animal and walk away.

So if you want to make a difference, please consider adding another pet to your home. Shelters and rescues are full to the brim with animals who just need a second chance. They are available in all shapes and sizes and if you look, I am sure you can find one who will fit in. Please be a responsible human and opt to adopt, not buy.

Dangerous dogs: here we go again

2012-01-22T06:49:00.004-05:00

A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending the HSUS conference in Orlando. While I was there, I attended many seminars and visited booths galore. When I returned from there, I wrote a blog item for the paper about what I had seen and learned.

The disinformation attributed to newspapers and dogs who bite was and is so overwhelming, I said I was embarrassed to be working in the media, since truth is supposed to be the main idea.

Fast forward several years and you find I am no longer employed by the media, thanks to massive layoffs but many still retained their jobs. Young reporters, fresh out of school can be hired a lot cheaper in place of seasoned journalists, but they don't fact check and seem to write more for the shock value than for newsworthiness.

I will begin by saying all dogs bite. Period. No question about it. Most bites do not get reported to authorities unless they are serious. So when the chihuahua causes you to get stitches, you don't tell the hospital where they came from. Maybe you tell them a stray dog bit you and you have no idea where he lives. But let a large breed dog nip your hand and you run to the phone immediately to report it.

This story out of Baton Rouge irritated me. First, because there is so much bad information in it. Second, the headline does not reflect the story, and third, it is obvious to anyone who works with rescue, the journalist has very little experience with rescued dogs and didn't even try to get the correct information.

Bully breeds are exactly what the term implies: American bulldogs, pit bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, Boxers, English Mastiffs, English bulldogs, Neapolitan Mastiffs, these are all bully breeds.

German Shepherds and Rottweilers are working dogs, originally designed to work livestock, although Rottweilers can also pull carts and things like that.

My final word is about the headline. "Dangerous dogs are filling up the animal shelter in Baton Rouge. Dangerous according to who? If you watch the video and read the print, the dogs in this shelter are no different than the dogs in our shelters. They are there because of IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS. It reads more like a story about what to do if you are confronted by a dangerous dog. It did not list any dog attack or bites to warrant the story. It spoke of socializing your animals, whether they were a pit bull or a poodle which should be standard when adopting a dog. I have two rescues. I can tell you Betty will kill a squirrel before you can blink. Even with her crippled leg, she moves like lightening. I can also tell you Buzz will kill a cat. I know. I have seen him show his teeth and lunge when one is on my fence. He has never caught one, but I have never seen him react to another animal that way. Are they dangerous? Nope. Dogs are animals and react to other animals in different ways.

So please read these reports with a jaundice eye. I can tell you shock sells. I know because I worked in the business a long time. I also know headline writers can be good or bad as can editors. This one was pretty bad.

Maybe I should suggest to some friends of mine who were laid off the same time I was to apply in Baton Rouge. It is apparent they need better journalists and editors there. I wonder how their design staff is doing?

Zorro is close enough to perfect and needs a home

2012-01-21T15:29:00.003-05:00

Rescue dogs are unfortunate because they have no choice in what happens to them. When tragedy strikes a home, the dogs are confused and end up in places where they have no idea what they are doing there. They don't know anyone, the smells are different, they are surrounded by other dogs and humans who just don't seem right. Where did their master go? What happened and why am I here? You can imagine the multitude of questions they must have and we can't answer them. We can only love them and take care of them and try to find them another great home.

Zorro fits into this category. He is about as close to perfect as a dog could be. He likes everyone, humans and dogs alike and has a calm, laid back demeanor.

He is a housebroken, Plott hound mix with beautiful, striped brindling. We think he is four or five years old but he has a grey beard so he may be a little older.

Zorro is confused, though. He doesn't understand why he is at Satchel's. He doesn't know his owner had a stroke, and is barely hanging on. He watches everyone who comes in to see if his master has come for him but the truth is, his master will never come for him again. This means we must find Zorro another home. One where he will be as loved as he was in his previous one. A home who will cherish him for all his life, for the rest of his life.

If you are looking for a dog who is close enough to perfect, please contact 924-5070 or send an email to comments@satchelslastresort.com.

But don't take my word for it. Zorro will be waiting on you so he can show you in person just how perfect he can be.

Satchel's Last Resort is looking for donations

2012-01-21T07:00:00.003-05:00

Satchel's Last Resort, which is the rescue I volunteer at, is overwhelmed with animals. It is unfortunate we are in the same situation which many rescues and shelters are in. We are saving as many animals as we can, but due to the economy, no one has a lot of disposal income right now to donate to worthy causes. When we don't have money coming in, less animals get saved. Those are the logistics of animal rescue. Money=adoptions=more kennel space=more lives saved.

In the past couple of weeks we have pulled several high risk animals including two momma dogs and their puppies. Our foster homes are full, our kennels are full, and we can use some help.

We always need dog treats, bleach, bedding and MONEY. We provide enrichment with some staff and dedicated volunteers but nothing beats in influx of cash. I am not too proud to ask for it.

We take animals from several different agencies, most of the time they are high risk due to medical issues. We give them the best care possible, fix their boo boos, fatten them up, and try to find homes for them. Those who are deemed not adoptable for any reason, live the rest of their lives with us with no threat of euthanization.

Right now, we have lots of adoptables. These range from new puppies or my favorites, some seniors who are looking for a place to spend the rest of their lives being appreciated and in comfort.

If you can help in any way, please visit our webpage www.satchelslastresort.com , and check out the very deserving animals who reside with us. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit and anything which is donated is tax deductible.

The animals need you. Please don't let them down.

Suggestions for working with rural shelter

2012-01-21T06:17:00.002-05:00

For many readers of this blog, Florida inspires visions of sun-kissed beaches, waving palm trees, Disney World or citrus groves bright with sweet, juicy fruit just waiting to be eaten.

For those of us who really know Florida, we can still see the rural areas of river rats and unemployment, tar paper shacks (which still exist) and 9th grade educations. Florida can be a study of opposites: the very wealthy and the very poor and this does not create a good scenario for the homeless animals of the state.

It is easy for many to simply close their eyes and tell those who will listen it is not their problem. Although I disagree, I must continue to put the word out about the animals.

Putnam County, Florida is not close to where I live. It is a rural county, centrally located between Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine and Daytona Beach with a population around 70,000. Palatka is the county seat. The per capita income for the county was $15,603. About 15.80% of families and 20.90% of the population were below the poverty line. This is reality.

When you have a county with so little money, their animal control agency can leave a lot to be desired when you are trying to work with them to save animals.

I belong to a cross posting, social networking group called G.R.I.T.S which stands for Girls Raised in the South and we post all over the internet, groups which need help with dogs and cats in shelters. We concentrate on Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, but do not limit ourselves to these states for animals in need.

Several months ago, I received an email from another rescuer asking for any help we could provide for this shelter, which of course, has a very high kill rate. I contacted the lead rescuer of

G.R.I.T.S. and she found some volunteers who were willing to begin gathering information to put on our social networking sites, build a Facebook page etc.

The problem is the county. They, of course, have very few employees and have not been easily available to help get this started. I don't believe they are intentionally ignoring us, but simply overwhelmed with the job. They don't even have cage cards for the animals, so the volunteers are taking a guess on dog breed and can only describe what they see with their eyes. There is, of course, no behavior testing or anything of that nature. We get photos. Just photos.

They seem to be rescue friendly, though, just overwhelmed. If you, in all your wisdom, have any suggestions I can pass on to our group which could help, or if you live in this area and could volunteer some time to visit and begin forming a relationship with the employees, please pass that information along and I will get it to the proper people.

I am sure this problem has been faced before, I just need to figure out how to do it.

An American Bulldog and a Retriever mix need rescue now

2012-01-20T18:22:00.002-05:00

Contact:

Walt

904.716.1627

These two dogs showed up at this gentleman's home. They tried many different avenues to find the owners, without luck. He is not in a position to keep them. His contact information is:

Walt - 904-716-1627 walisomers@comcast.net

Grady is an American Bull Dog, age is between 6-8 years, very sweet, house trained. He does have a slight skin rash and the vet put him on Doxycycline and Cephalexin. He has not been neutered.

Lucy is very, very sweet. She is a retriever mix, possibly with Beagle and her age is between 6-8 years old these are vet estimates. She is also house trained. She has no health issues. She is spayed.

Both dogs are very loving and just want attention.

Sweetheart in Tampa is out of time

2012-01-20T18:09:00.002-05:00

This sweet 4 yr old has a temperament to die for... PLEASE help? There is local 501c to rescue/pull if someone can foster, anywhere... or of course adopt. This is a life that will reward a family. She was abandoned and is in a shelter with hundreds of dogs, high kill, rescue friendly.

Cinnamon is a rottie/shep mix. Estimated as 4 yo. She is so scared but yet so sweet. Even though she was so scared that she was shaking, she found the courage to come up to me for pets and love. She was much more interested in me than treats. This poor girl was left behind when her owners moved :(

Confiscated for abandonment
Weight Estimate: 50 lbs
DUE OUT: 1-19

Doing the right thing, again

2012-01-19T16:17:00.002-05:00

My best friend has her dog back. It seems her neighbor let the Precious run loose.Precious ran in the neighbor's yard. My friend scooped her up, took her to an undisclosed location, call the deputy in charge of the investigation and let him know.

I advised her when she gets moved to have the new county tag put in her name and have this little girl microchipped. It may not prevent someone else from taking her, but at least then she has proof the dog belongs to her.

Pet Pages Celebration of Pets - Feb 25th - Volunteers needed for Sarasota County Animal Services

2012-01-19T16:13:00.001-05:00

FROM: Tami Treadway - Sarasota County Animal Services

I have sent in the application for A/S to attend the 2^nd annual Celebration of Pets at the Fairgrounds on Feb 25^th 10-5pm. I will have 2 staff members (Debbie & Lisa) assigned to attend & bring the initial dogs to the function.

We’ll need a few volunteers to assist with holding the dogs & talking to the public. We’ll try to schedule a couple of volunteers for a few hours if no one can stay most of the function. Hopefully Kristen will be able to assist me with scheduling the times for volunteers to come.

We have a display board but I would like a few volunteers to make that board more informative & we’ll try to include fliers/brochures discussing what Animal Services is about.

In the weeks to come you will see more information being emailed out but I just wanted to get this date on our activities calendar.

Thank you

Tami Treadway

Animal Care Supervisor

Animal Services Section

8451 Bee Ridge Rd

Sarasota, Fl 34241

941-861-9502

ttreadw@scgov.net

www.sarasotasheriff.org

Awesome Border Collie/Greyhound in Sarasota need a home

2012-01-19T16:07:00.003-05:00

Here is some info on Delilah
-She is a spayed female, approx 53 pounds
-She is house broken
-Knows basic commands (Sit, Wait, Paw, Leave it, OK, Let's Go)
-Walks well on a leash
-Gets along well with dogs around her size, and loves to run
-Can be possessive of certain toys
-She can be slightly food aggressive with other dogs, best to feed them in separate areas
-Doesn't mind indoor cats, occasionally will chase them but will not inflict any harm
-Does not like to swim!
-Loves kids, and most adults! She can be hesitant of taller men, but once she sniffs them she'll warm up

Also, Delilah is about 3 years old, I've had her for about 2 1/2 years now. She loves to run and be outside and sniff at everything! Frisbee is one of her favorite things, and she loves car rides. She does well in social situations as long as she's had a long walk before hand, and you keep her on a short leash. I've taken her to many festivals with live music and lots of people, and she does just fine there. As we talked about, she's an awesome dog, she just needs someone around almost all of the time and more space to run. Currently I have her on Reconcile (which is a medication for separation anxiety) and Comfortis for fleas. She's used to getting fed 1 cup three times a day of dry food (Wellness Chicken Formula). Just a warning- if there is a cat in the house she might try to eat the contents of the cat box. Delilah doesn't have a ton of experience around young children, but the few times she's been around them she has been very gentle and loving. Thunderstorms don't seem to bother her, but she is not a fan of fireworks. I've tried to get her to learn how to swim multiple times, but she won't have any part of it.

Contact Kate @ 401-282-9972. And email is Kate McHughkmchugh30@live.com

Senior Shih Tzu Sisters need out of shelter,mostly blind and deaf - Orlando, FL

2012-01-19T16:03:00.002-05:00

Meet Lucy (A223216) and Ethel (A223215)!

These sweet 8-year-old Shih Tzus sisters are looking for the perfect place to live out their golden years.
They are both mostly blind and deaf, so they are scared here at the shelter, but have plenty of love left to give! Please share Lucy and Ethel!

Lucy and Ethel are located at Orange County Animal Services (OCAS)
2769 Conroy Rd., Orlando, FL.

The phone number is (407)254-9140

If you are not a rescue partner of this shelter, and require assistance with helping one of these dogs, please contact Veronica, who is not an employee ofOCAS:Veronica@fldoglover.com

Non-rescue partners needing immediate assistance (life or death), please contact Lori, who is a rescue partner at this shelter: lmasters@cfl.rr.com

Contact:

(407)254-9140
Animal ID: A223216 Lucy
Animal ID: A223215 Ethel

R.U.F.F. Dog Training

Nikki Jackson and the furbabies

Pudge, Griffey, Sascha, Diesel and Rayne! < /o>

2011 HSUS Humane State Ranking

2012-01-19T06:03:00.003-05:00

Florida did not make the top 10 in the HSUS's poll ranking states for their animal protection laws but out of 50 states plus, ranking 15th up from 16th last year is pretty darn good. The HSUS lists 2 main reasons we moved up a notch: Florida has the strongest animal fighting laws in the country and we passed the ban on intensive confinement of pregnant pigs on factory farms.
You can check out the rankings here and see where your home state falls. I was surprised to see so many states to the north of us in the bottom of the rankings due to weak laws with no felony charges on any animal cruelty.
We still have a way to go. The Florida Animal Rescue Act is a start. Then we can begin trying to overturn the ban on pit bulls in Dade County. We can ask our law enforcement agencies to continue investigating animal fighting and then use the toughest penalties allowed to send these criminals to jail. While we are at it, we can strengthen the rules on breeding dogs in backyards. The list is long but we are pretty dedicated. Let's see how much of this we can get accomplished in the next year.

East Polk Tract Is Nation's Newest Wildlife Refuge

2012-01-19T03:46:00.003-05:00

Heritage is something you cannot get away from. For my part, I don't try. My family originally settled Florida in two areas, the panhandle around 1810, where one of my great, great great grandpas was an evangelical minister, and central Florida around 1840, where one was a rancher, preacher and just about anything else you could name. One county in Florida, Hendry, is named after my great, great uncle, Asbury Hendry and I have cousins of the far-reaching kind scattered throughout the state.
The headlines about the nation's newest Wildlife Refuge, a tract of land set aside in Polk County made me very proud to be from the center part of the state.
The road to completion is going to be long and hard thanks to the general miasma which is floating around Tallahassee for conservation lands or spending money to preserve anything. I am glad this is a National Wildlife Refuge and people had the foresight to get this started.
The wild animals and plants which will be able to live here without fear of being displaced is great. Polk County is full of natural lakes, prairie, oak hammocks and all kinds of wondrous areas to wander around in. Much of the county was like that for me growing up.
So from alligators to owls, eagles to tortoises, thanks Polk County. Thanks Senator Bill Nelson. Thanks U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Dan Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks also to The Nature Conservancy who donated the land.
The basics are in place and the people of Florida will support this despite having a governor and legislators who continue to try and dismantle all the progress we have made in Florida towards conserving our wild and natural places.
Check out the story here.

Critics say Hillsborough County anti-tethering plan too lenient

2012-01-18T02:02:00.002-05:00

Considering it used to be normal to tie an animal outside for days at a time, I think any kind of anti-tethering law is a start. This doesn't mean I agree with the way the ordinance is worded, but simply let's get started and work from there.
Unfortunately, many people do not understand why activists are against tethering and all we can do is continue to educate. Let us not piss people off to the point no ordinance gets passed. We can always update and change ordinances down the road.
Check out the story here.

Finally, a law to curb invasive snakes in the country

2012-01-18T01:55:00.002-05:00

Although I think the bill could have included several other types of snakes and increased the penalties for smuggling these snakes into the country, at least this bill is a start.
It will now be illegal to import or transport the Burmese python, yellow anaconda, and northern and southern African pythons into this country or across state lines.
Check out the story here.

Pinellas Animal Services closes after-hours drop to public

2012-01-18T01:36:00.001-05:00

I never understood the value of having an after hours dropbox for animals. I think it stinks that humans are not held accountable for how they treat their pets and having an after hours drop box just makes it that much easier to discard an animal you no longer want.
I was glad to see this story out of Pinellas County and am glad this service will only be available to police officers after hours.
You can read the story here.

Sad Hound Girl in Gainesville Needs Rescue

2012-01-17T17:26:00.002-05:00

We have a dog in our facility that is in need of help. I believe if we cannot find a safe place for her she will be placed on Thursday’s euthanasia list.

If anyone can help her please let us know as soon as possible.

Thank you for all you do.

1/6/2012 Vet exam

6 years

Not altered

44.8 lbs.

No microchip found.

Flea infested.

A little thin.

Severe dental calculus and moderate gingivitis. WILL NEED DENTAL CLEANING.

Rabies

Heartworm test negative.

Advantage

Healthy (kschaedel/smpethes)

Dwinnie Slade

Senior Office Assistant

Alachua County Animal Services

3400 NE 53 Avenue

Gainesville, Florida 32609

Phone (352) 264-6870

Fax (352) 955-2542

Could the tide be turning?

2012-01-17T03:07:00.002-05:00

Every time I see a headline spouting new rules and stiffer penalties in relation to animals, the hair stands up on the back of my neck. With new rules there seems to be more discrimination and breed restrictions going on, when time and time again the experts will tell you BSL doesn't work.
So this story was great to read. It seems they tried last year to tighten the restrictions on breeding and raise the fines for not following the law, the special restrictions against pit bull type dogs (huh) was not in the new laws. Animal lovers in the area raised so much cain, the BSL part was pulled before the County Commission passed the laws.
So you see, public outcry can change the course of our government. We just have to yell louder than our opponents.

Two steps forward and three steps back

2012-01-17T02:33:00.002-05:00

Every night while I am cruising the internet trying to find stories of interest for you to read, I come across another one on new legislation in one state or another. Many times this is just what it seems: a story on a bill some legislator is trying to get through committee to actually make it to a vote but then the bill dies in committee and isn't heard about until next year, when it is refiled again.
All states are the same and the bills seem to carry the same words. When I came across the story here out of Pennsylvania, I found it interesting. Interesting because Pennsylvania is widely known as a puppy mill state, which means the numbers of puppy mills is astronomical and the offspring from these mills are populating many of the petshops in the south and then re-populating the shelters when their owners get tired of them or the medical bills associated with them.
This story had to do with a bill to ban the use of carbon monoxide poisoning for killing shelter dogs. It then went on to talk about how many rural shelters use gas this way because they don't have access to a veterinarian. It talks about the reason it may fail and what they can do about it.
The reason they suspect the bill may fail is because the language allows for the use of guns against dangerous, sick or ill dogs. Pennsylvania apparently had a problem with dogs getting shot.
I am like the advocates in the story. Which is the lesser of two evils? Who makes those decisions?
Being in the south, as much as we like to talk about how humane we are in the ritzy areas, we still have the same problems Pennsylvania has.
We have puppy mills and gas chambers. Some counties in Florida still use gas and you are still allowed to use a gun to kill an animal if it belongs to you.
I have been around all of these things, much to my dismay, and have continued to hope we can become more progressive in animal welfare.
So imagine this: you are at a ranch way up in the Rocky Mountains. The road down the mountain is 22 miles long before you even get to the nearest town and when you do arrive, there is only one vet for the whole area and he does house calls. So he may be in and he may not.
A dog gets dumped up in the mountains and wanders onto the ranch property. The dog is sick with what is probably distemper and is obviously in distress. In this case, the ranch owner took the dog away from the other animals and killed it with a gun and then buried it. Would it have been more humane to drive it all the way into town to try and find the one vet who was probably out on a call to another one of the ranches? I had many friends tell me the ranch owner should have tried. I felt like the ranch owner did the most humane thing possible. I knew the dog was suffering.
Once again, the problem lies with whether animals are property or not. As property, you have the right to control their destiny. Many laws, thank God, prevent intentional cruelty and neglect, but as long as you are not intentionally being cruel or neglecting your animals, you can do pretty much what you want. (don't shoot me, I am just the messenger)
So in this day and age although we have taken two steps forward, it seems in a lot of ways, we went three steps back. So the fight continues.

Doxie mix and American Bulldog - Running out of time - Naples, FL

2012-01-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

URGENT – RESCUE NEEDED!!!! Scroll down to see all!!!

Collier County Domestic Animal Services

7610 Davis Blvd, Naples, FL

Please email sweatherford@comcast.net if you can rescue – or please forward this email – please crosspost.

All animals pulled from this shelter are spayed/neutered, UTD on shots, Microchipped – 501(c)3 required to pull - $20 pull fee

150588

Male

Doxie mix

14 lbs

3 yrs

HW pos

79385 – Key Low - Has $275 in pledged donations from private individuals to the rescue that takes him

Male

6 yrs

American Bulldog

HW pos

Very calm and laid back dog.

Came in as a stray originally – owner surrendered and did not reclaim

PUNTA GORDA, FL, CONFISCATION,5 NEGLECTED DOGS NEED FOSTERS,ADOPTION, DONATIONS

2012-01-16T12:34:00.001-05:00

This is what rescue work is all about. Please help if you can and respond to this email.

***PLEASE HELP SHARE***

LOCATION:

PUNTA GORDA, FL
Charlotte County Animal Control

CONFISCATION CASE

Watch NEWS STORY ON THE CASE :

http://www.abc-7.com/story/16465355/animal-control-officers-seize-9-dogs-from-punta-gorda-backyard#.TweTbQTV7Wg.facebook

HELP NEEDED FOR FOSTER HOMES/ (or ADOPTIVE HOMES)

& DONATIONS TO TREAT

HEARTWORM

CONTACT: OFFICER REANNON JUERGENSEN

941-83...

CHARLOTTE ANIMAL CONTROL,

REANNON.JUERGENSEN@CHARLOTTEFL.COM

LADY IS 10 MONTHS OLD, HOUND X, HW NEG, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS, KIDS AND ADULTS.

Trying to do the right thing

2012-01-16T09:12:00.002-05:00

My best friend of 43 years moved to a rural area of Florida a couple of years ago with her cat and set up housekeeping.

Eight or nine months ago she noticed a little white dog, very unkept who was always coming to her house to visit. She was covered with fleas, undernourished and in generally bad condition. Her owners apparently didn't care much for the little dog and when my friend asked if they would be interested in giving the dog to her, they agreed verbally and she became the proud mom of Precious.

A couple of months ago the neighbors changed their minds. They wanted the dog back and began to call my friend names and having their children do the same. Through it all, she continued to care for Precious including taking her to the vet, having her groomed, and all the things little white fluffy dogs need. She slept indoors, had a grandma and turned into a spoiled little lap dog.

Then yesterday, while my friend was taking her for a walk, the previous owner walked up to her, unhooked the leash and took the dog away.

My friend, who had major heart surgery a year ago and is disabled, could do nothing but watch. She went inside and called the sheriff and although the deputy was very nice, took the report along with all the paperwork showing the care and attention she had given the dog, he expressed concern that in this case it is a he said, she said situation.

My friend is heartbroken. Precious, as most dogs do, kept her going when her spirits were low. I hope she can get her back but the truth is it may not happen.

I am sure we can find another dog for her. This is, after all, what I do. I am just sorry her heart is breaking by trying to do the right thing by the dog.

Some people are just trashy, and I suspect she will relish moving away from there and not having to deal with those neighbors any longer.

Walter is safe

2012-01-16T08:58:00.003-05:00

Walter, the young dog who was in danger due to a slight case of demodex and was only available to a rescue, has been saved and has a rescue.

Thanks to everyone. He just looked like a special dog to me. It is the Florida Brown Dog syndrome.

Dogfighting Advocacy group posts page on Facebook

2012-01-16T08:34:00.003-05:00

With all my talk of using social networking to promote dogs, I never thought I would see a page like this on Facebook.

Dogfighting is illegal and cruel and I am so appalled right now after seeing this page I must do something.

I will the same of you. The page's link is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dogfight-Rights-Advocacy-Group-to-advance-the-sport-of-Dogfighting/215755531845648?sk=wall. Please, please, please go onto the page, go to the left hand side of the page and report this to Facebook. Not only is it cruel, but it is also illegal in all 50 states and Facebook should be asked to remove it.

Thanks,

Jean

Right or wrong, Cesar protests will continue

2012-01-16T06:58:00.003-05:00

Being in the public eye, Cesar Milan is probably used to people protesting against some of his methods. I am not a fan of shock collars and pinch collars. That being said, I believe we must always look at the big picture.

There is no determining board who sanctions one kind of training over another. I have seen people with a lot of letters and acronyms after their names who I wouldn't send any animal to, because I don't like their attitude. This doesn't mean they are not good at what they do, but that for whatever reason, I clashed with them.

The use of tools, which is what shock collars and pinch collars are, can sometimes be misused by people who don't have a clue what they are doing. Many of these same people believe if a dog shows any aggression, food or otherwise, they should be destroyed. So is it better to use a tool at your disposal and save the dog or go ahead and kill the dog because you don't like the tool?

Positive reinforcement is the key word in dog training right now. Many "trainers" refuse to work with dogs who show any aggression. I have never seen Cesar refuse to work with any dog, no matter the level of problem.

Is he right or wrong? The pack mentality is a true condition. I have watched it with my own dogs and many dogs I have worked with at the shelter. I have also watched trainers begin working with animals using the tools available and then graduating with a more calming approach. I have seen trainers talk owners out of using pinch collars because the owners were clueless in the proper way to use the tool and the dog ended up being hurt, which just stimulated the aggression.

I believe there are some dogs out there who will never be able to go into a home. They have simply been so scarred by humans, the bond of trust has been broken. The animals may, if they are lucky, live out their lives in a sanctuary. More of them will be killed than saved.

I have also seen dogs who even though humans have never done anything good towards them, bounce back quickly with human interaction and make wonderful family pets.

There are also dogs in between, who take a little more time, but in the end, become cherished family pets.

Some of them have had pinch collars or E collars used.

The final question is can the animal be saved? If one of the mentioned tools can help rehabilitate a previously unadoptable dog, should it be used or should the dog be destroyed? Only you can answer that question.

Cesar Milan has done a lot of educating of humans in the psychology of dogs. Should we take that away because we don't like some of his methods?

Sue Sternberg, who has been around a lot longer than Cesar, developed Assess-A-Pet testing for aggressive tendencies in dogs. Many shelters still use this and then kill the animals who fail this test as unadoptable even though many times these dogs can be rehabilitated.

I have watched Victoria Stillwell achieve success on her Animal Planet show but she doesn't work well with aggression in my opinion.

As long as there are rescue people, there will be disputes on training. When you are in the public eye, you expect that to happen. Why don't we give kudos to those who are attempting to educate and train instead of chastising them for using methods we disagree with?

You can check out the article here and decide for yourself how cruel or not Cesar is.

Please help Gilbert Grape find a home

2012-01-15T17:11:00.002-05:00

Sweet, gentle, loving, and a laid back is the kind of guy I am. Oh, and very handsome! I was a stray until some nice people helped me. Now I live with a wonderful foster family with 2 other dogs! But, I need a permanent home of my own. Everybody I meet says I am a good dog. I know where to “do my business” and will let you know. I do not chew on things other than my own toys. I am crate trained and also know all my basic commands! I really like other dogs and even cats! I would love to live with you, and it would be extra great if you had another dog! I like company! If you want to meet me please contact:

Catherine Ellis (941) 349-3352 or (941) 726-0540
or
Foster Parents:
Lisa & Dick Schauwecker (941) 362-2963 or (941) 544-9049

“Gilly” is male/neutered Chocolate Lab/Pit Mix, between 1-2 years old, weighs about 53 lbs and still need to put on a few more pounds, up to date on shots and on monthly flea & heartworm preventive.

Surrounded by rescued animals

2012-01-15T10:26:00.002-05:00

One thing you will always notice when being around animal people are their animals. Many people have animals, but they normally consist of one dog or one cat, or maybe one of each. These animals normally live in the same home their whole lives and when they are gone, their owners go out and get another.

Then you visit a friend who is a animal person. They always have multiples. Three or four dogs and a couple of cats. They all live peacefully (sometimes) in the same household even when many times they do not join the household until they are a year old or more. The animals acclimate to each other and their new home. They establish the pecking order among themselves, even though sometimes a new animal become the leader animal over one which has lived in the household the longest.

This order is not something we humans can determine. The animals do that themselves. Then we humans sit around and talk about downsizing. I know this is true because I had this conversation with a friend of mine last night. She has two young dogs, one middle aged dog and two seniors, plus two cats.

She, like me, has always loved the type of dog no one else wants. The big ones. Now I have two medium sized ones, compared to my rottis anyway, and her big dogs are her seniors.

I have decided, in all my infinite wisdom, we may decrease the size of the animal, but we are not contented to have just one. We can talk all we want about downsizing, but there will always be another animal out there who needs us. One we need. We may go down from five to four or three to two, but we will never go back to one again. It simply isn't in our genetic makeup when we know what the homeless population goes through.

I am glad we are that way. I hope we never change. Here's to Kerry, David and their crew. You guys helped reinforce what I keep writing about. Adoption is the only option.

Golden mix pup needs foster/forever home in Miami

2012-01-15T10:23:00.001-05:00

CONTACT Shehnaz at otepevilj@yahoo.com

Intact male looks like golden mix He is a male, he's about 6-7 months old I could be wrong but I'm  almost positive he is still considered a puppy. Found around Brickell. Followed me home. I have asked people in the neighborhood about him to see if he  belongs to someone. They said they've seen him running around for a few days  now. He seems to be good with cats he was sitting next to one when I saw him  then he proceeded to run over and greet me and my dog he was in no way  aggressive towards him. He just wanted to play. He followed me all the way home.  Got him scanned, no microchip. I gave him some food and clean water he was pretty  hungry. Not once has he barked. He isnt nippy or mouthy. He's extremely  friendly and just wants to sit next to you and get loved on. Unfortunately I  don't have the space for a larger dog :( but I needed to do something about it.  Couldn't just leave him on the streets like that.

If you are interested in fostering/adopting him, please contact me at tal790@aol.com or Shehnaz at otepevilj@yahoo.com

Thank you!

Walter needs a rescue or will be PTS

2012-01-15T10:19:00.001-05:00

Walter is only 7 months old and needs to go to a rescue due to skin conditions. Is there someone out there who can help this sweet baby? Please circulate and put on your thinking caps. Transport can be arranged. PLEASE try hard and thank you!!!!!

**DONATION HAS BEEN OFFERED TO QUALIFIED RESCUE**

**1/2/12 NEW PHOTO OF WALTER!! HIS SKIN ISSUES ARE CLEARING UP AND HE LOOKS GREAT BUT STILL SHOWING SIGNS OF STRESS IN THE KENNEL SO NEEDS OUT NOW! PLEASE SHARE FOR HIM.

12/29 URGENT LISTED BY SHELTER...SHOWING SIGNS OF STRESS FROM BEING IN THE KENNEL.....HE NEEDS OUT ASAP!!!!!

NAPLES, FL~NEEDS URGENT RESCUE...PLEASE HELP SHARE AS TIME IS LIMITED!!! Came in as an owner surrender � he is a loveable guy � very friendly and happy go lucky!

THIS IS WALTER!!! ID #149206 - Walter, Male, Retriever or hound mix, 7 months...Skin issues � possible demo

Please email sweatherford@comcast.net if you can rescue – or please forward this email – please crosspost.

All animals pulled from this shelter are spayed/neutered, UTD on shots, Microchipped – 501(c)3 required to pull - $20 pull fee

Labradoodle and two lab mixes urgent in Tavares, FL

2012-01-15T10:16:00.001-05:00

PLEASE SHARE..IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE DON'T WAIT…CONTACT DENISE ASAP. WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED URGENT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED.

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)

***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
THANK YOU,
MELINDA

2 YR OLD FEMALE LABRADOODLE, VERY SWEET, HER NAME IS MARLEY, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS     FEMALE SPAYED, 2 YRS OLD LAB MIX, MICROCHIPPED, UTD, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS.........ADOPTED AND BROUGHT BACK WITH IN A FEW HOURS,.....ADOPTER STATED THERE OTHER DOG AT HOME DID NOT LIKE THE NEW DOG.     7-8 YR OLD FEMALE, LAB MIX, VERY SWEET, TALKER, PLEASE CAN U HELP

Irresponsible pet owners

2012-01-14T06:38:00.002-05:00

We all know irresponsible pet owners. We all attempt to educate these folks every chance we get. It is a fine line when they don't want to hear what you are saying and the animal is the one who suffers.

I don't own a cat but know many who do. Most of the people I know who own cats keep them indoors and the cats function just fine. I also know some who allow their cats outside via cat door and the cats come and go as they please.

Then there are the people who own a cat and simply dump it outside, along with a dish for food and water and never interact with the animal again.

I have one of those in my neighborhood. We also have a cat wandering around who is a very nice cat. We, all suspect the cat belongs to this person, but since she will not speak to any of us, we really don't know. He stands at the outside door and meows piteously to go inside on cold nights, sprays all over our cars and wreaks havoc on all the dogs in the neighborhood.

About six weeks ago, another neighbor began feeding this poor feline and set up a box with blankets outside her door for him. She has several cats and three dogs already, so doesn't have room for another cat, but felt sorry for the one outside.

She found he was a very nice cat, affectionate and loving, and simply was neglected. He was also intact, which can cause even more kittens who are unwanted.

Yesterday she call and asked my opinion on what to do with this cat. He is intact, no tag or collar and obviously a neighborhood nuisance.

Does he belong to someone? We don't really know so to give him a better chance at a good life, my neighbor is taking him to a rescue to have him neutered, get his shots and try to find him a loving home. One where he will be appreciated for the loving animal he is and not dumped outside in the elements, to wander around, create more unwanted kittens, and either get hit by a car or starved to death due to neglect.

Stunning Golden Retriever mix looking for a home in the Miami area

2012-01-13T18:15:00.002-05:00

Dina rescued a male golden retriever mix 10-12 months old before Christmas on Biscayne. He had no collar or tags so I took him to a vet nearby to have him looked at. He stayed there for a few days to get cleaned up and is in good shape.
I got him up to date with shots and will have him neutered.
I would keep him but I have 2 big dogs and my 1 mix is not dog friendly only with my lab otherwise I would definitely keep him. He is super sweet and a little shy.
Please call Kathy if you can help Dina with this pup. 305 401 4693

Senior Rottweiler in Tampa needs home; owner died

2012-01-13T15:25:00.002-05:00

This is Lakota, an older female rottie (not sure of exact age) who's owner passed away at home with Lakota in the house with him, for 2 WEEKS. Lakota was adopted from a Rottie Rescue in Florida years ago, the family does not know which one. She was taken to Suwannee County Animal Control in Live Oak, FL and was later picked up by deceased owner's brother, and brought to his home in Tampa. The brother, Preston was hoping that Lakota could live her life out there with his family and several other dogs. Lakota got along great with the bigs dogs,but, unfortunatley she does NOT get along with small dogs, and went after the 2 Chihuahua's she was given a second chance and same reaction it was clear that she does not do well with little dogs!!! However, loves children and was very happy to be around a 9 year old!!! PLEASE crosspost for her, she is a senior and will not be adopted out if she goes back to AC. I am no longer in Florida, I moved to Maryland and cannot take her I can be the point of contact for now PLEASE forward to anyone that is on your approved Rescue list-THANK YOU for helping Lakota!!!!! FYI spayed and very well behaved!!! crate trained, etc.

steph4rotties@gmail.com

Long timers at DAS in Naples are on the urgent list

2012-01-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

ALL OF THE DOGS LISTED BELOW HAVE BEEN AT THE SHELTER FOR THEIR ALLOTED TIME AND NOW IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THEY FIND HOMES OR RESCUE. CONTACT sweatherford@comcast.net IF YOU CAN HELP

COLLIER COUNTY DOMESTIC ANIMAL SERVICES

7610 DAVIS BLVD. NAPLES, FL

RED (A148743)	Male	Red	Labrador Retriever mix	01 Years 02 Months 02 Days	2011.11.11	CollierCountyDomestic Animal Services
AXEL (A125863)	Male (Neutered)	Tan	Boxer mix	01 Years 11 Months 01 Days	2011.11.14	CollierCountyDomestic Animal Services
JOJO (A147543)	Female (Spayed)	Tan	Pit Bull Terrier mix	00 Years 08 Months 18 Days	2011.11.15	CollierCountyDomestic Animal Services
RUSTY (A149086)	Male	Brown	Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Rhodesian Ridgeback	01 Years 01 Months 25 Days	2011.11.19	CollierCountyDomestic Animal Services

Catahoula with boarding offer running short on time

2012-01-13T04:59:00.006-05:00

We just laid our beloved rescue dog who didn't make it to rest last weekend. Ray Ray could have been this dog's brother. It sounds like she has the same personality but she may be deaf and she is cross-eyed. Please share and let's see if we can stop her from dying. We couldn't save Ray Ray but we can continue to try and save as many as possible.

PLEASE SHARE..IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE DON'T WAIT…CONTACT DENISE ASAP. WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED URGENT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED. LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)***PLEASE NOTE***FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4 (THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH) IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
POSSIBLY DEAF***BOARDING OFFER FROM LOUISE W/ SUNKIVA KENNELS IN HAWTHORNE, FL***LOUISE IS OFFERING ONE MONTH OF FREE BOARDING (IF NEEDED) TO A APPROVED RESCUE IF THEY CAN SAVE THIS SWEETIE PIE
MORE INFO FROM DENISE: WHAT A WONDERFUL DOG, GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS, SCARED OF CATS.female catahoula, about 1-2 yrs old, slightly cross eyed,and acts like she is deaf.....very very sweet, acts like a puppy

FOR RESCUE GROUP ONLY***URGENT, NOW LAST CHANCE TO SAVE***NEEDS RESCUE COMMITMENT BEFORE FRIDAY 1/13 @ 8 AM
1/11 UPDATE: AS OF TODAY, THE DOBIE, IS NOT GOOD WITH OTHER MALE DOGS, AND NOT GOOD WITH CATS, OK WITH FEMALE DOGS, BUT THAT MIGHT CHANGE ONCE NEUTERED,AS HE WAS ONLY INTERESTED IN ONE THING, ALSO AS OF TODAY HE HAS MAJOR DIARREHEA, HE IS NOW VERY URGENT, PLEASE LMK IF YOU CAN HELP
This is "BLUE"... 5 yr old male dobie, beautiful blue color, skin issues, and small sores on his hips, underweight

VOLUNTEERS needed: Adoptions This Saturday at PetSmart in Sarasota

2012-01-13T04:56:00.000-05:00

I will be at PetSmart in Sarasota Landings this Saturday January 14th from 11am - 3:30 pm with adoptable dogs and cats from Sarasota Animal Services.Every dog I bring must have a handler so your help is important. If you can spare a few hours this Saturday please let me know so that I can bring the appropriate amount of dogs. Thank you for all that you do!
rheam777@gmail.com
--

Bully/Boxer mix and Italian Greyhound mix need forever homes in Florida City

2012-01-13T04:52:00.002-05:00

Someone left this sweet male bully/boxer mix tied to a tree in an abandoned house last week but thank God he was found in time!! He has been well fed & seems to be in good shape. He is about 3 years old, 100lb. We need a rescue/adopter to step up. Please contact Evelyn Casas at e_casas@live.com or 305-878-8351 if you can help. He has not been neutered yet.

This Italian greyhound mix was found roaming the streets in bad shape, completely emaciated, poor thing! But he is a fighter and is improving everyday. He is extremely friendly loves kids & gets along with other dogs. Please contact Evelyn Casas at e_casas@live.com or 305-878-8351 if you can help.

Stolen pitbull now in witness protection program

2012-01-13T04:19:00.002-05:00

Last week I came upon a story about a white pitbull a man had stolen from an animal shelter in New Jersey. After he was caught, the dog was returned to the shelter. The man has since apologized to the shelter personel and donated food and toys. I am like the shelter director, who believes his heart was in the right place but what he did was wrong.
But then, I read the updated story and find out the pitbull has now been adopted. He went home with an FBI agent. How cool is that? The shelter director says she is now in the witness protection program, never to go missing again.
Her name was Sugar and you can check out the story here.

Doris Day Animal Foundation provides grant to help senior dogs

2012-01-13T04:05:00.002-05:00

Senior dogs or those with special needs are my passion inside my passion of rescuing homeless animals.
Seeing this headline made my night. I love anyone who supports a rescue for senior dogs. Doris Day has done so much for the animals and her foundation continues to fund animal causes.
Check out this story.

"No-kill" is coming to Hillsborough Animal Services

2012-01-12T05:31:00.003-05:00

I did not believe this movement would come to fruition in my lifetime. I knew we could do it, but I doubted there were enough of us in the rescue world to actually make it a reality.
When a large county with a HUGE animal control problem elects to try and follow "No-kill" right on the heels of Manatee County, I know whatever we are doing is working.
Hillsborough is calling their program, "Save 90" and would like to be able to save 90% of the animals brought into the shelter. What an awesome undertaking. They have the support of the community and other rescues which they will need to accomplish this, much like Manatee County.
Check out the story here. It includes links to check out Nathan Winograd's, the father of the "No-kill" movement, speaking engagement next month in Tampa.

West Palm Beach, FL, Parson Russell Terrier needs a home

2012-01-11T16:33:00.002-05:00

MEET CHLOE, A FEMALE PARSON RUSSELL TERRIER.
SHE WAS FOUND ROOMING THE STREETS AROUND PEMBROKE RD AND DYKES IN PEMBROKE PINES FLORIDA. THE GENTLEMAN THAT FOUND HER OPENED THE DOOR TO HIS TRUCK AND SHE JUMPED UP IN HIS LAP. HE TOOK HER TO HIS VET AND UNFORTUNATELY SHE DOES NOT HAVE A MICRO CHIP NOR WAS SHE WEARING A COLLAR. SHE IS WORM FREE AND WEIGHS 13 POUNDS 12 OUNCES. SHE IS HOUSE TRAINED, KNOWS HOW TO SIT AND GIVE HER PAW, FRIENDLY TO PEOPLE,CHILDREN, DOGS AND CATS. LOVES TO RIDE IN THE CAR, PLAY WITH TOYS AND LOVES DOG TREATS. SHE SLEEPS IN HER CRATE ALL NIGHT AND LETS YOU KNOW WHEN SHE HAS TO BE TAKEN OUT. SHE IS A LITTLE ANGEL LOOKING FOR A LOVING HOME THAT WILL CARE FOR HER THE WAY SHE DESERVES. SHE IS ABOUT 2 YO OF PURE LOVE AND ENERGY.
SHE IS CURRENTLY IN WEST PALM BEACH AND WILL BE FULLY VETTED AND GIVEN ALL HER SHOTS PRIOR TO ADOPTION. SHE WILL ALSO HAVE A DENTAL CLEANING DONE. ADOPTION DONATION FOR THIS GIRL IS $200.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING HER PART OF YOUR FAMILY, PLEASE CONTACT MARIA AT OUT4SUN68@YAHOO.COM OR CALL 561-289-2009.
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONTACTS!

Dogs and poker sometimes don't mix

2012-01-11T07:09:00.002-05:00

I attended a seminar a few weeks ago on getting legislation passed which is where I first heard about the bill to help end greyhound racing at dog tracks. It seem in Florida, some track owners would like to do away with dog racing but can't if they want to keep their poker rooms open. If this legislation passes, it may cause the end of racing sooner rather than later.
Check out the article here.

Deciding When to Let Go Of a Pet

2012-01-11T06:58:00.002-05:00

I have a friend who's advice of when to let a pet go is something like this, "I would rather they go one day too early, than to suffer one day too long." I am on this side. I don't want any animal to suffer and because of human selfishness, many owners drag out the process until the animal's quality of life has simply disappeared.
I found this article and it has lots of good points in it. It is written by a veterinary oncologist which simply means animal cancer doctor.
Check it out.

Judge says pitbulls will not be returned to owner

2012-01-11T06:45:00.002-05:00

Even though his attorney wants the dogs returned to him, a judge in the case of the suspected dog fighter says the animals were scarred, malnourished, infested with fleas and diseased and will not be returned to their listed owner.
Finally, a judge using some common sense.
Check out the story here.

New California law is a start; Florida legislators pay attention

2012-01-11T05:24:00.002-05:00

California is a leader when it comes to the protection of animals and even they don't have anything to stop backyard breeders. That could all change with a new law which went into effect on January 1, 2012. Now it is against the law to sell or give away animals in parking lots. Fines can be levied in the amount of $250.00 and it is a misdemeanor. Violators can face of to 1 year in jail and $1,000.00 fine if there is neglect or abuse involved.
Backyard breeders are a scourge on society. Puppies are bred with no lineage, sold with no shots or dumped outside the area if they are not purchased.
Finally someone is coming up with some kind of law, even though it is minor to help combat this problem. Florida legislators? Are you paying attention?
Check out the story here.

Foster puppies ready for adoption

2012-01-11T05:04:00.002-05:00

Four, male, American Bulldog (maybe mixed with something else, maybe not) foster puppies for Sarasota County Animal Services are now old enough (8 weeks) to be adopted out. We need all the help we can get finding them homes quickly.

The adoptions will be through Animal Services and the fee is $70. They will get their first set of puppy shots today (1/11/12). This, as well as the second set, the neuter and an inserted microchip is included in the fee.
Anyone interested should contact Caroline by e-mail: liljencrantz@hotmail.com

9 new small dogs in Tavares, FL

2012-01-10T18:16:00.000-05:00

NEW INTAKES 1/9 (SMALL DOGS)

***PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYONE URGENT, IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE DON'T WAIT TIME IS VERY LIMITED NOW***

PLEASE SHARE..IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE DON'T WAIT…CONTACT DENISE ASAP. WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED URGENT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED.

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)

***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4
(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
THANK YOU,
MELINDA

FOR RESCUE GROUP ONLY
URGENT

2-4 yr old male , chihuahua, RESCUE ONLY, can only be picked up with towel, needs tlc, i think would be ok, out side of the kennel enviroment, but at this point, doesn't want to be petted, please urgent, lmk if you can help!

OWNER SURRENDER

lady, white terrier mix, 1 yr old female, sweet, but can be cage aggressive, ogu

OWNER SURRENDER

ricky, chi terrier mix, 1 yr old , skin issues, scared but sweet, ogu

tinkle, heeler , 2 yr old female, tiny, very cute

stray, cocker mix, male, 6 yrs old

(2) chihuahuas, female and male, about 3-4 yrs old, slight skin issue, female very friendly, male, lil standoffish, hestitate to be picked up, (typical chi), but good once picked up

OWNER SURRENDERS

(2) doxies turned in by owner oscar, the blue dapple, 8 yr old male rachel, the long hair red doxie 6 yrs old, female both very sweet and up for adoption right now

Seven new dogs in Tavares, FL

2012-01-10T18:07:00.000-05:00

1/9 MORE NEW INTAKES

***PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYONE URGENT, IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE DON'T WAIT TIME IS VERY LIMITED NOW***

PLEASE SHARE..IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE DON'T WAIT…CONTACT DENISE ASAP. WE ARE ALL CONSIDERED URGENT AS TIME IS ALWAYS LIMITED.

LOCATED AT LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES (TAVARES, FL)

***PLEASE NOTE***
FOR ALL RESCUE GROUP INQUIRIES/OFFERS PLEASE CONTACT DENISE (EMAILS ARE PREFERRED): williams.denise022@gmail.com (gmail.com) OR 352-636-3740

FOR ALL ADOPTION INQUIRIES/QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER DIRECTLY AT: 352-343-9688 MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 10-4 OR PLEASE VISIT IN PERSON MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 AND SATURDAY 10-4
(THE SHELTER IS CLOSED THE 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE OR SPONSOR FOR ANY DOG POSTED PLEASE EMAIL DENISE
THANK YOU,
MELINDA

The cutest chow / pom mix ever...this is hooch, 7 yr old neutered male, tiny, slightly bigger than pom size, underbite! so cute

VERY URGENT

very urgent...2-3 yr old male beautiful lab, scared, but sweet

ALREADY NEUTERED

big boy, so sweet, neutered male, 2 yrs old, bullmastiff mix

only a baby, 1 yr old male , super sweet, and of course a talker!

ALREADY NEUTERED & MICROCHIPPED

"Spartacus", neutered male, and microchipped, housebroken, lab mix

POSSIBLY DEAF

female catahoula, about 1-2 yrs old, slightly cross eyed,and acts like she is deaf.....very very sweet, acts like a puppy

This is "BLUE"... 5 yr old male dobie, beautiful blue color, skin issues, and small sores on his hips, underweight

The value of microchips and dog licenses

2012-01-10T06:28:00.002-05:00

If you have any doubt of the value of microchips and county license tags, check out this story. It may cause you to change your mind. I will also remind you that many shelters now automatically microchip their animals so in case of emergency, the shelter will be called.
This man was not so lucky. Don't let this happen to you.

St. Louis proposes neutering all cats and dogs

2012-01-10T06:13:00.002-05:00

This is one of the strictest proposals I have seen but what strides could be made if they actually passed it. Of course, they won't because we as a public are so very concerned with people telling us what to do in our private lives, including having our pets spayed and neutered. It is only through perserverence we can fight the uneducated and we must continue the fight. My suggestion is having all the opponents to this bill spend a couple of days at the local animal control in the death room. That may change their minds but then again, maybe not.
Check out the story here.

Critter Comments

Bonded dogs in Miami need a home together

Shelter Animals May be Put Down Sooner

Puppy With Eyes Gouged Out Recovers With Help From Donors

Florida Animal Rescue Act, the 2nd half

Florida Animal Rescue Act will be too late for some dogs

Rescuers? abandon animals in Alabama kennels

Seven dogs need homes or rescue,Tavares, FL

Cats and kittens to be euthanized if not rescued - Tavares, FL

Puppytown tomorrow, noon-1:30 to protest marketing puppies from puppy mills

Gorgeous and sweet American Bulldog, Land O'Lakes, FL

Shih Tzu - URGENT - GAINESVILLE, FL

Who is a perfect pet owner?

Oodles of tiny weeny adorable kitties for adoption at Sarasota County Animal Services

Senior alert in Lake County, Florida

Westminster introduces 6 new breeds to competition

Horrific euthanization numbers in North Carolina

Manatee County Animal Services needs adopters

K9 For Love has 200 Homestead dogs, need food, volunteers​, donations for vet care

Rat Terrier needs rescue in Miami

Please help overturn archaic BSL law in Dade County, Florida

Hillsborough County bans most dog-tethering

Manatee County Animal Services needs help

Protest marketing puppies that come from horrific puppy mills

Why are people scared of kennel cough?

G.R.I.T.S. : Going above and beyond

N.J. animal shelter seeking permanent custody of Patrick the pit bull

The Animal Connection: Why Do We Keep Pets?

Corpus Christie, Texas working on animal control issues

Opponents of Florida Animal Rescue Act Call Rescue Organizations "Hoarders"

Two year old female cocker looking for a home in West Palm Beach

Two very handsome bully mixes in Tavares in urgent need of rescue or homes

So many homeless animals, so few homes

Dangerous dogs: here we go again

Zorro is close enough to perfect and needs a home

Satchel's Last Resort is looking for donations

Suggestions for working with rural shelter

An American Bulldog and a Retriever mix need rescue now

Sweetheart in Tampa is out of time

Doing the right thing, again

Pet Pages Celebration of Pets - Feb 25th - Volunteers needed for Sarasota County Animal Services

Awesome Border Collie/Greyhound in Sarasota need a home

Contact Kate @ 401-282-9972. And email is Kate McHughkmchugh30@live.com

Senior Shih Tzu Sisters need out of shelter,mostly blind and deaf - Orlando, FL

2011 HSUS Humane State Ranking

East Polk Tract Is Nation's Newest Wildlife Refuge

Critics say Hillsborough County anti-tethering plan too lenient

Finally, a law to curb invasive snakes in the country

Pinellas Animal Services closes after-hours drop to public

Sad Hound Girl in Gainesville Needs Rescue

Could the tide be turning?

Two steps forward and three steps back

Doxie mix and American Bulldog - Running out of time - Naples, FL

PUNTA GORDA, FL, CONFISCATION,5 NEGLECTED DOGS NEED FOSTERS,ADOPTION, DONATIONS

Trying to do the right thing

Walter is safe

Dogfighting Advocacy group posts page on Facebook

Right or wrong, Cesar protests will continue

Please help Gilbert Grape find a home

Surrounded by rescued animals

Golden mix pup needs foster/forever home in Miami

Walter needs a rescue or will be PTS

Labradoodle and two lab mixes urgent in Tavares, FL

Irresponsible pet owners

Stunning Golden Retriever mix looking for a home in the Miami area

Senior Rottweiler in Tampa needs home; owner died

Long timers at DAS in Naples are on the urgent list

Catahoula with boarding offer running short on time

VOLUNTEERS needed: Adoptions This Saturday at PetSmart in Sarasota

Bully/Boxe​r mix and Italian Greyhound mix need forever homes in Florida City

Stolen pitbull now in witness protection program

Doris Day Animal Foundation provides grant to help senior dogs

"No-kill" is coming to Hillsborough Animal Services

West Palm Beach, FL, Parson Russell Terrier needs a home

Dogs and poker sometimes don't mix

Deciding When to Let Go Of a Pet

Judge says pitbulls will not be returned to owner

New California law is a start; Florida legislators pay attention

Foster puppies ready for adoption

9 new small dogs in Tavares, FL

K9 For Love has 200 Homestead dogs, need food, volunteers, donations for vet care

Bully/Boxer mix and Italian Greyhound mix need forever homes in Florida City