Denise Einkauf and her hubby out in Fulshear are about to open their Waggin Tails Pet Ranch - and they have A LOT of space for evacuee animals. However, they need someone to put up some gates on their 4' x 8' air conditioned runs as soon as possible. They will pay! If you know of anyone who does some fence work and can get out there quickly, please call Denise at 832-875-3621 or her husband Derek at 832-875-3617.
I will email individually all of the wonderful people who have come forward to offer temporary housing for animals, but I wanted to get this posted first: I have just spoken with the CEO of Houston's Red Cross Chapter about the best way to contact evacuees who need shelter for their animals. He has asked me to email him a list of people who have space available, and he will forward that to all the local Red Cross shelters, who will be able to distribute that information to evacuees.
So... if you have not already emailed me about temporary animal boarding, please do so at lforonda@khou.com. Let me know how many animals/type you can board, for how long, cost (or not), phone number, and address. I am going to put in into an Excel file and email him tomorrow evening.
Thank you all for stepping up to the plate and coming forward. Our Spirit of Texas Hurricane Drive brought in more than $6 million this afternoon. Houston - and Texas - have hearts worth the fabled size of the Lone Star State!
I am getting pleas from shelters for supplies. Here's what you can do to help:
It's taken in 27 evacuated Lousiana cats. CAP is at 11925 Katy Freeway, and the number is 281-497-0591.
They're requesting:
All of the above plus
non-colored dry food (Purina One)
Fancy Feast or SophistiCat canned food
white plastic "bird bowls"
towels
litter (plain old clay litter is fine)
August 31, 2005
HOW TO HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS - BOTH PEOPLE AND PETS
I wanted to let everyone know about KHOU's Spirit of Texas Hurricane Relief Drive that's going on all day today. We've teamed up with the Red Cross and local businesses to help fund the rebuilding effort out east on the Gulf Coast. You can participate by calling us at 713-284-8877 until seven tonight. You can also donate directly to the Red Cross (1-800-HELP-NOW) and the Salvation Army (1-800-SAL-ARMY). Those links are VERY busy, by the way.. so it may take a few tries to get the pages to load.
That said, I received this comment today from Kathy Thomas, who runs the Oasis Pet Shop in Dickinson:
I would like to extend a challenge to all of the pet shops in the Houston, Galveston and surrounding areas to donate monies to the local shelters that are housing our furry friends that have also been displaced in this tragedy. The agencies that are in ruins are going to need help also in getting back on their feet. This battle is not over with yet. (P.S.) I have not forgotten our two legged friends either.
I know the Houston SPCA and Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) have taken in some Louisiana Pets. The Humane Society of the US and ASPCA are taking donations. The Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) has volunteers standing by to go in and rescue stranded animals. Each of the highlighed rescue group links will take you to a donation page.
Am I missing anyone? If so, please post a comment to let me know. Post a comment to send prayers and best wishes. God knows we all certainly need them now.
August 30, 2005
CAP takes on more cats
I've just received an email from Citizens for Animal Protection. They've taken 27 of the Louisiana cat evacuees from the Houston SPCA. HSPCA is trying to find more humane organizations to take on some of the 263 animals brought in by Louisiana's SPCA late early Monday morning.
CAP has its Cajun cats in its education room, and says these "southern belles and gentlemen" are ready for adoption. You can reach them at their website or give them a call at 281-497-0591.
August 30, 2005
Dogs taking over downtown
I went for my daily run into downtown Houston this morning, and I was on the lookout for dogs. I'd read this article in the Houston Chronicle that many of our hotels were relaxing their rules on pet guests, and that dogs were padding around.
What a crazy sight. I felt like I was in New York for a dog show. There were dogs and their owners all over downtown, walking around outside the hotels. I stopped outside the Hilton Americas to talk with one gentleman, who told me he was from Metarie, Louisiana. He was walking his Silky Terrier, named Pocket. I shared my condolences and best wishes, and asked if he was being taken care of. He said everyone was extremely helpful. Pocket, of course, didn't look like he had a care in the world.
In any case, among the many things I'm grateful for as Houston reaches out to help storm victims, I'm pleased many of our local hotels recognize the importance of keeping the "family" together, and that having our pets nearby can be a calming presence in a time of uncertainty.
August 30, 2005
Panda-monium
Here's something that will hopefully put a smile on your face: two more twin pandas were born at in China yesterday. Their mother is Hua Mei, the first panda born in the Western hemisphere at the San Diego Zoo back in 1999. My husband and I saw her when she was just over two years old, when we visited San Diego for a marathon back in 2001. Hua Mei was returned to China in 2004 to enable that country to continue its panda conservation efforts. It certainly looks as if Hua Mei is doing her part!
August 29, 2005
Seven Poms-a-runnin'
I'm sitting on our set tonight, listening to Dr. Neil Frank update us on what is now Tropical Storm Katrina. We had a story from a Baytown Red Cross shelter with reporter Shern-Min Chow (link to her story and live shot
here), who was outside, talking with a family from New Orleans, who had brought their seven Pomeranians (looked like four puppies to boot) with them. Since the dogs weren't allowed in the shelter, some good samaritans brought out a dog crate and fans so the family and the pups could sleep in some comfort outdoors. I don't know who those samaritans are, but thank you for going out of your way to show some Houston hospitality to our friends in need!
August 29, 2005
Hurricane Katrina animals update
First off, I apologize about the sporadic website trouble. Our network, all across all of our Belo TV stations is up and down, because of high website traffic with Katrina.
Here at KHOU, it's all hands on deck. Even though the Houston area isn't getting any real weather affects from Hurricane Katrina, we have been caring for many of its refugees - both human and animal. One of our sister stations, WWL-TV in New Orleans, moved to the campus of LSU to continue their coverage. We are also doing our best to share our resources with them to help them cover the story and get the most accurate and timely information out to viewers (or listeners, who might be able to pick them up on the radio).
Lousiana Refugees
As I mentioned this past weekend, the
Houston SPCA took in some of the Louisiana shelter animal evacuees. The final total was 263. These are just two of the animals that came in last night. Many of those animals are already up for adoption here, and the SPCA needs some food and monetary help in this crisis. You can reach them at 713-869-7722 or check out their
website for information.
Other evacuees include six dolphins, who were taken from their home at the Gulf Shores Marine Life Oceanarium, where caretakers feared floodwater would contaminate their habitat. The dolphins are now in a Holiday Inn Pool (believe it or not!) in Biloxi, Mississippi. The vet who cares for them says they only had to add a few other chemicals to the pool to make it safe for them. Here's the video.
In the meantime, as cleanup crews go in, volunteers will also be going in to animal storm victims. The Emergency Animal Rescue Service, EARS, is on alert to head out to try to collect as many animals as possible to hopefully be reunited with their owners. You can keep up to date with EARS's status reports here, as well as how you can help their volunteers.
In the meantime, have you come up with an evacuation plan for your pets? Red Cross shelters will NOT take them in case you have to evacuate. Good hearted people fleeing New Orleans have been spotted taking their animals with them; our reporter Jeremy Desel caught up with some on 1-10 and reported on it in his blog
here. You can plan your pet's evacuation with these
tips from the
American Red Cross.
I am heartsick for the storm victims. Their lives are forever changed and they will need a lot of support to get back on track and rebuild. We were helped by many, many good souls when Tropical Storm Allison flooded parts of town. I know Houston will return the favor.
August 27, 2005
The Houston SPCA's annual telethon
I am remiss in forgetting to blog about something I've done just about every year since I've been here: The Houston SPCA's annual telethon. I was there for two hours, showing off some lovely dogs and cats with special guest host Frank of TLC's Trading Spaces - who, himself, owns cats, dogs, and sugargliders.
I know there has been some discord in the animal community about the SPCA changing its intake policies, transferring much of the intake of stray animals to the City of Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC), and focusing on its original mission of caring for owner turn-ins and cruelty cases. I won't get into that discussion here, but the SPCA is the go-to location in times of natural disasters, and Hurricane Katrina fits the bill. After the telethon closes tonight, the SPCA will remain open late to take in up to 300 shelter animals that have been transferred from Louisiana. They're expected to arrive around 11PM. Some will stay here for adoption; others that are strays will be returned to Louisiana as per the rules of Louisiana's stray animal community policies.
The HSPCA is already jam packed. It's low on food and now it is taking on the additional burden of hundreds of other animals that need care. If you would like to donate something - be it food or money - the HSPCA would love to hear from you. Head to their website or give them a call at 713-869-7722.
August 26, 2005
New babies at the Houston Zoo
Two jaguar cubs have moved out of the den and into the open with their mother at The
Houston Zoo. The pair were born June 14th, and since then, they've been living off exhibit with mama Cocoy as they grew stronger and more confident.
Now, they're free to roam around and explore their mother's habitat. In the wild, jaguars usually have one to four cubs, which are born helpless and blind. They usually come out of the den after two weeks, and begin hunting with their mother at six months. You can check out live video of the cubs
here.
August 26, 2005
Panda cub number 2
My sister told me I was forgetting about the panda cub at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. He's a big plump boy who just opened his eyes yesterday. You can also watch him and Mom on a pandacam here.
August 25, 2005
Houston Dog Parks
You're not supposed to have your dog off leash in public places in the city of Houston, unless you're inside a dog park. I didn't realize how many parks were open (and more are opening) across the Houston area, until I headed over to the Houston Dog Park Association's web page. I counted eight parks already completed, with three more in the design and construction stages.
HDPA's site is comprehensive, giving you directions, photos, and information about area dog parks. It also has great tips about what to expect at dog parks, and how to handle yourself and your pooch.
August 25, 2005
Tortoise Surgery
How do you stitch up a tortoise? You use fiberglass, of course! I didn't know that, but some very innovative veterinarians in San Francisco did: they patched up a desert tortoise after removing four bladder stones from his belly.
This is Cactus, a 40 year old
desert tortoise who lives at the San Francisco
Zoo. For the past decade, zoo vets have been keeping an eye on some bladder stones that have been growing in him.
When the stones finally got too big for comfort, vets decided to go in and take them out. They cut a 3 x 4 inch "door" in the tortoise's underbelly, and removed the stones. They weighed just a bit over a pound: quite a heavy load for a normally 8 pound tortoise! After the removal, the vet "stitched" Cactus back up with a bit of fiberglass and epoxy, sort of like "fixing a ding on a surfboard."
Cactus, in the meantime, is on his way to a complete recovery. You can see more pictures of Cactus, including the stones and xrays, here.
August 24, 2005
Good morning, you're under arrest (Thanks, Houston Chronicle!)
I had to steal this headline from the Chron, because it really summed up what Houston Police had been doing earlier this week: a city-wide coordinated crackdown on people wanted for domestic abuse or child abuse. They caught 31 people in the pre dawn raids and had promised to pick up even more. This is all in conjunction with the City of Houston's "Men Against Family Violence" Campaign. There have been 19 family violence related deaths this year, compared with 14 during the same time in 2004.
I remembered this morning how domestic violence often includes the four legged members of the family. Abusers often use the family pet as leverage to keep the abused in the home, threatening to hurt the pet. Many times, the abusers hurt the pets. They may never lay a hand upon a human, but submitting people to the pain of a harmed pet is emotional abuse in the extreme. Many abused women (and men are abused, too) won't leave the relationship because they don't want to leave the pet behind. And you might imagine the impact of this kind of animal/emotional abuse has on children in the home.
I found a great deal of information on the Houston Women's Center website, which has a whole section (you'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view that section) on domestic violence and pets. Women who go into shelter do have an option for emergency housing of their pets, too - the Houston SPCA has its PetSafe program, which allows temporary boarding of pets. And technically, those pets "aren't" there. They've very securely housed, and abusers who to to the SPCA to try to claim their pets aren't even told if the animals are there or not. In any case, it's a safe haven for pets in times of family crisis. You can reach the SPCA's PetSafe program at 713-869-7722, extension 127.
I don't know of any other area animal groups offering similar services. If so, let me know, so I can post them.
August 23, 2005
New panda cub
Four years ago, my hubby and I were in San Diego and had the opportunity to visit the zoo. The main attraction I wanted to see there was the young panda, Hua Mei. The pandas there are "on loan" from China as part of the research to help Chinese Pandas continue to thrive in the wild there.
Needless to say, the pandas are ridiculously adorable. They do look like big teddy bears. And, when one is born, it's a reason to celebrate. Earlier this month, the latest cub was born. The vets at the zoo still don't know if it's a male or female, but they were able to examine it last week. It was just under a pound, measuring almost 9 and a half inches from nose to tail.
You can follow the progress of the baby here at the San Diego Zoo's website. If you're on a broadband (cable or DSL) connection, head to the zoo's webcam to check out a live feed in the panda den. I've wasted time at work watching Bai Yun giving her baby a bath. Very cute.
August 23, 2005
11 News story last night about dangerous dogs
We ran the following story last night on our 10 o'clock newscast about dangerous or biting dogs and the legal issues involved. Here is a link to Dave Fehling's piece. You can also watch the actual story here.
August 22, 2005
Sing for your supper
Is your dog the love of your life? Write a song about your relationship, and you could win some big bucks in this Cottonelle Contest..
August 22, 2005
Animal related bills in the Texas Legislature
From Amy Vandivere, one of my readers... a concise report on bills in the Texas Legislature concerning animals. This is merely a summary. If you'd like more detailed information, you can head to this website and search for the bills' outcomes in the 79th Regular Session of 2005. All commentary and summaries are from Amy:
-HB 326 and SB 172 were our bills trying to close the loopholes and
strengthen the animal cruelty statute and as reported earlier, these bills were killed in committee.
-HB 825 is a bill that makes it an offense to interfere with the duties of animal control officers and this bill passed.
-HB 1096 was a bad bill that affected only the City of Houston, but would have imposed some ridiculous requirements on dog owners and would have also allowed for breed specific ordinances in Houston. That bill failed in the Senate.
-HB 1190 was a bill that created a new section in the Property Code that allows a person to create a trust for the care of an animal. Thus, pet owners can now make their pets the beneficiary of a trust and provide for their maintenance and care in an enforceable trust document.
-HB 1505 would have required the Texas Department of State Health Services to develop and administer a voluntary animal control training program. This bill died in committee.
-HB 1767 is a bill that makes several changes to the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine. One of the provisions, which is a very good one, protects a veterinarian from any legal action if the veterinarian reports suspected animal abuse to the proper authorities. This bill passed.
-HB 1962 would have reduced the punishment for animal cruelty to a Class C misdemeanor. That bill never got a committee hearing and thus died.
-HB 1963 would have allowed appeals from justice court orders relating to the seizure of animals and would have effectively repealed the progress we made last year to strengthen the seizure statute. That bill never received a committee hearing and thus failed.
-HB 2026 was a bill relating to certain amendments to the Parks & Wildlife Code, but in the end became a vehicle for several amendments, some good and some bad. The good amendment is an amendment that outlaws internet hunting in Texas. The bad amendment is one that provides an additional exception to the registration of dangerous wild animals for wildlife trappers located west of the Pecos river.
-HB 2222 which would have increased the punishment for dog fighting and create a related statute regarding cockfighting died in committee.
-HB 2555 which allows for the humane killing of an injured game animal or game bird passed.
-HB 2840 which would have created some ridiculous requirements of dog owners and would have exposed dog owners to liability for a first time dog bite was defeated in the Senate.
-HB 2901 which would have, among other things, made deer which were placed under a deer management permit the personal property of the permit holder did not pass. The companion bill, SB 1504, also died.
-SB 1,which was the General Appropriations Bill through which we were trying to get $1 million appropriated to the Animal Friendly Fund, only appropriated $500,000. We now have over $800,000 of unappropriated money which will just sit there for another two years before we have a chance to use it.
-SB 248 - authorizes the use of approved non-surgical methods to sterilize dogs and cats in animal shelters. This bill passed.
August 22, 2005
Rescue Me - a Dogumentary
This was forwarded to me by one of our production assistants, who's a member of the Southwest Alternate Media Project..
This Saturday, the Cinema at Rice University will be screening Rescue Me, a 40 minute documentary about the people who take foster animals into their homes. Here's information about the film I snipped from its website:
After learning that over 20,000 animals are euthanized in Austin, Texas every year, Stacy Schoolfield volunteered to foster abandoned animals in her home. This film chronicles her experience, taking viewers straight to the heart of pet overpopulation's causes and complexities and examines the costs to individuals and the community. Rescue Me invites viewers to meet rescue volunteers, learn what motivates and challenges them, and experience the highs and lows of volunteering - from the satisfaction of matching a foster animal with an adoptive family to the disturbing numbers of adoptable companion animals euthanized every day due to overpopulation.
The Cinema will also screen a 20 minute documentary about the HPSCA shot by 14 year old Gabi Chenninsi. She and a friend, Mary Moran, spent more than 100 shooting and editing the movie.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for students. Rice University's Cinema is on the corner of University Boulevard and Stockton St. You can use Rice entrance #8 (directions here). All proceeds will benefit the Houston SPCA.
August 22, 2005
I think he's used one of his nine lives..
From the Associated Press....
GARDNERVILLE, Nev. (AP) -- A stalking foray atop a power pole left a lucky feline jolted, frizzled and dazed but otherwise OK after he fell off the 40-foot pole and sparked a fire outside a fire house.
The frazzled cat was discovered when paramedic-firefighters Andrew Chrzanowski and Jeremy Hall responded to the fire Wednesday morning after the lights went out at the Topaz Ranch Estates fire house.
"When we got the fire knocked down we saw this burned cat close to the base of the pole," Hall said.
They assumed it was dead until Chrzanowski noticed it was breathing. He put it on a blanket and gave it oxygen.
"We both thought that with the amount of burns he had he wasn't going to make it, but then we started to look more closely and we saw it was all superficial," Hall said. "The fire just burned all his hair off."
The firefighters believe the cat was on the pole, because a bird's nest was found on top and there was a large black spot where something had touched a relay switch on the 25,000-volt line.
Animal Control officer Janet Duzan took the cat to Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital, where Veterinarian Steve Talbot said it should make a full recovery.
"The doctor said it looks like he was in a flash fire and got singed from head to toe," Duzan said.
The cat will be put up for adoption if it is not claimed by its owner, she said.
August 20, 2005
Dirty socks and toilet water
My husband and I are training for the Marine Corps Marathon, and we slumped in chairs on our porch after we'd finished this morning's long run, trying to cool down after sweating like crazy in Houston's heat. As we gratefully pulled off our shoes and socks, who should come galloping out but Indy, our Golden, who knew a bonanza had just been dropped on to the ground..
Our big boy just LOVES our dirty socks. The smellier, the better. He'll walk circles around us, tail banging everything in sight, carrying those stupid socks around in his mouth. I suppose if dogs love the way we smell, those socks must be odor heaven.
We took Indy and Bailey (our Rottie mix) out for their morning walk. Even a brief 20 minutes outside at 9 in the morning is hot for dogs, so upon returning to the house, they both made a beeline for the bathroom, where Bailey proceeded to put what appeared to be the upper half of her body into the toilet. Indy waited behind her as Bailey slurped happily away.
The dogs have plenty of fresh water in the bowls in their crates that is changed daily, but the toilet water always takes precedence. I can't imagine what is so appetizing about that water. Sure, it's cool, but with a dog's super sensitive nose, thousands of times more powerful than ours, who knows why they love toilet water and dirty socks?
August 19, 2005
This isn't Cupid with a bow..
Yes, that is the yellow fletching of an arrow poking out of the side of this kitten. He lives in Largo, Florida, and he was among a group of stray cats living outside Kathy Powers' place of business. She leaves food for them every day, and was shocked to see the condition this little guy was in.
Kathy brought him to a vet specialist in Tampa, where they nicknamed the stray "Archer." Surgery successfully removed the arrow, which had gone through his shoulder into his abdomen. Once he's fully recovered, Kathy hopes to adopt him. In the meantime, police - who say this kind of abuse is a felony - are hoping to track down the shooter.
August 19, 2005
Firefighters rescue stuck dog in Montgomery County
I love this story, because whenever an animal is in danger, we can always depend on the fire department to come to the rescue!
This is Tommy. He looks like a Cocker Spaniel or a Cocker mix. He apparently got too curious about a little hole underneath a car, and stuck his nose in it. It stayed stuck. The poor boy was stuck overnight until his owner found him underneath his neighbor's truck! He couldn't get Tommy out, so he called.. who else? The
Bennette Volunteer Fire Department!
Sure enough, the good guys were able to cut a big enough hole for Tommy to get out. He lost a tooth in the whole ordeal, but otherwise, Tommy should be OK.
You can also check out a slideshow of the rescue here.
August 19, 2005
Saving Animals Across Borders makes headway in Galveston County
Beginning December 1st, animal owners in Galveston county will have a new option for low cost spaying and neutering. The Animal Alliance of Galveston County and Saving Animals Across Borders have teamed up to open a "super neuter" facility in La Marque. Both groups purchased a veterinary clinic at 608 Bayou Road. The building is being remodeled now, and when it's completed, it will offer low cost sterilization and wellness services for animal owners in Galveston, League City, Texas City, Baytown and La Marque. You can check out Saving Animals' website, or give them a call at (713) 527-4490.
On a personal note, I'm glad to see this all happening so soon. Sean Hawkins, the founder of Saving Animals Across Borders, had, until recently, been the head of SNAP, the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program. Some painful differences led to a split between Sean and the board, but since then I've had meetings with Sean and with reps from SNAP. The message I got, loud and clear, is that everyone's goal is to continue providing affordable spay/neuter services for as many pets as possible, educating the public about the benefits, and to prevent homeless animals from being born. As Sean told me, the more people to work toward this goal, the better. I plan to support and work with SNAP as I have in the past, and I've pledged to Sean to be available to Saving Animals. I hope you will support his new endeavor, as well.
August 18, 2005
Bright spot in a sad story
Here's a tidbit I'll leave you with tonight, as I get ready for the 10pm news: There was a house fire in Atascocita today. No one was home, so no humans were hurt - and neither were the pets. A kind hearted neighbor rushed in to bring them out to safety.
August 18, 2005
A friend's dog problem..
I have to gripe a moment, so please bear with me.. I have a friend who told me recently that he'd gotten a pit bull puppy. He had bought a book about raising it, and was very determined to be a responsible pet owner. I told him part of being a responsible pet owner included neutering his dog. But he still hasn't been able to make a commitment.
His reasons are many of the same that I ran into when I was working the intake truck with the Spay Neuter Assistance program. As a man, he just couldn't seem to come to terms with taking the dog's "family jewels." He also wanted to let the dog "have some fun." He potentially wanted to breed him, and thought the idea of owning a father and son pair of dogs. ARGH!
I explained the health benefits of neutering his pup. I told him an unaltered dog would always be tempted by the smell of other female dogs. He might get out and get another dog pregnant. And, if he did breed the dog just to have a "father/son" pair, what did he expect to do with the other puppies? And considering that pit bulls get such a bad rap and are bred and sold unscrupulously for illegal fights, why add more pits to the world when so many have to be rescued and often euthanized?
He was still on the fence until today.. when I heard more news that just made my day. A neighbor of my friend, out for a walk, spotted the dog and recognized it as HIS dog, which had been stolen! Apparently my friend bought the dog off the street (which he didn't tell me, because I would have lectured him even more). Now he's trying to figure out what to do with his apparently stolen dog!
I'm frustrated. What about you?
August 17, 2005
Big dog extravaganza! You can be a part of it!
Do you have a dog? Are you wondering about obedience training, microchipping, or the best way to take care of him?
Maybe you're part of a rescue organization or a breeder, and you want to get the word out about your favorite breed of dog.
Do you and your dog participate in agility or flyball competitions? Would you help teach other people how to get involved?
Jessica Logan, with Loving Spots Dalmatian Rescue has worked hard to organize a local celebration of The American Kennel Club's Responsible Dog Owner Day. It's next month, September 16-18, at the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown. She is looking for people who want to get involved to put this thing on.
Here's a tentative list of events:
- First Aid Clinic—help prepare people for emergencies and what to do in case their dog is injured
- Grooming Clinic—how to provide ultimate grooming for your dog
- "AKC Safety Around Dogs" — teaches children safety around dogs to help prevent accidents and bites
- Educational Breed Videos — educates about breeds, temperament, breed standards, training, showing and other topics related to specific breeds
- Canine Behavior and Obedience—to educate the general public about each topic through professional speakers and guests
- Breeding, Showing, Handling– helping people understand the dynamics of responsible breeding and how you can successfully show your dog from conformation to rally-obedience.
Jessica is also planning on having microchipping and obedience testing, flyball and agility demonstrations, meet and greets with breeders, handlers and rescue groups, as well as search dog demonstrations.
If you want to participate, you can reach Jessica at Jessica_Logan@msn.com. Her Dalmatian Rescue website is here, or give her a call at (832)818-4034.
August 17, 2005
Little widgets..
FYI: If you're a regular reader - and I hope you are! - you may be interested in when I usually post new stuff. I get to work around 2 every day, so you'll see the posting start to trickle in from then through the end of the late news at 10:30.
Also, there is an easier website address to remember for this blog. You can also type in http://www.baileyindy.com and you'll get here, too.
August 17, 2005
The Zeke Fund
I've been getting lot of email from this group of energetic volunteers in Brookshire. The Zeke Fund formed nearly a year ago, after a stray there was hit by a car. He was taken to the Brookshire pound in stayed there for four days before an animal rescuer took him out the vet. Zeke's injuries were so severe (broken back, pelvis, legs) he had to be humanely euthanized. Just a few weeks later, the Zeke fund formed to help rebuild the Brookshire pound, and to help get its animals adopted.
The Zeke Fund is a great example of the volunteers putting their money where their mouths are! They saw a problem and took steps to rectify it. Among other things, the ZF needs - of course - foster families (there are never enough) and Igloo-type doghouses. If you'd like to see all the good they're doing up in Brookshire, head to their website. I also used the handy dandy search option on Animal Attraction's Pet Calendar and found all of these Zeke Fund Adoptions.
August 16, 2005
Foster parents needed
I received an email from a woman trying to help two dogs she's spotted living in the woods near the airport on Greens Road. Heather has been feeding them, but is hoping for a happy ending. Here's what she's written to me:
I originally found them dodging cars running across a busy road trying to find food in some trash bags that had blown into the street. I got out of my car and some people in a nearby apartment complex started SCREAMING at me from their balconies. They wanted me to get the hell out of there and let the dogs die. I was more afraid of the people than anything but that just shows you what kind of area they are trying to survive in.
One is a medium sized brown male, long snout and floppy ears. He is a mix, may be part Lab. He is young, probably less than a year. The other is a white male Pit bull with brown ears and brown feet. He looks to be the same age. He seems to be very submissive. He and the brown dog are always together, they do find comfort in each other. The Pit always lets the brown dog eat first. I'm concerned because one of my co-workers was driving down Green Rd this
morning and saw two very small puppies with my dogs laying on the side of Greens Road very close to the street. If that's the case I may have a whole litter on my hands.
I would love this information to get out there and reach as many people as possible so whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure though my situation is not uncommon. I have gotten many emails from people thanking me and such but no offers to foster. Volunteers for Animal Protection is willing to lend me some large dog traps. I am exhausting all my leads before I take them up on their offer and drive the dogs down to the SPCA. It's not the best solution but better than leaving them in the woods near the airport.
Heather is hoping someone will step forward to be a foster parent, be able to make room in a rescue shelter, or even offer a permanent home. If you want to help, you can contact Heather at h3e@aol.com or 281-358-4018.
August 16, 2005
Lighting a candle for homeless animals this weekend!
The good people who volunteer with Friends of the Galveston County Animal Shelter wanted me to post this:
All over the country last this coming Saturday night, animal shelters will be participating in a candlelight vigil to remember the hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats in shelters that will be killed because of pet overpopulation. The Friends of Shelter will be participating with a gathering at the Galveston County Animal Shelter in Texas City. Everyone is invited to light a candle and learn about what they can do to stop the flood of animal overpopulation.
Michelle Cote, the Friends of the Shelter president, says people can make sure their pets are spayed and neutered and kept inside or within a fenced yard. She also urges people to contact city officials and ask them to make animal care and control needs a priority.
The ceremony starts at 7:00 this Saturday night. Here's a map to the Galveston County Shelter. If you're interested in volunteering for Friends of the Shelter, you can email Deborah Rankin at deborahrankin304@yahoo.com.
August 16, 2005
The World's Ugliest Dog
I stole this from Jonathan Walton's blog.
Eeek.
Yes indeed, Sam - a 15 year old Chinese Crested Hairless dog - may be the world's ugliest dog. He certainly has a face only his mother could love. Heck, maybe we could, too. I saw him on tv last night and he was snarling at another dog.
Eeek, I say. Eeek.
Of course, Sam has his own blog. You can read it here and check out more pictures here.
August 15, 2005
Who are you, and where are you?
I'm trying to track who is reading the Animal Attraction blog, and I need your help. See the list of links on the right side of the page - the Pet Calendar, Rescue Groups, and so on? There's a new addition: Who's visiting Animal Attraction? Click on that link, and you'll be taken to a map of the Houston area. You can move the map around and zoom in until you find YOUR exact location. Double click on it, and you can fill in who you are, and where you are. Thank you for your help, and thanks for reading!
August 15, 2005
Boy survives dog attack
Joey Sabala is one lucky kid. The six year old was attacked this weekend by a neighbor's dog - an 80 pound German Shepherd-Lab mix, that had somehow escaped from his yard.
He talked with 11 News Reporter Amy Tortolani about what happened: A dog bite me... and he's jumping up in air, and he's kicking me... and he's hitting my head."
His grandfather said the dog grabbed Joey's head in his mouth and was standing over him. He was able to pull Joey's away from the dog, which eventually ran off. Police caught up with the it, say it attacked them and the grandfather again. They eventually used a taser on the dog, which eventually died.
Amazingly, Joe is smiling today. You can see the can see the puncture wound on his head. He said there was blood everywhere but his doctors say he should heal - at least physically. Psychologically, his mother says he's still shaken up.
Where was the dog's owner, and how did he get out? We still don't know. We do know that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a majority of dog bite cases (42% with the latest numbers) are in children 14 years old and younger.
Preventing dog bite cases in children requires a combined effort by dog owners and parents. Dog owners, among other things, should ensure their pets are secure when they're not home. Parents should teach their children early on that dogs must be treated with respect. The Humane Society of the United States has a nice coloring page you can print out for your child to color and learn about dog dos and don'ts..
August 12, 2005
Hunting for a duck killer
I'm sorry to leave work this Friday with a sad story, but we're running this in our 10 o'clock newscast tonight, and I wanted to post it. A man in California was caught on a surveillance camera at a carwash, running over a killing dozens of ducks that lived at a nearby pond. He's even seen getting out of his car, chasing down some ducklings and grabbing them by the neck. The car wash employees are understandably disturbed and upset. 10 of the 30 ducks died. The family has been there since the 70s, the descendants of an original pair of ducks someone dropped off near the car wash all those years ago.
I certainly have no credible background in social research, but I believe respect for other living things must be taught early on. If it doesn't come from our families, perhaps it can come from animal education programs from groups like the Houston SPCA and others. Then again, I'm in a business in which I report news of people who don't have an ounce of respect for human life. The cynical me wonders if I'm asking too much of people. I'd like to believe, inherently, humans are good people; some of us have just gone too far astray to come back.
Better news next time; I promise. You all have to send me something happy to post about: email me at petevents@baileyindy.com. In the meantime, go hug on your dog or cat. I know I will.
August 11, 2005
Dog plucked from lake by tour boat
This one's out of Vermont: passengers on board a tour boat spot a dog paddling in the water with no one in sight. Someone calls the captain, who stops the boat to rescue the swimming dog. While an Elvis impersonator called for calm, the boat's bartender and the engineer plucked the pup out of the water. You can read the entire story here.
August 11, 2005
Big hearts in strange places
Yes, this will even stop traffic in New York City. This big old boy is named "Speedbump," an
African Spurred Tortoise rescued by the Social Tees
Animal Rescue in New York City. Though the folks at ST specialize in reptiles, they also take in dogs and cats. Overall, they look after 3000 pets every year.
August 10, 2005
Houston PetSet Soiree
I received a nice invite in the mail this week that I wanted to share: Houston PetSet, a relatively new organization of animal-friendly folks, is having its third annual Soiree on September 17th at Cafe Artista at the Hobby Center. Proceeds from membership dues and special events area non-profit animal agencies. It's a nice group. Check out their website for more information.
August 10, 2005
How do you spoil your pet?
From yesterday's post about dogs that are tied outside to dogs who are ridiculously pampered. This requires a bit of reader participation:
This is a very happy group of dogs on their way to a day camp in Bogota, Columbia. Each pet owner pays between $34 and $106 per month depending on the program the dog is enrolled in. I'm wondering how they keep the dogs from jumping out of their seats...
The doggie day care craze is here in Houston. From Urban Tails to Rover Oaks and others, dog lovers who don't want their pooch home alone have options to pamper their pets. If you haven't splurged on something so fancy, what do YOU do to spoil your dog/cat/reptile/bird/rodent/other pet? The floor is open...
August 9, 2005
Animals in Jamaica
Hello again! I'm back from a vacation in Jamaica. A dear friend of mine was getting married, so I was happy to have an "excuse" to soak in some beautiful Carribean sunshine!
However, I was not looking forward to seeing stray animals. I figured I probably would, and I boarded the bus from the airport to the hotel with trepidation. I did see several dogs running around homes and the streets - all mutts. I was also unhappy when we drove by the "Swim with the Dolphins" attraction. Those bug me. According to the Humane Society of the US, Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios is strongly supported by the cruise ship industry, and has plans to expand. The HSUS has great concerns about dolphin health in Carribbean dolphin swim companies, which you can read about here. All of the HSUS's concerns about dolphin swimming programs are here, as well. Suffice it to say, I did not go.
Stray cats were also an issue. There were signs around our resort warning residents not to touch or feed the stray cats. I did see two while I was there; they were little feral things, and one had a bad eye infection. Sigh.
There are two shelters on the island - Jamaica SPCA and Animal House Jamaica. They have a big job on an island of 2.7 million people and who knows how many animals...
August 3, 2005
By the way...
I'll be out of pocket for the next few days, so no blogging until Monday. Keep sending your info to petevents@baileyindy.com. Thanks for all of your support!
August 3, 2005
Cloned Dogs
This is Snuppy. He's a 14 week old Afghan Hound who looks like a normal dog, but he's far from it. Snuppy is a clone. Scientists in South Korea created him with a skin cell taken from another hound.
Quite a resemblance, huh?
Out of 1000 cloned embroyos implanted in 100 dogs, Snuppy was the only success. Lead scientest Hwang Woo-suk says Snuppy was cloned to help investigate human disease and the possiblity of cloning cells for medical treatments. This, of course, has also opened up the debate on the ethics of cloning, and concerns this might eventually lead to human cloning. What do you think?
August 3, 2005
12 year old Sarah needs to find her dog!
OK, folks. I need your help! I received an email from a little girl in Virginia. She has lost her dog, Zach. He's a lab/border collie mix.
Here's what's happened, in a nutshell:
1. Sarah and family are moving from Idaho to Virginia.
2. Continental Airlines will transport the family's two dogs, but re-routes the dogs through Houston for a layover.
3. The dogs are boarded at Kingwood Pet Kamp.
4. On June 26th, Zach, their border collie, somehow escapes from his kennel.
Zach has been missing ever since. Click here for a map of the location around the Pet Kamp where he was last seen. Sarah's parents have flown down here to look for Zach. The Kingwood Pet Kamp and Continental have both put up fliers and tried to help. Sarah has also contacted Melody Pugh, a pet detective and the volunteers at Border Collie Rescue Texas.
Sarah's (and her dad, Mike) have gone through a lot of legwork to look for their big boy. They've done as much as they can long distance. Maybe we can help bring about a happy reunion. You can contact Sarah and her dad at bluexr4@adelphia.net.
August 2, 2005
Vet Hospital steps in to treat animal fire victims
A horrible fire at senior living facility in Montgomery County overnight left dozens of people homeless and four people injured - one of them is critical. My hearts go out to them. I can't begin to imagine how difficult it must be to lose everything - and it was made even more traumatic by the loss of their pets. Firefighters tell us one cat died in the blaze, but some very good hearted samaritans stepped in to make sure the other animals would be OK.
Our photographer on the scene, Ted Maynard, spotted some folks with crates gathering up the lost and injured animals. He chatted with them and found out they were from Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Spring. No one had called them out there - they'd just come out on their own and volunteered. They rounded up dogs, cats, rabbits and birds to keep them until they could be reunited with their owners. The staff also took two injured animals (a cat and rabbit) to the hospital for treatment for fire related injuries. Any residents of the complex missing a pet can call 281-298-6000 to find out if it's at the hospital.
August 1, 2005
Who needs animal abusers when you have this..
People who work in shelters who are doing just that? I still can't believe this story we're doing on 11 News at 5 today:
One of the public works supervisors in Jourdanton, Texas (about 40 miles southwest of San Antonio) is in trouble for ordering city employees to drown six stray dogs at the city sewer plant.
Yes, read that again: DROWNED IN THE CITY SEWER PLANT.
It gets worse: the supervisor, Chantan Morin, apparently did it to save money.
The animals were dropped, inside their cages, into the water and drowned. The city manager says this is just a freak incident and a one time bad decision. The only reason we know about this is because a young man doing community service saw it happen, and felt bad enough about it to tell someone.
As punishment, Chantan Morin will have to attend classes with animal control. The city says it's drafting a policy to prevent future incidents.
August 1, 2005
Llama update!
I've received another email from llama owner Brian Bennick. The award to find the llama killers I blogged about in an earlier post. Someone called him last night and added more money to the reward fund, which is now up to $1500. The Houston SPCA and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department exhumed the llamas' bodies to recover the bullet evidence. The are hoping this will give them some solid leads..
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