October 31, 2005

To vaccinate..or not?

For years, we've all been told by our veterinarians to vaccinate our pets and our children. In recent years, though, there's been a backlash against the standard medical establishment protocols of what shots to give, and whether they're even necessary.

If you're looking for another view on pet vaccinations, head to this site, Critter Advocacy, from veterinarian Dr. Bob Rogers, who founded the the Critter Fixer Pet Hospital in Spring.

October 31, 2005

On the scene with Best Friends...

More than two months after Katrina, displaced pets are still being rescued and brought to safety. Best Friends is still on the scene in Tylertown, Mississippi... and the volunteers there go through 350 pounds of food a day, and 350 gallons of water. Here's a report from our CBS correspondent Stacey Case.

October 28, 2005

Anna Nicole's dogs don't like IAMS

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK - Anna Nicole Smith's dogs are boycotting pet food maker Iams. Smith's protesting pooches are refusing dog food from Iams in a new advertisement for PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"Marilyn, Sugar Pie and Puppy are boycotting Iams until it stops testing on animals in labs," the poster reads beneath a picture of Smith, a former Playboy model, and her three dogs. PETA claims an undercover investigation in 2002 and 2003 revealed "deplorable" conditions in Iams' contract laboratory. The group said at least 27 dogs were killed, and listed abuses including cramped conditions and having dogs' vocal cords removed to prevent barking.

Iams, which sells pet food and pet care products, disputes those allegations. "We have constantly and publicly communicated with the public with what we do in our feeding studies," Kurt Iverson, a spokesman for Iams, told The Associated Press on Friday. "We also work with a number of well-respected officials from animal welfare groups, like the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States."

The ad will be posted next week on PETA's Web site, and it will appear on billboards this winter.

October 27, 2005

Animal costumes

I don't know where these originally came from, but they're hysterical..

October 27, 2005

Hurrah, hurrah! Snow has a home!

The hard luck cat is unlucky no more. A good hearted reader saw this blog post and adopted Snow. Thank you!

October 27, 2005

Rescue Rally coming up!

I've also posted this in my events calendar, but I wanted to give it some extra publicity. I recommended people who are looking for a purebred dog check with their local rescue groups (I have a big list here)before heading out to the breeders. Rescued purebreds (and sure, some not so pure!) certainly need another chance, and they're often a lot less expensive that what breeders charge.

If you've ever wanted to know about the benefits of rescue - whether it's in a breed rescue or general animal rescue - head over to the first ever Rescue Rally on November 12th at the Gingerman in Rice Village from 1p-5p. Here's a map, and here's the website if you want more information.

October 27, 2005

Finnegan the squirrel thinks he's a DOG

At least, he does for now. He was found with his sister in Seattle. They'd both fallen from a tree and only Finnegan survived. An animal rescuer took Finnegan in to foster him, and it looks she wasn't the only one interested in the new addition. So was Giselle, her very pregnant Papillon. Giselle has taken Finnegan on as her own adopted "pup!"

Their owner/animal rescuer warns squirrels should NOT be kept as pets. As Finnegan gets older, she plans to move him to more squirrel-like food such as nuts, with the hopes of releasing him back to the wild.

October 25, 2005

Killer Bs

The Astros have gone to the dogs! Even the four legged friends are getting in to the "Killer Bs" spirit!

October 24, 2005

Premarin Horses

Ever heard of Premarin? It is a hormone replacement therapy medication, that has been the subject of great controversy. The US Humane Society has its take here. The ASPCA has this file on its website with its take on Premarin. The ASPCA supports organizations that help provide homes for the mares used in the manufacture of Premarin, but the upcoming winter makes their mission more urgent. This is from an email bulletin from the ASPCA:

Winter is fast approaching in Canada! The leaves are changing;there is a chill in the air; and it recently snowed in Alberta. Sadly, this signals the end of this year's rescue opportunity for Premarin mares and foals. The ranchers will be forced to bring the horses out of pasture.

Since it is extremely costly for the ranchers to feed them hay and grains, nearly 200 hundred horses will end up at auction, many of whom will be slaughtered. Please adopt and save a Premarin horse from slaughter.

For more information on how to get involved, visit PMU Rescue or The Animali Farm.

October 24, 2005

A hard luck case for a cat named Snow

Evacuated, then sick.. his owner found.. and lost again.. This cat needs another home.

Here's Colleen Hodges from Harris County Animal Control.

Here's Snow's story. Snow was found under a neighbors house by a woman in New Orleans. She bottle-fed him for a few days then found Hurricane Katrina at her door. She smuggled him onto a bus headed for Houston. When she got to the Astrodome at 2:00 in the morning, she turned him over to us until she could get herself settled. After hours on a bus and more hours waiting at the dome the little kitten (about 4 weeks old) was very stressed. By the time we got him to the shelter he needed fluids and some special attention. We put him into a foster home for 2 weeks until his mom was able to take him back. When she was settled we delivered him to her.

October 24, 2005

Final Katrina report from Habitat for Horses/LSER

Shortly after the winds from Hurricane Katrina settled down, Habitat for Horses/Lone Star Equine Rescue volunteers pulled into the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, Louisiana and started to work with the staff of the Louisiana Veterinarian Medical Association (LVMA) and the Veterinarian School of Louisiana State University to help organize the equine rescue efforts. After receiving our official status as part of the State of Louisiana Search and Rescue Team, the organization arranged for teams of volunteers to arrive in scheduled cycles of four days each and started the delivery of donated supplies to the Center.

October 21, 2005

People can be such %#$&^@I* !!!

I don't usually post emails I get about animals looking for homes, but this one caught my eye. First off, the picture is so darn cute and he resembles my girl Bailey. LOOK AT THAT SMILE! However, the thing that REALLY got to me was his story of abuse. Read on..

Eagle is a Lab Mix and is a very sweet boy even in light of some mean children poking him in the eye with a stick. Eagle lost that eye, but not his love for people. Dogs are amazing like that.

Eagle is heartworm negative, current on vaccinations, neutered, and is about 2-3 years old. He is very friendly, loves to go for walks and does great with his one, shining, bright eye. Actually, when I took him for a walk he was so grateful and has such a captivating smile, I didn't even realize he was missing one eye for quite a while. He walks nicely on the leash and is such a wonderful dog. Eagle will be so appreciative to have his own home with loving humans.

If you have a place in your family for Eagle, please contact:
Alexandra.Kelsey@bracewellgiuliani.com or call 713-962-1932.

October 21, 2005

CNN's story on the St. Bernard Shootings..

It's posted here at Pasado Safe Haven. Warning!! Bring out the tissues..

October 21, 2005

Horse slaughter legislative alert from the Humane Sociey

I received this today from the US Humane Society ....

URGENT ALERT: SAVE THE SLAUGHTER BAN!

With your help, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to ban horse slaughter in the United States. All of your great work was essential to these dual victories in Congress.

But that work is in danger of being undone!

We fear that the horse slaughter ban is going to be stripped during final passage of the Agriculture Appropriations bill. We cannot allow this outrageous action -- which would violate the overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate. If the horse slaughter ban is dropped, nearly 100,000 horses will be slaughtered for human consumption overseas next year.

We have only days left before this issue is decided.

Reach for your phone now and call your two U.S. Senators and Representative in Washington, D.C. and urge them to oppose the final Agriculture Appropriations conference report if it doesn't contain the horse slaughter ban.

October 20, 2005

Disaster Response Animal Rescue..

is a new group I've been emailed about.. Looks like a grassroots organization in New Orleans that refuses to give up looking for animals left behind in the storm. Check out DRAR's website here and its MSN group board here, where you'll find a message board wtih updates of the operation and a report from two volunteers who say they were hassled by police.

October 20, 2005

Yes, there is still hope in New Orleans..

This was forwarded to me, and authored by Jane Garrison, who is trying to piece together a last ditch effort to find any pets left stranded in New Orleans...

We know it is hard to imagine that more than 7 weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit that animals trapped inside could still be alive--- but it is true.

We rescued Bingo tonight, a dog trapped in a bathroom of a house. In a desperate attempt to get a drink of water, Bingo crawled into a bathtub but then was too weak to get himself out. Bingo could not even lift his head or stand.. but he is alive. Sadly, there are others like Bingo waiting for their turn to be rescued...

We still have a list of 1267 homes in downtown New Orleans where animals have been reported by their guardians to be trapped. We still have this many because we do not have enough volunteers to open the doors and rescue the pets that are slowly starving to death. THIS IS WHY WE NEED YOU! Please get in your car or get on a plane and come help us get through the rest of these houses.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! We are certain (based on the pets we see everyday) that there are animals still alive in these homes.

October 19, 2005

Please forgive me for straying from pet news for a moment..

ASTROS WIN! ASTROS WIN!

ASTROS WIN!

October 19, 2005

Please let the professionals handle pythons..

In case you didn't see this on channel 11 .. here is another reason you should let professional trappers handle wildlife emergencies with dangerous animals..

October 18, 2005

The dogs who endured...

Last month I blogged about two dogs who were rescued from starvation along White Oak Bayou. The Good Samaritan who rescued them needed help, and you responded. Jess sent me these updated pictures of the two dogs, who are slowly healing. He writes:

"These are new shots of the pups, they are doing incredibly well as you can see. They both have gained plenty of weight and their coats are nicely growing. The Little Blonde girl's hair is growing but difficult to see in the photos, the mange is almost completely gone. I believe they both are going to shine in about two weeks. They have very nice qualities and will be very adoptable. It has been a lot of hard work in a very short time but as soon as their coats grow back I am going to start house training. We are very grateful for everyone's help. These two definitely deserve this chance. Thanks!"

October 18, 2005

Help Candy find her owner!

This is part of a nationawide plea to reunite Candy with her beloved owner Jason Hurst. Candy is Jason's service dog - she was with him in New Orleans when he was evacuated from his home on Columbia Street, Ponchatrain Park Subdivision in the upper 9th ward. She was not allowed to evacuate with him and was left behind in their home in New Orleans. Read more about Candi and find out how you can help here.

October 18, 2005

Another retrospective of the Katrina animals..

This has already been sent to me by two people. It's a look back at the four legged victims of Katrina.

October 18, 2005

Quick! What's the state insect of Texas?

It's the Monarch Butterfly, and if you're lucky, you will - or already may have - seen them fly through Houston as they migrate toward their winter home in Michoacán, Mexico. They can fly up to 80 miles a day, and depending upon where they begin their journey, can travel between 1243 to 2796 miles from start to finish.

October 17, 2005

More on Max the dog!

I'm following up on the "Incredible Story of Max the Poodle." First, you have to read this post. Now, you have to click here to watch the video of this precious boy. He's going home today to be reunited with his owner!

October 17, 2005

REWARD: $25,000 for killers of St. Bernard Dogs..

Pasado Safe Haven reports the reward is now up to $25,000. More information on that here. In addition, Pasado's volunteers are about to wrap up their rescue operations and head home. I can't say enough about this group. Those folks have been down there and determined to save as many pets as they can.

October 17, 2005

Update from Best Friends about post-Katrina efforts

Best Friends has been in Mississippi and Louisiana since Katrina.. Here's one of its latest reports of its rescue efforts..

October 17, 2005

Move over Donald Trump.. are YOU the next Petrepreneur?

Have you ever been playing/feeding/walking/cleaning up after your pet and thought, "Why hasn't someone come up with an invention to do (insert your own word here)." Maybe YOU have come up with a brilliant idea to make the pet poop pickup task easier or less smelly. Perhaps you had a brainstorm for the perfect toy to keep your dog occupied while you're gone so he doesn't chew up the house, or a product that your cat will actually use to sharpen its claws instead of your sofa?

Time to put the idea to paper .. well, to the web. Petsafe.com is sponsoring a contest that ends November 30th, 2005, for the chance to win $40,000 along with having their idea developed into product and sold at PETCO stores nationwide. The "IdeaFetch" contest will also allow the public to help pick the contest winner by voting online.

Your votes will determine the top 100 pet ideas entered on www.ideafetch.com. A panel of PetSafe judges will then review and select the top ten from that group. From the top ten, three winners will be chosen. The second place winner catches $5,000 and the third place winner fetches $2,500 with no guarantee that their ideas will be commercialized.

Head to www.ideafetch.com to submit your idea!

October 17, 2005

Cruelty laws in Texas?

You've likely seen the comments about Gable Honor, the greyhound abandoned off I-10 near Sealy, who was later found dead. Citizens for Animal Protection sent me over its weblink about Texas animal cruelty laws: here it is.

October 16, 2005

A cat with two tongues

Eek. I love cats as much as many of you, but this one is WEIRD. Her name is Five Toes becuase.. she has five toes. But the really weird bit is that she also has two tongues! She lives up in North Carolina, and will be featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not next year! You can also watch some video of Five Toes and her owner here.

Greensboro, NC -- Let us introduce to you Five-Toes, a one-of-a-kind cat.

The Dobson feline was born with five toes on each paw, hence her name. But what makes her even more unique is the fact she was born with two-tongues.

Her owner Bill Whittington remembers the big surprise he got last December.

"I started out and she flicked them tongues out and with a yell I let out. I believe everybody and his brother would have heard it, if they'd been awake."

He says people laugh about her, until she shows her tongues.

Whittington says five-toes is the only one of her kind. And Ripley's Believe It Or Not agrees. The keepers of unusual records is featuring five-toes in their 2006 guide.

Five-Toes paid a visit to the WFMY Good Morning Show set on Thursday.

To see her full visit with Rosemary Plybon, click here.

To see a shorter version of the video, click on the play button to the right of this story.

October 16, 2005

What on earth is in the water at Moody Gardens??

Right after Rita went through, I posted about a pair of Moody Gardens' Gentoo penguins, who didn't seem to care that a storm was out there and had laid an egg.

Jerri Hamachek with Moody Gardens tells me they now have two Gentoo Penguin eggs, and more appear to be on the way. Three other pairs of Gentoos are exhibiting courtship behavior and the biologists saw
a second pair of Gentoos mting. One Gentoo is lying down in a nest as they do when they lay their eggs.

Moody also has three King Penguin eggs. This is very encouraging because
King Penguin breeding season doesn't usually start until December. The biologists think Moody will get a lot more King eggs than the typical season brings.

But wait! There's more! Two Rockhopper Penguins that are pairing up. It is the only pair that is not related so the biologists didn't expect any breeding with them, but hey are building a nest so we are hopeful. The Chinstrap Penguins are also exhibiting some courtship behavior. This is the first time we have seen this behavior with them so the folks at Moody are very encouraged. They are happy birds!

October 16, 2005

midas the turtle

From Moody Gardens...

As New Orleans residents begin to return to their homes following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, so does one of the largest residents of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. "King Midas," the giant 300-pound green sea turtle has returned to the Aquarium after being evacuated following the storm.

King Midas was taken to a temporary home at Galveston’s Moody Garden’s Aquarium for several weeks before returning to New Orleans. His overland trip from Galveston to New Orleans took place overnight to keep the giant turtle as cool as possible. He traveled with two Aquarium staffers, David Brandt and Rich Toth, who stopped frequently in the drive back to New Orleans to monitor Midas and mist him with cool water.

October 15, 2005

Sad, sad news about Honor the Greyhound

In case you didn't get to the comments section of the post (here) about Honor, the missing Greyhound, it has come to a sad ending: Diana, a volunteer, had been searching and left this comment around 4:30 Saturday afternoon:

"Lisa, I am so very sad to tell you and your readers that my friend and I found Honor this afternoon after looking for 8 hours. She had been hit by a car and died probably sometime on Thursday, near as we can tell. Honor died not die a quick death; I will not get into the terrible details, but I will say that her death was slow and horrible.

When, as a society, will we begin to value the life of an animal? The man who dumped her had so many options if he felt he could not care for this dog. She was not aggresive or hard to handle. He just did not care enough to do the right thing by this girl and decided that dumping a beautiful, precious animal was just fine. This should not ever be an option, and if our legal system gave harsher punishments to these people maybe it would make a difference. It is too late for Honor, but let's not let her death be in vain. By dumping her he signed her death sentence and he should have to answer for what he did."

My deepest sympathies go out to Honor's owner and the good souls who looked for, and eventually found her. Thanks, as well, to all of you who sent out prayers and good thoughts.

October 14, 2005

Death row dogs become pampered pets!

Here's another story about the amazing "power of the internet, and it was sent to my by Chris Beck, a "long distance volunteer" in Massachusetts! Pet friendly folks from all over the nation came together to save some dogs and cats who were on "death row" at the Galveston County Animal Shelter. The "inmates" are now having a few days of "spa" treatment thanks to the generosity of the Barkington Inn and Pet Resort in Webster.

This all started weeks ago when Melissa Weatherford of Charlston, SC, was online looking to adopt a dog. Katie, a Catahoula dog at the Galveston County Animal Shelter, caught her eye, and when she got on the phone to the shelter staff, she heard all about how overcrowded the facility was getting as they received the pets of hurricane victims.

October 14, 2005

BARC dog update

Remember those Lousiana dogs that ended up at BARC during Katrina? You first saw their pictures in this post. Then, they needed fosters, before ending up in another kennel.

I am happy to report this has all come to a good ending. Kelly Cripe, who first told me about the BARC dogs, tells me:

The black lab and brown mix Katrina evacuated dogs that were at BARC will soon be reunited with their owner. The owner is back in Louisiana. Leah Purcell with Spindletop rescue is transporting the dogs to Louisiana.

These dogs and their owner owe a BIG thank you to Leah, Pam Harris, Mary Allen, Sally Hoffecker, Carol Goehrs and the folks at Auburn Kennels for making sure that they were okay until their owner could be located.

October 14, 2005

$15,000 reward to find the dog killers in St. Bernard Parish

Puppymillrescue.com has teamed up with Pasado Safe Haven to increase the reward to find the killer/killers of several dogs at a school in St. Bernard Parish. You can find the latest Pasado update on the shootings here. CNN ran a story about it here, and you can also access some of the terrible photos on this blogsite, Save the Pets Katrina Rescue. Be warned. They are awful.

October 14, 2005

A Greyhound intentionally "lost"...no thanks to her owner's parents!

I still can't believe this one: Gable Honor is a large red fawn female greyhound, and she was TURNED LOSE by her owner's parents. Honor's owner is in medical school and on a rotation in Harlingen for four weeks, and her parents were caring for the dog. Her parents apparently never called with any problems, and the only reason her owner discovered she was gone until she called to check up on Honor.

Honor did have a collar and tags, but they were removed before she was turned lose. Here's the info on where Honor was last seen, off I-10 around Sealy: "Directions" from I-10 west, go past Brookshire, and take the next exit. The gal's father took a right, went down about 1 or 2 miles, turned on to the first available street, opened the door and put Honor out. There apparently weren't any homes in the area. It was the country.

Gable Honor was adopted from Heart of Texas Greyhound Adoption in San Antonio. HOT president Cheryl King says the owner is "absolutely devastated, as am I." I am also cross-posting this to the Lost and Found board, but here's the contact information if you find Honor.. Cheryl King at home at 210-621-0123 or her cell at 210-416-0073, or please drop her an email. Other contacts: Elizabeth Cygan HOT-Vice President, at home at 210-481-0780 or cell 210-379-5737. Houston's Greyhound Pets of America has also joined the search, and you can contact the folks there at 713-667-3804 or 713-866-4466. And finally, check out other pictures of Gable Honor here.

October 14, 2005

Hi, ho! Kermit the frog is 50!

OK, I know he's not a real animal, but I have always dug Kermit the Frog of the Muppets and Sesame Street. It's not easy being green, and I can imagine what his family said when he first brought home Miss Piggy, but Kermit has perservered through thick and thin, not to mention several close calls when he was the stage manager for the Muppet Show.

The little green guy is 50 years old, and he kicked off a world tour celebrating his birthday in .. where else? Kermit, Texas, up near Midland. The good folks in West Texas gave him a key to the city and even painted its water tower with a big Kermit face. You can see video of the celebration here, and a personal interview with Kermit here. Kermit thanked everyone for helping him launch his around the world birthday celebration. Kermit will stop at at the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, and here, at the Johnson Space Center. In all, he'll make 50 stops through end of 2006, and his tour will travel through four continents.

Kermit was created by puppeteer Jim Henson and named after a childhood friend. He's such a cultural icon, he's on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museium of American History.

October 14, 2005

Posting will be delayed....

Something very funky is going on with our email here at KHOU, and since a great deal of these posts come from you, I can't post anything until I can access my email again! Grrrrr.

October 13, 2005

Six and a half weeks after Katrina, the rescues continue,
and volunteers are STILL needed...

Earlier today I posted about the HSUS pulling out of New Orleans and the Gonzales shelter it had run for the past six weeks with the Louisana SPCA. LA-SPCA lost its facility and is currently renovating a building in Algiers to continue operations.

In the meantime, other volunteers are still doing their best to rescue animals that are still lost, and trying to help the other groups like Pasado Safe Haven, Noah's Wish, and Best Friends who are still in the area.

Jane Garrison, on the board of Pet Helpers Adoption Shelter from Charleston, South Carolina, has been in New Orleans and is still organizing efforts there. They are staging at the Southern Animal Foundation which is located on 1823 Magazine Street (map) in New Orleans.

The details of the current rescue operations (as of October 13th) are in this Word document here. Many long time animal friends in Houston, including Friends for Life, Alexandra Kelsey and Carol Goehrs are planning to go out and help. If you'd like to get involved, email Alexandra or Carol. You can also email Jane or call her at 843-343-8887.

October 13, 2005

Dog owner who drank beer while boy was attacked to face charges

From the Houston Chronicle:

October 13, 2005

Call him... "Media Boy.."

At least, that's what the trapper who caught this big gator is calling him. We first found out about the nearly ten foot gator yesterday, when people called police to report him swimming in a drainage ditch off Normandy and I-10 in East Houston. A Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden came out yetserday, but realized the reptile was too big for him to handle. Trappers came out and laid out bait lines overnight, and this morning, they caught him. He measured just under ten feet. It's believed he somehow got into the drainage ditch from Greens Bayou. Last we heard, he was being taken to Texas Parks and Wildlife, where a game warden would determine where he'd go from there - likely a more natural habitat. UPDATE at 9:40PM... We've now learned the gator will become the property of the trapper who pulled him in - Douglas Head - no word on what he'll do with it..

October 13, 2005

More Katrina video from the HSUS

The HSUS is wrapping up its emergency rescues in Louisiana. Here is a video of its efforts..

October 12, 2005

GDV: It could be deadly for your dog..

Here's a tongue-twister: gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV for short). Actually, it's more of a tummy twister, and if it happens to your dog, it can happen fast and be deadly.

October 12, 2005

We need some temporary Husky help ASAP!

We're talking big, fluffy dogs.. like Reyna, here. She was rescued from a breeder by the good people at Husky Haven, Inc. Pat, who works selflessly with these dogs, has 30 fosters in her home now! But, she'll be leaving town for two weeks, and needs someone to look after 10 of those dogs while she's gone. In fact, Husky Haven could use a couple more long term foster homes. Pat says ...

Most Siberians do not get along with cats or small dogs. All the dogs are crate trained and need indoor homes. We do not use backyard only fosters or adopt to outdoor only homes. A secure fence is necessary. Some would do o.k. in an apartment situation if the person is active like a runner or likes to go on walks.

If you love the big dogs, this is for you. Head to Husky Haven's foster application site, fill it out, and drop me an email so I can make sure they follow up with you, PRONTO!

October 12, 2005

Animal groups band together with a plea to other shelters

Just got this news release from the HSUS..

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK (October 12, 2005) The Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), United Animal Nations (UAN) and Best Friends Animal Society are asking all animal shelters, breed rescue groups and others who are sheltering animal victims of Hurricane Katrina to voluntarily extend the hold period of those animals to allow for more family reunions to occur.

Since Hurricane Katrina struck, more than 8,000 dogs, cats, horses, livestock and other animals have been rescued in Louisiana and Mississippi. Most of these animals were triaged through emergency shelters established at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La., Louisiana State University (LSU), and the Forrest County Multi-purpose Center in Hattiesburg, Miss. More than 200 animal shelters in the United States and assorted rescue groups agreed to take Katrina survivors into their care while rescue operations were ongoing.

October 12, 2005

Dogs and cats as shark bait?

I had someone forward me a very disturbing story about live dogs and cats being used as shark bait on La Reunion Island, a French speaking island of about 775,00 people, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. WARNING! There are disturbing pictures in some of these weblinks! It has been reported by British and Swedish newspapers, and now the RSPCA (The UK's SPCA) has a petition online asking people to help them stop the practice. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is offering rewards to officers who arrest anyone caught doing this. You can find more information and background here and here.

October 11, 2005

Heartworm and your dogs.. and cats....

I don't know about you, but I've just about HAD IT with the mosquitos. I've been getting attacked during the day by those blasted salt marsh mosquitos that were blown over here from Louisiana by Hurricane Rita.

That got me to thinking about the heartworm issue for my dogs, Indy and Bailey. They had a couple of mosquitos hovering around their heads when I unclipped their leashes this evening. Thankfully, I have them on monthly heartworm preventative. Geez, the stuff is expensive, but it's a small price to pay considering the painful and often lethal alternative.

To put it in a nutshell, heartworms happen when infected mosquitoes bite dogs or cats, drop off some larvae in the blood, and those larvae grow into nasty worms that hang out in heart and lungs. They can die with a heart full of worms. It's ugly.

Someone had forwarded a link to me about guidelines for people caring for rescued dogs from Katrina, aiming to prevent the spread of heartworms. You can see the page here. It gets rather technical, but if you explore the entire website of The Heartworm Society, you'll find a lot of great information about preventing heartworms in your dogs and cats!

October 11, 2005

Penguins here.. penguins there..

Love is in the air for the penguins down at Moody Gardens in Galveston.. And it appears the New Orleans penguins that relocated to California's Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can watch a story of how they're acclimating here. You can also check out some cute video of the New Orleans sea otters who've taken up residence in California here.

October 11, 2005

Stories like this make the bad ones a bit more bearable..

When William Morgan was evacuated from Louisiana, he left his pet behind. Friends heard about his search for his apricot Standard Poodle, and started scouring the internet. Turns out, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's rescuers had not one, but TWO rescued poodles that fit the description. You can watch which Poodle William picked, and the happy reunion here. Oh - the other Poodle is still being sheltered until his owner is found, too!

October 10, 2005

The bionic dog!

It never ceases to amaze me: new technology that's allowing our pets to live normal lives. Here's a story about a Siberian Husky who was found in Turkey with her back legs cut off. An internet appeal for "Triumph" ended with her being brought to the US for surgery. She was taken to Alameda East Veterinary Clinic in Colorado (of "Emergency Vets" fame from Animal Planet) for a groundbreaking procedure to give her some new prosthetic implanted legs. Here is the story, from our CBS affiliate in Denver; you can watch the video story there as well. You can also see here that Triumph's operation is inspiring some little patients in Nashville, Tennessee in this video from Vanderbuilt Children's Medical Center.

Triumph has one more surgery scheduled to give her permanent feet. Vets say she is healing remarkably well.

October 7, 2005

Rita pet, turned in by owner, needs a new home ..

..and so do her puppies. Here's Mama Reeta. Best as we can figure out, she's a Dalmatian mix. Her owner turned her and her puppies in to BARC during the Rita evacuation. They were all rescued from BARC, but now they need a good home. The folks fostering her say Reeta is housetrained, well behaved, and good with other dogs, cats and children. The puppies like children as well. We have five pups and one Mom. Anyone interested? Contact Karen R. Cloud via email or by phone at (713) 221-1157, OR Pam Harris via email or at 713 623-8333 and 713 385-5202.

October 7, 2005

Saddle up, horse fans! We need your help!

This year's conference of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association was originally supposed to be held in New Orleans. Instead, it's coming here, and SIRE (Houston's Therapeutic Riding Center), the local group who's hosting it, needs help.. PRONTO! This is a quick turn-around, because the conference is scheduled for November 8th through the 12th.

SIRE was busy helping other therapeutic riding centers affected by the hurricanes on the gulf coast. Now, it needs yours! Here is a letter from SIRE's executive director. You'll also find other information here and here.

October 7, 2005

Did you offer to foster dogs for Katrina? Here's another way you can help...

You could become a foster for E-Rescue. This is a group that started as an internet group, whose convictions grew so strong they turned into an hands on rescue group. E-Rescue takes animals from the smaller and lesser known shelters in town to foster and rehab them to ensure sucessful adoptions into forever homes. They have no permanent facility, and rely on a successful partnership with Noah's Ark Grooming and Pets to kennel the animals. They also rely on volunteers to pick up animals and fosters to provide temporary, loving homes.

One of E-Rescue's busiest volunteers will have to take a medical leave, and the group needs help to continue its rescuing! Foster homes are a critical part of this rescue. You can help. Find out more about E-Rescue here. You can also check out the group's website here.

October 6, 2005

You can have this dog for as little as $35 a month!

Yes, you too can have that darling puppy you always wanted... for $20 down and $20 a month.. or something like that. It's pet financing - just like financing your car - and they're doing it over at Petland in Missouri City. Click here to watch the story.

Of course, as Sam highlighted in his comment posted below.. there are always the breed rescues to think about.......think about it.

October 6, 2005

Blessing of the Pets

I'm adding this to the calendar.. but here's some background about this weekend's Blessing of the Pets

Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 4:00 pm in the Cathedral Courtyard - Christ
Church Cathedral ( 1117 Texas Street, 77002; phone: 713-222-2593):

On the fifth day, God created every living creature. God saw that it was good, and God blessed them.

They haven't managed to book Dr. Doolittle, but will have the Houston
ZooMobile and local mounted police! Bring your favorite pet (on a leash or in a cage, please) to the Cathedral Courtyard for a special snack, a St. Francis medal, and a blessing. Don't have a pet? Come anyway! This event is one of the liturgical highlights of the year!

This year, it is requested that you come prepared to make a cash
donation or bring pet food or supplies to the SPCA. Houston was deemed
the destination of choice for guests at the SPCA in New Orleans. Please come and enjoy the afternoon, and give a helping paw to some of God's creatures in need.

October 6, 2005

The Incredible story of Max the poodle

The short version of Max's story: he was separated from his owners during the Katrina evacuations when the dog wasn't allowed on the bus. The owners handed Max over to someone else left behind. After diligent searching by local and national rescue groups, Max has finally be reunited with his family.

Now, here's the long version. Be warned.. it's LONG!

October 6, 2005

Update on the San Diego Panda

The West Coast Giant Panda cub at the San Diego Zoo has grown from a little furball into an adorable cub. She had an exam yesterday (you can check out the video here) at the zoo, where the vet says the cub's teeth are ready to erupt any day. Vets say the cub is most likely in the teething stage as four teeth on the lower jaw feel ready to emerge.

She is also increasing strength in her front limbs as she begins to lift her upper body more. Vets expect the cub will be using her rear legs to begin lifting her lower body in just a few weeks.

The baby panda now weighs a little over seven-pounds. That's a gain of nearly one-pound since last week's exam. She also measures almost 20-inches from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail.

October 6, 2005

Alert from the Galveston County Animal Shelter

This was left in the comments section by Julie. Looks like there isn't much time left for some of the animals down at Galveston's shelter... To help, you can call the shelter at 409-948-2485, or make a PayPal donations on their web site at http://members.petfinder.org/~TX558/

Forwarding from volunteer at Galveston County Shelter in Texas City:

RIGHT NOW AND I MEAN NOW THERE ARE 85 DOGS THAT ARE IN JEOPARDY OF DYING IF I AND A FEW PEOPLE CAN NOT GET THEM OUT AND NOW...THERE IS PLENTY OF ADOPTEES, BUT PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE GOING TO DELIVER TO THEM..I DO NOT HAVE TIME..I HAVE FOR A WEEK BEGGED PEOPLE TO HELP THE ANIMALS AT THE GALVESTON COUNTY SHELTER IN TEXAS CITY, TEXAS..AND MOST AT THIS POINT IS $ 20.00 ADOPTION OR FREE...I HAVE TO LEAVE IN A.M., THINGS ARE CRITICAL DOWN , SO EMAIL BACK OR JUST COME DOWN AND GET ANIMALS..THEY ARE VETTED INCLUDING RABIES..THESE ARE ALL OWNER TURN INS FROM BOTH STORMS...NO WAITING.

October 5, 2005

Giraffe has tumor surgery

From the Associated Press:

National zoo veterinarians treated a giraffe Wednesday for a tumor on its head, in what the chief vet said was the first such case of skin cancer.

The 13-foot-tall Jafari was back on his feet and in seeming good health in his habitat following the 45-minute procedure that involved 28 people. It is the first case of skin cancer reported among the tall, spotted creatures, chief veterinarian Suzan Murray said.

The medical team - which included a giraffe specialist from Florida and a physician from Children's Hospital - was only able to remove 90 percent of the tumor, so the animal's prognosis was "poor to guarded," Murray said.

"It's a poorer prognosis than we had hoped for," Murray said. "The cancer appears to have infiltrated the bone."

October 5, 2005

The blessing of the Katrina Animals

Caught this on our national news feeds: Here is the video, and here is the background story..

Pets rescued from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina took part in an annual ceremony at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

A pet-friendly Mass took place Tuesday evening (10/04) during the yearly "Blessing of the Animals," which celebrates Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

The special service is not just for house pets - one year an iguana came - but this year was particularly poignant because of the many pets rescued from the Gulf Coast and brought to the Washington area.

The Washington Animal League showed up with several dogs that really needed special blessings after days of living on rooftops or porches with no food and drinking contaminated floodwater just to stay alive.

October 5, 2005

Cledus the bulldog has been found..

Just in case you've received the email from a woman in Iraq, looking for her bulldog, Cledus - last seen in Beaumont.. I've just been updated that Cledus is alive and well at the clinic where he is boarded. They evacuated all the pets with them, and returned when they got power. Lynn has spoken to the clinic and she knows the status of Cledus. She is VERY happy and relieved.

October 5, 2005

Spindletop Rescue is bringing back hurricane dogs -- they need your help

From Alexandra Kelsey

Leah Purcell of Spindletop Rescue will be coming back to Houston tomorrow with dogs she's rescued. The dogs have foster homes lined up, but they will be kenneled for a couple of days while we get the dogs onto their flights or in the car to the new foster homes. Auburn Kennels is only charging $5/dog/day for these rescuees, which is great. But Leah may have 25-30 dogs to board short-term. If you know anyone who would like to support Katrina elief without driving or getting dirty, this is a way to help. And if ou know anyone who wants to foster, let me know at Alexandra.Kelsey@bracewellgiuliani.com! Thanks.

If you make a donation, specify "Spindletop Katrina" so they'll know how to apply it. The contact information for Auburn is:

Auburn Kennels
1549 Campbell Road
Houston, TX 77055
Phone: (713) 465-6425
E-mail: garebare@houston.rr.com

October 5, 2005

New! Houston-area Lost and Found Pets board

I've finally got this up and running: it's a new forum discussion board that will allow you to post information and pictures to report lost and found pets. If you are missing an animal.. if you've found an animal.. go to www.baileyindy.com/lostandfound to post your information!

October 5, 2005

Last minute donations collection for Kirbyville Refuge..

From Janice Blue of In Solidarity with Animals:

Today, from Noon-7, our kind friends @ Central City Coop, 2115 Taft, will accept donations for the Rita-ravished Exotic Cat Refuge & Wildlife Orphanage in Kirbyville, in the piney woods of east Texas (see list below of requested items)

Tomorrow morning, along with a 500 gallon skid tank donated by Apache Oil, everything collected today will be delivered by In Solidarity with Animals, directly to Monique Woodward and her two daughters, who are desperately trying to care for all the animals --- a lioness, 5 tigers, 2 Siberian cubs, 8 cougars, 4 jaguars, 2 bobcats, a ringtail cat, 3 leopards, a rhesus monkey, 2 bears, 3 deer, 2 timber wolves, 3 horses, a one winged owl and 75 domestic cats rescued from Katrina.

October 4, 2005

93 year old woman's dog - lost during Rita evacuation

Has anyone seen Baby? This little black Schnauzer Mix got lost during Hurricane Rita evacuations. He belongs to a 93 year old woman who's worried sick. Daughter Mickie Patton shares the story:

During a 14-1/2 hour, 50 mile trip to Montgomery, Texas, the dog slipped out of his harness when my husband stopped to use the rest room, leaving behind his rabies tag and Houston City license. He tied the dog to a rail outside the Mexican Restaurant on 249 just past the Los Cucos Restaurant at 22390 Tomball Pkwy. Baby was frightened by all the traffic and escaped from his harness and ran away. He is out there somewhere with no tags. We love this dog so much and will pay a reward to get him back. I got him for my mother 6 years ago after her dog died. He had been a stray who had been rescued and taken to Special Pals where we got him. His behavior showed that he had been abused and it breaks my heart to think that this might happen again. Thank you so much.

If you've seen Baby, please call Mickie Patton at 713-777-6413 or on her cell at 713-478-7943.

October 4, 2005

Want to volunteer to help Rita pets?

Got this from the Houston SPCA..

The Houston SPCA has been leading the animal rescue and relief efforts as a result of Hurricane Rita's landfall along theTexas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Beginning end of day Thursday, October 6, 2005, the Houston SPCA will be moving out of Ford Park. Efforts to reunite pets will continue at the Houston SPCA, where rescued animals are being housed.

The Houston SPCA has been performing rescues in the following Counties: Chambers, Liberty, Jefferson, Hardin, Orange, and Newton. The organization has brought in more than 1,000 animals and cared for over 3,500 in the affected region. The Humane Society of South East Texas will begin offering partial services beginning Friday, October 7, 2005. Residents can contact them at 409-833-0504. The shelter in Beaumont is in need of volunteers to help them with the animals in their care. Volunteers are urged to visit the shelter at 2050 Spindletop Road to lend a hand. For pet-related information, the public can call the Houston SPCA Animal Emergency Hotline at (713) 802-0555 or toll free at 1-866-481-SPCA (7722).

October 3, 2005

Help find Bailey..

I'm posting this because this pup was lost during the Rita evacuation. Click on the picture for a larger photo of Bailey. Bailey was lost on September 22nd, on I-10 west, between Columbus & Glidden during the Hurricane Rita Evacuation from Houston. Bailey was wearing a green collar and tags. If found or seen, please call (collect), day or night, (832) 215-0405 or (713) 682-5952 or email Ogando_Lynn@emc.com

October 3, 2005

Do you know of any pet deaths related to the Rita evacuation?

Margaret Gondo, who volunteers over at BARC and has been very vocal in improving conditions there, has heard about at least three incidents of animals dying on the road during the long, long evacuations from the Houston area. She is trying to collect reports of pet deaths, with the thought they might one day be helpful in convincing authorities to consider the needs of pets when it comes to emergency plans. If you have information you'd like to share with Margaret, email her at gondo_42@yahoo.com. Please include the animal's age, pre-existing conditions (if any), and what you thought contributed to the animals' death.

October 3, 2005

Friends for Life on the scene in Kirbyville and Lousiana

I'd post Friends For Life's story myself, but the good people there already have a great blog site with photos and updates of what they've been doing to help Katrina and Rita pets. Most recently, they've been working in Kirbyville to help that exotic animal sanctuary keep its big cats alive...

October 3, 2005

New site to list lost and found pets in the Spring area..

Lost a pet? Found a pet? www.lostandfoundpets-spring.com is a site that lists lost and found animals in the Spring, Woodlands, Humble and Kingwood areas..

In the meantime, I plan on getting a forum up soon that allows everyone to post lost and found pet listings. I'll let you know when that's upand running..

October 3, 2005

Pasado Safe Haven taking over rescued animal operations in LA...

Since the Lamar-Dixon shelter in Lousiana has to be closed, the Humane Society has asked Pasado Safe Haven to take in any more Katrina animals that are rescued. Check out Pasado's latest update here.

October 3, 2005

CNN's story on the dogs shot in St Bernard Parish

This is extremely disturbing. Here's the video of the story...

October 3, 2005

Go Vegan's Weekly radio show...

Just in case you can't get to your radio, I've found a website for archived versions of Go Vegan's weekly radio broadcast: It's aired live on KPFT 90.1 Houston or 89.5 Galvestion at 10AM every Monday. Here is the website of archived shows..

October 3, 2005

HSUS calls on Lousiana Attorney General in shot dog case

The US Humane Society has sent this letter to the Louisiana Attorney General requesting it continue following the case of the dogs shot in St. Bernard Parish...

October 3, 2005

New photos from SNAP at the Astrodome..

I received this from the folks at SNAP, the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program. SNAP's truck was at the Astrodome last month, offering wellness services for evacuated dogs and cats of Katrina. You can see the rest of SNAP's photos at Animal Attraction's photo gallery here.

October 1, 2005

Call for volunteer veterinarians!

The Texas Veterinary Medical Association issued a call for vet help to assist Rita victims. This is from the TVMA's forum:

Veterinarians are needed now to assist with disaster relief efforts in the southeastern part of the state, in areas impacted by Hurricane Rita. The doctors who are currently working in these areas are desperately shorthanded. Anyone willing to travel to should contact the TVMA office. The effected counties are especially in need of large animal practitioners.

The following supplies are badly needed in these areas:

Antibiotics
Insulin
General triage supplies

Please contact the TVMA office at 512/452-4224 if you can help.

October 1, 2005

Texas efforts to rescue Rita animals

1. The Texas Animal Health Commission keeps an updated page of Rita information on its website here. It's estimated more than 30,000 Texas pets and livestock were evacuated before the storm, but it's unclear how many were left behind.
2. The Houston SPCA is in Beaumont at the Ford Center, checking out rescued animals before they're transferred to Houston. They'll be held there in hopes they can be reuinited with their owners. Harris County's Animal Control is also helping. Currently the Houston team has authorization to provide animal rescue in Hardin, Orange, Harris, Jefferson, Galveston, Brazoria and Liberty counties. The animal rescue team in these counties can be reached at 713-802-0555.
3. Nacogdoches Expo Center will hold evacuated horses, while smaller pets are going to the Angelina Expo Center in Lufkin. Angelina will cover rescues in Tyler, north Newton County, Nacogdoches, Jasper, Sabine, San Augustine, Angelina and Polk counties. That's being covered by the Texas Animal Control Association, the United Animal Nations, Humane Society of the United States, and ASPCA. The animal rescue team can be reached at 936-366-0128.
4. The ASPCA awarded a $25,000 grant to the Texas Veterinary Medical Association for emergency supplies for state vets. Supplies and generators were immediately shipped out to Winnie, Beaumont and Jasper. Since the storm, Fain and Smathers Veterinary Clinic in Jasper has run fans and dehumidifiers on generator power, while caring for 45 dogs and 15 cats, most from Galveston and Houston. "Any hotter, and we'd be in hell," said Dr. David Fain. "We've nearly lost a couple of veterinarians, but the pets have made it fine, and about half of them now have been picked up by their owners." Vets in the disaster zones needing supplies can call the TVMA at 1-800-489-7347.

October 1, 2005

Humane Society will hand off rescue operations to LA SPCA

The shelter at Lamar-Dixon will close in mid-October. In the meantime, the HSUS will hand off rescue and rehab duties to the Louisiana SPCA. The LASPCA will move operations and set up a temporary shelter in Algiers, since its original facility, in New Orleans' Ninth Ward, was destroyed (photos here). The HSUS announcement is here. The news release from the LASPCA is here.

October 1, 2005

Reward UPPED for dog shootings in Louisiana

I hate this story. I really do. My hope is that the person or persons who killed these dogs will be brought to justice. Find out more about Pasado Safe Haven's reward here.