Pet Monologues

There are numerous programs to help the homeless on the streets, but what about the pets of the homeless?

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 750,000 people in the United States experienced homelessness on a given night. About ten percent of the unshielded homeless have at least one dog or cat.

Photo by D. Owens

There is a national organization that is trying to help the pets of the homeless and provide them with services and food. Feeding the Pets of the Homeless was started in December 2006 with the intent to raise awareness of the need to help homeless pets.

The organization reaches out to veterinarians and pet retailers to join the program and collect pet food. Members then go to local food banks and shelters and distribute the pet food to those in need.

Genevieve Frederick, who is head of Feeding the Pets of the Homeless, said: “The response from the general public has been overwhelming. It has changed the way many people view the homeless. They want to contribute pet food for those less fortunate, and they contact me daily to ask where they can go or why there isn’t a location in their town.”

2 ways to help
# The Rescue Mission of El Paso sometimes needs pet food. People can donate at the shelter at 1949 W. Paisano, or call 775 532 2575.
# Learn how to participate in the Feeding Pets of the Homeless program at petsofhomeless.com.

Source:
el paso times
petsofhomeless.com

This post celebrates World Animal Day and Bless the Animals. Follow the links to learn more about PM’s initiative which started on October 4.

Here is a story by Stu Bykofsky, columnist with the Philadelphia Daily News

I am an elephant.

I was not born for your amusement any more than you were born for mine.

If you see me in the zoo, and especially in the circus, which arrived here yesterday, I am not there willingly.

I was kidnapped and carried far, far away from my home and my family. I might have been an adult, but was more likely a baby when captured. Some “brave” hunter might have killed my mother—who could be dangerous—and sold me to a zoo or circus as an orphan.

Elephants have large families, as you may know, each headed by a female. When a female is born into the family herd, she never leaves.

Closely and happily, we travel together, eat together, play together, rest together. For elephants, every herd is a “village” in which the baby is cared for by its mother, and her sisters, and her mother. Being connected to family is as much a part of our being as our floppy ears. It harms us to be separated from our family. Can you understand that? Read the rest of this entry »

Bless the animals.

World Animal Day occurs annually on 4 October. Animal welfare groups, sanctuaries, and individuals throughout the world hold special events to heighten public awareness of animal issues and to encourage people to think about how we as humans relate to animals.

World Animal Day Mission Statement

* To celebrate animal life in all its forms
* To celebrate humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom
* To acknowledge the diverse roles that animals play in our lives from being our companions, supporting and helping us, to bringing a sense of wonder into our lives
* To acknowledge and be thankful for the way in which animals enrich our lives

“In this photo the Rev. Ron Spahn blesses an equine member of the 10:15am service at Christ Church Grosse Pointe. It was like Noah’s Ark without all the rain.” Photo: Brendan Ross/brossphoto.com

Designer: “Puppy” by Eero Aarnio

History

World Animal Day was conceived at an ecologist’s convention in Florence, Italy in 1931 as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4th was chosen as World Animal Day because it is also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic Church holiday which is often celebrated with an annual “blessing of the pets”.

Since then, it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and has been widely celebrated around the world. It is intended as a day of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals. It is not restricted to any one nationality, creed, religion, political belief or ideology. Read the rest of this entry »

Older than us?

George Mackenzie Dunnet was a well-known Scottish ornithologist who passed away in 1995, aged 67. The photograph that accompanies his obituary shows a timeworn face, mostly bald head and grey locks clinging to temples. However, his sense of fun survives—literally.

Throughout his life George studied fulmars on Eynhallow in the Orkney Islands.He had his picture taken in 1951 holding a ringed fulmar when he was a young man and, by great coincidence, had it taken again 30 years later with the same bird. Personal vanity was brushed aside in his admiration for the fulmar’s unchanged looks.

Meanwhile, the bird lives on. It is a sobering thought that, when ringed, it was already a mature breeding adult making its true age a mystery.

Unlike humans, birds do not go grey or develop wrinkles. If their outward appearance does not change, how can we tell their age? In most cases ringing provides data on lifespan and longevity. Natural clues to the precise age of a bird are few and only serve to chart survival into adulthood—not beyond. Small birds replace distinctive juvenile plumage with that of an adult within months of being born. After this, their looks do not alter. Larger birds take several years to reach maturity during which time they grow progressively more adult-like feathers. Brown juvenile gannets acquire white plumage resembling their parents’ through a series of moults over a five-year period. Read the rest of this entry »

Orangutan prefers blondes.

AMSTERDAM—Sibu the Orangutan has miffed his Dutch keepers by refusing to mate with females and showing sexual interest only in tattooed human blondes. Read the rest of this entry »

Adoption saves lives.

If you’ve done your research and decided on a specific breed, adoption through a breed rescue or local shelter is a great way to give a dog a second chance. Read the rest of this entry »

This is Jasmine. We adopted her when she was approx. 2 yrs old. She is now 13 yrs. old. She is a total primadonna. Jasmine is spoiled and very stubborn, and we love her to pieces.

Snakes on the brain.

Liudmilla has started something about snakes. Read the rest of this entry »

Grandmother ruffles feathers.

Ducks. Roosters. Town associations. Poor little girls. Read the rest of this entry »

Eco-friendly pet toys and accessories…

Get green! Make a statement! For you and your pet!

“I think people should be more aware and not just assume everything is safe,” says Chicago veterinarian Julie Mayer. “They should be skeptical and critics of products out there.

“We need to read the labels. We have to educate ourselves, because no one is going to help us out, unfortunately.”

Here, then, are a few ways you and your dog and cat can live greener lives, and some problems to watch out for.

Wipe and paws

Wash their feet after they come in. What the dogs pick up from outside—animal and human waste, traces of pollution and car exhaust, etc.—can find its way into their systems as they groom themselves. Anything you can do to keep them clean is beneficial. Read the rest of this entry »