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Editor’s note: I know this is called Pet News and Views. I, however, like to think of all animals as pets—not that we own them, but as creatures we are responsible for. That is why today’s post is about African elephants.
By Angela Terry, guest blogger with the nonprofit group Blood Ivory
It’s easy to assume that something that lives in a foreign country thousands of miles away will always be here for us. And that one day when we’ve made enough money, collected enough air miles, and put in enough hours, we’ll be able to hop on a plane to see these magnificent creatures in the flesh.
 The number of African elephants are dwindling. You can help by signing the petition. (Photo courtesy of Blood Ivory.) From 1979, there were 1.3 million African elephants. A decade later, widespread poaching reduced that figure to 600,000. In 1989, a worldwide ban on ivory trade was approved by CITES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species). Levels of poaching fell dramatically, and black-market prices of ivory slumped.
On March 13, CITIES will host a conference about the African elephant population and the ivory trade. Not everyone is in agreement. Representatives from Tanzania and Zambia will ask that protection levels of African elephants be reduced. They are pushing to sell several tons of illegal ivory through a loophole—even though there is a ban in place. If this trade goes ahead, the door to poaching will open even wider than before.
Sign the Petition
Please sign this petition to help the elephants.
If Tanzania and Zambia get their way, many fear for the future survival of Africa’s elephants. For Sierra Leone’s elephants it’s too late. The government of Sierra Leone announced at the end of 2009 that it feared its last few elephants had been lost to poachers.
The African Elephant Coalition, formed of 23-African elephant range States (the majority of countries with wild African elephants), are opposing the Tanzanian and Zambian proposals. Instead, they are calling on the international community to support a proposal by Ghana, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Mali, Kenya, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to close the loophole in the moratorium, and extend it to 20 years. They believe that only resolute action of this kind can increase the security for Africa’s beleaguered elephants.
FURminator Contest
On another note, Pet News and Views is hosting a contest for cat and dog owners to win a free FURminator. The person who leaves the funniest comment for uses of cat and dog hair, will win a free FURminator. See Managing Shedding in Cats and Dogs: A Contest to Win a Free FURminator.
By Jonathan Klein, Guest Blogger and Dog Trainer at I Said Sit
The unconditional love of a puppy is one of life’s great pleasures. Their curiosity, innocence, and joy for life are inspirational and bring out the best in us. If you’re considering bringing a puppy in to your home, it’s important to give careful consideration to such factors as breed traits, how big the dog will be as an adult, access to exercise, your personal schedule, and the long-term cost of caring for your pet.
 Jonathan Klein A dog’s personality is largely shaped by its early experiences and with proper care and planning, both dog and owner can thrive. Following are 5 steps to help ensure a lifetime of happiness for both your and your puppy:
1. Prepare Your Home
Puppies are naturally curious; so setting up your home in advance is essential. Lock away all household chemicals, keep any potentially poisonous houseplants out of reach, try to tie back any electrical cords and keep doors closed. It’s also important to create a specific “home base” for the new puppy by using portable gates or an indoor kennel to keep the puppy away from trouble as well as helping the puppy to feel safe without the sense of abandonment that comes from being locked alone in a room. Don’t give in to the occasional whine and mix solitude with “together time.”
2. Diligence Now Brings Happiness Later
Dogs have incredible memories and they’ll never forget something that is fun or rewarding. It only takes one time getting on the couch or finding scraps in the garbage for them to learn that “the sofa is really comfortable” or “there’s free food in the trash.” If they do, they will remember those pleasant things forever; so it is better if your dog never learns the wrong things at all.
3. Stay Positive
Right from the start it’s crucial to always use positive reinforcement to train your puppy. A reward and praise for waiting at the door will be a lot more effective than chasing them down the street trying to teach them they shouldn’t have run out. Showing puppies things they have done wrong, especially with an angry voice, makes them “hide” and virtually eliminates the ability to teach them what’s right. So remember, avoid letting them learn to do something wrong and praise them immediately for a job well done.
4. Proper Socialization
A young puppy must have enough positive, happy, and fun experiences with a wide variety of different life experiences before it is 3 months old. Although your vet might have told you not to take your puppy out due to risk of disease, it is critical for your dog to be socialized before the shots are completed. The truth is that more dogs are euthanized due to behaviors that stem from fear issues than are lost to illness. Proper socialization will ensure that you have a balanced, well-adjusted pet as an adult. So don’t hesitate to take your dog to different place, introduce them to a variety of environments, and meet lots of people, but be safe and careful choosing how to introduce your puppy to other dogs. Play dates and puppy classes are great, but dog park visits need to wait until all vaccinations are completed.
5. Be Patient
Puppies are products of their environment and will behave in accordance with what they see and hear. Your early days and months with your new puppy will be filled with teaching moments. And while there will be moments of frustration, like that ‘present’ you find in the middle of the kitchen floor or a well-chewed slipper, just remember that how you react now will make a huge difference later. Patience, love, and guidance go a lot farther than aggression, anger, and unrealistic demands.
 Jonathan shows dog owners how to train their dogs. If your puppy is experiencing any level of fear or aggression, seek the help of a qualified, positively oriented trainer or behaviorist. It is possible that doing the wrong thing will make the problems worse and harder to fix in the long run.
Expert dog trainer and behaviorist Jonathan Klein has successfully trained more than 6,000 dogs, and their owners, over his 20-year career. He is the founder of the Culver City-based, dog-training center “I Said Sit!” Personalized Dog Training and was voted 2009’s #1 Dog Trainer in Los Angeles by KTTV-FOX L.A. He is also a trainer with Truly Dog Friendly.
FURminator Contest
On another note, Pet News and Views is hosting a contest for cat and dog owners to win a free FURminator. The person who leaves the funniest comment for uses of cat and dog hair, will win a free FURminator. See Managing Shedding in Cats and Dogs: A Contest to Win a Free FURminator.
Cats are perfect baby makers. Each female cat can have four litters a year, and produce between three and five kittens each cycle. That’s a lot of stray cats. It’s hard calculating the exact number of strays in the United States.
Stray dogs are much more noticeable than stray cats because cats are better able to hide from sight. Still, many are visible. So visible that it deeply bothered Karn Myers and Mark Dodge, the husband and wife team behind FixNation, a nonprofit with the ambitious goal of ending the stray cat population in Los Angeles.
“FixNation’s primary mission is to reduce the population of homeless cats by sterilizing as many as possible,” says Mark. “In addition, by consistently demonstrating the effectiveness of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), we seek to bring about changes in public policy so that TNR becomes the officially sanctioned and government-funded approach to homeless cat management. Lastly, we support and promote all humane initiatives and education to bring about the day of no more homeless cats in Los Angeles.”
Catnippers and Best Friends
Before starting FixNation, Mark and Karn started Best Friends Catnippers in 1999, a non-profit organization operating under the wing of Best Friends Animal Society. Catnippers conducts bi-monthly high volume spay/neuter clinics offering free sterilization services for homeless, feral, and stray cats. They host these clinics one Sunday every other month. Staffed purely by volunteers including volunteer vets and vet techs, Catnippers has been responsible for fixing nearly 700 homeless cats last year.
 With the success of Catnippers, Mark and Karn felt that with a permanent, full-time facility, many more cats throughout Los Angeles could be helped. So in 2006, they secured additional funding from PetSmart Charities, Found Animals Foundation, Best Friends Animal Society, the Angela Collier Foundation, and several private donors in order to launch FixNation.
FixNation’s TNR program became official in mid 2007. FixNation operates Monday through Friday. Mark and Karn estimate that there are more than one million stray cats in Los Angeles County.
From the Start
Mark and Karn have been together for more than 30 years. “I’ve had cats since we’ve been together,” says Karn. “I used to work building movie sets. While I was working on the film Titanic, I would see ladies outside the set feeding these stray cats. When I got home, I told Mark about them. Having cats, our natural inclination was to scoop them up and take them home, but there were about 15 of them ranging in age from kittens to older adults. Plus, they weren’t socialized.”
“The best way to approach the feral cat population is to spay and neuter them,” says Mark. “That’s why we launched TNR, and we use the word Return, not release because Return implies someone has taken it upon themselves to have ongoing responsibility. Release is abandonment.”
Teaching Others
FixNation hosts workshops that teach volunteers TNR and how to maintain a feral cat colony. Thanks to their work, FixNation and Catnippers, together have fixed more than 40,000 cats. The work at FixNation is done by paid staff and veterinarians thanks to grants and fundraising efforts. FixNation’s spay and neutering services are quite affordable; they charge $40 to fix a male cat and $55 for a female cat.
Raising Funds
Running a spay and neutering clinic, hosting workshops on TNR and maintaining feral cat colonies, and educating the public about the stray cat population, costs money. So Mark, who works as a lawyer, and Karn, who runs the clinic at FixNation and Catnippers, are always looking for funding sources.
They are teaming up with the producers of the play Cats. On opening night—March 10—FixNation will offer very well-situated seats for the performance at $250 each. Each ticket admits the holder to both the performance and a special pre-show VIP cocktail reception at Katsuya restaurant, just down the block from the Pantages Theater. Some of the cast will be at the reception.
A Generous Offer
If you want to set up a similar program, you can contact FixNation. Mark and Karn are willing to share tips and information on how to start your own TNR feral cat program.
Other TNR Programs
Best Friends Animal Society’s Focus on Felines
TNR Chicago
If you know about a reliable TNR program in your area, please post it in the comments section of this post.
FURminator Contest
On another note, Pet News and Views is hosting a contest for cat and dog owners to win a free FURminator. The person who leaves the funniest comment for uses of cat and dog hair, will win a free FURminator. See Managing Shedding in Cats and Dogs: A Contest to Win a Free FURminator.
I got a call from the folks at FURminator. They insisted that I try their product because they hoped that I would review it here at Pet News and Views. I was skeptical. I usually don’t review products other than books. However, I was intrigued.
 Enter Pet News and Views' contest to win a FURminator for your cat or dog. I asked that they send me three—one for me to try on Earl Gray, my cat, and two that I could give away to my readers if I liked it. I got one for a cat and one for a dog.
When the package arrived, I opened it immediately. It was purple—my favorite color. Earl sniffed it, and when I started brushing him, he sat there purring loudly. He let me brush his back, as he always does, and his tummy—which he never does. He was in bliss.
The amount of fur that came off the brush was a lot—more than the brushes that I have used on him in the past. My husband, Steven, and I sometimes joke that we can build another cat with all the cat hair that is found in our house and on the sofa. Earl catnaps on the top of the sofa which is right by a window flooded with sunlight. Often, he leaves a lot of fur in the spot where he sleeps.
There’s also fur on my clothes. It hasn’t bothered me that much. I adore Earl—hair and all. But now, I don’t have to deal with lots of cat hair. I’ve been brushing him everyday with the FURminator; he loves it.
 The Deluxe Collection FURminator collects more pet hair than other brushes I have tried on my cat. Thanks to the folks at FURminator, I am giving away one Deluxe Collection FURminator for a medium sized dog and one Deluxe Collection FURminator for a cat. The retail price is $44.99 each. FURminator is easy to use. All you do is brush in the direction of the fur, and gently remove the hair caught in the deshedding tool with your hands. It’s so easy, and your pet will love it.
Now, Earl and I have special times during the day where I take out the FURminator and I listen to him purr while I “de-shed” him.
Contest Rules
To enter to win a FURminator, please leave a humorous comment about uses you can find for cat or dog hair. My husband, Steven, who is very funny, and I will pick the funniest dog and cat comment. The contest ends on March 9, and you can leave more than one comment in the comments section of this post. Winners will be announced on March 10.
Depending upon where you live, you may be dreaming of a road trip with your dog. Here in the northeastern part of the U.S. we have another snowy day. Driving is out of the question. However, if you live in warm climes (lucky you) or are planning ahead, you will want to save these tips before your next road trip.
Local Travel
Thanks to the economy, Americans have changed their travel habits. Most are taking local trips—exploring their home states and visiting nearby ones. Road travel is up, and people are traveling with their dogs.
 Amy and Rod Burkert with their dogs Ty and Buster. According to the U.S. Travel Association, a non-profit trade organization that represents the U.S. travel industry, 14 percent of all U.S. adults (that’s 29.1 million) have traveled with a pet on a trip of 50 miles or more in the past three years. Dogs are the most common type of pet to take along (78 percent). Cats came in a distant second at 15 percent.
On the Road with Your Dog
Amy and Rod Burkert, co-founders of GoPetFriendly.com, a free-to-use internet resource for people who prefer to travel with their pets, are constantly amazed by the welcome attitudes they encounter when on the road with their two dogs, Buster, a 2 1/2 year old rescued German Shepherd and Ty, a 5 year old Shar Pei.
“Who would have thought you could take dogs on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC,” says Rod. “Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s people’s changing attitudes. But many times, all you need to do is ask if the location is pet friendly.”
Packing for their Trip
The Burkerts always take extra leashes in case one gets lost or left behind. Other essentials include carpet cleaner, in case there are any accidents in hotel rooms; a first aid kit, which they ordered through Amazon, a roll of paper towels, a micro fiber towel to dry the dogs off if they get wet in the rain or go swimming in a creek or beach, complete medical records of the dogs that have been scanned to a thumb drive, treats, a gallon jug of water in case the dogs get thirsty, pet toys, insect repellant, sun screen, and a backpack for Buster, “to give him a job of carrying stuff when we go on hikes,” says Rod. Plus they pack medications and food.
“What we don’t pack are crates,” says Rod. “Everything is within reach and easy to get to. And, one thing I would like to add is that we maintain the dogs’ morning and evening walk schedules—time and distance.”
Must Haves
When the Burkert family travels, they concern themselves with their dogs’ medicine and food. Both dogs have conditions that are easily controlled with medication. (Buster gets seizures and Ty has hypothyroidism.) “Before we hit the road, we simply pick up a supply of pills from our vet that will last for the duration of the trip,” says Rod.
Food is another issue. “We recently switched our dogs to a dehydrated raw food diet from The Honest Kitchen,” Rod explains. “The food is not widely available (maybe not at all at the big box pet stores) so this will require some planning. The Honest Kitchen provides free UPS ground shipping on bulk orders (along with a nice discount). Our first shipment took only 3 days to get to Pennsylvania from California. We start our trips with a food supply in the RV. As we travel for months at a time, we always plan ahead and order more food when we start running low. This way a shipment can reach us in time.”
Plan ahead, drive safely, and have fun. Have a tip on traveling with your dog? Please share it with us.
First, thanks so much for reading, commenting, and subscribing to Pet News and Views. I so appreciate it. I wanted to let you know that I’m changing the subscription process to feedburner.com. So, in case you don’t receive Pet News and Views in your inbox or rss feed every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I hope you will check back here and subscribe again.
Also, if you have any ideas on stories you would like to see, please let me know.
Best Barks and Mellow Meows,
Michele
Those of you who know me, know that I adore cats—claws and all. I would never declaw a cat. Simply put, it’s wrong. The operation is painful, and it has been likened to cutting off the first knuckles of a human hand.
Cats, unlike humans, don’t have opposable thumbs. They use their claws to grab things. If you ever tossed a toy to a kitty, you can see her grasp onto it with her claws. Cats also scratch to remove the dead outer layer of their claws. And yes, they like to scratch. If, however, your cat is scratching your sofa or carpet, then you need to buy a good scratching post and train your cat to use it.
The U.S. and Canada are the only countries where declawing is commonplace. In other countries, it is illegal or is considered inhumane. The American Veterinary Medical Association also considers it cruel. Following are 5 reasons why cats need their claws:
1. For Protection: If your cat ever gets outside and doesn’t have claws, he will be defenseless. Cats use their claws to climb trees, which can help them escape from dangerous situations. Without those claws, he has a greater chance of being attacked. Even indoor cats need their claws. I have a 9-year old, and when his friends come by they often want to pick up the cat. My cat likes some of the kids, and runs from the more aggressive ones. I am always on hand to make sure everyone is safe. In my house, everyone treats Earl, my cat, with respect. Don’t pick him up if he doesn’t want to be picked up. Earl is a sweetheart. However, he will show his claws if he feels threatened. He never struck anyone; yet it deters kids who can become overbearing.
2. For Exercise: They also use their claws for stretching their muscles.
3. Claws Mark Territory: Ever see a declawed cat “scratch” your furniture? It’s an inherent trait that “marks” a cat’s territory. They won’t scratch a particular item if you train them to use a scratching post. (In my house we avoid certain items, like tightly woven rugs and wicker furniture. They are just too tempting for my cat.)
4. For Balance: When a cat is declawed, it’s not at all like clipping nails. Declawing is amputating the claw and related bone and muscle tissue. Without that, balance is often affected.
5. To Catch Prey: Cats are natural hunters. My indoor cat has caught a few crickets that made their way indoors. He pounces on them and uses his claws to hold them in place.
Trimming Your Cat’s Claws
You will need to purchase a good nail clipper, which you can find at your local pet store.
If possible, start clipping your kitten’s nails to get him used to it. If you have a full grown cat, go slow. Start by playing and then gently petting him so he’s relaxed. It’s great if he falls asleep on your lap. That’s the best time to clip his nails. Following are simple steps on trimming your cat’s claws.
1. The key word here is trim. Just trim the tips. Stay away from the “quick,” that’s the pink tissue inside the claw. Cutting that will cause pain, and it will bleed.
2. Gently press on the pad area of your cat’s paws to extend his claws. If your cat gets fidgety, let him go and try again later. You don’t have to trim all of his claws in one sitting.
3. And don’t forget to reward him. Earl won’t eat treats. He just doesn’t like them. I offer a lot of praise and play.
According to Laura Allen, founder of Animal Law Coalition, H.B. 344, An Act to Prohibit Devocalization of Dogs and Cats, also known as Logan’s Law, has passed the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary, and should have been voted on by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. However, the bill is stuck because Rep. Vincent Pedone seems intent on killing it.
On Allen’s blog, she writes, “Pedone’s Third Reading Committee is only supposed to review bills approved by a committee for constitutionality or technical issues. There are no such problems with H.B. 344 and it has been approved by a committee. It is his job then to schedule bills for a final vote by the House of Representatives. Instead, Pedone is using this Third Reading Committee to impose his own view on voters by killing the bill before their representatives have a chance to vote on it.”
 A dog often barks to alert us to danger. Why would we take away his voice? (Photo by Eldad Hagar of Hope for Paws.) Pedone has called devocalization barbaric and inhumane. So it is puzzling as to why he doesn’t release the bill from the Third Reading Committee. “Pedone is playing politics with a bill that, by his own admission, will prevent animal cruelty,” writes Allen. “A December 2009 poll shows Massachusetts voting age adults oppose devocalization at a rate of 21:1. There were no differences by gender, age, or race.”
The Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets (CPR Pets), who sponsored this bill, says, “Lobbyists for the special interests that profit from devocalization may not be happy with these poll results. But fact is, they mirror our experience. As we canvas throughout Massachusetts, the question nearly everyone asks of CPR Pets is, ‘Why on earth is devocalization legal?’”
How You Can Help
Call Rep. Vincent Pedone at 508-791-7400 and urge him to release the bill, H.B. 344, without amendments by opponents, for a vote by the full Massachusetts House of Representatives. If you get voicemail, leave your name, address, and short message of support for House Bill 344. Then try to call again.
 I love hearing cats meow and purr. The longer this humane legislation is held in Rep. Pedone’s committee, the less chance it will become law.
Also, please call on Speaker Robert DeLeo, 617-722-2500, and urge him to move H.B. 344 to the Floor for approval by the House without amendment by opponents. If the bill is amended, as lobbyists that profit from devocalization wish, it would be unenforceable, and vulnerable animals would continue to be maimed.
But I Don’t Live in Massachusetts
If you don’t live in the state, send this link to someone who does and urge them to support, H.B. 344. Everyone can call Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) at 508-460-9333. MVMA is opposing this bill. Tell them to support this bill to prohibit devocalization: Vets shouldn’t perform or sanction medically unnecessary surgery.
You can read the full story at Animal Law Coalition.
Great News: Update on 3/3/10
The bill has been sent to the MA State Senate.
Winter weather is still here, and many people seem to believe that their pets have abilities to withstand nature’s worst. Even dogs with thick fur coats are vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
“Runners in bitter winter weather might wear excellent gear from head to foot, complete with eye, nose, and mouth protection, and not consider for a moment their dog’s paws or lungs,” says Anna Nirva of Sunbear Squad. “And their valiant dogs might not show obvious signs of distress before collapsing. These runners might be intelligent, responsible pet guardians in most ways; they might love their companion animals very much. But could they have incorrect assumptions about animal invincibility? Yes, and vet clinics treat the four-legged victims of this misconception often during cold snaps.”
5 Tips for Keeping Your Dog Warm
1. If you have a short haired dog, make sure he is wearing a coat or sweater.
2. In snowy areas, make sure the coat you provide for your dog is waterproof.
3. Don’t forget boots to keep his feet warm.
4. If there is snow or ice on the ground and your dog isn’t wearing boots, make sure the fur between the pads of his paws are trimmed. Ice can stick to the fur and freeze. Trimmed fur and boots are the best option.
5. Limit the amount of time outdoors when temperatures dip below freezing.
5 Tips for Keeping Outdoor Cats Warm
1. On icy cold days, please keep your cats indoors. I personally keep my cats indoors year round. It is safer for them overall.
2. If the weather is above freezing and you want to let your cat out, make sure he is well fed. The extra calories (I’m not talking about overweight cats.) will keep him warmer.
3. Leave out fresh water, and change it often to make sure it doesn’t freeze.
4. If you can set up a shelter for your cat outdoors, make sure it is stocked with straw, not newspapers, towel, or blankets, which hold the cold.
5. Before you start your car, tap loudly on the hood and check under it because some cats will curl up there because it is warm. Make sure there is no antifreeze on garage floors. Antifreeze is sweet tasting and if dogs or cats lick it from the garage floor, it can be deadly.
When it comes to animals, I have a lot of dreams. One of them is to witness the end of greyhound racing. Imagine a day when this blood sport no longer exists. Well, that moment is close at hand in Arizona.
 This is how greyhounds should be treated. (Photo courtesy of Grey2K USA) Senate Bill 1294, GREY2K USA’s bill to end dog racing in Arizona by December 31, 2010, has been filed by Arizona State Senators Paula Aboud and Jonathan Paton. HB 2637, a bill to immediately ban the use of anabolic steroids in racing greyhounds, has also been filed. Together, these two bills will make history and help thousands of greyhounds in the Grand Canyon state.
Passing Legislation
Your help is needed to pass these groundbreaking pieces of legislation. Christine A. Dorchak, Esq, and president of GREY2K USA, and Kari Nienstedt of the Humane Society of the United States will host organizational meetings in Tucson and Phoenix later this month. At these meetings you will receive information about greyhound racing in Arizona and meet some of the many people who will be working together to end this cruelty.
Okay, but I don’t live in Arizona! You can still help by alerting your friends and family who do. Ask them to attend the meetings. If you can attend, contact Christine at GREY2K USA to find out how you can help.
Tucson
The first meeting will be held on Friday, February 26, at 5:30 p.m. sharp and run till 7:30 p.m. at the State of Arizona Legislative Office, State of Arizona Complex,158 North Building, 400 West Congress Street, Tucson.
Phoenix
A second meeting will be held on Saturday, February 27, at 1:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m. at Charity Charms Showroom, 4225 Camelback Road, Phoenix.
As long as dog racing continues in Arizona, greyhounds will suffer. More information about the history of dog racing in the state, and to see the latest injury records, visit GREY2K USA.
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