January « 2010 « Pet News and Views

Happy Beginnings for Strays in Puerto Rico

By Twig Mowatt, guest blogger
Valiente, a 28-pound Chihuahua/border collie mix, was found tied to a trash can on a busy street in San Juan. His owner had dumped the dog there after he failed as a watch dog. (Valiente is a bit of a softy, who almost never barks.) It’s the sort of sad scene that happens every day in Puerto Rico, where companion animal abandonment, neglect, and abuse is widespread and largely tolerated. Estimates place the number of stray dogs (called “Satos” in Puerto Rican slang) at above 150,000. Injured, diseased, and emaciated dogs can be found roaming most streets, beaches, mountainsides, and commercial centers. In fact, some areas, such as Dead Dog Beach, have become notorious dumping grounds for unwanted [...]

Congressional Report Card on Animal Welfare

Want to know how your local representative or state senator voted on animal welfare issues? Check out the Humane Scorecard. It provides an easy way for you to assess how your Congressional leaders voted on animal protection [...]

What About the Animals in Haiti?

After first hearing about the tragic deaths of thousands in Haiti, my heart fell and then I thought about the animals. What about them? Feeling conflicted because the news reports covered human devastation so deep that it was hard to grasp, I thought twice about posting a story about the animals in Haiti on my blog.
What would people think? I’m worried about dogs, cats, birds, and livestock when more than 200,000 people were feared dead. Can I really post a story about stray dogs and scared cats when people are homeless and [...]

Save America's Horses

It was more than 20 years ago, but I will never forget the high I felt when I came across a pack of wild horses while on a horseback riding trip in Wyoming. Eight of us were on day four of our week long camping trip. [...]

Top 10 Tips For Working with Animals

As our love for animals grows, career opportunities expand. Years ago, we didn’t have travel services for pets. The same can be said of pet travel products, upscale doggie daycare centers, organic pet foods, designer pet clothing, and new technologies and branches in veterinary medicine. These new products and services for our pets have fueled the expansion of the animal care industry. If you are interested in working with animals, here are 10 tips to [...]

NH House Votes to Make Greyhound Racing Illegal

On the tails of the closing of greyhound racing in Massachusetts, , the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to make dog racing illegal in the Granite State. Thanks to a bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Cooney, D-Plymouth, and the efforts of animal welfare groups headed by GREY2K USA, live greyhound racing may come to an end in New [...]

Animal Aid in Haiti

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have agreed to head up a coalition of groups to address the needs of animals in Haiti following the earthquake that devastated the country.
On January 12, a 7.0 earthquake–the largest in 200 years–rocked the small island nation, reducing buildings to rubble, and demolishing the capital, Port-au-Prince. Tens of thousands of people are feared dead and countries such as the United States have pledged troops and aid to the Caribbean nation. The international response to the devastation has been the largest outpouring of support since Asia’s 2004 [...]

Efforts to End Ohio's Dog Auction Continues

Before the holiday break, I reported on the efforts of many—most notably the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions, a registered political action committee—to outlaw dog auctions in Ohio.
Unfortunately, only 7,202 signatures were gathered—far short of the 120,700 signatures needed—to put before state legislators. The reason for the shortfall of signatures was time. Organizers behind this effort were competing with the historic November 3 presidential [...]

Teaching Kids about Animals

While most kids are indoors playing video games, 9-year old Enzo Monfre can be found outdoors observing bugs, hedgehogs, and other critters that are native to his Texas backyard. It’s not that Enzo doesn’t like video games; on the contrary, he enjoys them. He just prefers to be among [...]

Tattoos and Microchips for Cats and Dogs

Millions of dogs and cats enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of these, only two percent of cats and 18 percent of dogs are reunited with their owners. That is why it is important to make sure your dog and cat have identification tags—either on a collar, a microchip, or tattoo.

Collars and identification (ID) tags [...]

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