Tag Archives: be the change

Paws For Japan

17 Mar

To say that the past month or so have been tough for the humans in Christchurch, New Zealand, as well as Japan, may be a glaring understatement. As you are all probably aware, earthquakes have hit both places resulting in massive damage, a tsunami in Japan, and now a potential nuclear crisis. Truth be told, it’s all a little above my doggy head. I can say, however, that the humans aren’t the only ones in need. Beloved pets and animals within the areas hardest hit in Japan are at risk of being lost, injured, or worse. That is why today, Be the Change for Pets has dedicated their time and energy to help raise funds for World Vets, a volunteer program that is currently providing veterinarian aid and care to animals in Japan.

In the above video, these two dogs were found lost and injured in the wreckage of the earthquake and tsunami. Because of animal specific relief efforts, they were both rescued and are currently recuperating.

As of yesterday, World Vets was in Niigata, Japan with a shipment of veterinary supplies. Their current plan is to head to the hardest effected areas to make assessments and provide aid. On Friday, one of the World Vets veterinarians, Dr. Koji Fukumura will be arriving in Tokyo and remaining long-term as the in-country coordinator.

A Japanese man is reunited with his lost dog.

(photo source)

There are many ways you can help assist World Vets in their incredibly important and selfless work. There is currently a Chip-In widget on many pet-blogs and websites including BlogPaws, Pawcurious, and the World Vets site. All funds donated through the Chip-In widget go directly to World Vets. You can also spread the word today through facebook, twitter, or even your own blog or website.

If you’d like more information, or to keep current on updates from World Vets, please check out their website as well as their facebook page. Together we can help those who are in need of our love and support in times like this.

Happy tail wags.

Harry’s Story

15 Mar

Prudence asked me if I was willing to write a guest post about my story for Adopt the Internet Day. You see, unlike Prudence, I came from an animal shelter known as the Humane Society of Knox County. I know I’ve talked a bit about it before, but it is a story that stands to be repeated because it is a classic example of what pets in a no-kill shelter are going to face while waiting for their forever home.

I was brought to the HSKC as a kitten. My history before the shelter is foggy at best and all I really remember is being stuck in a cage, unable to socialize with other cats other than my litter mates due to an upper respiratory infection. It wasn’t fun, and the shelter staff did the best they could to keep me happy and comfortable, but with over a hundred cats (both in the shelter and being fostered) as well as the countless dogs under their care, their time and attention was spread thin. There were some catnip toys and a few balls to keep us occupied, but what I really wanted was to be held, to be cuddled. Not to mention the shelter can be a very busy and therefore stressful place. Luckily at that time, I was new to the world, so things didn’t stress me out too much. But some animals do become stressed and incredibly unhappy.

I was so very happy the day that my human walked into the shelter looking for a cat to share her life with. I knew this was my chance, and I would not let it slip out of my paws (I can be a bit conniving like that). So, when she knelt down to check out my litter mates and I, I reached out my paws and grabbed her hand to tell her that it was me she wanted. Thankfully she fell for it and that is how I find myself here, in her home, living the high life and no longer in want of anything (except maybe peace from Prudence).

Not all cats and dogs that find themselves in a shelter are as lucky as me. Some wind up in kill shelters where they are given a week, sometimes just days, to find a home or they will be euthanized. Sometimes, even those animals that are in shelters like the HSKC that are no-kill, will face months or even years of waiting for that one human to come in and give them what we all want, a place to call home. While it is true that my human did not go on adopt Prudence from a shelter or a rescue, she now understands the importance of adopting over buying and what that means for that one lucky pet who will finally get to go home.

So, if you are ever considering adding a four-legged (or even bird-legged or finned as birds and fish can also be found in shelters and rescues) member to your family, please choose adoption.

Happy Adopt the Internet Day!

Let’s Adopt the Internet

14 Mar

Tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day. Why? Because it’s Adopt the Internet Day!In celebration of their 15th birthday, Petfinder decided to celebrate in a big way; namely, asking the internet and those that frequent it to spend the day spreading the word about adoptable pets. Anyone can sign the pledge to promise that they will tell at least one person about pet adoption. If you plan on blogging, tweeting, or dedicating your Facebook page or status to this event, you can attach a link to your adoption related posts on the list of posts that will be featured on the front page of Petfinder starting tomorrow (if you’re tweeting, make sure to use the hashtag #adopttheinternet).

As of now, some really great blogs and websites have already promised to dedicate their space to Adopt the Internet Day. ICanHasCheezburger is running a caption contest where they are looking for captions for Petfinder adoptable pet photos. On March 15th, the best will be chosen and featured all day on their homepage. PeoplePets, FIDOFriendly, Animal Planet, Oprah.com, Dogster, Catster, and PetSugar, are just some of the over 50 websites and blogs that are going to be participating tomorrow, not to mention the countless people on twitter and facebook. And, of course, you can plan on me posting a post or two tomorrow (I think I even roped Harry, who was adopted from the Humane Society of Knox County, into writing a guest post featuring his adoption story).

If you’d like to participate, make sure you sign the pledge (when you pledge, you are automatically signed up for a chance to win one of ten BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Vacuums!), grab a badge for your blog or site if you have one, and get to informing the world as to why adoption is so great.

Let’s help make Petfinder’s 15th birthday (and over 17 million adoptions) one that they will never forget!

Happy tail wags!

Source: Petfinder

Dog Rehabilitation Center of Maine

1 Mar

Updated March 29th: Please check out the addendum I wrote regarding this post.

Sometimes there are dogs that their humans believe they just cannot handle. This could be from behavioral issues, aggression issues, or something that takes severe dedication from both humans and pooch, like house breaking. Sadly, if humans feel they are at the end of their rope, a lot of these dogs will face re-homing, abandonment, or even euthanasia. But, there are places around the country (and the world) that try to rehabilitate these “trouble” pups. One of those places just happens to be in my home state and is called the Dog Rehabilitation Center of Maine.

(photo source)

The Dog Rehabilitation Center of Maine, or as it’s sometimes known, the Dog Temple, is run by a human named Sergei Bachkovski and his team of Well Balanced dogs, or “the pack”. Balance is what Sergei and his four legged team are all about. Often, Sergei is hired to come into the homes of dogs whose humans feel have no more options. He will assess what is going on, figure out where the problems are, and plan a course of action that will help rehabilitate your dog. The Dog Temple also has a Doggy Boot Camp! Dogs stay with Sergei and his doggy team where they can get the proper attention they need, all the energy releasing exercise they can handle, and most importantly safe and therapeutic interaction with the pack.

Some local animal shelters, such as the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, have asked Sergei for his assistance in rehabilitating the dogs brought into their shelters who would otherwise be euthanized due to behavior issues. Sergei will bring the dogs to his facility and work with them until they are adoptable and ready to find their forever homes.

Besides the intensive rehabilitation, the Dog Temple also has Doggy Daycare and overnight Boarding.

If you’d like more information, or are interested in the facilities offered at the Dog Rehabilitation Center of Maine, please check out their website or their facebook page.

Happy tail wags!

Source: The Dog Rehabilitation Center of Maine

Happy Holidays to the HSKC

21 Dec

Remember way back in April when my mom and my not-related aunt Angelica pledged 25% of the sales from all their denim toys (like my mom’s squeaky stars) to the Humane Society of Knox County? Well today, Angelica and my mom made good on their promise and made their first donation to the HSKC! Perfect timing too as it’s the holiday season and it’s always nice to give to charities during this time of the year.

So far, the amount raised through the denim sales from The Smiling Frog Pets was $65! That’s a lot of sold denim balls and stars (and a lot of happy pets who received those fun toys). Angelica also made a little care package of small squeaky toys, dog treats, and a few cans of kitty food for the shelter animals. I also think both humans enjoyed some cuddle time with the pups and cats who are searching for their forever homes. It’s was nice of them do that, and I’m totally okay with sharing my mom for a little bit as long as she doesn’t bring any new siblings home.

Happy tail wags!

Blogathon Wrap-Up

16 Nov

Over the weekend, members of the pet blogging community spent 24 hours of their time blogging to help raise money for a little human named Bradyn who is in need of a service dog. Four year-old Bradyn suffers from uncontrollable epilepsy. His family has been trying to gather the $13,000 to get little Bradyn a pup from 4 Paws for Ability to help comfort him during scary times, give him a cuddly distraction from procedures that may be unpleasant, and to help alert Bradyn’s parents if he has a seizure in the middle of the night.

The second annual blogathon kicked off on Saturday at 11 am PST (mom and I had to wait until 2 pm our time) and involved the skillful blogging talents of Dr. V from Pawcurious (the genius behind this pawesome event), Michelle Maskaly from My Tail Hurts from Wagging So Much, Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby from Aboutvetmed.com, and Dr. Shawn Finch from Riley and James. Three other bloggers, Jen Cleere from Fetching Tags, Felissa, Davinia, and Indiana from Two Little Cavaliers, and Dr. Laci Schaible from Vet Live and one painter, BZTAT, blogged or painted for other causes such as helping another human who needs a service dog, Boggs Mountain Humane Shelter, World Vets, and to help a pup named Flower who needs a $2,5o0 surgery.

Each participant blogged (or in BZTAT’s case, painted) every hour straight for 24 hours. There were guest posts galore as well as oodles of wonderful prizes (like one of my mom’s squeaky penguins!). Biscuits by Lambchop held virtual scavenger hunts with the winners taking home some of their delicious treats. The crew at My Tail Hurts from Wagging So Much live streamed a dog biscuit baking session with Toby the chihuahua taste testing all the goodies. Brave Dr. V cooked up and ate an interesting looking meal using World’s Best Cat Litter as the main ingredient.

As the hours ticked by (mom and I could only last until 12 am our time) the funds for Bradyn and the other causes started getting higher and higher. As of 8 pm PST Sunday night, $2,400 had been raised for Bradyn! This isn’t even including a few more contributions as well as the auction results from BZTAT’s paintings (if you would like to check out the paintings or even place a bid, click here). It’s amazing how humans will rally to help those in needs and all the incredible things they will do to prompt involvement.

If the blogathon goes off as scheduled next year, keep your eyes peeled for a little shaggy pup who is throwing her paw into the blogging ring.

Happy tail wags!

P.S. Bradyn’s family is still taking donations, so if you would like to donate, please check out this link.

Sources: Pawcurious, Call Me Ferg_e

Park Spark

3 Nov

Yesterday my mom showed me a really interesting article in the most recent issue of the Downeast Dog News, a Maine paper dedicated to pet news. The article is about the way a town called Cambridge in Massachusetts who, with the help of an artist named Matthew Mazzotta, has found an incredibly unique way to recycle dog poo from one of their dog parks; by lighting a street lamp.

(photo source)

The Park Spark Project was started by Matthew, a graduate of MIT, after he took an enlightening trip to India. It was there that he learned about methane digesters, machines that help turn feces into methane gas, a powerful form of energy. These methane digesters are currently being used in India, China, and parts of South America. In those areas they use cow feces to make the methane. What’s a very important fact to not is that not only is methane energy renewable, but it’s also free (don’t forget, Everyone Poops). And humans are always looking for new, renewable sources of energy. After his trip, Matthew took the knowledge he gaine back to Massachusetts and, after discussing his idea with Cambridge officials and receiving a grant from MIT, he set up a methane digester in a dog park.

The methane digester works through the help of dog owners who deposit their dog’s droppings into the device. A turn of the crank stirs up the contents to help the methane rise to the top so it can then be piped to the gas lamp that it is attached to. The methane powers the lamp’s “eternal” flame.

(photo source)

The lamp itself is just a stand-in to help show how powerful of an energy source the methane is. A main focus of the Park Spark Project is to allow the community of Cambridge to decide what the energy will be used for; it is a community effort after all. Right now there are suggestions ranging from a tea house to a dog park popcorn stand. Matthew himself is being contacted from towns all over the world asking him for suggestions on how they should implement their own methane digesters.

It is amazing how powerful a single poop can be.

Happy tail wags!

Sources: Downeast Dog News, AOLnews, The Park Spark Project

October is: Pit Bull Awareness Month and Day

25 Oct

If you’re a friend of mine on facebook, you’d have noticed that on Saturday I posted a link about National Pit Bull Awareness Day, but did you know that the entire month of October is dedicated to the wonderful, if still currently controversial grouping of dogs? It’s a much needed thing too as there are still too many humans in the world who believe dogs called “pit bulls” (there are currently a lot of breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that are commonly referred to as pit bulls) are innately vicious and should become an extinct breed. My mom was once one of those humans, confused by all the pit bull myths and misconceptions, but now, after having met lots and lots of pit bulls and really researching the breed, she has become quite smitten with them. And if you’ve been a long time reader of my blog, you might even remember a post I once wrote about how I wished humans would give pit bulls more of a chance. So it’s great that there is a day and a whole month dedicated to getting the human population more aware of not only how terrific pit bulls are, but also that, though they are a pawesome breed, they still need the proper care and handling (like any other breed of dog) to ensure that they remain that way.

To help celebrate Pit Bull Awareness Month (or, more belatedly, day) consider doing the following:

  • Head to a local shelter to hang out with a member of the pit bull club. Did you know that a majority of dogs in shelters are pit bulls or pit bull crosses? Why not go take one for a walk! It would be especially beneficial if you are one of those humans who is still wary of the breed. What’s better than spending a little one on one cuddle time with something you once thought was scary?
  • If you’re on the lookout for a new, four-legged family member, consider adopting a pit bull! Of course there are always things to think about before adopting any breed of dog, but make sure you brush up on articles like Petfinder’s “Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pit Bull” before making any final decisions.
  • Even if you aren’t on the lookout for a new pet, someone you know might be. Do a search of pit bulls in your area, like Luna from Edgecomb, ME, and post their Petfinder pages on your facebook, twitter, or blog.
  • Help educate the human population starting with those around you who may hold on to the pit bull stereotypes. Use articles like this one and this one that help dispel pit bull myths.

Education is the biggest reason this holiday was formed and celebrated. Hopefully there will be a day where all humans have been educated in the fact that not all pit bulls are bad and what it takes to successfully integrate one of these stand-up pups into a home.

Happy tail wags!

October is: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

19 Oct

When the term “domestic abuse” is heard, very rarely do humans think about the four-legged family members that, more often than not, are also victims of domestic abuse. In a study of international animal abuse cases, 13% of all the cases involved abuse incidents linked to domestic violence. It is often that the abusive human will threaten, injure, or kill pets to control, manipulate, punish, or silence the other members of their family. If abused family members do find an opportunity to leave but are forced to leave a beloved pet behind due to no room or places not accepting pets, almost 48% of them will stay behind for fear that the pet will continue to be abused or even killed.

Shelters will sometimes find temporary housing for a pet, usually through a local shelter or foster home, but rarely do they allow victims to keep their pets with them. Thankfully, American Humane’s Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) Program is looking to change that. Created by Allie Phillips, J.D., PAWS strives to convince every women’s shelter across the United States to open their doors to families and their pets. They understand how important it is for domestic abuse victims to keep their pets out of danger and how comforting a pet’s presence can be during a time of stress and trauma. PAWS provides a start-up guide for those domestic violence shelters interested in starting their program. For a list of domestic violence shelters throughout the USA that allow pets, please visit this link.

In a perfect world, there would be no need for these type of services; but sadly our world is far from perfect. There are approximately 2,500 domestic abuse shelters in the United States but only a handful take in victims and their pets. Hopefully, with the help of PAWS, that number will grow and all 2,500 shelters will be pet friendly.

If you, or someone you know is being abused, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. If you know of a domestic abuse shelter in your area that does not allow pets, consider printing out the PAWS start-up guide and scheduling a meeting with the shelter’s director to explain to them why implementing a pet-friendly program would benefit the people they help.

Happy tail wags.

Sources: American Humane Association

The Adopt Plate

15 Oct

Since it’s Blog the Change Day and one of the big ideas behind the day is to talk about even the smallest ways to help animals in need, I’ve decided to promote a great way for a majority of Maine humans to contribute to the state of Maine Animal Welfare Program by something they do anyway; owning a car. A big part of  car ownership (though I wouldn’t know, I learned it from my nanny) is needing a license plate. There are a lot of plate options out there, but only one that benefits us four-legged critters.

(photo source)

The “Adopt” license plate became available for all Maine drivers in October of last year. For each plate that is sold (they cost $20 plus the registration fee) $10 goes to the Animal Welfare Program who uses the money to fund their cruelty investigations and Help Fix ME program, a pet spay-neuter fund to help those who are in financial hardship. The plate also helps to promote adoption with the featured line “respect. love. adopt.” Vanity plate versions are also available for an additional fee (my not-related-aunt Angelica has a vanity plate version!).

If you are interested in purchasing an “Adopt” plate and you are a Maine citizen, head to your local Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles or town office. If you don’t happen to live in Maine, contact your town office to see if there are any similar license plates available to you.

You can check out the list of all the blogs participating in Blog the Change day by heading over to the Be The Change for Animal site.

Happy tail wags!

Sources: Planet Dog

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