Recently in Pet News Category

From No Kill Advocacy Center:

Recently, the ASPCA killed Oreo, an abused dog, despite the fact that a local no-kill shelter had offered to save her. (Editor's note: Oreo had been beaten and thrown off a sixth-floor roof in June, but survived; the ASPCA euthanized her last Friday because she was deemed "too aggressive.")

Read more about the case in an independently written opinion for the Examiner: The Meaning of Oreo.

In response to the killing of Oreo, two New York state legislators have introduced legislation to prevent this from ever happening again. Please join us in supporting "Oreo's Law," so that her needless death will not be in vain.

Read No Kill Advocacy Center's letter of support.

Learn more about the law and send an e-mail or letter of support.

The ASPCA has been selected once again as one of five charity beneficiaries for the Subaru "Share the Love" event.

For every new vehicle purchased or leased between Nov. 12 and Jan. 4, Subaru will donate $250 to the consumer's choice of five charity partners. Consumers have until Jan. 31 to make their selection.

ASPCA was the No. 1 charity chosen last year, and received close to $1.2 million.

Important note for shelters/rescues: Subaru dealers are looking for ways to bring the Share the Love campaign to life and promote animal adoptions. If you are a shelter professional, rescuer or volunteer and would like to work with your local Subaru dealer to conduct an adoption event, or would like to involve them in special events you have planned during the holidays, please call Allison Allen in the ASPCA's Corporate Partnerships department at 646-706-4689 or e-mail sharethelove@aspca.org. The ASPCA can notify your local dealer and encourage them to contact you.

Officials of Dairyland Greyhound Park have announced that the track will host its last race on December 31, bringing an end to dog racing in the state of Wisconsin.

Even better, the majority of dogs will be made available for immediate adoption. Wisconsin was once home to five dog tracks. Read the history of dog racing in Wisconsin, and view Grey2K USA's latest injury report.

Patton Veterinary Hospital needs your help to make the holidays "pawsitively" special.

As a community service, Patton has initiated its fourth annual Pet Meals on Wheels Drive.

The veterinary hospital has joined forces with Red Lion Senior Center and the Meals On Wheels program to help collect pet food and other pet-related items for those in need who have animal companions.

Donations will be accepted at the hospital through Dec. 19, during office hours -- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

For details, call 717-246-3611.

"Twilight" actress Rachelle Lefevre has become a spokeswoman for Best Friends' Puppies Aren't Products campaign.

Find out more

Tonight's episode of the hit FOX television show "Bones" (airing at 8 p.m./7 Central), starring vegan actress and Farm Sanctuary supporter Emily Deschanel, will prominently feature factory farming footage secured by Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, as part of a plot-line surrounding a murder that takes place at a chicken farm.

The footage, which was requested by Deschanel, will educate thousands of mainstream viewers about the cruel conditions animals are forced to endure on factory farms. The episode also features a character who rescues a pig and asks her coworkers for donations so that she can sponsor her at a sanctuary.

To further raise awareness of the horrors of factory farming, FOX is featuring a special message from Deschanel on its website (fox.com/bones) urging people to support Farm Sanctuary by sponsoring an animal in need.

To learn more about "adopting" (sponsoring) one of Farm Sanctuary's rescued animals, visit farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583-2225.

PetSmart Charities grant applications for stray and feral cat spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return programs are due Oct.15.

To apply, visit www.petsmartcharities.org/agencies/spayneuter.php.

If you aren't a 501(c)3 organization, follow these easy steps to become one.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, Farm Sanctuary held the largest Walk for Farm Animals in New York City history.

Nearly 700 registrants converged on Central Park. Special guest Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" delivered a powerful pro-vegan, pro-animal speech.

Phoenix Greyhound Park in Arizona will run its last race Dec. 19. This follows last week's news that Valley Park in Texas has also suspended its schedule through 2010.

Read the Arizona Republic story on the dog track closing

Dr. Allan Kornberg, executive director for Farm Sanctuary, has issued the following statement regarding the sacrificial slaughter of chickens during the Jewish ritual of kapparot:

"Sadly, some members of the Jewish faith who observe the kapparot ritual still commit animal cruelty during this ceremony by swinging chickens over their heads and then slicing their throats with razors. Those who participate in this form of kapparot believe that their sins will be transferred into the chicken's body and extinguished along with the bird's life, but many distinguished rabbis throughout history have argued that treating chickens in this manner violates both kosher food standards and the Torah's teachings on cultivating compassion for animals. In fact, an Israeli court ruled in 2007 that killing chickens for kapparot violates the country's animal welfare laws, codifying in modern law what these sages have been saying for centuries.

"To fully grasp the ethical objections to using chickens for kapparot, it is crucial to understand that swinging and slaughtering is not the beginning but merely the end of the birds' suffering. First, most of these chickens are born and raised in dark, crowded warehouses on factory farms. Then, after being packed tightly together on trucks and driven long distances to large cities, chickens may wait for days in cramped cages before kapparot even begins, often lacking food, water and shelter from inclement weather. Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, has firsthand experience with the traumatic suffering caused by kapparot, having rescued hundreds of chickens from rituals in New York City over the years and lovingly cared for them at our shelter for abused and neglected farm animals in upstate New York.

"Fortunately, celebrating kapparot need not involve animals at all, because Rabbinical law stipulates that there are humane ways to partake of this sacrament. That is, even the most orthodox among us can spare a chicken's suffering by making a monetary donation to a worthy cause instead of sacrificing a bird, and those wanting to experience an authentic kapparot ceremony can put their material offering in a bag and use it as part of the ritual in the same way they would a live chicken. In contrast to slaughtering innocent animals, practicing kapparot humanely is consistent with the prayers offered up during the high holy days to rachamim (compassion and sensitivity), and is in keeping with the true spirit of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur."

If you would like to speak with Dr. Allan Kornberg, contact Meredith Turner at 646-369-6212 or mturner@farmsanctuary.org.

Pilots N Paws, an online forum that connects animal rescue groups and volunteer pilots, is launching Pilots N Paws 5000, the largest pet airlift ever.

From Sept. 12 to 20, Pilots N Paws volunteers will attempt to transport 5,000 homeless animals in a single week.

With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate no-kill shelters, who then make space for the animals being rescued.

The sending and receiving pair will team up with a volunteer pilot, who will provide transportation during this special rescue week.

Many volunteers are needed to make this life-saving event a success.

Opportunities include:

Pilots - Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.

Foster homes - Take care of pets for overnight stays en route or for extended periods, while adopters are found.

General volunteers - Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.

In addition to volunteer roles, there are other ways to help:

Spread the word - Tell your local animal shelter about Pilots N Paws. If there's a small airport nearby, ask the manager to let its pilots know about the event.

Donate - Donations to Pilots N Paws, rescue groups and shelters are usually tax-deductible.

Adopt - Consider taking one of the rescued pets into your own home.

Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots' expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. For more information, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org.

Hillside SPCA in Pottsville, PA, is on overload with kittens and needs adopters ASAP.

They shelter also has a crisis in regard to food supplies. If you can provide dry kitten food and/or canned adult cat food, please take these items to the Hillside SPCA.

Driving directions are on the website at www.hillsidespca.com.

The PetVet Disease and Condition Finder is now available as an iPhone application.

Using PetVet, you can find answers to pet-health questions, as well as the nearest vet.

For details, visit www.petside.com/health/petvet or www.apple.com/iphone.

Dick's Sporting Goods is refusing to sell the Michael Vick jersey.

To thank them for making this statement, call 877-846-9997, choose option #3, and tell the customer service rep you appreciate the company taking a stand, especially in the current economic climate.

You can also send them an e-mail.

Dick's is keeping track of the calls and will make the number of responses public at a later date.

From Farm Sanctuary:

Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, is extremely close to reaching its goal of collecting 10,000 signatures on its "Truth Behind Labels" petition to the USDA to tell them their "naturally raised" label is not natural.

They're currently at 9,556 signatures.

Sign the petition to let the USDA know we won't stand for their deceptive claims.

Here's some background from Farm Sanctuary:

Most people believe that the "naturally raised" label implies animals have access to sunshine, fresh air, freedom of movement and the ability to perform natural behaviors. Yet, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently allowed companies to slap a "naturally raised" label on meat and meat products that come from animals whose upbringing was far from natural.

Cramped crates aren't natural living conditions for calves and sows. Cows and pigs need fresh air, sunlight and open space to engage in natural behaviors such as grazing and rooting for food, taking mud baths, and raising their young. Furthermore, such a label misleads the public and exploits consumer trust in advertising and packaging claims and in government regulation of agriculture.

From Best Friends Network:

An 8-year-old autistic boy wants his potbellied pig back. Loopey, Anthony's 1-year-old Vietnamese pig, was recently ordered out of the family's Fayetteville, North Carolina home, with officials citing a violation of a city ordinance.

Anthony's mother, Lisa Pia, is taking her appeal to City Hall with the goal of changing a 20-year-old ordinance so that it classifies potbellies as companion animals. Most of all, Anthony wants to keep Loopey by his side because she helps him with his autism. "She has been a blessing for my son," Pia says. "He has been comforted and unconditionally loved by Loopey, as she has by him. The way my son has reacted to Loopey is amazing. She is a very smart animal and has become a very important part of this family."

Read more...

From Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

CNN's Wolf Blitzer calls it a growing controversy. Last month, The Situation Room aired military videos obtained by PCRM through the Freedom of Information Act that reveal the unlawful use of live animals for medical training.

Congress and PCRM are asking the military to switch from these inhumane exercises to nonanimal teaching methods.

Find out more...

The Humane Society of the United States raided a puppy mill in Allentown, PA, this week and rescued more than 200 dogs and puppies.

The Maryland SPCA helped with the rescue, using its new transport van, and took in 18 puppies and dogs from the raid.

The rescued dogs range from young pups to 4-year-olds, from poodles to a Great Dane.

If you'd like to help support the care of these special dogs, click here to donate or send a donation to the Maryland SPCA, 3300 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD, 21211.

The MD SPCA receives no government or ASPCA funding. The dogs need your help!

If you are interested in adopting one of these dogs, e-mail adoptme@mdspca.org or 410-235-8826. The dogs still need to have health exams and spay/neuter surgeries before being available for adoption, and are still adjusting to their new surroundings.

From Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

• New product-testing procedures adopted by a key international organization will save thousands of animals a year from painful death. At a recent meeting in Paris, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development approved several new or revised test guidelines that will replace animals or reduce the number killed in common toxicity tests. These guidelines will become the standard for companies in many countries to follow. Read more...
• The University of Oklahoma Medical Center just confirmed to PCRM that it has stopped killing goats in its trauma training course and now employs nonanimal training methods. But sheep at Massachusetts General Hospital still need your help. Despite thousands of messages from people like you, the hospital killed sheep in its trauma training course this May. Help us end animal use in all upcoming courses at the hospital. Read more...
• KFC calls its new Kentucky Grilled Chicken "the better-for-you chicken for health-conscious customers." But recent PCRM tests of the new grilled chicken revealed substantial amounts of a carcinogenic chemical in all samples tested. Read more...

On Monday and Tuesday, live sheep are scheduled to be used and then killed in a trauma training course at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine needs your help to end this unnecessary and cruel practice.

Mass General may be one of the nation's best hospitals, but it is woefully behind the times when it comes to teaching Advanced Trauma Life Support. Across the nation, more than 90 percent of ATLS courses are taught using only human-based simulators, which Mass General currently owns. The hospital uses the simulator to teach ATLS surgical skills to medical students, but still uses live sheep to teach the very same procedures to practicing physicians.

Please call, e-mail or write a letter to Massachusetts General Hospital President Peter L. Slavin, M.D., and politely ask him to end animal use in the institution's ATLS program. Then forward this information to your friends who care about animals and effective medical education.

Being polite is the most effective way to help these animals.

Click here to send an automatic e-mail.

Or, use the contact information below:

Peter L. Slavin, M.D.
President
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114 617-724-9300
E-mail: pslavin@partners.org