Non-surgical sterilization for dogs is in sight

Dr. Loretta Mayer needed to study human diseases in mice, so she was working on a drug that could induce menopause in her test subjects. What she found may have a broader and more important application. She appears to have hit on a medication that could create reliable, non-surgical sterilization in female dogs. From the Arizona Republic:

One of Mayer’s greatest hopes for the sterilization drug is to reduce animal euthanasia in Arizona, where shelters are overflowing and thousands of dogs and cats are put down every year.

Maricopa County ranks second only to Los Angeles County in pet overpopulation, according to Bretta Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society.

This past year, 94,889 animals entered Valley shelters. The Arizona Humane Society performed nearly 20,600 surgical sterilizations on cats, dogs and rabbits, costing nearly $2 million.

There is still a long way to go before the Food and Drug Administration approves the medication for broad use, but if it comes to pass, the nature of spay/neuter discussions could be fundamentally altered forever.

Worrying rise in parvo has economic roots: Veterinary clinics are reporting an increase in parvovirus, even though it’s easily controlled with an effective vaccine. The instinctive reaction is that the spread of parvo shouldn’t happen, until you think about one reason it is: more and more pet owners are choosing not to take their pets to the veterinarian because of the prolonged economic hard times. Shots are therefore not being administered, and so the deadly incidence is increasing. You can read more at the South Bend Tribune.

Africa’s Dog Whisperer’s dog attacks little girl: If I’m telling you about someone being attacked by a dog, there’s a deeper story. James Lech touts himself as Africa’s #1 dog expert. He calls himself Africa’s “Dog’s Whisperer.” While he was having lunch in a Johannesburg mall, he was accompanied by his Rottweiler. Lech claimed the dog was a service dog. That makes the video accompanying this story from the Times Live so much more disturbing. The Rottie attacked an injured a four year-old girl who was walking by the table. Although Lech claimed the dog was accidentally stepped on, the video indicates otherwise. There’s the background. Now, please read this outstanding response from my friend Nancy Freedman-Smith.

Challenging the veterinary status quo: It’s hard to go against the grain in a respected profession with experts in an established specialty.  That’s why it’s well worth reading this post by Pet Connection’s BFF Dr. Patty Khuly, from her “Fully Vetted” blog. More importantly, be sure not to miss the comment thread that follows.

Lethal heat: Over the past two weeks, triple digit temperatures have blanketed the United States. It’s been brutal for people…and we don’t have fur coats. Imagine what it’s been like for pets. From the Stamford Patch:

Animal Control Officer Chris Martel says that the smart thing to do is to leave the dog at home, even if you don’t have air conditioning. Leave plenty of water, and put on a fan if you have one.

“It can get over 100 degrees in a car in minutes in the summer,” Martel says.

If she sees a dog in a car in a dangerous situation, Martel says, she will not hesitate to issue a summons for cruelty.

If she can’t find the owner of the car, and the dog is suffering, she is allowed by law to break the windows of the car and get the dog out. She can also have a warrant issued for the arrest of the owner of the car, and she says she will not hesitate to do so if the situation calls for it.

If you see a dog – or any animal – locked in a car in a situation that you think is dangerous, you can ramp up your courage and seek out the owner of the vehicle and explain why he or she should get the dog home.

Blog post of the week comes from our friend Heather Houlahan at Raised By Wolves: “Not your stick.”

Video of the week: The kitten is named Visa. The Pitt Bull is named Spike. They fight like, well, cats and dogs. But in a good way. Thanks to Phyllis DeGioia for the tip.

Picture of the week comes to us from my pal Maria Goodavage at Dogster. A Dogster reader named Laura Hickman sent in this picture of an English Bulldog named Elliott. He was the lucky recipient of a cool new bed when neighbors emptied their cooler in an Ohio driveway on a roasting hot day.

Special programming note: Next week, the news wrap will be preempted by special Pet Connection coverage of NoKill 2011. We’ll be live-blogging next weekend from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., bringing you conference sessions by luminaries in the No Kill movement. The presenters will include Nathan Winograd, Ryan Clinton, and our very own Christie Keith. Stay tuned all next weekend!

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Image credit: Dr. Loretta Mayer, azcentral.com. Elliott, dogster.

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Animal control saying ‘yes’ to tax dollars, ‘go away’ to taxpayers

It struck me as odd that so many animal control agencies in different parts of the country were responding in the same way to public calls for reform: by shooting the messenger.

There’s an epidemic spreading through the nation’s animal control shelters, and it’s not something a vaccination can prevent. It’s an epidemic of secrecy.

Consider this: Animal control is a government function, paid for with your tax dollars. It’s work done on behalf of the public; shouldn’t the public have some way to ensure it’s being done appropriately?

But in communities all over the country, including here in California, calls for animal control reform have been met with the sound of a door slamming in the public’s face.

[....]

The Central California SPCA, a private organization that holds the animal control contract for the city of Fresno, recently closed its board meetings to the public, sparking a wave of protests, including a July 19 demonstration organized by FixFresno.org, an advocacy group aimed at ending the killing of healthy and treatable pets in the city’s shelters.

It’s not surprising that citizens want to reform how Fresno’s homeless animals are treated; the CCSPCA kills around 80 percent of the pets it takes in, one of the worst kill rates in California and far above the national average of 50 percent.

Recently, animal rescuers in the community have also been alleging mismanagement, abuse and neglect at the shelter.

Until last month, the CCSPCA’s board meetings were open to the public, but on June 16, the president of FixFresno.org, Melissa McDonald, received a letter from the shelter’s attorney, Jeffrey M. Reid, advising her that the meetings were now closed and members of FixFresno.org would no longer be allowed to attend.

Attendance by FixFresno.org members had been permitted previously, he said, after the group asserted that the board meetings were subject to the Brown Act, California’s open meetings law. However, Reid told them this interpretation of the law was incorrect.

He pointed to what is essentially a loophole in the law, which calls for open meetings of private organizations contracted to do government work only in cases where the organization was created specifically to do that work, or if a member of the government sits on the organization’s board. Neither of those provisions applies to the CCSPCA.

Members of FixFresno.org showed up at the next board meeting anyway, only to be met at the door by Reid.

“He said that having us there was too ‘intimidating’ for the board to function,” McDonald told me. “It is sad that they chose to hide what is going on instead of addressing the problems.”

I called CCSPCA spokesperson Beth Caffrey, and asked what prompted the organization to contact an attorney on this matter in the first place.

“We want our board meetings to be productive,” she told me. “We couldn’t be productive because of the disruptive behavior of people who were there.”

In the rest of the article, I update the situation in Memphis and New York City, and have a great wrap-up commentary from FixAustin.org’s Ryan Clinton. It’s all here.

Photo: Courtesy of Celeste Pryor.

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Announcing the winners of the $70,000 Shelter/Rescue Giveaway

It’s finally time to reveal the winners of my $70,000 shelter/rescue group giveaway, held as part of my BIG Bus Tour across America in celebration of the release of my book “Your Dog: The Owner’s Manual.” Are you ready?

The Grand Prize winner is Legacy Boxer Rescue, which serves the Dallas/Forth Worth area of Texas. They’ll receive $20,000 worth of prizes donated by our wonderful sponsors! The photo of some Legacy volunteers was taken in Dallas, when they all turned out for the last stop on the BIG Bus Tour to say hello! Congratulations to a great organization!

Winner of the Second Prize was Villalobos Rescue Center, a rescue, rehabilitation and placement facility for abused and abandoned pit bulls located in Canyon Country, Calif. They’ll receive $5,000 worth of donated prizes (with an extra wag of the tail from my own rescued pit bull mix, Gracie!).

The group with the third-highest number of votes, and winner of  the Third Prize, is Great Lakes Bengal Rescue, a non-profit Bengal cat rescue within the Great Lakes region serving Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. They maintain a network of over 25 foster homes, and will be receiving $4,000 worth of donated prizes. Great work, friends!

Winning the Fourth Prize is Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, a North Carolina-based organization that provides a safety net for blind cats who are homeless. They will receive $3,000 worth of donated prizes, which we know will be put to great use!

Our Fifth Place winner is Detroit Dog Rescue, which saves abused, abandoned, injured and starving dogs off the streets of Detroit. They are in the process of fundraising to build a no-kill shelter in the city, and already let us know that whatever they win will be given to to members of the Detroit community as part of a “Free Dog Food Day” giveaway of their own. That’s something I’m proud to be part of!

Now for some more exciting news: Every single one of the rest of our 50 finalists will receive at least $1000 in donated prizes! I’ll post later this week about just how that was made possible, and thank the donors who came through for us.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our prize donors, everyone who nominated rescue groups and shelters in the contest — more than 13,000 of you! — as well as thank all the dedicated rescuers and shelter volunteers and workers who do so much for the cats and dogs every day!

I am proud and honored to be able to support you in any way possible, my friends!

Here are the rest of the finalists who will each receive at least $1000 in prizes, under the jump:

Animal Friends of the ValleysARME (Animal Rescue, Media & Education) Central Brevard Humane Society Charm City Animal RescueChicago Pet RescueClinton County Humane SocietyDane County Humane SocietyExeter Animal ShelterFallbrook Animal Sanctuary FOWA Friends of Wayne AnimalsFound ChicagoFurry Friends Refuge Genesis Animal RescueGoliath and Bebe’s World Heartland Animal Shelter Heartland Lab Rescue HELP Help Humane Helping Paws Pet Rescue Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Hound Haven Humane Society of Dallas County Humane Society of West Alabama Humane Society of Yuma Itty Bitty Kitty Lab Rescue of the LRCP Lifeline For Pound Buddies Rescue Long Island Bulldog Rescue Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue Midwest Rabbit Rescue and Rehome New Rattitude OK Yorkie Rescue Partners4pets Paws and Prayers Pet Rescue Perfect Pets Rescue Pets Unlimited Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue Ruff Love Rescue Sacramento County Department of Animal Care and Regulation Save1Pet Save-A-Pet Southern California Pomeranian RescueTake Me Home Rescue Valley of the Sun Giant Schnauzer RescueWoodruff County Animal Rescue Friends

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Win an Entertaining, Insightful Book About Dogs and Management

Remember yesterday’s book review by Dogster’s very own Watch Dog, John D. Williams? The book, All I Learned About Management I Learned From My Dog, looks like an enchanting, helpful one. It’s by management guru Martin Levin, who was 91 years old when he adopted his dog.

Martin Levin and Angel. Wow, if I could look like that when I'm in my 90s... (Well not just like that.. Maybe a little more femine...)

Skyhorse Publishing is going to send five lucky Dogster readers (in the US only; apologies to all our friends to the north and elsewhere) a copy of the book. All you have to do to put your name in the hat is to tell us what you think you’ll gain from reading the book. You can go back to the book review, or check out the book’s website to sniff around for more details.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a business exec or manager to benefit from the book. Dog lovers will enjoy it just for the wonderful story of his dog Angel, and for Levin’s humor. And it gives great advice that can help you in situations that call for good leadership. That doesn’t necessarily mean in the boardroom.

Leave a comment below by this Friday, July 1, at 5 pm PDT. We’ll do a random drawing of five entries, and announce the winner on Monday, July 4. (A fitting day for any of you who want to become entrepreneurs and experience the independence of running your own business.) Only one entry per household, please.

Good luck!

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Beautiful Song, From a Loyal Dog’s Perspective

Here’s a sweet, tear-jerker of a song, written from the perspective of a pet (I think a dog, but there are cats in this video, too) to his/her person. It’s called “From Ella.” It’s a lovely tune, with killer lyrics, written and performed by Allison Morgan – a talented artist who clearly knows the heart of dogs.

If you really listen to the words, you’ll want to have a Kleenex handy toward the end, when the tables are turned from the first part of the song. I’ve included the lyrics to the first part of “From Ella” below.

I will lay at your feet, listen to you breathe,

‘Til the daybreak comes I will wait.

When you walk out the door,

I will be waiting, praying for you to come home.

And I’ll love you,

‘Til time breaks away,

When your hair’s turning grey,

I will be there.

When you’re crying,

I will kiss all the tears,

Push away all the fears

And when night comes again, I will wait,

And I’ll love you…

If you listen to it enough, you will find yourself singing snippets to your dog, as I did to Jake last night. I didn’t sound nearly as good as Allison Morgan, but he appeared to appreciate the attempt — at least he didn’t get up and walk away…

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Boredom, Dogs and Peanut Butter

Happy Wednesday!  Normally, I post wordless Wednesday photos on Wednesday.  I had a bit of cabin fever after being sick for the past week.  I pulled out the Jiffy, a spoon, my camera and let the entertainment ensue. No, it doesn’t take much to entertain me these days…. Sit back and enjoy the Ha Ha!

Count down to the UK… 5 days!

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Are people who bring their cats to shelters ‘abandoning’ them?

Ok now my previous post isnt showing up…I think there are little gremlins in my computer trying to drive me nuts. Little do they know…I’m already there…….one more time:

“Is someone who takes a cat to a no-kill shelter because they have lost their job and their home “abandoning” their cat?”

Yes.

Granted, a no kill shelter is a much better option than a death camp (kill “shelter”) or leaving a pet who hasnt learned how to survive outside like ferals, where they are without someone to care for them.

But this B.S. about “Oh, I lost my job, or home, blah blah yadda yadda, so I cant keep my cat or dog” is just a cowardly, irresponsible, excuse.

You’ll notice that these frauds arent abandoning their human kids, dropping them off somewhere, forever leaving them heartbroken and missing their family, yet they do it to their four legged babies because alot of society has a severe case of ignorance (technical term: Headupthebuttitis), in which the four legged souls of this world are considered “disposable”, whether they are murdered and thrown away in death camps, or dumped off somewhere, it is simply WRONG to violate the promise that one essentially makes when adopting a pet:

To always love them, care for them, protect them, be there for them, and to NEVER abandon them.

If you have money to afford food for your chubby kids, you have money for your cat(s), period.

I once emailed a woman who wanted to give away her cat because “she didnt have money” and reminded her that she was online, paying a monthly fee for having an online service,and that she would save enough money to take care of her cat, if she sold the computer, and thus saving on the monthly fees, and kept her cat.

She had nothing to say.
Because she knew I was right.

If you arent leaving your kids behind, dont leave your cats behind. Period.

If a hotel doesnt accept cats, dont accept the hotel, and find one that DOES accept cats. Many many do.

Adopting a cat is like giving birth: You are FOREVER responsible for your new baby.

There is a double standard that deadbeat pet parents cling to, and it is rooted in the same prejudice that shelter killing is rooted in: Speciesism.

When searching for the right answer to any question, we must put OURSELVES in the position of OTHERS (Treat others the way YOU want to be treated), and in this case, we must ask ourselves this question: “If I was in Morris’s or Fluffy’s situation, would I want my family to abandon ME?”

If the answer is “No” (if you’re honest, it IS “No”), then dont abandon your cat, because they are equally as important and precious as You, I and the rest of us.

Now, if an old 89 year old woman who is confined to a wheelchair and has degenerative
arthritis, is unable to care for and feed her cat properly, then that is a different situation, and a NO kill shelter might actually be better for the cat’s well being, even though He or She would badly miss their loved one.

But using money as an excuse for abandoning your cat or dog, while you still spend money on your human kids, is cowardly and wrong.

Bottom line: If you can take care of, and have room for 190-225 pound human family members, you can take care of, and you have room for a 10-15 pound cat.

To say otherwise is to condone abandonment.
Abandonment is wrong.

Just put YOURSELF in the pawprints of the abandoned, and tell me, how would you feel if YOUR family abandoned you?

Your cat would feel the same way.

Treat others like you would want to be treated.

Society must stop finding excuses to kill and start finding ways to save lives, and society must stop finding excuses to abandon pets, and instead find a way to keep them.

They love you, and need you.

Ask not what our pets can do for us, ask what we can do for our pets.

P.S. If I were the head of a No Kill Shelter, I would tell anyone who wanted to dump their pets off at my shelter, what I just told everyone else, but I would MAKE CLEAR that if they STILL wanted to abandon their cat, I’d glady take Him or Her and show them what having a TRUE loving family feels like….a family who will love them, like cats love us….unconditionally, forever.

“We humans could learn alot from the higher animals”

Comment by Matt — June 24, 2011 @ 8:28 pm

Matt, your arguments are simplistic and unrealistic.

First of all, it would be ILLEGAL for a parent to just “drop their kid off somewhere” and leave them behind. You CAN legally do that with an animal. You CANNOT legally do that with a child. You may believe that is wrong, but that’s YOUR value system speaking out. Whether or not YOU agree with it, the LAW grants a higher standard of protection to children than to animals, and legally, leaving a child behind is just not something a parent can generally do.

Second, a good share of the programs put in place to help those in need (homeless shelters, food kitchens, etc.) prohibit animals. If you feel THAT is wrong, you’d be in good company with many others here. But presently, that’s the way it is. And if a family in dire financial need wants to get the available help, their pets become a hindrance in this situation, so many make the decision to leave their pets at a shelter in order to obtain shelter for their children.

(And no - someone without a steady source of income cannot simply go blithely “hotel-shopping” to find one that accepts pets the same way a person with a dependable income can. The unemployed person is looking for whatever they can afford, and that’s not likely to include allowing animals. Again, if you think this policy is wrong, you’d be in good company, but so far, that’s the way it is.)

You say “Society must stop finding excuses to kill and start finding ways to save lives, and society must stop finding excuses to abandon pets, and instead find a way to keep them.” and I certainly agree with you there. Take the example of FEMA and Hurricane Katrina.

We all remember the tragic images of pet owners having their beloved animals pulled from their arms before being pushed onto the evacuation buses, and other images of owners sitting on their rooftops with the animals they refused to leave behind - hoping either for rescue or the receding of the flood before they ran out of their food and water.

Congress took note of the human cost resulting from FEMA’s inflexible “no pets” policy and passed the “Pets Evacuation and Transportation
Standards Act of 2006” and so now the FEMA policy says “The Post-Katrina Act amends the IHP provisions of the Stafford Act by authorizing search, rescue, care, and shelter of pets and service animals as a type of essential assistance to be provided after a major disaster declaration.”

In other words, in a disaster, pet owner may no longer be forced by FEMA to leave their pets behind.

It’s a start, and we need to keep up the pressure to get homeless shelters, hotels, motels and landlords to end their “no pets” policies and find ways for food providers (so-called “soup kitchens”) to accomodate pet owners without running afoul of Health regulations.

But we’re not there yet, and so in today’s world with today’s realities of life after catastrophic financial loss, families with pets are put at a MAJOR disadvantage (in addition to those they already face). Rather than having THE ENTIRE FAMILY continue to starve and be homeless, the RESPONSIBLE thing to do is to provide shelter for the pets by leaving them somewhere safe which permits the rest of the family to seek the available help and resources that are out there. That way ALL of you can survive.

And if THAT isn’t an example of “FOREVER responsibility”, then I don’t know what is.

Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 25, 2011 @ 6:07 am

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