Give a Dog a Bed (Please!)

As you may or may not already know, last weekend we welcomed a foster dog into our home for the first time in about eight years. Dixie, a blue-brindle pit bull, was hit by a car about two months ago and taken to a local vet's office, where it was determined that she had a broken pelvis and an out-of-joint hip (the latter problem existed even prior to the accident, and will require surgery eventually). The vet knew who Dixie belonged to, and although they contacted the owners, nobody ever came to take Dixie home. After a month, the vet passed Dixie along to the Humboldt County Animal Shelter.

After arriving at the shelter, Dixie was discovered to be pregnant, and fairly far along already. She failed a temperament test for growling at a shelter employee in her kennel, which put her and her unborn puppies at risk of euthanasia. Through the dedicated work of a shelter employee, and with financial help from American Dog Rescue, Dixie's life was spared, and last weekend, as the new year began, so too did the lives of Dixie's eight puppies, who were delivered in the middle of the night by emergency c-section following a difficult birth in which one puppy was lost. The next day, this little family arrived at our house.

Whether from stress, grief, or pain, Dixie had not eaten well during the two months she spent kenneled, and she is extremely underweight and malnourished. Since delivering her pups, her appetite has perked up and she's now eating high protein/high calorie meals 5-6 times a day; I'm trying my best to get some weight back on her and ensure her ability to produce adequate milk for her puppies.

It's early days here with this little canine family, but I can tell you that all nine members are doing surprisingly well. Dixie is not one to grant trust or affection instantaneously (understandable after all she's been through), but her manners have been impeccable, and she has been a perfect lady with me all week. The last few days have brought more tail wags and an increased enjoyment of receiving affection, which is great to see. I can sense a world-wise and gentle spirit beginning to emerge, and I look forward to getting to know Dixie and her babies as the next couple of months unfold.

Dixie's hip problems are causing her pain, but unfortunately she can't have the surgery she needs until after she's done nursing her puppies, nor can she receive any pain medication. During the course of transitioning Dixie to her new temporary home, I learned that while at the shelter, she - as well as many other dogs at our county animal shelter (and at animal shelters across the country) - slept directly on the hard cement floor every day and night. Some of the dogs receive blankets, but those who chew their blankets (and who wouldn't, given the lack of entertainment options in a kennel?) have nothing at all.

I thought a lot yesterday about this sad situation, heartbroken to think of my sweet, long-suffering mama dog, trying to grow her puppies and heal her hip in such an inhospitable environment. I learned that the situation at our shelter is not unusual at all; in fact, thousands of dogs in animal shelters throughout the US sleep on cold, sometimes wet, concrete floors every day of their undeserved incarceration. I discovered that there is one particular type of bed that is preferred by animal shelters for its easy care and maintenance, and that the company that makes these beds - Kuranda Dog Beds - even has a program that allows donors to purchase one (or more) of these beds at a discount and have it shipped directly to the shelter of their choice.

I've set up a page on the Kuranda website for my local county shelter, and as you may have guessed by now, one of the reasons for this post is to ask you to please consider donating one of these beds so that one of the dogs at the shelter can get a comfortable night's sleep and become happier, healthier, and more adoptable. (You can also check with animal shelters in your own town to see if they are in need of beds, and if they are signed up on Kuranda's site.)

You can donate a large bed for $56.00 plus $16.49 shipping, or an x-large bed for $67.00 plus $20.60 shipping. I know they aren't exactly cheap, but they will last for years, and just imagine how many dogs' lives will be improved by their ability to get a good night's sleep as they endure what is surely an unpleasant and frightening time in their lives.

Here's the web address to donate a bed: http://kuranda.com/donate/5834/

Thank you for taking the time to read my note and consider my request. Now please enjoy some gratuitous cuteness from my home to yours...

Please Help Me Help Oil Spill Victims!

I’m working to collect supplies and financial donations for PATH (People Protecting Animals & Their Habitats) in support of their efforts rescuing and rehabilitating animals impacted by the recent Gulf oil spill. If you are interested in donating any of the items listed below, please contact me and I would be happy to pick them up from you if you're here in Humboldt County. (If you're not local, you can still help! Collect supplies wherever you live and send them to PATH!).

• plastic syringes (for feeding; no needles)
• vet wrap
• WaterPic(s) - water spray - not electric brush
• Sun protection lotion (non animal tested please)
• Wading boots
• Digital camera(s) with appropriate connecting cords
• Vegan snack bars
• Walmart/Target gift cards
• Heating pads (especially needed!)
• Electrical extension cords
• Hotel/airline points/miles
• Financial support - checks made out to 'PATH'
  

Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any connections with local shipping companies, or knows of an economical way to transport the donated items cross-country affordably and reasonably quickly, that would also be a great help.

Thanks very much.

Tamara
(707) 599-2951

Save the Planet: Have Fewer Kids

From LiveScience, via Yahoo News:

livescience.com – Mon Aug 3, 12:18 pm ET

For people who are looking for ways to reduce their "carbon footprint," here's one radical idea that could have a big long-term impact, some scientists say: Have fewer kids.

A study by statisticians at Oregon State University concluded that in the United States, the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environment-friendly practices people might employ during their entire lives - things like driving a high mileage car, recycling, or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

"In discussions about climate change, we tend to focus on the carbon emissions of an individual over his or her lifetime," said study team member Paul Murtaugh. "Those are important issues and it's essential that they should be considered. But an added challenge facing us is continuing population growth and increasing global consumption of resources."

Reproductive choices haven't gained as much attention in the consideration of human impact to the Earth, Murtaugh said. When an individual produces a child - and that child potentially produces more descendants in the future - the effect on the environment can be many times the impact produced by a person during their lifetime.

[ read more ]

Preach it, Marji! :-)

Hey - I'm not an 'it'!

Marji at Animal Place just posted a great little discussion of one of the ways our use of language affects how we see the world, and the creatures who inhabit that world.

A quick excerpt (she's talking about her experience at a recent animal rights conference):

Which brings me to language. We, in the animal protection movement, still struggle with this issue. It pained me to hear otherwise enlightened animal activists refer to dogs, pigs, cats and other animals as "its" and "whats". They are not objects. We should call them "he", "she", "who" and never ever "it".

Amen! I am behind this sentiment 1,000%. How can we, as a society, begin to bring the issue of animals' sentience and inherent worth to the forefront, while still referring to these complex beings as 'its'?

Personally, I have been using 'he,' 'she,' and 'they' for years now when referring to animals, and to be honest, it sounds totally wrong to me now when I hear someone do otherwise.

I encourage you to read Marji's entire post here.

Nathan Runkle, Gay Founder of Mercy For Animals, Brutally Attacked

I was shocked and saddened to hear of the recent brutal attack on Nathan Runkle, founder and director of animal rights group Mercy for Animals, who also happens to be gay. The vegan/animal rights boards are all abuzz with this sad and frightening news, and for me it's reinforced some thoughts I've been having lately about the ways that the fight for animal rights intersects with other struggles for equality, and the importance of building bridges between these various movements. They are all linked, and the responsibility falls on every single one of us to fight cruelty and injustice on many fronts. I'm not the most eloquent or best informed writer on these topics, so I suggest that you read this and this.

For my own part, I have subscribed to the Human Rights Campaign's newsletter and email alerts, and plan to feature this group in a few months as my charity of the month. I need to do some thinking about how I can start to be more active, both in the fight for animal rights, and in other social movements as well.

Press Release

Gay Leader of National Animal Rights Organization Brutally Attacked in Apparent Hate-Motivated Crime

Police Investigating Felonious Assault Case

Victim Hopes Attack will Lead to Inclusion of Gays in Ohio Hate Crime Law

Dayton, OH - Nathan Runkle, the 24-year old openly gay founder and Executive Director of the national animal advocacy organization, Mercy For Animals, was brutally assaulted on Saturday morning in an apparent hate crime. Runkle is a nationally recognized leader in the animal protection movement, who was recently named one of the world’s “25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians” by VegNews Magazine. The assault, which occurred at Masque, a gay night club in Dayton, Ohio, was completely unprovoked.

The attacker, believed to be a heterosexual white male with no previous relationship to the victim, has not yet been identified or apprehended. Runkle was briefly hospitalized after sustaining two facial fractures, a broken nose, deviated septum, and severe facial bruising. The incident has been labeled a felonious assault and is currently under investigation by the Dayton Police Department. Runkle believes the assault was motivated by hatred toward gays and was intended to send a fearful message to the local gay community.

Sexual orientation-motivated crimes are currently not addressed under Ohio hate crimes laws. The laws address only crimes motivated by race, color, religion, or national origin. Gay rights advocates have long urged state legislators to follow the lead of 31 other states who have already enacted specific legislation protecting gays from hate-based violence.

Runkle is the founder of Mercy For Animals (MFA), a national organization with over 25,000 members. The organization focuses on protecting farmed animals from cruelty through undercover investigations at factory farms and slaughterhouses and through public education and advertisement campaigns. Earlier this year MFA made national headlines after releasing shocking undercover investigation footage of hens at a California egg farm crammed into filthy cages suffering numerous cruelties and neglect. The investigation resulted in grocery giant,Trader Joe’s, dropping the cruel farm as a supplier. MFA’s most recent investigation at California’s largest egg farm helped pass California’s historic Proposition 2 in November, which requires that by 2015 farm animals in the state be given enough room to stand up, lie down, and spread their limbs.

MFA has long worked to bridge the gap between the common prejudices which lead to oppression and abuses faced by both animals and minorities. In recent years MFA has joined gay advocates in gay pride marches by forming human rainbows preceded by banners declaring, “No one is free when others are oppressed.” The organization has also been a lead opponent of gay rodeo events, citing the community’s obligation to protect animals from needless violence.