The tough economic times have hit all of us, but animal shelters and rescue organizations are feeling a particular crunch. When people lose their homes or are forced to cut back on expenses, their pets are sometimes the first to go. Dog food and vet bills can be expensive - if you have a pet, you know.
I saw a story by the Associated Press this week that really brings the issue home. Dawn Smith, the owner and founder of Daphneyland, a Basset Hound rescue in Acton, Calif., is horribly behind on her bills. She takes in $5,200 a month in donations but needs about $10,000 a month to survive.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that one to two million pets have been abandoned since the start of the recession in December 2007. The figures are based on real estate industry numbers and estimated pet ownership.
For someone like Smith, it means donations are down 40 percent, and some volunteers have had to quit to take on second jobs. But the bills don't stop, and Smith has some 100 dogs to feed and care for.
Stephen Zawistowski, the ASPCA's executive vice president for national programs, told the AP, "At pet food banks, they are seeing people who used to be donors now showing up asking if they can get a bag of dog food."
Daphneyland isn't the only rescue organization hanging on, not by a long shot. What can you do? If you can afford it, donate to your local animal shelter or a rescue group. Better yet, if you're thinking of adopting a pet, now is the time.
How about a Basset Hound? "They are stubborn, obstinate, but couldn't be more loving," Smith said of the big-eared dogs. "They are fabulous if you can handle a 65-pound lapdog."
Do you get the feeling that cops are really starting to crack down on dogfighting? I do.
While doing my usual search for dog-related news items, I've come across several recent stories about raids on dogfighting operations in Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas. Last week, more than 400 dogs were seized and 26 people from seven states were charged in what officials said was one of the biggest dogfighting crackdowns in U.S. history.
Maybe it's the Michael Vick Effect.
I haven't seen this type of effort to combat dogfighting since Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, was convicted and sentenced to 23 months in a federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. So if there's a silver lining to this whole Vick mess, maybe this is it.
What many people don't realize is that it's not just the dogfighting that's horrendous. It's also the type of acts associated with this activity: Some of the charges against the 26 include everything from denying medical treatment to animals to shooting them in the head when they didn't perform well in the ring, then tossing their bodies into a river or setting them on fire in a barrel. Officials said the dogfighting rings were not necessarily associated with each other and that the cases will be tried separately.
Dr. Randall Lockwood, senior behavioral psychologist for the ASPCA, told CBS News: "These are animals which are so eager to please. Yet they have been bred to fight and die for human amusement. I do see dogfighting as the greatest violation of that special bond between people and dogs."
Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri, told the New York Times that the arrests were the "largest coordinated rescue in U.S. history. This is going to send a vehement message that dogfighting will not be tolerated in a civilized society."
Under federal law, each count of dogfighting carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Let's hope for some stiff penalties, which might be the best way to deter others from engaging in these cruel acts.
I've written about this topic before, but with California close to running out of cash as it nears a deadline for a state budget, it bears repeating.
If you haven't heard, one way Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger intends to reduce the state's $24-billion deficit is to cut funding to city and county animal shelters. Part of this funding is used to support California's "animal adoption mandate," which keeps shelter animals alive no fewer than six days. The window allows owners time to relocate their lost pets and gives rescue groups a chance to claim unwanted or unclaimed pets so they can find new homes for them.
But Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposal would suspend the mandate - along with other services and programs - and trim the minimum holding period to just three days.
If you've lost a dog or cat, you know how important it is to continually check with your local shelter to see if your pet has been found. If the waiting period is reduced from six days to three, it's likely that many pets will be euthanized before they can be found, adopted or taken in by rescue groups.
What can you do? The ASPCA recommends that you call your state senator or assemblyman and urge them to oppose Schwarzenegger's plan to suspend the animal adoption mandate. Their site makes it easy to find your legislators' phone numbers.
If you live in California and have been thinking about adopting a pet, do it now. If you can't, make a short phone call. It could help save many pets' lives.
Dogs love sweets, but you'll need to keep your pet away from anything containing xylitol - a sweetener found in a variety of products, including sugar-free chewing gum, cookies and candies - or risk serious illness or death.
This is not a new warning - the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals issued an advisory in 2006 - but cases of dogs ingesting xylitol have risen significantly in recent years. And because the sweetener is now being used in more products, it's a reminder that bears repeating.
Last year, the ASPCA sent an advisory to veterinarians telling them about xylitol's potentially lethal consequences. Dogs that eat significant amounts of items with xylitol could develop a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures, sometimes within 30 minutes of ingestion.
In 2004, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled about 70 cases involving products with xylitol. The numbers have risen sharply since: 170 in 2005, 1,914 in 2007 and 1,687 already this year, according to an ASPCA spokeswoman. Since 2002, the poison control center acknowledges 10 dog deaths from dogs ingesting the artificial sweetener.
Xylitol has been used in Europe for decades but is now being added to more U.S. products because it contains 40 percent fewer calories than sugar. You can find it in Trident, Orbit and Ice Breakers gum and Altoids breath mints.
If your dogs are like mine, they'll devour anything sweet. Keep them away from xylitol.
