Search and Rescue Dogs Help Haiti's Earthquake Victims
Dogs trained in performing search and rescue services are being deployed from countries around the world in an effort to assist in relief efforts in earthquake torn Haiti.
According to Discovery News, hundreds of specially trained “sniffer” dogs and their handlers from the U.S., China, Russia, Peru, Mexico, the U.K. and numerous other countries, have made their way to Haiti to help in the rescue operations. Debra Tosch, Executive Director of the U.S. organization National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, stated:
Our hearts go out to our neighbors in Haiti, and we’re honored to be able to help find survivors of this terrible tragedy as part of CA-TF2 (the code name for the task force). This is the day that our teams have trained for; when the unthinkable happens, SDF Teams stand ready to respond, bringing hope and comfort to victims and their loved ones.
Teams from NDSDF have been instrumental in locating and helping to rescue a number of victims buried under the rubble. Five people were rescued on Sunday, days after the earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation. According to Tosch, “The rescues in Haiti underscore the critical importance of Canine Search Teams in finding survivors in the aftermath of major disasters.”
Greater Awareness of Puppy Mills and Laws Regulating Breeders
Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States has compiled a list of the top ten animal stories of the first decade of the new millennium. Among the top ten animal stories of the past decade are:
Hurricane Katrina, which “resulted in the largest animal rescue operation in history.” The disaster spawned an outpouring of donations to animal rescue organizations and influenced the passage in Congress of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS), as well as new legislation in a number of states that sets policies on responding to the needs of animals during a disaster.
Michael Vick’s arrest for dog fighting, which brought to light the horrors of forcing animals to fight for sport. According to Pacelle, “The Vick case resulted in more than half of the states upgrading their laws and a doubling of arrests, as well as an upgrade of the federal law against animal fighting.” Partly owing to the Michael Vick case, animal fighting is now illegal in all U.S. states.
More Humane Treatment of Animals Used for Food Production
Advances in the treatment of animals used for food production, including a federal ban on the mistreatment of “downer cows” (cattle too sick or injured to walk on their own), and state bans on the long-term confinement of animals on factory farms.
Oprah Winfrey’s series on puppy mills. In 2008, Oprah Winfrey did a series of programs on her influential talk show exposing the horrific realities of puppy mills. Since the broadcasts, HSUS has rescued thousands of animals from puppy mills, ten states have approved legislation imposing stricter standards on large-scale breeding operations, and public pressure has caused pet stores to either close altogether or to stop selling puppy mill dogs.
We hope that the coming decade brings about further advances in how we, as a society, treat the animals in our care and at our mercy.
Open Your Heart and Home to a Shelter Animal This Holiday Season
Participate in Petfinder’s First-Ever Foster a Lonely Pet Program
Inspired by the book A Dog Named Christmas, by Greg Kincaid, Petfinder has introduced the Foster a Lonely Pet program.
A Dog Named Christmas is about a developmentally challenged young man who, in spite of objections from his father, decides to foster a dog from a local animal shelter during the holidays. His relationship with the dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever he names Christmas, influences others in the community to open their hearts and homes to animals in need. And his bond with Christmas changes perceptions that others have about him and his capabilities.
Motivated by this inspiring story, Petfinder is working with a network of thousands of shelters and rescue groups across the United States to give families an opportunity to share their homes with an adoptable dog or cat during this holiday season.
Fostering a shelter animal for the holidays is a great idea for so many reasons.
It could give the dog or cat a chance to spend the holidays in a loving home during the holidays instead of in a crate at the shelter. Animal shelters are often overflowing and understaffed during the holidays.
It could provide a break for someone, like my friend Valerie with Animal Friends Society (a program participant), who is currently fostering a number of animals.
If you are thinking of adopting a dog or cat, fostering one for the holidays could provide you with a chance to see how a pet will fit with your family and lifestyle.
It is a good deed, and those are just worth doing anytime, but especially during the holiday season.
Fostering an animal through the Foster a Lonely Pet program is not a forever commitment. You may choose to provide a loving and safe environment for a lonely animal for a few days or for the entire holiday season through the New Year.
Lucy Still Loves Her Foster Mom
Go to Petfinder.com to locate a shelter or rescue organization in your local area and celebrate the holidays in the company of an animal who needs you.
Incidentally, the aforementioned Valerie was our Lucy’s foster mom before we brought Lucy to her forever home. Lucy still remembers Valerie and has plenty of love for her former foster mom whenever we see her. So, even though fostering a shelter animal is not necessarily a permanent commitment, it is certainly possible to build a permanent bond with an animal through fostering.
The Housing Foreclosure Crisis is Leaving Many Pets Homeless
Hard Times for Pet Owners Can Mean Hard Times for Pets
Although some experts say the American economy is slowly showing signs of improvement, there are still many people out of work or otherwise facing financial hardship. And in many instances, family pets are suffering the consequences.
Since the economic meltdown began in early to mid 2008, animal shelters around the country have seen a surge in people having to give up their pets because they have to move. Sadly, there has been a corresponding drop in adoptions because people cannot afford to take on the financial responsibility of pet adoption.
Some shelters have been forced to turn abandoned or unwanted animals away because they simply lack the facilities or funding to care for them. This situation leads to more pet abandonment and euthanasia.
How to Help Overburdened Animal Shelters
If you can’t adopt or foster a shelter animal, there are still ways to help. Several reputable charities work to assist animal shelters in various ways to provide housing and medical care for so-called foreclosure pets. The following organizations utilize over 80% of their revenue for program activities:
American Humane Association. This group is offering Foreclosure Pets Grants which go directly to shelters so they can help pet owners in need and provide housing and medical care for displaced animals, so the shelters never have to turn an animal away.
PetSmart Charities Rescue Waggin’ Program. The Rescue Waggin’ partners with local animal welfare agencies to help save the lives of homeless dogs and puppies. Since the program began in 2004, it has helped save more than 30,000 dogs.
Petfinder.com Foundation. This organization “works with shelters, rescue organizations and animal welfare organizations across the country to ensure that no adoptable pet is euthanized for lack of a good home.”
