Maui Pet Therapy

This comes from Shannon of Maui Pet Therapy! I wish I could be in Maui right now! It would be fun to visit the therapy bunnies, and enjoy the beach a bit too.

MARS on the planet Maui? Are you wondering if I have lost my mind? Maui is sometimes like another planet... (a day in Paia... Maui friends know what I'm talking about)... and after all, we are an island. But though we are distanced from the mainland... we still reach for the stars!!

Our pet therapy program has created an affiliation with MARS - Maui Animal Rescue and Sanctuary! Several of their rescued rabbits work in our program and we decided it's about time we work more closely together. I will be bringing back our animal education program in the fall (yes, with an already full pet therapy schedule) and want Maui's children to see that we just don't talk the talk, but we walk the WALK! We agree that spaying and neutering of animals is paramount, and this includes rabbits. MARS will be assisting us with all spay/neuter/microchip costs for our working rabbits in exchange for a $25 (per altered rabbit) donation to their organization. While this doesn't seem to be a big deal, hold on to your socks my friends, the cheapest neuter price on Maui for a rabbit is $150!!! Average spay... $200!!! While some of our rabbits are already spayed/neutered, imagine if I had to start from scratch to alter 30 rabbits. Top end price... it would cost $6000 dollars. They would shut down my program.

Our own humane society does not spay/neuter rabbits leaving it to the private vets to handle it (which is why they've price fixed their services... yes, sometimes it hurts to live in paradise).

$25 for spay/neuter and microchip through MARS is a SWEEEEEEET deal!

I am ecstatic about this! MARS rescues, rehabilitates and adopts out many of their bunnies. We're happy to endorse their outreach program to find the bunnies good homes and use them in our program when positions are available.

Mahalo (thank you) MARS for all of your kokua (help, support and assistance!). We're still in need of donations to keep our program going. I don't ask for much, every little bit helps. :) Donation button and info is on our main page.

Warmest aloha,
Shannon and all of the fuzzy, feathered and furry, pet therapy animals (Shannimals!!!)

Crafty Animal Lovers

One thing that I love is all the great indie artists out on the web (especially on Etsy). So, when I visited Mandypants shop and saw that she was donating part of her sales to benefit an animal rescue group I asked her to write a little something about it to share here.

There is very little more that I love to do besides craft if up, except helping animals. I decided recently to start donating 10% of my sales to a local animal shelter here in West Texas called The Haven. The Haven is a no kill shelter and they're always needing some help. After I posted this on my site (www.mandypants.etsy.com) some others saw what I was doing and invited me to join EFA (Etsy For Animals). EFA donates part of their profits each month to a different animal charity. It's so cool and I'm really excited to be a part of it! So far, I've gotten a decent chunk of change to donate, and that's always a great feeling! I love craft for causes, and animals are always in need, it's great to do my part. I wish I could house and feed every animal that needed it, but I've already got 3 cats, 3 fish and I'm babysitting a rabbit, I think my husband would move out if I tried to move any more animals in, ha! Check out my site at www.mandypants.etsy.com!

Thank you Mandy! I totally know what you are going through with the animals, my hubby thinks I want to live in a zoo with all the animals I would like to adopt. ;) Good luck with your shop, and thanks for letting us all know about Esty for Animals!

Jenna Fischer, animal lover!

If you are a fan of the TV show The Office, then you may have heard about Jenna Fischer's recent accident. What does this have to do with animals? When fans asked her husband (James Gunn) where to send get well care packages, do you know what he said? Send a donation to Rover Rescue in Jenna's name instead! How wonderful!

It's always great to see people spread the word about animal rescue. So, if you love The Office and want to send a little something to wish Jenna a speedy recovery, consider a donation to Rover Rescue!

Amy love animals

It's great to see videos like this. Best Friends is a great organization!

Live in LA?

Lily needs help.

As is the case with a lot of rescues, especially when they are abandoned, things can go wrong. Some rescue animals end up needing a lot of medical attention and care. Some rescue animals are in such bad shape that they are never adopted out, but instead live out their lives in their no-kill rescue/shelter.

Lily is a lucky girl. She found a home, but she needs help with medical bills. Her owner runs a great little shop, so please take a look at this post about Lily, and if you see anything in her shop know that you will be helping a dog have a happy life.

A happy ending for Josie.

Romeojosiemom says:

I also will get rescues from now on. This is Josie - she is now 6yrs old. She became part of my family 3 yrs ago.





If you look close, she has numerous scars across her nose and head from physical abuse. According to the rescue vet, Josie was being trained as a fight dog and was not cooperating. She is a lover not a fighter! She was kept out chained to a garage in deplorable conditions. She is now afraid of everyone and anything that moves. Over the past 3 years, she has come to trust some people and has become more content.

Another happy ending for a rescue dog. Thank you for sharing this story, hopefully it will inspire more people to adopt rescue animals.

Popcorn needs a home.

Popcorn is a beautiful, all white, 7 month old female pit bull. Defenseless, Popcorn's start in life was one of abandonment and abuse. Barely a few weeks old, some caring teenagers found her in a forest preserve with her face "smashed" and immediately brought her to Save-A-Pet.

The chain of events then happened rapidly, she immediately went to a vet emergency clinic, spent some days there and then moved into a foster home, but is now back at our facility. The only reminder of that horrific day is her eye. Popcorn's injuries included permanently damaging one eye which she has no vision out of now, and her skull and face had fractures which have all healed well. Popcorn has turned into an ebullient girl that lives life to the fullest. She loves to roughhouse and roll around with other dogs, but that's not always every dog's cup of "bone".

Sadly, Popcorn is living in a cage at the kennel. For months now Popcorn has watched people pass by her cage day after day...hoping one day someone would stop by her cage, pick her up, hug her, and take her home with them. Popcorn is still just a baby, and very sweet. She longs for human attention. She is very lonely and sad living in a cage at the shelter. Because Popcorn is so sad, and used to being passed by, she seems to have given up hope of ever finding a forever family. Sweet little Popcorn deserves to live in a loving forever home, and to experience love and security.

Please consider changing Popcorn's life! Popcorn will not let you down, she has a lot of love to share!

***Contact Information***

If you are interested in adopting Popcorn, or for more information on her, please contact:

Save-A-Pet Adoption Center, 31664 North Fairfield Road, Grayslake, Illinois 60030

Call and ask for an Adoption counselor at : 847-740-7788, or you may send an email to: adoptions@save-a-pet-il.org, RE: Popcorn

Penny the Pom

All kinds of dogs can end up in situations where they need to be adopted. Just look at sweet Penny, she found a happy forever home thanks to Ponderosa Pomeranian Rescue Inc and her new family.

Kira's happy ending.

Kira came to us from a shelter at about 1 year of age. She had been a stray they picked up, so they didn't know anything about her. She was very afraid of people and dogs and wouldn't let them walk past us on the street. She would lunge barking and snarling to keep them from getting too close. She taught me an enormous amount about dog behavior and fearful dogs especially. She did go on to compete in agility and do some obedience workshops.

She is now 13 yrs old and has kidney disease, and has come a long way since we intially brought her home. I have three dogs and I never thought I would say this about her, but she is my easy dog. She's very sweet, and a wonderful gentle soul. I'm very greatful to have her in my life.

Thanks for sharing with us Clynch! What a great thing you have done to add a rescue animal to your family.

Happy Ending for Sam and Annabell

AdrianG wrote:

Two stories so far... (there will be more as we will always get rescued dogs from now on).

Sam 'Rufus' Greig- Age 14 years old Rescued 1996. Dumped at the vet, to be put down, in an unloved state. Hair well over grown, dirty, huge tick on his cheek. Previous owners were moving and simply didn't want him anymore. He has had 12 great years with us and we can't imagine life without him.





Annabelle Greig - Age 4 years old Rescued 2 weeks ago. Product of a divorce with neither partner wanting her. A beautiful dog (with issues). However, in her 2 short weeks with us she has become best mates with Sam and has a light in her eyes that is infectious.

Zappa's Happy Ending

Laurel writes about Zappa the border collie... around 3 y/o...

He was found running loose as a stray alongside a busy road near a horse farm south of Tampa. The folks who owned the barn spent nearly two weeks trying to catch him. When they finally did catch him, they were keeping him in an empty stall (to keep their dogs from him) until they turned him over to Skyway Border Collie Rescue in Palmetto, FL, just before Christmas. They called him Nick at the rescue.

In January I contacted Skyway looking for a BC and they told me his tale and evaluated our compatibility. The first week of February, I drove down from Orlando to meet him in person. He was shy and a bit overwhelmed by the several other madly hyper borders in the house, but he warmed right up to me and we took him home that very day!

He's just the sweetest little fuzzball I've ever known! Best thing to ever happen to my life! And while he may not have the extreme herding drive typical of his breed, preferring more laid-back pursuits, he's still a wonderful dog. He may never be a sheepdog, but he's a born trail dog.. he loves nothing more than to get out and explore the woods with me. =)

Another happy ending.

Cody sent in his story about his rescue Kenya. Thanks Cody!

I've been looking for a dog of my own for about 7 or 8 months now. I was pretty desperate to get one because my dog of 15 years had just passed away. I've always been a big fan of arctic breed dogs, and was really looking for a pure-bred husky from several local breeders, but I was also checking the local pound every once in a while to see if one would catch my eye. Sure enough, I went in there one day and not only did they have a husky and a malamute, they had Kenya. Now I was dead set on getting a puppy, but she really caught my eye and I knew she was the dog I wanted. Kenya was a 4-year-old German Shepard hybrid, so the tag said. They were very leary of her being adopted out because of her size and wolf-like appearance, but they eventually let me adopt her. She was clearly underfed (you can see/feel EVERY bone in her body) and her fur is a bit raggedy, but she is otherwise a very healthy and good dog. She's been trained before and listens very well to me. I think the thing that I love most about her though, she is EXACTLY, down to the color and personality, like the dog I had for 15 years.

A must read.

This post came to me via email from a reader, and is a great read for all who love animals. Actually, it's a great post period. Please head on over to Christine's blog and read The Truth about Inconvenience. Thank you for sharing this Christine!

Go Orange Day!

 

Today is the day to Go Orange for animals.

Ready to go Orange??

Tomorrow is the day to Go Orange for Animals. April 10th is ASPCA Day, and they want everyone to go orange in celebration. Click the link to learn more, and don't forget to Go Orange tomorrow!

Triumph gets her legs.

This story is both heartbreaking and wonderful. Triumph the dog was found on the side of the road, both of her legs had been cut off and she was left to die. Luckily some wonderful people stepped in, and through a series of many events, Triumph has become the first dog ever to have permenant artifical legs.
You can read the full story here, and also see video clips of Triumph in action.

A rescue story.

This story comes from Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing. It's always wonderful to see what can be done.

"I first heard about J.R., Goldie, Mama Calico, Abby, and Marisol when a person from the congregation where I am an intern minister told me that they were going to be euthanized. It was a Sunday in January, and they were scheduled to be caught on Thursday and taken to a shelter where they would be put to sleep. A woman from our congregation had left town rather quickly and not managed to make arrangements for her five cats to come with her or to find a new home for them. They were left outside about October, after many years of human companionship, and by January it was bitterly cold out and friends of the woman who abandoned them didn't know what else to do with them but to take them to a shelter (where they most certainly would have been put to sleep due to their serious health care needs).

Because they were so scared and traumatized, they came across as somewhat feral, although we later found out that all were as sweet as can be. Mama Calico was at least 12, and her two sons, J.R. and Goldie, were not much younger. It turns out that Marisol had been abused as a kitten, and was thus very aggressive - she scratched and bit when you tried to touch her, and growled if you even got close. Only Abby was considered very adoptable - although at six, she was already getting older than many people will consider.

It took a week and a half to catch all five - they were scared, cold, and, as it turns out, also very sick. Goldie had frostbite, and Goldie, J.R. and Abby all had infected gums and needed teeth pulled. They all had fleas and earmites, matted hair, weak immune systems, and poor Goldie was allergic to fleas and so he also had scabs and sores all over him.

Through the generous help of members of the Unitarian Universalist organization for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.uua.org/ufeta/) who I emailed, some other generous folks who heard about the kitties through my blog (www.elizabethslittleblog.com), and two shelters in the Greater Boston area (Second Chance Shelter http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MA77.html and Animal Umbrella http://www.animalumbrella.org/) we raised over $700 to get the kitties all the shots, tests, and treatment that they needed (deeply discounted care was offered by Animed Pet Hospital, Dedham, MA). We discovered that Mama Calico, J.R. and Goldie were very attached to each other and yowled and cried if they were separated very long, so we hoped against hope that we could find all three over age 10 cats a home together, along with a home for Marisol who, even though she clearly had a very good heart, was somewhat of an attack cat.

The first night we had Goldie, before we were able to catch Mama Calico and J.R., he was so upset all night that I eventually went in and slept on the floor next to him in order to comfort him. As soon as we brought Mama Calico and J.R. the next day (we were extra motivated to catch them after Goldie was soooo upset) Goldie immediately licked them, purred, and was as happy as could be to have his family back.

After just a month and a half, all five cats have loving homes - and Mama Calico, J.R., and Goldie have one together! A kind couple decided that they had the patience and love to work with Marisol to try to deal with some of her aggression and anger issues, and a young college student looking for a chill, well-adjusted cat gave Abby a home.

It took lots of love, lots of generosity, and lots of patience to find homes for these sweeties, but we did it - and couldn't have done it without so many organizations and individuals coming together to help them. Some people, even well-meaning animal lovers, initially suggested that the most humane thing to do would be to put them to sleep, and I'm so glad we decided to be patient and have hope because it paid off. Three families have lovely companion animals and five kitties have many happy years ahead of them."

DNA to the rescue!

This is a great use of modern forensics on the behalf of our animal friends. The use of DNA is helping people track elephant poachers. Yes, ivory is beautiful, but so are elephants. This is hopefully a step in the right direction to stop poaching of elephants for ivory. Here is a story about it with a lot more detail.

Speaking of elephants, come visit my shop and buy an Ellie product to help spread the word!

K.C. The African Grey

This story illustrates why rescue groups are so important, and why you should always be sure that your home is well suited for a pet before you buy.

"K.C. had a breakthrough today. It made me so happy I cried...

K.C. is a little Congo African Grey who came to live at The Oasis about two years ago. His story was a true rescue situation. A couple came upon him in a home where the teenaged boys were beating him and his cage. K.C. was terrified and although the couple knew nothing about birds, they recognized the seriousness of his situation and bought him from the owners."

Click the link to find out what his breakthrough was!