Monday, June 13, 2011

Update on Satchmo's condition and on the feral kittens!

Well, I wrote this post once already and the lovely Blogger lost my post, so here it is again.  I only hope I get everything back into the post.

As I mentioned before, Satchmo recovered well from his liver surgery but all of a sudden began having seizures.  I took him to see the doggie neurologist--who would have thought there would even be such a thing--and we met the most wonderful lady vet.  She really loved Satchmo, but his manners were not quite as good as I would have liked.  He growled at her every time she tried to touch him.  I guess he was just not at his best that day.


Anyway, we talked about the pros and cons of antiseizure medications with the complication of his liver issue.  We finally agreed to try a low dose medication that is not as hard on the liver.  He took it fine and had no side effects that I could tell so I thought all was good.  Not so....he still had two more seizures.  So I called her back and she said to increase his dose because she had started him on the lowest possible dose and if that wasn't working, then he needed a little more.  So, now it has been a week with no seizures and no side effects.  I hope that is a good sign.  I think I will take it as one.

Now, as to the 4 feral kittens, I signed up at the Austin Humane Society to use the Trap-Neuter-Release program.  So far, three of the babies have been caught, neutered and released back out onto my porch.  That fourth one is really skittish, but I hope to catch him/her tonight and take him/her on Wednesday morning.  Then I will be finished with my obligations and these baby kitties will have a chance at a better life without baby-making engines. 

If you have never heard of this particular program, I highly recommend it and encourage you to check it out in your hometown.  Each of these kittens got a rabies shot, wormed, had flea and tick medication applied, and was examined by a vet--as well as the actual surgery to remove the baby-making machines.  The only cost is a little bit of my time trapping, transporting, and recovering them.  Not too shabby.  This really is the best way to control the feral cat population.

So, keep your fingers crossed that I actually get that darn cat tonight or tomorrow night so I can be done!
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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Joplin boy helps: Making lemonade out of lemons

Here's an article from USA Today about a wonderful young man.  Now if all men were as kind and generous, this world would be a great place.  Obviously, this young man has an understanding of humankind's place in the greater picture and is willing to stand up and take his own place without hesitation.

Yes, I know the $25 is not much money for this huge cause.  Yes, I know that much more is needed.
But---here's the but----this wonderful child took the trouble to do something proactive!  In my book, this makes him very, very special.

Please read the article and let me know if you feel the same way.  I know I want to do my part to help all those lost and injured in that devastation left behind after the tornado.  This young man makes me see the importance of not putting it off anymore.  I'm off to donate........

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The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a young entrepreneur helping out. Luke Greenwood, 11, donated $25 dollars for the pet relief effort in the aftermath of the Joplin, Mo., tornado, says the ASPCA's Emily Schneider.

"He stopped by the Joplin Human Society to donate $25 from running a lemonade stand for 4 days,'' Schneider wrote in an e-mail from Joplin. "It was a cute moment."

She shot another e-mail to say " Luke is a wonderful kid. It was adorable when he explained how he made the lemonade from scratch. He wouldn't give up his secret lemonade recipe!"

The ASPCA has been helping the Joplin Humane Society along with other animal welfare groups. Schneider said they've assisted more than 1,000 animals there and so far have helped reunite more than 400 pets with their owners.
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Monday, June 6, 2011

Here's a call to action to stop animal abuse!

A dish made with dog meat in South KoreaA dish made with dog meat in South Korea Ok, I got this email and read it.  After I caught my breath, I decided to repost it here for you.  This is a good cause and the content of this email is indescribable.

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Bulletin from the cause: In Defense of Animals

Go to Cause


For years IDA has been working with South Korean Activists to help dogs & cats being slaughtered for food... Please help TODAY!

In South Korea, dogs are routinely ...

Wrenched from steaming, squalid crates where they’re packed like sardines to sell in the marketplace

Strung up by their necks as other imprisoned dogs watch in terror, then

Ruthlessly beaten as they dangle helplessly, urinating and defecating on themselves in an agonizing spiral of death.

The entire sickening process can take an hour or more. Only then is “man’s best friend” deemed ready for the dinner plate. He’s blowtorched, then butchered for barbecue, the evening’s meal.

And cats? They’re boiled alive in pressure cookers to make an “elixir” (death juice!) called goyangi soju. It’s believed to cure rheumatism and neuralgia.

As many as TWO MILLION cats and dogs are slaughtered for the meat trade every year in South Korea.

Yes, it makes you angry. That’s why your donation to IDA is urgently needed now. Because incredibly – finally – there are glimmers of hope.

Only thanks to your support has IDA been able to campaign in South Korea all these years. Things are beginning to change. To end this practice we still have much work to do ...

At the front lines is one of IDA's partners on the ground in South Korea, an organization called Coexistence for Animal Rights on Earth (CARE). They’ve been remarkably effective:

They received a tip about a dog meat “farm” in the remote Gyeonggi Province. CARE activists visited the facility. What they found was appalling. Dogs were living in ramshackle cages. Some had injuries. All sat in piles of feces.

At the risk of arrest and personal injury, they rescued the dogs and brought them to CARE’s shelter to be treated, cleaned, and loved for the first time.

CARE filed a civil complaint against the facility and the owner agreed to demolish the buildings and not obtain any more dogs – a HUGE win for the dogs of South Korea!

With IDA’s assistance, CARE is gearing up for lawsuits against dog meat shops in Gyeonggi Province.

Grassroots protests against the dog meat trade are now held every Sunday in South Korea. CARE learned of a Goyang City government shelter selling rescued dogs and cats to meat traders. They investigated, gathered evidence and exposed the shelter to the media.

The heartless shelter employees who were trafficking in cruelty? FIRED! The illegal trade of animals in Goyang City shelters? HALTED!

Without IDA's support of CARE that you make possible, these recent victories for South Korea’s dogs and cats couldn’t continue.

Here are just a few things that your donation today will directly help fund ...

$10,000 will help CARE purchase a rescue van that will traverse all of South Korea, and hundreds of additional dogs and cats will be rescued each year. Help IDA support work on a groundbreaking documentary that will expose the truth to South Koreans about the deception behind the “dog-eating culture in South Korea.”

Print thousands of brochures, flyers and posters – to flood key government officials with petitions, phone calls, letters, e-mails and faxes.

In addition to your donation, there’s even more you can do ...

Our fifth annual International Day of Action is set for August 16, 2011.

Events have been held in numerous countries – including South Korea – on five different continents. In the U.S., IDA has had a presence at every single South Korean Embassy and Consulate. Your donation will fund the groundwork for the 2011 International Day of Action, which promises to be the biggest yet.

Thank you for your commitment to end the suffering of our animal friends. Whatever you are able to donate today will be put to immediate and cost-effective use to end the torture and killing of dogs and cats in South Korea – and help animals wherever they are in desperate need.

May the kindness you show today return to you in a hundred wonderful ways.

For the animals,

Elliot M. Katz, DVM
President and Founder
In Defense of Animals

Call to Action

In Defense of Animals

Fundraising Project: In Defense of Animals


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