Heartwarming story from ASPCA -- Aurora

Here's a before picture







Here's the after pic!

We Never Gave Up on Aurora We met Aurora in 2010 at a rural Tennessee sanctuary gone terribly wrong. Sick and severely neglected dogs were chained to posts, roaming the property or seeking shade from the summer sun in overturned barrels. We rescued all 85 dogs from the property that day and brought 12 back to the ASPCA’s headquarters in New York. One of them was Aurora. When Aurora arrived in NYC, she was very fearful and sick. She had a severe heartworm infection, a malignant mass in her mammary gland and serious dental problems. But the ASPCA never gave up on Aurora. Under our care, Aurora was treated for her ailments, all the while receiving love and socialization from ASPCA staff. And as she regained her health, something else happened: Aurora came out of her shell, revealing herself to be a major goofball and a total sweetheart. But finding a home for a 65-pound older hound in the city wasn’t easy. Fortunately, because of your support, the ASPCA has the resources to wait for just the right home for our animals. And one day in July, about a year after Aurora arrived in New York, it happened. David Cruz met Aurora at our Adoption Center, and it was love at first sight. And after learning about her past, he told us, he and his wife “wanted to give her a home and a place where she could be loved.” This year, Aurora is spending her first holiday season in a loving home, and it is entirely thanks to the generosity and compassion of supporters like you. Still, for every animal enjoying a happy ending, another is waiting for your help. Please make a gift today and help us change even more animals’ lives. Pets like Aurora are counting on you. For the first time in her life, Aurora is home for the holidays. The ASPCA rescued Aurora from a dire hoarding situation in 2010. This year, she’s celebrating the holidays in a loving home. Aurora’s story is possible because of the generosity of supporters like you.

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.

Related articles

• Animal rescue groups help pets in disaster aftermath (sfgate.com)
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• West Seattle weekend scene: Lemonade fundraiser (westseattleblog.com)

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

A 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

Fundraising Project: In Defense of Animals Donate

Dramatic rescue of pitbull mix in river

Here's a video that shows the rescue of a dog from the flood swollen river in Michigan.  It is hard to watch, but the dog does get saved and sent to the vet.  She was hypothermic and about at the end of her rope when they pulled her out.

Help End the Torture and Slaughter of Korean Dogs

Here is a disturbing article I found today on Petside.com.  I was so upset after reading it that I just had to repost it here for you to see.  I have no words to describe my feelings and thoughts on this topic right now.  I, for once, am simply speechless.

Please read this excerpt below and click on over to the site to read the entire article.  Be aware, however that you will probably leave with a sick feeling in your heart and stomach!

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I was shocked this morning when I read an announcement made by In Defense of Animals, that in Korea, almost two million dogs are slated for slaughter after they are caged and tortured. They are then killed, butchered and sold as a delicacy meat for human consumption.

These miserable and unfortunate dogs are kept on display in crates in the marketplace, so customers are able to select one of their choice for purchase and butchering. What is even more horrific is that these dogs are "intentionally abused" according to In Defense of Animals, prior to slaughter and sale.

The Korean Government and Han Duk-soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea is being targeted by Defense of Animals to immediately begin enforcing the existing law under the Korean Animal Protection Act and to also strengthen the law by adding an amendment to prohibit dogs and cats from being slaughtered for meat for human consumption.

In fact, most Koreans abhor this practice and consider these acts of torture and killing to be extremely disturbing. Additionally it is actually an "urban legend" that...[read more]

How can anyone be so cruel--The story of Jack, the Heeler mix

Dispatch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society, March 25, 2011

On Thursday, a local police officer brought a Heeler mix he called Jack into the Espanola Valley Humane Society. The sight horrified those present, and the stench permeated the entire shelter grounds. Jack’s right front leg had been mutilated, and the injury was clearly not new. According to the officer, the dog had been hit by a car about six weeks ago, and he was now worried maggots would begin eating away at the infected limb.

I met Jack yesterday (Friday), after he’d already undergone the amputation surgery. He lifted his head just a tad to sniff my fingers before resting it again on the blankets, still groggy from the sedation. The shelter behaviorist and I sat with him a few minutes, trying to be of some comfort, but knowing the only real relief would come with time — and the strongest legal painkillers.

The photos taken of Jack at his arrival will likely be used as evidence in the court case against his owners. (The images are difficult to look at, but one is available here— view at your discretion.) From the socket hangs what looks like a partially-eaten chicken drumstick. In places, no skin, no cartilage, no tendons. Just completely exposed bone with a knob at the bottom where his paw turns under and a round, deadened area at the top connecting the leg to what was left of his shoulder.

In New Mexico, animal neglect is a misdemeanor. Outright animal cruelty is considered a felony, but like in many states, rarely prosecuted. No question this dog endured extreme neglect, but he was also a victim of outright cruelty. How does a person live day in and day out, for six weeks, with an animal in obvious excruciating pain? I’m not being flippant when I say that ignoring the sight and stench would have had to have taken more effort than simply asking for help.

So far, the Espanola sheriff’s office sees it that way too. A case is being made to prosecute Jack’s owner (if and when they can establish that the man who surrendered him was indeed his owner – the officer has since changed his story) on felony charges. A clip from the local news is avaliable here.

Espanola is not a wealthy community, and the actual shelter building reflects the area’s depressed economic conditions: cement floor, blocky brick walls, makeshift signs, and ramshackle shelving. What it lacks in beauty and warmth is made up for by an utterly devoted staff. When Jack arrived, there was no question they’d do everything they could for him, despite knowing his medical care would cost thousands of dollars. This dog would not be failed by humans again.

As I write this story on Saturday morning, the official update from the shelter reads: “Jack is awake today but having a hard time. We are working on getting him through this rough spot.”

Please consider helping. Donations can be made online at www.evalleyshelter.org/donate (in honor of Jack), over the phone at (505) 753-8662 or mailed to Espanola Valley Humane Society, 108 Hamm Parkway, Espanola NM 87532 (just put "Jack" in the check memo).

Read previous Shelter Dispatch
Read all Shelter Dispatches

Jack, recovering Saturday morning

Topics Dog Rescue And Animal Rescue Stories, News

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Hope for Hank: 'Forgotten' dog a gentle giant

Image via WikipediaHere's a story that, thankfully, has a somewhat happy ending!  What really is great, besides the rescue, is that this story made the news.  There may be hope for other abused and neglected animals out there, after all.
Just when I am ready to "give up on" human society, a story like this comes around to make my heart and soul happy.  I wish I could thank the person who made that call personally.  I wish I could thank that officer who checked it out personally.  I wish I could thank the vet who is caring for this animal personally.

Please read this article and be thankful that there still are good people out in the world besides yourself.  It gives me hope.  Here is a picture of what Hank should look like and below is a picture of what he does look like.  Makes you want to cry, huh?

Story Published: Nov 19, 2010 at 2:39 PM PST

Comments (21)

Related Content

• Police: Emaciated Mastiff was 100 lbs underweight
• Officials want to know: Who could do this to a dog?
  
• $2,500 reward offered to identify extreme dog neglect suspect
  

ALBANY, Ore. - Police seized a 5-year-old English Mastiff named Hank that weighed only 65 - nearly 100 pounds under his recommended weight - from a backyard lean-to with no sign of food or fresh water earlier this month.
More than a week later, police arrested an Albany woman and jailed her on a charge of animal neglect in the first degree and an unrelated Linn County arrest warrant.
KVAL News met Hank on Friday and talked to the veterinarians who have been caring for him. They said Hank should have weighed 130 to 150 pounds, not 65.
Hank still looks like skin and bones, and nursing him back to health could take another two to three months at the Albany Animal Hospital.

• PHOTOS: See Hank the English Mastiff

There is good news: Hank does not appear to be afraid of people. Vets said the dog doesn't appear to have been physically abused, just forgotten.
The gentle giant has behaved well around people and cats, which bodes well for his future: he might be adoptable by a family, they said.
Police get involved
The investigation started Nov. 8 with a report of an emaciated English Mastiff at 2003 SE 17th Ave.
A Community Service Officer went to the home and was able to see into the backyard and confirm the report, police said. Over the next day the Community Service Officer and police officers attempted to contact a resident at the home without success.
The next day, the Albany Police Department seized the dog and took him to Albany Animal Hospital for examination and treatment. The exam concluded he did not have any disease or parasite that might account for his low weight, police said.
On Thursday, Nov. 18, police arrested Erica Michelle Olsen, 26, of Albany in connection with the investigation and an unrelated warrant.
Hank's health is improving, and he will soon be turned over to Safe Haven Humane Society of Linn County, police said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Albany Police Department at (541) 917-7680.

Animal Rescue Organizations

I regularly receive emails from various rescue organizations.  I thought I would post some of those now for you to see the desperate need of these animals.  Please help if you can.  You can make all the difference for a small soul just by helping out.
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Just look into Chloe's eyes. The pain and sadness are obvious. But there is also a glimmer of hope. Donate Today! Can you see it? In spite of the horror that this sweet kitten has suffered,you can tell in her eyes that all the good that's happened to her since arriving at Bideawee - the tender loving care...the nutritious food... the warm bed - have given her the hope she needs to keep going. Donate Today! Now I hope you'll look into your heart and make a generous tax- deductible donation to Bideawee today to help us give innocent, abandoned kittens like Chloe a second chance at life. You are the reason for her hope. Chloe was found taped inside a box outside an apartment building in New York City and left to die. Thankfully, a kind soul heard her weak cries and immediately brought her to Bideawee and asked if we could care for her. Chloe was emaciated, had diarrhea, and a horrible respiratory infection. Of course, we couldn't...we wouldn't turn our backs on a helpless pet. Would you? Chloe is now healing, adding weight slowly, and each day growing more comfortable in our adoption center. Soon we know that we will find a new home for  Chloe...a family that will care for her and love her forever. Frankly, Chloe is one of the lucky ones. Thanks to the kindness of a stranger she is now receiving the care she deserves. But there are hundreds of other kittens abandoned on the streets of our city right now. Pets that need us. Pets that need you. Right now, please make as generous a contribution as you can afford to help Bideawee help Chloe, and hundreds more like her who, without us, will die on the streets of our city. A gift today will make a real difference and we thank you for whatever you can do. Gratefully, Nancy Taylor President & CEO P.S. Chloe is safe now. But you and I both know that we must do more to help abandoned pets, especially with cold weather right around the corner. With your support, we can and we will. Please, donate now.

To contact us, please send us an email: Bideawee@bideawee.org.
Bideawee is funded 100% by private contributions. To help us
continue our vital work to help animals, please donate today.

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Tuesday True Stories -- Fatal Puppy Hit-and-Run Offender Caught

Here is a story I found on Petside.com.  This is so sad, but I am glad that the offender was caught.  Please read this story and remember what to do if you see this happening.  Please visit the site of this story and leave them a comment, but leave me a comment also, won't you?
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I don't get it! I just can't get my head wrapped around how people blatantly and thoughtlessly leave the scene of an auto accident. What makes me even more upset is when a pet is injured in an accident.
Apparently, according to an article, recently published on the ASPCA website, Rafael Lauda struck Gigi, a five month-old Pit Bull puppy and drove away, not bothering to provide any information to Gigi's distraught owner. Unfortunately, Gigi died at a nearby animal hospital from her fatal injuries.

However, shortly after the incident, the ASPCA was notified and started an immediate investigation. The ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents were able to arrest Lauda on several charges, including leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury to an animal, and driving with a suspended license. If found guilty, Lauda could be facing over a year in jail.
Dr. Robert Reisman, ASPCA Medical Coordinator of Animal Cruelty Cases gives some excellent advice for people who observe an animal struck by a car. "Regardless of how serious the injuries appear, any animal hit by a car needs immediate attention. Internal injuries may not be visible, but in all instances may be life-threatening."
He also cautions, "Because you may further aggravate a serious injury while moving an injured animal, he or she should be carefully placed on a board, or at the very least, a blanket, and carefully but quickly transported to the closest animal hospital. If there is external bleeding, apply pressure to the wound to limit loss of blood."
The ASPCA urges people walking their dogs to be cautious when crossing a street. They suggest that extension leashes not be used in heavily trafficked areas.
If you witness animal cruelty in New York City, call (877) THE-ASPCA. Outside of New York City, visit their FAQ information by visiting http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_faq
Have you ever witnessed an episode of animal cruelty? How did you handle it? Leave a comment about your experience.

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Tuesday's True Stories -- Lucas: Love Champion

Image via Wikipedia

Tuesday's will now be dedicated to telling true stories about dogs all over the world.  Rescues, strays, pets, etc.; you name it and I will post it.  As a true dog lover, I always enjoy good stories about man's best friend.  It seems that our world is getting meaner and meaner (people-wise) so to find balance I need to read about the unconditional love and loyalty freely given to us by our four-legged pets.

Here is an article I found on For Your Entertainment about the meanest of the Vick pit bulls.  This is a great story and it will make you smile.  Enjoy!  Please check out some of the other hilarious posts at that blog site and leave them a comment.
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In my time as a caregiver at Best Friends I've worked with all kinds of dogs with all sorts of temperaments, but I haven't had too much contact with the Vicktory dogs, the pit bulls that were formerly owned by Michael Vick. There are a few I say hello to that live in staff offices and whom I see fairly often, but just haven't had the opportunity to get to know any of them too well... until a few weeks ago!

I was helping out with a transport of two dogs that needed to see medical specialists in Las Vegas. When I got in the van along with ace BF Lead Dog Tech Sarah Kubacki I discovered that we'd be transporting two dogs: Jingles, an awesomely friendly little pit bull with a mysterious eye issue, and Lucas, one of the most legendary of the Vicktory dogs. Thought by investigators to be Vick's champion fighter, this large brown pit bull has quite the impressive scar collection, particularly around his face and muzzle, and is one of two dogs compelled to live out his life here at Best Friends by order of the court. He also has a reputation for being an all-around sweetheart and nice guy and I'd met him a few times in an office where he visits sometimes and greets staff and visitors to BF. My time at Best Friends has only deepened my love for pit bulls and I was quite happy to be spending time with Lucas and Jingles!

The ride down to Vegas was uneventful and Jingles went to her ophthalmologist appointment, where she needed to stay for a while, so we continued on with Lucas for his cardiologist appointment. He's one of the BEST dogs for medical handling I've ever seen and was open and friendly as the vet did his physical exam... and then his two vet students repeated the exam, with Lucas smiling the whole time! He got the same excellent reviews from the techs who escorted him into a private room for his echocardiogram. Lucas is being monitored for an enlarged heart caused by heartworm, which was treated when he arrived at Best Friends. I'm happy to say that the cardiologist was very pleased.

We got some news about Jingles, too: she was going to have to stay overnight for a minor surgical procedure in the morning. It didn't make sense to drive all the way back to Best Friends only to have to return to Las Vegas in the morning, so we made some phone calls and came up with a plan: we would stay in Las Vegas overnight... and take Lucas on his very first sleepover outside of Best Friends! Once we were out of the vet's office with Lucas I made some reservations and found a dog-friendly hotel for the evening.

Lucas remained friendly at the hotel, but at first he didn't want to leave the bathroom! He was fascinated by the shower stall and wanted to hang out in there - obviously a little intimidated by the brand new environment. We gave him a little while to decompress and get comfy and gave him some water, and after a bit encouraged him to come out and explore... which eventually, he did. When we made it clear that he was welcome to come up onto the bed if he wanted, he did... and plopped himself down between us to watch some TV. We petted him as he watched, transfixed by the antics of Steve Carell, a real couch potato! As he grew more comfortable with his surroundings he rolled on his back for belly scratches and occasionally wandered up to give us some kisses. He was also fascinated by the pizza that was delivered! (Of course, I would never give a dog people food... y'know, except a little crust...)

We wandered out for his evening walk - he was amiable and curious and accepted the extremely blustery winds and the sights and sounds of a bustling city, so unlike what he is used to, with admirable ease. When bedtime came, he stretched out between us and slept soundly while snoring lightly, waking us in the morning with happy kisses and a wagging tail.

We had some time in the morning before we had to pick up Jingles, so Lucas came with us on an outing to the park. He did great and enjoyed himself immensely - he was particularly interested in the duck pond and was very curious about the ducks and geese! We saw some other leashed dogs at a distance and while he was curious about them, he didn't show any sign of aggression. He was loose and happy and loved walking on grass, something he doesn't have much of at the desert sanctuary! After our park outing we picked Jingles up from the vet and headed home to Utah.

Lucas is one of the most well-known of a group of dogs whom some leaders in animal welfare thought - and some still think - should be killed. They were called "ticking time bombs" and "some of the most aggressively trained pit bulls in the country". "Rehabilitating fighting dogs", one animal group opined, "is not in the cards." As I woke up in that hotel room with a scarred, battered, happy, silly, joyous pit bull licking my face, I had only one thought: I wish that people who truly love animals but believe that pit bulls or fighting victims are somehow different or irredeemable could have the same experience I had, to spend an evening in a hotel room with Lucas and a night with him rolling over for scratches, being silly, investigating new things, and sleeping peacefully by your side - and wake up to this incredibly resilient, affectionate and forgiving animal licking your face. Lucas is a wonderful dog on his own merits, and I very much hope that one day the court will allow him to be adopted so he may have people of his own. He deserves it.


Here's the link to the original posting......click here

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