Let’s pretend you are traveling in a foreign country, a place where you do not speak the language at all.  In your travels, you get separated from your travel buddies and are suddenly being arrested by the local police.  Next thing you know, you are in a jail where you cannot speak to anyone and have no clue why you are there.  You cannot ask anyone for help or ask why you are being kept there.  And you have no idea how long you will be detained or if you will ever get out.  How would you act?  Would you be yourself?  Would you shut down and become non-responsive?  Would you act really tough so no one would try to hurt you?

I know for a fact that I would not be myself in this situation.  So how can we expect a dog or cat to be themselves when dumped at the shelter?  Cats shut down and dogs growl, but this is not their true nature.  They are terrified and confused.  They can smell the death coming from the back room and heaven knows what the other animals are communicating to them.   So how can we expect any animal in this situation to “pass” a behavior test?

Hell, my Monty failed it.  Twice.  My foster cat, Lady Gray, failed one test and was on the fence with the second test.  They said she was incredibly aggressive and unpredictable.  Lady Gray literally was purring in my lap 30 minutes after being in my house and has not shown any aggressive behavior since.  I’m not saying behavior tests are complete crap, I’m just saying no shelter – and I mean NO shelter – should make life and death decisions based on them.

Need another reason to go vegetarian, or at least cruelty-free?  According to the associated press, the first study to test the nation’s supply of beef, chicken, pork and poultry found that nearly half the tested samples were contaminated with staph and most strains were resistant to more than one antibiotic.  Smarten up, folks – factory farms are more than just dangerous to the animals “living” there.

Austin Pets Alive! has a great program called “Big Brothers, Big Sisters”, where a dog in the program is assigned to a volunteer and you get to spoil them with attention, treats, presents, field trips, or even take them on a sleepover.  This is a great program for both the dog and the person – the dog gets extra special 1 on 1 attention and a champion who looks out for their best interests and the person gets to make that special connection with an animal that they may not be able to own due to personal/financial reasons.

I currently have a little brother named Lion, who is a very handsome golden retriever mix of about 6 years.  Lion came into the program with severe hair loss and was extremely depressed.  He didn’t eat, wouldn’t play, and showed no interest in people.  But with an amazing program like Big Brother, Big Sister, Lion had someone looking out for him and now we know that he has a food allergy which was the cause of his discomfort, as well as heartworms (PLEASE give your dogs their monthly heartworm pill – it is absolutely ridiculous that dogs are still suffering from this preventable parasite).   Lion now enjoys Royal Canin venison and sweet potato food and is loving life.  Here is his video from this past week:

Lion is available for adoption – so help me spread the word about this amazing dog!  http://www.austinpetsalive.org to see his profile and email adopt@austinpetsalive.org to learn more.

As you have probably already heard, a video of Bob Parsons, CEO of GoDaddy.com, has surfaced which depicts him shooting and killing an elephant in Zimbabwe.  Rightfully so, many are up in arms about this and are leaving GoDaddy.com in protest of Parsons’ behavior.  Obviously I am also outraged by this child who makes himself feel like a man by killing defenseless living things so I am definitely happy to see so many protesting.

However, a question comes up that I honestly do not know the answer to.  Why?  Why are people so angry at Mr. Parsons for killing this elephant?  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that people are angry.  But thousands of deer are killed every hunting season, and you don’t see anyone switching companies because the CEO uploaded a video of him killing a deer and then posing by the lifeless body.

Millions of cow, chickens, pigs, and lambs are killed every year so you can eat them.  Countless dogs, cats, rabbits and other defenseless creatures are tortured and killed every day because people are careless and ignorant.  Yet the general public says nothing.  Society doesn’t cry out for justice.  You don’t see a massive protest of Cover Girl for the tortures they inflict on animals every day.  You don’t see a mass exodus of people swearing off McDonalds due to the factory farming conditions in the US.  So why does everyone care about this elephant, and not about all the other living beings that are killed each and every day?

I can only hope this outcry will force others to ask this question and maybe they, too, will consider why they care about one life more than another.  And maybe, just maybe, they will learn to value all lives equally and we can start moving towards a day where all lives are important.

Just something to think about.

It isn’t easy.   This is not the type of work for the faint of heart (or for those who like sleep).  Every day you will witness kindness that warms your heart and every day you will witness such cruelty and stupidity that you will wonder if the battle for compassion will ever be won.  Weeks will go by without a single thank you from another human, and sometimes it wears you down that no one sees the hours and energy you are pouring into your work.  But it is all worth it.  If I every doubt what I am doing, I just need to walk outside to where the dogs are in their runs, go into a kennel and sit down with the pup in it for a few minutes.  The affection shown by this amazing, appreciative creature is all I need to keep going.

Deep down in me, I feel it is my duty to protect those that need us, those who rely on us.  I am not doing this for fame or fortune.  I am not here because the hours are good or the benefits are amazing.  I am not doing this for some superiority complex of working in the nonprofit field.  I am doing this because it is what I am meant to do.  This is my calling.

Meet my newest foster, Lady Gray.  She was on the dreaded kill list at the local municipal shelter because of aggression…  shelters need to reform now – killing because a cat doesn’t like a crowded, noisy, new environment is unacceptable.  This has got to stop!  Call/email/talk in person to your local shelter and (kindly) demand they become no kill TODAY!

Here is what E-Bay has to say about why they allow the Live Animal Classified Ads:  “Free online classified ads have made it easier for animal lovers to find their perfect pet from local households, rescue shelters, and breeders”

The fact that Craigslist and assorted other online venues doesn’t make it a good idea.  Online ads are a natural outlet for puppy millers, puppy brokers, and the worst sort of backyard breeders to market their wares with no safeguards for the animals themselves.  They may find well-intentioned buyers who don’t realize the risks of buying from these sources, or they may find careless buyers who could not pass the screening required by a responsible breeder or animal rescue group.  E-Bay claims to have safeguards in place, but there’s no way that they are checking out every seller, OR every buyer; they can’t.  Even if they wanted to, it would be completely impractical for them.

E-Bay stopped the sales of live animals through their auctions due to the objections of their users who care about animal welfare.  Maybe they thought their animal-loving users wouldn’t noticed the live animal sales in the classifieds sections, because those ads don’t come up when you’re searching the auctions for leashes, dog clothing, and toys.  I don’t know.  But they have been found out, and they need to realize that this is not acceptable.

Help me get the point across to E-Bay to shut down the sale of live animals on their site.  I have set up a petition on care2.com, which you can visit here, please take a moment and sign.  Thank you!

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially where the welfare of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict upon our soul when we look the other way.”- Dr. M. L. King Jr.

I came to a startling realization at work the other day.  As I sat at my desk working, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a small child walking into the office.  Monty (my dog) freaked out and tried to get as far away from the child as possible.  Luckily for Monty, the toddler did not press the issue of wanting to pet the puppy and amused itself with other things in the room.  I have always known Monty was not a fan of children.  It all stems from a horrible first encounter with the mini versions of humans when six neighborhood children stormed into my yard and chased him around to the point of pure terror which ended in him running full speed into a closed door in an attempt to get away from them.

While I understand this is mostly my fault for not working harder on socializing him to children after that, I never thought it was necessary since I never plan on having children or ever being around them.  But this was my startling realization at work:  what if I get pregnant?  (someone go revive my fainted family please)  Sure, it’s not in my life plan, but things happen – and I would only have a few months to get Monty from terrified to accepting a baby as a family member.

So how does one do it?  How does one prepare the family dog for a baby?  All too often I’ve seen animals surrendered to the shelter because the expecting parents are worried they won’t get along or the dog/cat is not doing well with the new bundle of joy the parents recently brought home.  This is all avoidable – you can prepare your dog and/or cat for a baby and make it a successful transition for the entire family.  And, yes, even Monty can learn to (at the bare minimum) tolerate the little ones.

Set up the nursery area as soon as possible.  The entire room:  furniture, clothes, toys, diapers, baby powder… whatever supplies you plan on using.   The purpose is to give your pets time to adjust to all these new sights and smells.  You should also prepare your pets for the new routine that will take place once the baby arrives.  What will happen to the dog’s feeding and walk times once the baby comes?  Make these changes now so your dog can adjust.  Also, about a month or so before the baby arrives, keep the baby’s room closed so the animals learn to leave it alone and that it’s not their space.

It is also a great idea to invite friends over who have babies so your pets can get used to the sounds a baby makes.   If you don’t have any friends with babies, get an audio of a crying baby to attempt to desensitize your pets to all the weird and new sounds a baby makes.  It’s also not a bad idea to have a family member bring  one of the baby’s blankets home a day early so the pets can get used to the baby’s smell.

Once the baby arrives, do not forget about your pets!  You are going to be very busy, but they still need their walks, play time, and attention that they are used to.  And never, NEVER leave your pets alone with the baby.  No matter what, no matter how great the dog is when you are around.   And definitely give your pets time to adjust.  This is a big change in their (and your) lives.

Today, I am bringing in the new year at work preparing for our New Years adoption event. Austin Pets Alive’s event today features “Name Your Own Price” adoption fees for animals six months and older, with a $25 adoption donation minimum as well as a free raffle for an amazing prize of a two-night stay at a Kimpton hotel and champagne with every adoption. We here at APA! hope that Austinites looking to adopt an animal for a New Year’s resolution will take home one of the wonderful pets available here. Which brings me to what I want to write about today – shelter hours. The no kill philosophy tells us that we need to make the animals easily accessible for people, and being open later on weekdays, on weekends, and on holidays is vital as these are times when people have off and have time to look for their new family member.

I find it absolutely depressing when a shelter’s hours end at 5 or 6pm, or when they aren’t open for one of both weekend days. And as much as I know it sucks for the shelter staff – it is horrible when they are closed for holidays. These are the times people are looking to adopt, shelters should not make it hard for them. Austin Pets Alive did 30 adoptions on New Years Eve. 30. That’s 30 animals who are now in their forever home instead of spending another night in the shelter. That’s 30 more spots we have open at the shelter for animals who need a place to stay. If we had been closed, or closed early, the 30 dogs and cats would still be here and the 30 that take their place would be without shelter.

Between yesterday, today and tomorrow our goal is 100 adoptions and I personally believe we will surpass that goal. And Austin Pets Alive isn’t the multimillion dollar shelter or the city funded adoption center. APA! is the grassroots rescue group 95% run by volunteers. Any shelter can do this if they just change their mindset and their hours. Check your local shelter’s hours: If they are not set up to be accessible to the public, write or call and let them know that as a donor, you want them to be open later and on the weekends.

Happy New Year