New York Lawmakers Propose Tax Credit to Encourage Pet Adoption

As we enter the height of the tax season, it's natural to think about getting some relief related to the countless dollars we spend each year on our pups. Getting a tax break on pet care has been proposed before, without success, but recently there has been new energy around getting a law passed. This time the relief would be specific to rescue pups. Deductions related to fostering is already allowed, but does not include expenses related to adoption.

Since January, four bills have been drafted in New York State that would offer a tax credit to residents who adopt a pet. City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras says that the tax credit would encourage more people to adopt, bringing relief to the state's shelters. She estimates that 3 million animals in New York shelters are euthanized each year due to overcrowding.

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S4576-2015, sponsored by Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Nassau County, would offer $100 per dog or cat, with a maximum of 3 adopted pets covered per household

S2894A-2015, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, would offer $100 per dog, cat, or other animal, with a maximum of 3 pets

A5182-2015, sponsored by Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny, D-Brooklyn, would offer a single $350 credit for a dog or cat

S3670-2015, sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, would offer $500 per household pet, with a maximum of 3 pets — which means a credit of up to $1,500

If one of these bills is approved and signed by the governor, it would make New York the first state in the nation to offer a tax credit like this. I certainly welcome anything that will get adoption numbers up, but I'm also sensitive to the fact that state budgets are already stretched thin. In 2012, a similar bill was defeated in Pennsylvania by a tiny margin--97-96, so it's clearly a divided issue.

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Adopted Dog's New Mom Writes Letter of Thank You to Previous Owner for Giving Her to a Rescue Instead of Putting Her Down

When most people adopt a dog, they’re in it for the long haul. They recognize that by bringing this new life into their own, they are responsible for the care and well-being of this animal. While it can be challenging and time-consuming to house train a new pet and teach them how to walk on a leash, most people are happy to do it because at the end of the day, they love nothing in this world more than their dog.

Or so this is the way that we hope most people feel about their pets, however, many times this is not the case.

There are over 70 million homeless cats and dogs currently living in the U.S. While some of these animals were born to feral packs, many were simply abandoned by their guardians and left to fend for themselves. Only around six to eight million stray cats and dogs find their way into the shelter system and a small fraction of those that do end up in forever homes. Although the majority of these animals will never get their happy ending, those that do are completely changed for the better. Luckily, this was the case for Echo the Great Dane.

Echo’s guardian first saw her future best friend online in a Facebook post. The poor white puppy was extremely thin and deaf, she had been abandoned by her previous caretaker because she was “too much to deal with.”

Echo was purchased from a backyard breeder when she was far too young to be separated from her mother. After this trauma, Echo was subjected to abuse, neglect and unimaginable horrors in the care of the woman who purchased her. But all of this ended when she was rescued by Louisiana Great Dane Rescue and then adopted into her new forever home.

One year later, Echo’s new guardian wrote an open letter to the woman who cared for this pup before she did. Here is what she had to say:

To the girl that “had to get rid of” the nameless and “useless, not able to deal with” puppy with a belly full of rocks a year ago: Thank you for giving her to rescue instead of putting her down like you had threatened in your Facebook post. I just want you to know that she’s safe, although I doubt that you care. Because you didn’t care that she was hungry or thirsty. Didn’t care that she was filthy. Didn’t care that she was deaf. You did care that she was a free puppy and took her home from the BYB who is just as guilty as you are.

Did you comfort her when she cried the first night she was away from her mother and siblings? Did you hold and pet her when she got scared in her new “home”? I like to think that you did do at least that for her. I don’t know if it was you or her “breeder” who decided to spay her at 6/7 weeks old. But I want you to know that she doesn’t seem to have suffered any damage from that surgery at a way too early age.

She is only alive because of the Louisiana Great Dane Rescue that always keeps an eye out for dogs that are discarded like her. And we are happy that they chose us to adopt Echo. See, that’s what we named her. We figured even though she is deaf she deserves a name, just like any other pet or person… Do you know that she knows a bunch of ASL signs that we use to communicate with her? I doubt you even still think of her anymore. She gets three meals a day and it took me a long time to get her to trust me that there will ALWAYS be another meal and that she doesn’t have to eat rocks and other things she found outside. And that she doesn’t have to try and drink as much water until she got sick because there would always be more water later.

Yes, she is very spoiled and may not always “listen” to me when I tell her to do something but she sure couldn’t be any more loved. She is my heart dog and every person and dog that meets her loves her immediately. I am working with her on therapy dog training to get her registered as a Therapy Dog so I can take her to all kinds of places where she can bring love and joy to people in need of just that. I just wanted you to know that she’s safe and loved, even though you will probably never get to read these words.

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Everything I know About a Good Death I Learned from My Cat: And I Have Her Vet To Thank

My cat has been dying for the last two years. It is normal to me now — it is simply the state of affairs. There's a rhythm to her medication: prednisone and urosodiol in the morning, urosodiol again in the evening, chemo every other day, a vitamin B shot once a week. And now, toward the end, painkillers. Over these last two years, I've come to suspect that my cat has gotten better, more comprehensive planning around her eventual death than most people do.

Dorothy Parker — Dottie, to her friends — is a cat I adopted in Brooklyn from a local vet; she made the cross-country hop with me to Oakland with minimal fuss. Her attitude, most of the time, is that of a 14-year-old Marxist in a Che Guevara T-shirt. One of her favorite moods is murder. She likes cuddling, hates strangers, and goes crazy for ice cream. She steals cheese. I live with a tiny, vicious alien, and I love her.

My cat has been dying for the last two years. It is normal to me now — it is simply the state of affairs. There's a rhythm to her medication: prednisone and urosodiol in the morning, urosodiol again in the evening, chemo every other day, a vitamin B shot once a week. And now, toward the end, painkillers. Over these last two years, I've come to suspect that my cat has gotten better, more comprehensive planning around her eventual death than most people do.

Dorothy Parker — Dottie, to her friends — is a cat I adopted in Brooklyn from a local vet; she made the cross-country hop with me to Oakland with minimal fuss. Her attitude, most of the time, is that of a 14-year-old Marxist in a Che Guevara T-shirt. One of her favorite moods is murder. She likes cuddling, hates strangers, and goes crazy for ice cream. She steals cheese. I live with a tiny, vicious alien, and I love her.

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Pit Bull Set to be Euthanized After Attack on 18-Month-Old Baby - Stolen in Tulare County, California

Tulare County, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tulare County is asking for your help to find a pit bull they say was stolen from their shelter. The dog was set to be euthanized after it attacked an 18-month-old baby. Workers at Tulare County Animal Services are worried the dangerous dog could attack again.

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Guinness World Record Holder - Beloved Two-Faced Cat Dies of Cancer at Age 15

A cat named Frank and Louie who was born with two faces, two mouths, two noses and three blue eyes has died at the age of 15.

The Telegram of Worcester reports that 'Frankenlouie' died Thursday at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton.

The cat's owner, Marty Stevens, said veterinarians believe the cause of death was cancer.

The cat's owner, Marty Stevens, said veterinarians believe the cause of death was cancer.
Frank and Louie made it into the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records as the longest-surviving member of a group known as Janus cats, named for a Roman god with two faces.

Janus cats almost never survive, and most have congenital defects.
They usually only live a few days.

A breeder brought the rare feline to Stevens, a vet nurse, to be euthanized in September of 1999.

However Stevens, not believing the cat would survive, decided to take him home with her and care for him.

She fed Frankenlouie using tubes in both mouths, soon realizing that only the 'Frank' side was connected to his esophagus.

He did, however, eat enough for two.

Stevens said her cat quickly developed a strong personality and loved to walk around her neighborhood in North Grafton.

"He’s just so affectionate and sweet he usually wins people over," she told The Telegram-Gazette in 2011.

He functioned as a regular cat.

While blind in his center eye, both his outer eyes worked fine, and while he had two noses and mouths, he had only one brain.

Stevens is now understandably devastated to lose her pet of 15 years.

She said her fell quite ill around Thanksgiving and she took him to the Tuffs University clinic.

The vet told her it was best to euthanize him, because he was in quite a lot of pain.

Stevens says once her sadness passes she wouldn't mind looking for another Janus to bring home with her, just like she did with Frankenlouie in 1999.

"I would love to do it again," she said.

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Texas Officer Saves Dog's Life Twice

The first time officer Aaron Morgan, from Pantego, Texas, saved Ginger’s life, was back in September when he was off duty, visiting relatives in Arlington, Texas. The rookie officer heard the yelps of a dog and when he peeked through the fence, he found a young boy beating, choking and kicking the tan color, seven-month-old dog.

He called area police and immediately a squad car was dispatched to the location. The dog’s owner surrendered the pet, and Ginger was sent to the Arlington Animal Shelter.

Morgan believed Ginger would soon find a loving forever home, after all the pet was cute and very young, but on October 30th, 2014, the police officer learned Ginger was on death row. Time was up and no one had come forward to take this beautiful dog home.

The rookie cop couldn’t accept he had saved the young dog from one bad situation just to have the dog land in another, therefore the very next morning he showed up at the shelter to adopt and save the dog.

“It wasn’t fair to let this dog be euthanized,” Morgan told the Star-Telegram. “It wasn’t fair to take it out of one situation and then say ‘Sorry, this is where your road ends.’ ”

Ginger found a loving forever home with Morgan and to start a new life, the dog received a new name. Ginger is now called Duke.

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Heartbreaking: The Dignity in a Dog’s Final Moments

Minutes before shelter dogs are euthanized, Yun-Fei Tou makes a final haunting portrait.
Oct. 24, 2011 Image captured at 12:09 p.m., 1 hour and 54 minutes before the dog was euthanized. Yun-Fei Tou

To see the portraits, click here: The Dignity in a Dog’s Final Moments

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The Lie at the Heart of the Killing - The Myth Pet Overpopulation

Today, an animal entering an average American animal shelter has a 50 percent chance of being killed, and in some communities it is as high as 99 percent, with shelters blaming a lack of available homes as the cause of death.

But is pet overpopulation real? And are shelters doing all they can to save lives? If you believe the Humane Society of the United States, the American Humane Association, the ASPCA and PETA the answer to both those questions is “yes,” even though that answer flies in the face of the data and experience. It is simply “received” rather than substantiated wisdom. To adherents of the “we have no choice but to kill because of pet overpopulation” school, pet overpopulation is real because animals are being killed, a logical fallacy based on backwards reasoning and circular illogic. In other words, data, analysis and experience—in short, evidence—have no place. Neither do ethics.

To read more on this story, click here: The Lie at the Heart of the Killing - The Myth Pet Overpopulation

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This Is What A Perfect Dog Adoption Looks Like

Right from the start, Gunner the dog showed himself to be a great fit with his brand new adoptive family in San Jose, California -- by sticking his tongue out for a photo, just like they did.

"It's funny because we do tongue pics as a joke all the time," says Antonio Beretini, who's sitting in the driver's seat below, next to partner Chad Winningham. "So having Gunner do this as soon as he sat in our car between the kids was just too funny to pass on capturing!"

To read more on this story, click here: This Is What A Perfect Dog Adoption Looks Like

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Texas Veterinarian Indicted For Mistreating Dog He Was To Put Down

(Reuters) - A Texas veterinarian accused of keeping alive a dog he had promised to euthanize and using it as a source for blood transfusions was charged on Wednesday with animal cruelty.

Millard "Lou" Tierce, 71, was indicted by a grand jury in Tarrant County on charges of theft, misapplication of fiduciary property and animal cruelty relating to the treatment of the dog, prosecutors said.

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Spanish Nurse Free of Ebola, Not Told About Dog

This is an undated image released on Wednesday Oct. 8, 2014 by animal rights organisation PACMA, of Teresa Romero, the nursing assistant who is infected with Ebola in Madrid, with her dog named Excalibur. Officials in Madrid got a court order to euthanize the pet dog of Spanish nursing assistant Romero, because of the chance the animal might spread the disease. At least one major study suggests that dogs can be infected with the deadly Ebola virus without showing symptoms, but whether or how likely they are to spread it to people is less clear.

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Reporting Animal Cruelty Just Got Easier

Every day, the national nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund works to find justice in the legal system for animals who have been abused. The Animal Legal Defense Fund's brand new smartphone app--thanks to our partnership with LiveSafe--is designed to help you report abuse and neglect of animals in your community. Your crime tip will immediately alert local law enforcement when animals are in need of help.

To read more on this story, click here: Reporting Animal Cruelty Just Got Easier

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Elderly Owners Can No Longer Care For Bonded Dogs: Dogs To Be Put Down Next Week

Two deeply bonded dogs are losing their family, and perhaps their life, because their elderly owners in Brooklyn, New York, are losing their home. A friend of the family is desperate to find the dogs a home before next week, when the elderly couple's son plans to put the dogs, named "Blade," and "Siah," down.

The family friend explained the son's decision:

The last thing he wants to do is put the dogs to sleep, he loves them, however he thinks it is cruel to dump them in a shelter that would separate them and probably end up euthanizing them anyway.

They were in boarding for a while, in different cages, and Siah stopped eating nearly starving himself to death because he was not with Blade.

When he came out, he was so emaciated and both of them were sick. The son can not see that happen again

Blade (tan) is five years of age and altered. Siah is eight years of age and not altered. The family has no history of the dogs around cats or children and is unable to determine if they would be a good fit with families who include them.

The following information was shared about the pair:

They are located in Brooklyn. They love to play with each other, other dogs and people. They are very friendly, love everyone. They love toys and carry them around everywhere. They are not overly hyper and also love their cuddle time. They are more then happy to lay with each other and their people all day but also love going to the park. They are up to date on all shots, have no medical conditions and no special needs.

Anyone with questions or who can possibly help is asked to email: nicolemylan@yahoo.com.

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Pit Bull Vote Aims to Settle Disputes Over Breeds

Englewood, Colo. (AP) — Sharee Talbot wants her dog back. For now, though, she has to drive out of town to visit Buddy because the two-year-old pit bull isn't allowed in her hometown of Aurora.

"Look at him. He's funny. He's goofy," Talbot said on a recent visit with Buddy and his foster family at an Englewood dog park. Talbot had to give up Buddy last year after an Aurora animal control officer seized him for violating city's ban on pit bulls.


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Ebola and Pets

A Spanish Ebola patient's dog was euthanized by the Spanish government due to fears that the dog could also be carrying the virus. Bentley, a dog owned by a Dallas, Texas nurse who contracted the virus, will not be euthanized, but kept in a safe location to await a reunion with its owner. The dog will be quarantined for 21 days, according to the Dallas Office of Emergency Management. A veterinarian will be checking Bentley daily.

With these cases in the news, pet owners may be wondering if there is a risk to their pets from the Ebola virus, or to themselves or the public from contact with their pets.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola and Pets

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The Ebola Virus and Pets

DogTime recently reported on officials in Spain euthanizing a dog for being exposed to Ebola. This week in the U.S., a dog living with a Texas nurse who became infected with Ebola was placed in quarantine.

The nurse, Nina Pham, 26, was identified as the first person to contract the Ebola virus in the U.S. Pham, who was caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian Ebola victim who died of the disease, got infected through what’s been called a breach in protocol at her hospital while she cared for Duncan.

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Black Dog Syndrome - Why Do People Discriminate Against Dark Pets?

Just when you were hoping there were no new ways to be racist, it turns out people may be racist against dogs. Black Dog Syndrome is the name shelter workers have given to the tendency of dark-furred pups to languish in kennels while their lighter-furred brethren get adopted. “The effect is very real,” says Mirah Horowitz, executive director and founder of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. “We recently had a litter of five very cute, very fluffy puppies, two yellow and three black. And the yellow ones all went immediately, but for the black ones it took weeks.”

To read more on this story, click here: Black Dog Syndrome

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Dallas Ebola Patient's Dog Will Not Be Euthanized

Dallas, Texas - The health worker who tested positive for Ebola has a dog, but the mayor of Dallas says unlike in a recent Spanish case, the dog will be kept safe for eventual reunion with its owner.

Mayor Mike Rawlings told USA Today that the dog remained in the health worker's apartment when she was hospitalized and will soon be shipped to a new location to await its owner's recovering.

There are no plans to euthanize the dog, he said.

"This was a new twist," Rawlings said. "The dog's very important to the patient and we want it to be safe."

There were no immediate details on the name or type of dog.

Brad Smith, of CG Environmental, will lead the effort to decontaminate the patient's East Dallas apartment. He said he has been alerted that the patient's dog is still inside and will work with members of the local SPCA branch and Dallas animal control officials to help remove it from the apartment.

"We'll assist with that," Smith said. "We have the [personal protection equipment] that needs to be worn."

In Spain, the Madrid regional government said last Wednesday that it had euthanized Excalibur, the pet of the Spanish worker being treated. It was sedated to avoid suffering and after death its corpse was "put into a sealed biosecurity device and transferred for incineration at an authorized disposal facility," according to a statement from the Madrid government, Associated Press reported.

Spanish officials said the dog was killed because it posed a risk of transmitting the disease to humans. There is no documented case of Ebola spreading to people from dogs. But at least one major study suggests dogs can get the disease without showing symptoms. Experts say they are uncertain of what risk that poses to humans.

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Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

The husband of the Spanish nurse who was diagnosed with Ebola is denouncing health officials who told him their dog would have to be killed as a precaution.

To read more on this story, click here: Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

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Trixie and Texas: Black Labs Found at Landfill - Looking for Their Forever Home, As Time is Running Out

In Orangeburg County Animal Control and Shelter in South Carolina, all of the kennels are full. Trixie and Texas were both picked up as strays a few days ago at a local landfill; no one even knows if they are related, but volunteers provide the following heart-wrenching information about these two black Labrador retrievers:

"We don't know if this is even the mama to this little guy. They were both found at the land fill. He cowers behind her...like she is his protector. Both of these are beautiful dogs. She is really friendly. Texas is still a little scared but certainly is handsome."

The kennels at Orangeburg County Animal Control are currently being occupied by dogs involved in court cases; therefore because of lack of space, strays and surrendered dogs are only allowed the minimum time limits before they are euthanized.

Click HERE for information from the Facebook page of Friends of Orangeburg County Animal Control and Shelter for help in adopting or fostering.

Click HERE for the emergency Facebook thread for Trixie and Texas. Please share their emergency situation with friends, family and coworkers. Send this article on to a Facebook friend and to animal rescues. Their stories have been shared 136 times, but no one has stepped up to help. Sharing saves lives.

For more information and help with adoption, rescue, or foster opportunities:

"Friends of OCAC works with Orangeburg County Animal Control and Shelter to place the animals that come into the shelter.

We are a small group of people who want to change things. If you would like to help us, we need volunteers. The shelter hours are Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our mailing address for our group is PO Box 131 Elloree, SC 29047 Our phone number is 803-596-8046."

To contact the shelter directly, please call 803-534-0045. The shelter is located at 1596 Ellis Ave., Orangeburg, SC.

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