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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Co-Founder of Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary Visits an Animal Shelter in Israel: Ends Up Buying the Entire Shelter


Danielle Eden is no stranger to hell.

She usually brings a few dogs back from there.

As co-founder of Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary, she has visited countless animal shelters throughout the world. And often she would bring dogs in the most dire circumstances back to the rescue's own rolling 50-acre property in King, Ontario.

But she wasn't prepared for what awaited her at a shelter she visited in Israel last January.

Every last dog was in desperate straits.

"This is the worst shelter she had ever seen," Clare Forndran, media director for Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary, tells The Dodo.

More than 250 dogs were squeezed into a space designed for just 70. Rats abounded. Many of the dogs had spent years there. Every bit of bread flung into a kennel was an invitation to brawl.

"Dogs were literally fighting over a loaf of bread," Forndran says. "There were more rats than dogs."

Indeed, dead rats, mingled with live rats, who mingled with dogs who had been eking out an existence there for years.

Once she surveyed this sordid scene, Eden couldn't choose which dogs would have a chance at new lives in Canada. They were all living in abject misery.

So she decided to buy the entire shelter.

Since then, Dog Tales has taken responsibility for all 250 dogs. Over the last two months, it managed to relocate 90 within Israel. Another 25 have made the journey to the Ontario sanctuary.

And 150 remain. But that shelter is undergoing a transformation thanks to a team in Israel assigned the task of making it habitable, while veterinarians administer to the animals' immediate health concerns.

The goal is to bring all of the remaining dogs to Canada.

And that mission is already off to a promising start. Among the early 25 arrivals, more than half have already been adopted.

Their diet no longer consists of bread. They are learning to trust again.

Want to help? Consider signing up to give one of them a forever home. Visit Dog Tales' adoption page HERE. 









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Op-Ed: PETA’s Shelter Euthanized 72% Of Its Animals Last Year - That’s A Problem And It Needs To Change


PETA runs a shelter at its headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, where most animals who come in don’t make it out alive.

The figures have been released for how many animals died there in 2015. They prove — once again — that it’s past time for that shelter’s practices to change, or for the shelter to shut down altogether.

Well, at least the killing’s gone down a little in the last year.

According to a statement the nonprofit put out on Friday, PETA euthanized 1,502 dogs, cats and other animals in 2015 at the nonprofit’s only animal shelter.

PETA’s shelter took in 2,063 animals in total in 2015, according to another statement. That means 72.8 percent of the animals who came into the shelter were euthanized.

(We don’t have the breakdown yet for how many of these are cats, dogs, or others.)

That’s less than in 2014. According to self-reported figures filed with Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 3,017 came into the shelter, of which 2,455 animals were killed — a kill rate of 81.3 percent.

This all may come as a surprise to you if you are someone who isn’t already familiar with PETA’s controversial shelter. It certainly came as a surprise to me when I first began reporting on — and trying to make sense of — the nonprofit’s strikingly high kill rate a couple of years ago.

What I’ve come to understand, after all this time, is that PETA’s approach to companion animals, to pets, doesn’t actually make sense — unless you hold the perverse belief, which I do not, that many animals should die to be saved.

Take that PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals!– is part of a terrible anti-Pit Bull coalition. PETA also encourages the killing of feral cats.



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Daytona Beach Police Are Investigating a Photo on Facebook of a Dog with His Mouth Taped Shut


A picture posted to Facebook showing a dog with its mouth taped has sparked an investigation with the Daytona Beach Police Department, according to a news release.

A man who lists his name on Facebook as Bryan Futur Gomez posted the picture to his page on Sunday. The dog is seen lying on the floor seemingly between two people with blue tape wrapped around its muzzle. Also on the floor is an orange box and bits of paper scattered around.

In the photo caption, Gomez claims the dog is his, although that hasn't been verified. He writes that taping a dog's mouth is the wrong way to punish the animal and that he wanted to demonstrate that.

He claims the dog's mouth was taped for "emergency purposes only" using a stretchable tape with the adhesive portion folded inward so it could come on and off. He added that if his post gets 400 shares he'll post a video showing tricks the dog has been trained to do.

Gomez has not returned the Orlando Sentinel's request for comment.

Hundreds of people have shared and commented on the Facebook post to criticize the actions seen in the photo. Many of those same users contacted the Daytona Beach Police Department urging them to investigate the photo.

The department released a statement saying that animal control officers are currently working to identify the person who taped the dog's mouth shut so they can determine if any charges should be filed.

A spokesman said Wednesday that the Daytona Beach Police Department is trying to locate a suspect but no other information or updates were available.

Daytona police investigated a similar incident in November when a woman named Katharine Lemansky posted a photo to Facebook of a chocolate lab-mix with its mouth taped shut. The woman was from South Daytona but was in Cary, N.C. when she made the post.

In that case, animal control officers in Cary found that the dog seemed to be well taken care of with no signs of injury, so Lemansky was able to keep the canine but she was charged with animal cruelty.
  
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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Xylitol, a Common Sweetener, Can Be Dangerous for Dogs: One-Year-Old Lab Ended Up in Hospital Fighting for Her Life


Gilbert, Arizona  - Chances are, you've probably heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but did you know that Xylitol, a common sweetener, can be even more dangerous?

Jeni Hargrove Connor's family found out the hard way this February when their 1-year-old lab wound up in the animal hospital fighting for her life.



She made a video to let people know how toxic Xylitol can be to dogs. The video that has since gone viral.


Hargrove Connor said it all started with Dancer, snuck into her gym bag and ate an entire tub of Ice Breakers gum.


At first Hargrove Connor didn't think much of it, until about an hour later, when her husband noticed Dancer looked drunk. They called their vet who told them to immediately rush Dancer to the animal hospital.



As Dancer was laying on Jeni Hargrove Connor's daughters' laps, she had a horrible seizure that lasted about 90 seconds. They thought the worst...



Dancer made it through the seizure and animal hospital staff saved her. She had to spend two nights in the hospital, and her liver is still being monitored.


Moral of the story, Xylitol can be toxic to dogs. It is a sugar-free sweetener that can be common in gum, mints, toothpaste, vitamins, low-sugar peanut butter and other sugar-free food.

Please view the video below on Dancer's story and please share. Help us to get the word out on the dangers of xylitol and dogs. Sharing this may save a life!



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Meet Mark The Dog Guy: He Gives Shelter Dogs Free Haircuts So They’ll Get Adopted


Mark The Dog Guy has dedicated his life to helping out shelter dogs in need of homes.

He offers his services to local dog shelters, giving dogs with matted, dirty fur free haircuts to improve their chances of getting adopted.

Almost all of the dogs he works on quickly move on to a new home.

“I come home uplifted every day,’” Mark told metro.co.uk. “I develop a bond with the animals which is just amazing.”

It all began when Mark ended his job as a consultant.

His girlfriend recommended that rather than going back to a ‘soulless’ job, Mark should do something he really loved.

He decided that something would be giving dogs a helping hand. Mark and his girlfriend had recently adopted two pit bulls from a shelter through Susie’s Senior Dogs, and so he was moved to do the jobs that many shelter staff simply don’t have the time for: grooming all the new additions.

Mark went to grooming school at the American Academy of Pet Grooming to learn more and develop his skills, where he was allowed to get to work from day one.

It was there that Mark learned about how much of an impact matted fur can have.

‘The first dog I ever worked on was Ernie,’ Mark told us. ‘My hands turned black from the dirt that was caked on Ernie as I brushed him out.

‘I had to re-apply the shampoo three times to get the dirt off of him, but he came out adorable.
‘It was really then I thought that the shelter dogs could probably use a cut too.’

Towards the end of grooming school, Mark reached out to Animal Care Centers of New York (ACC) to find out if he’d be able to help out.

They offered him the position of groomer on a trial basis.

And soon, Mark became Mark The Dog Guy. Since then he’s given lots of dogs incredible transformations, relieving the discomfort from matted fur and making them ready for adoption.

Mark wants to use his grooming skills to make sure great dogs don’t get overlooked because of their appearance.

“All dogs need homes, whether they are from a pet store, a breeder, or a shelter.
These animals have soooooooooo much love to give and just want to give and receive love.”

One of Mark’s best success stories was little Falko, a black poodle.
“Falko had just come into the shelter and [matted fur] terribly over his body,” Mark told us.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to finish him and I wasn’t happy with the cut, [but] Adoptions at ACC were going to take him to an adoption event that day.
The funny thing was that post-cut, Falko never made it to the adoptions van.

As they were taking him to the adoptions van, someone walking in said “Wow, a poodle. I want that dog!” and Falko was adopted even before his first event.
I think it was then that the ACC really recognized how I could help the dogs get adopted.”

See more of Mark’s dog transformations over on the Mark theDog Guy Facebook. 


Mark The Dog Guy (Picture: Susie’s Senior Dogs)



One of Mark’s clients pre-groom. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)




 Mid-groom. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)



Post-groom. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)



Ernie the dog before and after. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)

  

(Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)



(Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)



A brown poodle before. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)



That same brown poodle after. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)


  
And this dog is blown away by the results. (Picture: Mark the Dog Guy)



This dog looks very happy with his trim. (Picture: Mark The Dog Guy)

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Today is National Horse Protection Day


National Horse Protection Day was created to bring light to the plight of horses in America and beyond and help the thousands of unwanted horses in this country to find forever homes. 

The horse has a legendary mystic on the American culture.  It helped to forge a nation and yet despite that many go unwanted, abused or neglected.  National Horse Protection Day is about addressing those issues.

How to Observe

Do you have the means and ability to adopt? Perhaps you have spare time or an interest in horse husbandry.  Check out the website below for more information on ways to get involved. Use #HorseProtectionDay to post on social media.

History

National Horse Protection Day was founded in 2005 by Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Behaviorist/Advocate, Colleen Page.

For more information about National Horse Protection Day, click here:  National Horse Protection Day








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A Missing Police K9, "Milo" is Being Sought by Prince William County, Virginia Police – Please Share


Prince William County, Virginia - A missing police K9, "Milo" is being sought by Prince William County police.

Milo was last seen in the area of the 14100 block of Rahill Ct. in Woodbridge around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.

According to authorities Milo ran from his handler as they were returning home after work. Officers have not been able to find the dog and are asking the public to help in the search.

He is described as a friendly dog, police said. Milo is trained to work in and around people and is not aggressive. The dog is actually very shy and may avoid contact at first.

Milo is a small black Labrador weighing 50 pounds with a small patch of white hairs on his chest. He is wearing a choke collar with his service badge and vaccination tag attached, police said. Milo is also wearing a black nylon strap harness that buckles across the top of his back.

Anyone with information on Milo's whereabouts is asked to call police at 703-792-6500 or the Animal Shelter at 703-792-6465.

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6-Month-Old Puppy Receives Braces to Relieve Pain So He Can Eat


A six-month-old Golden Retriever puppy is getting relief in his mouth thanks to a set of braces.

The Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, Michigan, posted photos Saturday on Facebook of the dog, Wesley, outfitted with braces.

“February is National Pet Dental Health month, so we thought this was a good time to let you know about the importance of your best buddy's dental health,” the veterinary clinic captioned the post, which has been shared more than 270,000 times.

The puppy belongs to Molly Moore, the daughter of the clinic’s veterinarian, Dr. James Moore, who is called a “doggie dentist” in the Facebook post.

“He wasn’t able to fully close his mouth and chew well and he stopped playing with his toys because of the pain and started losing weight because he couldn’t eat,” Molly Moore told ABC News of Wesley.

The braces were put on Wesley on Feb. 19 and should come off this week, according to Moore.

“I think the only way he realizes anything is different is because we had to take his toys away so he doesn’t pull the braces off,” Moore said. “He’s still as puppy-ish as ever.”

Moore added that her dad sees a lot of “unique cases” in his practice.

“He does a lot of oral procedures and different orthodontia for dogs,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association told ABC News that, as with people, dental problems for dogs can lead to other, more serious health issues.

"Veterinary dentistry includes the cleaning, adjustment, filing, extraction, or repair of animals' teeth and all other aspects of oral health care in animals," the spokeswoman said. "Veterinary dentistry is a function of veterinary practice because it requires diagnosis and treatment, and, to be fully effective, demands extensive knowledge of anatomy, anesthesiology, pharmacology, physiology, pathology, radiology, neurology, medicine, and surgery that is part of the graduate veterinarian's training."











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