The ones that captured my heart!

On the left is Charlie, that I adopted from my local SPCA. When I went to "check him out" at the shelter he ran along side the fence wanting to play with the other dogs and when I called out his name (Spence at the time) he ran and jumped into my lap. I knew he was the one for me. He was sick when I got him and very skinny. The SPCA provided me a free vet visit and we got Charlie well and he's nice and healthy!

A family friend found Lily, on the right, in the streets, looking as though she just had puppies. After no one claimed her and waiting for what seemed like forever, I adopted her and she became exactly what Charlie and I needed. He got a new friend and I got an absolute doll, who loves to sleep in my lap when I study and make sure I wake up in the mornings. They are both so precious to me and really show unconditional love.

Audrey Schnitzius
Dallas, TX

USA: Support the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act!‏

U.S. Representatives Diane Watson and Elton Gallegly have introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (H.R. 4733), an ASPCA-supported bill that would require the federal government to purchase animal products only from entities that do not keep animals cruelly confined in gestation crates, veal crates or battery cages.

Factory farms in this country commonly house animals in cruel confinement systems. Veal calves are chained in small crates without enough room to turn around; sows are confined in gestation crates only a few inches wider and longer than the sows themselves; and egg-laying hens are jammed into tiny “battery” cages with less space, per bird, than the size of a regular 8.5″×11″ sheet of paper.

Whether or not it intends to, the federal government supports these cruel practices by spending over $1 billion per year on meat and eggs from animals who are raised in overcrowded cages and cramped crates. (This food is distributed to our military, federal prisons, school lunch programs, and many other government programs and services.)

Since almost all major packers and distributors do business with the federal government, passage of the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act would have a significant impact. It would dramatically improve living conditions for countless farm animals across America, and would put an end to the federal government’s economic support of this form of cruelty.

What You Can Do

Your U.S. representative needs to hear that this bill is important to you as a voter. Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to email your representative and urge him or her to support the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.

Thank you for taking action for animals!

A New Plan to Stop Animal Abuse

Should the public know if a convicted animal abuser lives or works next door? A bill before the California legislature would require adults convicted of felony animal abuse to register with local law enforcement; their names would be placed in a database similar to the national sex offenders' registry. Tennessee, Louisiana, and New York are also considering animal-abuse registries.

"We're trying to reduce risk," says Stephan Otto of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, noting that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans and four times more likely to commit property crimes than those without a history of violence against animals.

The registry would include people convicted of maiming, mutilating, torturing, or killing animals, as well as pet hoarders and operators of animal-fighting rings.

"To me, the bill seems like overkill," says California State Sen. Bob Huff, adding that he's wary of putting animal abuse and child abuse on a legal par. Huff also worries that fines imposed on animal abusers won't bring in enough revenue to cover the costs of the registry.

Alison Gianotto, a New York Web developer, started a volunteer pet-abuse database after her neighbor's cat was kidnapped and set on fire in 2001. At a cost of about $10,000 per year, Pet-Abuse.com now tracks nearly 16,000 accused or convicted animal abusers. Gianotto says government officials need to do more "to help the public understand that animal cruelty is everywhere, even in their own backyards."

Go to this site to vote.

Dillinger the Lucky Lab

Dillinger had been very unlucky, until Pet Rescue by Judy heard about him and pulled him from a high-kill shelter. His owner put him in a crate with no food or water, covered it in a blanket, and put him out to be collected with the trash. Orange County Animal Services was called, and they soon discovered that Dillinger's left rear leg is broken - he was hit by a car a month ago and his owner never took him to a vet. He also has dermatitis from a flea infestation, mange, an infection in his right ear, and a deformation in his front left leg.

Dillinger's lone chance was a rescue willing to invest the money needed for his recovery. Pet Rescue by Judy was the only group that stepped up to help this boy. On 05/12, Dr. Raulerson of Animal Hospital at Vista Lakes performed a surgery called an FHO to repair his rear leg and he is currently in physical therapy. Dilly is a friendly, loving boy who is expected to recover use of his back leg and go on to live a long and happy life.

Jennifer
Orlando, FL

Anti-Cruelty Crew Battles Toxic Flood Waters in Tennessee

When disaster strikes, it is the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team’s first priority to get to the scene to save as many animals as possible. At the height of the recent flooding in Tennessee, the team navigated swift water currents to pull struggling animals from floodwaters, out of trees and from dilapidated homes.

On May 8, a family that had been forced to leave more than a dozen pets behind  placed a desperate call to the local authorities. “The family had been able to move the animals to higher ground before they were evacuated,” reports Allison Cardona, the Response Team’s Director of Operations. “But this was almost four days prior, and we had no idea what condition we would find the animals in.”

Aided by a powerful and fully equipped search and rescue boat, the Team set off for the home in question, battling hazardous materials and toxic waters. The water itself was a deadly soup, reports Kyle Held, Midwest Director of ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. “It’s polluted by sewage, kerosene, garbage, bleach and other hazardous chemicals—and the toxins are everywhere.”

The team arrived at the scene to discover a dozen chickens, a peacock and a goat huddled on dry land that was rapidly shrinking. After taking precautions, they successfully secured the animals on the boat, and then saved a small Tabby cat stuck on top of a trailer engulfed in water.

Meet Nipper

My husband and I travel often to the Bahamas and many times to Marsh Harbour in the Abacos. We would see these street dogs, sometimes befriending one but never knew their plight. Apparently these wonderful animals are called Potcakes because their main food source was from the bottom of the pot of peas and rice that the Bahamians would reheat for their families and at the bottom of the pot would be a layer of overcooked food they call Potcake. This would be scraped out and fed to the dogs, thus the name "Potcake". We looked up the website for the Potcake rescue effort and while in Marsh Harbour, could not find even one puppy. We wanted a younger dog so it would get along with our two little ones. About a week after we returned to Florida, I got an email from Molly, a realtor in Marsh Harbour and a leader in the rescue effort. She sent me a photo of Nipper. He had already been abused and neglected so it was a few weeks before he could come to the States and into our home. Molly flew him over for me and my brother and I met her at West Palm Beach airport and he's been a happy, sweet addition to our family. As the photo shows, he blended right in and now has a loving forever home.

Patricia Bounds
Fort Pierce, FL

Suryia and Roscoe - A Truly Heartwarming Story

This one has been around awile, but in case you were not fortunate enough to view it, please go to this link and be prepared to be in awe...Suryia and Roscoe.

Live from Missouri: ASPCA Supports Landmark Puppy Mill Initiative

Home to an estimated 3,000 puppy mills —far more than any other state—Missouri has rightly earned the nickname “Puppy Mill Capital of America.” Puppy mills are large-scale commercial dog breeding operations where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. The overcrowding and lack of basic hygiene, veterinary care and exercise that are the hallmark of puppy mills create puppies with numerous health and social issues—but it is the breeding dogs, the ones who never get to leave, who suffer the most.

However, help is on the way! Missourians for the Protection of Dogs—a coalition made up of the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the U.S., the Humane Society of Missouri and the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation—is sponsoring a landmark ballot initiative to put the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act before the state’s voters in November 2010. If the act reaches the ballot and passes, it will prohibit some of the worst abuses prevalent in Missouri’s commercial dog kennels—but the first step is gathering 130,000 signatures of support from Missouri voters by the end of April.

“The Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act is a crucial step in combating some of the most horrific cruelty perpetuated by commercial breeders in Missouri,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “It will provide dogs with basic humane care, including sufficient food, water, housing and necessary veterinary care—things that, unfortunately, are sorely lacking in many commercial breeding facilities.”

With only a few weeks left to go before the April 27 deadline, the pressure is on. Several ASPCA staffers have volunteered their time to help count and process the flood of petition signatures, and are currently on the ground in Missouri.

“I am so happy to be part of this historic grassroots effort,” says Tawnya Mosgrove, an Illinois-based member of our Government Relations department. “Our hope is not only to help the dogs in Missouri, but that other states will follow suit with similar initiatives of their own. The work here is hard, but the end result will be worth every blister on my finger!”

For more details about this landmark effort and a view from the frontlines in St. Louis, please read our blog report.
Action Tip: Live in Missouri? SIGN THE PETITION TODAY AND HELP MAKE HISTORY!

*Paid for by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs, Judy Peil, Treasurer