Monday, October 25, 2010

Great Guys Support Great Cause

"Big Tom" couldn't of been more excited than to have David Backes from the St. Louis Blues Hockey team and Mark Buerhle from the Chicago White Socks at our fundraiser for C.A.R.E. this past week. David and his gorgeous wife Kelly do so much to help cats and dogs in need of forever homes. They are champions of animals and work tirelessly for these precious animals. Mark Buerhle ( the 21st pitcher to ever pitch a perfect game) is always one to lend his celebrity to a worthwhile cause. "Big Tom" who is a self proclaimed sports nut was truly in heaven having two such athletics in our home helping raise money for a wonderful rescue. Thanks David and Mark for not only helping out your furry friends but making Tom's day....oh hell who am I kidding making his BUCKET LIST COMPLETE. We raised over $12,000.00 for the second year in a row for a local rescue/shelter. Thanks to well over 100 friends who attended and supported such a fabulous cause.A big shout out also goes out to Bobbi Smith who has written over 50 best selling romance novels and signed her books and sold them the evening of the event and gave 100% of the money to this rescue. Bobbi you continue to have a heart the size of Texas. I feel blessed to call you my friend !!! Don't forget to get your next pet from a local shelter. ADOPT... DON'T SHOP as 90 % of the dogs sold from Pet Stores are coming from Puppy Mills. 40% of the dogs sold in Pet Stores throughout the United States are coming from Missouri Puppy Mills.

Blues Star Gives Assist in Animal Rescue - KTVI

Blues Star Gives Assist in Animal Rescue - KTVI

Sunday, October 24, 2010

El Paso Making History

Animal advocates still want pet store sales ban
By Marty Schladen \ El Paso Times
Posted: 10/01/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT

Pet ordinance
Petland sues, says it will close Jan. 1City Council passes pet ordinance, pledges $250K to educate, enforceCity will consider plan to reduce pet euthanizations todayPet ordinance: Compromise is just a startTimes Q&A: Mayor's pet proposal small step towards limiting killingsAnimal-rights advocates want to make sure that a ban on sales of dogs and cats by pet stores stays in an ordinance that will be the subject of a public hearing next week by the El Paso City Council.

The groups also want to see an enforceable requirement that everybody owning a breeding dog or cat get a permit for every litter the animals have.

The City Council for months has debated an ordinance intended reduce the number of animals killed at the Animal Services shelter. Currently, 17,000 to 18,000 are killed there each year.

"The bottom line is, stop the killing," Dory Munder of Southwest Collie Rescue said Thursday.

Munder and representatives of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Rescue League, Golden Retriever Rescue of El Paso, Great Dane Rescue of El Paso and other organizations called a press conference at the offices of the Humane Society to outline their priorities.

Mayor John Cook proposed a ban on pet store sales of dogs and cats earlier this summer, saying it is a moral issue. He said the pets sold in those stores often are bred in inhumane conditions.

However, the mayor said, sale of those pets is probably not a major reason why El Paso has so many unwanted dogs and cats.

The groups at Thursday's press conference disagreed. Representatives of the rescue groups said animals bought from pet stores often get loose and breed with other animals, adding to the problem.

The pet store ban is "just another way to shut off the supply," said Chris Yakubovsky, an animal advocate.
The newest proposed ordinance is likely to include a requirement that only breeders registered with a recognized organization can breed dogs and cats for sale. Others advertising dogs and cats for adoption probably will have to show they have obtained a litter permit from the city.

A public hearing on the proposed ordinance will be part of Tuesday's City Council meeting. It will start at 8:30 a.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 2 Civic Center Plaza.

Marty Schladen may be reached at mschladen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6127.

Post Dispatch Writes......

In a political season noted for unlimited money and unhinged rhetoric, Proposition B sets the standard in Missouri.

Depending on who’s telling the story, Prop B is either a modest regulatory framework to ensure that heartless dog breeders provide adequate care to their animals, or it is a gigantic conspiracy that ultimately would aim to outlaw animal ownership.

As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between. But that’s not always easy for voters to decipher.

For decades, Missouri has had a well-earned reputation as the nation’s puppy mill capital. It is home to about a third of the nation’s federally licensed dog breeders and the country’s largest wholesaler of puppies. Many more breeders operate here without state or federal licenses.

Puppies bred in Missouri turn up in pet stores around the country, sometimes with serious behavioral or health problems that are related to the conditions under which they were raised.

That’s not a reputation that reflects well on the state — or on any of its reputable breeders. On Nov. 2, voters will have an opportunity to change it.

Proposition B, the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act,” would significantly toughen regulations on dog breeders. It caps the number of breeding females at any one operation and requires that breeders provide sufficient food and water, veterinary care, adequate housing and enough room in cages so that dogs can “stretch freely, lie down and fully extend his or her limbs.”

Current state regulations allow dogs to be kept in wire mesh cages stacked atop each other so that feces and urine produced by one animal can drip or fall into the cages below. Proposition B would end that.

Opponents say it would put legitimate breeders out of business, costing jobs and tax revenue. They insist that laws already exist to adequately protect dogs. But, as a long string of federal and state investigations and animal rescues has demonstrated, that simply is not the case.

Breeders and agricultural interests can’t defend those practices. They’ve responded instead by attacking the Humane Society of the United States, which helped get the initiative on the ballot and has contributed more than $2 million to the campaign to pass it.

But it isn’t only the Humane Society that has provided evidence of the need for tougher regulations. The Better Business Bureau of Eastern Missouri issued a report last spring that documented scores of unresolved consumer complaints about Missouri dog breeders.

In the face of that evidence, breeders enlisted Tea Party favorite Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher of Ohio to argue that Proposition B is “just a stepping stone” toward a future “with no animal ownership, no meat to eat, no pets, no hunting, no fishing, no service animals.”

Anita Andrews, executive director of the opposition group “The Alliance For Truth,” warns that Proposition B would “put in a standard for dogs that’s higher than the standard for kids.” No objective reading of the initiative bears out such wild-eyed interpretations. None of these claims is true.

Voters should vote Yes for Proposition B.

Check Out These Links.....

Yes on Proposition B

Click on the link or Copy and Paste the address into your internet browser window.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/article_0905b3f4-dd67-11df-af89-0017a4a78c22.html


http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/vote-yes-prop-b-protect-dogs-missouri/

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Book You've Got To Buy......

Stella Is A Star was written by Bernadette Peters and has the most beautiful paintings by Liz Murphy. It's about a Pit Bull who doesn't think anyone likes her, so she's masquerading as a pig. And within the book she learns to love herself for who she is. The book is really about not judging people from the outside and learning to love and accept yourself, which is something I think we all have to do eventually. This is a New York Times Best-Selling Book. All the authors royalties from this book are being donated to a program which promotes the adoption of shelter animals called Broadway Barks. Ms. Peters has two dogs of her own, Kramer and Stella who reside with her in New York and Los Angeles. She devotes her spare time to rescuing homeless dogs and cats. This book even comes with a CD that has a fabulous song called Stella's Song. Any animal lover and book reader will love this book that is geared towards children. It makes a wonderful baby gift for new moms !!!! Hudson highly recommends it !!!

Hudson Loves This Blog........

Prop B blogs on Huffington Post, Show Me Progress

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-dandrea/lets-make-a-difference-an_b_755546.html

Alex D'Andrea
Posted: October 8, 2010 09:44 AM

Let's Make a Difference and Vote to Stop Puppy Mills

This November in Missouri, the nation's number one puppy mill state, voters will vote on a measure to stop puppy mill abuse. Prop B. would establish common sense standards for the care of dogs in Missouri's approximate 3,000 puppy mills. Home to 30% of all puppy mills in this country, Missouri dogs are shipped all over the country, sold to pet stores and directly to consumers over the internet.

Puppy mills have become a massive industry, where dogs are crammed into small and filthy cages, denied veterinary care, food and clean water. They are exposed to extreme heat and cold and given no exercise or human affection. To minimize waste cleanup, dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs (it is also not unusual for these cages to be stacked up in columns).

In order to maximize profits at these puppy mills, female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. When, after a few years, they are physically depleted to the point that they can no longer reproduce, they are often killed. Due to the frequent poor breeding condition in these mills, the puppies bred there often suffer health problems. Because puppy mill operators fail to apply proper husbandry practices that would remove sick dogs from their breeding pools, puppies from puppy mills are prone to congenital and hereditary conditions.

Recently I was forced to euthanize my 3 year old German Sheppard, Luca, who was the product of a puppy mill. After 3 years as a wonderful pet, and a trusted companion I noticed that Luca was experiencing pain when moving about. Concerned, I took him to the vet where it was discovered that he had a bone disease, which was affecting his mobility and causing him great physical pain. After a second and third opinion, a round of medication, multiple tests, X-rays and MRI's, we were forced to accept the fact that Luca would not be getting better.

As one can imagine it was terribly difficult to make the decision to euthanize Luca. My family was very attached to him but we needed to be in reality in regards to the quality of life he was to have. Whilst in the midst of making this decision our vet informed us that his disease was likely attributed to breeding conditions, as Luca was purchased at a pet store, which his since been closed down to their close ties with puppy mills.

Most people who care about animals certainly are not informed about the cruel and abject reality of puppy mills. They are equally unaware of the emotional, psychological, and long reigning sad effect it has on the unsuspecting buyers of the dogs who become, in our animal loving nation, our best companion, and for some, practically family members. Those who have been as unfortunate as our family has been now understand too well that puppy mills are a nationwide problem. The puppies being bred in Middle America are then shipped to our local pet stores. Some states are more inclined to turn a blind eye than others.

In San Francisco, California, a bill has been proposed which would prohibit the sale of dogs and puppies in pet stores. If this potential bill ends up becoming a law, only fish would be sold in the local pet stores of San Francisco. People looking to buy a dog, would be forced to go through reputable breeders using humane practices, or adopt from local shelters. The fastest way to shut down these puppy mills is for the public to refuse to buy dogs from pet stores. It's a grass roots movement that could completely eliminate the problem.

I strongly encourage those of you who are voters in Missouri to get out in November and vote Yes on Prop B. For those of you, like myself, who do not vote in Missouri, it is our responsibility to get the word out, and to create a national conversation about the travesties that occur in these puppy mills.

Do not buy a puppy from a pet store! Check local shelters first, not only will you be saving a life, but also you will ensure your money is not going to support a puppy mill. Do not buy puppies online. If you decide to buy from a breeder, make sure that you can view the entire facility and meet the mother dog. Truly responsible breeders want to meet you before selling you one of their prized pups, to make sure that they are going to a good home. The ASPCA has an advocacy brigade set up to encourage legislation to ban puppy mills in the United States, as well.

I wanted to write this blog, as a tribute to my loyal friend Luca. Even if you're not an animal lover, you can agree that the practices puppy mills engage in are wrong. We need to stand up to these puppy mills, have them closed down and ensure that these deplorable practices stop.



http://blog.showmeprogress.com/diary/5142/alliance-for-truthiness-dumbing-down-proposition-b

Alliance for Truthiness: dumbing down Proposition B

by: Michael Bersin
Sat Oct 09, 2010 at 14:36:06 PM CDT
Truthiness: "The quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts." They left out the part about paranoid teabagger conspiracy theories.

Slick literature opposed to the November ballot initiative regulating puppy mills has been hitting the streets.

Who is paying for this stuff? The Alliance for Truth [pdf], the group with the laughably Orwellian name opposing restrictions on puppy mills in Missouri, filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 1, 2010 - hand delivering the paper work. The committee, according to the Statement of Committee Organization, was organized to work on Proposition B and states the subject as "Dog Breeding Restrictions".

In addition to attacking the Humane Society, the flyer states that the organization has darker motives:

...To abolish all hunting and fishing...

...To cripple and/or destroy all animal industries...

...To make it impossible for anyone to own pets...

...To become the "enforcement" arm of the Federal Government...
What a joke and a bunch of lies not only about Humane SOciety but PropB.....

Thursday, October 7, 2010

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/-Missouri-s-Dirty-Dozen--report-released----read-this-report-to-find-out-why-Prop-B-is-needed-.html?soid=1101383826315&aid=jJ-cdR3jqi8

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/-Missouri-s-Dirty-Dozen--report-released----read-this-report-to-find-out-why-Prop-B-is-needed-.html?soid=1101383826315&aid=jJ-cdR3jqi8
Summary Report: Missouri's Dirty Dozen
A report of some of the worst puppy mills in Missouri

As a member of the coalition to stop puppy mill cruelty and the only organization lobbying full-time on behalf of animal welfare issues in Missouri, the Alliance needs your support.

Please consider helping
our efforts today!

A report called "Missouri's Dirty Dozen" was released today by the Missourians for the Protection of Dogs coalition groups. This report, compiled from state and federal inspection reports, investigators' photographs, and enforcement records, lists some of the worst facilities in the state.


The purpose of the report is to demonstrate current problems that could be addressed by the passage of Prop B.


All of the puppy mills on the Dirty Dozen list are licensed by the USDA, the state, or both, according to the most recently available records reviewed by researchers.

The facilities listed were chosen based on number and severity of state and/or federal animal welfare violations and/or the availability of photographs to verify the conditions.

Some of the violations listed include:

•Underweight dogs described by inspectors as "very thin with ribs prominent, tucked abdomen, and palpable hip bones and vertebrae"
•Dogs with open, oozing or bleeding wounds who had not been treated by a vet
•Filthy conditions such as stacked cages that allow feces and urine to rain down on the dogs in lower tiers
Many of the licensees have racked up more than 50 federal and state animal welfare violations over the last few years, yet remain licensed.

One kennel made the list because it noted on a proposed USDA program of veterinary care that the owner intended to dispose of unwanted dogs by "clubbing the dogs"

To read the entire summary report, and how Prop B can help go to

Paid for by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs/YES! on Prop B, Judy Peil, Treasurer
Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation
PO Box 300036
St. Louis, MO 63130



Sunday, October 3, 2010

Join Best Friends next weekend in St. Louis!

Please Help
About Best Friends’ work with puppy mills
Go Local. Get Active. Save Lives.
Additional Resources: Best Friends Outreach

On Sunday, October 10th Best Friends' Puppies Aren’t Products staff will be hosting a rally in St. Louis, and we hope you’ll join us. The occasion? Missouri is home to approximately 3,000 puppy mills, more than any other state in the country. The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, or Proposition B (www.YesOnPropB.com ), will be on the November 2nd ballot, and it will be up to you to determine the fate of nearly 200,000 dogs living in mills in your state.

We know that you, as an animal loving Missourian, want to stop puppy mills in your state, and we’re here to help you do it. So come out to meet and mingle with us and your friends and neighbors to learn more about Prop B, and how you can get involved.

The meeting will include information about Missouri puppy mills, as well as opportunities for questions and answers.

We’ll see you there!

When: Sunday, Oct. 10, 2:00 – 3:30
Where: Humane Society of Missouri
Board Room (2nd floor)
1201 Macklind Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-951-1517
Parking is available in their lot

Please let us know if you’re coming, by e-mailing elizabetho@bestfriends.org .
Paid for by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs/YES! on Prop B, Judy Peil, Treasurer
If you have a question or concern about animal welfare please email Community Animal Assistance at animalhelp@bestfriends.org .