AFTER A LONG LONG WAIT — WE FINALLY FOUND OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO THE FAMILY!

(Actually, he kinda found us, my Mom in particluar…)

Max was found because he ran in front of my mother’s car one day this week… he immediately starting purring and rubbing on her when she picked him up – so she hatched a secret plan to bring him home. WHY?

FATE.

This 6-month-old kitten has the same color and face shape, and big ears as my Mom’s late cat Nickodemus, and the wild child personality of my precious beloved Theodore. He has ONE whit spot exactly where Nick’s was, and he’s already running house-laps , climbing screen doors, and over all just being a rabble-rouser — EXACTLY like Theodore. On top of that, Theodore passed on Feb. 8th this year. The vet yesterday said Max was born on or around Feb  4-11.

I BELIEVE THAT NOTHING IS A COINCIDENE. We have gotten so much joy in the past 36 hours, it’s wonderful having a young, tumbling, rough-houser, counter-climber around again to lighten us all up. (My family and I are going through some serious issues over the past 3 weeks…:( )

We’ve both been in constant mourning from losing Theodore and then 4 days later Gibson…

This little guy was sent to us on purpose we believe. There’s another smaller black and white one (definitely feral) that we’re going after this wknd so we can give him/her a nice warm home, too.

Check out Max’s photo op… (Man its hard gettin’ a kitten to sit still – I think he must have ADHD like I do!)

Big Max, aka Maxamillion, Maximus, Mad Max and more to come...

Maxwell was doing "blinky eyes at us." That was Theodore's TRADEMARK MOVE...

Max GOES BANANAS Over Our Scratching Post!

Typical Tabby with a 'Tude -- Walkin' Away but Seeing if You Follow!

Who wants to meet other pet-fanatics??

Snuggle Session Complete!

Who wants to learn how to get more traffic?

Who wants to get relevant pet information about pet nutrition & animal welfare??

Who wants to learn more about pets in the news & pet charity??

Who wants to learn how to make $$$ major moolah from advertising???

ME!!! I mean WE!!

ThoughtsFurPaws.com wants to know all of the above – which is why Mom is headed to BlogPaws West 2010.

It’s in Denver from Sept 9-11, and the conference is filled to the brim with fun, fur, friends, and… oh yeah, TONS of information on how to make your pet blog ROCK:)

Mom went to the very first-ever BlogPawsEast in Ohio & had a total blast!

She only decided to go to this one at the VERY last minute — when she found out ThoughtsFurPaws.com was a finalist in Dogtime.com’s Petties Awards…

** So we’re totally pumped about that nomination, but Mom thinks she has zero chance of winning considering who she’s up against…

Anyhow, according to the website, BlogPaws West is being held to:

“continue building our Be the Change focus on a national scale, to embrace the exciting momentum of BlogPaws East (thank you, thank you, thank you EVERYONE!), and to give our peeps in the West a chance to meet and connect, we’re offering: more learning, more networking, more blogging, Tweeting, laughing, raising funds for shelters/rescues, shouting, singing, partying, listening, hugging, crying, cooing, clapping, and learning at BlogPaws  2010 West. “

And guess what we just found out?? Our super-good buddies at IAMS/Eukanuba are sponsoring our trip! HOORAH! We can’t wait to see our friends from there!

We will for sure return that favor somehow – Mom is already thinking of ways in her mind – she has steam coming from her ears and that means she’s on a mission. (When Mom is on a mission we do not interrupt!!)

There’s going to be lots and lots of pets there and lots and lots of people and food, and treats and vendors, and sponsors and all-around FUN!!

We also can’t wait to see our best friends from Bissell, Inc, too — they are sponsoring BlogPaws for the second time this year and we’re looking forward to catching up with our fellow Bissell Pack of Pet Lovers members.

Anyhow, we think everykitty and everydoggy should go to BlogPawsWest. You can get more information on the BlogPaws Community of Pet Bloggers here.

Group Aims to Fly Homeless Pets out of Gulf 

Pilots N Paws to transport animals from Gulf Coast to more stable areas

Pilots N Paws, an online forum that connects animal rescue groups and volunteer pilots, moves thousands of homeless pets each year.

The weekend of September 18, pilots and other volunteers will participate in the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway, trying to relocate hundreds of animals from the Gulf Coast disaster areas to shelters and fosters in other parts of the country.

“These animals need help now,” says Debi Boies, co-founder of Pilots N Paws. “Many had families who loved them and are victims of the oil spill. Their owners have lost their jobs, their homes and are barely surviving. They no longer have the means to care for their pets.”

According to the National Council on Pet Population, 9.6 million shelter animals are needlessly euthanized each year. After the oil spill, one shelter in Louisiana euthanized 900 in a single month! The aim of Pilots N Paws is to decrease this number by connecting shelters and rescue groups with pilots willing to transport animals to safe homes.

With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate their counterparts in areas of the country where high-kill rates are not the rule. These no-kill shelters then make space for the animals being rescued. The sending and receiving pair team up with a volunteer pilot, who provides transportation.

To make this life-saving, heart-warming event a success, many more volunteers are needed. Opportunities include:

• Pilots – Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.
• Short- and long-term foster homes – Take care of pets, ranging from overnight stays en route to extended periods, while adopters are found.
• General volunteers – Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.

In addition to volunteer roles, there are other ways to help:

• Spread the word – Tell your local animal shelter about Pilots N Paws. If there’s a small airport nearby, ask the manager to let its pilots know about the event.
• Donate – Pilots N Paws, rescue groups and shelter donations are usually tax-deductible.
• Adopt – Consider taking one of the rescued pets into your own home.

“Volunteers are the key to our success,” says Boies. “Without the pilots and rescue groups, our program wouldn’t exist. The more volunteers we have the better chance of saving helpless animals.”

Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots’ expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. Pilots N Paws is an excellent example of the critical role general aviation plays in our everyday lives. For more information, or to help out with the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org. To learn more about other ways general aviation pilots help every day, visit GA Serves America.  Petmate and Subaru are proud sponsors of Pilots N Paws and the Pilots N Paws Gulf Coast Rescue Flyway. 

Whether you live in Ohio or not, if you consider yourself an animal welfare advocate then you probably know about Ohio animal welfare groups’ undying support to get a ban passed on dog auctions, cruel activities that give more money to puppy millers and “over-breeders,” and that, in turn, worsen the major homeless/rescue pet overpopulation problem. In addition, it’s suspected that some of these dogs bought at auction end up as test animals in laboratories across the country…

Dogs in tiny cages in "Auction Row"

Since 2004, Ohio Dog Auctions have grown into anything but “run of the mill.” Breeders who participate in these auctions are raising HUGE numbers of dogs/puppies with profit as their primary motive of existence. Many of the animals are unhealthy, abused, not screened for genetic disease, lack good temperament and show NO resemblance to the real breed.

Run by one of the most well-known animal advocates in the state – Mary O’Conner Shaver – the event is being held to get additional signatures on The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions, an:

Ohio has no laws preventing dog auctions. (And is WAY behind in other animal welfare legislation as well including penalties for animal cruelty and FINALLY passing a puppy mill bill.)

Many concerned citizens firmly believe the auctions serve not reputable breeders but large commercial facilities where dogs are bred to produce as many puppies as possible in conditions ranging from unsanitary to inhumane.

The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions is spearheading a new, citizen-backed ballot initiative – The Ohio Dog Auctions Act.

The auctions usually sell smaller breeds, but every now and then will have one or two larger dogs as well. (Click here for a video on Ohio dog auctions.)

The measure (similar in language to Pennsylvania’s Statute 459-603

Stop Dog Auctions & Puppy Mills in Ohio

Voters across the state are communicating with their fellow citizens and starting to gather a goal of a minimum of 120,700 signatures by December 1, 2010 to put the proposed law before the Legislature in January 2011.

Volunteer petitioners are needed to make this initiative a reality in Ohio —we have until December 1, 2010!  We need everyone’s participation to make this vital effort a success! GET READY TO SERVE AS A STRONG VOICE FOR THESE POOR VOICELESS PUPS AND STUD DOGS at a peaceful rally and signature-gathering event…

** SO PLEASE COME to the event for Ohioans this Saturday, August 21st from 10 am to 2 pm at the Holmes County Fairgrounds **

The more signatures we can gather, the better!

Remember that many farmers and dog fanciers, hobby and show-breeders will also be attending — and they SUPPORT the Act.

OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO THE OHIO DOG AUCTIONS ACT AND relationships there to puppy mills, and pet homelessness. If you’d like to download signs to bring, you can find them on www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com. (Per the Holmes County Sheriff, remember we must be 6 feet off the roadside.)

Peaceful Child "Rallier" at Previous BODA Event

Also, over 100 Harley riders from across Ohio are scheduled to join us in support of our efforts to raise awareness of the dog auctions problem and the Act. Their route includes a visit past the Fairgrounds and the Livestock Auction Barn where the real auction takes place.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Julie from Operation Warm and Cozy, at 330-364-7190.

You can also support the coalition by clicking on this sentence to sign the petition at Care2′s Petition Site.

There’s a list of related media coverage/releases further down the page here.

For more information about the event visit http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com.

MORE JULY PHOTO CONTEST PICTURES!

So far, I’ve only gotten about  votes in – so you guys need to really start pushing your friends, other bloggers, and family, co-workers, etc to the blog to vote for your pet. Honestly, this is one of thee MOST GENEROUS prize offerings I’ve EVER offered in the two years the blog has been around, so you don’t want to miss out on the chance to score a prize. (All packages are worth AT LEAST $60, some include pet store gift cards and boutique pet products…)

See the first of the entries here.

Anyhow, here are some more entries for the July Pet Photo Contest, again, in order they were received. You still have until June 22nd to get entries in to me, and remember, only THREE ENTRIES PER PERSON please. (Email entries to thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com.)

Ziavier

Bronco Says "Throw the Ball...I'm Ready!"

Cheeto

Cheeto II

Cheeto III

Gianni

Gianni II

Goliath

Goliath II

Gucci

Gucci II

Gucci III

Izzy

Izzy II

Karma

Karma II

Murphy Cuddled Up:)

Precious Murphy Bathing...

Rocky the Pug

Rocky as a Puppy!

Rocky Sportin' Shades!

Little Roy & Gertrude the Chicken

Sweet-faced Rudi the Rescue Baby

Sweet Simba Strechin' Out

Simba's Sweet Face Close-Up

Tutti Frutti the Rescue Cutie:)

Tutti Frutti II

Unknown Kitty from Susan Lawson

Unknown Pup from Samantha Stark

So that’s it for today! ** Don’t forget to send all your contacts here to comment and leave their votes for their favorites! REMEMBER: this contest is being judged SOLELY on reader comment votes and emails with votes sent to us!

Good Luck!

Tomorrow I’ll be showing you an array of “Fun Friday Fotos!”

Ohio’s Attorney General and the Ballot Board have certified the Ohio Dog Auctions Act, a proposal to ban all dog auctions and dog raffles in the state. Dog auctions are a little-known piece of the puppy mill puzzle: they are where commercial breeders go to squeeze the last few dollars out of sickly or unwanted breeding dogs by selling them to other breeders, who hope to get a few more litters out of them.

The Ohio Dog Auctions Act is being proposed through an “initiated statute” process. This process gives the state legislature (the Ohio General Assembly) an opportunity to pass the Act before it goes straight to the voters.
 
Here’s how it works:

- If the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions can gather 120,700 hard-copy signatures from Ohio voters in at least 44 of the state’s 88 counties, the Act will go before the Ohio General Assembly.

- The General Assembly will have four months to pass the Act as written.

- If the General Assembly fails to pass it, or passes a weakened version of the Act, a second petition must then be circulated and another 120,700 signatures gathered.

- If the second petition succeeds, the Act will be placed on the November 2011 state ballot for voters to pass or reject.

Unfortunately, the Coalition was unable to collect the required 120,700 signatures by December 14, 2009, but there’s still hope! All signatures carry over into the next election year! The Coalition has been gathering signatures throughout 2010 in the hopes of placing the initiative on the ballot in 2011. Help us build momentum over the summer to make sure we gather enough signatures by the December 1, 2010 deadline!

To get the Ohio Dog Auctions Act passed in 2011, you must act now. The Act is being proposed through an “initiated statute” process, which gives the General Assembly an opportunity to pass the Act before it goes straight to the voters as a ballot initiative next year. The deadline to collect 120,700 hard-copy signatures is December 1, 2010. Help us build momentum over the summer to make sure we gather enough signatures by the deadline!

What You Can Do
Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to contact the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions. The Coalition will reply to you with instructions on how to add your voice to the chorus of Ohioans who are ready to ban cruel dog auctions from your state.

We all know the ASPCA is seriously dedicated to animal welfare, spay/neuter (S/N) and all other over-arching causes regarding animal rescue & animal welfare in general.

And, of course, as evidenced by its weekend animal shelter “rescue pet” showings/adoption centers, and its ongoing support of animal ADOPTION versus buying at a pet store, it is not a HUGE surprise that PetSmart Charities joined forces with the ASPACA .

Last month, the two powerhouse animal welfare contributors gave a HUGE donation of $5.2 million to Humane Alliance, another welfare cause that slowly has stretched its North Carolina roots across the country to provide cheap spay/neuter, veterinary student externships and training for not only those who want to open their own spay/neuter center, but also for private vets.

I was lucky enough to spend some time speaking with Julie Morris, Senior VP of ASPCA Community Outreach, who has over 28 years of shelter experience and has been with ASPCA for 20 years.

But first, a small summarization of this generous, MAJOR donation from the ASPCA press release:

“PetSmart Charities® and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) have announced that they each will pledge $2.6 million to Humane Alliance in 2011 as part of a five-year commitment totaling $5.2 million to increase affordable spay/neuter services across the United States and prevent the births of millions of pets for whom there are no homes.

This funding will help 80 low-cost, high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics to open across the U.S. Combined with the nearly 70 Humane Alliance clinic already open, the clinics will provide up to 800,000 sustainable spay/neuter surgical slots, preventing an estimated 11 million births through 2013.”

According to Morris, Humane Alliance is THEE model to follow in terms of high-quality spay/neuter that is cheap (in terms of price – NOT quality) yet seamlessly performed with perfection and ease.

“Humane Alliance is the gold standard when it comes to successful high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter,” she said.

“Replicating their model program in cities across the country will help us to make real, measurable progress in the fight against pet homelessness and overpopulation.”

Morris also noted that the Humane Alliance, started in 1994 as a teeny tiny S/N center in little Asheville, N.C. , grew and spread quickly because of its mission, dedication and vision (not to mention its leadership.)

“Humane Alliance has started over 80 clinics across the country in a few short years and plans to start at least 80 more in the next 5 years,” Morris said.

Humane Alliance Volunteer Worker

The donation money – which many people wonder about (for various organizations) - will be used for:

-assistance with all the national training programs for vets and volunteers

- externship costs

- operating costs

- the Emergency National S/N Response Team

- an organizational videos (to increase awareness/PR, etc)

- a conference in 2011 (more info on that later this summer…)

- starting new shelters, which includes design, flow, pace and tons more details

Essentially, the $5.2 million will be distributed over a 5-year period, helping to create thousands of reliable, affordable and sustainable S/N surgical slots through capacity-building grants and training programs for veterinarians and clinic staff.

PetSmart Charities and the ASPCA recognize that adoption alone will not solve the problem of homeless-pet overpopulation.

** For example, in the U.S. annually, it has been estimated that 4 million pets are euthanized simply because they don’t have homes. (The economy doesn’t help, and neither do people who continue to BUY animals from places like Petland and “boutique pet shops” across the country, not to mention puppy mills and irreputable breeders…)

Last year, PetSmart Charities provided more than $8.2 million for S/N efforts nationwide and the group remains 100% committed to expanding these services in the future.

The ASPCA has a deep commitment to Humane Alliance, and the Asheville community in North Carolina, where Humane Alliance is based. Asheville is one of 10 ASPCA Partnership Communities and Humane Alliance has been instrumental in piloting ASPCA programs related to feral cats and effective spay/neuter mapping mechanisms which will benefit the county.

“PetSmart Charities and the ASPCA have been instrumental to the success of Humane Alliance,” said Humane Alliance Executive Director Quita Mazzina.

“Our continued partnership means that we can continue to provide the spay/neuter services that pets desperately need, as well as the high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter technique training for the veterinary community so that even more pets are sterilized every year.”

Furthermore, Morris also explained to me that the ASPCA is quite careful about and extremely thorough in choosing where its “substantial grant money” goes. The group systematically bases its choices on Partnerships (10 communities involved in this), the live release rate of a particular facility after rescue and S/N in different states, and shelter programs related to that capacity.

Bassets Rescued in Ohio

In my (humble) opinion, this is FANTASTIC NEWS and such a large donation and the bigger mission behind it could help save and spare the lives of COUNTLESS cats and dogs over the next decade. That’s why I chose to interview Julie to get more information and post this news.

This will undeniably MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT on the animal relief efforts across the country.

If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to click through on the links of the organizations highlighted above.

Also, only if you are as dedicated & serious about animal welfare and or consider yourself a “professional AW advocate” (in Morris’ words), then visit the little known site, aspcapro.org. It’s for folks like me who are extremely active in the welfare movement and deadly serious about contacting the legislators, getting petitions moving, getting more participation and involvement from others, donating to shelters and organizations, and doing whatever is needed to promote the cause.

My Rescue Sasha (in bad shape...)

rescue as I am,

Let me know what you think about this partnership and donation program in the Comments section!

In light of yesterday’s Ohio Governor’s Press Conference, below are two articles which provide an interesting analysis of the agreement reached between Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) and Governor Ted Strickland:

Courtesy ALC -- Fair Farming Photo

1. Animal Law Coalition, “HSUS and Ohio Gov Reach Deal on Wide Range of Animal Welfare Issues” – > http://www.animallawcoalition.com/farm-animals/article/1380

2. Humane Society: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/06/landmark_ohio_a
greement_063010.html

It is important to note (as referenced in the ALC’s article) that SB 95 (aka the Ohio “puppy mill bill”) does NOT include a component to ban Ohio dog auctions and raffles.  This is something we need to keep working towards, FYI **

Thanks everyone for continuing to serve as a strong vocie for the animals!

Jaime

Like you guys haven’t heard this already — I’m a little late in telling you, but the United States Postal Service, last month, announced its launch of 5 irresistible postage stamps featuring pets!

The United States Postal Service is out with the new Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps! These adorable 44 cent stamps feature cats and dogs who were adopted from shelters and are now living in happy, healthy homes.  Not only will these stamps help raise awareness for adopting shelter pets, but the campaign has inspired a pet food company to donate a million meals to shelter pets around the country. The USPS calls the campaign Adopt-A-Pet: Stamps to the Rescue! The postal store at this link (previous link) has tons of other sets of stamps and stuff you can purchase as well. They make great pet-lover’s gifts!

The 5 irresistible postage pets that the author, Peggy Frezon, selected include:

1. Teddy:  A wire haired Jack Russell Terrier who was given up when she had puppies.

Teddy

2. Willow:  A gray Maltese cat who was left in a box at the door of a shelter.

Willow

3. Buddy:  A golden retriever who was purchased from a pet shop, then given up due to health problems.

Buddy

4. Peaches:  A gray, white and tan shorthaired cat who was born under a porch and had to be trapped to be rescued.

Peaches

5. Trevor:  A yellow Labrador retriever found abandoned at a new home construction site.

Trevor

This story is thanks to Guideposts.com, with additional reporting by ThoughtsFurPaws Administrator.