Thanks to the United States Humane Society and Mary O’Connor Shaver from Columbus Top Dogs for this information. 

The U.S. Senate at the end of last week followed the lead of the House of Representatives and overrode President Bush’s veto of the Farm Bill, ushering in key new protections for animals.

The final bill (which is now considered law) - except for one section excluded due to a technical glitch - bans the import of puppies from foreign puppy mills for commercial sale in the U.S. The law spares young, unweaned and unvaccinated pups from harsh, long-distance transport during which they are exposted to extreme temperatures and often die in cargo holds — and will keep foreigh breeders from the tragic overpopulation of pets in this country.

The Farm Bill also adds a provision to federal law to make almost any form of animal fighting a federal felody. It’s also now a federal crime to knowingly possess or train animals for fighting, and the maximum prison time for a single violation of any section of the law varies from 3 to 5 years.

It’s hard to overstate what a blow this is to dogfighters and cockfighters and it brings us one step closer to eradicating these criminal industries!

The law also authorizes an increase in potential fines - quadrupuled from $2,500 to $10,000 - for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, fines that haven’t been increased in more than 20 years. Such penalties will more effectively deter abuses at puppy mills, laboratories, circuses and other facilities that use animals.

This is a HUGE victory for animals!

This week, May 4-10 is the American Humane Association’s Be Kind to Animals Week! The group created this celebratory week in 1915 to celebrate the unique bond between humans and animals.

Though we all love our fur-babies, there are some special things we can do this week to work towards a better future for all animals, everywhere.

So how can you be kind to animals this week? The AHA recommends the following:

Speak out for animals. Get active in local animal welfare policies and legislation.

Report animal abuse. While acts of violence against animals are tragic in their own right, they are also a red flag for other violent behavior, including domestic abuse and violent crime.

Appreciate wildlife. Create an inviting space in your yard or garden for butterflies and birds. Feed the local birds, ducks, bunnies, deer, etc. (Some people might disagree with this one, but oh well. This is my feeling on the subject of starving wild animals).

Make a donation to a local animal shelter. A donation can be monetary, but you can also volunteer or offer up some other service in-kind like contributing to the shelter’s marketing efforts, etc.

Adopt a pet from a shelter or a breed-specific rescue. Approximately 8 to 12 million animals enter our nation’s shelters every year, and more than half of these pets will have to be euthanized because of a lack of homes. Local shelters are the best place to find companion animals, even purebreds — 1 of every 4 dogs in a shelter is a purebred.

Educate others. Share information about animal welfare issues with friends, family and co-workers. Research an issue close to heart, i.e. puppy mills, factory farming, breed-specific legislation, and do something about it! Write letters, call legislators, and get involved with animal welfare advocacy groups!

Spay and neuter. Help solve the problem of euthanasia of adoptable animals by not contributing to it. Make sure your cats and dogs are spayed and neutered.

It’s so ironic to me that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruetly to Animals (ASPCA) has a “Guardian” program.

I can’t help but to make the association between “guardian” and “angel.”

I have, since childhood, subscribed to the theory that animals are the ones who are angels. Seriously. In fact, I almost didn’t make my Confirmation in 8th grade because I got in a fight with the Pastor when he told me that animals didn’t go to Heaven. (Noah’s Ark, hello?)

You always hear about the ASPCA rescuing animals from all over the country. You hear about the Poison Control Center, about the Humane Education Program, about the lobbying efforts. Just this week, for example, the ASPCA rescued 200 animals from one woman living in a trailer in Texas. (see PetStrong blog for the whole story - he has a great perspective on the bigger problem).

My pets are my angels: they soothe, they comfort, they entertain, they love unconditionally. They would protect me if they were big enough (of course my dogs think they are protecting me when they bark at the drop of a leaf).

Now is our chance to be Guardian angels back to the country’s pets through this wonderful ASPCA program. I signed up (it’s $18 a month) after seeing the ASPCA commercial and they sent me two pictures (one of a cat and one of a dog) of animals that my money would be helping that month. (They send other swag, too but none of it is as good as the feeling I get just knowing that I am helping their cause).

My pets mean everything to me. The country’s weak, neglected, abused and abandoned animals mean a lot to a lot of us.

I hope that by committing to this program for a nominal fee I am returning the favor.

It has been said that animals have a sixth sense. Now it’s entirely up to you whether you believe that statement, but I am someone who does.

My husband Michael and I absolutely adore our English Bulldog, Capone. While I haven’t always been an animal lover, I must say that I have recently jumped in head first to join the club.

At 3 ½ months old, Capone fits the bulldog stereotype to a tee: affectionate, not exactly athletic, and definitely mellow. The perfect addition to our family, you’d have a tough time convincing our parents, brothers and sisters that he’s not a child. In fact, if you try to convince my brother, Capone’s “Pupfather” and sister-in-law, Capone’s “Pupmother” otherwise, you might have to brace yourself. (That’s another story in itself that will have to wait!)

Back to the story at hand…

For the past several weeks, we had a feeling something had happened. It started with a slight change in Capone’s demeanor. All of a sudden, our pet dog became quite irritable and would start barking for no apparent reason. If you know Bulldogs, you know they’re notorious for chewing on things, but not barking. In fact, they only bark when they want something.

So we checked…Hungry? Nope. Bathroom break? Nope. Go for a walk? A joke, right? You get the point.

Oddly enough, he’d get into these barking fits around the same time each night and it happened for a few weeks. I was a little spooked because it was almost as if he could see something we couldn’t.

So, Michael and I put on our detective hats and attempted to figure out the answer online. We looked on several websites, but to no avail. We then decided to email the breeder and ask about the demeanor of Capone’s parents. We also asked if, by some long shot, something had happened. Sure enough, Champion Ike, Capone’s father, had passed away several weeks ago; right around the time his fits began.

Mystery…solved?

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think to myself: “Is it possible that, even though Capone’s father lived nearly 300 miles away, did Capone already know? Even though he hadn’t seen Ike in months, could he have possibly sensed it? Do dogs really have a sixth sense?”

When Michael and I get home, we’ll share the sad news with Capone. We both have a feeling that Capone will be okay, because he sensed it awhile ago.

I’ve come to realize that Capone wasn’t barking at shadows. He wasn’t barking because he was hungry or wanted to play, but he did want something. Perhaps, our little pup Capone simply wanted us to know that his father, Ike, came to visit, one last time.