Guest Blog submission by No Kill Iowa's Very Own Erich Riesenberg

Does-No-Kill-Really-Mean-Low-Kill?

I recently finished the book Redemption, by Nathan Winograd. It dealt primarily with the history of the animal welfare industry, its failures, and its dishonesty.

I was hoping it would explain the phrase No Kill. What I mean is, there will always be some animals who can not be adopted out, they will not leave the shelter alive. Even the best run shelter with unlimited resources will not adopt out every animal, and lives will be ended.

The problem with the phrase No Kill is that people often will react by commenting that the goal of No Kill is impossible. Even some No Kill supporters think the phrase should actually be Low Kill, for accuracy.

I do not think Redemption even touched on the controversy of No Kill versus Low Kill. However, it did explain the misuse of the word euthanasia, and I think a true understanding of the word euthanasia eloquently explains why No Kill does indeed mean No Kill, rather than Low Kill.

Merriam Webster defines euthanasia:

the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy

Understanding the word euthanasia is critical to understanding No Kill.

No Kill does result in the death of some animals. In No Kill, only the truly dying and dangerous animals are put to sleep. That is euthanasia, not killing. No Kill truly means no killing.

High kill shelters practice killing, in addition to some genuine euthanasia. They simply refuse to acknowledge killing is killing, and instead label it euthanasia.

Low Cost Vaccination & Microchipping Clinic

Sunday, April 11, 2010 @ Penn Estates, we will be co-hosting a Low Cost Vaccination & Microchipping Clinic. See Brochure for more information!

Shepherd Py

I really miss you still every~single~day. Life has not been the same since you died and I dont know if it is going to ever be happy as it was when you were with us. Your booty dance was some of the most joyful living I have ever seen. The way you loved to sneak and eat bread and the songs you led the pack in, were just such happy times. You were such a hoot and I loved you so much. You made our lives really happy. And you were gorgeous. You died in July and it has been almost 5 months since that day. I am still completely heartbroken. When you died, it sucked the life out of me, but even before that, when the Dr. told me you had this bad cancer. The other dogs have not forgotten you. They still sing the song you taught them everyday. The baby is getting well with his skin treatment and I wish you were here to be one of his grandpaws. Bo, Blacky and him have sort of formed a family. There is a new guy now who sings with the pack and sleeps on my pillow. He is so pretty and he has this really high voice and he adds beauty to the singing. But the song is the same. Bo starts it sometimes and other times Blacky will start it. Every single dog sings now. It is like a dog symphony in your honor or something. I think you were happy here. I hope that you were. I know that you had a good life before you came home to me, I could tell that you had been loved and fed well and I dont know how your family did not come to the shelter looking for you. As badly as I am grieving, with you gone and can not imagine life without, you, I know someone had to have missed you. I miss you and I love you and my heart aches every day. Thanksgiving is day after tomorrow and Dak is going to his mom's and Eli is coming here. There will be turkey. I wish you were here. I know how much you loved company and food. Sweet boy.

Thanksgiving Week

In case I do not think about it later this week to write and tell you happy thanksgiving, have one ok?

Eli is coming in and Dak is going out and we have 4 trips to make out to Philly this week, going and coming and could not get the flights in alignment so we could get just one trip going and coming @ decent prices at the same time so we are making 4 trips...

Today and tomorrow are the only two days I really have for cleaning before Eli comes...Dak leaves Tuesday night after school. Wednesday I do the laundry for the spay neuter clinic and pick Eli up in Philly and Friday I take the laundry back to the clinic, pick up the recyclable cans & Saturday we get the Christmas tree and Sunday Eli goes back and Monday Dak comes back...

This year we have agreed on a tiny tree, possibly a replantable live tiny tree or something that will fit on the table because our boy dogs see a tree and immediately start doing the gotta pee dance and then the pissing match starts for the season and then by New Years eve, I am so sick of the tree and the contest, I throw it out the door. So this year we are doing something that weinerdogs can not reach! Which is not hard...however i can see with their obsession to be the marking king that they might not be above climbing up on a table to see who can water the tree...who knows. there has to be some better way...

Anyway, much to do and probably not much time for blogging unless I just really need to get away for a minute and get some rest or something off my chest.

I am asking for peace & rest from the animal rescue world for this week, because it is draining the life out of me not understanding why anyone would kill some dogs and cats instead of finding them homes. Worse than the killers in my opinion are the rescue people who are content with status quo. I will never understand & you hurt my heart. Oh and veterinarians who work at those slaughterhouses who come up with programs like kill all the dogs with heartworms. I believe that evil worms have eaten away at your heart.

Today I am thankful that someone is out there rescuing animals. And I am grateful that there are like-minded individuals who are fighting the fight. Thankful for plain old Folgers half caff coffee, 1/2 & 1/2 and sugar. Thankful for this one last Thanksgiving with my son as a little boy since next year is his Thanksgiving with his dad and the last one before he turns 18.

Iron Jawed Angels

Well recently we suffered a setback and all I wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep and if I did move around my house, not change out of my pajamas. This friend of mine, (Lyndsey the badass) loaned me the movie, "Iron Jawed Angels" Starring Hillary Swank, Anjelica Huston, and Francis O'Connor.

I did not know much about the women's suffrage movement, nor did I care before seeing this movie. It was a story about Alice Paul & Lucy Burn's return to the United States after a visit in Europe back in the 1910's, where they took part in an active Suffrage movement.

When the gals came back to the United States, they found the current (at the time) women's suffrage movement to be more of a tea party throwing advocacy group who were not accomplishing anything more than sitting on their tuffets and sipping tea.

Well Lucy and Alice saw what could be accomplished if you stood up and actually went into action for what was right & did not sit back & let evil prevail! They set into action & recruited other women to stand up with them. They began staging protests in front of the white house. War broke out & they were arrested for protesting the white house during times of war.

While imprisoned, they set out on a hunger strike to protest the crap treatment they received while they were illegally (unconstitutionally) imprisoned. So they were force fed by having tubes rammed down their throats, having milk & raw eggs fed thru their tubes into their stomachs. Following up on the story later, I found that Alice Paul may have suffered for the rest of her life physically from the abuse.

So I thought about this movie and I cried while I watched it and I realized what heroes we are when we stand up and take action for what is right, no matter whether "they" like you or not. And it further convinced me that sitting around waiting for something to change and accepting crumbs when there are obvious answers that are perfect, is bullshit.

I watched the way that the tea sipping wimpy woman movement bashed the iron jawed gals who were actually out there making things change.

And I thought about animal "rescue" people who sit by complacently & do not make waves but instead make fun of & bash those who will go into world & fight for animal lives instead of sitting back complacently & letting what will happen, well happen.

Screw that! The killing can stop right now and it should. So called "animal rescue" people who sit back & hem/haw or defend the animal serial killers while rescuing a dog or a cat or two here & there make me sick! Well it is not so much that they make me sick for rescuing their few little animals because every animal life is important, but the excuses they make for the killers & the way they step out & defend them at every turn is inexcusable!

Take your rescues and Get Out of the F'ing Way! Because you ARE the problem! When someone goes to try and fight for what is right, the people in power are able to point to your lack of backbone and say see there, they agree with us...The killing must be done and they agree with us...

And they are serial killers and you are accomplices!

Oh Sadness

A little dog down in Houston hung himself while he was tied to something while a kennel attendant was cleaning his cage. They supposedly tried to do CPR to rescusitate him but it did not work. I am just putting it out here because I feel sad and I guess this is the place to say it.

Gerry Fusco, Can you get it right? Can you possibly pick up Nathan Winograd's assessment of the shithole dog pound they are paying you $200k to run and make some decent changes? Yeah I know that one dog does not mean shit to you in the grand scheme of things when you people kill 85k animals a year. But each individual one of them mean something to me.

Anyway, Rest in peace little dog. I am sorry your life ended this way and I hope that before you ended up at Houston BARC that you had something decent to eat and someone to love and pet you, just for a little while anyway.

Gratitude!

Ok so over on facebook there is this gratitude project going on and I have not been feeling very grateful and so I have refused to take part. But today I really am grateful.

Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right...

I am volunteering to do something special for an organization here that does fabulous work for animals in our county. They have spayed and neutered thousands of dogs and cats over the last year and I know that it is going to make a huge difference in the No Kill equation here! So I am really grateful for their hard work and efforts and that they allow me to have a small part in that! You can help if you wish by making a donation to these folks: http://www.epaaonline.com/

I am grateful that my son Eli (go eli, love you son)is volunteering at a NO Kill animal shelter over in Belton, Missouri, outside of Kansas City, MO. The apple does not fall so far from the tree no matter how far away the apple is from the tree. If you are looking for some place good to donate a little time or money, I think that HELP humane society in Belton, MO is a good place to give. I will be sending them a little something to show my gratitude. If you feel so inclined, you too can donate here: www.helppets.org

I was grateful when I woke up this morning and had an email from The NO Kill Advocacy center about Oreo's law! It seems that when the NY ASPCA killed Oreo, when he had somewhere else to go, and the world expressed outrage, that a couple of legislatures got together and decided to do something about it. I truly hope this is the beginning of what is going to turn into the Companion Animal Protection Act for NY! OMG if a big city like NY can do it, can Houston? Yes they can. So you can read about this law here: http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/yesonoreoslaw.pdf
Maybe you want to go and write a letter of support for this law?! I know my family and myself will be writing to show our gratitude!

So yeah for today I am grateful and in case you have not done so yet, go over and get you one of the cool ass dog beds: http://www.project71.com/

Project 71 Dog Beds

These dog beds are fabulous! So is their creator! Robyn at Project 71 in Houston, Texas is a true animal rescue advocate and hero! When you purchase one of these beautiful, functional, & waterproof dog beds, the proceeds are used to rescue, foster, & vet homeless dogs from the Houston Bureau of Animal Regulation & Control, and to educate the humans about the need to rescue...

Houton kills somewhere around 85 THOUSAND dogs and cats a year in so called "shelters". Well you all know how we feel about that here at NKMCPA, but there are some dedicated rescue volunteers who are working their asses off to change things. Project 71 is one of those organizations.

From the Project 71 website:

An animal enters a shelter, and during the first 72 hours they will either:

1) be united with their owner.
2) enter an adoption program.
3) be euthenized.

in theory, we see the 71st hour as the most crucial... that's why we have devoted our lives to volunteering, fostering, rescuing & comforting as many shelter animals as we can.

You can order a dog bed from Project71 for your own dog or as a gift and they will ship it to your destination of choice.


Each dog bed measures 26" x 31" & will fit most small to large dogs...or 7 chihuahuas!

Outside cover: top is black nylon blend fabric with bright white stitching & resembles an industrial moving blanket/sides are turquoise colored cotton fabric for a fun pop of color...machine wash/dry

Filling is polyfil nufoam, which is soft, yet firm & dogs love it!

Filling is protected with a vinyl cover to prevent liquids from absorbing & can also be positioned over the entire bed for maximum protection...wipe clean.
$45.00 (plus $15 shipping/handling)

*in addition to Project 71's own volunteer & rescue efforts, they donate a percentage of their annual profits to animal welfare organizations.









If you are interested in purchasing a bed or just finding out more about what goes on the world of rescue in Houston, TX, you can do so by going here:

www.project71.com

Be sure and say hi to Robyn while you are over there!

Vacation Time

Well it has been a while since I blogged here because we were so darned busy trying to get the shelter opened for October 31st.

Several of us have left the AWSOM group and we are taking some time to rest up and figure out what we want to do with all the spare time we have now that we are not dedicating so many hours to that group. I have a bunch of unfinished projects, books to read, stuff to write about, and pets who are looking forward to spending more time with me and their daddy.

I am going to be on vacation and will have my laptop and will probably do some nightly blogging. I will be hanging with some Houston, TX animal advocates and visiting with family. I have a grandmother who is 80 years old and probably needs some company and I sure need to just be with her right now.

It is nice to have some time to do things with the humans that mean a lot to me.

Got to go get packing!!!!

Sparky the Ball Playing Weiner Dog

The Best Little Cathouse in PA.

Today we took a cat that was diagnosed with leukemia to the Best Little Cathouse in PA. This was one of the coolest shelter/santuaries EVER! Our cat, Gizmo was soooo excited for all the cool things to do, see and climb on. She has outdoor/indoor access 24/7 and food galore! All her new friends are either leukemia or FIV positive and she began making friends immediately! After she climbed around and checked things out for a while, she found a beam up near the ceiling in the outdoor area, where she lay down to relax. She was so happy there not being in quarantine anymore and having things to do and see! I was waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy happier leaving here there, than I ever dreamed I would be. I wish there was a place so cool for cats who are not sick! If you want to donate to someone doing some really good work for cats, send a donation to the Best Little Cathouse in PA

Congratulations Beth Brelje & Pocono Record

Congratulations to Beth Brelje for the award for all your hard work and for getting the truth out to the people that had been hidden by those who knew for years the dirty rotten underhanded crud that the PSPCA had been doing to people and animals for years!

Because of Beth's investigative journalism, we collected 1300 signatures for a No Kill shelter and that Monroe County be declared a No Kill Safety Zone.

Of course there are always going to be those dysfunctional people who want to keep things quiet and not bring them to light, you know sort of tiptoe around the big elephant in the living room and do not let anyone know you see it for fear of being shunned out for not going with the status quo.

There is no shame in the truth, only shame in the ones who try to keep it from coming to light, because they delay the inevitable fixing of the problems by their refusal to get honest with themselves and with those who would help them to change things, if they only knew.

Beth Brelje for journalist of the year!

Success for Today

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” ~ Gandhi

I stole that quote from my friend Madras. This is what we have been going thru here in Monroe County for the past several months, well actually for the last year and some months.

Thursday night was met with a measure of success when the Interim Board of AWSOM, the prospective animal shelter people for Monroe County, voted unanimously to adopt the following mission statement:

The Animal Welfare Society of Monroe (AWSOM)seeks to accommodate Monroe County’s stray, homeless, neglected or abused animals. Our shelter takes in all companion animals and, with the assistance of rescue and foster organizations, veterinary services and pet behaviorists, evaluates and cares for each on a case-by-case basis. Our adoption program links up pets with loving families. We strive to end the
pet overpopulation problem that leads to abuse and neglect with our spay/neuter program. We foster enriching relationships between people and animals through education and advocacy while setting a positive example for a humane path toward life. We are forging a new lifesaving consensus of hope in Monroe County that rejects the unnecessary killing of homeless animals.

WOOT! WOOT! "We are forging a new lifesaving consensus of hope in Monroe County that rejects the unnecessary killing of homeless animals."

Way to go Interim Board! The people asked for a No Kill shelter and someone listened! Yay Monroe County, PA! I am proud of you!

We want to thanks Pet Supplies Plus for allowing us to do pet adoptions there, and the Northampton Community College - Monroe Campus for sponsoring our lifesaving efforts! Ms. Kelly Devine for coming to the BIG meeting and for all your support for No Kill and all your friends who care and love animals as well.

Thanks for my shelter kids that taught me that I do not have to buy a dog to have a loving companion and how homeless animals are able to give love again and again and again. and the senior dogs for all the love and patience you have to have to live with a pack of wild and crazy weinerdogs and my husband who is Saint Bill the most patient man in the world, who desparately wants a No Kill shelter so he can have his living room thin out on the animal hair someday.

Please sign our petition!

We, the undersigned citizens of Monroe County and outlying areas, hereby write to petition you:

To Make Monroe County a No Kill Animal Safety Zone!

1. Insure that NO shelter administration contract is signed with any entity who has a poor record of animal care and who is resistant to no-kill shelter reform;
2. Appoint a Citizen’s Advisory Committee composed of citizens and local rescues seeking reforms stated herein, who shall approve the appointment of any new shelter administrator and oversee the activities of the shelter to ensure that it is in compliance with NO KILL;
3. Guarantee that animals will receive prompt veterinary care, which includes but is not limited a veterinarian on staff at the shelter;
4. Insure the implementation of life-saving strategies such as:
(a)Thriving foster networks that can guarantee sufficient space and important socialization; (b)Free or low cost micro-chipping for all dogs and owned cats funded by private donations to unite more animals with their families;
(c)Free or low cost spay/neuter funded by private donations for all dogs and cats in Monroe County, whether or not animal is owned;
(d)Free or low cost immunizations funded by private donations for all dogs and cats in Monroe County whether or not animal is owned; (e)Listing animals on Petfinder.com, the Nation’s most effective animal adoption forum;
(f)A county sanctioned feral trap-neuter-release program that prevents suffering and death of millions of un-owned kittens and cats;
(g)Personalized placement plans for every animal commencing the day of arrival;
(h)Aggressive ongoing adoption media-blitz, using public relations and advertising;
5. Eliminate shelter operations, that are designed to exert the least possible effort, pocket the most profit, put up a smoke-screen show for the public but do little or nothing to save lives or give quality care;
6. Transform our shelter from one of the most avoided, dreaded, and deadly places in the County, into a hub of energy, enthusiasm, and joy for animals, families, volunteers, rescuers and administrators which PRESERVES LIFE and serves as a model for other communities.
7. No animal shall be killed if it can be adopted into a home, because redemption of owned pets and adoption of lost or stray animals is preferable to incurring the social and economic cost of killing animals.
8. Any dog that is impounded shall prior to the killing of that animal, be released to a nonprofit, if requested by the organization.
9. Any cat that is impounded shall prior to the killing of that animal, be released to a nonprofit if requested by the organization.
10. Shelters in Monroe County should work with animal rescuers and adoption coordinators to the fullest extent possible to promote the adoption of animals and eliminate killing.
11. Shelters should be required by law to take in lost animals and properly care for them with prompt veterinary care, adequate nutrition, shelter, exercise and water. Any animal depository who fails to perform these duties should be held liable for civil damages/asked to leave Monroe County.
12. No animal in Monroe County should be killed by anyone other than a veterinarian licensed to practice medicine in this State and all euthanasia should be administered in a humane manner only when necessary to end the suffering of a sick animal who’s life cannot be made comfortable.
13. Un-owned cats, whether feral or domestic, have a right to life.
14. Senior dogs have a right to live out their lives and not be killed for being less adoptable than puppies.

No Kill Monroe County PA, Inc. in the news!

By SUSAN KOOMAR
Record Senior Managing Editor
March 29, 2009
"Fixing" homeless dogs and cats is the ultimate fix for creating a "no kill" county, says a local group of animal lovers.
They want to open a low-cost, high-volume, spay-neuter clinic to cut the supply of unwanted pets.
Lori Hoffman of No Kill Monroe County says the group has $10,000 in private donations to open a clinic and wants to get the program started without tapping local taxpayers. The group is filing for nonprofit status with the state.
Eight veterinarians are interested in helping, said Hoffman, a former volunteer at Stroudsburg's PSPCA shelter, which closed in January.
Pet rescue volunteers met recently with community leaders to unify efforts to reopen the shelter under local ownership and management. A building on the property — but separate from the shelter — could be used for the spay-neuter clinic.
"That's the biggest part of no-kill. We'll spay-neuter at low cost, reach out to low-income residents and seniors," said Hoffman, of Bartonsville.
One cat can create its own population explosion, producing three litters per year.
With fewer kittens and puppies needing homes, adult pets in foster care will become more adoptable as families consider options other than young animals, Hoffman said.
Hoffman and her husband, Bill, are drawing on the experience of existing spay-neuter clinics in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. A Lancaster humane society vet, Dr. Bryan Langlois, is among the experts helping them develop a realistic business plan and operating budget.
Partnering with the Hoffmans is Barbara Marinelli, who worked at the animal shelter in Stroudsburg for almost a year.
State Rep. John Siptroth, D-189, secured a state grant to start a clinic, but the money had to be directed to other local needs when the shelter closed.
The Hoffmans dispute former PSPCA chief Howard Nelson's assessment that it would take $75,000 to open a clinic.
"It can be done for $10,000 to $20,000," said Lori Hoffman.
One of the group's benefactors is a local businessman distressed by the number of rampantly reproductive feral cats in Pocono private developments.





"Feral cats have a right to live and keep the mouse and cat population down (to prevent the spread of disease)," Bill Hoffman said.
Monroe County's vector control expert Jacquelyn Hakim agreed.
"There are a lot of people who say cats don't belong outside, but they are part of the cycle. Ferals can be our first line of defense between humans and rabies," she said.
The spread of rabies is one of Hakim's biggest concerns since the PSPCA shelter closed.
The Hoffmans say all animals would be vaccinated before leaving their spay-neuter clinic.
"We just need to get them in and neutered and rabies shots," said Lori Hoffman.





They want to get youth groups such as Boy Scouts involved in trap-neuter-vaccinate-release programs.
The couple's initial love was rescuing unwanted elderly dogs to ensure a comfy home for their final years. But now they've converted a bedroom into a mini-rescue center for homeless cats. One occupant is tortoise-colored Callie, saved from euthanasia at the Stroudsburg shelter because she was pregnant and had fleas, said Hoffman and Marinelli. Other guests include felines from foreclosed homes.
"There are just so many cats. So many," Marinelli said.
In addition to working on the spay-neuter project, Marinelli also fosters pets for the rescue group Camp Papillon.
In pet rescue circles, there can be ferocious debate about "kill" versus "no-kill" philosophies. The Hoffmans say they see the need to euthanize unadoptably vicious animals and those with painful medical problems. But their vision is to have 90 percent of Monroe County's homeless pets rescued and adopted.
The East Penn Roller Derby Girls will hold a fundraiser for No Kill Monroe County on Saturday, May 16, at Lippy's Extreme Sports Bar in Marshalls Creek.





http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090329/NEWS/903290338

Wayne Pacelle-HSUS Animal Serial Killer & Scam Artist

Everyone who is opposed to the killing of homeless animals who are not too sick to be made well or to vicious to be rehabilitated, please write to Wayne Pacelles, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and tell him so.

Wayne Pacelle-CEO
H.S.U.S.
2100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037

Tell Mr. Pacelle how you feel about organizations that collect millions of dollars in donations from unsuspecting people to save animals all the while killing them.

Mr. Pacelle is undeniably responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent dogs and cats every single year in so called "shelters".

Shame on Mr. Pacelle. Time to get out there and expose another scam artist and loser serial killer.

I can tell you for sure that if you expose these people they will go out of business. If they do not make money, they will not continue to operate.

Please before you give your money to an animal rescue organization, do your research. ARE THEY KILLING ANIMALS? Please give to No Kill Rescues instead!

High Volume Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic

No Kill Monroe County Pa, Inc. are in the process of opening a low cost high volume spay neuter clinic in Monroe County.

We believe that the most important part of the solution to the homeless animal dilemma is spay/neuter.

Our goal is to target people who are pet owners with low incomes, rescues with multiple animals to neuter and spay, and to run an agressive TNR program for feral cats.

Though we do not have a specific date for our grand opening, we are hoping to be in business in the early part of 2009.

We are currently in negotiation for a property to open the clinic in, and with local veterinarians.

We would love your support!

Now what I want to say to you 40 days and then kill them people is
get out of rescue because you suck.
No Kill Monroe County Pa

Gramby was a pitbull puppy who was rescued in Kansas City by Animal Haven, a true open end no kill shelter. He did not get adopted for OVER 2 YEARS and this group of dog loving volunteers loved him and refused to kill him because he did not have a home. Here is more of Gramby's story.

Gramby has been adopted!

Gramby was our longest term dog here at Animal Haven and was recently
adopted. Gramby was found as a stray from a city with a breed ban on
October 13th, 2006 when he was just a pup. Last week he was adopted
out by a fantastic lady from Blue Springs. He has adjusted very well
to life with his new mother and is having the time of his life now
that he finally has his lifelong home. He even gets to cuddle with
his mother's baby granddaughter for nap time.

And, what a wiggler he is too! Our ants-in-the- pants pal Gramby is
always on the lookout for something interesting. Who can blame him?
Gramby's dedicated friends here at Animal taught him a few things
before he went to his new lifelong home, and he'll sit for a treat
(though he likes to be sure it's abundantly tasty).

http://www.animalhavenkc.org/2009/02/13/gramby-has-been-adopted/

http://www.easyvegan.info/2009/02/18/small-victories/

http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2009/02/hooray-for-gramby.html

Mr. Bill's Cat Toys

Mr. Bill is an active member of No Kill Monroe County Pa. He has created these really cool cat posts that have some of Mrs. Lori's irresistable catnip catfishes on them. For each cat toy that Mr. Bill sells for $20, he will donate $10 to no Kill Monroe County Pa's spay/neuter effort. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact: mr_bill_66@yahoo.com and he will get one sent out to you as quickly as he can get to the post office! Your cat will LOVE this irresistable toy!

Here are some photos of foster boy Tux, playing with his new cat toy! You can see how much he loves it!

An Awesome Video!

Urgent! Forever Homes Needed in PA For Rescued Cats!

Urgent!

On January 29th the Stroudsburg Pennsylvania SPCA shelter closed it's doors. ANIMALS CAN'T TALK (a 501c3 non profit animal rescue) took several cats and has reached maximum catpacity! Those cats are now receiving vet care: testing, immunizations, neutering, and are not currently available for adoption. However, we are in urgent need of adoptive homes for several other cats in order to make room for the new shelter additions.


If you are interested in adopting one of the following cats,
please contact Naomi at Animals Can't Talk (570) 242-2846.

All cats will be spayed or neutered and have necessary immunizations prior to adoption.

Check out all the available cats here:

http://www.nokillmonroecountypa.org/urgent_cat_placements.html

NO KILL LEHIGH VALLEY
PRESENTS

OPERATION CATSNIP

Saturday March 14
Sunday March 22
2009

The shelters and rescues are packed to the rafters with sweet kitties looking for forever homes. Don’t make things worse. Spay or neuter your cat.
Even one more litter is too many.

Help us to make a humane difference in our community.

All Cats $35.00
Financial aid available for multi cat households and ferals.

Surgeries can be performed on kittens as young as 8 weeks of age that weigh at least 2 pounds.

Vaccinations available at low cost: $10.00
Felv & FIV testing available: $25.00

All surgeries will be performed by veterinarians throughout the Lehigh Valley and in the Poconos. The doctors and technicians are donating their time and facilities for this time of caring.

Pre registration required.

By E mail: nokill.lehighvalley@yahoo.com
Or
Call 484-695-6829

Top 10 Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog

Housetrained
1. Older dogs are housetrained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping/cleaning up after accidents.

Won't chew inappropriate items
2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.

Focus to learn
3. Older dogs can focus well because they've mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.

Know what "no" means
4. Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.

Settle in with the "pack"
5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

Good at giving love
6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.

WYSIWYG
7. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.

Instant companions
8. Older dogs are instant companions -- ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.

Time for yourself
9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.

A good night's sleep
10. Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

Old Dogs Living Life With Dignity & Respect- a short series!

Old Dogs - PART 1

Well I guess the first thing I want to write about is adopting and fostering senior dogs. I have a whole pack of them laying around my bedroom right now, so they are a part of a No Kill solution that I am somewhat knowledgeable about.

Older dogs get killed in shelters all the time because they are supposedly "un-adoptable". Now I would say they are harder to find homes for, but not un-adoptable. Some people think that they are not getting as much for their money or whatever if they adopt a senior dog. Maybe they fear they will get this old guy home and he will die overnight and they will have to grieve and all that or that this older dog is going to need some geriatric specialist vet that will cost millions of dollars or something.

As far as financial cost goes, I have found the exact opposite is true. The older guys really do not need much. A warm soft blanket, good food, milk bones, rawhides, greenies, senior dog vitamins, supplements, clean water, a little exercise, love and companionship are the main ingredients for a happy old dog life, far as I can tell. Mine even like to squeak on a toy now and then. They love to pose for photos as well.


I think that old dogs, old cats and old human beings deserve to live their lives to the fullest til they die, naturally, if/when possible. Now don't get me wrong! There is no way in tarnation I would allow an animal to lay around and suffer and have a terrible and undignified life either. But there are dogs and cats being killed in shelters, because they are old and homeless or maybe they are missing some fur or have some old man fat lumps or whatever. This does not have to be a death sentence!


Just as a young pup still has the whole rest of his life ahead of him, so does an older dog!


When Bill and myself were volunteering at the shelter, there were several arguments about whether I would adopt some of the younger, cooler pups to bring home and add to our growing family. Today I am somewhat glad that I did not sneak any of those little whipper~snaps into the pack while he was out working/not paying attention. They surely would have been a lot more work than the older guys we ended up with and I am sure they would never have been as full of the wisdom, grace and peacefulness of the senior pack.

HOBO MY SHADOW HOFFMAN

The first guy that came home with me was missing a bunch of hair and he was stinky. His breath was stinky and his fur smelled like he had been laying around in a pool of pee. The shelter manager at our local Stroudsburg PSPCA Adoption Center, said the dog needed to be euthenized because she believed he had end stage renal failure. Well I am not a vet and I don't even play one on tv, but I could see that this dog had nothing wrong with him that called for his immediate extermination. I believed with all my heart that he deserved to live in a home where he would be loved and treated with dignity and respect til it was time for him to die.


Some clues about the life left in this dog were that when I went to the shelter to walk dogs, he would jump up and wag his tail when I would appear at his cell with some milky bones! When I would show him the leash and ask him did he want to go out and walk, he would jump up and down and be so excited. I would get him outside and he would walk with me and then if I sat down to spend some time talking with him, he would nuzzle close to me, tail wagging always, and you could just tell there was something special between us. He really cared about me being there and I was falling in love with him too. He still had a fine appreciation for walks, milk bones, hugs and kisses, nuzzling and snuggling. He was in no pain at all. He was just painful to look at with all his missing hair and his stinky fur and breath!


Since I was not totally sure whether this guy was sick or just not well taken care of, I believed that he would be with us for a couple of months or something and that I could give him the time of his life til then. It has been somewhere around 8 months since Hobo My Shadow Hoffman came home to live with us. Hobo is a very fast runner and he jumps up into our laps and thinks he is an old wienerdog and he is the pack leader of our dog family. Bossy as they come and happy as can be!


Here are some photos of how he looked when he first came home with me! He had hair missing. He was discolored (the color of urine) so I was not sure if he was jaundiced or what. His body was shaped strangely, skinny, yet bloated or something. But he had so much soul in his face, Can you tell?




















IN BETWEEN STAGE - These photos were taken after a few months with us. See how Hobo's hair began growing back with some good food, vitamins, glucosamine and brushing?!


















HOBO MY SHADOW HOFFMAN TODAY - Healthy, happy and pretending to be a wiener dog so he can get some of the eukeneuba - See how his hair is all in and his muscle weight has increased in all the right places, and he is looking like a sled puller for the iditerod? OH HOBO! COME GROW OLD WITH ME!

The No Kill Revolution

The No Kill Revolution
In the words of Nathan Winograd
“We have the power to build a new consensus, which rejects killing as a method for achieving results. And we can look forward to a time when the wholesale slaughter of animals in shelters is viewed as a cruel aberration of the past. To get to that point, we must learn from history and reject our failures. Whether we realize, appreciate, or believe it, as history marches toward greater compassion toward non-human animals, No Kill’s conquest of the status quo is inevitable. If we remain silent at this moment, however, an opportunity will be lost to speed that process along. Our silence, therefore, has a body count. The price to be paid for our refusal to seize this opportunity will be the lives of millions of dogs and cats needlessly killed in shelters next year. And the year after that. We have a choice. We can fully, completely, and without reservation embrace No Kill as our future. Or we can continue to legitimize the two-pronged strategy of failure: adopt a few and kill the rest. It is a choice which history has thrown upon us. We are the generation that questioned the killing. We are the generation that has discovered how to stop it. Will we be the generation that does?”
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If you care about companion animals, please read Nathan Winograd’s book Redemption.
Go here to read and sign the No Kill Declaration.
Go here to see how Philadelphia is blowing it.
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