The Director's Blog

Our Pets Are What They Eat!

2011-08-05T13:03:00.001-04:00

The commercial slowly fades in as the dog runs through the wheat field. The "healthy" ingredients rain from the sky - chunks of meat, vegetables, grains.

But look closely at the actual bag of food. What are the real ingredients? Poultry by-products, corn gluten meal, animal fat? This certainly isn't what the commercial might suggest.

Pet care goal for the day - read the ingredients on the bag or can of food you are feeding your pets.

Quality Foods Should Contain:

Superior sources of protein, either whole fresh meats or single source meat meal (e.g., chicken meal rather than poultry meal).
A whole-meat source as one of the first two ingredients.
Whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables for dogs.
No grains or limited complex grains for cats.

Quality Foods Should NOT Contain:

Food fragments, which are lower-cost by-products of another food manufacturing process, such as wheat bran.
Meat by-products.
Proteins named generically (e.g., poultry fat instead of chicken)
Animal fats, which are often blended from a variety of rendered products, including restaurant grease. These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable.
Artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, and propylene glycol (a substance related to ethylene glycol, also known as antifreeze). Propylene glycol is often added to "chewy" foods to keep them moist.
Processed grain products. Two of the top three ingredients in pet foods, particularly dry foods, are almost always some form of grain products. Why? Grains (corn in particular) are much cheaper fillers than meat!
Artificial colors, sweeteners, or any other additives made to enhance the appeal of a pet food.

Want more information on picking a quality dry, canned or raw food? Visit the links below or come in to AARF Pet Central and we'll help you find a good food for your pets.

How to Choose the Right Dog Food
Dog Food Advisor
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition
Raw Fed Cats

Ban Bad Owners, Not Dogs

2011-08-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

The city of College Park recently passed a new ordinance targeting "potentially dangerous dogs." All dogs who are predominantly one of six breeds (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Doberman and German Shephard) must register the dog, pay a registration fee, have the dog microchipped and prove they have insurance to cover any damages.

There is no doubt about the following statement: THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT BREED-SPECIFIC LEGISLATION IS EFFECTIVE AT MAKING COMMUNITIES SAFER. In many issues, I can often see the other side of the argument. Not this one.

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is not based in real data, but instead, based in media sensationalism and fear.

All of the dogs on the "potentially dangerous dogs" list scored higher in the 2010-2011 American Temperament Test Society tests than Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Akitas, Bloodhounds, Miniature Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, and the Presidential dog, Portuguese Water Dogs, Why aren't any of these dogs on the list?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have released statements against BSL.
BSL is expensive. The state of Georgia will spend over $12 million to enforce breed-specific legislation. How much will your state or county spend? Learn how much here.

There is so much evidence proving that BSL doesn't work. Yet. our communities continue to focus on banning the dogs instead of the owners. We can create much safer, humane communities by enacting and enforcing tougher leash laws, anti-chaining laws, animal cruelty laws and spay/neuter laws.

Learn how to combat BSL in your neighborhood, city, county and state here.

On a personal note: Three times I have required medical attention for a dog bite. Not one of the three was a dog on the "potentially dangerous dogs" list.

Dogs and Cats May Make Allergies Better, Not Worse!

2011-06-22T09:10:00.001-04:00

One of the most common reasons that people give for surrendering a pet is a child's allergy, or even potential allergy. Often, parents want to give up a pet when they are expecting a child or have just given birth.

But dogs and cats may be good for a baby in an unexpected way - exposure to pets during the first year of life not only reduces the risk of allergies to pets later in life, but also to other common allergens, such as ragweed and dust mites!

In a recent study, hospital researchers followed 566 children from birth to 18 years, measuring exposure to pets and development of allergies. Exposure to pets reduced allergies up to 50%! A 2002 study concluded that not only does exposure to pets in the first year reduce allergies to pets later, but also reduces reactions to other common allergens. Researchers suspect that exposure to pets strengthens the immune system, preparing children for exposure to all sorts of allergens as they grow.

So, before someone you know decides to give up a dog or cat because the baby sneezed, please share these resources. Not only will the life of the pet be saved, but the child may actually end up being healthier!

Resources:

Really? The Claim: Pets Can Raise a Child's Risk of Developing Allergies

Exposure to dogs and cats in the first year of life and risk of allergic sensitization at 6 to 7 years of age

Living with pets may protect infants from allergies

Celebrate "Be Kind to Animals" Week

2011-04-28T12:01:00.001-04:00

Be Kind to Animals Week

May 1-7, 2011 is national Be Kind to Animal Week. Since 1915, the American Humane Association has dedicated one week every year to celebrate the ways that animals benefit our lives, and to promote our kindness to them in return.

Every year that this week rolls around, I wonder why we need a Be Kind to Animals Week. Is the week meant to be a celebration of our successes in protecting animals? Or is it meant to be a reminder that we need to consider our actions toward other living creatures? Maybe it also serves as a reminder to be kind to people, too.

As we remember our furry, feathered and even scaly friends for the first week of May, I encourage all of us to do one new thing to show kindness to animals. Maybe we decide to volunteer in a new way. Maybe we decide to contact a legislator about animal protection laws. Maybe we take a stand against animal cruelty, dog fighting or inhumane farming. Or maybe we decide to look at our relationship with our own pets and make our homes more compassionate.

I invite all of you to share your ideas for improving kindness toward animals on our AARF Facebook page. Together, we can make a world where every pet matters!

Children and Pets CAN Live Together!

2011-04-18T11:27:00.001-04:00

Pets and Children CAN Live Together!

One of the top three reasons that people give up their pets involves children. We receive several calls and emails every week from people who claim to love their pets, but just can't keep their pets in the home because of the children. Many rescue groups won't adopt to young couples, or even to young, single adults, because chances are, when a child comes along, the pet will be returned.

Some people decide to give up their pets as soon as they learn they are expecting a child. They don't even try to keep their 4-legged family members as they anticipate the addition of their new 2-legged member.

Some people give up their pets when their baby starts crawling,

Can you recognize how this dog is feeling about the hug? If not, you may be surprised by a bite that might come next.

walking, falling and grabbing. A pet who may have tolerated the new screaming, smelly addition to the home suddenly seems to have little patience for the newly mobile creature. Rather than training their pet and monitoring their child, parents instead decide that their formerly good dog or cat has suddenly gone "bad."

The truth is - dogs and cats almost never just turn bad. Instead, pets tolerate the stress of unwelcome hugs, stolen toys and grabby hands for as long as they can. Dog trainer Casey Lomonaco describes a dog bite as a losing game of Tetris. Stress builds up in a dog much like the screen on a Tetris game. When the dog's stress board is full, the game is over and a bite happens. But, a pet's owner has missed several opportunities along the way to recognize and reduce stress.

Cat body language may be more subtle, but learning to read the signs can prevent a scratch or bite.

If you are a parent, it's up to you to make sure that your pets and your children can co-exist. If you just hope that everything works out, and it doesn't, it will be your responsibility, not your pet's or your child's responsibility.

If you know someone struggling with pets and children, it is your

responsibility to provide resources to

the parents to save both the pet and the child from irreparable damage.

If you are considering adding a pet to a home with children, or adding a child to a home with pets, please prepare your home for our new family member.

And finally, if your home has both pets and children, and you are creating a safe, healthy and happy environment for everyone, we want to hear your story! Log on to our Facebook page and post your family's story. We want to celebrate you for making it work!

Additional Resources:

Why Dogs Bite and How They Warn Us

How Are Dog Bites Like Tetris?

Do Dogs Bite Out of the Blue?

Teach Kids to Play With - and Care For - Kitty

Lesson of the Starfish

2011-02-15T11:32:00.001-05:00

The Lesson of the Starfish

One day a man was taking a sunrise walk along a beach. In the distance he caught sight of a young woman who seemed to be dancing along the waves. As he got closer he saw that the young woman was actually not dancing, but picking up starfish from the sand and tossing them gently back into the ocean.

"What are you doing?" the man asked.

"The sun is coming up and the tide is going out; if I don't throw them in, they'll die."

"But young woman, there are miles and miles of beach with starfish all along it--you can't possibly make a difference."

The young woman bent down, picked up another starfish, and placed it lovingly back into the ocean, past the breaking waves.

"It made a difference for that one," she replied.

I understand the feeling of the man at the overwhelming number of starfish dying on the beaches. I feel the same way when I see the rows and rows of kennels at the shelters and the dogs and cats I see on the streets and chained in backyards. How will we ever really make a difference?

But I also understand the dedication and the hope in the young woman. Every life is worth saving, even in the midst of others that aren't saved. For every pet we can save, we make a difference in for that one, and for the people who share that life.

I must be honest. Lately, I have been overwhelmed by the number of lives we need to save here in Atlanta. But I hold on tight to the hope that we are making a difference. I have to believe that with every life we save, we make our community a kinder place, a place where every pet matters.

I share this story with you today for my own reminder as much as for you. I invite you to join me on this sometimes difficult and painful, yet always meaningful, walk along the beach. We may have many miles of beaches to walk, but there are starfish to save with every step.

Recognizing Animal Cruelty and Neglect in Our Community

2011-01-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Will 2011 be remembered as a cruel year? So far, it seems to be. We have had more emails and phone calls about animal cruelty and neglect than we have ever had.

Unfortunately, this increase is not unexpected. We are trying to emerge from one of the worst economic times we have ever seen. We continue to be mired in two wars. We see constant reports of violence and cruelty in the news and entertainment. We live in a culture where stress is high and violence is often tolerated, and sometimes even glorified.

It is not surprising that more animals are being abused and neglected. They are literally the voiceless victims. For people who need to feel important and powerful, pets in their homes and on the streets are easy targets.

There is absolutely no excuse for animal cruelty and neglect. And we should not tolerate it in our community. Recently, a group of neighbors rallied to fight for justice for a stray cat who was a victim of cruelty by a man who followed his act by publicly bragging about his act. (See the original news story about the case here.) The actions of the citizens who care about this single cat are standing up and demanding that animal cruelty not be tolerated.

Do you know the signs of animal cruelty and neglect? Do you know what to do when you witness cruelty? Learn more about recognizing and reporting animal cruelty here. Visit our Facebook page and share your own ideas on preventing and stopping animal cruelty and neglect in your own community.

You are their voice. Speak loudly.

How Will Our Greatness Be Judged?

2011-01-18T10:16:00.001-05:00

Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest leaders of modern times and the inspiration for many non-violent movements across the globe, cared about all of his fellow living beings. One of his most often used quotes in animal welfare ties a nation's treatment of the animals in their midst to their measurement of greatness and progress:

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

It seems to be such a simple statement, yet is so profound in its meaning. How do we treat the living creatures that share the space within our borders? And what do we learn about ourselves by what we do, or do not do, in defense of those that rely on us?

At the recent Golden Globe awards, a movie about animal welfare pioneer Temple Grandin won more awards. From a woman who many would avoid in their daily lives comes some of the most influential changes in how farm animals are treated.

But you don't have to have a PhD to make a difference in the lives of the animals around you. You can make a difference right where you are. If you are in Georgia, the state legislature is back in session. Become informed on pending legislation, and let your state representative or senator know that how animals are treated matters to you. If you live in another state, become involved in your own local and state government to advocate for those that have no voice of their own.

You can define how our greatness is judged, by the presence, or absence, of your actions.

Happy Holidays from AARF

2010-12-18T09:44:00.003-05:00

As 2010 comes to a close, I want to tell you about what we have been able to accomplish this year with your help.

We have been able to save so many pets who desperately needed our help. We were able to help Tiger Lily, a tiny puppy who had been abused and was in the DeKalb County shelter with two shattered front legs. We saved several families, including Bianca and her 6 kittens, Kira and her 4 kittens, Isabelle and her kittens, all from county animal control shelters, where none of them had a chance. We also saved Dolly and her 8 puppies, who were all living in an open field by the airport. As pit bulls, they faced an extremely uncertain fate without our help.

We lost a few members of our Silver Paws family this year, but added a new member, too. Casey had been with us for several years, and struggled bravely at the end of her life. With your help, we were able to extend her quality of life with swim therapy. Amelia, a 14-year old German Shepherd in our Silver Paws Program is growing old gracefully with the help of physical therapy and acupuncture. All of our Silver Paws pets and fosters are able to enjoy companionship that wouldn’t be possible without our program, and without you.

Our Casper’s Fund spay/neuter program continues to grow. This year, we helped over 400 of Atlanta’s pet owners spay and neuter their pets. We know from surveys from the participants that almost 75% of these pets would not have been fixed without our program. Casper’s Fund has prevented hundreds of homeless puppies and kittens from entering the rescue cycle. And most of those pets that were spayed and neutered through our program also got their vaccinations, so they will live healthier, longer lives as a result.

We have touched the lives of hundreds of future pet owners this year through our Kids N Kritters program. From our dog bite prevention workshops to our interactive sessions on teaching children how to pet a dog, we are reaching out to the next generation about compassion, empathy and humane pet ownership.

And perhaps the biggest news of the year is our new AARF Pet Central community pet center. After 8 ½ years of working for Atlanta’s homeless pets, we finally have a home to call our own. We closed on the purchase of our new center in October and are working on renovations now. AARF Pet Central will have an in-house cat adoption center, dog adoption events on the weekends, affordable training classes and seminars, humane education classes, quality pet products and more. We are creating a community pet center with the motto “Everything for pets. All in one place.” We hope that AARF Pet Central will not only help homeless pets find new homes, but help pets keep their homes, too!

AARF could not have accomplished so much this year without you. We are so grateful and so fortunate to have such an amazing family of supporters. I know many of you feel connected to AARF with such strong bonds. Maybe you adopted a dog or cat from AARF. Maybe one of our special needs pets touched your heart. Or maybe you have seen the faces in the cages at the shelters, and know how badly these 4-legged friends need our help. Whatever the reason, I am truly honored that you support our work and how we do it.

As we prepare for 2011, we need your help more than ever.

Although it may seem so far away now, puppy and kitten season begins in February. Hundreds of innocent, new lives will be dropped off at county shelters or abandoned in the streets. If we can open our cat adoption center in January, we will be able to help so many of the cats and kittens who would otherwise die in the shelters. If we can begin our weekend adoption events in January, AARF and the other groups who attend will open up spaces to save so many of the puppies who deserve a chance. And if we can build up our Casper’s Fund funding, we will be able to even prevent the numbers of homeless pets from growing even larger.

As you celebrate this holiday season and look toward a happy and joyous 2011, please remember how much we appreciate you. And how much we need you.

I am asking you today to dedicate just $1 a week for 2011 to help us continue our work on behalf of pets in Atlanta. If everyone who reads this letter and believes in what we do commits just $52 for the whole year, we can save hundreds more lives in 2011.

But if you don’t, and no one else does either, then who will? Please join us for 2011, where we continue to CREATE A WORLD WHERE EVERY PET MATTERS!

I wish you a wonderful holiday and a joyous new year.

25 Days of Hope

2010-11-30T10:17:00.004-05:00

The holiday seasons of both Christmas and Hanukkah call us to be hopeful, to be renewed and to celebrate possibilities. The Christmas story tells of a new beginning for those that have been rejected, alienated and sometimes even tortured. And Hanukkah celebrates reclamation and dedication of the sacred.

My friend Rebecca Guinn, director of Lifeline Animal Project, describes the plight of homeless pets as the only time we round up and kill the victims. Regardless of your religious beliefs, there is no denying that we, as humans, have asserted dominion over the earth. We take the resources at will and use them almost exclusively for our own benefit. We expand our communities into every inhabitable space, eliminating any flora or fauna that seems to inhibit our "progress." We justify our actions as the right of "civilization."

Yet, I often wonder, how civilized are we? We are the only species that routinely catches, houses and then kills millions of other living creatures because we have allowed them to become overpopulated. We are the only species that ties up other living beings, organizes death fights with other species (and historically, with our own species) for our own entertainment, and deliberately abuses and tortures other living beings. How civilized are we really?

As a child, I loved Christmas. Of course, I loved the presents, the parties at school, the church Christmas plays, etc. But more than that, I loved the feeling of hope, renewal and possibilities. During the holiday season, things happened that would never happen at any other time of the year. My family members who had been arguing all year would put aside their grudges for the family Christmas dinner. The grumpy people in our rural neighborhood would actually smile and invite us in from playing in the snow. For the whole month of December, the anticipation of Christmas morning was exhilarating, not just because of the presents, but because of the thrill of the newness of it all. As a child, I didn't quite understand why it gave me hope, but now I realize that it's because it made me think that just maybe we were a community of kind, loving and welcoming people after all.

So, how does this relate to homeless pets? When I walk through one of our county shelters, I often see the same emotions that I remember as a child. I see the anticipation on the faces of many pets who still have hope that I might be the one. For the dog that stands at the front of the kennel, wagging excitedly as a I walk by, ready to join me on a walk, the hope of a new beginning is still alive. Or for the young kitten who meows and reaches out and grabs my shirt, the possibilities are still endless. But I also see the dogs and cats that have lost that hope. They cower in the back of the cages and runs. They rarely greet me at the front of the cage, and often won't even turn their heads to look at me.

For both of these, the still hopeful and the hopeless, the holiday season can be a new beginning. We owe it to them to invite them to our celebration of hope and renewal. If we exclude those who need a new beginning the most, we have missed the true meaning of the season.

I invite all of you to celebrate 25 days of hope this December. Beginning on December 1, and ending on Christmas Day, I challenge you to take one action every day that brings hope, renewal and reclamation for the 8 million pets a year that enter our nation's shelters, and even more so for the 4 million that never leave alive.

Not sure what to do? Visit our AARF Facebook page every day for ideas. Every day, I'll post one action you can take to create hope for the homeless pets who so desperately need it.

Get Ready for 2011!

2010-11-05T14:17:00.004-04:00

It's time to start thinking about 2011, which means you need a new calendar!

How about a calendar that supports AARF, shows your support of pit bulls and looks great! Through a generous donation from the Unexpected Pit Bull, we can offer a 2011 calendar for just a $20 donation (which includes shipping!). Buy one for yourself and one as a holiday gift.

100% of your donation after shipping costs will be used to support our foster and adoption program, including our pit bulls!

Easy Ways to Help

2010-10-31T19:46:00.002-04:00

All non-profit organizations rely on their volunteers. Our missions are often overwhelming, and we often don't have enough staff (or in AARF's current situation, no staff at all). Volunteers are the foundation of what we do, and we need all of you.

But as a volunteer, what can you do? Here are some ideas --

Help in 15 minutes by:
- posting an adoptable pet on Facebook
- hanging an adoption day flyer on our office bulletin board or local coffee shop
- saving your Natural Balance UPC codes and receipts or your Fresh Step Paw Points and sending them in to AARF
- saving your ink cartridges or old cell phones

Help in one hour by:
- asking your local building supply store for a gift card for the new AARF Pet Central
- setting up pet supply donation box in your office break room
- writing a review of your favorite training book for our weekly e-newsletter

Help in three hours by:
- volunteering at an adoption day or a shelter
- helping out for an afternoon at the new AARF Pet Central
- hosting a fundraiser at your house

These are just a few ideas. There are so many ways we need you, and so many ways you can help. Every minute that you volunteer makes a difference in the live of a pet who is waiting for a new home.

If you aren't already on our volunteer list, email melanie@aarfatlanta.org to be added. If you aren't sure where to get started, let us know. We will help you find a way to use your time to help a pet who needs you.

Let's Make October Adopt a Pit Bull Month

2010-10-09T23:16:00.008-04:00

October is national Adopt-A-Dog Month. For one month a year, the national animal welfare focus is on getting dogs adopted. Actually, we focus 365 days a year on getting dogs adopted. But for the month of October, the talks shows run special stories on adoption, newspapers write articles about adoption and shelters and rescue groups run special adoption promotions and events. All of us have the same goal - to get as many dogs into new forever homes as we can.

So, what dogs often don't benefit from Adopt-A-Dog Month? Unfortunately, so many pit bulls spend October in shelters and foster homes, passed over by adopters because of media hype, myths and unfair stereotypes. Here are a few things you may not know about pit bulls:

1) In national temperament test dat a, pit bulls passed the test 86% of the time. This is higher than Australian Shepherds, Beagles, Boston Terriers, German Shepherds, Jack Russell Terriers, Miniature and Toy Poodles, and America's family pet, the Golden Retriever. All of the tiny designer dogs -- Chihuahuas, Lhasa Apsos, Malteses, and Shih Tzus -- scored lower than American Pit Bull Terriers.

2) Banning pit bulls does not make communities safer or reduce dog bites. A new article just published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association has scientifically concluded that breed-specific legislation simply doesn't work. Banning pit bulls only punishes responsible pit bull owners, and irresponsible owners will continue to be irresponsible. Fortunately, the recent proposed pit bull ban in Douglasville was voted down by some reasonable city council members.

3) Pit bulls used to be America's dog. Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller (pictured here with her dog, Sir Thomas), Woodrow Wilson, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, John Steinbeck, Thomas Edison and General George Patton all owned pit bulls. Current pit bull owners include Rachel Ray, Jon Stewart, Serena Williams, and Brad Pitt. Petey from the Little Rascals was a pit bull (pictured above). Throughout much of American history, pit bulls were considered loyal and loving family pets. Unfortunately, their unwavering loyalty has made it easy for them to be exploited by people who see them only as money makers, status symbols and weapons.

I have been seriously bitten by 3 dogs in my life. And none of them were pit bulls. The first bite came from an unspayed, chained chow that was in heat. I was at a friend's wedding, and some of her family members insisted on bringing their dog, because she was a "member of the family," too. She was such a member of the family that she was completely unsocialized, nervous in new situations, and had never been spayed. Since she wasn't crate trained, this family member was chained up behind the house during the wedding reception, so she wouldn't bother the guests. I went outside to take her some water and, since she was so terrified and unable to run away because of her short chain, she saw me as a threat. I don't blame her.

The other bites came from a mauling I received from a labrador and a golden retriever. I was hiking with my small beagle mix dog in the North Carolina mountains. My dog was on a 6 foot leash as we walked the trails. As I was headed up a trail, two wildly excited dogs came running down the trail, not on a leash and no owner in site. Their excitement turned to aggression, and they started to attack my dog. When I picked her up to protect her, they turned their aggression on me. Over 10 years later, and I still have the scars on my legs as a reminder of what can happen when owners are irresponsible.

Pit bulls aren't naturally aggressive or mean. Very few dogs are naturally aggressive. What makes a dog mean is frustration, fear, neglect and abuse. These will harm any dog.

We have so many wonderful pit bulls and pit bull mixes currently available for adoption - Daisy, Pablo, Mei, Praline, Greta, Lillian, and Dolly.

Let's make October a fantastic month for adoptions, and a banner month for pit bulls. If you are considering adding a new dog to your family, please open your mind and heart to one of the most loving, loyal, silly and stable breed of dog, the American Pit Bull Terrier. Daisy, Pablo, Mei, Praline, Greta, Lillian, and Dolly are waiting for you to see just how amazing they are.

For more information about pit bulls, visit Animal Farm Foundation and Pit Bull Rescue Central.

How Much is a Life Worth?

2010-09-26T16:57:00.008-04:00

Do you know what AARF's adoption fees are? We ask folks to donate $225 when they adopt a dog and $150 when they adopt a cat. Lately, a few potential adopters have complained about our adoption fees and decided that a "rescue" pet isn't worth that much. And we even had one shelter in the metro area claiming that rescue groups are just in it for the money.

I simply don't understand those perspectives.

Let's look at what each pet comes with at the time of adoption:

Dogs: spay/neuter, DHLPP vaccine, rabies vaccine, bordatella vaccine, heartworm test, deworming and microchip
Cats: spay/neuter, FVCRP vaccine, rabies vaccine, feline leukemia vaccine, FIV/FeLV test, deworming and microchip

That's just the basics.

Now, let's assume that we bring in a pet from a shelter, have them fully vetted, and they get adopted the next day. Already, the adoption fee is a bargain. Call any veterinarian in Atlanta and ask them for an estimate of each list.

Unfortunately, that never really happens. So, the dogs and cats move in to a foster home. Almost every pet that comes to us from a shelter needs at least one trip to the vet and a round of antibiotics. They need flea and heartworm preventative every month. They eat. They need collars and leashes. They need toys and training to help them get socialized and ready for new homes. Sometimes their fosters travel and they need a place to stay.

Let's look at an example -- Daisy joined us in January, 2010. She has been waiting for 9 months for a forever home. In those 9 months, Daisy has needed $997.84 worth of veterinary care. She has needed boarding 3 times, for a total over $550. And her supplies have added up to about $224. So, AARF's investment in Daisy is at least $1800 at this point.

When she gets adopted, we'll get a $225 adoption fee. She would have needed the veterinary care and supplies whether she was with AARF or someone got her as a "free" dog. If she was with a family that never went anywhere, maybe the boarding costs would have been less.

Daisy is worth absolutely every penny of the money spent on her care. She is an amazing dog, and will be a wonderful companion for the lucky family that adopts her. But for the potential adopters who said our adoption fee is "out of line" with shelter fees, you have missed out on a wonderful dog because you instead wanted a "cheap" dog. You passed over a sweet, funny, healthy, housebroken, trained dog because you think we "charge" too much.

I wish before people passed over rescue pets because our fees are too much, they would consider the cost of a "free" pet.

What Would You Do?

2010-08-25T18:04:00.002-04:00

This summer, I have been watching ABC News' What Would You Do? series. The foundation of the show -- ABC sets up scenarios where action is clearly needed, and then they film the people who stumble into the scene. For example, a child actor cries on the sidewalk or a blind woman is given incorrect change at a store. In some scenarios, actors portray extremely racist or sexist attitudes. I find myself cheering for those that step in to help. And I am overwhelmed at the number of people who actively pretend not to notice, just so they don't have to get involved. We see people who pretend to be talking on the phone or reading the paper as they walk by. Some people literally turn around and walk the other way.

At the end of each scene, John Quiñones approaches those who chose to either get involved or look the other way. Those that helped are usually in tears, as they realize that the horrible situations they just witnessed aren't actually real. Most of the people who chose not to help apparently wouldn't sign a release to allow ABC to show their face. Embarrassed, perhaps, at the evidence that they are complacent in times where they are needed most?

So, "what does this have to do with animal welfare?", you may wonder. What would you do if you saw a stray dog running in and out of traffic, and you knew John Quiñones was watching? What would you do if you saw a picture of an injured kitten, and you could choose fancy coffee or saving a life? Would it change if you knew you were being filmed and might show up on ABC in prime time? What would you do if you knew that animals were dying every day, and you did nothing? Would it matter if anyone knew?

I am asking everyone who reads this to ask yourself what you would do if.... And I challenge you to live every day like you are being filmed and John Quiñones is watching and waiting to ask you why you did, or didn't, do anything.

Saying Goodbye to Another Friend

2010-08-08T17:03:00.009-04:00

We lost another member of the AARF family this week. Casey, one of our Silver Paws dogs, has been part of AARF for years.

In 2003, we received an email from a young girl, begging us to take in her family dog. The young girl's parents were getting a divorce, and neither parent was willing to take the canine member of the family in the move. This young girl was devastated at the thought that her dog would be killed, just because her parents were too uncaring to consider her in the divorce.

So, Casey became an AARF dog. When we picked her up, we found out she had been banished to the back yard and hadn't had vet care in years. She was suffering from mammary tumors, a very common disease in dogs who aren't spayed. Her teeth were just a mess, and she needed some serious dental care. We got Casey healthy, and along came what we thought was a great family.

In 2006, Casey's world fell apart again. Her new family added two human kids, and Casey was returned to AARF. She hadn't displayed ANY issues with the children, but the family made the decision to abandon Casey anyway. Now, Casey was about 8 years old, and had lost two families.

Since Casey's first time with AARF, we had started the Silver Paws Program, and Casey became eligible for placement through Silver Paws. After several months, we were contacted by Bette, who had recently lost her beloved lab, Rebel. She was looking for a new dog, and was drawn to Casey.

This is where Casey's life gets the fairy tale ending. Bette was exactly the home that Casey needed. She was adored by her new mom, and I think, quickly realized that she would never be abandoned again. She knew she was finally home. I smiled, and sometimes cried, when I thought about how wonderful Casey's final years would be.

Over the last year, Casey struggled with several health problems. But Bette explored every option to lengthen Casey's life without diminishing the quality. Casey went regularly for swim therapy and acupuncture to help with her mobility issues. She took medication to control seizures and regurgitation at night. And when she wouldn't eat, Bette even cooked for her to encourage her to eat and take her medication.

A few weeks ago, Casey was diagnosed with a very bad case of pneumonia. We knew that, because of all of her other issues, the treatment might not be effective. Bette and Casey took each day as it came, enjoying the good days and working through the bad days together. Throughout the journey, Bette made sure that Casey was still enjoying life.

On Friday morning, beautiful, sweet Casey left us. Bette stayed up with her throughout the night while she struggled, and Casey took her last breath with Bette's arms around her.

We have so many touching rescue and adoption stories, it's sometimes hard to pick the "best" ones. But Casey's journey is undoubtedly one of the very best. She was discarded by two families, and finally found the place she was supposed to be. While Casey's time with Bette might have been shorter than many of us have with our pets, the quality of that time is unmatched.

I am so grateful to Bette for giving Casey such a wonderful life for the last three years. I have such admiration for her for bringing home an older dog. And I am thankful for the care and love that Casey received from Bette. I know that love was returned, and Bette was just as lucky to have found Casey.

As I write this final goodbye to Casey, I am in awe of the amazing bond that Bette and Casey had, and will always have, in all of our memories. (See a tribute to Casey, made by her friend and pet sitter here.)

Rest in peace, Casey. And take comfort, Bette, in knowing you gave Casey such an amazing life, literally to her last breath.

One of the Best Adoption Stories Ever

2010-08-01T17:41:00.005-04:00

Many of you have followed Sesame's journey with AARF for the last several months. It has not been easy for Sesame, but we have never given up on her. Now, I want to tell you about one of the best adoption stories we have ever had.

Sesame was rescued from the DeKalb County shelter. She was exremely thin and had a horrible case of mange. She simply did not feel good at all, and had no chance at being adopted with her health issues.

In Sesame's first foster home, she was introduced to the resident dog. We expected the meeting be smooth based on her behavior at the shelter. But her foster parents rushed the introduction and skipped some critical steps, and the resident dog attacked Sesame. So, this girl started her journey in a home where she was not fully integrated into the family. We quickly learned that she had some anxiety issues, and they worsened over the weeks in her foster home. Her behavior was improving a little by working with one of our favorite trainers. But she had a long way to go, and as she got healthy, her strength increased, which made her behavior even more difficult to manage. We got feedback from the vet's office that her behavior became increasingly difficult every time they saw her for a check-up for the mange.

Then, Sesame got an adoption application! It looked great, and we were excited for her. After several play dates with dog in her potential new home, Sesame went home with her new family. Unfortunately, her new mom used some popular, but ineffective, training techniques, and Sesame responded badly. So, the adoption didn't stick. But her foster family wouldn't take her back, because they decided it was just too much work. (Unfortunately, this is so common that we aren't even shocked anymore when people just give up.)

So, we scrambled. At this point, we were worried that we had a dog that was out of control, and strong. We had no foster homes and nowhere for her to go. We tried a few boarding places, and they couldn't handle her. We tried one trainer who was so afraid of her that she kept her in her crate for over 24 hours. Finally, we found a training place that would work with her.

So, Sesame entered a boarding facility where trainers would work with her during the day, and she would spend the rest of the time playing with the other dogs in day care. Sesame adjusted to this new environment, and made some progress. But her trainers insisted that she was a difficult dog, and any new foster or adopter would need a high level of skill and ongoing training to be able to manage her.

Sounds like a horrible dog, right? I kept getting these reports about what a terrible dog Sesame was, but I spent some time with her, moving her from location to location as she bounced around. What I saw was a scared bully dog, who didn't understand what was going on. In her calm moments - going for a walk, riding in the car - she was a love of a dog. In her nervous moments, she was scary. I could see how some might interpret her behavior as aggression. But, a closer look at what was happening revealed really clearly that Sesame was scared. She reminded me of 10 year old foster child, who had been bounced from home to home. In every new location, she went totally out of control, because that was the only thing she ever learned. I knew Sesame wasn't a dangerous or uncontrollable dog. But would anyone else ever see that in her? If I had space at my house, I would have simply brought her home with me.

We all waited patiently for a foser home or forever home for Sesame. I had hope that one day that home would come. But in the meantime, Sesame continued to struggle at the kennel, and her boarding bill continued to grow. We and Sesame were both in a really difficult position.

Finally, Melanie (one of our board members) and her husband Mike decided to give Sesame a shot. They brought her home, and the first day really did not go well. Sesame's fear and anxiety often comes out as overwhelming tugging, nipping and jumping. She just had never learned what else to do. So, while we all knew it wasn't really her "fault," it's hard to ignore when she is literally ripping your jeans off.

But Melanie and Mike did something that no one else had really done yet. They didn't give up. They committed to working through this first day, to at least see what happened the next day.

I am so grateful that finally Sesame had someone committed to her. And what a transformation this girl has had.

Within 24 hours, Sesame had started to settle in to her new foster home. She began to feel comfortable around Melanie and Mike, and even with the visitors that came over. She met the resident dogs and cats, and quickly became an integrated member of the family.

Sesame has been with Melanie and Mike for just over a week. At the last report, Sesame has a best friend at the dog park that she plays with, sleeps in bed with her new mom and dad, and is a great napping buddy. Sesame's name is now Sammy, and I am excited to say that her foster home has become her forever home. Melanie and Mike are simply not willing to let this great girl go.

So, what makes this one of the best adoption stories ever? Is it just because Sesame was a difficult dog and we didn't give up on her? That's part of it, but not all. Is it because Mike and Melanie took a risk, and gave Sesame a chance? That's also part of it, but not all.

This is an amazing adoption story because it embodies our motto - "creating a world where every pet matters." Sesame, in all of her health issues and behavior difficulties, matters just as much as any of pet in our program, in your home or in any shelter. She is no less deserving of a home where she feels safe, secure and happy than the well-behaved healthy homeless dogs.

And this is an amazing adoption story because it's a story of commitment. This is one of the rarest words I hear and one of the rarest behaviors I see these days. We have become a society where few people are committed. In Sesame's case, she experienced this from her fosters, her potential new mom and even trainers. How sad that so many gave up on her so quickly.

And how sad that they missed out on such an absolutely amazing dog. Congratulations to Melanie and Mike for their new addition.

And congratulations to Sammy, for finally finding her place in this world where she matters.

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend and AARF Icon

2010-07-11T18:18:00.005-04:00

We lost a member of the AARF family this week. And more than that, we lost an icon of what AARF is, why we do what we do, and what we believe.

Bocelli was about 5 years old when he came to AARF. He was at a local county shelter, and was overwhelmed and terrified. Bocelli had more to overcome than most dogs - he was blind. An evaluation of his eyes by a specialist showed that he was almost certainly born blind. Bad and unethical breeding often results in birth defects, and Bocelli's blindness was likely caused by the breeding practices of an unscrupulous backyard breeder.

Bocelli also faced another challenge. He had severe separation anxiety. It was literally impossible to keep him safe in a house, even in a crate. Somehow, he would figure out how to get out of a crate, out of closed bedroom, even out a locked house. He just wanted to be with someone who could make him feel safe. So, we had a dog that couldn't be contained and was so stressed out when he was alone that he would get out of anywhere, and literally wander off blindly.

Bocelli was with AARF for around a year. And along the way, so many people wanted to give up on him -- vets, trainers, fosters, potential adopters. But we were not willing to give up on him.

Our motto is clear - "creating a world where every pet matters." And pets like Bocelli matter. We knew that there was someone out there who would be the perfect match for him. He would have the life he always deserved, and his new person or family would have one of the most loving, gentle and loyal dogs we had ever met.

That someone was Carroll. If ever there was an example of an absolute connection, Carroll and Bocelli were it. Bocelli picked Carroll, and within just a few hours, Bocelli and Carroll both knew he was home.

Over the years, Carroll worked consistently with Bocelli. He learned to feel comfortably staying alone, and his separation anxiety was markedly better. She took him to training, and he even passed his Canine Good Citizen test. Bocelli and Carroll became the motivation behind and faces of Silver Paws. They attended Kids N Kritters events and Silver Paws presentations at senior centers.

Over the past few months, Bocelli's health declined dramatically. He began to have seizures, and developed cognitive dysfunction. His arthritis progressed rapidly. But he continued to be the sweet and loyal Bocelli we all knew.

Over the July 4th weekend, Carroll knew it was time. Bocelli's quality of life had declined dramatically and his joy in life seemed to be gone. She made what is often one of the hardest, and most compassionate, decisions we can make as pet guardians. She let Bocelli go in the most loving and kind way.

Today, I am honoring the memory of this wonderful boy and his loving human companion. I hold both of them dear to my heart, and I have learned so much from them over the years. I know what it looks like to live in a world where every pet matters, because I watched them. Their lives together are the vision of what I want for every pet, and for every person that loves that pet.

Sleep well, my sweet friend. And know that your legacy will live on for years to come. Because of you, because of your life, and because of what you mean to what we do, many more lives will be saved.

Overwhelmed, But Still Motivated

2010-06-22T12:37:00.010-04:00

I am feeling overwhelmed today at just the sheer numbers of pets that are facing euthanasia. We are in the middle of kitten and puppy season, and I am reading emails almost hourly of mamas with puppies/kittens who will all die together. This is one of those family. Unless someone steps in before tomorrow morning, they will all leave us. We become a crueler, sadder world with every euthanasia, but I am particularly haunted by the killing of these very new lives and their devoted mothers who just want to take care of their new babies.

On most days, I can keep an eye on the long-term goals, and manage the heartbreak of knowing that we, as a community, allow the killing at least 219 animals a day because we, as a community, can't come up with a better solution. Every day, I look at every email and read about every pet that the shelters are trying to get out alive. It reminds me that even when I am tired, and frustrated, and angry, and broke, I need to just keep moving. It makes me continue to have some hope that eventually, we won't accept mass euthanasia as a viable animal control method.

But today, it's just overwhelming and sad and heartbreaking. Today, I feel the pain on a level that I don't often allow myself to feel. My challenge today becomes what to do with this pain. I can sit and just be sad. Or I can stay motivated. I can continue to work for these and other pets who face immediate death. I can continue to write grant proposals for more money to support our spay and neuter program.

And I can continue to ask you for help. Maybe you get tired of my asking. I understand. I am often tired, too. Maybe you think someone else will help this time. Sometimes, I think that, too. Then I get an email from a shelter rescue coordinator about pets that are still waiting after three or four pleas have been sent out. Maybe you are angry at me for asking again. That's ok -- I am often angry, too, at the people who refuse to make a lifelong commitment to the pets that rely on them.

I am asking for your help today. I am asking you to stay motivated and to stay engaged. I am asking you to take one action today that can help save the life of a pet who is danger of dying because we, as a community, are allowing it to happen. I am asking you to help keep me motivated.

These are the dogs and cats that are depending on you. Below are pictures of about 25% of the pets that I have been emailed about in the last hour before writing this post. Multiply this by 4 and then by 24, and you'll roughly imagine how many pets a day that I know are dying.

Pets Can't Read Maps, and Don't Know Their Phone Numbers

2010-06-10T12:04:00.004-04:00

We received two emails this week that just made me frustrated and sad. These weren't about cases of animal cruelty, or people trying to dispose of their pets because they had a baby or moving. While those reasons are common and infuriating, these two cases just make me realize how far we still have to go with educating pet owners.

The first was this email:

Dear AARF, We found the dogs standing in the middle of traffic in Tucker, GA. We took the dogs to a vet (DeKalb Animal Hospital) who scanned them for microchips. They had none, nor other identification. The vet guessed they were around three years old, and probably from the same litter. They are wearing collars with electric shock mechanisms. When fed a meal at the vets, they acted as if they hadn't eaten in a long time. They know the command SIT and took treats well. We will have to take them to the pound in the morning, as we cannot keep them.

Now, let's talk about the frustrating things in this email. First, these dogs had NO identification. No proper collar with a tag, no microchip, nothing. The only thing they were wearing was an electronic collar. I HATE electronic collars for so many reasons. (Click here to find out all of the reasons why I absolutely despise the use of shock collars as a method of containment, or for any reason, really.) My guess is that these dogs were left outside, in an unfenced area, when no one was home. Something peaked their interest and they ran through the boundary and tolerated the shock. Once they left their yard, why in the world would they cross the boundary and get shocked again to come back? So, off they went.

Because their owners relied on an ineffective containment method and neglected to put any kind of identification on them, these two dogs will now likely die at DeKalb County Animal Services.

The second email:

This is Oakley. He is a sweet, older male and was found with a pink Old Navy collar on, but no tags. His owner is listed as XXX, but the numbers are all wrong.

How did the rescuer know his name? Because he has a microchip! He was chipped at one of AARF's microchip clinics. We make the owners fill out the registration paperwork at the event, because about 70% of implanted microchips are never registered. But Oakley's owner moved at some point, and didn't bother to update her contact information. So, now sweet Oakley is in danger of ending up at animal control, because once again, his owner couldn't be bothered to put an ID tag on his collar and update his microchip information.

These are three dogs who should never be in the rescue system. They have families, somewhere. Because of their owners' negligence, they are now considers strays. And all three are at risk of dying in a shelter, because someone couldn't be bothered to put on a collar with an ID tag.

Don't let another 24 hours go by without outfitting your pets with proper identification. If your pet isn't microchipped, go to your vet for a chip or watch for our next microchip clinic. If your dog or cat is euthanized because he or she gets lost and has no ID, that's on you.

Remember, your pet doesn't know your phone number.

Biggest Bang for the Buck in Animal Welfare

2010-05-28T09:51:00.006-04:00

How can we make the biggest difference in animal welfare? The answer may not be as heartwarming as the story of an abused puppy or a box of cats turned in at animal control, but there is no doubt that the biggest bang for your buck is in spay/neuter programs.

I am always emotionally touched by stories of pets in severe need, and often we try to help those pets. We feel compelled to make a difference for that one dog or cat, and you, our supporters, always rise to the challenge of helping us make it a possibility. I continue to be awed by and grateful to our supporters.

But some parts of a broad animal welfare approach don't tug at the emotional heartstrings. A low-cost, widespread spay/neuter program is one of those parts. In the past three years, through our spay/neuter program called Casper's Fund, we have subsidized over 500 spay/neuter surgeries for Atlanta's pet owners. We have already hit the 200 mark for 2010, and we aren't even halfway through the year. Our program has prevented thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens from entering the rescue/abuse/stray cycle. And the pets who were fixed are healthier and happier as a result of not constantly dealing with the health and behavior complications that accompany an unfixed pet.

Spay/neuter isn't just good for the pets. For an investment of around $75, we can spay or neuter a dog or cat. On average, a cat may have 3 litters a year of 4-5 kittens, and dogs may have 2 litters a year of 6-10 puppies. So far in 2010, Casper's Fund may have prevented as many as 1500 puppies and kittens. These are pets that would be listed on Craig's List, given away outside of Walmart, abandoned at vet's offices or surrendered to animal control. Or even worse, many of these puppies and kittens are just dumped in fields or left on the side of the road.

Can you imagine the cost and resources needed to add 1500 more puppies and kittens into Atlanta's pet population? Your tax dollars pay for the ones that end up animal control. They are caught or trapped, housed and fed for the obligatory holding period, then euthanized. The cost per pet, even for those that stay 5 days and then are killed, is well over $75. For those that are lucky enough to make it to a rescue group, the cost to get them healthy and ready for a new home is $300-$400 minimum. For every $75 investment in spay/neuter, you can save the rescue groups at least $225.

We, as a community of pet lovers and animal welfare advocates, hate the killing that happens in Atlanta shelters. We lament the pet overpopulation problem, and often throw up our hands in frustration, asking "what can we do to really make a difference?"

The answer is very clear - support spay/neuter programs.

Our goal is to spay/neuter 200 pets between June 1 and August 1. In the midst of puppy and kitten season, we want to prevent as many pets from entering the homeless pet population as possible. Each pet requires a $75 investment for a spay/neuter surgery. We need your help to meet this goal.

Can you commit to fixing one in order to save hundreds?

Saving Pets is an Ongoing Effort

2010-05-16T20:17:00.006-04:00

The Paulding County shelter will be closing on May 28 for at least two weeks for renovation. During that time, the management of the shelter will also be changing. The Paulding County Marshal's Office is taking over the shelter, which has become a model shelter in the Atlanta metro area. The staff at the shelter are dedicated to giving the best care to the animals at the shelter, and getting as many as they can out alive. We'll have to wait and see what the new management does.

But those changes at the shelter are not the main subject of this post. Since the rescue community, media and Atlanta's citizens found out that any pets remaining on May 28 would be euthanized, the response has been overwhelming. The shelter was packed for the past 3 days, and shelter staff have been staying late, without pay, to finish adoptions. The Atlanta community has decided that killing these pets is not acceptable. These dogs, cats and other pets have done nothing to deserve their pending fate, and we, as a community, have responded to the call from the shelter staff to save them.

So far, nearly 150 pets have been adopted or transferred to rescue groups over the past 3 days. I am assuming this is a record for Paulding, and may be for any shelter in the Atlanta area. I am so grateful for the response, and the second chance that these pets give. But several dogs and cats are still there, and more are coming in every day. In a few days, when the media moves on to other stories, and the public is distracted by other stories, will the remaining pets have a chance? Or will they, and all of the other dogs and cats that come in this week, become just another statistic, and join the other 1533 pets that will in Atlanta between now and next Sunday?

1533 - that's 219 a day. That's the approximate number of pets that die in Atlanta shelters every day. While the response in Paulding has been inspiring, we, as a community, haven't yet saved one day's worth of pets. With this much media attention and call to action, we haven't yet saved 2% of the pets who will be euthanized in 2010.

But the response has given me hope. We ARE a community where killing is unacceptable. We are showing that we want a different outcome. We want something other than death for these dogs, cats and other animals that society has surrendered, abandoned and cast aside.

I am asking that we continue throughout the week to save the Paulding pets. Let's commit to not letting even one pet die because May 28 has arrived. But let's not stop there. Let's get the pets from Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas and all of the other counties that face the same overwhelming numbers of dogs and cats that they need to find homes for. Let's make space in the rescue groups -- every pet adopted from a rescue group makes space for a shelter pet. Can't adopt? Then foster. Can't foster? Then volunteer. Can't volunteer? Then donate. Don't leave the solution to someone else. For that one dog or cat who is waiting, there might not be someone else.

There is only you.

These are some of the pets still waiting at the Paulding shelter. Click here for directions to the shelter to save one of these dogs or cats. Want to foster one of these pets? Click here to fill out a foster application. Want to donate toward the care of Paulding pets that we save? Click here.

Stay tuned for details of the Paulding pets that are joining the AARF rescue program - a mom and her nursing kittens, a young husky mix, and more to join this week. Thank you to all of you who have donated so far - you are helping us save them.

Support the Pawsapalooza Groups!

2010-05-05T16:12:00.003-04:00

Want to support the groups that attended Pawsapalooza? Buy a 2010 "Unexpected Pit Bull" calendar and all of the proceeds will be split evenly among the groups that attended.

$10 price includes domestic shipping to a US address.

A Dollar a day Keeps the Dogs and Cats... Coming In

2010-05-05T12:40:00.005-04:00

How much change is at the bottom of your purse or on your dresser at home? Maybe you have a pile of pennies in the glove box of your car? Can you spare a dollar a day to save a life?

Organizations like AARF rely on the support and generosity of our community members that believe in what we are doing. Without you, all of you, we cannot continue to save dogs and cats for dying in shelters, or spay/neuter pets to prevent more unwanted puppies and kittens from becoming homeless, or teach children about the importance of kindness toward pets.

I am challenging every one that reads this post to commit for one month to donate a dollar a day. You can donate every day, as a way to remind yourself of the ongoing need for the rescue and advocacy work that we do. Or, you can donate just once, and check our site and read the weekly newsletters to learn about how you are helping us make a difference.

The next time you drive past a stray dog on the side of the road, or see the picture of a kitten in a shelter hoping for a new home before her time is up, think about those quarters floating around in your pocket. With everyone's help, we can make a difference.

Without you, we can't. Help us make May a month of celebration, hope and second chances for the pets who are waiting. They are waiting for you.

Pawsapalooza! 2010

2010-05-03T15:57:00.002-04:00

New Family Saved!

2010-04-26T11:52:00.009-04:00

Meet the newest family saved from euthanasia! This sweet momma cat and her 6 babies were rescued this weekend from the Paulding County shelter.

Keep an eye on the AARF website for updates about this sweet family.

**Each member of this family will cost AARF around $200 to be spayed/neutered and fully vaccinated before joining a new home. Please donate through one of the options to the right on this page to help get mom and her babies ready for their forever homes.**

A Cathartic Post - Maybe I'll Feel Better

2010-04-08T11:34:00.006-04:00

This is Clementine. We pulled her and her sister Isabella (affectionately Clemmie and Izzy) from the DeKalb County shelter in December 2009. They had been abandoned by their owner, and lived on their own in the house for nearly a month before the landlord found them. They had been sick at the shelter, and one was recommended for euthanasia (we don't know which one). She wasn't euthanized, and she wasn't treated either. They were being held in the wildlife room at the shelter, and no one had stepped forward for them.

We decided to give them a chance. These girls have come such a long way in just a few months. They were terrified, especially Izzy. They didn't (and still won't) eat dry food, and sometimes go for days without eating wet food. We have to try a variety of different foods every day, just to keep them nourished and hydrated.

In the four months they have been with us, they have learned to play, have discovered the joys of a good brush, and have claimed their spots on the bed at night. They have been living the life they should have had all along. Their recovery from their past has not at all been easy. But their lives are so worth it.

Now, we are preparing to say goodbye to one of them. Our sweet Clemmie has been diagnosed with FIP, an evil disease that ravages the bodies of those cats it grabs hold of. There is no cure, and it is always 100% fatal. Once symptoms appear, the goal is to keep them comfortable and happy until they aren't anymore. Then, we do the best thing we can for them, and we'll do it for her.

Clemmie is our second FIP cat in a year. It seems that we take in the ones that no one else wants, and often there is a price. They struggle with health or behavioral issues. They are, by all reasonable terms, unadoptable. We often have to say goodbye to them before we should.

Ours is a heartwrenching endeavor.

Sometimes I just wish I could turn off the part of the me that so passionately cares, and just walk away. Or maybe, I could endeavor to save old buildings. At least when they would be knocked down anyway, despite my best efforts, I wouldn't have to grieve for lives I couldn't save, or ones that I could save but lost anyway. I wouldn't have to feel the overwhelming grief of knowing that this little life is dying, and in just days, it will be time for me to make the final decision to end the dying process for her, because I care so much, not because I don't.

So, why am I writing this today? I don't need emails telling me how inspiring this is, or how you think I am so awesome. I don't feel inspiring or awesome - I feel incredibly sad and broken. Your accolades aren't comfort. I am writing this today because I need to say it. I need to let out my sadness and grief, so when I go home, I can be a happier person for Clemmie to be around. She doesn't need, or deserve, my grief. I try really hard to use this blog to write uplifting, inspiring comments that might spur you to action. Today, I need to just be sad. And I need you to know how hard this is.

Inspiring Story of Hope and Second Chances

2010-04-05T15:18:00.005-04:00

Zoe is a 7-8 year old shepherd mix that was hit by a car and left for dead with a shattered leg in a county where drivers have been known to simply drive around injured animals instead of stopping to help them. She was picked up by an animal control officer and taken to a shelter with one of the highest euthanasia rates in metro Atlanta. The veterinarian on duty for the shelter that day determined that her leg was irreparably damaged and had to be removed in order for her to survive. She also had some head trauma. The shelter was already operating near capacity and didn’t have the resources to treat this type of injury, so her prognosis was grim. Throughout the ordeal, Zoe, although shy and in intense pain, was exceptionally calm and sweet. While the vet was examining her leg, she laid her head down on the animal control officer’s lap and fell asleep. She truly seemed to savor any and all kindness and affection that the shelter staff would show her. Although all odds seemed to be against her, the vet gave her a fighting chance at a new life by taking her home with him and performing the amputation on his own accord.

Despite such a generous act on the behalf of the vet, she still wasn’t out of the woods. Zoe would need to find a spot with a rescue to help her recover. AARF received an urgent email from the shelter’s adoption coordinator asking all local rescues to take this sweet, but down on her luck, girl. It had been a tough year for our organization, and many of us were suffering from compassion fatigue, but we just couldn’t ignore their plea for help. We knew that because of her age and the extent of her injuries there weren’t many rescues that would be able to help. We quickly made room for her and got her into a loving foster home. Soon after, we found out that she was also heartworm positive.

We think Zoe was abused before finding AARF. She belonged to someone at some point, as she was already spayed when she was picked up by animal control. However, she would cower anytime she heard a loud voice or noise. It seemed as if she was always expecting someone to yell at her. She was afraid to eat or go to the bathroom if someone was nearby. Her foster family noticed that she didn’t want to come out of her crate, and they were afraid that she was giving up and shutting down.

We brought a trainer in to work with Zoe and her new foster family, and the transformation we have seen in her is amazing. She no longer tries to disappear into her crate for hours on end. In fact, she doesn’t spend much time in the crate at all anymore. She has been following her foster parents around the house and sleeps next to them at night. She has bonded with the other dogs in the house and is beginning to play. She feels better, and is learning to get along rather well on only three legs. Zoe will be done with her heartworm treatment in about 2 weeks, and will then be ready for a permanent home.

Watching Zoe recover and thrive in her foster home has breathed new life into our board members and volunteers. If Zoe can overcome as much adversity as she has, then we really can’t complain about our jobs being hard. When we brought her into the program, we expected to save one dog, but Zoe has inspired us to work harder and push forward. We are now more motivated than ever to accomplish our mission and create a world where every pet matters.

** Zoe is available for adoption. If you are interested in adopting her, you can fill out an application here.**

Don't Threaten Me with Buying a Pet

2010-03-09T16:39:00.004-05:00

Threatening a rescue worker that you'll just go buy a pet is offensive, shameful, and really quite childish. Over 200 pets a day die in Atlanta, about 4 MILLION a year in the US. Most of us who work in rescue do this for free. We hold down regular 40+ hour a week jobs, and spend our free time and any extra dollars we can save trying to save pets from dying in shelters or on the streets.

AARF recently had a young Siamese cat, Cassanova, for adoption. We don't have a preference for pure breed pets. Anyone who has followed AARF for any length of time knows this. He just happened to need placement, and we just happened to have space.

As you can imagine, we received several applications for him. People seemed to appear out of nowhere, desperate to adopt Cassanova and insisting they and their families had already fallen in love with them. (Remember, at this point in the process, no one had actually met Cassanova).

When Cassanova found his family, and I let all of the adopters know that he had been adopted and wished them the best of luck on finding a new addition to their family, I received this response:

"Congratulations to the new family.

This process really is sounding more like a government project and less like a pet adoption. Our back-up plan is to swipe the debit card at the local pet store. We'll have our new Siamese cat in a matter of minutes without all of the red tape.

Regards."

I can't tell you how many times we get this response, this tantrum.

Let me tell you something else about this adopter. He has an unneutered male dog, and was irritated that we asked why he wasn't neutered. He didn't seem to think that an unaltered dog was any kind of problem, and plainly told me so.

It's amazing how many people want to lash out at me, at us, at rescuers, because they can't get the pet they want right now. And he hadn't even met Cassanova. Why isn't his back-up plan to go to the county shelter and get a cat? Or to meet another cat available for adoption? I actually really love Siamese cats, and have a few that were overlooked at the shelter. They are not in the greatest health and have some socialization issues. But I also really love the "regular" cats - the tabbies, the tuxedos, the black cats, and the hodge-podge cats. Why are they any less deserving of a good home and a second chance.?

If a potential adopter has a tantrum and threatens to buy a pet, it never has the effect I think they hope for. I don't want to rush out and find them a pet. I never feel guilty that they didn't get to adopt. In fact, I feel the opposite. I worry about the puppy or kitten mill pet they buy from a backyard breeder or an unethical pet store. How long before that pet is sick, or pees on the floor, or scratches the furniture, or simply becomes a chore?

I know they'll find us again then. And they'll throw another tantrum about how we won't take that pure breed dog or cat with papers.

How Much Does a Pet Cost?

2010-02-18T15:23:00.005-05:00

AARF is raising our adoption fees. Starting March 1, adoption fees for dogs will be $225 and cats will be $150.

I know there will be complaints. I know some of our supporters will say those fees are too high. I have heard it before - "If you really want to find homes for those pets, why don't you just give them away or charge what the shelters charge?"

Do you know how much it costs to rescue a pet and get him/her ready for a new home? The ASPCA has a detailed chart outlining the costs of a new pet. For dogs, the estimated first year cost is between $1314 and $1843. For cats, the first year cost is $1035. This costs include spay/neuter, initial vaccines, supplies, food, ongoing medical cost, bowls, collars, etc.

For each pet in the AARF program, we provide spay/neuter, full vaccines, testing for heartworms for dogs and FIV/FeLV for cats, and a microchip. We also buy them all collars, leashes, litter boxes, and toys. And we feed them every day. And if an emergency arises, we cover those medical costs, too.

Our intial vetting costs are approximately $350 per dog and $300 per cat (and these are prices with generous discounts from our partner veterinarians and spay/neuter clinics). Even if we had no other costs, the newly raised adoption fee won't cover the vetting costs. And rarely do the expenses stop there. Pets coming out of shelters almost always have respiratory infections. Many dogs need training to help with socialization to get them ready for a new home. Sometimes they need to be boarded when the foster parent is out of town. All dogs need heartworm preventative medication. And every pet needs to eat, every day.

AARF spends about $700-$800 per year per dog and $600-$700 per year per cat while they wait for new homes. Some are more, much more, very few are less. So, we "lose" about $500 with every adoption. If we were running a business, we would have shut down years ago.

Thankfully, we have incredibly generous donors and great fundraising planners, and we somehow find ways to make up a lot of that $500 loss. But we don't always, and we rely on the flexibility of others who help us get these pets ready for new homes to keep doing the work we do.

So, is it wrong to ask the new families to contribute $25 more toward the cost of getting their new pet healthy, socialized and ready for their home? If someone walks away from a pet over the raised adoption fee, they probably would also walk away from a pet when he or she is sick or needs training or needs extra care.

I never want AARF to be accused of making it too expensive to adopt a pet. We aren't trying to make money, or eliminate adopters because they can't pay the adoption fee. But even at the new prices of $225 for dogs and $150 for cats, our adopters are getting a deal.

** On a side note, I don't mind if AARF is accused of being too stringent or having too difficult of an adoption process. Read our volunteer director Melanie's thoughts about "tough" adoption policies, and why we feel our process is so critical. **

The Lives We Can't Save

2010-02-16T11:02:00.006-05:00

Last week, we got a call from our adoption coordinator (who also works at a local county shelter) about the sweetest puppy that was there.

She was only 14 weeks and was a staff favorite. But she had been passed over for adoption and rescue because she had demodex, one of the forms of mange. Demodex is usually highly treatable and not contagious. Knowing how much this little girl was loved by the staff, we wanted to try to help. We put out a plea to our foster and volunteer list, hoping that someone would want to give this girl a chance.

We got several responses from people who were willing to bring this little one home, and try to help her have a second chance start on life. We even had an offer from a vet to treat her mange for free.

The morning we had planned to move her from the shelter to the vet's office, she began to act sick. The shelter clinic staff suspected parvo, and when they tested her, the test came back positive. With her already compromised immune system, the shelter decided to euthanize her. We found out after the decision, and the euthanization, had already happened, so there was nothing we could do, but mourn the loss of this little life that we never even got to meet but were already committed to. I cried when I found out, not only for her, but for all of the ones we can't save. Rescue work is difficult, often emotionally draining and painful.

I get at least 10 emails a day into my personal AARF email, and AARF gets 2-3 times that number, about pets that need help. Some of the local shelters send out almost daily lists of dogs and cats of all ages, sizes and breeds that will be euthanized if no one comes for them. Individuals who have picked up a dog or cat running down the street or huddled up in their yard and need help email and call us, hoping we have an open space to take the pet. And unfortunately, about 1/3 of our calls and emails come from people who simply don't want the responsibility of caring for their own pet anymore.

I look at every email, and every picture. My heart aches for each life that we can't save. They are all deserving, and all need safe shelter where they will never face homelessness, abandonment or euthanasia again.

But we can't save them all. And I know that. We could build the biggest shelter ever, with space for hundreds of dogs and cats, and clean out every shelter in Atlanta. And in less than a week, every shelter would be full again. There simply are not enough homes or shelter spaces or foster homes for all of those pets who need us.

But we can make a difference for one pet at a time. In the same week that we said goodbye to this little life, we also saved another one that needed us. Zoe is a 5 year old shepherd mix who had been hit by a car and left for dead. She was picked up by the same shelter that had the sweet puppy, and the vet there amputated her leg and got her back on her way to health. Zoe is now in a foster home, recovering from her surgery and learning to trust people again. Soon, she'll start heartworm treatment to continue her journey toward a happy and healthy life.

I take comfort in knowing we saved Zoe. And I'll continue to hold this sweet puppy in my mind and heart, not as sadness, but as motivation. There are so many Zoes and so many unnamed puppies, and cats and kittens, and rabbits, and birds, and creatures of all shapes and sizes who need us.

We have created a world where they need to be saved. And it is our responsibility to save them. And we have a duty to create a world where every one of these lives matter, even the lives we can't save.

Help Stop "The Michael Vick Project"

2010-02-09T11:30:00.003-05:00

Convicted dog fighter Michael Vick is being rewarded again for his behavior. He is now starring in "The Michael Vick Project," a reality show based on him and his return to the NFL. This show only exists because Vick bankrolled a dog fighting ring and personally participated in the torture and killing of dogs who didn't perform up to standards. If he was just a regular NFL quarterback without the dog fighting conviction, he certainly would not have been offered this show. So, he is, in effect, being rewarded for being a convicted felon and animal abuser.

I am disappointed in BET for producing and airing this show. But no matter our level of protests, I don't think they'll stop airing it.

But we can stop the show by stopping the advertising during the show. Letters of concern have already convinced Denny's to pull its ads off the air during the show. Your letters, emails and phone calls can convince other sponsors to pull their ads, too. With no advertising support, BET would have no option but to pull the show.

Your two minute email can make a difference. Please email, write or call the sponsors below and ask them to stop advertising during "The Michael Vick Project."

Nivea - http://www2.nivea.com/preview/preview_popup.php?mid=0&target=/services/faqs/faq_intro.php

Buick - http://www.buick.com/pages/mds/helpcenter/contactUs.do

Bally Fitness - http://www.ballyfitness.com/contact-us.aspx?culture=en

Nationwide Insurance - http://www.nationwide.com/contact-us.jsp

Footlocker - http://www.footlocker.com/customerserv/help:contactUs/

Chevy - http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/mds/helpcenter/contactUs.do

Applebee's - http://www.applebees.com/GuestContact.aspx

Pizza Hut - http://www.pizzahut.com/contactus/contactlanding.aspx

Sprint - http://www.sprint.com/contactus/

Broadview Security (formerly Brinks Security) - http://www.broadviewsecurity-home.com/contactus.htm

L'Oreal -http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/tools/contact/consumer/index.aspx

Dave and Buster's - http://www.daveandbusters.com/Misc/ContactUs.aspx

When Disaster Strikes

2010-01-21T14:01:00.004-05:00

I have been to Haiti twice. The country has been in the grips of unimaginable poverty and unaccountable governance for decades. The pain and despair felt by the vast majority of the population, and the vast majority of the animals, is literally indescribable.

I am heartbroken every time I turn on the news and see coverage of the devastation that has just overtaken Port-au-Prince. I grieve for the people who have lost family and friends, and for those whose loved ones have simply disappeared. And my heart aches for the thousands of animals left behind to fend for themselves in such an unforgiving environment.

We all want to do something right now. We want to make an immediate difference in what's happening. You can text your donation to the Red Cross in mere seconds. And some international animal welfare groups have begun preparing for efforts to help Haiti's pets when they are allowed to join the relief teams in Port-au-Prince.

I am not telling you not to donate toward these efforts. In fact, I know that right now, every single dollar helps. But I am asking you to think about your response to this disaster.

First, make sure that the money you are donating is actually going to the right organizations who will do the right things with it. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) are spearheading a coalition of animal welfare organizations to go into Haiti as soon as they can. I have a great deal of respect for both of these organizations, and can feel relatively confident that they will do what they say they are going to do. (Learn more about their efforts here.) Unfortunately, not every organization that is collecting money to help the animals in Haiti will actually do it. Some may spend 10% of every donated dollar on the animals, and the rest will support overhead, marketing, fundraising and staff. And some will "rescue" a few animals, fly them back to the US, and collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. When the donations stop, they'll deem the animals unadoptable, and euthanize them. I am sure this is not what you intend for your donation to do.

Second, I ask that you think about what motivates you to act at this time, and in this situation, but not at other times or other situations. Is it the immediacy of the disaster? I can guarantee you that at least 200 dogs and cats in Atlanta today (whatever day you are reading this) are facing the immediate risk of death at county shelter. Is it the painful images that you are seeing? Is it the non-stop media attention that is compelling you to take action? What motivates you not just to care, but to take action?

Then, think about how to sustain that level of caring and concern, whether about the people or the pets. What will motivate you to still want to do something in a year, 6 months, or even next week?

Disaster is preventable. Perhaps we could not have stopped the earthquake that hit Haiti. But if we as a global community had cared enough for the people of Port-au-Prince to take action for the last 30 years, the city would not have been overcrowded, the building standards would have been better, the government would have been better prepared to help its own people, and the death toll would be minimal. The infrastructure to care for displaced people and pets would have been sustainable.

The disaster of daily killing of 200 pets a day in Atlanta is preventable, too. We are facing chronic disaster conditions, and we seem, as a community, to wait until the unthinkable happens before we are motivated to act.

Let's act now to save as many lives as we can, both people and animals. But let's think bigger and longer than that. Let's get motivated, and stay motivated, to create a world where this kind of death and despair becomes impossible, because we have created a world that simply won't allow it.

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Rescue Group?

2010-01-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

Do you know how much it costs to run a rescue group? We are all volunteers, so no one receives a salary (although our goal is to change that in 2010!). So, what expenses do we have?

1) Vet costs - Each new pet that enters AARF needs vet care upon becoming an AARF foster pet. Our average cost of initial vetting is roughly $350 per dog and $300 per cat. Ongoing vet care is less, but every pet needs monthly flea and heartworm preventative, regular vaccine updates, and trips to the vet for any emergencies or illnesses that arise. Our vet costs average $1500 per month.

2) Program costs - You know and love the AARF programs like Kids N Kritters, Casper's Fund, and Silver Paws. While we have grant money to pay for the surgery costs with Casper's Fund, all of the rest of our programming costs come from our general budget. Often, our programming is limited only by the availability of funds. With additional support, we could visit more schools, take in more senior pets, and fix more pets. Our monthly program costs not covered by grants average around $800 per month currently, but we really need $1200 per month to expand the programs

3) Administrative costs - We wish we didn't have them, but we do. We have to pay to print brochures and business cards, host our website, mail adoption packets, have a bank account, etc. We try very hard to keep those costs to a minimum, but we can't run a business, even a non-profit animal rescue business, without them. Our monthly administrative costs are currently a small portion of our budget at around $250 per month, but we still have to cover those costs.

4) Miscellaneous costs - How often do you have unexpected expenses in your monthly budget? That happens to us, too. We try to have maintain a cushion of at least $500 for unexpected vet emergencies or program costs, but for most of 2009, we didn't have the funds to maintain this fund. Your donation can help us rebuild our emergency fund.

So, at a mimimum, it costs about $3000 a month to meet our expenses. Can you help us meet that goal?

Think about possible ways you could donate without even noticing. Maybe you can give up one fancy coffee drink a week, and commit to donating $20 per month. Maybe you forgo one meal out per month, and donate $30 a month. Maybe you can save your change throughout the month, and donate $5 each month. Or maybe you are in a more fortunate situation, and you are able to commit to a helping us reach 5% of our budget each month ($150).

Whatever amount you can and want to commit, we need you. Every dollar does make a difference to that dog, cat, puppy and kitten who is facing euthanasia at a county shelter. It makes a difference to every child who learns how to be compassionate toward pets during a school presentation. It makes a difference to every pet who is fixed through Casper's Fund.

We need you in 2010. You know we are trying to create a world where every pet matters. We can't do it without you.

Saying Thanks Where It's Often Not Heard

2009-12-16T15:52:00.001-05:00

This holiday season, I want to ask you to remember some people who rarely get the appreciation that they deserve. Each county in the Atlanta metro area has an animal control shelter. Most of the shelters don't have the staff and resources they need, and operate instead on a shoestring budget. The staff who work at these shelters see the worst in our community - the people who bring in their pets because they are no longer cute or healthy, the stray and abandoned animals picked up off the streets, and the inhumane cruelty cases of pets seized by the county because their owners have abused them. These shelters can't turn anyone away, and in this tough economy, there is rarely any space for incoming pets.

At every shelter, there are at least a few people who really care about the pets and want to see them leave the shelter and head to new homes. At many shelters, the whole staff is committed to saving as many pets as possible, and maintaining as high a quality of life for the pets in the facility as possible. The rescue coordinators at these shelters spend their days, and many of their evenings and weekends, desperately trying to find ways for pets to leave the shelters alive.

I have found that the workers at these shelters are all lumped into a stereotype of the uncaring "dog catcher" with no compassion or respect for the pets in their care. I'll be honest, I know at some shelters in Atlanta, that stereotype rings true. Those shelters deserve our attention to change the way the shelters are staffed and administered. But I honestly think those types of shelter workers are the exception. In my experience, most of the shelter workers in Atlanta are hardworking, compassionate people who would do anything to save the animals facing euthanasia in their shelters.

During this holiday season, take a moment to remember and appreciate the people that work at your county shelter. Tell them that you understand and appreciate the life and death decisions that they are forced to make every day. Take them a box of holiday cookies, or even just a Christmas card to wish them happy holidays. And commit yourself to helping them in their mission by donating supplies, money or time. Their mission is the same as all of ours.

Click here for a list of county animal control shelters.

Please Don't Wait for Someone Else

2009-12-09T10:24:00.002-05:00

I want to write something that will motivate every single person who reads this to take one action today. I want to convince you that what you do, or don't do, really does matter.

In the last week, I have been overwhelmed with the battle we are fighting. This doesn't mean I am discouraged, or unmotivated, or even feel defeated. It just means I need to recruit more people to the fight. That means you.

Last Sunday, Michael Vick returned to Atlanta. A few protesters showed up outside the stadium. Unfortunately, his supporters far outnumbered them. People in Vick jerseys, with supportive signs, began tailgating in the early morning. When Michael Vick scored a touchdown during the game, the crowd went wild with excitement. Keep in mind, Vick plays for the Eagles, the other team! The people in the stands were cheering for a convicted dog fighter from the other team! Michael Vick has become simultaneously a victim and a hero to so many people. It's hard for me to even wrap my head around it. But it tells us that we live in a society where dog fighting is still socially acceptable, and punishing someone like Vick can turn him into even more of a hero. On Monday, one day after the game, I got an email about a pit bull that had her lips cut off by her owner after she lost a fight.

Have you taken any action to stop dog fighting, or to try to save pit bulls from the hands of those that have so tortured and abused them? We need you in this fight.

A few days ago, I got an email from a rescue coordinator at a local county shelter. In one day, the shelter received over 40 owner surrenders. That means 40 animals were brought in by their families and turned in to the shelter, knowing they faced almost immediate euthanasia because there was no space. The same shelter sent out a plea for the dozens of cats at the shelter who needed to be rescued or adopted. This morning, that same hardworking rescue coordinator emailed that not one person or rescue group had responded to her pleas for help.

Have you taken any action to save a pet from dying in a shelter? Have you adopted from a shelter, or fostered a pet waiting for a home? Have you sponsored a pet in a rescue organization? Have you donated newspaper or towels to your county shelter? Have you selected just one pet in danger of dying and made it your mission to find that pet a home? We need you in this fight.

And finally, yesterday, I got an email from a rescue coordinator at another county shelter about two puppies that were seized as part of a cruelty case. The puppies were only about 3-4 months old. They were starving and had their legs duct-taped together, so they couldn't even try to escape their cruel situation. The shelter wants to get these two puppies into a home -- they have been trying for over a month, and no group or individual has stepped forward.

Have you taken any action to strengthen laws in your city, county or state against animal cruelty? Have you looked the other way when you see cruelty? Have you supported local shelters or rescue groups that are caring for dogs and cats that have been abused? We need you in this fight.

I know you care. I know sometimes it's too hard to look at, and you want to look away. I know you are touched by the stories. But I also know you sometimes think someone else will take care of it. I know sometimes you are thankful for the groups like ours that take care of these issues, so that you don't have to.

But we need you in this fight. The 4 million pets in the US that are euthanized need you in this fight. The loyal and loving pit bulls who are forced to fight each other, and the thousands of bait dogs and cats that also suffer in the dog fighting world, need you in this fight. The cats at the local shelter, crammed into overcrowded cages because their owners were irresponsible and uncaring, need you in this fight. And those two starving puppies with their legs duct taped together, need you in this fight.

Please, please, do one thing today to make a difference. Don't wait for someone else to do it. Someone else is waiting for you.

I need you to be in this fight.

Spay/Neuter Does Make a Difference

2009-11-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

For every 1 person born, 15 dogs and 45 cats are also born. Sadly, only one in ten will find a home. Pet overpopulation is the number one problem for domestic animals in America. Some homeless dogs and cats just roam the streets. In Atlanta alone, almost 100,000 pets a year are euthanized in animal shelters. There are just not enough homes for all of the pets.

But surely my one cat or dog can’t make that much difference?

Two uncontrolled breeding cats, plus all their kittens and all their kittens’ kittens, if none were ever neutered or spayed, in the first fifteen years could theoretically add up to:

2 litters per year

2.8 surviving kittens per litter

10 year breeding life for each cat

80 million cats!

Our spay/neuter program, Casper's Fund, subsidizes over 200 spay/neuter surgeries per year for Atlanta's pet owners. Often, these owners don't qualify for the free programs, but don't have enough left over each month to afford the $300+ for a spay or neuter surgery at a local vet. Our participants either volunteer for 5 hours or make a small-copay in exchange for a subsidy for their surgery. We work with local spay/neuter clinics who accept our vouchers.

We want to make sure that every pet owner who wants to get their pet fixed is able to do so. We never disqualify anyone who wants to do the right thing for their dog or cat. In the long run, every pet we help spay/neuter means potentially hundreds of puppies and kittens that won't die in shelters or on the streets.

Help us expand our spay/neuter program to fix more pets, and to help owners afford annual preventative care, such as heartworm tests and rabies vaccinations. Click here to make a donation.

Spay/neuter might not give us the warm fuzzy feelings that our adoption stories do. But I am moved every time I read a survey from one of our participants that says they would not have gotten their pet fixed otherwise. I know that our program is making a difference.

If You Build It, Will They Come?

2009-10-29T12:04:00.002-04:00

We all know the famous line from Field of Dreams -- "If you build it, they will come."

It's a nice idea, really. Sometimes I try to apply that to what we do with AARF, and to the animal welfare community as a whole. If we just do things the right way, if we work with the best intentions and follow the best policies, then pets will be saved. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way at all.

Unfortunately, animal welfare works just like any other business. Those with the flashiest advertisements, the slickest campaigns and the most immediate products get the most customers. What does this mean for animal welfare?

It means no one really wants to hear about the long, hard struggle to make things change. As a community, we want tidy problems and quick solutions. But pet overpopulation and mass euthanasia isn't tidy. And the solutions aren't quick.

So, why is the problem messy? It's messy because we have over a hundred years of a model of catching, housing, and then killing homeless pets. While many unlimited intake shelters have improved dramatically in conditions, adoption rates and euthanasia methods over the past 20 years, we still, as a national community, allow the killing of millions of pets a year. In Atlanta, we kill almost 100,000 pets a year (about 219 a day). It happens usually in a back room of a shelter, and the bodies are never seen. The bins of collars are thrown away or donated to adopters or rescue groups. In many counties, prisoners in the county jail are forced to carry the bodies outside to be disposed. It's a messy, ugly and painful process for those that have to do it. But we don't want to see it, so we don't. We don't like messy.

But there is a better way. And it's not tidy either. It involves protesting, agitating and demanding. Change is often messy and long. No one ever easily gives up the status quo, even when the status quo is clearly wrong.

So, let's start a messy, long change here in Atlanta. Let's go no-kill.

Start with your local community. Call your mayor, city council member, county commissioner or other responsible official, and tell him or her that killing animals for the simple reason that it's always been done is no longer acceptable. Tell him/her that becoming a no-kill community is important to you, and that you vote.

Then, start with your county animal control. Almost every county in the Atlanta metro area has an animal control facility. The vast majority of these shelters are filled with compassionate people who care about the animals and absolutely hate euthanasia. They would so much rather see each animal leave in the arms of a loving family than in a body bag. They need your help. Volunteer for a day to walk dogs, clean cat cages, post flyers of adoptable pets around town, do laundry, anything that they need. They'll appreciate your help, and so will the animals.

Next, get in touch with an animal rescue/adoption organization (like AARF). Most of us are all-volunteer organizations, which means we rely on people like you. Maybe you can foster a pet. You'll be amazed at the transformation you see in a dog or cat that leaves a county shelter and blossoms in your home. And what a feeling you'll have when that pet finds a home for the rest of his or her life. Can't foster? No problem. We have plenty of ways to get involved. In fact, we have been able to use just about every person that has ever volunteered. We'll find something for your to do, and every minute you volunteer will make a difference.

Finally, take care of your own pets. Make sure all of your pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines and are wearing tags. You'd be amazed how many pets enter shelters with collars on, but have tags and aren't microchipped. These pets are loved and missed, but sadly, many are euthanized, too, because the shelter workers have no idea how to get in touch with you.

So, if we build it, will they come? If we build the framework for a no-kill community, will our leaders and the rest of our friends and neighbors come with us. I hope, and believe, the answer is yes.

But the building process will be messy, long and tiresome. Roll up your sleeves and pick up a hammer.

So Pets are Good for You!

2009-10-06T13:02:00.001-04:00

Read about new studies exploring the health benefits of pets, especially for children. In contrast to the hundreds of emails we get every year that begin with "I just had a baby and now need to get rid of my dog/cat," these studies show how valuable pets can be for children, especially those with physical, mental or emotional difficulties.

A dog or cat, when matched well and trained, can be the best therapist you can offer your child.

Debunking Dominance Theory

2009-09-01T08:52:00.005-04:00

Using dominance theory to understand, explain and shape dog behavior is reckless, dangerous, and scientifically out of date. Look through my blog posts -- you'll see that I have talked about this on several occasions.

Why am I so adamant about this? Why do I continue to post comments that often lead to critical, and sometimes, attacking emails from those of you who read my blog? Because I care too deeply about the dogs in our lives. Using dominance theory applications to shape your dog's behavior puts you at risk of an aggressive response, puts your dog through considerable emotional and physical stress, and can permanently damage your bond with your loving companion.

But it works, you may argue. Where have you seen dominant, aggressive training tactics work for long-term success? On TV? Remember, television is an entertainment medium. Do you believe everything you see on television? Are all of those "reality" shows that are so popular really real? Remember the outdoor survivalist who was exposed for sleeping in hotels at night when the cameras were turned off? Not all that is shown on television is complete, honest and truthful. Where else have you seen it work? Does your neighbor use dominant pack theory to train his dog? If so, watch his dog's subtle behaviors. I guarantee that the dog will be nervous, jumpy and never look like confident and completely at ease. Is this the kind of "training" you want to provide for your best friend?

So, you may get mad at me. You may completely disagree with me and tell me I am just plain wrong. But, experience and science back me up. Dominance theory is wrong, and doesn't work. Please read through the links below and really analyze why you believe, and perhaps apply, this incorrect theory on dog behavior.

Using 'Dominance' To Explain Dog Behavior Is Old Hat

Dominance in domestic dogs—useful construct or bad habit?

Debunking Dominance Theory

Action Alert - Support National Feral Cat Day

2009-08-26T08:58:00.001-04:00

National Feral Cat Day (NFCD) is your opportunity to help protect and improve the lives of cats in Atlanta!

We know how much you care about cats and want to help protect them. Now you can celebrate NFCD by reaching out to others with the message that feral cats are healthy and happy outdoors and that Trap-Neuter-Return improves cats' lives. Get involved and show your support for stray and feral cats this year. All donations will be used to subsidize spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats and to buy food and shelter for feral cat colonies.

With your help, we can truly make a difference in cats’ lives. You can be their voice—on National Feral Cat Day, and all year round.

To learn more about feral cats and other ways you can get involved, visit Alley Cat Allies.

Action Alert - Help Support HR 3501

2009-08-24T10:35:00.002-04:00

A bill pending in Congress would give pet owners tax deductions for having pets. H.R. 3501 introduced by Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI) is also known as the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years or HAPPY Act.

The bill notes that according to the "2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of United States households own a pet" and "Human-Animal Bond has been shown to have positive effects upon people's emotional and physical well-being".

Under the bill, H.R. 3501, pet owners could deduct expenses for the care, including veterinary care, of a pet up to $3,500 per year. Pet is defined as a "legally owned, domesticated, live animal". Animals used for research or held in conjunction with a business or similar use don't count.

This bill will save animal lives and help keep them in their homes.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Help pass the HAPPY Act, H.R. 3501 by contacting your U.S. representative found here and urging him or her to co-sponsor or vote yes for this bill!

How Vick Can Show "Genuine Remorse"

2009-07-28T08:52:00.003-04:00

I am a football fan. And I am a pit bull fan. And I am from Atlanta. So the Michael Vick "case" is personal to me.

Michael Vick admittedly and undeniably bankrolled, organized and participated in the abuse, torture and killing of countless dogs, many of whom are now rehabilitated and have left behind the years they spent under Vick's cruel thumb.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has conditionally reinstated Michael Vick to the league. While I disagree with this decision, and had hoped that he would be banned for life from the NFL, the truth is that Vick brings a lot of publicity, and publicity makes money. He will play again in the NFL, despite our outrage and disappointment at the decision. The NFL rarely bans anyone for life, including those convicted of domestic violence, drunk driving, and battery. Vick won't be banned for hurting "just dogs," acts that he simply describes as "mistakes." (Read Peggy Drexler's thoughts on Vick's possible return to the NFL, too.)

So, how do we, as a community of animal welfare activists and pet lovers, respond? Part of Goodell's conditions insist that Vick must show "genuine remorse" for his actions. How exactly should he do that? Let's help Goodell with suggestions. The Animal Law Coalition has developed an extensive list of actions that Vick can take to attempt to show remorse. If you are angered and disappointed by Goodell's decision, turn that anger into action.

If the team in your city shows even the slightest interest in signing Michael Vick, let the team owners and managers know your opinion. The owners of the New York Giants, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys have already said they have no interest in Vick. Send them a note of appreciation for their decisions.

Do something locally. Does your city have even one dogfighter? In Atlanta, we have more than our fair share of breeding and training for dog fights, and our city and surrounding areas boast a highly hospitable environment for fights. The HSUS offers a $5000 reward for tips that result in prosecution of dog fighters. Make the call.

Turn in people who are breeding and selling "game stock" pit bulls. In Georgia, it is illegal to breed and sell dogs without a license from the state Department of Agriculture. A quick perusal of Craig's List on any given day will give you contact information for several pit bull breeders (among others). Report them as unlicensed breeders to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Don't assume that someone else will take action, so you don't need to. They won't. So, if you don't do it, probably no one will. Take 5 minutes each day to do something to make a difference. They depend on us for that. They depend on you.

Nip and Tigger at Camp Kitty

2009-07-24T11:29:00.002-04:00

Check out what AARF kitties, Nip and Tigger, have been up to at Camp Kitty. These two wonderful cats have been patiently waiting for a forever home where they can be together. Let's get these two boys into their forever home!

To fill out an application for Nip and Tigger, just click their names.

Go the Extra Mile for Homeless Pets!

2009-07-24T10:34:00.000-04:00

A $1 bill in your wallet may not go very far these days, but it can really go the distance for homeless pets. Help Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends raise a FULL mile of dollar bills, with all the proceeds going to support our Foster Program and Silver Paws Program by the end of2009!

We know in this current time, thousands of pets are the unseen and unheard victims of economic hardship. The number of pets in need is increasing every day, while the resources and spaces are dwindling.Look around your own streets and you’ll see the need. Visit a county shelter, and you will be overwhelmed by the desperate faces that plea for help behind the bars of the cages.

We need your help to save morelives! Since a $1 bill is approximately 6 inches long, we will need10,560 bills to raise a mile of money. You can help us save more lives,one step at a time ($4 per step). And you will have the opportunity toremember your pet or a loved one with every step along the way. We’lltrack the progress on our website, and every person who takes a stepwith us (with a minimum $4 donation) will be listed on the site. Thetop finisher who completes the most steps will be recognized when wereach our goal.

Help us help them.
Go the extra mile for Atlanta’s homeless pets.

Ideas to donate:

1) Save your $1 bills for a month. Keep $1 from yourchange in restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, etc. At the end ofthe month, contact AARF to pick up your envelope of “steps.”

2) Keep ajar of change for a month, and at the end of the month, visit a coinprocessing machine at your local grocery store. You’ll be amazed howmany “steps” you can help us take with the coins in your pocket.

3)Transfer one “step” into a savings account with each paycheck. At theend of the year, you will have taken several “steps” toward the mile.

4) Make a commitment to donate one step per week online.

Update on Casey

2009-07-16T18:04:00.003-04:00

I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you who have donated toward Casey's care. The past several weeks have been very scary for Casey's Silver Paws mom, Bette. As many of you remember, Casey's initial diagnosis suggested bladder cancer, and we were all very sad about the prognosis. Instead, Casey had a very bad infection that was producing gas in her abdomen, giving the appearance of a mass on the x-rays. Casey was also collapsing and having seizures, and having issues with regurgitating her food.

I am so happy to tell you that Bette reports that Casey is feeling so much better. The vets are fairly certain that the infection is gone, and her new anti-seizure medication and blood pressure
medication appear to be controlling the seizures. We know that she will have a daily regimen of medications for the rest of her life, but it seems that that life will be just as enjoyable as it has been for the past few years with Bette.

We could not have given Casey the chance for a proper diagnosis and recovery without your help. You are truly her heroes, and have literally saved her life. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your generous support of Casey and our Silver Paws Program. Feel free to email anytime for an update on Casey.

** Casey's monthly medications will cost approximately $100 a month, and she'll need follow-up visits to the vet. Please consider continued support for Casey by clicking the "Just Give" button on the right.**

Veterinary Behaviorists Take a Stand Against Cesar Millan

2009-07-14T12:37:00.004-04:00

Many of you may know by now from reading my blog and from reading the AARF weekly e-newsletters that I am an ardent supporter of positive training methods and completely against punishment-based, aversive training methods.

My views and perspectives are based on the most up-to-date science of dog behavior instincts and reinforcement. As we have learned that spanking a child is not a long-term solution for bad behavior, so too we have learned that choke collars, shock collars, remotes and other punishment methods are not only ineffective in the long-term, they are cruel and do often irreparable damage to the dog's physical and psychological well-being.

I learned recently that one of the most popular and successful dog training facilities in Atlanta now includes a shock collar as a standard part of basic training. I have heard of dog owners using the shock collar like a remote control for the television. Say "sit" and push the button. The dog gets shocked and sits. Imagine the horror and pain that the dog must learn to feel every time he or she hears the word "sit:. I am horrified and sickened to think of people who love their dogs pushing a button thinking they are "training" a dog to do a behavior, and each time they push they button, waves of electric shock pulse through the dog's body.

Unfortunately, this punishment-based method also has a large entertainment following through the shows of Cesar Millan. While I am usually careful to not directly criticize one particular person, group or organization, I have to be explicit in my absolute concern over the damage done to dogs by well-meaning and caring owners who try to replicate his "successes" at home. We often forget that his 1-hour shows are edited from hours of taping, and we are never going to be shown the entire process that the dog goes through in punishment-based training. Millan's methods are based on pack theories half a century old, theories that no longer hold any weight among certified, trained professionals.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior released a position paper - a condemning position paper - in February on the use of punishment for behavior modification. There is no doubt that this well-respected, professional organization and their members absolutely disagree with the use of force and punishment to train a pet.

Please, please, for the health, happiness and well-being of your dog, don't use punishment-based methods to train. Don't be fooled by training facilities that tell you they can make your dog 100% obedient and that they can do it in 2 weeks. They'll hurt your dog in the process. Effective, humane and long-lasting training takes patience, love and consistency.

If you are looking for a trainer in Atlanta, please talk to one of these following trainers. And if you have questions about a particular trainer, feel free to email me directly. I am more than willing to help you research your options for a trainer that will treat your dog like the loved member of the family that he or she is.

K9U Training & Behavior Modification
Paws-a-tive Results Dog Training
Canine PhD Dog Training

Saying Goodbye to a Life Worth Saving - Do we owe them all more than that?

2009-07-13T09:43:00.012-04:00

In the same week that the biggest raid on pit bull fighting ever took place, AARF mourned the loss of one of our former AARF dogs, a beautiful and amazing little pit bull named Owen.

Owen was rescued in the inner-city of south west Atlanta. He had clearly been used as a bait dog and was covered in infected bite wounds. He was emaciated, and was starving both literally and psychologically. He had never felt the touch of a kind hand or a soft bed, and it's an amazing wonder he actually survived through the first year of his life.

When he joined the AARF program, he went into a foster home with our current foster director and long-term foster, Starr. Within a matter of weeks, Starr knew that she couldn't let Owen go, and this decision was cemented when, while she was on vacation and Owen was in boarding, he stopped eating and became so depressed that we weren't actually sure he would make it until she returned home. From that moment on, there was no doubt that Owen was in his forever home. He accompanied Starr to law school, on vacation, everywhere. He truly became an ambassador for pit bulls everywhere, and was one of the absolutely sweetest dogs I have ever met.

On July 6, 2009, Owen passed away in his sleep, next to his mom and best friend Starr. We mourn his passing with
her.

Two days later, on July 8, the ASPCA, federal and state law officials completed the largest dog fighting bust in history, spanning 8 states. Almost 400 dogs were seized, with a mix of fighting, breeding and bait dogs in the seizure. The question now arises - what will happen to these dogs? What do we, as a community, owe them? Is it enough to save them from their lives of fighting, forced breeding and suffering as practice dogs, only to them "humanely" euthanize them? Or do we owe them more than that?

Below is a statement from the No Kill Advocacy Center regarding this seizure. I think, as a community of self-proclaimed pet lovers and advocates, we must sincerely and seriously question our community's response to this seizure, and to our attitudes toward pit bulls in

general. How, and why, have we allowed such an American icon to become so demonized? Could Helen Keller's beloved companion Sir Thomas and the goofy and gentle Petey from the Little Rascals really be vicious killers at heart?

We have allowed an entire breed of dog, once a symbol of loyalty, faithfulness and gentleness, to be hijacked and represented as vicious killers. It is time we save the pit bull from their undeserved and unfair image that we have given them.

Helen Keller and Sir Thomas

For more information about the history of the pit bull, visit Animal Farm Foundation.

We owe them more than a "humane" death
No Kill Advocacy Center

Authorities in Missouri seized almost 400 Pit Bull-type dogs as part of a multi-state raid designed to break up dog fighting rings across the country. It was the single largest effort of its kind in the history of humane law enforcement. But while the dogs were “rescued,” they are not yet “saved.” At issue is whether the dogs will live or will be killed by the shelters if and when they ultimately are awarded custody of the dogs by the Courts.

Unfortunately, some statements that are coming out of the agencies involved in the decision-making process are ominous. According to Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, most of the dogs will likely be killed: “I think it’s pretty certain that a lot of those dogs will not pass a behavioral test.” Meanwhile, the Humane Society of Missouri, which is housing these dogs, isn’t talking except to say that in a recent case, they killed half of all Pit Bull-type dogs they seized. Is that a bellwether of things to come?

Some see a modicum of hope. Randall Lockwood, who was part of the ASPCA team that evaluated and passed the vast majority of the dog victims of Michael Vick, the 2007 case of the then-Atlanta Falcons Quarterback that took the issue of dog fighting to national prominence, is on the scene in St. Louis. In that case, the vast majority of victims were saved. Unfortunately, Lockwood himself made statements to the media about this case that the Vick outcome may not be “replicated.” He also made statements that we should not focus on our differing opinions about what to do with the dogs, but focus on blaming the dog fighters.

No one questions the need to rescue these dogs from the abuse they faced. And the articles appearing on blogs across the country such as one that was aptly titled “scumbags,” adequately convey what we think about the perpetrators. But Lockwood is wrong. The case is in the hands of the U.S. Attorney. So there is nothing more to do on that score. The only choice now is whether, when granted custody of the dogs, the Humane Society of Missouri will kill them or whether the Humane Society of Missouri will not kill them. In fact, that is all we should focus on.
If the Vick tragedy taught us anything, it is that our most basic assumptions about dogs, pit bull-type dogs, and dog aggression, were wrong. In short, it showed we can save virtually all the dogs, even when they were raised for dog fighting and horrifically abused.

After the arrest of former national football league quarterback Michael Vick and the seizure of almost 60 pit bull-type dogs raised for fighting, many animal protection organizations called for the dogs to be killed, arguing that these dogs were vicious and beyond our ability to help them. None made this argument after evaluating the dogs, but based on assumptions about pit bull-type dogs, dog aggression, and dog fighting. After deceptively fundraising off of the dogs, for example, the Humane Society of the United States lobbied to have them killed. Because they believe all Pit Bulls who enter shelters should be slaughtered, it was no surprise that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also asked the court to put them to death.

In 2008, the court thankfully said “No.” Only one dog was actually killed for aggression after evaluation, and the remaining dogs were placed in either sanctuaries or in loving new homes. Two of the dogs are now even therapy animals, providing comfort to cancer patients. The results forced even dog lovers-but more importantly the humane movement-to question their most basic assumptions about dogs, pit bull-type dogs, and dog aggression. In short, it showed we can save virtually all dogs in shelters.

Secondly, it showed that there is a real, practical, and potentially widespread “third door” between adoption and killing-the network of foster homes, sanctuaries and long term care facilities to provide for animals who may not necessarily be immediate adoption candidates, but can enjoy a good quality of life which would make their killing neither merciful nor ethical.
As a result, we should no longer assume the dogs can’t be adopted or for the ones who are traumatized, rehabilitated first because the vast majority can. In addition, some of the dogs were “bait” dogs because they were not aggressive, or others were used as “breeder” dogs, so have no history of fighting. Moreover, those that were are often very friendly to people. Finally, we do have the ability and skill as a movement to rehabilitate those who are traumatized. As a result, we should assume the opposite: they are savable unless a rigorous, fair, and comprehensive evaluation proves otherwise, which it might—but only for a small number of the dogs. And we should no longer assume there isn’t a sanctuary or even homes for these dogs, since HSUS and the ASPCA have the public relations power, financial wherewithal and global reach which easily prove otherwise.

Given this, we must stop talking about how these are “often broken dogs” or how there might be difficulty finding “available homes.” We need to stop speaking the language of defeatism, the language which frames the debate in a negative light, that condemns some of the dogs without all the facts, that assumes killing may be inevitable, and thus may actually help pave the way for their eventual slaughter.

In other words, we need to put aside unfounded biases and consider the victims of these cruelty cases the way we talk about the animals in other cruelty situations—with regret and condemnation for what they have suffered and with the expectation that whatever agency now has power over them will give these dogs what they deserve. We must assume—as the facts in the Michael Vick case proved—that condemning them as vicious simply because a dog fighter possessed them is guilt by association and unfair. That they were abused doesn’t make the dogs abusive. That they were subjected to violence doesn’t make them violent. That they were unloved doesn’t make them unloving.

In short, we must not echo the unfounded biases which plague our movement and have harmed animals for far too long, with no evidence to support such claims. Instead, we must adopt a language that is optimistic about the dogs and uncompromising in defense of their lives. We must put the ASPCA and the Humane Society of Missouri on notice that we expect them to save these dogs. Because anything short of that clears a path for those who appear bent on destroying them.
Instead, we must start demanding outcomes—outcomes that include rescuing, rehabilitating, and ultimately saving these dogs. A fair, rigorous evaluation will lead to lifesaving for the vast majority of these dogs and given HSUS and ASPCA wealth, media power, membership in the tens of millions, America’s dog loving culture, and the vast number of available homes, these are not barriers. Even the slide show of photographs from the law enforcement raid shows the
rescuers handling the dogs with little restraint, fear, or concern for their own safety. Because, at the end of the day, while rescuing the dogs was crucial and for which we are all grateful, we must also demand a commitment to saving them. After all they have been through, the dogs deserve nothing less.

For further reading:
No Kill Advocate Special Pit Bull Issue (2008)
Temperament Testing in the Age of No Kill
Failing Pit Bulls

A Rescuer's Answering Machine

2009-07-06T14:02:00.002-04:00

A RESCUER'S ANSWERING MACHINE:

Hello: You have reached Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends. Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to the following options and choose the one that best describes you or your situation:

Press 1 if you have a 10-year-old dog and your 15-year-old son has suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home right away.

Press 2 if you are moving today and need to immediately place your 150 pound, 8-year-old dog.

Press 3 if you have three dogs, had a baby and want to get rid of your dogs because you are the only person in the world to have a baby and dogs at the same time.

Press 4 if you just got a brand new puppy and your old dog is having problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away.

Press 5 if your little puppy has grown up and is no longer small and cute and you want to trade it in for a new model.

Press 6 if you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home TODAY and pick up the dog you no longer want.

Press 7 if you have been feeding and caring for a "stray" for the last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it's not your dog.

Press 8 if your dog is sick and needs a vet but you need the money for your vacation.

Press 9 if you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy who is not active and is not going to outlive you.

Press 10 if your relative has died and you don't want to care for their elderly cat because it doesn't fit your lifestyle.

Press 14 if you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog off on your way to work.

Press 15 to leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know you have left a dog in our yard in the middle of January, which is in fact, better than just leaving the dog with no message.

Press 16 if you are going to get angry because we are not going to take your cat that you have had for fifteen years, because it is not our responsibility.

Press 17 if you are going to threaten to take your ten year old dog to be euthanized because I won't take it.

Press 18 if you're going to get angry because the volunteers had the audacity to go on vacation and leave the dogs in care of a trusted volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet.

Press 19 if you want one of our PERFECTLY trained, housebroken, kid and cat friendly purebred dogs that we have an abundance of.

Press 20 if you want us to take your dog that has a slight aggression problem, i.e. has only bitten a few people and killed your neighbor's cats.

Press 21 if you have already called once and been told we don't take personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this time with a different answer.

Press 22 if you want us to use space that would go to a stray to board your personal dog while you are on vacation, free of charge, of course.

Press 23 if it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to deliver an eight week old kitten to your house by 6:30 am before your kids wake up.

Press 24 if you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute.

Press 25 if you want us to take your female dog who has already had ten litters, but we can't spay her because she is pregnant again and it is against your religion.

Press 26 if you're lying to make one of our younger volunteers feel bad and take your personal pet off your hands.

Press 27 if your cat is biting and not using the litter box because it is declawed, but you are not willing to accept the responsibility that the cat's behavior is altered because of your nice furniture.

Press 28 if your two year old male dog is marking all over your house but you just haven't gotten around to having him neutered.

Press 29 if you previously had an outdoor only dog and are calling because she is suddenly pregnant.

Press 30 if you have done "everything" to housebreak your dog and have had no success but you don't want to crate the dog because it is cruel.

Press 31 if you didn't listen to the message asking for an evening phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are also working and you are angry because no one called you back.

Press 32 if you need a puppy immediately and cannot wait because today is your daughter's birthday and you forgot when she was born.

Press 33 if your dog's coat doesn't match your new furniture and you need a different color or breed.

Press 34 if your new love doesn't like your cat and you are too stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next month anyway) instead of the cat.

Press 35 if you went through all these 'options' and didn't hear enough. This press will connect you to the sounds of tears being shed by a shelter volunteer who is holding a discarded old dog while the vet mercifully frees him from the grief of missing his family.

~Author Unknown, but much appreciated

Action Alert - Spalding County to Stop Gassing Pets

2009-05-27T09:09:00.004-04:00

Having failed for the 2nd year in a row to get statewide legislation passed to shut down Georgia's 15+ remaining gas chambers, Georgia animal advocates can celebrate what will be the 3rd voluntary gas chamber closing this year when Spalding County will switch to lethal injection as it has resolved to do July 1st.

Macon demolished its chamber mid-April, and its neighbor, Warner Robins, followed-suit shortly thereafter.

Spalding County Mananger, William Wilson, says the county is switching to lethal injection because it is cheaper than gas.

Please write to Mr. Wilson to thank him for his decision to stop the use of gas and switch to the more humane injection method of euthanasia. Mr. Wilson's email address is: wwilson@spaldingcounty.com

Though it's difficult, if not impossible, to obtain an accurate list of the gas chambers in Georgia, this is the list of (12) that we believe are still being being used as primary or exclusive method of euthanasia:

Ashburn, GA
Barnesville, GA
Butts County
Cobb County
Cordele, GA
Cuthbert, GA
Haralson County
Hawkinsville, GA
Henry County
Lakeland, GA
Mitchell County
Vienna, GA

If you live in one of these counties or cities, please write to your elected officials to request they switch to "EBI" (euthanasia by injection) immediately. Tell them that Spalding County is switching to lethal injection to save its tax-payers money. If the financial incentive, combined with the obvious (gassing is a form of torture), is not enough, please inform them of this fact:

If your county cannot produce the letter it was required to submit to the GA Department of Agriculture, prior to July 1, 1990, asking to be "grandfathered-in" to continue gassing under the 1990 Humane Euthanasia Act, then your county or city has been gassing illegally for 20 years.

Moreover, if you live in Cobb County, your gas chamber was allegedly installed illegally in 1996, six years after gas chambers were effectively outlawed in GA and no new chambers were to be installed in counties or cities with populations greater than 25,000. And the GA Department of Agriculture was held in Contempt of Court in 2007 for allowing your gas chamber to be installed and used, and the GA Department of Agriculture ordered it shut down. Yet has since renewed your shelter's license despite the fact your shelter is still gassing. Note: Cobb County Police Captain Jeff Patellis testified to the GA General Assembly's Committee on Agriculture, in March of this year, that Cobb County is gassing and prefers gas to lethal injection, though it uses both forms of euthanasia.

Please email Captain Patellis and/or Cobb County's Mickey Lloyd to request they stop ALL gassing immediately. Their email addresses are: jeff.patellis@cobbcounty.org mickeygary.lloyd@cobbcounty.org

"Interview at a Shelter"

2009-05-14T14:50:00.000-04:00

Copyright: Sally Hull, July 6th/2006, selahv@shaw.ca

As a journalist, I decided to go to the dog pound, and interview some of the "inmates". I wanted to know what it was like in there from their perspective. What follows is not for the faint of heart.

I entered the building, and one of the workers accompanied me to the holding area. This is where dogs are kept before they are allowed up for adoption… IF they are allowed up for adoption. If the dogs are found to be aggressive in any way, euthanasia is employed. Fortunately, if "fortunately" is the word to be used here… this is a Canadian establishment, and they use lethal injection, not a gas chamber.

The pound worker led me past a big steel door that says "Employees Only". "What is in there?" I asked. From the look he gave me, I knew that this is where dogs go in, and never return.

We moved on to a row of kennels. The dogs were barking loudly, there was the acrid smell of urine and feces, and a feeling of despair seemed to permeate the room.

"Go ahead," the worker said. "They're all yours."

Pete

I looked into the first kennel, and saw only the back of a medium sized dog who was curled up in the corner of his kennel, shivering. He was mostly white, with some black spots. "Hello?" I said. "May I come in?" He lifted his head, as though it weighed more than he could bear. When he looked at me, I could see he was a Pitbull. His eyes were gentle, but filled with grief.

"Enter," was all he said.

I stepped in, closing the gate behind me. He put his head back down, facing away from me. I crouched down a few feet away.

"My name is Pete. Petey my Master called me," he said, still not looking at me.

"Why are you here Pete?" I asked.

"I am here because Master cannot afford to move to another province. I am here because someone with power said I am vicious, and a killer. Someone who never met me. Master took me for a walk one day, and some lady started to scream when she saw me. I got frightened, and barked at her. The dog police came, and they took me away. I have been with Master for 10 years. The last time I saw him, he just held me and cried. He kept telling me he was sorry. I worry for him. Whatever will he do without me?" Pete shivered even more.

A tear slid down my face. I am supposed to remain objective, but this was wrong… so wrong.

"Thank you Pete." I said. He said nothing as I got up and left his kennel.

Popper

The kennel next to Pete's held a very young looking dog. Pure Border Collie by my guess. He stood on his hind legs, looking at me through the gate.

"Hello. My name's Popper. He tilted his head. "Are you here to take me home?"

"No, I'm sorry," I replied. "But I would like to talk with you."

"Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

"Popper, how did you come to be in this place?" I asked.

Popper dropped down from the gate, with a perplexed look on his face. He walked to the back of the kennel, then back to the front. I noticed he had one blue eye, and one brown. He was quite beautiful. His black and white coat was shiny and thick.

"I am not certain WHY I am here. I think maybe my family will come back for me. They bought me when I was only 6 weeks old. I remember they said how smart Border Collies are, and how it would be so easy to train me. They were very excited at first. The little ones played with me all the time. But the trouble with little Masters is, they refuse to stay in a group. I constantly had to nip their heels to keep them together." He looked confused. "Why won't they stay in a group?" he sighed. "So I did what I thought I should do. I am not quite sure why the little ones screamed when I did my job, but they did, and the Masters got very angry at me. They also got angry when I had to relieve myself, and did so in the house. I am not sure where they expected me to go. All they said was that I was the smartest breed in the world, and I should just KNOW better. Then they left me in the yard for a month or so. I got bored a lot, and I dug holes in the grass. The next thing I knew, the Masters brought me here."

Popper jumped back up on the gate, his white paws protruding through the links. He looked at me with his lovely eyes, and asked "Will you please let them know I want to come home? Please tell them I promise I will be good?"

"I will Popper," I said.

Spartan

My heart was breaking. I was beginning to regret coming here, but their stories had to be told. I moved along. The next dog I saw looked to be easily 100 lbs., a Rottweiler. He was handsome indeed, except for the scars on his face and back. He tilted his head, and looked me right in the eyes.

"Hello. Who are you?" he asked.

"I am a reporter," I replied. "May I speak with you for a little while?"

"Most certainly. My name is Spartan. You can come in, I won't bite," he said.

"Thank you Spartan. I will."

I entered his kennel, reached out and stroked his giant head. He made a loud grumbling noise, and closed his eyes.

"Spartan, why are you here?"

Before he could answer my question, he was suddenly in the grip of a nasty coughing spasm. It sounded painful.

"Please excuse me," he said when it passed. "Kennel cough. It seems all of us who come in here get it.
"Why am I here? Well, about two years ago, I was born in the backyard of some person I can't even recall. I had 11 brothers and sisters. I recall a day when a big man came and gave that person some money, and took me away from my mother. They had to chain her up, as she was very angry that he took me. They chained her and beat her. I came to know the man by the name of Jim. I overheard him telling his friends that I would grow up to be big and mean like my mother. But as I grew older, all I wanted to do was play and be friends with everyone. Jim said I needed to be taught how to be mean, so he chained me up in the yard. No more house for me, he said, I was too spoiled. When people came by to visit, I was so happy to see them. I wanted them to come and play. But that made Jim angry, so he beat me with sticks and chains. When he came near, I would roll onto my back so he would know I wasn't a bad dog. That made him beat me more." Spartan's eyes clouded with grief. "Then he brought me here."

I reached out and stroked Spartan's massive gentle head once more. "I am so sorry Spartan. Some people are just plain evil." I gave him a kiss and left his kennel.

As I walked away, Spartan called out, "What will happen to me, nice lady?"

I shook my head. "I can't say Spartan. Maybe someone kind will come and get you. We can only hope."

Patsy

I walked a little further down. I could see a shape moving at the back of the next kennel. "Hello?" I called out. Suddenly the shape lunged at the gate in a fury, barking and gnashing its teeth. I stumbled backwards, and crashed into an adjacent kennel. The other dogs began barking loudly and jumping at their gates.

"Don't go near her," a small female voice came from behind me. "She's mad."

I gathered myself back together, and saw a little Jack Russell Terrier behind me.

"Thanks for the warning," I was still trembling. Across the way, the other dog, apparently a Husky and German Shepherd cross, was glaring at me, lips curled back revealing brown stained teeth. Her ribs and hips showed through her dull, matted grey coat.
The little dog invited me into her kennel, and I gladly went in.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Patsy." The little brown and white dog held a paw up to the gate in greeting.

"My owner surrendered me. She said she wanted a cute little dog like the one on the TV show, Frasier. She didn't bother to look into the type of dog I am." Patsy heaved a sigh.

"I suppose she expected me to just lie about and only need a short walk each day, just like Eddie, but my energy was so high that I needed to run and play." She glanced at her surroundings. "Now I am here. I suppose it could be worse. I could be like…her." Patsy looked towards the still growling dog across the way.

"What happened to make her so vicious?" I asked.

"From what we could gather," she replied. "she was found tied in a back yard. She only had a three foot chain. Some days there was no water. Rarely was there any food. One day a nice neighbor came by and brought her some meat. By then it was too late. She was already mad. She broke off her chain, and bit the poor man badly. We know she will be going behind the steel door. I am sad to say, I think it will be best. Perhaps then she will know some peace."

Just then, the door at the end of the building opened, and a woman stepped inside. All the dogs began to bark wildly, then one by one, they went quiet.

I whispered to Patsy, "Who is that? Why have all the dogs gone quiet?"

Patsy breathed deeply through her little nose, and closed her eyes. "SHE is a Rescuer. Can't you smell it?" she asked.

"Smell what?" I was confused.

"Compassion. Love. Sorrow. It emanates from her pores. She is here for one of us, but nobody knows who just yet." Patsy looked hopeful.

The Rescuer moved from kennel to kennel, looking at each dog. I sat quietly watching. I could see tears in her eyes as she made eye contact with each one. She stopped at Spartan's cage and spoke quietly to him.

"No more beatings my man. No more. You are coming with me. From here on in, it's all going to get better."

The Rescuer produced a leash, opened the kennel door, and took Spartan away. As he walked beside her, his little stubby tail wagged with delight.

Patsy sighed again. I could see the disappointment in her eyes, and it grieved me. They all had the same look, as they watched The Rescuer depart.

"I am so sorry Patsy," I said in a whisper. "But you are a little dog, and everyone loves little dogs. I am convinced you will be rescued soon." Patsy's brown eyes twinkled at me, a little bit of hope returning.

I had heard and seen enough. I needed to tell people how it was for these unfortunate creatures. They were all here through no fault of their own. I stood to leave. I passed by many other dogs I did not interview, looking at each one, wishing I could take them all home with me and give them the love they deserved.

I stood by the door taking one last glance back, when it opened, and one of the pound workers came in. His face was drawn and sad. He walked by without a word, and stopped at Pete's kennel. I heard him take a deep breath, then he paused, and opened the kennel door.

The words were muffled, but I am sure I heard him say "I'm sorry old boy." He came out, with Petey in tow. The old dog's head hung down in resignation, and they both disappeared behind the big steel door.

---

Is there a fate worse than death?

2009-04-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

We recently held our biggest fundraiser to date - 219: The Show (a big thanks to those of you who donated and attended). While the money we raised was fantastic, there was a bigger message behind the event that I hope everyone understood by the time they left.

The message: 219 pets a day die in Atlanta area shelters.

That is unacceptable to me. Can you conceptualize 219 a day? How about 6570 per month, and over 80,000 a year? Imagine a bin with 219 collars left at the end of each day, only to empty it and start over. And at an average cost of $400-$500 to get each pet rescued vaccinated, spayed/neutered, healthy and ready for a new home, the Atlanta animal welfare community needs $40,000,000 a year, just to get those pets ready for a new home (not to mention the maintenance costs of pets who wait for months in rescue to get a new home). Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? It's actually only $7.50 per person in Atlanta. No kidding -- if every person in Atlanta donated $7.50, we could raise enough money to get 80,000 homeless pets ready for adoption.

Unfortunately, we did not raise $40 million at our event.

So, what do we do? Is 80,000 pets and $40 million more than we can manage? And if the answer is yes, it's more than we can manage, then what?

I have often heard colleagues in animal welfare say, "there are fates worth than death." We see so much, too much, in our work to help homeless pets. We hear gruesome tales of cruelty and neglect, and more often, infuriating tales of irresponsibility, stupidity and lack of compassion.

Because of what we see on a daily basis, it's often too easy to forget that most people, most of you reading this, care as much as we do. You love your pets unconditionally, you provide the best for your pets, and you would spare nothing to keep them happy and healthy. And more often than not, you share our concern for homeless pets, and often want to be part of the solution.

Nathan Winograd is a leading figure in the animal welfare movement. While I don't always agree with all of his positions, he is always thoughtful and though-provoking. His recent blog entry, The Fallacy of “Fates Worse Than Death,” has made me stop and review my own core beliefs once again. In fact, there isn't a fate worse than death, because there is no salvation or rehabilitation from death. If a pet is dead, it's over. We have failed that living creature in the most offensive and cruel way possible.

What we need to do is stop allowing those other fates that often seem worse than death. If we consider abandonment, starvation and abuse as so cruel that death might be a relief, then it is up to us, as a compassionate community, to stop those things.

If a dog in your neighborhood is chained behind a house and is thrown scraps every few days, don't mutter to yourself that the dog might be better off dead. Do something.

If a cat in your neighborhood has been thrown outside, and the neighborhood children are constantly throwing rocks at it, don't mutter to yourself that the cat might be better off dead. Do something.

If you see pictures of pets in shelters, waiting for their "hold" periods to end, only to die, don't mutter to yourself that those pets might be better off dead. Do something.

219 pets will die in Atlanta shelters today. Which one will you help save?

Kids and Pets CAN Live Together!

2009-04-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

One of the most frustrating phone calls and emails we get are the ones that start with "My dog isn't tolerating my child" or "My cat scratched my toddler." Sometimes I just want to respond with some fairly unkind words.

Most problems between children and pets can be blamed, quite clearly, on the parents. Most parents have unrealistic expectations of the relationship between children and pets. And often, parents miss several warning signs along the way before a nip or a scratch happens. Here are some that I think are the biggest:

1) Dogs and cats are animals, not toys or pillows or stuffed animals. No matter how well you train your dog or cat, no matter how much you personalize them, they are still animals, and will react with instinct when they feel threatened, scared, or lonely. Don't expect dogs or cats to respond to situations like rational adults. Your dog or cat will not just "take it" indefinitely. Would you? Try this - for 2 weeks, don't correct your child if he or she hits you, kicks you, pulls your hair, throws something at you, takes your favorite things, or screams in your face. I bet at the end of the two weeks, you be growling and snapping, too. And you expect your dog or cat to put up with that for years.

2) Children are, well, children. If your child hits a sibling, what do you do? Get rid of the sibling for telling you or defending himself? No, you teach your child not to hit. It's the parents' responsibility to train the children to respect the dog or cat, to teach them that the pets have feelings and boundaries. If you don't teach your child those boundaries, then don't blame your pet when he or she teaches your child.

3) Growling and hissing are GOOD things! These are the most visible and easily recognizable warning signs that pets can offer us. If your child gets too close to your dog when she's eating, and she growls, HURRAY! There is a space between the uncomfortable behavior and the bite, and your dog is giving your child a chance to back up. If you punish your dog for growling, the growling will eventually go away, and the bite will come immediately.

4) Dogs and cats are constantly telling us how they feel. We just miss it. And it's our fault for missing it.

There are lots of ways to learn about what your pet is telling you, and trying to tell your child. And there are lots of ways to teach your child how to treat a pet. If you don't do any of these things, and your dog or cat eventually can't take it anymore and responds like a dog or cat, it's your fault.

Resources:

Doggone Safe
Humane Society Youth Bite Prevention
Selecting the Right Pet for Your Family
Teaching Kids to Play With - and Care For - Kitty

Old Methods = No results

2009-02-26T13:57:00.000-05:00

We are asked often for training recommendations, and the majority of time, folks don't want to hear what we have to say. The majority of people who are experiencing behavioral issues with their dogs want quick fixes. They want to send their dog away to "boot camp" for two weeks, and have a different dog come back. They watch "training" television shows and try to implement what they see on television, often with ineffective, and sometimes disastrous, results. They don't want to hear what many of us now know - those old, aggressive, dominant methods of training don't work, and actually cause a dog to have more behavioral issues than he or she started with.

A new year-long study provides some hard evidence that the popular dominance-based methods don't work. The researchers concluded that among "dog owners who use confrontational or aversive methods to train aggressive pets, ... most of these animals will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified." In other words, aggression in, aggression out.

So what counts as aggression? Those old-school methods of jerking, hanging and shocking should easily come to mind as aggression. But what else should be classified as aggressive training? Isn't that alpha roll a good technique - NO. Bullying a dog in any form is considered aggressive, and will make your aggressive dog meaner and your shy dog shyer.

For more resources, check out these links:

Choosing a Trainer, from The Bark Magazine - this is a CRITICAL article to read before you pick a trainer
Association of Pet Dog Trainers
Peaceable Paws Dog and Puppy Training - site of Pat Miller, one of the most advanced, knowledgeable trainers working today

Two local trainers that we work with and recommend:

Susan Giordano, K9U
Lennox Gavin, Paws-a-tive Results Dog Training

You owe it to your dog to learn the most up-to-date training methods, and find a trainer who can teach them to you. You wouldn't try to do surgery on yourself after watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy, right? So, why try to heal your dog after watching someone playing a trainer on television.

Take action in Georgia!

2009-02-12T14:59:00.000-05:00

We at AARF work most diligently to address the problem of pet overpopulation here in Georgia, and to help the dogs and cats in Atlanta who are homeless as a result of lack of education, lack of owner responsibility and lack of spay/neuter. But, that doesn't mean that the other pets don't matter. They do, and this is a time when our feathered friends need your help.

We have made great strides in legislation against dog fighting in Georgia. Unfortunately, other types of animal fighting, including cock fighting, have been left out of legislation in order to avoid upsetting certain constituencies. Finally, in this year's legislature, a serious and comprehensive anti-cock fighting bill has been introduced.

We need your help to support this bill through the legislative process. Have no doubt that those opposing this bill are very vocal, and often have strong connections to their representatives. Their voices were strong enough to get the cock fighting measures deleted from the dog fighting legislation recently passed.

Any type of entertainment that involves the exploitation of animals is not entertainment at all. Help stop cock fighting in Georgia. Take action today.

Learn more about cock fighting and what you can do to help by visiting the links below:

Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals
Humane Society Anti-Cock Fighting Campaign
Georgia House Bill 109

Please don't assume that you don't need to act because everyone else will. They won't. And if you don't either, more will suffer because of your inaction.

Another Loss

2009-02-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

We lost another foster dog this week. Max had only been with AARF for less than 24 hours, but his loss was just as painful for his foster mom Amy. Max was a 5 year old pug who came to us when his owner could no longer care for him. He was neutered last Tuesday, and seemed to have a hard time coming out of his surgery. By Wednesday morning, he was at the emergency vet, and had gone into heart failure.

My first reaction (and many of you reading this might immediately think the same thing) was that something had happened during his surgery, or he had a reaction to the anesthesia. But, a post-mortem exam revealed that Max had advanced heart disease, and probably only had a few months to live. So, in a way, the surgery did hasten his passing, but it was inevitable, just like Joe's. I am so grateful that Max got to spend his last day in a loving home with a foster mom who showed him so much tenderness and compassion.

But, I am also very, very mad. Max's heart problem was almost positively a genetic defect, one that is passed from generation to generation. And Max was a pure pug. So, there is some pug breeder out there who is breeding a line of dogs with a congenital heart defect that causes premature heart disease and death. And I am confident that this breeder is not disclosing this information to the people who are buying his or her dogs.

I understand the practice of ethical breeders who really care about the dog standards and traits. These breeders are few and rarely need to advertise in the back of the newspaper. Any good, ethical breeder will tell you that you don't make money from breeding; in fact, you usually lose money, because you care so much about the health of the puppies and the parents. And good breeders will screen potential homes as strictly as AARF does, and will always take back a dog that doesn't work out in the new home.

Then, there are the other kinds of breeder, one of which is probably the kind that Max likely came from. First, are the "backyard breeders" who have a big pen in the back yard, and expect their dogs to pump out 2-3 litters per year. They'll sell their dogs to anyone that shows up with cash. They don't care about the breed standard, the health of the dogs, or the welfare of the puppies once they leave the property. They rely on the public's desire for designer dogs as accessories, and they don't care about the people or the puppies involved. If the new puppy doesn't work out, good luck to the new family. The backyard breeder won't help.

The second is the puppy mill breeder. You've seen the news stories about the large puppy mill busts, with hundreds of dogs crammed into tiny cages in big warehouses. Many of the female dogs in these mills are nothing more than breed sows, giving birth as often as physically possible, never touching the grass or breathing fresh air. If they are so lucky to ever get a chance to leave the puppy mill, they still have a long road to a good life, often facing chronic health issues and delayed or non-existent socialization. These puppy mills provide dogs to the fancy pet stores, such as Petland. The puppies may look healthy in the stores, but chances are, they aren't. And the misery experienced by the parents of the puppy can't be justified.

So, please, before you decide that the adoption process is too hard or too personal and decide to just buy a puppy from the flea market or a back yard, remember Max. And before you stop in at Petland or another pet store to get that shiny new purebred puppy instead of that rescued mixed-breed puppy, remember Max.

Max died because an unethical breeder relied on the public's desire for a purebred designer dog. Please help us stop unethical breeding, so no other dog has to go through what Max did.

Here are ways to get involved in the fight against puppy mills and unethical breeding:

1.) Visit the HSUS Stop Puppy Mills website and get involved.
2.) Turn in back yard breeders to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. All breeders are required to have a license.
3.) Encourage the AJC to stop allowing pets for sale unless the seller provides proof of a pet dealer license.
4.) Adopt, don't buy, and encourage your friends to do the same. We can help you find any breed, any age, any size you want. Visit Petfinder and Atlanta Pets to look for a pet.

saying goodbye in a world where every pet matters

2009-01-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

We lost a member of the family last night, both our own family and the AARF family. Many of you may remember Joe, a little white puppy that joined the AARF program in the summer of 2006 (here's his original page, for those of you that weren't part of the AARF family at that time - http://www.aarfatlanta.org/savejoe.html.

When Joe came into our program, we were using a vet for AARF pets that offered discount prices for rescue pets. We realized, unfortunately, through our experience with Joe that discount prices meant discount value. The vet who saw Joe recommended just euthanizing him, because the cost of treating him just would be too much. In the end, she simply refused to even find out what was really wrong with him.

The next day, we scooped Joe up and headed off to our personal vets at Buckhead Animal Clinic (where the AARF pets have gone ever since!). At Buckhead, every pet matters - purebreed or mixed breed, old or young, owned or in rescue. Even pets that arrive with no guardian are loved and cared for. The folks at Buckhead live by and operate under the principle that this is a world where every pet should matter, and every pet's life is equally valuable there. So, after a series of tests and a few weeks of TLC at Buckhead, Joe was well enough to come home to our house, initially as a temporary foster. Once we learned the extent of his heart condition, he joined our family as a permanent foster, although at that point, he was just our dog. The word foster really dropped out of the context, and he was no different than any other pet in our house.

Let me be honest, Joe was not the most well-behaved dog. He quickly learned that if he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, a few whines and coughs, along with holding his breath would quickly end whatever consequences he might face. When he got really upset, his breathing would become irregular and he would literally turn blue. Needless to say, he was a smart little guy and learned to use this to his advantage. He also wasn't neutered - he would not have survived the surgery. So, he was definitely a little territorial about his house, and had one of the loudest barks, ever.

But Joe was also a very loving dog. He loved to be petted and sweet-talked, and loved us unconditionally. He wanted nothing more than just to have our hands on him, telling him how much we loved him. And he had a zest for life that I have never seen in any other dog. It's almost like he knew his life would be short, and he had to squeeze every minute of life into just a few seconds. He had a best buddy in our house, and it was amazing to see them chase each other around the yard at full speed, with big smiles on their faces. Over the last few months, the chasing had diminished and his energy level was just noticeably less. I knew he was slowing down, but tried to just continue to let him enjoy his life. There was literally nothing we could do to stop or slow the progression of his condition, so trying to limit his life would have only made us feel better, but would have made no difference at all in the length of his life.

Last night, just before dinner, Joe was outside playing with one of his buddies, and we heard what sounded like something between a howl and a scream, and found Joe struggling to stand just outside the door. I picked him up and quickly headed inside. Joe stopped crying and struggling and went limp in my arms. I know he was gone before I even laid him down on the big dog bed. The whole thing was over in less than 30 seconds.

Joe left us exactly the way he would have wanted to - playing and enjoying his life. He lived every minute of his life to the absolute fullest. I can learn a lot from how Joe lived, and from the life we committed to giving him. I know some people agree with the advice of the first vet. Why spend money on a dog who is probably not going to live a full life anyway? Why not save that money for more "valuable" pets (healthier, more adoptable)? Because I want to live in a world where every single pet matters, even the little ones like Joe. Every pet deserves a chance to live the kind of life he did, even if only for the 2.5 years that he had. I have never second guessed our decision to treat Joe or to commit to providing a loving home for him for as long as he was with us. He was our little guy, and I'll miss him desperately. Rest in peace, my sweet boy.

Just a Dog...

2009-01-13T15:15:00.001-05:00

Click on the picture below to read the article.

Holiday Greetings and Reflections

2008-12-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

To our wonderful AARF family,

As the end of 2008 nears, I am reflecting on what a wonderful, difficult, tumultuous and amazing year we have had. The year has been filled with the some of the highest and lowest points we have had since our beginning in 2002. But in this holiday season, I am filled with gratitude and peace as I look back on this past year.

First, I want to thank our AARF team. We have undeniably the hardest working program board in town. These people are my colleagues and friends, and I have the greatest respect for them. You can never know just how hard they work, how many hours they dedicate to saving the lives of pets in Atlanta, how many tears they cry and how often they rejoice at a job well done. And as many of you may not realize, they don't get paid. In this tough economy, many of them have had to increase the time at their "real" jobs to make ends meet, yet they still make so much time for AARF. They dedicate themselves because they care so deeply, and know that their efforts are making a difference in the lives of so many dogs and cats. I cannot thank them enough, or tell them often enough how very important their work is. If you feel so persuaded, send one of them a note of thanks for a job well done. Our 2008 team: Brooke Martin, India Powell, Carrieann Banacki-Gillert, Melanie Wiggins, Renee Malinowski, Stephanie Manley, Julie Lewis, Carroll Ball, Gayle Schleuter and Erica Cottrill. I also want to thank our AARF members who worked with us for several years, but 2008 led them on to other endeavors. I thank them for their time and service and for jobs well done: Gwen Sparling and Amy Anderson. Last, but certainly not least, I want to say thank you to our fosters. They are the foundation of our adoption and Silver Paws programs.

We have struggled through this difficult financial time. At times during 2008, I feared that the end of AARF was near. We had to make difficult decisions, just to keep the doors open, both metaphorically and literally. During the summer of 2008, we decided to freeze our animal intake in hopes of catching up financially. Our expenses for the first half of 2008 had been almost double our income, and we were watching other rescue groups collapse under the stress of the economy. I continued to look at every email from shelter managers that came to me, with the faces of those dogs and cats that I knew we could not help. But those faces kept me motivated and inspired for AARF to survive. I knew our work had only begun, and our goal for long-term change was still possible, even in the midst of difficult times.

As many of you know, we had planned by this time to have our own facility and a paid staff -- a place to call our own. But as with many others during this time, our plans have not come to fruition. They are not halted, only delayed, and we will continue to push on in 2009. We know that our foundation is strong, and that we have not compromised our mission or our principles in the face of adversity, and that consistency will ultimately lead us where we want to go. I am excited and anxious to see what new developments 2009 will bring.

I have to end my reflections with extreme gratitude for you, our supporters. Each one of you means so much to me, and I am thankful every day that you are on this journey with us. It is because of you that AARF has survived, and grown in many ways, in 2008. Every time a dog or cat needs your help for surgery or heartworm treatment, you are there. Every time AARF has an adoption day, an event or a fundraiser, you are there. Every time we ask, you give. You help us save pets from euthanasia, help us subsidize spay/neuter surgeries, help us teach children about compassion toward animals, and help us create love matches between mature pets and mature adults.

You, our extended family of supporters, are my heroes. I wish for you this holiday season wonderful surprises and blessings. And as we enter 2009 together, I hope for a joyous year for you, for us, for AARF, and for every pet in Atlanta.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are helping to create a world where every pet matters.

On Christmas Morning...

2008-12-15T10:28:00.001-05:00

On Christmas Morning...

I wish,

For every dog
searching trash cans for breakfast,
a filled bowl with his name printed in bright letters

For every dog
who slept last night chained in a frozen yard,
a soft, warm bed
with a person snoring gently nearby

For every shelter dog,
spending Christmas morning in a run,
a forever home,
filled with sounds and smells of family

For every "Christmas" puppy
given this year,
a tolerant, caring owner
who won't abandon you
as you grow into a real dog

For every ailing pet,
enough money for your owner
to pay the bills to make you well

For every lost dog,
a clear, safe and well marked path,
to lead them home

For every old and tired friend,
a warm fire, and a soft bed,
to ease your aches and pains

and

For every precious Dog who crossed the Rainbow Bridge,
a moment when you know that you are remembered today,
missed again, and loved forever

Author unknown

The Emotional Connection

2008-12-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Since the beginning of civilization, we humans have considered ourselves the caretakers of all animals. But we are not simply farmers who take care of our livestock for our own food production or herders who tend to our horses for our own utilitarian purposes. Our role as caretaker goes much deeper. As we dare to accept that animals are more than automatons of Descartes, that they are able to think, that they have emotions, we realize that we have another level of commitment and responsibility to them: to respect and care for them as living beings with internal lives, not just as creatures with physical bodies. It is absolutely imperative that we all share this luscious planet Earth with each of its inhabitants--two-legged, four-legged, finned, winged, scaled--in a respectful and thoughtful way. -- Allen Schoen, DVM, MS, Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans & Animals Can Change the Way We Live

This week, CNN published a story on research that shows that dogs have, and can demonstrate, emotions recently thought only to exist among humans and chimpanzees. Dogs in their study undeniably responded to situations with complex emotions. Their behaviors were not simply instinct, but clear demonstrations of affection, pride and jealousy, among others.

We receive untold numbers of emails and phone calls every week of people wanting to give up their pets for a whole host of reasons. Some of the most aggravating for me are the ones that start with "I just can't give him/her enough attention, and I want him/her to be happy." I honestly don't understand that statement in most scenarios. Unless something in life has drastically changed, this is not a true statement. What these people need to say, if they want to be honest, is "I am not giving my pet any attention, and I don't really want to. And as a result, he/she is probably lonely, hurt and depressed, and has started to act out behaviors to get my attention. I don't really care if my pet is happy. I just want someone else to take over this responsibility."

It's clear from these emails and phone calls we get that what Dr. Schoen says above is absolutely true. While providing fresh water, good quality food and a safe space is absolutely critical to the welfare of a pet, it's simply not enough. Pay attention to your dog or cat today. Give 5 minutes of extra attention (petting, brushing, a brisk walk around the neighborhood) and see what response you get. I am going to bet everything that you'll see those honest and real emotional responses from your pet. N0w, remember those responses when you fight with someone else in your home, when you ignore your pet because your favorite TV show is on, or when your day was so bad that you don't care if your pet's day is bad too. As happy as your pet is today with your extra, undivided attention is the just how sad, hurt and confused your pet will be when you create a negative environment.

We have a responsibility to create a world where every pet matters, and that includes a world beyond simple maintenance. Do something to make your pets happy today. I guarantee it's their turn.

Rescuing Humans

2008-11-20T16:46:00.000-05:00

I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
This story is circulating through the animal welfare cross-post lists right now. I usually find most of these kinds of posts sappy and sentimental, and not at all grounded in the reality of the problems we are struggling against. But this one struck me, primarily in light of the book I am currently reading: Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans & Animals Can Change the Way We Live (by Allen M. Schoen).

We focus so much on our saving them. But in so many ways, they save us, too. There is no doubt that studies have proven that having a pet has both physical and psychological benefits. Dr. Schoen (a veterinarian) recounts numerous studies showing that pets can lower blood pressure, ease depression, and encourage exercise, and the list goes on. But I think there is something even more elementary, more primal in our mutual saving. That feeling of connection to another living being goes beyond what science can explain. That bond lives where all of those immeasurable things live - love, compassion, grief, tolerance, and patience. And animals have a way of gently teaching us all of those, often even without our knowledge.

I often hear people joke about not trusting someone who doesn't like pets. I don't think it's a joke. I don't trust someone who is so disconnected from this world that we live in that they feel no connection, compassion or responsibility for the living beings around them. They need saving. Perhaps a trip down one of those shelter corridors in the story above might be the way. If you ever feel lost and disconnected, visit your county shelter. You will not, should not, be able to leave unchanged.

The Numbers Game

2008-11-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Do you know how many pets are killed in the Atlanta metro area? In your county shelter? In the US as a whole?

One of the biggest problems we struggle with is a lack of awareness of the problem. I don't blame people for not knowing. We in the animal welfare community have not done a great job exposing the problem. We try not to overwhelm our supporters with sad stories, graphic pictures or overwhelming numbers. But the truth is, simply, that there are too many sad stories, graphic pictures and overwhelming numbers. And my goal is that everyone who reads this post can no longer not know, and can no longer not act.

I'll save the sad stories and graphic pictures for another day, but let's talk about the numbers. In July of this year, Animal People magazine released national statistics. (Click this link and go to page 8 to see the full set of statistics.) There are a lot of numbers, but I'll highlight some of the most important, and disturbing, numbers that we all need to know.

The South Atlantic states (of which we are a part) euthanizes roughly 25% of all pets euthanized in the country. This is NOT in proportion to our population, at all.
Euthanasia statistics for 2007 went UP nationally. And based on feedback from our area shelters, we can expect this number to go up again in 2008 as a result of the failing economy.
U.S. shelters killed 2.3 million cats & 1.9 million dogs in 2007. Nearly half of the dogs were pit bulls.
The Atlanta metro area euthanizes approximately 16.9 pets per thousand people. In comparison, Chicago is 6.7, Los Angeles is 3.7 and New York City is 2.0.
We kill over 5 times as many pets in a year as New York City, which is almost double the size of Atlanta.
Pit bulls account for roughly 25% of dogs in shelters, almost half of the dogs euthanized in shelters, but are only 5% of the total dog population in the US.

So, now you know. And hopefully you cannot ever forgot. And I hope you will join us in our mission to end the problem of pet overpopulation. The numbers are staggering, I know. But the solution is clear: humane education, spay/neuter programs and rescue/adoption will move us closer to our goal where not one more pet is killed because there is no place to call home.

Join us.

The AARF Dream Team

2008-10-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

Many of you who read this post may have never met me personally. And you may have not yet met any of the AARF program team. I want you to know how hard they work and how much I appreciate them.

Most animal welfare organizations that run as many programs as AARF does have a paid staff of at least 5-10 people, often more. Do you know how many paid employees AARF has - none! The folks who run our programs are all volunteers, although much of what we do could count as a full-time second job. Our folks donate so much of their time, energy and their own money to make our programs so successful, and I am grateful every day for the amazing team of folks we have.

Many of you also know that a few years ago, we started planning to have our own facility and to be able to finally pay our program directors. As this economy has put many of your own plans on hold, it has had the same effect on AARF, and we have had to delay our push to open our own place. But, we have continued to expand our programs, especially our education and spay/neuter programs. Because of financial constraints, we had to freeze our adoption program for 3 months, but that is also now back up and running strong. And all of our work has continued to be done by our very dedicated unpaid staff, fosters and volunteers.

I hope that anyone reading this will take a moment to send a card or email of appreciation to one of our AARF folks. They do what they do because of love and commitment to animals, but a little pat on the back always helps!

And --- if you want to get involved, we are always looking for more great people to join us!

Contact information:

India Powell - VP of Communications (india@aarfatlanta.org)
Carrieann Banacki-Gillert - Director of Humane Education (carrieann@aarfatlanta.org)
Erica Cottrill - Director of Marking and Client Services (erica@aarfatlanta.org)
Renee Malinowski - VP of Animal Services (renee@aarfatlanta.org)
Stephanie Manley - Director of Foster Services (stephanie@aarfatlanta.org)
Carroll Ball - Coordinator of the Silver Paws Program (carroll@silverpawsprogram.org)
Brooke Martin - VP of Operations (brooke@aarfatlanta.org)
Julie Lewis - VP of Policies and Procedures (julie@aarfatlanta.org)
Gayle Schlueter - Grants Coodinator (gayle@aarfatlanta.org)
Melanie Wiggins - VP of Volunteer Services and Director of Casper's Fund (melanie@aarfatlanta.org)

More Unconditional Love and Acceptance

2008-10-17T10:14:00.001-04:00

We have much to learn from our animal friends....

The Picture of Love and Acceptance

2008-10-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

I often wonder if we have to learn compassion, or if we are born with it. When I look to examples from our living friends, I think I have come to believe that we are all born with an innate capacity for compassion, acceptance, and unconditional love. Yet, by a very early age, most of us are conditioned to ignore and suppress these admirable traits. We learn that those that are not like us are not as important. And we definitely learn that our non-human relatives are "just animals" - disposable, unfeeling, unaware beings.

We at AARF receive approximately 100 emails and phone calls a week from people wanting to give up their pets (some even want to "donate" them to us). They all have reasons that they think are logical, but most are based on the premise that animals have no consciousness or experience no feelings of loss, connection or grief. For most people, their pets are disposable. For example, we recently received this email:

"I have a newborn baby and have to find a new home for my indoor dogs. ASAP before my wife takes them to the pound where they will probably be put to sleep."

What better way to teach your new child compassion than to teach him to love, care for and respect other living creatures? What exactly will children be taught when the responsibility of caring for a pet becomes too much trouble? The lessons that I think most children will learn are 1) animals are disposable, 2) animals have no feelings that we need to consider, 3) taking responsibility for other living creatures is optional. These are the lessons that teach children to "unlearn" the inherent compassion that we are all born with.

We often consider ourselves as humans as the most evolved species on the planet. Yet no other animal kills other animals for convenience or expediency. No other species exploits hundreds of other species for their own benefit, with often little regard for providing a mutual benefit. And no other species teaches its young that other living things are disposable.

The picture above is of a chimp named Anjana who lives at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in South Carolina. Anjana has helped to raise several orphaned lion and tiger cubs, including currently caring for two white tiger cubs rejected by their mother. This picture, more than any I have seen in a long time, exemplifies the unconditional compassion that I think we are all born with, that we all still possess. This picture touches me in a primitive way, in that part of me that knows we are all connected. And in a way that reminds me that as the most destructive and exploitative species on the planet, we have caused so much pain and suffering to our cohabitants, if only through our non-action.

What I wish for everyone that reads this blog entry is that you feel a pang of compassion reminiscent of a child's, before the unlearning process began. And that you feel a tug of responsibility that comes only from knowing that you have no other choice but to act. We need all of you. They need us.

October is Adopt A Dog Month

2008-10-02T14:18:00.000-04:00

October is national "Adopt A Dog Month." Why do we need a special adoption month for dogs (and for cats, in June)? Why do we, as a society, ever designate special months or days? I think simply it because we tend to forget or ignore those groups/people/pets on the rest of the days and months. So, we set aside a special time to highlight and remember, in hopes that we won't forget. "Adopt A Dog Month" is not just about adopting a dog in October, but about remembering adoption for the other 11 months of the year. It gives those of us as an animal welfare community a chance to collectively promote adoption together for a solid month, in hopes that the message will sink in, ESPECIALLY as we get close to the holidays. We all know the mythology of the puppy or kitten in the basket under the tree (which is bad for a lot of reasons - click here to find out why). But I hope that in some way, a month of focusing on adoption will mean that fewer of those living presents will be bought from back yard breeders and puppy mills.

We at AARF are celebrating "Adopt A Dog Month" by giving away a weekend stay at a Savannah B&B. We want people do adopt for the love of the dog. But if the chance at a weekend getaway encourages more people to at least consider the idea of adopting rather than buying, then it becomes effective marketing. The breeders and pet shops market, why shouldn't we? We need to be creative about how we make people aware of the wonderful possibilities of rescuing, fostering and adopting.

So, if you are thinking about adopting, now is the time. You might even win a chance to get away for the weekend. If AARF doesn't have the dog you are looking for, don't stop looking. On any given day, there are AT LEAST 2000 dogs in the metro Atlanta area looking for a home.

Visit the AARF site first. Then, visit the Not One More site. Then the Atlanta Pets site (run by Lifeline Animal Project). Then Petfinder. Your new dog is out there, waiting for you. Let's make October 2008 the best "Adopt A Dog Month" that the homeless dogs of Atlanta have ever seen.

If you do adopt, send me an update. On November 1, I'll list every single adoption that you send me, and we'll see what a difference we can make together.

Compassion Fatigue

2008-09-23T09:06:00.000-04:00

I am fatigued this morning - not frustrated, disheartened or cynical, but fatigued. I am feeling that cyclical syndrome of compassion fatigue.

What is compassion fatigue? The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project says:

Studies confirm that caregivers play host to a high level of compassion fatigue. Day in, day out, workers struggle to function in care giving environments that constantly present heart wrenching, emotional challenges. Affecting positive change in society, a mission so vital to those passionate about caring for others, is perceived as elusive, if not impossible. This painful reality, coupled with first-hand knowledge of society's flagrant disregard for the safety and well being of the feeble and frail, takes its toll on everyone from full time employees to part time volunteers.

All of us in the animal welfare community, including program directors, volunteers and donors, experience this fatigue at some point. We question if what we do really matters. We wonder if we are really making a difference. And we feel like long-term change is all but impossible. It's not that we experience this fatigue that defines us, but how we respond to it.

All too often, I see people eliminate fatigue by eliminating the connection to the cause. Simply - they just walk away. They don't do any prevention or intervention steps. Instead, they just "take it" until they can't take it anymore. The animals lose an advocate, the organization loses a valued member, and the person loses a sense of connection to a greater purpose. Everyone loses when this is the response.

For all of you in the animal welfare movement, at all levels of engagement, I encourage you to take steps to feel less fatigued. We are experiencing an overwhelmingly devastating time in animal welfare - hundreds of pets are losing their homes as a result of the financial crisis. Families who love their pets dearly are faced with excruciating economic choices, and often the pets are the first expense to be eliminated. And sadly, many irresponsible pet owners seem to be using the economic crisis as a reason to dump their responsibilities on someone else. In the midst of declining donations and skyrocketing costs, animal welfare organizations are struggling just to keep the doors open at a time when the pets need us most. And many donors are struggling with how to keep up support when their own financial situations are tough. We are all tired.

But being tired doesn't have to mean being done. We all need to learn, remember and practice the 8 laws of healthy caregiving that the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project suggests:

The Eight Laws Governing Healthy Caregiving:

#1 Sustain Your Compassion
#2 Retain Healthy Skepticism
#3 Learn to Let Go
#4 Remain Optimistic
#5 Be the Solution
#6 Embrace Discernment
#7 Practice Sustainable Self Care
#8 Acknowledge Your Successes

Let's end with #8:

This is Rueben. Reuben was an AARF dog in 2006 (he was named Max when he was with us). He had been neglected by his owners, and was in awful shape. He was living on a 2 foot chain connected to a fence, and was fed regularly by an AARF volunteer. Eventually, she convinced the owners to "sell" Max to her for $50. He then spent the next several weeks undergoing heartworm treatment and learning to trust people and other dogs, as he had no reason to trust either until then.

Here's what his new mom has to say: His name, now Rueben, has been quite the lover in our family! He also has his own Dogbook page on Facebook. He graduated last year from his beginners and intermediate levels of obedience training and is amazing and super smart! He loves to be around people and loves pets, belly rubs, and a good walk. His favorite spots are the Silver Comet Trail, Chatahoochee Park, and there is a Polo Horse Park near our house where he goes and runs with all the horses. Although he doesn't smell too good when he comes home. I wanted to attach a picture of him from his birthday (Adoption Day Oct. 27th, 2008) to share with all your staff as he is an awesome advocate of AARF and we love what you do with other pets!

I encourage all of you to try steps 1-8 this week. You are engaged, if only because you are reading this blog. We need all of you to stay engaged. We need all of you to make a change. They, the dogs and cats we want so desperately to save, need us all. And they need us refreshed. Rest, and recover from fatigue this week.

Commitment and Inconvenience

2008-09-17T08:15:00.000-04:00

One of our dogs got out of our fence at 6:00 this morning. Luckily, I was standing at the door to the backyard and heard her escape. (It was too dark to SEE her escape.) I grabbed a leash and immediately ran out the front door. My first impulse was to run after her, screaming. In most times of panic and crisis, our first instincts are the exact wrong thing to do. Even though she has not been trained consistently enough to have a good instinct to "come," I have been trained well enough lately to resist the urge to run through the neighborhood, chasing her and screaming like a crazy woman. I did all of the things that I have learned in our recent training seminars - AND THEY WORKED!

I can't tell you how often I hear excuses from people about why they can't train their dogs. Most who think off training want to send their dog off to "boot camp" for a few weeks, and let someone else do all of the work. (Read this article about why dog "boot camps" don't work.) And 90% of the time, dogs end up in shelters or rescue groups, abandoned on the streets, or euthanized, as a result of very trainable, treatable behaviors. These same people who didn't have enough time or energy to train their dogs get so angry at us when we won't take over the responsibility for the problems they failed to address in the first place. If my dog this morning had been permanently lost, had been injured or had been hit by a car, it would have been my fault, not hers, for not making the commitment to her training. If I had taken the time to perfect the "come" command BEFORE the crisis occurred, the whole experience might have been quicker and less scary for me (of course, she wasn't scared - she was having fun).

Having a pet requires a commitment. Pets are not really active toys or animated stuffed animals. We can't just fill up the food and water bowls and throw a few toys out, and expect that our dog will just "get it" and turn into that vision of a perfect family dog that we imagine in our heads. We can't just put a scratching pad on the floor and a litter box in the bathroom and expect to have a cat who immediately "knows" the rules of the house. When we adopt a dog or cat, we aren't just making a commitment to a certain amount of time, but we are promising that dog or cat, and ourselves, to provide the best possible life for our new companion, and that includes training, even when it's inconvenient. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S INCONVENIENT.

For training resources, visit:

AARF's Polite Pups Seminars
Association of Pet Dog Trainers
K9U Training and Behavior Modification
Paws-A-Tive Results Dog Training

Good Days for Six AARF Pets!

2008-09-11T08:52:00.000-04:00

It's been a few good days for some of the AARF pets! We have added three new kittens - Natalie, Norah and Chloe. This is a picture of Chloe, looking glamorous. I think there is nothing like the antics of a young kitten to make you smile and just feel good about life. I never, for one second, forget the enormity of the problem we are facing. But when I see the absolute joy that these kittens have for life, I am reminded why it is we do what we do. These little lives are so precious, and we do make a difference. We all make a difference, in whatever ways we are involved.

We also had a few adoptions this weekend. Our sweet Lily, who has been through so much since she joined AARF, finally found her forever home. From what we hear, she has already settled in as the center of attention with her new mom and dad. And two cats have moved in with their new families. Jane has joined a family with her new people and some kitty siblings. Her new home planned on spending the first night with Jane in the guest room, just to help her settle in. And Mr. Buddy, who has been waiting for almost 9 months for a new home, has joined the family of a previous AARF cat, Pearl. We hope that Pearl and Buddy hit it off - we love multiple AARFers!

Despite the frustration that often comes with all of the bad news and obstacles, we have small victories along the way. Chloe, Norah, Natalie, Lily, Jane and Buddy are six of the those victories.

creating a world where every pet matters

2008-09-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we will never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth. -- Henry Beston, The Outermost House, 1928

I just finished reading a book about the connections among animal abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and humane education. The author, Frank Ascione, uses the quote from Beston above to introduce the emotional connections between children and animals before launching into the multitude of studies that explore these interconnected links of violence.

I finished this book on a weekend full of events and stories that reinforce Beston's claim of our errors in our perceptions of animals. Many of you are aware of, and are actively voicing your opinions about, the political tug-of-war regarding the veterinary contract at DeKalb County Animal Services. For some involved in the decision-making process, the animals are nothing but a footnote in the negotiations. Their care and well-being are of little concern when profit and convenience are considered. Others in the process, especially the DeKalb County Commissioners, are trying to put the animals in the shelter first, and are facing staunch resistance from those that fall into the errors that Benton talks about. As we struggle to create a world where every pet matters, including those homeless pets in the shelters, we must ask that our leaders lead the way rather than simply drag them along, literally and figuratively kicking and screaming. We teach our children to be kind to animals. Why don't we expect, even demand, at least as much from those we choose to lead us.?

I am also struck by the multiple news reports and articles touting Sarah Palin's love of hunting, and her great prowess at the sport. My comments aren't an endorsement or critique of any particular candidate, but rather, a critique of our fascination with the art of killing. Regardless of our politics, party affiliation or candidate of choice, I think we, as a community of animal advocates, need to be concerned that we live in a society where expertise at killing animals is considered a qualification to lead our country. Now, I am not saying that hunting is and of itself is morally wrong. Many hunters actually eat what they kill, and have respect the animals and the environment in process. But I am so troubled by a media frenzy over Palin's hunting ability, implying that somehow her ability to kill a moose makes her a good back-up for commander-in-chief. The hunted animals in the stories are not considered conscious, sentient beings. Rather, they are simply props in the pictures; their deaths are proof of Palin's "toughness," her readiness to lead us. I would be much more moved by a picture of one of our candidates mourning the loss of a beloved pet than the pictures of a candidate proudly standing over a bloody, dead moose.

Animals are not props in our lives. Nor are they lesser beings at our whim and disposal. They are legitimate cohabitants in our space. And we have created a world where most pets, most animals, don't matter as much as money, convenience and property. We cannot be surprised when we read about stories of children who torture stray kittens or of soldiers who throw puppies off cliffs. We have taught them to do it, and we have taught them well.

Douglas and Amelia

2008-09-05T08:46:00.001-04:00

Yesterday brought a mix of news. Douglas, our newest addition to the AARF family, is learning to live again. His foster mom emailed that she finally saw him wag his tail a few times. I wonder how long it's been since he was happy enough to wag his tail. I love to watch and hear about the transformations that happen with each new pet that we save. I have such high hopes that Douglas will start to relish life again, and will soon be ready to bring that special joy that only a pet can bring to a lucky new family.

The good news about Douglas was followed by more troubling news about Amelia, one of our Silver Paws dogs. She has been fighting an infection for a few weeks, and her vets are concerned it's something more serious. You can read more about the surgery and contribute toward the costs below.

I am proud of all of the programs that AARF has, but if I was forced to pick a favorite program, I would have to pick the Silver Paws Program. My heart breaks for the senior pets at shelters. Most of the time, it seems like they just already know they don't have a chance to getting out of there alive. Often, when we meet them at the shelters, they seem to have already given up on life. But almost instantly, they seem to come alive again once they are out of the shelter and in a new home. The love and companionship that both the Silver Paws pets and the Silver Paws fosters get from each other is so clear and so visible. I don't cry often anymore over what we do and how we do it. But EVERY time we are able to save a senior pet through our Silver Paws Program, I get choked up. Reading the updates that we receive from the Silver Paws fosters reminds me why we do what we do. I hope you will all take some time to look at the stories on our Silver Paws page. They will give you some hope for the day.

Meet Douglas!

2008-09-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

This is Douglas, our first new addition to AARF's rescue/adoption program since we lifted our freeze. Like every pet that comes to AARF, Douglas has a story...

Douglas and his canine sibling were turned in by their owners to Paulding County Animal Control. The reason - they were moving. This is one of the most common reasons why people give up their pets, and, one of the most difficult reasons to understand. Rarely does anyone decide on a Tuesday to move, pack up on Wednesday, and drive way on Thursday. Usually, there are months, or at least weeks, of planning. And often, people just don't include their pets as part of the planning. I understand that sometimes circumstances do require that moves happen quickly and pets can't be included, but those situations are rare, and definitely not the case with Douglas.

Anyway, he and his canine sibling were dropped off to face the uncertain future of a pet at animal control. Many of the shelters are so full right now that owner surrenders are often euthanized on the same day. Fortunately, for Douglas, he was given a short reprieve at the shelter, which is staffed with incredibly caring and dedicated folks. Douglas' owners told indicated on the shelter paperwork that he was heartworm positive and they had known about it since November 2007 and had done nothing to treat it. I don't know how the shelter workers keep their cool in situations like this - it would be hard not to just lose my temper on a daily basis.

Douglas' sibling was adopted within a few days after someone read a post about them on Craig's List. But, since Douglas was heartworm positive, no one came for him. The shelter volunteers reported that he just sat in his kennel and cried when his companion left. I wonder if his owners think about what he went through - losing the only home he's known, entering a shelter with a companion, only to lose her and be left alone, struggling with a preventable illness and the inevitable fear he must have felt. Do you think it keeps them awake at night, thinking about Douglas?

Douglas' story touched one of our volunteers who has experience helping dogs recover from heartworm treatment. Douglas began his heartworm treatment on 9/2, and has a long recovery ahead. We know he has been heartworm positive for at least a year, and probably even longer. But his body will be easier to heal than his spirit. Douglas' foster mom tells us that he is a very sad boy, showing no real engagement with the life that is going on around him. But, he does want to be with his new foster family, and that's a good sign. He is in a loving foster family, and they will work as hard to heal his soul as they do to heal his body.

Do his previous owners think about him? I think about them.

Douglas' wish list: a new dog bed, soft toys, chew toys, flea medication. To support Douglas in his physical and mental recovery, stop by one of our favorite pet supply stores (Park Pet Supply and Mom and Pups) to get something from his wish list or visit our donate page.

Rescue/Adoption Program Relaunch

2008-09-02T16:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the first official day of our rescue/adoption program relaunch. Because of increasing costs and severely declining donations and fundraising, we had to suspend our animal intake in May. Deciding to stop rescuing animals was the hardest decision I ever had to make as a director, but we literally had no other choice. In order for our organization to survive, we had to stop our finances from spinning out of control.

Throughout the summer, I forced myself to look at every email that I received from area shelters with pictures of pets on their euthanasia lists. I knew we couldn't do anything to save them, and I often teared up by the end of each email. But, although we had placed a freeze on our intake, I did not want to allow myself to pretend that the dying ended during our freeze. From May 16 to September 1, our rescue and adoption program was on hold. During that time, over 23,000 animals died in metro area shelters.

I have no illusions that we can save anywhere near that number. But every one of those lives matters. Every one of those dogs and cats could feel pain and fear at the end of their lives. And every one of them could also feel the compassion of the hands that held them for a humane death at one of the shelters that actually euthanizes in a humane way.

I often wonder how we created a society where we claim to be the most advanced beings on the planet, yet we routinely kill each other and kill other sentient beings. I know of no other species that routinely engages in genocide against its own species or another species just for the sake of greed, irresponsibility or convenience. And the rest of us just turn our heads and pretend not to see.

Welcome to the Director's Blog!

2008-08-31T12:23:00.000-04:00

For a long time, I have been thinking about how to share my journey of leading an animal welfare organization with our supporters, friends and visitors. I am often asked about what it takes to run AARF, and the answer is always long and never complete. I hope that my thoughts on this blog will give you a peak into the world of animal welfare and into the daily operations of AARF. My goal is to engage more of you in our mission to end pet overpopulation, and I hope that you will walk with me, and with all of us in AARF, as we strive to create a world where every pet matters.