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Amy LiebermanNYC dogs walk across Brooklyn Bridge for rescue organizations.… full story

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The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) invites the public to nominate extraordinary animals and people for its annual Humane Awards and is seeking four-legged companions as well as exceptional people for consideration. Animals that have performed a heroic act and people who have demonstrated remarkable efforts to improve the lives of animals in the United States during the past year are eligible.

The ASPCA will begin accepting nominations via its website today at www.aspcahumaneawards.org.

“The ASPCA Humane Awards celebrates the human-animal bond and recognizes those who have dedicated their lives to making our world a kinder place for animals,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “This event allows us to thank individuals who have contributed to animal welfare by taking action to protect animals who cannot fight for themselves.”

Last year’s winners include a former shelter dog who saved earthquake victims in Haiti; a three-legged cat who inspired a series of books to help kids overcome their differences; an 11-year-old girl who helped birds affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill; firefighters who rescued animals from a pet store fire; an individual who founded a non-profit dedicated to rescuing unwanted and abused horses; another who trains rescued shelter dogs to become certified assistance dogs; and two airline pilots who voluntarily transport homeless pets to adoptive homes.

Winners will be invited to attend the Humane Awards Luncheon—sponsored by The Hartville Group, one of America’s leading pet health insurers—on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, where the awards will be presented.

Categories open for nomination include:

ASPCA Dog of the Year: for a dog who has performed a heroic act in the past year;

ASPCA Cat of the Year: for a cat who has performed a heroic act in the past year;

ASPCA “Tommy P. Monahan” Kid of the Year: for a child under 14 who has improved the lives of animals;

and ASPCA Public Service Award: for a member of the municipal police force, a firefighter, or other public service officer who has made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year.

All submissions must include the following: the nominee’s name; street address; email address; telephone number; the category for which he/she is being nominated; and a short statement (400 words or less) of why this person or animal deserves the award.

The deadline for entries is Friday, June 17, at 12 p.m. (EST). Winners will be chosen by a committee selected by the ASPCA and announced to the public in mid-October. For more information, please visit www.aspcahumaneawards.org.

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Last week, I published a message from Heike Hagenguth, a cat writer living in Cairo, who was sharing information about reputable organizations to whom you can donate money to help feline victims of the current violence.

This week, another cat writer, New York Times bestselling writer, Gwen Cooper, reports on how dire the situation is and is sending out a heartfelt plea for volunteers to either foster a Cairo Cat OR ask a local no-kill shelter to foster a Cairo cat. The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA) can make travel arrangements to ship the animals to the U.S. if those animals will have foster homes or shelter placements once they get here.

Gwen writes:

I’ve spent the past several days on the phone with the director of an organization called the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA). It was a conversation held in fits in starts, as the unrest in the area has made it difficult to maintain a phone connection for any length of time. But I’ve been able to get a sense of the challenges ESMA and organizations like them are facing, and what we can do to help.

The director of ESMA asked me if I truly thought my readers would be concerned about the plight of animals all the way in Egypt. I told her that my readers are animal lovers, and we all understand that animals aren’t citizens of countries. They’re citizens of our hearts, and our hearts have no borders.

The situation is very dire for these animals and immediate help is needed. Gwen describes the problems they face:

Egypt hasn’t traditionally had much in the way of infrastructure when it comes to animal welfare, so there was already a large population of cats and dogs living on the streets. Those cats and dogs are now getting caught up in the tear gas being used against protestors. ESMA has retrieved dozens of cats and dogs who were on the brink of death, unable to breathe because of the tear gas and with eyes so swollen they couldn’t see. And even the physical injuries often pale in comparison to the sheer terror these defenseless creatures are being subjected to.

Foreign citizens living in Egypt have been returning to their own countries, forced to abandon their cats and dogs. Pet stores—most stores, in fact—have been closed for days, with nobody checking on the animals trapped inside who are slowly starving to death. The same goes for zoos. The banks are closed, which means ESMA has no access to funds with which to purchase food and medical supplies. Some rescue groups are being forced to feed their rescues a diet of bread soaked in water. Homes are being raided and burned down with defenseless pets inside. The volunteers at ESMA are taking turns guarding their shelter 24 hours a day, as raids and fires are happening in their neighborhood as well.

If you’re able, and have it in your heart to do so, please consider fostering a Cairo cat (or dog), affording them a second chance at a happy life. For some of us, just one more cat is not that big a deal, but it means a lifetime for the ball of fur that you foster.

If you can’t foster and you don’t have the means to donate, you can spread the word by forwarding this post or Gwen’s more in-depth post to your family and friends and ask them to do what they can to provide relief for these pets.

You can also contact your local shelters to see if they can take in even just one Cairo Cat. It offers them the possibility of free press coverage which can result in additional donations… a Win-Win.

If you CAN foster a cat (or have contacted a shelter who will agree to foster a Cairo cat), contact Gwen directly: gwen(at)gwencooper(dot)com

Links

• Gwen’s blog, including an in-depth report on the state of the petscape in Cairo and a plea for help.
• Egyptian Society of Mercy to Animals
• ESMA’s Facebook page

Cats should never suffer because of human politics. Let’s make it up to those who are suffering by offering kindness and a foster home.


[PHOTO SOURCE, TOP: SFGate/ Tara Todras-Whitehill ]

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Our friends at Petside are hosting the third annual Pet ‘Net Event and we are thrilled to be a part of it. This online event brings together some of the top pet sites and blogs on the web to focus articles on one topic, This year the theme is pets and your family. Go to the Pet ‘Net Family Event hub for the full scoop and find links to the other stories. from Petside, Animal Planet’s The Daily Treat and other sites.

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If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard pleas from your kids to get a family pet. And while bringing a new animal into the family can be rewarding, fun and exciting, there can be a steep learning curve when the pet first arrives.

We recently talked to three experts on the subject — an animal welfare scientist, an animal behaviorist and a marriage and family therapist — for their top tips on adding a new pet to the family. Here is their advice for making kids, parents and pets feel safe, comfortable and happy.

What To Teach Your Children

1. Be gentle and calm. Before the pet arrives, practice greeting the pet gently and calmly with your children. So many kids shriek and scream with excitement as they run up to dogs or cats, but children should be taught not to run up to any animal, either their own pet or one in public, ays Mary Burch, director of the Canine Good Citizen & AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Paw Nation advice columnist. Burch says. “When they approach, it should be in a calm manner, talking to the pet in a nice voice. Children can be taught to call a puppy or kitten to come to them and, with supervision, can give a puppy a treat for coming when called,” she says.

2. Understand that the dog or cat isn’t a toy. Although they may be soft and furry like a favorite stuffed animal, it’s important that your child understand that the pet needs to be treated like a real member of the family. Susan Stiffelman, therapist, advice columnist at ParentDish and author of “Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids While Staying Cool, Calm and Connected,” suggests sitting down with your child and practicing how to best pet and interact with the new addition on a stuffed animal, reminding them that the real pet will be much different than a toy. Children should always softly pet the puppy or kitten with no pulling or tugging allowed.

3. Make sure there’s an adult is around when they play with the pet. This can be a tough one to enforce in a busy household, we know, but according to Dr. Emily Patterson-Kane, an Animal Welfare Scientist in the animal welfare division at the American Veterinary Medical Association, it is one of the first things you should teach. Things can go wrong pretty quickly between an inquisitive young child and an animal.

4. Respect the pet’s basic needs and moods. Your children should learn that just as with a human baby, young animals need lots of rest. Tell them to not bother a puppy or kitten when it’s sleeping or resting, and if the pet walks away from play, assure them that the pet just needs a break. “Children need to learn how to tell when the pet wants to interact and is relaxed and happy, and when the animal is less happy or wants to go and do something else,” says Patterson-Kane.

5. Do pet chores. A great way to give your children a sense of responsibility, says Stiffelman, is to have the entire family help with the pet. Consider holding a family meeting where each family member has a specific task for the week. Each week, mix up the duties (always make sure the child can reasonably complete the task, even if it’s just for a couple times a week), so that everyone is engaged and no one’s chore gets “forgotten.”

6. Treat animals the way they themselves would like to be treated. Sometimes children lash out with a kick or a shove against their parents or siblings and there is the risk that kid might do the same thing to express anger against a pet. Explain that all animals want to feel safe and loved, just like humans, says Burch. Pets don’?t like being teased with words, toys or food, and you should teach your child to never hit, kick or strike your pet.

7. Realize the new pet will be annoying at times. Help your child understand that bringing an animal home isn’t just fun, it’s also a bit life-changing, almost like adding a new child to the family. Set up the expectation that this new family member will require extra attention from mommy and daddy, as it’s just a baby and needs extra care, Stiffelman says.

8. Understand the dog or cat might play favorites. Sometimes a new puppy or kitty may seem to prefer one person in the family over another, and this can lead to hurt feelings by the other family members. Ask your little ones to be patient as the pet may take awhile to come around.

9. Help keep the pet safe. Teach your child that they need to keep their eyes open to make sure the pet stays safe from everyday household dangers like foods they shouldn’t be eating or gates in the yard that don’t close all the way. It is the entire family’s responsibility to take care of the new pet and to give it a loving and happy home, says Burch.

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10. Empathize with the animal. It’s not enough to pet the cat gently or keep from yelling at the dog, (although those are good habits to master), children should be taught to try and look at things through the pet’s eyes, especially when it first comes home. The more they think about things from the dog or cat’s perspective, the better a pet sibling they will be.

And, of course, the best thing to teach your child is how awesome and rewarding having a pet in the family can be!

For more parenting advice, be sure to read the experts at ParentDish.

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Margo Ann SullivanFarm Sanctuary’s “Adopt-a-Turkey” campaign promotes animal welfare.… full story

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Merrell Publishers is sponsoring a giveaway of Michael Kloth’s gorgeous book, Shelter Cats.

Entering is simple. Just post your best cat photo on the wall of Merrell Publishers’ Facebook page by noon GMT on Sept 30, 2010. The owners of the top ten photos will receive a book courtesy of Merrell Publishers. Complete rules are here.

About Shelter Cats

Cats are now our most popular pets, but every year growing numbers of lost or abandoned cats and kittens enter shelters. In this captivating new book, Shelter Cats, photographer Michael Kloth makes a passionate appeal to animal lovers everywhere with over 80 endearing portraits of shelter cats. Kloth’s genuine empathy with his subjects shines through in his enchanting images of cats of all ages, breeds and temperaments, whether curious, playful, proud or shy.

Above all, these photographs capture the irrepressible feline spirit, no matter what the individual circumstances of each cat. By documenting the unique characters and stories of some of the cats he has encountered in his volunteer work, Kloth raises awareness of animal rescue causes, and especially the need for more adoptive homes. His irresistible portraits and sincere commitment to animal welfare create a poignant and loving tribute to all cats.

A portion of the proceeds from US sales of this book will benefit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®)

Check out Good Morning Northwest’s interview with Michael!

Click here to enter your cat’s photo in the contest.

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