Be nice! It’s Be Kind to Animals Week!
As if you weren’t already super nice to your pets, there’s an extra incentive. This is Be Kind to Animals Week. Here’s some information from the American Humane Society:
Be Kind to Animals Week, May 2-8, 2010, is American Humane’s annual event celebrating the unique bond between people and animals, and encouraging the humane treatment of all animals. But why limit kindness to one special week? Here are five ways to be kind to animals every day:
- Adopt a pet from a shelter or breed-specific rescue. Shelter pets make loving lifetime companions, and many shelters offer pet-matching services and follow-up training and advice to help you and your new best friend form a beautiful bond.
- Report animal abuse. Violence against animals is terrible enough, but it could also be a sign that other violent behavior, like domestic abuse, is happening.
- Spay or neuter your pets. An estimated 3.7 million animals are euthanized in America’s shelters every year due to a lack of homes. Help stop pet overpopulation and euthanasia of adoptable animals by making sure your own pets are spayed or neutered.
- Live humanely with wildlife. Learn how to peacefully coexist with deer, bats, skunks, squirrels, raccoons and rabbits.
- Get active in local animal welfare policies and legislation. Sign up with us to receive action alerts about issues affecting animals.
As part of Be Kind to Animals Week, American Humane is sponsoring Lemonade for Shelter Aid, a contest that encourages children to set up lemonade stands to raise money for their local animal shelters. The contest runs until May 10, 2010, and is open to children and teens (ages 6-14). One grand-prize winner/team will be randomly selected to receive three Nintendo DS Lite game systems. Learn more and enter!
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Puppies dumped in Norman
We just got this press release from the Norman Police Department. Long story short: if you see someone being a horrific jerk, call the police! I mean seriously. Look at these puppies! Good gravy!
Norman Animal Welfare is asking for your help.
Every spring the number of unwanted dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens increases in Norman. On Monday an abandoned puppy was turned into the shelter. The puppy was found at a convenience store located at 36th NW and Robinson. Just two to three weeks old the puppy will need to be bottle feed to survive. On Tuesday another abandoned puppy was turned into the Animal shelter. This one was found next to a dumpster at Classen and Constitution. Appearing to be a litter mate of the first puppy, this second one is two to three weeks old and needs to be bottle feed.
These two are lucky, and that is why we need your help. They were found and turned into the shelter and a foster home was immediately available. They could have just as easily been run over, starved to death, killed by another animal, poisoned, or abused by others in the area. Animal Cruelty is the charge that Animal Welfare Officers will file if the person responsible for abandoning these puppies is found.
How can you help? Call the Norman Police department immediately if you see someone dumping unwanted pets. A description of the vehicle, including the tag, make and model, and individuals involved would be very helpful. If you have a reason to suspect that someone is abandoning their pets call the Norman Animal Welfare at 292-9736
Another way to help is to have your pet spayed or neutered. This will help ensure that your pet does not have an unwanted litter of puppies or kittens.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – a great day for okapis
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Okapi calf may opt to hide out for a bit. (Oklahoma City)
- Pet Tales: Three dogs steal their way into family members’ hearts. (Norman)
- For 70 seized horses, a chance at new life. (Pauls Valley)
- Abused corgi mix needs a new home. (Broken Arrow)
- Group launches spay, neuter effort. (Tulsa)
- Group examines hunting, fishing license changes. (state capitol)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – pigs catch their own flu
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Zoo draws 12,000 with free admission. (Oklahoma City)
- Victim’s family seeks justice. (Shawnee, video below)
- Aquarium raises funds for turtle exhibit. (Tulsa, story on the right side of the page)
- Wild horse bill faces uncertainty in Senate. (Washington, D.C.)
- Red bugs could be in your next bite. (nationwide)
- Swine flu ills in pigs are feared. (Argentina)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Best Friends need your best bets
Best Friends of Pets are looking to raise money to help animals in the metro area. Check out this info they sent us:
Proceeds from a special raffle to be held July 28 will go a long way towards helping an Oklahoma City animal welfare organization end pet overpopulation in the metro area.
The raffle winner will receive a $500 Wal-Mart gift card.
All proceeds will benefit Best Friends of Pets’ Spay/Neuter Assistance Program or SNAP. SNAP makes spaying and neutering affordable for low-income pet owners in the Oklahoma City metro area who receive Medicaid, OKDHS or SSI benefits. So far, SNAP has helped more than 2,800 cats and dogs. Rabies vaccinations are also available at the time of the spay or neuter surgery and are $5 for all pets. SNAP works with veterinary clinics throughout the metro area.
Other programs offered by Best Friends of Pets include,
Adoption services: Best Friends of Pets works with small rescue groups and foster caregivers to find homes for pets through adoption. Adoption fees start at $65.
ID Tags program: Best Friends of Pets provides free tags for all pets in the Oklahoma City metro area to keep pets safe and out of animal shelters. Tags for animals outside the metro area cost $2.
Tickets for the Wal-Mart gift card raffle are $1 each or 6 for $5 and can be purchased from Best Friends of Pets’ website (www.bestfriendsokc.org).
About Best Friends of Pets: Best Friends of Pets works to end pet overpopulation by helping pets, their owners and our community.
For more information, please visit: www.bestfriendsokc.org or call (405) 629-6795.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Eat pizza, help kitties
As if any of us needed an excuse to eat pizza, here’s a good one: you’ll make cats happy.
HeyDay Entertainment, 3201 Market Place in Norman, is hosting a benefit for Hands Helping Pawsof Norman from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. Eat at DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks, play games in the arcade, play mini golf, duke it out in laser tag and tell everyone you pay you’re there to support Hands Helping Paws.
Hands Helping Paws will then use the money they raise to support spaying/neutering and vaccination of feral cats and kittens in the Norman area.
For more information about HeyDay, call 310-3500 or go here.
Still not convinced you need to eat pizza and play games to help cats? Check out some of these lovable faces below. They’re all cats up for adoption through Hands Helping Paws. Look at those sweethearts. (From left to right, they’re Desiree, Marsha and Marta. Look at poor Marta, for Pete’s sake! She needs some love!) If you can’t give them a home, at least have a fun night out to help prevent unwanted litters!
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – elephants look for love
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Police chief defends using Taser on dog. (Hobart)
- Raising guide dogs brings reward. (column)
- City’s elephant pair endure long courtship. (Oklahoma City, Tulsa)
- New clinich elps leash pet count, surgery cost. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – Bo under the microscope
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Puppy’s origins raising questions. (Washington, D.C.) (No offense to this story, which questions whether the Obamas dog is a rescue, but there’s really nothing to figure out. The AKC released a statement yesterday naming the dog’s breeders, who live in Dallas. I mean come on, Associated Press reporter. You totally should have read our Pet Show blog entry yesterday!)
- Dogs seized after attack. (Enid)
- Honor will boost stray-pet efforts. (Oklahoma City)
- Art, horse racing come together. (Oklahoma City, page 1d)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Cold kitties help real ones
So apparently chilly digital kittens are helping real ones.
A new iPhone application called ShiveringKittens is raising money for the ASPCA. The application developer, GiantCrayon Games, is partnering with the animal advocacy group in March and April for the first ever iPhone fundraising campaign.
The application costs $2.99 to download, and GiantCrayon will donate $1 of each download to the ASPCA.
A statement from ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres: “The ASPCA is thrilled to work with GiantCrayon to raise funds through this new technology. The object of the ShiveringKittens game is to rescue as many kittens as you can – and even though this is just for fun, in reality the ASPCA works tirelessly each day to save the lives of countless animals. Now, just by playing this virtual game, animal lovers everywhere can help the ASPCA continue that work.”
A statement from Tim Goggin, vice president of GiantCrayon Games: “I’m so excited to be working with the ASPCA. We’re really keen to pioneer such a different way of fundraising. And most importantly, I value the wonderful work the ASPCA does rescuing animals, so I’m really thrilled to find a way to help such a great organization.”
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – Pickens takes back donation
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today:
- Donor refuses to fund vet work. (Stillwater)
- Crash inquiry looks at bird. (Louisiana)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
