Cars Helping Pets

Mom was blog hopping earlier and found a post at Simply Stacie's blog that she thought was really cool and the site needed to be shared over here at They All Need Saved.

Do you have a car sitting around that either isn't running or you don't use?  You can donate that car (and will get a receipt for tax deductions) to Cars Helping Pets.

They pick up cars in all 50 states within 48 - 72 hours (and can expedite it for if you necessary).  They also will accept donations of boats, motorcycles, RVs and even real property.  You don't even have to be home, just let them know where you left the title and keys.  The tow truck driver will leave you confirmation that it was picked up and Cars Helping Pets will mail you your receipt for taxes.

By donating your car you will be supporting the ongoing effort to reduce animal suffering and cruelty as well as to create meaningful social change for animals. Your car donation will be used to help investigate animal cruelty and to enforce existing laws and advocating for stronger, more animal friendly public policies. 

Kind of a fabulous way to help out animals with something that you no longer have a need for, that has just been sitting in your driveway/yard, becoming a rust collector.

Cars Helping Pets. Facebook Twitter

Donate Your Car

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

Junie has been entered in the Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest! She would love it if you would vote for her. All of the proceeds from her votes will be donated to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.  Thank you so much!

Animal News January 26, 2011

Junie chilling in her morning spot

Like my hair?  I don't know if you can see it or not, but mom braided it to show dad that I am in serious need of some grooming again.  He didn't take the hint yet.  I actually don't mind the braid.  Much better than a pony tail sticking off the top of my head.  I mean seriously, why do that to a dog?  She says it's so I can see.  I say it's so they can laugh at me.

On to some animals who need our awareness:

Missouri Woman Could Lose Dogs Due to Over-Crowding There are some thoughts on this subject in the comments.  I'll let you weigh in on it.
Animal hoarding uncovered Mom's definition of animal hoarding doesn't revolve around numbers but about around a person's ability to care for their animals.  She knows people have 20 big parrots who all receive excellent nutrition, care, exercise, love, etc and she knows of those who have only 2 cats and/or dogs and don't take care of them at all.  We have 7 birds and me and we all taken care of and loved immensely.
What Is An Animal Hoarder?  Good article.  They feel the same way mom does.
Bozrah woman faces animal cruelty charges I think this shows the definition of hoarding perfectly.  It's sad.  The city payed to have 3 tons of trash removed.  Feces, flea infested.  So sad.
Shelter owner pleads innocent to animal cruelty 4 were saved.  21 weren't. :(
Animal cruelty: S.C. woman tortures, hangs pit bull dog for chewing Bible It's a good thing she didn't have Twinkle.  Look at what she did to mom's book:

Mom saved the ballet book before it was destroyed. That's a special book.
That's not the first book Twinkle has destroyed.

In all seriousness though.  That is really really sad.
Foreclosure horror: home filled with dead pets 30 animals not saved
Ohio woman arrested after dog froze to death outside Another death that never should have happened. Mom takes me out for 2 minutes max in this weather.  I hate the cold.  I do my thing or I don't and I run to the door to go back in.  Why did she leave them outside?
Man Arrested For Allegedly Beating Puppy To Death It is hard to read these articles all the time but people need to know what is going on so that there are tougher laws, so that people fight for those who don't have a voice of their own.
Puppy Mill Dogs Up For Adoption They were saved.  Now they need families.
Effort to repeal Missouri dog breeding law begins Come on Missouri.  You just put a decent law in place for these dogs.  Are you really going to take a step backwards instead of forward?
Local Organizations Honor National Spay and Neuter Month in February I'm spayed!  Are your pets?
Caledon woman pleads guilty to animal cruelty  I hate that they had to go through what they did but it is so good to post another They Were Saved post!
Government blind to animal suffering Mom loves articles that say that parrots were saved.  She loves all They Were Saved articles, but you always hear about the dogs and the cats.  All animals are subject to situations like this including parrots.  She has seen some parrots at rescues that have come out of the most deplorable hoarding situations where they are missing wings, legs, eyes.  It is terrible for every animal.
Reward Offered For Information On Pitbull One was saved, one wasn't.
Schneider: Dead dog, Lansing-area cases of brutality shocking Some story as previous article with more details.
Tumbler Ridge man given 10-year ban on owning animals Whose side to you believe?
Virginia Gambriel, pet and human hoarder, charged with 75 counts of animal abuse And she just keeps doing it.
Former Warfordsburg man fined $2,500 for 832 pig deaths Somehow the punishment doesn't fit the crime here.
Colorado Legislators Consider Ban on Steer Tailing You know, I know rodeos are a huge part of western American history and mom has even enjoyed a few in her younger days but we would be glad to see the more inhumane parts of it go.
Puppy Slaughter: A Police Prerogative Mom loves all animals but she would do anything to protect her children or me.  Enough said.
Local rescue group takes in 16 puppies They were saved!
Casablanca Hotel Caught Trapping Miami Beach Cats, At Least Eight Euthanized Utah - Miami, what's next?
Undercover work brings down large puppy mill Totally agree with the author, puppy mills need to be brought down.
Puppy, Wishbone, Zafaria, Duke, and the Paula Malatesta Pack are our January 23, 2011 Pups of the Week I love Miss Paula.  She saves all she can.

Junie says to check out: Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster

Changing Of The Food Again

Junie avoiding the snow by standing on mom's feet.

If you follow my mom's blog, you might have seen her post a dog food question yesterday.

She is trying to help me with battling the yeast in my ears.  The ear drops the doctor gives me doesn't cure the problem.  The yeast seems to go away but when the ear drops are gone it comes right back.

She's been giving me probiotics to help battle it but she is trying to figure out WHY it is occuring.  The probiotics have had another positive affect.  When she got me every few days I would throw up stomach acid in the mornings.  She talked to the vet about it and the vet said that sometimes dogs, like humans just have upset stomachs.  If it continued or got worse in frequency/amount to bring me in for another examination.  Since she started me on the probiotics, I haven't thrown up at all.  She also has been using Vet's Best Ear Relief Wash & Dry in my ears, but if she goes a few days without it, I start showing symptoms of an ear infection again.

She says that there has to be an underlying cause.

She started researching my food more.  From her blog:

I was reading this review here.

Black malted barley, however, is an unneccessary source of sugar and likely to contribute to yeast problems.

Now in any other dog this might not be a problem.  Junie though has reoccurring ear infections that are caused by yeast. 

Off to research more dog foods because obviously with my problems with yeast in my ears, Blue Buffalo is not the food for me.  She started going through all the dog foods that were rated 6 stars over there.  She ended up picking out a food by Orijen.  When she went to Iowa Pet Foods Plus, she talked to them about what is going on with me.  The lady just nodded her head in agreement over everything mom was saying regarding my food.  She told mom they don't even stock Blue Buffalo, not because it's a bad food, but because it has been recalled so many times.  She told mom that while the Orijen she had chosen was an excellent food, she would actually choose another recipe.  She said they only recommend the red meat recipes for working dogs.  Little dogs tend to get chubby on red meat dog foods.  She steered mom to this:

Orijen 6 Fresh Fish with Sea Vegetables

She also bought some Wellness Stews. She's going to start switching me over to these foods slowly so as not to upset my tummy.  The lady said that both choices were much better for a dog like me with the "specialty" things I deal with.

Mom said she doesn't think that they could ever own a large dog.  1 can of dog stew lasts me about 5 days mixed with my dry food.  One 5 lb bag of dry dog food lasts me about a month.  She can only imagine the cost of food for a St Bernard or Great Dane when you are giving them the high quality food.  :)

She was surprised that with it mixed I dug right into it today.  Usually I sniff around a new food for a couple of hours before I will even attempt to try it.  She said, maybe this will be easy for me to do.

The lady at Iowa Pet Foods Plus told her that it will take 6 weeks from the last date that I ate the old food to notice a difference.  She also told her that when I am done with my other glucosamine supplement that they have a high quality liquid one that is about the best you can get for a dog.

Mom loved the store.  They also are home to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa West.   They stopped back and looked at the cats and bunnies that were waiting for a new family.  She said they were expecting to have new dogs brought over within 20 minutes.

They got to meet Tigger, Killian, and Stormie who mom said were absolutely gorgeous cats that needed someone to love them.

Killian

Tigger

Stormie

Mom said that she would absolutely love it if they could find new homes.  She would adopt one of them in a heartbeat, but mom is allergic to cats.  Put her in the hospital for a breathing treatment allergic to cats.  ARL is not a no-kill shelter.  If you are in Iowa and you are interested in Tigger or Killian, you can contact the ARL-Iowa about them.  Like I said they are all at ARL west.  There are a whole bunch of animals awaiting new families at the ARL (all locations).  Besides dogs and cats, there are rabbits, rats, and even horses needing to be adopted.  Check out the pets here.  Everyone needs a home.  Remember, adopt don't shop.  They all need saved.

Junie says to check out: Rescue Matters: How to Find, Foster, and Rehome Companion Animals: A Guide for Volunteers and Organizers

Urge the EPA to Ban Compound 1080

Wolf 314F under anesthesia after having her tracking collar put on

Mom and I get a lot of alerts in our email regarding animals and animal welfare.  This one broke mom's heart and she wanted to share it with you so that you too might sign the petition to urge a ban on the use of Compound 1080 to kill wolves.  Read how this wolf who was being tracked died.  Read about her finally moments.  Then tell me if that doesn't sound like a horrible case of animal cruelty.  Does anyone deserve to die like that?  Tell them to not use Compound 1080, something that has been categorized as a chemical weapon in many countries.

She had traveled to four states and logged more than 1,000 miles from her home in Montana. 

But a female wolf from the Mill Creek pack (known as 314F), met a horrific fate in Colorado -- illegally poisoned by the deadly Compound 1080. 

Take action now! Urge the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide -- deadly toxins that can kill protected wildlife. 

Photo from the petition site

 314F's last moments must have been excruciating. Plagued with convulsions, dizziness and unbearable pain, her incredible journey ended in a terrible death on a lonely Colorado road. 

But sadly, she is not alone. Because it is one of the most lethal toxins known to humankind, Compound 1080 was once completely banned. Illicit stockpiles still remain -- and it has been used to illegally kill wolves. 

Compound 1080 -- so dangerous, it is classified as a chemical weapon in several countries -- is now legally used by the Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services to kill coyotes in nine states. 

Compound 1080 and other deadly toxins -- approved by EPA and used by Wildlife Services -- don't always reach their intended victims. Sodium cyanide -- another highly toxic poison -- kills hundreds of non-target animals each year. Protected wolves, rare swift foxes and even hundreds of pet dogs have been killed by baited traps that are left unattended.

EPA is currently deciding whether to continue to allow the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide by Wildlife Services to kill native wildlife. And we need your help to ban these deadly chemicals.

Act now! Urge federal officials to ban the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide to kill wildlife -- and prevent the poisoning of animals struggling to survive. 

Wildlife Services continues to rely on poisons -- a heavy-handed approach to dealing with predation of livestock -- despite the fact that only a small percentage of sheep and cattle are killed by wild predators each year. 

Non-lethal alternatives like improved fencing, guard animals, range riders and other methods can safely and effectively keep predators away from domestic animals -- without the use of deadly poisons. 

Act now to end the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide -- a terrible way for wildlife to die. 

It's too late for 314F. After traveling more than 1,000 miles from home, she met a grisly fate. 

But with your help, we can fight to end the use of the use of Compound 1080 and sodium cyanide -- and prevent the poisoning of wildlife struggling to survive.

Copied from an email we received from Defenders of Wildlife.

Read other articles on Wolf 314F here and here. 

Animal News January 23, 2011

Junie hanging in her favorite spot

That picture of me is me in my favorite spot.  It drives mom crazy.  She's worried I'll get burned on it.  She moves my bed farther away and I just get into the space between the radiator and my bed.  If she moves my bed against it, I move my bed away so I can get back in there and stay really warm.

Did you know that the Chinese royalty used to use Chinese Cresteds as their own personal heating pads? It's true.  Read a little bit about us here.  It is also claimed that we can be used to cure arthritis (by using us as a heating pad).  We have no problem with this as it gives us a chance to snuggle with our human.  There's nothing we like more than being with our human.  Mom looks at the rescued Chinese Crested sites sometimes (because she'd like to rescue a friend for me when they buy a house) and almost every description describes the dog as a shadow or Velcro dog.  Mom laughs because that's exactly what she calls me.  It's true.  I doubt there is another breed of dog that likes to be with their human more than we do.

Note:  Mom would like to disagree with that second link that claims that we don't like to bark loudly or often and that we don't make good guard dogs.  I bark loudly and often, especially when I hear the kids moving when they shouldn't be.  I may not be a huge guard dog, but I make an excellent watch dog.  I watch from under the bed while I'm barking.

On to some animal news:

US man spends month in lions’ den to raise cash Wouldn't catch me in there.  Do you agree it's exploitive?
Should UBC experiment on monkeys? Should they?
Shielo: Cruelty Free Hair Mom loves finding new products that are cruelty free.
Another Case of Animal Abuse in Lansing Poor pit.  Mom loves the saying at the top of that blog.
West Side Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty After being charged before, why does she own more animals?
450 Horses Near Death I wish we had the money to feed them all. :(
Investigators have good leads in dog-abuse case I hope they catch the person.
Reward Increased In Dead Dog Case Disgusting.
Thomas faces huge fine for animal cruelty 722 counts of animal cruelty.  Why do people not take care of that which they have made a commitment to by bringing them under their care?
31 dead animals found in Granite Falls home It's hard to read all of this stuff all the time, but awareness needs to be made so people will help those who can't help themselves.  It's so sad.
Dog Auctions Very good article.  Such sad pictures.
What to do about “hell-hole” puppy mills? Another good article.
Arrest made after dog survives shooting in parking lot Really?  Someone else's dog is in their truck and you shoot it?  Where is the common sense here?
Can you spot pet abuse? Good article
Peacock Killer Found Not Guilty of Cruelty Go ahead and do what you want to peacocks in Hawaii.  They won't convict you of animal cruelty.  Especially if you plan on eating it after you bludgeon it to death.
Police say student killed mice for an art project, charged with animal cruelty Label it art, I guess. Gross.
Shafter High School Students Say Animal Cruelty Happens Often This is from mom - next generation of serial killers coming right up.  You know they say most serial killers started out abusing animals than moved on to humans.
Rep. Curt Oda received threats over animal cruelty bill, police say To answer violence with violence is not the solution here.
Brooklyn Couple Allegedly Hoarded, Abused Dozens Of Cats I'm not a cat friendly type of dog but even I'm against abusing cats.
Is E-Bay selling Blood Pups? I agree.  I hate that Ebay classifieds allows people to sell animals.
We must outlaw roadside pet sellers. Will the world ever be a safe place for animals?
Ebay Classifieds Gives Puppy Mills a Platform Another Ebay Classifieds article.

Junie says to check out: Chinese Crested Dog Design Messenger Bag (only because mom wants it herself.)

Current News About Animals

Alyce and One of the Girls reading

I've been way too sporadic in posting.  Mom has decided that even on days that nothing is going on with me, she needs to help me post stories of animals around the world.

More interesting to hear about than how many times I use the girls room is my personal bathroom to avoid going out in the snow I would assume.  (Mom's kept a good eye on me and I didn't do it for a few days.  Then she took me outside this morning, I did my thing, then 5 minutes later she heard a shout from one of the girls, MOM! Junie pood in our room.

A dog's got to do what a dog's got to do right?  On to the news.

Justin Bieber Promotes Animal Adoption - The boy uses his name for good, just like Justin Bieber's nail polish line which I think the proceeds of which are going to charity.
Proposed Virginia Bill Amends Animal Welfare Code I know that some people actually need laws like this to get them to do what they should be doing already, but I think it's sad that a law is needed to make people do things like provide food and water for their animals that they CHOSE to have under their care.
Animal Welfare Under Resourced in Israel Animals face the same problems all over the world.  The releasing of pigeons into the wild concerns my mom.  If they have been raised by humans their whole lives, they have no idea how to survive in the wild.  I know our birds wouldn't begin to know what to do out there.  What's more humane though?  Wasting away in a cage when nobody wants you or flying off to try to make it out there in the big bad world that you've no experience with.  6 of one, half a dozen of the other.
IFAW Partners with PetFlow.com to Help Animals in Need I added this to the Companies who support Rescues page.
Parsing the new ‘humane’ food labels I'll agree, labels can be confusing.  The picture at the top makes me sad.
Animal cruelty trial continues for twins accused of burning pit bull - The picture will break your heart.
Lawyer in Hawaii says animal cruelty trial for peacock killing is 'ridiculous' Yes because if something makes a little noise that annoys you you should bludgeon it to death.  So ridiculous. People amaze me.
China Bans Animal Circuses, Issues New Warning To Zoos About Abuse I think this is the first time we have ever said this.  WOOT WOOT China for banning animal circuses.  The US needs to follow in their footsteps!
Utah Bill Declares Open Season on Feral Animals Way to take a few steps back in civility Utah.
Century Man Arrested On Six Animal Cruelty Charges The pictures will bring tears.  At least they did for me.
To buy or not to buy, that is the question Great article.  Gee, I'm from the third largest puppy mill state.  Not really a surprise since I spent the first few years of my life in one.
Police investigating after HSGB informed of decapitated dog [Warning: Graphic Images] Sickening.  Just sickening.
Almost 200 Dogs Rescued from Northwest Harris County Home If we had a house my mom would foster a couple of my Chinese Crested brothers/sisters.
Where To Look For Buying A Puppy Good tips

Now to stay caught up on all of the news articles.

Junie says to check out:  Chinese Crested: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog (Comprehensive Owner's Guide)

Beauty and the Beast - A Rescue Story

Originally posted here on my mom's blog - Not Everyone's Mama.  We felt it was relevant over here also because it relates to helping animals.

Reposted from their newsletter with permission from Ecco Bella because I thought it was a neat way to start getting involved!

Meet Spike and Busby. Just a couple of happy-go-lucky Macaques, who loved sitting up in trees, munching on fruit and nuts, until a selfish research lab got hold of them. But in this case justice was served. The lab went bust and these guys and 23 of their fellow rescues went straight to a good home at Primarily Primates, the Friends of Animals sanctuary outside of San Antonio, Texas.

     As a board member of Friends of Animals, I sweat their financials and exalt in their successes. Several years ago, as Primarily Primates was struggling to stay afloat, FoA offered to share resources with them, effectively rescuing the sanctuary.

     Check out this heartwarming Macaques rescue video. And don’t miss the last few minutes. It’s a moving testament to the fantastic work the Primarily Primates staff is doing.

I know how deeply you care about the planet, and as a board member of FoA, I have arranged for you to become a friend of the sanctuary. With a $20 purchase, you’ll receive a free Ecco Bella Mascara, in black or brown (a value of $15.95,) plus a one year membership in both Primarily Primates and Friends of Animals (A total value of $65.95.) You’ll love it!

To help you get the most from your Ecco Bella experience, call or email us for yourFree Beauty Consultation from our Natural Beauty Gurus. Let us hear from you atproducthelp@eccobella.com
Or call 877-696-2220 x 20. We love to talk!

     Thank you for inspiring us to continue as an innovator in natural beauty for you, while looking out for animals and the planet.

From one Intelligent Beauty to another,
Sally Malanga
Founder, Ecco Bella + Chaz

I am definitely going to sign up for this offer and you can too here.

If you want to subscribe to Ecco Bella’s newsletter to see more opportunities like this you can subscribe here.

Ecco Bella’s Blog, Twitter, and Facebook

FTC (wo)Man: I received no compensation for this post.  In fact, I reached out to Ecco Bella to ask if I could repost their newsletter that I had received because I thought it was such a neat idea.  Ecco Bella did not ask me to nor did they provide me with anything for this post.  Thank you!

Catching Up

Junie hanging by mom's desk

Everyone has been sick around here.  Mom, one of the Girls, the Littlest Boy was taken to the ER the other night with something wrong with his eye.  It looked like it hurt a lot.

Tis the season mom says.

I'm healthy.

Mom says I've put on a couple of pounds.  I noticed that some of my clothes weren't fitting right.  The Velcro would completely pop open or mom couldn't get it fastened.  Mom said I weighed 6 lbs when I came to live with them and she thinks I am up to 8 or so now.  She said we'll know for sure what I weigh after my next vet visit.  She gave most of my clothes away on reuseit to another couple of dogs that wanted to stay warm in the snow.  She held on to my dresses hoping she could fix them so they'd fit me again but then decided she'd just get me new dresses.  She gave those to the chihuahua upstairs though she doesn't really look like she'd fit into them.  Her mom said she weighs 3 lbs right now and isn't going to get a lot bigger.  And I thought I was small.

With the cold weather I've been taking off to use the girls' room instead of going outside.  I know it frustrates mom but it's soooooo cold out there.  She takes me out and we stand and we stand and we stand and look at it each other.  After 10 minutes she decides I'm not going to go.  We come in, she watches me, and watches me, and watches me.  When she finally takes her eyes off of me I sneak into the girls' room.  She knows when the girls yell, MOM!  Junie pooped in our room.  Tattletales.

Mom's been taking me out every hour but man, I hate the snow.  I have a puppy pad on the porch but it's still cold.  I cannot wait until the snow melts and I can go back out on the grass again.

Other than that, it's been more of the same.  I've been spending a lot of time barking lately now that I found my voice.  Mom laughs when I actually think there's a threat and I bark from under that.  She doesn't laugh when I'm barking at midnight from the safety of my bed.  She's afraid that the neighbors will call the apartment manager or that I will wake up one of the kids but I can't help it.  When I hear something I have to let everyone know.  You never know what it could be.  Isn't that what every good dog does?

On the plus side, my ear infection seems to be gone finally.  Mom has been using Vet's Best Ear Relief Wash & Dry and giving me acidophilus.  Huge difference.  No smelly ears.  No major licking.  No tilting my head from side to side.  I feel much better.

We're going to get to work tweeting out some news stories about animals.  If you aren't following me on Twitter yet, please do.  I'm @Junie_Be.

Junie says to check out - Housetraining For Dummies

I Am Guard Dog Hear Me Roar

The littlest boy giving Junie a kiss

Now that I am completely comfortable here in my home, I have taken it upon myself to alert my mom to every noise that is around us.

Especially at night.

Tonight I have been on high alert.  I'm not sure what is out there beyond the sliding glass door and I am not about to leave my mom's comfy lap to go find out, but my mom says she's never felt me so tense.  I keep looking towards the door with my ears straight up and I growl and I bark and I growl some more.  I don't know what it is, but mom needs to know there is something out there.

Mom said it's probably a cat.  Or a possum.  Then she really thought about it and said, or it's someone trying to steal the Oldest Boy's bike he left on the porch.  There was no way she was going to investigate then.  She called dad and he hurried home from work and said there is nothing out there.

I must have scared them away.

I do my job around here.  Protect and love.  It's what I do.

Mom says that if I was bigger she swears I would herd the kids around like an Australian Cattle Dog.  She's probably right.  I don't bark when the kids are moving around normally during the day, but if the Oldest Boy is trying to be sneaky, I start barking and let mom know that he's doing something fishy.

If the kids get out of their bed at night, I bark and growl at them from across the room, and let them know that mom told them to go to bed, they need to get back in there.  I don't actually get up.  I just let them know I see them sneaking around even if mom doesn't see it and she'll see it soon enough when she hears me.

Mom thinks it is kind of strange that I only alert her to the kids when they are doing something they aren't supposed to be doing.  She wants to know how I know what they are supposed to and what they aren't supposed to do?

I don't know.  I just know.

Like I said, during the day when they are up and moving around, I play with them, or I ignore them, or I lay beside them.  I love all of them.  But if they are sneaky, I alert mom.  That means I'm smart right?

Do your dogs do things like that?

Mom says she can't wait until we buy a house so she doesn't have to worry about my barking and the neighbors.  I say they won't mind my barking if I alert them to something they should know about too.  Mom says that we have to have the most understanding neighbors in the world between my alerts and the birds chirping, it sounds like a zoo in here.  Since they pet me when they see me, they must be right.

Junie says to check out: Barking: The Sound of a Language (Dogwise Training Manual)