Dutchess County SPCA seizes ten unhealthy puppies being sold at Puppies and Kittens Pet Store in Wappingers: second seizure from the same store

HYDE PARK, NY (April 26, 2011) – Yesterday, the Dutchess County SPCA entered the Puppies and Kittens pet store in Wappingers Falls with a search warrant, seizing ten unhealthy puppies and arresting the store owner, Richard Doyle, on two counts of Cruelty to Animals and two counts of Selling Diseased Animals, all misdemeanors.


Late last week, Humane Law Officers received reports that there were numerous puppies coughing in the store, displaying signs of illness. On Monday, April 25 Humane Law Officers obtained a search warrant for the store, signed by Village Justice Vincent Francese.

DCSPCA Humane Law Officers entered the store Monday evening, assisted by the Village of Wappingers Falls Police and a licensed veterinarian. Almost half the puppies in the store were sick, and were subsequently removed for veterinary treatment by the DCSPCA’s Animal Services team. The puppies are not available for adoption.

This arrest comes almost a month after Humane Law Officers seized an unhealthy 11-week old Yorkshire Terrier from Puppies and Kittens Pet Store and charged Mr. Doyle and another employee with the same offenses. In February, DCSPCA officers executed a search warrant in Pet Fashions Pet Store in the Poughkeepsie Galleria, seizing seven unhealthy puppies and charging the owner and employees with 66 counts of similar charges, some felonies.

Original story here http://avoice4animals.blogspot.com/2011/03/update-dutchess-county-spca-seizes.html

Farm Sanctuary Asks Parents to Consider Alternatives to Buying Baby Chickens, Ducks and Rabbits as Holiday Pets

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – April 20, 2011 – With Easter just days away, and the animated movie Hop, featuring an adorable bunny as the main character, packing movie theatres nationwide, Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org), the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, is encouraging families to resist buying live bunnies, ducklings and chicks as gifts for their children, and instead sponsor an animal in need. Every year hundreds of baby chickens, ducks and rabbits find their way into Easter baskets, but they grow quickly, and interest in them is often lost as the reality of their long term care sets in. As a result, Farm Sanctuary’s California and New York Shelters see an abundance of people looking to find homes for unwanted animals immediately following Easter.

“Rabbits, ducks and chickens are living, feeling animals, not holiday trinkets, yet many people impulsively purchase them without considering whether or not they are prepared to take care of them for many years to come,” said Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director Susie Coston. “We urge parents to show their children that animals deserve love when they’re all grown up just as much as when they were babies. They can do that by sponsoring an animal in need for their children this Easter rather than buying one.”

Farm Sanctuary sponsorships help provide year-round care for rescued animals in a setting where they can enjoy freedoms difficult to provide in households, such as the space necessary to exercise their natural behaviors and the ability to socialize with others of the same species. The animals available for sponsorship this Easter include: Stacey, a pig who had been used for practice surgeries at a university; Jade, a hen who was rescued from a cockfighting operation; Mr. Peepers, a goose who was a target of abuse for nearly 10 years; Bradley, a steer who was rescued from a dairy farm where he was tied in a filthy barn, unable to walk or lift his head; Preston, a duck who was found wandering the streets of New York City after likely having been bought during Easter and abandoned; and Lily, a goat who faced slaughter after being purchased as a gift for a child. Each unique sponsorship package includes a personalized adoption certificate with color photo that makes the perfect addition to any Easter basket.

To sponsor an animal for Easter, visit: farmsanctuary.org.

A Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala!




CLICK THE PICTURE TO RSVP to this wonderful event!

 

This Saturday, April 23, Moby, NBA Champion John “Spider” Salley, “The Biggest Loser’s” Bob Harper and American Pie’s Jennifer Coolidge will host a party in Los Angeles to kick off the 25th Anniversary of Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. This special milestone, and all that has been achieved to promote compassion for farm animals in the past 25 years, will be commemorated at two star-studded, black-tie Galas in New York City on May 14, and in Los Angeles on September 24.


Moby, Salley, Harper and Coolidge are all supporters of Farm Sanctuary’s vital rescue, education and legislative work on behalf of abused and exploited farm animals and demonstrate the diverse faces in entertainment embracing the compassionate veg lifestyle (even towering NBA Champions are singing the praises of veganism!). Dedicated to inspiring change in the way society views and treats farm animals, Harper served as national spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary’s 2010 Walk for Farm Animals and Salley served as Grand Marshal of the 2010 New York City Walk.

This Saturday, for $100, the general public can hob-nob with these compassionate celebs and celebrate 25 years of compassion for farm animals at the beautiful Hollywood Hills home of James Costa. Tickets can be purchased at farmsanctuary.org. Those not based in LA, but who would still like to contribute to the organization’s lifesaving efforts on behalf of farm animals, can do so at farmsanctuary.org.

I visited Farm Sanctuary last year in Watkins Glen, New York.  It was a wonderful place!  Almost magical.  Please do what you can to support them and the animals taht live there.  Thanks!

Earth Day 2011 - Disneynatures' AFRICAN CATS

On Earth Day 2009, I took my niece to the movies to see Disneynature's EARTH. Little did I know it would turn into an annual event. Earth followed 3 families, Polar Bears, Elephants, and Humpback Whales. It was a beautifully done documentary and I think it opened my nieces' eyes to some of the most beautiful creatures on earth.


Then last year, my nephew, brother and sister joined my niece and me on our Earth Day event. We saw Oceans. This, like is predecessor, was a brilliantly done documentary of all the wonderful creatures that live in the oceans and how the ocean is so important to all of our existences.

This Friday, African Cats opens and we will be in attendance. I am very proud to be able to share my love for animals with my family, yet again.  I can only imagine what a journey we will be going on when the film begins.

 I'll be there with my niece and nephew to watch what I am sure will be a wonderful documentary about the African Cats and to teach the kids that animals belong in the wild and not in the zoo.


 If you go to see the film during the first week of opening, Disney will donate money to Save the Savanna.

You can go here to get your tickets and check out the trailers.

http://disney.go.com/disneynature/africancats/

New Podcast Episode! Episode 5 - NYC Veg Food Festival & Comedy For Karma!

A VOICE 4 ANIMALS - Episode 5


You can follow my podcast via itunes or go to the link to listen to it right now!  Thanks!


http://www.archive.org/download/Episode5-NycVegFoodFestival-ComedyForKarma/Episode5-NycVegFoodFest-Come.mp3

Puppy shot 3 times by pellet gun in Lumberton - By NORA MUCHANIC

The shooting happened around 10:00 a.m. Monday in the area of Flemish Way in Lumberton, New Jersey.


Officers arrived to find the dog's owner, Tom Cann, who said the Australian Labradoodle puppy, "Rocko," got out of his back yard.

When he found the puppy it was lying in the street, bleeding from the right shoulder.

"I went outside, he was in the street. I went to pick him up thinking he was hit and it turned out he got shot," Cann said, a veteran corrections officer who fought back tears while talking about his dog.

Cann said he saw a blue pickup truck nearby that left the scene as he approached, driving north on Flemish Way.

He could only describe the driver as a white male.

"Took off as soon as I stepped out the front porch," said Cann.

The puppy was transported to the Creek's Edge Animal Hospital in Hainesport, NJ. The veterinarians at Creek's Edge Hospital confirmed that the dog was shot with 3 pellets.

The puppy was later transported to the Langhorne, Pa. Veterinarian Hospital because one of the pellets just missed its spinal cord. The dog underwent surgery on Tuesday afternoon and was recovering.

Police are searching for anyone with information.

"We're actually canvassing the neighborhood trying to talk to some neighbors to see what they saw, if they have any information for us," said Det. Sgt. Tony DiLoreto of the Lumberton Police.

Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is requested to contact the Lumberton Twp. Special Investigations Unit at 609-267-1111 or 609-267-8300.

Source : http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=8067929

ONG Worker Bitten By Dog, All Pets Removed From OKC Couple's Home

Jacqueline Sit, News 9





OKLAHOMA CITY -- A utility worker is pressing charges against the owners of a pack of dogs after he crossed into the family's property and was bitten by their pet.

The pet owners say this could cause them to lose their dogs for good.

Stephen Hughes and Ashley Smith say they were at home Monday morning when an ONG contractor unexpectedly jumped over a fence into their backyard. One of the couple's dogs bit him.

The utility worker says he knocked on the door. The couple says that's not true because they would have heard it. Now they're fighting to get their dogs back.

"We got several tickets on Tuesday from animal welfare for dangerous animals and we got a note that the utility worker will be pressing charges against us," Hughes said.

Hughes said the dogs had to be taken to an animal shelter to be quarantined for 10 days after the attack.

Now that the worker is pressing charges against the owners, they will have to go to court to prove their pets are not vicious.

"They're the sweetest and playful dogs you can ever meet but if a stranger jumps into their yard, they will get territorial. It's their job to protect us in our home," Smith said.

The owners say they don't know if and when they'll get to see their pets.

"We went to the animal shelter to visit them and we're not allowed to see them. This is really hard for us. We don't know what will happen to them and I hope we'll get to see them again," Hughes said.

ONG spokesperson Don Sherry says the company is not pursuing any action but the utility worker is pressing charges as an individual. Sherry says by the worker's account, he had knocked on the door but there was no response. He then climbed the fence to check the meter and that's when he saw four dogs, including a Rottweiler and a pit bull. The worker says he was attacked by one of the dogs and had to jump the fence to escape.

The ONG contractor was treated and released for puncture wounds. He is believed to be back at work.


Source: http://www.news9.com/story/14412510/ong-worker-bitten-by-dog-all-pets-removed-from-okc-familys-home

Animal rescuers' tales shine in 'Born to Be Wild 3D'

The new wildlife documentary "Born to Be Wild 3D," a coproduction of Warner Bros. and IMAX, undoubtedly has the shortest running time of any movie in commercial theaters.


But what it lacks in length, the 45-minute movie makes up in entertainment value.

That you come away from it more mindful of the striking similarities humans share with members of the animal kingdom - in this case, elephants and orangutans - is another of its strengths.

Narrator Morgan Freeman's distinctive timbre and director David Lickley's choice to shoot the film in IMAX 3-D instantly establishes that "Born to Be Wild 3D" isn't your dad's Discovery Channel special dressed up in big-screen clothing.

The movie juxtaposes the lives of two doctors doing some truly extraordinary work on opposite sides of the world.

World-renowned primatologist Biruté (pronounced beer-ooo-taye) Mary Galdikas has studied orangutans in Borneo for decades.

At her orangutan care center, she and her team have saved more than 400 orphaned orangutans endangered by habitat loss and returned them to the wild.

In Kenya, Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick, a leading elephant expert, runs a nursery for orphaned elephants.

Sheldrick and her team physically and emotionally prepare orphaned elephants to return to the Kenyan savanna.

She's rescued more than 200 motherless elephants, most of whom were orphaned as a result of ivory-poaching.

It took her 28 years to perfect the right milk formula to properly nourish the infant elephants.

"Born to Be Wild 3D" proves an appropriate primer for parents interested in introducing their young children to the wonders of the animal kingdom.

In typical IMAX fashion, the film packs quite a bit of information and detail into its relatively brief running time.

Lickley, a biologist-turned-filmmaker with more than 30 nature and science documentaries to his credit, does an excellent job of making all that detail accessible.

And the 3-D imagery heightens the experience. Kids and adults alike will be wowed by how the infant elephants and orangutans appear to be just an arm's reach away.

Source : http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/119501959.html