Dutchess County SPCA - Animal Showcase Album on Facebook!

Please visit the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, New York! You're new BEST FRIEND is waiting for you today! You can look at their website at the link above or click on the DCSPCA FACEBOOK PAGE to see all the new profiles and pictures!

Here are just a few of the wonderful animals waiting for your love!




MADI




MISSY




RASHA




SKITTER




JAKE




It is the mission of the DCSPCA to rescue and provide temporary humane shelter for the abandoned, neglected and abused companion animals of the Dutchess County community. Central to our mission is the securing of caring, responsible, permanent homes for the adoptable animals in our care.

Summer’s New Wheels at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!

Summer is now able to walk with assistance from her special wheelchair fitted perfectly to her needs. After almost a month of immobility, Summer is now walking on all fours and that sparkle has returned to her eyes!  We hope that with this physical therapy she shall someday cast her chair aside, but for now it’s a huge help. 

Please follow the link to see Summer's story and watch an inspiring video of this beautiful animal! 

http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/2011/05/summers-new-wheels/

The Circular Glance - A Powerful Video

I came across this video and it is just amazing. Thought provoking and REAL.  The movie is 12 minutes long and is in spanish.  You can chose captions at the bottom of the box, just click CC.  This will get you thinking.  Once you have seen this, you can go on to watch Earthlings.  I would love to hear from anyone who watches it to see what you think.  Thanks!

A Mother's Love - Video by EVOLVE! Campaigns

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms in the world! 

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

UPDATE!!! The Dutchess County SPCA Seizes a Puppy and Arrests Store Owner

The Dutchess County SPCA seizes a puppy and arrests store owner and an employee following complaints of selling an unhealthy puppy.
HYDE PARK, NY (March 25, 2011) –Yesterday, the Dutchess

County SPCA seized an unhealthy puppy being offered for sale by

Puppies and Kittens, a pet store in Wappingers Falls, and charged

the store owner and an employee after a local veterinarian

examined the dog and found him to be unfit to be sold.


DCSPCA Humane Law Officers were contacted by a customer of

the store who had purchased the puppy. Her veterinarian found the

puppy to be unhealthy and advised her that the dog should not

have been sold. She returned the puppy to the store, which offered

him for sale in the store’s window the next day. DCSPCA Officers

Jami Landry and Daniel Flaherty investigated and charged the

owner, Richard F. Doyle with two counts of Section 357 (Selling

Diseased Animals, Unclassified Misdemeanor) for knowingly

offering an unhealthy puppy for sale twice. The owner was also

charged with one count of Section 353 (Animal Cruelty, Class A

Misdemeanor). An employee was changed with one count of

Section 353 (Animal Cruelty, Class A Misdemeanor).

The defendants are due to appear in the Village of Wappingers

Court on April 7th. The 11-week old Teacup Yorkshire Terrier is

being nursed back to health by the DCSPCA’s Animal Services

team. He is not available for adoption. He is the eighth puppy

officers have seized from local pet stores in the past month.

Last month, the DCSPCA investigated similar complaints about Pet

Fashion Pet Store in the Galleria Mall. Six employees and the

owner now face a total of 66 charges stemming from allegations

that they offered puppies that were too sick to sell.

The investigation is on-going. Anyone who has purchased a puppy

from Puppies and Kittens pet store in Wappingers Falls that has or

had an infectious or contagious illness should contact the

DCSPCA’s Humane Law Department immediately by dialing

845.452.7722 ext. 4

Great work Jami and Daniel!  And thank you Cher for bringing this to my attention and for all you do for our friends at the shelter! 
Remember,  ADOPT! Don't Buy.

My original story can be found here

Blogs to Help You Go Vegan, Stay Vegan and Eat Great!

Explore vegan living with these blogs that will make the transition a little easier on your taste buds.

Vegan cooking is accessible thanks to the array of vegan blogs that walk you through recipes small and large. If you’re looking for a quick lunch fix, what to do with leftovers or a dinner party menu that will impress friends, these vegan cooking blogs will help you go vegan. It’s easy to stay vegan when the food you’re eating is fresh and flavorful, so get reading and then get cooking!

http://www.mastersinpublichealth.net/more-than-meats-the-eye-top-25-blogs-to-help-you-go-vegan/

Also,  please check out my friend Molly's Vegan Blog List.  Another great list!

Night of Comedy in NYC to Benefit Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!

THE 4th ANNUAL COMEDY FOR KARMA



A star-studded comedy benefit for the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

When: Tuesday, April 5th, 8:00pm / doors 7:30pm

Where: Gotham Comedy Club


208 West 23rd Street between 7th & 8th Avenues


New York City


What: For the 4th year in row, the funny farm is back with their fabulously hip comedy benefit at the Gotham Comedy Club in NYC.


Featuring celebrity comedians….


• John Oliver (The Daily Show correspondent - tentative)


• Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show correspondent - tentative)


• Gary Gulman (2004 Last Comic Standing finalist, late night show appearances)


• Myq Kaplan (2010 Last Comic Stand¬ing final¬ist, late night show appearances)


• Jamie Kilstein (Showtime’s The Green Room, late night show appearances)


Olivia Munn (The Daily Show, NBC’s Perfect Couples) will emcee!





The funds raised will go directly to the care of over 200 rescued farm animals at the sanctuary and the advocacy work of WFAS. General admission tickets are $40 advance / $50 door, and reserved-seating VIP tickets are $75 (includes WFAS t-shirt!). Visit http://www.comedyforkarma.com/ or call 845-679-5955 to purchase tickets.



ABOUT THE WOODSTOCK FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organization and shelter that works to end the systematic abuse of animals used for food. At the heart of our mission is the hands-on work of rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for farm animal refugees -- as well as educating the public about the horrific treatment of animals who are raised in factory farm systems. Please visit WFAS in Woodstock, NY during our hours of operation: Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., April thru October. Visit http://www.WoodstockSanctuary.org for more information or call 845-679-5955.

New Podcast Episode! - Episode 4 - Animal Shelters, Pet Stores & Puppy Mills

Episode 4 - In this episode I talk about how animals get to shelters, and the link between puppy mills and pet stores. I also read a beautiful essay entitled I Rescued A Human Today.


You can find the podcast on Itunes, Please subscribe! If you don't use iTunes, you can get the direct link here:


http://www.archive.org/download/AVoice4Animals-Episode4-AnimalSheltersPetStoresPuppyMills/Episode4-AnimalSheltersPetSto.mp3

Adopt a Friend, Don't Buy One! - PET STORES = PUPPY MILLS

The picture above is of a pet store that recently opened up in Wappingers Falls, New York. They sell animals that come from puppy mills.


A puppy mill, is a commercial dog breeding facility that is operated with an emphasis upon profits above animal welfare and is often in substandard conditions regarding the well-being of dogs in their care. Similar types of operations exist for other animals commonly kept as pets or used as feed for other animals. The term can be applied to operations involving other animals commercially bred for profit, e.g. "kitty mills." There are an estimated 4,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce more than half a million puppies a year. Commercial kennels may be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture which may inspect the kennels routinely. For-profit breeding on a smaller scale is sometimes referred to as backyard breeding.

If you visit the following link, the website there has well documented cases where the USDA has done inspections at these puppy mills that supply the stores that are owned by Rick Doyle.

http://www.againstpuppymills.org/HoS_RickDoyle.html

The list of violations is not isolated to just this particular store or these breeders/puppy mills. This is a common occurrence all over the country, probably the world, for animals sold in pet stores. When profits are put ahead of concern for the animals health and well being, there is little regard for them, and shortcuts are taken that end up in suffering, diseases and premature death of the animals.

On a personal note to this blog entry, I have a neighbor who bought 2 dogs from the pet store in the Galleria Mall in Poughkeepsie, New York several years back. Within 2 years, one of her dog's went blind, and within the next 3 years, both of the dogs had died from medical problems associated with inbreeding at the puppy mill that supplied the pet store.

As a volunteer for the Dutchess County SPCA, I see dogs and cats that are currently waiting to be ADOPTED by loving families. These animals need a home. By adopting rather than BUYING, you are not only saving the life of an animal that desperately needs a "forever home", you are also saving the lives of future animals that would have been born in a puppy mill to supply the unnecessary demand, and you are not funding these horrible practices, and greedy people. If we take away the DEMAND for puppies in pet stores, the puppy mills will cease to exist and will have to find another way to make money, sparing future generations of suffering. It's common sense ecomonics. Supply and demand.

Save a life, ADOPT your next best friend.

The following video shows exactly where pet store animals come from. Please watch it. And think......Do you want to contribute to this cruelty?




To adopt an shelter animal, please visit your local SPCA or go to:

Petfinder.com

Adopt A Pet

In Dutchess County go to http://www.dcspca.org/

For more information on puppy mills, visit Againstpuppymills.org

Thank you!

Michael

Dutchess County SPCA - Adoptable Animals

The Dutchess County SPCA is a shelter located in Hyde Park, New York.  They are a no-kill shelter that provides temporary housing to animals that are looking for their "Forever Home".  Please consider adopting your next Best Friend from them.  For information on adopting any of the sweet animals in the photo album, or to make a donation, please go to http://www.dcspca.org/


Click here to see pictures of current animals up for adoption

Dutchess SPCA Seizes Puppies From Mall Store

TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Seven puppies were seized from Pet Fashion, a pet store at the Galleria mall in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The warrant for the seizure was issued by the Town of Poughkeepsie and executed on Saturday.

The puppies were examined by a licensed SPCA veterinarian and are being held in isolation where they will receive ongoing medical care. Two of the dogs were in serious condition and required emergency medical care, the SPCA said. The puppies are not available for adoption.

The investigation was prompted by complaints that the store was selling animals showing signs of illness. The investigation is continuing.

Anyone who has purchased a puppy from Pet Fashion that has or had an infectious or contagious illness should contact the Dutchess SPCA’s Humane Law Department at 845-452-7722 ext 4.

“We are concerned about the health of these seven puppies and preventing the further spread of illness,” said SPCA Executive Director Joyce Garrity.

Don't buy dogs and cats from a pet store.  The overwhelming majority of them come from puppy mills.  These places are horribly cruel and many of the animals get sick and die at very early ages.  ADOPT a friend! If you wish to send a donation to help these puppies, please go to DCSPCA.ORG.  And tell them you heard about it on this blog!  Thanks!

source : http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/February/22/DC_pup_seize-22Feb11.html

Man Accused of Marinating Cat Found Not Guilty

(NewsCore) - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A Buffalo man alleged to have marinated his live cat and accused of making plans to eat the pet was found not guilty Friday of animal cruelty charges, the Buffalo News reported.


Gary L. Korkuc, 52, was cleared of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges by a city judge, who also said Korkuc was wrongly accused by police of marinating the cat.

Police rescued the cat, named Navarro, August 8 after finding it in the man's car trunk when he was pulled over for allegedly running a stop sign. The animal has since been adopted by another family.

Officers said they heard the cat crying from inside the trunk and found it in a cage "marinating" in a mixture of crushed red peppers, olive oil and chili pepper.

Officers said that Korkuc told them he did not like that cat, after it got into kitchen food items by accident and that he was "taking it for a Sunday bath."

Marshall pointed to "a great deal of confusion" from widespread publicity about the case, and said police wrongly accused Korkuc of marinating the cat.

Public defender Michael J. Pacifico called no witnesses in the case but said Korkuc had been abused by Erie County Holding Center inmates because of the negative publicity.

Marshall found the defendant guilty of failing to signal for a turn and fined him $70 for the transgression and $80 in court fees, all of which have to be paid by March 31.

Not guilty?  WTF!  I just don't get it.  What was he doing, giving the cat a spa treatment in the back of the car?  Unbelievable!  Until animals are treated as other persons and not property, this crap will continue.  Injustice. 
Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/news/offbeat/man-accused-of-marinating-cat-found-not-guilty-dpgonc-20110218-bb_11951473