Great things in far off places

This is a repost from the SPCA's website. It shows just how much people in other countries are starting to love thier pets as much as we do here in america. It also shows that even the animals in the far reaches of the world need human help...

The Protecting Animal Welfare Society Kuwait (PAWS Kuwait) opened Kuwait’s first officially licensed shelter for injured, lost, or abandoned animals. Until PAWS Kuwait was formed, no organized efforts to assist animals existed in the country. Today there are still no municipal shelters in Kuwait and PAWS Kuwait, led by volunteers, has assumed the moral and humane responsibility to assist as many animals as possible.
While PAWS Kuwait primarily assists dogs and cats, they also help other companion animals and provide care to wild animals. They are currently housing their first horses, rescued from a local equestrian center, and have recently launched an Equine Rescue Program.
PAWS Kuwait provides shelter to animals in need. Thanks to the help of a visiting veterinarian, they are able to provide basic care, vaccinations, and spay and neuter for these animals. Once the animals are deemed well enough to leave the shelter, they are then placed into loving foster and adoptive homes.
In addition to running their shelter, PAWS Kuwait is paving the way for other much needed services and programs benefiting both the animals and the local community.
They provide a hotline which the public can call for information ranging from the location of the veterinary clinic to advice on the emergency care of stray or injured animals. The citizens of Kuwait are also encouraged to phone in reports of cruelty, abandonment or neglect. In addition to the hotline, PAWS, Kuwait also contributes to a weekly pet advice column written in both Kuwaiti and Arabic and provides Kuwaiti and Arabic speaking volunteer assistance.
Their Educational Outreach Program visits schools throughout Kuwait, teaching humane education to the country’s youth. Schools and other interested groups are invited to visit the shelter. Additionally, PAWS Kuwait holds regular Responsible Pet Ownership and Pet Respect assemblies with young people from kindergarteners all the way to university age students.
On top of everything else they do, PAWS Kuwait has committed to undertake the important work of monitoring Kuwait’s unregulated pet shops and markets where animals are sold. This is a tough task as these animals are often kept in poor conditions and, all too often, the animals for sale are unvaccinated and ill.
PAWS Kuwait campaigns on a variety of animal welfare issues and promotes the adoption of the Humane Stray Animal Control Program. This program attempts to halt the authorization of poisoning or shooting as a means of controlling the feral dog and cat population in Kuwait.
SPCA International is proud to recognize PAWS Kuwait for all their efforts to ease the suffering of animals in Kuwait.

Special Needs animals...

It is rough living with special needs animals. Special needs animals take special people to be their owners. When you have an animal that has more that normal needs you are going to spend more time at the vet, more money on medication and more love taking care of them. In fact, a special needs animal is not that much different than having a special needs child.
It can be a very emotional time. If you have an animal with say seizures, then it can be very hard to watch. The medication can also be very expensive. No matter what, having a special needs animal is no reason to have it put down.

SPCA shelter of the week.

Save-A-Life, Inc. (Savannah, GA)

We were created to save adoptable animals from local shelters and to help prevent overpopulation of companion animals through low cost spaying and neutering.




Save-A-Life, Inc., based out of Savannah, Georgia, is an all-volunteer organization created to save adoptable animals from local shelters and to help prevent overpopulation of companion animals through low cost spaying and neutering. For more than four decades, Save-A-Life has assumed a leadership role in advocating low-cost spaying and neutering in order to help prevent the deaths of unwanted, homeless dogs and cats. Dedicated volunteers are crucial to the success of the organization which is funded entirely through donations and fundraising activities.
Save-A-Life primarily rescues animals from the Chatham County Animal Control shelter. Without Save-A-Life stepping in to help, many of these animals would have been euthanized after only a three-day holding period at the Animal Control shelter. Once pulled from the shelter, these animals are placed into caring foster homes throughout the Savannah area until they are ready to be adopted into the permanent loving homes they deserve. In addition to helping dogs and cats, Save-A-Life also assists with birds and rabbits.
Save-A-Life also operates an impressive and effective low cost spay and neuter voucher program. Save-A-Life offers discount vouchers, redeemable at a number of local participating veterinary clinics, to the public to promote spaying and neutering. In addition, Save-A-Life underwrites all additional veterinary charges on the spay and neuter vouchers. To date, over 2100 animals have been helped thanks to the low cost spay voucher.
On occasion, Save-A-Life also provides medical assistance to those individuals who could not otherwise afford to care for their pets.
Due to the limited space in their foster care program, Save-A-Life is not always able to take in all the abandoned, homeless or unwanted pets in Savannah. Save-A-Life has addressed this situation by developing the Pet Placement Assistance Program. This program assists people who have found strays, or who can no longer keep their own pets, by providing them with the tools and necessary information to place these animals into safe environment with a pet caregiver
In recognition of their excellent programs on behalf of animal welfare, SPCA International has selected Save-A-Life as Shelter of the Week. “It will assist us in continuing to provide low-cost spaying and neutering in our area. With the increasing prices, this is a huge blessing for us,” said Pam Hunt, Business Manager.
Your generous contribution to the Shelter of the Week Program will allow SPCA International to continue to recognize future organizations for their lifesaving efforts.

The SPCA's shelter of the week

The SPCA is an organization that is committed to stopping the abuse to animals in this country. This group works as hard to help save animals, as the department for childrens services work to help kids. So with that, I would like to take the time to say "Thank you SPCA for all you do". I would also like to promote one of there chosen shelters of the week.


Sierra Wildlife Rescue (Placerville, CA)

Our main goal is to rehabilitate and release back into the wild injured and orphaned wild animals.




Sierra Wildlife Rescue cares for most of the wild mammal species in El Dorado County, California, including tree and ground squirrels, rabbits, skunks, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, deer, and all species of birds, including songbirds, corvids, raptors, waterfowl, game birds and others. In their mission to preserve El Dorado County’s wildlife, Sierra Wildlife Rescue works to rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned wild animals, while striving to educate the public about living with wildlife and respecting their habitat.
On average, Sierra Wildlife Rescue assists 1200-1500 wild animals annually. In 2007 alone, they rescued and rehabilitated 369 mammals and 1021 birds.
Animals are rehabilitated by home rehabbers, who provide food, housing, and medical care on their own property, in settings that do not attempt to domesticate the animals, so that they can be successfully released back to the wild. Sierra Wildlife Rescue rehabbers often work closely with veterinarians who assist in some of the more complex cases of illness or injury.
Sierra Wildlife Rescue volunteers monitor a hotline seven days a week that provides emergency care instructions to people who have found a wild bird or mammal in distress. The hotline volunteers provide information on contacting an appropriate Sierra Wildlife Rescue rehabber for the species. In addition to answering calls from the El Dorado County area, they also refer callers from throughout California and the U.S. to wildlife rehab and other animal welfare organizations in their areas.
Sierra Wildlife Rescue's Education Team gives up to 40 presentations each year on wildlife issues to schools, scout troops, veterans' groups, church groups, seniors’ organizations, hobby clubs and others. Classes on wildlife species in the area and how to live in harmony with our "wild neighbors" are also presented to the general public throughout the year. The education team is accompanied during the presentations by thier "education ambassadors," several hawks and owls taken in by Sierra Wildlife Rescue who are non-releasable due to permanent injuries, and who have been licensed as Education Birds by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Sierra Wildlife Rescue’s efforts highlight the growing need for wildlife care as development decreases their natural habitat every year and people are increasingly coming into contact with wildlife. As an all-volunteer organization, Sierra Wildlife Rescue provides these valuable services that assist the wildlife of El Dorado County and educate the community soley through private donations.

keep up the great work!!! for more information, visit the SPCA's website: http://www.spca.com/

Why so many cages

I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. "I have done something," He replied. "I created You."

A dogs journey for Love.

Often times people get new pets for the wrong reasons. Sometimes they get pets with all the entention of being good and loving owners, but life gets in the way. "Pets are people too." I was once told, but until recently I really didn't undstand how true that was. Too many people believe that having a pet means that you have ownership of that living, breathing and emotional being. Even a goldfish who can't even remember 3 seconds ago, still has 3 seconds of personality. It is my belief that when we take a pet into our homes, we take the same responciblity as we would if it were a child. Most normal people would not turn there children over to a children shelter just becouse they can't handle them, they would look for other ways. But too many times, when we can't handle our animals, we just put them in the pound. We rationalize it by telling ourselves someone will adopt them. Trueth is, we just killed them. Every day, there are dog, cats and many different animals who are put to death. There only crime, They wanted Love from an "Owner". Most people say they would do anything for love. Read this story and then say you would do that for love.

This is a sad story, but so many times it is true. I love dogs and a friend of mine sent this to me. I felt that it was a very important story that someone took the time to write, so I want to pass it on.

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub. My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?" Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty. The End