Written by Jeff Mackey
PETA's SNIP (Spay and Neuter Immediately, Please!) clinics and Community Animal Project (CAP) are on the job year-round to help animals in need in Virginia and North Carolina—and in 2011, they succeeded again and again in improving the lives of animals and the people who care about them.
SNIP's fleet of mobile spay-and-neuter clinics has "fixed" nearly 80,000 cats and dogs over the past decade—10,564 of them in 2011 alone! In the past year, PETA also helped thousands of guardians keep their animal companions by offering counseling tips, information about animal-friendly housing, and assistance with offering humane care.
Today, we'd like you to meet just a few of the animals whose lives were big-time brightened—and even saved—by CAP and SNIP this past year:
Moose's coat was severely matted, a painful and dangerous condition that can lead to sores and maggot infestations. Moose's family didn't realize how serious matting was and couldn't afford to have the little guy groomed. PETA's fieldworkers spruced him up!
Bailey was suffering from a large mammary tumor that was affecting her ability to walk. PETA's veterinarian successfully removed the tumor, and Bailey was spayed at the same time.
Unlike many pit bulls PETA's fieldworkers meet, Prue lives indoors, but she had already had one litter of unwanted pups. PETA helped prevent more pit bulls from being born by spaying this sweet girl. No more pups for Prue!
Bentley's guardian lives in a very rural area. The closest vet clinic is almost an hour's drive from her house, and she didn't have the $200 that the vet charges for neutering dogs, so PETA took care of Bentley's sterilization, transporting him to and from surgery.
Brownie's guardian is a young single mom with two children. PETA spayed Brownie—who, like Prue, had already had one litter—and provided the family with a leash to walk Brownie (which they now do daily), toys, treats, and a sturdy handmade doghouse, along with warm, dry straw.
Biscuit's guardian took this kitten in as a stray and desperately wanted to keep him but couldn't afford to have him fixed at a vet clinic. If it weren't for PETA, who transported Biscuit to and from his neuter appointment, Biscuit's guardian would have had to surrender him to the local animal shelter.
Please join PETA in calling on elected officials to pass mandatory spay-and-neuter laws in your state, county, and town.
Please also help make sure animals continue to get the help that they so desperately need by making a donation to help keep SNIP's mobile clinics going strong, sponsoring a doghouse (or two) to be built and delivered by CAP, and being ready to help neglected animals in your own community.
Companion-animal neglect and homelessness is a preventable tragedy. By working together, we can end it!
Written by Michelle Kretzer
When a police officer asks you to do something, it’s generally a good idea to comply. And when a police officer asks you to help animals, well that’s a no-brainer! The Virginia Beach Police Department was routinely fielding calls in certain low-income neighborhoods about animals getting sick because they weren’t vaccinated or shivering outdoors with little to no shelter from the elements. The police asked PETA and the Virginia Beach SPCA if we could all work together one weekend and help. Did we ever.
PETA rolled out our new mobile clinic and altered nearly 30 dogs and cats. We also handed out bundle after bundle of straw bedding for outdoor dogs, so that they could at least have a warm place to lie down, and signed their families up for our free doghouse delivery program. The VBSPCA offered free rabies and distemper shots for animals who had already been spayed and neutered, administering a whopping 250 vaccinations.
Aside from the danger of some animals being arrested for excessive cuteness, the day was a huge success. Said PETA vice president Daphna Nachminovitch, “We'd like to see this example of teamwork to help stop animal suffering emulated in cities across the country."
Last December, a little white dog got his Christmas wish when he was adopted from an animal shelter by a loving family that named him, appropriately, Santa Paws. But this year, Christmas nearly took a tragic turn for the plucky pup.
One day when Santa Paws was in his yard, he was attacked by another dog and suffered a deep puncture wound to his neck. The wound became infected and required surgery, but the distraught family knew there was no way that they could afford to pay the entire bill.
In desperation, they posted a plea on Craigslist begging for help with Santa Paws' vet bills. A quick-thinking PETA member alerted our Community Animal Project (CAP), which helps animals in the area surrounding our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters. CAP helped pay for Santa Paws' surgery, and he got back home for the holidays.
The grateful family posted another Craigslist message—this one thanking PETA for a "holiday miracle."
This holiday season, don't forget the many ways in which you can be a miracle for an animal in need.
Written by PETA
What do dogs forced to live outside in all weather extremes long for? Being inside with their human "pack," of course. But when they are denied that basic opportunity, a sturdy doghouse stuffed with straw to help keep out the freezing winter weather can make a huge difference in these dogs' tiny backyard world. Tonka, a pit bull who recently received a PETA doghouse to replace the plastic barrel that had been his poor excuse for shelter (imagine it filled with rainwater and the cold wind blowing night after night all miserable winter long), was delighted with his new digs.
In addition to aiding sick, injured, and abused animals around the clock, PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP) delivers houses to dogs like Tonka in the area surrounding PETA's headquarters—southeast Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. CAP staffers check in regularly with the dogs to make sure that they have adequate food and clean water and talk with their owners about proper care. They also routinely deliver toys, treats, and, of course, love and affection to these neglected animals. Many doghouse recipients are also clients of PETA's mobile spay-and-neuter clinics and, therefore, will not be contributing to the homeless animal crisis.
Never pass by a "backyard dog" who doesn't have adequate shelter: Contact local animal-control officials immediately. Click here to make a donation to support the doghouse program and CAP's vital work to bring relief to neglected and abused animals.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
When natural disasters strike around the globe, rescuers from PETA and its international affiliates travel straight into the hardest-hit areas to rescue animals who have been displaced, abandoned, or lost. We recently caught up with three dogs who had happy endings thanks to those brave souls.
Sporty's elderly guardian tried everything he could to stay with his dog during Hurricane Katrina, including swimming for two blocks with Sporty in his arms, but he was eventually forced to evacuate and leave his dog behind. PETA rescued the little poodle, and three months later, Sporty and his guardian were reunited. The guardian, who lost nearly everything in the hurricane, still sends us updates on Sporty, and PETA continues to pay for the dog's vet care, including a recent tooth extraction.
Licorice's mom was at the bedside of a hospitalized relative when Hurricane Katrina hit and rescue workers wouldn't let the panic-stricken guardian retrieve Licorice from her home. PETA fostered Licorice for several months and provided her with vet care until we could locate her guardian. Grateful to have Licorice back, she tells us that the poodle is enjoying the high life, going for rides with her family and getting her "mani-pedis."
Brophie somehow outsmarted Hurricane Irene, and after the worst was over, he had the good sense to walk into a Norfolk fire station and lay down on the floor. He was weak, emaciated, and suffering from a flea allergy so severe that he was severely anemic and had lost much of his fur. The fire department staff treated him like royalty during the hurricane and then called PETA for help. A PETA Foundation staffer fell hard for the sweet southern gentleman, and he now enjoys five walks a day, romps on the beach, and plenty of square meals. His ribs are no longer showing, and his fur is growing back. He even went back to pay a visit to his pals at the fire station recently.
PETA relies on donations to our Animal Emergency Fund to make rescues like these possible. With the holiday season coming up, consider giving someone on your list the gift of saving an animal's life by making a donation in your loved one's name.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
© Kaitlin Bledsoe
The hotel Fairmont Pittsburgh has one very popular employee—a sweet mixed-breed dog named Edie. Edie is the hotel's "canine ambassador," greeting guests and providing comfort for those missing their own animal companions, and she does a wonderful job—people make appointments to get time with the lovable, jolly dog. Her plush bed and chef-prepared treats are a far cry from Edie's beginnings. She was found wandering the streets, homeless and starving, her broken tail a silent testimony to a painful past. Edie was taken to a local animal shelter where her irrepressibly joyful demeanor instantly attracted the attention of the director of an organization that teaches dogs "job" skills. Just a little more than a year later, the sweet dog with the crooked tail whom no one wanted is beloved by travelers from around the world. When she's not on the job, Edie relaxes at home with her guardian, who also works at the hotel.Every day, PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP) rescues dogs like Edie from life on the streets. To help us give more dogs a happy ending, please consider a donation to CAP. And if your home is ready for its own canine ambassador, visit your local shelter to meet the many "Edies" ready for adoption. Written by Michelle Sherrow
The first four years of Oliver's life consisted of little more than a small patch of dirt, a metal barrel, and a heavy chain. This sweet mixed-breed's owner gave him food and water in dirty, rusty metal bowls—and little else. Day after day, he waited for the kind word or gentle pat that never came.
Desperate to help the dog, a frequent passerby made numerous calls to animal control and the local humane society but to no avail. Faced with the onset of another harsh Midwestern winter, the man then called PETA for help.
It took some persuasion, but we convinced the neglectful owner to surrender Oliver. A PETA member in the area offered to foster him until we found an adopter, but it soon became clear to the foster "mom" that Oliver was right where he belonged.
Now the lovable dog sleeps in bed with his doting guardian every night. Free from the chain, he has discovered the joy of running and makes his guardian laugh while he gleefully zips around 2 acres of land under her watchful eye.
Oliver's story would not have had a happy ending without the persistence of his rescuer. If you know of a chained dog in your area, please help—you may be the dog's only hope.
After Hurricane Irene blew out of Hampton Roads, where PETA is headquartered, we described some of the animals PETA rescued during the storm. One frightened dog, Nikita, was found alone in a pen, where he had only one sheet of plywood as "shelter."
Since then, Nikita has thrived with his foster family, who tell us that he loves to run and play, gets along well with other dogs and with children, adores having his tummy and ears rubbed, and if allowed, "will lick you to death until you yell 'Uncle!'" They quickly correct themselves, saying, "No wait, even then he'll continue licking you."
Nikita deserves an extra-special lifetime home, so PETA is looking for just the right family to adopt him. Nikita is about 1 year old, and he has been neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped, courtesy of PETA's mobile clinic. If you live within driving distance of Norfolk, Virginia, and are prepared to give Nikita the love, care, and attention he needs, please contact us at adopt@peta.org.
To everyone who has requested news of the poor dog we showed you in "A Helluva Night for Animals"—the dog who wandered into a firehouse early on Sunday morning after Hurricane Irene hit Norfolk—well, Mr. Jones is adapting nicely, thank you! Here he is on a cushy bed in PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch's office, chilling between meals and snacks and pats and walks in PETA's Bea Arthur Dog Park. We have located his former guardian and had a real chin-wag with him. Mr. Jones will be re-homed elsewhere, and we already have a prospect. Also headed for a new home is this angel, whom you will recognize from "A Helluva Night for Animals." Nikita's "guardian" had an excuse as to why he was left in a pen alone with basically nothing to protect him from the elements (and boy, were there elements!) for three days but has signed him over for adoption too. Nikita will be neutered on our mobile clinic tomorrow!
One more storm story that you might wish to hear about: Our neighbors and friends at Newport News Animal Services called us for assistance, and although the tunnel from Norfolk to Newport News was closed because of the storm, we had a fieldworker, Misty Collins, on their side of the peninsula who went out to help. In one yard, there were 12 dogs and puppies simply left behind during the hurricane. The area is a flood zone, and the tide was rising quickly. Some were tied up; some were running loose. We got everyone except five puppies who were so terrified that they fled under a deck. Because of the danger, the police determined that we had to leave the area immediately. Misty begged for five more minutes to try to get the puppies. The crawl space was so small that she couldn't reach them, so she quickly flung open the garage door and left the gate wide open so that the pups had an escape route, then all humans were ordered out. First thing in the morning, when the storm had passed and the water had receded sufficiently, Misty drove to the house again. All five pups were safe and dry. Animal control picked them up and cruelty-to-animals charges are now pending.
Remember all those dogs now called "Katrina"? Well, there's a new storm in town. Or, now, out of town―thank goodness.
Written by Ingrid E. Newkirk
As people ventured out after the hurricane, they started to find vulnerable animals who had fallen from trees or hunkered down to hide when the hurricane hit. Full-time animal-rescue work continues, even as the heavy metal canisters that floated into our parking lot while our street was masquerading as a river were taken away by men on forklifts and volunteers worked alongside our Operations crew to clear up all the fiberglass, plaster board, metal pipes, and whatever else had been blown out from the underside of our building, leaving it all exposed. We worked, too, to get our Bea Arthur dog park cleaned up for canine visitors, but our beautiful, solid (well, it used to be solid!) dog deck buckled and was uprooted and shredded—and, unfortunately, it’s too pricy to replace. But here's Mr. Jones, the dog who wandered into a fire department at the tail end of the storm, all decked out in his new harness, inspecting the dog park before going back to the vet. Thank you to everyone who has been asking about these dogs―being so old and confused, Mr. Jones touched a lot of hearts.
All day Sunday, the emergency pager went off. At the crack of dawn, we took in a dying kitten who had been picked up by a kind ambulance crew; then came two wild bunny babies suffering from exposure and starvation, followed by calls for help with baby squirrels, most of them found on the ground and badly injured. Seeing those tree branches shake and twist most of Saturday and into the night, it was clear that the local squirrel nation was going to suffer some major casualties. We picked baby squirrels up out of puddles left by the massive pounding of rain, many of them drowned, some on their way out of this life. I will spare you the sad pictures. There were some bright spots, as there always are in search and rescue: Here are two photos.
In the first one, these three very cold, hungry, wet baby squirrels were found hidden inside the hollow trunk of a tree by a man who had begun cutting it up because it had fallen onto his house. It had obviously been their home, but it had come crashing to the earth in the storm (our soil is quite sandy and roots are often shallow). A long wait and watch ensued but no mother was found, so the squirrel babies are now being fed by bottle. PETA spay/neuter clinic fleet manager Cindy Emmanuel is still without power, but that didn't stop her from feeding baby squirrels who were found in a wildly swaying hanging plant squirrel formula all weekend, then getting the basket hung back up again. Fortunately, their mother came racing back to them!
The other photograph is of Victor, who came to us from El Salvador 25 years ago this month and hasn't stopped working since. He thought cleaning up the debris that fell off our building would be a good way to celebrate his anniversary—what a great guy! You can help too. Please consider making a donation that will help with our rescue efforts after Hurricane Irene and beyond.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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