DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

Oceana County Voters Face Animal Shelter Millage

The Oceana County Animal Shelter will be asking voters to approve a special animal control millage November 4th. The plan includes an expansion of the current shelter as well as upgrades to the existing structure. The shelter is often forced to turn away animals that are brought in because they simply don't have the space. Click here for more info or click here for the shelter's website. You can also view a video about this by clicking here.

Owner Dies, Leaving Pets Behind Who Need a New Home

There are two very special dogs at the Roscommon Animal Shelter. Fuzzy and Shane's owner died and don't have any family left to stay with. This is one of those special cases where I wish I had a big farmhouse so that I could take in needy pets like these. Fuzzy is about 8 years old and a Collie/Chow mix. Shane is a black lab who is about 11 years old. Do you have a home to share with these two great dogs so that they can live out the rest of their lives together? Shane is totally dependent on Fuzzy. Shane has cataracts and his hearing is bad but he gets along well with Fuzzy. They are both very affectionate, quiet and well behaved. Please click here for info. on Fuzzy and here for Shane. You can reach the Roscommon Shelter at 989-275-5630.

Chained Dogs Suffer as Winter Nears

While some cities and states are passing laws to protect dogs, millions of canines still face another agonizing winter at the end of a chain.

Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to end the suffering endured by dogs that are kept perpetually chained or caged, is preparing for the annual increase in reports of dogs suffering outdoors as the temperatures drop. The organization works on numerous fronts to change laws and minds and to educate people about the suffering endured by dogs that are kept as prisoners on a chain or in a cage. In most places in the United States, it is legal to keep a dog outside and chained, no matter how far the temperatures drop.

As winter approaches, volunteers always see a large increase in the number of calls for help, usually from concerned neighbors, who can no longer stand to hear a chained or penned dog cry or bark all night long, or who are just plain disturbed by the sight of a dog suffering through another winter.

People are encouraged to remember that although it can be hard to take a stand on behalf of neighbor’s dog, a concerned neighbor can quite often make the difference between life and death for these animals.

Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, states, counties, and cities have, in recent years, started to pass laws against the practice. California passed a law in 2006 and Texas followed suit in 2007. Hundreds of municipalities have passed, or are considering, similar legislation that either puts time limits on chaining or bans the practice entirely. In recent weeks, Frederick County, Maryland and Dallas, Texas have joined the ever-growing ranks of jurisdictions that have banned unattended chaining.

Halloween Photos 2008

Humane Society Ornaments on Sale Now

Get a jump start on your holiday needs with our 2008 collectible ornament and wonderful selection of holiday cards. Every purchase helps The Humane Society of the United States! Please click here for more info.

2009 Little Traverse Bay Humane Society Pet Calendars Now on Sale

Full-color desk-top calendars make a special gift for loved ones and friends. The money you spend on these calendars is put directly into the shelter for the care of their animals! $25.00 each. The calendars are sold at the following locations:

Harbor Springs
Claymore Shop, MacGregor's Pet Pantry, Harbor's Signature Salon, New Attitude Salon, Tails on the Town

Petoskey
McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Tailored Enterprises, Flatiron Deli, Toski Sands Market

Oden
Windjammer Marina

Alanson
Dutch Oven Yarn Shop, Tigerlillys

Pellston
Pellston Veterinary Clinic

Charlevoix
Claymore Shop

If you have any questions about the calendar, please contact the shelter:

LTBHS
1300 West Conway Road
Harbor Springs, MI 49740
(231) 347-2396
greatpets@ltbhs.com

Pet Food Recalls

The FDA has recalled many different pet foods over the past few months. To keep up with the recalls, please click here for more information.

Be a Voice for the Animals Who are Suffering

Please click here for information on pending animal legislation in Michigan. One of many bills pending includes an Animal Welfare Fund to provide funds to support spay and neutering of cats and dogs in Michigan.

For information on federal legislation, please click here.

What Can One Person Do to Help Stop Puppy Mills?

Many of you saw Oprah's recent show about puppy mills and want to know how to help stop these terrible places from being in operation. Please click here for some great information from Best Friends Animal Society. And some more GREAT news...there was an increase in pet adoptions in shelters after Opra's show. Click here to read more about it!

Update on Animal Auction:

Below is some updated information on the auction from Sasha Farm, who went to the auction site on Thursday, October 31st.

"The last two weeks have been very busy ones at SASHA Farm. Here's a recap of the events of the last two weeks, and where we are now. 

First, you alerted us to the situation at Double JJ Ranch. With travel and tourism dollars scarce these days, the once booming tourist attraction declared bankruptcy, and the animals there, from imposing bulls to tiny rabbits, were in danger of being the next victims of this economic crisis. We took action quickly, and so did you. Your generosity and support has been touching and truly overwhelming. We are so thankful for you, our supporters, who are willing to give so generously at a time when we're all feeling the economic pinch to some degree. You are the reason we are able to help as many animals as we do each year. Thank you so much!

Shortly after we sent out our message, other rescue groups took notice as well. We heard from dog and horse rescues, humane societies, other sanctuaries with resources that surpass ours, and private individual rescuers who wanted to do whatever they could to help. We had so much hope that with so many groups and individuals on the side of the animals, not a single one would slip through the cracks.

We left for Rothbury on Wednesday so that we could spend a day visiting with the animals and, we hoped, the caretakers, before the auction on Thursday. That turned out to be a wise decision. Double JJ Ranch is a huge place, absolutely beautiful, and it took us quite awhile to see everyone and everything. The animals were exactly as we'd hoped, in good shape, well fed and well cared for considering their circumstances. We were very lucky to meet a gentlemen who had been with the ranch for ten years, and who'd worked with all animals in that time. He was an invaluable source of information, especially on the horses. He kindly pointed out which horses were bonded to each other, and when we told him that we represented an animal sanctuary where animals live out their entire lives without being expected to perform or work, he brought over an elderly horse who was special to him and asked if we would give her a home. We assured him we would, and that we would make sure the horse she was bonded to came with her. We asked if he knew of horses or other animals who were being bid on by other caretakers or members of the ranch, and he provided us with that information as well. We were able to pass that on to other groups coming to bid on horses in hopes that they would defer to the people whom the horses already had relationships with. After visiting with the cows--beautiful, gentle girls, many of whom were in advanced stages of pregnancy--we returned to the hotel hopeful that the next day would go smoothly.

That didn't quite happen, though. The Muskegon Chronicle has an article that sums up the events of the day quite well. You can read that article by clicking here. So many people filled the room that the auction was being held in that the police arrived to stop more people from entering. Luckily, we had arrived early and managed to stay inside, packed with hundreds of others, for the entire auction.

As of now, the outcome of the auction is still uncertain. One bidder made a tentative offer on the entirety of the ranch including the animals. The offer is less than a third of what is owed to creditors, and it will be up to the bankruptcy court to decide what happens next. It is our understanding that this offer is only a starting point for further negotiations, and there is a chance the whole deal will fall through. The good news is that the animals are not in immediate danger. They won't be separated, and they are being cared for by people who know and love them. We are being told that the whole situation might take six to eight months to untangle. We have made it clear to the trustee and the attorneys that if at any point they decide that the animals need to leave the ranch, whether their feed and health care starts to cost more than they are willing to pay or the prospective new owners just decide they don't want them, they are welcome at SASHA Farm. We are prepared to provide sanctuary to any of them for any reason.

While this outcome is disappointing for those expecting new SASHA Farm residents this month, SASHA Farm's presence there provided an important safety net for those animals. I'm not even sure we felt the full weight of that responsibility until we were packed into that auction room with so many people who were there to buy animals, especially the cows, for horrible purposes. While the wonderful attorneys from the Animals and Society Institute managed to negotiate a "no-kill buyers only" agreement for the horses and dogs, conversations we overheard concerning the cattle were enough to make our blood boil. Rodeo associations were there, hoping to buy the gentle Brahma steer, among others. Rodeos are infamous for their cruel treatment of the animals they use for entertainment. The worst were probably the impatient meat buyers behind us. One them did an imitation of an auctioneer, then clapped his hands to symbolize a sale, yelled, "Sold! Dead cow!" and laughed menacingly. There were hundreds of people there to buy horses, but had the auction proceeded as expected, SASHA Farm would have been the only friend the cattle had in that room, and we were prepared to literally save the lives of every cow in that herd if necessary. You made that possible. Thank you.

So, what happens now? We wait. We will put the donations you gave for this mission into a newly created Emergency Rescue Fund. Next time a situation like this occurs, or if in six months, these animals once again need us, we will be ready. When Jefferson made national headlines, we had to fundraise quickly. When Hurricane Katrina left thousands of dogs homeless, we had to fundraise quickly. When the Double JJ Ranch animals needed us, we had to fundraise quickly. We want to be prepared next time so that we can focus on the rescue and worry about the money later. Those of you who donated to this mission will be contacted later this week with more information about this fund, and we will continue to take donations to add to it. Just earmark your donation for the Emergency Rescue Fund if you would like it reserved for that purpose.

Once again, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. As this continues to unfold, we will update you whenever we know of developments. We would like to publicly thank the staff at the Double JJ Ranch for taking the time to speak with us so frankly while they were clearly dealing with their own set of disappointments and difficulties. We are here to do what is in the best interest of the animals, and we trust that all involved will work towards that goal as well. 

Pet Abuse Website Very Informative

There's a great website online where you can check out animal abuse cases in your area (and submit them) by clicking here. It helps people keep an eye out for animal abusers in their state, county and city.

Protect Pets in Michigan!

Animal dealers, known as "Class B dealers," obtain animals for research facilities through a variety of unorthodox methods and fraudulent practices, including stealing companion animals from yards, cars, and farms.

As pet owners mourn the loss of pets, their dogs and cats are often subjected to abusive handling and exposure to the elements while kept at the premises of Class B dealers. Pound seizure is the practice of releasing or selling unclaimed cats and dogs from animal shelters to Class B dealers or research facilities.

Fortunately, legislation (H.B. 5263) has been introduced in the Michigan state legislature to prohibit animal care facilities from selling animals to research facilities and ensure that dogs and cats used in research and education are not obtained through fraudulent practices.

Please contact your state representative, Howard Walker, and urge support for H.B. 5263. Please make a brief, polite phone call to Representative Walker at
(517) 373-1766 and urge support for
this bill.

When you call, you will likely speak to a staff person who can pass your message along to your legislator. Remember to be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent. You can say:
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling from [your city] to ask Representative Walker to support H.B. 5263 to regulate Class B dealers and pound seizure. Thank you."

After making your phone call, please make a follow-up email to your representative to reiterate your support for this legislation by clicking here.

Don't forget to tell your family and friends too!

Disaster Preparedness

Are you and your pets ready for a local or nationwide emergency. Click here to take the test and click here to read more about how to prepare your family.

Network Offers Michigan News

Please click here to read Michigan Animal news brought to you by Best Friends Animal Society. The Best Friends Network is a community of volunteers all over the country who are connected through kindness to animals. Best Friends has an animal sanctuary in Utah and is on the forefront of a movement to bring about a time when there are no more homeless animals.

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