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Have you hugged
a cute, fuzzy little kitten lately? |
Kitten Fostering
Opportunity!
Would you consider fostering some
cuddly, fuzzy kittens for the Shelter? We are looking for foster
families to nurse kittens and kittens without moms. Coming into
Spring, we anticipate a desperate need for foster homes.
 Kitten Season. It happens every
year—in late winter/early spring—kitten season begins and it continues
well past Labor Day. Shelters that are barely able to handle the
lighter fall/winter intake of orphaned cats and occasional kittens
begin to burgeon with homeless pregnant mom cats and neonatal (infant)
kittens. At the same time, others in the community find homeless mom
cats with litters in their garage, under their porch and care for them
till they are individually adopted out, or taken to the shelter when
they are unable to place them on their own.
In our community, thousands of kittens
each season are taken to shelters and vet clinics for adoption.
Unfortunately, only about half that number make it into loving homes.
The rest of these kittens are euthanized for a variety of reasons: no
foster home to care for them, not socialized well enough to be a house
cat, contracted a treatable viral illness while at the shelter, and
even more sadly -- there simply weren't enough homes to go around!
Cat Overpopulation. So, as cute and loving as kittens are, we
need to rethink what we do when we find a homeless pregnant cat. If
the pregnancy is not in the final stage, is it more humane to spay the
mom cat and abort the kittens -- or let them be born and become a
shelter euthanasia statistic?
Unless you're a professional breeder, please don't even consider
letting your female cat breed. Don't be lulled by the false logic that
since you can find homes for your kittens it's okay to enjoy the
experience of raising them. We live in a closed-loop community --
there are a finite number of homes. Every kitten you actively bring
into the world by not spaying your cat will prevent another less
fortunate kitten or cat from getting a home.
Working Toward Zero Population Growth. By the simple practice
of spaying early- and mid-term pregnant cats -- and making sure our
pet cats are sterilized by 8 weeks of age or before adoption-- we can
easily make a dent in the huge numbers of kittens born each year. It
won't get us immediately to zero population growth -- but it will help
tremendously. A cat is a prolific breeder -- one female cat can have
up to 3 litters per year of an average 4 kittens per litter. Her
kittens can start breeding at 4 months. The increase is geometric. The
math is staggering! in 7 years the mother cats and her offspring can
create 400,000+ cats.
Even after we have prevented as many kittens as we can, we are still
faced with a number we can't prevent. Feral or outdoor cats are
inherently fearful of people. They do their best to maintain a low
profile and we frequently have no idea they are living in our yard,
behind our business, or on our campus. The first we know of them is at
the point their kittens are born.
Kitten Fostering Opportunities. If you happen on a litter of
baby kittens and want to save them from an outdoor feral existence,
consider fostering them on your own and bringing them to the shelter
when they are friendly and can be handled and are at least 6+ weeks
old. Remember that shelters are not set up to care for kittens that
are sick or younger. They need the love, attention and peace of a
foster guardian's home where they can thrive and learn to enjoy human
companionship. For this reason cat rescue groups and shelters are
always in need of volunteers to foster the kittens they receive and
would welcome your assistance.
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Greyhound racing is an
industry that exists solely for the entertainment of humans--at the cost
of animal lives.
Tens of
thousands of greyhounds are bred annually, many more than are needed to
race, in an attempt to create the fastest dogs. The greyhounds are then
"weeded out"—killed if they are at any time determined unable to become
racetrack stars.
Eliminating
greyhound racing is possible through education, compassion, and action.
Help keep the movement growing with a few simple actions of your own.
Greyhounds
are incredibly wonderful dogs with a lot of love
to give!
Spread
the
Word!
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RUNNING for their LIVES:
The Realities of Greyhound Racing
by Rebecca Simmons
 In the tenth century, King Howel of Wales declared that the penalty
for killing a greyhound was the same as that of killing a
person—death. In the days of the Egyptians, greyhounds were valued by
the pharaohs for their grace, beauty and mild temperament. But in the
21st century greyhounds in the racing world are prized for only one
thing—speed. In 2003 alone, an estimated 7,500 to 20,000 greyhounds
were euthanized simply because they couldn't run fast enough.
It is an industry that exists solely for the entertainment of
humans—at the cost of animal lives. "Greyhound racing is cruel and
inhumane and should be outlawed nationwide," says Carey Theil,
president of GREY2K USA, a national anti-greyhound-racing group based
in Massachusetts that has partnered with The HSUS and the ASPCA to
form the National Greyhound Legislative Coalition.
Because greyhound racing has little to do with dogs and everything to
do with money, scant regard is given to the humane treatment of the
greyhounds. "This is an industry that places profits above the health
and welfare of greyhounds," says Theil. How else would you explain the
culling of unwanted dogs, a general disregard toward animal injury,
and the inhumane living conditions that the dogs endure?
Struggling to Survive
Greyhounds are at a disadvantage even before they are born. Tens of
thousands of greyhounds are bred annually, many more than are needed
to race, in an attempt to create the fastest dogs. The greyhounds are
then "weeded out"—killed if they are at any time determined unable to
become racetrack stars.
"From the time they are born, they are judged for their racing
ability," says Laura Bevan, director of the Southeast Regional Office
of The HSUS. "As puppies they may be killed, or culled, if they don't
have potential to be good racers. After that, any injury or slow down
of speed can mean death. The dogs are a commercial product, and once
it is determined that they don't have value as a racer at a track,
their days are numbered."
Throughout their racing career, the dogs routinely endure inhumane
conditions and have little human contact. "Many greyhound farms are
barely getting by financially, so the dogs are kept caged most of the
time and fed low quality foods. Each dog is a major expense, which is
why so many are killed when they are deemed unfit to race," says Bevan.
In addition, greyhounds are very vulnerable to injury. According to
Theil, thousands of racing dogs are injured each year nationwide. The
most common miseries are bone fractures and soft tissue injuries. Less
common afflictions include spinal injuries, seizures, and death from
cardiac arrest.
A National Disgrace
Greyhound racing is not an isolated occurrence—tracks exist legally in
almost every part of the nation, from New England to the Rockies.
Currently 15 states operate greyhound tracks: Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia and
Wisconsin. Florida tops the list with 16 tracks.
Luckily for greyhounds and animal lovers, greyhound racing is on the
way out. "Over the last three years, we have defeated every major
attempt to subsidize dog racing nationwide," Theil says. What's more,
attendance at racetracks is dwindling and revenue has decreased
significantly.
During the 1990s, the total amount wagered on greyhound racing fell a
staggering 45%. As a result, many tracks have looked to make up lost
revenue through slot machines, video lottery terminals, and other
forms of gambling. Anti-greyhound-racing groups have undoubtedly
helped force the industry into this slump. These groups exist for one
simple reason: to stop greyhound racing.
A recent victory occurred on May 24, 2004, when Pennsylvania Governor
Edward Rendell signed a law banning greyhound racing in the state.
Since Pennsylvania doesn't currently operate any tracks, this may seem
insignificant in the fight against greyhound racing. But, according to
Ellie Sciurba, president of Pennsylvania Citizens Against Greyhound
Racing, the law is monumental because it is a proactive measure that
allows the state to be "a role model, declaring that greyhound racing
is not an acceptable form of human entertainment."
The law also prevents Pennsylvania from becoming involved in greyhound
racing in the future. Pennsylvania joins Idaho, Maine, North Carolina,
Nevada, Vermont, Virginia and Washington as states that have banned
live greyhound racing.
To the Rescue
As awareness of the plight of greyhounds grows, rescue groups have
formed all over the country in an attempt to place unwanted greyhounds
into loving homes. Greg Parr, who four years ago adopted Patch, a
retired greyhound, describes him as "gentle and always happy." "We met
Patch at the home of the wonderful family that fostered him after he
was brought to Maryland from the race track in Florida, and decided
immediately that he should become part of our family," says Parr.
As Parr can attest, greyhounds tend to be excellent companion animals,
and their easygoing nature makes them ideal for families with
children. "Greyhounds are truly wonderful dogs," says Bevan. "They are
generally gentle, graceful, beautiful animals."
However, Bevan emphasizes that because of the way greyhounds are
raised, guardians should realize that the dogs may require extra
attention. "Some greyhounds have had little socialization before being
offered for adoption, and can have trouble adjusting to the life as a
companion animal," she says. "And, because some dogs have been trained
to race using live lures, some evaluation should be done to make sure
they are safe around small animals such as cats. Overall though, they
are incredibly wonderful dogs with a lot of love to give."
Spreading the Word
Eliminating greyhound racing is possible through education,
compassion, and action. Help keep the movement growing with a few
simple actions of your own:
- Don't patronize greyhound tracks or bet on dog racing.
- Educate your friends, family and co-workers about the realities of
greyhound racing, and encourage them to boycott greyhound racing and
betting.
- Consider volunteering your time or expertise to a local greyhound
protection organization.
- If you live in one of the 15 states that operate greyhound racing
tracks or one of the 42 states that has not yet banned greyhound
racing, write to your state officials to express your opposition. Tell
them that greyhounds belong in loving homes, not on race tracks.
- If you are interested in adopting a companion animal, consider
contacting a greyhound rescue group.
Historically speaking, greyhounds are the most revered species of dog.
Eliminating greyhound racing and the cruel practices that surround the
sport will ensure that these beautiful dogs live out their lives in
dignity, just like the ancient Egyptians envisioned.
Rebecca Simmons is the Outreach Communications Coordinator for the
Companion Animals section of The HSUS. |
