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Six Ways to Keep Pets Safe through a Very Active Hurricane Season

Monday, June 17, 2013 - 9:30am
Six Ways to Keep Pets Safe through a Very Active Hurricane Season

Hurricane season officially started June 1, and experts are predicting an extremely active Atlantic Hurricane Season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates that up to 20 named storms will hit the U.S. over the next five months, with more than half of them hurricanes!

That means pet parents in hurricane-prone areas should develop an emergency plan in advance to make sure the whole family—including its furriest members—stay safe.

Here are the ASPCA’s top six tips for hurricane season prep:

• Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster.

• Make sure all pets wear collars and ID tags with up-to-date identification—the ASPCA also recommends microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of I.D.

• Obtain a rescue alert sticker, which will let rescuers know that pets are inside your home. You’ll get these when you order a free ASPCA Pet Safety Pack.

• Keep a pet emergency kit and supplies handy with items such as medical records, water, pet food and medications, and pet First Aid supplies.

• Arrange a safe haven for your pets in the event of evacuation. Do not leave your pets behind.

• Choose a designated caregiver who can take care of your pet in the event you are unable to do so.

We hope you and your pets have a fun and safe summer!

Join our Celebrity Top-Ten Video Catdown and Twitter Party!

Friday, June 14, 2013 - 1:00pm
Join our Celebrity Top-Ten Video Catdown and Twitter Party!

Dig out your old hair crimper and throw on your faded flannel, we’re taking you back to the 1990s!

In honor of Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, the ASPCA is hosting a special celebrityTop Ten Video Catdown event. Reminiscent of MTV’s classic video countdown shows, our live stream event will feature adorable videos of kitties rescued by top celebrities—including Carrie Ann Inaba and Good Morning America’s Dan Harris.  

The event will take place on Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00 P.M. EDT, and viewers can tune in at www.ustream.tv/aspca. There will also be a trivia Twitter party happening along with the live stream. The party will feature questions about famous cats in pop culture, with giveaway prizes every six minutes! One grand prize winner will receive a year’s supply of Fresh Step cat litter, and a second grand prize winner will receive an ASPCA diamond pendant from Zales! Naturally, the hashtag will be #CatDown, so be sure to follow along on Twitter.

We hope you’ll join us and special co-hosts Catster and Tamar from the popular I Have Cat blog. Together we’ll tell the world why shelter kitties rule! Not sure how to join a Twitter Party? These tips will help!

ASPCA Happy Tail: Three Dachshunds Make a Family

Thursday, June 13, 2013 - 11:45am
ASPCA Happy Tail: Three Dachshunds Make a Family

The story of how Betsy M. came to be the guardian of three Dachshunds and the story of how she met her husband, Jamie, are intertwined. It all began in the early 1980s when Betsy decided to adopt two Dachshund puppies from a coworker. She named them Schatzie and Schmoozie. After one of the pups came over and rested his paw on her knee, she was easily persuaded to take not one, but two of the dogs home to her New York City apartment.

One day, while Betsy and her mother were walking along Second Avenue with Schatzie and Schmoozie, a man driving by stopped and said he had just seen a larger Dachshund at the ASPCA Adoption Center with the same coloring as the puppies and suggested Betsy go see her. After calling the ASPCA to inquire about the dog, Betsy scraped together all the money she had and set out to adopt her. She decided to keep her original name, Annie.

The first few days with Annie were rough. Betsy stayed home from work to monitor the introductions, and Annie got in spats with both Schatzie and Schmoozie. After a few days, Betsy had no choice but to return to work, and she feared what she might find when she returned home that evening. To her surprise, all three dogs were snuggled up together.

One evening soon after, Betsy was at a party when she met a British man named Jamie. After hearing about her furry friends, Jamie invited Betsy to tea at his apartment, and suggested she bring her dogs. She decided to take Annie along, and upon entering Jamie’s apartment, Annie made herself right at home on Jamie’s couch. Betsy and Jamie married a year later in 1983, and Betsy says she feels sure that Annie played a significant role in bringing the two together.

Decades have passed, and Betsy and Jamie are still together. Furry friends have come and gone from their lives since those first three Dachshunds, but Betsy is still thankful for Schatzie, Schmoozie and Annie. She says having the dogs changed her life.

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Cockfighting Bust: ASPCA on the Ground in Indiana

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 4:00pm
Black and grey rooster

The ASPCA is assisting in the forensic evidence collection, removal, transport and sheltering of more than 60 fighting roosters from a property in Spencer, Indiana. Other animals including dogs and farm animals were also seized from the property. We’re assisting at the request of the Indiana Gaming Commission, the Gaming Control Division and the Monroe County Humane Association.

At the property this morning, responders discovered rooster remains and roosters showing signs of starvation and other conditions requiring medical attention. The roosters were housed in outdoor pens or tethered outside with no access to water.

The animals were transferred to a temporary shelter where they will receive veterinary care from the ASPCA’s medical team. ASPCA veterinary technicians, animal handlers and responders are also assisting on the scene and at the temporary shelter.

A search warrant, issued by Owen County Circuit Court, was executed Wednesday morning for the removal of the birds, as was an arrest warrant for Jeffrey Russell Pierce, 26. Pierce was arrested on charges of possession of fighting animals, promoting an animal fighting contest and possession of animal fighting paraphernalia.

In Indiana, cockfighting and the possession of birds for fighting are Class D felonies, each punishable by up to three years in a state prison and a maximum $10,000 fine. Possession of implements is a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in a state jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.

The ASPCA is also assisting the Indiana Gaming Control Division in documenting animal related evidence for the criminal case and lending the services of its Field Investigations and Response and Veterinary Forensics teams. The Indiana State Police, the Indiana Board of Animal Health and the Owen County Prosecutor are also assisting in the operation.

“Cockfighting is a brutal blood sport where the unwilling participants—the roosters—are forced to fight, often to the death, for the entertainment and financial gain of their owners,” says Terry Mills, Director of Blood Sports for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. “The ASPCA is proud to lend our expertise in animal fighting and forensic evidence collection to local authorities to help put an end to this disturbing activity and secure justice for the animal victims.”

If you know of animal fighting or other cruelty in your area, please report it.

Boxer Survives Devastating Domestic Violence

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 3:45pm
White Boxer

Jessie is a three-year-old Boxer in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and his pet parent loves him very much.

But in March, Jessie became a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his pet parent’s former boyfriend. The man Jessie had once trusted slit his throat with a knife. Jessie lost so much blood he almost died.

A local humane law enforcement officer transported Jessie to an emergency clinic where he was rushed into surgery.

Things were “really touch-and-go for Jessie. We weren't sure if he was going to make it," Miranda Tipton of the Buncombe County Animal Shelter said at the time. “After experiencing this horrible trauma, we held our breath and hearts until we heard the good news that he made it through surgery. He came out of surgery at 11:30 P.M. and we were so relieved."

Today, Jessie is safe and sound, thanks in part to Asheville Humane’s Safety Net, a program that helps reduce the number of animals entering shelters by assisting families with veterinary care, pet food, behavioral help and other services. It saved Jessie’s life. Safety Net, just launched in 2012, is funded by the ASPCA.

We can support programs like the one that saved Jessie thanks to our generous donors—so if you can make a gift today, please consider it. Thank you for your generosity! It means the world.

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