Bark Blog

To Meat or Not To Meat?

I am not a vegetarian, so a story about a culture where people eat dogs really challenges me. I'm horrified at the thought. But I eat beef. I eat pork. I don't eat horse meat. I'll eat chicken, but wouldn't touch crow. My lines seem totally arbitrary or, at least, culturally  determined.  I don't eat duck, rabbit or lamb -- for no really defensible reason other than some gut feeling. Who is to say that eating dogs should be off limits if eating animals, in general, is not?

So I'm wondering, can you love and work for animals and still eat them? I think about the work of Temple Grandin, who is not a vegetarian, but has done much to improve conditions for animals, particularly livestock. I'd like to hear from BARk readers about how you answer this central question. If you eat meat, have you considered it a conflict? If you are a vegetarian, has your relationship with a companion animal played a role in that decision?

Lisa Wogan

Hip Hop for Hounds

Give a listen to the recently announced winners of  Hip Hop for Hounds. The contest, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, takes a musical genre that all-too-often celebrates dogfighting and infuses it with anti-cruelty lyrics. The results are not just positive messages, but messages that sound good.

Lisa Wogan

Illegal Lap Dogs

There was a time when I thought nothing of allowing my dog to be free in the car and stick his head out the window. Then I woke up and realized that if we were in an accident, the rest of his body would go through that window. I would have no one to blame but myself for his injuries, suffering and possibly death. We now use wire crates and seatbelt harnesses to ensure all five of our dogs travel safely.

So you'd think I'd be all rah-rah about the proposed legislation making it illegal for people to drive with dogs on their laps. Frankly, I think attempting to legislate common sense is ridiculous. No one likes to be told they HAVE to do something, like they're five years old. Plus, it's a waste of time and money as the bill meanders through the maze that is our government. Isn't there a better way to educate the public about safe dog travel? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Cujo the Chihuahua

Cujo the Chihuahua made the front-page news of my local newspaper when a Chicago police detective helped reunite him with his family after being dognapped two months ago. The happy ending made me smile, as well as the name of their other dog and Cujo's best friend, Michelle the Pit Bull.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Cop Shot, Killed Dog Recovering From Back Surgery

A few months ago, I blogged about a suburban Chicago cop who shot and killed a pit bull named Sugar when he entered her home without the owner or roommate present. He claimed he did it in self-defense, because she "lunged" at him. According to all who knew her, Sugar was a sweetheart and friendly with everyone. My guess is that she zoomed over to greet him, much like my own pit bull mix would do, and because of her breed, the cop assumed she was on the attack. So had that trigger-happy cop broken into my home, all five of my dogs would likely be dead, too. The thought is absolutely unbearable, as was the photo in the paper showing the grief-stricken look on Sugar's owner's face when he learned the news.

Tragically, it has happened again, this time in Lakeview, my former neighborhood in New Orleans. On Monday, April 14, police officers responded to a burglar alarm at Dr. Patrick Coleman's house when one of them shot and killed Jax, a 4-year-old Doberman who was recuperating from back surgery. Jax was shot eight times at close range. Jax's sister, a Doberman named Scarlet, was cowering in a corner of the yard when Coleman arrived at the scene. According to Coleman, Jax was in no condition to pose a threat to anyone and his dogs had never been perceived as a threat in the past when officers responded to alarms at the house. The cop's excuse? The dogs had "lunged" at him. The controversy has attracted attention nationwide ... and for good reason.

If you google the words "cop," "shot" and "dog," you'll find similar stories around the country in which a dog was killed by a police officer. Clearly, police departments need to train their officers to respond to dogs in ways that are more humane, such as pepper spray. Jeff Dorson, of the Humane Society of Louisiana, says there are free training programs available upon request. Even though the New Orleans Police Department says the officer did nothing wrong, it would be an excellent good-will gesture toward the public to train officers how to handle companion animals with compassion, not bullets.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Saving Sabrina

I recently received an update on Sabrina, a sickly stray found wandering the streets of my former home of New Orleans. Sabrina had been suffering from an advanced stage of mange, which left open wounds on her furless skin. What's worse, some idiot had misguidedly poured diesel fuel all over her body to "cure" the mange.

Thankfully, she was rescued by Kim Johnson, a volunteer with Animal Rescue New Orleans, and Feral Cat Consortium, which sponsored Sabrina's vet care until funds could be raised. Kim's networking efforts brought in donations big and small to cover Sabrina's entire $1,300 medical bill. If you look at the before and after photos posted here, it's hard to believe it's the same dog.

In her email update on Sabrina, Kim wrote:

We don't need any more donations for Sabrina, but if you're feeling a bit generous, our animal rescue work continues. I am still working on trapping one dog with an embedded collar and open neck wound, and another dog with what appears to be an older broken leg... Those will both need medical care when I get them. ... [for] a tax deductible option, I work closely with Feral Cat Consortium. They help dogs too. They fronted Sabrina's vet bills until donations came in and they are a 501(c)3 corp. Their mailing address is Feral Cat Consortium, 4 Summer Haven Ct., Madisonville, LA 70447.

Please support any of the local animal rescue groups, and there are many good ones to choose from. ... We can't do it without everyone's help, and we appreciate support of any kind. But most importantly, the animals we help are living proof that the support network works. So thank you, to everyone who does their part, no matter how big or how small, for the animals.

I think Kim's last sentence -- and the "after" photo of Sabrina -- says it all. When people pull together, animals get a second chance.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Woman Bites Stray To Protect Her Dog

Amy Rice of Minneapolis, MN, bit a stray dog to stop its attack on her senior Labrador Retriever, Ella (pictured here). Rice says it was an instinctive last resort. I understand the urge to protect our dogs at any cost, but I don't think I would ever consider biting a dog as a defensive maneuver. What are your thoughts?

Julia Kamysz Lane

Cruel art

Many BARk readers have probably received requests to sign a petition against Costa Rican artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas in the past few months. Last year, Vargas captured a starving street dog (or paid some children to) and displayed the animal as part of a "work of art" in Managua, Nicaragua. Reportedly, the dog subsequently died of starvation. (I say, “reportedly” because I have fallen into a sort of blogosphere-vortex of incomplete posts, conflicting stories, and Spanish-language reports--which I can't translate--and so have not distilled a definitive version of events. This blog comment from March provides one summary. I’d love to hear an update from someone close to the issue.)

In response, animal rights activists have petitioned for legal action against Vargas for cruelty (so far unsuccessfully), or at the very least, that he be excluded from the Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 (also unsuccessfully). The summary linked above confirms that Vargas will participate in the biennial but not with an animal.

Images from the exhibition--warning: these are hard to look at--leave me wondering: While petitions circulate madly, why during the show did no one take action to save an obviously suffering dog? It reminds me of the Milgram experiment, which revealed that people were frequently willing to inflict pain on others when directed by an authority figure to do so. Was the authority of "art" and the context of a gallery so compelling they overrode compassion?

I hope that the belated concern for this one dog moves beyond merely targeting Vargas and galvanizes  larger, productive action on behalf of the thousands of neglected street dogs in Managua.

Lisa Wogan

Oprah Exposes Puppy Mill Horrors

On Friday, April 4, tune in to Oprah Winfrey's show for an undercover investigation of the horrors of puppy mills. These commercial breeders provide purebred puppies to pet stores nationwide.

The American Kennel Club contacted its community of dog fanciers with pre-emptive concern about Oprah's subject matter. The statement read:

"Dear Fancier: As you probably know, Oprah is airing a show tomorrow (Friday, 4/4) on the topic of "Puppy Mills." While the show was previously taped, we have been in touch with the producers about our desire for responsible breeders to be represented, and they have allowed us to submit a 2 line statement which they said will be incorporated into the show. They have also stated that there is no specific intention to malign purebred dogs or the AKC.

"We will be watching the show along with you and, if warranted, we will respond publicly. However, it is our hope that Oprah's interest in animal welfare will help open up a dialogue on the issue and that AKC and the dog fancy will continue to be engaged."

If AKC wants to demonstrate a sincere interest in animal welfare, it will no longer allow commercial breeders and pet shops to register puppies with AKC and do its part to educate the public as well.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Struggling Shelter Flooded; Situation Desperate

Last November, Franklin County Animal Control in Benton, Illinois (southeast of St. Louis, MO), burned to the ground, resulting in the tragic death of more than 50 animals. The dedicated shelter staff and volunteers have made do with limited resources ever since. Rather than turn animals away, cats and kittens found refuge in a storage shed and dogs and puppies survived one of the coldest winters on record in outdoor kennels pulled from the ashes. Donations are desperately needed to rebuild, but the shelter is located in a rural area of southern Illinois where public and private funds are limited.

To make matters worse, the shelter is now struggling to stay afloat, literally, after days of rain caused flooding. In the words of the shelter director, "PLEASE PLEASE BEG PEOPLE TO HELP US. We've ... been out in the rain for the last two days getting soaked trying to get tarps back up & help all these animals, but the situation is hopeless."

Foster homes are needed most, according to Michelle Parson, President & Dog Program Director of A Caring Place Humane Society in nearby Darien, IL. If you can help, please contact Michelle at (630) 271-9002 or michelle.parson@comcast.net.

Other area shelters are also suffering due to flood waters. The photo above is from the Piedmont Animal Control Shelter, where eight dogs drowned. You can read more here.

Julia Kamysz Lane

100,000 Dogs Nearly Poisoned

Every year, worldwide, there are approximately 35,000 human deaths caused by rabies. That might sound horrific, but what's worse is that 60% of those rabies-related deaths occur in India alone. This past Thursday, March 6, Indian Kashmir authorities announced its plans to poison 100,000 stray dogs with strychnine in an effort to stop rabies. Thankfully, once the public was made aware of this inhumane solution, authorities were persuaded to work with welfare organizations on a stray sterilization program.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Sponsor A Dog, Save A Cheetah

In the south African country of Namibia, farmers have been caught between cheetah conservationists and and keeping their livestock safe from the spotted predator. So the non-profit organization The Cheetah Conservation Fund initiated a win-win solution. The Livestock Guarding Dog Program provides the farmer with an Anatolian Shepherd puppy who is raised with the livestock and will defend them as an adult. The large, barking dogs deter cheetahs from preying on domestic animals and farmers no longer feel the need to shoot the big cats to protect the herd. You can learn more by clicking on Adopt an Anatolian.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Act Against Dog Auctions

Last year, when a controversy was brewing over a new pet shop in the Chicago area, I was sickened by the naive comments of a dog owner. She had purchased her puppy from a pet store. Because her puppy was healthy and well tempered, she didn't understand -- and therefore, did not support -- criticism of pet shops. Her dog was fine, so what was the problem?

For every cute puppy for sale at a pet store, there are tens of thousands of adult dogs who live in commercial kennels. And I use the word "live" very loosely. A dog deserves more than just being "fed and bred." Two years ago, Mary O'Connor-Shaver attended a dog auction and saw firsthand the neglect and suffering of dogs at the hands of puppy mills.

There has been a long-standing controversy among dog rescue volunteers in regards to dog auctions. Some people believe that saving the life of even just one dog at auction is reason enough to go and bid. Others believe that this act, though compassionate, does nothing to increase awareness of the horrors of dog auctions and puts money in the pocket of the puppy millers.

If you want to help stop dog auctions, please go to Animal House and Ban Ohio Dog Auctions. We might not all agree on how best to shut down this deplorable industry, but increasing public awareness of the puppy mill dog's plight is a good first step.

Julia Kamysz Lane

New hope for shelter dogs

Ever wonder what you'd do with $3 million? Well, The Stanton Foundation has given that sum to the Animal Rescue League of Boston to fund a Center for Shelter Dogs -- with the exclusive goal of improving the welfare and placement odds for dogs in humane societies, animal control shelters and rescue groups. Among some of the goals of the new center will be developing a better awareness of the shelter environment and the disruptive effect of the stress of homelessness and rehoming on dog behavior; improving methods of evaluating and mitigating stress in the shelter environment; and improving strategies for matching dogs with prospective adopters. What a great idea!

Lisa Wogan

Woman Wants Ex's Dog To Be "Axed"

Last night, Anderson Cooper -- reporting live from New Orleans -- and his in-studio substitute, Erica Hill discussed a radio station publicity stunt that went awry. On Valentine's Day, listeners were invited to come down to the Atlanta-based radio station with something that either belonged to or was given to them by an ex and that they no longer wanted. It would then be destroyed in the parking lot with an ax. You'd assume that most people would bring the usual -- old love letters, photos, clothing, stuffed animals, etc. But one woman showed up with her ex-boyfriend's dog! You can see a video of this sweet shepherd mix on CNN. Thankfully, the Humane Society and caring callers intervened, so the dog found a loving home by the end of the day.

Julia Kamysz Lane

The Puddles/Panchito debacle

So you’ve got the mayor in a small Texas town who agrees to take care of her neighbors’ Shih Tzu, while they go to a water park for a long weekend. The dog is very sick from chemical treatments for serious flea infestation, and needs an expensive transfusion the family cannot afford. When the family calls to check in, they learn their dog has died. Only Puddles has not died. The mayor has secreted the pup, now named Panchito, at her twin sister’s ranch, about 12 miles outside of town.

When they get home, Puddles’ family is suspicious. The mayor won’t return their calls. Someone sees Puddles at a groomer. An enterprising TV crew videotapes Panchito at the ranch (which the sisters claim was discovered by another woman and dropped off just before the cameras showed up). At one point, the mayor even pretends to be her sister to avoid questions, but is duped when someone calls out “Ms. Mayor.”

The family wants Puddles back, but due to legal machinations he will remain with the sisters until an April hearing. Meanwhile, the 64-year-old ex-mayor (she resigned earlier this month) has been indicted on felony charges that carry up to 10 years. I can’t tell from The New York Times’ front page story about the case if the family was truly neglecting the dog and the mayor was really trying to save her, but there’s no doubt she was pretty ham-fisted about the whole thing. Still if a dog I thought was deathly ill because of mistreatment by his guardian was placed in my care, I might make some pretty bad—in the eyes of the law—choices myself.

Lisa Wogan

Pit Bulls, Dogfights Sell Papers

With all that is going on in the world, my local newspaper decided that a pit bull attack was front-page news. But if you read the article closely, it's clear that calling this a "dogfight" is a misnomer and that if a poodle or golden retriever had been the perpetrator, this likely wouldn't have even made the paper. So here's the letter I wrote to the editor this morning:

"Shame on you, Daily Herald, for sensationalizing a story, deliberately misleading the public, and perpetuating the myth that wherever the pit bull goes, violence follows (“Caught In Dog Fight," 1/29/08).

"This past Tuesday's front-page headline said, “Woman Hospitalized After Pit Bull Attack,” leading readers to believe that the pit bull attacked her. In truth, the pit bull attacked the small dog the woman was walking. She chose to get involved and risk harm. There is an enormous difference between a dog who is aggressive toward dogs (especially small ones that appear to be prey) and a dog who is aggressive toward people. After quoting neighbors’ concerns for themselves, the Daily Herald missed an opportunity to educate the public instead of reinforcing that fear.

"If anyone deserves the public’s wrath, it’s the owner of the pit bull. Neighbors report that he keeps two pit bulls on leashes in a garage. By reinforcing the myth that pit bulls are vicious, the Daily Herald encourages people to perceive pit bulls as monsters, not dogs who deserve attention, training, love and the basics, like a warm place to sleep in this zero degree weather. Had the owner taken the time to socialize his dogs and keep them in the house, this tragedy never would’ve happened."

If space had allowed, I would've shared the story of my mom and my pit bull mix, Shelby. Three years ago, my mom was walking Shelby through my semi-rural neighborhood. A 120-pound Great Pyrenees escaped from the back of a pick-up truck and grabbed 65-pound Shelby by the head and froze. My mom was bitten on the finger trying to protect Shelby, and the Great Pyrenees's owner lost a fingernail attempting to pry her dog's mouth off of Shelby's head.

My mom and the other dog's owner both required trips to the emergency room. Fortunately, they were both going to be okay. We then brought Shelby to the Great Pyrenees's owner's vet. I was absolutely livid when the staff assumed that Shelby, being part pit bull, had initiated the fight. How can the staff at a vet office believe such horrible breed stereotypes? When I told them that Shelby was the victim, they were surprised but unapologetic. Thankfully, Shelby's ear and head wounds completely healed. She still thinks everybody is her friend. If only that were so.

Julia Kamysz Lane

The sub-prime loan meltdown burns pets

Last night, Steve Kroft gave the mortgage crisis the 60 Minutes treatment—focusing on Stockton, California, where 4,200 homes are either in default or foreclosure. It was a totally depressing report on how risky loans drove a housing boom that went bust, with the sad perspective of homeowners facing financial ruin and eviction.

What Kroft didn’t mention were the collateral victims—pets. According to a story in Stockton’s daily paper, The Record, foreclosures are creating a secondary crisis for people who cannot find or afford new housing that will allow them to keep their animals. And it’s not just in Stockton or California. Animal abandonment cases and pet surrender rates are surging around the country, in Cincinnati, Toledo, Charlotte, and El Paso.

Volunteers at the Evergreen Animal Protective League (Bark, October/November 2007) in Colorado seemed to have clued into the crisis early. Last summer, they said foreclosures were among the top reasons for pet surrenders in a region hard-hit by the mortgage crisis. (For more than a year, Colorado’s ranked among the highest foreclosure rates in the country.) The Evergreen Animal Protective League steps in with a novel and neighborly solution of temporarily fostering pets until guardians get back on their feet and into a new pet-friendly home.

Lisa Wogan

Georgia (Dogs) On My Mind

Bark subscriber Jayne Glaser wrote to us with a special plea. She serves on the Board of Directors for Saving Georgia Dogs, Inc., a licensed 501(c)(3) animal rescue charity. “Our goal is to save dogs that are in imminent danger of being killed in animal shelters in rural Georgia,” writes Glaser, “many of whom would face death in the terrifying and inhumane gas chamber.” In addition to rescuing shelter dogs, the grass-roots group plans to open a spay/neuter clinic, create a heartworm treatment/prevention fund, offer humane education in local schools, and help women who stay in abusive domestic situations out of fear over what would happen to their pets.

Now Saving Georgia Dogs needs your help. The charity is participating in a contest sponsored by Parade Magazine and actor Kevin Bacon’s Six Degrees Foundation. The winner receives a $50,000 matching grant to help achieve its goals. To learn how your donation -- no matter its size -- can make a difference, please go to Saving Georgia Dogs, Inc. The contest ends January 31st, so hurry!

Julia Kamysz Lane

Rock Out for Rocket Dog

Pali Boucher founded San Francisco's Rocket Dog Rescue in 2001, and over the years, the group has helped about 3,000 dogs find new homes--most of the dogs were "just in time" rescues facing euthanasia.

As is unfortunately so often the case, Rocket Dog isn't a "deep pockets" group; much of the work is done by volunteers and most of their funding goes toward medical care and other expenses for the rescued pooches. So when--just a few days before Christmas--Boucher lost her home (as well as three foster dogs) in a fire, things looked pretty grim.

When the news got out that Rocket Dog needed help, its fans stepped up. Join them on Friday, February 1, at Slim's in San Francisco for a benefit featuring Red Meat, Parker Brothers, Marga Gomez, and Johnny Steele, not to mention Josh Klipp, Freeplay Dance Troupe, Caroline Lund and emcee Liam Mayclem. And be sure to stay for the glittering disco finale! 

Tickets are available online, or you can also stop by Slim's box office (Monday through Friday, 10:30 to 6) or tickets.com outlets (1.800.225.2277).

Littlest Pet Shop Glosses Over Harsh Reality

My three-year-old niece is enamored with the Littlest Pet Shop line of toys. As I struggled to open her latest collection of admittedly adorable creatures, it was all I could do not to throw them in the trash and lecture on the horrors of puppy mills and corporate greed. On its Web site, toy maker Hasbro infers that the Littlest Pet Shop promotes responsibility by allowing children to collect a variety of animals without the um ... responsibility of caring for live pets. Nice marketing spin but I'm literally not buying it. And it pains me to see kids play with a product that only shows one side of the commercial pet industry.

Perhaps Hasbro could add some new locales to its collection for a more well-rounded perspective. How about the Littlest Pet Shelter, where many pet shop puppies eventually end up due to the health and behavior problems that result from poor breeding, malnutrition and lack of socialization? Or the Littlest Commercial Breeder, where purebred dogs are kept in cages and forced to reproduce as often and as long as they are able. Once the breeding pairs no longer prove useful, they can go to the Littlest Pet Auction, available to the highest bidder.

It's possible to teach children how to take proper care of animals without promoting or glorifying pet shops. Many therapy dog groups, such as Therapy Dogs International (of which I'm a member) and Delta Society offer children an opportunity to interact with a healthy, friendly dog and learn about his needs. Some libraries and schools smartly encourage kids to read aloud to therapy dogs, as a way to improve their reading skills without fear of judgment. Or you could always give them an old-fashioned stuffed animal to hug, pet and feed.

Julia Kamysz Lane

Bunny update

Last August, I blogged about PetSmart’s ill-advised decision to breed and sell dwarf rabbits. This story has a happy ending. In December, PetSmart released a statement. Here's the heart of the matter:

We consider the test successful because of what we learned from it. However, we failed to meet the business objectives we set, so, at this time, we’re not expanding the test and will not continue to sell dwarf bunnies beyond those already in or planned for our stores.

It’s good news for the critter kingdom, and maybe it’s time to let PetSmart know they’ve done the right thing (after, of course, doing the wrong thing). Still everyone deserves a second chance. 

Lisa Wogan

Red dog, blue dog

For too long, animals have been mere symbols in presidential politics. From Millie to Buddy to Miss Beazely, dogs, in particular, have been used to conjure warm, fuzzy feelings of virtue, family and loyalty. Never mind the record. It’s frustrating how little attention politicians dedicate to actual animal welfare issues. But if everything from spay/neuter programs and animal fighting to puppy mills and hunting are important litmus issues for you, check out Michael Markarian’s blog, particulary his review of the Republican and Democratic presidential contenders’ records. Markarian is the president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, which lobbies for animal welfare legislation and works to elect humane-minded candidates to public office. The Republicans, not surprisingly, don’t fare too well. Something Salon.com pointed out a few weeks ago.

Lisa Wogan

No more dog sacrifices in med schools

The new year began with a piece of good news. Case Western Reserve School of Medicine will end cardiology lessons wherein students examine the beating heart of a live dog, which results in the animal’s death. This brings an end to the long-standing tradition of using live dogs in all American medical schools.

According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which tracks “live dog labs,” med students overwhelmingly supported finding alternatives to live animals. It’s hard to know if the ethical concerns alone would have turned the tide, but advances in medical simulation technology and computer-based interactive learning, plus a push for human-based models sealed the deal.

Learn a little more about the recent history of using of live animals, and particularly dogs, in medical schools.

Lisa Wogan

Santa says: Adopt, Don't Buy

Last week, my neighbor stopped by with a seven-week-old baby pug. A gift for her daughter, the squirmy, velvet bundle with the smushy face was irresistible. But I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, when she told me she bought him at a pet store. She’s a wonderful person and a loving mother with one rescued pug already at home.

I sometimes take for granted that folks in my circle know better. It was a reminder that an awareness of the awful realities of the puppy mills-pet stores complex is not as widespread as I thought.

I know I’m preaching to the choir on a Bark blog, but it lit a fire in my belly—especially during this season of ill-advised pet giving. In anticipation of Christmas, Last Chance for Animals has launched a full-court press to push adoption over purchase (if you must give an animal at all), and to encourage activism and outreach. In addition, Last Chance will protest puppy mills outside a Beverly Hills pet store on December 22. (By the way, earlier this week, The New York Times reported on the bust of a Bel-Air pet store—complete with a Paris Hilton cameo—for selling puppies from unlicensed pet mills.)

Lisa Wogan

What's A Vet To Do?

Earlier this month, a Florida family was reunited with Candy, their Maltese, eight months after they paid to have the dog euthanized. The short version of the story: Candy had painful tumors in her ears that the family could not afford to treat. (Read the details.) They requested euthanasia. After they left their ailing dog at a Winter Park hospital, a “fill-in vet” performed the surgery to fix Candy’s ears and “rescued her” or “stole her” (depending on your perspective). Eight months later, the veterinarian-owner of the hospital contacted the family to say the dog was alive and would be returned. The family was not happy.

Mishandling aside, the situation raises a serious ethical question: What are vets to do when euthanasia is requested for a dog with a treatable condition? These situations are “troubling and stressful,” says to Dr. Patty Khuly, a veterinarian in South Miami, who wrote about Candy on Dolittler.com. Dr. Khuly pointed out there are options. Veterinarians can, and often do, offer to perform procedures for free or at discounts. They can also request to transfer ownership to the hospital, which will seek a guardian who can afford treatment. But what if the guardian insists on euthanasia?

It's a complicated legal and ethical zone. I’m curious to learn what Bark readers think.

Lisa Wogan

Thailand's Soi Dog Rescue

Animal rescue is hard work, and perhaps even more so when the rescuers aren't citizens of the country in which they are working. In Phuket, Thailand, Soi Dog Rescue has developed and funded several programs that have improved conditions and life for the region's dogs and cats.

However, after being asked by the government to vacate the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office shelter that they've improved and run, they've had to find another location from which to continue their work. A new site was located and leased, but the group will require financial assistance to go forward with its development and maintenance. To learn more, visit them online.
Susan Tasaki