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Start your day with a happy adoption smile! Here’s a story sent to us from an adopter who used Adopt-a-Pet.com’s free Search Saver email service to find their new furry friend! (Want to help spread the joy of pet adoption by sharing your happy beginnings story with our readers? Email your adopted pet story and photo to info@cms.adoptapet.com.) Here’s the email we received heartwarming photos from Bruce: “Hi Adopt-a-Pet.com, We lost our male Cairn Terrier about a year ago and waited to start looking for a new one and decided we should get a female. He was the “boss” over Ivan and Buddy, so I signed up for the search notification. When I got the email I forwarded it to my wife and we decided to go for her. As it turns out she looks very much like a female Cairn-mix we had for many years.  Mandy has a great personality and she has been actively exploring all over the house. She has had a few accidents but has been quick to learn what “going outside” means. When the boys head for the door, she is right there with them. She is enjoying all the toys the boys have to chew on and play with and has made a route through the rooms that she tears around at full speed daring the guys to catch her. Very funny to watch. I was impressed with the care taken by your folks for the animals and the follow-ups to make sure all was well. We are happy with Mandy and the adoption process. BTW – Both Ivan and Buddy are also adopted; Ivan at 6 months from PetSmart and I got Buddy at 3 months when I worked in Greece. He became a Texan in 2009 when he was 6 years old. Regards, Bruce.”

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Did you know many shelters and rescues will not adopt out black cats before Halloween, some even banning black cat adoptions for the entire month of October? These homeless cat organizations believe that black cats are the most likely target of Satanic rituals that take place around Halloween, and feel it is more humane to limit black cat adoptions than risk that type of horrible end.  Are they believing made-up horror stories, or are there facts fueling the fears?  How do shelters and rescues that do allow black cat adoptions ensure their black cats are being adopted by loving homes where they will be safe?

The fact is, sadly, animals are killed in rituals in almost every community in the US. I worked at an animal control agency for 10 years where I heard first-hand accounts from animal control officers who were called to investigate ritually killed and discarded animals of all kinds. This was in a suburban area of Los Angeles! Just like other types of animal cruelty, it can happen anywhere. When I first started working at this shelter, they would not adopt out black cats for the entire month of October, telling adopters to come back after November 1st. Unfortunately, the limitation on an easy supply of black cats did not slow down the (rare but ongoing) animal sacrifices. The criminals simply switched to other colors and types of animals they could obtain for free. So the shelter adjusted their black cat policy to allow people to adopt black cats at any time – with the condition that if they adopted them in the few weeks prior to Halloween, they could not pick them up until after October 31st.

In speaking to and listening to shelters and rescues around the country talk about the challenges of adopting out black cats near Halloween, I’ve learned almost every shelter and every rescue handles the situation differently, depending on what they feel works best for their facility and their community. Fortunately  the shelter where I worked had the resources (space & staff time) to be able to set aside black cats adopted in October without negatively impacting the lives of other cats in their care, while trying to keep them healthy and happy during their wait. Other shelters are not so fortunate in their resources, and it is a tough balancing act weighing the welfare of all the cats in their care and once they are adopted out into the community.

What can you do to keep your cat safe, and help black cats in general?

1. Help bust the myths! One of the most pervasive untrue myths is that black cats are bad luck… actually in England, if a black cat crosses your path, that is considered a GOOD omen!
2. Help black cats be adopted because black cats are least likely color of cat  to be adopted from a shelters. Especially in darker cages, they are easy for a human’s eyes to pass over. But black cats can be just as wonderful as any color cat! There are even some studies that have found that cats of a particular color often share similar personality traits. Black cats are very likely to be social, gentle, smart, play-loving feline friends. (Living proof: my darling foster cat in the photo above.) Their elegance is undeniable – they are always ‘dressed’ for a fabulous formal party, often with a pair of sparkling emerald or golden jewel eyes as the perfect accessories. Beautiful!
3. Black cats, just like any cat, are not a decoration. Some shelters who lift their black cat adoption ban find they run into another problem: black cats adopted and then returned after Halloween.
4. Keep ALL cats and other pets safely inside your home, especially the weeks before Halloween.

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You may have thought about acupuncture for yourself or somebody you know, but have you thought about it for your pets? Acupuncture is an alternative medicine originating in ancient China that treats patients by inserting thin needles into specific pressure points in the skin. This Eastern therapy has been used for hundreds of years as a way to relieve pain and improve health issues in humans. But lately it’s been catching on that acupuncture  can also be applied to help animals overcome ailments. Recently there has been an increase in the study and practice of veterinary acupuncture. This is great news for anyone who has a pet with chronic pain or even anxiety problems. I have a friend who has been taking her senior German Shepherd mix to acupuncture treatments for months now because of her dog’s troubling hip dysplasia. I’m happy to report in her case it’s been helping immensely. Another buddy of mine swears to its benefit on her cat’s overall behavior.

Many pet owners bring their animals in to veterinary acupuncturists for help with pain management, enhancing mobility, or relaxation tips, among various other reasons. Click here to read a fascinating article about the three most commonly utilized acupuncture points used in pets, what they address, where they are located on your furry friends, and also where they’re found on you! Who knows? Maybe you could benefit from some acupuncture too.

Although we’re glad to know this knew service is out there, you’ll want to do your research and make sure you visit a true professional if acupuncture is something you would like to consider. As with all treatments, its success is on a case by case basis, and you should seek the counsel of your veterinarian or doctor before making any decisions. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to you and your pet!

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We were very honored to be the recipient of not just one, but two awards at The Stray Cat Club charity gala in Beverly Hills this weekend! While we believe the staff, volunteers, and donors who make animal rescue possible are heroes that deserve awards every day, we were filled with gratitude when an organization that works so hard through their extraordinary contributions to end the feral cat crisis in Los Angeles county chose Adopt-a-Pet.com to accept these awards. The first award was from The Stray Cat Alliance themselves, a beautiful engraved plaque that you see at right. It says “The Stray Cat Alliance Is Proud To Honor Adopt-A-Pet.com For Your Extraordinary Dedication To The Well-Being Of All Animals.” How cool is that? Christi Metropol the founder of The Stray Cat Alliance presented the award on stage to me which I accepted on behalf of all of us at Adopt-a-Pet.com, in front of hundreds of animal welfare supporters. The second award was a surprise! I’d already stepped down off the stage (and my pounding heart was just returning to normal) when I heard our name called again! This time it was by Councilmember Paul Koretz, who presented Adopt-a-Pet.com with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles and the State of California. What a proud  moment!

The gala was a fundraising event for The Stray Cat Alliance, with what must have been over 200 silent auction prizes that people could bid for online as well as at the event. They did a live auction too, and a call out for donations, which raised over $30,000 in a few minutes! All these funds will go into the spay and neuter programs The Stray Cat Alliance runs in targeted areas of Los Angeles, providing free surgeries and medical care for any cat, stray, feral, or owned. Los Angeles has a huge cat care crisis and is very fortunate to have organizations like The Stray Cat Alliance working so hard to provide the care Los Angeles’s cats need.

Adding some lighthearted fun to the event was that it was costumes optional! Of course I went as a cat, and who did I get to meet but the Cat Daddy himself, Jackson Galaxy. (Photo below.) Fortunately, I was well behaved so they didn’t need to call on his cat whispering super powers, but it was great to see him and so many other cat welfare advocates out supporting such a great cause.

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A few weeks ago, a dedicated Southern California rescuer, Claudia Hoffman, got a troubling phone call. Two stray dogs were seen out on a barren field in Carson, CA. Left all on their on, one was a large female Mastiff and the other a little black Terrier-Chihuahua mix. Apparently they had been there for a while according to the neighbors who were kindly providing them with food and water. These dogs, likely dumped and discarded, were very shy; they would not get close to people and would run away when approached. Claudia knew a strategy would be needed in order to trap this pair and bring them to safety. Her goal was to take them off of the streets and into a warm home where they would enjoy the good life they deserved as part of a family.

Claudia put a plea out to all the Southern California rescuers she knew and asked for support from the local community. With so many animal advocates and rescue groups in the Los Angeles area, one might think that pet overpopulation is not an issue there. But it is. It’s indeed a big problem in this part of the country, although many passionate people are involved in trying to help put an end to the overwhelming number of homeless pets in LA County. Since everyone has different tactics, opinions, and beliefs, sadly working together does not always happen among the animal loving community. Being an emotional topic and with a wide array of personalities who are involved, sometimes even in this arena it’s unfortunately difficult for people to come together and collaborate in order to be most effective.

Despite this trend, Claudia knew she could not help these animals alone. She needed people to assist in the mission and stand alongside the fence near the field so that she could ensure that both the Mastiff and the Terrier mix wouldn’t escape. To her great pleasure, her call was not only heard but answered. Over forty people from all walks of animal rescue life showed up at eight on a Sunday morning to help capture these dogs. With such a large turnout of helpers, Claudia was able to coordinate teams, carpool volunteers to the location, and delegate tasks efficiently. Though at first the pups tried to get away, the fence was blocked by so many people. When the female Mastiff grew tired of attempting to run, she finally let herself be leashed, and her little boyfriend soon followed.

Here’s a little story to put a smile on your face, because who doesn’t love reading happy adoption stories? (You can email us yours with photos to info@cms.adoptapet.com too!) Today’s Happy Beginnings happy adoption story just a very short note. We usually love hearing all the details about the pet’s personality, the adoption experience, and all the other juicy details. But sometimes there is an exception, and when they say a photo is worth a thousand words, they must have been thinking about Diamond’s three happy adoption photos! His adopter writes: “Thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com, I found Diamond at the Barc Shelter in June. She has a wonderful home and we love each other equally unconditionally. We take a long walk every day and short walks in between. She loves to go to the beach and jump the waves and run and loves her baths afterwards. She is a wonderful little companion and she is happy… and I am happier! Thank you for bringing Diamond to me, Suzanne.” See Diamond’s other two photos below. Thank you Suzanne, for adopting a pet, and sharing your story!

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Yes, I want to hear about Mitt Romney’s tax plan.  And, yes, I’m very interested in Obamacare.  And foreign policy.  And the deficit.  And the mortgage crisis.  But there’s another topic I’m just as interested in, one I’d like both presidential candidates to be asked about at the next debate: how to solve our national companion animal crisis.  Namely, how to remake a system that wastes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on housing, and ultimately killing, millions of healthy dogs, cats and other companion animals.

Perhaps some of you just rolled your eyes, but I’m guessing not many.  After all, according to theAmerican Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owner’s Survey in 2011, 62% of all American households include at least one pet. There are over 78 million owned dogs and 86 million owned cats (“owned”, meaning not a stray, currently for sale, or awaiting adoption in an animal shelter or rescue organization).  In 2011, Americans spent $51 BILLION on our companion animals, the highest expenditure ever, even in the face of global recession.  In short, we Americans love our pets.  And many of us spoil them rotten.

But just like with the ubiquitous “99%”, inside the pet population, there are clearly the “haves” and “have-nots.” The ASPCA estimates that 5 to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters each year. 3 to 4 million of those, the majority of whom are healthy and adoptable, are killed for lack of space, or because they slowly became unadoptable after living in the high-stress environment of a shelter for a period of time.  This is unacceptable to anyone who cares, who acknowledges the positive effects of sharing our homes and our hearts with those who have paws (or wings).  If you’ve ever cried into the fur of your beloved dog or cat, you know that this method of dealing with homeless animals must stop.  As Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.”  What does it say about our national morality that we find it acceptable, if sad, to take the lives of innocent creatures, creatures full of potential to love and be loved, to be a best friend and family member, but who instead leave the shelter in a trash can?

And then there are the tangible fiscal issues.  The candidates are debating cutting miniscule funding for Big Bird while governments in every city and county in the nation pour taxpayer dollars into the rounding up, housing, and killing of innocent animals.  That money could be used to help underserved kids, Mr. Obama, or refunded to taxpayers, Mr. Romney.  Furthermore, when nearly every state in the union is operating at a deficit, it creates a drain on the federal government. It’s in our national interest to stop this wasteful, irresponsible spending at the state level.

Before I cast my vote next month, I’d like to know where the candidates stand on this issue.  Currently, of course, all companion-animal laws are enacted at the state or local level.  There is nothing, however, that precludes our national politicians from having an opinion on states issues, and from putting forth ideas on how to solve them (and, if you need examples of that, see same-sex marriage, Roe v Wade, and other issues that are active at both a national and state level).  Both candidates own, or have owned, companion animals (I can hear all those Seamus-on-the-roof or Obama dog-eating comments now), and I assume they both love their dogs.  Disclosing their stances on the companion animal crisis will tell us a lot about these two men: their capacity for compassion, their problem-solving abilities, their willingness to acknowledge a problem that affects millions who don’t have a voice of their own, but are every bit as much a part of the American fabric as you or I.

On behalf of the millions of Americans who care about this issue, and on behalf of the millions of companion animals who will not survive their time in a shelter this year, I ask that this subject be broached at the next Presidential debate on Tuesday, October 16th.

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We all love fairy tales. Especially when the stories come true. Meet Seth, a typical Cinderella story as he went from being a sweet shelter pup to a valuable wildlife detection dog. Because of his incredible focus, attention and perseverance, especially when it came to tennis balls, Seth was chosen by his handler to do conservation work. Recently this area of environmental studies has increased the number of canine helpers being used to help conduct research, especially when it comes to field work. When Allison Bidlack, Ph.D. ‘07, learned that others had made the switch from human to canine assistants, she knew it was time to find her own wildlife detection friend to help her search for animal deposits. And that’s when her and Seth found one another and he became her adopted companion.

One of the advantages to having a furry assistant is that – whereas humans rely on what they see – dogs use their keen sniffing abilities to detect and distinguish various droppings. In the name of research, animals can be incredibly effective due to their specific skill sets, as well as each dog’s particular strengths and weaknesses. We just love that Bidlack and many of her colleagues are adopting pooches to help them do their own professional work, providing these pets not only with a second chance but also with an important job. Click here to read more about how Allison found Seth, and how others are rescuing dogs to serve important roles.

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Dim the lights, put on some relaxing spa music, light the peanut butter scented candles… you’re on the right path to give your dog a wonderful relaxing and rejuvenating massage! Just like the scent of your candles would be different to appeal to your pooch, so should your massage technique. Dogs are often very stoic creatures, and especially if it is their beloved owner, they will not react or let you know if you are massaging too hard. This is just one tip I learned from a certified professional canine massage therapist who is helping my senior dog feel as good as she possibly can in her golden years. We’ve had wonderful success with acupuncture helping her arthritis and other issues, but after one really amazing squirrel chase resulted in serious injury (of my dog, the squirrel is fine of course), we needed something more. Part of that “more” is massage. While I can’t safely teach you how to give your dog an injury rehabbing massage in a single blog article, what I can do is explain how to give a simple, gentle, and safe massage to a non-injured pet. Gentle massage can have wonderful benefits for both physically for the dog being massaged, and when done by a caring owner or foster parent, can be an enjoyable way of strengthening the bond between human and canine.

Note: This is a gentle massage technique for healthy, non-injured dogs to promote bonding and relieve stress. This should only be done on a dog you know well.

1. Pick a time of day when your pet is most relaxed. For some pets this is after their morning walk, during a mid-day snooze, or at the end of the day before bed.
2. Ask them to lie down in a comfortable, quiet place. If they don’t want to lie down, sitting or standing is fine too, though lying down is best.
3. Start petting them in their favorite spot to be pet. Most dogs prefer their chest, neck, or back. The petting should be slow and soothing, so each stroke of the pet ise a full second. You can count in your head to get the hang of it, saying “one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi.”  Count to ten.
4. The strength or pressure of your stroke should be the same gentleness you use for regular petting – NOT the strong pressure used in a human massage. You can do more harm than good with too much pressure.
5. Move to their second favorite spot, then their third. As they relax, you can try the petting massage on other spots too, like their ears, between their eyes (with your finger tips), their thighs, the sides of their chest.
6. You can cycle through all the spots they enjoyed as long as you both are enjoying it! You can also alternate the petting strokes with small circles using the tips of your fingers.

If your dog wants to move away or shows any other sign of not enjoying the massage petting at any time, you of course should let him or her move away and stop. You can try again another day. Most pets enjoy this kind of “petting massage,” but some don’t, so be respectful of your pet’s desires. For those that enjoy it, but not for long, you can build up the length of your massage sessions slowly. The goal is a relaxed and happy pet!

To get the full benefits of massage, such as increased circulation, decreased muscle pain, enhanced flexibility, and improved autoimmune response, have your dog massaged by a certified canine massage therapist, or have on safely teach you the proper technique on your dog. You can ask your vet for a recommendation to a certified doggie masseuse near you.

We are so happy to share this lovely letter which we received from Moira McLaughlin, from Dog Art Today.  We hope you enjoy reading it, and that you’re proud to be among this community of pet lovers – together we are celebrating all animals as being works of art!  “Thank you, Adopt-a-Pet.com, for all that you do! I am a big advocate for pet adoption. Adopting my new dog, Tyler, helped me heal after the heartbreak of losing my 17-year-old Dachshund, Darby.  I know that charities like yours are responsible for saving the lives of thousands of dogs like Tyler!

I have a theory that dogs are responsible for the creation of art in many cultures.  Just as dogs fended off predators and allowed humans to cultivate crops, store body fat, grow larger brains, and think new thoughts beyond survival, so too, dogs give artists the space to create, the ability to handle solitude, and the motivation to step outside, go for a walk, and look to nature for inspiration.  My video “Dogs in Art,” is a three-minute montage that celebrates this idea.

What strikes me, too, is that the feeling of joy and connection I had working on this video was similar to the feeling I had searching for a pet to adopt: clicking on each new face, discovering more about them, smiling at their smiles or empathizing with their tender looks of hope and concern.   When I think about this parallel experience, I have a new theory; that dogs don’t just help create works of art, but that dogs are works of art.

I hope that Adopt-a-Pet.com can help you find not only your muse, but your masterpiece.”

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