pet connection

Mark your calendar for Wednesday August 24th so you can watch the HBO documentary, “Madonna of the Mills.” I was able to preview the film and liked what I saw. The movie documents the passion of Laura Amato (the Madonna) on her forays into Lancaster, Penn. Her sole purpose for traveling into the heart of Amish country is the rescue of puppy mill dogs, specifically those who are “used up” (no longer capable of breeding) and slated to be destroyed.

Laura is an intriguing main character. Her composure remains completely passive as she interacts with puppy mill breeders. She is therefore allowed access into the kennels and, on occasion the camera is allowed to follow. When this happens, what we see is predictably gruesome. One wonders how Laura can remain so emotionally detached while in the midst of such inhumanity. Clearly, she understands that such passivity is required if she is to accomplish the task at hand, namely the rescue of innocent victims, one at a time. The movie credits state that Laura has rescued more than two thousand dogs.

For those who are familiar with puppy mills, there’s really nothing new revealed here. The kennel conditions are beyond horrific, the dogs are physically and psychologically traumatized beings, it is clear that legislation is needed to make things better, and there are some happy endings thanks to generous, kind-hearted, patient people.

One could argue that, through her actions, the Madonna is enabling puppy mills to thrive. I wasn’t clear to me if Laura actually purchases the dogs she rescues. What was clear was that that none of her actions would deter the puppy mill trade. Laura is clearly a prisoner of her passion. One senses she would give up anything and everything in her life before surrendering her rescue missions. In a brief moment of emotional vulnerability she talks about the enormity of the puppy mill situation while seemingly trying to convince herself that by rescuing one dog at a time, she is making a difference.

Whether or not you agree with what Laura is doing, the beauty of this documentary is that it will educate the public about puppy mills. Someone contemplating purchasing a pup from a pet store just might be dissuaded from doing so after watching this movie. By the way, I wish the movie had more strongly emphasized that pups purchased on line (site and sight unseen) are also likely to be puppy mill progeny. Nonetheless, kudos to those responsible for making this documentary. Have a look and tell me what you think. By the way, you may want to have a box of Kleenex close at hand, and perhaps something to soothe your nerves while viewing the graphic scenes.

As an exotic animal veterinarian, I am constantly asked why anyone would want an exotic pet (bird, rabbit, guinea pig, chinchilla, ferret, lizard, turtle, snake, hedgehog, sugar glider, or other unique creature) over a dog or cat. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with cats and dogs. I have several cats and dogs of my own, in addition to my exotic family members. It’s just that there are so many reasons to have an exotic pet that it’s hard to limit my answers to just a few. But here are a few simple reasons for choosing an exotic pet:

1. There are so many varied species that owning an exotic animal can be an incredible learning experience.

Exotic pets are fascinating. With their unique behaviors and incredible social interactions with each other and with us, they really can teach us all sorts of new information. But this is a Catch-22. Before you embark upon the journey into exotic pet ownership, be sure to learn enough about the social, nutritional, and environmental needs of the exotic pet species you are considering so that you don’t end up with a pet whose needs are more than you bargained for.

2. Many exotic species don’t take up much space.

For many city dwellers that live in cramped, tiny apartments, a pet such as a dog or cat that requires a lot of space just isn’t an option. A small mammal (such as a hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, chinchilla, or rat) or even a reptile or small bird that can live in a fairly small cage, might be a more feasible choice.  Ask anyone who owns one of these smaller exotic species, and they’ll tell you that these pets can provide the same love and companionship that a larger dog or cat can offer.

3. Some people are allergic to hairy pets.

Although many people would love to have a dog or cat as a pet, they often cannot because they or their family members have allergies to the dander that hairy pets carry on their fur.  These seemingly unfortunate people can still have a loving pet, however, if they choose a reptile (such as a lizard, turtle, tortoise, or snake) that has neither hair nor dander on its skin.  If they are not allergic to feathers, they might also choose a bird. So don’t despair if you’re allergic to hair!

4. Most exotic pets don’t need to be walked.

For many busy pet owners who work long hours, owning a dog that needs to be walked every few hours is not an option because they can’t get home to do it and don’t have the finances to pay a dog walker. The good news is that most exotic pets don’t need to be walked. While they do need time out of their cages to be socialized and to have a good quality of life, most birds, small mammals, and reptiles can adapt to our busy human schedules when it comes to “time out of cage.” In general, as long as we make some time to interact with them on a daily basis, the time we make available for most exotic pets can be flexible.

5. Some people only want pets that will live a long time.

People comment all the time that they could never own a pet because they’d get so attached to the pet that they couldn’t bear losing it. Of course, no pet – exotic or otherwise – lives forever. However, certain species, such as larger birds and some reptiles, can live for 20-40 years in captivity. Certainly, these animals must be taken care of properly: fed appropriate diets, housed according to species’ needs, and receive regular medical check-ups to live to their genetic potential. But for many people who have grieved over the loss of a relatively shorter lived pet such as a dog, cat, or small mammal or tiny bird, the prospect of having a potentially very long lived pet can be very appealing. Once again, this is a double-edged sword in that before you rush out to buy or adopt that reptile or large bird, you should seriously consider whether you have the lifestyle, finances, and future provisions available to support a pet that might outlive you!

Photo credit: amsccanton.com, blogginpet.com

You know, I can barely stand to read Yes Biscuit! these days, because all the Memphis Animal Shelter webcam pictures of dogs being dragged to the kill room gut me.

But this afternoon I was thinking about how people say those webcams make doing their jobs so much harder for the staff at the facility, and make them worry about their personal safety, and give Memphis a bad name and could be taken out of context and all the other things they say about the webcams.

I typically responded to that by saying, “Yeah, well, at least you’re not being dragged to your death under horrible circumstances,” but you know what?

What we’re seeing on those cameras is cruelty to animals, but it’s also cruelty to the people who work at MAS. If it’s not making them wake up screaming every night with terror-filled dreams, then it’s eroding their compassion and deadening their empathy. It’s consuming their humanity, one needle full of Fatal-Plus at a time.

We know this because we’ve been told again and again by people who do it what the effect of shelter killing is on them. We can see it right in front of us when we look at those webcam shots, and imagine how the shelter workers have to shut their eyes to the terror of the dogs they drag down that hall.

Have to watch a garbage can full of squirmy puppies grow still and stop moving.

Have to see the rigid terror of the cat at the end of the catchpole relax into death.

Have to do it over and over again, hundreds of pets a week, an avalanche of death and fear and piss and shit. It never ends. Three out of four dogs and cats who come in the doors of the building where they work are going to be fed by them and watered by them and then dragged or carried down that long hallway, step by fearful step, until they’re killed.

And one day, they just can’t care anymore. And that’s the day a part of them dies, too.

So even if you think that Memphis is doing the best it can for the animals — which it’s not — tell me, do you think it’s doing the best it can for the people who work there?

Imagine for a few minutes that instead of experiencing this:

… the staff at the Memphis Animal Shelter, like their counterparts at the Nevada Humane Society, could feel like this:

It’s not impossible. It could happen.

Here’s how.

Photos: Top, a MAS staffer and a terrified dog. Bottom, two Nevada Humane Society staffers celebrating an adoption.

Interesting item from Teh Interwebs (specifically the Lincolnwood Review), deserving of being shared widely:

As the Lincolnwood [IL] couple who own Evangers Dog & Cat Food Co., Inc., prepare for an Aug. 17 court date in which they are accused of stealing almost $2 million in gas and electricity to run their business, they are also defending themselves against allegations about their products.

Joel and Holly Sher [...] now face the scrutiny of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after inspectors analyzing some products [..] found cans of pet food that did not contain what they claimed.

Specifically, the FDA informed the company that there was no duck in the “grain-free duck” product and no lamb in the “lamb and rice” — although there was beef, which wasn’t listed on the label. If your pet is allergic to beef… sucks for you, I guess.

Evanger’s does claim to be Kosher, notes the Lincolnwood Review (“a Chicago Sun-Times publication”)  but … has anyone checked with the rabbis?

As for the company, well, they say it’s all a lie, and besides, it was only a couple of cans, really:

“Recently the FDA notified Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company that out of 300 different types of products, two production runs consisting of a total of four pallets of finished product manufactured in 2010, may have been misbranded by the FDA’s definition.

“Evanger’s has supplied information to the FDA which supports its assertion to be inaccurate.”

Evanger’s is a “high-end” product (“super premium” as it so modestly refers to itself) that turns up in a lot of boutique pet stores, and it picked up some sales when people were desperate to find something safe during the 2007 pet-food recall.  If you were one of those people, you might want to rethink your decision.

Rosie is an adorable golden retriever (shown at right) who lives in Duchess County, New York. She’s a therapy dog, and as part of her duties she works to calm people in particularly stressful situations, such as testifying in court proceedings. That’s where her story becomes interesting. Rosie recently assisted a teenage victim in a rape case who was testifying under oath against her accuser. The New York Times picks up the story:

The new role for dogs as testimony enablers can, however, raise thorny legal questions. Defense lawyers argue that the dogs may unfairly sway jurors with their cuteness and the natural empathy they attract, whether a witness is telling the truth or not, and some prosecutors insist that the courtroom dogs can be a crucial comfort to those enduring the ordeal of testifying, especially children.

The new witness-stand role for dogs in several states began in 2003, when the prosecution won permission for a dog named Jeeter with a beige button nose to help in a sexual assault case in Seattle. “Sometimes the dog means the difference between a conviction and an acquittal,” said Ellen O’Neill-Stephens, a prosecutor there who has become a campaigner for the dog-in-court cause.

Service dogs have long been permitted in courts. But in a ruling in June that allowed Rosie to accompany the teenage rape victim to the trial here, a Dutchess County Court judge, Stephen L. Greller, said the teenager was traumatized and the defendant, Victor Tohom, appeared threatening. Although he said there was no precedent in the state, Judge Greller ruled that Rosie was similar to the teddy bear that a New York appeals court said in 1994 could accompany a child witness.

At least once when the teenager hesitated in Judge Greller’s courtroom, the dog rose and seemed to push the girl gently with her nose. Mr. Tohom was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life.

Is the mere presence of a cute dog who offers comfort an unfairly prejudicial influence on a jury? Interesting question, isn’t it?

The dog park question in Vancouver: It’s a never-ending recurrence: the tension between the rights of dog owners and non-dog owners in public spaces. The latest setting is Vancouver, British Columbia. The story comes from the Globe and Mail.

Beware of counterfeit medication: How many times have we warned against buying bargain medications from online retailers because of the risk of them being counterfeit (and even worse, harmful)? The latest troubling anecdote appeared in the Daily Kos. Marge Wright tipped me to the link discussing the fatal poisoning of a dog in Centreville, Virginia, due to probable bogus knockoff medication packaged as Frontline. EPA and FDA both know about it. Still, every year dogs and cats die because the truth never goes away: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The ten or twenty bucks you think you’re saving aren’t worth your pet’s life.

Heartworm supply shortage: Speaking of medication, VIN News confirms the shortage of Immiticide that has been looming since last year is reaching an even more serious levels.

Little known kitteh fact? CathyA forwarded this link to me (as well as the heartworm link above), and I don’t have a reason to dispute it…though I can’t confirm it, either. When cats are stressed, their right ear is hotter than their left. Anyone want to test this one out and report back?

Fun infographic! Thanks to the Pet365Blog, via Dogster, for this fun infographic: Dog vs. Human anatomy facts.

Video of the week comes from my pal Miz in Sacramento: Herm vs. the stairs. What’s that?  I only cited it because it shows a little bitty dachshund? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is that a dachshund? Really? I didn’t know.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Image credit: Rosie, Kelly Shimoda for NYT.