On that Saturday morning, Keinath took her 3-year-old cockapoo, Harley, to the groomer her groomer. She warned the groomer that Harley was afraid of big dogs.

Janet Keinath, who took her cockapoo, Harley, to her groomer’s in North Aurora last month, discovered he had been hurt there when she picked him up. Keinath claims the groomer underestimated the severity of her dog’s injuries.

According to Keinath, when it came time to pick up Harley after 2 p.m., the business owner told her the grooming was free. Keinath asked why, and then took a look at Harley: The dog was crying and bleeding through a bandage wrapped around his neck, she said. Keinath’s dog was mauled by a golden retriever.

“My intention is to never let a dog get hurt. It was an unforeseen accident that happened and am very sorry it happened. It’s all my fault. The dog shouldn’t have been exposed,” the owner of the grooming facility said.

The salon owner also contends that she handled the situation properly.

“The dog was coherent. He was answering me and I was dressing the wounds,” the salon owner said last week.

Keinath’s interpretation of the story is a bit different. The North Aurora woman claimed that her dog was traumatized. “He was whimpering and shaking like a leaf,” she said.

Before leaving the shop, Keinath said she demanded the grooming facility pay the medical bills. They obliged and paid $600 in expenses.

Harley was treated for at least three puncture wounds and abrasions. The dog also had a drain placed in his neck because blood had filled up in a pocket in the right side of his neck, Keinath said. Her veterinarian told her Harley could have died.

Groomer: Bite not threatening

According to the salon onwer, a golden retriever grabbed Harley by the neck suddenly, without any warning signs. “It was immediate,” she said. The salon onwer said she calmed Harley down, then applied pressure to the wound with a cold compress. She added that the dog was not “gushing” blood.

But according to Keinath, when she picked up Harley, the salon told her she needed to go to a clinic and that “she had been trying to stop the bleeding,” Keinath said.

The salon owner said Harley had already been bathed, clipped and dried before the incident, about a half-hour after Keinath dropped off the dog. She added that she continued to groom the dog after Harley was bandaged.

She admits the dog never should have come into contact with the other animal and takes full responsibility for the incident.

But Keinath wonders why the groomer didn’t call sooner.

“I don’t know what (Keinath’s) health is. I don’t know how she’s going to react. I think I made the right choice,” the salon owner responded about simply leaving a phone message.

The grooming salon also did not notify the owner of the golden retriever of the attack. Keinath asked for that owner’s number and notified the dog owner herself.

This particular grooming salon does not require customers to show proof of medical records on their pets and does not ask customers to sign an emergency waiver. Stuebinger said she only requests the name of the pet’s veterinarian. The business owner said she plans to institute an emergency release form soon.

The salon said it is the first time such an incident has happened at her establishment.

Keinath says she wants to make pet owners aware of what can happen.

“It was so traumatizing and terrible. You don’t know if your dog’s going to come home,” she said. “… Who has a voice for these dogs?”

Tips on choosing a dog groomer

• Ask your friends and family. Some of the best recommendations are through word of mouth.

• Seek certification or license. Dog groomers operating a business do not need to be licensed, but it is best to find out if they are licensed and how long they’ve been in business. Ask if they are members of professional grooming organizations.

• Visit the facility. Make sure it looks and smells clean and request a tour. You can also ask to sit alongside a groomer on services in the beginning.

• Check their record with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org

• If they ask for proof of your dog’s medical records, that is a good sign.

• Take notice and ask questions. Do they have crates, runs and kennels in the facility? How do they separate the dogs? Are dogs ever left on stations without supervision?

Sources: Dr. Karen Johnson, vice president and client advocate for Banfield Pet Hospital in Portland, Ore.; Better Business Bureau-Chicago.
Article written by Kane County Beacon, salon owner’s name omitted.

The Circus Is Coming To Town, Please Do Not Support Circus Animal Abuse!

Most of us grew up looking forward to the circus coming to town.  The anticipation of the ring master leading in acts of performers, clowns and animals under the big top.  The magical feeling of watching aerial trapeze artists virtually float through the air, packs of clowns zipping around the tent, honking their horns and making us laugh, eating your snacks while seeing enormous elephants doing tricks like the ones we teach our own dogs.  As good as this may sound to you and your little ones there are a few alarming things you should know before purchasing your tickets to the circus again.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus paints a picture of happy animals performing tricks because they like doing them. Consider the following, then decide whether that’s true. Here are some of Ringling’s frequent claims juxtaposed with the facts about the circus’s treatment of animals:

Ringling:
Our training methods are based on continual interaction with our animals, touch and words of praise, and food rewards.
Reality:
Video footage taken between 2001 and 2006 of Ringling trainers and handlers shows that elephants were aggressively hooked, lame elephants were forced to perform and travel, and a trainer inflicted a bloody bullhook wound behind an elephant’s ear flap. Former Ringling employees that left the circus in 2006 and 2007 describe violent beatings as well as the routine abuse of elephants, horses, camels, and zebras.

Ringling:
The ankus (bullhook) is used as an extension of the handler’s arm to guide the elephants.
Reality:
The bullhook, by design, is intended to cause pain and puncture the skin. Despite its appearance, an elephant’s skin is as sensitive as humans’ skin. The sharp metal hook on the end of the bullhook bruises, punctures, and tears elephants’ skin easily and often. Former Ringling animal crew employees report that the circus keeps a bag of topsoil handy to cover up bloody bullhook wounds on elephants.

Ringling:
Ringling is a leading expert in the care of Asian elephants. Our staff is dedicated to meeting our animals’ physical and behavioral needs.
Reality:
Ringling’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection reports are riddled with serious citations of problems that directly impact animal welfare. In 2006 alone, the circus was cited three times for failure to provide adequate veterinary care to a disabled elephant, to an elephant with a large swelling on her rear leg, and to a camel with bloody wounds. Also in 2006, Ringling was cited for causing trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, and discomfort to two young elephants who sustained cuts and abrasions when they ran amok in an arena in Puerto Rico; improper handling of dangerous animals; and an enclosure in disrepair.

Ringling:
Ringling has never been adjudged to have violated the Animal Welfare Act.
Reality:
Ringling attempts to confuse the issue with legal terminology. The USDA refers to a citation on an inspection report as a “noncompliance” rather than a “violation.” Each citation by the USDA is an indication that federal inspectors found that Ringling Bros. is failing to comply with the minimum requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.

In addition to being cited on inspection reports, Ringling has also been warned by the USDA for causing trauma and stress to two baby elephants who suffered painful rope lesions when they were prematurely pulled from their mothers and for improper euthanasia after a caged tiger was shot to death. Ringling also paid a $20,000 penalty to settle USDA charges of failing to provide veterinary care to a sick baby elephant who died shortly after he was forced to perform.

Ringling:
All circuses are subject to stringent animal welfare regulations at the local, state, and federal level.
Reality:
No agency monitors training sessions, in which animals may be beaten behind the scenes. Most state and local agencies defer to the already overburdened USDA for matters concerning exotic animals in circuses. The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) has no regulations that specifically pertain to elephants. For example, space requirements for animals ranging from elephants to zebras simply state, “Enclosures shall … provide sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments.” Ringling consistently opposes proposed laws that would ban cruel training methods, such as bullhooks and the chaining of elephants. Although inspections by the USDA are supposed to be unannounced, several former Ringling employees claim that the circus always knows in advance when inspectors are coming.

Ringling:
Our staff are experts in their fields.
Reality:
Staff caring for animals in circuses may have little experience or formal training, increasing the potential for improper handling. Ringling regularly hires inexperienced people, some directly out of homeless shelters, and allows them to work with animals.

Ringling:
Ringling is attempting to save endangered Asian elephants from extinction.
Reality:
Ringling breeds elephants solely to perform in its circus. None of Ringling’s elephants can ever be released to the wild. Of the approximately 62 elephants owned by Ringling in 1990, 57 were captured in the wild. And at least 24 elephants have died since 1992. Ringling has not been successful in breeding more elephants than it has captured and imported for use in its traveling show, and its elephants are dying at a faster rate than they are breeding. Ringling routinely pulls unweaned elephants from their mothers to train them and put them on the road.

Ringling:
The animal routines in our circus showcase our animals’ natural behaviors.
Reality:
In nature, elephants don’t stand on their heads, walk trunk-to-tail, skip, crawl, or twirl, and adult female elephants do not mount one another. Tigers don’t hop on their hind legs and roll over in unison. In order to force wild animals to perform difficult and confusing circus tricks, trainers use whips, sticks, and bullhooks.

Ringling:
The public display of exotic and endangered animals contributes to a heightened awareness of humans’ responsibility to safeguard and protect these animals.
Reality:
According to David Hancocks, former director of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, “When [circuses] portray animals as freaks and curiosities, devoid of context or dignity, circuses are perpetuating outdated attitudes. Wild animals in the circus are reduced to mere caricatures of their kind, exhibited just for financial gain. In this way, they corrupt our children, promoting the notion that exploitation and degradation is acceptable, even brave or funny.”

Ringling:
We operate a 200-acre state-of-the-art facility dedicated to breeding, research, and retirement of Asian elephants.
Reality:
The elephants at Ringling’s breeding compound in Florida only have access to a fraction of the property. When they are not chained, the elephants are confined to barns and small, barren outdoor paddocks. Ringling’s Williston, Fla., facility—also referred to as its retirement center—has several elephants who are infected with or exposed to a human strain of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). In September 2006, two male elephants at its breeding center also tested positive for TB and three female elephants were pulled off the road because they had been exposed to diseased elephants.

Ringling:
Our elephant care practices are in line with those set out in the “Elephant Husbandry Resource Guide” published by the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) with the support of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the Elephant Managers Association (EMA).
Reality:
As a founding board member of the IEF, Ringling helped develop the “Elephant Husbandry Resource Guide.” Ringling may have felt a need to develop this guide because the circus does not comply with the existing AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care. Ringling does not provide its elephants on the road with AZA’s minimum space requirements, and the elephants are subjected to prolonged chaining.

Ringling:
Ringling Bros. elephants are healthy, thriving, vigorous, and content.
Reality:
The USDA has noted on Ringling inspection reports that some of the circus’s elephants suffer from lameness, foot abscesses, and arthritis. At least eight of the 24 elephant deaths at Ringling since 1992 were attributable to either osteoarthritis or a chronic foot problem—a common problem in captive elephants caused by lack of space and forced inactivity. In a book titled The Elephant’s Foot, former Ringling veterinarian Gary West contributed a chapter about foot care. West wrote, “Foot-related conditions and arthritis are the leading cause of euthanasia in captive elephants in the United States.”

What can you do to help?  It’s as easy as not supporting animal abuse!  No ticket sales = No Abuse!

Best Friends is a rescue organization dedicated to helping animals that are from mills, unwanted, abused, etc.  About a month or so ago Whispering Oaks Kennels in West Virginia surrendered close to 1000 dogs, mostly dachshunds and Best Friends came to the rescue.  Please read this post to learn about why we should never buy from animals from pet stores, online, and most breeders.  Please do not support mills (which means pet stores, most people do not know that) and adopt!

Parker is one in a thousand—literally. Our little brown Dachshund was one of nearly that many dogs and puppies surrendered by Whispering Oaks Kennel in Parkersburg, West Virginia last week. Until he was rescued, Parker lived in a rabbit hutch with three other dogs; it’s likely he never left that cage. Ever.

Until last week Parker’s sole purpose in life, his reason for being worthy of food every day in his owner’s eyes, was to make puppies. Whispering Oaks sold thousands of puppies online over the years, getting from $300 to over $700 per puppy. Customers had no idea that all the dogs lived in barns and rabbit hutches, because they were never allowed to see where the adult breeding dogs lived. And they couldn’t have known that their puppies may have had a dad like Parker.

I first met Parker last Sunday, when I was on a team of three whose job it was to go cage by cage and put an ID band on each and every dog. My volunteer partner Travis called the ID bands “the ticket out of here.” He and I went along methodically along with Deputy Shanna Modesitt to make sure we had tagged every dog in every cage, and then teams came along behind us and loaded the dogs in crates so they could be taken to the staging area where an army of rescue workers and volunteers waited. Parker was in a free-standing rabbit hutch-type cage outside. All the cages looked like they’d been slapped together with whatever scrap material the breeder could find. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live in that cage every single day, with nowhere to get out of the sweltering heat, and nothing but a plywood box with no bedding to curl up in during the freezing winter.

Heavy welding gloves protected my hands, just in case we encountered a biting dog. I remember that Parker’s cage was especially tricky because the only way to access it was to lower a large wooden door, leaving a good two-foot hole for dogs to pop out of if they wanted to escape. Travis had the ID bands ready, and Deputy Modesitt was on the other side of the cage, shooing the dogs our way so we could reach them. All the dogs in the cages around us barked furiously at us—I don’t know that they’d ever seen so much action in their lives! I was able to hold one, then the next miniature Dachshund in the cage for Travis to put ID bands on them. And then from the other side of the cage Deputy Modesitt shouted over the barking, “DO NOT let this one bite you; he’s got horrible teeth!” I shouted back “okay!” and opened the wooden door one more time as a scruffy brown Dachshund with huge, snaggly brown and white teeth came zipping to our side of the cage, urged by Deputy Modesitt. He allowed me to pick him up without a fuss, Travis secured his ID collar around his neck, and we let him go back in the only cage he’d ever known.

Later, we found him at the staging area where he had been kept with his cage-mates. He’d likely need extensive dental care, and what better “poster dog” for the all-too common dental neglect found in puppy mill dogs? So he was one of the first dogs we directed Michelle to as she went around to select dogs to come back to Best Friends.

Before we loaded him into a travel crate on our van to come home to Utah, the only experience I’d had with Parker was taking him out of his cage at the puppy mill. But his personality soon presented itself—and what a personality he has! We stopped every few hours to get the dogs out of their cages, since we’d had to really pack them in to fit everyone in the van. My biggest fear was that we’d lose a dog, considering that they’d never ever been walked on a leash before, and probably hadn’t ever walked on the ground before. But little Parker handled it like a pro. He got so excited when we came to his travel crate, he’d SMILE with that crazy mug! Many dogs smile when they’re excited, wrinkling their noses and showing their teeth in a big grin. On Parker, that smile was quite a sight to behold. But what a great little guy.

Soon he was walking on the leash pretty well, sniffing the grass, and going potty outside like a good boy.

After nearly forty hours on the road, we finally arrived at the sanctuary where everyone got to meet Parker for the first time. I can’t wait to watch him blossom here with the care and love that he has deserved, but has been denied until now.

For more information about Best Friends Animal Society please visit their website, http://www.bestfriends.org

Please educate people on the terrible attrocities that happen at puppy mills. We can stop this by not purchasing dogs but adopting instead. Please remember that for every dog that is purchased one dies in a shelter.

Hey Everyone!

I came across this website that I feel extremely necessary to share with everyone. It is called Dogs In Danger, http://www.dogsindanger.com . This site is all about the last chance to save a dogs life before they are euthanized in a shelter. It is very sad but very real, it actually shows you the number of days the dog has before it is put to sleep. It looks like there are few shelters that participate in this program when in actuality thousands of shelters are euthanizing tens of thousands of animals on a daily basis.

I commend the founders of this site and admire their commitment to truley putting forth the maximum effort of saving dogs’ lives!

So please, please forward this site to everyone you know! Please educate people on shelter adoptions vs. pet store purchases! You can be a voice for these poor dogs and animals, please help save them!

Thanks so much for reading!!

It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week

May 18-24 is National Dog Bite Prevention week, and the US Postal Service is encouraging pet owners to take precautions to ensure their dogs don’t bit postal workers, or others. According to the USPS website…

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) report that small children, the elderly, and Postal Service carriers, in that order are the most frequent victims of dog bites.

And, in a press release sent out by the USPS, they offer the following tips for preventing dog bites…

How to Avoid Being Bitten

• Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.

• If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact.
• Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.

• Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.

• While letter carriers are prohibited from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.

• If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between you and the dog, such as a purse, a backpack or a bicycle.

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

• Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dogs.

• When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door in another room.

• Don’t let your child take mail from the carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.

• Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Statistics from the Humane Society show that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to bite.

• Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

The AVMA and Prevent the Bite have more information on dog bite prevention.

With this warmer days approaching more and more people will be outdoors and dog bites will be on the rise. Please protect yourself, your children and your animals because…as always Animals Need Help

Here are some good pictures I received in an email today that illustrates the logic of animals. If you have ever had a pet you should know that they love us unconditionally. Why can’t the world love them back just as much and try to help keep them safe and out of harms way?
Please pass this among friends to brighten their day and show them the logic of animals. The logic of this blog by the way is to help prevent animal cruelty and educate people on what they can do to help.

Thank You For Your Support… Stacy

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
-Anonymous

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
-Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
-Andy Rooney

Dogs love their friends & bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love & always have to mix love & hate.

-Anonymous

Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise.

-Stacy Jones

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That’s almost $21.00 in dog money.
-Joe Weinstein

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.

-Robert A. Heinlein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
-Roger Caras

If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.
-Phil Pastoret

Share The Logic Of Animals With A Friend

And Thank You For Sharing Your Time With Us

AnimalsNeedHelp.com

Most people rarely have the opportunity to interact with these outgoing, sensitive animals because 97 percent of pigs in United States today are raised on factory farms as food animals. These pigs spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy warehouses, under constant stress from the intense confinement and denied everything that is natural to them. Click HERE To watch a movie about their pitiful existence on farms just so they can make us a pork chop sandwich, a slab of ribs or a BLT.

Considered smarter than 3-year-old human children, pigs are very clever animals. They are smarter than dogs and every bit as friendly, loyal, and affectionate.

Since most people are not that familiar with pigs, you may be surprised to learn that they dream, recognize their names, play video games more effectively than some primates, and lead social lives of a complexity previously observed only in primates.

People who run animal sanctuaries often describe pigs with human characteristics, because they’ve learned that, like humans beings, Pigs also enjoy listening to music, playing with toys, and getting massages.

The average American meat-eater is responsible for the abuse and deaths of approximately 31 pigs and most all of those pigs are the subject of animal cruelty on the farm

I hope you can learn to love these cute little creatures just as much as me and leave them in the yard and off the table.

The best thing you can do to help animals is to stop eating them! For some great tips on how you can save lives, help the environment, and improve your health by cutting animals out of your diet, check out all the info here.

Chances are that your local animal shelter can probably use your help, so give ’em a call! You may be too young to volunteer, but you’re never too young to have a fund raiser or a drive to collect supplies.

Does your school have a student-choice policy allowing students the right to refuse to dissect? Are there animals being held hostage at your school, commonly known as “classroom pets” or “hatching experiments”? Do your teachers plan yearly field trips to the zoo or the circus? It’s your school, too, and that means that your voice counts, so speak up and let your teachers know that there are alternatives to animal exploitation. And don’t forget to recruit your classmates to help you tackle these issues!

Educate others! Use animal issues as topics for all your school projects. From book reports to posters in art class—PETA has got you covered.

Letter-writing is one of the best things you can do to help, so get that pen and paper—or computer keyboard—ready! Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about animal rights issues. Scan the newspaper for upcoming events, issues, or “free to a good home” ads, and fire off a letter to give the animals’ side of the story. For instance, when the circus is coming to town, let the public know what really happens under the big top, and urge readers to boycott animal circuses.

Grab some friends or your siblings and set up a literature table in the mall, outside a store, or at the local library (get permission from the “powers that be” first—that means Mom and Dad and the mall office!) and distribute PETA literature. Or gather some friends together and leaflet around town.

We’re always looking for new ways to make a difference for our animal friends, so drop us a line and let us know what you’re doing so that we can pass it on. And please, be sure to include pix of you in action, ’cause you may just find yourself gracing the images of an upcoming issue of Grrr! magazine or on PETAKids.com!

Every year, animal lovers working in shelters are left with no option but euthanasia after being unable to find them new homes. The question many of these devoted volunteers find themselves asking again and again is how do these animals, many of which are sweet, loving souls, end up in shelters with a desperate need for a permanent home?

They come from all over the place. Having worked in animal shelters, there are a few common scenarios that crop up again and again.

• Those that find strays. Some people come into the shelter with a stray dog or cat that has been hanging around for a few days, that they finally managed to catch. Usually they’ve been spotted by the kids, and often the family asks to adopt the animal if it’s real home isn’t found, which is often the case.
• Those that claim they’re strays. There have been situations when someone has brought an animal to a shelter (usually a cat), and say that it’s a stray. The shelter scans the animal and finds a microchip. They ring the number…and a mobile phone in the person pocket starts to ring. Talk about an awkward situation.
• Those that pass away. Nobody plans to die, and sometimes pets are suddenly left without their owners after a tragic event, and end up in a shelter. Often these pets have special instruction such as ‘must not be separated’ because they’ve spent their entire lives together. The experience of being in the shelter is often traumatic for them, and although being kept together makes it slightly easier for them emotionally, it makes it harder for them to find new homes. This is because most potential adopters are looking for one pet, not two.
• Those that don’t care. Some people just fail to realize that by not spaying or neutering their cats or dogs, they’re going to be eaten out of house and home by hoards of kittens or puppies. This doesn’t seem to bother them though; when they kittens or puppies get to big, too expensive or aren’t cute any more they dump them at a shelter to make room for the next lot.

The end result is that animal lovers working in shelters are left with the heartbreaking job of cleaning up other people’s mess. Some situations are unavoidable, but much of the heartbreak could be avoided by spaying and neutering pets, and by having a contingency plan for them if something should happen to you, or if you become unable to keep your pets at home.

Please remember that owning a pet is a lifelong commitment and should not be taken lightly.

Nearly-Dr Ferox is a blog about the life and times of an Australian Veterinary student.

She shares her experiences not only with fellow vet students, but all those out there that hope one day to be Vets, or wished they had chosen a Veterinary career.

Her blog can supply knowledge to pet owners and explain to animal lovers things they they may now have known.

Some of her posts include Working With Pigs, Vets Over The Phone, Garlic Toxicity, and, The Little Black Dress

Please visit her site to learn more about Veterinarians and Veterinary students and all the things they do to help the animals.