4 The Love of Animals- animal rescue, wildlife, pets, and more!

Already we are 8 months into the year, and I just found out that this is the Year of the Frog! No, I am not talking about Chinese New Year, but rather a year long campaign to help save the frog. Frogs are disappearing at alarming rates, but you probably haven’t heard much about it. The Year of the Frog campaign is designed to help raise awareness and funds to stop the crisis.

From Africa to the Americas, frogs and other amphibians are vanishing from the planet at an alarming rate. Not since the dinosaurs has the world seen such a rapid extinction. In the past few decades, as many as 130 species of frogs and other amphibians may have been wiped out. Right now, one-third to one-half of the world’s amphibian species are threatened. Climate change, pollution and a silent killer — chytrid fungus — are the main suspects in the mass disappearance. Chytrid fungus is currently unstoppable and untreatable in the wild. The World Conservation Union calls it the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates.

Amphibian Ark is doing a lot of great work in efforts to save frogs and other amphibians from extinction. As a frog lover, I am alarmed at the news, and saddened by the thought of frogs becoming extinct. If you want to learn more about what is going on, and also how you can become involved in the problem solving process, please visit the Amphibian Ark website.

It’s good to see press releases like this for many reasons. First of all, it just shows the great work that the ASPCA is going to help stop animal abuse and neglect. Secondly, it is good to see that crimes such as animal abuse are getting more by way of punishment.

NEW YORK, July 18, 2008—Humane Law Enforcement agents of the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) arrested Tiffany Lewis of Brooklyn on July 16 for neglecting her six-year-old pit bull. ASPCA Special Debbie Ryan responded to a complaint inside an apartment at1516 Jefferson Avenue on May 17 and discovered a starved dog locked inside. The dog, Clark, was emaciated, weak and suffering from an untreated ear infection. There was no food or water. Lewis, 28, of 562 Evergreen Avenue, was charged with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty and faces up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Clark has since been released to the ASPCA and renamed “Clark Kent.” He is expected to be made available for adoption in the near future.

I really hope that Clark Kent will find a forever home soon!

It’s not so easy to snap a portrait of a pooch, but world famous celebrity pet photographer Christopher Ameruoso is a pro. His long client list includes Kate Hudson, Ben Stiller and Courteney Cox-Arquette, and is testament to his tremendous skill—as are his more than 40 magazine covers. Christopher released the book of his favorite portraits, Pets and Their Celebrities, and his column, “Stars and Their Pets,” can be found in the weekly magazine, In Touch. He has also compiled video footage of some of his favorite shoots into a one hour special, Stars and Their Pets Behind the Lens.

Now Christopher Ameruoso shares with dog lovers tips for a successful photo shoot, and information about the nationwide search for America’s first ever Milk-Bone® SpokesDog. Visit the Milk Bone site to find out how your dog can become the first “SpokesDog”!

I got a great email recently that I want to share to help remind all pet parents to protect their pets from the increased risk of worms, such as heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms, that harm pets.

While many dog owners are aware of the risks, some cat lovers in the U.S. are not aware of how at-risk their pets may be. In fact, a recent survey by the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA) revealed that more than a third of the 90 million cats in the U.S. have not seen a vet in the past year. The statistic is staggering considering the simple steps available to protect felines from common, year-round, and potentially deadly parasites they can contract from mosquitoes, sandboxes, dirt, and standing water. Even indoor cats are at risk of contracting the same parasites, which come inside via shoes, open doors and windows, and other pets.

In response to the consumer need for increased awareness of the risks of feline parasites, Bayer Animal Health has added new information to its Web site about the risks posed by worms and tips to protect cats. The Web site, www.petparents.com, includes an interactive section that allows cat owners to uncover parasites in their own homes and backyards from a cat’s point-of-view.

In addition, anyone can post an image linking the section to their own Web site
or blog, keeping the risk finder and preventive tips a click away. Additionally, they can quickly spread the word to other cat owners about the importance of knowing common feline parasites, including heartworms and intestinal worms, by using the send-to-a-friend feature. Please visit www.petparents.com for additional information.

For more information about parasites that may be living in your home and yard, and tips for protecting your cat, please log on to www.petparents.com.

Thanks Elizabeth for the great reminder, and for the link to an informative website for pet parents too!

This is terribly sad. Not only do we have a problem of abandoned pets due to home foreclosures, now there is an epidemic of horses being abandoned. Sadly, the rising cost of fuel and food has caused many to abandon their horses.

Here is just a snippet of the article which can be read here. Truly sad news indeed.

The global food and fuel crisis is resulting in more than just people going hungry. Rising grain and gas prices, as well as the closure of American slaughterhouses, have contributed to a virtual stampede of horses being abandoned — some starving — and turned loose into the deserts and plains of the West to die cruel and lonesome deaths.

It looks like the housing crunch is again effecting our animal companions. Please read this post by Wayne Pacelle at A Humane Nation. If you know people who are struggling with foreclosure, maybe you could offer a home for their pets if you can? It’s a shame that people are abandoning their pets, or forgoing health care for them. I can’t imagine having to make such a heart breaking choice.

There is an easy way to help support your favorite animal charity. Supporters of the ASPCA have already helped raise over $13,000 through GoodSearch and GoodShop to help animals in need!

GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates 50% of revenue to charities and schools of the user’s choice. You use GoodSearch the exact same way you would any search engine the only difference being that you can designate your favorite non-profit or school to receive a donation every time you search the web! Because it’s powered by Yahoo!, you get proven search results.

GoodShop is an online shopping mall that features stores like Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, J Crew and hundreds of others and donates a percentage of each sale to the nonprofit or school of the users’ choice.

This is a great tool for raising money for your favorite animal charity just by doing what you already do! Be sure to check it out!