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

Hacienda de los Milagros (Home of Miracles) is a lifetime sanctuary in Chino Valley, Arizona. They specialize in caring for burros, and horses, with a dedication to their life long care (they do not offer animals for adoption). Please visit their website to learn more about the Hacienda le los Milagros sanctuary, and consider making a donation or purchase from their shop to help them in their efforts.

If you visit, the only sounds you might hear are the gentle sounds of animals at peace and play. These animals whose lives were threatened, had no place to go and had no one who cared. Today they are safe and happy members of a loving family, thanks to the love and efforts of two dedicated people who founded Hacienda de los Milagros Animal Sanctuary.

Due to cutbacks from a couple of foundations the 225+ burros, horses, mules, jennies and jacks are at risk of losing their home in this lifetime sanctuary. Many of the residents were scheduled to be slaughtered or killed due to owners no longer wanting them, population concerns on federal lands or they had a deformity that some would consider life ending. The “Home of Miracles” truly has been a miracle for these animals. Let’s try to help them stay that way! You can visit their fund raising page to learn more about how you can help.

Oprah is getting a lot of thanks and kudos for her recent show exposing puppy mills. But what you might not know is that Oprah didn’t even know what a puppy mill was until she saw a billboard asking her to do a show about them!

Main Line Animal Rescue is the real hero of the Oprah story. They took out a billboard just blocks from Harpo Studios asking Oprah to do a show on puppy mills. What a great way to get the attention of such an influential lady! Creative thinking coupled with their passion for saving animals from puppy mills lead them to an amazing outcome!

This is what the billboard looked like:

Click on the image to read the full story and learn more about this amazing animal rescue group!

When I received the following email it broke my heart. First for the women and men who are in violent situations at home, and then for the animals who have to witness it. Anyone who loves a pet knows what a hard choice it would be to leave your spouse if you knew you had to leave your pet behind. Ahimsa House is pioneering ways to help both women and pets who are victims of domestic violence. Please read this and pass it on if you can:

Women residing at domestic violence shelters were nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner had hurt or killed pets than a comparison group of women who said they had not experienced intimate violence. As a result, many victims stay in abusive relationships out of concern for their pets.

The only rescue group of its kind in Georgia, Atlanta-based Ahimsa House is dedicated specifically to the safe placement of companion animals involved in domestic abuse situations.

In 2006, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the financial issues that were going to force Ahimsa House to close down. Merial Limited, an Atlanta-based global animal health company, responded to the article with a cash donation, allowing Ahimsa House to keep its doors open. The donation also allowed Ahimsa House to place animals in a variety of boarding facilities through a new grant-based system that houses family pets in locations closer to their owners.

Now one year later, Merial continues to support Ahimsa House by donating its veterinary products, FRONTLINE® and HEARTGARD®(ivermectin). In addition, Merial has partnered with the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine to provide veterinary care to the pets of Ahimsa House.

Those interested in donating to or volunteering for Ahimsa House should visit Ahimsa House or call (877) 346-2992 for more information.

Many other states have programs, like Ahimsa House, that are beginning to take shape and thrive to address this growing issue.These include Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence’s Safe Pet Sheltering Program, Denton, MD; El Dorado Women’s Center Safe Pet Program, Placerville, CA; Domestic Violence Project, Inc./SAFE House, Ann Arbor, MI; New Hope for Women, Rockland, ME; Animal Welfare League of Alexandria: Safekeeping Program, Alexandria, VA; and Salt Lake County Animal Services Safe Pets/Safe People, Salt Lake City,UT. These programs are developing an informal network nationwide to meet demand with supply and share best practices.

I was really happy to know that my state has a program like this in place. Do you know of any other organizations like this? I think it’s awesome that people are taking care of both the people and the pets who have been effected by domestic abuse.

Let’s get the new year started off right! Here is a great video of Snowball, the awesome dancing parrot, and mascot for Bird Lovers Only.

You may have seen Snowball on Animal Planet’s special, The Year in Animals. If not, be sure to visit their site and learn more about the rescue efforts they are making on behalf of feathered friends!

A little good news today! Dogs that were bound for the Philippines to be used as meat were rescued.

Today the Humane Society of the United States released a video with exclusive footage, including footage of a raid where investigators with our global arm, Humane Society International, worked with local police and animal groups to rescue 100 dogs bound for the dog meat trade. Many of these dogs were obviously people’s pets.

This slaughter of dogs for food is banned in the Philippines and a new law applies stronger penalties to those involved, but it still flourishes in some regions. So, we are encouraging people to contact the Philippines President and ask that she make sure the new legislation is enforced.

More information can be found on Wayne’s blog. Wayne is the President and CEO of HSUS. Please click his link and be sure to watch the video. It is truly heartbreaking, but we can make a difference!

The contest that Saving Shelter Pets is taking part of ends soon. They need your help to get the most donations! SixDegrees (Kevin Bacon’s online charitable initiative) and Hanes, sponsor the contest, and the six charities who collect the highest NUMBER of donations will win a matching funds grant for up to $10,000. With just 9 days left in the contest (it ends 9/16), they are currently in 2nd, with a little over 300 donations) - but all the other charities in the contest are working VERY hard to collect donations for their causes. The competition is heating up!

They would REALLY appreciate your support in the final days of this contest. A small donation will help us save a homeless pet’s life! AND it will help them get the matching funds grant too, with just a $10 donation to Saving Shelter Pets.

Click here to donate to Saving Shelter Pets.

More information about Saving Shelter Pets (and another link to donate for the contest) can be found at our website: www.savingshelterpets.com.

Your readers can also find Saving Shelter Pets on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/savingshelterpetsinc

I just received this email and hope that posting it here can help!

I am sending this email as a plea for help to transport at least two,
maybe three, smooth collies from Aspen Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 1, 2007 a Saturday. If you cannot help but you might know of someone along this way that would be able to, please let me know.

These collies are coming from Houston Texas to Aspen Colorado via
private donated jet. They would love to find homes in Salt Lake City
and Utah. I am working with various rescues along the way both in Utah and Colorado and even back east to arrange transport. If you know of any rescues along this way that might be able to help with a short portion of the trip please let me know. Or if you might be able to take a nice Saturday or Sunday drive to help some needy collies, please get back to me as soon as possible.

We can take two of these collies for sure, or if you would be willing to take a foster collie in for a while, we could take three. Utah is
difficult to get to sometimes but the people around here love collies
and give them such wonderful homes. I need solid transportation and as soon as I get this planned out for sure we will work out which collies will come to stay with us. Collies are such sweet, wonderful, amazing dogs, they need your help!

If we cannot arrange transport on September 1, I would be willing to
make the entire drive myself but I will be out of town September 1
through September 8. If this ends up our only option, I’d need someone to keep the dogs in the Aspen area until I can get up there to bring them to Salt Lake.

We are a bit short for time so we would love to hear back from you as soon as possible!
Thanks!
Cynthia and Utah Collie Rescue

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Collie Rescue Ut
Petfinder Collie Rescue