Outlaw For-Profit "High-Kill" Animal Shelters – Sign Better Fed Than Dead Petition

We petition the Obama administration to: Outlaw For-Profit "High-Kill" Animal Shelters

Outlaw for-profit "High-Kill" animal shelters throughout the U.S.

For-profit “High-Kill” animal shelters across America kill as many animals as possible, lining the pockets of veterinarian’s associated with these inhumane “High-Kill” shelter enterprises and feeding the need for more taxpayer funding; all the while masking their “pay-per-kill” operations with an aura of humanity by establishing 30-day “waiting periods” before euthanization; a period all too brief to save most from certain death.

We seek to eradicate these “High-Kill” Animal Shelters throughout the United States and turn them into “No-Kill” Shelters.

We demand that the U.S. Government immediately outlaw these for-profit “High-Kill” animal shelters across America.

Sponsored by Pet Food Stamps Inc.:  www.PetFoodStamps.org

Better fed than dead

Related:

Pet Food Stamps

Homeless With Pets – Choosing Pets Over Shelter

The “ex”-Middle & Upper Class Homeless

Foreclosure Crisis Leads to More Homeless Pets to the Rescue!

Where there is a will…

Is Your Pet a Voiceless Victim of the Tanking Economy?

Unconditional Love

Can the U.S. Become a No Kill Nation?

Chinese City’s “One Dog” Policy Has Residents Howling

Homeless Shelters that Allow Pets

How to Help Pets of Homeless People

A Patchwork of Food Assistance for Pets

Help Feed Hungry Pets

Humane Society list of pet financial aid-related organizations

N.J. Pets Welcome at Hurricane Evacuation Shelters

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals … and its weakest members.” …Ghandi

Technorati Tags: animal advocacy movement,aninal petition,animal advocates,Pet Food Stamps,stop pet euthenization,high kill shelters,no-kill pet movement,Better Fed Than Dead,No Kill Shelters,JOMP,Just One More Pet,food assistance for pets

New Hope for Fear and Anxiety in Abused Dogs

Story at-a-glance

• Recently the ASPCA opened the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Madison, NJ, a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated exclusively to helping rehabilitate dogs that have been victims of animal cruelty.
• The center’s patients will come from shelters across the country as well as from ASPCA-involved seizures, and will primarily be victims of puppy mills and hoarding situations.
• Dogs with extreme fear disorders are in danger of being euthanized unless they can be rehabilitated – a job that typically falls to shelter workers and rescue groups. The ASPCA’s new center, which is launching a two-year research project, has committed to share its findings with shelters and rescue organizations across the U.S.
• The Behavioral Rehabilitation Center has over two dozen kennels, treatment rooms, “real life” rooms, and common areas. There are 10 staff members, including two behavior experts, plus volunteers and daily caretakers. The ASPCA invested over a half a million dollars in the center, and will pay for all patient expenses, including vet care.
• For many animals, being rescued from a lifetime of neglect and abuse is just the beginning of a long journey to recovery. The Behavioral Rehabilitation Center’s goal is to provide rescued dogs with customized behavior therapy and more time to recover, which will increase their chances of being adopted

 

By Dr. Becker

Recently the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) opened the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ, as part of a two-year research project.

Per an ASPCA press release, the center is “the first-ever facility dedicated strictly to providing behavioral rehabilitation to canine victims of cruelty, such as those confiscated from puppy mills and hoarding cases.” According to center director Kristen Collins, the center will also treat a certain number of dogs that have been confined for long periods because they are “evidence” in court cases.

The Behavior Rehabilitation Center’s canine patients will come from shelters across the U.S. as well as from ASPCA-involved seizures from puppy mills and hoarders. According to Collins, the center is the first facility of its kind in that it will be focused exclusively on providing rehabilitation for dogs that are victims of animal cruelty.

The Center’s findings as part of the two-year research project will be shared with shelters and rescue organizations throughout the U.S.

Dogs with Extreme Fear Disorders Are Euthanasia Candidates

Dogs suffering from extreme fear are prone to symptoms such as shaking, cowering, loss of bladder control, growling and biting. In some cases, the fear is always present and causes the animal a great deal of pain. These cases are very hard to treat.

This level of fear is commonly seen in dogs that have survived life in puppy mills or hoarding situations. Once free, fear consumes them because their previous miserable, often abusive existence is all they’ve ever known. Typically these animals are turned over to shelters and rescue groups who try to work with the dogs to help them overcome their fears. The alternative for many of these dogs is, sadly, euthanasia.

Dogs cowering in the back of their shelter kennels certainly have no quality of life, and prospective owners seldom choose them. If they do get adopted, without treatment they are ill-prepared to blend into a family environment, and many new owners are disappointed or at a loss to know what to do to help their new four-legged family member.

One of the things the ASPCA’s research project will do is provide some statistics to work with. Presently, no one really knows how many dogs with fear disorders are placed in adoptive homes, or how they do once they go to their new families. The Behavioral Rehabilitation Center staff will follow up on placed animals to document how well they are doing in their new environment.

Most Dogs Will Stay at the Center for Six to Eight Weeks

The ASPCA’s new center has over two dozen kennels, treatment rooms, “real life” rooms, common areas, and an office. There are 10 people on staff at the center, including two behavior experts from St. Hubert’s. There are also volunteers and caretakers who feed the dogs and clean their kennels.

Center behaviorists will provide customized behavior modification therapy to reduce fear and anxiety in abused dogs. From a recent press release:

Treatment plans will incorporate the use of scientifically sound techniques designed to reduce the dogs’ fear of people and other dogs, acquainting them to unfamiliar objects, sounds, living areas, and real-life situations that can induce trauma and severe stress among this population.

The ASPCA spent over half a million dollars on the center, and will foot the bill for all patient expenses, including veterinary care.

Most dogs will stay at the facility for six to eight weeks, with some requiring a more lengthy or shorter stay, depending on their individual situation. “Graduates” of the center will return to a shelter for placement, and ongoing therapy will be provided as needed.

"For some animals, the reality is that after a lifetime of neglect and abuse, the rescue is just the beginning of their journey to recovery," said Dr. Pamela Reid, vice president of the ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team. The Behavioral Rehabilitation Center’s goal is to provide rescued dogs individualized behavior therapy and more time to recover from past abuse. This will increase the likelihood of successful adoption.

Rescued Alaskan Malamutes Some of Center’s First Residents

Some of the first patients at the new center were a few Alaskan malamutes taken from a Montana breeder who was convicted in December 2012 of over 90 counts of animal cruelty. A total of 213 malamutes were rescued from starvation and filthy living conditions in that case. The dogs were transferred to other kennels and kept as evidence for 16 months during trial preparation.

Eighteen of the dogs were pregnant, one of which weighed just 48 pounds (the average weight of an Alaskan malamute is 75 pounds). She delivered a litter of eight puppies. Only one survived.

Once the dogs were no longer “evidence,” they were sent to a humane society in Helena where they were spayed and neutered. Another animal welfare group helped begin placing the dogs. Some of the malamutes have found new homes; some are living in rescues awaiting adoption.

One of the dogs was adopted by the president of the Alaska Malamute Assistance League in Anchorage. The dog, a 6 year-old female named Cinder, is missing the tip of one ear, has broken teeth and a broken toe – all caused by food fights among the starving dogs while they lived at the breeding facility in Montana. According to Cinder’s owner, many of the malamutes are missing their tongues for the same reason.

Cinder’s owner, Bob Sutherland, says she has come a long way:

"We took a shy dog, and she’s all grins and giggles now. If you work with these dogs, they rise and shine. That’s why this ASPCA facility is so valuable to us. We were super excited to get these dogs in there to go through a training regimen. It saves us a lot of heartbreak about what we do with these dogs.”

Hope for the Future of Mistreated Animals

Sadly, there will be dogs that cannot overcome their fear, no matter how extensive the rehabilitation. But the center’s behaviorists are committed to do everything possible to help dogs recover. Euthanasia will be a last resort for dogs with an extremely poor quality of life, or those who pose a significant threat to people or other animals.

The Behavioral Rehabilitation Center will only be able to handle about 400 animals during the two-year project, so it won’t take much burden off shelters in the immediate future. The hope is that researchers will develop new ways to treat fear, anxiety and shyness in dogs that have been abused, and those techniques can be shared on a broad scale with other facilities and groups doing similar work.

According to Collins, success with this project could expand future projects to include fighting dogs, and even cats.

Related:

Humane Society of the U.S. finally changes its policy on fighting dogs

Great Update About Dogs Removed From Michael Vick’s Compound

Technorati Tags: abused dogs,fighting dogs,fearful dogs,dogs with anxiety,Dr. Becker,ASPCA,Pet Behavioral Rehabilitation Centers,JOMP,Just One More Pet,rehabbing dogs

National Puppy Day is Tomorrow (Saturday 03.23.13) #Adopt Just One More!!

Things You Should Know Before Bringing Home Puppy
by Colleen Paige – National Puppy Day Founder

National Puppy Day is a day to celebrate the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. It’s also a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills, as well as further the mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores. While National Puppy Day supports responsible breeders, it does encourage prospective families to consider adoption as a first choice.

Choosing the Right Breed
When considering bringing a puppy into your home, make sure that you’ve researched the breed you’re adopting, taking into consideration their temperament, activity level, breed characteristics and other needs in relation to your home environment and family lifestyle. When adopting, make sure to ask if you can be alone in a more isolated area to interact with the puppy and observe his or her behavior. Also ask the shelter staff about the personality of the puppy you’re interested in, as they will have spent more time around the puppy to better gauge that.

Not Just a Dog
Never adopt a puppy as a gift for a child, as this turns the puppy into a novelty but rather explain to your children about the overpopulation of pets in shelters and let them know that the puppy is a new family member and needs to be treated with love, respect and patience, just like a new baby would need.

Child/Puppy Safety
If you have small children, really young, hyper puppies are not a good match because they can scratch and chew on sensitive fingers and hands. Never adopt a puppy that is less than at least 8-10 weeks old, preferably 12 weeks or older, as they have had more time to learn social cues from their littermates and mother, which helps a puppy behave better in the long term. Teach young children to never pull on a puppy’s ears or tail, as both are sensitive and could injure and scare the puppy, creating a bonding problem between child and puppy.

Finances
Keep in mind that your puppy won’t be a puppy forever. Visualize how much your puppy will grow and how much they’ll eat. Make sure you know ahead of time that you can afford to feed your puppy once full grown. Veterinary trips are always inevitable at some point and time, so keeping an emergency fund for your dog is a smart idea, so you don’t get caught with major vet bills you can’t afford to pay.

Grooming
If you have an aversion to pet hair floating around your home and brushing your puppy every day seems like an abominable task, you may want to consider adopting a breed that has little to no shedding.

Exercise
Puppies need exercise every day, preferably shorter walks more often, as young puppies tire easily, especially in heat. Make sure to read about the breed or breeds of a mixed breed puppy to better understand what your puppy needs in terms of physical activity.

Nutrition
Give your puppy a great start in life! Make sure you buy an all natural, preferably organic food that is void of corn, wheat, sugar, by products, chemicals and dyes.

Teething
When your puppy is teething, he will try to gnaw on anything he can find to relieve his discomfort. The best way to quell this is to take an old washcloth, cut it into strips and tie a few small knots it in it, sticking the strips in a Ziploc bag and putting in the freezer. Once frozen, hold a frozen strip and allow your puppy to chew on it, which will soothe and numb sensitive gums. Always hold it and never allow your puppy to chew on it unattended.

See more cute puppy photos like these and others at Just One More Pet: Why God Gave Us Puppies

Ooops… Are We In Trouble???

Technorati Tags: National Puppy Day,adopt just one more pet,adopt a pet,puppies,dogs,puppy,for the love of a pet,for the love of a dog,adopt a puppy,NO KILL NATION,stop unnecessary euthanization

St. Patrick’s Day Pup

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

May government pet shelters network & promote for St. Patrick’s Day

and every day… and not just kill using our tax money  #NoKill Nation!

Technorati Tags: St. Patrick’s Day,St. Patrick’s Day Pup,NO Kill Nation,holidays with pets,JOMP,Just One More Pet,pet fun

Doggie Survival Kits

NEVER LEAVE YOU DOG (PET) BEHIND!!!

With the uncertainty of possible economic and political upheaval within the United States as well as the possibility of both manmade and natural catastrophes or emergencies having a survival kit or bug out bag for each family member, including pets, is vital.  It should be super convenient and ready to grab and go in backpack form! This doggie kit described below is designed to provide your pet with all of the basic necessary items to survive if you are ever forced to evacuate. The option is to have one for each family member and someone carry the extra(s) for the pet(s), or to get a little larger bags and incorporate the pet gear into your bag(s).

The pet kit should contain the following:

Food and Water (temporary supply or regular snacks and food… be sure to rotate)

Package of Emergency Dog Food (with a 5 year shelf life)

1 – 3 Pack of Aqua Blox 10 (or other brand) Water Purification Tablets Light and Communication

12 Hour Emergency Bright Sticks Shelter and Warmth

1 – 16 Hour Hand Warmer

Mylar Emergency Blanket

Water/Food Feeding Bowl(s)

Extra Collar & Leash Set

Reflective Dog Vest Metal Stake with 15 ft.

Tie Down Leash

Can Opener

Dog Toys Nylon

Rope

50 Pet Waste Bags 

Pet first-aid and basic pet supplies kit and guide book (an organized overview sheet of health record(s) and any pertinent information tucked inside would also be good

Any special pet meds required by your pets (again please remember to rotate)

The above survival kit suggestions come from advice from experts in the emergency preparedness industry, plus guidelines given by government agencies and non-profit preparedness organizations.

*For small dogs, I would suggest also having a doggie/pet carry pack that can be worn in front,  so you can carry your small dog (pet) in dangerous of difficult situations or where there is a lot of traffic.

Related:

Is your pet prepared for disaster?

FEMA: Include Pets in Your Preparedness Plan

Make sure the pets are safe during storms

Hurricane Season’s Here: Six Steps to A Rescue Plan that Includes Pets

N.J. pets welcome at hurricane evacuation shelters

“The List” – What Can You Do to Prepare?

Personal Preparedness, The Leibowitz Society, Coming Collapse and how long things will last…

12 Months of Prepping, One Month at a Time

Pets Being Left Behind to Starve by Their Families

By AskMarion

Many or us have pets that have lives like the one above.

But far too many have sad, horrible and unthinkable lives.

First there is the group of crazies and sickos, the abusers, who abuse animals, children, their mates, the elderly and anyone who comes in contact with them.  That group, in my opinion, should never be allowed to own an animal and should receive punishment equal to the crime(s) they commit.  And offenses committed against animals should get the same punishment as like crimes against humans.  Abuse is abuse and abuses know now bounds or limits.  If you suspect abuse, please report it or intercede.  Better to be wrong than look the other way and find out you were right later.

And then we come to the less obvious abusers, equally cruel and growing in number!  They are the selfish, often young people, who think animals are toys and fashion accessories; the owners you give their pets up because they no longer fit their needs or into their lifestyle; and finally the worst who are those who leave their pets and animals behind to starve and die a cruel death… without food, water and in all alone. (In my perfect world the last group would left to die in the same manner that they left the helpless creatures that were in their charge… should have been part of their family.)  And many of these heartless people leave their family pets behind, rather than finding them a new home or least taking them to a rescue or shelter or calling animal control and allow their children to see (or realize) their parent’s cruelty.

We are all God’s creatures and you can bet that these people will pay later, but it is each or our responsibilities to help prevent these situations and report and abuse or potential abuse.

There are three types of people:  Those who love animals and take care of them until their natural passing as if they were part of their family, family members; those who like animals, treat them well but not like family members, but always to at least the right thing for the pets and animals in their charge; and then there are the abusers which include the ‘emotionally disabled’ who leave their pets and animals to die instead of finding them a new home or help.

Why not advertise or ask around for people to adopt your pet?  Why not take them to a shelter or a rescue?  Why not call Animal Control?  And worst of all why leave them tied up or locked in a house where the can’t leave or escape without food or water. (BTW that is illegal, inhumane and surely will guarantee you a spot in Hell!?!)

Please join the fight to prevent, stop and intercede in all types of cruelty and abuse and better yet if it is suspected and can be prevented in advance, sound the alert.

Related:

100+ Abandoned Dogs Left to Starve in the Everglades

Foreclosure Crisis Leads to More Homeless Pets to the Rescue!

Out of Style and Up For Adoption – Hundreds Of Miniature ‘Handbag Dogs’ Abandoned by Owners

Homeless Pets Strut Down 700 Fashion Catwalks

Homeless With Pets – Choosing Pets Over Shelter

A Social Entrepreneur Helps Homeless Dogs

Where there is a will…

Is Your Pet a Voiceless Victim of the Tanking Economy?

Humane Society list of pet financial aid-related organizations

The “ex”-Middle & Upper Class Homeless

A Patchwork of Food Assistance for Pets

American Humane: Help us continue to offer Foreclosure Pets Grants.

Pets feel the crunch of the economic crisis

California Shelters Overflowing with Chihuahuas

Judge Rules: NYC Must Create More Animal Shelters

Doomed Dogs Get On The Rescue Wagon to Other Shelters

Homeless California Chihuahuas Being Flown Out of State

 

 

Rachal Ray donated $500.000 to help animals affected by hurricane Sandy and 4 tons of Nutritious food for them.

North Dakota voters reject animal cruelty law

Voters struck down a law to make animal cruelty a felony

One of the weakest states for anti-cruelty laws is North Dakota, and unfortunately, it appears that it will stay that way for the time being.

Despite an effort to change the status quo in North Dakota, on Tuesday, voters defeated a measure which would have made animal cruelty a felony.

Specifically, the measure would have made it a class C felony “to maliciously and intentionally harm a living dog, cat or horse.”

According to Wednesday’s Associated Press, had the measure passed, individuals convicted of animal cruelty would have faced up to five years in prison and fines of $5,000.

Efforts to defeat the proposed law were headed up by two sizable farm groups in the state who claimed that the law was "poorly worded and vague."

Technorati Tags: animal cruelty laws,animal cruelty,Election 2012,2012 Election,North Dakota,JOMP,Just One More Pet,stop animal abuse

Cop blows away dog ‘for no good reason’… again – Why does this keep happening?

‘I can’t live in this town. What is wrong with you?’  I agree but have now lived in supposed pet/animal friendly Austin where the police has killed a least 4-dogs this past year in questionable situations… and it is happening in other areas.  Why are we putting up with it?

Time to demand that the penalty for the unwarranted killing or harming of pets (animals) by anyone become much tougher… MUCH!!

WND:

Scout the dog was shot and killed by police in St. Louis, Michigan

Residents in the small town of St. Louis, Mich., are in an uproar after a local police officer shot a dog on its own property on Sunday afternoon.

The 8-year-old golden retriever named Scout was owned by Brian and Hillary Goetzinger, who were inside their home when the incident took place.

“I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, and I was like, ‘What is going on?’” Brian Goetzinger told WNEM-TV. “So I stood up and looked out this window right here out of my house, and I see the St. Louis Police Department standing over my dog, and that’s all bloody, laying right here.”

According to a police report filed by Officer Matt Vanhall, the officer was on patrol in the neighborhood when the dog darted out in front of his cruiser.

“I had to hit the brakes very hard to avoid hitting the dog,” he said in the report.

Vanhall got out of his car and followed the dog to its own yard.

“I could see the dog standing in the yard of the residence about six feet in front of the open gate,” Vanhall said.

He approached the gate without entering and whistled to Scout, saying, “Come here pup,” and the dog “jumped off the deck and ran at me. I began backing away as fast as I could in a backward direction. I immediately noticed the dog was showing its teeth and I could hear the dog growling very loudly.”

According to the Morning Sun newspaper, Vanhall kicked at the dog a couple of times as the dog tried to bite his leg, he claimed in the report. He repeated the action and the dog continued to try to bite his leg.

“At this point the dog was within three feet of me and I was running a backwards circular motion so as not to turn my back on the dog,” he wrote. “At this time I pulled my service weapon and rapidly fired seven shots while backing away from the dog as quickly as I could.”

He says most of the shots missed, but he thought the canine had been shot in its hind legs and mouth, and thus was no longer a threat.

But a neighbor who witnessed the entire incident has a very different account of the shooting.

“It wasn’t provoked. It wasn’t warranted,” said Lori Lynne Walmsley. “He just started shooting him. He just kept shooting him in the head, and I saw it like six or eight times. And I just couldn’t believe it. I can’t live in this town. What is wrong with you?”

On Monday, Walmsley said she had seen the bullets enter the dog and became traumatized.

In her statement to police, she says before the shooting, Officer Vanhall had asked her if the dog was hers.

“And I said, “No, but it is my new friend.”

The dog then scampered back to his yard and got behind the gate.

The policeman, she wrote, “tried to force the dog out. The dog made a low, mild growl declaring his displeasure at being forced from his ‘safe’ haven (and at the same time assumed he needed to protect his property,)” she wrote.

“The dog never attacked the cop. He never jumped, tried to bite or threaten him, but the cop drew his gun as if in a panicked frenzy,” she wrote. “He shot the dog like it was ‘Cujo’ at least six or eight times.”

The dog was still alive after being shot, and despite being rushed to a veterinarian, it died of its injuries.

“I just couldn’t believe that, let alone the police were in my yard shooting anything, let alone my dog, who was sweet,” Goetzinger told WNEM. “He’s been our family pet for at least eight years. We’ve had him since he was a puppy. My daughter sleeps with him periodically, and he’s just the nicest dog. He’s never attacked anyone ever. So I just couldn’t understand why someone would shoot him.”

Police Chief Patrick Herblet told the station his officer was “absolutely” justified in shooting Scout.

“He felt threatened,” Herblet said. “The dog came at him. It growled. It showed its teeth. He backed away. He tried to kick it away a couple times and it kept at him. And he felt the only thing he could do was pull his service revolver, and he shot.”

The city of St. Louis has a leash law aimed at keeping dogs from running through the streets.

Police reports have been turned over to the local prosecutor.

“The matter is under review,” Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion told the Morning Sun. “I have the initial reports and the dog owner showed up at the office and said that there were inaccuracies in the report.”

Meanwhile, incensed citizens in the region are expressing their outrage online:

• Heather Morse: “He called the dog, then felt threatened when the dog came towards him? Why didn’t he go to the door first? What is wrong with this cop?”

• Kevin Blackhurst: “Time to cut this Barney Fife from the force and the chief who protects him.”

• Grace Rooks McCormick: “Hmmm maybe he could have called animal control, the big wus!”

• Sam Snyder: “This is appalling! If an officer came to my home, provoked our family pet and killed it, I would have attacked that pathetic excuse for a cop myself. Everyone should call their station at (989) 681-5285  or email the chief at pherblet@stlouismi.com and let them know that this kind of brutality will not be tolerated by public officials. This ‘officer’ needs to be held accountable for this crime.”

The 9/11 rescue dogs: Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero one decade on

MailOnline:

During the chaos of the 9/11 attacks, where almost 3,000 people died, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their brave owners scoured Ground Zero for survivors.

Now, ten years on, just 12 of these heroic canines survive, and they have been commemorated in a touching series of portraits entitled ‘Retrieved’.

The dogs worked tirelessly to search for anyone trapped alive in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers and members of the public.

Moxie, 13, from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrived with her handler, Mark Aliberti, at the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11 and searched the site for eight days

Tara, 16, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, arrived at the World Trade Center on the night of the 11th. The dog and her handler Lee Prentiss were there for eight days

Kaiser, 12, pictured at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, was deployed to the World Trade Center on September 11 and searched tirelessly for people in the rubble

Travelling across nine states in the U.S. from Texas to Maryland, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade on from 9/11.

Their stories have now been compiled in a book, called Retrieved, which is published on Friday, the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

Noted for her touching portraits of animals, especially dogs, Charlotte wanted ‘Retrieved’ to mark not only the anniversary of the September 2001 attacks, but also as recognition for some of the first responders and their dogs.

More…

• The Twins of the Twin Towers: Of the 3,000 killed on September 11, 46 were twins, ten years on the surviving siblings tell their haunting stories
• US issues worldwide travel alert ahead of 9/11 anniversary
• Happy 9/11 Remembrance  –  Mosque on FLT 93 burial grounds?

‘I felt this was a turning point, especially for the dogs, who although are not forgotten, are not as prominent as the human stories involved,’ explained Charlotte, who splits her time between New York and Amsterdam.

‘They speak to us as a different species and animals are greatly important for our sense of empathy and to put things into perspective.’

Bretagne and his owner Denise Corliss from Cypress, Texas, arrived at the site in New York on September 17, remaining there for ten days

Bretagne takes a break from work at the 9/11 site with his handler Denise

Guinness, 15, from Highland, California, started work at the site with Sheila McKee on the morning of September 13 and was deployed at the site for 11 days

Merlyn and his handler Matt Claussen were deployed to Ground Zero on September 24, working the night shift for five days

Most of the search and rescue dogs are Labradors or Golden Retrievers and Charlotte feels that the title works across many aspects of the story.

‘I found the dogs, I retrieved them, they were there to retrieve the victims, it is nicely rounded,’ explained Charlotte whose work is being exhibited at the Julie Saul Gallery NYC opening on September 8, in time for the anniversary.

After working on a project about police canines and other working dogs, she was inspired to concentrate on the animals that played such a huge part in seeking survivors.

Contacting the NYPD, the New York Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Charlotte discovered that out of the nearly 100 dogs among the first responders deployed by FEMA, there were in fact only 15 still alive last year.

Red, 11, from Annapolis, Maryland, went with Heather Roche to the Pentagon from September 16 until the 27 as part of the Bay Area Recovery Canines

Abigail, left, was deployed on the evening of September 17, searching for 10 days while Tuff arrived in New York at 11:00 pm on the day of attack to start working early the next day

Scout and another unknown dog lie among the rubble at Ground Zero, just two of nearly 100 search and rescue animals who helped to search for survivors

‘They were there for the first few weeks, they were trained to find people alive, although that is ultimately not what happened,’ said Charlotte, who will hold a fundraiser for the First Responder Alliance at Clic Bookstore in New York on September 29.

‘I traveled across the United States to meet with the owners and portray the dogs. They are all retired and I spent time with each of their handlers learning about their experiences.

‘It was moving talking to Denise Corliss, who is the handler and owner of Bretagne, one of the Golden Retrievers.

‘She told me a touching story of one fireman who was there in the rubble, and how taken he was with Bretagne who comforted him as he sat down to catch his breath.

Handler Julie Noyes and Hoke were deployed to the World Trade Center from their home in Denver on September 24 and searched for five days

Searching for survivors: The dogs worked around the clock in the vain hope of finding anyone still alive at the World Trade Center site

‘Years later at a Remembrance Ceremony, the same fireman recognized Bretagne and her handler and they had a touching reunion.

‘It developed that even though the dogs couldn’t find people still alive, they could provide comfort for the brave firemen and rescue workers of the emergency services.’

Wishing to tell the other side of heroism from 9/11, each of Charlotte’s encounters with dogs such as Gabriel and Orion and Scout stayed with her.

‘The dogs are now old and they will soon pass away. Even during the time it has taken since my first work on the ‘Retrieved’ portraits to now, three of the final 15 have died,’ said Charlotte.

‘These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs and their portraits are offering us a way to deal with the things that happened as well as relying on them for comfort.’

Related:

Military dogs euthanized as ‘equipment’ under cruel law

Technorati Tags: 9/11,9/11 Rescue Dogs,9/11 surviving 9/11 Rescue Dogs,remembering,JOMP,Just One More Pet,dogs,animal behavior,Man’s Best Friend,If Animals Could Talk,Service and Military Animals.

A Social Entrepreneur Helps Homeless Dogs

A restaurateur develops a line of clothing to help control the pet population

You can hear in Shane O’Neill’s voice how much he loves dogs when he talks about the eight he has owned–especially the 10-year-old American bulldog he has now, who has cancer. So he was bothered by a statistic about the massive numbers of pets euthanized each year: between 3 million and 4 million, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

O’Neill, a partner in the Saddle Ranch Chop House (an 18,000-square-foot restaurant complete with mechanical bulls) at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif., decided to use his entrepreneurial expertise to do something about it. In November, he launched Royal Bitch Couture, a clothing company based in Brentwood, Calif., to help homeless dogs by donating 50 percent of its profits to organizations around the country that spay and neuter animals.

Philanthropy was in O’Neill’s blood. He had helped expand his family’s Columbus, Ohio, market and catering company, Shane’s Gourmet Catering, which he says is one of the largest donors to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

Although he had never launched a clothing line, O’Neill envisioned creating a soft, casual collection of women’s clothing that was flattering and easy to wear. He worked with friends who are professional stylists to design the line of form-fitting cotton T-shirts, French loop terry hoodies, short shorts, low-rise sweat pants and casual dresses.

Number of independent animal shelters in the U.S.: About 5,000
Average number of litters a fertile dog produces: One per year
Average percentage of shelter animals that are spayed or neutered: 10

Each piece is manufactured in the United States (specifically, Los Angeles) and has a tag that reads, "Helping P.E.T.S," an acronym for "Prevent Euthanasia Through Spaying," to promote the cause.

According to O’Neill, two Brentwood boutiques snapped up the clothes within weeks, and there has been steady demand from other retailers who want to see the line. Royal Bitch also launched a website in December.

Those stylist friends who helped design the line have plans to get the clothing onto celebrity bodies–a great form of promo for any brand. Emma Baker, Miss California Teen 2010, did a photo shoot to promote the line last year.

Based on initial sales and his projections, O’Neill expects that he will donate nearly $50,000 to various shelters and spay and neuter organizations this year.

"That will depend on how well the line rolls out, but we’ve got everything in place and are working hard to make a difference," he says. "People are attracted to the clothing line and to the cause. It’s a great combination."

This article was originally published in the March 2011 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Going to the Dogs.

Man and Best Friend: Shane O’Neill and Tugnutt – Photo © Jeff Clark

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