Why Adopt? Pet Adoption = Instant Friend for Life!

Ask anybody who has adopted a rescue pet, and they’ll swear their bond with their rescued pal is as deep as they come. When you open your heart and your home to a pet who needs help, they really do show their appreciation for the rest of their life! Dogs or cats who have been uprooted from their homes, or have had difficult beginnings are likely to bond completely and deeply with their new human caretakers, whom they regard as heroes. Pups and kitties who find themselves in the shelter or at a rescue because of a death or other tragedy in their former human family usually go through a mourning period. Once they are adopted, however, they usually want nothing more than to please their new hero—YOU! No matter what circumstances brought them to the rescue, most cats and dogs for adoption are exceptionally affectionate and attentive, and make extremely loyal companions.

Two National Fundraising Contests for Animal Rescues/Shelters

Two national pet-listing websites, Adopt-a-Pet and Petfinder, are sponsoring contests to help animal rescues and shelters across the country raise funds to help animals.  Each of these contests is won by votes from YOU for your favorite animal rescue or shelter.

The America’s Favorite Animal Shelter contest, sponsored by Care2 and Adopt-a-Pet.com, is a chance for animal lovers everywhere to raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter and rescue animals while helping their favorite shelter win a much-needed donation.  Their contest takes place from November 5 thru December 16, 2009.  The winning shelter/rescue gets $10,000, and a random shelter/rescue is selected weekly to win $500.

Click HERE to vote for HomeFur-ever in the Adopt-a-Pet contest .

The second contest, sponsored by Petfinder, is on the Animal Rescue Site.  If you will click on the link below and search for “home fur-ever” (you have to spell it that way) and vote for us, you will help our chances of winning a grant that’s part of $100,000 being awarded! You can vote once a day, but if you use Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera, that means you can vote 4 times a day – once on each browser.

If you would like a reminder to vote daily, the Rescue Site offers a free Daily Reminder email service that you can sign up for which also results in extra food donations to shelters if you are a new registrant on the site.  Sign up by clicking HERE.

Voting for this contest began September 14th and continues thru December 20th.  The following are the prizes that will be awarded:

Prizes will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge as specified in the rules.  

Grand Prize:  One $20,000 grant!

Second Prize:  One $5,000 grant!

Third Prize:  One $3,000 grant!

New! Most Touching Story*:  Two $2,000 grants! (judged by The Animal Rescue Site)

State Winners**:  Fifty-one $1,000 state grants (50 U.S. states and Washington DC)

Canadian Winners*:  Two $1,000 grants will be awarded

International Winner:  One $1,000 grant will be awarded.

Click HERE to vote in the Animal Rescue Site contest. 

We would very much appreciate your votes in both contests (daily if your schedule will allow), and would appreciate you informing all pet lovers you know to visit the site and vote as well; HomeFur-ever and all of our rescued animals can really use your help!

Why Should You Volunteer for an Animal Rescue?

Maybe these statistics will answer the question; are you aware that…

• 6 to 8 million lost and unwanted animals enter animal shelters nationwide annually?
• 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters every year, well over 250,000 per month?
• the leading cause of death of healthy dogs and cats is euthanasia?
• only 1 in 3 animals have a home that lasts their entire lifetime?
• only 20% of animals currently in homes were adopted from shelters?

If the statistics don’t convince you, how about this?

There are few things more rewarding than seeing a family brimming with excitement over their new pet, especially if it is an animal you have come to know and love, and it seems like the perfect match.

Or this?

There are so many situations where an animal is neglected or abused that you might think that this type of work would be depressing.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

When you see a starving, flea infested dog who is trapped in an abandoned building and you know that his life depends on you, the feeling can be overwhelming. But once you’ve rescued that animal, cleaned him up, insured he has medical attention and some food and then placed them in a foster home, you then experience a tremendous feeling of hope. 

Then when you see that dog a few weeks later after he’s been treated with love in that caring foster home and his coat is shiny and his tail is wagging, you are overcome with happiness and satisfaction that you’ve played a role in saving that animal’s life and dramatically improving his circumstances.  Your heart just wants to burst!

If these reasons aren’t enough, we encourage you to visit HomeFur-ever at one of our upcoming adoption events – because we’re certain the faces of the many animals currently in our care will absolutely convince you that volunteering for an animal rescue is one of the most important things you can do with your life!

Urgent Need for Foster Homes in Detroit Metro Area

It was bound to happen, it always does, Fall has arrived and with it the cold, rainy weather that is so dangerous for homeless animals.  And due to the economic conditions in the Detroit metro area, the numbers of homeless animals are increasing at a rapid pace – far more than we at HomeFur-ever or any other of the dozens of rescues and shelters in the SE Michigan area can accommodate with current resources.

In the case of HomeFur-ever, we are urgently in need of foster homes all over the Detroit metro area in which to place the animals we rescue.  In just the last two weeks we have put out emergency notices on Twitter and Facebook asking for foster homes to take in a half-dozen animals currently forced to live outside, most with little or no shelter.  Some of those wonderful animals include:  Bully, Chata, Negra, Cass, Reva, and Moe.  We are currently providing them with food, water, urgent medical care, and as much shelter as we can provide them outside – but we urgently need a safe foster home in which to put them!

We Rescued this Mom and Her Two-week-old Pups

And the story doesn’t end there.  Just this past week we were informed about several animals forced to live outside without shelter, food, or water.  This group included a Mom, 6 of her two-week old puppies, and several other animals.  Unfortunately, by the time we were made aware, several of the puppies had already died as a result of their living conditions.  Our volunteers were devastated!  However, the remaining animals needed our help so we rescued them and have started getting them the medical care, food, water, and shelter that they need.  They are currently in a temporary location and we are desparately searching for a long-term foster home where they can recover and stay until a permanent ‘furever’ home can be found for them.

As the weather continues to get colder, and more families are adversely affected by the state of Michigan’s economy, the number of homeless and abused animals will continue to grow.  That being the case, the need will also grow for more foster homes in which to place the animals that we rescue.  If you would like to help an animal-in-need, please contact us via our website.  We would love to talk to you about our many wonderful animals to determine which one might be most suitable for a foster placement in your home!

Emergency Assistance Needed to Save Sanford’s Life!

Poor Sanford, he’s had a tortuous life, and now he’s fighting for his life once again!

We rescued him after he appeared to have been hit by a car. He had two broken legs, one with a compound fracture.  Poor Sanford was in so much pain that he had chewed off his foot to try to alleviate the pain.  Unfortunately, that leg was damaged beyond repair and had to be amputated.   

You would think he had suffered enough and the story would end there, but such is not the luck of our poor Sanford.  Unfortunately, during his recovery he was frightened and managed to escape.  This led to him being missing for several weeks until a good samaritan finally found him hiding under a porch looking for scraps of food.  They saw his HomeFur-ever tag and we were able to get him back to complete his treatment and work toward giving him a much better life.

Unfortunately, due to a shortage of foster homes, Sanford had to live in a foster home that had a lot of other foster animals, including some who didn’t like him very much, so there were times when those animals weren’t very nice to him.  This has resulted in Sanford becoming very timid and fearful for a period of time.

Even with all of this, Sanford has been a trouper!  He adapted fairly well to the loss of the leg and learned to get around as needed, and he seems to have overcome his fear of other dogs.  Unfortunately, it appears that he has now suffered a spinal stroke or developed severe disc problems and is starting to lose his battle to gain a new life.

We at HomeFur-ever are devastated at all the adversity this sweet boy has had to suffer, and his current emergency situation, so we are urgently trying to raise the funds needed to get him the medical treatment needed to save his life and give him the quality of life that he deserves.  To that end, we are URGENTLY REQUESTING YOUR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.  We would be very grateful for any amount you can contribute toward his medical expenses.  Click HERE to go to our website where contributions may be conveniently made using PayPal.

THANK YOU to Those Who Have Provided Assistance After Our Recent Robbery

To those who have provided assistance after the recent theft of our equipment and supplies:

HomeFur-ever would like to extend our deepest gratitude to those who have provided us with equipment & supply donations, cash donations and offers to volunteer assistance during this time of extreme need. 

While a situation as we recently experienced with the theft of all of our equipment and supplies is never easy to deal with or to overcome (see news release and media coverage if you are unfamiliar with our recent situation), we are VERY proud to say that the assistance we have received from the Detroit community has helped us to continue the care of our animals, and has shown a very positive side of the Detroit metro area.  Additionally, we have received substantial support from outside the Detroit community as a result of our participation on Twitter and Facebook; and we would like our new friends to know how very appreciative we are of their well-wishes, assistance and support.  In times like these the support of your friends – new or old – gives you the strength to do what needs to be done in spite of the obstacles!

Though the gifts we’ve received, large and small, have been too numerous to list here individually, we hope that every group and individual who has offered that assistance to us will accept our sincere thanks on behalf of our group and the animals we care for.

As one might expect, the need continues as we have a long way to go to recover, and to replace what was taken from us and our animals.  However, we are very confident  that our friends and animal-lovers both inside and outside the Detroit community will help us to obtain everything we need to insure that our work helping animals can continue without interuption.

Thank you again one and all for your support of HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue!

Dog Flu Shots Now Available

Posted: Wednesday, 23 September 2009

(CBS)  While humans deal with the H1N1 virus, another flu virus has been spreading in the dog world. Resident veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner Bell shared the details about H3N8, otherwise known as canine influenza, with Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez on Wednesday. According to Bell, there is a new vaccine available, which Bell called “a good thing, because no dog has natural immunity to this very contagious virus.” In 2004, a mysterious virus raced through greyhounds at Florida racetracks almost as fast as they could run. It caused coughing, high fever, runny noses, and in many cases, life-threatening pneumonia, she explained. “It was disturbing because of the fact that so many dogs were sick and some were dying,” said Dr. Cynda Crawford, veterinarian at the University of Florida’s veterinary school. Within six months, this devastating disease had spread to 14 tracks in six states. A year later, in 2005, the virus was still spreading. But finally, some answers. Crawford identified the bug. “It is highly contagious,” Crawford explained. “Virtually all dogs exposed to this virus will become infected.” Today, this highly contagious virus has been noted in 30 states, affecting thousands of dogs in shelters, boarding kennels, and doggy day care facilities. The spread of the virus seems to have plateaued in many areas. However, four-to-five states are still seeing outbreaks: Florida, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and there is an outbreak currently in Virginia, Bell pointed out. “Is this anything like H1N1?” Rodriguez asked. “Well, it’s a type A, influenza, however it is not swine flu, as we like to call it the canine influenza, it’s not contagious to humans so far as we know,” Bell said. “There’s no evidence that it can be given to people or other species. “The mortality rate is about 5 percent. It’s very similar to the human H1N1 in that generally it’s mild, there’s cough, nasal discharge, sometimes with a secondary bacterial infection, many recover from it except for those who go on to pneumonia.” Dr. Debbie Wohl, a veterinarian who practices in Valley Stream, N.Y., shared her experience with Rodriguez and Bell and administered the vaccine to her dog named, Harley. “That is pretty much what we saw. Several years ago there was an outbreak in our area,” Wohl said. “We think it came from a dog who used to go to a doggie day care center in the city. And because it’s so contagious, quite a few dogs got ill from it. We saw a lot of dogs coughing, nasal discharge, fever, anywhere from mild to severe.” Although most of the dogs got over it in one or two weeks, some of the dogs did progress to pneumonia and in those cases they got very sick and one or two did pass away from it, Wohl explained. According to Bell, since this is a virus that spreads in communal areas, dogs that go to kennels, doggie day cares, or grooming parlors should be vaccinated. She also added that people that work with animals should vaccinate their own animals as well. The vaccine involves a series of two shots, with the second one following two to four weeks later. “This is called a lifestyle vaccine,” Bell said. “If you have a dog that’s at home, stays in your yard and never comes in contact with other dogs, probably doesn’t need this vaccine. But if you travel, go to kennels, this vaccine is for you.”

iPHONE PET FIRST AID APPLICATION

July 16, 2009

Introducing the pet first aid mobile application, your first stop for critically important pet information.

Your four-legged family members rely on you for their care, so be prepared 24/7 for a medical emergency. From cuts and impalement, to choking and CPR, Pet First Aid is at your fingertips with detailed articles, video, and illustrations to help you care for your dog or cat. Record your pet’s vital medical information to ensure their veterinarian is never more than a touch away, and your pet will never miss another vaccination.

Pet First Aid is loaded with detailed videos and step-by-step illustrations so you’ll know exactly what to do when caring for your pet. Videos include: restraint, muzzling, CPR, bandaging, and many more. All articles, videos, and illustrations are bundled with the application for offline or wilderness access. Featuring dozens of articles, including: bleeding, poisoning, drowning, recue breathing and CPR, muzzling, restraining, disaster preparedness, bites and stings, burns, and many more.

In addition, Pet First Aid allows you to save vital medical information for all your pets. Easily record their vaccinations, identifications, veterinarian contact info, medications, allergies & conditions, and any other notes for reference when visiting the veterinarian.  Learn more at http://jive.me/

All content developed by PetTech of Vacaville, experts in Pet First Aid and Pet Emergency Preparedness training.  Software development provided by Jive Media, makers of the #1 best-selling first aid application in the Apple App Store

HomeFur-ever Debuts New, Donated Website Early in Wake of Recent Robbery

We at HomeFur-ever are happy to announce the early debut of our new, donated website at www.HomeFurever.com.  In conjunction with our pro-bono marketing firm, Strategic Growth Concepts, and our pro-bono website consulting firm, Powerful Design, we decided to debut the new HomeFur-ever website on Friday, September 18th, several weeks early, as a result of the substantially increased interest in our group, its’ activities, and our animals available for adoption, because of the robbery we recently experienced.  

The site, already in development, was quickly finalized late last week in order to facilitate the ability of the community to learn about our efforts to save animals, and enable them to contribute toward that effort in a variety of ways. The goal of the website debut date change is to ease the public’s ability to donate resources (we need EVERYTHING from cash to crates to food to people!); we also hope to take advantage of the publicity generated by the theft.  Please click HERE to learn about all the great features on our new website!

We’re VERY excited about our new website and its many new functions, and we’re confident that having this site will enable us to help more animals thru increased participation of volunteers, foster homes and adoptive homes, as well as increases in donations of cash and supplies.  Please visit the site at www.HomeFurever.com if you have not already done so!

HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue Suffers Huge Loss from Robbery; Ability to Help Animals Currently Hindered!

You never think it can happen to you – unfortunately, HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue is proof that it can happen to anyone; even those who dedicate their lives to doing good works!  We were robbed!  Yes, you read that correctly.  HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue was victimized by thieves this week who stole our donated van and trailer and everything contained within.

On the postive side, they abandoned our vehicle and trailer after removing almost every single thing contained inside.  A city-contracted towing company retrieved it, and we were eventually notified by police that we could claim the vehicle.  We are hopeful that vehicle damages sustained in the theft will be covered by insurance – we sure could use that bit of luck!

Unfortunately, luck is not on our side when it comes to the contents of the vehicles.  All we were left with were a few small crates (unfortunately, most of our dogs are large).  So now we’re in a quandry – do we cancel our participation in Saturday’s adoption event because we have nothing with which to transport our animals safely, or do we appeal to the community to assist us short-term and then develop strategies to help us obtain donations to replace all our stolen items (which, by the way, was pretty much everything we own – we don’t have a building; that van and trailer serve as our permanent storage).

We’ve decided to appeal to the community for help and try to re-group as quickly as possible.  Our dogs need us to keep moving forward as quickly as we can!  They need new homes!  But in the meantime, they also need fed, medicated, groomed, etc.  So we’ve all jumped into action and all of our volunteers are making extra efforts to get the word out and help us get back on track.

We’re starting to see some results.  So far, we’ve had TV coverage on two stations in Detroit. Click HERE to view our coverage; we’ll keep adding to it if we obtain more so feel free to check back.   We also posted our News Release on Twitter and Facebook; it’s getting re-tweeted and shared ALOT, so we’re hoping that will start to generate some donation activity. (By the way, if you would like to join us on Twitter and Facebook, our sites are located at:  http://www.twitter.com/homefurever and http://profile.to/homefurever).  Our volunteer marketing firm, Strategic Growth Concepts, will also be placing information about our dilemma on LinkedIN.

We hope you’ll send good thoughts our way as we work to recover from this setback and keep moving forward to help our animals.  If you are motivated to make a contribution, you may do so by clicking HERE.

Police arrest suspect in Roseville cat-killing

Now even animals that are living indoors in what should be considered a safe environment with a family who loves them can’t be considered safe.  We were appalled when we read this account in The Detroit News of an event which recently happed in our Metro Detroit community.

While we know that another animal cannot replace the tragic loss of a beloved pet, we hope that the Ross family will consider a visit to a local animal rescue or shelter to adopt another animal who would love to become a member of their family.

And we sincerely hope this felon receives the maximum sentence possible!

___________________________________________________________

Thursday, September 17, 2009; Christine Ferretti / The Detroit News

Roseville — A man accused of killing a family cat by stuffing it into a washing machine was arrested Wednesday night, saying he did it because the pet “was bothering” him, police said.  Roseville Deputy Police Chief James Berlin said detectives tracked Ty-Shawn Eric Bost to a Highland Park apartment complex, where he was taken into custody without incident about 6 p.m.  Bost was transported to the Roseville Police Department, where he confessed, saying he killed the cat because “it was bothering me,” police said.

The 19-year-old is being held in the department jail pending an arraignment at 1 p.m. today on felony charges of second-degree home invasion and killing and torturing an animal. The offenses could land him in prison for up to 15 years. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office approved the charges Wednesday afternoon for Bost, whose last known address was near Six Mile and Gratiot on Detroit’s east side.

Bost is believed to have at least one prior arrest in Detroit, but police Wednesday declined to provide details about his record. Police said after he stole video games, cash and a laptop computer from Kimberly Ross’ home on Beaconsfield on Monday, Bost placed the kitten, Ruby, into a front-loading washing machine and turned it on, killing her.

Ross and her daughter, Lacey, 13, returned home just before 11 p.m. that night and heard a “clunking sound” coming from the washing machine. Ruby was found lifeless, spinning around inside.

Ross’ daughter Dayna was glad to hear police had a suspect Wednesday. “It wouldn’t matter to us if this person was 10 or 90; someone came into our house, violated our space and killed one of the members of our family,” said Dayna Ross, 20.  ”It’s just heartless.”

Berlin declined to reveal how police were able to link Bost to the crime, but said he did not know the family he allegedly victimized.

The Michigan Humane Society is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, and CrimeStoppers is offering $1,000.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Roseville Police Department at (586) 775-2100 or call (800) 773-2587.