Stray in Birmingham, Michigan Out of Time – PLEASE HELP!

We are trying to save the life of a young pit bull in Birmingham, MI. This wonderful dog was brought into a local Birmingham vet office as a stray and her time has run out. One of our volunteers was just contacted today to try and save her life. She is a young (6-12 month) red and white pit bull mix. She has a great temperament, wonderful with people and other dogs. They did not test her with cats. 

She is very friendly and happy and we hate to see her short life end because of human irresponsibility. Please ask all your fosters and contacts if they can provide assistance with finding a foster for her ASAP. 

Our volunteer is playing middle man for 2 vets that don’t want to see this dog euthanized but have no control over the owner/management of this vet office. They were given permission to seek a foster, a rescue or an adopter and our volunteer was contacted. 

Please let us know if you can help. Her time is limited. If you would like to meet her, please email Raegan at HomeFurever@gmail.com .

Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart

We’re excited that Home Fur-Ever has been chosen by our friends at Nestlé Purina and Kroger to participate in the 2011 “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” program.  The fourth-annual “Tales” campaign is a joint program between Nestlé Purina and Kroger stores to donate up to $175,000 to 20 participating animal welfare organizations across the country. 

The campaign encourages pet enthusiasts to share joyful tales, photos and videos of their pets.  In addition, we hope you will consider entering the campaign sweepstakes that kicks off in July.  Nestlé Purina and Kroger will donate $50,000 to one of the participating animal welfare organizations – it could be us! – in honor of one randomly selected person.  The winning person will also receive a year’s worth of groceries at Kroger and a year’s supply of Purina pet food.

Just for participating in this campaign, Home Fur-Ever will receive a $5,000 donation.  Also, for every pet tale submitted to the program website, www.TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com., Purina and Kroger will donate $1, up to $25,000, to be divided equally among the participating animal welfare organizations.  So Home Fur-Ever has an opportunity to receive an additional $1,250 if 25,000 stories are submitted.  We encourage you to log on to the website and enter your tale – you have an opportunity to support our organization and other worthy animal welfare groups around the country.

The “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” campaign runs through November 2011.  For more information, feel free to visit the program website, www.TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com, or Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TalesForThePetLoversHeart.  And thanks to our friends at Nestlé Purina and Kroger for including us in this program and supporting pet welfare.

A New National Initiative: The Shelter Pet Project

Have you ever adopted a new pet?  Where did you get your pet from; the pet store, a friend, a breeder, a newspaper ad?  Did you even consider adopting a rescued animal from an animal rescue or shelter?  Probably not, and you’re not alone.

Consumers tend to have the perception that animals who land with rescues or in shelters ‘have something wrong with them’, whether it be medical or behavioral issues.  In fact, however, such is not the case.  In fact, most animals ending up in such a situation are there because of a situation that has occurred in their owners life such as: divorce, a death in the family, bankruptcy, moving to a place that won’t allow pets, etc.  Some of these animals are surrendered to shelters, most are just abandoned to fend for themselves.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, of the 8 million pets that enter animal shelters and rescue groups every year, approximately 3 million of these healthy and treatable pets are euthanized due to a lack of adoption. While there has been steady progress on the issue (the number of animals put down was approximately 24 million in the 1970s), the continued euthanasia of our best friends and family members is a national tragedy. 

The euthanasia of pets by animal shelters and animal control agencies comes at an enormous moral and economic cost. Each year public and private agencies spend hundreds of millions of dollars on animal care.   Increasing the adoption rate from rescues and shelters would diminish labor, feeding, and physical infrastructure costs. 

Adopting a pet is a life-changing and enriching experience. When adopting a pet, people are obtaining companions that give them unconditional love, affection, and attention. Adopting a pet from a shelter not only saves an animal’s life, but is also good for our own well-being as research shows that owning a pet has many positive psychological and physical health benefits. The animals rescued from shelters know you’ve saved their lives, and they typically treat their rescuers with lifelong loyalty and affection. And, adopting from a rescue or shelter makes space so that another animal may be rescued in his/her place.

To help get this message out to the public at-large, the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund are joining with the Ad Council on a national multi-media public service campaign.  The goal of this effort is to increase shelter pet adoption by showing people that shelter pets are loving, well-adjusted animals who are homeless through no fault of their own.  HomeFurever is proud to endorse and promote this effort.  Click HERE to learn more about this wonderful initiative, and how you can help increase animal adoptions from rescues and shelters.

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!

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.

Help Us Help Animals with Your Vote!

We would appreciate your assistance with votes on the Animal Rescue Site.  Our organization has an opportunity to win some much needed money that will help us help more animals!

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.

The contest is sponsored by Petfinder.com and voting begins on 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.

We would very much appreciate your votes (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!

Click HERE to vote. 

Michael Vick – a Multitude of Opinions

For those who are angry about Michael Vick – whether you believe he’s paid his debt and are angry people won’t let it go, or you believe he can never pay his debt and are angry he is being given a second chance at a privileged life - we would like to refer you to a blog called ‘A Day in Our Life’.  While the writer of this blog is definitely of the opinion that Vick is unremorseful, she does attempt to provide a fair analysis of the situation in several blog posts, as well as the links that are made available to additional Michael Vick-related content.

We at HomeFur-ever certainly understand that this subject is controversial, and we abhore Michael Vick’s actions - AND we mourn the lives of the innocent animals he took.  However, we also feel it is important to understand that there are some people who – even though they may be animal lovers – may feel he has paid his debt to society.  Therefore, in our coverage of events such as this, we will always attempt to provide information from both sides of the story so our readers can decide for themselves where their opinion lies.

As always, to us, it’s about saving the lives of innocent animals and we just want to get the word out about that need – in every way possible.

The Sanctuary for Vick’s Animals

Since Michael Vick’s recent release many people on Twitter and FaceBook have been questioning what became of the animals that were taken from his facility.  Below is a report on the animal sanctuary that took in these abused animals and took on the challenge of rehabilitating them in order to enable them to be adopted and enjoy the loving lives they were meant to have.  The world needs more resources like this place.

 

Pet sanctuary offers animals a slice of heaven

By Marjorie Cortez

Deseret News, Published: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

ANGEL CANYON, Kane County — It caught me a little flat-footed. At the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary outside Kanab, the no-kill policy extends even to rattlesnakes. If they happen to slither into one of the improved areas of the 33,000-acre sanctuary, they’re captured live and relocated.

No kill, no exceptions.

For someone of my thoroughly Western sensibilities, it seemed a bit much.

It’s not that I’d go out of my way to kill a rattlesnake. But if it came between the snake and the safety of a loved one, I’d err on the side of safety.

But that’s the difference between my personal philosophy and that of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. All animal life is respected and nurtured there, whether a dog is disabled, a cat is ill with feline leukemia or a horse is too hurt to ever be ridden again. The sanctuary’s overarching goal is to find forever homes for the thousands of companion animals in its care. Three out of four animals are eventually adopted. The rest live out their lives at the sanctuary, which is home to thousands of cats, dogs, mules, horses, donkeys, potbelly pigs, birds and rabbits. When they pass on, there’s a lovely cemetery for their final rest.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I fully support animal rescue. Our dog came from the Companion Golden Retriever Rescue in West Jordan. He’s an important part of our family. He came to us about two months after our previous dog died. It was a good fit for all. He needed a home, and we needed to mend our hearts.

Tina, our tour guide at Best Friends, suggested that people who want to work with rescue animals volunteer in their own communities, or as many people do, arrange to volunteer with Best Friends during vacations.

Although the sanctuary is Kane County’s largest employer, Tina said, it would be impossible to provide the level of care and nurturing at the sanctuary without the army of volunteers who come from all over the world to lend a hand.

Words don’t adequately describe the scope of the place. Staff and volunteers are literally caring for hundreds of cats and dogs and other critters each day. Some animals have very damaged psyches, such as the 22 pit bulls that belonged to NFL player Michael Vick.

Vick, once the highest paid player in the NFL, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for financing a dogfighting ring. The dogs are probably the most asked about inhabitants of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

The pit bulls live a life far different than their previous existence. They’re loved, walked, played with and provided a safe, predictable routine. One of the dogs was adopted recently, Tina said.

The Vick dogs are an extreme example. But very few of the animals at the sanctuary end up there by accident. A tour of the place is an overwhelming reminder that too few people spay or neuter their animals and far too many people view animals as disposable commodities. Fortunately, places like Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and any number of small animal rescues in the country are backstops to the human indifference that results in there being so many homeless animals.

Our visit to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary made me grateful for the staff and volunteers’ dedication to animals that deserve a second chance. Since my family’s visit last week, I’ve done a lot of soul searching about how I feel about crossing paths with rattlesnakes. I’ve softened my stance, a little. I’ll give them a wide berth, if they’ll return the favor.

Marjorie Cortez, who learned at the sanctuary that many domestic birds can outlive their owners and thus people should carefully consider if they can make that sort of commitment, is a Deseret News editorial writer. E-mail her at marjorie@desnews.com

Dearborn Shelter Gets Legal Custody of Chihuahuas

Tanveer Ali / The Detroit News

Dearborn — All 112 living Chihuahuas found in a bungalow last week where authorities recovered 151 frozen dead dogs now belong to the Dearborn Animal Shelter, paving the way for adoption that could begin as early as next week, city officials said.

City spokeswoman Mary Laundroche said the sister of Kenneth Lang Jr., who lived alone in the home with the dogs on Orchard, signed paperwork ceding ownership of the Chihuahuas to the city. Laundroche said the animal shelter will screen nearly 200 adoption applications received since authorities entered the home July 22.

“The gentleman no longer has any control over any of the dogs,” Laundroche said.

Police are still conducting a criminal investigation that could result in animal cruelty-related charges for Lang. Lang’s lawyer, James Schmier, has said he doesn’t expect charges to be filed against his client because police are aware he suffers from mental illness.

Laundroche also said the sister, who has become Lang’s legal representative, also gave the city the right to dispose of all furniture, trash and electrical equipment that clean-up crews took from the home as they searched for living dogs.

After the home was rendered unlivable, the city is seeking to demolish the home, but the legal process will take time, Laundroche said. The sister also is in talks with demolition crews to take down the house.

In an interview with WJBK-TV (Channel 2) from a Macomb County facility, Lang said he kept the dogs out of love.

“I’m thinking that I may lose the home and maybe lose all my possessions,” Lang said.

___________________________________________________________

HomeFur-ever Animal Rescue is very pleased that the citizens of the Detroit community have shown such strong support to the Dearborn Animal Shelter and the rescued animals.  Like our organization, the staff and volunteers at the Dearborn facility work very hard every day to help animals in need and we’re certain they are grateful for the support.

We would also like to mention to those who have applied to adopt the rescued animals, if your application is not one of those selected to receive one of the rescued chihuahuas, we would encourage you to contact us at Home Fur-ever as we also have a large number of wonderful animals in need of a loving ‘forever’ home!  We can be reached via comments on this blog or via our email address at homefurever@comcast.net .  We would love to introduce you to the many loving and deserving animals we are currently caring for!