Pets – Companion Animals Companion Animals? What a term! Companion animals! Who knows when the first man, alone and struggling for survival, found a committed survival partner in a lone wolf? A mutually beneficial arrangement, to be sure. At what point did man see this partnership as more than mere symbiosis? When did we recognize the value of synergy and how it applies to our companion animals? Historically, companion animals worked with us to hunt food. Some species more than others, added to man’s defense resources, shared warmth in the cold nights, and showed concern for man as if he were one of their pack members. The term, three dog night, for example, is understood to mean a night so cold that you sleep with at least three dogs for warmth. While most humans today have no worries regarding exposure to the elements, hunger, or personal danger, we cling to the descendants of the wolf. Or the Middle Eastern Wildcat. Or the Siberian polecat. Medical studies have shown us for many years that the presence in our lives of companion animals – furred, feathered, or scaled family members – encourages better physical and emotional health for their humans. Companion animals have stood by man for centuries. It’s time to give back. It’s time to defend and support them as they have us. Temporary Foster Opportunities Our mission is to give military member’s peace of mind concerning their pets when it’s time to deploy by providing them with the ability to find people willing to help them. Dogs on Deployment is a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing a central database for military members to find families and individuals who are willing to board their pets while they are deployed. No pet should ever be surrendered due to a military commitment. DoD exists to help military members keep their pets by alleviating the need for pet relinquishment from military members due to the hardships of deployments. Our goals are as follows: DoD aims at having DoD Boarders located near all major military bases in the United States. A military member should be able to find a DoD Boarder located within 50 miles, no matter what base they are stationed at or deploying from. DoD will become a first resource for military members to turn to when they need long term boarding for their pets. This includes, but is not limited to, being recommended by military assistance organizations, base family support centers and animal shelters impacted by relinquished pets. DoD plans to increase the rights and education that pet owners have while serving active duty in the military. This includes bringing light to the problem of pet relinquishment by military members to higher levels of the chain of command, and petitioning for annual, military-wide pet responsibility training. We want pets to be considered part of the family by military regulations, not disposable objects. DoD will help promote the military-pet community by providing a database of partnered pet related businesses which support their troops through discount and incentive programs. Users will be able to search for local businesses which will provide them with afforable options for pet care. DoD wants to help qualified military members with the cost of pet care before and during deployments in order to promote responsible pet-ownership, providing financial assistance to get military pets spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and help with cost of pet care. This is known as our Pet Chit Program. Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) Misconceptions regarding specific breeds of companion animals have fostered the proliferation of breed specific legislation (BSL) that costs taxpayers dollars while it supports cruelty and breaks hearts for no good reason. Just as racists are not born, they are made – so it is with companion animals forced to fight for life. If it’s possible to understand that a human who is starved and abused throughout his life can become an aggressive, hostile person, why is it difficult to see the same for other animals? The most gut-wrenching aspect of animals abused in this manner is that when they are rescued and rehabilitated (shown that their nightmare has ended and they are safe), they tend to display nothing but gratitude. In comparison, humans are not so quick to forgive. It’s ironic that the breeds of dog so often abused in this manner are those that have worked closest by man’s side throughout history. Bull dogs of all varieties have commonly been working farm dogs known for their gentle nature and love for man. Groups organized against BSL as well as specific rescue and rehabilitation groups work hard every day to undo the harm caused by man. Volunteers are needed! Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation Mission Statement: To protect and preserve the lives of canines everywhere, specifically by vowing to eliminate Breed Specific Legislation from all parts of the world. The Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation was founded in October of 2008. It first began when director, Dahlia Canes and former Director, Edel Miedes partnered together to help stop the mistreatment of animals in the city of Miami. Their goal was to stop all breed discrimination and eventually overturn the Breed Specific Legislation ordinance in Miami Dade County. They were later introduced to a group of professional individuals who shared their same beliefs and passion. Among them are the MCABSL Board Members: Jesus Rivero, Veronica Trollerud, Mitcho Wayne Doane, Jessie Hernandez, Jeri Smith, Stephanie Sarkissian and Maria Mederos. Each has contributed to the very core of this organization and its progress. Together they are involved in changing the public perception of the many innocent dogs that are euthanized every day solely because of their breed. They are currently undergoing a long legal battle to repeal Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in the city of Miami, Florida. This unjust ordinance prevents Miami Dade residents from owning American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The law was first introduced in 1989 and has never been challenged until now. Many lives have been lost and are being affected daily as a direct result of BSL. We are dedicated to ending the suffering of the thousands of voiceless canines who are taken from their families and sentenced to death because of their breed. Through the implementation of education, awareness and responsible ownership, we hope to show the public the true nature of these loyal and loving animals. They deserve a chance at life and we intend to fight for their freedom. Take a stand against discrimination and help us save lives by supporting our cause. Remember that with a little love and dedication, anything is possible! Species specific legislation Yes, you read that right! When laws making it illegal to own certain pets in a city or state are shown to run contrary to science and facts, it’s time to get involved! When it comes to the [unlikely, for responsible pet owners] possibility of a pet biting a person, that potential exists for all animals (even some human children!) to include dogs, cats, birds, ferrets…and who knows, maybe even fish! Legalize Ferrets This organization was started in 2005 because we saw a lack of progress in the effort to legalize ferrets in California. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a ferret amnesty bill in September 2004 saying an Environmental Impact Report was needed before he would consider legalizing domestic ferrets. All this despite that California was the only state (besides Hawaii) to prohibit ferret ownership, that there was no documentation that ferrets caused any environmental harm and had no effects on agriculture and minimal concerns for public health (yes, occasionally a ferret bites someone.) We formed with an idea of doing a ballot initiative to legalize ferrets. The idea quickly hit reality when research conducted for us by Field Research in 2005 showed only 38% of the voters would support us. Obviously we don’t have the resources to turn around that kind of disadvantage. Then it dawned on us – let’s do the Environmental Impact Report. It wasn’t easy to find a wildlife biologist who would take on the task, but we managed to hire Dr. Geo Graening at Sacramento State University. The cost was significantly less than we anticipated because so much of the standard EIR does not apply. No other species has ever required an EIR to be legalized; we had no way of knowing. But it turns out, ferret legalization isn’t rocket science! During this journey our numbers have continued to grow. Our free, weekly email newsletter called CLIFFNotes (California Legalization Initiative For Ferrets) now goes out to nearly 6,000 people. Our presence on Facebook now has 1500 friends. If you are interested in ferrets in California – consider joining us. Together we’ve been able to accomplish so much and we hope the day we can take our ferrets outside without fear is close at hand. ARME (Animal Rescue Media Education) ARME’s mission is to eliminate the suffering of all animals. This goal is achieved by rescuing unwanted and homeless animals and by educating the public of the vast extent of the suffering animals endure in our society. Through its actions and words, ARME advances the freedom of all animals. ARME’s EIN IS: 55-0882647 ARME is a 501(c)(3) organization which relies on the kindness and consideration of the public’s donations. Don’t shop; Adopt. Be Golden. ARME link to rescues ready for adoption. Here is a beautiful video – beagles who had never seen the sun, touched the grass. Lived their entire lives in small metal cages for experimentation. Before products came into our homes, they were tested on these dogs. Watch their first experience of life right after rescue.
