Category: International Dog News

COVID-19 brought the world to its feet and changed lives forever. Animals and many rescue groups that help them were hard hit like Dogs and Cats of Antigua (DACOA), a non-profit group that rehomes rescue dogs overseas to places like the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.

Antigua’s closed borders meant no flights or passengers to transport their dogs overseas, and the rescue group was left with dogs and puppies anxiously waiting to get to their adoptive homes.

The group looked on in awe as rescue organizations on other islands chartered private planes costing approximately $35,000USD and upwards. However, for DACOA, the cost was prohibitive.

Then help came in an unexpected form. Giovanna Pari, a regular visitor to Antigua, a member of Dogs and Cats of Antigua, and an Antiguan dog owner reached out to DACOA. Inspired by the need, she spear-headed the Antiguan Puppy Airlift– Freedom Flight initiative with a personal donation of $5,000CC and started a GoFundMe for the group.

Shortly after, two more Canadian donors and an Antiguan resident made generous pledges to help. The balance of the money came from adopters, rescue groups, fosters, GoFundMe donations, and DACOA. DACOA spokesperson Brittany Barnes, said,

“This is epic and we are thrilled! It is the first time Antigua has engaged in such a massive undertaking for dogs”.

Fifty-eight dogs and puppies flew to Toronto in a chartered cargo jet from the Signature Air Strip this past Thursday, September 3. The dogs arrived in Toronto and were greeted by screams of delight as soon as the cargo door opened.

Some adopters had driven up to 17 hours to YYZ airport to pick up their new furry family members. One of the Canadian organizers said, “We are genuinely impressed with these dogs’ health, and so was the CFIA vet!” Stories of the joyful reunions have been pouring in and

these Antiguan rescues are now Canada’s highly desired family pets. Each pet receives numerous applications for adoption and every applicant is thoroughly vetted and screened. Dogs and Cats of Antigua (DACOA) is a foster-based non-profit, registered and operating in St. John’s. Their rescues are fostered, vetted, and then transported to the United States, Canada, and Great Britain to be rehomed.

Every election, millions are spent polling Americans to predict the future president but there’s one sure way that’s far less expensive and perhaps more accurate.

Just look at who man’s best friend is supporting during election time.

“We’ve been manufacturing popular dog election T-shirts and other gear since 2008 and we’ve been able to accurately predict the next President every time,” said Mirage Pet Products owner Stephanie Davis.

Owners can get their pooches ready for the political season with doggy ties, toys, T-shirts, bandanas, harnesses, collars, and even dresses supporting either Biden, Trump, the Democrats, or the Republican party. All political dog products are made in the U.S.

Mirage Pet Products manufactures about 100,000 original products such as dog and cat collars, pet apparel, leashes, toys and all sorts of fun stuff for pets. They sell to stores on every continent except Antarctica.

The family-owned American business has been operating for six generations.

“My great-great-grandparents all the way to my kids have worked here. My grandparents started working here as teenagers when it was a belt manufacturing facility. One day a customer came in and asked if they could put crystals in a dog collar like they did for belts,” said Davis.

When the original owner retired, her grandparents bought the company. Ever since, the company has been growing and she attributes the success to her loyal employees and customers.

“We treat our staff well. That’s a lesson that I learned from my grandparents. It makes a huge difference in the success or failure of a business. We are as flexible as we can be. We pay them as much as we can. For both our employees and customers, we listen and value their feedback in how the company runs. Most of our best ideas have come from our customers and staff.

“We enjoy what we do. Most of our revenue comes from small independent businesses. Our core base is the mom and pop shops – we love working with them. It’s rewarding to work with a family to put food on the table and make dreams happen,” said Davis.

Her business has been affected just like any other business during the pandemic except with a double whammy. They were also recovering from a devastating fire last year when the pandemic hit. So, they really understand the hardships that their partners are going through.

“We’ve got several different projects in the works to try and help pet stores that are re-opening. A lot of times customers will call saying here’s our situation and we’ll do our best to help them,” said Davis.

Davies believes her company has a leg up on the competition because they’re small and able to change quickly to customer needs. Being the manufacturer as opposed to a middle-man, allows them to change quickly if someone needs something different or if things need to be improved.

During these COVID times, a lot of animal charities, pet rescue and animal shelter organizations have lost important funding opportunities. Dinners and live events that were so crucial are not happening because of pandemic gathering restrictions.

Like casting a pebble into a pond, every single World Animal Day event causes a ripple effect leading to many more events being held the following year.

And this year is no exception! News of World Animal Day and its mission to raise the status of animals continues to spread and reach an ever increasing number of people in all corners of the world.

Trending on social media in 25 countries and online media articles highlighting this special day, all helped raise awareness of animal welfare issues.

Celebrities such as Rohit Sharma, Ricky Gervais, Dia Mirza, Eesha Rebba, Carolina Marin, Diana Penty, Kristin Davis, Cesar Milan, Jane Goodall, Simon Cowell, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Evanna Lynch, Michael Monroe, and Bill Bailey, to name but a few, came out in force to speak up for animals.  Countless animal-related organisations and publications also helped tremendously to direct traffic to World Animal Day.

www.worldanimalday.org.uk/events is proud to showcase some of the hundreds of inspiring events that took place this year to celebrate this special day.  Here is just a snapshot so please visit the website for more:    

Every year events are held to plant seeds of compassion in the hearts of the younger generation as they are our main hope for a brighter future for the animals.

Here are just a few – In Lithuania, a class discussion was held aimed at highlighting how important it is to be a responsible animal carer. In Ivory Coast, MAEP organised a children’s drawing contest to raise awareness of the many animal welfare issues in Africa.

In Serbia a childrens art competition, concert, and awards to recognise the contribution of individuals to improving animal welfare. In Spain, three days were dedicated to celebrating animals with a whole host of fun-filled educational activities for school children.

In South Africa, Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary shared a fun day of educational activities with 50 children. In Turkey, school children had great fun making houses for stray cats in their neighbourhood.

In India, the JBF Society held two, free anti-rabies vaccination and pet health check clinics.

In the UK a whole host of events took place including events in schools, a family fun day residents of Southampton were invited to participate in an event to raise awareness of animal issues through a series of fun and educational activities for all the family. A vigil was held at Huntingdon Life Sciences to remember the animals that have suffered behind the closed doors of this testing laboratory.

Every year in Cochabamba, Bolivia, a wonderful mass is held, to which pets are invited, to remind people of their obligation to care for the country’s animals.

In Sri Lanka, the Otara Foundation chose to focus on animals that are robbed from their natural habitat and deprived of freedom for man’s commercial benefit. In the USA, ‘Roar for Tony the Tiger’ has become an annual event. Tony has lived all of his seventeen years as a roadside attraction in Louisiana.

In Egypt, 120 VIPs attended a conference at the Greater Cairo Library with well-respected guests speaking up for the country’s animals.

In Liberia a massive celebration was held bringing together over 2,000 children, animal carers, stakeholders and community leaders to raise awareness about the plight of the country’s animals.

In Syria, the Ministry of Education has agreed add images of different Syrian wild animals to the front of biology text books with information about them on the back page.

In The Gambia a march was organised and attended by government departments, stakeholders, animal welfare oranisations and students. It was followed by speeches and plays by children which demonstrated a real understanding of local animal welfare issues.

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, an online campaign was held focusing upon why it’s important to be a responsible pet guardian.

In Kurdistan, Iraq, KOARP, winners of the 2016 World Animal Day Grant, will be following up training carried out earlier this year, holding a seminar, and gaining media attention for animals.

Many cities hold marches to draw attention to animal welfare issues.  One such march was held in Medellín, Colombia, calling for the government to ban bullfighting in the country.

Every year, countless radio and TV interviews are conducted on and around World Animal Day which help to raise awareness on a massive scale.

A street campaign organised in Pelembang, Sumatra, Indonesia, caught the attention of a nationwide radio show resulting in the organisers being invited to participate in an hour long interview. In Malawi, All Creatures CEO and World Animal Day Ambassador appeared on national TV to discuss animal health issues and highlight the objectives of World Animal Day. In the US, World Animal Day featured in a television talk show, A close-up look at animal welfare issues.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina activists launched an appeal to government imploring them to honour the fur farming ban that is due to come into force in January 2018. Forty-six World Animal Day Ambassadors have expressed their support for this action. The country’s children say no to fur farming.

What you have read here is a tiny snapshot of what happened around the world to draw attention to animals in honour of World Animal Day on October 4.

This powerful movement, that grows each year, is helping to make the world a better place for animals – a world where they are always recognised as sentient beings and full regard is always paid to their welfare.

We encourage everyone who reads this to Get Involved next year and help raise the status of animals.

An interesting item in The Huffington Post from Stephen Wells, who asks why are police in the USA killing so many family dogs?

The author raises a concern about an issue that has seen an increasing number of reports of average, every day family dogs being shot and killed on what is becoming an alarming scale.

He says:

"It’s uniquely terrifying to feel unsafe in your own home. That fear is on the rise for those who share their lives with a dog, as the trend of dogs being shot and killed at home persists. Each year over 10,000 companion dogs are killed by police officers, according to the Department of Justice. It’s a staggering figure. Not only are thousands of family dogs killed needlessly, often while their loving guardians look on powerless, our officers are walking into situations they are not prepared for. It’s a lose-lose situation. These are preventable tragedies, but we have to mobilize now to put the solutions in place before another 10,000 animals are killed."

But why are they doing it and what can be done to bring down this worrying trend?

Read his piece here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-wells/a-national-epidemic-is-th_b_12123618.html

He may be a newly minted, fresh-faced veterinarian at an animal hospital that serves the tiniest of towns, but that veterinarian has a voice, and a duty, that can impact the profession, says Dr. Melissa Bain. “As veterinarians, each of us can affect the welfare of our pets, by incorporating behavioural techniques in our practices, and, in turn, helping owners to provide the best care at home.”

With the importance of animal behaviour growing in private practice, Dr. Bain’s presentation, “Welfare…It’s Not Just for Animals” was a highlight at the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention August 5-9 in San Antonio. Winner of the 2016 Leo Bustad Award in recognition of her work in animal behaviour and the human-animal bond, Dr. Bain is an Associate Professor of Clinical Animal behaviour and Director of Professional Student Clinical Education at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“It may be difficult to find a specialist in animal behaviour, someone who understands behaviour modification, medication, training issues and phobias, for instance,” she said. “There aren’t many experts available in this field. However, local veterinarians should be trained to communicate with pet owners to uncover any negative issues that might be occurring and to provide some go-to resources to resolve common issues when he or she cannot refer.”

Veterinarians must be proactive and ask about potential situations like house soiling or vocalization because the client may not think or forget to inquire about such behaviours. And the longer the behaviours go unattended, the more difficult they are to resolve. Providing a list of qualified trainers in the nearby area can be an indispensible resource to owners.

Creating proactive veterinarians is a major focus of Dr. Bain’s position at UC Davis. She is devoted to equipping her veterinary students with knowledge beyond the books, to pushing them to address current or potential behavioural dilemmas and spending time up front with owners and asking the right questions—as well as providing the right answers, or at least some alternatives.

“We need to take a holistic approach in many situations,” she explained. “We can’t say ‘Here’s your dog. Surgery went well…have a great day!’” Veterinarians can inform an owner that their pet needs to spend six weeks in post-operative cage rest, Dr. Bain said, but that advice may be difficult to follow.

“Veterinarians have to compromise and understand the ideal vs. the reality in most, if not all, situations. We understand that owners have to take a pet out of the cage for bathroom visits, or to enjoy some lap time. We just need to tell them specifically how to do these things safely. . . to educate and guide them.” Suggestions like proper handling, relocating the cage or even sleeping nearby on the floor can go a long way in producing happy people, content pets and shorter recovery times, she said.

If it were up to her, Dr. Bain would like to see crate training become part of virtually every puppy’s protocol. As for their part, veterinarians as a profession should be incorporating training tips and confinement guidelines into their initial pet visit discussions. “Crate training ahead of time will dramatically improve a dog’s ability to cope with post-surgical confinement,” she said. “If a dog is used to being crated, it will be easier and less stressful on him to be confined for any reason in the future. The owner will have additional peace of mind as well.”

While it is impossible to remove the stress completely from an office visit or a surgical procedure, a veterinarian can do a much to reduce the amount of stress a pet experiences at the clinic. When it comes to stress levels, pets are much like their owners. “Our alarm may not go off, we miss our morning coffee, and we’re late for work,” explained Dr. Bain. “As we encounter just one more negative thing, our stress now goes from a Level Five to a Level Six. We feel as though we’re just done.”

To keep anxiety at bay, veterinary staff can create a low-stress atmosphere. Lights can be lowered in the examination rooms or soothing music can be played in the office. “We need to empower veterinarians to do these little things, because these simple things do make a difference,” said Dr. Bain. “Instead of an upset animal’s stress level skyrocketing, it may only go from a ‘one to a two’.”

“A human’s interaction with a pet is a very important way in which an animal’s life is enriched,” said Dr. Bain. “Some pets prefer to just be petted and handled instead of playing, especially as their physical ability to do so is decreased due to an illness or surgery or just to the natural aging process.”

When it comes to animal behaviour, there are vital techniques that can make a difference in a pet’s life. All can be taught by a skilled veterinarian and their staff. “Without a doubt, we need to focus on animal welfare and pet behaviour in our practices,” said Dr. Bain. “We just have to remember to seek out and share our knowledge with owners and say, ‘here’s what you need to do…and here’s how you do it.’”

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 88,000 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine.

Katharine Lemansky thought it would be a good idea to tape her dog’s mouth shut and post the evidence to Facebook. She has now been charged with cruelty.

The 45-year old will be allowed to keep her chocolate Labrador cross, called Brown, until she appears in court.

"Taping the dog’s muzzle shut was a terrible decision on Ms Lemansky’s part," said Cary, North Carolina police captain Randall Rhyne.

"At the same time, it’s important to also note that our animal control officers who physically examined both Brown and her littermate found the dogs to be very well cared for, which is why we did not and could not remove them from the owner."

Social media users who saw the photo of Brown spread their concern quickly.

The photo was captioned, "This is what happens when you don’t shut up!!!"

According to officials, police officers in South Daytona in Florida tracked Ms Lemansky to North Carolina, where she admitted taping up the dog’s mouth.

She faces a fine and up to 150 days in jail over the charge – called a misdemeanour in America.