(US) Protesters gather outside pet store

Representatives from several local animal groups carried pickets Saturday in front of Pet Warehouse on Independence Avenue. Passersby honked and gave the protesters thumbs-up signs as the group carried placards reading "Boycott Pet Warehouse" and "Pet Warehouse's 'Private Breeders' = Puppy Mills" Organizer Cheri Crane, of Republic, said the protesters were opposing the sale of puppies that have been purchased from large breeding facilities. "A reputable breeder would never sell puppies in a pet store as they would want to know the type of home they were placing their puppies in and make sure the new owners had sufficient information about the breed," said Crane. "We ask that Pet Warehouse stop the sale of puppies and instead work with breed rescue groups and shelters to help end the homeless pet overpopulation problem in our area." Bill Lingenfelser, manager of the store, would not comment for the media gathered at the site, but he released a statement that read in part: "Pet Warehouse promotes responsible pet ownership. We provide necessary nutrition, attention and care to our pets and ensure proper veterinary care as needed." While not directly addressing the protesters' claims that it purchases some of its animals from "puppy mills," the company's statement stressed that "Pet Warehouse complies fully with all USDA regulations regarding animal care." Story here

Help! I have a stray cat family...

Hello Petrescue, About 5 months ago a thin mother and two thin kittens (about 6 weeks old) turned up on our door step. We live near bushland. We fed them for a couple of months every day. We have done everything as you suggested on your web page and have desexed the mother (who is social and house trained) but the kittens are very timid to the point we had to trap them in order to have them desexed. They are both female. The kittens are now living in our house while recovering and are fit and well. We have never been able to handle them apart from when they were in a cage (after the op). The problem we are now faced with is even though we want to keep them all the mother has rejected them and goes her own way and only here for meals. The kittens are less frightened of us but still we find it impossible to get close enough to touch them. They miss there mum a lot (even though they are about 6 months old) and when they see her she snarls and they cry. We very much want to keep them but we only see two options. Keep them in doors hoping they will become more domestic and less frightened or let them go and see what happens. Any ideas...? Jill & Will --------------------- Hi Jill, Thanks so much for your email! And good on you for helping out this cat family - you have done brilliantly to have taken such special care of them and to ensure that they don't breed further. Obviously without meeting your guys it's hard to say how to best proceed, but I have been able to find some pretty interesting info on caring for and living with semi-ferals. Taming feral cats Semi-feral kittens Taming ferals (.pdf) There is also a really good cat forum where many cat rescuers hang out here: Cat World Forums I would also suggest you visit your local cat haven to ask them for any trick and tips they have on keeping your guys happy and healthy. Good luck and please keep in touch - we'd be really interested to hear how you go. Cheers, :)shel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear PetRescue, I have a growing number of stray cats and kittens living on and around my property. Some of them are just tame enough to be patted,others are more timid. I have managed to take a total of 11 cats and kittens to my local vet who desexes and rehomes them, but they can't take any more. Can you help me at all? Thanks, Claire --------------------- Hi Claire, I'm going to refer you to a list of links as per a conversation I had with another concerned cat lover (see links above) - I hope they help you with the fantastic work you are doing, taking care of these cats. Also of interest might be our guide to rehoming pets and our information library article on what to do if you find a stray cat While it's never easy taking care of these guys, kudos to you for helping them out! Keep up the great work and please contact me if we can help further, Cheers, :)shel

The happy tail of Tara...

Sent to PetRescue.... We had been planning to get a pet dog for quite some time and were both adamant about wanting to rescue rather than buy! The minute we saw the photo of a Black Lab X on PetRescue, we were on a mission to make her ours! The hardest part was going to collect her and seeing the anticipating faces of so many other ‘lost’ dogs wanting us to take them home!
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Tara's "pound shot" The second hardest was giving her a name – we had so many that suited her! Rescuing Tara was the best move we made. She has settled in so well and it’s just the best feeling to come home to her happy face and wagging tail! To know that we have saved her from what ever horrors may have lied ahead makes her even more special – we’ve rescued a gorgeous dog and given her a good home. She gives us another interest to share together – we love walking her and have had fun choosing toys to keep her entertained and food to keep her happy and healthy.
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A much happier Tara smiles from her new digs... I encourage anyone looking for a dog to consider rescuing one. It’s definitely worth it and certainly worth doing a bit of research and keeping your eye on websites like petrescue.com.au. You’re sure to find a gem… we have. Cheers, Kristine

(US) Neighborhood Cats E-Newsletter

There's a lot of exciting events, resources and developments in the feral cat field to report, so here goes: 1. National Feral Cat Summit 2007 to be held November 10 in Orlando, Florida The only national conference devoted exclusively to feral cats will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Orange County Convention Center . Speakers from successful feral cat programs from around the country will offer talks and workshops on a host of topics, including the latest research on TNR, how to form coalitions for feral cats, disaster preparation for colonies, working with wildlife groups, funding for TNR, building community-wide TNR programs, conducting large-scale spay/neuter clinics, advanced colony care and much more! Tickets are only $50 and low cost hotel rates are still available. For the full program and registration info, go to: http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/special/nfc_summit_2007.htm In addition, this year we'll be offering a special Continuing Education program for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, instructed by one of the leading feral cat academic veterinarians, Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, of the University of Florida. Classroom instruction will take place the afternoon of Nov. 10 and then live participation in a mass spay/neuter clinic for ferals is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 11, at the University of Florida, Gainesville campus (free transportation is provided). See the program for full details. 2. Guide on "Implementing a Community Trap-Neuter-Return Program" now available Published by The Humane Society of the US and authored by Bryan Kortis, executive director of Neighborhood Cats, "Implementing a Community Trap-Neuter-Return Program" is the first comprehensive guide on how to run a community TNR program. Practical issues are addressed and workable solutions offered, including local laws, public outreach, building collaborations, liability, spay/neuter, trapping strategies, equipment and administration. It's a must-read for anyone interested in moving the practice of TNR from the backyard to the front page! Available for only $9.95 at this link: http://www.AnimalSheltering.org/tnrbook 3. Set up your own online Feral Cat Database In order to grow and gain more resources, it's essential for TNR programs to collect and track the results of their efforts. That's now much easier thanks to the Internet-based Feral Cat Database, a project developed by Neighborhood Cats, tested in New York City, and funded in part by PetSmart Charities and the ASPCA/Fresh Step Safe Steps Home Program. The database program allows individual caretakers to remotely enter their colony data, including numbers of cats, locations, contact info, and more. The administrator of the database is then able to sort, search and analyze the data, either online or offline. Each community or TNR program can set up their own online database and have exclusive access to the information collected! The database can be purchased for a one-time startup fee of $525 (to cover the programmers' time in customizing the site to your specifications) and then $10 a month for website hosting. We've set up a sample database online where you can enter test data and then check out the different tools. To access the sample site: User Side (where caretakers enter their info): http://www.feralcatdatabase.info Admin Side (where the administrator of the site works with the data): http://www.feralcatdatabase.info/admin (to log in, enter "Admin" for the email address, and Password for the "password". We recommend you click on and read the Instructions tab when first entering). Any questions, please contact us at email: headcat@neighborhoodcats.org 4. Intensive TNR Training Workshops Continue.... The two-day TNR training workshops taught by us and sponsored by Petco Foundation and The Humane Society of the United States, have so far this year received warm welcomes in Sarasota, Chicago, Indianapolis and Long Island, NY, averaging 90 attendees per workshop. The workshops cover all aspects of TNR, from colony care to policy issues, organizing community programs, building a grassroots TNR movement and persuading municipal officials. For a review of the Long Island workshop, go to: http://www.babylonbeacon.com/news/2007/0426/Columnists/ 5. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Supports Managed Colonies as Form of Feral Cat Control The Office of Animal Welfare, a division of the New Jersey Dept. of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) has endorsed the use of TNR and managed colonies in defined circumstances as part of the solution to controlling feral cat populations. In its policy statement on Free-roaming and Feral Cats (http://www.state.nj.us/health/animalwelfare/stray.shtml), NJDHSS supports a collaborative approach to TNR that takes municipal, health, property ownership and wildlife concerns into account: "Colonies must be established in cooperation with the local animal control and health agencies, wildlife organizations, humane groups and veterinarians. They should not be established in areas where at-risk wildlife populations could be threatened or where they may pose a nuisance or zoonotic disease risk to the public. The operation of the colony must comply with all local ordinances and receive landowner permission." In addition, NJDHSS indicates in its policy statement that it will interpret state law governing animal control officers in a manner that will permit managed colonies to be established. To our knowledge, this is the first time in this country's history that a State Department of Health has publicly endorsed TNR to a significant degree. 6. New York City Launches Feral Spay/Neuter Coupon Program Muffins Pet Connection (http://www.muffins.org) and the NYC Feral Cat Initiative, a program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals (http://www.animalalliancenyc.org ), have teamed up to create a spay/neuter coupon program specially for feral cats - MAMA (Muffins And Mayor's Alliance). Participating veterinarians will provide spay/neuter, eartipping and rabies vaccination for the cost of the coupon with no other services or charges required. Coupons are priced at $58 for a female, $45 for a male. For more details and a list of participating vets, go to: http://www.muffins.org/MAMA.htm 9. Website Updates - Cat Containment Systems Check out the new page on our website about cat containment systems - one way to avoid problems with the neighbors! (although admittedly often not practical): http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/catcontainment.htm Also, we've updated contact info and links (including how to get Reppers, a scent deterrent, from a Canadian company) on our Keeping Cats Out of Gardens and Yards page: http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/keepingout.htm Finally, our deepest thanks to all of you who are working to bring about a more compassionate world - for ferals and nonferals alike. We're making progress! Bryan Kortis Executive Director Neighborhood Cats 212-662-5761 www.neighborhoodcats.org