March Charity of the Month

March 2010 Charity: Best Friends Animal Society

"The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at Angel Canyon, at the heart of the Golden Circle of national parks in southern Utah, is home on any given day to about 2,000 dogs, cats, and other animals, who come from shelters and rescue groups around the country for special care they can only receive at Best Friends.

Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us.

Ancient ritual threatens already declining whale populations

By Christina of Etsy shop esmeraldadesigns Marine Biologist and Eco-Metalsmith

Every year almost 1000 long finned pilot whales are slaughtered in the Faroe Islands. Originally for their meat and blubber, now many are left to rot as they are no longer needed as food. The last two years the meet has been deemed too toxic for human consumption, so the killings are purely for the entertainment.

Whaling in the Faroe Islands has been practiced since about the time of the first Norse settlements on the islands. It is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission as there are disagreements about the Commission's competency for small cetaceans.[1][2] Around 950 Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melaena) are killed annually, mainly during the summer. The hunts, called "grindadráp" in Faroese, are non-commercial and are organized on a community level; anyone can participate. The hunters first surround the pilot whales with a wide semicircle of boats. The boats then drive the pilot whales slowly into a bay or to the bottom of a fjord.


Most Faroese consider the hunt an important part of their culture and history. Animal-rights groups criticize the hunt as being cruel and unnecessary[3][4] while the hunters claim in return that most journalists do not exhibit sufficient knowledge of the catch methods or its economic significance.[5]

As of the end of November 2008 the chief medical officers of the Faroe Islands have recommended that pilot whales no longer be considered fit for human consumption because of the levels of toxins in the whales.[6]

Including the Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melaena), also bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); Atlantic white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris); Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus); and harbour porpoise ( Phocaena phocaena) are allowed to be slaughtered.


As mentioned earlier, around 1000 whales, the main part being pilot whales are killed annually. The numbers of whales killed annually are clearly on the decline. Not nececessarily because of ethical reasons but because of declining whale populations. The 2009 statistics show that a total of 310 pilot whales, 174 white beaked dolphins, 2 bottlenose whales and 1 bottlenose dolphin were killed in three separate round-up’s [7, 8]

Personally, I am appalled by this practice, cetaceans are highly intelligent creatures and as all things living worthy of our respect. In light of declining whale population and their benevolent impact on marine ecosystems and the fact that the meat is deemed toxic and not used for human consumption, there is simply no reason this should continue

What can YOU do? Well what I did, except for forwarding this info to everyone on my email list with a heart for animals, I signed a petition to Danish and Faroe governments: The Faroe Islands are part of Denmark. Many organizations have petitions for communicating your thoughts on this brutal tradition to the Danish PM, The Danish Minister of Foreign affair and the Faroe Island Tourist Board. Here is one of the petitions you can choose from:

http://www.unleashed.org.au/take_action/petitions/stop-the-faroe-islands-whale-slaughter/



Information from Wikipedia and IWC, the international whaling commission

1 "Small Cetaceans". International Whaling Commission. 5 May 2004. http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/smallcetacean.htm. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

2Catch limits". International Whaling Commission. 1 September 2009. http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/catches.htm. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

3 [http://www.whaling.fo/thepilot.htm#Drivingthewhales[dead link] "Whales and whaling in the Faroe Islands"]. Faroese Government. http://www.whaling.fo/thepilot.htm#Drivingthewhales[dead link]. Retrieved 2006-12-05.

4 [http://www.wdcs.org/dan/publishing.nsf/allweb/99E632F7502FCC3B802568F20048794C[dead link] "Why do whales and dolphins strand?"]. WDCS. http://www.wdcs.org/dan/publishing.nsf/allweb/99E632F7502FCC3B802568F20048794C[dead link]. Retrieved 2006-12-05.

5 Chrismar, Nicole (28 July 2006). "Dolphins Hunted for Sport and Fertilizer". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2248161&page=1. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

6 MacKenzie, Debora (28 November 2008). "Faroe islanders told to stop eating 'toxic' whales". New Scientist. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16159-faroe-islanders-told-to-stop-eating-toxic-whales.html. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

7 Whale catches in figures". Faroese Government. http://www.whaling.fo/thepilot.htm#Whalecatches. Retrieved 2006-12-05.

8 http://www.hagstova.fo/portal/page/portal/HAGSTOVAN/Hagstova_Foroya

AKSPCA

Shared by Andrea of http://everydogsdelight.etsy.com, an EFA member and AKSPCA volunteer

Our History

The Alaska SPCA was founded more than three decades ago by Ethel Christianson, (a woman way ahead of the times), with the belief that animals, as living creatures, are entitled to basic rights to their care, treatment and protection. As a result, the organization has been involved in helping to alleviate animal suffering throughout the state of Alaska.

* We rescue state-wide with assistance from other agencies. 7 malemutes were recently rescued from the Kenai Peninsula and are being taken care of at our adoption center and will find forever homes!


Our Mission

Our mission is to protect animals from cruelty; advocate their moral and ethical treatment; provide them with shelter and care when in need; educate the public on responsible pet ownership; and provide the community with a low-cost spay and neuter program.


Our Programs

Pet Adoption: We are dedicated to a successful, lifetime placement of our animals to loving, committed homes. The adoption center is located at a different site than our Thrift Shop/Clinic which is side-by-side in our strip mall location.

Thrift Shop: Net proceeds from our Thrift Shop sales directly benefit the programs and animals of the Alaska SPCA.

Fix-A-Feline Program: This is a great program where AKSPCA spays and neuters felines for little to no cost. Veterinary services are donated by Dr. Kelly Reagan in our Mobile Spay and Neuter Van. We "fixed" 335 kittens in 2008 and 2009 numbers will be out soon! .

Fat Cat Inn II: Located within the Thrift Shop, this "satellite-shelter" houses rescued cats and kittens who are ready for adoption. This was built by a volunteer and materials donated from SBS.

Spay Clinic: The Alaska SPCA offers discounted spay and neuter services as well as vaccinations and micro-chipping. .

Memorial Lane Pet Cemetery: Located in Willow, AK, this peaceful sanctuary is the final resting place of many beloved companion animals.

Fat Cat Inn Adoption Center

Thrift Store

Items that Sell:

+ Artwork

+ Antiques

+ Books

+ Clothing/Shoes (usable and unstained)

+ Exercise Equipment

+ Furniture (unbroken and unstained)

+ Games (with all the pieces only, please)
+ Housewares (not chipped or stained)

+ Jewelry

+ Knicknacks

+ Magazines

+ Towels/Bedding (usable and unstained)

+ TVs (with remotes – no dial tuners)

Shelter Cats

Canine Play Area

Our Goal

We are dedicated to the successful and lifetime placement of our animals with loving homes. A new pet is a lifelong commitment. We take that commitment seriously, and we expect our adoption families to take it seriously too. We make every effort to find the right home for each animal, so when you apply for one of our animals, please be prepared to complete a thorough application, personal interview, and provide references.


Adoption Process

We implement a thorough application-screening process with a mandatory 24-hour waiting period. If approved, you start a 10-day trial adoption. If the trial period goes well, and you decide to adopt your new family member, you will return to the Adoption Center to finalize the process.


Adopting a Shelter Animal

These are sheltered, homeless animals that are not always perfect in every way. They may need extra time to adjust or have unforeseen behavioral or medical problems. While we strive for successful placement by providing as healthy, well socialized animals as possible, we can only provide any history we have received, collected, or observed from staff or volunteers during their stay.

****We also have a great group of Etsy artists that have donated a large amount of artwork and handmade creations. We are very happy and grateful to have such great support from all over the world!

****We received a $1,000 donation from the Greater Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge with Petfinder which was used for a much needed repairs at our Adoption Center!

SASHA Farm Animal Sanctuary Auction Items Request

From Amanda of SASHA Farm;

I am with SASHA Farm Animal Sanctuary in Manchester, MI. In the past, Etsy for Animals has been very supportive of our organization by sending donations for our annual silent auction. I am chairing it this year, and I'm writing in hopes that you'll pass our request on to your members.

We are the largest farmed animal sanctuary in Midwest, currently caring for over 230 rescued farmed and other domestic animals. We are a 501(c)(3) organization and receive no public funding, so the work we do depends solely on the generosity of compassionate people like you. Our annual silent auction raises a significant portion of our operating budget each year, and we hope to continue that success.

The deadline for donations this year is April 5th, and the auction takes place on April 24th. There is no minimum value, but we do reserve the right to group items with values less than $15. Also, all donations should be vegan and animal friendly. Donations can be sent directly to the sanctuary.

SASHA Farm
Attn: Amanda
17901 Mahrle Rd
Manchester, MI 48158

Donations will be acknowledged on our website, and we will provide a receipt for the value of the item for your tax purposes. (Please be sure to state the retail value.) Handmade items are always a huge seller at the auction.

We very much appreciate the support Etsy for Animals has shown us in the past. Thank you so much!

Amanda
SASHA Farm
http://sashafarm.org
www.facebook.com/sashafarm