EFA: Etsy For Animals Etsy For Animals: October 2010


Etsy for Animals (EFA) aka Artists Helping Animals,

is a team of independent artists, craftspeople,

vintage sellers and craft suppliers on Etsy.com

who are dedicated to providing charitable relief to animals

by donating a portion of the profits from their shops

to an animal charity of their choosing,

and/or to EFA's featured Charity of the Month.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TiPS

HALLOWS-EVE SAFETY TiPS
- a mini check list -
by Nicole of brizel4TheAnimals



HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Walk the animals before dark

Keep the animals indoors after sunset

Be sure everyone is wearing their collars with ID tags

Put the animals in a quiet & secure room

Be sure all electrical cords are out of harms way

Dont leave any sharp implements out

Keep chocolate & candy out of reach

Pick up any wrappers & other toxic things

Have your vehicle in an access free location
with your car keys & wallet handy

Take ALL your usual safety precautions
- dont cut any corners -

And then...
Relax & have fun !

Polar Bear Pumpkin Slumber
by Heather of thebluewindmill

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Feral went out on a chilly night...

Written by Patty of Catcalls

Illustrated with EFA member products


The feral went out on a chilly night...


She prayed to the Moon to give her light...


For she'd many a mile to go that night

Before she reached the town-o, town-o, town-o...


She'd many a mile to go that night

Before he reached the town-o !

*

She stopped by a farm for she did hear

The rustling of stalks and a few kitties cheer



But she hissed and she fled

when the devil did appear...




Past the owl and the bats

to the town-o, town-o, town-o...



Past the owls and the bats to the town-o !

*

Three creepy old dudes did greet her there



But she looked them in the eye

with her eerie green stare




For she was mindful of the little one in her care

That's why she traveled

all the way to the town-o, town-o, town-o...



Why she traveled all the way to the town-o !

*

She grabbed her bag



And she donned her tie




Then she joined the parade




to get candy corn Mice !




Then she raced on home

to share her scrumptious delight

With the little one in the den-o, den-o, den-o...


The little one in the den-o !

*

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all your outdoor kitties !



Patty of Catcalls
which won October's Charity of the Month

You can click HERE to visit their website !
and to read Patty's first COTM article

The end of the month is close by and we hope that you will be able to send in a donation to The Feral Cat Rescue Project... You can find the quick link to their website on the left hand column of this blog or you can click on their logo/name above.

Remember to let EFA know you've made a donation... you can
click HERE to
report it... by doing so we will be able to add the $ amount into the COTM running total.

Thank you so very much !

Friday, October 29, 2010

Adopt a Shelter Dog: Petunia's story

Adopt a Shelter Dog
- Petunia’s Story -
by Julie of blindwolfspirit



I first saw Petunia in a storefront at a neighborhood mall where several animal rescue groups operated a cooperative animal adoption shop. I was immediately taken by how beautiful she was. She is pure white except for a tiny gray spot near one eye and a gray patch on her rear and her eyes were tiny and blue.



When I read her story it made me want to take her home even more... Petunia was rescued from a pound in a rural Utah town and her rescuers had been working with her to get her used to being touched and handled. She is a white factor Australian Shepard who was born blind and deaf. When I did some research, I learned that her condition was the result of breeding two parents that have what is called a “blue merle” gene. According to the data when two blue merles are bred, there is one in four chance that a blind, deaf, or blind and deaf puppy will be born.



Petunia was six months old when we adopted her and she had never been inside a house. I really had no idea how to teach a blind and deaf dog even with the most basic things... like going outside to go potty. My hope was that she would follow our other three dogs around and do what they did. I thought that by becoming part of the “pack” she would learn from them by association and have a reasonably happy life.



The first six months were very difficult. We were up at three or four o’clock every morning to take Petunia outside. She couldn’t hold her bladder and leaked while she was asleep. In the end, Petunia is the one who taught herself how to go potty outside and how to get around the house.



Right around the time Petunia turned one years old, things started to change. I began to notice that there was a rhythm to the things she did. Petunia woke up at the same time every day, waited in the same place to be fed, went outside by herself to go potty, and went to bed at the same time every night. She has even taught herself a little game that she plays with a tennis ball. She will lay somewhere that is close to a corner and push the ball until it bounces back to her.



I also realized that I had inadvertently been using touch signals with her and Petunia had learned to associate them with certain things. For example, Petunia had learned that if I touched her head as we were going in or out of the house, it meant that the door was open and she could run through. The most amazing thing that she does is that she can run out the dog door at the back of the house and run full speed around the corner of the house and down the driveway, and turn just inches before she gets to the gate.


She has never hit the gate !



Petunia is now eight years old and a beloved member of our family. I have had a number of shelter dogs in my life but Petunia has by far been the most challenging to work with and the most rewarding. She is the namesake and mascot of my studio business, blindwolfspirit, these last six years and Petunia has fans around the world.


Labrador Retriever fine silver pendant

by blindwolfspirit


There are all kinds of resources to help dog owners deal with the challenges of adopting shelter dogs. I hope Petunia’s story will help to encourage other people to consider adopting one, even perhaps a special needs dog.


I have never regretted

my decision to bring Petunia home !

EFA TREASURY: Ode to Nimue... my rescue dog

"This Treasury is dedicated to Nimue the White, my fur daughter who passed away in the Spring. She was abandoned & left at the vets several hours after her birth. I was able to adopt her when she was 3 months old & she deeply brightened my life for 7 years !

October is Adopt a Dog month...
please Opt to Adopt and rescue a dog !"


ODE TO NiMUE... my rescue dog
Click HERE to visit Treasury !

featuring EFA members:

BlindSquirrel, PawPrintsProject,
whiskerkisses, 2Parises,
SnacknSnooze, VivaLeChat,
thedoghouse, carolscanvas,
BeadznStonezSupplies
plus guests

Thursday, October 28, 2010

EFA TREASURY: October Scary Creatures Monthly Challenge

"Thanks to all of our members who participated in the November Challenge, "Scary Creatures". We'll leave it up to you as to whether they are effective in their fear factor."


EFA's Scary and not so Scary Challenge Treasury

curated by LolaLynn
Click HERE to view Treasury !

featuring 100% EFA members:

bewhiskered, rosebud101, scrappyrat,
AstridNicoleEtcetera, catcalls,
thoseparasoldays, fairycardmaker,
brizel4TheAnimals, JFillustrations,
yarnmiracle, thedoghouse, LolaLynn,
epicfarms, thebluewindmill,
faeriegood & thefrogbag

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

October is Adopt a Dog Month

October is

the American Humane Association’s

Adopt-A-Dog Month®

Written by Angie of LonesomeRoadStudio



The statistics are sad and sobering: according the the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, five out of ten dogs in shelters are destroyed simply because there was no one to adopt them.


If you’re thinking about adding a new pet to your household, please make a visit to your local animal shelter your first stop. Now more than ever, these lost or abandoned animals need good loving homes.


Puppy Love

by LonesomeRoadStudio



In addition to the problems of overpopulation due to lack of spaying or neutering, many pets are being given up to shelters simply because their owners can no longer care for them in the current economic climate. Our local veterinarian has seen an increase in the number of pets left at his office, either dropped off anonymously or the owner never returns to pick up the pet. Shelters in this area (and everywhere) are at capacity and more pets are abandoned every day.


Pit Bull Rescue

by tiniestmonkey


Begin by deciding what type of dog would be right for you and your family; careful consideration can make all the difference in a successful adoption and one that doesn’t work out so well. (More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter.) Maybe you prefer a purebred dog; there are rescue groups devoted to almost all dog breeds and they will happily introduce you to your new best friend!



Maybe the time isn’t right to adopt a dog. You can still make a difference by donating to your local shelter. All shelters welcome donations of money and time to help with the day-to-day costs of caring for the animals. Just a few hours a week, or a few dollars can make a huge difference. Another option is to ask the shelter if they have a wish list. It’s not glamorous, but even a box of trash bags or a gallon of all-purpose cleaner is a wonderful contribution.

If you sew or knit and know others who do, consider forming a group to donate handmade blankets and pillows for the animals. Animal shelters usually have a very long list of items that they would love to receive in donation, and your gift is generally tax-deductible. Just keep in mind that if you call or email a shelter, they may not get back to you right away as many are staffed by volunteers and inquiries are handled as soon as possible.


Jane


My husband and I are the proud owners of a beautiful, sweet and loving rescue dog named Jane. Jane was days from being euthanized only because of her unfortunate circumstances. I can’t imagine this precious animal dying for no reason other than she was lost and ended up in an animal control facility. Fortunately she and other dogs were taken under the wing of a group named PAWS to the Rescue.


I work for a small newspaper group, where PAWS placed some advertisements in hopes of finding homes for the dogs. One look at this shepherd-retriever mix and I knew she had to be a part of our lives. She has turned into the most wonderful girl who loves her lightly grilled dog bones, comfortable dog pillow, fresh carrots from the garden, mornings warming up by the woodburning stove, and her mommy’s patchouli soap (yes, Jane absolutely loves patchouli).


Some of the PAWS success stories can be seen HERE (yes, including Jane)


Jane


Check out Team EFA Artists Helping Animals for more suggestions on ways you can help, and maybe do a little socially-conscious shopping as well. Team EFA member shops donate proceeds to a number of animal-related causes and can also be found by searching "team efa" on Etsy.


And in case you were wondering... yes, there is an Adopt-A-Cat month, in June! But any time is the right time to make a difference in a shelter animal’s life.

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