ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge

by Alicia of WoodsEdge

1. Tell Animal Planet to Pull It's Anti-Wolf Show

As part of Monster Week, Animal Planet is airing an episode called "Man-Eating Super Wolves" that shows wolves as cold-blooded killers. This show sends a terrible, and inaccurate, message about  wolves who are struggling to survive and even gain a foothold in states that are hostile towards them.

Please sign the petition telling Animal Planet to pull this episode off the air. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/907/092/883/

2. Tell Michigan Not to Legalize Beaver Trapping

Trappers in Michigan pushed for legislation that would legalize beaver trapping and they won. Thanks to their efforts, the governor is expected to sign a bill that will allow trappers who have fur dealer licenses to take beavers. 

Please sign the petition urging Michigan not to move forward with this bill. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/132/548/518/michigan-dont-legalize-beaver-trapping-for-furs/

Send a message directly to Governor Rick Snyder asking him not to sign SB 759. 

http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57827-267869--,00.html

3. Tell eBay to Crack Down to Stop Contributing to the Decline of Endangered Species

eBay has banned the sale of ivory and parts of other endangered species, but items are falling through the cracks, which is hurting a number of endangered species. 

Please sign and share the petition asking eBay to take immediate action to stop the trafficking of wildlife. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/185/519/302/help-stop-ebay-from-trading-ivory-and-other-endangered-species/

PLEASE 
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS 

ON BEHALF OF

THE ANiMALS TODAY

THANK YOU !

ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge

by Alicia of WoodsEdge

1. Tell the Government Not to Poison 16,000 Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs in Wyoming's Thunder Basin National Grassland are being threatened by the U.S. Forest Service's plan to poison colonies located within a quarter-mile of private or state land. Not only is the plan expected to kill 16,000 prairie dogs, but it poses a risk to other native wildlife. 

Send the Forest Service a letter telling them to reject this cruel and misguided plan. 

https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3461&s_src=EMOBGNPETNON0514PD&autologin=true&utm_source=nl&utm_medium=articalert&utm_campaign=maybgn

2. Tell the National Aquarium to Shut Down Its Dolphin Exhibit

Officials from the National Aquarium in Baltimore recently announced it was considering shutting down its dolphin exhibit in favor of building a first of its kind sanctuary for its eight residents. The announcement is good news for dolphins and a sign that the industry is moving in step with our growing knowledge of the complexity of cetaceans and addressing the ethical questions being raised about keeping them in captivity.

The aquarium is currently seeking public input about potential new plans. Please sign the petition urging the aquarium to shut down its exhibit in favor of more suitable habitat for its residents. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/838/603/685/free-dolphins-from-the-baltimore-aquarium/

Share your thoughts directly with the aquarium here:

http://www.aqua.org/future/index.html

3. Tell the USDA to Protect Baby Wild Animals

Animal welfare organizations are urging the USDA to ban direct contact with wild animals in an effort to protect them and the public. Even though baby animals are cute, they're often dumped after they grow too large to safely handle. 

Please sign the petition asking the USDA to amend the Animal Welfare Act to end public contact with wild animals. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/246/513/436/

PLEASE 
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS 

ON BEHALF OF

THE ANiMALS TODAY

THANK YOU !

Covered in Poop, Overwhelmed with Kittens by Kitty Bungalow, May's COTM

Covered in Poop, 

Overwhelmed with Kittens

by Kitty Bungalow Charm School

for Wayward Cats

May's Charity Of The Month

nominated by Corinna of TheFrogBag

As a volunteer fueled animal rescue, we work year round endeavoring to end the proliferation of homeless cats being born on the hard city streets.  We do this every day by providing free spay neuters, humane traps, socialization and adoption. Although we work year round, it is now, Kitten Season, as it is called, when our jobs are the toughest, and cutest of the year.

Our volunteers come in as early as 8 am and stay through the night, yesterday's shift left at 11 pm.  The volunteers look nice when they come in, many come after work or a meeting, but it doesn't take long until they are covered in the Kitty Bungalow Class uniform--poop!

During kitten season we get dozens of distress calls a week from people finding newborn kittens in what they thought was just a lonely shrub, or discover that their old garage has suddenly begun mewing. Many times they find kittens abandoned without their mama, and these kittens need round the clock attention. 

They not only need to be bottle  fed every two hours but we need to stimulate their business, hence how we all get covered in poo. It is not always the nicest poo either,  as these cats are coming from the streets and no one has seen medical attention before. 

70% of the kittens we take in to the Bungalow suffer from icky poo. There are medical terms like coccidia, giardia, roundworm etc, but no matter what you call it, it's icky.  Thankfully the treatment is easy and recovery is quick but the process itself is expensive, from the fecal tests to fecal panels to the various medications needed. Then there is the baby formula that the kittens go through at an incredible pace. We easily go through $150 of formula and baby food a week.

That is the basics of kitten season, the nuts and bolts. the milk and poop if you would. But then there is the Cute. Loads and loads of Cute, Cute seeping in from every corner, the kind of cute that makes poop smell like roses! 

It is hard to to say NO to the cute kitten face. It is hard not to giggle when you see them  learning to pounce. It is hard not to talk in a baby voice when you ask them if they want more bottle. The babies come to think of you as Mama Cat, and they run in happiness towards you as soon as they hear your voice. As much poop as we gather in our shift it is always eclipsed by the amount of Cute.  

And know that while you are buying EFA's awesome goods... as their COTM, it is our poopy milky babies that will be reaping the benefits.

But most importantly know why spaying and neutering is so important. Kittens ARE cute, but there is plenty to go around. Spread the word of spay neuter in your community, especially for the stray street cat. We can make a difference ! 

KiTTY BUNGALOW

ViSiT their Website
CHECK OUT their INSTAGRAM

LIKE their Fb Page

MAKE a Donation

Purchase a Team EFA

product that benefits

our COTM recipient

THANK YOU !

ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge

by Alicia of WoodsEdge

1. Help Protect Koalas From Bulldozers

Plans to upgrade a highway in New South Wales could destroy critical habitat for a group of koalas – who are believed to be a colony that is vital to protect for the future survival of coastal koalas – and at least 30 other threatened species.  

Please sign the petition asking officials to choose an alternative route that is wildlife-friendly. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/180/594/067/

2. Help End Animal Testing for Cosmetics in Australia

While no animal testing for cosmetics takes place in Australia, animal advocates are fighting to to enact a ban testing to stop the import of products that are tested in other countries around the world. 

Please sign the petition asking Australia to ban the sale and import of cosmetics that were tested on animals. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/153/258/362/

3. Help Farm Animals in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is currently considering legislation that would end extreme confinement systems for pregnant pigs, veal calves and chickens, which currently prevent them from enjoying the simple luxury of being able to move around. 

Please send a letter to lawmakers in Massachusetts asking them to take a stand for the humane treatment of farm animals by passing this legislation. 

http://www.congressweb.com/awi/23/background

PLEASE 
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS 

ON BEHALF OF

THE ANiMALS TODAY

THANK YOU !

ANiMAL MUNDi: Paca by Corinna of TheFrogBag

 by Corinna of TheFrogBag

Paca

What has hooves, looks like a watermelon, and barks at night? If you aren’t familiar with pacas you might never guess that this description fits a large tropical rodent. But pacas (genus Cuniculus), also known as gibnuts in Belize, do all this and more.

Weighing up to 30 pounds, pacas are shaped like two-foot long guinea pig torpedoes. Their bodies narrow towards the front, allowing them to run through the rainforest understory without becoming snagged on low-hanging branches. In contrast to their robust torsos their legs look like thin little sticks ending in dainty hooves. These aren’t true hooves of course, but are actually highly adapted nails which function in the same way. 

Gibnut
Belize Zoo

Although solitary and usually silent, they can make surprisingly loud growling and barking noises thanks to resonating chambers inside their cheeks. But, being highly prized as prey by humans, wild cats, large snakes, and caimans, they usually play it safe by remaining well hidden and quiet in burrows during the day. 

Later in the afternoon and evening they venture forth but usually don’t wander far from a home range centered on a clump of fruit-bearing trees. When fruit is scarce they won’t turn up their noses at leaves, flowers, seeds, insects, and even mushrooms though, and play an important role in rainforest seed dispersal. 

Humedo
Wikipedia

The young, unlike rats and other more familiar rodents, are precocial at birth. That means that they’re fully furred, fully sighted, and ready to follow mom wherever she might lead. Even so, they won’t be weaned for another three months, and even then won’t strike out on their own for close to a year. 

In the wild pacas can live for more than a decade, especially if they are cagey about not encountering predators. Their love of water helps with this, since they can swim well and can even dive, staying submerged for several minutes at a time. Even their stripped and spotted coat is anti-predator, functioning as a sort of invisibility cloak in the dappled forest light. Not a bad set of tricks for a creature that many people consider an overgrown mouse. 

PacaLittle
San Diego Zoo

ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge

by Alicia of WoodsEdge

1. Tell Congress to Ban Wild Animals in Traveling Circuses

Last week Rep. Jim Moran reintroduced legislation that would ban the use of wild and exotic animals in traveling circuses for good. Research, undercover investigations and news reports have exposed not only the problems inherent with keeping animals in circus environments, but also the heartbreaking and violent abuses they're exposed to behind the scenes. 

Please sign and share the petition asking your representative to support and co-sponsor the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/372/917/893/congress-end-the-suffering-of-wild-animals-in-traveling-circuses-for-good/

2. Protect Whales and Dolphins From Sound Bombs

A plan to open waters on the East Coast to seismic surveys will put thousands of marine mammals and endangered species at risk at risk of injury and death. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will harm up to 138,500 marine mammals and disrupt their activities more than 13.5 million times over the next eight years. 

Please sign the petition asking the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to keep seismic testing out of the Atlantic. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/237/078/136/

3. Help List the UK's Animal Testing Secrecy Clause

Animal advocates are working to lift the veil of secrecy that shrouds animal experiments in the UK. Last week the government finally launched a public consultation seeking input on the repeal of Section 24, which has kept what experimenters are doing out of the public eye. 

Please sign the petition urging the government to repeal this clause and support transparency in research. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/656/754/140/

PLEASE 
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS 

ON BEHALF OF

THE ANiMALS TODAY

THANK YOU !

ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge

by Alicia of WoodsEdge

1. Stop Idaho from Poisoning Thousands of Ravens 

Earlier this month Idaho announced plans to poison 4,000 ravens in a misguided attempt to save sage grouse. Sage grouse are in trouble, but ravens aren't the problem and officials have admitted they're not even sure this will help. 

Please sign the petition asking Idaho to abandon this cruel and senseless plan and focus on better land management to protect the sage grouse and its habitat. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/114/241/939/state-of-idaho-to-kill-4000-ravens/

2. It's Not Too Late to Save Animals from Military Research

The U.S. Department of Defense continues to subject live animals to horrific brutality in order to simulate battle conditions in an effort to teach medical personnel how to perform, even though there are alternatives to lethal training. 

Please send a letter to your rep asking them to support the BEST Practices Act, which will ban animal-based training methods. 

http://www.kintera.org/c.cuIXJjNVKfL2G/b.8102069/k.ED2F/Federal_Legislation/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=cuIXJjNVKfL2G&b=8102069&aid=520345#.U2FHlMaBu_X

3. Help Protect Florida's Manatees

Animal advocates are calling on wildlife officials to help protect vulnerable manatee populations from further harm. Last year hundreds died because of algal blooms and conflicts with people and they continue to suffer as a result of human activity and a loss of access to warm springs they need to in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. 

Please send a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service asking it to make Three Sisters Springs an official sanctuary for manatees. 

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=8D03E64C0016E5990799CC666A0461C9.app226a?pagename=homepage&id=2719&s_src=3WDE1407G1TX2&s_subsrc=042514_ADVACTFF_Manatee_donor

PLEASE 
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS 

ON BEHALF OF

THE ANiMALS TODAY

THANK YOU !

MAY's COTM is… Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats – A Primer

May's Charity of the Month is…

nominated & written by Corinna of TheFrogBag

Kitty Bungalow Charm School 

for Wayward Cats... A Primer

Street cats have it hard sometimes, especially in the big city. Endless cycles of kittens to feed and take care of, sometimes starting when a mama cat is still a kitten herself. Overcrowding, fights for access to mates and food, even heightened rates of disease transmission. In a place like Los Angeles, where almost four million humans compete for space, feral cats often seem like an afterthought. Space at city shelters is at a premium, and only the youngest, friendliest, tamest kitties have a chance of getting adopted. 

What’s a street cat to do? 
If they’re lucky, they’ll enroll in Charm School!

The Charm School

At Kitty Bungalow, we specialize in socializing feral kittens in a nurturing, cage-free environment. All of our cats come straight off the mean streets but by the time they’ve gone through our unique program they graduate as Ivy League lap cats. We accomplish this with the help of numerous volunteers, a lot of patience, and repeated exercises in building trust. Because the cats have the run of specially built “play rooms” they never have the opportunity to hide in the back of cages. Instead, each volunteer shift (in addition to cleaning, feeding, and medicating) spends time socializing the shyest kittens by playing with them, bribing them with treats, and sometimes just sitting with them, teaching them that humans are friends instead of foes. 

Of course, life on the streets is tough, so many of our students come in with colds, eye infections, and parasites. It’s hard to learn when you’re not feeling well, so we also have a health program for the kids. By the time graduation rolls around, each kitten has a clean bill of health, has been spayed or neutered, and has received their vaccinations. But what good are all those skills without a job? 

As any student knows, graduation is just the beginning. Like humans, cats have a range of personalities. Some enjoy a challenge. Some are rambunctious. And some just want to sleep in the sun with a friend. Kitty Bungalow works hard to match the right cat to the right home, and that makes it a joy to work with the kitties here. You know that every minute with the cats is time well spent, and that because of you they’re headed towards a brighter future, something that happened close to 200 times just last year!

The GED Program

Of course, not all cats have the temperament to become lap cats. Once a feline truly becomes feral it is very hard to convince them otherwise. But that doesn’t mean that cat is a lost cause! With the help of community partners, “colony managers”, and a lot of volunteer power these kitties can also have a shot at the good life. Through TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) Kitty Bungalow is able to spay and neuter whole groups of cats at once. The ones who can adjust to indoor life are enrolled in school, while the others are provided with check-ups, vaccinations, and a new lease on life in which they don’t have to go through the endless rounds of pregnancies and fights anymore. Last year alone we provided nearly 700 “fixes” to the community, resulting in hundreds fewer pregnancies and much healthier, happier cats. 

Corinna with Kitten

The Experience

I’ve personally been a Kitty Bungalow volunteer for about two years now. I’ve seen first-hand the scope of the cat overpopulation problem in Los Angeles, and how hard it can be to fix. But I’ve also seen the Bungalow grow, from it’s origin in a trailer parked behind founder/Headmistress Shawn Simmon’s house to the beautiful building full of “classrooms” that it occupies now. I’ve seen how tireless the volunteers are on behalf of the cats. I’ve worried about sickly “bottle babies” and cheered when recalcitrant students finally gave me a purr. And never once have I doubted that, little by little, we are making a difference to the kitties living in the City of Angels.

KiTTY BUNGALOW

ViSiT their Website

Like their Fb Page

Make a Donation

Purchase a Team EFA

product that benefits

our COTM recipient

THANK YOU !