Posts
Presented by Alicia of WoodsEdge
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS
ON BEHALF OF
THE ANiMALS TODAY
THANK YOU !
Thursday, December 05, 2013
ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
December's COTM is… The Whiskers' Syndicate
December's
Emergency COTM is….
Emergency COTM is….
The Whiskers' Syndicate
Our Mission
The Whiskers' Syndicate is the first and only animal/cat rescue in Bandung, Indonesia.
Since animal welfare does not yet exist here… our current mission is to introduce animal welfare and humane stray management by becoming a living example. We actively promote Trap - Neuter - Return in our community, and negotiate with community authority to allow us to practice TNR albeit without financial support. We understand that the majority of people just want the stray 'gone', regardless of the method, as long as their hand stays clean; and it has been one of the biggest challenges for us every single time.
However, with continuous TNR as well as proper care of feral cats, we hope to show that properly managed ferals can coexist peacefully with humans. With good faith, we hope the mustard seed we sow will eventually lead to betterment of every animals' life.
Our Story
Being born into a family of animal lovers, rescue work was a natural part of life for me at a young age; but in the spring of May 2008 when I relocated to Bandung for work, I had no idea just how much of my life would become dedicated to saving animals.
You see, I got used to being at the top in my hometown. I was a straight 'A' student with lines of scholarships and titles behind my name. Granted I started as a school teacher (part time work before I graduated) but once I made the jump I kept climbing the corporate ladder. Until one day I asked myself: “Now what?”
When a former client of my workplace called me with an offer, I just packed up and left everything to start all over. Everyone said I was crazy, but I would have been if I didn't find something to keep my brain and passion moving. So, I got a brand new job, in a brand new holding company (of one of the largest textile machinery company in South East Asia), as an assistant to the brand new CEO, and then received my first promotion within 3 months! Fabulous? Not really. I just ran fast because I wanted to move out already.
This town appalled me from every side, especially with the way people treated each other, and more to the point the way they treated animals. The ignorance, the arrogance, the hypocrisy, the holier-than-thou attitude which are official character traits in this area.
In this small city, animals are 'things', not beings nor 'someones'. No one wants to give way when someone else crosses the street… no one wants to stand in line… no one listens to the police when they are managing the street… no one gives regards to the rules… everyone is throwing garbage into the river, and in every nook and sewer of this “Paris Van Java”, you can find road-kills or decomposing carcasses of all kinds of animals, and in every flea market wildlife cramped into matchboxes to spend the rest of their existence in filth, for a dime.
The force that changed my life came about two weeks before Christmas… at the peak of my disgust and in the shape of a tiny B/W kitten who cried day and night for 3 days on a scorching pavement near the office and when it finally found shelter under my boss' car, no one cared to get it out. It was the first time that my co-worker saw 'the personal assistant of the CEO' crawl under his Mercedes Benz wearing her expensive suit, high heels, make up... in order to pick up a half baked dirty kitten.
 |
| Kaitou |
At my boarding house, I saw the landlord's 2 years old toddler kick their pet, a pregnant female cat that they never fed, whom despite the abuse, remained loyal to them. I lost myself when I saw that little boy heading for the cat again so I quickly picked her up and went to my room. I gave her a box, my blanket and no matter how many times I put her in that box she came back to me on the bed and then gave birth to five kittens right beside me!
An unforgettable event which compelled me to name her: “Amazing Grace”. She is a graceful cat, an amazing mother, and a stranger who trusted me enough to give birth in my arms... like a touch of heaven that turned me around and opened my eyes to a whole new world I had never seen before... a road less traveled which I was ready to take.
 |
| Amazing Grace with Kittens |
I shared the story of Grace, and Kaitou through private messages to friends on Care2 and via emails. A few months later, I found two kittens injured by motorcycle and rescued them. But for the first time in my life, I was running short of money & was struggling to pay vet bills. I wrote about that too. I was told, given the idea, to start a blog, establish a Paypal account, and without knowing what the heck I was really doing… I started to receive donations to pay for the vet and even help raise these two kittens into adulthood.
 |
| Picassa - kitten 1 |
 |
| Renoir - kitten 2 |
Through the course of time our blog developed, and it recounted the otherwise untold stories of forsaken animals in our corrupted paradise.
The Whiskers' Syndicate was founded and became the only hope, both for the animals, and for me… reaching out to those who cared and were willing to help. We were aliens to our own countrymen, but friends to Good Samaritans.
I started a side job as an online translator, as a storyboard writer, as a part time journalist, even as an athlete... all to keep food on the table for the growing numbers of cats under my care.
 |
| Kaitou - a year after rescue |
 |
| Renoir - a year after rescue |
Every year, I faced eviction from landlords because of the cats… so we were forced to live in uncanny environments: an attic (hence cats living on the roof)… in 2010, we lived in a rental near a swamp… in 2011, no one would take us except for an old lady who liked cats and offered us a 6x8 square meter (516 square feet) area for me and at that point, 30 cats.
In 2012, The Whiskers' Syndicate once again stood on the head of a pin when all of a sudden our rental could not be renewed and about to be left without roof nor room… our fate challenged my faith for longer than a moment… when out of nowhere we found our permanent home - an unsold property in a residential cluster that had a fair amount of land at its back and was surrounded by tall 2 story houses on both sides providing the cats with safety from traffic and human harm. So with what was left of my money, I took a 19 year mortgage on the property… something that I will fight to keep with all my heart and soul !
That August of 2012, with the support of our loyal friends, The Whiskers' Syndicate was chosen as Shelter Of The Month by SPCA International. SPCA knew about us from their “Operation Baghdad Pups”campaign which assisted dogs and cats adopted by Iraqi soldiers to fly safely to their new homes abroad.
 |
| Josie and her Catnip Mice Toys for Cats |
To date, we have saved close to 400 cats and TNR around 248 of them, all with our own money and donations. Unfortunately only 5 of those were adopted out, due to the prevailing belief that domestic cats have no economic value (long haired or exotic purebred or mixed bred can be sold and bred without regulation).
The government does nothing to help us and have even tried to strangle us with non existent rules about animals which allows them to cull cats. Five is a small number, I know, but for a little town where 98% of its residents are backyard breeders (some of those are vets), we try not to discourage ourselves with the math, nor to have grandiose dreams of changing the world.
Our story is told through our blog, 'Quest 2 Canaan', which represents our earnest dream of peaceful co-existence between man and beast. Through Quest2Canaan we have met some of the most wonderful persons in the world, and with all their comments, writings, motivations… these became the source of our strength.
 |
| Handmade Fleece Bed by The Whiskers' Syndicate aka Josie of Whiscraft |
When I look back at all of the events that lead me to where I am now, it's hard to believe how far I have come, and the unlikely “job training” that God gave me during my corporate years which prepared me for this role. I no longer have expensive suits, nor wear high heels, nor put on cosmetics… I no longer have corporate job that fills my wallet with lots of money to spend in the fanciest malls… and even if I was given the chance to change anything… I would do it the same all over again.
With this humble life, I am willing to die for this work of passion… a job which makes me feel like I am ten feet tall without wearing stilettos. I am happy to shake your hand with pride and say: I am an animal rescuer - I save lives everyday !
 |
| Cotton Cat mattress |
Tune in next week for our next feature !
The Whiskers' Syndicate
Thursday, November 28, 2013
More Animal Tales from Wild Baby Rescue Center
More Animal Tales
by Wild Baby Rescue
our November COTM
our November COTM
nominated by Rebecca of MsBekkahsCorner
Text & Photos courtesy of WBRC
Little Hawk the Squirrel
So You Think You Had A Bad Day?
One day in March a little squirrel fell from a tree. A woman saw him fall and left him for a while hoping that his mom would return and carry him back up to his nest in the tree. She sat at the window to make sure he was alright.
Suddenly a hawk swooped down and picked up the little squirrel. The woman screamed scaring the hawk and the baby squirrel once again plummeted towards the earth. The woman decided to rescue the baby squirrel and bring him inside. As she left her house the neighborhood feral cat grabbed the squirrel and started off with him. The woman was able to get the cat to come to her and drop the baby squirrel. He sustained several injuries including punctures from the cat's teeth, a wound from the hawk's talons and a broken shoulder from one of the falls.
He was given antibiotics and put on small cage rest. The little squirrel had to rest with minimal activity until his shoulder healed but he was very lonely.
Squirrels are very social animals and need the warmth and companionship of other squirrels. A little female was admitted the days later. She was a little younger, very sweet, and made the perfect little sister for Little Hawk. It was love at first sight. We named her Buttercup.
Little Hawk made a complete recovery and the two squirrels were released together.
Fox, Fox, and More Fox,
In late April, our first little female fox arrived. She was caught in a window well under a porch. Associated Humane Society in Newark went out on the rescue and brought the tiny kit to Wild Baby Rescue Center. She was about 7 weeks old, scared and dehydrated. She was put in a warm crate, and given food and formula. We named her Aurora.
Next to be admitted was a 6 week old kit we named Mia. She was found on the side of the road and it is suspected that she had been hit or bumped by a car. Although the x-rays were negative, for the first week she refused to walk. We held her and hand fed her to ensure she was getting enough nourishment to help her heal. She would just sit beside us when we cleaned her cage. We were not sure she would ever walk. One day she was placed on the floor for cage cleaning and she got up and followed us all around the room. Sometimes all an animal needs is a little time and supportive care.
The third little female we named Cinderella. She was admitted with only two little tuffs of fur left on her body, so sick with mange. Four weeks into her care we found she had broken her leg and required several more weeks of small cage rest. Finally 9 weeks later healthy and ready for "the Ball" she was re-released back to her mother and siblings.
The forth female admitted, also with mange, was little Noel. She was released back to her family and den on New Year's Eve. Little Noel spent extra time at Wild Baby Rescue putting on enough weight for the cold winter months ahead.
The last fox is an older male named Bob. He was probably about 24 hours away from death. Luckily his rescuer cared enough to go to great lengths to trap him and get him here for help. He was emaciated and dehydrated, with little fur and many open wounds. Three treatments later, he started gaining weight, his wounds were healing and new fur began to grow. Bob was released 11 weeks after his admission and is now wild and free.
A Word About Mange… Mange is a very treatable condition caused by a tiny mite that infects the animal under its skin. The animal develops sores from scratching, hair loss and becomes dehydrated and emaciated. The animal itches so much, he doesn't hunt. The cycle goes around and becomes sicker and eventually succumbs to a horrible, slow death. Wild Baby Rescue Center treats mange (especially in Fox) very successfully. If you see an animal with mange please call you local Wildlife Rehabilitator.
Last Year's Fawn Shows Her Appreciation
One of our capital improvement is a newly fenced-in field for fawns. The area has electric fencing surrounding it as well. Our first test day went well with the fawns enjoying the extra room to run around. They sunned themselves, played tag and munched on the green grass. All was well, or so we thought.
On the third day one of our little girls, Moonshine, snuck under a low spot in the fencing. We tried everything to get her back into the corral. I even tried to grab her through the fence. Big mistake, she spun out and kicked hard. None of our coaxing worked. We were all very worried about a young fawn on her own. Night fell and there was nothing we could do until morning.
Early the next day here comes Moonshine with an adult doe leading the way. Clover, one of our deer from the prior year had adopted the little fawn. From then on Little Moonshine followed Clover where ever she went. A month later the rest of the Fawns were released. Moonshine and Clover come twice a day now for corn feed as do the other five fawns, Lightning, Rainbow, Shamrock, Sunshine and Twister. They have become one little herd led by the Motherly Clover.
WILD BABY RESCUE
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
ANiMAL MUNDi: The Incredible Fruit-Eating Lizard of the Philippines by Corinna of TheFrogBag
by Corinna of TheFrogBag
Photos courtesy of Arkive.com
The Incredible Fruit-Eating
Lizard of the Philippines
Lizards tend to be carnivores. Small lizards tend to eat small creatures, like bugs. Medium-sized lizards tend to eat bigger creatures, like mice. And big lizards tend to eat large creatures, like rabbits and even goats. But apparently no one told this to monitor lizards in the Philippines, because the bigger they get the more they tend to eat fruit.
When young, the shy arboreal Gray’s monitor (Varnus olivaceus) subsists mostly on insects, snails, and crabs, with a side of fruit now and then. That’s odd enough since fruit is something most monitor lizards would eat only if it happened to already be in the stomach of another animal. But as the lizards grow older they reverse this trend and start eating a more frugivorous diet supplemented by snails and small prey items. Look closely and you can see that they are well adapted for this life style. Their teeth are blunter than those of other monitor lizards and therefore better at grabbing fruit and crushing snails. Their olive green coloration blends into the rain forests that they call home. Each foot sports long, well-developed claws that help them cling to tree limbs and pluck their “prey”.
Unfortunately, populations of these reptiles are decreasing in the wild. They’re listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, a measure of how close we are to losing them entirely. They’re also very difficult to breed in captivity, making their status all the more worrisome. The culprit is mostly habitat destruction, but smuggling is also a concern.
 |
| L.A. Zoo Resident |
Fortunately an illegal shipment of Grey’s was intercepted at the Los Angeles airport in 2010 and the lizards taken to the LA Zoo. Too weak to be sent back to the wild, they were nursed to health and now occupy a large enclosure in the zoo’s new reptile house where every effort is being made to get them to mate. If they do, a population can be maintained outside of their native habitat, providing an assurance against extinction of the species. That’s important, because the world really would be a little less marvelous without a 20-pound fruit-eating giant lizard.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Three Animal Tales by Wild Baby Rescue… our November COTM
Three Animal Tales
by Wild Baby Rescue
our November COTM
our November COTM
nominated by Rebecca of MsBekkahsCorner
Text & Photos courtesy of WBRC
Hagrid the Raccoon
A Gentle Giant
Snickers' Story
Flower the Eastern Cottontail
Flower Power!
A Gentle Giant
A gentle giant arrived at Wild Baby Rescue Center during Thanksgiving week. He is a raccoon, who at six months old weighs 24.6 pounds, more than double the normal weight of a raccoon his age and clearly has no idea that he is a raccoon. He was kept as a pet. He was fed bags of candy corn and other sweets. He slept in a bed. He was treated like the cat and dog he lived with. He was spoiled with human attention until he grew too big to control and then he was no longer wanted.
Now this gentle giant must become a raccoon. The transition will be sad and difficult for him. His name was Rocky, but in honor of his new life we will call him Hagrid (of the Harry Potter fame).
The first order of business will be to get him on a natural healthy diet and to reduce his weight with exercise. He will spend the winter in a large enclosure in the barn with a bed of hay and lots of tree limbs to climb on. We will also create diversions to keep him from becoming bored and keep him active. Paper towel tubes, cut in pieces and stuffed with natural treats (grapes, banana slices, acorns and dried apricots) will give his hands, and taste buds something new to experience. Rubbing those tubes with spices (mint, cinnamon and allspice) will keep his nose interested and increase his experience with different scents. Pinecones, fur tree branches, and dried corn in husks will add to his wild schooling. One and a half years later, this Gentle Giant was released wild and free.
There is no greater disservice one can inflict on a wild animal than to keep it as a pet. The greatest gift you can give a wild animal is its freedom.
Snickers' Story
Many times well intentioned people find an orphaned wild baby animal and raise it in their homes. More often than not they get attached to the animal and decide to keep it as a pet. Unfortunately, most wildlife are not fed the correct diet and become destructive and dangerous when kept in captive, home environments. That was Snickers the Groundhog's story.
Snickers came to Wild Baby Rescue Center after the family who had her moved to Arizona. She had eaten the woodwork and destroyed the floors. Snickers had been fed cat chow, instead of the greens, fruit and grains that her species needs to grow healthy and strong. She was enormous. Her teeth were overgrown and so were her nails. She had never had the opportunity to dig and tunnel, play in the fresh air, or munch on tasty dandelions.
The weather was warm so she was put in our outside Groundhog enclosure. She immediately got into our digging box and dug her first tunnel. A student at Centenary College made a large enclosed box filled with dirt as enrichment for our Groundhogs.
Snickers was weaned off of cat chow in favor of Romaine lettuce, carrots, corn on the cob, dandelion leaves, strawberries, peanuts and apples. After two months of rehab and a bit of weight loss, Snickers was released and free to enjoy her wild life.
Flower Power!
Flower came to Wild Baby Rescue when she was found lying in the snow in early March. She was about three days old. She was warmed and then fed a rehydration formula. She had a small puncture wound that was probably made by a cat. Taking no chances the wound was cleansed and she was started on an antibiotic.
She was given formula three times daily and seven days later she opened her eyes. Leafy greens, apple and pear was added to her diet and at twelve days old she was weaned off her formula and eating lots of solid food. By the time she was three weeks old she was eating a head of red leaf lettuce, ¼ of a pear and ¼ of an apple each day.
She was released at six weeks old to a place where she will have plenty of green grass and clover and hopefully live a long, good life and have many baby bunnies of her own.
Each of WBRC's wildlife patients requires a specialized diet. Injured wildlife often need veterinary care and medication. Food and medical care account for our biggest expenses by far. A donation to Wild Baby Rescue will help cover these important costs. 100% of every donation goes towards animal care. Relying on the kindness of volunteers, we do not employ a staff.
WILD BABY RESCUE
Thursday, November 21, 2013
ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge
Presented by Alicia of WoodsEdge
1. Ask Two Governors to Support Greyhounds
Greyhound decoupling is expected to be on the legislative agenda in Iowa and Florida next year. As it stands, greyhound racing is required in order for other types of gambling to run, which means even if businesses wanted to shut it down they couldn't. If decoupling is supported it could help end greyhound racing.
Please sign the petition urging the governors of Iowa and Florida to support greyhound decoupling.
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-cruel-dog-racing-mandates
2. Save Beagle Puppies from Cruel Rabies Experiment
The Taiwanese Council of Agriculture is planning to test how infectious a new strain of rabies is by injecting it into at least 14 beagle puppies, even though we already know what rabies does and how it is spread.
Please send a letter to Taiwan’s premier Jiang Yi-huah asking that this senseless experiment be stopped and efforts be focused instead on studying the effectiveness of current vaccinations.
https://secure2.convio.net/pcrm/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=665
3. Stop Dangerous King Amendment From Passing
Lawmakers are working on the Farm Bill and the King Amendment is still in there. This amendment could take away state's rights to decide welfare practices and could jeopardize a wide range of progressive moves from cracking down on puppy mills to banning gestation crates.
Please send a letter to your representative asking that they oppose this amendment.
http://www.capwiz.com/aspca/issues/alert/?alertid=62973516&type=TA
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS
ON BEHALF OF
THE ANiMALS TODAY
THANK YOU !
Thursday, November 14, 2013
ANiMAL PETiTiONS CORNER by Alicia of WoodsEdge
Presented by Alicia of WoodsEdge
TAKE 1-2-3 ACTiONS
ON BEHALF OF
THE ANiMALS TODAY
THANK YOU !
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
ANiMAL MUNDi: Who Needs a Dorsal Fin? by Corinna of TheFrogBag
by Corinna of TheFrogBag
Photos courtesy of Arkive.com
Who Needs a Dorsal Fin?
So what if dorsal fins are all the rage among seagoing critters? The Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) certainly doesn’t care. This marine mammal is on the small side compared to most, measuring just seven feet long for a true giant of the species, and as its name suggests it doesn’t look much like other porpoises either. In fact, you might mistake it for a very slender manatee if you didn’t look too closely for its blowhole.
Most aquatic animals use their dorsal fins as stabilizers against rolling when they make sharp turns. Picture a killer whale, hunting agile fish and sea lions. Finless porpoises are carnivores too, but they chase more sedate prey such as shrimp and prawns as well as various cephalopods. They haven’t opted for an entirely smooth back though. A ridge runs from their shoulder girdle to their tails, studded randomly with small tubercles that are rich with nerve endings. These rough bumps were once thought to act as a slip-resistant way for mother porpoises to carry their young. In fact that is probably of secondary importance to their use as sensory organs.
Unlike some of their more gregarious cetacean cousins, little is known about how and when finless porpoises breed. Their shy demeanor makes them difficult to study, as does their tendency to seldom form groups of more than two individuals at a time. When they are spotted it’s usually in the waters off China, Japan, and Indonesia, in shallow bays and estuaries. There’s even a population that lives in the fresh water Yangtze River in China.
Given the fact that they reside so close to humans it’s no surprise that habitat loss is the biggest threat facing these charming creatures. Shrimp farms, near-shore pollution, and deforestation of mangrove swamps are contributing factors to the steep decline of their populations. Fortunately, conservation organizations like the World Wildlife Fund are stepping in to help. With an intellect that is said to rival that of the gorilla, finless porpoises will hopefully continue to ply the waters of Asia for years to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
