APPEAL: VSPCA Needs Help to Rescue Animals in India Floods

Catastrophic flooding has endangered millions of large and small animals in the state of Orissa in Eastern India. The Visakha SPCA (VSPCA) is responding to assist these animals, but they need our help.

Please read the following letter from Pradeep Nath, founder and president of the Visakha SPCA, and visit the VSPCA website for more information, and to see all the work they are doing to help animals in India. You can donate to the VSPCA via PayPal here.

The VSPCA Cow Sanctuary was EFA's charity of the month in March 2008.



Dear Friends,

Unable to bear the current flooding in the Orrisa coastal areas of India (about 300 kms from us), I write this appeal to all those who might be able to help the animals in 14 districts affected – more than half of Orrisa!

After the recent flooding our teams have been working in the West Godavari district (south of us) and the Srikakulam areas (north) – these areas are now improving. Our appeal now is to tackle a greater challenge that has driven half of the state of Orrisa into a crisis. Government funding is coming in to help in this dire situation, and we are lobbying and appealing for aid to help the animals in these regions as well. The animals urgently need fodder and medicine, and abandoned and homeless animals need to be rescued. But we have to lead by example, sending our teams in right now. Ever since the Mahanadi river started to rise, we have been following the situation by coordinating and joining with other NGO's. Since May 2008, many areas were devastated with continuous rains overlowing river embankments and rendering all helpless, breaking down all communications and collapsing of bridges that stopped many railways.

We have just now been able to get the latest Orissa situation reports from the Director of Animal Husbandry (please contact us for these documents). 2554 villages and over a million large and small animals need immediate help in Orissa.

To those of you worldwide, we send this urgent message to appeal for your kind financial donation that will be wisely and carefully used in remedying this crisis, and look forward to letting you know later on that much has been accomplished.

To those of you here in India, if you are willing to support our teams in any manner please to get in touch with us. We need all forms of assistance, including veterinarians, experts and those with strong wills to deal with the situation (all materials and equipment needed will be supplied.)

Thanking you,
Pradeep Nath
Founder and President, Visakha SPCA
http://visakhaspca.org

APPEAL for Animals Stranded by Hurricane Ike

If you can, please help!

- UPDATE 10-25-08: Bay Area Pet Adoptions in San Leon, Texas was devastated by hurricane Ike and is in desperate need of donations to repair their buildings. View photos of the damage, and see their current needs here. Donations may be made on-line - for more information, please click here.

- Please see SRM's Hurricane Ike Animal Rescues blog for more updates, and to find more small organizations needing help.

- Updates on animal organizations may also be found on the Best Friends Network Texas news page.


Many animal organizations in Texas and other states have been impacted by the hurricane, and/or are helping animals affected by the hurricane. Learn more, or donate, by clicking on the links below:

- O'Malley Alley Cats in Lufkin needs contributions to help repair their facility. Please see this news story in the Lufkin Daily News.

- Noah's Ark Sanctuary in Cypress needs contributions for repairs to their facility.

- Whiskerville Sanctuary in Texas City needs contributions to buy a generator and care for many rescued animals.

- Spindletop Pit Bull Rescue in Willis needs contributions to repair their facility - read more here.

- Cinnamon's Companions Animal Sanctuary near Houston is in need of funding to transport cats and kittens to Purrfect Angels Sanctuary in California. More details have been posted on the Best Friends Network here.

- Habitat for Horses is rescuing and caring for horses on Galveston Island, and also needs help to rebuild their own facilities, which were damaged by the hurricane. Learn more, or donate, here.


The Houston SPCA has taken in animals from the Galveston Animal Shelter, and Galveston County, as well as the Brazoria County SPCA. They have also set up a temporary shelter on Galveston Island to care for the animals who are still being rescued there. Also helping rescue animals in the affected areas are the other members of the Texas State Animal Resource Team:
SPCA of Texas

The Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Response Team

The Denver Dumb Friends League

The Louisiana SPCA

Code 3 Associates

SPCAla Disaster Animal Response Team

Humane Society of the Pike's Peak Region


- The Humane Society of Southeast Texas, the Humane Society/SPCA of Bexar County, the Waco Humane Society, the SPCA of Texas and other regional shelters are taking in and caring for evacuated animals.

- Texas AgriLife Extension is coordinating relief efforts to provide food and water for 20,000 cattle and horses who are now roaming in several Southeast Texas counties following Hurricane Ike. You can donate to the "No Fences Hurricane Ike Horse and Cattle Relief Fund" here. Hay, feed, water troughs and portable panels are also needed.

- The Wildlife Rehab & Education Center in Houston is caring for wild animals who were injured during the storm. You can donate to them here. For more details, please see this post on the Best Friends Network.

- Pets America has been working with the Red Cross to care for animals that
were evacuated to shelters.

- Several national animal groups are doing animal search and rescue, assisting shelters (and helping in other ways) in areas affected by the hurricane:

Best Friends Rapid Reponse Team

Humane Society of the United States Disaster Center

United Animal Nations Emergency Animal Rescue Service

North Shore Animal League America Emergency Rescue

International Fund for Animal Welfare Emergency Relief Team

American Humane Associate Animal Emergency Services

ASPCA Disaster Relief


If you know of another organization that is caring for animals stranded after Hurricane Ike, please leave a comment on this post so we can add it to the list.

Many thanks to Jennifer Hayes of the Best Friends Network for her help in compiling these links!

by mishkat

Operation Happy Sock

Do you want to cheer up the cats in your local shelters? Try Operation Happy Sock!
Anyone can make a catnip Happy Sock, it's so easy everyone can have a go!
Make sure you use clean, old socks and quality catnip.

Sources of catnip :
EFA member It's Meow or Never who sells the 'nippy.
Alternatively try a search on Etsy for 'organic catnip'.

Needed: Item Donations for Dog Rescue Auction

From an e-mail sent to EFA co-leader MVegan5:

My name is Christopher Walsh, and I volunteer for two New England dog rescue groups- Life's Little Paws (cocker spaniels) and Chesapeake Safe Harbor (Chesapeake Bay retrievers). For many years several cocker spaniel groups got together and had an online auction to raise funds. Last spring, Life's Little Paws decided to invest in its own software, offer it to limited rescues, and have only two auctions per year, Spring and Fall (Holiday). The auction site is www.lifeslittlepawsauction.com, and the Fall auction runs from October 18 to November 22, 2008.

Chesapeake Safe Harbor is involved, an all-breed rescue out of California is involved, and several cocker spaniel groups from Ohio, New England, California, New York, Florida and (I think) Tennessee will be joining. It's a great way to network, let people do their holiday shopping and of course raise money for the rescues to continue a never-ending project: saving the dogs.

The nice thing is we can list the web addresses on the auction for the non-winners to go ahead and order later. We have over 600 registered and spending users that utilize the auction and spend their money- all pet lovers. Even a few kitty things end up here.

I guarantee that 100% of the proceeds go to the dogs, and, through Chesapeake Safe Harbor, I can issue a tax receipt for a donation to this non-profit organization for any and all donations. If anyone is interested in donating something to the auction, please email me soon, as listing for the auction is fully underway. My email address is dallasisland@netzero.com, and my shipping address is:

Christopher Walsh
31 Gretas Lane
Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Please include a link to your website or your Etsy store, the value of the donation (including time invested) and the mailing address for the receipt to go to. Don't hesitate to email me with any questions.

--Christopher Walsh

APPEAL for Help with Medical Expenses for Cats at Meow or Never!

Help with medical expenses is urgently needed for three cats at It's Meow or Never Animal Rescue and Sanctuary!

The Sanctuary recently had some unexpected emergency vet expenses, and are in need of monetary donations to help these three cats, Sweetie, Max, and Donovan.

Sweetie has a urinary infection. Her medications/treatment will cost around $150.00.

Max (pictured to the left) has a polyp in his ear and needs surgery to remove it. It could be cancer. The vet said it would be $250.00 for his surgery.

Donovan is not eating, he has diarrhea and he needs his eye removed. He can't wait any longer for help.

You can see photos of Donovan, Sweetie, and Max (along with many other wonderful animals) here.

It's Meow or Never says "Please help these precious kitties. Donovan is just the sweetest kitty, he really enjoys life. He was playing yesterday and now today, he is just walking around, and he won't eat or drink either. Sweetie is a good girl and Max is a great long haired male kitty. Please donate whatever you can because we truly do not have it."

To make a donation, please visit http://www.itsmeowornever.org/donations.asp. They thank you in advance for your support.

C is for Calming by DeerMountainWoodArt

My son asked me a while back to make him a Zen Garden. I wasn't sure how to go about it, but I knew it had to be small enough to fit on his desk, yet easy to put away when he was done 'relaxing'. This little gem is the culmination of his desire and my passion for creating, and the first thing he packed in his moving boxes on his way to college!


Instead of drinking with your friends at college to relax, how about a Zen Experience!?!

"Zen to Go!: Tranquility" measures 8.5" x 6.5" and is 1.5" deep, and displays the desired symbol on the sliding lid - which in this case is "Tranquility".

Makes a great GIFT!!

Alone, this character has a broad span of possible meanings. These meanings include relaxed, quiet, rested, contented, calm, still, to pacify, peaceful, at peace, soothing or soothed.. It really works and now we ALL have one! Not as lavish as this one, with it's handcrafted lacquered 'rake' and case, but they're all pretty nice! =D

"Zen-to-Go!: Tranquility" is crafted from a recycled wooden pencil box with the Asian symbol carved in 1/4" Santos Mahogany. It comes complete with a red lacquered, hand-threaded 'rake', micro-burl 'temple'/mountain, 2 "Apache Tears" for good karma, and the finest 'sand' that you ever touched a rake or hand to!

After you're done with your 'meditating' you can place everything back in the case and close it up for later. Truly a uniquely relaxing experience, WHEREVER you are! =D

DeerMountainWood Art (Freida) donates 10% of the monthly sales to the Charity of the Month(EFA). She also helps the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, http://www.rmef.org (they help preserve the health and habitat for the elk and other wildlife) with annual item donations. Freida also works with her local Humane Society, www.canoncityhumanesociety.org/, helping with food drives and charity events. She's very happy to be able to help wherever she can and says, "Animals cannot speak for themselves, so we need to 'speak' on their behalf and use our resources and talents to ensure that they live a long, happy, peaceful, and healthy life!"

C is for "City Kitty" by LolaLynn

The first painting I ever sold was in high school. It was a city scape. At the time I lived in New Jersey and my bedroom window faced the New York City skyline. I loved looking out upon its ever changing appearance. I'm still spellbound when I view it - whether going over a bridge or on the glide path into the airport.

City Kitty captures a glimpse of the New York City skyline. Not necessarily a realistic view but front and center is the Empire State Building and off to the left, more to the background is the Citicorp Building. The black building behind the kitty is the U.N.. All these buildings are on the Eastside in Midtown. While we lived in Manhattan I saw the landmarks on a regular basis. How very fortunate I feel to have had the chance to live in such a fabulous place.

City Kitty is a print of my original acrylic ACEO painting. Printed on card stock, each card is hand embellished with acrylic paint to give it that personal touch. The 2.5 x 3.5 inch art card will come signed on the front and back and is marked "hand embellished print" and comes in a clear plastic protective card sleeve.

10% will be donated to EFA's charity of the month.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13789953

The World According to Merlin: My Interview with Unique!

The World According to Merlin: My Interview with Unique!

C is for Catnip Cats by recycledideas

Feline fanatics, these gift tags are not your ordinary ones - they have been made from recycled, handmade paper that can be recycled itself in a unique way — by planting it!

The kitty lover who receives this fancy feline gets a double gift: Plant her, and she grows CATNIP.


Catnip is a perennial herb from the mint family.

Besides driving little lions crazy with ecstasy, it can be used to make tea. The flowering plant produces purple blossoms and will come up again in the spring year after year. It also self-seeds, giving you lots of baby plants to share with friends as the years go by.


** Truly a gift that keeps on giving **


6 tags in set
Cats measure 3.5 tall x 1.25 inches wide
.. and are strung on hemp thread.

Each tag comes with germination instructions so recipients can't go wrong. The paper I make really does grow, you can see the sprouts coming out of the paper on my blog:
http://newfoundlandnews.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-paper-really-can-be-grown-to-make.html


*** ALWAYS RECYCLED ***


Please note: These cool cats are non-partisan; they lean to the left *and* right ;=)

C is for Canine Coat by SturmDM

C stands for canine (or doggy) coat.

This brightly colored doggy sweater will keep your pet not only warm, but safe. It will make him/her easy to see. I like the fiery colors that will also look good for autumn, but in any case, it could be worn year-round to fend off a chill.

I crocheted this little sweater/coat using red, yellow, orange and brown acrylic worsted weight yarn, then added two matching yellow buttons on either side for closure and for a little bit of style - and luck - I sewed on a pretty ladybug.
This coat is for small dogs as seen on the picture. It fits a little snug on my Pekingese, Gizzy, because he has a lot of hair, but it fits my neighbor's little Shih Tzu perfectly and she was such a patient little model. Thank you, Mitzi! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12691093


Once I begin to get sales, I plan on donating 10% to Penn State University for Honey Bee Research. The website I use is http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/ . I like that website because it's very informative and very userfriendly and colorful, a great site for the whole family to visit and learn from.

APPEAL: Helping The Elephants at Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants

EFA has received the followig appeal for help. It sounds like a nightmare situation and if any EFA-er can help then let them hear from you. Imagine being kept is something the size of a bathroom for most of your day and night - it's a truly awful thought.

"We are Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants. We are trying to get the 3 elephants out of their inhumane living conditions at the zoo and into the 2,700 acre Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The poor girls are kept in a tiny, barren barn room for 18 - 20 hours a day!!!!! When they are let out, they only get a fraction of an acre. In addition, WPZ had a young elephant die of herpes so now all the eles are carriers but that doesn't stop the zoo from artificially inseminating Chai, the mother of the deceased girl - to the tune of 11 times!

Our Elephant-Sized Comedy show and art LIVE art auction is May 11 and we have catalogs to print, we need to have the art in hand by April 23rd. All are welcome! Thanks for your support.

Donations can be sent to:
Alyne Fortgang
10011 Vinton Ct. NW
Seattle, WA 98177"

If you have anything you can send - get in touch with them right now. Time is short and to get their fund raising catalogues out will take time. get moving you guys!

C is for Sea Cow by bluecicada

The title for my piece is "Gentle Giants." Sea cows, or manatees, are truly wonderful creatures; here in Florida we are treated with their gentle presence when they gather in the warm water of the natural springs during the winter months. "Gentle Giants" was created and carved on a linoleum block and hand printed on paper. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13749425

20% of this sale will go to my favorite charity: http://www.careforcows.org/

C is for... Copper

These Forest Animal Figurines are my entry in the August Challenge "C is for...", Mine is "C is for Copper". They can be found in my shop: TheClayPony. You can view this listing here.

I absolutely loooove copper, so of course I had to use copper leaf on my resin animal figurines for this challenge. They are covered with a clear gloss glaze for protection.
Their measurements are:
Reindeer, 2" high and is just over 1/4" thick
Fox, 1 1/16" high and is 5/16" thick
Squirrel, just over 1/2" high and is 1/4" thick


10% of the sale of these copper animals will be donated to the EFA Charity of the Month: Pittie Love Rescue
http://pittieloverescue.com/

Cool Cat Cafe by Merlinsbarkproducts

C" is for this Cool Cat Cafe (not just one "c" but three!)since it will be perfect for the feline in your life. With three bowls to choice from, your kitty can enjoy dry food, wet food, and water at the same time. Your kitty will also be happy to get their paws (and claws) on this beautiful antique green elevated/raised cat bowl holder. Built out of pine, and measuring 3 1/4" in height, it will be perfect fit for the kitty in your life. Constructed out of recycled oak table legs and pine, the look is completed with two 1-pint stainless steel bowls. The stainless steel bowls are dishwasher safe so they will be easy to keep shiny and sparkly clean. This elevated/raised cat bowl holder is sure to look great on any kitchen floor. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13861733



Did you know that elevated feeders are a great thing for a pup (or kitty) to have. Not only do they look nicer than just a plain old bowl setting on the floor, but elevated feeders are very beneficial for pets too. Veterinarians recommend elevated feeders because they help ease digestion problems, and are easier for pets that have problems with arthritis, neck or back problems to eat out of. Also, using raised feeding bowls help provide pet owners with a more hygienic and cleaner house. How great is that!

If this item is sold during the month of August $10 will be donated to the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania.

Sugar Glider Rescue: Hope for Gliders

Do you know what a sugar glider is? I didn't, until I began reading about EFA member kaczie's charity - a sugar glider rescue called Hope For Gliders. I asked kaczie (Danielle) for more information and she responded with a great write-up about gliders and glider rescue, and wonderful photos of her own two sugar gliders and their cage. These beautiful and sensitive animals are abandoned far too often - thankfully, there are caring people out there who are helping them.

Danielle says:

Sugar gliders are small, nocturnal, arboreal marsupials native to Australia that have a gliding membrane called the patagium that extends between their front and back legs. They can live up to 15 years in captivity (4-6 years in the wild). They bond by scent and will form a strong bond with their main caretakers. In the wild, they live in colonies of up to 30 gliders, so in captivity, they need to be kept in pairs or larger groups. They eat insects, small vertebrates, and sap of the eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees and extract the juice from their meals by pushing the food between their two front teeth.

Gliders are becoming more common as pets because they have few health problems and form a close bond to their owner, something that most other small pets do not. However, glider ownership must be carefully considered - gliders require daily attention, out of cage time, a large cage (most people use large bird flight cages), fresh nightly prepared meals from one of the "accepted" glider diets available (there are no commercially prepared glider foods), are messy eaters who get food everywhere, and must have access to stimulating toys. If gliders don't have these things, they will become bored and depressed, and can develop health problems. Many people do not have the time to dedicate to these creatures for 15 years.

Unfortunately, people purchase gliders on impulse, and don't realize how much work they can be, so gliders often end up being dumped at rescues (or worse yet, being dumped outside). They sometimes are bounced from home to home but eventually, many will end up in a rescue. Change stresses gliders, so a glider rescue may become a glider's forever home simply so the glider can relax and finally feel loved/wanted. Other times, they will be adopted out to caring new homes that have been prescreened by the rescue.

Glider rescue requires funding and dedication. Since gliders require fresh meals every single night, rescues go through a lot of food. Because gliders are exotic animals, vet costs are not cheap and many vets are not experienced enough to handle glider care. Rescues must cover these expenses for each and every glider, and also provide them a cage, toys, bedding materials, specialized wheels, companionship, and more.

For more information, or if you'd like to help, please see
Hope for Gliders website
Jeanne's Hope for Gliders blog on the Best Friends Network
Gliders available for adoption from Hope for Gliders
(Hope for Gliders currently does only local adoptions in the Dallas, TX area, but may be able to provide referrals to rescues in other areas.)
by mishkat

C is for Connectedness

When making a mobius, each new jump ring goes through *all* the other rings that have gone before. To me, this was a perfect illustration of the August EFA Challenge, "C is For..." My piece shows how "C is for Connectedness." Just as all the jump rings in the mobius are interconnected, so are all the creatures on the planet, and they all deserve our compassion and consideration (more Cs!).

This necklace is made entirely of sterling silver and is just over 16 inches long. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13859820

My shop, Aimee Dars Designs, donates 10% of all sales to animal organizations. My shop profile will specify the charity designated for the month.

Urgent appeal from It's Meow or Never

This post has been moved to:
http://efaartistshelpinganimals.org/index.php/animal-issues/115-requests-for-monetary-donations/226-an-appeal-for-air-conditioning-help

Celebrate

Über Duper Creations is an etsy shop that loves animals. And in keeping with August's challenge we want to feature two items.

C is for Container! We have hand painted treat jars to hold those delicious biscuits for your best friend. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=13499572 . Of course you'll need a lil' something something to fill that jar. . .which brings us to. . .

C is for Crunchy! Beastie Biscuits are on sale through the end of August. Wholesome & ORGANIC!! Made out of real ingredients. People Tested and Dog Approved :0)
Please use your code words "I am a Beast Friend" to get in on this great promotional sale. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13535019

10% if all profits go to help various organizations helping animals in need. The August/September Charity is Mill Dog Rescue Network ( http://www.milldogrescue.org/ ); A wonderful non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes retired mill dogs and educates the general public about the realities of the commercial dog breeding industry.


Best of all, C is for Celebrate! Celebrate Life! Celebrate Community! Celebrate Nature! Celebrate the amazing Creatures that share this earth.

Be well friends!

Paws and Smell the World

Coming soon, this is the sweetest book, full of doggie wisdom and delight by Dana Thomas. You can check it out and see inside some of the pages at Amazon.com here or order from your local bookshop. All you wish to order it locally the ISBN details are :- (10 digit) ISBN-10: 1933958286 or (13 digit) 978-1933958286.

It is also available as a Kindle book for those in the USA with Kindle readers.

Cowabanga!! Sooooo many treasuries...

...All featuring the EFA Store :D
Yaay!! Looks like this Birthday Bash Bug has bitten everyone.

Talk about a jackpot!! A treasury featuring ONLY the EFA Store in all the slots!!
THAAAANK YOOOOUUU Kary!! aka theknottysheep.



Two from our famous Cyn. And need I say how gorgeous they are? I'm tellin' ya, this girl was a treasury ninja mistress in her previous birth!





Now who can resist these oh so "awww" faces in Sewelsonwoodcraft's collection? A treasury all about people supporting shelter dogs and cats...



What a lovely color!! You're sure it "ooohhh and ahhh" at CurlyGirlCrochet's cornflower blue treasury.



And finally, another one of Destashtique's awesome BNRs. This one's the 'pick of the litter'.



A HUGE thank you to all of you talented treasury curators from EFA and the animals!! :)
Please continue to feature the EFA store in your treasuries.

With love,

your treasury hunter -
- Susmitha :)