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

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Search Dog Foundation and Hurricane Sandy

Search Dog Foundation

on call and in action

- Hurricane Sandy -

As you will recall... Search Dog Foundation was our Charity of the Month for the month of September... I thought I'd share an update i received from them via email about their good work in the NY / NJ area... 

Text & Photos courtesy of SDF

"Our Search Dog Foundation Search Teams on New York Task Force 2 have been working with Indiana Task Force 1 and Pennsylvania Task Force 1 in Long Beach (Long Island), NY, going from building to building, checking for anyone who may be in need of help.

On Wednesday, Jason Geary and Marsi completed a seven-story apartment building search. Running through the entire complex to pick up the scent of  live humans, Marsi alerted on two elderly women and another resident in two separate apartments. The two women did not hear rescuers calling out, but did find it strange to hear a dog barking. They were surprised when they opened the door to find Marsi wagging her tail wildly at the success of her "find."

SDF handlers John Stewart and Greg Gould helped throughout the day with search operations but did not work their dogs as they were with a different team and the canines were not called in."

Long Beach, New York - In the wake of the storm's wrath

"Our last major deployment in New York was after the 9/11 attacks, when 13 SDF-trained teams spent weeks searching for survivors. Our teams were also deployed to Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti and Japan earthquakes, and many regional disasters and missing person searches all over the nation. After years of intensive training, the dogs are able to focus all their instinct and high-level training on one thing: making sure NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND."

The following FEMA Task Forces are now activated for deployment following Superstorm Sandy:

Indiana Task Force 1

Maryland Task Force 1

Massachusetts Task Force 1

Missouri Task Force 1

Ohio Task Force 1

Pennsylvania Task Force 1

Virginia Task Force 1

Virginia Task Force 2

Tennessee Task Force 1

NY Search Dogs Lani & Marsi enjoy a break from searching

DEPLOYMENT CHRONOLOGY

SUNDAY: At approximately 5:00 pm EST on October 28th, three Albany, NY-based Search Teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation--Greg Gould & Kura, John Stewart & Lani and Jason Geary & Marsi--were called out by New York Task Force 2 to prepare for deployment to Superstorm Sandy. They met the other members of the Task Force on Long Island, where they prepped their gear and made plans for deployment.

MONDAY: October 29 NY Task Force 2 joined crews from Suffolk County Urban Search and Rescue making water rescues in three towns in Suffolk County. Using boats and jet skis to reach stranded households, the Task Force helped bring 70 people and 13 animals to safety.

TUESDAY: October 30 The Task Force spent time in Nassau County where there have been multiple reports of missing persons. Ten other SDF Search Teams (based in Los Angeles and Florida) were also on alert, prepared to deploy if they were called out by their Task Forces.   

THANKS for your good work,
Search Dog Foundation

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November's Charity of the Month is... Operation Catnip, TNR

November's

Charity of the Month is...

OPERATION CATNiP

Nominated by Veronica of ScrappyRat

Text & photos courtesy of Operation Catnip

Who we are... Founded in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1997, Operation Catnip is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to reducing feral and free-roaming unowned cat populations through sterilization.

What are feral cats ? A feral cat is a domestic cat that has developed a natural fear of humans. Most ferals are the offspring of stray or abandoned household pets or a failure to spay/neuter them. Raised without human contact, they quickly revert to a wild nature and form colonies where food and shelter are available. 

Most feral cats are acclimated to their outdoor lifestyle and would not adjust well to an indoor home. More importantly there are not enough homes available due to the over-population from a lack of sterilization. Feral cats make up a large portion of the cats killed at animal shelters.

What can be done to help feral cats ?

The plight of feral and free-roaming unowned cats has captured the hearts of animal lovers for many years, but only within the last two decades has a non-lethal option for their control become more widely available. Called “trap-neuter- return” or TNR, this humane alternative involves trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating, ear-tipping and re- turning the cats to their colonies where they are looked after by their caretakers.

Through TNR we can greatly reduce the numbers of unwanted feral and stray cats which lowers the intake and euthanasia rates at animal shelters. This saves tax dollars and leaves more space at animal shelters for adoptable cats. TNR also addresses the public health concern about rabies, and reduces annoying behaviors such as cats fighting and spraying. This solution is believed to successfully reduce birth rates and improve the overall health of the colony.

How does Operation Catnip fit in the solution?

Operation Catnip is a nonprofit organization that operates a high-volume, no-charge clinic where feral and free-roaming unowned cats are spayed/ neutered and vaccinated. 

In addition, Operation Catnip operates a voucher program through which feral and free-roaming unowned cats are sterilized at local veterinary clinics with a small co-pay from the caretaker. 

Our clinics are run entirely by volunteers (veterinarians, vet technicians and trained lay people) and are capable of sterilizing over 100 cats in a matter of hours. All cats have the tip of their left ear cropped, which identifies them as sterilized.

Who makes Operation Catnip possible ?

Feral Cat Caretakers - Operation Catnip is a spay/neuter clinic and does not participate in the actual trapping of cats. We partner with those caring individuals who have become part of the humane solution by responsibly maintaining feral cats in their communities. In order to use the Operation Cat- nip program, these caretakers must assume responsibility for trapping and transporting cats to and from the clinic and en- sure adequate and continued care for the cats for the remainder of their lives.

Volunteers - Operation Catnip is run entirely by dedicated volunteers. Licensed vets perform all spays and neuters while vet technicians, vet students and trained lay people provide technical and administrative support. No experience is necessary -- we are happy to provide any necessary training. Operation Catnip is always looking for volunteers to staff its clinics, perform administrative tasks or assist with publicity and fund-raising projects.

Donors - Thanks to the veterinarians and other volunteers who generously donate their time, Operation Catnip can offer its clinics free of charge. However, the cost of medical supplies is very high and Operation Catnip relies entirely on donations from the public to run its clinics—we receive no government funding of any kind. We estimate that the cost to sterilize and vaccinate each cat is at least $26 so please consider a tax-deductible donation to Operation Catnip.

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October's COTM is... National Mill Dog Rescue

October's 

Charity of the Month is...

Nominated by Courtney of ShortCakeDesigns

Written by National Mill Dog Rescue

Photos used with permission NMDR

OUR MISSION STATEMENT...

To rescue, rehabilitate and rehome discarded breeding dogs and to educate the general public about the cruel realities of the commercial dog breeding industry.


OUR STORY...

National Mill Dog Rescue was established in February 2007, in honor of a forgiving little Italian Greyhound named Lily. Theresa Strader, NMDR’s Founder and Executive Director, rescued Lily from a dog auction in Missouri. Prior to that day, Lily had spent the first seven years of her life as a commercial breeding dog, a puppy mill mom. Determined that her years of living in misery would not be in vain, Strader started NMDR, giving a voice to mill dogs across the country.

Our Founder, Lily

During her years as a breeding dog, Lily spent all of her days confined to a small, cold wire cage in a dark, foul-smelling barn. Never was she removed from her cage for exercise or socialization. In her dreary confines, Lily was forced to produce one litter after another with no respite. Like all commercial breeding dogs, she was a veritable breeding machine whose worth was measured in only one way - her ability to produce puppies.

Diego

By seven years of age, Lily was worn out. Commonplace in the industry, she had received little to no veterinary care throughout her life, the result of which, for her, was terribly disturbing. Due to years of no dental care, poor quality food, rabbit bottle watering and no appropriate chew toys, the roof of Lily’s mouth and lower jaw, had rotted away. Her chest was riddled with mammary tumors and she was absolutely terrified of people.

Abby

Strader brought Lily and twelve others home from the auction and declares that even for a highly seasoned rescuer, the following months were the education of a lifetime in rehabilitation. That she would take up the cause for the mill dogs was never in question and National Mill Dog Rescue was promptly underway. In five short years, NMDR has amassed over 1,300 volunteers and has rescued over 6,700 puppy mill survivors.

Roswell

Run almost solely by volunteers, NMDR has pledged to put an end to the cruelty of the puppy mill industry. Through widespread informative efforts, NMDR hopes to educate the public to acquire their companion animals through reputable breeders or better yet, from shelters and rescue groups across the country.

Leo

After her rescue, Lily spent the remainder of her life as a beloved member of the Strader family where she received medical care, warmth and companionship. In time, Lily found courage and her disfigured little body educated countless people about the horrors of the puppy mill industry. Lily died peacefully in the arms of her loving family in May 2008, fifteen months after she was rescued.

NMDR LiNKS

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September's COTM is... National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

September's 

Charity of the Month is...

National Disaster

Search Dog Foundation

nominated by Cori of Terikor

Article by Cori of Terikor
Photographs used with permission

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) brings new meaning to rescue dogs. Not only are these dogs rescued but also they are given a new job to rescue people.  

That job and the Search Dog Foundation’s mission is to strengthen disaster response in America and across the world by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find humans buried alive in the wreckage of disasters.  

Currently there are 72 Search Dog Foundation teams located in California, Florida, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Baja, California. 

Bill and Hunter

Wilma Melville founded the Search Dog Foundation in 1996.   Wilma and her dog Murphy were deployed to Oklahoma City in 1995 following the terrorist bombing of the Federal Building. What Wilma discovered in Oklahoma was there were not enough certified search dogs/handler teams.  In 1995 there were only 15 advanced Certified disaster search dog/handler teams. Thus began Wilma’s dream to create highly skilled canine search and rescue teams.

Caddy and Jasmine

Today the Search Dog Foundation professionally trains the dogs, their partners as well as provides ongoing training programs at no cost to fire departments. The dogs are ensured a lifetime of care once they are rescued thereby the dogs never need to be rescued again.  

Not all dogs make it through the program but the Search Dog Foundation makes sure that those dogs are provided with forever homes through their Lifetime Care Program.  

SDF Dog in Training

The dogs in the program must display a tremendous amount of drive, energy, determination, boldness, athleticism and the ability to focus on any task given to them. The dogs are toy-crazy, which is important as training is rewarded with special toys. The dogs must learn what is called the “bark alert”, which lets people know there is someone, alive, and possibly unconscious in need of rescue. These dogs must also be able to move very quickly through a pile of rubble as time is of the essence in the wake of a disaster.

SDF Mock Search

The Search Dog Foundation’s teams have assisted in disasters such as Haiti Earthquake, 911, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2011 earthquake in Japan. The teams stand by for any disaster in the country.

The Ladder

Of the 72 canine teams there are only two teams that cover local, national and international disasters. They are the Los Angeles County Task Force 2 and the Fairfax, VA Task Force 1. Each task force is made up of eight canines and handlers.

Nino and Jim

Over the years, Wilma’s dreams have come to fruition.  Every year brings something new to the Search Dog Foundation. Today the Search Dog Foundation is building the first facility totally dedicated to the training of Canine Disaster Search Teams. This National Training Center is located in Santa Paula, CA.

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EFA Members with COTM tagged products may email their item links to Cori at Terikor for promotion on SDF's Fb page - please be sure each listing discloses the amount or percentage that the item will benefit COTM upon its sale.

Thank you !

July's COTM is... Arctic Rescue

JULY'S COTM is...

nominated by Julie of BlindWolfSpirit
photographs courtesy of Arctic Rescue

Arctic Rescue was founded in 1994 and is located in Provo, Utah. The group rescues Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Samoyed, Alaskan Huskies, and other arctic breed dogs from shelters in Utah and the surrounding region. 

Chubs Tetonia

Arctic Rescue does not operate a shelter or kennel but instead works with a network of volunteer foster homes. Like many other dog rescue organizations, they receive information from area shelters and other rescue groups about arctic breed dogs in need.

Inga

The group works together with National Siberian Husky Rescue, PetFinder as well as other area rescues and breed enthusiasts to rescue, adopt out, and promote sled dog type breeds.

Saber in Lead

Arctic Rescue works to support other area rescues: Kaylenberg Siberians, Moonsong Malamute Rescue, Alaskan Malamute Assistance League, and Birdsong Siberian Husky Rescue. I first became aware of Arctic Rescue through working with other area dog rescue groups and attending local events where Arctic Rescue was present. 

Timantti

Utah has a very active dog sledding community and there are many individuals and groups that run teams in the area. As a long-time sled dog enthusiast I was excited to learn we had such a wonderful local rescue group.  

Marble

Sled-dogs and huskie-type dogs are often neglected and sometimes mistreated as they are considered by some to be working dogs that do not require the same comforts as other dog breeds.  Dogs rescued by Arctic Rescue are often malnourished and show evidence of poor diets.  

Nak

One of the goals of Arctic Rescue and its fosters is to provide quality food to strengthen the dogs and bring them back to good health before adopting them out to loving forever homes.  Arctic Rescue loves to get donations of quality food and dog beds to help them provide for their many rescue dogs. 

Skathi

This rescue is very close to my heart and I hope that the Etsy for Animals Team will enjoy raising money for them as July’s Charity of the Month. 


By the way... some of the dogs pictured in this article are still available for adoption... check out Arctic Rescue's Facebook page for further information... 

Dreamer

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