On Loving Animals...

So, you thought this blog was only about dogs and cats huh? Well, animal cruelty exists in all areas of the kingdom. The International Fund for Horses looks after the welfare of horses around the globe, domesticated, wild and even working horses. The images on the left are from their website. Founded by Vivian Grant ( God bless her ) in February, 2003, the IFH began operating in October of that year. Their work involves " working closely with a large network of rescues, sanctuaries, rehabilitation and adoption facilities in the United States and Canada to find homes for displaced horses ." There is a lot to say about this group that it would be better to visit their website by clicking on the link above. Their successes are many and they constituted God's work on Earth. What is specially endearing to me is their action against horse-fighting in some areas of the Philippines. Unfortunately, horse-fighting has been incorporated into town fiestas and other folk celebrati...

Do you want to hear a great story about a pit bull? Yes, those dogs that are supposedly a danger to society? Well, meet a Pit bull-mix named Maya who was rescued from the Human Society by her master who would later on become eternally grateful to the dog. There are dogs whose lives are worth more than some humans'. Read how Maya rose to the occasion and became one of the greater members of our society: http://www.mercurynews.com/lifestyle/ci_7285789?nclick_check=1

Take a look at this video of a news report covering the arrest, on the spot, of dog fighting handlers in Antipolo , outside the city of Manila. The report is not in English but you can follow the story line anyway. The cops pretended to be spectators filming the dog fight. When enough evidence was accrued, they sprang into action declaring, " We are police, we are police! " Evidently, there were foreigners involved in this ring and they refused to give a statement on video at the police station. One arrestee , his face covered, claimed he was only there to watch and that he would never come to that place again since he found it offensive. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), surely, was in the thick of it. Nita Hontiveros Lichauco and Anna Cabrera of PAWS appear on the video. They have received death threats from anonymous sources for their involvement. Job well-done by PAWS and the Filipino police. God Bless. The video was posted in March, 2007. Here it is : htt...

In 1998, The Philippine government passed the Animal Welfare Act which safeguards all animals in the country. The law protects all animals, but its greatest beneficiaries are the stray dogs that end up in the brutal and barbaric dogmeat trade. Hundreds of them are captured or bought cheaply from impoverished owners. Then, they are crudely slaughtered ( their throats slit or they are bludgeoned to death with a blunt object ) for consumption usually by drink-loving men who equate dogmeat and alcohol with the best of times. An odd sense of Machismo comes into play here.These same men feel the need to prove their manhood not by performing some kind of civic duty, but by slaughtering helpless and trusting strays. How manly is that? Are the strays truly protected by the law at all? Passing laws is one thing, enforcing them is another. Although there have been some rescues and interdictions by law enforcement officials, more need to be done. Enforcement is where the law turns into a toot...

We've cried foul and offered our respective condemnations of Michael Vick, but have you taken the time to thank those who went in, weighed in, wallowed in the muck, and stood up against this horrible dog-fighting business? ASPCA invites you to give thanks to those who mattered : http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_letters

Ever heard of Tammy Grimes? She is the Founder of Dogs Deserve Better . On Sept. 11, 2006, she helped a dying dog in chains, and was charged with theft for taking the dog to her home. Her story is one of compassion and courage, fighting abuse and intimidation from the local police who would not even give her a ride home after questioning late into the night. The full story and videos can be found at their website: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/doogie.html The case isn't over yet, and we should all support her in several ways as courageously as she helped the dying dog. I am reproducing a segment found in their website here to showcase the injustice that Tammy Grimes is facing: " Meanwhile, in nearby Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 8 boys stole and cruelly slaughtered 2 lambs from a local farmer. According to the Altoona Mirror, one local said. “This was boys being boys, and they made a mistake.” State police said the farmer initially reported the livestock stolen, then settl...

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) will be conducting a fundraiser on Oct. 20 th and another one on the 27 th . The first one features a dinner for donors and their dogs while the following week's event will be Halloween pet costume celebration. Yes, that's correct, even the dogs are invited to attend the dinner. That's just a wonderful idea. However, don't let the fun and games fool you. This is serious business. Animal cruelty in the Philippines runs rampant from horse-fighting, dog-fighting, mistreatment of strays, and the most blood-curdling of them all, the dogmeat trade. PAWS tries its best to function in this realm of darkness where the concept of mercy is as alien as the planet Mars. The bad far outnumber the good. Beleaguered, under-staffed, and under-funded, PAWS relies on fundraising events and donations to survive and complete its mission. Its operating cost is 75,000 pesos a month ( $1704 )to run a shelter holding more than 100 dogs and cats, p...

For those of you who find it hard to volunteer your time and effort to the cause of animal rights and welfare, and can't seem to part with some spare change for their sake, here is a website where you only have to click on a purple button and the sponsors will provide food to homeless and needy animals. They are a partner of Petfinder.com. You can click on the button everyday, if you wish. What does it take? Well, from here, it takes two clicks of the mouse to get it done. It's FREE. Go for it!

This is a wonderful story. See the video. Life is so precious. Listen to the volunteer's realization that beef is not just beef, a pang of conscience just hit her. http://youtube.com/watch?v=3uKhp9B2M5I

Here's a nice website/photo blog about the dogs and cats rescued by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society . Indeed, these animals are very fortunate to fall into the hands on this group. When you see their photos, you will wish that you could give them a big hug. Kudos to the blogmaster. Job well-done! http://mefindhome.blogspot.com/

If you have not realized the magnitude of animal cruelty in Asia, here is the website of a group called ITD: http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net/policy.html Take a look at the pages concerning the Philippines and Korea. There are links to what you can do to help.

It seems that Elevages Perigord of Quebec is not the only one practicing brutality in the business. Farm Sanctuary, the leading protector of farm animals, has uncovered a similar situation at the farms of Aux Champs d'Élisé also from Quebec. The violations run the gamut of cruel acts like slamming ducks into the floor, slinging ducks into the air by grabbing their necks, and so on. Sign the petition, please. Here is the REPORT

I guess there is truth in the saying, " It's a dog's life. " In some parts of the world, a dog's life is worth nothing and the concept of mercy seems to be as alien as Mars. Here's a link to the online forum of Animal Welfare Coalition , an intrepid group fighting the horrors of animal cruelty in the Philippines. The photos, taken in India, are horrendous. Some dogs were beaten to death, some by acid, strangled, and burnt alive. Pure savagery. The killings took place in the states of Karnatala and Kerela with protesters assaulted by the police. The killings included pets and not only stray dogs. When you get to the page after clicking on the link below, click on the text to read the story. http://forum.animalwelfare.com.ph/index.php?showtopic=247