TV star shines spotlight on shelter dog adoption

Posted on Oct 8, 2008 By Julia Szabo

Talented TV actresses are harnessing their star power to shine a much-needed spotlight on shelter dog adoption.

On Monday, Felicity Huffman of "Desperate Housewives" fame appeared in her role as ambassador for the "Iams Home 4 the Holidays" pet adoption campaign. The actress gave a press conference and posed for photographs with Kahlua, an adorable, adoptable Miniature Poodle,  at Animal Haven Soho, the hip, downtown-Manhattan branch of Animal Haven Shelter.

Now in its tenth year, the "Iams Home 4 the Holidays" campaign aims to raise awareness about adoption and place one million shelter dogs and cats in happy homes by January 5, 2009.

Adoption is one way to help a homeless dog; but if you haven't got room for a forever dog in your life, there's always the temporary option of fostering, which helps free up cage space at our nation's crowded animal shelters, which are seriously overburdened due to the mortgage foreclosure crisis.

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"Gimme Shelter" concert rocks dog adoption in New York

Posted on Oct 7, 2008 By Julia Szabo

Last night, the Highline Ballroom in New York's Chelsea was the venue for the third annual "Gimme Shelter: Rock and Rescue" concert. Referencing the Maysles brothers' legendary documentary about the infamous 1969 Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway, the concert's goal each year is to raise funds and awareness for shelter dog adoption and the drive to make New York a "no-kill" city.

Turnout for the five-hour concert was impressive, reports FetchDog spy and Book Hound reviewer Tanya Turgeon. And no wonder, as the all-star lineup included Ad-Rock of The Beastie Boys, Moby, Jesse Malin, up-and-comers Dead Four Living and Bloody Social, and the ageless Debbie Harry, who gamely said, "I can get down on all fours" in her greeting.

Raffle prizes included Led Zeppelin and Grateful Dead box sets from Rhino Records and a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes valued North of $500. Kudos to the event's co-sponsors: Rational Animal, the ASPCA, and the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.



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After the election, Obama family resolves to adopt a dog from an animal shelter

Posted on Oct 3, 2008 By Julia Szabo

On Entertainment Tonight earlier this week, Michelle Obama shared the news that, per the promise she and her husband made to their daughters, Malia and Sasha, after the presidential election, her family would be adopting a dog from an animal shelter instead of buying a dog from a pet store.

The announcement was music to the ears of animal rescuers and advocates across the country, although probably not to the American Kennel Club, which conducted an online poll in August to determine which purebred dog the family should buy; the majority of the 42,000 Americans polled voted that the family should get a Poodle.

It's highly likely that the Obamas' decision to adopt rather than buy a dog was influenced by one of their most prominent supporters, Oprah Winfrey, and the expose Winfrey's television talk show produced about the horrors of puppy mills, which supply the majority of the country's pet stores. The atrocities revealed in that now-famous broadcast, which aired in early April, resulted in Winfrey announcing that all of her future dogs would come from animal shelters.

However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is taking credit for the Obamas' decision, citing an impassioned letter written to the senator and his wife by PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk on July 28.

In the letter, Newkirk wrote, in part: "Senator, no one needs to tell you that this country is proud to be a melting pot, and that there is something deeply wrong and elitist about wanting only a purebred dog. Millions of Great American Mutts - the dog that should be our national dog - are set to die in our nation's extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes. Compassionate people nationwide are choosing to adopt a homeless pound puppy - a grateful refugee from a society that has not always treated the true "underdog" kindly - rather than cater to special interests who do not have dogs' interests at heart."

Newkirk's letter continued: "Adopting an animal not only saves a life, but demonstrates compassion, and the companion animal overpopulation crisis deserves attention from all Americans. Every animal purchased from a breeder or pet shop takes a home away from a needy animal at an animal shelter, waiting and hoping for a chance at the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."


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Champion flying-disc dog undergoes emergency surgery

Posted on Oct 1, 2008 By Julia Szabo

 

Last night we received the sad news from FetchDog friend Roo Yori that his beloved, champion flying-disc dog Wallace, an adopted pit bull  and one of the most talented dog athletes ever, will not be competing in this year's annual Purina Incredible Dog Challenge this weekend.

While at his underwater treadmill session, training to prepare for this weekend's big event, which he won last year, Wallace managed to remove a silicone spatula from its handle and swallowed it whole. Vets were unable to remove the object with a scope, so Wallace underwent emergency surgery to remove the thing before it could travel to his intestines.

A devastated Roo sent out an email blast last night asking Wallace's friends and supporters around the country to "please send thoughts, prayers, good vibes, etc., his way for a successful procedure." It worked: Roo's follow-up email let everyone know that Wallace came out of surgery just fine. Whew.

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Animal Care's Central Park Dog Walk gets rained on, but not washed out!

Posted on Sep 29, 2008 By Julia Szabo

Yesterday was the rain date for the Animal Care 2008 Central Park Dog Walk in New York City, originally scheduled for Saturday. Unfortunately, the weather decided not to cooperate, drizzling even more rain on the already-postponed event.

No matter: The event got rained on, but not washed out! Many people and dogs gamely turned out to meet the adoptable dogs and cats, who stayed comfortable and dry thanks to North Shore Animal League America's cozy tour bus. And happily, many dogs went to loving new homes, like Shih Tzu mixes Oscar and Fluffy, now the proud pets of teenagers Gira Hernandez and Isis Saldana.

Also on hand was Canadian writer Marsha Boulton, author of the new book Wally's World, about her beloved Bull Terrier. Boulton was in town promoting her "Wally's Week" incentive program at the ASPCA, in which adopters who get a dog at the ASPCA  between now and Thursday gets a gift bag filled with free goodies, including dog food samples and a copy of Boulton's book.

And "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" has been in theaters for only a few days, but already many of the dogs at the shelter are Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes, like A.J., the cutie adopted by Angela Sanchez and Ronnie Gonzalez.

Another lucky Chihuahua is Lucy, a little one-eyed girl adopted by Animal Care staffer Sara Brown. Lucy took advantage of the weather to model her chic rain coat.

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