No More Homeless Pets | BLOG

On the ground in Haiti | watch the VIDEO

claudia perrone — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:10:00 GMT

Best Friends’ rapid response team helping animals in Haiti.

Best Friends’ rapid response team — now on the ground in the capital city of Port-au-Prince — just completed their first full day of work helping the animals of Haiti.

See the video showing Rich Cook and team helping animals on his first day in Haiti here .

On this first day, the field team vaccinated 49 animals and performed one field surgery. Despite rumors that there were no cats in Haiti, Best Friends’ rapid response manager Rich Crook said he was surprised to find that 21 of the 49 animals that received vaccinations were cats. And, as it turns out, the cats appear to be in better shape than the dogs.

Crook and Best Friends’ videographer Jason Watt are working alongside the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, or ARCH, which now has 19 member organizations and includes Best Friends, and team members from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and SODOPRECA (The Dominican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Crook spent his day as part of the field team going into tent cities that are springing up all over Haiti. The team is going in on a daily basis to do vaccinations while also ready to provide emergency care and field spays/neuters whenever needed.

Their primary goal is to give as many vaccinations as possible. By vaccinating animals, ARCH can prevent a public health concern that could possibly lead to government officials’ culling of street animals.

“It’s an important first step in disaster response where public health issues are a primary concern,” said Anna Gonce, senior manager for Best Friends’ Community Programs and Services Division.

From the team on the ground in Port-au-Prince, Crook initially reported, “I can tell you first-hand that this is the greatest devastation I have ever seen — worse than [Hurricane] Katrina, Peru [earthquake], or the Philippines [typhoon].”

After arriving in the city earlier and being there for just a few hours, the team came across animals. “We saw several dogs that are in need of our help,” Crook said. “The scope and scale is overwhelming as you enter the city. We definitely have our work cut out for us for weeks — probably months — to come.”

Many of the dogs they are seeing are thin and have skin issues, cuts and abrasions, Crook said. In the following days, the team will head out to do more field veterinary care. On average, ARCH team members, in the field since late January, are helping between 25 and 50 animals a day.

For Crook, the first surgery in the field best illustrates the nature of the work ahead. “For me, the real story was the first dog of the day, who was ‘Yellow,’” Crook said. “He had a large tumor on his chest. I held Yellow while Dr. Chris [a veterinarian from Connecticut] prepped and removed the tumor. This all took place in one of the worst-hit areas of Port-au-Prince. The people in the area were curious, yet they seemed to really be behind what we were doing. Yellow was calm, cool and collected throughout the entire procedure. The operation took maybe 15 minutes and was done with topical [anesthetic]. That's the really amazing part.”

Seeing the people of Haiti concerned about their animals has been a humbling experience for the team.

“Today, I couldn't help but be humbled by the resiliency of the local people here in Haiti,” Crook said. “In the midst of the worst natural disaster in their history, they still find room in their hearts to spare time to make sure that their animals receive proper care. That in itself validates our existence here.”

For more information on this activity visit the Rapid Response group on the Best Friends Network.

Photos by Jason Watt, Best Friends photographer.

Your Generosity at Work in Haiti

claudia perrone — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:43:00 GMT

The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, or ARCH, which now has 19 member organizations and includes Best Friends, has been on the ground assessing and helping the animals affected by the recent earthquake.

Your donations have made it possible for teams to act swiftly in response to the Haitian government's request for ARCH to help the animals by providing food, water and necessary medical aid.

Therefore, Best Friends, as well as the other groups that make up ARCH, is no longer asking for restricted donations toward the Haiti effort.

“The group collectively feels that the funds which have been donated so far will fit the need,” said Anna Gonce, senior manager for Best Friends’ Community Programs and Services division. She noted that people can still donate to Best Friends to help other animals toward a variety of programs and campaigns. Also, any funds previously donated to the Haiti effort are eligible (within certain guidelines) as deductions on 2009 tax forms.

ARCH teams, which have also been vaccinating and applying flea medication to residents’ animals and seeing between 25 to 50 pets a day, have been well received in the community, according to information reported by the teams. Some examples of medical aid provided to the animals of Haiti include rescuing a small dog with a deep neck laceration and helping a thin mama dog with three puppies.

In addition, a mobile animal clinic is scheduled to arrive February 6 in the Dominican Republic and is expected to be in Haiti several days later.

Meanwhile, Best Friends’ rapid response manager Rich Crook and videographer Jason Watt, acting as an official photographer and videographer for the ARCH operation, left Tuesday, February 2, for Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti.

As a member of the ARCH team on the ground, Crook will be working to set up long-term animal clinics. “Over the course of the next week, Rich will be working with other organizations to provide important medical care to the animals in Port-au-Prince,” Gonce said. “We’re concentrating on community, free-roaming animals. The people who were caring for these animals before don’t have food and water for themselves and can no longer feed these dogs and cats.”

In addition, the group is setting up a large-scale vaccination program and animal population control services.

“We’ll also be doing spays and neuters,” Gonce said. “The exciting part is that prior to the earthquake, the Haitian government had vaccinated more than 100,000 dogs and cats and had trained 80 veterinarians in the care of those animals.”

Now, Gonce noted, “We’re able to go in and work with those local vets to give them the resources they need so that long after the group is gone, they can continue their good work.”

By Cathy Scott, Best Friends staff writer
Photos © WSPA

For more information on this activity visit the Rapid Response group on the Best Friends Network.

Best Friends Heads to Haiti

claudia perrone — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:04:00 GMT

Rich Crook, a veteran rapid response manager for Best Friends Animal Society, will lead the society’s effort as part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), which is on the ground in Port-au-Prince ready to help animals affected by the earthquake.

Crook will arrive Monday in Port-au-Prince where he will lead a team of veterinarians to set up a series of animal care clinics in the capital city.

“My mission will be similar to previous assignments we had in Ethiopia and Peru, but somewhat different than Hurricane Katrina,” Crook said. “We’ve learned from the ARCH assessment team that there isn’t the acute need that we found in Katrina, and we are dealing with animals that typically roam free in the city.”

Crook will work with a current on-the-ground team that includes representatives from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the American Humane Association and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He also will work closely with the Dominican Republic Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SODOPRECA).

Crook’s mission to Haiti follows an ARCH team assessment of the situation Jan. 23-25 that included a short field visit to Port-au-Prince and meetings with Haitian governmental officials. Once the ARCH clinics are set up, Crook said the emphasis will be making sure that animals are vaccinated to stop the possible spread of disease and to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines. He expects to be in Haiti for at least a week and perhaps longer.

In the past, Crook has led Best Friends’ rapid response efforts in natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Gustav, the floods in Mexico and Iowa, and the earthquake in Peru. He also led Best Friends’ work in the airlifting of dogs from the war zone in Lebanon and brought a deceased serviceman’s dog back to his grief-stricken family in the United States.

The ARCH coalition was co-founded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Key coalition members are Best Friends, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, the American Humane Association, United Animal Nations, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (United Kingdom).

We at Best Friends thank our members for their donations and interest in our efforts to help with Haiti animal relief. All donations sent to Best Friends through Haiti-specific donation mechanisms are put in a restricted fund that will be used solely for Haiti animal relief.

For ongoing updates about Best Friends’ involvement in Haiti, visit our Rapid Response group on the Best Friends Network.

How You Can Help

Experienced volunteers may be needed. For more information click here.

About the ARCH Coalition
Animal welfare organizations formed the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) in a collaborative effort to bring aid to as many animals, and in as short a time, as possible. At present, ARCH partners include: International Fund for Animal Welfare, World Society for the Protection of Animals, American Humane Association, Best Friends Animal Society, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (UK), In Defense of Animals, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, United Animal Nations, Kinship Circle, One Voice, Swiss Animal Protection and Petfinder.com Foundation.

Photograph (c) WSPA/IFAW

Best Friends gives $25k to Coalition as Animal Help Arrives in Haiti

claudia perrone — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Text ‘SAVE’ to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your cell phone bill.

As animal rescue teams representing the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) arrive in Haiti, Best Friends Animal Society has announced a donation of $25,000 toward the coalition’s relief effort. Best Friends is one of 14 animal welfare organizations from inside and outside of the United States that are part of the ARCH group.

The first shipment of medicine and equipment needed to treat animals was expected to arrive from the Domincan Republic Tuesday. Meanwhile, the ARCH team has held meetings with officials from the Haitian government as well as international agencies such as the United Nations to define the country’s most pressing animal-related problems.

ARCH will identify options for a wide-ranging, long-term plan that includes options for veterinary care, a large-scale vaccination program and services for animal population control.

“Best Friends makes this donation in concert with the other ARCH groups to help defray costs of this collaborative animal relief effort,” said Gregory Castle, interim chief executive officer for Best Friends Animal Society. “We thank the many Best Friends supporting members who have donated to the fund we have set up that is earmarked for Haitian animal relief.”

One of the challenges for the ARCH team will be to put processes in place for basic animal care because even prior to the earthquake, the condition of the animals was not good, according to Ian Robinson, director of emergency relief for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, co-founder of ARCH along with the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Even after 11 days had elapsed, Robinson said the initial team’s arrival this week revealed “a city in ruins.”

But the ARCH team, following discussions with government officials, has already made a difference. Animal relief has been added to the master relief plan.

“We had not considered including animals in the plans we're working up now, but after meeting the ARCH team, we can see that it would be good to do so,” said Jean Marie Claude Germain, the Haitian minister of environment. “In addition to preventing deforestation and protecting our water reserves, we are also discussing the need for a vaccination program in order to prevent the spread of diseases amongst the animal populations.”

Only about 100,000 Haitian dogs (out of an estimated population of 500,000) were vaccinated against rabies last year. In addition, the Haitian government lacks sufficient medicines and vaccines to protect livestock against common illness.

Most ARCH team members have returned to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to assemble supplies for the next emergency relief exercise, scheduled this week. The coalition team will also continue its assessment in the areas beyond Port-au-Prince, implementing immediate veterinary aid to animals in cooperation with the Haitian government.

How You Can Help

Experienced volunteers may be needed. For more information click here.

Donations Needed

If you are unable to volunteer, but would still like to help, please consider donating to the Haiti Animal Rescue fund. Every dollar will help and there are two easy ways to contribute.

Credit Card: To pay by credit card, click on the donate button and choose the amount you would like to contribute.

Mobile Phone: Text ‘SAVE’ to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your cell phone bill. When prompted, reply with YES to confirm your one-time donation. The $10 one-time donation will appear on your next mobile phone bill. 100 percent of your donation will go to Best Friends Animal Society to help Haiti’s animals. Receipts can be printed at www.mGive.org/receipt.*

Help us spread the word by using our mobile giving Facebook app. Click here: bfas.org/save

Photograph

Dr Juan Carlos Murillo, WSPA’s longest serving disaster management veterinary officer and a member of the ARCH team in Port au Prince, checks a Haitian dog to determine the state of his health and treat any lesions he might have had. As Dr. Murillo says, "The animal was as normal as can be expected for a dog that survives day by day. We can say our friend "Lucky" really honours his name as he became another
survivor of Haiti's earthquake." (c) WSPA/IFAW

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from BFAS Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Best Friends Animal Society by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 90999, for help text HELP to 90999. Privacy Policy.

ARCH Team Enters Haiti, Rescue Plan Forthcoming

claudia perrone — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:22:00 GMT

After days of fact-finding and negotiating, an assessment team comprised of members from the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) is entering Haiti this weekend. Best Friends Animal Society is part of the ARCH group, a collaboration of animal welfare organizations banded together to help animals at risk following the tragic Haitian earthquake, but will not be included in this initial assessment team.

The ARCH team has learned directly from veterinarians working in Haiti that there are an estimated 150,000 dogs in Port-au-Prince, dogs that are either pets or that roam freely in local communities. Once the ARCH team enters the country, animal rescue personnel will assess the situation and announce a comprehensive animal rescue plan as early as Monday, January 25.

The coalition was co-founded by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Key coalition members are Best Friends, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, the American Humane Association, United Animal Nations, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (United Kingdom).

We at Best Friends thank our members for their donations and interest in our efforts to help with Haiti animal relief. All donations sent to Best Friends are put in a restricted fund that will be used solely for Haiti animal relief.

NEW: One text message can help animals in Haiti.
Text ‘SAVE’ to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your cell phone bill.

To donate:
• Text the word SAVE to 90999 to give $10
• When prompted, reply with YES to confirm your one-time donation
• The $10 one-time donation will appear on your next mobile phone bill

100 percent of your donation will go to Best Friends Animal Society to help Haiti’s animals. Receipts can be printed at www.mGive.org/receipt

If you would like to donate more than $20 or $30, please make an online donation via our website.

For ongoing updates about Best Friends’ involvement in Haiti, visit: http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/rapidresponse

Help us spread the word by using our mobile giving facebook app. Click here: http://bfas.org/save

About ARCH

Animal welfare organizations formed the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) so that we could work together to bring aid to as many animals, and in as short a time, as possible. At present, ARCH partners include: International Fund for Animal Welfare, World Society for the Protection of Animals, American Humane Association, Best Friends, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (UK), In Defense of Animals, American Veterinary Medical Association, Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, United Animal Nations, Kinship Circle, One Voice, American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Swiss Animal Protection and Petfinder.com Foundation. ARCH members urge other animal welfare groups to join in the group efforts

Photo Credit: The ARCH team prepares to board the plane that will fly them into Haiti. (c) WSPA/IFAW.

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from BFAS Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Best Friends Animal Society by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 90999, for help text HELP to 90999. Privacy Policy http://mgive.com/PrivacyPolicy.aspx .

Haiti Update: Best Friends joins ARCH coalition to help Haiti's animals

claudia perrone — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:12:00 GMT

Haiti: Watching and Waiting

Text SAVE to 90999 to donate $10 to Best Friends to help Haiti's animals.

Frustrating and painful as it has been to witness the logistical problems associated with getting humanitarian relief supplies and resources to the Haitian people, it has been equally difficult for those of us charged with responding to the needs of the island’s animals.

We at Best Friends appreciate the response from members who have sent donations to help with animal relief in Haiti. Best Friends is part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), a collaborative effort of national and international animal welfare organizations, and all money donated will be put in a fund restricted for Haitian animal relief. We appreciate the concern shown by our membership and the general public and we pledge to do everything possible to get help to the animals as soon as possible.

At the present time, access into Haiti is being controlled by the United Nations and the military, and ARCH is in communication with both about our effort to aid the animals, with the goal of ensuring that animal rescue is part of the greater Haiti relief agenda.

Humanitarian supplies have begun to flow, but the process of delivering them to where they are needed is slow because of damaged infrastructure and an overburdened airport. Additionally, another potential pipeline of relief, the damaged road linking Haiti with the Dominican Republic, is not yet passable.

We can’t say how long it will take before a full-scale animal rescue can get in full swing; however, our unwavering goal is to deliver aid quickly to animals in need. ARCH has been working to stock a mobile clinic, establish a supply base, and identify fuel sources so that when permission is granted, Best Friends and the other partner groups can deploy experienced animal rescue personnel as soon as possible.

Best Friends and ARCH are committed to a collaborative relief effort, one that will not only ease the suffering of animals from the earthquake, but go a long way toward improving lives for all the animals in Haiti over the long term. And we pledge that every dime that we take in will go toward helping animals in need.

How You Can Help

Experienced volunteers may be needed. For more information click here.

Donations Needed

If you are unable to volunteer, but would still like to help, please consider donating to the Haiti Animal Rescue fund. Every dollar will help and there are two easy ways to contribute.

Credit Card: To pay by credit card, click on the donate button and choose the amount you would like to contribute.

Mobile Phone: Text SAVE up to two times to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your cell phone bill. When prompted, reply with YES to confirm your one-time donation. The $10 one-time donation will appear on your next mobile phone bill. 100 percent of your donation will go to Best Friends Animal Society to help Haiti’s animals. Receipts can be printed at www.mGive.org/receipt.*

Help us spread the word by using our mobile giving Facebook app. Click here: bfas.org/save

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from BFAS Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Best Friends Animal Society by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 90999, for help text HELP to 90999. Privacy Policy.

Photo of stray dog in the aftermath of the Peru earthquake by Best Friends photographer Molly Wald

Take the Double Your Impact Challenge!

claudia perrone — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:20:00 GMT

Twice is nice! Today begins the Best Friends Double Your Impact Challenge, raising money for animal welfare groups nationwide.

And so it begins — the Double Your Impact Challenge to raise $25,000 in 25 days for animal groups helping Best Friends bring about a time of No More Homeless Pets.

Starting Nov. 9, Best Friends will match every dollar (up to $500 per individual donation) donated to the animal welfare groups participating in the challenge. We encourage our members and supporters to take the challenge and give what they can, knowing that these groups are all instrumental in helping us achieve our mission.

Created as part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary celebration, the challenge lasts until December 4 or when a total of $25,000 in donations to all organizations is reached — whichever comes first. That means a total of $50,000 could be dispersed among participating groups, advancing our No More Homeless Pets mission in communities throughout the U.S.

To learn more about those groups and to donate, click here.

“We’re excited to offer this opportunity for Network Charities groups, and we’re asking the animal loving public to donate whatever they can,” says Lavanya Raju, Network Charities coordinator. “Best Friends will help your dollar go twice as far. These groups are saving animals everyday and they need everyone’s support to continue their efforts.”

The Network Charities Program helps participating groups promote their life-saving work on the Best Friends Network and allows them to communicate with a like-minded audience of 80,000 animal-loving users. All groups eligible to receive donations in the challenge are 501(c) (3) non-profits, committed, like Best Friends, to achieving a time of No More Homeless Pets.

We urge those groups that have yet to apply for the program to do so now, so they can take advantage of the Double Your Impact Challenge. Once approved by Best Friends to participate in the challenge, a wealth of possibilities opens up, including the abilities to:

Create your own mini website on the Best Friends Network.
Accept donations online.
Announce and promote fundraisers, awareness-raisers, adoptions and other events.
Educate viewers about your organization, the work you’re doing, the issues you confront, and ways the public can help.
Recruit volunteers from the Best Friends volunteer database.

To help groups get the word out about their participation in the challenge, we’ve created a media “buzz kit” that will live on the Network Charities landing page. The kit includes a flyer you can post at your shelter, your office or around town. It also allows you to auto-update your Facebook or Twitter page with a message urging people to take the Double Your Impact Challenge and click on the link to the Network Charities page, where they can make their donation to your group.

In addition, Best Friends is providing a graphic you can post on your group’s website, Best Friends Network page, Facebook page, blog — wherever it will help get the word out to your supporters.

If you know of a non-profit group that shares our No More Homeless Pets mission and could benefit from the Double Your Impact Challenge, be sure to inform them of this incredible opportunity.

Click here to see a promotional video about the challenge.

For more information on the Network Charities Program, click here.

To submit an application on behalf of your group, click here.

Photos by Best Friends staff

Win a trip to the Lint Roller Party!

claudia perrone — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:02:00 GMT

It’s Best Friend’s gala event of the year, and we want to send one lucky winner and a guest to be a part of it.

August 31, 2009, 6:26AM MT

By Best Friends staff

It’s glitzy, glamorous, celebrity-packed, and it’s all for the animals. It’s the Lint Roller Party, and Best Friends is going to send one winner of our win-a-trip drawing and guest to attend it. The annual event raises funds for the Best Friends’ Los Angeles Programs, a vital cog in our mission to bring about a time of No More Homeless Pets.

This year, the Lint Roller Party will be held on October 3, 2009 at the Hollywood Palladium. To celebrate Best Friends 25^th anniversary, we’ll be going back in time to the year Best Friends was founded, and partying like it’s 1984. To that end, the Bangles (one of the greatest all-female bands ever) will be providing the live entertainment, and a D.J. will be spinning all the favorites of the decade.

Vegetarian cuisine by Wolfgang Puck, auctions, open bar and dancing until midnight round out the evening.

The chair of this year’s Lint Roller honorary committee and the recipient of a special award is actress Katherine Heigl, star of “Grey’s Anatomy” and the summer blockbuster “The Ugly Truth.”

The winner of the drawing and his or her guest will receive:

free airfare to/from Los Angeles
two-nights accommodation at the famed Roosevelt Hotel
VIP passes to Lint Roller, which includes reserved premiere seating, VIP lounge access and valet parking
tickets to the pre-party Founders’ Reception, where you can hobnob with the people who built Best Friends from the ground up and chat with the stars of National Geographic Channel’s “DogTown”
the chance to walk the Red Carpet

… all in all, a prize worth around $2,000, and a great way to support Best Friends while having a great time in la-la land.

To enter is easy. Simply text “PARTY” to 90999 on your cell phone.* You will then be entered to win, plus you’ll receive text alerts from Best Friends. (You’ll also receive a message asking if you’d like to donate $5 to Best Friends. Of course, the donation is not necessary to enter the drawing.)

The win-a-trip drawing has already begun and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, September 13. The winner will be announced on Thursday, September 17. Stay tuned to our website for the announcement.

For more information on the Lint Roller Party, click here.

* Free SMS Service is available on most carriers. Standard/Other messaging rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. For more information please visit mGive.com/e. No purchase necessary.

Photos by AndySheng

As part of Best Friends 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.

Don't miss 09NMHP!

claudia perrone — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:47:00 GMT

Want to network with like-minded people? Then mark your fall calendar, because Best Friends is gearing up to host another memorable No More Homeless Pets National Conference in Las Vegas.

To learn more about the conference and to register to attend, click here.

The three-day weekend focuses on tried-and-true approaches in grassroots animal welfare that are all about the no-kill movement and how to be more effective for the animals in communities across the nation and beyond. More than that, says Claudia Perrone, the conference is “definitely about networking opportunities and enjoying Las Vegas at the same time.” Last year’s event, also in Las Vegas, attracted 650 attendees.

Attend the NMHP Conference

There’s still time to register before September 14 to take advantage of the early-bird discount for the conference, which is being held at the Rio Hotel-Casino October 23-25. Go here to register.

For the keynote speech this year, instead of having just one speaker, co-founders Faith Maloney and Francis Battista and interim CEO and co-founder Gregory Castle will be addressing attendees Friday evening at the welcome reception.

Included as speakers at one of many workshops are Best Friends’ Dog Care co-manager Michelle Besmehn and training expert Ann Allums, both of whom are stars of National Geographic Channel’s “DogTown” series, which showcases Best Friends’ work with abused, neglected and abandoned dogs. With Besmehn and Allums, you’ll learn training techniques straight from the pros.

Register Now!

Talking about social media and how to effectively use it to help the animals is Jon Dunn, Best Friends’ all-around Internet guru and social media manager. (To see some of Best Friends’ social media sites, go to Twitter and Facebook.

But it’s not just Best Friends’ experts you’ll be hearing from. There’s a cross-section of speakers from rescue groups and organizations across the nation and Canada to fill out the seminars, panels and workshops, making it a multi-faceted weekend with something for everyone. Included in the sessions will be innovative tips on how to survive in animal welfare during an economic downturn. Other current issues being addressed include expert advice and guidance on converting pet stores to humane stores and stopping puppy mills.

And back by popular demand to speak again this year are Nathan Winograd, director of the No-Kill Advocacy Center and Mike Arms, president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Meet and Greet!

As an added treat, this year mark’s Best Friends’ 25th anniversary. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet the founders and learn first-hand about their journey, beginning in 1984, and how they started out small and ended up becoming leaders in grassroots, no-kill, animal welfare, spearheading the No More Homeless Pets movement.

Represented groups, besides Best Friends, include PetSmart Charities, Alley Cat Allies, Project Bay Cat, and the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, among many others. Click here for a list of presenters.

As the conference brochure says, “We'll be bringing the innovators to you. It’s your chance to network and discuss methods and cutting-edge programs that are saving animals in communities nationwide.”

Written by Cathy Scott
Photos by Clay Myers

To learn more about the conference and to register to attend, click here .

As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.

Team NMHP Steps Up To The Pet Food Plate

claudia perrone — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Four Legged Food Drive Set To Launch

By Sandy Miller

Pet owners are struggling out there. They’re losing their jobs, their 401ks, and sometimes their homes. For many of them, just keeping a roof over their heads and putting food on the kitchen table is a daily struggle.

As a result, some pet owners are relinquishing the four-legged members of their families to shelters because they can no longer afford to feed them. It breaks their hearts, but they just don’t see any other way out. Meanwhile, not-so-responsible pet owners are just abandoning their pets, and shelters and rescues are struggling to keep up with the growing numbers of pets coming through their doors.

“Every community has a problem of homeless pets,” says Ellen Gilmore, campaign specialist for Best Friends’ First Home Forever Home campaign. “The economy has really done a lot of damage. Some people are going hungry to feed their animals. We’re hearing from groups across the country that the relinquish rate has increased in recent years.”

Best Friends’ First Home Forever Home campaign doesn’t think anyone—human or animal—should go hungry. And that’s why First Home Forever Home, one of four Best Friends’ campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets, is launching its summer Four-Legged Food Drive in early July.

It’s very much a grassroots effort, with Best Friends Team No More Homeless Pets volunteers ready to launch in almost a dozen cities across the nation. No More Homeless Pets teams are already at work in cities in Florida, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.

“There’s a great need out there which is why this project was born,” Gilmore says. “There are a lot of people out there who are struggling financially and a way to help them is to help them feed their pets. We want to support the food pantry work that’s already happening in communities.”

These volunteers know their own communities better than anyone, and they’re stepping up to the plate to collect pet food for local food banks to distribute to families in need.

“The volunteers are just amazing,” Gilmore says. “They’re bringing to the project a great deal of energy and logistics that would not be possible without them.”

Sherry Johnson of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is one of those volunteers. Johnson, with the help of other volunteers that include members of the local high school football team, will be collecting pet food at tables in front of local stores for Ellie’s Pet Pantry, a local pet food bank at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Families who have lost their jobs can go to Ellie’s Pet Pantry and get food for their pets. Ellie’s Pet Pantry also distributes pet food to local food banks.

Why did Johnson decide to get involved?
“I want to help keep pets in their homes with the families that love them and out of shelters,” Johnson says. “If it keeps one family pet out of a shelter, I will consider this a success.”

Jackie Roach of Omaha, Nebraska, is another one of those dedicated volunteers. She and her fellow volunteers will be collecting pet food for the Omaha Food Bank. Her goal is to collect 4,000 pounds of dog food this summer for struggling families in Omaha.

“Animal welfare is my passion,” Roach says. “I volunteer each week as an adoption counselor for the Nebraska Humane Society and I see first-hand the sad stories of people forced to surrender their pets due to economic difficulty. I pet them and see their confused faces. They don’t understand why they have been dropped off in a strange place. They wonder where their family is.”

Roach hopes the Four-Legged Food Drive will help more pets stay with their families.
“If obtaining food can help alleviate some of the burden and even one pet can stay with its family, then we’ve accomplished our goal,” Roach says.

Participating Cities

Florida, Brevard County
Florida, Jacksonville
Florida, Orlando
Nevada, Las Vegas
Nebraska, Omaha
North Carolina, Raleigh
Oregon, Portland & Eugene
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Texas, Arlington
Utah, Salt Lake City
Washington, Longview/Kelso
Washington, Seattle

How You Can Help
Contact your local food bank to make a donation of pet food. First Home Forever Home is compiling a list of organizations that provide pet food to families in need. See our list in the Pet Food Banks folder on the resources in this community.

For More Information
The goal of Best Friends’ First Home Forever Home campaign is to help people make and honor a lifetime commitment to their pets. Millions of companion animals die every year in crowded shelters because their families decided to let them go for some reason. Through education, intervention and action, First Home Forever Home provides guidance and resources to help people care for their pets and keep them as loved members of their families. Read more about the First Home Forever Home campaign.

For more information on First Home Forever Home’s Four-Legged Food Drive and how you can help struggling pet owners in your community, e-mail Ellen Gilmore at elleng@bestfriends.org.

Main photo by Molly Wald, Best Friends photographer
In-story photos by Clay Myers, Best Friends photographer
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends Network editor

Pup My Ride to the Rescue

claudia perrone — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:13:00 GMT

More than 200 puppy mill dogs headed to New York and new beginnings

By Cathy Scott, Best Friends staff writer

More than 200 dogs, from puppies to middle-aged adults, are resting easier today. The cast-off canines were just saved from commercial breeders in Missouri in a successful joint effort between animal rescue groups, including Best Friends.

Typically killed to make room for more, these lucky dogs—either used-up breeders or puppies deemed too old to be sold at pet stores—are being driven to New York to waiting foster groups after rescuers were allowed to enter the breeding farms and retrieve them.

Most of the dogs were understandably frightened when the rescue took place. “It’s a pretty crazy day for them,” says Jeff Popowich, Best Friends’ animal care operations manager. “Coming out of the wire cages they’ve always lived in and into plastic carriers is scary.”

Dogs Of All Varieties
On Saturday, May 9, Popowich and Best Friends Dogtown co-manager Michelle Besmehn went inside a mill that housed dogs in wire-floored cages. “We pulled about 60,” Popowich says. “A few of them are really matted with fleas and ticks.”

Still, he notes, all things considered, “They’re in pretty good shape.”

Pulled from another breeder’s property were 72 dogs of all varieties—cocker spaniels whose matted fur looked like dreadlocks, standard-sized poodles with overgrown coats, miniature pinschers, jack russell terriers, Shelties, Chihuahuas, yellow, chocolate and black Labrador retrievers, King Charles spaniels and malteses, shih-tzus and llaso apsos so dirty rescuers couldn’t tell the color of their fur.

“There are some that are friendly [but] most are totally terrified,” says Kelli Ohrtman, specialist for Best Friends’ Puppy Mills Campaign, who organized the Pup My Ridetransport and found the rescue groups to take the dogs. “They’re absolutely filthy. One cocker is super matted with big bald spots where the hair has been pulled out. We’re seeing tumors and hernias and deformed feet.”

Despite the conditions, a few are already coming around. “Some start wagging their tails when you hold them for a while,” Ohrtman says.

The rescue and transport of the dogs is part of Best Friends' Puppies Aren't Productsnational campaign, which targets the retail end of commercial breeding through demonstrations at puppy stores, to let unsuspecting consumers know the truth behind mills. Puppy mill dogs, Ohrtman says, make up a large percentage of the 4 to 5 million pets killed each year in American animal shelters.

Click on image to view video.

From Missouri to New York
On this day, 200-plus dogs were saved and are now on their way to new lives. After rescuing them, they were seen by a veterinarian, given exams and vaccinations, and then transferred to a large air-conditioned transport truck to be driven to New York.

The worst of the matted dogs, Popowich says, were groomed and shaved down the first night so they’d be more comfortable.

On Monday, May 11, they’ll be handed over in Port Washington, New York, to several rescue groups, including North Shore Animal League America. North Shore will take the majority, with a few smaller groups in New York taking in some and Best Friends taking some back to Kanab, Utah, as well.

Eager to greet them in the Port Washington hamlet of Long Island will be Devera Lynn, vice President of Communications at North Shore, who says her group is happy to help.

“These are living, breathing little souls who have never walked on the ground, never felt human touch or love and have been kept in a small cage just to breed,” Lynn says. “We’re happy to be a part of this and to be able to save so many lives, to find wonderful, loving homes so they can enjoy life to the fullest, as they should.”

Pure Joy
Theresa Strader, founder of National Mill Dog Rescue, couldn’t agree more. It’s what her group, which was founded in 2007, is all about.

“It’s pure joy,” she says when asked how it feels to save that many dogs in one day from breeding farms. “This is a culmination of a lot of hard work, and it’s completely joyous.”

This transport operation is the first in what is hoped to be a series of taking rescued dogs from puppy mills to foster groups. Donations toward that effort help make even more transports possible and are greatly appreciated, Ohrtman says.

How You Can Help
• Stay on top of this rescue and road trip to Manhattan by reading the blog.
• North Shore Animal League America will announce later in the week when the dogs will be available for adoption. Please visit their website to inquire about adopting.
• Donate to the Best Friends’ Puppies Aren’t Products campaign to help shut down unethical breeders.
• Learn more about puppy mills, visit Puppies Aren't Products.
• To learn how puppy mills trick unsuspecting owners and use the internet to sell dogs,click here.
• The perfect dog for your family, purebred or mixed breed, can be found at a rescue group or shelter. Please visit Petfinder.com to start the search.

Groups Involved in the Rescue
• Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons
• Best Friends Animal Society
• Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter
• National Mill Dog Rescue
• Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association
• North Shore Animal League America
• St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
• Sumter Disaster Animal Response Team Inc

Photos by Sarah Ause, Best Friends photographer
Video by Jason Watt, Best Friends staff
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends staff

Puppies Aren’t Products: Las Vegas is in Full Swing

claudia perrone — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:12:00 GMT

Join the fun (we need you!)

Can you hang a poster? Do you enjoy educating people about puppy mills and pet stores? Do you want to be involved in a positive program that has a direct impact on puppy mills and pet stores? If so, the Puppies Aren’t Products campaign needs you!

We need to reach more people who aren’t aware of puppy mills—the ones who may still walk into a Las Vegas store and come out with a puppy. A month ago, the Puppies Aren’t Products campaign launched in Las Vegas with peaceful demonstrations in front of Chi-Chi Couture Puppies. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many honks, waves and thumbs up from passers-by. A dedicated team of about twenty volunteers has made it possible to start the campaign, and now it’s time to branch out and really start making an impact. Below are the specific volunteer jobs we need your help with:

Posters and Flyers
It’s an easy, cheap and effective way to reach people. All you need to do is pick up a stack of posters from our point person, and hit your favorite hang outs. Any coffee shop, library, grocery store, groomer, veterinarian office etc. with a bulletin board is fair game for getting our message out there.

Tabling
We provide the materials and a little coaching, you host an informational table where people can stop by and learn about pet stores and puppy mills. Think grocery stores, home improvement stores—places where the management has an animal-friendly attitude. We are looking for people to be at a table a couple hours, once a week, and also for someone to help organize this effort, to line up new locations for informational tables.

Demonstration Participant
It’s the most fun a person can legally have while standing on a street corner for three hours on a Saturday. Our demonstrations are calm, fun and positive. You hold a sign and hand out literature to interested people passing by. We provide a (mandatory) one-hour training so you’re prepared to answer questions on the issue and the pet store, and to make sure we’re all keeping things safe and legal.

Legislative Ally
Do you care about seeing lasting change to Nevada’s puppy mills? Lawmakers are considering several bills that would regulate Nevada’s breeders, and they need to hear from people who care about animal welfare. It’s as simple as a few clicks on the state legislative website, or making a call to a committee member. If you’re up for it, going to hearings will show support for important legislation, and you can have a hand in seeing it passed.

How to get Involved
Contact: Cherie Damron, No More Homeless Pets specialist
Email: cheried@bestfriends.org
Call: 435.644.2001 x4512

For more information about the campaign, visitpuppiesarentproducts.com

Posted by Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends Animal Society
Photo by Clay Myers

Join the fight against puppy mills in Las Vegas

claudia perrone — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Responsible breeders would never sell their dogs in pet stores.

Pet stores will tell you that they do not get their dogs from puppy mills, however, only these mass-breeding facilities can keep pet stores full of puppies.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PUPPY IN THE PET STORE WINDOW:

Almost all dogs in pet stores come from puppy mills: This has been proven through extensive investigations even though the dogs are marketed as “AKC certified” or “from reputable” or “USDA licensed” breeders.

In Las Vegas alone, 27,000 homeless pets are killed every year. That means that 74 pets are killed every day in Las Vegas because no one adopted them.

As many as 40% of the dogs in Las Vegas animal shelters are purebred.

There is a serious pet overpopulation crisis in our country. Stores that sell puppies are adding to this crisis. If you are looking for a purebred dog, please go to a shelter or breed-specific rescue group. There you pay only a small adoption fee. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars to buy a purebred dog. And when you adopt, you save a life.

Please boycott stores that sell puppies. ANY money spent supports and perpetuates a cycle of cruel treatment of animals. There are several pet supply stores nearby that do not sell puppy mill dogs. (see listings below)

If you’ve had an experience purchasing a sick dog from a pet store, please consider sharing your story with us so that we may educate others. Email: kellio@bestfriends.org

If the demand for pet store puppies ceases, retail establishments will stop selling them. And you can help make that happen by informing the public about the true origin of those pups. Get started today and join Best Friends Puppies Aren’t Products team and rally together for peaceful protests. You CAN make a difference!

Interested in volunteering? Email: tiffanih@bestfriends.org

For more information, visit us online at: www.puppiesarentproducts.com

To search for available dogs from all Las Vegas groups, go to our Find a Pet feature and search by zip code.

Pet Apparel and Supplies that do not sell puppy mill dogs:

Puppy Enterprises
1780 N. Buffalo Dr.
(702) DOG-TALK

Healthy Tails
8457 West Lake Mead Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV
702-656-1700

Three Dog Bakery
2110 N. Rampart, Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV
702.737.3364

PetSmart
2140 N Rainbow Blvd
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 631-8422

ADOPTION CENTERS

Las Vegas Valley Humane Society
3395 S. Jones Blvd., #454
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 434-2009
www.lvvhumane.org

Lied Animal Shelter/Animal Foundation
655 N. Mojave Rd.
Las Vegas, NV
702-384-3333
www.liedanimalshelter.org

Henderson Animal Care & Control
300 E. Galleria
Henderson, NV
702-267-4970
www.cityofhenderson.com/animal_control

Nevada SPCA
4800 W. Dewey Drive. Las Vegas, NV
702-873-7722
www.nevadaspca.org

ADOPTION OPTIONS

Southern Nevada Pug Rescue (SNPR)
702-883-0740
www.rescuepugs.com

Doggie Protective Services
www.dpsrescue.org

Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary
702-227-5555
www.hcws.org

German Shepherd Rescue - Las Vegas
702-430-1881
www.germanshepherdrescuelasvegas.com

Las Vegas Basset Hound Rescue
702-232-8480
www.rescuebassets.com

Southern Nevada Schnauzer Rescue
702-203-7439
www.petfinder.com/shelters/NV87.html

Adopt a Rescue Pet
702-798-8663
www.adoptarescuepet.org

Siberian Husky and Malamute Rescue of Southern NV
www.petfinder.com/shelters/NV40.html

Day One Complete for River Valley Rescue

claudia perrone — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:20:00 GMT

Rescuers Use Traps, Stealth and Leftover Quesadillas to Wrangle Over 100 Free-roaming Dogs

By Cheri Moon, Best Friends Staff

As the morning sun begins to shine on the bare branches surrounding the Missouri Ozarks, the bay of a dog echoes across the fields ringing in a new day for nearly 150 abandoned dogs.

The night before, a trio of three dedicated rescue workers—Rich Crook, Best Friends field team leader; Kelli Ohrtman, Best Friends field communications officer; and Elizabeth Wainwright from the Missouri Department of Agriculture—sat huddled around a table at Ruby Tuesday’s in Southwest Missouri discussing plans to remove the dogs from the property the following morning.

An Ambitious Day
Capture. Assess. Identify. Tag and kennel. The process seems simple enough. It’s the execution of that process over 100 times in a row that complicates things. That and winning over the shy dogs that have learned nothing good comes from humans—and dealing with the occasional escape artist.

Best Friends was on site to help stabilize a situation that careened out of control after the kennel owner, who did not have a breeder’s license for his River Valley Puppies Kennels, set fire to the property after state officials arrived to take over custody of the dogs.

Working alongside Noah’s Wish, a California-based animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing and sheltering animals in disasters, the teams spent the day wrangling and caring for dogs.

Dispersed across 100 partially fenced acres, the teams used food to attract dogs to them, traps to ensnare the more shy ones, and stealth maneuvers to sneak up on others.

Says Ohrtman, “Groups of dogs would be huddled together in a field sleeping. We would sneak up on them, put cables around their necks, they’d wake up and we lead them away.”

And if that didn’t work, a leftover quesadilla from Ruby Tuesday’s was certain to do the trick.

Sammy: Liver and White Springer Spaniel, First Time On A Leash

Curled up on a cement slab in a deep sleep, Ohrtman tiptoed up to the slumbering dog and carefully looped a leash around his neck. Having lived most of his life in a cage, the sensation of a leash was new to him, and one he did not like.

Says Ohrtman, “He stopped struggling after he realized we weren’t fighting back. Then he began to shake, flopped over and froze.” Team members gently pet the dog and talked in soothing voices to try and reassure the terrified animal. Then ever so gently, they tipped him into a kennel, took off the leash at which point he got up and was fine.

Sissy: German Short Hair, Pregnant and Emaciated
Sissy is a young liver and white German shorthaired pointer. She’s carrying a sagging belly full of unborn puppies on a too skinny body that shows every rib.

Sissy found herself contained after she wandered into a trap in search of food. After being transferred to a kennel, Sissy surprised her captures by bolting out the kennel door as it was opened to provide fresh water. And even though her antics required workers to chase her down for a second time, Ohrtman remarks, “She’s very sweet. And who could blame her for not wanting to go back into a cage.”

No Name: Black and White Springer Spaniel, Possible Health Complication
Just as the team was ready to call it a night, a Best Friends team member stumbled upon a black and white bundled curled into the corner of an old barn. “We’re worried about this one,” she says. “The poor thing has a large lump on the side of her face. And she was so easy to catch—scared, but very gentle and sweet.”

Day One Ends, Day Two On The Horizon
And so, the first day of wrangling dogs comes to a close. To be repeated again tomorrow. The crew left with approximately 50 dogs still on site and yet to be captured.

Says Ohrtman, “It’s a really chaotic and tragic situation.” The burned down buildings are still smoldering. And the dogs are covered in grey ash.

She adds, “Ninety percent of these dogs are friendly. They just need to be in a safe place and they’ll come around just fine.”

Integral to the success of the rescue effort are the organizations who are taking the dogs to adopt them out. Some of these groups include:
• No More Homeless Pets, KC
• English Springer Rescue of America
• Central Missouri Humane Society in Columbia

How You Can Help
• Volunteers are not needed at the puppy mill site, but people interested in helping can make a donation for the care of the dogs by visiting puppymills.bestfriends.org.

• Join The Truth About the Pet Trade community to learn more about how you can help in your community.

http://network.bestfriends.org/truth/news/

• Never purchase a dog over the internet without inspecting the property from where the dogs were raised. For more information about how puppy mills trick unsuspecting owners and use the internet to sell dogs, click here.

Photograph by Gary Kalpakoff, Best Friends Staff

Volunteer For Best Friend's Mobile Adoptions in the Los Angeles Area!

claudia perrone — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:13:00 GMT

Volunteers needed for Mobile adoptions currently take place on the first and third Saturday of each month at the following locations:

1st Saturday of month:

West Hollywood Park, Robertson and Santa Monica Blvds, from noon to 3pm beginning Feb. 7th.

3rd Saturday of month:

Encino Park, 16953 Ventura Blvd, Encino CA 91316., from noon to 3pm beginning February 21st.
(on the north side of Ventura, one block west of Balboa)

Volunteer needs are the following:

Set-up at 11am the morning of the mobiles
Transport and handle the Best Friends dogs at Blue Dog Boarding - (Must be experienced and strong dog handler)
Handle and show dogs for independent rescuers- (Must have attended dog handling class given before each Best Friends Super Adoption or made other arrangements with Robin Harmon.)

Mobile adoptions are a lot of fun! The atmosphere is more relaxed than our big Super Adoptions—have fun with like-minded animal lovers (dogs, cats and people) and enjoy you day in the park!

If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Robin Harmon, Volunteer Manager of Best Friends Animal Society, Los Angeles at RobinH@bestfriends.org and let her know if:

1. you can volunteer on Saturday, February 21st and what you would like to do.

2. you want to be included in the email blasts about our mobile adoptions, if you are not already.

Original News Story Posted by Julie Flinn, Best Friends Network Volunteer