Charleston SPCA Full to Capacity! Can you foster a pet?

Fen The Dog Taxi
Originally uploaded by Fen Branklin

"Last year in Charleston ALONE about 5,000 dogs were put to death." - per the Live 5 Newscast tonight.

It seems that this "economic downturn" is causing a new phenomenon. Pet owners going away on vacation are just dropping off their pets at "the pound."

First of all, it's beyond me how a family can have the money to go away on vacation and don't have enough money to get a "dog-sitter" or put Fido in a kennel. But that's not the issue... [Image Source: Uploaded by Fen Branklin]

The real issue at hand is this: Economic "downturn" or not, when you make a commitment to have a pet, it's a lifelong commitment. Responsible pet ownership is not something to be taken lightly! Your animal is going to depend on you for the rest of its life whether you are rich...or poor.

If you do not think you can live up to that commitment, DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT A PET.

All life is precious. Dogs and cats feel love and have affection, and they live a long time. That's a long life of "hurt" when you grow to love your human family and end up getting abandoned.

The Charleston SPCA is asking for locals to consider fostering some animals to free up space for all the new "drop-offs." If you could find the time and have the means to do so, why not consider a fostering a dog or cat? Rescue a dog or cat today.

As always...please spay and neuter your pets.

Charleston Animal Society
2455 Remount Rd
North Charleston, SC 29406
(843) 747-4849

Get directions

Twitter Helps Save the Life of a Dog

How Two Roommates Saved a Dog’s Life Using Twitter! Social Media is coming to the aid of both humans and animals these days. The latter is the case with "Caesar," the injured, abandoned dog found by two loving ladies.

In the video, they relate how they found a severely injured Pit Bull along side a road. They rescued the dog and did not turn it over to authorities knowing it would be euthanized because of the breed.

Not having the funds to get the dog the emergency surgery it needed, what did they do? They turned to Twitter and appealed to their social media network! Friends and strangers alike showed a great outpouring of support and they were able to get the surgery that removed Caesar's leg but saved his life.

Bravo to those young ladies and their swift, decisive action. Bravo to the strangers who donated, even though we are all experiencing an economic downturn.

As always, if you are a responsible Pet Owner, please spay and neuter your pets to prevent unwanted and abused animals in the first place.

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On another serious note: All lives are valuable and precious. In the loving example above, we see how social media came to the rescue of a dog. There is another widespread Twitter campaign going on right now that involves a young man named Eric De La Cruz. He is 27 and he needs a heart transplant...quick!

In Nevada where #Eric lives, there are no transplants available to him AND Nevada State Medicaid has denied him the care he needs. Eric's family and friends are using the social media tool Twitter to make everyone aware of his plight.

True to human nature and kindness, they have almost reached their goal of several hundred thousand dollars needed to get Eric to California for a heart. At last check, they were 84% of the way there!

Eric's sister is Veronica De La Cruz, an Internet correspondent for CNN's flagship morning news program. Please visit http://www.veronicadelacruzonline.com to get all the details. If you can spare a dollar (or more), please consider donating to the cause. (We donated safely through PayPal).

If you are on Twitter just search the hashtag #Eric to join in the conversation. At the very least, get on Twitter and help spread the message! That's what humanity is all about.

Granted, there are TONS of both humans and animals needing "something." There are many thousands of people, like Eric De La Cruz, also waiting for a heart. However, what we are doing by showing our support is that WE...as people...CAN make a difference.

While we cannot save the whole world, WE CAN join together to assist when called upon to do so. We are also demonstrating that through social media we have the power to make a real change. Where social media is leading us to is limitless.

Can you spare a minute to show your support? #Eric

Please help. Please contact his sister, Veronica De La Cruz
http://twitter.com/veronicadlcruz

Eric's photo and story is located at :
www.tinyurl.com/EricDeLaCruz

How to Report Animal Abuse

Stop Animal Abuse - Report it When You See it!
Photo: "Spoiled Rotten" by ucumari

Animal cruelty is not only morally wrong, it is against the law in every state in the nation!

PetAbuse.com states, that "Obvious animal abuse can also be part of a pattern of other violent or negligent acts within families and society. By reporting animal cruelty when you see it, you could save a human life."

Abuse of any kind should be reported to the appropriate authorities immediately. But to whom do you report it to? If you live in South Carolina you can contact the SC Humane Society. ASPCA - Report Abuse. Or, you can call your local authorities where you live.

Summer is well on its way for most of the US. Each year here in South Carolina, scads of pet owners let their outside animals succumb to the elements. It's a shame, but it has to be addressed. Make sure that your outside pets are given the proper food, water, and shelter from the heat that both your heart desires...and the law requires. Do not keep cats outside on a "leash or rope."

The Law Requires: Each and every outdoor pet should have shelter from the sun and the rain. It should always have an ample supply of clean drinking water. All pets should be well fed and not show signs of emaciation.

What constitutes animal cruelty?

Animal cruelty occurs when someone intentionally injures or harms an animal or when a person willfully deprives an animal of food, water or necessary medical care. Here are some signs that may indicate abuse or neglect:

• Tick or flea infestations
• Wounds on the body
• Patches of missing hair
• Extremely thin, starving animal
• Limping
• An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal
• Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, and often chained in a yard
• Dogs who have been hit by cars—or are showing any of the signs listed here—and have not been taken to a veterinarian
• Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions
• Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners
• http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/top-10-ways-to-prevent-animal.html
  

Click here to learn more about the Animal Welfare Act.

AS ALWAYS - PLEASE GET YOUR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED TO PREVENT UNWANTED AND ABUSED ANIMALS IN THE FIRST PLACE. Help stop pet overpopulation!

World Earth Day at The Animal Rescue Site: How to Help Animals Every Day

Like Cats and Dogs
Originally uploaded by Qole Pejorian

There are two free things that you can do to celebrate World Earth Day at The Animal Rescue Site, http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com.

Click on the purple button (that's one, you've just helped feed an animal!) and then vote in our Shelter+ Challenge (that's two, and you have just helped a shelter in another way).

Want to do more for the planet? Why not check out The Rainforest Site, http://www.therainforestsite.com, and do a free click to help save valuable habitat?

Don't have a shelter near you in the Challenge? Why not adopt an organization? Start a campaign on Facebook for a horse rescue or a rabbit rescue or a dog rescue or a cat rescue. We've even got ferret rescues and parrot rescues in this Challenge.

Give us your suggestions for a way to celebrate World Earth Day every day and celebrate all the animals who live on the planet. Post your thoughts on the wall at this cause or in the media board.

We'll be posting fun links throughout the week too.

The Animal Rescue Site: Feed Shelter Animals With a Free Click

Help feed the animals! Click to Give
Beneficiary:
Donations to the cause benefit:
GreaterGood.org - A 501(c)(3) nonprofit View Fundraising History
Positions:

1. Animal Rescue Site needs clicks!
2. Help feed the animals! It's free to click.
3. Sponsoring advertisers pay for your click.
4. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
5. Go to the web address above to make your click count.

Category: Animals
Description:
How You Can Help In Mere Seconds — Every Day

The Animal Rescue Site provides a feel-good way to help promote awareness and prevent rescued animal deaths every day — through easy and quick online activities.

Please remember to click every day to give help and hope to those most in need. Every click counts in the life of a rescued animal.

The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.

Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary. Funding for food and care is paid by site sponsors and distributed to animals in need at the Fund for Animals' renowned animal sanctuaries (including Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in California), pet shelters supported by the Petfinder Foundation , North Shore Animal League , and other worthy animal care facilities supported by the GreaterGood.org foundation.

100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners.

When Pengiuns Fly!

The BBC pulled an effective April Fool's Day prank slash marketing campaign. It's ALL ABOUT THE ANIMALS and the video is very cute.

Got My Eyes on You - Cat Eye Facts

Eyeing the airborn prey
Originally uploaded by J Felt

Did you know?

Many cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus 180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from each eye) narrower than that of humans.

As with most predators, their eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field of view. Field of view is largely dependent upon the placement of the eyes, but may also be related to the eye's construction.

Instead of the fovea which gives humans sharp central vision, cats have a central band known as the visual streak. Cats can see some colors, and can tell the difference between red, blue and yellow lights, as well as between red and green lights.

Cats are able to distinguish between blues and violets better than between colours near the red end of the spectrum.

Cats have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, which is a thin cover that closes from the side and appears when the cat's eyelid opens. This membrane partially closes if the cat is sick; although in a sleepy, content cat this membrane is often visible. If a cat chronically shows the third eyelid, it should be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation.

Unlike humans, cats do not need to blink their eyes on a regular basis to keep their eyes lubricated (with tears). Unblinking eyes are probably an advantage when hunting. Cats will, however, "squint" their eyes, usually as a form of communication.

Cat owners can often entice their pets to squint or even fully close their eyes just by talking to them in a soothing or pleasing manner. Many cats will also squint in response to seeing their owners squint.

When a cat does blink, it is a slower blink than in humans, so it will typically blink one eye at a time so it can still see from the other eye. When the cat is looking at someone while doing this, it gives the impression that the cat is winking at them.

Cats have a wide variation in eye color, the most typical colors being golden, green and orange. Blue eyes are usually associated with the Siamese breed, but they are also found in white cats and kittens. It is a common misconception that all white cats with blue eyes are deaf. This is not true, as there are many blue-eyed cats with perfect hearing.

However, white cats with blue eyes do have slightly higher incidences of genetic deafness than white cats of other eye colors. White cats having one blue and one other-colored eye are called "odd-eyed" and may be deaf on the same side as the blue eye.

This is the result of the yellow iris pigmentation rising to the surface of only one eye, as blue eyes are normal at birth before the adult pigmentation has had a chance to express itself in the eye(s). - wiki

Please support your local SC animal shelters. Please have your pet spayed or neutered - it's the greatest gift you can give your pet!

First Kibbles - Yorkie Puppies at Play - Weening at 5 Weeks

Yorkie Puppies Being Weened from their Dam at 5 Weeks of Age - First Bits of Wet Kibble

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