Back when I was looking into rescuing a dog, I stumbled across a local organization that helps place Golden Retrievers in homes. That group, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc., is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of securing safe, loving homes for displaced or homeless Golden Retrievers. They receive Golden Retrievers from owners who can no longer care for them because of changing circumstances in their lives, and they also maintain close working relationships with animal shelters in Sacramento, Sutter, Placer, El Dorado and surrounding counties to ensure that Goldens are relinquished to them prior to being euthanized. They even rescue Golden Retrievers found wandering the streets or reported to them by concerned neighbors. They rescue Goldens of all ages, and even mixed Goldens on occasion.

A secondary mission of Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. is the procurement of suitable land, either donated or otherwise, for the purpose of constructing a facility to house as many as 25 golden retrievers at any one time, with a permanent caregiver in residence. We need the capability to provide housing for the overflow of Goldens that have been rescued but not yet adopted, and to provide long-term care for those Goldens with special needs (i.e. blind; amputee; etc.).

Given the fact that they are rescuing an average of 350-400 dogs each year, the need for a sanctuary is quite evident. However, it cannot come at the expense of our basic rescue activities, as their financial resources are first and foremost allocated to the healing of the physical and psychological wounds of the rescued Goldens. Any surplus, or excess funds, will be reserved for sanctuary operations.

That’s where the Kibble & Bids annual fundraiser comes in. With the support of sponsors, attendees, participating wineries, breweries, restaurants, and auction donors, the groups has netted $110,000 for the organization last year. All proceeds were devoted to veterinary services for the dogs, continued maintenance and improvements to the adoption center and sanctuary, including the extensive kennel remodel and equipment/storage garage.

Last year Homeward Bound rescued a record 561 dogs, almost double the number in 2006 (288), and incurred a whopping $305,263 in veterinary expenses. You name it, they do it: heartworm therapy, chemotherapy, hip replacements, knee surgery, spaying, neutering, hospitalization, dental work, shots, eye surgery, dermatology, and the list goes on. From intake to evaluation to placement, every aspect of rescue and adoption is done solely by volunteers and donations.

Kibble & Bids 2008 is Saturday, September 6th at The Riverwood Estate in Sacramento. Tickets are $55 per person in advance and $65 at the door. For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Please also note that for the month of September, I will be blogging here only once per week, every Tuesday. If you miss me, be sure to stop by DailyEatsOnline, PetSavvy, SavvyCooking, and SavvyHalloween, where I will also be blogging once per week this month. See you there!

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From In Defense of Animals, here are some tips to keep your pooch happy and safe over the holiday weekend.

* Leave your companion animals at home when you go to see fireworks.

* Before you leave home for the fireworks, make sure your animals are indoors in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you’ve removed any items that your companion animal could destroy or that would be harmful if chewed or swallowed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company.

* Make sure your animals are wearing identification tags (and it’s even better if they’re also microchipped) so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.

* Do not leave an animal in your car. With only hot air to breathe, your animal friend can suffer serious health effects, even death, in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air or cooling, but they do provide an opportunity for your animal to be kidnapped.

* If you know that your animal becomes seriously distressed by loud noises, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.

* Never leave your animals outside unattended, even in a fenced yard, and especially not on a chain. With explosions occurring, animals who normally wouldn’t leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.

* If you find somebody else’s companion animals running at-large, either take them to the address on the tag, if you feel comfortable doing so, or bring them to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their human families.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following additional tips:

* Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where animals can reach them.

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your animal that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Use this instead.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of animals’ reach.

* Keep animals on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can cause severe indigestion and diarrhea.

* Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach.

* Never use fireworks around animals.

In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa. In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

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The tornado that rocked northern Colorado on May 22 did more that disrupt lives, it also displaced many pets. That’s why the Weld County Animal Response Team (CART) rescued around 120 animals.

Of those animals, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office says 68 percent were dogs, 25 percent cats and 7 percent reptiles.  

First the animals were taken to the Windsor Recreation Center, but because that is an outside location, they were then moved to the Humane Society of Weld County in Evans.  

Anyone who lives in the area (or knows someone who does) and is missing their pet can call the Humane Society at 970-506-9550.

The CART is made up of animal control offices with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, Firestone Police Department and the Dacono Police Department as well as workers at the Humane Society of Weld County, Westridge Animal Hospital, Alpine Animal Hospital, Vets Animal Hospital and the Eagle Spirit Mobile Clinic.

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This week is American Humane Association’s “Be Kind to Animals Week®”.

Be Kind to Animals Week, observed May 4 through 10 this year, is the oldest event in the nation to celebrate the companionship, friendship and love that animals bring into people’s lives.

Animal shelters throughout the country hold special events during this week to raise awareness about being kind to animals and to teach people about the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Be Kind to Animals Week is a great time to promote the wonderful work being done by the nation’s animal welfare organizations and to encourage everyone to get involved to make a difference for animals.

How To Be Kind to Animals
Here are some simple things you can do during Be Kind to Animals week and throughout the year to show kindness to animals:

1. Speak out for animals
   Get active in local animal welfare policies and legislation.
2. Report animal abuse
   While acts of violence against animals are tragic in their own right, they are also a red flag for other violent behavior, including domestic abuse and violent crime.
3. Appreciate wildlife
   Create an inviting space in your yard and garden for butterflies, hummingbirds and other creatures.
4. Share kindness
   Teach the people in your life, especially children, about the importance of being kind to animals.
5. Make a donation to your local animal shelter
   A donation can be your time, money, or needed items like pet food or laundry detergent. Call them first and see what they need.
6. Adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue organization
   Approximately 8 to 12 million animals enter our nation’s shelters every year, and more than half of these pets will have to be euthanized because of a lack of homes. Local shelters are the best place to find companion animals, even purebreds — one out of every four dogs in a shelter is a purebred.
7. Spay & Neuter
   If you have pets, make sure they are spayed or neutered.
8. Keep Yours Safe
   Pets should be microchipped and should always wear a collar with an ID tag, so they can be reunited with you quickly if they are ever lost. Also take your pet to the veterinarian every year for vaccinations and a health check.

About American Humane
American Humane Association is the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Founded in 1877, American Humane is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals, American Humane develops policies, legislation, curricula and training programs to protect children and animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The nonprofit membership organization, headquartered in Denver, raises awareness about The Link® between animal abuse and other forms of violence, as well as the benefits derived from the human-animal bond.

American Humane’s regional office in Los Angeles is the authority behind the “No Animals Were Harmed”® end credit disclaimer on film and TV productions, and American Humane’s office in Washington is an advocate for child and animal protection at the federal and state levels.

Visit www.americanhumane.org to learn more.

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So strongly, I recently wrote an article on the topic (of lost and found pets).

I’m hoping there comes a day when every dog owner ensures their canine sports a properly-fitted collar, identification tags and a current license.

Until then, I will continue to be a lost dog magnet.

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I’m a major animal nut. I try to help every animal I encounter, I’m a rescue/adoption advocate, and, a long time ago, I even thought I wanted to be a veterinarian (I worked for a vet hospital for a total of two days, then I quit because I was constantly crying).

I’m also the type of person who has to get up and leave the room if I see an animal being hurt. I didn’t make it through March of the Penguins (I had to leave during the passing of the eggs), missed part of Eight Below, and have never seen Old Yeller all the way through.

So I practically had to tie myself to a chair to sit through Oprah’s expose on puppy mills last week. It probably wasn’t very good planning on my part to tape the show and then start watching it a few minutes before we were leaving to meet friends for dinner (Mike came out in the living room, saw tears streaming down my face and said, “Great. They’re going to think I beat you before we left the house.”)

But I am so glad I taped the show, because I have been able to tolerate it in five- to 10-minute increments, and my eyes have been opened (once again) to the horrors that many dogs face on a daily basis, all their lives.

I’ve rescued a greyhound, and the little I’ve read about a greyhound’s life on the track has allowed me to give Greta a lot of leeway in regards to certain behavior issues we’ve faced.  

Regarding the Oprah expose, it was due in large part to Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue. Every year, Main Line rescues hundreds of abused, unwanted or abandoned animals, rehabilitates them and then adopts them out to families. Many of these animals are from puppy mills, which Bill describes as “places where bad breeders care more about the profit they make from puppies than the health or welfare of the animals.”

During the show, Lisa Ling and her hidden camera joined Bill on a tour of puppy mills in Pennsylvania. (According to The Humane Society of the United States, there may be as many as 10,000 puppy mills operating across the United States. They are all perfectly legal.)

Many of the dogs born in puppy mills end up in pet stores or sold on the Internet. Most people don’t understand that the cute puppy they just bought had to endure the most terrible conditions during its first weeks of life, and that cute puppy’s mom or dad is still living in the most deplorable, unspeakable conditions.

Bill, who has fostered relationships with hundreds of breeders across Pennsylvania, askes for the dogs they no longer want or the ones they’re planning to kill. These dogs are typically either older females and younger males, because breeders only need one or two male dogs to breed with every 20 fertile females.

At one puppy mill they visit, Bill speculates that many of the dogs have never walked in the grass, although they live on a 60-acre property. At another, they find about 40 dogs in wire-floored rabbit cages stacked to the ceiling in a room reeking of urine and feces. At another, they see outdoor cages filled with Pomeranians, and Bill says that not only have those dogs probably never been out of those small cages, but it’s likely that they remain outside even in bad weather and could die from exposure.

During their visits, Bill rescues dozens of dogs. He says that sometimes when he’s out to pick up a dog, the breeder has had the dog eight or nine years and it doesn’t have a name. it’s never been out of the hutch, it doesn’t know how to walk, and he has to carry it to the car. Some have also had their vocal chords damaged by a pipe in order to keep them from barking.

Despite the inhumane conditions the dogs lived in before their rescue, Bill says they usually start to show signs of rehabilitation in about two weeks.

Main Line Animal Rescue has rescued approximately 7,000 to 8,000 animals—about 5,000 of those from puppy mills. Their placement rate is about 99 precent, and Bill has also opened his home to some of the dogs (he currently has 10, but has had up to 12 at once).

The show’s message is clear: Don’t buy a dog at a pet store or off the Internet, because you will most likely be supporting puppy mills. Instead, head to your local shelter or animal rescue organzation.

According to Bill, a third to 50 percent of the animals in shelters, depending on the location, are purebred dogs, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, there are also breed-specific rescues throughout the country. (If you must have your pedigree dog, look for a quality breeder.)

To help win the shelter battle, Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, recommends spaying and neutering to prevents the needless killing of millions of animals. Dr. Shelly Rubin, who treats Oprah’s dogs, says spaying or neutering is one of the best things you can do for your pet’s health.

To read the truth about animal shelters and responsible breeders, click here. To read more about what you need to know before getting a dog, click here. To find out how to help shut down puppy mills, click here.

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First, let me explain that I am not one of those people. You know, the ones who can nonchalantly walk/drive by a loose dog in the street or on the side of the road and carry on as if nothing was the matter.

I have to stop. I am compelled to stop. And while I like to joke that I am always doing this to try to up my “canine Karma” in the event that Greta ever slips away from me, that’s really not true, because I was doing this long before I ever considered having a dog.

Back to the finding of dogs, which usually happens a couple of times a year (I lost count at 10 dogs since we’ve lived here). This past weekend, it happened again.

On Saturday, we decided to go on a family walk, which we hardly ever do. Greta was leashed up and very excited to be with both “mommy” and “daddy”, and off we went.

About two blocks away, we saw a rottweiler running in the street. It saw us and turned and ran the other way, so we followed it. It ran up to a house, and Mike was 99 percent sure it lived there.

The dog was very sweet and submissive, so I was able to see that it had a license but no address/phone number tag, so we had no way of contacting the owner.

Of course, no one was home, and neither were the neighbors on either side. For some reason, the house also had no backyard access from the front, so we could neither get the dog back in the yard, nor figure out how it got out to begin with. (It was grossly overweight, so there was no under/over the fence action, to be sure.)

The people who lived there often had the rottweiler tethered to a tree in front of the house, so we took that tether and tied the dog to the front door, hoping that the owners would be back momentarily and all would be fine. I filled the dog’s water dish, and we set off.

On our way home about an hour later, we went back by the house, and the dog was still there. We made sure it had enough water and was as comfortable as possible, and we came home and called Sacramento Animal Control to report the incident.

Because the dog had a license, they were able to contact the owner and resolve the problem. Thankfully, the dog was o.k. and didn’t get hurt or hit by a car in the meantime.

Then, on Sunday morning on our way out on some errands, we saw a dachshund running in the street (a very busy street by our house) and no one was around. We stopped, and the little thing had a collar on, but no tags of any kind (not very helpful when trying to reunite dog and owner).

We brought it home and got a leash and I walked it all around the area where we found it, in the hopes that it would either know its way home or its owner would come out looking for it.

Neither happened, so again I called Animal Control.

An Animal Control Officer came out to get the dog, and it just so happened to be the same guy I talked to the day before about the rottweiler.

He thanked me for helping them out (both the dogs and Animal Control), and then he said:

“You know, you’re doing the right thing. Most people think it’s better to leave the dog and let it find its way home, but they almost never do and they just end up hurt or dead. It’s much better to give them a chance to be reunited or adopted by someone else, or at least put down humanely instead of being hit by a car.”

I hugged the man. And then I went inside and showered Greta with kisses.

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