Too Hot For Your Feet? Then It’s Too Hot For Hers Too.

Don’t make your dog walk on it. Simple as that.

Avoid Midday and Evening Walks When The Pavement Is Most Hot.

While we’re on the subject of “too hot,” you also should be very careful about what time of day you walk your pooch. In the heat of Summer, your little Precious can suffer heat stroke very quickly if you’re not paying attention. Get in the habit of waking a half hour earlier in the mornings so you can walk her before the sun is all the way up. Early morning is WAY better than evenings because the pavement has cooled down overnight and won’t scorch her little paws. If you walk in the evenings, don’t be fooled. Sure, the sun’s not bearing down on you, but the pavement hasn’t cooled down yet. It’s still giving off all the day’s heat and her little feet can still be burned. To know for sure, test your own bare foot. A good tip to know–asphalt can be way hotter than cement. Stay on the sidewalks or grass and avoid asphalt at all costs. Always take water with you and give her some as often as she’ll take it.

Booties ~ What A Great Idea!

A novel and very effective idea to protect your lovebug’s feet from hot or cold pavement is booties ~ you can buy them online or at any pet supply store; a great, fun little investment in your pet’s good health. Check out little Layla’s pink booties above. Adorable or what! The bottoms are a good solid rubber that doesn’t let heat or cold through.   🙂

Alternative To Walking Outdoors.

The best way to protect your pet’s health is to find somewhere INDOORS to walk her when the weather is too hot or too cold. Lowes, Home Depot, Petsmart, Petco for example. These are all ideal pet-friendly places – temperature controlled, safe from outdoor natural predators, and they encourage your pooch to interact with people and socialize. Your dog will LOVE you for it.  🙂

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Pavement Too Hot For Her Tootsies? appeared first on BareFootPets.

May I recommend Milagro Senior Pet Refuge?  I founded Milagro in 1998, years before rescuing older animals was even a little bit cool.  I got lots of push-back from people telling me I was nuts to go that route, because who cares about old animals!  But, thank God, I went for it anyway, because the need was very real.  I incorporated and applied for IRS exempt status around 2004.

Once I got the website (milagropets.org) up and running, word quickly spread, and phone calls and requests for rescue help started coming in from all over the country.  People were on-board!  It was beautiful – so encouraging!  Now, 20-some years later, lots of seniors-only rescue organizations have sprung up nationwide, and most other rescue organizations have added a focus on seniors to their intake and adoption programs as well.  Milagro was a pioneer in this blessed transformation. ?

Donations to Milagro Are Fully Tax-Deductible.

The IRS recognizes Milagro as a non-profit, charitable organization (EIN 20-3538510).  Your donations are tax-deductible.  When you donate to Milagro, we will send you a confirmation letter detailing your gift that you can report to the IRS at tax time.

God Bless These Precious Lives You’ve Place In Our Care, And

Please Be Especially Loving To Those Who Never Do Find Help In This Life. 

— J. Fisher, Milagro Senior Pets 

Your Gift Goes Directly to the Milagro Pets.

Milagro uses your donations only for the care of the pets of Milagro.  None of your gift is used for any administrative purpose.  Your gift is deposited into Milagro’s medical fund, and is used to provide routine and emergency veterinary care, specialty diets appropriate for their age, grooming, and supplies such as pee pads/diapers, sub-q fluids, beds, dental care, eye care, litter, prescriptions and supplements, etc.  Visit Milagro’s “Donate” page (milagropets.org/donate) to give via PayPal, or to send a check by mail.

Not Able to Give Cash?  Consider the Amazon Smile Alternative!

Every Dollar Counts, and Your Gift In Any Amount Is Gratefully Accepted. If you are short on cash and still want to support Milagro, consider Amazon’s “Smile” charitable page.  Do your Amazon online shopping as usual, starting on Amazon’s charitable home  page — smile.amazon.com — and portions of your purchase total will be donated to Milagro by Amazon.  Super Easy — the first time you go to Amazon Smile, you’ll be prompted to choose your charity.  Just click on Milagro and that’s it — you’re all set!

Thereafter, every time you do your Amazon shopping, Amazon will automatically log your purchase and dedicate a percentage of your purchase to Milagro.  Doesn’t get much easier than that, right?  And the beauty is you’re still supporting Milagro, but it’s not coming out of your pocket!!  A large portion of the donations we receive come via the Amazon Smile Program.  Of course, the traditional method of gift-giving is also always available — Visit Milagro’s “Donate” page (milagropets.org/donate) to give via PayPal, or to send a check by mail.

From My Heart, Thanks For Your Kindness and Your Faith In Our Work. ?

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Please Consider Milagro for Your 2022 Charitable Giving? appeared first on BareFootPets.

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Imagine the Possibilities

As reported earlier, an Austin Pets Alive director recently posted a “no-win” hypothetical designed to demonstrate the impossibility of No Kill. I responded that “I don’t believe in no-win scenarios” and showed how poor and incompetent leadership, and not a failure of No Kill, are to blame for Austin’s fall from grace.

To further respond to Austin Pets Alive’s cynical apologia, I’d like to offer a “hypothetical” of my own, one just as dire. But instead of accepting defeat, I’m asking people to imagine an outcome that recognizes our duty to animals and the people in our communities who love them.

Imagine You Run An Open-Admission Shelter.

Your intake rate is higher than the national average. Like most communities, you have pockets of affluence but also incredible poverty. You are getting your daily influx of animals. And then you get the call.

The state has requested assistance in closing down a puppy mill. They asked other shelters for help, but you would take the lead. In one day, you would get three times the number of dogs than the number of kennels you have, and you already have dogs in those kennels. As the animal control authority for all ten towns and cities in your county, you also get dogs daily.

On top of that, you are not just getting any dogs. While the other shelters are getting the puppies, you are getting the dogs used for breeding. Most of these dogs have severe conditions or other challenges: dogs with untreated tumors, dogs with rotten teeth, dogs with neurological problems who walk in circles, under-socialized dogs, heavily traumatized dogs, dogs matted from head to toe who are painful to touch, blind dogs who lived inside pet carriers their whole lives.

What Would You Do?

We know what would happen at the shelters that Austin Pets Alive champions, such as those in Philadelphia, Memphis, El Paso, and Los Angeles. After killing the dogs, the Executive Director would talk about “public irresponsibility,” saying the dogs were “unadoptable,” and how “euthanasia” relieved them of their suffering. “Public irresponsibility,” “unadoptable,” and “euthanasia” are all code words that show a profound lack of imagination.

If you chose to kill the dogs, too, Austin Pets Alive would not criticize you for it. Instead, they would circle the wagons around you, claiming the fault lies with the puppy mill. And there is some truth there: Fault does lie with the puppy mill for exploiting, neglecting, and abusing those poor dogs. But once the dogs are in the care of the shelter, the calculus changes. Whether those dogs live or die is now up to the shelter. At that point, the only choice is whether the shelter will perpetuate the harm by killing them or whether it won’t.

In Sheltering, We Like To Fall Back On The Cliché That Killing Is A Last Resort.

But while shelter directors give lip service to that, it often is a first resort: The thing that is routinely and casually done when the cages get full. The thing that is done even when they aren’t full. Because that is just what we’ve done in shelters for over 100 years, and collectively, these pounds stopped imagining a different outcome. But in reality, this “solution” is the most extreme, inhumane, and violent of all possible responses.

Imagine Child Protective Services taking in abused, abandoned, and homeless children and then killing them. It is unthinkable. As a society, we should no more tolerate it for animals. Indeed, if we had never started killing, the suggestion that we should do so would be preposterous. Yet custom has reconciled those running animal shelters to view it as inevitable.

So What Would Happen If You Threw Out The Calculus?

What would happen if, instead of debating whether the killing was the first or the last resort, it was no resort? What if you took killing off of the table? The pro-killing Naysayers argue that you would become a hoarder: the animals would pile up and get sick. But the Naysayers are wrong. There are communities across the country, including those with extremely high intake rates — almost ten times the rate of New York City, the most congested urban area in the United States — that have done it: with sustained placement rates of 99%. And the two things they all have in common are leaders with a “can do” attitude  — with imagination — and the No Kill Equation.

So where will you house the dogs? Who will provide the triage? Who will treat the rotten teeth, the tumors, and the matted fur? How will you adopt them? This is the scenario I faced several years ago when I ran an animal shelter in New York. And here is what happened.

First, I employed an essential trait of any leader: staying in control. If you are confident, your staff will be confident. If you believe, the volunteers will believe. Then I employed a bit of imagination. What if we put up a big tent outside to house the dogs? So I called a local party rental store and asked them to donate a wedding tent in exchange for promoting how they helped us save lives. Whatever the circumstances, it was my job to imagine a solution. If it didn’t work, it was my job to imagine another solution. Leaders do not throw up their hands and say if we can’t do this one thing (killing or refusing to take them in), there isn’t anything else we can do.

What if we created the equivalent of a MASH hospital by issuing an all-hands-on-deck call to volunteers and staff, bringing them in on their off days? Not enough veterinarians? What if I called my daughter’s orthodontist to help with rotten dog teeth? If a door is closed, you open it. If it is locked, you kick it down. If it is reinforced, you smash a window.

That Is What I Did.

And when the vans arrived and the officers carried off the dogs, it was an awesome sight to behold. Volunteers had established an assembly line bathing the dogs, delicately cutting the mats, and cutting toenails. A local veterinarian canceled her appointments and spent the day doing triage, with staff acting as assistants, and then spent the evening doing surgeries. A local dentist came in to clean, fix, and pull teeth. The media was there with cameras rolling, we reached out to rescue partners in five states, and we kept the shelter open late for adoptions. As long as people came in, our adoption floor was open for business.

We had already created the infrastructure necessary to save lives. We had the No Kill Equation in place — foster care, comprehensive adoption programs, socialization and behavior rehabilitation, medical care, working with rescue groups, marketing and promotions, a robust volunteer base, and more. These programs allow a shelter to save lives not just in ordinary circumstances but could be called upon to give more during extraordinary ones.

All I had to do was create an environment and provide the tools that allowed people to help. When you make it easy for people to do the right thing, they will. And within 48 hours, we had emptied the shelter without a single dog losing his life, without even unfurling the big tent.

Of Course, We Owe It To The Animals To Do These Things.

That goes without saying. But we also owe it to people — the people clamoring for change in their communities. The people fighting shelters that refuse to do these things, but who would be a shelter’s biggest cheerleaders and fiercest allies if shelter directors stopped viewing them as enemies and partnered with them to save lives. Killing those dogs would have been unfair to the volunteers who gladly spent the day caring for them and unfair to the human orthodontist who talked about that day years later. They had so much to give and would have felt so much anguish had our “solution” been simply to kill. A leader’s job is to give people the opportunity to help, not to turn them away with platitudes about public irresponsibility and the inevitability of killing.

Recently, a reporter asked me what I thought was the most important trait a county or city should look for when hiring someone to run the local shelter. I thought of a few: past success, a passion for saving lives, a belief in one’s duty to animals and the community, and the ability to get results. But, when all is said and done, the most important trait of all is imagination. If you can imagine a different outcome than killing; a different outcome than closing your doors to animals in need; if when faced with adversity, you can imagine how you might do things differently; and you permit yourself to try it even when conventional wisdom says you should not; you’re already more prepared than the vast majority of shelter directors in this country. Because, unfortunately, for far too many shelter directors and in far too many “animal protection” organizations, imagination is in tragically short supply.

To receive future articles and support my fight for the animals, please subscribe.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Imagine The Possibilities appeared first on BareFootPets.

Here’s a fun little analogy.  We bought a new play tent for our rescue pets.  It was on the clearance bin at our neighborhood pet store, and we grabbed it, not really knowing which of the pets would enjoy it first.  Well, it made for a very interesting illustration. See the photo below.

MUFASA THE CAT:  “Gee, thanks Mom!  What a cool new fort!  I can hide in here and nap all day!”

SPARKY THE PUPPY:  “Gee, thanks Mom!  Don’t know what it is, but let’s put my name on it!”

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

How Would You Caption This?

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Reaction: Dog vs Cat? appeared first on BareFootPets.

Most of my posts are focused on indoor domesticated pets.  For this post, I thought it would be fun to change it up a bit and spotlight some of the unusual and unexpected visitors I’ve enjoyed in my humble Arizona backyard.  I keep fresh water and food out round the clock and, with all my giant shade trees providing much-needed relief from the Arizona desert heat, my yard has become the “go-to” spot in my neighborhood for all kinds of wildlife.  Here are just a few of the visitors that have come along and stayed with us awhile.  Click on each photo for its video.  Enjoy!?

LINUS THE LIZARD

June 2011.  Meet Linus the Lizard.  This big guy showed up on my block wall one afternoon.  Pretty much minding his own business, but freaked me out nonetheless.  In fact, I was shaking so badly I couldn’t hold my camera steady enough to get a good video of him!  Yes, I’m one of those scaredy cats.  Go ahead and laugh, I don’t care.  At least I got this great photo — isn’t he beautiful?  He’s about 15-18″ long.  Anyone know what type of lizard he is?  I did an online search but haven’t figured it out yet.  We’ll just call him Linus and leave it at that.  He didn’t stick around long anyway.  My yard was just a pit stop along his travels, it seems.  P.S.  I’ve just been told that Linus appears to be a juvenile Komodo Dragon which, when adult, can grow up to ten feet long and weigh over 400 pounds, can run up to 12 mph, are extremely poisonous, and they eat dogs, cows, pigs, etc.  YIKES!   Boy am I glad Linus didn’t decide to take up permanent residence in my back yard!!

VERN THE PRAYING MANTIS

May 2015.  Vern is a very friendly, cool dude.  So I’m sitting on the back patio enjoying the day, and along comes this really big green bug strolling up to my chair.  The big green bug stops and looks at me for a long minute, then hikes up my arm all the way to my shoulder and plants himself next to my chin.  As I sit frozen with initial misgiving, he relaxes and enjoys the sun on his face.  Satisfied with this vantage point, he eventually turns to me and winks and says “Hey Girl, how you doin’?”   Now somewhat more relaxed, I reply “Hey Bug, I’m doin’ good, wussup?”   Bug says “Oh, just chillin’ in this beautiful Arizona sun.”  So I say “Hey Bug, mind if I take your photo?”  Bug says “Thass cool, Girl, but let me primp a little first.  You know I gotta look ‘fly’ for the camera.”  It was a nice chat.

ALVIN MY ARIZONA SQUIRREL

Dec 2020.  Alvin is such a doll!  He hangs out in the “corridor” that runs between my back yard wall and the wall of the neighbors behind me. The tunnel is barely 6-8″ wide, but lets him travel the neighborhood safely hidden away from coyotes and owls. I give Alvin raw almonds every day, so he comes closer and closer to me as trust builds. This day I put lettuce out for the first time. It was a really big hit.  Alvin skipped right past the almonds and went for the green. Alvin is quite large, almost the size of my cats, and the most beautiful squirrel i’ve ever seen. His coat is bushy and luscious, almost fox-like. He’s a stunning fellow.  Fascinating how choppy and robotic his movements are.  Just another one of my beloved back yard buddies.?

QUENTIN THE QUAIL

May 2021.  Look at this stunning fellow!  My apology for the camera jitters. I was filming Quentin from inside my house, so had to set my camera on highest zoom, which is hyper-sensitive to focus and movement.  Even in spite of the technical challenge, boy am I glad I captured this big boy hanging out and ruffling his feathers like king of the hill.  So gorgeous!  And hear his song — magnificent vocals!  I gotta say — God has quite the imagination.  Has He done some glorious work on this earth or what. ?

MAMA BOBCAT AND KITTENS

Sep 2021.  I always check the trees before letting my small dog or cats outside, because my giant 30-40′ Eucalyptus tree is a favorite hiding place for certain predators:  owls, hawks, and most recently bobcats.  While standing at the foot of the tree and scanning the topmost branches this morning, I kept hearing a low, guttural growl.  What I hadn’t seen when I first walked up to the tree was a mama bobcat perched in the tree only seven feet above the ground, barely inches away from my face.  She was sitting very still, but warning me with her throaty deep growls.  Naturally, I became very still so not to threaten her further.  I looked above her into the outer branches and saw two babies.  She was hiding her kittens safely away so she could go off and hunt or take a much-needed mommy break.

I backed slowly away to a safe distance and then ran inside for my cell camera — was very lucky to capture a multitude of photos and videos.  Once I retreated inside and Mama Bobcat felt comfortable that I was not a threat, she left my yard, while the kittens remained high up in the tree.  So I called the Fish & Wildlife folks for guidance in the off-chance Mama might have abandoned the little ones.  They said to absolutely stay back and leave the babies alone, that almost guaranteed Mama would come back for them in about four hours or so.  It ended up being more than eight hours when she finally returned to collect her family and I could breathe again.  A very very memorable visitation to our home. 🙂

OLIVER THE OWL

Oliver is an enormous Great Horned Owl, and tough to photograph, because he perches so high up in my Eucalyptus, and hides cleverly among the branches and leaves.  I’ve taken many photos of him, but they all look like he’s just part of the tree.  If I ever manage to get a good, clear photo of this elusive fellow, I’ll post it here.  For now, he only gets honorable mention.

HERMIE THE HUMMINGBIRD

May 2021.  I had just filled the hummingbird feeder, and little Hermie was first in line to enjoy the nectar.  He was so excited and fluttering all around the feeder when he noticed my camera.  Apparently he was more curious about the camera for a minute than he was hungry for food.  I slowed the video so you can follow his movement.  Look at him come right up to my camera and check it out!  Maybe he’s welcoming you to his back yard.  Listen carefully and you can hear his wings fluttering — sounds like a miniature airplane. Fascinating, absolutely captivating. 🙂

KITTY CAT COLONY

2020-2022.  Over the past two years, I’ve had a number of cats come to my home looking for shelter and food.  Some are completely feral; others are strays that have been abandoned.  After the first litter of kittens, it became quickly apparent I needed to step up and start trapping these cats and getting them spayed and neutered.  So I hooked up with Animal Defense League of Arizona, and my little cat colony began.  First to be “tnr” was Chanel with her two little kittens, Calypso and JoJo Morelli.  My very first trap experience and it was a huge success — I was able to trap all three the same night, which was my goal.  I wanted to keep Chanel and her little ones altogether since the kittens were still pretty young. After they were altered and fully vetted and micro-chipped, I released them back into my backyard.  They have stayed in my backyard ever since.  My patio is their home base.

Once word got out around the neighborhood, other cats began to show up.  Big Daddy, a big orange tabby, is super super friendly and loving.  He’s obviously a stray someone tossed out — full of ticks and fleas, dirty dirty feet, and lots of scars, probably from being beat up by the ferals, poor sweet guy.  He’s so easygoing he kept walking back into the traps to eat the food and just hang out — I actually “caught” him three more times after I had already vetted and altered him!  It’s like he thinks the traps are forts to play in!  I adore Big Daddy.

Next is Tommy Boy the all-grey tomcat.  Tommy Boy is also most likely an abandoned house cat, because, although he’s a little bit nervous and keeps a very close eye out behind himself at all times, he’s mostly friendly and sociable too.  This video of him was taken before we knew he wasn’t really feral.  Calypso and Morelli were keeping a very close eye on him in the beginning, but they’re all fine with each other now. Tommy Boy loves mealtime — he takes his time and savors every bite. It can take Tommy Boy as much as 45 minutes for his first serving. After he finishes eating, he goes under the chaise lounge and stretches out and relaxes for about 20-30 minutes. Then he gets up and goes right back to the food bowl and eats again!  This is his routine every single night — hard to believe he’s not a fat boy. 😀

Lastly there’s Cognac, a two-tone brown striped tomcat that is most definitely feral.  He’s like smoke in the wind — no chance of getting my hands on him.   Also no chance of getting any video of him yet either, but will keep trying.

Fortunately, over the course of several months I was able to get them all vetted, altered, and micro-chipped.  Big Daddy has since moved on, and I miss that guy dearly.  Chanel doesn’t come around as often since I trapped her — pretty sure she’s still holding a grudge.  Everyone else, tho, still comes to my back patio for breakfast in the morning, naps during the day, and dinner in the evening.  The “kids,” Calypso and Morelli, stay all night on their favorite pillow, and most of the day playing with all their toys and climbing trees.

They all co-exist beautifully, and it’s a happy little colony.  Very glad I started altering them right away so that the colony isn’t getting any bigger.  Feeding and ongoing vet care gets pretty expensive.  But it’s so worth it.  Calypso and Morelli are almost completely domesticated now and spend lots of time indoors with us.  They love the air conditioning in the Arizona summers.

The Video That Got Away.

Early on when I first lived in this house, I was home one Saturday morning cleaning, doing laundry, and had all the doors and windows open.  It was a glorious Arizona day.  As I stood at the kitchen sink, I kept hearing a noise, like rushing wind, coming from outside my front door.  It wasn’t a very common noise that I recognized, so curious I went to see what it was.  Turns out it was one of the most breathtaking, spectacular scenes I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.  There, completely covering every inch of my tall, billowing Arizona Willow tree, from top to bottom, were thousands — literally thousands — of Monarch butterflies at rest on the leaves, apparently taking a break from their migration south!  And they just happened to have taken that break in my front yard!   As they fluttered their wings gently in unison, the tree appeared to tremble in its full cloak of brilliant orange.   I was spellbound, speechless, frozen in place at the door.  By the time it dawned on me to go get my camera and come back to film them, they were gone.  They had continued on their way toward the horizon.  I was so completely disappointed.  Doubtful a moment like that might happen twice.  As fleeting as the moment was, and although I don’t get to share it with you on film, I’m profoundly thankful to have experienced such an event in my lifetime.

Thanks for letting me share these little stories with you.  I will update this post as other new visitors come by to see us, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back periodically.  😀

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post “Strange Pet Fellows.” appeared first on BareFootPets.

Especially not the pets locked away on death row in high-kill shelters, with the clock quickly ticking, and not the rescuers trying to figure out how to save them. You must adopt a mind-set to act quickly and figure out details later, such as possible behavior issues, medical issues, etc. Sadly, high-kill “shelters” still operate all over the country; so, as a rule, you don’t have time to think about rescuing a pet, like I thought I did with Ramona (see earlier post “It Should Not Have Ended This Way”).

You need to act first and figure it all out later–learn to power rescue.

A Rose by Any Other Name?

Don’t be fooled about “shelters.”  Too many of them are anything but.  “Shelter” is too often code for “killing machine.”  People need to be aware that way too many shelters in our country are still high-kill and operate under old, close-minded protocols, using euthanasia as their first choice to manage animal population.  They extinguish precious animals’ lives, and justify the murders by blaming fake reasons, such as lack of kennel space, lack of people willing to adopt, the animal has behavioral issues, the animal is fearful, etc.  Of course an animal is fearful — look where he is!!  The chaos, the smell of death in the hallways, fear of all the strange people and other caged animals around him.  But take him out and away from those halls of hell and watch him blossom.  Sadly, “shelters” still exist that won’t be bothered to give animals in their supposed care such a chance.  In these cases, the shelters aren’t shelters at all–they’re killing machines.

Whose Job Is It, Anyway?

Another thing “shelters” do is put the responsibility and blame on us, the public, whether the animals live or die.  They assign animals an arbitrary 72 hours to live, then pretty much just sit back and wait.  If no one steps up to adopt or rescue him within the 72 hours, the “shelter” feels justified in killing the poor animal–as if they had no choice, they were forced, it’s not their fault. The beautiful mama lab in this photo, ironically named Hope, and her newborn pups–every last precious one of them–were murdered by the shelter.  Instead of protecting them and finding homes for them, in the way that “sheltering” means, the “shelter” decided it was easier and more cost-effective to just get rid of them.  Even though rescue organizations were standing by, offering and begging for the lives of this innocent family, the “shelter” took the shameful way out, and killed them, all of them, one by one.

Certainly not all shelters are this cold and ugly, but sadly too many still are.  Truth is, it should be squarely on the shelters to advocate for the animals–it’s their job–to set up new programs that pro-actively prepare the shelter animals behaviorally and health-wise so they have the best possible chance at finding caring, responsible new homes; and to create public and media outreach programs that make more people aware of the pets needing homes, and encourage those folks to foster and/or adopt. Nathan Winograd, founder of No Kill Advocacy, has a regular blog that addresses the failure of shelters nationwide to show compassion toward the animals they have charge over.  Nathan created the No-Kill design that truly saves the lives of shelter animals, not kills them behind closed doors.  Visit these links to learn more.  I’ve spoken about Nathan and the No Kill Advocacy in previous posts.  Their efforts have resulted in profound improvements nationwide in sheltering.  Because of them, “a no-kill nation is within our reach.”

Learn To Power Rescue.

To anyone who considers getting involved in pet rescue, know this: You Must Be Prepared To Go All-In. There is no halfway. Prepare yourself to act quickly so that situations like poor Ramona and Hope don’t happen should you hesitate. Prepare yourself to be flexible because you typically will not know the behavioral or medical history of most pets you will rescue, so you’ll be dealing on a daily basis with many unknowns.  Learn ahead of time what you can to be best prepared to handle tough situations.  You’re going to need every bit of emotional, mental, and physical strength you can draw upon.

Above all, prepare your heart.  Rescue is an extreme labor of love that will change you from the inside out.  Once you commit to saving and protecting these vulnerable lives from those who would hurt them, and experience the power in this simple act of love, you will never be the same.  And, while it will hurt like hell, that’s a good thing.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Learning To Power Rescue. appeared first on BareFootPets.

In an emergency, if you think it’s okay to leave your pet behind and he’ll be perfectly able to fend for himself just fine, you’re crazy.  Don’t fall into that dangerous, misguided thought.  Truth is they wouldn’t have a clue what to do — they’ve been a house pet with a family looking after them and keeping them safe. Living on the streets alone is NOT going to come naturally for them, especially in the middle of a disaster.  Your abandoned pet would be totally at the mercy of the hurricane, or earthquake, or floods that drove you from your home.  And you know it’s true — you see the ASPCA commercials every day showing rescuers pulling animals to safety that were left behind in all kinds of horrible situations.

For your pets’ sake, this post will help you look down the road and anticipate how to make certain you’re prepared to easily take him/her along should an emergency or disaster force you out of your home.  There aren’t a lot of complicated details or work involved.  It’s really pretty simple.

Think Ahead, Prepare Ahead.

1. Collect and have ready to go a supply of dry and/or canned food (with binder clips, lids, and a spoon), clean water, bowls, halters/leashes/seatbelt lead, crate/pen, pet bed, blankets, comb/brush, pee pads, booties, and a favorite toy or two; and
2. Make very sure your pet ALWAYS has identification on him – tags with name and phone, AND implanted micro-chip.

There, that’s it.  Those are your instructions, just these two bullet points.  There are more detailed tips below if you want to read on, but these two points above pretty much cover the big stuff that’s truly critical.

More Tips.

Most shelters and hotels allow pets nowadays, so don’t abandon your pet because you think you’ll be turned away for refuge.  If one facility should happen to say no, drive on to the next one. Your pet is family and worth any extra effort.

When you’re setting aside dry or canned food for emergencies, be sure to rotate it periodically.  Replace what you’ve stockpiled with a fresh supply and use the more outdated items for current everyday living. That way, your stored emergency supply is always fresh.  Same with the bottled water.  Keep rotating it.

Check the fit of your crates/pens ahead of time to be certain they fit comfortably into your vehicle so that if/when an emergency does come, you’ll already know they’ll fit and there will be no surprises.

If/when the time comes you must evacuate, put your pet’s harness and collar on him before loading him into his crate.  That way, if he should bolt in a panic when you open the crate for pottie break, cleaning, or feeding, he can still be identified by his tags and be more quickly and happily reunited with you.  Also keep photos of your pet on your cell phone for added identification help.

You And Your Pet Are In This Together.

Remember – this will be a frightening time for your pets as much as for you, so don’t be surprised if they display any different-than-normal behavior.  Be patient and gentle with your pets.  And, with a little responsible planning ahead on your part, you’ll get through it … together.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post DON’T LEAVE THEM BEHIND !!  appeared first on BareFootPets.

When we talk about animal rescue, most of us think automatically of cats and dogs – kind of the way it’s always been. But animal rescue also includes birds, lizards, bunnies, ferrets, tortoises, trout, and so on. And still it’s even bigger than that!

Old McDonald Had A Farm.

We give our domestic pets a safe, comfy place in our homes with us, a soft clean bed, grooming, fresh food and water, exotic treats, and we lavish comfort and love on them as our own family members. But have you ever wondered this – who watches out for Farm Animals? Farm Animals – cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, etc. – the poor souls who lose their lives so we can eat them – are the most horribly treated animals on the planet. Why do we treat them so differently?  There was a time when Farm Animals enjoyed at least some quality of life before being shipped off to slaughter. But now we have big farm agriculture that inflicts unspeakable horrors on poor animals, carefully hidden away from public view because what goes on behind their doors is so profoundly ugly and unforgivable.

Every day, millions of Farm Animals are tortured, mutilated, murdered by the most evil, unspeakable means, to end up on our plates as food. Even though Farm Animals give their lives (unwillingly) for our benefit, we give them no compassion or regard in return.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Have you thought about where certain lush human comforts come from and what the cost?  For instance, leather, fur, wool?  Animals are actually “farmed” to give their lives so that we can enjoy such comforts. Mink and Fox are raised in disgusting conditions and horribly slaughtered so we can arrogantly and selfishly wear their furs.

Consider for a moment where the leathers come from that make up the designer purses and luggage we carry, or our shoes and boots?

Tigers, Rhinos, Giraffes, and more are hunted and killed for certain body parts that are thought to have medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities. Murder for old wives’ tales.

Trophy hunting is another shameful act against live animals. Trophy hunters simply enjoy the sport. Kill a magnificent exotic animal so I can hang it on my wall and brag. A life is extinguished to stroke a fool’s ego.

Hiding Behind Science.

Also consider animals imprisoned in testing labs: Golden Retrievers, mice, monkeys, cats, kittens, the list goes on. After decades of torturing innocent animals in labs across the country, it is now confirmed that no benefit to human science or health has been achieved that would remotely justify the horrors inflicted on those poor souls.

Illegal Dog Fighting, Cock Fighting,…

It goes without saying that this form of animal abuse needs to be done away with completely once and for all. Strides have been made in animal welfare laws and seeking out offenders, but prosecution and appropriate sentencing still has a good way to go. We need to keep pushing for enforcement.

Animal Hoarding, Neglect, And Abuse.

We still hear stories of animal hoarders, abusers, and extreme animal neglect. None of this is okay. If you have more animals than you can afford to feed, please get help, or please, for their sake, find them other homes. Don’t hide behind closed doors, forcing the animals to suffer against their will. If you have anger issues to the point you hurt your innocent pet, then you should not own a pet. Pets aren’t punching bags to hit. Pets aren’t lawn ornaments to ignore. Pets aren’t collectibles to pile up.

Beasts Of Burden.

Roadside circuses, trail rides, carrying loads of bricks, plowing hard ground–these are the daily travails of working animals, especially in third world countries. Poor animals are pushed beyond their strength, given little care or regard. Suffering under unimaginable demands every day from sun-up to sundown, nothing at all to look forward to in life.

Scourge Wet Markets.

With the COVID epidemic of late, a critical spotlight has finally been shone on the vile wet markets in Asian countries, not to mention some even here in our own United States. If you’ve seen even a video of what goes on in those environments, you’ll probably have a hard time just keeping your lunch down. It shocks the heart and sensibilities of compassionate people around the world.

We know from our familiarity with traditional pet ownership that all animals, including even fish, feel joy, love, comfort, loneliness, suffering, fear, trauma, and pain, just as humans do. Why, then, would we treat Farm Animals, Wild Animals, Lab Animals with any less care than our beloved pets?

It Is Time.

Charitable organizations are rising up to advocate for the wellbeing and humane treatment of Farm Animals. It’s time. We cannot call ourselves civilized when we treat vulnerable living beings with such ugly indifference. There are many ways to support Animal welfare. Becoming vegetarian or vegan is a scary thought to lots of folks, especially those of us who were raised on bacon, beef stew, chicken wings. It took me years to fully commit, but my heart was committed, and I couldn’t give up. The clincher for me was, I thought for a moment about the last moments of a poor farm animal’s life – absolute terror coursing through its veins as it screams and fights uselessly for its precious life. Do I really want to take that into my own body and call it nutrition?  Couldn’t do it.  Never again.  Maybe you’re not ready to make that shift yet; but you can still make a difference by supporting the organizations who fight for animals.

Who/Where Can I Support?

Here are a few organizations on the front lines of animal welfare that you can support. Please look into at least one and offer your support in whatever way you are able. It’s a start to making this a more compassionate world for vulnerable, innocent animal lives.

• Mercy For Animals (https://mercyforanimals.org/) (saving Farm Animals)
• Live Shackle Slaughter.com (https://liveshackleslaughter.com/) (advocating to end inhumane slaughter methods)
• Slaughter House Survivors (https://www.harbinshs.com/) (Americans in China) (rescuing dogs destined for the dog meat trade and wet markets)
• Soi Dog (https://www.soidog.org/) (Thailand) (rescues street dogs of Tailand)
• Animal Rahat (https://www.animalrahat.com/) (India) (advocates for beasts of burden – donkeys, bullocks, etc.)
• Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org) (rescues and advocates for Farm Animals)
• White Coat Waste Project (https://www.whitecoatwaste.org/) (advocates for animals used in unspeakable lab experimentation)
• Toronto Pig Save (https://torontopigsave.org/) (battling for welfare of Farm Animals)
• American Humane Organization (http://americanhumane.org/) (fighting for the wellbeing and welfare of animals)

There are many more organizations, just a Google search away – these will help get you started.

What Can I Do?

Most importantly – start somewhere. If you’re not ready to go vegetarian or vegan, you can still donate to any of these organizations to make your mark on turning the world into a more loving place for animals. If you can’t afford large donations, then give your pennies. Every dollar counts, so don’t feel embarrassed if your gift seems insignificant.  It’s anything but.  If you can’t give money, maybe you can volunteer, as an advocate, a rescuer, a foster, a networker, an activist, a teacher, a blogger like me, etc. Use your imagination. But Start.

The animal world is suffering unimaginable horrors, and needs all the help it can get. So look around, find your niche, and jump in with both feet. Precious animal lives are counting on you. If everyone saves even only one animal, that’s a huge blessing. God will see your efforts and your heart. Remember – when God gave the human race dominion over all the animals, He didn’t mean for us to harm them … He meant for us to watch over them.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Animal Rescue ~ So Much More Than Just Cats And Dogs. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Sweet Ramona’s face is burned into my memory now. An indictment against me for my empty sentiment — feeling badly for her but not acting in time to actually save her. I saw the post yesterday on Instagram begging someone to save Ramona, but I didn’t act in time. Instead, I saved the post while I did the “responsible” thing — sleep on it overnight, review my already stressed bank account to calculate how it could feed another mouth, and figure out if I could squeeze yet another dog into my rescue pack. Is it irresponsible to keep adding rescue pets when my home is already bursting at the seams? My friends and family already call me crazy. This is the life and daily dilemma of a “career” pet rescuer.

Damn The Cost — It’s A Life.

When I considered all things logically, on paper, I just couldn’t make it work this time. I’ve been rescuing discarded, vulnerable animals for many decades, paying out of my own pocket to feed and care for them, living on a shoestring budget. And now common sense is nudging me to start saving for retirement, or end up homeless like all my rescue pets when they first show up at my doorstep for help.

But Ramona’s face stayed with me as I slept last night. When I woke up this morning with Ramona still on my heart, I knew I needed to try — somehow I had to make it work. At least I would get her out of the shelter to safety and then figure out the bigger picture for her.

No Second Chance. It’s Done.

But Ramona was already dead. She had been killed by the shelter before anyone would save her. When I woke this morning, before even getting out of bed, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the saved Instagram post for the Texas shelter’s contact information. I was going to call and ask them to pull Ramona from the euthanasia list and keep her safe until I could figure out how to get her to me here in Phoenix.

The words in the updated post screamed out at me — Ramona’s dead. No one stepped up, and the shelter didn’t bother to advocate for her. She’s dead and that’s that. Another precious life extinguished, and we all will just go on our way. My heart has been shredded all day, and I’m writing this post with tears on fire and the stinging guilt of having been party to letting it happen. I hesitated, and they killed her.

Why Was She Not Save-able?

I’m wondering why no one wanted Ramona. Was she not beautiful enough? Was her back story not tragic enough? Is it because she was a pitbull? But a life is a life – those things should not have mattered, right?  Although they must have — because no one wanted her and, at the end of her broken life story, she died alone. Sweet Jesus, I am so so so sorry.

I keep going back to the post and looking at Ramona’s face. She knew — she knew no one was coming for her. She knew she would die there without anyone to care. Look at Ramona’s face — there’s no hope left in her. She knows. She will die there alone, unloved, and unremembered by most. And that’s exactly what happened. Ramona’s life didn’t matter.

Prayer For Those We Let Down.

Ramona’s heartbreaking story reminds me of my first prayer back in 1998 when I started Milagro Senior Pet Refuge. As I embarked on this most beautiful and difficult life chapter in pet rescue, I recognized that we wouldn’t be able to save them all no matter how hard we were going to try. So I asked God to be extra loving to the precious souls we wouldn’t be able to save, and to love them in a way we would fail to do here in this life. When I lay my head down to rest at night and try uselessly to shed the guilt that inevitably comes with being a pet rescuer, God still gives me moments of peace knowing that He continues to answer that first prayer every day. Today, however, I’m not feeling peace. My heart is broken for Ramona.

Take-Away.

Ramona’s sad and senseless end underscores the importance to ACT QUICKLY! There are SO MANY MANY more animals like Ramona in high-kill shelters that don’t have the luxury of time to wait while we figure things out.  Shelters are, after all, just killing machines in disguise.  We must get the animals safely out of those shelters FIRST, and worry about the details later. Had I adhered to my own advice, Ramona would be safely and happily with us today, knowing love … maybe for the first time. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Just Save The Life — God will help you fill in the blanks later.

Rest In Peace, Dear Ramona. God’s Got You Now.  ❤ 

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post It Should Not Have Ended This Way. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Hi All.  The following content and graphics are shared here from a blog post created and distributed by the ASPCA. I found it to be very clear and compelling guidance for folks who may find or have found abandoned newborn kittens but are unfamiliar with the acute care needed to help them survive.  Learn and enjoy, and Many Thanks to the ASPCA and Alley Cat Allies for their compassionate guidance.

“With operations either temporarily closed or limited for animal welfare groups and services nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain situations, such as discovering kittens outside, may need to be handled differently than they normally would. Please use the following handy flow chart, inspired by our friends at Alley Cat Allies, to determine best next steps in the event that you find kittens outside.”

*If you’re in the L.A. area, you can also visit fixnation.org for additional community cat resources and information. Links from graphic below:

* Kitten Care: kittenlady.org/kitten-care

* Socialization: https://www.kittenlady.org/orphaned-1

* TNRM resources: aspcapro.org/communitycats

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Courtesy re-post only.  All credits and rights acknowledged to ASPCA / Alley Cat Allies.
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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post What To Do If You Find Kittens Outside appeared first on BareFootPets.