Pins for Pets

You can sponsor me at http://www.firstgiving.com/djluke to raise money for spay/neuter.

HELP STRIKE TO PREVENT HOMELESS PETS Several of the animal rescue organizations in which I am involved are members of the Homes For All Pets coalition, a group of Minnesota animal rescue organizations dedicated to working together to reduce pet overpopulation.

Chuck & Don's Pet Food Stores is planning a fundraising event whose goal is to raise $75,000 for spay/neuter activities. The money raised will be shared among participating rescues in the Homes for All Pets coalition.

WHAT IS THE EVENT? The event is Pins for Pets and it's scheduled for August 3rd from 4-6pm at Flaherty's Arden Bowl in Arden Hills. In short, it's a bowling party where up to 216 bowlers will roll strikes, spares and gutterballs to raise money to help spay and neuter animals. Check out http://www.pinsforpets/ for complete details.

Top fundraisers are eligible for some great prizes. The number one fundraiser will receive a $250 gift card and a trophy. Second place gets a $100 gift card; and third place a $75 gift card. There are also prizes for top bowling scores.

Plus there will be guest celebrities like Katie K-9, giveaways to all participants (canvas totes, towels), t-shirts and prizes. Door prizes include Chuck & Don's gift cards, a two-night stay at Madeline Island, puppy kindergarten classes, and a year's worth of free grooming.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Register to bowl on August 3rd at http://www.pinsforpets.org/. The registration fee is $15 (non tax-deductible) and includes the cost of bowling, shoe rental, lunch and beverages. After registering you will be directed to the www.firstgiving.com/pinsforpets page to set up your fundraising page and start securing donations.

Bowling isn’t your strength? No problem! Social butterflies can just show up for the party. It will be a wonderful opportunity to mingle with other Twin Cities animal lovers. Some of the other rescues involved are; Pet Haven, Red Lake Rosie's Rescue, Friends of Flicka, Feline Rescue, Cause for Paws, MN Humane Society, RAGOM, Animal Ark and Minnesota Spay/Neuter Project.

Can’t make it on August 3? You can still help raise money. Go directly to www.firstgiving.com/pinsforpets to set up your own fundraising page.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Check out http://www.pinsforpets.org/. Start watching the media this week for other announcements and promotions for the event!

Downturn in economy tough on animals, too

Billy Bob the goat is feeling a little gruff: He's homeless
By PATRICE RELERFORD, Star Tribune
July 17, 2008

Until recently, Billy Bob led a comfortable life with a loving family on a farm in rural Minnesota.

Then his family lost its farm in the foreclosure mess that's sweeping the nation. Reluctantly, they sent their pet goat packing.

Today Billy Bob's life has truly gone to the dogs. The 5-year-old lives next to several canines in a kennel at an animal shelter in Woodbury.

"They said he's like a dog with horns," said Stacy Arvidson, manager of the Woodbury animal shelter.

Animal Humane Society officials said Billy Bob is the latest casualty of the economic downturn that's not only hurting humans but also leaving thousands of dogs, cats, birds and farm animals across the nation and the Upper Midwest without homes.

In recent months the Golden Valley-based shelter system -- it's the largest animal rescue organization in the Upper Midwest -- has become a magnet for animals from a network of rescue shelters in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota. Many of those shelters are overcrowded.

"That's a strong indicator that shelters are struggling with animals that are coming in from smaller organizations that just don't have the resources to house them," said Cindy Johnson, who oversees the adoption and intake process for the Animal Humane Society's five shelters in Buffalo, Coon Rapids, Golden Valley, St. Paul and Woodbury.

In recent months the society has been getting more inquiries from hobby farm owners who are facing foreclosure or other economic hardships. Many can no longer afford to feed their horses or donkeys.

Unlike Billy Bob the goat or the occasional city-bred pet chicken, those animals are too large for most shelters, Johnson said, so their owners are steered to rescue groups such as the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation in Zimmerman.

More pets being given up
Last year, Animal Humane Society facilities made room for more than 300 animals from shelters in rural Minnesota and several neighboring states. So far this year the group has taken in more than 900 dogs, cats, birds, gerbils and farm animals from rescue groups.
Shelter officials said individual pet owners have also driven up the number of animals at their five metro area shelters. This year's total is up more than 7 percent to roughly 17,740 animals. Meanwhile, adoptions have fallen by almost 3 percent when compared to the same time last year, for a total of 9,782.

The shelters have so many cats and kittens this summer -- more than 2,000 a month are expected to arrive until fall -- that shelter officials are recruiting "foster parents" to help manage the volume. "Mission Meow" places adult cats in temporary homes for a few months and allows them to re-enter the shelter system when they have a better chance of being adopted.

Johnson said many owners, like Billy Bob's, who surrender pets have owned them several years. Many are embarrassed and typically don't admit they're facing foreclosure. Instead, they cite job loss or a need to downsize to an apartment. Making matters worse is that many families aren't able to leave a donation to help care for their former pets.

"People are feeling bad," Johnson said. "They feel bad about not being able to keep their pets and not being the type of owner they wanted to be."

Surrendering pets is tough
Billy Bob's former owners, a couple with two young children, told shelter officials that their farm was in foreclosure. They drove to the east metro area last week after making several calls to the center to ask about accommodations and euthanasia.

"They were all upset about it," said Stefanie Knutson, an Animal Humane Society employee.

They surrendered the goat to shelter officials with more than a month's worth of feed.

On Monday, Billy Bob calmly watched a shelter volunteer enter his kennel and rearrange the straw bed he's slept on for several days. He had just come back inside after a 30-minute walk and wore a blue dog collar his former owners had left for him.

Arvidson said she's not sure if Billy Bob is house-trained but she was told he hasn't had an accident in the hallways as he's escorted outside for his daily walks.

"It's an usual case," she said. "But our perspective is this is a beloved family pet."

Billy Bob is the first goat to be taken in by the five-shelter system, but he's not the first farm animal to enter one of the metro-area shelters.

There was a pot-bellied pig and a farm pig a few weeks ago, Arvidson said. Both have since found homes through agencies that specialize in farm animal adoptions. Shelter officials hope Billy Bob will follow in their paths soon.

Until then, shelter officials said it's no trouble to have him around. Arvidson said: "He's honestly one of the nicest animals I've ever met."

Patrice Relerford • 612-673-4395

© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Film at Mall of America tonight!

This fall, Hollywood is releasing a major feature film titled "All Roads Lead to Home". A private screening of this film is scheduled to be shown at the AMC Theater at the Mall of America on Monday the 21st at 6:00 PM.

My name is Dennis Fallon, of Waldo West Productions a major motion picture
company. I am writing you on behalf of our movie "All Roads Lead Home"
(allroadsleadhomethemovie.com) to be released in Minneapolis, MN, Phoenix
and Tucson, AZ and Kansas City, MO in late September. We are currently
working with several No Kill Shelters in Kansas City, MO, including, No
Homeless Pet's KC, Animal Haven, Kansas City Area Humane Society, just to
name a few.

I wanted to contact your organization about the possibilities this movie
brings to your cause. We would love to work with you on promotions for the
movie and getting your cause to the public. Not very often do you have a
wonderful family film that has a cause of NO-KILL related issues.
"All Roads Lead Home" is a great story, about believing all things deserve
a chance no matter what. A great quote from the movie "All she sees, in
all living things...is the potential. Why would anyone want her to see it
any other way".

This movie is a wonderful family film and a must see for
animal lovers. "All Roads Lead Home" is Peter Boyle's last film.
We recently worked with Safe Harbor Animal Shelter, Tri-County Humane
Society in the Palm Beach, FL area on a cross promotion with our movie in
The Palm Beach International Film Festival. They loved the film and are
excited about the message the movie brings to your cause of NO-Kill. Here
is a Channel 25 ABC story -http://www.wpbf.com/video/16063182/index.html

Below is the link to our website where you can view the trailer, and a
review from Entertainment Magazine online.
Link to the trailer and website:
www.allroadsleadhomethemovie.net

Please see attached article from Entertainment Magazine:
http://emol.org/film/archives/allroadsleadhome/index.html

Cast:
In the style of "Because of Winn Dixie" , "Flicka" and "Dreamer" , ALL
ROADS LEAD HOME stars Vivien Cardone (Everwood. Beautiful Mind), Peter
Coyote (A Walk to Remember, Erin Brockovich), Jason London (A Man in the
Moon, Dazed and Confused), Vanessa Branch (Pirates of the Carribean A
World's end, Suburban Girl), Patton Oswalt (Ratatoulille, Reno 911) and
Peter Boyle's last movie (Young Frankenstein, Everybody Loves Raymond).

Short Synopsis:
12 year old Belle (Vivien Cardone) loses her mother in an automobile
accident. Her father Cody (Jason London) struggles to raise his daughter.
Her rebellious behavior forces Cody to send Belle to her grandfather
(Peter Coyote) farm to live with him. Belle learns that on a farm, it is
the survival of the fittest, but she cannot handle the thought of an
animal (or any life for that matter) not being worth saving unless it's
useful. Is she useful? Belle soon becomes the savior of all living
things. An old thoroughbred race horse and Atticus the dog change
Belle's life, and in turn Belle changes the lives of those who love
her.

Like the films title, various sub-plots all lead back to a single
conclusion, and nature has a way of providing the direction.A single truth
about family, love, precious life and the detours along the way that can
and do lead us to a better place, eventually leading us back home.

Dennis Fallon
Producer/Director
dfallon@waldowest.com
allroadsleadhomethemovie.com
WaldoWest.com
phone 816.309.7679
Fax 816-746-1744

Gentle Giant -- URGENT

GENTLE GIANT
Labrador Retriever,ShepherdMix
Size: Extra Large

Age: Senior

Sex: Male

IN URGENT NEED OF HELP!!
Levi, is a wonderful (approx) 7 yr old guy who can be described as a gentle giant, he weighs in at 126 lbs, but has a calm demeanor about him that makes him comforting to be around, and everyone that meets him says he is a true sweetheart. He tested well with other dogs and with cats, and loves being with people.

Levi , sadly, has found himself in a small rural animal control acility that does not have the luxury of giving the dogs there all the time they need to find wonderful homes - they truly wish they did, but as an animal control facility they are bound to accept all animals that come their way, an when more dogs arrive there than get adopted out, sad decisions have to be made to free up space. Staff and volunteers alike, really rate Levi and hope there is a family out there that will feel the same way and open their home and hearts to Levi, and give him the forever home he deserves. If you feel Levi may be the boy for you PLEASE NOT DELAY. Time is of the essence and Levi needs help quickly. Please submit an application form .

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING A DOG PLEASE SUBMIT AN ONLINE APPLICATION, IF YOU HAVE AN ENQUIRY TO MAKE PLEASE E-MAIL. - WE ARE A VERY SMALL VOLUNTEER RUN ORGANISATION AND ARE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE. - PLEASE BE PATIENT, WE AIM TO CONTACT YOU WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION , IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD WITHIN 5 DAYS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL FOR A STATUS REPORT.

APPLICATION FORM

****OLD DOGS, LIKE OLD SHOES, ARE COMFORTABLE. THEY MIGHT BE A BIT OUT OF SHAPE, AND A LITTLE WORN AROUND THE EDGES,.... BUT THEY FIT SO WELL.****

Q.C. Lab Rescue
Davenport, IA

563 343 7319

info@qclabrescue.org

Obama petition

Note from Best Friends Animal Society:

Dear Members and Friends,

You probably heard in the news that Senator Obama has promised his family they’ll get a new family dog after the November election.

The American Kennel Club jumped on this announcement with a list of possible “pure” breeds that the Obamas could buy from a pet store or breeder.

We’d like to propose something different to the senator and his family:
“With millions of homeless pets still being killed in shelters every year, please adopt your dog from a shelter or rescue group. Don’t buy from a pet store or breeder.”
It’s the same thing we say to people everywhere.

So we’ve launched a new website – http://www.obamafamilydog.com/ – where you can sign a petition encouraging the senator to save a life by adopting a homeless pet.

Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, left-wing, right-wing or any other wing, please sign the petition, and encourage all your friends and family to sign it, too.

It’s a great opportunity to promote the cause of homeless pets everywhere.

So, please sign the petition and read the story.

Thanks, and good wishes,

Michael Mountain
Best Friends

Lovely Lady needs a home!

I saw Lady on Petfinder today

Lady--URGENT!!

English Springer Spaniel

Size: Medium

Age: Senior

Sex: Female

Meet Lady...she is our special girl! Lady is about 7 years old and was left abandoned by her owner. Lady was seized by Animal Control. Lady had to be shaved due to the extreme neglect of her coat. This dog may be a senior but is VERY sweet and deserves a loving home she can finish out her days in! Lady is great with other animals and loves children. She is house trained and very well behaved. If you have room in your heart and home please consider giving Lady a 2nd chance at life....she has had her share of hardship and is hoping for a forever home where she can be pampered and loved for the rest of her days! This dog is a SWEET girl and still has a lot to offer!

This pet is up to date with routine shots.
This pet is already house trained.

Cedar Bend Humane Society
Waterloo, IA

319-232-6887

cbhsadoption@mchsi.com