My friend Dale Ann posted this on the Feline Diabetes Message Board, and I thought it too poignant not to share...

I AM AN ANIMAL RESCUER

By Mike Stellas

My job is to assist God's creatures;
I was born with the need to fulfill their needs.
I take in new family members without plan, thought, or selection.
I have bought dog food with my last dime;
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand;
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid;
I have fallen in love a thousand times,
and I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body.

I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends.
I don’t often use the word "pet".
I notice those lost at the roadside,
And my heart aches.
I will hand raise a field mouse,
And make friends with a vulture;
I know of no creature unworthy of my time.

I want to live forever if there aren’t animals in Heaven,
But I believe there are.
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind.

We may be master of the animals,
But the animals have mastered themselves,
Something people still haven't learned.
War and Abuse makes me hurt for the world
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind.

We are a quiet but determined army
And making a difference ever day.
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan,
nothing more rewarding than saving a life,
No higher recognition than watching them thrive.
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play
who only days ago was too weak to eat.

I am an Animal Rescuer
My work is never done,
My home is never quiet,
My wallet is always empty,
But my heart is always full.

Ms. Joslin takes the skeletons of animals and, using the actual bones and bits of antique mechanisms, makes sculptures out of them.
The results are interesting, and I'm not sure if I like them or not.  Part of me finds them fascinating and deliciously macabre.  The other part, the small squeamish part that seldom so much as whispers a word, finds them disturbing.  However, that seems to only delight the twisted part all the more.

Image is a cat skeleton with some of the bones gilded.  It is wearing a black and white stripped beanie hat.  Its curled tail is attached by a string to a little two-wheeled cart.  A two headed bird with moth wings rides in the cart.  The joints of the cat are brass hinge balls. 

You can read an interview with the artist and see more of her pieces HERE.
Her "Brass Menagerie" is Here.

I've never even heard of this chain, so I don't know what states they are in.  However, I just received an email from the Humane Society regarding Petland's involvement in puppy mills.  Long time readers understand my hatred and loathing of the mills and my up close and personal experience with their horrors through Shelby.

 

Dear Kimber, 

Maybe you saw Oprah’s show on puppy mills earlier this year, and wondered how this cruelty can persist and who’s responsible.

 

Today, The Humane Society of the United States

released the results of a shocking investigation showing that pet store chain Petland Incorporated is the nation's largest retail supporter of puppy mills. The cruelty must end – watch our video and take action today.

 

 

Our national, eight-month investigation shows that Petland stores in multiple states are marketing dogs from cruel puppy mills to unsuspecting dog buyers. The investigation into Petland stores in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, and other states revealed that many of the puppies sold at these stores came from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other states in the Midwest where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into filthy, crowded cages.

 

Most of the puppies bred at puppy mills are eventually sold over the Internet or through pet stores, including many Petlands in the U.S. The unseen victims are the mother dogs who are forced to live their entire lives behind bars – without exercise, without socialization, without ever being part of a family or even seeing the outside of their cages. 
 
We are committed to stopping puppy mill cruelty, but we can’t do it without your help. The holiday puppy-buying season is in high gear, so please watch our video and then tell Petland to stop selling puppies.  

Then contact your nearest Petland franchise to tell them to get out of the puppy-selling business.

Thank you for your commitment to stopping puppy mills and for all that you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

I did not watch the video.  However, when I saw that their main suppliers are Missouri Mills, I cried.  Shelby, the Sheltie in my avatar,  is a Missouri Mill Dog.   She was one of the "mother dogs" mentioned.  The missing eye is just ONE of the obvious cruelties she suffered.  She suffered for eight years in that hell hole!  Please help me stop the mills!

Here's the Story:

OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH COPPER
(When we first recognized that Copper was a very special boy).

Ten years ago, before my husband, Terry, and I formed S.P.A., we rescued animals and paid for their care as best we could, out of our pocket.

We were visiting the vet's office with a dog we had rescued and saw a cat in a cage who was curled up in the far corner and looked as if he was in pain. A sign was hung on his cage which read "HUMANE SOCIETY WILL PAY $20.00 LIMIT".

I inquired "So what is the story behind this cat?"

We were told that the President of the Humane Society had been called late one night from someone at the bar who tried to start their engine and heard a scream. The President of the Humane Society called a local vet to pick up the cat. The vet was told that if the cat was damaged more than $20 could repair, to "put him down". So the vet said he was going to euthanize the cat because it needed extensive (and expensive) surgery to repair broken bones in his hip.
We told him to put him on our bill, even though we had a very limited budget (in fact we were in debt at that time).

After a story about Copper's plight was graciously printed in the Fremont News Messenger, we received over $800 in donations from compassionate citizens in our area which more than covered the surgery. The surgery was 100% successful. Copper had a pin in his hip for over 3 months and received all of his shots and was neutered.

We fostered Copper until one day when a woman from Fremont called to ask if we had a "special" cat that her father-in-law (who lives near Elyria) might adopt. Within 4 years he lost his wife, his 3 cats, and his hearing. Her father-in-law had become extremely depressed, she said. She was looking for a cat that would give her father-in-law companionship to possibly bring him out of his depression. To us, Copper seemed to be the perfect choice.

Copper's daddy lived in Elyria and loved and cared for Copper in his home for the past ten years.

Well, this same daughter-in-law called us two days ago and said her father-in-law had passed away and that they needed Copper out of the house right away.

She said she'd make a donation to S.P.A. if we took him. We said of course we'd take him back. We explained, in fact, that she had to return him to us as stated in S.P.A.'s adoption contract. All animals must be returned to us so we can ensure their next home is just as special as their last.

She apparently thought twice about her offer to make a donation because she then called back and said she found someone she knows in Fremont who would try Copper out. This woman had a dog and from what we remembered Copper wasn't fond of other animals. She said if it didn't work out with this woman, that this woman said she'd find someone else to pass him along to.

I said. "Well you can't simply hand Copper over to someone else until they first fill out an Adoption Application. Once approved, we'll take Copper to her home as we always do with SPA animals, so she can sign an Adoption Contract with us."

To make a long story short, this woman not only refused to fill out an S.P.A. Adoption Contract but apparently thought the idea was absurd. She said there was no way she needed to be approved by anyone to take Copper. Basically she said "screw them, let them have him back."

So Copper was dropped off at our vet's office yesterday.

How much of a donation did the daughter-in-law leave? Zero. She dropped her father-in-law's beloved cat off and drove away. That's fine with us. Our primary concern is that Copper will be well cared for. We know that is what Joe would have wanted.

S.P.A. doesn't have a foster home available for Copper, so we will have to pay to board him until the perfect home is found. If anyone wants to donate towards his boarding expenses, that would be much appreciated. (Donation Info Below if you are interested.)

But what we are really hoping for
is to place Copper in a loving, responsible home ASAP.

Scroll down for an updated of Copper today.

May Joe rest in peace.

Copper is about 11 years old and in tip top shape.
He is up to date on shots and generally very friendly,
although he is very frightened right now.

He has no idea where his daddy, Joe, has gone
and is confused as to why he was driven away to be kept in a cage.
We are hoping to find a loving, very special forever home for him soon.

He'd make a great companion for a senior citizen. He was spoiled and loved very deeply. We'd like to find someone compassionate and special, just like Joe. We are hoping that Joe is watching from heaven and is happy that we followed through with our initial promise that we made to him, that we'd take Copper back and care for him until the perfect home is found should he ever have to give his best friend up. And unfortuantely, he did.


DONATIONS FOR COPPERS BOARDING & CARE:

You can donate online at: www.spaohio.org

or you can mail a donation to:

Joe's Boy, Copper
P.O. Box 1047
Fremont, Ohio 43420
Barbara McGrady
Society for the Protection of Animals, Inc.
P.O. Box 1047
Fremont, OH 43420

Picture shows a delighted old man and a brown and black tabby cat.

Des Moines, IA seems to be the capital of Interesting Literary Types these days.

Thanks to wookiemonster  for posting the original link.

The Library Orinch Cat

I have been putting off doing this because I didn't want to jinx us...
sooo...
KNOCK WOOD AND ANTI-JINX!!!
Woody's swelling is down.  He is still sometimes having sneezing bouts, but no discharge from his nose.  Instead of just a slit, he has an actual nose-hole again.  His nose is still slightly bigger on that side, but MUCH better than it was.  I want to thank my cousin, Peggy, for sharing the story of her FIV cat with me and for helping me with the meds and treatment protocol.  My vet was skeptical, but the treatment Peg shared with me worked.  Woody has now been off of pred. and zeniquin (was getting 12.5 mg once per day for a month).  He hasn't been medicated for 10 days.  Thank you everyone for your well wishes and your prayers--I *know* they made a difference!!!

Also...

The IMOM Fundraiser is done.  They raised over 18K before expenses.  Thanks to your generosity, Woody raised $350 all on his own.  That is enough to provide insulin and syringes for a year for a diabetic cat or dog.  That will supply sub-q bags, lines, and needles for a dog or cat suffering from chronic renal failure for a year.  That money will help provide the needed surgery for the lucky winner of the photo contest, Gracie.  
Here is Gracie:

Picture is a golden retriever puppy wearing a diaper.  She can now have the $3,000 surgery needed to give her a chance at a better life after somebody just dumped her because she was "defective". 

Thank you, and Bless You All for your double kindness in not only helping me help my boy, but in helping others with their beloved companions.

A couple weeks ago I posted about a fundraiser for IMOM charity.  IMOM helps low/no income folks with chronically ill pets, such as diabetics or ones with CRF, by giving them the supplies they need to provide Quality of Life to their pets.  They have also helped out animals that were injured or had cancer.  It's a wonderful charity!

Woody is entered in the fundraising contest.  If he wins, not only does money go to IMOM, but also to Alliance for Spay-Neuter and Pet Rescue.  Woody has FIV, an immune deficiency disease that not only sometimes makes him sick, but also makes treating any illness he gets far more difficult.  IF his original people had spent the lousy $35 required to neuter him, he would not have this eventually fatal disease.  I also chose that charity because since Woody spent Seven Years allowed to randomly breed, I'm sure at least a few of his offspring have been helped by this organization.

If you have a spare moment and a spare few bucks, please take a moment to vote for Woody HERE.  Voting ends at midnight (Eastern time) on October 22nd.

Thank you!



Picture is Orange Short-Haired Tabby that has his head tilted to the side and looks like he is smiling/"mugging it up" for the camera.

I got the following in my email from the humane society.  The thing that struck me is that two of the people mentioned whose shows they want to advertise during are Rachel Ray and Ellen DeGeneres.  Both of these ladies are Champions for Animals.  Even if you don't want to give me the e-mail addy, please link or forward...
Thank you!!!

Dear Kimber,

 

What do factory farms and Desperate Housewives have to do with each other? During this election season, plenty.

Today, The Humane Society of the United States and the YES! on Prop 2 campaign in California launched this powerful television ad that delivers this critical message:

We wouldn't force our pets to live in filthy, cramped cages for their whole lives, and we shouldn't force farm animals to endure such misery, either.

You don't live in California, but you are someone who cares about the humane treatment of all animals. And if Prop 2 passes in California, it will lead to more humane farming practices across the nation.

That's why, today, I hope you'll help us send a powerful message to California voters by making a special gift to help us raise the $200,000 we need to get the truth out about Proposition 2.

As you could guess, these ads don't come cheap -- especially when they air during popular shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, and CSI.

Starting now, we have just 29 days to reach those Californians whose only exposure to Prop 2 could be our opposition's deceptive TV ads. Prop 2 is a modest measure that simply allows animals in factory farms the ability to move and stretch their limbs.

We don't think it's too much to ask, but the factory farming industry is peddling propaganda and scare tactics about Prop 2's supposed burden on egg factory farmers -- when even industry economists concede that production costs will increase less than a penny per egg.

This isn't about cost. It's about profit motives conflicting with the humane society we're working to create.

With your support today, we can set the record straight. Please help us keep our YES! on Prop 2 TV ad on the air. Here's what your donation will buy:

 

• If you can give $35, our ad will air during the 6 a.m. news
• If you can give $50, our ad will air during Rachael Ray
• If you can give $100, our ad will air during The Ellen DeGeneres Show
• If you can give $500, our ad will air during Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News
• If you can give $1000, our ad will air during Desperate Housewives

Time is running out for us to make our mark. We'll have the greatest impact by broadcasting our ad to millions in California. Will you help make sure voters get the message?

On behalf of 20 million farm animals, thank you so much for your help today.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

I had always thought that "sodomy laws" were anti-gay. Apparently not. They also involve other individuals--one NOT capable of "giving consent". Of course this just HAD to happen in Michigan!

No sex registry for sheep offense

Um, I can only speak for myself, but...
I personally would want to know if I had to worry about my animals around certain people just as much as I want to know if children are safe.

BTW:
WHY can I only post in HTML???? WTF???