While WA2S Films was shooting stray dog scenes at night in San Antonio with Sony 4K night vision, we saw this female begging for something at a gas station. So we stopped to find out.
Sign up & Support the American Strays Project: http://www.WA2S.org Discover more about Operation Houston #StrayDogCity Camera: Deanna Vollano Producer, Director, Editor: Tom McPhee c. 2016 All Rights Reserved World Animal Awareness Society http://www.wa2s.org/film--tv 818.561.5109 LA Field Producer
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Line Producer
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Associate Producer
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Co Producer
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Producer
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Executive Producer
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This video is part of the Hope For Paws series from WA2S Films: http://www.WA2S.org
San Antonio celebrates the New Year with fun and fireworks, which are lovely. But the aftermath for dogs can be disturbing. The fireworks tend to freak out dogs and displace them as they try to get away from the booming noises. This can mean stray dogs lose their way, owned dogs bolt from their homes which results in a higher number of dogs in the streets than usual. We met with Katie Boggs of Katie's Roadside Rescue (http://www.krrtx.org) and rode along with her to see the fallout of the festivities first hand. The main blog post for this rescue including tons of pics to choose from spending the whole day with Katie's Roadside Rescue can be found here: http://www.wa2s.org/the-visionaire/ne... This rescue of 7 puppies from under this trailer in San Antonio after New Years fireworks was filmed by #WA2SFilms as part of the American Strays Project for PBS: http://www.WA2S.org Music courtesy Arthur Yoria from the documentary: American Strays - A Tale of Animal Warfare Purchase music from http://www.ArthurYoria.com to support the American Strays Project from the World Animal Awareness Society. Camera: Deanna Vollano Camera, Producer, Director, Editor: Tom McPhee
Share Maxie's story to help find her a new home, and support the efforts of dozens of animal rescues in Houston through the Operation Houston Fund: http://www.WA2S.org/donate
Did you know about the Puppy Crying App that's used in this video to help find puppies? In the meantime, a beautiful mama Husky made an appearance. She came to see what we were doing on her street, but ran back down to the end of the court. Kelle, seeing what a beautiful dog she was, called to her and I watched in amazement while the gorgeous Husky ran back up the road directly to Kelle! It was clear that mama Husky had recently had puppies as her teets were red and swollen. Kelle was very concerned that she could have mastitis. We followed mama to the end of the court to see if Kelle could find her babies. She used an app that plays puppies crying which has worked in the past to have a mama take Kelle to her puppies. She looked under cars and RV’s and in the bushes to no avail. No puppies! Mama was howling as if in mourning for her puppies, whatever happened to them. It was heart-wrenching to hear. This beautiful dog was not afraid of humans and was very interactive which could mean that she’d been dumped. She had been loved by someone, sometime in her life. Could we not find where her puppies were hidden? Were they stolen, sold, or had died? This we did not know. One thing Kelle did know is that she had to take this mama Husky to the vet and get her off the streets. Meet Maxie. Get the whole story here: http://www.WA2S.org/operation-houston Camera: Deanna Vollano Producer, Director, Editor: Tom McPhee Made possible in part by contributions from Betsy Coville & Tom Baker and the team at Rescue Me Water (www.jezwater.com) Field Producer: Joni Crimmins c. 2016 All Rights Reserved World Animal Awareness Society http://www.wa2s.org/film--tv 818.561.5109 LA Field Producer
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Line Producer
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Associate Producer
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Co Producer
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Producer
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Executive Producer
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January 1, 2015 – San Antonio
Deanna Vollano Photos: Deanna Vollano San Antonio celebrates the New Year with fun and fireworks, which were lovely. But the aftermath for dogs can be disturbing. The fireworks tend to freak out dogs and displace them as they try to get away from the booming noises. This can mean stray dogs lose their way, owned dogs bolt from their homes which results in a higher number of dogs in the streets than usual. We met with Katie Boggs of Katie’s Roadside Rescue (www.krrtx.org) and rode along with her to see the fallout of the festivities. Katie has taken on another full-time job, her non-profit Katie's Roadside Rescue, but it is a labor of love….for the stray dogs in San Antonio. After only a few minutes with Katie, it was clear to me how devoted she is to this cause. It was my pleasure to spend time with her and see her in action. We drove through some areas known for loose dogs and they did not disappoint. After having seen a handful, we came upon 2 roaming dogs that didn’t run when we pulled over. One was a rather scruffy white dog that had clearly been traveling through very muddy areas, the other a black dog with tan and white accents. They both were quite interested in the treats Katie offered. We were in a neighborhood and the question was, are these dogs owned? Neither had a collar or tags but Katie scanned both for micro-chips; the black one had one. Micro-chips only work however, if the owner registers the dog. So Katie contacted the micro-chip company and gave them the number in hopes of learning who the owner was. Typically they give her information immediately; however for some reason this time, they needed to investigate and call her back.
Katie thought that the white dog could have been running for a while by his looks, but she left a note on the door of the house we found him in front of with her contact information, just in case they knew this dog. Both dogs were then loaded into crates in the back of Katie’s van and on we went.
We saw a handful of dogs in this area, but then headed to the “neighborhood from hell.” Katie had been watching a few different situations in this area and we were going to check on them. First, there was a gray dog that was losing his hair and in serious need of help. Katie had been trying to trap this dog for weeks to no avail as he would not walk into the trap, even for tasty wet food. We found him near some other intimidating owned dogs but since he knows Katie’s van, which means food, he followed us back to a parking lot where Katie could safely try to trap him again. There is a mama dog, with puppies under a house next to the parking lot, which has proven to be a distraction to the gray dog. Katie knew that she’d have to get mama dog a distance away and give the gray one time to contemplate going in the trap. The other key difference this time was that Katie put a soft blanket that gray dog could step on instead of the cold metal bars of the trap. This apparently made the difference and gray dog, now known as Droopy because of his eyes, went far enough into the trap to trip the trigger. It was an exciting and very satisfying moment for Katie because she now could give Droopy the help he desperately needed. New Year, new life for Droopy!
In the meantime, Katie heard from the micro-chip company who had determined who owned the black dog. She would be in touch with the owner and arrange for Kika to go home!
Now that Droopy was safe and sound, Katie and one of her volunteers, Heather, shifted gears to rescuing the puppies of the mama dog that was hanging out with Droopy. Was Droopy the father of the puppies? We’ll likely never know, but it is possible. The puppies live with their mama under a broken down mobile home, whose owners authorized Katie to remove the puppies. Just the evening prior, on her way home from work, Katie crawled under the house, in dress clothes, to untangle one of the puppies from low hanging insulation, but this disturbed mama so she was unable to remove any of the puppies. In the light of day, Katie was able to lure mama and her babies out from under the house with food. Katie was able to snag 3 puppies pretty easily but it took some time to get any more. Mama was in and out from under the house and very protective. Two of the puppies ventured out on their own to play in a stack of tires and they were secured then. Katie had originally thought there were 6 puppies, but there were a total of 7. Katie and Heather spent quite a bit of time trying to coax the puppies out, or catch them with a snare but nothing worked. Mama and the remaining pups had eaten their fill and it became clear they were not to be had that day. Katie wanted to leave 2 so that they could keep each other warm. Mama didn’t appear to still be nursing but had taken very good care of her puppies. So with 5 puppies in hand, along with the white dog, black dog and Droopy we decided to call it a day!
Kika’s owner’s niece had been in touch and our final stop would be to reunite Kika with her family – that is a success story! What we found out is that Kika had gotten out on Christmas Day when a family member accidentally left the gate open. Kika’s home was about 15 miles away from where we found her, and this was a week after she’d escaped. Thank goodness Kika was micro-chipped and she is now safe at home. Had she not been chipped or we had not found her, her future could have been a grim one as a street dog. This was a New Year’s Day reunion – I love happy endings!
We will see Katie again on January 6th to learn about a transport that begins that day. Katie has some dogs that are being taken to their new forever families; we’ll meet them and share their story. Below: Katie and a volunteer, Heather with the rescued puppies! WA2S K9 News: Protestors Call For Detroit Animal Control To Shut Down A couple dozen dog rescuers protest Detroit Animal Control on Saturday July 18, 2015 EP, Producer, Director, Editor: Tom McPhee c. 2015 All Rights Reserved World Animal Awareness Society http://www.wa2s.org/film--tv 818.561.5109 LA Field Producer
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Field Producer
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Line Producer
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Associate Producer
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Co Producer
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Producer
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Executive Producer
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In the fall of 2014, WA2S Films was approached by Authentic Entertainment, an Endemol Company, to provide footage for the upcoming mini series, "IS YOUR DOG A GENIUS?" on NATGEO WILD and hosted by Dr. Brian Hare, Chief Science Officer, Canines, Inc, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Canines Inc., and Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University and creator of Dognition.com and the Dognition Assessment as seen on this segment of Anderson Cooper on CNN.
WA2S Films was approached to collaborate on this series based on our work on the American Strays 2030 Project which includes American Strays The TV Series, the American Strays Canine Survey, the Good Pet Guardian Lesson Plans and Operation Houston #StrayDogCity. The air dates for "Is Your Dog A Genius? on NATGEO WILD are: May 15, 2015 Episode 1: Talk Doggy To Me May 16, 2015 Episode 2: Doggy See, Doggy Do May 17, 2015 Episode 3: Who's Your Doggy? The World Animal Awareness Society and WA2S Films would like to specifically thank and congratulate Deanna Vollano for all her contributions on this series. Great job Deanna! Subscribe to the World Animal Awareness Society and we will remind you when "Is Your Dog A Genius? airs. More about Dr. Brian Hare: Dr. Brian Hare is an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University in North Carolina and a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, which is a division of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, founded the Hominoid Psychology Research Group while at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and subsequently founded the Duke Canine Cognition Center when arriving at Duke University. His research consistently received national and international media coverage over the last decade and has been featured in the Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Economist, The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Time, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Nature, Wired, Science magazine, CNN and ABC (Australia). He has been a frequent guest on radio programs including the BBC and American National Public Radio. He has also been featured in multiple documentaries from production companies such as National Geographic (U.S.), BBC (U.K.), Nova (U.S.), RTL (Germany), SBS (Korea) and Globo (Brazil). Dr. Hare is frequently invited to give lectures on his research on dog intelligence. For example, in 2009 he gave the keynote addresses at the annual conferences for both Assistance Dog Training Society and Association of Pet Dog Trainers, which are both among the largest dog training societies in the U.S. Field Producer
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Field Producer
To be listed as a Field Producer on every episode of every series produced by WA2S Films and the World Animal Awareness Society, you will have purchased this gift. It is the equivalent of pledging $5 per month for 12 months. The listing will appear in the text component of every video posting. The listing will not appear in the actual video. Line Producer
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Line Producer
To be listed as a Line Producer on every episode of every series produced by WA2S Films and the World Animal Awareness Society, you will have purchased this gift. It is the equivalent of pledging $10 per month for 12 months. The listing will appear in the text component of every video posting. The listing will not appear in the actual video. December 31, 2015 It was pure pleasure to meet up with our friends from Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward, Kelle, Cynthia and Brittany! This is the 4th time in a year’s span that we’ve filmed in Houston and it feels like coming home to family. I jumped in the car, cameras in hand, ready to ride along for the morning feeding route. I asked Cynthia how many dogs they typically feed on any given day. She said that they feed anywhere from 40-60 stray dogs on one feeding route. This day was rather cold though, so many could have been keeping warm in shelter. Cynthia also let me know that probably only about 20% of the dogs they feed are ones they see repeatedly. They do keep track of those dogs and make sure they remain in good condition and if they are in jeopardy or injured, they will pick them up. The question is always “why can’t you pick them all up and how do you choose which to take?” and the answer is not cut and dried. Dogs that are injured or need immediate care are picked up, however, without a foster immediately available, many dogs that are doing okay must be left because there is nowhere to place them. The rescuers themselves can only house so many dogs. Thus the feeding, so these strays can at least have a good meal. This is the dog we saw within 2 minutes of leaving the parking lot. We stopped to feed a few other dogs but then came upon these two. Cynthia had not come across these dogs before but they were hanging out just outside the fence of a bus company. The dogs were very interested in the food that Brittany gave them, though the black one was a bit more shy that the bigger tan/white one. While the dogs ate, the gates to the bus company opened and Jose, the owner came to talk to us. These dogs turned up 2-3 days ago and Jose had been feeding them. He has a 10-acre ranch and he wanted to take the dogs and give them a wonderful place to live, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. Kelle offered to have Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward pay to spay and neuter the two dogs so that they could go live the good life on Jose’s ranch. The black mama dog was older and has had many litters of puppies, so she’ll be relieved to be off the streets for the remainder of her life. The bigger tan and white dog is a lover and will be happy to have a safe space to roam in. The details of the spay/neuter are being arranged this week. It’s not too many times that they find a good-hearted person that wants to pull dogs from the streets, but Jose is one of them and has saved two dogs from their sad existence in the streets of Houston! Our next stop was to feed what is left of a pack of dogs that live on their own, among lived-in homes, on a dead-end street. Cynthia and Brittany have been feeding this pack for a while, and pulled one, Addison, whose health was in jeopardy. She is now on her way to being fully healthy and adopted! We arrived in front of the house where they hang out but we didn’t see any puppies or the mama. This was of some concern to Cynthia because she has so reliably found them there. When we were finishing up with the Husky you'll hear about next, 2 puppies did come looking for food but kept their distance, so they are okay. This is one of them. In the meantime, a beautiful mama Husky made an appearance. She came to see what we were doing on her street, but ran back down to the end of the court. Kelle, seeing what a beautiful dog she was, called to her and I watched in amazement while the gorgeous Husky ran back up the road directly to Kelle! It was clear that mama Husky had recently had puppies as her teets were red and swollen. Kelle was very concerned that she could have mastitis. We followed mama to the end of the court to see if Kelle could find her babies. She used an app that plays puppies crying which has worked in the past to have a mama take Kelle to her puppies. She looked under cars and RV’s and in the bushes to no avail. No puppies. Mama was howling as if in mourning for her puppies, whatever happened to them. It was heart-wrenching to hear. This beautiful dog was not afraid of humans and was very interactive which could mean that she’d been dumped. She had been loved by someone, sometime in her life. Could we not find where her puppies were hidden? Were they stolen, sold, or had died? This we did not know. One thing Kelle did know is that she had to take this mama Husky to the vet and get her off the streets. Meet Maxine (Maxie). Look how beautiful, though so skinny, she is: Kelle loaded Maxie into a crate in her truck and we were off to Gulfgate Animal Hospital to have her checked by a vet there; we saw Dr. Kathy Palmer. The wait wasn’t long and Maxie behaved very nicely in the lobby. Once in the examining room it was determined that Maxie weighed only 34 pounds, though a resident of the street she was found on had seen Maxie looking very healthy and an appropriate weight a couple of months ago when she turned up; she will be well fed now and has plenty of room to gain weight and fill out.
Blood was drawn to test for heart-worm. Heart-worm is a devastating parasite spread by mosquito bites and though easily prevented by a caring owner, it is difficult and costly to treat for those dogs on the street that aren’t lucky enough to have the preventatives. Dr. Palmer came and checked Maxie, in particular her red and swollen teets, which now were leaking milk. What she determined was that Maxie had not nursed her puppies in anywhere from 1-3 days and with nowhere for the milk to go, it was building up. Fortunately there was no infection! What Maxie needed was food and a lot of TLC. The best news was that the heartworm test was negative! On Christmas Eve 2014 at 1:00 PM in the afternoon, Jesus the dog was rescued by Harry Gordon from an abandoned house on the east side of Detroit. Do you believe everyone deserves a miracle? Stay tuned, or better yet subscribe to see what happens to miracle # 1 Maybe miracle # 2 will happen also.
Please share Penelope's story with all your friends! Penelope surely would have died if the American Strays Canine Survey team didn't find her on the streets of Detroit! Included at the bottom of this blog is the story of Penny - "Penny Goes To Prison" in 3 parts, allowing you to see the amazing transformation of Penny and her very long journey to get there! See below.
What if educating our youth would end this neglect and abuse? Would you make a pledge to share this video? This video is part of an action campaign for the Good Pet Guardian Lesson Plans for Detroit students which is a component of the American Strays 2030 Project. http://igg.me/at/GPGLPV2/x/3363349 The World Animal Awareness Society, together with the help of hundreds of rescues, large and small, all across America can stem the growing tide of homeless, abandoned, and stray dogs. WA2S Films could present dozens of clips from the field just like this every single day for every city we work in! Can you image seeing 10 - 12 videos like this from Detroit everyday? What about Houston, Memphis, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, San Antonio, Miami, Dallas, Tucson. I could go on and on and on! The work for everyone is never ending. Does it make sense for the tens of thousands of people who are watching this video and reading this post to pour every ounce of avarice into a post about this dog on Facebook? This is absolutely your opportunity to do SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO FIX THE PROBLEMS associated with stray dogs in the US. The Founder of the World Animal Awareness Society, Tom McPhee, is all too familiar with this issue having spent 3 years post Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans creating filmed content that helped hundreds of the citizens of NOLA relocate their animals (FAMILY MEMBERS) after the cataclysmic disaster. Question? Who believes the animals of NOLA are better off now than before the hurricane? Did we learn anything in the last 10 years? Here's a link to the award-winning movie, The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever! http://www.wa2s.org/donate-to-receive-an-american-opera-dvd Wouldn't you like to be able to know where all the at-risk animals in your neighborhood are? That is the opportunity the American Strays Canine Survey presents, The American Strays Canine Survey is a component of the American Strays 2030 Project - here are some very useful links: Project level: American Strays 2030 Project http://www.WA2S.org/american-strays Component level: Good Pet Guardian Lesson Plans - essential lesson plans taught over 8 to 10 weeks to all students - Detroit online - other cities preparing http://www.wa2s.org/good-pet-guardian-lesson-plans Component level: American Strays Canine Survey - if you cannot quantify the problem, how do you expect to resolve it? American Strays Canine Survey is being deployed in more than 20 cities in the US, is your city one of them? If you think it should be,let us know. http://www.wa2s.org/american-strays-canine-survey Component level: American Strays the TV series - a film series highlighting the work rescues endure in places like Detroit (filming in 2015 in Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, San Antonio - should your city be included?) http://www.wa2s.org/american-strays-the-series This is where you can find all the videos from the Detroit series. Included below is Penny Goes To Prison in 3 parts, allowing you to see the amazing transformation on Penny and the long journey to get there! See below. The World Animal Awareness Society is accepting requests to join the volunteer ranks in our 20 target cities here - think you can cut it? http://www.wa2s.org/volunteer This abuse is happening right now in Detroit and most major cities in America every day and you can STOP it! If all you have to do to make it stop, is make a small donation and forward this message, will you? For frequent updates with new filmed content, subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/WA2Sorg To be the first to receive all updates from the World Animal Awareness Society - subscribe here: www.WA2S.org To make a donation to the award-winning non profit World Animal Awareness Society and ensure this game-changing work continues: http://www.WA2S.org/donate To engage WA2S Films and document abuse and neglect in your community: http://www.wa2s.org/film--tv Please, make a difference, not just a remark in a comment section on a social media post. It does not matter that you may not have any resources, you CAN do more than bitch about things! The World Animal Awareness Society challenges you to BE THE CHANGE! We are, and you can join us! There have been an increasing number of animal hoarding cases in the news recently. "It's a fascinating subculture… In their compulsion to love and care for their pets, they've become blinded to the harm they're doing to their health, their finances, family, and ultimately, to the animals.", says Dan Jackson, of Animal Planet’s Confessions: Animal Hoarding. Approximately 1500 new cases of animal hoarding are discovered each year, according to Dr. Patronek, Tufts University Professor. Hoarding cases can involve up to 250,000 animals annually. One of the most prolific cases of animal hoarding involved Barbara Erickson who kept an astounding 552 dogs. This video from the Humane Society of The United States: Rescued from Squalor: Part 3 references Frost and Steketee, authors of Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things which describe the phenomenon as a severe version of a more general object-hoarding mentality. Most (72%) animal hoarders “are female, well over forty years old, and single, widowed, or divorced. Cats and dogs are the most frequent animals hoarded, and the numbers vary widely but average around forty, with a few cases of well over one hundred. In about 80 percent of cases, dead, dying, or diseased animals can be found on the premises.” Why do people hoard animals? It is largely unknown why. It can be for a number of reasons.
Some people may simply get in over their heads "rescuing animals" or may even have a psychology disorder. Kimi Peck was arrested with 55 dogs in a recreational vehicle last month. Peck has previously operated a rescue that was closed down in 2010 where she had 150 dogs confiscated. There are some things that can be done if you suspect someone may be hoarding animals. Contact the local police or fire department, a veterinarian, the Humane Society, or someone with authority to remove the animals. Help to get the animals adopted after they are picked up. Volunteer your time at a local shelter. Shelter(s) often times are where animals confiscated in a hoarding case will end up. You can also donate money to a local shelter or rescue group if you can't volunteer your time. Animal hoarding may be a case of too much love, but it inflicts pain, suffering and even death to companion animals. It is especially prevalent in these times where animal shelters and rescues are overflowing with animals. Links: Model Laws: Animal Hoarding Animal Hoarders: The Illness and The Crime Detailed Discussion of Animal Hoarding May 18 begins National Dog Bite Prevention Week.
Dog Bite Facts from the American Veterinary Medical Association website:
Useful Links: The following AVMA resources can help you learn more about dog bite prevention: For parents and pet owners: What you should know about dog bite prevention (brochure) This informative brochure offers tips on how to avoid being bitten, as well as what to do if you are bitten by a dog. It also addresses what you need to do if your dog bites someone. The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD This innovative dog bite prevention program is designed to help parents and children safely interact with dogs both inside and outside their home. The program is geared toward children from 3 to 6 years old. It's the only dog bite educational tool scientifically proven to help young children learn behaviors that can keep them safe. Prevent the Bite provides posters and safety information to teach children how to correctly approach a dog. The American Humane Association offers a free online booklet called Pet Meets Baby that includes a forward by Victoria and provides families with valuable information on introducing a new child to a home with a dog. Remember, a responsible dog owner should:
From the Insurance Information Institute: Average Number of Dog Bite Claims Is On The Rise Nationwide There were an estimated 4.5 to 4.7 million dog bites reported last year. There are some 70-80 million nice dogs - but any dog can bite. Consider these alarming statistics provided by National Dog Bite Prevention Week® Coalition members.
However, according to the National Canine Research Council, there is no dog bite epidemic and dog bites are actually decreasing. . State Farm just reported that for 2013 California led for most dog bite claims, followed by Illinois, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. Below is a breakdown of claims for the 5 highest dog bite claim states: Here are the top 5 states: California -- 449 claims $14.7 million paid Illinois -- 309 claims $8.9 million paid Ohio -- 221 claims $4.2 million paid Texas -- 207 claims $4.0 million paid Pennsylvania - 180 claims $5.8 million paid Following is a compendium of links to current news about dog bites and Dog Bite Prevention Week: Dog bite prevention week highlights what pet owners can do San Diego Ranks in Top Five for Dog Bites Phoenix Now a Top City for Dogs Biting Mailmen Denver among top 10 worst U.S. cities for dog attacks Dallas, Fort Worth High on Post Office Dog Bite List Dogs go postal on letter carriers! Houston becomes dog-bite capital Miami Makes Postal Service's List of Top Dog Attack Cities Los Angeles ranks No. 2 in dog attacks on U.S. postal workers Worst cities for postal worker dog bites In the early morning hours of November 22, 2013 in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan police answered a disturbance call of a dog excessively barking. Lexie, a Labrador mix. Lexi is described by her owner Brittany Preston, as "friendly, loveable, playful". Ms. Preston was working a graveyard shift. Lexie had been left in the care of Brittany's grandfather, whom also lives in the home. Brianny's grandfather has dementia and sleeps with a C-PAP machine for sleep apnea. He had forgotten he let Lexie out to go to the bathroom. With his C-PAP machine running, he did not hear her crying and barking on the porch to come back into the house - where she was when law enforcement arrived. Preston's grandfather attempted to get Lexie back in the house. Police officers surrounded her. At that point an already agitated Lexie exhibited signs of fear and aggression. The officers opened fire, stating Lexie "charged" at them. Witnesses said that the officers continued to fire on the dog after she was cowering against the house in bushes. As Lexie lay bleeding, it is reported that the three officers discussed their personal hunting experiences. Animal control officer failed to remove the still alive dog from the scene for at least 45 minutes. It is further alleged that the police report involving the shooting was falsified. Lexie sustained reportedly 15 bullet-related injuries. The police maintain she was shot five times. The necropsy/autopsy report indicates there were eight bullets fired into her body. Witnesses have corroborated the five shots. It is alleged that the three additional shots were administered by the police at the police station - where Lexi had arrived alive. News story by WXYZ Police Reactions To Excessive Barking Complaint Results in Dog's Death On March 3, 2014, as a result of a city council meeting, two officers involved with the shooting received minor disciplinary actions. One officer was counseled on some verbal comments he had made and another had a letter of discipline entered into his file concerning his control of the scene. Training and policy changes are to be implemented. Animal Control Officer Tom Massey was suspended for 30 days without pay. See Animal control officer suspended after dog shooting for more information. Justice For Lexie Facebook page - including a letter from Brittany Preston and several more videos. The following videos capture the shooting. Eric Smith is the Macomb County Prosecutor, where the shooting took place.If you would like to send him your comments, he can be reached at eric-smith@macombcounty.gov.org.
Some other dogs shot by cops under questionable circumstances: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/texas-man-mourns-dog-shot-barking-article-1.1768020 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/cop-smiles-after-shooting-dog_n_5235504.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/04/rodney-price-anne-arundel_n_4720361.html http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/04-20-14-east-austin-apd-officers-shoot-kill-dog/ http://www.examiner.com/article/two-dogs-shot-by-law-enforcement-eastern-n-c http://www.examiner.com/article/read-this-if-your-dog-was-shot-during-a-police-raid As these stories continue, it has spurred a Documentary entitled Puppycide. Puppycide will feature dogs and owners involved in these cop-led shootings and follow their battles for justice. What are YOUR thoughts? Please leave your comments below. Written by Kim Venturo, Editor and Content Curator, WA2S.org What percentage of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills - 50%? 75%? How about 90%. Approximately 90% of puppies in pet stores come from commercial breeding facilities known as "puppy mills". In a puppy mill dogs are mass-produced and sold to pet stores, as well as through classified ads and over the Internet. In most states it is legal to keep HUNDREDS of dogs in cages their entire lives - simply for the purpose of reproduction. Most, if not all of the time, their feet never touch the ground. They are kept in crowded wire cages filled with excrement, kept outdoors without shelter from the elements, given little to eat or drink and what is available is generally unsanitary. Puppies born from puppy mill moms are taken away prematurely and suffer significant behavioral issues. Dogs in puppy mills are strictly commodities with no regard of their welfare. Several organizations take the puppy mill problem in this country very seriously. Two leaders in advocating against puppy mills are the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Animal Rescue Corp (ARC) . After receiving a call from the HSUS Puppy Mill Task Force Tip Line (1-877-MILL-TIP), a year long investigation resulted in a puppy mill raid of 121 dogs by in Arkansas. Animal Rescue Corp comes to the aid of Puppy Mill victims such as this September 2013 raid, where 127 animals were seized from a Kentucky Puppy Mill. Alternatives are plenty instead of buying a pet store puppy mill dog, "Adopt Don't Shop", as Last Chance for Animals Rescue and others advocate. They advocate for these choices to help end the cycle and suffering of puppy mills dogs, as well as general animal companion overpopulation: 1) Check out a new breed of pet stores emerging, such as Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks, CA. Dogs found at these shops are shelter dogs. not puppy mill dogs. 2) Choose dogs from local shelters - 25% of dogs are purebreds. 3) Choose dogs from breed-specific rescue organizations. Generally rescues are not for profit and in most cases the dogs have been provided with medical care in advance of adoption, including spaying or neutering. Do your homework. Much of the world views dogs as trusted companions or protectors, but in some parts of Asia, they suffer terribly as victims of the trade in dog meat for human consumption. Humane Society International is one of many NGO's around the world that are looking for ways to end the dog meat trade. Read More About Dog Eating Here: EAT (YULIN DOG MEAT), DRINK AND BE MERRY and here: YULIN ANNUAL DOG MEAT EATING FESTIVAL - HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION CONCLUSIONS WSPA - the World Society for the Protection of Animals states: Every year, an estimated 25 million dogs are killed for people to eat. They suffer throughout their short lives. Commercial dog meat production is inherently cruel. The animals suffer at every stage, from farming (or capture) through to transport, sale and slaughter. Dog meat is being sold to people who are told, and many believe, that certain "exotic" foods like dog meat are therapeutic and hold special nutritional value. International Aid for Korean Animals - IAKA has been documenting the trade for some time. Soi Dog Foundation reports that dogs are brought into neighboring countries from Thailand by the 10's of thousands and are disturbingly, inhumanely butchered. Although many of the dogs sadly die from suffocation before ever reaching their intended destination. That fate was kinder than what occurs when the surviving dogs do actually make it to the neighboring countries. Some dogs are beaten and tortured? It is believed to be a form of meat tenderizing. Some dogs are even still alive when their fur is being removed. A leader in the fight to end eating of dog meat in parts of Asia, Soi Dog Foundation believes they are gaining a foothold on this appalling practice. Soi Dog Foundation works with the Humane Society International (HSI) to end this cruelty. HSI participates in raids on trucks crammed with dogs headed for slaughter. HSI also provides funding to train officials to improve enforcement of laws and to support the care for confiscated animals. In February of this year (2014) HSI reported that the Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam governments agreed to end the inhumane dog meat trade. The details regarding this action can be found here http://www.hsi.org/news/press_releases/2014/02/governments-pledge-actions-to-stop-dog-meat-trade022814.html In October of 2013, A total of 33 stalls belonging to the ‘Three Birds of Dali Markets’ and a dog slaughterhouse, situated in Nanhai – Foshan (Guangdong Province), were closed by Chinese authorities, following Animal Equality‘s latest investigation in collaboration with Last Chance for Animals. More from Animal Equality. Change for Animals Foundation - CFAF, along with Humane Society International, Soi Dog Foundation, Animals Asia have formed the Asia Canine Protection Alliance (ACPA). A coalition committed to improving the welfare of dogs across Asia by ending the inhumane trade in dogs for human consumption. ACPA’s initial focus is to end the illegal trade of dogs from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia into Vietnam, where an estimated 5 million dogs are slaughtered every year.
The World Animal Awareness Society launched a campaign to observe the Asian dog meat trade closer and share the stories of the non profits and world animal welfare organizations that are fighting to end it. The WA2S is currently building a database of information about this issue. Episode #16 A DAY'S WORK - American Strays the series
Stray Dogs are a reality on the streets of any major urban center, Detroit is no different. As the American Strays team gathers data in the field, embedding with animal rescue groups, they see what the rescues working the streets see. And you see what they see. In this condensed 'Day's Work' we follow Animal cops Debby MacDonald and Mark Ramos as they pursue leads from their tip sheet uncovering heart break and heart ache. A typical day for the CID team from the Michigan Humane Society. A dead dog tethered in the backyard, a home seemingly abandoned with Dogs left in the yard, an emaciated Dog rescued at the last possible moment. All in "A Day's Work!" Follow the ongoing stories of the people and the dogs of the city of Detroit in this ground-breaking new series from the World Animal Awareness Society as the WA2S works to solve the stray dog management problems. Executive Director of the World Animal Awareness Society and American Strays series Producer & Director, Tom McPhee dives deep into the issues and circumstances that affect both people and canine in this derelict, yet dynamically changing city. Episode Songs: Passion Gimme Some Slow Light Artist: MOBY - Thank you for creating http://www.mobygratis.com - an essential tool for passionate storytellers! End Title and Official Series Song: Get Right With God Artist: LUCINDA WILLIAMS Special Thanks to Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby for the song donation of "Get Right With God" Find and buy all of Lucinda's music here: http://www.lucindawilliams.com On June 7th & 8th 2013 WA2S Executive Director Tom McPhee spent time with contest winner Carol Manos and Bill Gabbard of Carol's Ferals in Grand Rapids, MI. Carol's Ferals won the WA2S End of Year Video Appeal contest and part of the winners package was having Carol's Ferals profiled. This is just a small out-take of the interview with Carol. Way to go, Carol.
Come! Sit! SUBSCRIBE! And Stay! so you don't miss Carol's interview when its posted. copyright c. 2013 All Rights Reserved World Animal Awareness Society http://www.WA2S.org A Boy and his Grandfather are searching for the Boy's two missing dogs, Dexter and Repo after they were separated during the devastating Tornado in Oklahoma. The scene is the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, one of the last places they can look.
Share this story of the people working hard behind the scenes to help facilitate these joyous reunions. Thank you Jeff & Laura Benedict - Team "Operation Moore" If you would like to volunteer with the World Animal Awareness Society as a first responder on our Volunteer Emergency Disaster Response Team, going into emergency zones immediately following natural and man made disasters, and you have filmmaking and/or photojournalist skills, get in touch by following this link: I want to be a VOLUNTEER Emergency Disaster Response Team - VEDRT member working with the World Animal awareness Society. contact: Eugene Thomas 818.561.5109 Communications Director eugenethomas@WA2S.org Are Dogs a really important part of your life? If you answered yes, you will be doing yourself a dis-service if you do not look into our stray dog initiative: AMERICAN STRAYS This landmark study is revealing huge amounts of information about our canine populations in urban centers like Detroit. If you care about Dogs, you will check out AMERICAN STRAYS This is just one small clip from hours of footage shot by our Operation Moore Team; Jeff & Laura Benedict. More Operation Moore videos soon... Share This Video To Help More Adoptions! Donate To Save More Lives:
Episode #8 BAIT DOGS - American Strays the series Michigan Humane Society Officers uncover new dogs being used to "bait" Fighting Dogs. Follow our cameras as we show you the horrific situations these dogs are forced to endure. Follow the ongoing stories of the people and the dogs of the city of Detroit in this ground-breaking new series from the World Animal Awareness Society as the WA2S works to solve the stray dog management problems. Executive Director of the World Animal Awareness Society and American Strays series Producer & Director, Tom McPhee dives deep into the issues and circumstances that affect both people and canine in this derelict, yet dynamically changing city. Episode Songs: Focused Energy Summer Artist: MOBY End Title and Official Series Song: Get Right With God Artist: LUCINDA WILLIAMS Special Thanks to Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby for the song donation of "Get Right With God" Former Deputy CEO & Captain of the Bob Barker of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - SSCS, Chuck Swift submits to an interviewed by Tom McPhee in December of 2011 in Alaska while driving back to Anchorage following the extraction of Wolves and their eminent relocation to California.
Chuck Swift first began with Sea Shepherd in the late 1980`s serving on campaigns until 1997 where he was both a ship’s officer and the ship’s manager on the Edward Abbey, Cleveland Amory, and the Ocean Warrior. He left the organization in 1987 to pursue a business degree and rejoined Sea Shepherd in 2008 to serve as Captain on the Bob Barker and as deputy CEO for the society. His tireless efforts on behalf of the oceans have inspired staff and volunteers alike. Watch the off-the-cuff, on-the-fly interview with Chuck. |