Category Archives: news
Changes Coming…
We’ve been very busy here at NEPG 🙂 After a hot humid summer we have now settled into a “Fall” existence. Changes are coming and we are very excited. Most recently we attended the New England Pet Expo in Wilmington MA and have so many pictures to upload and new business we now call friends. Stay tuned and don’t forget you can always follow us on facebook.com/new-england-pet-guide as well as twitter.com/nepg2012.
A new column here on our blog is in the making. Holidays are around the corner and we are also getting ready to head to Vegas. Soooooo stay tuned 🙂
Who’s going to be our cover model
NEPG is looking for a cover model for our facebook page for the rest of the summer.
Any and all pet owners are encouraged to enter you do not have to live in New England for this contest.
Go to facebook.com/newenglandpetguide and upload your pets photo. Sunday July 15th the photo with the most likes wins. Pet will them be our facebook cover pic for the rest of the summer. Pet and pet owner will also receive a little gift from NEPG.
Hurry time is running out.
Who are the richest pets in the world
Betty White and Oprah’s animals are very lucky..wonder if they need a caretaker 🙂
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/who-are-the-richest-pets-in-the-world–.html
HB336 …what are your thoughts
If passed, HB 336 requires abusers to pay animal care costs
(I believe this should be passed in every state)
Continue reading on Examiner.com If passed, HB 336 requires abusers to pay animal care costs – Philadelphia Animal Welfare | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-philadelphia/hb-336#ixzz1p8JaP7i7
ANNAPOLIS — Those convicted of animal cruelty may soon have to pay for the veterinary care and housing of the animals they abused.
A bill cross-filed in the Maryland House and Senate is seeking an avenue to help animal control shelters and private rehabilitation clinics that can incur hundreds or even thousands of dollars recoup their expenses.
While some judges have it within their discretion to require those convicted to pay for food, medical care and other necessities, it is not yet written into the legal code.
“We’ve had an animal here since December and the court case is not scheduled until May, so we have to provide daily care for that animal, medical expenses and food,” said David Fitzgerald, executive director of the Wicomico County Humane Society, which has a contract with the county to act as animal control. “At times we encounter and accrue large fees from vets or animal hospitals … we are just trying to give the judges some directions to get reimbursed.”
While he isn’t sure how many times a year animals have to be removed in Wicomico County or how much money the county can incur in removing and taking care of those animals, Fitzgerald said, the law could help ease the amount of tax-payer money being used to rehabilitate abused or neglected animals.
“We just don’t think it’s fair that the taxpayers are absorbing those costs nor do we think it’s fair to ask for donations from the public that go to the criminal side, the animal control division,” said Fitzgerald.
Jim Henderson, head of Somerset County’s Animal Control Department, said while he has not had issues recovering the costs associated with taking care of an abused or neglected animal, he supports legislation that would help other shelters do the same.
“It just seems like the animal control departments are so far down in the food chain for funding, our budgets are so minuscule that every little bit of help we can get to help retrieve our initial investments helps the taxpayer and the animals,” Henderson said
If passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor, the legislation would assign ownership of the abused animal to the organization taking care of it. The bill would also require those convicted of animal cruelty to pay all reasonable costs involved in removing, feeding, housing, treating or euthanizing the animal.
Those convicted of felony aggravated cruelty to animals now face a maximum penalty of three years in prison or a $5,000 fine or both. The court also has the right to order anyone convicted of animal cruelty to undergo and pay for psychological counseling.
The bills, co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Colburn and Jim Mathias and Delegates Jeanne Haddaway-Riccio, Norman Conway, Adelaide Eckardt, Mike McDermott and Charles Otto, have received hearings in both chambers; however, similar legislation has already been passed in the senate.
Senate Bill 203, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-11-Baltimore City, similarly would authorize judges to order those convicted of animal abuse to pay for the costs associated with taking care of the animal. It would not, however, assign ownership of the animal to the shelter or rescue center taking care of it.
While that particular Senate bill has been passed with a third reading, the House bill it is cross-filed with has not had any action taken since a hearing on Feb. 16.
Regardless of which bill would become law, it would help shelters throughout Maryland.
“This bill really captures a lot of the problems we’ve always had, which is who is going to pay the cost,” said Delegate Mike McDermott, R-38B-Worcester, who is co-sponsoring House Bill 336.
“A lot of times we have people who are convicted or held responsible, but there hasn’t been much recourse for the person who takes care of the animal. I think it would be good to have that as a mechanism.”
Horse helps bust burglar
I loved this story I received from petfinder.com
By Jane, associate producer
An Arizona man is crediting his horses for tipping him off to a burglar trying to break into his neighbor’s house this weekend. (Read the full story reported by the Eastern Arizona Courier.)
Meet Scotch at Gilbert, AZ-based Healing Hearts Animal Rescue. Early Sunday morning, Larry Larson of Graham County, AZ, was preparing to meet his brother when he noticed his horses were awake and their ears pointed back (a common sign that a horse feels threatened).
Larson decided to feed the horses, but they “paid no attention to the food and continued to attentively watch the neighbor’s house,” the Courier reports.
Larson investigated and noticed a man trying to break into his neighbor’s car. The two men scuffled and Larson’s wife called the police, who arrived and arrested Michael Anthony Rosales Jr. Police believe Rosales is connected to several other area burglaries.
“That guy should have never came into that part of the neighborhood, but what really gave him up was the horses,” Larson told the Courier.
“They didn’t want to come over and see me; they wanted to see what was going on in the dark. … If they’re not paying attention to me, there’s something really wrong going on, because they don’t pass up feed.”
Dog found in Gulf of Mexico after surviving crash
How devastating for this poor animal and all involved.
Here’s a grim epilogue to a YouTube mystery: A dog found swimming in the Gulf of Mexico was in fact escaping from the scene of a tragic accident where his owner was killed by a drunk driver.
Rory O’Connor was trolling the Gulf Coast in a kayak when he caught an unusual moment on film: a dog appeared out of nowhere, swimming up to his kayak. O’Connor posted the video to his YouTube account, writing:
The accident scene was about a mile from where I found Barney swimming. Our guess is that he was so freaked out and traumatized that he just wanted to get as far away from there as possible. And when he ran out of land, he took to the water. I feel lucky that I was there fishing, because there was no place for him to go and I don’t know if he could have made it much farther. He’s banged up, but fine. Our hearts go out to the family who lost their mother.
Barney’s owner was 53-year-old Donna L. Chen, who was taking him for a walk. Both were struck by a vehicle belonging to 22-year-old Blake Talman. Allegedly fleeing the scene of another accident, Talman hit both Chen and Barney, along with a street sign, several wooden poles at the entrance of a church and finally a telephone pole, before coming to a stop.
After he was struck by Talman’s car, Barney fled the scene and jumped into the Gulf of Mexico. Talman is facing charges of manslaughter and is currently being held on $100,000 bond.
to watch video go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/video-dog-rescued-gulf-mexico-had-just-survived-213513061.html
Grant Money for Pets in the Classroom
What a great idea..saw this release and if you go on the site listed at the bottom of release they have lots of information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pets in the Classroom Grant Program Now Available to 7th and 8th Grade Teachers
The Pets in the Classroom Grant Program, established by the Pet Care Trust, is expanding to include 7th
and 8th grade teachers as eligible for funding for classroom pets and supplies.
Bel Air, Maryland – Following the tremendous success of the Pets in the Classroom Grant Program
to date and numerous requests from teachers of 7th & 8th
grade classes to be eligible for funding, the
Pet Care Trust Board has agreed to expand the program’s reach to those grades beginning in 2012.
Established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, Pets in the Classroom has provided grants to PreKindergarten through Sixth grade teachers to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment
or to support existing classroom pets. The Pets in the Classroom program has seen over 7,000 grant
requests since the program’s inception. With an average classroom size of 30 students, the program
has brought a pet into the lives of an estimated 210,000 students. The addition of grant availability to
7th
and 8th
grade teachers will help increase the number of children positively influenced through the
human-animal bond and the numerous benefits that come from learning about responsible pet care.
“Middle school students will benefit from interaction with classroom pets as much or more than
elementary school children,” commented Pet Care Trust president Brent Weinmann. “7th
and 8th
grade teachers will be able to incorporate classroom pets into many study areas, helping their preteen students gain a greater understanding of the natural world and responsible pet ownership.”
Weinmann added, “This rapid expansion of grant requests is making our goal to reach one million
students very realistic. To reach this number we estimate nearly $3 million in grants will need to be
issued; The Trust is looking for companies or individuals willing to help us by sponsoring classrooms.
As little as $100 can sponsor a classroom and reach approximately 30 kids.”
For more information on the Pet Care Trust and the Pets in the Classroom grant program, visit
http://www.PetsintheClassroom.org.
NY Animal Hospice Hit With Cruelty Charges
By MARY ESCH Associated Press
DELHI, N.Y. January 6, 2012 (AP)
Susan Marino started Angel’s Gate animal hospice more than a decade ago to care for animals with special needs: Dogs paralyzed after being hit by cars; cats with severe deformities; a Labrador retriever born without lower limbs, now fitted with orthotics.
A registered nurse who for more than 35 years specialized in emergency and critical care, mental health, and the care of critically and terminally ill children and their families, Marino went back to school and became a veterinary technician, got a certification in canine rehabilitation and a license to rehabilitate wildlife and had her efforts noticed by Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray.
Winfrey did a segment on Angel’s Gate; Marino’s center won $50,000 from the Food Network star. There was an appearance on Martha Stewart, an ASPCA Founders award and a Woman of Distinction honor from the state of New York.
Not all the attention was welcomed. The hospice came under fire from animal rights activists whose undercover investigation led to five cruelty charges against Marino.
Acting on a tip from a job applicant, an animal rights group sent in an undercover agent posing as a volunteer to scout the 100-acre ranch in rural upstate New York that 75 dogs, 230 cats, three horses and nine birds currently call home. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the investigation found paralyzed dogs dragging themselves around until they developed bloody skin ulcers while their wheeled carts hung on a fence unused; animals kept in diapers for several days, causing urine scald; animals with open wounds and respiratory infections that weren’t taken to a veterinarian.
AP
This Nov. 28, 2010 photo provided by PETA… View Full Caption
They turned over the video to a local prosecutor who charged Marino on Dec. 30 with failing to provide sustenance to five cats, a violation of the state’s agriculture and markets law. The district attorney also charged her with possession of a controlled substance. They’re all misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine.
Marino said the PETA video is edited in some places to give a misleading impression. She disputes claims that animals were neglected, and says many of PETA’s complaints amount to little more than a philosophical disagreement over whether a damaged animal should live or die.
Acting on PETA’s 27-page complaint, investigators from the county district attorney’s office searched Angel’s Gate in May.
“They had a warrant to remove any animal they deemed not properly cared for,” Marino said in a recent interview. “They never removed any animal from here.”
Holly Cheever, an Albany-area veterinarian with 30 years of experience in animal cruelty investigations, assisted in the probe of Angel’s Gate. She told The Associated Press that she cited about a dozen animals that should have been humanely euthanized, including cats with active cases of feline AIDS.
She called Marino an animal hoarder and Angel’s Gate a death camp.
“Hospice is a temporary situation that leads to humane euthanasia when the quality of life is no longer acceptable,” Cheever said. “With Marino, they’re essentially trapped inside of suffering bodies without the compassion to end their suffering. That’s a hallmark of the hoarder. They refuse to recognize suffering.”
After charges were filed, Marino invited a reporter to make a second trip to Angel’s Gate; her lawyer later instructed her to cancel the visit and decline interviews.
“I’ve had death threats,” Marino said before her lawyer intervened. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was do something good for these animals.”
The Oprah show featured Angel’s Gate in 2008 and donations poured in. Marino said the organization received more than $400,000 and its website got millions of hits from around the globe. Marino used the money to buy a farmhouse on 100 acres in rural Delhi, moving from suburban Long Island where neighbors had complained.
In 2009, Ray’s pet rescue organization chose Angel’s Gate as one of 64 shelters participating in a “Mutt Madness” competition. Angel’s Gate won the top prize of $50,000, which Marino used to build a food preparation building she dubbed “Rachel’s Kitchen.”
“There is a vetting process with any organization that gets donations,” Rachael Ray spokesman Charlie Dougiello said this week. “At the time of the donation, there were no allegations against Angel’s Gate.”
In videos on the Angel’s Gate website and Facebook page, dogs romp on spotless white tile floors and doze in peaceful piles on dog beds. At breakfast time, a worker sets out 25 bowls of meat in a room filled with dachshunds, shih-tzus, beagles and other small dogs, some of them dragging themselves to their bowls because they’re missing limbs or are paralyzed. Marino hugs, kisses and cuddles with the animals.
AP
This Dec. 7, 2010 photo provided by PETA… View Full Caption
Video shot by PETA presents a different picture.
Daphna Nachminovich, a cruelty investigator for PETA based in Northrup, Va., said the group acted on complaints including one “from a job applicant at Angel’s Gate who spent several hours there and was sickened by what she saw.”
“There were animals suffering horribly at death’s door, without the relief of euthanasia,” Nachminovich said.
PETA’s video, posted on YouTube, includes a frantic scene of dogs barking and fighting in the kitchen, apparently at feeding time, with Marino yelling and trying to break up the squabble.
When The Associated Press visited Angel’s Gate in April, dogs were dozing on cots or playing with toys in large, bright rooms with clean tile floors. Many were disabled and some with spinal injuries dragged their hindquarters. Cats were in little cottages equipped with climbing poles, cubbyholes and scratching posts. It was apparent that remodeling had been done recently on some of the main buildings, and more construction was in progress. All of the facilities were clean and neat.
“She was very aware that the boom was about to fall” when PETA began investigating in November, Cheever said. “She put a lot of energy into cleaning up her operation. By the time I went there in May the physical plant wasn’t as dirty, but was disorganized.”
Rosemary Throssell, a dog breeder who provides a custom-made raw meat diet for Angel’s Gate animals, said PETA’s allegations are unfair.
“Those animals have a fantastic quality of life,” said Throssell after she and her husband attended a brief court appearance for Marino on Wednesday.
———
The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ntPXWHkwM
Buffalo Police are investigating a reported dognapping
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Police are investigating a reported dognapping in the city’s Elmwood district. What’s unusual about it, according to police, is that four masked men reportedly surrounded a woman to steal the dogs she was walking.
This reported dog-napping happened while a dog sitter was out walking the dogs, which are two Boston Terriers named Gabby, a five-year-old female, and Gilly, a seven-year-old male.
According to a Buffalo police spokesperson, the dog sitter told police that last Wednesday, as she was walking the dogs near the corner of Norwood Ave and Summer Street at 10:15pm, four males, whose faces were covered by bandanas, got out of a gray Chevy and surrounded her.
Police said the victim told them she let go of the dogs and ran off, and then the men took the dogs.
The dogs are owned by Jordie Kindervater and Sarah Slusak of Buffalo. Since then, the two owners, who were away celebrating their engagement in Mexico, returned home and have been posting fliers all over the Elmwood District. They’re even offering a $2,000 reward.
“Our friends and family that have met them — everybody loves them,” Kindervater said.
“I always assumed that this was a safe neighborhood,” Slusak said.
The owners have even started a Facebook page to help find Gabby and Gilly. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the Buffalo Police anonymous tipline at 847-2255.
While some online accounts of this event have suggested the dog-nappers also tried to kidnap the dog-sitter, according to a spokesperson for the police department, in the initial police report, the victim never indicated that this also was an attempted kidnapping. The report, according to the spokesperson, only indicated that the dog-nappers surrounded the victim, and wanted the dogs.http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/149589/37/Buffalo-Police-Investigating-Reported-Dognapping
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