Grateful Dogs Rescue: Celebrate Spring With A New Buddy!

Adoption Event

Saturday April 4, 2015, Noon - 2PM

At CITIPETS

183 W. Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA  94127  

Rescue Dog Adoptions In 

San Francisco Bay Area

Grateful Dogs Rescue is the oldest all-breed rescue group in San Francisco.  Since 1990 our mission has been to save the lives of local dogs, primarily at San Francisco Animal Care and Control, that are at risk of euthanasia.  We save as many of these dogs as possible, place them in experienced foster homes, and provide veterinary care as needed until loving adopters can be found.  We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff, so donations to Grateful Dogs Rescue go towards the care of our dogs.

Meet The Adorable Mutts of Muttville! This Saturday

Get free love at LOVE A SENIOR SATURDAY at Muttville HQ

Saturday, Feb 28
12:00 - 3:00PM

Muttville Headquarters
255 Alabama St. (corner of 16th)
San Francisco map

 

We are incredibly excited to introduce you to the adorable mutts of Muttville!! Come check us out and meet our sweet mutts who are still looking for their forever homes. One might just be your next best friend!
Drop by any time. And if there’s a adorable mutt on our website that has already snagged your attention, let us know you’re coming so we can make sure that particular cutie-pie is there to meet you!
Email adoptions@muttville.org to learn more!

Sausalito dog thought drowned in storm reunited with owner

In a near-miraculous recovery, a dog that was on a boat that sank in Richardson Bay during Thursday's storm swam a mile to shore, walked to a church she had visited with her animal guardian and was reunited with him in an emotional meeting two days later.

Daisy, a brown and white pit bull belonging to Sausalito resident Stephen Alioto, was reunited with Alioto Saturday morning at the Marin Humane Society after a chain of events that ranks as, at the very least, improbable, not to mention heartwarming.

"My neighbor told me there was a soaking wet, shivering dog crouched in the church doorway around 7:30 a.m. Thursday," said the Rev. Paul Mowry of the Sausalito Presbyterian Church. "Initially, I thought she was just a lost dog."

Steve Alioto, left, is reunited with his dog Daisy with the help of Pastor Paul Moury of Sausalito Presbyterian Church, who is also the police chaplain. Alioto thought Daisy drowned when their boat sank last week in Richardson Bay. (Courtesy Marin Humane Society)

The pastor notified Sausalito police and the Marin Humane Society, who sent an officer to scan Daisy's microchip. The chip yielded two phone numbers.

"I tried the secondary number a couple of times and got somebody who said the dog, Daisy, had been given away to a good friend, Steve. And we (the church) have a Steve who comes to our free lunches on Wednesday," Mowry said. "He lived on the boat with Daisy."

The next day, on Friday, a distraught Steve reported his lost dog to Sausalito police. Police Sgt. Thomas Georges' investigative skills came into play, as he made the connection between the pastor's Thursday report of finding a brown and white pit bull.

"He (Georges) called me and said they took a report – this guy Steve reported his lost dog, a pit bull," Mowry said.

"The Open Door Ministries does a Friday dinner. So I went there and was talking to a man whose boat had sunk. I asked, 'Is Steve here?' and the man said, 'He's here. His boat sunk and his dog drowned.'But how to reach Alioto, who was now homeless? "My partner Joey (Joe Silverman) said, 'Where is the next (free) meal in Sausalito where he might be?'" Mowry said.

"I walked over and said to Steve, 'We have your dog.' He said, 'Are you kidding me?' I told him the dog showed up at the church. He started sobbing and threw his arms around me," Mowry said.

The next day, the pastor drove Steve to the Humane Society and the two were reunited.

"Steve said to me, 'The things I lost are just things. They can be replaced. But you can't be replaced, and I can't be replaced, and Daisy can't be replaced,'" Mowry said. "That dog is his companion. She's his everything." Steve and Daisy are now staying on a friend's boat, Mowry said.

Reflecting on the dog's saga, Mowry said, "She got herself up through the hatch and out of the boat while it was going down and made it to shore in the dark. I don't know how she did it." The pastor pointed out that the dog had to find a shore that was accessible on foot, since the dog could not climb up a dock.

"It's a remarkable achievement. And then to find her way to the church!" Mowry said.

Alioto told Mowry that he had given Daisy swimming lessons, Mowry said.

"He got a doggie life preserver for her and jumped in the water with her and she made her way to the dock and back to the boat. He taught her how to survive in the water," Mowry said.

Lisa Bloch of the Humane Society said, "One thing that to me is particularly poignant is here is a man who has lost everything, but he at least has his companion.

"When Steve came to pick the dog up we provided him with a new leash and dog food," Bloch said. "A woman just happened to come by to drop off a donation of a 50-pound bag of dog food and she turned around and gave it to Steve."

The Humane Society is accepting donations of food and pet toys, needs that are especially apparent this time of year, Bloch said.

"As they were leaving, a Good Samaritan heard the story and handed some money toward Daisy's care," Bloch added.

"This is a beautiful story and I think it says a lot about our community here in Marin and how much we care about animals and people," Bloch said.

Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_27142676/sausalito-dog-thought-drowned-storm-reunited-owner 

First Taste Of Freedom For 6 Overjoyed Animals Caught On Film

1. These beagles, who had lived their entire lives in cages, romp playfully in the grass for the first time ever, thanks to the Beagle Freedom Project.  

(YouTube: Beagle Freedom Project)
2. These are just a few of the laboratory chimpanzees released to the Gut Aiderbichl sanctuary in Austria. The chimps peer cautiously out at the wide open spaces of the sanctuary before excitedly embracing one another.

(YouTube: EVOLVE Campaigns)
3. Three orphaned foxes, raised at the Chintimini Wildlife Center in Oregon, slowly take in their new wild surroundings before finally scampering off into the brush.

(YouTube: chintiminiwildlife's channel)
4. These four orphaned raccoons were rescued by Animal Advocates' Mary Cummins when they were little babies. Upon being released where they were found, the mischievous raccoons had some fun knocking over their carriers before setting out into the woods together.

(YouTube: Mary Cummins)
5. These chubby seal pups were cared for over the course of several months at the RSPCA in East Winch after the Norfolk tidal surge. The pups eagerly made their way toward the water, using the slippery mud to help expedite their homecoming.

(YouTube: rspcauk)
6. This extremely rare Siberian tiger, named Zolushka, was rescued as a young orphaned cub by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Zolushka made a graceful and beautiful exit upon her return to the wild. According to IFAW, there are only about 400 Siberian tigers remaining in the world.

(YouTube: IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare)  

This article was provided by thedodo.com. To read the original article, go here. 

Animal rescue will airlift 500 dogs from California to Northwest

An animal rescue group is gearing up for a massive airlift this weekend, flying more than 500 dogs facing euthanasia in California to rescue groups in the Northwest.

The operation, the largest to date for Wings of Rescue, aims to save dogs from death row in California, where hundreds of thousands of animals are killed every year.

"When you know what's going on, it's difficult to stay passive," said Yehuda Netanel, a private pilot and co-founder of Wings of Rescue.

This is the group's fourth holiday airlift, which started in 2010 with Netanel flying dogs to Hillsboro in his own Piper Malibu Jetprop. This year, he's corralled more than 20 pilots, who will airlift dogs to 14 destinations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

The flights were originally scheduled for Friday, but harsh weather forced Netanel to juggle schedules, with the first plane scheduled to land in Klamath Falls on Thursday. The Eugene and North Bend flights were shifted to Saturday. All of the other flights, including to Redmond and Hillsboro in Oregon, are scheduled for Friday.

Last year, seven planes flew 350 dogs to Hillsboro. This year, Wings of Rescue is flying 55 dogs to Hillsboro, eight to Redmond, 35 to Eugene, 20 to Klamath Falls and a small number to North Bend.
The rest of the canines --€“ more than 500 altogether -- will go to rescue groups in Seattle, Bellingham, Spokane, Pasco, Olympia, Kalispell, Billings, Helena and Boise.

Netanel said Wings of Rescue in the future aims to fly dogs beyond the Northwest.
"Not only are the destinations expanding, but we're finding humane societies in smaller towns where people are clamoring for dogs," said Netanel. "This is a golden opportunity for those dogs to have a life rather than being euthanized here."

A mix of dogs is scheduled to be flown to rescue groups in Oregon, including Family Dogs New Life Shelter in Portland, Oregon Dog Rescue in Tualatin, SaveHaven Humane Society in Albany, Love-a-Bull in Eugene, Willamette Humane Society in Salem and S/Nipped in Coos Bay.
The Hillsboro flights are scheduled to land between 3 and 4 p.m.

Outside Oregon, Netanel said some locations are only taking Chihuahuas, a breed that Netanel said was on the top of the euthanasia list in California.

So many unsprayed or neutered Chihuahuas are in California that people abandon them on city streets, ditch them in the countryside and dump them in the desert.

Most of the dogs slated for the airlift are now at shelters in Pasadena, Lancaster and Riverside. They're picked out by the receiving rescues, which select animals by looking at their profiles online, mainly PetFinder.com. On the days of the flights, volunteers in California will fetch them from shelters and drive them to the airport, where they're loaded in their own crates onto the aircraft.
About 200 people are taking part in the operation, which will cost about $100,000. Netanel said some money is coming from Wings of Rescue, a 501(c)3. But mostly the volunteer pilots are covering their own costs, including using their own aircraft.

He expects all of the animals to find homes.
"Holiday season is traditionally the time when people adopt dogs," Netanel said. "The vast majority will be adopted very quickly."
-- Lynne Terry

Article and Photos sourced From:  http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/12/animal_rescue_will_airlift_500.html 

ANIMAL RIGHTS, BREAKING NEWS: Pet Stores Opt For Rescue Dogs Over Puppy Mill Dogs! This Is HUGE!

It’s no secret that puppy mills are evil places. Before being shipped to commercial pet stores, the conditions in which animals are forced to live are often dangerous, nightmarish and foul. Tragically, only about half of the puppies born into puppy mills survive, and many others suffer from a host of serious illnesses as a result, including respiratory infections, parasites and contagious viruses — not to mention the toll it takes on their emotional and mental health.

Take these staggering statistics from the ASPCA:

- There are about 10,000 puppy mills in the country. Of those, 20-30 percent are U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed breeders licensed to sell to stores.

- Each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized: 1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats.

- It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.

- More than two million dogs from puppy mills are sold each year.

More recently, there’s been a growing trend among animal lovers who are choosing to adopt animals, rather than looking to breeders and pet stores. Not only are consumers catching on to the anti-puppy mill movement, but with all the sick puppy mill dogs, it’s simply a horrible “business” model. So now, in a landmark move, commercial pet stores in the Philadelphia area have begun moving in the same direction, forgoing their traditional sales of brokered animals in favor of working with animal rescue organizations! It’s wonderful!

“We don’t feel comfortable selling brokered puppies.”

Philadelphia pet-shop owner Michael Gill was nursing his new English bulldog mix puppy that was suffering from parvo, a lethal canine virus contracted from a Missouri dog distributor. One after the other, puppies were coming into Michael’s store with terrible illnesses, and many even died. “It was the single worst experience I’ve had with animals in 20 years,” said Michael, owner of We Love Pets in Media.

According to Philly.com, “Gill decided to stop buying dogs from commercial breeders and opted for rescue dogs from shelters, a trend the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said was catching on. ‘It’s been a bumpy ride,’ said Gill of the change in his business model, which also has required renovations at his Media and Springfield stores to accommodate the more mature and larger rescue dogs. ‘It’s much more rewarding. We don’t feel comfortable selling [brokered] puppies.’” And, get this: Gill now works with one of the activists who picketed his store almost every weekend for years! Patricia Biswanger, board president of the Chester County SPCA, said she didn’t hesitate when Gill offered the SPCA space for shelter dogs and other animals.

A growing trend… and we LOVE it!

Gill’s two locations aren’t the only pet stores in the Philly area to convert. PetsPlus stores, which has 10 locations(!), are also beginning to take in rescue dogs!

Scores of counties around the country are continuing to ban the sale of commercially raised puppies in pet stores, including Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Chicago; El Paso, Texas; Toledo, Ohio; San Diego; Los Angeles; and the state of Florida. In New Jersey, Brick, Manasquan, Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant Beach, and North Brunswick.

Please SHARE this important news!

Harley, a 13 year old Chihuahua and an iconic figure in the world of puppy mill awareness through social media, spent 10 years as a commercial breeder in a puppy mill. His one-eyed, grizzled image is immediately recognizable, due primarily to the fact he lost an eye being power washed at the puppy mill.

 

Born without eyes, Smiley spent the first half of his life in a puppy mill.

 

Pit-mix Stella was rescued and adopted. She's now one happy and loved dog.

Read more at http://www.littlethings.com/pet-stores-opt-for-rescue-dogs-over-puppy-mill-dogs-this-is-huge/?gs6ZqjCdALczW8WV.99

Yao Ming Urges China to ‘Say No To Ivory and Rhino Horn’ With New Film

BEIJING, China (August 8, 2014) -- Celebrities, conservationists, political officials and the media gathered for a special premiere screening of “The End of the Wild,” a new documentary that follows basketball legend and committed conservationist Yao Ming on a fact-finding mission into the heart of Africa’s wildlife conservation crisis. Both Yao Ming and Peter Knights of WildAid (who accompanied Yao on his 12-day trip through Kenya and South Africa) addressed the media and were joined by representatives from CCTV, which is airing “The End of the Wild,” and CITIC Publishing Group, which is releasing the film’s companion book, “Journey in Africa."
Yao visited Kenya and South Africa in August of 2012 to learn about the poaching crisis and witness the dramatic toll that poaching is taking not only on Africa’s endangered elephant and rhinoceros populations, but also on the human communities that coexist with them. “End of the Wild” follows Yao as he meets wild elephants and rhinos before encountering the butchered bodies of five poached elephants in Kenya and a poached rhino in South Africa. In Nairobi, Kenya, Yao tours the “ivory room,” an underground vault filled with thousands of confiscated elephant tusks and other wildlife remains. He also visits local school children, whose education is funded by revenue from wildlife tourism, and meets with conservationists and government officials working to protect these endangered species.
“The End of the Wild” aired in two parts on CCTV-9 on August 11 at 9:00 p.m. (21:00 CST) and August 17 at 10:00 p.m. (22:00 CST). Part one focuses on elephants and the ivory trade; part two shines a light on the recent explosion of rhino poaching.
A BIG STEP IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST IVORY AND RHINO HORN
In April 2013, Yao launched the “Say No to Ivory” and the “Say No to Rhino Horn” campaign with WildAid, the African Wildlife Foundation, and Save the Elephants. He has been a leader in the effort to reduce demand for ivory and rhino horn, and has been featured in television ads and billboards. WildAid’s elephant ivory public awareness messages have aired 7,697 times on over 25 television channels in 2013 amounting to US$15 million in-kind broadcast value. This is the amount certified by the media monitoring firm CTR and does not include several major media outlets and could account for only 50% of the actual total broadcast value.
In March 2014, Yao delivered a petition during the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) asking China’s government to ban sales of ivory. The “End of the Wild” documentary is yet another big step in Yao Ming and WildAid’s effort to save endangered species by encouraging the public to stop buying wildlife products. In the documentary Yao clearly states his intent, "I believe what people will see in those pictures, [they] will remember it. That's what we're here for: film this, bring it back home ... and show everybody the reality."
“With this film, Yao is helping to spread the word about the ecological and human costs of the illegal wildlife trade,” explains Peter Knights, Executive Director of WildAid. “We hope that with more public awareness and support, that China will become a true global leader in conservation and help save elephants and rhinos.”
Yao previously helped to reduce China’s demand for shark fin through his campaign with WildAid. He appeared in public service messages that have reached hundreds of millions of consumers throughout China on broadcast and satellite television, LCD screens on trains and in subway and railway stations, airports, airline in-flight entertainment, shopping malls, banks, taxis, and universities and hospitals. Yao’s messages helped change public opinion and encouraged President Xi’s administration to ban shark fin from state banquets. A 2013 survey revealed that 85% of respondents in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu had stopped eating shark fin soup within the last three years. Sixty-five percent of those who quit shark fin cited public awareness campaigns as a reason.
BACKGROUND ON THE CRISIS AND THE DEMAND THAT DRIVES IT
An estimated 33,000 elephants are killed each year for their tusks, and 95% of the world’s rhinos have been lost over the past 40 years. Growing demand in China and Southeast Asia is driving sharp increases in poaching. In China, ivory is prized as a status symbol by the nation’s growing affluent and middle classes, and the country’s legal market perpetuates demand and provides a laundering mechanism for illegal, poached ivory from Africa. Rhino horn is highly sought after for purported health benefits. In Vietnam, rhino horn has a reputation as a cancer treatment and a hangover cure regardless of the fact that the horn is composed of keratin (the same substance as human hair and fingernails).
Online media kit:

• “The End of the Wild” promotional trailer: http://vimeo.com/64118789 
• 30 second PSA featuring Yao Ming, Prince William and David Beckham: http://youtu.be/xjMRURFab1I?list=UU5GSQ5TZ6mfck3HUZIlzvBg
• Travel blog of Yao’s journey to Africa: http://yaomingblog.com/
• CNN segment and interview with Yao Ming on his trip to Africa: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/01/08/pkg-watson-china-big-man-fights-ivory-trade.cnn.html
• WildAid’s elephant program: http://www.wildaid.org/elephants
• WildAid’s rhino program: http://www.wildaid.org/rhinos

Article and Photo Courtesy of:  http://wildaid.org/ 

Could grizzly bears return to the southern Sierra Nevada?

 TRUCKEE, Calif. — It’s the state animal and it’s on the flag — the California grizzly bear. And while that specific species is now extinct, one conservation organization is calling for the return of the grizzly bear to the Golden State.

 

Today, 1,850 wild grizzly bears live in the United States, spread over four states —
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 This summer, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the federal agency’s recovery plan for grizzly bears, including returning them to their former stomping grounds across the West.

“Grizzly bears are one of the true icons of the American West, yet today they live in a paltry 4 percent of the lands where they used to roam,” Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “We shouldn’t be closing the book on grizzly recovery, but beginning a new chapter — one where these amazing animals live wherever there’s good habitat for them across the West.”

The petition, which calls for Fish and Wildlife to revise and update its 1993 grizzly bear recovery plan, identifies an additional 110,000 square miles of potential habitat in California’s southern Sierra Nevada; the Mogollon Rim and Gila Wilderness complex in Arizona and New Mexico; the Grand Canyon; and Utah’s Uinta Mountains.

Today, 1,850 wild grizzly bears live in the United States, spread over four states — Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Center for Biological Diversity would like to see that number rise to at least 4,000 and up to 6,000 spread across habitat areas to ensure their long-term survival.

Since 1975, the grizzly bear has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, which aims to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems on which they depend.

“If we’re serious about recovering grizzly bears, we need more populations around the West and more connections between them, so they don’t fall prey to inbreeding and so they have a chance of adapting to a warming world,” Greenwald said. “If we want these incredible bears around for centuries to come, we’ve still got a lot of work left to do.”

According to the petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has pursued a fragmented approach to grizzly bear recovery that fails to meet the intention of the Endangered Species Act to recover species across significant portions of their historic range.

Servheen said there are no additional resources to start new programs in new locations, since all available funding and personnel are dedicated to the service’s current recovery work.

“Any bears placed in new areas have to come from habitats with similar foods and habitats to maximize the probability of success,” he said. “Many areas of historic range have no similar habitats with grizzlies in them today, (which) means there are not any bears to move into such former habitat areas.”

Historically, as many as 100,000 grizzly bears once lived in western North America. Yet, within 200 years of European settlement, the grizzly population dwindled to hundreds due to slaughter.

While a California grizzly shot in 1922 in Tulare County is considered the last state grizzly, there were reports in 1924 of a sighting in what is now Sequoia National Park.

Today, Greenwald said he thinks Californians would be open to the idea of reintroducing grizzly bears to the state, since it’s “a wildlife-friendly state.”

Ann Bryant, executive director of the Lake Tahoe-based BEAR League, isn’t so sure.

“(People) can’t even co-exist with black bears,” she said. “How in the world do we think we can co-exist with grizzlies? There’s just no room, no mentality for it.”

Grizzlies have a reputation of being aggressive and territorial, especially females when cubs are involved. Documented grizzly attacks on humans have occurred over the past several decades, some resulting in death.

“The chances of getting mauled by a grizzly bear is (very small),” Greenwald said. “It is much more dangerous to drive your car to the store.”

The petition identifies 7,747 square miles of wilderness in the southern Sierra remote enough to support the omnivorous bruin. As for whether the region would have enough food supply to support the bear, additional study is needed, Greenwald said.

The diet of grizzly bears consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, roots and animals. Males can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, and the bears are considered apex predators, with humans being their biggest threat.

Human tolerance is key for this idea to work, Bryant said.

“You’ve got to have a willing reception of that thing, and we’re not ready for that,” she said. “The mentality here right now is fear-based. Grizzlies probably invoke the most amount of fear. ... We’ve got a long way to go before this is anything I would take seriously.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is legally required to respond to the petition.

Greenwald said the Center for Biological Diversity has yet to hear back from the service since filing the petition in June.

 

 

 

 

Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/northshore/12501540-113/grizzly-bears-bear-petition

Pictures: The World's Tigers—There Are Only 3,200 Left in the Wild

Tigers may be relegated to zoos in the future if we're not careful. Only about 3,200 tigers can be found in the wild today—a far cry from the iconic cat's situation a century ago, when 100,000 tigers roamed vast stretches of the Asian continent.

"People don't realize how dire the situation is for tigers because we see them all the time. We see them in zoos, we see them in circuses, so we think they're doing all right," said Sharon Guynup, a writer who co-authored the book Tigers Forever: Saving the World's Most Endangered Big Cat with National Geographic photographer Steve Winter.

To mark International Tiger Day—which is held annually on July 29—National Geographic spotlights Asia's largest cat species and the conservation challenges that it faces.

In this photo, a tiger is carried by Burmese villagers in 1922 after it was killed following an attack on their village.

—Katie Langin

Article and Photos Taken From:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/pictures/140729-tigers-conservation-cubs-hunting-environment-science/#/4-mm7231-071025-1334-00118016_82121_600x450.jpg

Tourist marmot caught in S.F.

A marmot hanging out under a Potrero Hill deck for the last two weeks has been caught, according to Wildlife Emergency Services, a nonprofit animal rescue organization.

A wildlife capture specialist with the organization captured the rodent Wednesday. The critter will now be taken for a health check at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, said Rebecca Dmytryk, director of the organization.

The group believes the marmot came from near a lake in Yosemite National Park, where they’ll be taking it after the health check.

The ground squirrels, which can grow up to 2 feet long, have turned up in the Bay Area before.

The wildlife center “receives calls every year about marmots on the loose,” Dmytryk said in a blogpost Wednesday. “In 2012, rescuers captured a marmot in San Jose (story HERE), another one in Gilroy (HERE) and again, last year, another marmot (HERE) was captured.”

A Twitter account named Bernal Marmot was created in June 2013 when another marmot was spotted in Bernal Heights. Now, it’s back up and tweeting.

 Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/07/02/tourist-marmot-caught-in-s-f/

Dog, missing for 20 months in Lake Tahoe wilderness, reunited with family

FORESTHILL, Calif. — Murphy the golden retriever went missing for 20 months in the Tahoe National Forest but now is finally home.

LINK TO VIDEO

“We had heard the story, and there were bulletins posted, ‘missing since October of 2012,’” said Janice Watkins, who helped catch Murphy.
Last weekend, Janice and her family were at the Lewis Campground in French Meadows, less than 5 miles from where Murphy went missing, when the wayward dog decided to pay them a visit.
“The dog actually came over and met our dog,” Janice’s husband, Russ Watkins, said.
Murphy stood next to their border collie, Trip, just long enough for them to take hold of the 5-year-old golden retriever.

“Just kinda walked over and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck until we could get a leash on her,” Janice said.

“She was very timid. She had her tail tucked most of the time, until halfway through Saturday. Then she started wagging it,” Russ said. “She was very sweet.”

A Facebook page, dedicated to finding her had this from Murphy’s owners:
Our dearest Family and Friends,

After 20 long months of being in the Tahoe National Forest, Murphy has come home. As you can imagine we are completely shocked and amazed with the miracle of her surviving this long.
We were reunited with Murphy, on Sunday afternoon – Father’s Day! She is on the road to recovery.
Words cannot describe how grateful we are.

“It’s a good feeling. I’m glad she’s back with her owner, because it’s an incredible story,” Russ said. “What that dog could tell us right now, if she could talk. because how she survived, I have no idea.”


Article & Photo Sourced From:  http://kdvr.com/2014/06/20/dog-missing-for-20-months-in-lake-tahoe-wilderness-reunited-with-family/

Jeans for Giraffes

Jeans for Giraffes @ SF ZOO

 

 

We're celebrating our long-necked friends on the first annual World Giraffe Day, June 21, which also happens to be the longest day of the year. Actually, we love giraffes so much, we decided to celebrate the whole weekend! World Giraffe Day is a global celebration of these amazing animals and an annual opportunity to raise public awareness about challenges they face in the wild. To mark the occasion, we're scheduling extra keeper talks and an interactive enrichment-building experience, and receiving donations of old jeans for Jeans for Giraffes, which is a project that supports giraffe research and protects giraffe populations in Africa. Visitors who donate denim for the Jeans for Giraffes will be entered in a raffle to win a behind-the-scenes visit with our beloved herd of giraffes. So join us all weekend at the African Savanna to appreciate these majestic beauties ... and don't forget those jeans!

World Giraffe Day Weekend Schedule

• 9:00 - 10:00 am Members' Morning in Bernard Osher Giraffe Lodge (Sunday only)
• 10:30 am Keeper Talk at North Overlook
• 2:00 pm Enrichment making at acacia plaza
• 4:30 pm Keeper Talk in the Bernard Osher Giraffe Lodge
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Third Hong Kong Retailer Drops Ivory

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd announced that it is no longer selling ivory products according to a memo obtained by WildAid. The statement follows similar announcements from fellow retailers Chinese Arts & Crafts (H.K.) Ltd (CAC) and Wing On Department Store earlier this year. Prior to these announcements CAC, Wing On, and Yue Hwa were Hong Kong’s largest retailers of elephant ivory.

According to the memo, Yue Hwa stopped selling elephant ivory products as of May 7 this year. “Our ivory products have already been off the shelf, and Our Company is no longer selling ivory products since yesterday. Our Company realized the trend of protecting endangered species in the society; we respect and agree with the will of the general public to protect these animals.”

“Hong Kong’s three largest ivory retailers are leading by example and demonstrating the importance of stopping the trade in these products,” said WildAid Executive Director Peter Knights. “We applaud Yue Hwa for taking this important step toward protecting elephants by reducing the bloody trade and thereby lessening poaching pressures in Africa.”

Yue Hwa’s decision follows public pleas to end the ivory trade in Hong Kong and comes one week before the government is scheduled to begin burning 29.6 tonnes of confiscated ivory on May 15. Hong Kong’s ivory stockpile was originally 37.8 tonnes of which 6.5 tonnes has already been reportedly incinerated and crushed to test destruction methods and 1.7 tonnes was donated for CITES permitted uses.

“This is solid proof that government held ivory destruction events can effect positive change,” said Hong Kong-based WildAid consultant Alex Hofford. “It's no coincidence that all three of Hong Kong's largest ivory retailers decided to remove ivory from their shelves in the final hours leading up to the Hong Kong ivory burn. We encourage the government to continue their great work by banning ivory sales permanently."

Member of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council Elizabeth Quat said, “I am very pleased that Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd can follow our advice. I am expecting more and more local, or even foreign companies to contribute to elephant conservation and stop all trading of ivory products as soon as possible. In addition, I expect that the Government to take a more active role in combating illegal ivory trade, as well as looking into the possibility of drafting new legislation prohibiting sales and trading of all ivory products. We need to allow our next generation to have real contact and interaction with these precious creatures, not just learning them from books or videos.”

The General Manager of Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd, Mr. Yu Kwok-Chun, said, “Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd will always support the promotion of environmental protection and the protection of endangered animals. After receiving the call from the Hon Elizabeth Quat, we showed our support by taking immediately action to stop the sale of ivory products in our shops the very same afternoon.”

In April 2013, former NBA star Yao Ming launched a campaign in China to reduce demand for ivory and rhino horn with WildAid, the African Wildlife Foundation, and Save the Elephants.

China’s government has already taken positive steps by crushing more than six tonnes of seized ivory this past January and in 2013, China’s State Forestry Administration appealed to travelers through SMS alerts not to purchase ivory or rhino horn. On February 27 of this year, China’s top business leaders publicly pledged to never purchase, possess, or give ivory as a gift. WildAid China Chairman, Huang Nubo spearheaded the pledge, which included Cao Guowei, CEO of Sina Corp., China’s largest internet portal, as well as 10 individuals from the Forbes 2013 China Rich List including Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group. Then on March 4, Yao Ming and several fellow delegates delivered a petition during the Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress asking the government to ban sales of ivory.

Recent surveys indicate a large portion of China’s population is unaware of the death toll to create ivory and rhino horn products, yet a greater number of residents support government enforced bans. (Read the ivory and rhino horn surveys.)

Article & photos Sourced from:  http://www.wildaid.org/news/third-hong-kong-retailer-drops-ivory 

Stowaway kitten clogs traffic along I-580 in Oakland, adopted by passing motorist

By Natalie Neysa Alund Bay Area News Group

OAKLAND -- A stray kitten clogged traffic during the morning commute in Oakland on Monday after it jumped into the wheel well of a car stopped in traffic along Interstate 580, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A stowaway kitten was rescued by the freeway service patrol
Monday morning after it jumped into the wheel
well of a commuter's car, according to
the California Highway Patrol. ( California Highway Patrol )

The tiny feline was uninjured and was quickly adopted by a passing motorist, Officer Sean Wilkenfeld said.

About 8:45 a.m., a woman stopped in traffic in the fast lane of I-580 west near the High Street exit told officers she watched the kitten jump from the center divider into the wheel well of her black Saab.

"She was afraid to drive because she knew she would injure the kitten so she got out to coax it out," Wilkenfeld said. "That didn't work, so she dialed 911."

Shortly after, a worker with the Bay Area Freeway Service Patrol, which repairs, moves or otherwise assists disabled vehicles for free, arrived and pulled out the kitten, which did not have a collar.
"While we were waiting and debating which shelter to take the cat to, a passing driver adopted the animal on the spot," Wilkenfeld said.

The cat, he said, was adopted by a friendly unidentified man.


 Article & photos Sourced From:  http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_25793374/stowaway-kitten?source=inthenews

Marinwood Firefighters Save A Baby Bird From FireFighters

Marinwood firefighters used a garden hose attached to a vacuum cleaner to rescue a baby bird from an underground drain pipe Monday.

The bird fell from a nest in the eaves into a drain that went under a concrete surface at the fire station, said firefighter Brian Smith. Firefighters could not reach the chick, so they used the vacuum and hose extension to suck it out.

"He was on the end of the little garden hose," Smith said.

The bird was taken to WildCare in San Rafael. WildCare spokeswoman Alison Hermance, said the bird, a fledgling house finch, had a scrape on the top of its head but no other injuries. She said the bird can stand and hop and its wings seem healthy.

Because of its head injuries and the risk of infection, the bird will remain at WildCare for treatment. The staff at the nonprofit will raise it with other house finches its age, then release it into the wild when it is healthy and can fly, Hermance said.

Sonoma County family pet’s miraculous return

TIMBER COVE, Calif. —

It sounds like the plot of a Disney movie. But one look at the smile on Ray Frost’s face tells you that this definitely is a real life love story between a family and their pet dog.

Nearly two months ago, the Frost family’s beloved shepherd mix disappeared out of the family’s backyard along the rugged Sonoma Coast north of Bodega Bay.

For weeks, Ray Frost hiked through the heavily wooded coastline, calling out Mike the dog’s name or whistling, hoping to hear the familiar sound his bark.

But there was no answer. Eventually, hope turned to dismal, then to sorrow as the family came to grips that they may never see Mike again.

On Thursday night, two fishermen happened to come across an emaciated dog trapped on a coastal cliff.

It was Mike. Somehow he had fallen to down the steep cliffside and become trapped.

After seven weeks, he was in a terribly weakened state. One of the fishermen hoisted him onto his shoulder and carried him to safety.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported Monday that the fishermen stopped at nearby grocery store and asked if someone had lost a shepherd.

Christine Manaro, who was working at the store, told the newspaper that her immediate thoughts were of Mike. She sent a friend out who took one look and confirmed that Mike had made it home.

“It was quite a homecoming,” Frost told the Press Democrat. “It was pretty amazing.”

Mike is recovering and trying to gain back the 35 pounds he lost during his ordeal. If he were human, Mike would have quite a tale to tell – how he survived for nearly seven weeks on a ledge 150 feet below Highway 1.

But maybe Disney will tell it for him.

Article and Photo Sourced From:  http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/sonoma-county-family-pets-miraculous-return/nfzTH/

Animal Rescue Foundation and SF Giants Host an Event on June 27th

ARF VIP Experience at AT&T Park
Friday, June 27th

The San Francisco Giants and ARF are proud to join together for a special pre-game event at AT&T Park! All ARF Night ticket holders will get access to the VIP pre-game party for complimentary food and beverage at the Triples Alley premium space, and receive a limited-edition ARF-themed Giants item and a complimentary raffle ticket into drawing for Giants memorabilia.

A portion of every ARF Special Event ticket supports ARF’s life-saving programs for pets and people. 

Purchase a VIP ticket and game package for $200 or add the VIP experience to your game ticket for $125. To purchase, visit sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com.

ABOUT ARF:

ARF saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters and brings people and animals together to enrich each others lives. ARF strives to create a world where every loving dog and cat has a home, where every lonely person has a companion animal, and where children learn to care.

Vision
ARF was created in 1991 by Tony and Elaine La Russa to address the needs of companion animals. Their vision for ARF is an organization that can not only aid abandoned and homeless animals, but also promote the concept that people's lives can be enhanced by strengthening the bonds between humans and animals. With these intertwined goals as the guiding principles, ARF is known as a national as well as local leader.

ARF is growing to meet the demands of the 21st century with the first private adoption and education center in Contra Costa County, California. ARF will continue to respond to the immediate needs of animals who have been neglected, abused or deprived of love to ensure they find high quality homes. At the same time, ARF will embody the vision of a better future-one where animals are respected for the unique role they can and do play in making the world a better place for people to live and where there is a stable and loving home for every pet to complete its natural lifespan.

Article and Photos Sourced From:   http://www.arf.net/about/events/2014/giants-vip.php