SeNoRa

Bunny Profile: Herman!

2008-10-30T10:03:00.004-05:00

Name: Herman
Nickname: ‘Shmellow, ‘Shmel (short for Marshmellow)
Gender: male (neutered of course!)
Color: Albino, white with pink eyes
Size: Medium, 7lb range
Identifying characteristics: Scar on right ear, tiny scar on nose
Behavior: Super friendly, active and curious
Other info: He’s a biter! Some people confuse all biting with aggression, but super friendly and intelligent bunnies like Herman actually use it as a form of communication. Herman has bitten me to tell me all sorts of things: scratch my head, clean my pen, hurry up with that parsley! Bunny communication bites are quick little nips, and rarely break the skin. Doesn’t mean they don’t hurt though! We are working with Herman to teach him better ways to communicate.

Herman’s story:
This guy is, I have to admit, one of my favorites. Of course Dave says they are all my favorites. But Herman is special, even among favorites. He’s a truly dominant animal, which can be both a thrilling and a frightening thing to see. When he first arrived with the first group of Bunny Bunch buns, his demeanor was different from all the little buns hunched terrified in their carriers. He was stretched out, so chilled I had to keep checking to make sure he was alive! Unlike the other buns, he was unflappable from the start. Didn’t mind being handled, and would always be the first to come greet me when I entered the rabbitat, even if I was carrying something scaaaary like a bale of hay. The control he had over the other rabbits from the start was impressive to watch. If one was out of line or fighting with another bunny, a quick nip from Herman would put a stop to it. He was a calm and benevolent leader.

However, someone, I never did find out who, decided he wasn’t comfortable with Herman in that role. I came out one day and Herman didn’t greet me, so I knew something was wrong. I found him sitting forlornly in a corner facing the wall, with a bloody ear and a few other bites. He went right to the vets and it was determined that he’d be fine, but he had to stay inside while his injuries healed, and when he was brought back out to the rabbitat he was not received as warmly as I’d hoped. He spent most of his time alone and eventually got chomped again and brought back in. He’s still inside today, but I’m thinking of trying him out there one more time, along with a large group of other buns who’ve been sick recently and need to go back out. (I’ve had tons more success moving larger groups out there at once, especially when the move coincides with layout changes and lots of new goodies in the rabbitat, which will be happening when we finish winterizing the rabbitat on the next nice day.)

I’m hopeful and optimistic that Herman will be allowed back in. No bunny has stepped up to really replace him. They have their head buns, but not one true leader as far as I can tell. And he is bored inside. The dynamic in the rabbitat has changed as well, since we discovered the boys who missed being neutered and had them done. So Herman may get his chance to lead again. I hope he will!

Back to blogging!

2008-10-29T09:56:00.002-05:00

As you can see, I’ve sadly neglected this blog, but the bunny rescue is still going strong! We’re getting to the point now where we’ll be ready to start doing adoptions, so I figured I should bring you all up to date. As of now, we have 63 bunnies at Serenity Now Ranch. We had quite a bit of illness and injury this fall, more than I’ve seen yet, so a larger-than-ever-before number of bunnies are living inside. I hope to introduce many of them back into the rabbitat later this week if the weather is as nice as they’re predicting.

Of the original 59 Bunny Bunch rabbits, we have sadly lost two. Teddy, who was my adventurous little hero, broke his back and was paralyzed. I have no idea how it happened; I found him like that one morning shortly after he was reintroduced to the group following his neuter. He may have been fighting, though he was never much of a fighter even in the months before we discovered he’d been missed for neuter surgery. Or he may have been climbing, as he loved to do, and slipped. Once I’d discovered how adventurous he was (this was the little man who climbed out of a three-and-a-half foot pen…the sight of those ears under the red heat lamp when he jumped out of the pen as I was approaching the rabbitat is one of my strongest memories of him, and of the early days in the rabbitat) I’d made sure to remove anything that seemed like it would be a danger to him. But bunnies, like kids, can hurt themselves in ways you’d never anticipate. The vet determined his spine was irreparably severed, and suggested immediate euthanasia. I wanted to give him a chance…I know disabled bunnies can live fulfilling lives, and in fact have two who are right now. But Teddy was not one to be confined, and his inability to move on his own absolutely destroyed his little spirit. I decided I was only keeping him alive for me…it was selfish…and Dave and I made the hard choice to let him go. I still miss him every day, but I know I did the right thing for him.

The other little one who we lost was Bumble. Like Teddy, he was an adventurer, but that was not what caused his death. Bumble was a little more of an independent bun, so I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him as well as I knew Teddy, but it was always such a joy to see him sitting on the ledge in the rabbitat. I could see him from the house. I haven’t seen a bunny up there since his death. I found Bumble on Thanksgiving morning last year. It was horrible. We ended up canceling all of our plans for the day and just sitting around crying. I felt like it must have been my fault that he died. I’d hit my head badly the day before, and so Dave did evening bunny chores for me. I’m still not sure that I wouldn’t have noticed something that Dave didn’t, (he’s awesome with the buns but doesn’t know them as well as I do, so isn’t as likely to notice if someone is slightly “off”) and possibly been able to help little Bumble. We had a necropsy done, and it showed two large internal abscesses which caused his death. The chances of me being able to save him even if I’d known would probably be fairly poor, but I still wish I’d had the chance, and that if he had to go it wouldn’t have been alone in the rain.

Wow, I meant this as a happy update, and it’s turned into a really sad post. I’ll be posting daily from now on though, keeping you updated on how everyone is doing. By far the happy news has outweighed the sad. These two losses from the Bunny Bunch rabbits, plus our little Almond who died during spay surgery shortly after the first of the Bunny Bunch crew arrived (I’ll do a separate post on her at a later date…I just can’t talk about this stuff anymore right now) are really a small proportion of the bunnies who have been helped and treated. But of course there are times when it’s hard not to focus on the ones who have gone.

Happier news tomorrow!

more bunny pics!

2007-05-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

We just got another 19 adorable, perfect buns from the BunnyBunch rescue. So far, so good....just the usual posturing & butt-nipping, no real fights. Hopefully that will keep up. I was worried that with the rains last night they would fight over the driest spots, but all is well today.

As you can see from the pics, it was pretty hot yesterday. That's why all the bunnies are cosying into the river/drainage system. Cute!

Anyone interested in knowing what the heck a rabbitat is and why the heck we have one can find out more here and here and here :)

In Josie's honor: A harness fundraiser

2007-04-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

As the weather starts getting warmer, I'm reminded of all the time our little group spent last summer searching for Josie. Many of us gave up pretty much our entire summer in hopes of finding this poor girl. Since I live near the area where she was lost, I spend a lot of time thinking about what we could have done differently to ensure Josie got to her destination safely. I was the one holding the leash when she slipped her collar, and that moment is frozen permanently in my mind. I never want to go through that again and, much more importantly, I never want a dog to have to go through what Josie did. We've still not been able to confirm that she is safely in a home....if she is, that is great, but even if so there is no denying that she must have suffered terribly in the summer heat and rain prior to being captured. If she'd been wearing a harness rather than a collar, none of this would have happened.

Since Josie was lost, I've spoken to countless experienced transporters, and the suggestion I've heard most often is to use a harness rather than a collar, so that the dog can't pull free. Of course harnesses are more expensive than collars, and most of us who send dogs to rescue can't afford to buy harnesses for every dog. So we are asking for your help.

At the Ashtabula County APL, we've been sending increasing numbers of animals to rescue. And Vincennes Pet Port, where Josie came from, sends many dogs each weekend. We are currently seeking donations in Josie's honor to purchase harnesses for all of our transport dogs to help them get safely to their rescues and forever homes. Donations can be made via PayPal by clicking on the button below. Donations will go through the Ashtabula County APL and will be divided evenly with Vincennes Pet Port. Please note in the "Payment For" line that you would like your donation to go towards purchasing harnesses in Josie's honor.

Even a dollar or two is a huge help. I'm currently scouting out the best deal on wholesale harnesses, and would also appreciate any suggestions on that. Another way to help is to send any harnesses you may have that you aren't using to the Ashtabula APL:

Ashtabula County Animal Protective League
5970 Green Road
Ashtabula, Ohio 44004

I will disperse any donated harnesses evenly between Ashtabula and Vincennes. Donations via check may also be sent to the APL address…please note in the memo section that you'd like your donation to go towards purchasing harnesses in Josie's honor.

Thank you!
~Dawn

bunnies!!!!!!!!

2006-12-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

this week we received 20 beautiful buns from the bunnybunch rescue in california. here are just a few pics....more will be forthcoming (i've taken hundreds but am too busy loving the bunnies to go through all the pics!). sorry no pics of the front of the rabbitat....i'll have them soon, but old ones can be seen here.

two great shelters that need your help!

2006-11-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

as mentioned below, this blog is not affiliated with the ashtabula couty apl, but i do like to sing their praises on a regular basis. they have so many great dogs & cats there, and are *always* overcrowded. some months the dog warden brings in over 100 dogs! they are currently desperate to bring the outside dogs indoors, and *any* dogs they can move gets them closer to doing that. please see if there is anyone you can help. transport assistance is available, and rescue groups get discounted pull fees.

animals at the ashtabula apl

vincennes pet port in indiana is another shelter that does great work. they are currently being forced to euthanize animals for space, and need to get as many dogs & cats to homes or rescue a.s.a.p this is a very rescue friendly shelter, and transport is available

animals at vincennes pet port

stop calling the ashtabula apl!!!!!!

2006-10-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

it has just been brought to my attention that some people have been calling the ashtabula county apl & harrassing them, telling them they *have* to take their rabbits. i would just like to make it clear that this blog is not in anyway affiliated with the apl....the 'featured pet' module to the right is there only to allow blog readers to see some of the dogs they have available. they do not take rabbits, at all, ever. i apologize for the misunderstanding. if you would like to contact me you can do so at lady.senora @ gmail.com. please do not bother the apl, they are busy enough! thank you!

and the rabbitat is still empty....

2006-10-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we spent most of the summer & fall and thousands & thousands of dollars building a rabbitat for a group of feral rabbits from the Best Friends Great Bunny Rescue. We'd been expecting the bunnies for months but kept getting put off, and yesterday we got the news we'd been dreading....they had 'run out' of bunnies. They offered to find us bunnies from other cases they were working on, but they would have been indoor bunnies....I definitely don't approve of keeping rabbits outdoors except in exceptional circumstances, which I felt this was. Our plan was to work on socializing these feral guys in the hopes of bringing them inside and possibly finding indoor homes for them (though of course they'd have always had a home with us). Moving indoor rabbits outdoors was never an option for me.

So now it appears we have wasted all the time and money (and then some) we had to start our rescue. We're devastated. Best Friends has offered to have one of the other rescues who took a large number of the rabbits give us some of theirs, but it seems pointless to take rabbits from a situation where they have just gotten settled in just to move them here. We're now actively seeking out other rescues that may know of feral communities that could use a warm safe home for the winter. Please contact me if you know of a way we can help. We're in NE Ohio.

this sh*t is so rarely funny....

2006-10-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

We saw this flyer while searching for Josie. Note not only the blacked-out winky, but also the fact that they crossed out their phone number & re-wrote the exact same number underneath it, presumably because they thought they way the number trailed down the side looked messy :)

(seriously, though, i do hope they found their dog....)

Forums at Best Friends for eradication of gassing shelters & puppy mills

2006-10-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be involved with helping to get legislation passed in Ohio to outlaw gassing in animal shelters and regulate puppy mills. Much more info to come, but for now here are a couple links:

Puppy Mills
Gassing

Email me if you're interested in learning how you can help!

Updates on Tammy Grimes at Dogs Deserve Better

2006-09-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Article on Tammy Grimes at Best Friends Network

2006-09-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

Founder of Dogs Deserve Better jailed for saving dying chained dog!

2006-09-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

This is insane. Please contact local and national media reps and get this story out.

I received the following email this morning:

OK, everyone, if you're getting this e-mail it means the police
followed through on their threat to put me in jail for taking Doogie
today.

Here is the background info:

We got a call from Kim in East Freedom this morning, crying because
Doogie hadn't gotten up since Saturday. She had been calling the
Central Pennsylvania Humane Society since Saturday to no avail. We told
her we aren't law officers, and she needed to call the humane officer.
Then we got another call about the same dog, from another person who
passes him every day. At that point we called Kim back to see if she'd
heard from the Humane Officer. She had not, so we promised her we'd go
out and see what we could do. When we got there, we took photos and
video of Doogie. We initially thought he was dead, as he was not moving
and his back was to us. We found out that the people were not home to
talk to about him, so I made the decision that he could not lay there
on the cold wet ground for one moment longer, and I would accept all
consequences of my decision.

The neighbor Kim has agreed to testify on my behalf if necessary. She
cried the whole time we were there, you can hear her on the video.

I think once you see the video and pictures, you'll understand why I
made this decision.

The vet documented his general negligent condition, low weight, sores,
missing fur, and took xrays of his back and hips. He determined that he
has very bad back spurs that are causing him a lot of pain and are most
likely responsible for his inability to walk. He also saw an
undetermined mass near his hip on the xray. He gave him a shot for pain
plus some B vitamins for energy, so that perhaps he could have even one
good day or a few good hours. He wrote a letter stating his condition
in case we needed it.

Shortly after we got Doogie to my home, situated, bathed (had to, the
stench was too bad), and fed and watered an Officer Flag called from
the Freedom Township Police Department (I know, Freedom, isn't that
ironic?). He wanted me to return Doogie, which I refused to do.

Here's what I need from you all. View the videos and photos, below. I
think you'll agree with me that this is NOT acceptable in ANY kind of
humane society, and we cannot allow this kind of animal abuse. We MUST
stand up and STOP accepting this to be ok for people to do to their
dogs, and STOP jailing those who are trying to help them.

I could never look myself in the eye again, much less sleep tonight,
had I left Doogie there dying, shivering in the dirt. I will spend the
rest of my life in jail as opposed to handing him over to be abused
further by these people.

Please, contact ALL media with these photos and videos. Get justice,
for Doogie and for me. Do NOT allow this treatment of those who are
here to help, and who actually care. Call the Pennsylvania Humane
Society and tell them you expect them to stand with me against this
kind of abuse.

Doogie laying on the ground, neighbor crying in background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN9t1rv4pj4

Doogie after vet at Grimes house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wxGP1N7QQ

Officer Flag: Cell 814.201.0149
Freedom Township Police Headquarters: 814.695.8545
Pennsylvania Humane Society: 814.942.5402
Humane Officer Paul Gotshall: 814.942.3780

Altoona Mirror: 800.287.4480; pbanko@altoonamirror.com;
news@altoonamirror.com
WTAJ-TV10: 814.944.1414
WJAC-TV 6: 814.255.7600

All national media! Make sure to send them links to the video, it's
very compelling. My best friend, Tracy, has the video and hi-resolution
copies of the images for print. She can be reached at
tracy@daftgeneration.com

Don't stop until there is Justice for Doogie and ME! I'm just not
tolerating this kind of treatment, for either of us. No one should.

Tammy

rabbitat!!!

2006-08-30T21:01:00.000-05:00

sorry for the lack of updates...between the lost dog
(still not found :( see blog in last post) & building the rabbitat, summer has disappeared.

the rabbitat is for a group of feral domestic buns we're adopting from best friends great bunny rescue. normally i keep my bunnies indoors, but these little feral guys wouldn't be happy inside with people. so we've tried to build them a rabbitat that will make them as safe as possible, while still allowing them to be wild animals.

we still have some fine tuning to do....planting some raspberry bushes we've found via freecycle, putting in some good bunny hiding spots (using the rubbermaid containers i used to transport all my shoes when we moved!) & putting down the rest of the rock (6.27 tons, bay-bee!!) but it's structurally sound & ready for bunnies! i'm so excited. i know i won't sleep at all after they get here. anyway, here are the pics:

using my quite substantial husband for scale.

ditto.

side view.
back view. rock like this will be all around the perimeter, outside & in, to prevent predators getting in & bunnies getting out.

bunny view.

another bunny view.

what every girl needs. a picture of herself on a tractor. :)

Lost Dog Blog

2006-07-12T14:44:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, July 1st, a dog I was helping to transport from a kill shelter in Indiana to a rescue in New York slipped her collar at the Pilot station at the Rt.45 exit off I-90 in Austinburg, OH (near Ashtabula) and was lost. A group of us have been searching for her ever since and are getting desperate. Josie was spayed just prior to the transport and still has thread stitches in. Aside from the obvious dangers of getting hit by a car, etc., she is in a very real danger of succumbing to an infection if we don't find her and get her veterinary care soon.

I have created a blog where anyone who sights Josie can report their sightings, and where anyone who is interested can track her progress.

Please share this with anyone you know in the NE Ohio or NW Pennsylvania area:

http://wheresjosie.blogspot.com/

Also, if any of you have contacts at any media outlets, we are desperate to get as much attention as possible drawn to this little girl! She is very scared and shy and doesn't actually know any of us...she doesn't realize that we are trying to help her. Our best hope lies in getting the public interested. A reward has been offered for her safe capture.

We'd also love more volunteers to help look for Josie!

thank you so much for caring, and for spreading the word!

Ralph Lauren has given up fur!

2006-06-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

just a quick note to Ralph Lauren via their comment form thanking them for giving up fur in their collections:

I'm so glad to hear you've decided to give up fur in your collections. Fur equals cruelty, not luxury, and you're setting a great example. Thanks for choosing compassion!

bush beans giving away 'deluxe pet home'

2006-06-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

well, crud. i wrote a nice letter to bush beans urging them not to give away a doghouse as a prize in their all-star pets contest, & i lost it (fortunately after i sent it, at least...it was via one of those comment forms, & i saved a copy, but my computer crashed, lalalalala)

anyways, here is the link to bush beans contest. sounds sweet overall, but the doghouse ('deluxe pet home') just sends the wrong message. not that every doghouse owner neglects their dog, but there certainly does seem to be a correlation.

i also suggested they sponsor the dogs deserve better chain off campaign.

Jackson County, MI sells animals to research & has a really really really annoying comment form

2006-05-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

How annoying. I tried to contact the Jackson County, MI department of animal control to urge them to stop selling animals to research, but apparently they have some freakishly short character limit on their contact form, so no matter how much I cropped my orginally relatively articulate message, I couldn't make it fit. And they don't even tell you that's why you're getting an error, I only know b/c I heard it from someone else. Eventually I gave up and posted this (which I reproduce here strictly for amusement, not edification):

Ugh. *Please* stop selling animals to research, and *please*, if you are going to have a character limit for this form, *post* it.

*sigh*

Opposing S. 2395, which obliges the USPS to treat baby birds as common cargo

2006-05-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

Been away for a bit, moving to the farm we've always wanted (yay!). Now we can start doing rescue for real. Back to the letter writing, as well...this one is to my local reps & senators asking them to oppose a bill that essentially *forces* postal workers to abuse baby birds. ick.

Dear Senator,
Please oppose S. 2395. Sentient beings should not be treated as cargo, subjected to temperatures up to 100 degrees, with no food or water, while trapped in a confined space with other animals that have already died. This is barbaric.

Bird Shippers of America, an industry group representing the bird shipping industry, admits that more birds arrived in the mail dead than alive in 2005.

The United States Postal Service has made positive steps in protecting the safety of baby birds sent in the mail, and should be allowed to continue to move in this direction. Please uphold the right of the USPS to put forth its own policies on safe transport of live animals. Please do not force postal employees to act in ways that violate their consciences. Most importantly, please do the right thing for the animals. Oppose S. 2395.

email to mayor of Ft. Wayne Indiana to pardon Pekignese dog who bit in self-defense

2006-03-01T15:42:00.000-05:00

There's a poor little dog on death row in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, scheduled to be executed tomorrow, March 2, 2006. He was hiding under a car, terrified, and bit a kid who reached under the car to pet him. It it is the policy of the jurisdiction to destroy all dogs that bite, but clearly this is an exceptional situation. I sent the following email to:

Mayor Graham Richard 260 -427-1111
Email: mayor@ci.ft-wayne.in.us (@ci.ft-wayne.in.us),
and copy to Belinda Lewis at Ft.Wayne Animal Care and Control.
260 -427-1244; Email: belinda.lewis@ci.ft-wayne.in.us
(@ci.ft-wayne.in.us), and Public Information office John Perlich
john.perlich@ci.ft-wayne.in.us (@ci.ft-wayne.in.us); 260 -427-6957

Dear Mayor Richard,

Imagine yourself frightened and alone, trapped under a car whose wheels alone are many times your size. Imagine yourself defenseless except for a mouth full or sharp little teeth. Imagine a huge creature you did not recognize reaching for you with questionable intentions. Wouldn't you be likely to bite that creature, despite the fact that I'm sure biting is not ordinarily in your nature? I know I would!

In your local pound you have a small dog who bit a child under just such circumstances. He is a male Pekingese, id# A139746. There is a rescue group in Minnesota willing to take responsibility for the dog, and a local rescue willing to pull the dog & get him to Minnesota.

I know it is the policy of your jurisdiction to destroy all animals that bite, but it would have been the rare dog who did not bite under these circumstances. The child should have left the dog alone. The dog should not have to be killed due to the child's poor judgement, and the poor judgement of whomever was watching the child.

Please, pardon this poor dog. He will be going to a responsible rescue, which will take full legal responsibility for him. And you will be able to sleep well knowing you saved the life of an innocent dog.

Thank you,

letter to Great Lakes Brewing Company urging them not to serve bunnies as food

2006-02-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

I just heard about this yesterday at the Ohio House Rabbit Society web page. Great Lakes Brewing Company (a local Cleveland restaurant, but their award-winning beer is sold all over) has been serving rabbit dishes at special events. And why wouldn't they....nothing says 'celebration' like skinning & devouring a bunny rabbit, right? Oh, it makes me sick. Anyway, here's the letter.

February 23, 2006

Kami Dolney
Marketing Coordinator
Great Lakes Brewing Company
2516 Market Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

RE: Rabbits being served as food at special events

Dear Ms. Dolney:

I have recently been made aware of the fact that your restaurant is serving rabbit at special events. Please know that rabbits are the third most popular family pet after dogs and cats, and that many people will be outraged to hear of rabbits being served as food.

For my part, although I have been a loyal customer for years, I will no longer be dining in your restaurant or purchasing your beer while this regrettable policy continues. I will also be spreading the word to as many people as I can, urging them to boycott as well.

I've always respected Great Lakes for having a decent number or vegetarian and vegan items available, but to say that serving rabbits as food negates those efforts is a huge understatement. Rabbits are playful, inquisitive, and affectionate family pets. They can even be litter box trained. To encourage people to consume the flesh of these adorable creatures is morally equivalent to encouraging them to eat a cat or dog. Please consider banning rabbit dishes from your menu.

Sincerely,

letter to ohio senators urging co-sponsorship of the Pet Safety and Protection Act (S.451)

2006-02-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

note: if you haven't seen the HBO documentary mentioned below, please do! it's on several more times. info at http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/dealingdogs/index.html

i sent this to both ohio senators, George V. Voinovich & Mike DeWine (of course i changed the name for dewine's....)

February 22, 2006

Senator George V. Voinovich
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

RE: Co-sponsorship of the Pet Safety and Protection Act (S.451)

Dear Senator Voinovich:

I would like to urge you to co-sponsor the Pet Safety and Protection Act (S. 451), which was introduced to Congress by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) on February 17th, 2005. This bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all animals used by research facilities are obtained legally. It would also strengthen the Animal Welfare Act by prohibiting the use of Class B dealers as suppliers of dogs and cats to research facilities. This bill would end the fraudulent practices of Class B dealers, and the unnecessary suffering of animals in their care.

Class B dealers routinely violate the Animal Welfare Act by acquiring animals from fraudulent sources and abusing and neglecting them. These animals are often stolen pets, strays or animals obtained under false pretenses from “free to good home” ads. It is virtually impossible to know the true history of an animal acquired by a Class B dealer. Each time a Class B dealer sells an animal to a research lab, a strong possibility exists that it is a lost or stolen family pet.

C.C. Baird, one of the largest Class B dealers in the U.S., was charged with hundreds of violations of the Animal Welfare Act by the USDA/APHIS after undercover surveillance by Last Chance for Animals revealed overwhelming amounts of animal abuse, neglect and unsanitary conditions at Baird’s facility, Martin Creek Kennels in Williford, Arkansas. I recently had the opportunity to view the documentary "Dealing Dogs" which chronicled the abuses at Martin Creek Kennels. The footage was some of the most disturbing I've seen. If you've not seen the documentary, please take a moment to view a clip from it at http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/dealingdogs/index.html. I believe it will help you to see why something has to be done to stop these atrocities.

Unfortunately, the conditions at Baird’s Martin Creek Kennels are not uncommon among Class B dealers. Baird is now permanently out of business, but there are still 15 more Class B dealers supplying random source animals to research facilities.

Senator Akaka’s bill would facilitate and improve the Animal Welfare Act and give the USDA the ability to prevent further atrocities like those committed by C.C. Baird. It is in the public interest that Class B dealers not be allowed to sell animals to research facilities. This will help ensure the safety of America’s pets.

Please co-sponsor the Pet Safety and Protection Act and encourage the Chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee to hold hearings on the bill as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration of this most important issue.

Sincerely,

okay, so i basically copied it from the Last Chance for Animals template....i'm new at this!

The How

2006-02-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

In the three weeks since I started this blog, I've accomplished very little, animal wise. It can be hard to get started. I can't rescue any more animals until we sell our house (and make "SeNoRa" a real place, rather than just virtual). I've sent a number of apps into volunteer places, but apparently these things take longer than I anticipated to get started (either that or they hate me. they probably hate me.) I offered my services as a letter writer to PETA et. al, but...nothing. I know they're busy.

Anyway, it occurred to me that I am a silly girl and I can start my own darn letting writing campaign, so that's what I'm gonna do. I'll post the letters I send here for all to see, and may even update with responses received if they're good. I'll post other stuff too, but putting the letters up here will keep me accountable, and hopefully inspire a person or two to write letters of their own about things they feel strongly about. Sure, each of our voices is tiny (perhaps even tinny) but enough of us together can be pretty damn annoying!

The Why

2006-02-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

I work on an alpaca farm a few hours a week. Alpacas tend to fear people, b/c people tend to kill alpacas. So it was a big deal to me one day when I noticed the 'pacas didn't get up from their comfy kushed position as I walked amongst them scooping poop & filling water buckets. For whatever reason, it was a really big deal. Maybe I was hungover. But it occurred to me then that the trust of these animals was about the hugest compliment I'd received. I began to ask myself if I'd earned it. Sure, I loved animals and took good care of the ones in my teensy part of the world. I'd stopped eating animal flesh a while back. But I was still drinking milk, still eating eggs, still wearing leather boots (and coveting more of them). And what had I ever done to help an animal that wasn't cute & fluffy & in my face? Nothing.

I spent the next couple months reading like crazy on the internet, every animal rights, animal rescue, animal anything I could find. I read & read & cried & cried. I felt like an ass. Finally I decided to do something. This blog is one step in my plan. It's not about me. I'm really dull. It's about showing plain old ignorant idiots like myself how they can help, in large ways & small ways. The more I try to live a compassionate life, the more I realize how easy it is to get tripped up or stalled out.

So the piece of advice I will start with...if you're having a hard time committing to veganism, try spending more time with animals. Especially prey animals, animals that are more often than not exploited by greedy, selfish humans. Get a bunny. (And for the love of god get it from the pound and keep it indoors.) Volunteer at the local humane society. Drive out to the country & look a cow in the eye. It's so easy to separate ourselves from the animals we consume. Make it harder.