Just a reminder...

As the New Year approaches, there are already fireworks going all around my neighborhood. My dogs, specially my black lab Joey, gets super scared. It breaks my heart to see him so frantic. I wish that fireworks would be suspended all together. But I know this is unrealistic, so instead I'm going to share a few tips that I follow with my pets scared of fireworks. 

First, I always make sure that my pets all pets are wearing well-fitted collars have and ID tags, some way that serves to ID them, because these loud noises can frighten dogs so much that they run off. 

I always bring my dogs inside on days that I know there'll be fireworks, like New Years or Fourth of July. I put them in their crates with a comfortable mattress and their favorite toys. 

Joey loves music, so I put some music on for them and shut the windows to drown out the noises outside. I dim the lights a bit or put a blanket over their crate (not completely covering it so they can still see their surroundings). I make sure they're in a comfortable environment.

Lastly, I don't reinforce their fear. Instead of making these fireworks noises feel like a big scary deal, I don't make a big fuss about it or coddle them. Instead I play with them like it's a regular day and keep them distracted. Animals, like dogs, can feel our emotions and will imitate them; if one is anxious our dog can also get anxious. So it's important for us to stay in control and calm. 

Only losers let Winners die

Humans are supposed to be intelligent species, but the longer I live, the more convinced I am that we can be quite the opposite. How is it not common sense that polar bears live in the cold?!!

Winner, a 14 year old polar bear housed in the Buenos Aires City Zoo has died. The reason? It’s hot!

Argentina, where it is now summer, has an average December to January temperature of 77-88 degrees Fahrenheit (but it can increase to as high as 113 degrees); since a polar bear “can overheat inprolonged exposure to temperatures above 50 degrees (Fahrenheit),” how is this not a factor that these supposed animal “experts” took into account when housing a polar bear in their zoo?

A press realease from the zoo apeared in The Buenos Aires Herald stating the following:

“With deep sadness we announce that early yesterday morning our polar bear died.

"He was beloved by the entire staff of the Buenos Aires City zoo.

"The cause of death following a necropsy was established as hyperthemia, which is influenced by the environment and by the bear’s own temperament.

"Unfortunately, as a consequence of the unusually high temperatures, along with fireworks from December 24th and the bear’s nervious temperament caused the bear’s death.”

Winner, who died on December 25th, isn't the only polar bear in captivity. His death reminds us that animals shouldn't be taken from their habitat. God made them free and part of our creation. It's not natural for them to be kept in small cages, rooms or contained. It is incredibly sad to see these losses that can so easily be prevented by letting the animals be. Animals are not meant for our entertainment. That's why my money will never go to a zoo, a circus or any other organization that exploits animals in such a way and I urge you, reader, to do the same...

 

 

Photo Courtesy of the Buenos Aires Herald

Easy Steps To Help

The reason that I started this blog was, obviously because I care about animals and our planet/nature, but also because I want to spread awareness to the regular Joes: Often times I have heard people tell me that they love animals and nature, but feel like it’s an uphill battle, like no matter what one does, animal cruelty and mistreatment of nature will never be ceased. Others tell me that they simply do not have the time or energy (after full time jobs, college classes, or raising a family) to be as involved as they would like to be.

            To be an activist, one doesn’t need to put in 40 hours a week or go around throwing red paint to celebrities dressed in fur coats (if that’s what you do, more power to you!), it only takes simple acts, that when added up make a big difference.

            There are many tips that I can give those who want to help in simple steps; for example, when adding a pet to the family, adopt from the local shelter as opposed to buying from a pet shop or breeders. This is a way to combat the overpopulation of strays in the country.

            If you are part of a local organization, like church or volunteer groups, take one day a month to raise funds for your local animal shelter. Some ways of doing this could be through selling raffle tickets, having bake sales, or car washes. Parents can even make this a family project and foster love of animals in their kids at a young age.

            Shelters often run low on supplies, so donating your old towels, blankets and sheets for the animals is useful. Here is an example of Miami-Dade’s Animal Services wish list. Search online or call your local shelter for their suggestions.

            Donating to local shelters and organizations like ASPCA, PETA, the Humane Society and others that fight animal cruelty is an important way of combating animal abuse and takes less than five minutes.

            Lastly, sometimes the best way to help is to simply not get involved. This might seem contradictory, but if you cannot take care of an animal or are not willing to keep them for the long run (that means, past the adorable puppy and kitty stages), do NOT get one. Before getting an animal check whether you can pay for his dietary, medical and living expenses.

Animals are our friends

As a child I always heard the statement that "animals are our friends." Perhaps this was why I always believed that they should be treated with love and care, since that's the way that I treat my friends and hope that my friends treat me. This is a particularly important creed that reemerged in my head after watching an episode of Animal Cops Miami on Animal Planet. While a humane law enforcement agent was rescuing a dog which had been abandoned, tied to a trailer and without any food or water, she noticed that some neighborhood children were watching her work. It was at that moment that she took the opportunity to speak to the children against animal abuse. The children seemed receptive to the agent's advice. It was then that I thought of my childhood, surrounded by my grandparents' many goats, chickens, cats, rabbits, dogs and birds. My education of being "good" to animals started very early in life and it was something that always stuck with me.  Education is vital, not just in the scholarly sense, but also in the social sense. I think that there would be less animal abuse/negligence if the concepts of animal being our friends and animals being living creatures, who feel as we do, were instilled from very early in life. 

Help end the brutal "sport" of bear baiting.

"At the center of the large arena a black bear is standing, shaking in fear.

Although she knows what is about to happen she can do nothing to stop it - a rope attached to a metal ring in her nose is tied to a post in the ground, holding her in place. All she can do is wait and watch as the crowd around her cheers in anticipation.

Suddenly, two dogs are released into the arena - bred and trained to attack, the dogs lunge at the bear, sinking their sharp teeth into her sensitive muzzle and ears. The bear tries desperately to defend herself but her teeth and claws have been removed and all she can do is tuck her head behind her paws and lash out blindly. The attack goes on for several minutes until finally the bear is brought to the ground and the dogs are declared the winners...

This is the cruel and illegal bloodsport of “bear baiting” in Pakistan. At these horrific events, crowds gather and pay to watch as defenseless bears are attacked by specially-trained dogs. Shockingly, bears endure this savage contest up to 10 times at one event.

WSPA believes that there is no excuse for this cruelty, and we are working to end bear baiting once and for all."

Taken from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) website.

Causes such as these should be supported by everyone. If you cannot help financially or volunteering your time, I urge you to please spread the work about this vicious blood sport. The more people who know, the more action that can be taken.

Two things that I found:

Awareness and spreading conscience are vital for me. So I found the following two articles and thought they belonged here, since the more they are seen, the easier it is to spread the word about these atrocities. The first article here (in Spanish), is about a horse that was found bleeding to death. After a man contacted police authorities in Puerto Rico (Ponce and Mayagüez) regarding the animal, he was told that they'd have to wait until the animal was dead in order to remove him and bury him. The horse was left in agony. The animal welfare laws there state that upon advising the nearest police headquarters, these are supposed to alert a veterinary in that region to euthanize the animal. In the end, an animal sanctuary (Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asís) took the responsablity of finding a vet t0 euthanize the horse, after hours of suffering.

This article, I found through my uncle's Facebook page. It took place in Colombia (2009), where Misael Ruíz Quintero, a member of the Puerto Tejada (Cauca) police force hit a dog's head with a shovel. The official holding the camera instructs another officer to take a shovel and hit the dog in the head. After the officer (Valdéz) refuses to, Ruíz Quintero takes the shovel, hits the dog on the head and laughs while the dog is in pain. The officer has been removed from his position and is currently under investigation.

I've been expanding my horizons and looking into different animals...

I found these baby pictures incredibly adorable:
a baby meerkat and a baby loris

Animal talk

Between traveling to and fro a lot this summer, I have been neglecting this a lot, which is something I do NOT want to do. I really do love this. And most importantly, I love animals. There's nothing more beautiful or pure than an animal... So I was thinking, if animals could speak, what would they say?

It's good to be back...

I was in Chicago for most of May, disconnected from the internet and everything. And while it's good to be back, I am extremely saddened by the disaster at the Golf. It broke my heart to see all types of animals struggling to free themselves from the oil wrapping their bodies, or even worse-DEAD.
It's hard to imagine that a multi-million dollar company as BP has not received various solutions to end this tragedy (maybe if it was in their coasts, it'd be a different story). Perhaps, they don't want to stop this, or perhaps it is too costly, but as frustration builds and BP refuses to step into action, there are animals being affected by this ongoing oil spill. Once again, it is the most innocent, who are suffering the most..


An exhausted oil-covered brown pelican sits in a pool of oil along Queen Bess Island Pelican Rookery, 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana June 5, 2010. Wildlife experts are working to rescue birds from the rookery which has been affected by BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and transporting them to the Fort Jackson Rehabilitation Center. (REUTERS photo/Sean Gardner)


A dead turtle floats on a pool of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana Monday, June, 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Not a post, just a thought...

There's nothing cuter than a baby animal.

On animal overpopulation...

Spaying or neutering plays an important part in controlling animal overpopulation. As a consequence there will be less euthanization of animals. In a practical sense, this will also cost the taxpayers less money. It costs money to capture, impound and later put these animals to sleep; this costs billions of dollars each year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
As an animal lover, spaying/neutering animals shows responsibility in the owner’s part. Why run the risk of having an animal in heat roam the streets and getting hit by a car or having an accident, or contracting diseases?
Spaying or neutering also reduces the risk of certain types of cancers in some animals, the number of unwanted offspring, eliminates heat cycles for females and aggressive behavior in males. According to Spay USA (a great source for spay/neuter info), dogs and cats live longer lives after the procedure, which in the end is what any loving owner wants!

I think this about sums it up:

Michael Jackson had the concept with his "Earth Song."

Animals do rock indeed!

I just wanted to mention that people can learn a lot from animals; animals don't judge, they love unconditionally, only kill/harm to eat or as defense, and as ironic as it is, some show the traits of "humanity" better than actual human beings. All this knowledge from watching such a small little dog...

Things that anger me:

So there I was walking out of a restaurant in my hometown, Hialeah, and I see some old man throwing his booger filled napkins on the floor. To his right was a huge trash can. How difficult is it to walk three steps over and put it there. It might seem insignificant, but it still annoys me. These are the same people who I see driving down 49th Street throwing trash into the street from their cars, leaving huge piles of garbage bags in the Walmart parking lot and then speeding away. Is the term "reuse, recycle" not available in Hialeah? It really annoys me, because I'm not asking people to complete a triathalon. If people don't take care of their streets, their cities, much less will they take care of nature, of the world. Directly or indirectly, this is something that affects us all, people and animals and of course, our Mother Nature.

Common sense for the senseless...

It pisses me off when people are negligent with their animals. There is no reason to ever get to that point. I cry of frustration, because I don’t know how people cannot understand something so simple: if you cannot care for an animal do NOT get one! The animal isn’t forcing you to get him, he can’t even talk! And if you make the mistake of getting one and not being able to provide for him, be mature enough to remedy the error, by finding him a shelter. Do not leave him on his own to suffer and starve, or with an embedded collar, without medical treatment, or proper hygiene and shelter. It is so easy to make a call to one’s local animal shelter or places with information regarding shelters or providing aid like the ASPCA and the Humane Society.

If you are thinking of getting an animal there are a few things to keep in mind:
Make sure you can provide love, attention and time
Puppies, kittens and every other baby animal out there are adorable. Do not get them just because they are cute, because they will grow. Make sure that you will still want them, love them and care for them after they outgrow their cute baby stage.
While an animal is not a human being, it is a living being and so should be treated as one. This means that it should be treated as part of the family, so one is getting a new family member.
Just like one would when adding a new member to any family, expect to spend more money. The animal will need proper nutrition, a shelter, grooming and cleaning. It is also vital for the animal to obtain good medical care and see a veterinary for routine check ups, vaccines and medicines.
But most of all, keep in mind that it is negligent to not care for an animal properly. So if he/she will be mistreated do not get them. The animal is not asking you to, it is your choice.

Toughen Up!

I was watching an Animal Cops and have noticed a tendency for negligent owners to get extremely light “punishments” for mistreating their animals. Usually it will be a monetary fine and in the most extreme cases of abuse a few days of jail time (months at the most). How is this supposed to diminish animal cruelty?
As a young professional with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, I know that the purpose of punishment is to deter the offender from repeating the crime. When a punishment is equal in severity to the crime committed, there are less chances that the offender will repeat the crime. But when the punishment is overly lenient, the offender is more likely to repeat the crime. So I ask myself, if the purpose is to punish the negligent animal owners and prevent them from repeating abusive behavior against animals, why are their punishments generally so lenient?

Music to my ears...

I love Sarah Brightman's song Johnny Wanna Live, because it speaks for all animals. I thoroughly believe that we have to defend those who can't speak. So go check out the lyrics here.

My very own Hannah and Joey

My money will go to Hershey's...

Got a sweet tooth? Please check out this important information about deadly animal tests funded by chocolate-maker Mars - creator of M&M's and Snickers. Please click here to read the article and don't forget to spread the word...

Top 10 Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty

I was on the ASPCA website (which happens to be one of my FAVORITE websites ever!) and came across the Top 10 Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty. I thought it had to be posted on here. It's pretty simple information that, I think, everyone should know/be aware of.

I was more than happy to see #3, because it gives instructions on how to report animal cruelty from any part of the country.

Hear ye consumers!

As consumers, there are ways in which we can show compassion and ensure that we are purchasing cruelty-free items. Perhaps it involves paying more for items, but it’s worth it.
· If one is a meat eater, purchasing cruelty-free meat, guarantees that this meat comes from animals that are free range or grass fed and killed in a humane way. These animals are not forced fed or given steroids.


· When buying eggs, it is important to get eggs that come from cage less hens. These free-range hens are not confined to a small cage, without being able to stretch out their limbs, stand up straight or even turn around.

Photo courtesy of aact.org
· Purchasing food that’s USDA organic is an aid to Mother Nature, without harmful pesticides and naturally grown.
· It is important to purchase shampoos, cleaners, cosmetics, hairsprays, and personal care items that are not animal tested.
Not only is it important to purchase these cruelty-free items, but also spread the word about them. We must hold the ones who state that these products are cruelty-free accountable and make sure that they truly are cruelty-free, by uniting and pressuring our politicians to pass laws such as California’s Proposition 2.