Friendly Beasts, Day 26: K-9 LifeSavers

(Eep playing a bit of catch up again.  Here we go!)

http://www.k-9lifesavers.org/

This is the place for dogs who might not otherwise receive a second chance.  Rescued from high-kill rate shelters and other risky situations, the dogs at K-9 LifeSavers are cared for by a team made up of volunteers, foster families, trainers, kennels and professional health care providers while the dogs are screened for personality and behavior information, and then carefully matched into forever homes.

The territory covered by K-9 spans multiple states where shelter "holds" are only a few days.  Once the dogs are rescued and screened, they are adopted out through events held throughout the greater DC Metro area.  Because they rotate locations, this enables the group to outreach in multiple places at a time, introducing their precious canines to a wider audience and, hopefully, better matches.

What they won't do is rush the adoption process; people interested in taking one of their dogs home need to be patient with the process.  Adoption counselors interview the family, make sure landlords and the environment will accept the dog, and may even conduct home visits to ensure the dog's new home is the right place for him.  Every effort is made to ensure that K-9 LifeSavers is a once-in-a-lifetime stop, and not a revolving door.  Their success at this is reflected in the "Happy Tails" section of the Web site, where grateful puppy parents have provided updates on their new additions.

People in the greater DC Metro area who are looking to adopt a dog can view the available pooches at their Web site listed above, lovable dogs who are waiting, like sweet Jill pictured above.  Anyone else interested in supporting them can check them out on Twitter (@k_9lifesavers) and on Facebook under "K-9 LifeSavers" (where you can also view available dogs.  Huzzah!)

Friendly Beasts, Day 25: Meow Foundation

http://www.meowfoundation.com

Founded in 2000, MEOW Foundation has a no-kill mandate, believing that, with time, all of the stray/abandoned cats that find their way into the Foundation's care can and will be matched with a permanent home that best suits the needs of the individual cat.  This takes both patience and perseverance, which their volunteers and staff have in spades.

In addition to their adoption listings (provided in a "cat"alog, of course!), their Web site offers helpful links regarding bringing a new kitty home, how to care for feral colonies in the community, and resources for TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs.  And if you need some uplifting stories, check out their DEAR MEOW section featuring the follow-up notes from some of their previous residents; they help demonstrate how every permanent place is a win in the fight against homeless and abandoned pets.

Canadian residents interested in volunteering or visiting one of their events should check out their calendar.  If you aren't lucky enough to live nearby, you can still sponsor an animal-in-waiting and help to care for them until they find a forever placement.  Whatever help you can offer provides new opportunity for kitties like Tiberius, pictured above and waiting patiently for his match.  Visit their Web site, mentioned above, or check them out on Facebook at "The MEOW Foundation".

Friendly Beasts, Day 24: Best Friends Animal Society

After a couple days off for the holidays, we're back in the blog-saddle...

http://www.bestfriends.org/

Working to eliminate the term "homeless" when referring to our feathered and furry companions, the Best Friends Animal Society follows a very simple yet effective philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world.  Since its inception in the 1980s, the number of animals killed in shelters has dropped from 17 million to somewhere around 5 million.  Still too many to be sure, but the decrease has been due, in part, to the BFAS's work in championing spay/neuter programs, and grassroots efforts to place animals previously considered unadoptable.

Through rescue and outreach, along with networking with local groups, BFAS is now hoping to impact some of the greatest populations that inhabit the shelters: the bedraggled cats and kittens from feral colonies who may not be in the best physical or mental condition when on display in the shelter's adoption zones, the pit bulls abandoned and passed over because of their aggressive reputations, and the castoffs from puppy mills who are dropped off when their owners are unprepared for the level of care needed.  These are where some of the greatest floods of unwanted animals are coming, and BFAS hopes that through networking and education, these numbers, too, will begin to drop.

They are also among the first to arrive during disaster and rescue recovery efforts, from natural elements like Hurricane Katrina to the heartbreaking devastation humans inflict when they selfishly hoard animals like baseball cards.  And for those animals who may have no other options...too ill or traumatized from past experiences...BFAS offers an animal sanctuary.  Most of the animals that come stay just briefly for care before they are ready to be adopted into loving homes.  For some, though, it will be their last stop and will be a safe and loving one for the remainder of their days.

To help the Best Friends Animal Society, please visit their Web site above, or on Facebook at "Best Friends Animal Society".  Pictured above, Louie and Cheech ask you, "What better way to spend holiday-time than with your best friends?"

Friendly Beasts, Day 23: Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue

http://www.ibokrescue.org/

Another nominee from a friend who has adopted some of her own furr-faces from this organization, Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty is located in San Jose, California, and is primarily dedicated to the rescue of orphaned, pre-weaned kittens.  Because this group is at higher risk for euthanasia from overcrowded shelters due to their more intense care, IBOK seeks out pre-weaned kittens from local shelters and feral colonies, bottle-feeds them, and then takes care of finding them new, permanent homes.

Also, because of their involvement with the feral cat colonies, they partner with other local groups to help with TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs that will, hopefully, eventually, reduce the need to rescue these kittens at all.

In addition to foster and adoption programs, and fun fundraisers like their annual Santa Paws photoshoots which help raise money for their ongoing maintenance, IBOK also serves as a resource for the community in the event someone should find themselves with an orphaned kitten (or four) and aren't sure what to do.  They are a treasure-trove for kitty-lovers everywhere.

Visit the gallery on their Web site to ooh and ahh over the cuteness, and check them out on Facebook (search for "IBOK Rescue").  Thanks, Michelle, for telling me about IBOK!

Friendly Beasts, Day 22: Animal Welfare Institute

http://www.awionline.org/

Since 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute has worked toward decreasing the overall total of cruelty inflicted on animals by people using them to further their own aims.  From the overcrowded, filthy, and painful conditions of factory farming to the vicious and unnecessary jaw-traps used in the fur trade, representatives from AWI regularly attend trade meetings and regulatory summits surrounding these and other issues to ensure that objections are voiced concerning these matters.

In addition to fighting for laws, regulations, and industry policies that impact these animals directly, AWI works on efforts to minimize the impact of human actions that are indirectly affecting animals and their habits, such as sonar testing that injures and disrupts ocean life in its path and pollution that is damaging the world's forests and the habitats these animals require to survive.

The Web site listed above provides information regarding legislative and advocacy programs AWI is currently involved with, along with information regarding how those interested can help.  But they also provide valuable information for those wanting to help animals closer to home, such as how and where to adopt pets, and what to consider when making a choice of where to adopt.

People interested in all aspects of animal care and welfare should consider a visit to their Web site, join their Facebook page under "Animal Welfare Institute", or follow them on Twitter (@AWIOnline) for helpful tips and links to articles about current animal events.

Friendly Beasts, Day 21: Furry Friends Rescue

http://www.furryfriendsrescue.org/

As an all-volunteer non-profit companion animal rescue organization, Furry Friends Rescue faces especially challenging hurdles because they work within such a heavily populated area.  Focused on dogs and cats that are scheduled for euthanasia in the shelters of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, these champions provide medical care, including spay/neuter surgery, and fostering until the animal is in a behavioral place where they are adoptable.  Because many of these animals come from violent or neglected backgrounds, they may have aggressive or fearful personalities, and because so many shelters are inundated with pets that people surrender, these animals are often overlooked in favor of the more friendly, personable animals by adopters who may not have the patience to work with them.

Essentially, in a nutshell, what they give these animals is time, time that the shelters may not want to or have available to give.  Since 1998, this has translated into new forever homes for approximately 1,000 animals--every year.

One of their biggest reasons for success has come from a skill that Bay Area residents excel at: networking!  In addition to their own volunteers that foster and care for the animals, FFR works with other shelters, rescue organizations, private medical centers, trainers, sponsoring companies...essentially anyone with a love for these animals and a desire to see the region become, eventually, a euthanasia-as-mercy-only place to live.

Bay Area residents interested in joining the network can connect with them on Twitter (@FurryFriends) or on Facebook ("Furry Friends Rescue").  If you live outside the SF Bay Area but would like to help this very worthwhile organization as they strive to build a multi-acre animal sanctuary, please visit their Web site, noted above.  There are animals, like the lovely Lady pictured above, who could really use your helping paws.

Friendly Beasts, Day 20: Paws and Stripes

http://www.pawsandstripes.org/

Providing second chances to service veterans and shelter dogs, Paws and Stripes is a non-profit organization that assists wounded veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or traumatic brain injury by adopting and training shelter dogs to become service dogs.  The dogs and training are provided at no cost to the veteran, and the organization only uses shelter dogs, providing not one but two rescues with every match they make.

At this time, because most insurance companies do not cover the costs associated with obtaining, training, and caring for service dogs for this purpose, there is a considerable gap in the care to cover the needs of our returning veterans.  As the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan gradually come to a close and more troops return home, this need is growing significantly.  Paws and Stripes, through the generous donations of its supporters, seeks to close this gap.

What makes the program especially unique is that, unlike many service dog programs and providers (all worthy and valuable in their own right), the dogs are not pre-selected from those trained and bred specifically for that purpose.  For this program, the veteran is actively involved with finding and choosing a dog that they like best through local shelters or dog foster programs, thus giving the shelter dog a new lease (leash?) on life.  That dog is then trained, with the veteran, by professional dog trainers who can adjust the training to the dog's personality, the veteran's personality, and the individualized needs of that veteran.  It's a custom-made match, every time.  The dogs are not pets when they graduate from the program (though they are certainly a part of the family).  Each dog is an acknowledged working service dog and is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, like Miss Dallas pictured above, from their Facebook gallery of active service dogs.

For more information regarding how to help this amazing effort, please visit the Web site listed above, or find them on Facebook under "Paws and Stripes" when you search.  Helping our veterans live in peace after what they've been through is one of the best gifts and thank yous we can give.

Friendly Beasts, Day 19: Dachshund Rescue of North America

http://drna.org/

When I was planning this blog project, I asked some friends to send me the names of animal groups they enjoy supporting, and one sent me the link for Dachshund Rescue of North America.  I'm very happy to include this group on behalf of my friend, Trish.

Once working as independent rescue workers and smaller groups, the members of DRNA started pooling their resources and networking throughout the US and Canada to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home dachshunds and dachshund-primary mixed dogs.  In addition to basic food and medical care, these rescued dogs receive vaccinations, tests for more severe or chronic illnesses and other veterinarian and behavior assessment care so that the adopter comes into the adoption knowing what to expect from their new family member.

In addition to featuring available dogs and adoption information on their Web site, they also provide information regarding donation and fundraising ideas, event information, even a memorial for those that would like to share a moment with fellow doxie-fans who have lost their beloved pup.

As someone who had a "cousin" doxie for a while (which my aunt named Jenny and swears to this day she wasn't even thinking about that being my name at the time the dog was adopted), I appreciate Trish bringing this organization to my attention, and invite anyone interested in helping these "hot dogs with legs" to visit their Web site (noted above), or find them on Twitter (@DRNAdoxierescue) and Facebook ("Dachshund Rescue of North America (DRNA)")

Friendly Beasts Day 18: Marine Conservation Society

http://www.mcsuk.org/

Working to preserve the sea, shore, and wildlife of both, the Marine Conservation Society of the United Kingdom focuses on, among other things, cleanup of trash along the shorelines and reducing overfishing which is devastating the fish populations offshore.

One of their primary tools for these purposes is education of both the general public and through programs provided in elementary schools in the UK and abroad.  Their Web site offers information regarding purchasing sustainable seafood, where to find the cleanest and safest beaches, and tips regarding how to reduce one's own litter footprint when it comes to protecting the shorelines.

Through involvement with lobbying for protections for their marine life and sanctions against those that violate them, UK Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 were finally passed.  The best and most powerful tool for the MCS in terms of lobbying has been the display of public support, the outpouring of volunteers at both the cleanup events MCS organizes, as well as the petition signing and other lobbying the public has done on their behalf.  This has demonstrated to local lawmakers and the government that protection of the sea and its surrounding areas is important to the people who have placed them in the position to enact the protections they want.

More advocates are always needed...it's a large space with many complicated issues and more people are needed to help further the cause.  Find out more about how you can help by visiting their Web site, or check them out on Facebook at "Marine Conservation Society".  They are also on Twitter as @MCSUK.

Friendly Beasts, Day 17: The Animal Rescue Site

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Still working on last minute gifts for the holidays?  Why not consider The Animal Rescue Site as a one stop shop for the perfect gift and do some good with your purchases at the same time?

As a partner of Petfinder.com, a great resource for finding a specific breed of rescue animal if you're looking for a particular type of pet, The Animal Rescue site also provides "free" ways to help sponsor animals simply by clicking a link or sending an e-card to a friend.  By generating lots of traffic to their site to view the advertisers and supporters listed, The Animal Rescue Site provides food to rescue groups and sanctuaries, and are distributed by a number of animal welfare groups.  In the first year of operation, ten million meals were provided for animals in care of rescue groups.

You can also visit links on the site for information regarding how and where the funds are being distributed, to be sure that every click you take is being used to your satisfaction.

Shoppers at the site can help even more, as more of a portion of the funds spent goes toward the feeding fund, separate from the sponsors donations for your clicks.  I bought those great insulated shopping bags pictured above in a previous design version from this site a few months ago (the colors are lighter on mine, on a white background), and I have people stopping me to ask about them ALL THE TIME...they are wonderful for toting things home from the grocery store.

Check out what they have to offer at their Web site above, on Twitter (@TheAnimalRescue) or on Facebook at "The Animal Rescue Site".

Friendly Beasts, Day 16: Olivia Bouler: Save the Gulf

http://www.oliviabouler.net

In early 2010, the explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform held the world's attention.  In addition to the immediate tragedy of the loss of life of those working on board, the long term repercussions as cloud after cloud of oil bubbled through the broken pipelines into the water became apparent.  It halted the livelihoods of thousands of gulf coast residents who rely on tourism, fishing, and other water-based industries, it devastated plant, water, and animal populations, and it broke the heart of one very determined little girl.

Having spent memorable vacations with family in the area, 11-year-old Olivia Bouler cried when she thought of the impact this disaster would have on the birds she'd seen, knowing the oil was heading into their feeding and nesting grounds.  Then, drying her tears and with her family's help, she decided to do something about it.  Above is her letter to the Audubon Society, pitching her fundraising idea and even providing a sample of her work.

To date, Olivia has been able to raise $200,000 for the gulf relief effort, and has published "Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf", a compilation of her artwork.  The purchase of this book helps fund additional recovery efforts.

As the proud owner of an Olivia Bouler original, received after donating to her initial fundraising efforts, I invite and encourage all bird-lovers to visit her Web site (noted above), find her on Facebook at "Save the Gulf: Olivia's Bird Illustrations", and consider purchasing her book for your own library, especially if you have children.  It's not only a way to help the plants and animals in this region, but also a way to remind yourself and your own family that all it takes is one idea to launch a movement.

Friendly Beasts, Day 15: World Wildlife Fund

http://www.worldwildlife.org/home-full.html

As the largest multinational conservation organization, World Wildlife Fund is supported by nearly five million people globally.  Their vision is to build a world in which humans and nature live together in harmony.  They have some ambitious goals to meet by 2020, including conservation of fifteen of the world's most ecologically important regions.

They achieve this by tackling topics on multiple levels, from animal welfare and habitat conservation to industry education and revisions that help care for the environment without losing economic opportunity for those involved.  Understanding the value of long term economic stability over short term economic windfalls is merely one facet of what the global outreach network strives for with their programs (i.e. renewable forests which may provide less immediate cash but more stable cash flow in the long run vs clear cutting which may provide a lot of money in the immediate but then nothing when resources are gone and the land too damaged to produce more).

Their Web site also provides accountability in the form of financial reports, information regarding their board of directors and councils, and contact information for visitors wanting to get involved in the effort.  Donors can contribute directly, purchase gifts from their store for their favorite animal-loving friends, or "virtually" adopt an animal and sponsor programs and education that helps protect that animal and its kin.  Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm kinda partial to the sea lion, like the one pictured above from their adoption page.

It may be a small world to some, but there is a lot of work to be done to keep it protected.  If you're a person that just doesn't know where or how to start contributing, I recommend checking out WWF at the Web site above, visit them on Facebook (under World Wildlife Fund in your search) or at Twitter (@World_Wildlife)

Friendly Beasts, Day 14: Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada

http://www.awfc.ca/

Since its inception in 1965, the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada has made grants in excess of one million dollars to support work being done in the animal welfare effort.  Their mission is just that: accepting and then allocating donations and legacy contributions in order to support directly the animals in need, as well as providing education and research funding to further the benefits of caring for animals.

Allocations are determined by a Board of Directors which is comprised of veterinarians and other professionals involved with animal welfare protections, as well as those with experience in handling and granting donation funds.  It is an all-volunteer board; the members receive no financial compensation for their time and work.

In 2011 alone, the AWFC:

hosted four meetings to discuss the impact of using battery cages for egg-laying hens, bringing together animal welfare advocates, alternative farming experts, and representatives from across the industry to discuss the topic from their varied viewpoints and opening the dialog for changes in the future.

having already completed SPCA certified standards for pain management in dairy and beef cattle, they turned their attention to taking care of the pigs.

provided grants to two universities hosting lectures on the topic of animal welfare, and another five grants to the animal welfare groups in veterinary colleges across Canada.

These are just some of the ways in which the AWFC is impacting the view of animals in Canada.  To find out more, and how you can help, please visit their Web site, noted above.

Friendly Beasts, Day 13: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

http://gorillafund.org/

In the 1960s, Dian Fossey agreed to take on a long-term field study of the mountain gorilla while on a six-week sabbatical in Africa.  While she had originally changed her major at San Jose State College (my alma mater!) to occupational therapy, she was always interested in animals, and an increasing desire to visit Africa lead to a meeting with Dr. Louis Leakey, one that would change the course of her life.  Despite disease, torrential rains, the danger from poachers, and the civil unrest in the areas in which she studied, her perseverance paid off when an adult male gorilla touched her hand.  It was the first recorded instance of peaceful gorilla-human contact.

In 1992, the name of the organization was changed from the Digit Fund to its currently known identity in an effort to underscore the mission of its founder: the conservation and research of the mountain gorilla and its habitat.  The work and study they have done is reflected in the fact that the mountain gorillas of the Virungas region are the only great ape population to have actually grown in number instead of decline.

Since Fossey's death, the fund has expanded to include protections of gorillas in other parts of Africa, as well as other endangered species in those habitats.  As the research continues, the fund also works with local villages and communities to teach them the value of preserving and protecting this natural environment.  This has lead, among other things, to a group of tribal leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo to donate their ancestral lands for the purposes of establishing a type of national park, with the protections this includes, while allowing those tribes to retain management control of their lands.

While it may seem to be "just" an issue of preserving a particular animal on the surface, the preservation of these gorillas helps to ensure the preservation of the balance in a very delicate ecosystem.  In this time of global climate concerns, helping the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is about more than saving the great ape--it's about saving us all.

To find out more about this organization, visit the Web site listed above, or find them on Facebook by searching "Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International".  They are also on Twitter (@SavingGorillas).

Friendly Beasts, Day 12: ASPCA - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

http://www.aspca.org/

In the last year or two, this organization has become known as "that Sarah McLachlan commercial with the starving dog."  Depending on who you ask, this inspires either great expressions of empathy and concern, or great ire from people who feel like their pursestrings have been cruelly emotionally manipulated.  It can be hard to obtain donations from an audience that turns off the commercial as soon as it begins because it's too depressing to watch, so let me introduce you a bit to the organization without the really sad soundtrack or pictures.

Founded in 1866 as the first humane organization in the Western Hemisphere, the ASPCA mission is to provide the means for prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.  This includes not only direct rescues for animals in abusive and neglectful situations, but the lobbying and advocacy of legislation, and the serving as a resource for community shelters responding in and caring for their own areas.  They are also the first humane organization to have been granted the legal authority to investigate and arrest for crimes against animals.

Their support network of volunteers, advocates, and donors, at about a million strong, makes the ASPCA one of the largest humane organizations worldwide.  Their Web site offers a treasure trove of resources for pet owners and animal lovers, from how to get involved to pet insurance information to disclosure of policies, procedures and funding.

If you've turned away from the images of abused and neglected animals, consider instead the happy face of the pup pictured above and know that it's because of donations that such happy endings are possible.  Visit the ASPCA Web site listed above, on Facebook (search for "ASPCA"), and on Twitter (@ASPCA).

Friendly Beasts, Day 11: Desert Tortoise Preserve

http://www.tortoise-tracks.org/

Established in 1974 and dedicated to the preservation of the tortoise and its habitat in the deserts of the southwest, the DTP raises funds through membership and donation as well as merchandise to promote their mission and fund their programs.  With heavy focus on protecting the biodiversity needed by the tortoise to survive, DTP strives to implement management programs that work with the needs of modern society rather than fighting against them.  As an example, creating culverts that allow tortoises to cross underneath busy roads and highways instead of over them.

The Desert Tortoise Preserve has also established the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, nearly 40 square miles of natural habitat in which the desert tortoise is protected, encouraged, and researched.  Located in the northern part of the Mojave Desert, the research area not only provides an opportunity for scientists and other workers to study the animals (and the habitat) for information, but an educational center with information and self-guided hiking trails for the public to explore.  Visitors can discover not only the beauty of the desert tortoise, but may experience spotting hawks, lizards, snakes, foxes, coyotes...and over 160 varieties of flora.

If you don't have the opportunity to make a trek to see it yourself, consider visiting their Web site above to read more about the organization and the efforts it is making.

Friendly Beasts, Day 10: Humane Society Silicon Valley

www.hssv.org

And now for a completely biased introduction:

Established 80 years ago to help both pets and people in the community, Humane Society Silicon Valley is the place where I adopted my own sweet kittygirl in 1997.  Still happy and mostly healthy (for a 15-ish year old cat), she is my constant reminder of why I love HSSV.

But it's not just me!

In 2009, HSSV helped revolutionize the concept of the animal shelter when it opened the Animal Community Center in Milpitas, CA.  It was the first environmentally "green" certified animal facility in the country to offer an adoption program as well as a full spectrum of other services: spay/neuter services, vaccinations, grooming services, a dog park whose membership includes behavior screenings, microchipping, summer camps and children's party packages, school and scout tours, volunteer donation parties, and two satellite sites housed within local Petco stores through which many of the cats and smaller pets (rabbits, mice, etc.) find permanent homes.

Because it operates as an independent nonprofit organization, HSSV relies on the passion and compassion of its army of volunteers.  At over 700 and counting, those that want to help pitch in with everything ranging from answering phones to scooping litter to providing potential adopters a chance to meet the future love of their life if a staff member is already busy helping someone else.

The change in scenery and design has lead to a more relaxed environment for both the animal and the visitor.  As an example, you can see from the photo collage above (courtesy of Malcolm Bramwell, one of HSSV's volunteers) that the cat hall has become a place where the cats can display themselves being themselves, opening up understanding for those viewing them what it might be like to take the animal home.  And the animals at HSSV are never "timed out" of adoptable status; as long as they are healthy and temperamentally safe to have in a home, the animal stays until their perfect match is made.

As one woman commented to me recently, "I never would have gotten a pet from a shelter before...I couldn't stand the idea of picking one and then having to leave the rest of them behind.  But here!  This is so different...I love coming here, even just to pass through to say hello.  They don't look sad here."

Humane Society Silicon Valley relies on donations and grants to keep running.  To help, please visit their Web site at the link provided above, or visit them on Facebook (search for Humane Society Silicon Valley in the non-profit organizations category).  Locals can visit their Animal Community Center in Milpitas, CA, or their satellite sites in Saratoga, or Sunnyvale.  Find them on Twitter, too!  (@hssv)

Friendly Beasts, Day 9: Compassion in World Farming

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/

While the triumphs of technology and the modern age are many, the ever-growing human desire to produce more and faster has had a detrimental impact in some areas.  Intensive and competitive farming as the world population increases and people demand "instant" products/services has lead to horrific conditions for the animals slated as commodities only, their conditions for life viewed as irrelevant since they are born and fed for one purpose: to become a meal.

Perhaps the ultimate solution, some might say, is to go vegan.  This may be a viable solution for many; for those of us who aren't ready to make that commitment (for whatever reason) but still have great concern for the pain and suffering experienced by these animals while they live, Compassion in World Farming is an organization to become familiar with.

Established in 1967 by a British dairy farmer and his family, CIWF has expanded with representation in ten countries and continues to grow.  Over the years, their advocacy and education of the public has led to the banning of such things as room-restrictive "storage" crates for veal cattle, sows, and chickens; and they've helped establish laws for the standards of care and feeding of animals in farm settings across the United Kingdom and Europe.

They also work with food production companies and manufacturers on clearer labeling so that consumers can obtain direct information regarding what they are eating and where it has come from.  CIWF believes that by approaching the food supply system from multiple angles (in practice on the farm, legally through legislation and lobbying, clarity in communication across all channels, and educating the public), it is possible to create a food supply chain that is kind, honest, and healthy from start to finish.  Since this planet population seems destined to continue growing, today is the perfect opportunity the make compassionate farming the norm rather than the exception.

To find out more or to offer your support to this organization, please visit their Web site (linked above), on Facebook (search "Compassion in World Farming" under the non-profit organization marker), and/or on Twitter (@CIWF)

*Photo above is from their Facebook page gallery; permission pending and photo may be removed if requested by organization

Friendly Beasts, Day 8: Nine Lives Foundation

http://www.ninelivesfoundation.org/

Established in 2004 to help combat the feline overpopulation problem in Northern California, Nine Lives is a no-kill shelter that provides that second chance for cats that have, for various reasons, been deemed unadoptable by other shelters and scheduled for euthanasia.  With the exception of cases where pain is extreme and/or medical prognosis the worst, the organization never uses euthanasia on the cats and kittens that come through their doors.  Once in their care, they will never transfer an animal to another shelter unless it practices the same viewpoint of euthanasia.  Behavior issues and treatable medical conditions are not reasonable death sentences for this group, and they will house and care for the cat until a suitable permanent home is found.

Nine Lives also offers the Feline Well-Care Clinic (started in 2003 by the founder of Nine Lives and now running concurrently with the charity shelter).  The clinic not only provides care for their feline residents (some of the cats that need steady, constant care are considered "permanent" members of the shelter), but for their guests, their neighbors, and the community.  Offering low-cost spay/neuter, dentistry and vaccination services, the clinic also assists with local TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs that help minimize the damage and the starvation that overpopulated feral cat families are so often victims of.

Because their ultimate mission is to place these cats in caring homes permanently, they have no issue with waiting for the perfect match and will screen potential adopters, up to and including home visitation if they feel it is warranted.  They also have adopted the policy of adopting kittens under certain age in pairs.

They accept monetary donations, item donations, and they welcome visitors to come pet, play, and socialize with the cats.  It's not unusual to have at least one ambassador come greet you at the door and check out what you've brought them (there are some donations being inspected by the guard in the picture above).

Doing so allows both person and cat to become more comfortable with each other, and leads to some great connections.  Having been there myself, I can say that being in a large room full of cats interested in your shoelaces can be quite an experience!

Visit them on the Web site mentioned above, or find them on Facebook under "Nine Lives Foundation" in your search.

Friendly Beasts, Day 7: Dog Bless You

http://www.dogblessyou.org

Designed as an animal version of its larger parent project (Explore), Dog Bless You offers the Facebook community a forum in which to share their love of dogs, and the selfless and amazing acts of kindness these animals provide our lives.

Explore is a philanthropic project that showcases non-profits worldwide, and Dog Bless You's primary champion, Lucky, is the official canine on the job.  Sometimes, like pictured above from their online gallery, he gets some helping human hands.

For those that need a quick pick-me-up, or who have their own dog-tales to share, Dog Bless You on Facebook is a great space to hang out and experience the joys of friendship with dogs. 

During this hectic holiday season, isn't it nice to grab a break here and there for a sigh and some smiles?  If you're in need, use the link mentioned above and dive into doggie heaven for a little while.  It's OK if you can't stop smiling after...we all understand.