The Story of Zeus.

 Resulting from a nationwide petition that went viral almost overnight, the “vicious” dog ban of Moreauville, Louisiana was recently overturned, sparing the lives of the town’s “dangerous” breeds.

Under the ordinance, pit bulls and rottweilers were to be “disposed” of on December 1st in compliance to the ban. It was reported that these types of dogs were running the streets and making people feel unsafe.

Behind the campaign was a local mother Joanna Armand and her family; namely her daughter O’hara Owens who is wheelchair-bound and depends on her service dog, Zeus, a pit bull. In addition to saving Zeus, they hoped to reiterate that savage dogs are at the fault of the owner and how they’re raised, not the breed.

The family expressed great love for their furry family member and praised his ability to help O’hara who is often in pain and wears a halo-brace due to severe neck problems. "If anything ever happened to him, I probably would just shut down," said Owens.

The MoveOn petition was created in November with the goal of gathering 100,000 signatures to stop the euthanization of the dogs. At the time of this post, the number of signatures had climbed to almost 350,000, and counting, even as the campaign is now closed.

This spoke volumes to the council of a town and the ordinance was repealed on the very day it was set to take effect. Being that the town is inhabited by under 1,000 people, there was a true need for nationwide support, and the response was overwhelming.

Mayor Timmy Lemoine stated receiving a warning from PETA claiming that if the council didn’t repeal the ordinance, PETA had enough money to shut the town of Moreauville down. “I wasn’t going to be known as the mayor that shut the village of Moreauville down because of this” said Lemoine. 

The new agreement will enact a different statute that targets the owner and not the pet. Lemoine explained, “a citation will be issued like a ticket, if there’s a problem with the animal,” from there it will be up to the district attorney to decide the fine and repercussions for the owner and/or the animal.

This is a strong victory for the dog-loving community of the country while the efforts against breed specific legislation continues.

Author: Kate Brack

Puppy Found in Dumpster

News this morning includes sanitation workers finding a 3 month old puppy in a dumpster, about to be crushed by a compactor. The puppy was injured and starving, but is recovering now in a foster home after humane vet treatment. Stories like this are everywhere, and so heartbreaking. Please consider encouraging people you know to contribute to animal rescue agencies so that they may get the word out and expand their facilities so that more is

available to persons who have no knowledge of how to place out an animal they no longer want. Also urge tougher regulations and laws to help protect our fellow creatures from ignorance.

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Welcomes some Spring Arrivals

Woodland Park Zoo saves animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. Woodland Park Zoo exhibits nearly 1,100 animals representing almost 300 different animal species—from tiny insects to the largest land mammal on the planet, the elephant.

Four new otter pups are recently welcomed. Woodland Park Zoo is an interactive zoo, well worth the trip.

The Zebra Mule Has Many Names

Zedonk was born. They call this one a Zedonk! Not suspecting that a zebra and Momma mule had mated, it sure was a surprise when the little one was born.

Pet Obesity is epidemic, just like most all American folks.

Overfeeding is not love. Obese pets like cats and dogs suffer from a multitude of diseases because of overweight. Diabetes. high blood pressure, musculoskeletal disease, arthritis, reduced life span, knee and joint problems. It is wise to work with your vet to determine the best diet for your pet. Just grabbing pet food off the grocery shelf can be putting dangerous foods in your pets life without any real intention by you. Granted food budgeting is an issue for many these days but a few minutes of analysis with a little knowledge of recommendations can help you pick out the best for within your budget. Good food combined with regular exercise (daily) can greatly enhance your pets health. And for you too if you are part of the exercise program. The Morris Animal Foundation is a good place to find references to good pet nutrition. There are some great sites on the web too that also explain portion control.

Animals and Marijuana don't mix

Marijuana is a people drug not a pet drug. There seems to be much controversy around whether it is safe to give animals the drug. But when in doubt don't. Even if it does help somewhat in some cases, while killing pain it also puts the animal in a confusing and scary condition. Have you ever had chemotherapy? It's like that apparently. More and more veterinarians are reporting poisonings. Marijuana in the 'raw' form is extremely toxic to animals Some tinctures may help but must be closely monitored. I noticed that many people were giving their pets the 'hail Mary' meds, supposedly more comfortably prolonging an impending painful death for a few weeks. But who is that prolonging for? The owner or the animal? I say take a toke (if you must) and then bring it to the vet for a humane euthanasia before it suffers a few more weeks of not only pain but also confusion and certainly discomfort from the effects of the marijuana.

Guilty on Dog Abuse Case

I found this article on the web this morning.

I am constantly on the lookout for potential animal abuse around where we live too. Especially in the summer when so many clueless people leave their animals in hot cars.

This article deals with tethering a dog to a rail and leaving it.

Have you ever been hopelessly confined to the end of a rope? I am often tethered to a medical device and believe me it is not fun to be so limited in movement, so I really feel it for tied up animals.

Granted a fencing system is a lot more expensive than a tie out rope, but consider what little trades you could make to make an animal's life a little more humane. A latte a day at $3.00 a pop is $90.00 a month. One half of a pen. Just saying....

Here is a link to the video and photos. Below is the text in case you don't want to bother with the video.

http://newjersey.news12.com/news/kisha-curtis-pleads-guilty-to-animal-cruelty-in-patrick-the-dog-case-1.5796832

"NEWARK - The 29-year-old defendant in the "Patrick the Dog" case has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.

Kisha Curtis entered the plea Tuesday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. The plea comes on the day before Curtis was set to head to trial.

Curtis was accused of tying her pit bull Patrick to a railing in her Newark apartment before leaving the state in 2011. The emaciated dog was later found at the bottom of a trash chute.

Curtis had previously denied the charges, but today admitted she abandoned Patrick without food or water.

The guilty plea was not part of a deal and the assistant prosecutors handling the case say they will seek the maximum penalty of 18 months. "Miss Curtis obviously committed an act, and now she's paying the consequences for it," says Assistant Essex County Prosecutor David Feldman. The case sparked a call for tougher laws against mistreatment of pets.

Patrick has since made a full recovery. He being cared for by Patricia Smillie Scavelli, an administrator at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, where he was slowly nursed back to health.

Curtis is currently free on bail, and is set to be sentenced on Aug. 29."