Rainforest Rescue Update - Gito

In September 2015 a baby orang-utan was abandoned and left for dead in a urine soaked cardboard box in Borneo.  After being found he was transported by motorbike for 9 hours to a rescue sanitary.  Sanctuary volunteers have nursed him back to health. He was malnourished and dehydrated. He was nearly bald with grey flaking skin.  Rescuers said he was left to die in the sun.

To help relieve him, coconut oil was massaged all over him  to soothe and soften his itchy skin. He was also placed on a drip to rehydrate him.

He was named Gito by his rescuers.

Here is his story

He has made a remarkable recovery, and now is meeting new friends.

To learn more about these wonderful creatures and the sanctuary that saved him go to International Animal Rescue.

Donations are needed.

More....

Florida passes new law to protect animals in HOT cars

 Florida has just made it legal to break into cars to Rescue Pets if they are left in a hot car!

If you live in Florida and see an animal in a hot car you now have the right to intervene and break in. This includes smashing the windows if the car is locked. An animal has only a small (minutes) window of time before death in these situations.

Recently Republican Governor Rick Scott signed House bill 131 into law allowing Floridians to break into locked automobiles to rescue animals or vulnerable people who are in imminent danger of suffering harm.

The bill comes as a direct response to the growing number of incidents where pets and children have died because they are left in overheated cars.

If you are hesitant to take things into your own hands, please feel free to call 911 and report the scene.

There are also flyers you can place on cars if you think there is time for a safe response.
Go to http://www.mydogiscool.com

TULLY, A DOG WITH A NEED FOR A FOREVER HOME.

When Tully was picked up as a stray on Long Island and brought to a shelter he immediately showed strong objection to being confined.  After a few months his keepers tried to board him at outside homes and eventually fostered him, but she couldn't keep him forever.

Tully needs a forever home.  To find out more about him go to this page.https://www.facebook.com/175279419492399

Lolita, a killer Whale, needs to return to her home after 45 years in captivity.

Lolita is a 49 year old orca whale who lives in Miami, Florida at the Miami Seaquarium.  She has been there in an undersized tank for over 45 years.  She was originally captured off Washington State in 1970 and sold to the aquarium for $6,000.00.

Orcas are highly social animals who form intense emotional connections. However Lolita only has two dolphins as companions. Her mate Hugo died in 1980.

Living in her tiny tank with two dolphins, Lolita performs for the public on a daily basis. 

There has been much public outcry for her release to rejoin her pod back in Puget Sound.  Lolita’ s mother who is 82 years old is still believed to be freely swimming in the waters around Whidbey Island.

Find out more about the movement to retire Lolita to her rightful home. Go to http://www.orcanetwork.org.

US War Veterans Benefit from Assistance Dogs.

 

For wounded veterans who could use some assistance in putting their life back together from an injury, an assistance dog can help provide the help they need to regain independence.

Canine Companions has provided assistance dogs to over 4500 people with disabilities.

Canine Companions is a 501 ( C ) (3) non profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.

Who can apply:  people with physical or developmental disabilities who can demonstrate that an assistance dog can improve their quality of life.  Also professionals who provide physical or mental health care to clients .

Canine Companions trains four types of assistance dogs. Service teams that assist adults with physical disabilities by performing daily tasks.  Hearing teams that alert the deaf and hard of hearing to important sounds.  Skilled companion teams who enhance independence for children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities. Facility teams work with a professional in a visitation, education or healthcare setting.

There is no charge for a Canine Companion assistance dog.  Individual  participants in the program are not responsible for payment.

There are substantial costs, however, involved in the lengthy process of breeding, raising, and training each Canine Companion assistance dog.

Canine Companions is funded by private contributions from individuals; gifts from businesses, civic groups, and service clubs.  Also grants from corporations and foundations and ongoing fundraising activities such as special events and mailings.

People receiving a Canine Companions dog must successfully complete a two-week educational course at the regional center designed to match the person and dog and to prepare them to work together successfully.  Each candidate is also responsible for the proper care, feeding,  housings, and medical needs of the dog. The dog must be used in work it was trained for.

For more information, you can go to their website at http://www.cci.org. Canine Companions.

Raju, Free after 50 years of abuse.

His story.

"Raju cried as he was freed from 50 years of cruelty"

Under the cover of darkness a team from London based Wildlife SOS rescued an elephant that had been abused for 50 years.   He was then transported to the Elephant Conservation and Care Center at Mathura, India. He walked free for the first time on July 4, 2014. 
Members believe he was poached when he was a baby.  He had suffered from beatings and painful spiked shackles for all those years.  The owner had made the elephant beg for food, and sometimes  Raju tried to survive by eating plastic and paper. 
A year after hearing of Raju's situation, the team of Wildlife SOS  along with 10 veterinarians, officials and six policemen seized the chained elephant from the Utter Pradesh area of India after receiving a court order. 
"The team was astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue." Pooja Binepal, a spokesman for Wildlife SOS said, "It was so incredibly emotional for all of us.  We knew in our hearts he realized he was being freed."
"Until we stepped in he had never known what it is like to walk free of his shackles-it is a truly pitiful case. But today he knows what freedom is and he will learn what kindness feels like and what its like not to suffer anymore." 
The owner, as reported by the Times of India, was a drug addict and attempted to stop the rescue by blocking the road. He tried to provoke the animal and put more chains around his legs. But the rescue team successfully persisted.  Raju calmly stepped into the rescuer's truck as if he knew he was being rescued.  The team had waited until they got to a vet before the shackles were removed as they were designed to cause pain upon attempted removal. 

Since his arrival at the sanctuary, Raju has received medical attention, been given proper baths and food and is well along in the rehabilitation process.

Wildlife SOS then launched a campaign to raise $17,000. to help Raju begin his new life in a new enclosure which would allow him to roam free with other elephants.  "He'll spend the rest of his days living in dignity, free from suffering and pain.

Shortly after the rescue, the abusive owner petitioned the court to regain ownership of the elephant, and it was a struggle,  but the story has a happy ending. See link below.

https://www.change.org/p/keep-raju-the-crying-elephant-free

Service dogs for the Autistic

Dogs do it again! They continue to prove their worth and importance in our society, and another
job has popped up for them. We’re happy to report they’ve accepted the position and are making
great strides.
Autism continues to increase at a rate of 6-15 percent each year, and there are currently 3.5
million Americans living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, according the Autism Society of
America.
Those who have dealt with getting the care needed for a loved one understand the daunting and
very expensive path they often find themselves walking down while searching for relief.
Enter Service Dogs for the Autistic.
Historically, service dogs have helped those in need by supplementing physical restraints, such
as being the eyes for someone who can’t see, or working with those having recurring seizures.
With Autistic children and adults, these service dogs are providing support that is more
emotional in a world that can be quite isolating. They provide patient and consistent
companionship while also keeping those afflicted safe through extensive training.
One of the fundamental symptoms of Autism is that he or she doesn’t connect well with other
people and/or their environment. Autism service dogs are proving to be that connection needed
by being a steady and consistent force in their day-to-day lives.
Another common symptom is severely Autistic people don’t detect potentially dangerous
situations and having a service dog stops them from walking into the street or leaving the house
unattended.
In addition to the priceless companionship they’re able to provide, these service dogs are
bringing down health care costs.
The health care fees for Autistic adults and children have settled deep into the billions per year
(and counting). These dogs are offering a safe way for families to cut costs by supplying them
with a full-time therapist and confidant.
Prices for a well trained dog start as low as $12,500. Not bad considering the U.S. cost of autism
over the lifespan is about $2.4 million for a person with an intellectual disability, or $1.4 million
for a person without intellectual disability.
Dogs continue to amaze, impress and greatly improve the lives of so many. They are truly our
sixth sense and change lives by seeing (and smelling) things we can’t detect. They deserve our
respect and appreciation as they patiently touch the lives of so many people.
For more information on Service Dogs for Autism visit:
https://www.pawswithacause.org/
http://4pawsforability.org/
http://autismdigest.com/service-dogs-and-autism/

Kate Brack, author.