Shelters are already bursting at the seams, and now due to the change in Pennsylvania’s dog laws they are getting many dogs from breeders being dropped off because of new code violations.

To try and help get some of the dogs adopted the Humane League of Lancaster County is slashing dog adoption fees in half.

“Just this past month, we got 98 more dogs here at the shelter,” Megan Gallagher Clark, the Humane League’s vice president of development and outreach, said. “So now we have about 345 dogs - with some in foster care.”

The reduced adoption fees for dogs go into effect today and will continue through Jan 31. The fees, which includes vaccinations and microchipping, are:

Puppies (8 weeks to 6 months), $87.50; adult dogs (7 months through 6 years), $60; and senior dogs (7 years and older), $25.

The recession is hurting everyone, times are tough, but there are still many people who could give a dog a good home.  Love doesn’t mean having a ton of toys or treats, it means providing a safe and caring environment.

“We know there’s people who have been putting off adoption because of the recession, but they can still provide quality care for one of our dogs,”  Gallagher Clark said. “So, we hope this discount is an incentive.”

Humane League of Lancaster County, 2195 Lincoln Highway East, can be reached at 393-6551. For more information, visit www.humaneleague.com.

* The adorable pup is Alesana, she’s available at the shelter. Photo courtesy Lancasteronline.com.

There are so many horrible dog stories in the news, the horrific things people do to animals. For the week between Christmas and New Year’s I want to focus on paying tribute to all those people that make incredible sacrifices to change the life of needy, abused, or neglected dogs.

I want to take a moment to give thanks, the real meaning of the holiday season, to all the wonderful people that really do make the world a better place. I’m going to start with the founders of a dog sanctuary in PA, Canine Corps, that provides loving care for dogs of those enlisted in the military.

Canine Corps offer a no charge “home away from home” for the dogs of Pennsylvania’s deployed military personnel. This will allow those service members to be assured that their canine buddy is safe while they are gone.

In addition, Paw Prints dog Sanctuary and Canine Corps will establish a no charge lodging facility to allow for visits by the families of deployed military personnel to escape the stresses of daily life, as well as members of our armed services who need some peace and quiet. They can come to this tranquil setting to relax and enjoy the company of dogs.

Our vision is to provide peace and comfort for these animals while they are in our care and to create an environment that feels like home.

I watched a segment this morning on The Today Show about Canine Corps and it really is an amazing place.  As if keeping up with the daily operations of one not-for-profit isn’t enough, founders Laurie Lyon and Kevin McCartin  also run Paw Prints Dog Sanctuary, a facility for homeless senior dogs.

Paw Prints Dog Sanctuary accepts dogs directly from Central Pennsylvania shelters and rescues, so those organizations can help a larger number of dogs. We provide a loving, safe haven either until a forever home is found or to live out their lives at this peaceful place. We define senior as approximately 10 and over, and seniors with disabilities or illnesses are welcome here.

If you would like to read some of their senior adoption  success stories, or make a donation to help out  Canine Corps or Paw Prints Dog Sanctuary stop by their site for more information.

Laurie Lyon and Kevin McCartin, we here at Dogster salute you for making a difference. We give you 5 out of 5 paws!

* Logo pic courtesy of Canine Corps.

In Santa Cruz, CA the restaurants are going to the dogs.  Three months ago Whitney Wilde came up with  Woofers and Walkers, she wanted to organize a group of dog lovers to go for weekly walks ending in lunch at a local restaurant where they could sit and socialize. I’m liking the sound of this already.

“I’ve wanted to do this for five years now,” Wilde said. “As 41 percent of Santa Cruz County, I wanted to get dog owners together and put a public face on responsible dog ownership. Dog owners can be a real force in town.”

So far six restaurants have opted in, all have outdoor patio dining where dogs are now allowed.  The only rules, dogs must be leashed and cleaned up after. Many of the group members have dogs that are rescues, this is a great way to help socialize them.

Nelli, a mixed breed terrier, along with the majority of the dogs in the group, were rescue dogs the owners saved from being killed, or in Daphne Morrissey’s case, from the life of a greyhound race dog.

“She didn’t know how to be a dog,” Morrissey said, describing her dog, Bean, when she first got her. “She didn’t know what stairs were or what a mirror was or how to play.”

After training and joining social groups such as Woofers and Walkers, Bean has grown more comfortable around other dogs and animals.

“This is to show how thankful we are to have these rescue dogs, and yet we are all rescued because of them,” Wilde said during a special remembrance ceremony for Tilly, a terrier owned by Jeanne Allen of Santa Cruz that had to be put down last week after battling illnesses.

“Not only is someone like Jeanne a person who has rescued dogs from being killed, but she is a great person,” Tess Cain said. “This group goes way beyond dog walking. This group has bonded us together and our dogs have been playmates ever since.”

We have a lot of dog walking groups in the Atlanta, GA area but none that end with lunch.  This is such a great way to show those who don’t own dogs that dog owners are a responsible group.

If you live in the Santa Cruz area you can join Woofers and Walkers every Sunday for a different adventure.

*(Picture courtesy Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

The Sanctuary Animal Rescue in Clewiston, FL has a new family member.  Teddy Bear is six weeks old,  born with twisted front legs the breeder contacted the rescue to see if they would take him. The sanctuary didn’t even hesitate to make arrangements to get Teddy Bear.

Palena Dorsey started the Sanctuary in March 2004.  Her mission was to help those animals that were considered fearful and aggressive, or who were old and ill and about to be put to sleep because of the overwhelming influx of animals at local shelters.

The Sanctuary of course said they would take him. Teddy Bear had a very long trip and it took 30 hours to get there. He was very tired and  was coughing too. He was given fluids and put on antibiotics.

Palena is the Executive Director and Teddy Bear lives in her room and stays with her 24 hours a day. He has to be fed often and helped to go potty, but he’s happy.

The Sanctuary Animal Rescue is trying to raise money so Teddy Bear can have surgery to help him, hoping he can eventually  get adopted and have his very own home.

What a wonderful woman Palena Dorsey is, stepping in where others may have turned away. If you would like to help you can make a donation directly to Teddy Bear,  or for any of the Sanctuary’s residents.

In Our Hands Shelter in Brooklyn, NY is in desperate need of foster parents to help care for loving dogs whose time will be up without immediate intervention.

Dear Friends,

The lists of URGENT dogs at Animal Care and Control have been especially awful during the past couple days, and as a result, we have committed to placing the following NO CONCERN dogs and others. In order to SAVE THEIR LIVES, we are asking you, our faithful supporters to stand and offer to foster a shelter dog who would otherwise meet the same unhappy fate of millions per year.

Sweet Butter came into the shelter via police escort on 11/11/08. This gentle girl hopped right in and got a ride, thinking they must be taking her home. But no, sadly they took her instead to an overcrowded city shelter. Now her life is in grave danger, for there is no cage space left, and Butter has been there too long. Can you help by fostering or adopting her?

THIS SWEET SWEET Boy is going to be DUST unless you can commit to ADOPTING/FOSTERING or Sponsoring IMMEDIATELY!!!
2 year old MARLON was wandering the streets as a stray. They scooped him up and brought him to the Shelter.

He was soooo thin … very emaciated. But he hadn’t been on the streets for long, because his nails were overgrown. That means that someone kept him confined, didn’t walk him, and didn’t feed him. The staff has been feeding him extra meals to fatten him up. All the while, he’s proved a loving animal: great with people and fine with other dogs. He arrived weighing only 38 pounds and should weigh a lot more.

Although Marlon has been let down by humans, he’s nevertheless sweet as sugar, well-behaved AND smart! He plays nicely, fetching a doll and returning it. He’s happy to rest his head on your lap (to stay warm during this cold weather, and he probably knew about the treats in my pocket). Please consider this fine, affectionate dog!

Sweet Butter and Marlon are just two of the dogs in desperate need, please contact the shelter to find out about the others.

If you’re looking to adopt, or are available to foster, please contact Emily today at emily@emilygear.com.

* The beauty above is Kane.

It is the 10th annual Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive. Their goal is to find loving, lifelong homes for more than 1 million orphaned dogs and cats through the participation of 3,000 organizations.

The drive started October 1, 2008 and runs through January 5, 2009. The goal this year is 1 million adoptions.

How did Iams Home 4 the Holidays start?

Iams Home 4 the Holidays began in 1999 when Helen Woodward Animal Center organized 14 San Diego area shelters, finding homes for 2,563 orphaned pets. Each pet “went home” with a holiday meal of Iams food.

How did it become the largest adoption drive in history?

130 shelters in 5 states found homes for 20,000 pets during Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2000. In 2001 spokesperson Diane Keaton lead 450 shelters across the USA, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, finding homes for more than 100,000 pets. Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2002 grew to 1200 shelters and rescues in 20 countries, completing 180,000 adoptions and breaking all previous records.

During the 2003 drive the 1,316 participating shelters and rescue groups completed 261,839 adoptions. Our 2004 campaign grew to 1,800 shelters and rescue groups and 313,123 adoptions. And in 2005 Iams Home 4 the Holidays not only found a home for our 1-millionth pet, the 1,941 participating groups again broke their own record by finding families for 328,777 orphaned pets.

To find out more you can call the Helen Woodward Animal Center at 858-756-4117 x-302.  Or sign up right now to be part of the largest and most successful pet adoption drive in history.

Here is a great posting from our sister site, Catster,  on members that got together in an effort to save a Dogster who was left alone after the death of her owner.

It is a sad story, but it shows what can happen when dogs and cats get along.

Recently, TV station KOAT in Albuquerque reported that Dogster Noelle (left) was saved from euthanasia in a shelter by the members of the Dogster community, who arranged to transport Noelle (who was on death row in a Florida shelter) to a new home 1500 miles away in New Mexico.

But several of my Catster friends were quick to point out that technically, it was mostly Catsters who did the legwork to save Noelle and her two feline housemates (Aldo and Tess) from an unhappy ending, and asked me to tell the story of the Catsters behind the scenes that made this happy ending a reality.

You can read the full story on the  Catster blog, plus check out top dog Ted Reinghold being interviewed by phone on Albuquerque ABC news affiliate KOAT.  Ted spoke about the amazing lengths that Dogster and Catster members have gone to in order to find homes for  Dogster pets, or to help relocate them.

Dogsters and Catsters rock!

I just received an update from the Indian River Humane Society, here it is in its entirety.

Mystery of “unique” lost dog solved:

(Vero Beach, Florida) - The search for the family of “Jenna,” the lost dog at The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County discovered to have had highly specialized surgery, has ended. The beautiful female Catahoula Leopard dog’s family was located after the animal shelter sought help from both the media and veterinarians across Florida.

According to a family member, “Jenna,” whose true name is Cocoa, was stolen twice before, adding that their property has been also vandalized by unknown individuals. Although the family has been able to locate and recover Jenna in the past, they gave up hope of finding her after conducting a search when she went missing last month. It wasn’t until a friend mentioned seeing Jenna’s story in the media that the family filed a lost dog report with the Humane Society.

Nicknamed “Jenna” by Humane Society staff, the 2-year-old dog was examined by shelter veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Bybee who determined that she had previously undergone costly, life-saving surgery. Because Jenna had no form of identification, the shelter kept her medical information confidential to ensure she could be positively identified by either her family or the veterinarian who performed the surgery.

It was discovered that the family acquired Jenna through an acquaintance who had moved to Florida from Indiana. As a puppy in Indiana, Jenna had undergone extensive surgery after being hit by a car. The surgery left her with metal plates in both back legs.

Concerned for Jenna’s future safety, her family recently asked the Humane Society to place her for adoption. “It’s clear to us the family wants to do what’s best for her,” Animal Care Manager Maria Ramirez said. As a result, Jenna was placed with an Indian River County couple last Friday.

The couple read of Jenna’s plight in the media and called repeatedly to ask if she could be adopted as a companion for their Catahoula Leopard dog. By Friday evening they contacted the shelter to say, “How thrilled we all are with Jenna. She is a treasure.”

“It’s still a story with a happy ending for Jenna even if it’s not the ending we anticipated,” Janet Winikoff, Director of Education said.

Cocoa’s family showed the greatest love of all, giving her up so that she could live in a safe home.  I can’t imagine that was easy, I applaud them for making such a selfless decision.

* That’s Cocoa on the right, she looks very happy meeting her new family member for the first time.

Another story about dogfighting, but this one with a twist.

Mitchell Beasley, and live-in girlfriend Lindy Louise Andrews, were running a dogfighting ring on their property in Waynesboro, TN.  At their initial court appearance they were ordered to put up money to take care of the dogs that were confiscated.

“They have 10 days to get the bond money up,” Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said.

The sheriff said bonds were also established at $25,000 cash each or $75,000 property each.

“If they do get out, they can’t go back to the property until we get the dogs properly cared for,” Wilson said.

Now that’s what I’m talking about, it’s payback time. The pair were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.

The immediate need is to find a safe place for the confiscated dogs, talks with the local Humane Society will be taking place in hopes they can help.

“We hope that each one can be saved. At one time, there is no doubt they were beautiful animals,” Wilson said. “It’s just sickening to think about what has happened to them and what they have been through.”

I’ve left out some of the details because it was just to disgusting to post.  I’m glad to see that the courts have taken the extra step of ordering the couple to pay for the dogs care.  I applaud the judge for taking that step.

These people should be made to pay for the care for the lifetime of the dogs, their  property should be taken away and sold at auction, and they deserve to rot in jail.

In Tampa, FL the PM Tinies breeding facility owner is facing criminal charges.

Two weeks ago the Department of Animal Services stepped in and seized over 30 dogs, of various small breeds.

Starting today at 11a.m. the Hillsborough County Animal Services, located at 440 Falkenburg Road in Tampa, will place approximately 30 of the dogs for adoption.

Those wishing to adopt dogs from the breeder seizure may be subject to special restrictions, home visits or other screening by Hillsborough County Animal Services.

Most of the dogs will require spay/neuter surgery and may not be available to leave immediately.

The dogs offered will range in age from 8 weeks to 14 years of age, and many suffer medical issues such as heart worms, heart murmurs and periodontal disease.

For the first  24 hours priority will be given to Hillsborough County residents.

Out-of-County residents (non-Hillsborough) are encouraged to consider other adoptable pets or visiting the shelter on Thursday, November 20th to check availability of these dogs.

If interested stop by the Hillsborough County Department of Animal Services, there you can get contact information and adoption paperwork.