Paws to Consider

Santa’s Not a Puppymill

2011-12-25T09:49:00.002-05:00

Ah, the holidays, a time for family and friends to gather in the name of religion and tradition. Some folks share stories, exchange gifts of gratitude, attend worship services, while others are on the mad dash to provide a plush puppy or cuddly kitten to some unsuspecting child on Christmas morning. Funny thing is though, I don’t remember seeing Santa’s elves making furry live animals on their assembly line, and I don’t recall Santa stuffing a breathing sentient creature into his bag full of toys to be dropped through the chimney stack and placed under someone’s tree. In other words, pets don’t make good gifts.

Christmas morning is a day of celebration, giving thanks and being with loved ones. Though a puppy or kitten might be a kind gesture to show someone you care, it is not a good choice for such a bustling and busy day. Puppies like to chew on just about anything, so every day holiday items like tinsel, garland and shiny decorations are too tempting for a curious little critter to avoid and many new pups end up at the emergency veterinarian after ingesting such dangers. While kittens like to climb and jump, their adorable and natural behavior could cause the Christmas tree to go tumbling. Dangers such as fires could also be caused by a frolicking critter that accidentally knocks over a lit candle or chews on an electric cord. Certain seasonal plants like poinsettias are also toxic to animals and could cause death when eaten.

Puppies require a lot of attention not only on the first day that you bring them home, but for weeks and months and years to come. Feeding a puppy several times a day, house training (which means cold visits out to the back yard in the middle of the night so they can do their business), constant play time mixed with short naps, obedience training and veterinary care are just some of the responsibilities of long term pet parenting. During the holiday season people are just too busy to take the time necessary for such a needy little fur ball of love.

Instead of giving a live pooch or kitty you can purchase items like a bowl, toys, bed, leash and collar for the gift that is found under the tree. Don’t forget a gift certificate to the local veterinarian and a book about the type and breed of pup or kitten that you want.

A new best friend should be planned by the whole family not a spur of the moment decision and precious pups and cuddly kittens can be found at local animal shelters not only the day after Christmas, but all year round.

On behalf of all those homeless animals that couldn’t be saved and for the ones that have found their forever homes, Happy Holidays and Peace!

Holiday Pet Precautions

2011-12-21T09:18:00.002-05:00

Tinseled trees, chunks of chocolate and pots of poinsettias. Festive cheer abounds but with that comes potential holiday horrors for curious kitties and snooping Snoopy’s.

According to the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) there are thousands of accidental pet poisons reported every year. In the year 2007, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) (http://www.aspca.org/Home/Pet-care/poison-control.aspx) poison control center provided assistance in over 130,000 cases to animal caretakers as well as veterinarians in regards to toxic chemicals, poisonous plants and dangerous products.

Pet related injuries range from mild indigestion to hyper excitability, increased heart rates, muscle tremors, vomiting, diarrhea and unfortunately even death.

Bread dough, for example, when ingested and mixed with the animal’s body heat causes the dough to rise in the stomach. As alcohol is produced during this process the dough expands and could cause Fluffy or Fido severe abdominal pain, bloat, disorientation and depression. Alcohol toxicosis, which is caused by the fermentation of the dough, can also cause serious health risks for your beloved pet.

Chocolate (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/chocolate.aspx) is another delicious but potentially lethal treat. The cocoa bean from which chocolate is produced contains a drug called Theobromine, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine) which is a xanthine compound, and is closely related to caffeine. This ingredient, if over ingested can cause your pet serious health hazards. But the misconception is about how much can really be a problem?

The good news is that on average it takes a large quantity of theobromine (100-150mg/kg) to cause a toxic reaction.

The average milk chocolate contains only about 44 mg per ounce, semi-sweet chocolate contains about 150 mg per ounce, and bakers chocolate about 390 mg per ounce.

Using this formula the average toxicity level for dogs is about one ounce of milk chocolate per one pound of body weight, one ounce of semisweet chocolate per three pounds of body weight and for bakers chocolate the average toxicity is about one ounce per nine pounds of your dogs body weight.

So if your fifteen-pound dog ingests 2 ounces of bakers chocolate, it is more serious than if they ingest two ounces of milk chocolate.

For a forty pound dog, dangerous quantities of milk chocolate average about two and a half pounds ingested, with unsweetened chocolate only four and a half ounces. That results in about 1800 mg of theobromine.

So the safest way to avoid chocolate poisoning is to make sure Fido is cocoa free.

Cats, with their finicky food demands seem not to enjoy chocolate like their pooch pals and therefore companion animal caretakers seem to worry less as much about cats as they should their dogs.

Other festive foods such as alcohol, avocados, macadamia nuts, raisins, onions and onion powder, grapes, moldy or spoiled foods should be kept far from your fluffy fur balls. Make sure that any sweet treat that contain the ingredient xylitol (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/sweeteners.aspx) are far from Fido’s reach, it causes gastrointestinal issues.

For those curious canines and frisky felines, Christmas decorations such as tinsel, Christmas tree water (if it contains fertilizer and can also contain bacteria), electric cords, ribbons, batteries, glass ornaments, holly plants, mistletoe, peace lily plants are just to name a few, of the unsafe and potentially deadly ingredients to this special holy time of the year.

So, to avoid an unscheduled visit to the emergency veterinarian, be aware and take extra precaution while enjoying the holidays with family, friends and loved ones.

Let’s Talk Turkey; a living, feeling, animal

2011-11-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

As a vegetarian, Thanksgiving dinner and its baseless tradition of eating fowl isn’t one of my favorite meals. And I am sure the turkey likes it even less.

Every fourth Thursday in November people like myself, who don’t believe animals should be eaten, are asked to sit at the spread on the dinner table and pick around the baked bird carcass just to fill ours plates with cranberry sauce, corn, mashed potatoes and everything else, which hasn’t been tainted by the juices of this once feathered friend. Why? Does eating a once sentient being have any basis other than what the meat industry has force fed us as a yearly ritual?

Every year in the U.S. between 250-300 million turkeys are bred for slaughter, which amounts to about 5 billion pounds of dead flesh. Their meat is valued at close to $8 billion dollars, so no wonder Americans are force fed turkey meat; the factory farm industry is making billions of dollars off of the holiday dinner table.

But what about the cruelty these sentient animals endure? Vast majorities are crowded into factory farm confinement operations where each gets less than three square feet of space. You just have to watch this short video to see how this holiday feast is actually a cruel deception. http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/media_center/thanksgiving_toll.html

Once their genetically engineered bodies reach market weight (which is an average of fifteen pounds) they are packed into crates and trucked to slaughterhouses. Once in this infirmary, they die a not so pleasant death, just to feed us.

So how did the turkey become a symbol of Thanksgiving Day gluttony? Wild turkeys, as colonists would have encountered in ‘New England” four centuries ago surely did not resemble the stuffing crammed bird many serve on today’s dinner table. These birds of yesteryear were able to fly, difficult to catch, and their tenacity had Benjamin Franklin suggest they be revered as our national symbol.

What was the Pilgrims first celebratory meal in 1621 and did they eat manifestations of today’s factory farmed animals? One of the first recordings I found was a celebration of harvest not a “day of thanksgiving”, which colonists would have viewed more as the end of a period of fasting and prayer.

This festival was for Native Americans and Colonists to give thanks for the bounty they had reaped from their farmed lands, and important members of the community gathered for a main course of local grown items which they themselves grew. They did not have national food chains to buy neatly cellophane wrapped processed food from, as we do today.

It seems there are many unfounded legends as to why turkeys are carved up by the millions every year, but none so far to convince me they deserve to die and be eaten. So this Thanksgiving I will once again make my traditional vegan meal and eat it proudly knowing that no animal, feathered, furred or hoofed suffered for my dinner plate.

Care to sponsor the life of a turkey instead of eating one?

https://secure2.convio.net/fsi/site/Donation2?idb=[[S76:idb]]&5451.donation=form1&df_id=5451&autologin=true

Some fun trivia facts about turkeys.

~The long fleshy skin that hangs over the turkey’s beak is called a snood

~ The color of a wild turkey’s naked head and neck area change blue when mating

~ Male turkeys are nicknamed “toms” while the females are called “hens”

~ When turkeys reach maturity they can have as many as 3,500 feathers

~ Faster than a speeding bullet--- wild turkeys can run up to 55 miles an hour

Eulogy for Cicely (November 3, 2011)

2011-11-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

It is upon this day that beloved Cicely (cat) has passed into eternal Kitty Heaven.

Born twenty years ago in Milford CT, into a family who could not care for her, the then nameless kitten and her 8 week old litter mate brother were surrendered to the local dog pound (now known as animal control).

Known only as an impound number, she and her sibling were placed in a steel metal cage, waiting to be adopted into her fur-ever home.

Upon seeing her petite black and white furry frame (suspended from the steel bars), her new mother-to-be could not resist her cute-ness, and upon that moment the adoption commenced.

She was blessed with the name Cicely Fernandes (Haas) and for the next almost decade, shared her life with other adopted critters; her cat husband, Frodo (predeceased), cat sister Pebbles (predeceased) and 4 sibling pooches; Bitsey (predeceased), Dexter (predeceased), Rusty (predeceased) and May-Belle (predeceased).

Upon her human parents’ divorce her furry family shared two homes and adoptive father (William Haas) would often come to visit her and her cat and dog siblings at their mini mansion.

In her new home, Cicely would spend the next 10 + years being a foster sister to countless homeless and shelter animals of many species and gain one new adopted brother, Jack.

Cicely was the most curious of felines, always looking for a paper bag to hide in, bathtub to accidentally fall in, foster pooch to tease, toy mouse to toss around, window to perch in, sun to sleep in, closet to rummage through, heating vent to curl in front of, and occasionally being allowed outside to discover the wonders of mouse-ing, tree climbing, sneaking into any open car window, and (rare) bird catching. She loved to purr, have belly rubs, and didn’t mind nail trims.

Her last days were spent basking in the autumnal sunshine while the fall breezes tickled her whiskers, eating fresh fish, lounging on the front porch watching life pass by, and purring, all while being loved and adored by her human mom.

She is survived by her adopted cat brother, Jack, two outdoor stray porch cats, Snickers and Kit Kat and countless previously fostered critters.

Her mother of twenty years, Cheryl is heartbroken at the loss of her cat companion, but thankful for two decades of purrs and belly kneading.

In lieu of toy mouses, fresh cat nip and canned tuna, she asks for your commitment to microchip and spay & neuter your pets, to adopt your next companion animal from a shelter or rescue group and to help end factory farming.

Internment is private and her ashes will share a special place in her mother’s home, with her other (predeceased) furry family members.

(A special thank you to Ash Creek Veterinary Hospital- Bridgeport CT, Dr. Kristopher Hansen and his compassionate & caring staff for helping Cicely cross over the Rainbow Bridge).

Bats, Black Cats and Hooting Owls

2011-10-31T08:20:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again. Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin airs on television, pumpkin patches become filled with children searching for just the right rounded orange gourd to carve into a jack-o-lantern and retail shops are haunted by ghouls and goblins wanting to buy the scariest and spookiest of Halloween merchandise.

According to the CBS Early Show, ‘Broomstick and Business’ Americans will spend nearly $7 billion celebrating this Halloween season. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-20126955/halloween-anything-but-scary-for-retailers-now/?tag=mncol;lst;2 That, explains National Federation’s Ellen Davis, is about $72 per person and predicts many celebrators plan to spend money on dressing up their family pet.

So why is Halloweens tradition filled with folklore, myths and omens that invoke so many spooky superstitions and ghoulish misfortunes for animals? For thousands of year’s historic myths and monster like predictions of death and doom surround some of our most beloved and sacred animals. Why?

Let’s be reasonable here, cats can’t cast spells, bats aren’t vampires (except for the vampire bat http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/common-vampire-bat/), owls seen during daylight hours aren’t omens of death and a crow’s caw does not foretell that death is upon you. Even in ancient history, the Sparrow was thought to carry the souls of the dead and bring you bad luck if you killed one.

Where do these animal related superstitions come from? Let’s examine a few.

Pilgrims coming to America used religion as reason to hate black cats. Arriving from Europe and England, they brought with them many suspicions, one of them being that black cats possessed evil spirits and anyone owning a coal colored cat would be subject to punishment and even death.

Black cats were thought to be reincarnated spirits who had a supernatural ability to see into the future, and a middle ages myth created the cat into an apparition of a witch who was in disguise.

Animal shelters across the country have often contributed to this beastly myth. By banning or limiting the adoption of black cats during the month of October, shelter workers have inadvertently committed themselves to believing that satanic cults or mischievous monsters rush to animal welfare agencies to trick workers into adopting out a black cat who will then be used in some type of satanic ritual.

I believe that if a shelter has a solid adoption policy the situation can be avoided. As an animal advocate, I do encourage extra vigilance if a suspicious characters inquiry is specific to a black cat, just as I am when someone wants a guard dog, un-spayed female or intact male (but those topics really are for another blog). Even local shelters like Milford Animal Control are often cautious when someone requests a black cat around Halloween and makes certain the adopter has the right intentions in mind when adopting (any animal).

Where are black cats seen as the deliverance of good fortune? The Scottish revered black cats who arrived to someone’s home as a sign of prosperity, while in Ireland and Great Britain the black cat is a symbol of good luck. The Egyptian Cat Goddess, Bast or Bastet, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

also represented good luck. There is even a national black cat appreciation day.

http://blogs.discovery.com/cat-scratchings/2011/08/in-celebration-of-black-cats.html

What about bats? Why are these creatures of the night more frightening this time of year? They are nocturnal, they do hunt after dusk but they don’t suck blood through their fangs. Their beady little eyes and odd shaped heads, along with their sonar style hunting (echolocation) help them catch their prey, which are mostly bugs and insects.

Spiders are beneficial because they entangle insect pests in their sticky web, while toads should not be part of any witch’s brew. In fact they are a good indicator of a healthy environment that has little pollution. When the local toad population dies out, that can be the first sign of environmental toxins and a faulty eco-system.

The silent flight and glowing eyes of the predatory owl make some goblins howl in fright. But owls are not eerie and their screech is not to scare you (unless you plan to do them harm), but to communicate everything from warning oncoming predators to stay away, to juvenile antics and begging momma owl for food.

So superstitions whose centuries old origins of bad luck, omens and predictions can now be cast away to recognize cats as good luck, toads as eco- predictors and bats as bad-bug eaters.

Have a HOOT-Y Halloween.

(Searches used to create this blog)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cat

http://nicheweber.com/niche/halloween/halloween-myths.php

http://www.science20.com/news_releases/go_wild_these_facts_and_myths_about_halloweens_favorite_animals

Milford’s Running of the Bull

2011-10-27T07:46:00.000-04:00

In most urban dwellers reality, a cow is known only by the name the local grocer assigns it. Those terms are: ‘flank, rump roast, rib eye, steak, hamburger; not living, breathing, feeling, sentient being.

Recently Milford, with only 278 acres for agricultural use, another 1,665 acres for open space and only 7 registered farms, has been host to a four-hooved friend. A bewildered bovine has taken up refuge in backyards & wooded areas in the Calf Pen Meadow School area since late June or early July.

When Milford Animal Control was alerted to a roaming ruminant wandering, grazing and ruminating in residential neighborhoods, the investigation to discover exactly how this beefy boy, most likely a fugitive from slaughter, began. From the first photograph sighting, ACO Rick George concluded his black coloring, size and tag in his ear labeled him as a Black Angus breed, who probably escaped from a corral across from Lattella’s Farm on Prindle Hill Road on the West Haven/Orange line, where he was being raised to be food.

Rumors began to circulate that this was one mad cow (I know, a cow is a female, a bull or ox is a male) who refused to end up on someone’s dinner plate. And with that, it seems he decided to create his own fate. He hoofed it right out of that slaughter house queue and into his current life on the lamb.

Always elusive and rarely allowing photographs, this sacred bull somehow seems to sense that if caught, he could end up dying a horrible slaughter house death. So he has kept himself well hidden deep inside his wooded sanctuary, defying statistics to be yet another neatly cellophane wrapped hunk of meat lying about in a refrigerated section of some Piggly Wiggly cut up into pieces unrecognizable, except for the label slapped upon his once living and now decaying carcass.

So what is a dog catcher do when such a brazen bovine challenges fate? Trying to round up a herd-of-one can be quite a challenge, especially when this elusive hoofed ox has settled into the same 15 acres of wooded land where history’s lure claims local residents hid their cattle from the British during the Revolutionary war.

Animal Control Officer Rick George has since created an elaborate humane trap, scaled to fit a nearly 4oo lb, plumped for slaughter steer. But to slaughter he won’t go, absolutely not states Officer George. It seems that if this hapless farmer did want his chattle back, there would be a hefty fine to pay. Thus far, no rancher has claimed him.

Officer George said the bull is skittish, and has organized a reconnaissance type mission; with the help of the State Department of Agriculture, a large animal veterinarian, and a tranquillizer gun, to try and capture the bull before the cold New England winter sets in. “He needs to be moved to a safe place before the weather turns bad”, George said.

George could not stress enough that this bull would not be anyone’s burger. “Not on my watch”, he stated with authority.

As soon as he is safely secured, ACO George said has made arrangements for this herbivore to have a forever farm-charmed life; a life reminiscent to Old MacDonald’s farm, where there is a promise to love, honor and cherish this beefy boy until NATURAL death do they part. He will be living a charmed country cows life, mooingly happily ever after.

What to do with Man’s Best Friend, if a disaster strikes

2011-08-27T06:19:00.002-04:00

Disasters strike at any time and in many forms, sometimes with warning, oftentimes without. Luckily this most recent of hurricanes is giving weather watchers some much needed information on how, when, where and what her potential track might be. It seems that Hurricane Irene is wagging her angry tail in the direction of the whole East Coast and this not so friendly shake is spraying massive rain and wind up and down the Eastern corridor.

CT’s Governor Dannel P. Malloy has launched a State run web site http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=11&q=485102 to help assist residents in getting the most up-to-date information on Hurricane Irene’s angry bite and how to residents can prepare if she becomes unleashed.

So where will Fido or Fluffy end up if we, their human care-takers need to evacuate our homes?

The Malloy web site instructs pet parents to be prepared but it does not list specific locations where our beloved best friends can be temporarily housed. It instead instructs pet parents to have a list of pet friendly accommodations and recommends an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) video and a list of items needed for short term off property housing for our companion critters.

The link on the Governor Malloy web site has a pretty good leash on disaster preparedness recommendations http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?Q=485152&A=1401 as do others like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness/ and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/animal_rescue/tips/disaster_preparedness_pets.html.

Currently our faithful fur balls and feathered friends are not allowed in most human evacuation shelters unless the municipality where you reside has specifically set up a co-located (or co-habitated) evacuation shelter which either includes pets or has created a separate location for pets only.

Now when I refer to pets, this definition of what a companion animal is can vary from town to town and most only include domestic pets such as cats, dogs, birds, ferrets, small mammals (rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice), reptiles and fish. Pet friendly evacuation shelters also include service animals and those pets recognized by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), but then again those animals are allowed to be housed along with their guardians wherever they are as well as at American Red Cross shelters.

Livestock and other large animals are temporarily sheltered at the discretion of the municipality, while exotics, feral or wild animals, poisonous or dangerous animals are not allowed at pet friendly evacuation shelters. Don’t expect your local animal control department to temporarily house or rescue your pets, their focus will be on the homeless and impounded shelter animals already in their charge, responding to injured animal emergencies or managing the co-located evacuation shelter.

To learn more about how many CT municipal animal control departments are working on disaster preparedness plans for our pampered pets, please visit the CT’s State Animal Response Team (CT-SART) web site http://www.ctsart.org/ and see how, when a disaster strikes you too can become involved in your region, helping animals.

If Hurricane Irene decides to roam the streets of Connecticut, you will find me responding to help out our most vulnerable of furry, feathered and reptiled friends; as I am a team member of CT-SART, Region One.

A Humane Conversion

2011-07-09T17:01:00.002-04:00

Last night I attended a second book signing for “The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals Our Call to Defend Them” http://www.humanesociety.org/about/events/the_bond/the_bond_book_tour.html by author and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) http://www.humanesociety.org/ President, Wayne Pacelle, in New Haven CT, at the Yale book Store. The difference this time is that I brought along my good friend John (last name withheld), who by all accounts is an animal lover and compassionate human being, but he is not, or should I say ‘was not’ well informed on many aspects of the cruelty’s and inhumanities which are often inflicted upon animals by ‘we’ the collective human race.

Now as I said, at my previous attendance to one of Wayne’s book signings, I purchased my own copy of “The Bond”, had it personally autographed and even blogged about it when Wayne made an appearance in New Canaan, CT.

You can read my first blog about Wayne’s book signing at http://animalvocations.blogspot.com/2011/04/bond-that-should-be-there.html.

OK, back to last night. Knowing what to expect once we arrived, I was prepared for stories about factory farming, Canadian seal hunts, dog fighting, and a menagerie of other animal related cruelties which many Wayne has not only been witness to, but fights daily to end. Listening to Mr. Pacelle conjured up visual images ‘not for the faint of heart’ and many other images which John had probably never heard in one collective conversation.

Truths about the inhumane use of animals for the sake of self-serving reasons filled the air for over an hour to an overcrowded, yet captivated room of interested and compassionate animal advocated which gathered all for one collective reason; recognition of our personal bond with animals and how to carry that message to others.

Now, at the time I was unaware that John was on information compassion overload and it wasn’t until our drive home that he disclosed to me a sadness which had swept over him while listening to Wayne’s book discussion and the audiences input to their own personal witnesses to animal neglect and animosity towards animals.

John confessed that he felt helpless to the suffering and was ashamed for food and clothing choices which admittedly have been driven by years of conditioned behaviors based on childhood and societal influences.

What to do with all of this information was now John’s newest obsession. He was emotionally exhausted and struggled with understanding how for the past twenty years I have subjected myself to such tragedies as a career choice. I told him that if it wasn’t for my training and certification as a Compassion Fatigue Educator http://www.figleyinstitute.coursehost.com/Engine/Academic/Tools/CoursePublicize.asp?pk=74746&LID=1&ky=d_BPDiQVRgHzDiPRUmf_DgHzrpTOtoHz , I too would not know what to do with all of my empathy. We also had an honest discussion about living within a vegetarian diet and cruelty free consumer choices which have been my common way of life for the past 17 years and how John himself could make a difference.

Knowing that he has to arrive at the conclusion which best suits for his level of compassion, I could not force my choices on him, but instead reminded him that ‘The Bond” was one which he was responsible to create for himself, while being accountable to the animals that are affected by those choices.

Later that night, John and I enjoyed a vegan dinner and dessert.

(Thank you Wayne, for carrying this important message to the people of New Haven, across the country and to my friend John).

-CherylAnn Fernandes

A child’s wish; for the animals

2011-06-14T20:39:00.002-04:00

“Mommie, mommie’, I heard a small voice call out. There I was, standing in front of a dwarfed galvanized metal cage, no bigger than about 5 feet by 7 feet, and abjectly staring at its contents; watching an orange and white striped form of a once majestic and regal tiger, pacing to and fro.

I looked down and saw a child, whose stress filled mommy pleas made me wonder what exactly this little boy was thinking. At that moment, his little mitt grabbed a corner of his mother’s flower printed sundress.

‘What Chi Chu”, the voice of Southern dialect responded, as she mindlessly reached out to hold her sons hand. She too was mesmerized by the imprisoned circus victims. As she answered him, she quickly glanced down and gave a quick smile. “What?” she repeated.

We all stood there for a minute, me, waiting to hear what this small boy might say, while positioned in front of something he might never had seen before.

‘I wish they weren’t in cages”, this little maestro of compassion softly stated to his mother.

Ok, just about then, a few tears formed in my eyes. Now to be honest to my readers, it doesn’t take much to make me tear up. A wounded child, someone being bullied, a rape victim, an abused animal. Those are just my top four favorite tear jerker situations.

“Chi Chu”, I heard the 30 something year old, baby momma, reply to her son. ‘What do you mean, aren’t the tigers beautiful? Don’t you like them?” Ah, my queue to butt in.

‘I understand too”, I muttered to the little 6 (or maybe 7) year old child, who looked quite smart in his striped shirt and pint size baseball cap. “My heart hurts for them too”, I said.

His glance made me pause for a moment. He and I held eyes, like we spoke the same language, if even for a moment.

“What do you mean?” His mother asked me.

“Well, come on, look at them. They live their whole lives enslaved. Never knowing true freedom. Never nurturing their young. Never roaming the open lands. These circuses travel from town to town on highways and back roads, never allowing the animals to experience life as a free and wild creatures”. Is all I could say, though I certainly had more, if given the chance.

“I never thought about it like that” this now baffled, but inquisitive mother replied. ‘But, yes, now I see your point.” She concluded.

“Momma, I saw them at school, my teacher shown us pictures of tigers. She said they should live in faraway countries, where they can be free. She showed us pictures and told us about how tigers are so big and like to hunt to eat”. My newest little hero spoke with such knowledge and conviction, I just wanted to reach right down and hug him. But I didn’t, instead, I choked back tears.

At that moment I silently said a prayer, thanking the nameless/faceless New Haven City School teacher for introducing compassion to her students.

How can this little someday to be a man, have such an understanding of humanity, yet throngs of parents treat their kids to being witness of cruel and inhumane practices every time a circus rolls into town?

Can’t we get beyond the enslavement of wild animals for purely no other purpose than to entertain us? Can’t we visit sanctuaries, rescue centers or environments where wild and exotic animals can live a free and unobstructed life?

Can’t we listen to the wishes of a small yet enlightened soul of a boy and grant him that wish? Let us take the animals out of the cages.

Support the circus which only includes acts of human death defying feats, clowns who toss pies, tattooed women and fire eating men. Not the ones that enslave animals, possibly employ transient workers who aren’t trained or qualified to perform the work they are doing and let’s not go to a place where our children’s safety could be in danger.

The philosophy of old time circuses should not cloud the reality of dangerous conditions (Hartford Circus Fire), animal cruelty (USDA cited violations) and nameless other falsely memorialized attributes that circuses actually provided safe and humane entertainment, because it didn’t and they still don’t.

This blog is written to a boy I heard nicknamed Chi Chu, who wants animals to live and be free; I thank you for speaking out on behalf of animals.

Even if your voice was little, it meant more than you will ever know.

CherylAnn Fernandes

I recommend parents take their kids to this showing of a wild and free elephant lecture.

Here is the link:

http://www.beardsleyzoo.org/visitor-info/events.asp

What, the Price of Entertainment?

2011-06-06T17:29:00.000-04:00

I often wonder what people consider to be entertainment. I realize that some like to attend loud, head banging, thump pounding, visceral engaging heavy metal concerts, while others prefer the soothing sounds of subdued hymnal rhythms, which delicately caress the ear and soul.

I know a guy who has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane 26 times. Yes, that’s right this guy has made the death defying plunge more times than I can count on my fingers and toes combined. I’d call him an adrenaline junkie.

Or, how about my gal pal Linda, who someday plans to hike the whole Appalachian Trail? She has quite a bit of it already covered. But when asked to partake in this version of outdoor entertainment, my response was “Don’t expect me to join you for any overnight camping trips. I much prefer my bed to be bug and wildlife free”. She just laughed.

Seriously though, it is a wonderfully rewarding human opportunity which allows us to have a choice, an option to consider and then decide to or not to do that, whichever it is we want to do. It is the rational decision we humans have, to choose what we consider fun and how we want to spend our days and nights being entertained.

But here is where I implore readers to think before they decide to attend an event which exploits and abuses for the mere sake of degrading entertainment. I truly believe there is no definable reason that inhumanity should be allowed to visit our community or have a place to grand stand its definition of enjoyment, for the sake of mere existence.

What I mean by all of this is, what price, exactly; would you pay to be entertained? Does it matter that suffering ensues? Can you sit back, eat popcorn, cotton candy all the while laughing at clowns under a big top, while waiting for once wild, now captive, exotic animals which are being subjected to living in un-natural conditions, like metal barred, wood bottomed moveable prisons perched on top of heat scorched asphalt to be dragged out of these cages and show up on queue? Can you block out National Geographic images of African Serengeti Plains roaming elephants, nurturing their young while living long healthy existences in family pods of twenty or more and wait for Rosie the two ton elephant, wearing her bejeweled head gear and belly scarf to come barreling into center ring? (Oh and by the way, a typical female in the wild should weigh about four to five tons). Does it matter that tigers probably fear fire but are physically manipulated to endure daily encounters of it under a trainers whip, all the while balancing on a brightly painted wooden stool?

Can you sit in an audience amongst other unassuming ticket holders and witness the occasional bull hook plunging into thick, yet sensitive skin of a terrified (or worse yet, drugged) exotic and once proud elephant? Can you? Doesn’t it matter that our young and impressionable children are misguided to believe that this is how animals should be treated and that they are are even encouraged to witness such tragedies? Shouldn’t we, the consumer and humanitarian make a better choice than to encourage years of volatility against nature and animal kind to occur?

I did make that decision, and I still do. I spend my money where animals can be honored, respected, understood, conserved and live a life as natural as possible without being neglected, abused, tortured or exploited. My personal story included a childhood dream to one day visit Africa. I wanted to witness the grandeur of Mother Nature’s finest creation; the wild as it was meant to be, and in its entire splendor. So as an adult I visited Kenya, and to my surprise, it wasn’t that expensive. I wanted it to happen; so I made it be.

That, is how I believe elephants, lions and other exotic animals should spend their time on this planet. Not crammed in overheated box cars, eating unnatural diets, cowering in fear of what happens next, while lurching along train tracks from one nameless town to another, only to be pushed, prodded and exploited all in the name of entertainment for yet another apathetic crowd of circus goers.

I do believe in my heart of hearts, that human beings, when given the option to make the right choices, do. They decide to treat others and those they are in governance of fairly and humanely and won’t be participants in inhumanity. Nor will they witness it. That, I hope is you too.

I ask that when the inhumane related circus comes to town, you won’t be there, in audience, participating in obvious miscalculations of pleasure. But instead you will be out, enjoying your time off from work, with your children, amongst your friends and in some other non-exploitive manner, like an acrobatic non-animal circus.

That, I do believe is a fair price to pay for entertainment.

(As a side note, the Cole Bros Circus is scheduled to be arriving at the Westfield CT Post Mall on Sunday June 12^th 2011 with two shows per day on Monday June 13^th through Wednesday June 15^th.

This particular circus has had multiple years of USDA violations therefore rendering them to travel under a variety of different USDA exhibitors’ licenses, employs animal workers who have a series of violations pertaining to animal cruelty statutes or have enlisted undertrained and unlicensed animal handlers and have too numerous to list occasions where animals have escaped, caused bodily harm or injury to spectators or other persons in the public who are unrelated to the show itself and who just simply should not be allowed to dupe the system.

JUST SAY NO to the circus! Call Westfield CT Post Mall GM Jim Ralston ( 203.878.6837 ) and politely ask him to cancel this ghoulish event.

If the public is concerned enough not to have such a traveling display of indecency enter the City of Milford, I hope you will let your voice and wallet speak on behalf of banning this type of abnormality in our City limits. Don’t attend the show and ask your elected officials to ban this type of inhumanity from ever occurring in Milford again). For additional information of inhumane circus related information:

http://www.helpelephants.com/circuses.html

http://www.peta.org/tv/videos/animals-in-entertainment/87260245001.aspx

http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/cole+bros+circus/default.aspx

CherylAnn

Heroic War Dogs- Archive Article from 2003/Leisure Life

2011-05-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

The following article was written over 8 years ago. Since then many things have changed to include more of our war dog heroes that have been honored by the military agency for which they have served and allowing some to return home to retire and live civilian lives. Also, not included in this article are the countless numbers of stray dogs who have befriended and even saved many of our military personnel while on deployment. Some of these dogs have also returned to the States, to a heroes welcome!
I would love to hear personal stories from military personnel or their families who might have some experiences with militray dogs or strays who they befriended.

In honor of Memorial Day here is an archived article to remember those who have no voice, the hero dogs of wars gone by.

Heroic War Dogs

War is upon us, gaping through our windows, blaring on our radios and illuminated over our TV screens. We watch as our patriotic American troops fight to protect our Country. As a caretaker of animals it is only natural for my mind to wander to the animals that have also been deployed to serve our United States. Will these loyal creatures be honored for the duties that they provide, or will they be a mere commodity in this confusing struggle?

So what of our proud and gallant wartime service dogs, those many thousands of canine companions that have given their lives to protect our troops and ultimately our freedom? These animals have extreme dedication to their masters and are specially trained human shields as well as very dangerous weapons, who also feel pain, joy and love.

They have been sent out to do a job, and could quite possibly lose their lives performing such a duty. Man’s best friend is truly that, in a time of war.

Military working dogs of all breeds and sizes have been deployed to assist all branches of the military since World War I. The most popular of the breeds seemed to be the German Shepard and the Doberman Pincher, followed by the Labrador retriever.

In World War II the first official account of America’s First War dog hero, Stubby, were kept. He was a Bull Terrier and served over eighteen months and in over seventeen battles on the Western Front. He originally hailed from New Haven CT and was even honored by President Woodrow Wilson upon his return from the War.

Dogs were tattooed, or “branded” in the left ear for easy identification. Their duties ranged from Scout Dogs, which were the eyes and ears of the unit, Combat Trackers, picking up scents and locating missing soldiers, Sentry Teams, walking the periphery of the camp and as Guards and Mine/Booby/ Tunnel Dogs, detecting these potential causality-seeking devices.

It is no wonder that there is a profound bond between human and animal during times of combat when these War Dogs helped prevent over ten thousand American causalities.

Records do not depict the countless canines used in all of our past military encounters but rough statistics kept during the Vietnam War show that a list of over 4,900 dogs went to combat from 1964 to 1975. Of those loyal best friends, only 204 actually exited Vietnam to return to the United States. Though none went to civilian life. The remainder of them were either euthanized, left on the streets somewhere in the Pacific or turned over to the South Vietnamese Army. The horror of knowing that mans truest and most loyal companion served his Country only to be classified as military equipment and declared “surplus armaments” is mortifiably a tragedy. These true canine Hero’s had no voice and their cries went unheard.

One can only hope that today, as our Country engages once again in combat that we honor and respect our Nation’s War Dogs and not leave them behind, let them suffer or pass them by as our Forgotten Heroes.

CherylAnn

A new shelter location deployment

2011-05-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

This morning me and my makeshift posse’ of ten headed outa Memphis north on the highway, letting our GPS guide us to a small town in Missouri, where there we were to find our way to the next shelter that we were reassigned to.

It was a two hour drive and our two car caravan left around 8am. Warm sun and receding flood tides met us along Interstate 55. We saw complete farms filled with river water, power lines sunken mid-way in murky brown-ness and evacuated homes; this was the scenery that became a visual for much of our ride.

Conversation in the Ford F250 Super Duty pick up truck strayed from general joking to more somber topics like the sadness many of us felt for the struggles that the locals must be suffering through.

Before we knew it, we had arrived. How our GPS was able to find the tiny little dirt road leading to our destination of a fairground now turned into an emergency shelter was nothing short of a miracle.

We were given our walking papers from our Incident Commander and told to report two miles down, where the majority of the animals were. Our current location was set up for cats and a few horses. It was amazingly well organized and not in need of us. They told us the dogs, about 60 plus and down from a few hundred were the neediest of new staffing.

Phasing workers in and out with weekly rotations seems to be a pretty stringent procedure. It keeps the emotional risks of compassion fatigue down and allows for fresh workers to replace the tired and worn out crew.

Once we made our way to our next destination we had a briefing and were assigned our duties for the remainder of the week. We are the lucky crew, it seems the overall combined shelter numbers have dwindled from about 500 animals to just fewer than 150. Most have been reclaimed by their once displaced owners after they were able to get back into their previously water ransacked homes.

So there we went, back to hard, but rewarding work, cleaning, walking, feeding and generally adoring the critters we are lucky enough to have in our temporary charge.

I won’t bore you with the evening debrief, or how I found my way to a fabulous Mexican restaurant to plop my worn out body down in to write this blog, or how my one Sangria and vegetarian dinner helped me unwind from the day’s events.

More to come tomorrow, if I am not to ‘pooped’; and yes, the pun was intended.

G’nite ya’all! (said in a Southern drawl)

CherylAnn

Another day of deployment

2011-05-16T22:40:00.002-04:00

May 16, 2011

After yesterday’s 12 plus hour work day and a night out enjoy some local Memphis Blues Music, the 6:15 am wake-up call came way to early this morning.

At least we are in a hotel, and not sleeping in tents, as I had originally expected. I really didn’t know what to expect when I had gotten the original email, asking for trained volunteers to help the ASPCA with the shelter operations they had set up down in Memphis.

My early morning rise included meeting other rescue volunteers along with ASPCA staff, American Humane Association employees and volunteers and then to make the 5 minute ride to the temporary animal shelter.

A local business was generous enough to donate the use of their large warehouse where the building was set up in sections; quarantine, general population, behavior challenged, cats, kittens, maternity ward, veterinary area, staff lounge and of course the command center.

There is use of a back parking lot, which allows the animals to get outside for walks and sunshine, which comes in handy while cleaning the cages.

I was assigned to the general population room with over 60 dogs, though I understand there was over 125, or maybe more, when the shelter was first set up.

Some animals are there only because their pet parents have been staying in Red Cross shelters or temporary housing which doesn’t allow pets. Daily, owners have been coming to reclaim their pets. It is nice to see the reunions happening; it boosts the spirits of the shelter workers.

The quarantine area was another story. I don’t know many of the details, but I understand there was a horder case uncovered during the floods and most of that area is dedicated to medical cases from the hoarder case. Only specified workers are allowed to enter/exit that area.

This afternoon when there were a few minutes of down time, I took advantage of it and cuddled with a litter of kittens. I was even able to get a dose or two of puppy breath, which put a smile on my face.

At the mid day briefing, myself and the CT crew was asked to relocate to a shelter in Missouri, where there has been another temporary shelter set up. I understand this one includes farm animals, and chickens, along with companion animals. Again, I don’t know many of the details, but will know more as we deploy in the morning.

Every night we end with a debriefing, and dinner. Then the night is our own and the animals get to rest.

There have been some awesome folks here, and I am honored to work with such an amazing group of welfare advocates from all over the United States. Safety for the animals and workers, behavior evaluations and enrichment, cleanliness, balance between work and down time, food, food and more yummy food, socializing and an overall comradery has been outstanding and I am honored to work with such an incredible crew.

OK, time for some rest, tomorrow we travel two hours just to dive right into another temporary shelter.

CherylAnn

Day one- Deployment

2011-05-15T00:15:00.000-04:00

We gathered early on this warm Saturday Connecticut morning; the group is an experienced team of animal care professionals, two vet technicians, one ACO, and me. Of them I knew one, the ACO.

We met up at the local car rental agency in Fairfield CT to begin our journey to help animals in Memphis.

From there we drove to LaGuardia Airport to catch a flight down South. Our first stop was Charlotte, then on to Memphis.

Our deployment was on the recommendation of the CTSART which we are all active members of, and from them we were given marching orders to join the ASPCA team once we put our boots (ok, for me, I’m still wearing sandals) on the ground in Memphis.

So once there, we met up with more animal care professionals at the airport and made our way via rental car to the hotel, it’s late and the shelter is in evening mode, but we checked out the location, picked up a few more rescue folks, the made our way to grab a bite to eat and now back to the room for some sleep before the journey of tomorrow begins. It’s time for bed.

We will help the animals of Memphis, starting bright and early Sunday morning. G’nite!

CherylAnn

Why I save animals!

2011-05-01T15:24:00.002-04:00

A pooch named Pickles

Sometimes it is hard to remember all the success stories, we as animal rescue professionals have. It’s no wonder, with all of the field service work we do, countless investigations, adoptions, surrenders, adopters, relinquishers, angry complainants, helpful volunteers, litters of bottle fed kittens, and puddles of puppy pee; that can’t we keep track of all the smiling children walking out of the shelter with their new forever best friend.

But today, years later and miles from the original success story, I was reminded of one very happy tale.

Now, thinking back, I kind of recall the story of Pickles. But not how he began as an abandoned puppy in the shelter, but instead, that he got adopted to a family who didn’t live far from my home. You know the scenario, the typical mom, dad and grade school age daughter looking for a puppy to join their family.

Somehow when they wandered into the shelter I recognized them from the neighborhood where I lived, so I gave them a personal tour, introduced them to a four legged furry fella who lacked a name, and only had an impound number assigned to his cage door. The details get fuzzy from there but when it was all said and done, these fellow neighbors had themselves a new little puppy.

I stayed in touch long enough to chuckle at the name the daughter finally assigned to him, Pickles. Yes, an uncommon name of a chow mix, but who am I to judge what a family names their companion animal?

For a while I would see Pickles being walked in the neighborhood, and even tried to make it a point to drive a little extra out of my way just so I could get a glimpse of Pickles in his new domain of yard and trees, playing with his other new friend, the existing family pooch.

After time went by, and life got even busier, my drive-by’s became less frequent and the need to see Pickles grew less and less, as the other more current issues took over. Pickles just became a successful statistic that I no longer needed to retain a memory of. Honestly, those are the types of memories I like, the ones that don’t disturb me, but remind me that I made a difference and can move on.

But, it was in an instant, while puttering in my yard, on one of spring’s warm weather greetings that Pickles appeared. He was an overgrown bush of a furry old friend, lumbering down my street, with his now quite grown up human teenage sister pretending to hold tight to his leash. Years had aged him, but that face, I had not forgot.

Instant memories of a giggling girl and her beaming parents departing from the shelter with an uncontrollable bouncing puppy brought a smile to my face.

Pickles greeted me, not because he remembered who I was, but because he found a friend on his walk to convince that he needed a scratch behind the ears. And yes, he got plenty of belly rubs and cookies too.

It seems the years really had flown by, Pickles, now a senior dog at about ten wasn’t just a pet. He became a confidant, a secret keeper and so much more. He unknowingly helped his human sister through grade school awkwardness, the death of a parent, prom, a driver’s license, high school graduation and the first year of college.

Now, his teen sister, home on spring break and out for a Sunday stroll with Pickles, granted me a gift I did not know I even asked for; a forgotten memory.

After our brief encounter and the two departed to finish their walk, I stopped my peach tree pruning, turned on my lap top and wrote this blog. I wanted to record exactly how I felt, before it faded into another distant memory.

I felt simple joy. Joy at saving a dog’s life, making a family’s life more complete and updating another successful animal rescue memory in my life.

There is nothing more to this story, other than reminding myself that the work I do, is truly good.

CherylAnn

(To all who work on behalf of animals, please remember that you too, do good work).

Archived Article from 2006/Leisure Life Newspaper

2011-04-24T11:18:00.003-04:00

The article below was originally posted in 2006 in a local newspaper called Leisure Life. I dug it out of my archives to re-post for Easter.

Bunnies Don’t Wear Bonnets

Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing a cute flowered dress, donning a fancy hat or laying eggs? Well, I haven’t, yet Easter seems to have some strange connection to these cuddly and adorable creatures.

Easter has customs with very ancient and nearly universal origins, yet I was confused as to why rabbits are of any significance with this Holiday. My search into the history of why rabbits are thought to make great Easter gifts led me to computer web sites, the local library and a clergyman. One thought was that the hare signifies fertility, which leads to spring, another had something to do with the lunar aspect of the moon and yet another claims that artists used hares or rabbits in their Easter art work, stories and fables. Yet none of these sources gave me the answer to my question, why are rabbits given as Easter gifts?

It seems today, there is not much cultural awareness in regards to the origins of these once popular myths, so marketing has taken over where tradition once stood.

The domesticated house rabbit are usually purchased from a breeder or pet store, given as a harmless, soft, fun loving gift for a child to hold, carry and cuddle, much like a stuffed toy. What the new pet parent doesn’t know it that Thumper and Bugs are actually frightened bundles of nervous energy that can scratch and bite when restrained.

The average rabbit can live up to or over ten years. There are many varieties to choose from with sizes ranging from about three to fifteen pounds. They are very social creatures

and thrive on attention. They like to romp, play, dig, chew and don’t live on carrots alone. These prolific animals need a well balanced diet of pellets, fresh vegetables as well as certain vitamins and minerals.

It seems as if these impulse purchased pets are showered with attention for a few weeks then virtually forgotten about in an outdoor pen to live a life of solitary confinement with an occasional rub of the ears. There are also people who think that rabbits can survive like their ancestors, the wild hare, and cast these timid fur balls into the woods or parks, expecting them to fend for themselves, once their novelty has worn off. In the urban wild, life expectancy or these released pets can be very short. They cannot forage for food like their ancient relatives, and dogs, cats, cars and other hazards can cause a quick demise.

This is not to say that some bunny parents don’t love and adore their sensitive, intelligent, social companions, but they know the responsibility and commitment that it takes to care for their furry little friends.

So with Easter fast approaching and the children pleading for a cute floppy, lopped, long eared bunny, ask yourself this question, why are rabbits given as Easter gifts?

CherylAnn

'The Bond' that should be there

2011-04-18T18:24:00.004-04:00

Last night I attended a book signing, and not just any book signing. After all, it's not every day that the President and CEO of one of (if not the) largest international animal welfare organizations in all the world is in short driving distance to my home. So knowing that Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of The United States http://www.humanesociety.org/ would be in New Canaan CT on his “The Bond” http://www.humanesociety.org/about/events/the_bond/ book signing tour, I just had to go.

I wanted a seat close up and in perfect listening/viewing distance to one of my generations most prolific advocates for animals-all animals, and expecting a large crowd to be gathering for the book signing, I set out early for the New Canaan Library.

Once there and checked in, immediately to my left I was greeted by a table stacked 10 books high and about 10 books long. Anticipation of successful sales, I surmised.

The line had not yet formed, and before it did, I handed over cash-for the book I was eager to delve into.

After quickly assessing the layout of the room, I found a perch perfect seat stage left, a few rows back and immediately settled in to peruse my newly acquired copy of 'The Bond', while waiting for the throngs of animal advocates and Wayne, to arrive.

Now Wayne is a native of our Nutmeg State and I just assumed he would be sharing his time here with family and friends, while getting his book 'The Bond' into the hands of other animal advocates. It turns out, I was right.

In order to keep an eye on the goings on behind me I had to sit sidesaddle in my seat. Quickly the room filled up, and then, with no fan fair or pomp and circumstance, just quietly and graciously, the author himself arrived. Upon his entry, I watched, as well as became an at-will participant in the collective humane energy the room self-created within itself.

Making his way towards center stage while flanked by his devoted family, I thought how fortunate he was to have such caring and loving parents. No wonder he is who he is. I turned back around and awaited his introduction.

Now there is no need for me to repeat an hour long introduction and question and answer session for the book 'The Bond', but I am more than happy to share my experienced 'bond' with the entire evening event.

I, not being graced with the diplomacy that Wayne seems to have been born with would rather launch into a tirade of uncovering the complacency within our own animal cause.

'The Bond', as much as the average advocate believes is there, I believe is not! I repeat, I believe the bond is NOT there.

Yes, we love our companion dogs and cats, and think we love the feathered friends we keep locked in cages or the rabbits sequestered to outdoor hutches and call that a bond. But these 'said advocates' have left out and conveniently forgotten (figures from his speech) 10 billion factory farm animals that sadly grace the food tables every year, the 10 to 20 million animals used for toxicity testing for personal hygiene and cleaning products, and further more, and not to belabor my point, the throngs of animals we disconnect ourselves from because of our own apathy.

Do we REALLY get to pick and choose which animals we bond with and say to Hell with the others? Is that what we have allowed ourselves to be call a bond? Isn't this so-called bond something that is actually concealed in animal species apathy?

OK, let me back up. Forget my little rant, as those words above might be too much for the typical/average advocate to process and internalize as being inappropriate behavior, and I am certain to have already offended many readers, so let's just move on to my point.

If there truly is a bond, as I see the 400 pages of Wayne's book is pleading for the reader to have, then why, why do we separate dogs from chickens and cats from cows? How can we? What gives us the right to pick and choose which animal suffers for our conveniences and which animal sleeps on our bed at night?

How can a cause of animal advocates who are millions strong not see that the bond, albeit that self purposely exists, has yet to be honored towards all living and sentient beings?

I can not be indifferent to the suffering of animals, human and non-human, as I do have a voice and an opinion and a wish that we, amongst ourselves would honor the bond that for centuries has been in the making and display to the world our united front to further the cause for animals and an all encompassing bond to them.

I respect Mr Pacelle for who he is and has become, for his tireless work and incredible passion for ALL creatures and only wish that his unveiling of how systematically the bond has been broken and how much it needs to be repaired, can be.

Thank you Wayne for your diplomacy, your integrity, for writing this book and for being an advocate for The Bond.

CherylAnn

2011-04-03T18:25:00.003-04:00

Wow, it sure has been a long time, OK, OK.... a few years since we posted a blog. Guess it is time to write something and get it uploaded. Stay tuned. Something, not sure what it will be, but something will be posted soon.

Instant Action VS Emotional Reaction

2008-04-03T16:25:00.002-04:00

What constitutes an emergency in the daily lives of animal caretakers?
How can you tell if the situation needs your immediate attention? Is there blood oozing from one of the animals in your care? Is there a dog roaming to and fro and criss-crossing over the highway? Is your supervisor expecting one more insurmountable task to be accomplished by days end? Did you overhear a potential adopter (while talking to the front desk personnel) complain about the adoption rules and you jumped in to explain how ‘it’ works? Is one of your co-workers feeding the cats differently from how you feed them (and you have to go in there for the umpteenth time to show them how to do it, yet again)?
How can you distinguish between all of the above? So what is a distraction disguised to stop you from doing your required work? Or better yet, what is and what isn’t an emergency? What motivates your actions, reality of the immediate need for an outcome to be achieved or just some desire to get involved or to avoid something you really don’t want to do?
Distractions are easy when working with animals, but cuddling a puppy (who is the cutest puppy in the whole world and gets attention from just about every kennel worker) doesn’t help when the budget is due or the fundraiser next month still needs some final touches. Yes, its nice to believe that time spent with the puppy is a priority, but is it? The more you do that, the less time you have to get the other tasks done. Then how many fewer animals will you be helping when the fundraiser is a bust or the town doesn’t approve the budget because you didn’t have enough information to back up your requests?
What really does need your immediate attention and what doesn’t need you (possibly) at all? Can you train yourself to recognize the difference while you are in the middle of the ‘perceived emergency’? So how can we utilize ourselves to the best of our ability and still feel like we did something good for the animals by the end of the day?
Prioritizing and managing your daily activity takes a certain skill set. It requires organization, insight, expectations and an ultimate outcome. Can you learn to do one task at a time and do it well without leaving it half done to chase after another task that really doesn’t need your immediate attention (or can be done by someone else)? What about distributing the tasks you don’t need to be immediately (if at all) involved in? Can you, just let things go and leave it for someone else just as capable?
Instant action is good, it shows motivation, it gets things done and it feels good to be involved. But just make certain the real reason for your involvement is not to distract yourself from the actions you really should be involved with.

-CherylAnn Fernandes

One More Thing

2008-02-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

On the list of to do’s for the day there is but one more item, and it is defending yet another category of animals, those used for food; the slaughter house animals.

With the recent events circulating about the horrific conditions caught in an undercover video and in the possession of the Humane Society of The United States (www.hsus.org) , of the inhumane treatment of animals for human food consumption, discussions and debates around the work water cooler, local supermarket meat departments and even classrooms have been similar; people disgusted and outraged after witnessing the video of downed cows being tortured on their way to slaughter.

It can no longer be denied that animals are being treated with such disgusting and unacceptable cruelty. Even if there isn’t a slaughter house or meat packing plant in the local community for people to witness it firsthand, the fact is, these animals are being killed in horrifying ways just for human needs.

Now that the message has finally reached beyond those in the animal movement, there is no denying this message and animal advocates should be just a few of the spokespeople to stand up for them. Anyone working with or around even companion animals knows how important it is to give them a voice, so why not allow our professionalism help factory farm animals as well?

As humane advocates the message ought to be that all animals be part of the regular dialogue for compassionate treatment. Collectively this field needs to acknowledge and defend the rights of all animals. There is an excellent article in the Saturday, February 23, Wall Street Journal by David Desmodel, called, "Meatpacker to Shut Down In Wake of Massive Recall."
If you’d like to see the entire article, please click on the link below:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120378150987388423.html
Also to keep updated with the leading organization (the HSUS) on this issue and for their Presidents Message, make sure you check out Wayne’s blog at http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/

CherylAnn

My Litter Mates

2008-02-22T15:11:00.002-05:00

Recently I was reminded that my animal advocate friends are a special breed all to themselves. No matter how long it’s been since we have been in touch, or out of touch, seeing them is good for my soul. It keeps me connected to like minded individuals, even if we don’t always agree about controversial welfare issues like Kill/No Kill, TNR or Animal Transports.

It’s too bad that often times many advocates become overwhelmed with non-essential issues and don’t take the time to attend the town next doors fund raiser or won’t register for the upcoming 3-day training conference because they either claim to already know everything there is about the topic or simply just don’t make the time to attend. Either way it denies them of the chance to bond and re-connect with old friends and work associates.
I can’t encourage welfare workers enough to try and find the time to spend together. This is a great opportunity to learn from one another, get re-fueled or just let loose in a safe environment.
After all, our fellow litter mates are essential in the teachings of how to become socialized, properly.

CherylAnn

The New Wave: Social Entrepreneurship

2008-02-21T10:02:00.003-05:00

As Einstein is believed to have said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” And while there are a few things that withstand the test of time: Classic Coke, jack-o’lanterns and New Year’s Eve at Times Square, most everything in our world is constantly changing, mutating or evolving. It is tempting to stick with policies and practices that have demonstrated some success historically, but with societal trends changing constantly, it’s a given that our relationships with animals also change over time. In order to continue to be relevant and effective, we must evolve along with the times.

Social entrepreneurship is the new revolution that provides a new vehicle for enacting strategic, positive social change. To paraphrase the management guru Peter Drucker, a social entrepreneur “always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity”- within the context of a broader social mission. As stated in Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs (J.G. Dees, J. Emerson and P. Economy), “entrepreneurs are innovative, opportunity-oriented, resourceful, value-creating change agents.” As social entrepreneurship occurs both in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, it can create a powerful unity of vision that utilizes the best of both worlds, so to speak, toward a greater goal of social change. Social enterprise, social innovation and social change theory are among the new terminologies associated with social entrepreneurship. Universities across the country are now opening centers and programs devoted to fostering the study and development of social entrepreneurship. Check out the Stanford Social Innovation Review (www.ssireview.com) for articles, interviews and discussions relating to this new movement.

It’s easy to imagine how this new philosophy of achieving a social mission could have far-reaching positive implications in the field of human-animal relationships. As humans, we often avoid change at all costs- even change that is not ostensibly negative. But by playing it safe and sticking with the tried and true, we may be looking at issues with rose-colored glasses and not maximizing our ability for success. It’s really about getting to the next level of effectiveness. In our world, the difference between getting a C for average and an A+ computes into the number of homeless companion animals; the percentage of pets receiving quality health care; the number of human-animal relationships effectively supported; the number of animal cruelty cases; the number of wildlife “culls”; the frequency of food supply crises; the percentage of animals displaced by natural disasters- you get the picture. We can rest on our laurels, or keep pushing the envelope. We can pretty much guarantee that continuing more of the same will give us more of the same; previously effective strategies will only take us so far before they start to lose their power and effectiveness.

Simply put, social entrepreneurs find new and better ways of doing things for the benefit of society. Try on the social entrepreneur hat for size this week. Instead of problems, see opportunities. How can you apply the entrepreneurial spirit to create an innovative approach to an issue of importance to you?

-Liz Clancy

I Just Want to Help Animals

2008-02-14T22:52:00.002-05:00

How many of us started out in the field with the simple, straightforward goal of just wanting to help animals? I recall starting out at sixteen as a volunteer, walking dogs for 3 hours every Wednesday after school. I would mop out the cages and refill the water bowls, leaving the dogs exercised and more comfortable, at least for the moment. At the end of my shift I would head to the subway, exhausted, but feeling great. It was a visceral feeling of satisfaction, of having done a good thing. I was helping animals.

As my understanding of animal welfare issues grew and my career developed, my roles changed. I began to see that helping animals often gets complicated. Staffing, funding, resource issues. Mission conflicts. Board of director struggles. A disconnect between the reality of the issues and public perception. Legal loopholes. Too many animals, not enough time. Sometimes the work of the day seemed far removed from helping animals.

But I’ve come to realize that writing a policy memo or holding a departmental meeting can be key to ensuring positive progress. The contributions made outside the arena of direct animal care are an integral part of effecting positive change for animals.

Some days we need to gain satisfaction from walking a shelter dog. And some days we need to be fulfilled by writing a program grant. Both are important. Both help animals.

-Liz Clancy

If You're Happy and You Know It

2008-02-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

Remember that old elementary school rhyme? Some school teacher or camp counselor gathered everyone in a circle having each kid make up their own version of the chorus. It would begin with “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands, if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands, if you’re happy and you know it and you’re not afraid to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” By the time every kid chimed in their rendition, pulled ears, patted heads, stomped feet and the like were all ways they displayed a state of well being.

Now imagine having a bunch of animal welfare advocates standing in a circle trying to mimic the joys of childhood revelry. With the overwhelmed and overstressed lives many of us lead what if a supervisor implemented that exercise at the next staff meeting? I have thoughts it might go something like: “If you’re happy and you know it deny an adoption, if you’re happy and you know it arrive to work late, if you’re happy and you know it and you’re not afraid to show it, if you’re happy and you know it yell at your staff.” It’s interesting that people become so frustrated and express it in unhealthy and inappropriate ways, without even realizing they are doing so.

There is no denying that professionalism is a requirement when dealing with fellow workers, employers, staff and the public. Why then does a bad morning or earlier frustrations affect the way one deals with the person in front of us?

I once heard a speaker mention the term ‘transfer of aggression’… the reference was in a story about two sibling dogs being walked by their pet parent on a coupler leash. When the pooches spotted another dog across the street they went crazy, barking incessantly and trying with all their bodily force to lunge across the road for a confrontation with their adversary. They worked themselves into a type of chaotic frenzy, focused only on getting at that other dog. But once the dog passed and the focus was no longer available, they turned their frustrations on each other. They snarled at and bit one another and continued their argument until the person holding the leash separated them. These two dogs regularly slept together and shared a food bowl yet were so out of control at the lack of having their needs met they became aggressive to one another.

Often time that same behavior comes into a person’s every day life, especially when working with animals. There might be an dispute with a co-worker regarding the over or under feeding of cats, or a volunteer isn't abiding to the proper dog walking safety rules or maybe a supervisor requests some overwhelming task requiring a days end completion.
It’s no wonder that when a single mom and her 3 year old walk into the shelter to adopt a 6 week old kitten the adoption counselors head practically explodes. With that one uneducated statement, their mind is already made up, there is no getting a kitten from this shelter.
To begin with 6 week old kittens are too young to be adopted. And a three year old toddler would certainly be too rough on the tiny little kitty. In a feeble attempt to educate this unenlightened mom, she is shown a nice calm 5 year old torti cat; explained the benefits of adult cat adoptions, only to offer a deaf ear to the worker.
There is no budging; this woman and her sniffling little child are not qualified candidates for a kitten, end of story. The mom gets angry, only to leave the shelter and adopt elsewhere. If that doesn’t contribute to an already toxic morning, then the next boob, a guy looking for a guard dog, does.

Now let’s admit it, the day isn’t going very well and it’s only getting worse from here. Maybe it’s high time for some self evaluation and possibly even self care.
Is asking a supervisor for an early lunch, a break from the front desk or a trip to the store for a cup of coffee such a bad request? Is there a confidant or co-worker who can be a trusted ear and not commiserate with the already miserable mood? What about deep breathing exercises, sitting still for a few minutes or if things are really out of control, taking the rest of the day off as a mental health day?

Remember, if you’re happy then you probably already know it. But if you’re not, you should know that too.

CherylAnn

Touchdown

2008-02-07T20:03:00.000-05:00

It’s been a jubilant week here in New York after the Giants’ victory on Sunday. It reminded me of the coordination and communication required to pull off a well-executed play that scores a touchdown.

The animal care professions are growing in number and specialty. Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal care specialists, shelter and kennel managers, receptionists, trainers, behaviorists, animal communicators, pet sitters, humane educators, senior administrators, pet supply store owners, ethicists, professors, groomers, doggie day care managers, zoo curators- and the list goes on- all play a role in supporting and promoting positive human-animal relationships. In order for the efforts of each segment to be effective, every profession needs an awareness of who their partners are and what they do. In turn, this information needs to be conveyed to those who can utilize these services- members of the public.

If you work in an environment in which many different types of animal care professionals work closely together, are your activities well coordinated? Are the lines of communication open? Or do you operate on separate floors and with separate goals and priorities? If your work environment reflects a single profession, do you know your animal care partners in your community and what services they can provide to your clients? Do you think your clients are aware of all the animal care resources available to them?

Our collective effectiveness and positive progress depend upon our ability to coordinate our activities and play the positions that are our strengths. Make a point this week of getting to know one of your professional partners better.

-Liz Clancy

Orphaned or Embraced?

2008-02-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when you decided or discovered you had a passion for animals? What was your primary and motivating factor? Did you have an ability to connect with them? Did you feel safe around them? Did you want to help them? What was it? What was your true desire?
Now, think back to the first time you either applied for a job in animal welfare or volunteered on behalf of animals. Try to awaken the feelings you had and the joy you felt in thinking you could make a difference in their lives. Can you recall just how simple your thoughts were for your desire to make such a monumental difference?

For me, it began before I could even remember. I always found myself clinging to all which was furred, feathered or scaled. As a pre-teen, I often walked through the neighborhood, clutching a clip board with one palm while the other sweaty fist rattled change in an old donations canister (which was plastered with pictures of bloodied baby harp seals). I hoped against all hope that maybe, just maybe, if I raised enough money and got enough signatures, I would end the senseless slaughter of seals everywhere. That was years ago. The killing continues. But I believed and I hoped, and that is what embraced my spirit and desire to help animals. As it does to this day.

Ok, let’s get back to where we were.
Did you feel welcomed by the organization or establishment where you applied? Do you remember what the application asked for? Did you need experience? Many overwhelmed and understaffed organizations tend to hire those with experience rather than train someone new. Why did you choose that particular organization? Was it local or did their reputation sound like the type of place you thought you could make a difference at? What did you think of the person conducting the interview? Did you believe you had similar aspirations and could help the animals jointly? At that time did you pay notice to the expectations of long hours, low wages, and the limited, if any at all, benefits package? Or were you just so thrilled that this was your best opportunity to help animals?

When your application was accepted and you showed up for day one of your new mission to save animals did you at least get some type of basic ‘how to’ course in whatever it was your job required you to do? I’d assume it wasn’t the fireworks and grandiose we all want for our first day, but that was ok, you got the job and that was all that mattered, then.

So there you were, on the job. How long did it take before the realities of working for someone else’s agenda take to sink in? Days, weeks, months, or are you still hoping someday that all animal cruelty will end, people will spay and neuter their companion animals and no longer will animals be cast off by a merciless and inhumane race? And if so, is it here, with the current organization you work for, going to help make your reality happen? Did you find that on your first day, or your 5,000th day that your needs got met? Did you get the satisfaction and the rewards you so hoped for before you began your journey to save lives and educate people on behalf of animals?
So how long did you last at your first animal job? Have you moved to another organization just to find that many things seem like the same old rhetoric from your last job? Or have you stayed with your first choice because it still works for you, sometimes?
Circumstances change, yes, but emotionally do you? Have you forgotten why you made the decision to help animals? Did you get caught up in the politics of the organization, the volunteers, or the public persona of who you are and forgot what you originally wanted to do?

But here is the real question, how is it that what we believed so wholeheartedly, upon entry into the world of compassion and the saving of animals, do we now often times find ourselves disillusioned? Why do some of us make it, and some of us just can’t seem to, no matter how hard we try? Is it the odds, like a numbers game, the lottery of human souls who try and fail for the animals? Are the odds stacked against certain advocates before they even get into the vocation?

I recall two very similar people who I have been fortunate to have worked with. One, a young girl who was about 13 at the time we met. She never held a paid position working for me, but her quality of work, her dedication and her desire pushed her passion to help animals, regardless of the lack of pay. She needed school credits and used her passion for the animals to get almost perfect grades throughout school. Her entry into my life taught and continues to teach me lessons of mentorship and how important it is to be kind and compassionate to my fellow human beings, so they can carry our mission on behalf of animals. She remains uninterrupted in the offerings to help animals and is well on her way to college, where her major is in pre-veterinary medicine.
Then there was this young, hip twenty something animal enthusiast. She came to a job fair advertised in the local paper; all dressed up and hopeful she would find a job working with animals. I liked her style and her attitude, not to mention her aptitude. She was also ‘present’ during our discussion. She brought experience, hope and willingness to the interview. She was hired on the spot.
We worked well together. I saw her as a giving and spirited employee, with animals and adopters always on her mind. She worked long strenuous hours, cleaning cages, arriving early, staying late and even making decisions to euthanize animals (never an easy thing to carry in one’s heart). After I left that employer she continued her tenure for about another year and a half, but we kept in touch.

We once reminisced on her disappointment that I wasn’t still her boss. See, her birthday passed and she didn’t get the expected birthday cake, which was then and still is a tradition with my staff, wherever I go. I saw the gift of her giving from her soul, even sacrificing time away from her daughter to go to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and help with animal welfare issues there.

Then one day I heard she was leaving the organization, out of frustration and a lack of overall good energy from her employer. She left the field, it seems there was no hope and no place for her to turn, the meager salary didn’t allow her to pay for even basic living expenses, but the money as a secretary would. Now, she types away at some desk in some far off corporate office, away from her soul’s desire. I believe her servitude for the animals didn’t last long enough.

Why do some welfare employees become orphans while others get embraced?
How does the field of animal welfare allow such gifted people to slip from its grip? Can’t the industry recognize talent and passion? Why does the pay and hard work not match the dedication to helping that which we so desire? Why do people leave the field? Are they pushed out by low pay and lack of decent health benefits? Is it the long hours or is it simply compassion fatigue? How about an under appreciation from the employer? Could that be? Or is it the employer who is disillusioned by too many expectations from their staff? Can the employer somehow recognize and cultivate long term relations with their employees and honor the capable individuals who are the faces, guts and grit of the organization? Can the field offer to its workers security, safety and abundance, which in turn will allow them to stay and flourish, both personally and professionally?

I say, why not embrace them and keep them in the clutch? There are too many ‘others’ who have been orphaned in the animal world.

CherylAnn

It's 3 pm: Did You Take Lunch Today?

2008-01-31T16:05:00.000-05:00

Animal care professionals, who would never forget to feed the animals under their care, or would never even consider skipping an animal feeding because they were too busy with other things, are paradoxically particularly prone to skipping their own lunch break. I’m a former offender in this regard; I used to eat yogurt for lunch largely for its portability. I would jump from meeting to “crisis” to phone calls, carrying my little plastic container and swallowing spoonfuls of mixed berry between stops. Before we know it, this progresses from an occasional occurrence to an everyday one in which the idea of a lunch break becomes a distant memory, and skipping lunch or eating on the run becomes a bad habit.

A big part of how this happens relates to how we define the terms “urgent” and “emergency”. It’s so easy to categorize just about everything (except of course lunch) as a matter requiring our immediate attention. The client who needs some information; the employee who has a question or issue that needs to be dealt with; the animal who needs a cage change or a walk- all of these types of situations demand our attention, and our immediate response is that they need our attention now. But is this truly so? If we stop and think about it, most situations can be handled later, or someone else can take over for the time being. And in truth, taking the time for lunch restores and reenergizes us so that we are able to do our best work- and in the end, everyone benefits. If you are constantly running on empty, you will not be operating at the peak of your potential.

So, for all you lunch offenders (and you know who you are!) I call you today to take a small step. Start planning for a new habit in 2008: bring back lunch. Start with a baby step: if you’re a daily offender, start by committing to a fifteen or thirty minute break each day- or a full lunch break once a week. Work yourself up to a daily lunch break in which your goal is to nourish, restore and reenergize yourself.

And put this sign somewhere you can see it everyday:
It’s 3 pm: did you take lunch today?

-Liz Clancy

Under Construction

2008-01-28T13:00:00.001-05:00

How can our industry influence both ourselves and others in the way animal welfare is viewed? Do we continue using the same language of yesteryear? Or do we look for innovative ways to create fundamental and lasting changes?

Evidence in our history proves that there were major pioneers in our movement. Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), George Thorndike Angell, founder of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and Caroline Earle White, founder of the Women’s SPCA of Pennsylvania, are just to name a few. In their day, they introduced society to the reality of animal cruelty and its negative reverberations on humanity. In turn their actions eventually changed the American landscape, for all animals.

How would they see the world of today? Would they still be influential? Would they applaud or be appalled at how much or how little has been done to help animals and people?

Thankfully today’s pioneers are ever emerging and carrying the torch of our forefathers. Just look at any of the major national and international organizations that influence the 21st Century. We can see innovation from creation with the click of every key pad or the glance at any web site. Read a blog; see in action humane society staffers at disaster sites or lobbying congress. Watch the news and witness reporters covering animal stories each and every day. Do we as a movement have the capacity to go even further?

Just look at where some of today’s leaders are guiding us. They are reaching beyond the inner circle, gaining ground with political allies, forming corporate partnerships, and modernizing the theme of yesteryear. It seems like the future is finally here. Now, all we as individuals need to do are participate.

For me it’s an exciting time to be part of animal protection as a social movement.

-Cherylann Fernandes

Play Catch Up or Scan the Horizon?

2008-01-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

So often it seems that, in the animal care professions, we operate as responders rather than pro-actors. We run breathlessly trying to keep up, and when we finally do, that race is already over and there’s a new one in progress. Whether it’s finally getting new cage runs that in truth only bring you up to standards and technology from 10 years ago (in a building that is old and poorly located); implementing new veterinary care services years after pet ownership trends saw the need coming; or struggling to find funding for a program that you started to plan in the 1990’s, it seems that this approach is getting us no where real fast.

I’m not suggesting that we live in the future instead of the present; surely we need to address today’s challenges. But let’s strive for quicker problem solving and implementation so we have time, resources and energy left over to prepare for what’s to come. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be way ahead of the pack instead of lagging behind.

Liz Clancy

Seeing Clearly

2008-01-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

What’s the reality of why and who actively participates in the world of animal advocacy? Some might want to stop all cruelty, neglect and use of animals for human needs. Others might focus on companion animal overpopulation and their euthanasia in shelters. While some might believe that all animals should have rights. But whatever one’s personal choice to engage in animal advocacy is, we as a compassionate community need to allow others their own reality yet strive for unity through vision.

Webster’s Dictionary lists 6 definitions of unity. The first one states: the quality or state of being or being made one. So with that said how do we as a community of advocates, activists and humanitarians establish an ultimate unification for the animals? And do this without losing our own self beliefs?

It begins through vision. .Vision has a definition of: unusual wisdom in foreseeing what is going to happen. The power of vision enables us to have hope, it allows us to organize towards a goal, it allows us to proceed forward and create changes. Sometimes our vision is small in scope, only seeing our present state of being, and not believing we have any influence in the bigger picture. But in reality, each and every one of us is somehow interconnected to that bigger picture. As an individual, one can take their knowledge and expertise and interface it with the current society of animal advocates and activists to forge a united front, a state of being or being made one for the animals.

If fused properly, vision combined with unity and focus equals success.

CherylAnn Fernandes

Cultivating Leadership

2008-01-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

In her piece posted on the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Rosetta Thurman provides a wake-up call to all those interested in the stability and sustained future of not-for-profit organizations. Thurman describes an industry in transition- one in which large numbers of baby boomers are preparing to retire from senior leadership positions, with a projection that 640,000 senior not-for-profit managers will be needed by 2016. Clearly the future of not-for-profits is contingent upon how the baton gets passed- but are young emerging leaders being adequately prepared for this responsibility?

Certainly this issue has relevance for the animal care industry, and mentorship plays a key role in fostering the interest and career development of young people and adults in career transition. Humane education and other activities provide a spark to those individuals who have an innate interest in animal issues, but are we doing enough to sustain and cultivate that interest? Those attracted to the animal care professions still have to wander around a bit to find resources to help them develop their careers.

The growth of formalized training and academic programs in our field has provided a vehicle through which to prepare individuals for a wide variety of animal care professions. Mentorship post-graduation is just as important to the continued success of these individuals. Converting concepts and theory into practice, and moving from the classroom to the real world can be a daunting experience. I have found lessons gleaned from mentors to be among the most important aspects of my career development. Mentorship will ensure that our talented emerging leaders will have the support and preparation needed to prepare them to lead the animal care professions into the next century- and that they don’t become lost and wander away to another profession.

Mentorship can occur in many different ways: from an informal conversation to more formal relationships. As Thurman points out, all junior employees, regardless of position, should be given an opportunity to step outside of their job descriptions and experience a leadership activity. Given its importance to the future of not-for-profits, mentorship should be seen as part of organizational mission, and not only something that’s done as an afterthought.

You can read Rosetta Thurman’s article, “Preparing the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders”, at http://www.ssireview.org/opinion/entry/preparing_the_next_generation_of_nonprofit_leaders/

-Liz Clancy

Finding Your Center

2008-01-14T11:57:00.000-05:00

Working with animals can sometimes be an overwhelming career. Whether we are in a hands-on position as caretakers or working behind the scenes in an administrative position, we work tirelessly trying to get our jobs done all the while making sure the animals we are serving get the most of our attention. We get to work early, forfeit our lunch breaks, opting instead to eat at our desk or snack on a dried out sandwich in between walking dogs and cleaning cages, leave work well past the end of our regularly scheduled shift, never seeing daylight and often times miss out on the Friday friends night of fun because we are just too exhausted to join them. Plus, most of our friends are already either foster homes or have been guilt-ed into adopting some death row dog or flea bitten cat, so why bother spending time with friends who can’t help the animals more than they already have anyhow?

We drag ourselves home, eat bad takeout or leftover food, only after we’ve fed our menagerie of collected critters that were rejected by society in general and turn on the television, just to fill the empty air. We collapse in bed that is, if we can make it off the couch, just to obsess over the days activities and which animal did or did not get their needs met. We dream about how tomorrow will be different and how we will dedicate more time and even more effort to finding that fear aggressive dog or semi feral cat a forever home. We awaken with the never enough rest hangover and start the day all over again.

At the end of all of this, what is left for ‘self’?

For me, I was never able to help as many animals as I thought I could in any given day. Though it wasn’t from lack of trying, that’s for sure. Ask any of my friends from my old ‘dog catching days’. They could tell you how I virtually disappeared into the world of too much work for not enough pay. They will tell you how my conversations always included some sad story of an abused and mangy kitten called Whiskers or some homeless three legged half blind dog named Lucky.
There was never a night that went by without my house filled with kitten mews or puppy poop. My own furry residents resigned themselves to a rotation of temporary tenants, these animals were in and out quicker than my house mates could hide their toys or gulp down their kibble.

I lived in a state of deprivation. Never feeding my soul, but hanging out the ‘free for the taking sign’ on my heart. I gave until there was no more to give. Then I gave some more.
I remember the sleepless nights and the fears that I wasn’t doing enough to make a difference on behalf of the animals. I almost couldn’t stop myself from over giving. I was
exhausted. There were lots little signals all along the way that told me to stop and take a breath. But I didn’t listen.
It took a number of failures (only now do I see they were fail forwards) until I finally realized that doing good for the animals wasn’t doing good for me. Don’t ask me how, because to this very day I still don’t know how, but I stopped. I can’t say exactly when I had that moment of Zen, but I did. I knew my life was on a path of emotional destruction, to an end with no means of escape. I took a deep breath and just stopped.

I haven’t stopped helping animals, but I have stopped engaging in behavior which doesn’t benefit me, and I don’t feel selfish. I do what I can, if and when I can. I say ‘no’ more often than I ever did in my whole life and I actually feel refreshed and better balanced and more equipped to help the animals. I now do what I can and let go of what I can’t.

For me I now believe that it’s about helping the people who help the animals, not just shelter workers, or animal caretakers, but anyone who has compassion and a willingness to be open to sharing this planet with other sentient beings. That, in part, is my new mission on behalf of animals.
I hope, if you find yourself in the midst of your own internal battles, that you too can find your center.

CherylAnn Fernandes

Data is Not a Four-Letter Word

2008-01-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

As the modern animal protection movement has developed into many different professions, there has been increased attention to the need to document what we know by performing and publishing research. In the 1990’s, a surge of activity in animal welfare research began- but the field has not effectively embraced a commitment to continued growth in research. Little attention is given at many of our professional conferences to advancements in welfare research, which are largely devoted to (with the exception of veterinary medical research) operational and philosophical issues. In addition, relatively few financial and staffing resources are set aside for data collection and analysis. For animal care professionals, direct animal care activities usually take top priority, and examining data is often far down the to-do list, or deemed unnecessary. Moreover, there appears to be a discomfort and, in some cases, an aversion to using data to inform our practices and to test our assumptions. Amazingly, large and well-funded program initiatives are still undertaken with little or no data to support the program premise. In our approach to data collection, our bark is bigger than our bite.

Collecting data certainly includes randomized studies, clinical trials and large surveys- all of which we need more of in the animal care professions. But at its root, data collection simply boils down to getting information. It means asking questions- of employees, colleagues, clients and the public. It means observing interactions- between people, between animals and between people and animals. It means questioning- our assumptions and perceptions, and those of society. Getting information is an activity that all animal care professionals can participate in, on every day on the job. It is really no different from researching different travel destinations, comparing interest rates on bank accounts, or getting to know a new neighbor- all activities with which we are well acquainted.

The more we know, the more we can do.

-Liz Clancy

If it ain't broke-fix it

2007-12-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

How often do we as individuals perform our work duties in the same mundane manner, day in and day out? We show up for work, taking the same route, parking in the same spot, carrying the same contents in our lunch bags, and arrive on time, or within that 5 minute ‘tardy’ time- to just follow the same routine as yesterday. Typically our daily work activities have been set as precedent by the job description, the employee who conducted the training or just by the nature of the job. Our experiences sometimes come into play, but are often underutilized, as we make the unconscious decision to stick to the same routine. Well why not; if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

But where does that leave room for personal or even employee growth? How do we excel, or use our talents to accomplish bigger and better results, whatever the situation?

Given today’s sometimes stressful work place, employees often times don’t want to ‘rock the boat’, offer input or advice due to fears their voices won’t be heard or that their supervisor hasn’t requested any input. But, knowing that routine doesn’t always equal success, why is the ol’ ‘cog in the wheel’ so mainstream in today’s employee/employer relations?

Making a difference for the animals is always on a shelter worker's mind, but why isn’t it also important for the worker themselves to find ways to enhance the current conditions, for everyone involved? Can’t that same employee recognize when something can be just a tad bit better, and if so, can’t that same employee go ahead and make minor changes without fear of ‘rocking the boat’?

Too often animal welfare organizations beat to the same drums of yesteryear. They preach the same rhetoric, advocating old philosophies and ideals and even utilize old standard protocols and procedures. Industry statistics don’t predict the average age of kennel workers, but just walk into any brick and mortar and you will see younger and younger hands on technicians and animal handlers filling the shelter walls. They are however mixed with old school thinkers, the ones who have scrubbed cages and fed the animals exactly the same way for years, and who sometimes challenge the changes the more progressive staffers might want to initiate. Even new ‘bosses’ bringing in up to date or new ideas to their positions are often met with skepticism by nay sayers.

Change can often be painstakingly slow, even when things don’t look like they need to be changed. So let’s not let ‘newness’ become the dividing line between the usual ways daily routines have been traditionally performed. But get everyone on board, one at a time if necessary and let’s open the proverbial kennel doors to question the belief that ‘routine is right’ when fixing it is really the issue. After all it might be broke without anyone even knowing it.

CherylAnn Fernandes

Opportunity for Change

2007-11-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

How does one individual effect change? Can one sole person make a fundamental difference for animals? We believe so. In January 2007, we formed Animal Vocation Resources, LLC in order to provide a professional forum for individuals interested in working with animals and for animals. There has been an incredible amount of growth and diversification in the animal care professions in the last 15 years or so, and now "going to vet school" is no longer the only option. New opportunities abound in which a broad range of skills and interests are integral to supporting the needs of our industry like never before. Dog catchers of yesteryear are long passe; just watch Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel and you will see innovative careers that help support the human-animal connection.

Passion and an interest in animal issues are only part of the equation to achieving positive change. Matching talents, skills and career aspirations to organizational mission and work culture is key to job satisfaction and organizational effectiveness.

An opportunity for change and positive growth on behalf of animals starts from within. Join us as we explore the changing landscape of the animal care professions and pose new options for "helping people who help animals."

-Liz Clancy and CherylAnn Fernandes