Zoe, the Earless Kitten

Here's a touching story with a moral lesson and a happy ending. And it's now been made into a book - one written by a young girl. Great to see such a young person sticking up for the rights of animals and actually doing something to make things better. You GO, Lexy!

No-Kill Shelters and Animal Adoptions

Check out Jana's blog, "Writing Today's Wrongs." She blogs on all kinds of things, as she explains: "This blog is dedicated to the many moral issues in American society that need action. The main danger to the rights and lives of humans and animals is lack of general knowledge by the public! This blog will try to right the wrongs of today by giving readers factual information and weapons to fight inequality and injustice in American society."

Bless her heart for spending her time to work for the betterment of all. Oh, that more people would feel such things are important enough.

Deaf Dogs from Down Under!

Here's Three Happy Heelers, a kewl blog from my friend Dooby over on the TreasureTime metal detecting forums.


He and his wife have three Australian shepherds, heelers. Two of them -- Louie and Callie -- can't hear, but Dooby says that's ALL they can't do! Gus seems to be the leader of all things rompy and fun. Give 'em a visit, okay?

Hind Over Matter: Tashi the paraplegic kitten learns to walk!

Go Tashi! Here's a hopeful tale from our own neck of the woods:

RINGOES, N.J. -- A medical marvel in more ways than one, Tashi the kitten was born with a congenital spinal cord condition that paralyzed his hind legs. But Tashi, unaware of his handicap, is still making every effort to walk.

Rescued from a feral cat colony in Ohio, nearly 6-month-old Tashi recently arrived at Tabby's Place, a cage-free cat sanctuary in Ringoes.

"Everyone was very excited about Tashi coming," said Tabby's Place founder, Jonathan Rosenberg.

Tabby's Place specializes in finding homes for cats in desperate circumstances. If not placed, cats like Tashi can remain at the New Jersey facility for life.

"Just having these cats here and being able to help them is really why we do this," Rosenberg said.

Read more...

Well, I'll be dogged!

Not necessarily about disabled pets, but about all kinds of dog subjects that could include such a topic is reiki practitioner Beth Lowell's blog, "My Life With Dogs." She writes about the life she shares with her dogs, Dasher and Bella, and a host of friends and neighbrs of varying species.

Conversational, varied, interesting and written with a genuine voice, this dog blog is a real treat for dog lovers or animal enthusiasts in general. Each post feels like sitting across the kitchen table from a good friend, sharing news of the neighborhood, watching various comings and goings, and sharing a laugh or two. Punctuated by Beth's Twitter updates, a critter photo gallery, suggested reading list and more, Dog Blog is a real joy.

Give it a shot -- I bet in no time, you'll have subscribed to the RSS feed to get a daily shot of a guilty pleasure. enjoy!

Special Pet Space

Where your special pet is precious...

Most pet owners would do just about anything for their four-legged friends. A woman in Rosharon, Texas, has helped hundreds of pet owners by developing a device that helps dogs get around. A devastating medical diagnosis for Laurie Miller's beloved dachshund, Penny, who had surgery for a ruptured disk and could no longer walk, led to she and her husband coming up with a doggie cart to help it get around.

"We looked for carts and my husband was like, 'I could build her something,'" Laurie says. After trial and error, they found a cart design that worked by lifting the dog's hips so she could roll along. Through word of mouth, a business was born. A website helps the Millers sell the Dogs To Go carts for between $50 and $110.

"One reason the carts are so inexpensive is that their parts are pretty affordable," Miller said. "They're made from PVC pipe and stroller wheels." And the Dogs To Go carts have changed the lives of many pets and their owners.

Now Laurie wants owners of disabled pets to know about a site just for your special needs pet, http://specialpetspace.net76.net/. The editors of SpecialPetSpace say "SpecialPetSpace is your place to share stories about your precious disabled or special pet!"

Understanding the needs of handicapped pets and helping one care for them is very important, and one way people can do this is to share their stories. Thousands of people are caring for pets with special needs; senior, geriatric, injured, recovering from surgery, cancer, terminal illness, arthritis, paralysis, physical handicaps and more. Communicating with others who share this special experience with pets can make the journey a little easier for all involved, and SpecialPetSpace provides a place to share videos, audio, photos and stories about your precious disabled or special pet.

In The Interest of Preventing More Pet Disabilities...

Okay, here's one in the vein of trying to keep more animals (and others!) from becoming disabled due to unnecessary injuries:

The UK website, Fit For Life, carries this tidbit from the November 3, 2007 edition of Veterinary Record, the British medical journal. It was contributed by vet Graham Campbell, who asked for it to be as widely publicized as possible. (If you're squeamish, read with care but please don't ignore.)

Graham describes a woman coming to the surgery covered in blood and holding a small Jack Russell terrier. The dog had approached and licked the top of a shredder that had been left on standby. The shredder ripped out and shredded the dog's tongue.

With more of us having these devices in the home to guard against identity theft, the risk of accidents increases. It isn't just small dogs; it's cats, children, your hair, even that long drifty scarf wrapped around your neck. It's whatever touches the shredder when you lean over it to reach something else or to put something through it.

Best solution? Put all shredders out of reach and keep them unplugged unless you're standing there, feeding paper in.