For anyone who wants information about what's happening regarding animals in our world, ANIMALS 24-7, founded by Editor Merritt Clifton, is sure to satisfy expectations.

With thousands of items, the ANIMALS 24-7 webSite is one of the largest repositories of articles on animal issues on the Internet, and all topics that affect animals are covered.

Petfinder is for those who want to save a life by adopting from a shelter. Most people can get just what they want. Petfinder is a directory of homeless pets and pet adoption organizations. You can search for the pet that best matches the qualities you want. You can reference a shelter's web-page and discover what services it offers. Petfinder also includes classified ads, discussion forums and a library of animal welfare articles.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the oldest animal protection organization in the United States; founded in 1866 by Henry Burgh. It is a national humane organization based in New York City. The ASPCA website is very rich in easily accessible information for pet owners.

Of particular interest to Gulf Coast residents is their section on "Disaster Preparedness".

Red Rover (formerly: United Animal Nations) facilitates after-disaster animal rescue. It has a network of skilled volunteer rescuers nation-wide who can move quickly when needed to rescue animals in distress after natural or man-made disasters. Besides this function, for which they are well known, and relied upon by other organizations (even the largest organization calls upon them in disaster-recovery situations); Red Rover has an effective program of humane education for school children, and offers rewards for reporting cruelty.

The LA/SPCA was founded in 1888, the same year that Louisiana enacted its cruelty to animals law. One conjecture about the coincidence of dates is that 1888 was the year Henry Burgh (see ASPCA above) passed away, and reporting of his passing may have inspired a renewed humane consciousness among the public. It is the oldest animal protection organization in Louisiana, and serves both as a humane society and a municipal animal control facility. It is THE place people should go first when seeking a pet dog or cat.

Its website has much helpful information for the pet owner, and it has a variety of educational, training, and volunteer programs for young people and adults. [Note: "humane society" and "spca" do not infer affiliation.]

Yes, Virginia, there are still wild horses. In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted by Congress in response to a public outcry, including many letters from school children, led by Velma Bronn Johnston: "Wild Horse Annie" (1912-1977). Her heroic and selfless efforts saved the mustangs from merciless exploitation by which many ended as "horse meat" in canned dog food. Subsequently, our government has been conducting a population reduction program, holding mustangs in pens for long periods awaiting "adoption", some of which have channeled horses to slaughter, and other unfortunate endings. Organizations and famous people express concern (with varying degrees of commitment and sincerity).

Following in the footsteps of Velma Johnston, Madeleine Pickens has founded Mustang Monument, a mustang eco-sanctuary in Nevada where rescued mustangs can live in safety. This noble endeavor deserves our support in writing letters to urge Congress to cooperate with this very special, care motivated project.

"OWNEY" THE POSTAL DOG

During the late 1880s, a dog, likely a terrier mix, appeared in the Post Office in Albany, New York, where clerks took a liking to him and named him Owney. Fond of riding in postal wagons, Owney followed mailbags onto trains where Railway Mail Service employees considered him their good-luck charm. As Owney traveled the country, clerks affixed medals and tags to his collar to document his travels, and Postmaster General John Wanamaker gave him a special dog-sized jacket to help him display them all. Owney later toured the world by steamer and became an icon of American postal lore. His adventures highlight the historical importance of the Railway Mail Service, and today he enjoys a place of honor at the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

THE HIPPOPOTOMUS AND THE TORTOISE

" Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed"
- Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

NAIROBI ( AFP ) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombasa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible ... a-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.

"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures of God, "Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."

SERGEANT "STUBBY" - VETERAN OF THE GREAT WAR

As soldiers of the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division trained for war (World War I), Stubby appeared at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut. He hung around, and one of the soldiers, Corporal Robert Conroy, became his special friend. Corporal Conroy brought stowaway Stubby with him on a troop ship bound for the war in Europe. When they were confronted by Conroy's commanding officer, Stubby saluted (as he had been trained to do). The officer was impressed. Stubby was accepted.

Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry in the trenches in France for 18 months. He participated in four offensives and 17 battles. He entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemin des Dames, north of Soissons, and was under constant fire, day and night, for more than a month. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby suffered a German hand grenade shrapnel wound to his foreleg. He was sent to the rear for convalescence. As he had done on the front, he helped lift the morale of the men.

When he recovered from his wound, Stubby returned to the trenches. After being gassed himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks. He located wounded soldiers in the "no man's land" between the lines, and, since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could, he alerted the men in time for them to avoid being hit. He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. Following the retaking of Château-Thierry, the thankful women of the town made Stubby a chamois coat on which were pinned his many medals. He also helped liberate a French town. He was awarded numerous medals including: the wound stripe (the Purple Heart replaced the wound stripe in 1932), Republic of France Grande War Medal, Battle of Verdun Medal (France), Château-Thierry Campaign Medal, Saint Mihiel Campaign Medal, and the New Haven WWI Veterans' Medal.

After the Army triumphantly returned home, Stubby became a celebrity. He marched in parades, and he met the President: Woodrow Wilson. He attended Georgetown University Law Center with Conroy, and became the Georgetown Hoyas' team mascot. Stubby passed away in April, 1926. He was approximately 10 years old. A brick was dedicated to Stubby at the World War I Memorial. [Maybe one day, a statue.]

Click for Stubby's story at: Connecticut Military Department
Click for Stubby's story at: Smithsonian: National Museum of American History

VETERAN HEN OF THE EGG INDUSTRY
MODELING HER NEW SWEATER

Excerpt: Photo Journal - National Geographic Magazine - 8/2011
Text/photo: Edward Thompson http://edwardthompson.co.uk/

Homes for Hens Does a coddled hen catch your eye? It is a curious sight. But it also represents a serious issue. Year-and-a-half-old hens in British battery farms - known as factory farms in the U.S. - are deemed expendable, despite having several years to live and many eggs to give. These images show how folks are opening their hearts and homes to these refugee birds.
I've always gravitated toward offbeat subjects and people. So when I learned about rescue hens, I could imagine a great visual story about a quirkily important cause. What's more, unlike some animal-rights activists, the battery-hen advocates I've met in London and southern England are refreshingly open-minded, working with the farms to adopt hens and reform the system.
Next year, European laws will ban conventional battery cages. Some of England's 11.1 million battery hens will move to bigger digs. Many will need to be "re-homed." I hope the humor and humaneness in these photographs raise awareness of the situation.

"PIGEONI", MY PIGEON FRIEND

Ow! Why does she do that! Stands on my head and pecks me. Well, it's good for a laugh anyhow; by those who watch it or hear about it - as long as they aren't getting pecked.

Pigeoni is a pigeon; living wild and free in the concrete valleys of downtown New Orleans. But for a time she stayed with me. It's a story worth hearing.

When I found her, she was blind; lying on her back in the middle of the wide going-to-Canal-Street side of "neutral ground" divided Loyola Avenue, right where the Ida Kohlmeyer sculptures are, if you know where that is. Thinking she was a dead pigeon, I went right over her ...

Click: THE WHOLE STORY ABOUT PIGEONI

"CHANTE PAS PETIT ROUGE" THE ANTI-COCKFIGHTING CAMPAIGN SONG

Dr. James Riopelle of New Orleans thought it might help the cause of working to outlaw cockfighting in Louisiana if there were a song that would draw attention to the issue. Being a person who was interested in music and poetry, he wrote a song, getting help from an expert in the "Cajun" French language of Louisiana: Audrey Babineaux George.

He teamed-up with Ernie Theriot of Houma, Louisiana to develop the project. In the process the song was re-written, with Ernie Theriot taking the leading role. He and his Gris-Gris Band recorded the song. For details (including translation), CLICK: "Chante Pas Petit Rouge".

Unfortunately, although it is a really great and masterly executed song, "Chante Pas Petit Rouge" didn't gain any significant popularity. If you are in the entertainment business, and you would like to use the song commercially, e-mail us at: contact@humaneheart.org.

In any case, please play and enjoy!To play, CLICK: "CHANTE PAS PETIT ROUGE".

COURSING GREYHOUNDS PURSUE FLEEING HARE
No More in NI

U TV News, Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Environment Minister has banned hare coursing in Northern Ireland.

Alex Attwood said it comes into effect on Wednesday, and will make it an offence to organise* or participate in any form of the practice.

Hare coursing involves chasing the animals with greyhounds or other hunting dogs.

It has been the centre* of much controversy in recent years as critics campaigned for the so-called 'blood sport' to be made illegal.

The minister has welcomed the ban as a key part of plans to protect endangered wildlife in NI.

"Hare coursing events should not take place in a modern, progressive, civilised* society," Mr Attwood said.

"While hare coursing events in Northern Ireland has been prevented for a number of years on a temporary basis, the ban I am introducing is a permanent one and a positive step forward.

"We all have a responsibility to protect our wildlife and certainly I want to do everything in my power to do that."

The ban is to be introduced amongst other bills in the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act.

[Note: * spelling is anglicized.]

If you are a young person who is enthused about activism for animals, and you want to learn more about the issues and practices of animal advocacy, or if you are an adult who wants to volunteer and/or support with donations, an animal protection organization with proven merit and skillful, frugal management, In Defense of Animals [IDA] may interest you. Founded by Elliott Katz, DVM in 1983, the organization is the only animal-related charity honored with a 4-stars rating by Charity Navigator (the highest rating). And, IDA is transparent concerning its financials: see About IDA (and notice the testimonial from Dr. Jane Goodall).

Animal Rescue New Orleans grew out of the organized efforts of a few individuals who came to New Orleans to rescue animals in the wake of Hurricane Katrina: Jane Garrison most notable among them. After the reins were passed to New Orleanians, ARNO has continued to effectively rescue animals (more than 5,500) through the work of several volunteers under the leadership of Charlotte Bass Lilly. Robin Beaulieu (Director, Jefferson Parish Animal Control) served as a key ARNO executive, and was very active "on the scene" in Katrina rescue.

Hope for Animals is an exceptional three-parish (three-"county") organization based in Thibodaux, Louisiana with services that extend regionally in South Louisiana. They shelter animals, promote and fund low-cost spay/neuter; provide a well-developed lost & found service; engage in effective fund-raising and philanthropy; conduct educational programs and media out-reach regarding humane ethics and cruelty awareness and prevention; and function as a very effective humane organization through dedication, determination, and hard work.

This organization is an excellent model for others.

Is there a "Humane Myth" that misrepresents the realities of the claim that animals may be humanely raised and used as sources of food and other products, and cultivates a positive image of activities that are neither just nor kind nor sustainable?

This website explores the "Humane Myth", from an animal advocacy perspective. It exposes the realities, challenges rationales, questions motives, and seeks to inspire social reform that may result in a society that respects the inherent dignity and worth of animals and people alike.

View Video: CLICK on the Image.

"Lagniappe" is New Orleans French for "a little something extra" (e.g., an extra donut when you've bought a dozen).

"Gulag" was the system of Soviet forced-labor camps in Siberia.

Now, about this video:

The man is Pinckney Wood, Humane HEART president. The setting is a room in the home he shares with Gayle, his wife; still incompletely repaired in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005). The year is 2008. The dancing partner and the on-looker are the "Katrina Kitties": The Fly (aka: The Girl, The Chicken) and Rico (aka: Ricky).

[There are reasons for the names.]