A passionate animal-welfare activist and magazine editor, Erin Bradford still finds time to create custom pet portraits that are both graghic and personalized.
What started out as a hobby and gift-giving idea has turned into a small business for the 27-year-old. Read the rest of this entry →
MARKETWIRE
PHOENIX — PetSmart Charities has dispatched a fleet of Emergency Relief Waggins’ — each stocked with 16 tons of supplies valued at $50,000 — to the Gulf Coast to help pets displaced by Hurricane Gustav and to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Hanna.
By coordinating relief efforts with local and state officials in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, the PetSmart Charities emergency response team is ensuring that necessary supplies for animals, and their caregivers are quickly delivered to the hardest-hit areas. Read the rest of this entry →
Michael Johnson and his dog Sam walk down the trolley tracks along St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans on Monday during a lull in Hurricane Gustav. (ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE/Rick McFarland)
Shelters in Central Arkansas were busy Monday caring for animals from the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav barreled into Louisiana.
The humane societies of Pulaski and Saline counties and Little Rock Animal Services had taken in dozens of pets temporarily as their owners streamed into Arkansas over the past few days. Read the rest of this entry →
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
NEW ORLEANS — Elisa Miller dropped to the pavement and nuzzled her face against the neck of her fittingly named coonhound Hurricane.
Then she stood up outside the New Orleans downtown bus station and watched officials lead Hurricane into a portable crate, which would then be loaded onto an 18-wheeler. Read the rest of this entry →
Jessica Donnaud gives her two dogs a drink as her family rests after the drive from New Orleans on Sunday at a Pensacola, Fla., rest stop. It took the family more than 12 hours to make the normally five-hour drive. (AP Photo)
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals helped care for 38 evacuated pets from St. John Parish Animal Shelter in La Place, La., which is now closed until after Hurricane Gustav.
The 24 dogs and 14 cats were taken to the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans, where they will join animals for transport to shelters in Texas. The ASPCA coordinated a transfer of animals from Acadia Parish, where 23 dogs and cats will likely be on their way to the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, Texas. Read the rest of this entry →
Anthony Stipelcovich loads up his cats at his home in Arabi, La., on Sunday in preparation for Hurricane Gustav. (AP Photo)
Central Arkansas shelters are preparing for animals evacuated from the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav nears landfall in the United States.
“Trucks are picking up animals from people leaving,” said Kay Simpson, executive director of the Pulaski County Humane Society, who is in Shreveport, La., with another volunteer. Read the rest of this entry →
The Humane Society of the United States is preparing staff and equipment as Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast, according to a news release.
“Our entire animal rescue team has been put on standby to deploy at a moment’s notice if our assistance is needed,” said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of emergency services at for the society. “The Humane Society of the United States has deployed a core team of responders today to begin transporting our specially equipped disaster-response vehicles and rescue boat to the Gulf Coast.” Read the rest of this entry →
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
WYNNE — Police arrested a 16-year-old Wynne boy Tuesday and charged him with cruelty to animals after he confessed to setting fire to a kitten that later had to be euthanized.
The boy was not named because of his age. He was charged in Cross County juvenile court and was released Tuesday afternoon, Wynne Police Chief Michael Bachand said. Read the rest of this entry →
Private and municipal shelters in central Arkansas are being overrun with animals found in rural Pulaski County, stretching resources to the point that shelter officials say they can no longer afford to keep caring for the county’s strays.
“The Pulaski County Humane Society is literally going broke trying to keep up with these animals and doesn’t have room for one more,” said Desiree Bender, the Arkansas state director for the Humane Society of the United States. Read the rest of this entry →
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person responsible for setting a kitten on fire in Wynne, according to the organization’s Web site.
Someone called the Wynne Police Department, and officers found a female kitten with singed hair over two-thirds of her body. The kitten, who is about 4 months old, had burns on her head, tail and genitals. A veterinarian treated her.
“Those who abuse animals can be dangerous to people,” said Desiree Bender, the Arkansas director of the Humane Society of the United States. “Americans have no tolerance for violence against the creatures who share our world.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
So that’s why they like hanging out in the dark.
When zookeepers and a veterinarian were giving the vampire bats at the Little Rock Zoo a routine checkup they discovered two babies and a pregnant female. Read the rest of this entry →
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
BENTON — A Saline County dog breeder accused of mistreating dozens of canines pleaded innocent to 85 counts of animal cruelty Thursday.
A trial date for Phyllis Martin, 50, was set for Nov. 12 in Benton District Court. Read the rest of this entry →
It’s like karate, only with aprons and no martial arts.
About 20 people showed up for the first volunteer training session at Little Rock Animal Village on Monday night to earn their red aprons, which indicates completion of Level 1 training. Read the rest of this entry →
A Hasty man was sentenced Monday to 20 years after being convicted of breaking into a home and shocking the dogs inside with a cattle prod and then stomping on them.
Larry Cummings, 41, pleaded guilty to burglarizing the home of Gladys Morse on Nov. 7 and encouraging a 15-year-old with him to kick and stomp Morse’s dogs. Read the rest of this entry →
With tails awag and faces painted, pets and supporters of The Little Rock Animal Village marked its first anniversary Saturday as rescuers teamed up with the shelter’s vet to save one dog’s life.
A call came in about 12:30 p.m. to Cindy Paxton, volunteer for the birthday celebration and for Out of the Woods Rescue and Referral, that a very pregnant beagle was roaming the highway in an unincorporated area of Pulaski County. Read the rest of this entry →
Don’t waste your money on bunny toys; egg crates, soda bottles with bells in them, or a plain cardboard box are far more appreciated. Not all veterinarians are qualified to care for rabbits, so it’s important to consult approved vets.
These are just a few of the tips offered to 20 people and about half a dozen bunnies who attended the Arkansas Pet Rabbit Network meeting Saturday at the Dee Jones Library. Read the rest of this entry →
NEWSDAY
Tibetan-terrier tourniquets? Heimlich maneuver on your Himalayan? We usually don’t plan much for first aid for our animals, but a little forethought on your part can be the difference between life and death if your cat or dog finds itself in a medical emergency. Read the rest of this entry →
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
All dog owners can take a lesson from guide dog trainers.
“What fascinates people is that guide dogs are so well behaved in public,” says Emily Simone of Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, Calif. “That doesn’t happen in a vacuum.” Read the rest of this entry →
More than 80 dogs were turned over to the Humane Society of the United States on Monday after the Animal Rescue League disbanded.
The sanctuary owner voluntarily surrendered the dogs, the society said. Read the rest of this entry →
The purpose of Rescue in the Rock is to provide information and resources for the rescue and care of shelter pets to Little Rock and surrounding-area residents. Please feel free to email me suggestions or news tips. Krisha Williams Turbeville is news editor for ArkansasOnline.
THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Sammy and Missy aren’t fat cats. They’re Rubenesque, their new owners say.
Mary and Kristina Kenaston know that the middle-aged cats couldn’t get a lot of exercise living in Humane Society of Pulaski County facilities for nearly a year.
If the Kenaston sisters hadn’t seen the cats on Comcast cable company’s Pets On Demand feature, which launched June 12, the felines would likely still be at the Humane Society facility.
Featuring the animals on Comcast cable is the nonprofit organization’s newest method to raise awareness about the 200 or so rescued dogs and cats that need homes at any given time. There’s no charge for the service.
Since the group does not euthanize healthy or treatable animals, the need to find homes for the pets as quickly as possible is great, said Jill Martin, a volunteer who hosts the cable show where the animals are displayed, and talks about their personalities and histories.
The group also posts online pet profiles and pictures on its Web site www.warmhearts.org and has animals featured regularly in newspapers.
Pets on Demand provides an outlet for home viewers to see as many as 30 pets per month, as well as an opportunity to promote the Humane Society, which relies on public donations and volunteers.
Martin said she does a videotape with each pet — 15 different dogs or cats every two weeks — describing such things as temperament, likes and dislikes, age, where the pet came from and how it came to the shelter.
Martin said she has no exact numbers on how many pets have been adopted after people saw them on television, but “we’re getting lots of calls. Very positive feedback,” she said.
Humane Society Executive Director Kay Simpson said the only problem so far with the program has been that pets have often already been adopted by the time someone sees them on TV and calls.
To address that concern, once Jones Productions films each segment, the videotape is shipped that day to Philadelphia for editing and broadcast to decrease the lag time between filming and the airdate, Martin said.
For a new service, Pets On Demand, is doing extremely well, said Mike Wilson, a Little Rock-based spokesman for Comcast.
“The number of views in July more than tripled the views in June, and we expect the trend to continue as we add additional programming to Local On Demand.”
The program could expand to include pets from other animal-rescue agencies, Wilson said. He was uncertain if the corporate office in Philadelphia had contacted any of the other agencies yet.
At least one group, Central Arkansas Rescue Effort or CARE for Animals, said it was waiting to hear back from Comcast about having its pets featured.
Melissa Ibbotson, assistant program director for CARE, said she knows that her group had submitted information but did not know the status of the project.
She said CARE has 20-30 dogs and cats available for adoption every week and averages two to three adoptions weekly. Their adoption rate has not been affected by the Humane Society’s increased exposure, she said.
Meanwhile, Sammy and Missy continue to flourish in their new home with plenty of room to exercise.
THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
A 9-year-old boy attacked by two dogs believed to be pit bulls Sunday afternoon at Northwood Middle School in the Gravel Ridge community was in good condition later that evening, according to a spokesman for Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
Jacob Ross of 43 Aloha Circle required stitches in both legs after suffering multiple bite wounds, said his grandmother, Sandra Ross. He was discharged from Arkansas Children's Hospital on Monday.
Jacob was taken to the hospital after a 911 call dispatched law-enforcement and animal-control officials to the school about 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Neighborhood children playing in the area said the boy had been dropped off by his mother several minutes before the attack, and he was starting to play golf when the two dogs ran from some woods behind the school and crossed a field.
“He tried to hit them with his golf club,” said Anthony, a 12-year-old who declined to give his last name.
Soon after the attack, a Pulaski County Animal Services truck was parked outside a house on Waterfront Drive near the school.
The house was marked with “Beware of the dog” and “No trespassing” signs. A man who emerged from the house to talk to the county official said he was disturbed about the attack and declined to give his name or to comment further. “I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on right now.”
Tamyia Stengel, an animal control officer for Pulaski County Animal Services, said about an hour after the attack that the dogs had not been found.
KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
The draw of the HydroSurge Rapidbath is that it takes just 3 minutes to bathe your pet, and the conditioning shampoos are all natural.
We tried it on my father's Maltese, who generally does not like baths, and she seemed to enjoy the experience, perhaps because it was over before she knew it.
Basically, you attach a hose to your shower or sink faucet, then screw on the wand with shampoo inside. Click the "on" button, then click "bathe", which suds up your pet. Then rinse.
Because it takes only a short time to get the job done, I was able to use it on my cat — just on his back where he's had skin issues because of fleas. The hypoallergenic shampoo was ideal for this.
Once dry, the area on his back looked much better, though he didn't enjoy getting wet.
So the product works well, but it's pricey.
For $79.99, you get the entire RapidBath System, which includes the handheld washer, hose, universal shower/faucet adapter, pack of five shampoo cartridges and the Paw Monster 5-in-1 cleaning tool with an extra mitt, available at the HydroSurge Web site.
If your dog hates getting a bath, I'd say this is the product for you.
The Pulaski County Humane Society will receive the product and shampoos the company sent to Rescue in the Rock.
Make a political statement with this cunning chew toy for cats or dogs.
The cat toy comes filled with catnip, and the dog version of the Lame Duck toy squeaks. Available for $8 from Tails by the Lake Specialty Shop at www.tailsbythelake.com, or for $6.99 from The Cat Connection at www.thecatconnection.com.