Should Dogs Die to Save the Budget?
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has joined forces with every other major national and state animal welfare group in urging Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to leave funds for California’s animal shelters alone during the current budget wrangling. The Governor’s current plan would reduce the state’s minimum hold for stray pets from six days to only three. HSUS surmises that this could lead to steep increases in euthanasia.
Jennifer Fearing, chief budget analyst for HSUS, says that the money saved if this change were enacted would amount to only .1% – that’s 1/1,000th – of the state’s shortfall. The idea that countless animals could lose their lives to achieve so little is repugnant.
Schwarzenegger made a similar proposal during 2004’s budget negotiations, but soon withdrew it due to pressure from constituents. If the budget hasn’t been finalized by the time you read this, please make your feelings known by contacting: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814; phone 916-445-2841; fax 916-558-3160. Urge the Governor to preserve the “animal adoption mandate.”
For details on the HSUS campaign to stop this madness, visit https://community.hsus.org/campaign/CA_2009_holdingperiod?rk=xdwQa47as1yTW.
Beware Canine Fish Disease
If fishing is on your list of favorite summer activities, the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association wants you to know that eating raw fish can be quite dangerous for dogs. So-called “salmon poisoning” or “fish disease” is a potentially fatal condition for canines, caused by a virus-like organism that infects such fish as salmon, trout, lamprey, shad, and sturgeon, is most prevalent from San Francisco to the Puget Sound. It is also seen inland along the rivers of fish migration.
Symptoms resemble those of other gastrointestinal diseases, such as canine parvovirus, and include lethargy, vomiting, lack of appetite, fever, and diarrhea. Your dog would likely show symptoms within 6 to 10 days after ingesting fish carrying the harmful bacteria. If your dog has eaten raw fish and exhibits any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. If identified in time, fish disease is treatable.
To prevent infection, monitor what your dog eats, especially when on fishing trips. Wrap raw fish remains tightly and deposit in well-secured trash cans. Cook fish thoroughly or freeze it for at least two weeks to destroy the bacteria before feeding it to your dog.
For further details, visit www.oregonvma.org/petowners/fishdisease.asp.
“Mine” Makes SF Debut
Early June saw a sold-out benefit screening of a new film highlighting the bond between people and their animal companions. “Mine,” a documentary by San Francisco filmmaker Geralyn Pezanoski about pets abandoned in the wake of Hurrican Katrina, left nary a dry eye in the house. Muttville was the local beneficiary partner for the event, held at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. The film has also been screened at various film festivals around the country and won the Audience Award at the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
Stars of the film include plenty of heroic dogs and people. Animal-loving volunteers swarmed to New Orleans in the fall of 2005 to help pets left behind when their evacuating owners were forced to leave them behind. People all over the country adopted Katrina dogs, including Pezanoski herself. In some cases, the adoptions were later challenged by original owners desperate to reclaim their beloved pets.
“Making the film, I always had in mind, ‘Will people be crying too much? Is it too much for people to handle?’“ she says. “But people tend to feel the film is uplifting.”
The PBS program “Independent Lens” has acquired rights to broadcast “Mine” next spring, and there are plans to release the film in theaters in at least four cities, including San Francisco. “Mine” is also being made available as a fundraising tool for humane organizations and rescue groups nationwide.
To learn more about the film, visit https://streamingmoviesright.com/us/movie/mine.
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