SPEAK FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN ANIMAL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
PLEASE CALL ANIMAL CONTROL,
202-576-6664
OUR OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP 24/7



Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Oh No, Another Circus Comes to the Area

For years, the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros Circus has failed to meet the very minimum standards for the care of animals used in exhibitions as established by the Animal Welfare Act. With a track record that is wrought with documented cases of animal cruelty, the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus pulls into town and sets up its big top in Gaithersburg at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds this weekend.

Our community offers many wonderful, cruelty-free, forms of entertainment. Check out listings in your local paper -- find out where the best nature trails are, go to a ball game, ride a bike through Rock Creek Park or see wild animals up close in their natural environment in Disney's new film, EARTH. Or, spend some time on Sunday telling Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers that circuses are NO FUN for animals. Lions, Elephants, Tigers, Bears and the other wild animals do not perform tricks in their natural habitat. Demonstations against the circus are scheduled on Sunday, April 26 from 12:30 – 1:30 and 3:30 – 4:30.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Celebrate National Poetry Month

It makes sense, that April -- with its extremely changeable weather-- is national poetry month. Poems often reference seasons, months or weather. They can be filled with a roller coaster of emotion or dwell on one solitary mood. Poems speak about love, or highlight special occasions or friends. They can have rhyming patterns or not; they can be quite long or very short.
One of my favorite poems from childhood is Cats Sleep Anywhere.

Cats Sleep Anywhere

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open drawer, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon (1881 - 1965)

We have many wonderful cats at the League waiting for loving, forever homes. They would happily trade in their condos in the cat room for a table, chair, piano top, window-ledge, drawer, box or cozy lap (or two).

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Killing Animals is No Laughing Matter


Look closely at the photo above. A Virginia resident outraged over the killing of the goose sent the picture to the Washington Post in hopes that the senseless stoning of geese in his neighborhood would end. He reported that the surviving goose had been standing watch over the dead body of his partner for days. Geese mate for life.
What would make a group of boys think that stoning an animal is fun? Why would they engage in such a horrible act? How should they be punished?

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Millions of Animals Die in Australia's Wildfires.

Millions of animals, including kangaroos, lyre birds, echidnas and koalas, died and thousands more were injured when wildfires spread over a large parcel of land in Australia. Nearly two months later volunteers, including wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians, are still caring for many of the survivors.

Rehabilitation centers and sanctuaries will be dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy for years to come. While news media covered Australia's worst natural disaster during the peak of the tragedy in February, very little has been reported since. MNBC ran a follow-up in mid-March, but I haven't seen anything since.