Jubilee Needs a Home!

Cute, huh?  Those eyes, that little black smudge on her head.  Jubilee is the kitten who spent the night at my house last month.  Never did I think that all these weeks later she'd still be waiting at the League for her forever home, but she is.  She's in a window with two friends.  In fact, she's had lots of friends while she's been waiting for someone to notice her and say that she's the one.   That just keeps happening to her window mates.  They get adopted and Jubilee keeps growing and living in the window.  Before long, she won't be a cute little kitten, she'll be a teenage cat and then full grown.  They grow up so quickly. 

Trouble is, Jubilee is not perfect.  You can kind of tell from the photo that her back right leg is not quite right.  I don't think Jubilee knows it though.  She runs, plays, jumps  and tackles her window mates nonstop.  She was born with a defective back leg.   It's been examined by veterinarians.  It's even been looked at by specialists, all say it's okay, just looks funny.  And, because Jubilee's leg looks funny, would-be adopters keep choosing her window  mates.  They want a perfect kitten.  I'm really surprised.  I thought someone by now would say, "that's her, I LOVE the kitten with the funny-looking leg!"  Jubilee's ideal home would be one with another cat, so she would have a buddy to romp with and race through the house at top speed and then climb to the back of the tallest chair and dive to the ground.

Doing the Right Thing

Our July 12th FREE pit bull spay/neuter day was such a success, with so many people showing up with their dogs, that we had to schedule several overflow appointments on July 30th.  People were happy to return.  "We believe in being responsible and that means getting our dog neutered," one guardian said as she waited with her big bruiser of a dog.  If only every dog and cat guardian would feel the same.  This is a particulary tough time of year for animal shelters -- puppies and kittens, litter after litter, all needing homes showing up daily.  AND, there are still lots and lots of wonderful, deserving discarded adult cats and dogs anxiously waiting for their opportunity to be placed in forever homes.  

I nominate the  caregivers who brought their pit bulls in for surgery on Friday as my heroes of the week.  Thanks for making sure that your dogs are NOT contributing to the overpopulation crisis.  AND, considering that pit bulls remain one of the most abused and most misunderstood breeds of dogs, those guardians get an extra gold star in my book.

Our next FREE pit bull spay/neuter day is Monday, AUGUST 9th --

• No appointment necessary
• No income or residence restrictions
• Plus FREE rabies, DHPP, and bordatella shots
• Drop off is between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.  -- Spots often fill up by 8:15 a.m
• Pick-up between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Hanging Out with Nigel & Bruce

When Nigel first came to  live with me Bruce made it well known that he had little use for a dog.   However, cats, unlike elephants, must not have good memories because these days, Bruce can often be found parking himself close to Nigel.  Nigel, on the other hand, is not so sure of Bruce's intent.   Even with Bruce being somewhat debilitated by  his failing kidneys, Nigel is not quite at ease with Bruce near by.  Both guys hung out with me at the office the other day.  Bruce, because he needed to receive fluids in the hospital, Nigel because it was too hot, without power, to stay at home. 

The electricity  came back on yesterday.   Today, it's just me and Bruce at the League.  Bet Nigel is resting very comfortably at home.

Big Bruce and the Power Outage

The storm that ripped through the Washington, D.C. area left thousands without power including me.    Cats, including Bruce, like the heat --   he's not complaining.  In fact, he felt pretty good last night and chased the light beam from the flashlight as I walked from one room to the next.   Bruce's burst of energy was a bright spot in a storm that left us in total darkness.

The Story of Slinky, A Dog Who Would have Died.....

I absolutely have to share this story.   Slinky's rescue reminds me that there is evil in the world, but there is good, too.   Some of the pictures are hard to look at.   By the fourth update, Slinky's looking pretty good, and by the fifth, no one would probably guess what this guy went through.  Lucky for Slinky, Jesse was driving by where he was left to die.  

"... This is Slinky, we found him on the side of the road on Mothers Day. Being a Sunday, we had no one to call, so we drove him to the animal emergency here in Catonsville, and they said he was hungry and had worms, but that was it, he wasn't sick or anything.  So we've been fattening him up... slowly.  He's such a precious animal. He sits in our lap, and gives kisses."   From Jesse, Slinky's Hero.

A recent picture of Slinky, two months after his rescue!

FREE Spaying & Neutering for Pit Bulls Brings Caring, Responsible Guardians to the League

Robinson and his friend Cocoa

waited outside this morning for their clinic appointment at our monthly

FREE Pit Bull Spay Neuter Day

Our lobby was full this morning with dogs and their people.  Black and white dogs, gray and white dogs, brown dogs, brown and white dogs, big dogs, medium-sized dogs, and puppies, too.  The dogs had at least three things in common -- all had caring, responsible guardians, all were pit bulls or pit bull mixes, and all were about to be spayed or neutered at our monthly FREE Pit Bull Spay/Neuter surgery day.  Thanks folks for seeing to it that your canine friend is not contributing to the overpopulation problem.  There are way too many animals and not enough homes.  Area shelters already have many dogs, including lots of pit bulls, waiting for forever homes.  To see the dogs currently available at the League, check our our web site www.warl.org

Fred, The Dog Who Made Everyone Smile

Fred, a very beloved dog, passed away over the weekend.  Fred visited students in D.C. schools for more than ten years.  He loved children, particularly children with food in their hands.  Fred was known for eating just about anything.  He was also known for his uncanny ability to find food in places that are typically off limits to dogs -- like the refrigerator.  Children loved Fred's visits; they loved petting him and feeding him, and delighted in hearing stories about Fred's amazing food finds.

Fred was famous.  Last year he was featured not only in the book To The Rescue (see side bar) by Elise Lufkin and Diana Walker, but he's the dog on the cover of the book!   Fred's happy-go-lucky, pet-me, feed-me, easy-going disposition could even been seen in photographs. 


I, like many, many people -- young and not-so-young, in the Washington, D.C. area, and beyond, will miss Fred. 

Oil Still Spewing

The last time I wrote about the BP oil disaster was May 3rd -- still nothing good to report, the oil is still spewing.  Oil balls have been found as far as Florida.  No end is in sight.  The number of dead birds keeps increasing -- even worse, no telling how the birds, and other sea and marsh animals,  who have survived so far will fare.  It's painful to think about, let alone look at the pictures of oil covered pelicans, dead fish and scarred beaches.

British School of D.C. Students Raise Money and Buy Needed Clippers for the League

Students from the British School of D.C. didn't want to just help the animals, they wanted to purchase something very special and very much needed for the Washington Animal Rescue League.  It all started when the students heard League veterinarian, and mother of two British School of D.C. students, Dr. Rebecca Maddinson speak about the League's mission -- to rehab, rehabilitate, and rehome animals.  The School Council, comprised of children from each class, decided that the nearly $500 raised through an  an Easter Egg Hunt for the primary school children of the British School of Washington should go to purchase something useful for the shelter.   They agreed on three pairs of clippers -- useful, practical, and very much needed.  Earlier in the year, the Medical Center's clippers disappeared.   It's impossible to groom extremely matted dogs without the proper tools. 

The British School of D.C.'s Primary School Head Girl, Mina Turunc, & her counterpart, Head Boy Alejandro Di Napoli visited the League to present their very much appreciated gift to the medical center.

Don't Forget to Brush

I admit it.  I don't brush my cats or Nigel's teeth.  And, that's bad.  Dr. Rosen, the League's Medical Center Director, has shown me numerous times how simple it is to brush an animal's teeth.  Just pull  the gum away from the teeth, brush back and forth with yummy chicken flavored toothpaste and finish the job by giving your animal a treat!  Yes, a treat.  Dogs and cats should get a treat after brushing.  Imagine chowing down on a chocolate bar after brushing?  Maybe we would all brush more often.


Well, truth be told, even though I've been shown, and even though the steps sound fairly easy, I don't do it.  And, the result is not pretty.  Each and every one of my three cats end up getting their teeth cleaned at the animal hospital, which means that they have to be put under anesthesia in order to open wide.  Today, stinky breath Merl, not only had his teeth cleaned, but he had several pulled.  Ouch!  Regular brushing probably would have prevented the extractions -- sorry Merl.

Kitten Spends the Night -- Nigel Amused, Bruce is Not

Bruce is still feeling pretty crummy, so I decided to do something to perk him up.  I brought home a kitten.  Just for a night.  A kitten would definitely perk me up.  Especially this one.   She's a ball of energy.  She's like the energizer-bunny with extra batteries.  She likes to run, even though her back right leg is obviously deformed and doesn't work quite right.   Well, Bruce thought my idea was a really, really, really bad one.  He hissed.  He hissed  loudly.  He used every muscle in his face to hiss as loud as he could.   Nigel, on the other hand, was quite amused.   The kitten, named Jubilee, will be looked at by an ORTHOPEDIST surgeon next week (a doctor who fixes bones) to see if she needs surgery, and if so, what exactly will be done.  In the meantime, someone else took her home for night.  I haven't heard how her old cats reacted.  Hopefully, they were more welcoming than Bruce. 

What's in a Name?

There are lots of lists out there that document the most popular names for cats and dogs.  Many of names that show up are also the most popular names for babies.  One list shows The top ten names for male cats and dogs as:

MAX,  BUDDY, JAKE,  ROCKY,  BAILEY,  BUSTER,  CODY, CHARLIE, BEAR, and  JACK
Top ten names for female animal companions are:
MOLLY,  MAGGIE,  DAISY,  LUCY, SADIE, GINGER, CHLOE, BAILEY, SOPHIE, and  ZOE

Another list still puts Max as #1 and Jake as #3, but has more traditional "kitty names" as numbers two and four -- Tigger and Tiger.  Smokey, Bear, Kitty, Shadow, Simba, Sam, Sassy, Lucky and Misty are on that list, too.  I've yet to meet a kid named Shadow or Lucky.

More popular names that double as popular names for newbornds include: Riley, Roxy, Ginger, Gracie, Oliver,  Cooper,  Abby, and Tucker.

We name each animal who comes into the League.   We've had a cat or dog with every name featured on those lists, plus many names that appear on other lists and plenty of names that don't appear on any list at all.  We rearely recycle names, so we need lots of names because we take in lots of animals -- that's why we end up naming animals after products like Eggo and places like Flint  or after other animals like Zebra -- We are always looking for new suggestions.  Names that sound good; names that a cat or dog will respond to.  Got an idea for a terrific name?  Email your name suggestions to me at debbie@warl.org.

Summer Reading Pick -- Owen & Mzee

Who knew that a baby hippo and an aged tortoise could be good friends?  Can't say I ever thought about such a pair until reading Owen & Mzee -- The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by 6-year-old Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu with remarkable photographs by Peter Greste.  Nor did I know that adult hippos, weighing in at 8,000, are the most dangerous animals in Africa or that an Aldabra Tortoise, is the largest species of tortoise in the world and can live up to 200 years!! 


When  Owen, a  600 pound baby hippo, was separated from his mother during a Tsunami in December 2004, rescuers went to extraordinary lengths to save him from the deadly salty water (hippopotami live in fresh water) and  transport him to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary outside of Mombasa (in Africa), home to more than 150 large animals living on 150 acres.  And, it was after that dramatic rescue that the young hippo met and befriended Mzee, a 130 year old tortoise.  Caretakers noted that Mzee was not a particularly friendly animal, he was a loner who initially hissed at Owen and crawled away.  But in less than 24 hours, the two became friends.  And, the story of their unique friendship was heard throughout the world.


For those, like me, who missed the original news reports, the book is a wonderful telling of the complete story of the rescue, the introduction of the two animals and their lasting friendship.  It is also complete with information about both species, the geography of Kenya and Malindi and a description of Haller Park.  An enjoyable read for friends of all ages.

WATER!!!

Drink lots of it in this heat. Make sure that all animals have plenty of fresh, cool water,too. Fill the bird bath, change the water often for any animal who is outside for any length of time. And, another thing -- car rides are off limits for dogs if it means that the dogs have to wait in the car for even a minute. I've decided not to take Nigel anywhere until this desert heat breaks. The back of my car doesn't have vents, so while I can cool off in the front of the car, Nigel could be baking in the back.

Flynn and Friends Find a Forever Family

UPDATE!! Little Flynn, the kitten who was almost forced roadkill because of a couple of uncaring teens who tried tossing him into a busy street, is happy in his forever home. Less than 3 months old, Flynn has been rescued at least twice in his short life. Once, when a passerby "bought" him for $20 from the uncaring teens, and most recently by his forever family. Soon after Flynn came to the League, a couple interested in adopting two kittens, encountered a teeny gray and white problem. Little Flynn was in the same kitty condo with an adorable pair of siblings, and the threesome were stuck together like glue.

Could they be separated? Yes. Would the League let the couple adopt all three kittens? YES!!

Within hours we received our first update complete with happy home photos. Cooper, Izzy and Flynn are snoozing in their new home, can you pick out Flynn?

UPDATE

For more than 40 days oil has been spewing (I'm actually in need of a much stronger word -- suggestions?) into the Gulf. In today's Washington Post officials from BP Oil Company and from the administration say that it is possible that the oil will continue to spill (need a stronger word here too) into the water until AUGUST!!!!!! That's four months since the explosion, four month since 11 people were killed, four months since birds, mammals, sea creatures and vegetation were contaminated and starting dying off. It's just way too long. We keep hearing that they are trying to stop the spill -- the "top Kill" (whoever heard of top kill before this disaster?) failed, other attempts have failed and now we are told that the oil may not be contained until AUGUST!!!!, it's just not right.

This is one of those situations where it is easy to feel helpless, BUT every one of us can write a letter, let your representatives know that something must be done sooner. Write to President Obama. He mentioned that his daughter asked, "Did you fix the hole?" Let him know that, like Malia, you are worried that the environment will not be able to bounce back from this enormous disaster.

On another matter that I feel equally powerless to control is Bruce. He came home from the hospital on Friday, had a great night, a good Saturday, an okay Sunday and a miserable Monday. He came back to the hospital today. Right now it seems like I can't do much but watch him, offer him food, make sure he's comfortable and drive him to and from the hospital. Bruce has a wonderful medical team caring for him. At this very moment its beginning to look like even they, fabulous as they are, may not be able to help him. The picture to the left is of Brucie chilling in my office after getting fluids. I am grateful to Dr. Rosen for taking my call as she was to board a plane for home. She listened to the update and instructed me on what could be done for Bruce today. I am indebted to three members of the incredible medical center staff, Evelyn, Kira and Maria for administering fluids today, Memorial Day.

Once again, shelter and medical center staff are here when others are enjoying a holiday. Bruce and I (well, probably just me) are extemely grateful.

Some pictures of Bruce During Healthier, Chunkier Times

Bruce and Merl resting

Bruce and Micky just hanging

Bruce's response when Max told a joke

Big Bruce -- The Cat who Picked Me!

I can't help it -- everyone who has every lived with an animal has a favorite. Of course, I've had more than one favorite, I've had been fortunate to share my home with some pretty remarkable animals including Alvie -- the cat who lived in the sewer pipe before deciding to break through my window screen to live with the other cats, Sidney and Artie -- SamMelvin -- my big orange shelter cat who would eat icing off a cake (and did) as well as anything else -- Dave -- My first DC cat, a very thoughtful guy who allowed my daughter to dress him up in princess clothes -- and Bruce.

Big Bruce picked me and my house 6 years ago. I was not looking to adopt another cat. But, Bruce was a shelter cat with no prospects of finding a home. Bruce, a big boned fellow, was pretty ragged out. His hair was thin and patchy and many bones on his big frame were visible. I decided to foster him. I brought him home and he was welcomed by the other cats -- Fiona, Gladys, Micky & Merl. Why not, Bruce was a blob. For the most part, he just hung out in a basket in the utility room. I advertised him as a sweet, gentle cat who was looking for home. Several people called and a couple of them came to meet him. Each time Bruce was in the basket, and each time I took Bruce out of the basket to show him off -- his long body, his sweet personality, his gentle head-nudge Each time, however, Bruce just crawled back into the basket.

A month later, my family and I decided that since Bruce was no trouble, and since he rarely even got out of the basket, he might as well stay. That very next day I filled out the adoptions paperwork, Bruce was no longer a foster cat, but my cat. And, that very same day, Bruce got out of the basket in the laundry room and never got in it again. He sleeps on my bed, on top of my legs or on top of my head (really) and if I try to move, he swats me. He also sleeps on both of my kids' beds, the window ledge and his kitty cup. He plays hard, really hard, especially with Merl. If Merl says enough with a full-face hiss, Bruce says MORE and jumps on Merl signaling that the game is far from over.

But, Bruce is not playing right now. He's in the hospital. His kidneys are not doing what they are supposed to do. The doctors and nurses are working very hard to get Bruce back on track. He's spent two nights this week in the hospital. The picture of Bruce in his hospital cage shows an anxious cat ready to get out. I keep telling him, "Bruce, you chose to live with me 6 years ago, and now you better choose to get better so you can go back home." It's hard to sleep without Brucie on my legs, or even my head.

Cats, Cats, and More Cats!!!

The Washington Animal Rescue League has a GREAT cat room, the resident cats spend time roaming the floor, climbing the kitty-jungle-gym, and playing with lots of cool toys donated by generous supporters. But, as good as it is here, it's not home. We've got some cats who have been waiting a LONG, LONG time for their forever homes. Look at these guys, Bruno, Whiskey, and Jules are just three of the many WONDERFUL adult cats waiting patiently for their someone to say, "I love him, I want him to live with me -- forever!" The more than 5 dozen cats living in the cat room are patiently waiting for homes with people showering them with attention, windows to look out, and multiple beds to curl up on. If your family is thinking about adopting a friend, consider an older cat. Cats have a long life span, an indoor cat can live to be 20 years old! Most kids will be long gone by 20, but a loyal cat, like any of these guys, will be content to stay at home.

To see all of the adoptable animals at the League check out our web site, http://www.warl.org/ or click on the picture of Maya (another long-time resident) pictured in the column to the right.

Homeless Turtles Escape Bulldozers But Face Other Life-Threatening Dangers

Okay, I haven't written anything for awhile because I've been waiting for a fun, happy, feel-good story or event. Unfortunately, I haven't found one and today's entry is nothing but doom and gloom.

An article in yesterday's Washington Post, Gimme shelter -- Folks stick their necks out for Md. box turtles, but ICC may be the end of the road, chronicles the rescue of more than 900 turtles. Since 2008, when bulldozers started plowing through houses, yards, wooded areas filled with hundreds of animals' habitats, volunteers have saved many mini box turtles, most so small that they can fit in the palm of your hand. But box turtles are homebodies -- they would rather not relocate. They have a strong instinct to return to their nesting grounds. A researcher quoted in the article said that that instinct, "...led them past plastic fences that had been chewed through by groundhogs or damaged by vandals."

How necessary is the ICC? Well, it took 50 years of debate before ground was broken. Environmentalists and others tried everything possible to block the 18.8 mile, six-lane highway between Gaithersburg and Laurel, Maryland. Reams of documentation highlighting the loss of habitat for turtles, frogs, snakes and scores of other animals was overlooked for the sake of moving cars more quickly from one county to another. I, along with thousands of Maryland residents, wrote letters of objection during the ICC debate. My neighbor, a wildlife biologist and arborist, was at every hearing in recent memory. Many people tried to stop the construction of the highway and the destruction of homes, neighborhoods, and maybe even entire species. But, the highway is being built; soon, cars will be racing across it. Hopefully, the turtles who are trying to make their way back to their homes won't be splat across the six lanes.

A link to the article can be found on the right. Click on the picture of the box turtle.

Kitten Saved, Dog Not So Lucky

This is Be Kind to Animals Week. Obviously not everyone is celebrating.


The following paragraph is from the League's staff newsletter

• A woman was driving up North Capitol Street when she saw two young men with a kitten. One of them had the kitten by the scruff of the neck and was swinging him as if to throw the kitten into traffic. The woman stopped and asked the young man what he was doing with the kitten and he said he planned to throw him into the street. The woman then convinced him to sell her the kitten for $20. She brought the kitten to the League, where he is being evaluated and will be made available for adoption in the next few days. He is now named Flynn.
  

The cruelty does not stop there. Early today NBCWashington.com's Nancy Norman and Pat Collins reported --

• Bear, a lovable 4-year-old lab mix, was shot and killed while playing inside his fenced yard Friday night. Sandra Benson, Bear's guardian, wasn't at her home in the 5300 block of B Street SE at the time. Her 17-year-old daughter let Bear outside. After she heard Bear barking, a shot rang out. She rushed out to the horror of her beloved Bear shot in the neck. Bear was rushed to the Friendship Hospital for Animals. Veterinarians tried everything, but they couldn't save Bear. Ms. Benson said Bear had never bitten or bothered anyone. He was good with children. He never left the the safety -- which turned out not to be so safe -- of the family yard. Perhaps adding to the crime of opportunity is the fact that the street light was burned out so the area was very dark. It's a felony in the District of Columbia. A $1,000 reward is being offered for help catching the shooter.

Thankfully, in Flynn's case, a passerby cared enough to intervene. The little guy is doing well at the League, and in a couple of weeks will be placed up for adoption. He'll have no trouble finding a forever home, he's adorable. Unfortunately, nothing can bring Bear back. The dog was killed for no apparent reason. His grieving guardians lost a faithful companion. Bear's life was brutally taken by a coward with a gun. Someone knows who the shooter was. Any witness should report that information immediately to the Washington Humane Society. People can report animal cruelty anonymously to the Washington Humane Society at 202 723-5730 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Celebrate Be Kind to Animals Week every day. If you live with animal companions, take good care of them. If you know someone who is not properly caring for his/her companion animal, offer assistance, tell an adult, or report any instances of neglect or abuse to the proper agency. Every community in the U.S. has at least one animal welfare or animal control agency. In many areas, animal crulety cases can be reported to the police. Remember animals cannot ask for help, they depend on each and every one of us.

The Worst Environmental Disaster -- Continued

The oil spill is not contained -- it's getting worse by the minute. Every news update says a greater number of gallons are contaminating the Gulf. Pictures can't begin to show the devastation. It's sooooooooooo sad. A group of wildlife rehabilitators from Delaware is there trying to rescue birds covered in oil. And still, the underground well continues to spew crude into waters. As bad as it is, we may not know the total impact on the environment on some time. According to one AP news report --

• "Efforts to prevent the slow-moving mass from washing ashore in parts of four states have been hampered for days by choppy seas and high waves in the Gulf, but forecasts suggest calmer conditions in the next few days."

Gulf Oil Spill -- An Epic Catastrophe

The picture looks like an old, overexposed film shot that missed capturing the subject. Unfortunately, the darkness in the picture IS the subject. This Associated Press' (AP) April 28th aeriel photo of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, shows what may very well be the biggest environmental threat that the U.S. has encountered! Sounds like a dramatic disaster-movie exaggeration, doesn't it? It's not. The massive spill, which as of Wednesday covered eight miles off the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River at the Southern tip of Louisiana , is now oozing into the Louisiana wetlands; extreme windy weather conditions are hampering any attempts to contain the seepage, let alone remove the miles of oil. It's not going to get better any time soon -- a clean up, humongous in scope, may never be fully complete. About 42,000 gallons of oil a day are leaking into the Gulf from the blown-out well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed eleven workers just a couple of days before the 40th anniversary celebration of Earth Day.

While the cause of the explosion has yet to be determined, scientists know that the devastation from the catastrophe will be felt for a very long time. An AP report by Cain Burdeau and Holbrook Mohr offered this distressing update --

• The spill was bigger than imagined — five times more than first estimated — and closer. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines.
  "It is of grave concern," David Kennedy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Associated Press. "I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling."
  The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. Thicker oil was in waters south and east of the Mississippi delta about five miles offshore.

Bring Your Own Bag

Look at the picture on the left side of the page titled, Plastic Pollution is Deadly. What words comes to mind? GROSS, Yucky, Ick, Nasty?? How about killer? Scientists estimate that cast-off plastic KILLS roughly 1 million sea birds AND 100,000 marine animals like dolphins and sea turtles each year. Mind boggling! And, get ready for another hard-to-swallow statistic, 80% -- so almost all -- of the TRASH in the ocean is PLASTIC. Plastic takes a long time to break down, so it is not unusual for that toothpaste cap you throw out with today's trash to end up floating in the ocean dumpster. AND, all of those bits and pieces of plastic, including lots and lots of bags, all pool together to create one mega Garbage Dump that is growing daily. According to Scholastic 's Science World April 19th issue, "most of the floating garbage comes from the roughly 200 BILLION pounds of plastic people use each year, or which some 10 percent ends up in the ocean. Much of the trash comes from the land, brought by sewage systems and rivers. Since a plastic bottle can take as long as 500 YEARS to break down, it can swirl in the garbage patch for a very long time."

Last week we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. We need to do better, make every day earth day. Figure out what you can do to reduce waste. Bringing your own bag to the store is an easy start. What else can you do? Create a list, but don't use paper!

FAT CATS are Not Cute, They are Unhealthy!

This picture of Aretha, has not been photo-shopped, she is a grotesquely obese cat. And, like the article OBESITY IN CATS... and What To Do About An Overweight Cat (http://www.thepetcenter.com/Article.aspx?id=3401) says, obesity in cats is a common problem that can result in Feline Hepatic Lipidosis - (Fatty Liver Disease), diabetes, and

arthritis, all serious and debilitating illnesses, and all less likely to occur in "normal" weight cats. The article states than 40% of all domestic cats are obese -- Aretha falls into the category of grossly overweight. When she was brought to the League, a whopping 25 pounds was covering Aretha's small frame. In the few weeks she's been here, thanks to diet and exercise she's lost a little over 2 pounds. The next 8-10 will be harder to lose.

First Lady Michelle Obama has made healthy food choices and exercise one of her "pet" causes. She tells children all over the world that she expects them to eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly to stay healthy. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic numbers with one in every five children classified as overweight. Childhood obesity is the result of numerous factors including high calorie food choices, sedentary lifestyles, and irregular eating patterns. Obesity in cats can be attributed to the same, difference being people make the food choices for cats and people make food available to cats 24/7 and people lose interest in making sure that their cats get exercise. AND, people often think fat cats are cute. Think Garfield, think Morris.

Aretha is not cute. But, she's sweet. And, with help from the food police and personal trainers at the League, Aretha will get to a normal cat weight, which is rarely more than 12 pounds!

A Home for Kix

Good News!! Kix who went to a foster home two months ago after a very, very, very long stay at the shelter is now in her forever home. She didn't move -- her foster family adopted her!

CELEBRATE!!

April is National Poetry month. Did you know that if you google the familiar lines, "April showers bring May flowers" more than 10,100,000 references pop up? That's one popular poem! And, 2/3 of the way into National Poetry month is National Parks Week -- which means FREE admission to all 392 national parks, now through Saturday. Plus, EARTH DAY is celebrated, on Thursday, April 22nd, smack in the middle of National Parks Week. Why not spend Thursday in a park writing poetry!

To learn more about National Parks Week check out http://www.nps.gov/npweek/
Information on the 15th annual National Poetry Month Celebration is at www.poets.org/npm/
Earth Day information is at http://www.earthday.org/earthday2010

Sea Lions in San Francisco

I saw them. They are big. No, huge -- really humongous! They are loud -- really, really loud. And, less than 6 months ago, more than 1,500 humongous, loud sea lions were hanging out in San Francisco at Pier 39. Last week there were fewer than a couple of dozen sea lions on the pier. No one knows exactly why the San Francisco sea lions came and went -- one of the most logical theories has to do with food. Scientists believe that scores of sea lions were following their stomachs. When the food source moved on, so did the sea lions.

The sea lions I saw were passively sunning themselves, barking now and then, and occasionally plopping into the chilly bay. I would have loved to have seen and heard 1,500 sea lions, but I can't complain, as magnificent as our wildlife is in the D.C. area, there are no sea lions here, and it is highly unlikely that any will find food any time soon in the Potomac or Anacostia rivers.

To read more about the disappearance of the sea lions of San Francisco, check out http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/disappearing-sea-lions/