Category Archives: Against Animal Abuse

December 5 is Celebrate Shelter Pets Day

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TGIF! The weekend has arrived and today, Thursday we celebrated Shelter Pets Day. As the mom of a rescued dog, and only having rescued all my life, a Mutt lover, today is a very important day for so many reasons. It is a day dedicated to pets that were originally from the shelter and pets that are still in the shelter.

Millions of cats, dogs, and other animals enter shelters annually, through no fault of their own. Because they were abandoned, surrendered, or lost, these pets deserve a second chance at life in a loving home. Celebrating Shelter Pets Day shines a spotlight on the remarkable companionship and unconditional love these animals can bring us.

Adopting a shelter pet transforms the life of an animal but also changes the lives of the adopters, enriching our lives and making us better people, helping some combat loneliness, health issues and so much more.

My first rescued dog was when I was a child, his name was Caesar, a big goofy mutt who we had to rehome when we left South Africa. Then we found Whiskey on the streets in Israel, this was the days before microchips, and she came to live with us and when we went back to South Africa she came with us and lived a good life till the age of 14.

I then went back to Israel and rescued 3 cats, Sasha, Shula and Pichevkes, they all lived long good lives with me each passing a year in between. My late father used to call me the Crazy Cat Lady and that was the days before internet.

Since in the States I rescued Baby, who ran with me from the Domestic Violence Relationship and when we were free and living in our own home, she unfortunately got IMHA and passed away within 48 hours. I waited 3 months in January 2011 I rescued Layla and the rest is history. Layla taught me so much that opened my eyes to the problem of shelters being overcrowded with Shelter Pets, which breaks my heart. When Layla passed away in May without even hesitation I in July rescued Nili  who is settling beautifully and my new fur kid.

My beautiful Baby

 

Layla in the shelter

Nili in her cage in the shelter

Why celebrate today, we must celebrate the lucky pets that have found homes, the shelters and rescues that give the pets a second chance at love, they deserve awards for the amazing and tireless work they do

How can we celebrate daily:

  1. Adopt a Pet
  2. Supporting a Shelter
  3. Share a story
  4. Foster a Pet
  5. Advocate for adoption

Now you all know why I am against Breeders and Puppy Mills, there are so many beautiful pets in shelters waiting for homes, and we must speak out for them as they do not have a voice.

Have a wonderful weekend and please be safe

Nili and her mom

 

 

 

 

Why we speak out against Animal Abuse

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TGIF! End of week and our weekly blog is here. This week we going to discuss the animal abuse in the world and say a thank you to Betty White for speaking out.

As you all are aware Betty White passed away a week ago, she was an amazing woman, her comedy was brilliant but her legacy for speaking out for animals is something the animal world has lost. The animals have lost an amazing advocate and we all need to speak out for those that don’t have a voice.

There are so many issues when it comes to animals, a circus or zoo which are prisons for those poor animals and have not chosen that kind of life. The circus animals are beaten and mistreated just to entertain humans which is so wrong, each time a circus closes and the animals are set free I celebrate as they should all be free roaming the land where they come from. Animals in zoos should have that same life of freedom, not sitting in cages or enclosures seeing the same thing every day – that is not a life, that is a prison. It is time that zoos close down also.

Breeders are just as bad, they breed animals especially in puppy mills or cat mills, where the dogs and cats do not have lives, they are baby making machines, living in deplorable conditions and when they cannot breed anymore they are dumped like garbage. Puppy or Cat mills should be closed down and made illegal. I here too rejoice everything a law passes forbidding the sale of pets in pet stores as the pets do not have deserve to be there but like every living being, should be free to live their lives as they do not have a say in their lives and therefore it is abuse.

Hybrid cats or dogs that are bred like Cockapoos, etc are all mutts and should not be labelled as a breed, they are mixed breeds.

That is why Spay and Neuter is so important to keep the over population under control, by doing that less animals would land up in shelters or become feral/homeless, but would have homes to live their lives. If everyone spayed or neutered there would be no euthanasia as the shelters would not have all these poor animals hoping for a rescue.

Betty White spoke about all the above, her voice was heard by so many animal advocates and that is why we are all mourning today her loss and the start of the Betty White Challenge is a brilliant idea to remember her as with all the rescues working day and night to save the animals from shelters they will be able to raise more funds to help them carry on their wonderful work.

Will you be donating to a rescue organization in memory of Betty White ? Layla and I will be doing it to one of our favorite rescues who saves the disabled, seniors and sick pets dumped in shelters and is a hospice so they live the rest of their lives in comfort with love.

Pets are family, the reason shelters are overflowing is because of the selfish inconsiderate humans who think that when they do not want to be responsible anymore they dump them in shelters. A pet should live his or her life in comfort as part of your family.

On this note we are praying that 2022 Shelters will be empty, pets will have loving homes and the abuse will stop.

Thank you Betty for all you did, you will be missed by many, hug your pet,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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Good Morning,

October has arrived and with it the Month of Domestic Violence Awareness. This is a topic that is very close to my heart as I am a proud survivor.

I am one of the lucky ones that managed to get away with my little dog, hid at a friend and then moved to a new city where we were both helped.  If I had left her I know my ex would have carried on abusing her so the minute I could ran, we ran.

Baby since has passed away, but she was my inspiration, my hero, my trooper and my lifeline through those dark days, and when she passed it was when I was finally in my own home so she knew I was safe, and could then open my doors to a new pup, and Layla arrived to live with me.  Layla wears a tag that says: Shelter Survivor which speaks for both of us.

Today I am not going to talk about me, but “The Power and Control Wheel” of Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence. This gives us a better understanding as to what happens behind closed doors, and why so many victims stay in the relationships.

  1. Threats – The abuser will threaten to kill or abuse the pet during the relationship or if left behind. (I stayed in mine as to protect Baby.)
  2. Isolation – Refusing vet care for the pet. Isolating the victim that the pet also suffers as it is not socialized with other dogs. It is as if you are living in a cage.
  3. Emotional Abuse – Giving away or killing the pet to take away her source of unconditional love.
  4. Economical Abuse – Refusing to permit her to buy pet food or vet care
  5. Legal Abuse – Custody battles over pets. This is heart breaking as they file charges against the victim claiming theft if she leaves with the pet.
  6. Intimidation – Harming or killing the pet and then saying to the victim “Next time it will be you…..” They do this to family and friends who assist with the victim and pets getting away.
  7. Denying and blaming – Blaming the victim or the pet when something happens.

An abuser will want to control everything, and if he or she does not have that, we, the humans, kids or pets become the victims of his or her anger, although he/she will never admit it.

So when people reach out and talk about wanting to leave a Domestic Violence relationship but cannot leave their pets, these are some of the reasons and I from experience would have rather carried on suffering the abuse to make sure Baby was safe, than left her in a house where she would suffer.

Pets do not understand abuse the way we do and they should not have to suffer at the hands of an abuser of any kind as they give us the unconditional love and loyalty that unfortunately humans do not do.

October is also the National Month of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month so reach out to a Shelter and give a dog a new home, as I always say about Layla – from pound to princess.

Be safe, have a wonderful week, with a woof of love from

Layla