Once Again, Do NOT Give a Living Creature As a Gift

A little over a week away from the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, I once again implore all of the people who read this: do NOT give a living creature as a present or gift!  This is my usual winter rave and rant....  Any pet - be it a puppy, kitten, bunny, rat, mouse, ferret, bird, spider, snake, iguana, frog, fish, pig, calf, dog, cat, pony or horse - needs a life-time of care and attention.  Care and attention and love.  All three of these things take time, patience, and (unfortunately) money.  There are vet visits, grooming, annual shots, food, treats, toys, collars, halters, cages, aquariums, terrariums, pasture and stalling to consider.
   If you have a good friend or lover that truly loves animals, give a donations in your friend's name to a no-kill shelter, a local Humane Society, or a local zoo.  There are all sorts of refuges around the country that accept donations in someone's name to "sponsor" a specific animal for a certain amount of time.  You can donate to dog and cat and horse and other rescue groups...
   I know a whole lot of people who pass a dog or cat, and say, "Oh, I wish I had one!"  That person usually does not have a pet for a good reason - their job takes them away from home frequently, they have to work odd or late hours, they don't have a "normal" schedule; or they have other commitments that take up their spare time.
   Remember that if you take an animal home, to your home, or someone else's home, as a gift, that you are ultimately responsible for the care of that animal for the rest of it's life.  Believe it, or not, but all creatures form some type of bond with their human care-givers.  Dogs form a pack, cats a clowder, rodents form colonies, and large animals form herds.  If you take a small animal away from it's family, YOU are now it's family and leader.
   If you really, terribly need to give a person a pet, tell them about your need to do so.  If they will accept the full responsibility this entails, then take them to an animal shelter, Humane Society, or rescue center, and let the person who will be the owner/guardian select the pet of their choice...
  Please do NOT give a breathing, living creature as a gift - ever - unless it's to yourself, and you have the time, love, money, and ability to care for it for it's lifetime.

Dolphins, Whales, & the Philippines

I've been watching the trail of dead bottle-nose dolphins, or porpoises, slowly move down the east coast. Current numbers say that at least 753 dolphins have died from a measles-like virus that is slowly spreading through the migrating pods.  Dead dolphins are now being found along the coast of Florida, and after five whale carcasses have also tested positive for the virus, scientists fear that the virus might be spreading through our air breathing, but water living, friends.  Recently, three humpback whale and two pygmy whale bodies have been found on east coast beaches that are positive for the measles-like dolphin killing virus.  If you are on the water, or at the beach, and notice a dolphin or whale that is behaving in an unusual manner, please contact the NOAA Hotline at 1-877-WhaleHelp.  Do not approach the animal, and do not allow your pets near it either - it might be contagious.  We need to help these wonderful aquatic creatures.
    The landing of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines brings back memories of Hurricane Camille for me.  Camille hit the coast with winds of 190 mph; Yolanda hit the islands at 195 mph.  Camille then had to fall apart over the mainland of the United States; Haiyan crossed the sea again and is approaching another landfall in Viet Nam.  Ouch.  Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones happen all over the world - and they are very destructive.  If you live on, or near the coast, or worse - on an island - you are pretty much at the mercy of whatever Mother Nature throws at you.
   Here in the US, we can easily look at video and photos of the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.  You can look at the effects of flooding here in Colorado less than two months ago, on 12 September, when we had our 100 Year Flood.  (We just had another all-day volunteer work party to clean up one of the mountain towns, Salina, yesterday.)  Compared to the average citizen of the Philippine islands, we are rich, even if our income is below "poverty level" by US standards.  I'm afraid that these poor citizens - of all of the Philippine islands - will stay in the incredible limbo that the people of Haiti are still in, after their devastating earthquake.
   Please, if you can afford to donate anything, please give to the American Red Cross.  You can say that your donation is for the survivors of Haiyan in the Philippines, or for those left homeless in Viet Nam.  I have just enough to get by this month, as I took a 5-day trip to Oklahoma City last month; but, any excess money that I earn this month will be donated to the Red Cross, as soon as I get it.  Why?  Because they do good work for every person on this earth!

Last Three Days of Free Feline Adoption!

There are three days left to adopt a cat, free of charge, at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. Once again, I'm asking that if you have the money, love and space to give a cat, six months of age or older, a good loving forever home, please do so. If you can't adopt due to allergies or apartment rules, you can always donate money to the HSBV that will be used to care for any animal without a home - be it cat, dog, rabbit, hamster, mouse, or a bird. It's the season of giving. Please give to the Humane Society to help save the lives of homeless, loving creatures! Thank you.