Lit That Sheds Light

For avid readers like me, any time is a good time to curl up with a book.  A recent heat wave had me looking for ways to stay cool and not over exert.  I looked no further than my bedroom bookshelf.  I love collecting books and always have a selection of those read and loved as well as those waiting to be read.  In looking for my next read, I stumbled across a copy of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. 

Black Beauty holds a dear place in my heart because when I read the book as a child, it made me think about life from the perspective of an animal, always at the mercy of humans - some kind, some not.  My mother taught her children compassion by reminding us to be gentle with our dolls and stuffed animals.  When we came into contact with real babies and animals, we already knew how to stroke gently or respect a creature who did not want to be touched.  Black Beauty put a voice and a face to my mother’s lessons.

I’ll always be grateful to Mom for teaching us that animals have feelings but many lack anyone to protect them from harm.  The books I chose to read as a child often lent a voice to the voiceless and it was a great way to reinforce the concept of animals as sentient creatures.  

When Black Beauty was published in 1877, it was the first book of its kind to promote sympathy, respect, and kindness for horses.  It inspired its own kind of animal activism among horse lovers and led to abolishing the use of the checkrein, a practice where the horse’s head was forced into an unnaturally high position that caused pain and permanent damage to the animal’s neck.  Animal activists still use the book as a symbol of compassion.

As the children in our lives embark on summer vacation, there are a host of good animal-centric books to be devoured and many lessons on compassion to be gleaned from these treasures.  Consider Charlotte’s Web, Call of the Wild, My Side of the Mountain and The Incredible Journey to name just a few.  What books impacted you as a child?  If you could choose just one to share with a young person, which would it be?  

These days my reading lists often center on 21st Century solutions to making the world a better place.  It’s amazing how many of these books - The China Study, The Starch Solution, Veganist - encourage better treatment of animals as a means of saving ourselves and the planet.

by Elizabeth Sundstrom 

Wishing all of my readers and the animals in their lives a safe and happy summer.  I will be on vacation July 12-29.  This column will resume on August 4.

Travels Without Fido

It’s that time of year again when many of us are looking forward to an annual vacation.  For my husband and me, the hardest part of preparing for travel is the anticipation of leaving our pets behind.  No matter how prepared we try to be, there is always the concern that an emergency will arise in our absence, as it did two years ago when our cat, Mrs. Bean, became critically ill with fatty liver disease.  Thanks to the diligence and quick action of our neighbor, Wanda, who was caring for Mrs. Bean, our story had a happy ending.

I’m getting ahead of myself though.  Our annual vacation preparations include arrangements for the care and feeding of our cat and two dogs.  There are special foods to purchase, vet visits to ensure the animals are in good health, and written documents for the pet sitters and vet allowing our permission to provide medical care in the event of an emergency.  We also provide the caregivers with copies of our itinerary so they know how to reach us. Mrs. Bean stays home and is cared for by Wanda while the dogs are lodged with our friend, Julie, who operates a doggie B&B from her home in the nearby hills.  

The written permissions and contact information became critically important when Bean fell ill.  While traveling outside the country, we received an e-mail from Wanda indicating that Mrs. Bean was off her food and appeared to be very lethargic.  How would we like Wanda to proceed?  We immediately requested she take Mrs. Bean to the vet.  The vet kept Bean and treated her over the next few days until we arrived home.  By that time, it was determined that Bean required surgery and feeding through a stomach tube for the next month.  However, it was Wanda’s quick intervention that ultimately saved her life.

As important as providing the above documentation is having a dedicated and reliable caregiver.  Wanda and Julie both fall into that category.  When searching for a pet-sitter or interviewing a kennel operator, the most important consideration aside from the animal’s physical safety and comfort, is trusting the caregiver.  Will he or she give your cherished pet enough attention to know when something is wrong or different about the pet’s behavior?  Will he or she then know what steps to take on behalf of your pet?  Leaving our animal family behind while we vacation is much easier knowing they are in such kind and capable hands. 

Wishing all of my readers safe travels this summer and hoping you return home rested to find your pets healthy and happy.

by Elizabeth Sundstrom

Too Much of a Good Thing

The City of Los Angeles is 503 square miles.  According to Pet Rescue and Adoption of Los Angeles, there are between 26,000-44,000 stray dogs on the streets of L.A. on any given day.  If that number seems shocking, according to a story reported by Judy Muller in February of this year, there may be as many as 2 million stray cats in Los Angeles!  

When I asked my colleague, Sandi, a couple of weeks ago how many pets she had helped rescue since Pet Allies started last fall, she had no clue.  Truth is, she is so busy trying to rehome unwanted dogs and cats that record-keeping is not a top priority.  Especially now that we are in the midst of “kitten season.”

Sandi also said that with so many animals in need of new homes, time and money are the biggest obstacles.  There are simply never enough volunteers, foster homes, or resources to ensure that all, or even most, of these animals get a fair chance.  

On this blog we often talk about the importance of spay/neuter as a means of reducing pet suffering through eliminating pet overpopulation.  What else can we do?  The American Humane Association suggests several actions we can take when choosing an animal companion.  

• Always adopt from a shelter or legitimate non-profit rescue organization.  For every animal purchased from a pet store or breeder, a shelter animal will die.  In some shelters, as many as 50 percent of the dogs and cats are purebred.
• Consider all the responsibilities of pet guardianship and commit to taking on this animal for the remainder of his/her life.
• Spread the word about pet overpopulation.  Most people have no idea how dire and unavoidable the situation has become.
• Spay/neuter!  Always.  Puppies and kittens can undergo this surgery as early as 2 months of age. Many shelter insist on altering the pet prior to adoption.

There are some problems in life we cannot change.  But working together, we can ensure a brighter future for our companion animals.  They give so much to us.  Let’s make sure we return the favor.

by Elizabeth Sundstrom

Animal Advocates in Action

During the coming months, I will be blogging occasionally about the women who founded Pet Allies Network (PAN) in the fall of 2012.  Who are they and what do they do?  I hope you will enjoy learning about PAN and the small but dedicated group of individuals trying to ensure positive outcomes for homeless pets. These articles will examine some of the ways PAN tackles that challenging issue.

Pet Allies Network consists of seven people: Sandi, Faith, Lisa, Roni, Kim, Alana, and me.  Several years ago, Best Friends Animal Society allowed volunteer writers to contribute to the Best Friends website.  That’s how we all “met” and became virtual friends.  Only Alana and I live outside Orange County (OC).  Alana is our Facebook guru and I focus on writing.  

The remainder of the group is scattered throughout OC where they facilitate rescues of deathrow dogs and cats from area shelters and aid private parties who need to rehome their pets. Although PAN networks with numerous shelters and organizations and provides resources and guidance for individuals, PAN is not a 501c3. Nor does it arrange adoptions or have a facility to house animals.  

Since I have no involvement in the hands-on process, I asked Sandi to tell me more about it.  PAN connects people, provides sample application forms and sample home check questions for individuals. Sandi draws heavily from her year-long experience as a paid employee of Best Friends and utilizes that knowledge for PAN.  

Sandi earns her living as a writer and donates her free time to animal rescue.  She doesn’t consider herself an animal activist.  "I don't know if I'd call it activism - just a belief in kindness to animals.  I believe animals deserve a chance to live full lives just like people do.”  She sees animals as partners, “just of a different species.”  

Next week you’ll read about some of the animals PAN seeks to help.

by Elizabeth Sundstrom

Hot Days, Cool Heads

Some messages bear repeating, if only because the consequences are so dire and the outcomes entirely preventable.  Summer is almost upon us and temperatures are rising.  This is a reminder that cats and dogs are subject to heat stroke.  Leaving pets unattended in a car, even for a short period of time, can be deadly.

Many people are well-intentioned and only plan to leave the pet briefly while running errands.  What could go wrong?  Even if the windows are left cracked and the temperature feels tolerable outside (between 70-80 degrees), it can quickly rise to over 100 degrees inside the car and within ten minutes your beloved pet can be near death.  Notice the first thing most of us do when entering our cars on a hot day is either roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning.  Pets don’t have those options.

Hot cars are not the only source of concern on toasty days.  Animals should always have access to clean, cool water.  Dogs should not be confined to concrete or asphalt with no source of shade or compelled to exercise in extremely hot or humid weather.  Canines with heart or lung disease should be monitored closely.  And avoid muzzling your dogs on hot days.

Some breeds are more prone to heatstroke than others.  Dogs with double coats for instance.  Or breeds with pushed-in faces because they have smaller air passages and a harder time expelling hot air.  The symptoms of heat stroke include heavy panting, difficulty breathing, thick saliva and vomiting.  

Since cats are not exempt from heat stroke, precautions should be taken to ensure their comfort and safety during hot weather as well.  Symptoms for heat stroke in a cat include excessively restless behavior, sweaty feet, drooling, redness of tongue, and rapid breathing.

Additional symptoms for both cats and dogs include weakness, confusion, staggering, and seizures.  If your pet displays any of the symptoms of heat stroke, immediately remove him from the hot area and apply cool - not cold - wet towels to the stomach, feet, and head. Provide water but don’t force the animal to drink.  Seek vet care immediately. 

What can you do if you see a pet locked in a car with the windows rolled up?  You can call the police or, better still, the local humane authorities.  When you do, be prepared to supply them with the car’s color, make, model, license plate number and its exact location, such as an address or a section in a parking lot. Remain at the location until authorities arrive.

We all want to enjoy the summer.  Doing so means staying cool no matter what type of animal you may be.  Let’s not overlook - even for a few minutes - the needs of our companion animals. Saving a loved one’s life is that easy. 

'Tis the Season

In last week’s blog I referenced the fact that it’s “kitten season.”  But what does that mean and how does it translate to a crisis for homeless cats, rescue groups, and shelters throughout the country?

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), “kitten season” starts in early spring and ends in the fall, peaking during the summer months.  A female can become pregnant as early as five months of age, having as many as three litters a year, 4-6 kittens per litter.

Now for the big picture math.  Approximately 70,000 cats and dogs are born in the U.S. every day.  To put this number into perspective, only 10,800 human babies are born in the U.S. on a daily basis. In any given year, there are 70 million strays, 30 million of which will die from abuse and exploitation.  As for the shelters we’ve come to rely on to aid us in managing the unwanted pet problem, there are only between 4,000-6,000 shelters in the U.S. and most still have staggering kill rates of 3-4 million dogs and cats per year.  The problem of pet overpopulation is avoidable if we humans do our part.

One reason it's difficult to convince people to alter their pets is the fact that most of us don’t see large numbers of homeless animals in our daily lives.  Such was not the case for Nancy Janes during a vacation to Romania more than 10 years ago.  Deeply distressed by the number of homeless and suffering dogs she saw on the streets, she started a non-profit, Romania Animal Rescue (RAR), upon her return home.  She estimates that millions of lives have been saved by reducing the number of homeless animals through spay/neuter.

Closer to home, my colleagues at Pet Allies Network had all previously volunteered and/or worked for animal rescues.  They knew firsthand the plight of homeless animals and decided to dedicate themselves to making a difference in Southern California.  Learn more about them and why they decided to start Pet Allies Network in an upcoming blog.  

For those of us who want to make a difference but need to start on a smaller scale, what can we do?  Well, we can spay and neuter our own pets and politely educate those around us, encouraging them to do the same.  For people who lack the funds to alter their pets, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) provides a search engine to aid people in finding low- or no-cost clinics.  If you don’t have a pet but want to make a difference, consider volunteering at your local shelter or making a donation to aid in the cause.

The numbers say it all and even though we don’t witness the outcomes firsthand, we know that 34 million pet deaths per year is not acceptable.  Let’s all make an effort to do one thing to lower that number.  If you're already active in animal rescue, please write and tell me how you're making a difference!

Feral colony in Richmond, California

by Elizabeth Sundstrom

Perfect Endings

At bedtime, I used to love holding my cat Zoe pressed against my chest, listening to her purr contentedly as I nuzzled my face into the soft fur of her neck.  Truthfully, it’s hard to hold onto a bad day when that’s how you’re ending it.  We know that pets provide many health benefits for their humans, including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.  While we may be feeling mellow listening to the cat purr, what is she feeling?

Any cat lover will tell you that cats purr as a sign of contentment.  Newborn kittens are able to purr by the second day of life and often so do while nursing.  Relaxed felines purr while eating, drinking, and while giving or receiving affection.  However, cats also purr when they are in distress or pain.  A mother cat may purr while delivering her kittens while other cats purr as they lie sick or dying.  Purring can also communicate submissiveness or non-aggressive intentions from one cat to another.  

Scientists theorize that purring is caused by a release of endorphins into the brain, explaining why cats purr while in pain.  There are several theories regarding how the body produces a purr, none of them definitive.  The frequency range of a purr is between 25 to 150 Hz.  This frequency range is beneficial to healing so a cat may purr to aid in healing herself.  Researchers also believe that a sick or frightened feline might purr to psychologically comfort herself.

Our domesticated house cats are not the only purring creatures.  They share that attribute with mountain lions and bobcats.  Like the house cat, these cats cannot roar.  Cats such as lions and tigers that can roar lack the ability to purr due to structural differences surrounding the larynx.  Surprisingly, purring is not exclusive to cats.  A number of other creatures purr as well, including rabbits, raccoons, bear cubs, hyenas, and bats!

While we still have much to learn about how and why cats purr, according to current science, this is some of what Zoe’s purring most likely did for me: reduced blood pressure, triglycerides and risk of heart attack and stroke, to name just a few things.  People with cats may also live longer (and certainly happier) lives.  Most important of all, Zoe was a loyal and loving friend.  The emotional and physical health benefits of that cannot be measured. 

One of my colleagues in the field at Pet Allies Network, Sandi Cain, reminded me today that it is “kitten season.”  There are more babes and adults than homes.  Statistics indicate that 60 percent of American households have at least one pet and cats have edged out dogs as the pet of choice.  However, many thousands of cats die every year for no reason other than lack of homes.   You and I can make a difference.  Please spay and neuter your pets.

Wishing all of my readers more purr-filled endings to stressful days.

by Elizabeth Sundstrom