Itchmo: News For Dogs & Cats

Donor newsletters are nice, but I’m a research glutton who craves more information about her favorite non-profits. If you want a closer look at how humane charities or other non-profit organizations handle their funds, IRS regulations can help. Tax-exempt organizations must provide certain financial information and forms to the public (donors and non-donors) on request.

Feeling shy? No need to walk into a building, write a letter or pick up your phone. You can find records for 1.7 million organizations – both local and national – online at GuideStar.org. Basic registration is required, but it’s free, and other than the general “welcome” e-mail, my own registration did not seem to generate additional inbox traffic.

After you search for a charity as a registered user, click the “View Report” button. Additional information such as the number of employees and the organization’s mission may be listed, and you can scroll down further to reach .pdf files of various tax forms related to the organization.

Information varies by form, but may include
• A list of directors and compensation for those directors, if any
• Expenses related to salaries and wages, veterinary care and more
• A list of employees or contractors receiving more than $50,000 per year, if any
• Revenue broken down by sources, such as adoption fees and private contributions

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Itchmo reader Joan Steik wrote and sent us this Valentine dog poem:

Will You Be Mine?
~ by Joan Steik
Fresh from the water bowl or was it the toilet this time!
Big wet kisses… Will you be mine?
Roses are red, violets are blue,
I’m leaving muddy paw prints… just for you!

I’m cute and I’m cuddly most of the time,
I give “Big Hugs” to friends of mine,
And my “Big Heart” beats with a special chime
Best Friends Are Forever…
Will you be My Valentine?

From Your Dog

Photo: Island Gazette

Do you have a personal story to share about a special cat, dog or horse who touched your life? Syndicated columnist Dr. Marty Becker, the resident veterinarian on “Good Morning America,” is co-authoring with award-winning pet-writer and Pet Connection blogger Gina Spadafori the first three titles in a new series of “Ultimate” books from HCI Books, the publisher of the best selling Chicken Soup series. Deadline for story submissions is March 15th.

For more information please visit TheUltimatePetLover.com.

There is potential good news for the family of Caddy, a dog who was stolen and slaughtered back in December of 2007!

The men responsible for Caddy’s death are in custody and facing charges of second degree theft, which categorizes Caddy as the Property of the Manuma family. He was taken without his owners’ consent. The other charge faced by Saturnino Palting, 59, and Nelson Domingo, 43, is cruelty to animals, a Class C Felony. The charge states they knowingly tortured or mutilated an animal, resulting in his/her death. This charge carries a penalty of a possible five year sentence and a $10,000 fine, should they be convicted. The two men are expected to make their pleas within the next few days. To get a conviction will require expert testimony proving that Palting and Domingo tortured Caddy before killing him.

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The kindness of a stranger is simply an amazing and touching moment.

Here is an email that Debbie, an Itchmo reader, sent us about the story of a child’s letter to God about her dog, Abbey, who had passed away and what happened after she sent the letter:

Our 14-year-old-dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

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Kim Campbell Thornton, a MSNBC contributor, recently wrote an article about licensed, legal breeders. Thornton says that even though a breeder is approved by the USDA, this does not necessarily mean a lot.

Thornton states:

USDA minimum standards for housing and exercise are bare bones. The agency requirement for cage size — the primary enclosure in which breeding dogs live their lives — is just six inches taller, wider and longer than the dog inside. That is, a miniature Dachshund measuring 20 inches from nose to base of tail and standing nine inches high might be housed in a cage only 26 inches wide by 26 inches deep by 15 inches high. The USDA waives the exercise requirement of 30 minutes per day for at least five days a week if the dog is housed in a cage with twice the floor space called for by the above formula.

In addition, USDA regulations don’t address socialization — the handling and exposure a puppy needs during its first weeks of life to develop properly — or the health, temperament and quality of the parents.

American Kennel Club (AKC) or other registration papers also may not mean much. All they certify is that both parents were of the same breed. No dog registry or government agency requires breeders to socialize puppies or health-test their parents for orthopedic, eye or heart problems, or even to be knowledgeable about the breed or dogs in general.

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Carol, an Itchmo reader and blogger of Frogdog Blog, sent us information about an incredibly offensive and demeaning advertisement for Exit Urban Shoes.

We have posted the picture below the jump because the picture may be disturbing to some readers.

Here is some information that Carol found if you want to voice your opinion about this horrible ad:

Write to Exit Urban Shoes: alma.sa@chello.be

More contact methods for Exit Urban:
Phone +32 (0)2 345 08 79
Mail info@exit-and-co.be

Ogilvy Advertising Press and General Inquiries
Contact Eleanor Mascheroni, Chief Marketing Officer, at eleanor.mascheroni@ogilvy.com.

Ogilvy Advertising Media Planning and Implementation
Contact our digital/direct media company, Neo@Ogilvy at neo.info@ogilvy.com

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The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) announced that their respective boards of directors have approved a corporate combination agreement which will result in a powerful new veterinary advocacy organization, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA). HSVMA will give veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians an opportunity to participate in animal welfare programs, including disaster response; expanded hands-on animal care; spaying and neutering; and advocacy for legislative, corporate and veterinary medical school reforms.

Here is their press release announcing their partnership:

“Veterinarians bring a special credibility and authority on animal issues, and I am delighted to add this exciting new operation to The Humane Society of the United States’ family of organizations,” said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. “For 27 years, AVAR has been an important and principled veterinary voice in animal advocacy. Now we will be able to amplify that voice and expand our veterinary-related programs dramatically.”

“For many years, AVAR has worked with a sizable core group of dedicated veterinary advocates, but our ability to reach veterinarians throughout the nation was hampered by our limited resources,” said Dr. Paula Kislak, president of the board of AVAR. “As The Humane Society of the United States invests more resources in veterinary advocacy and we blend our assets with them, I anticipate that we will be able to organize many more thousands of veterinarians in the broader cause of animal protection.” Dr. Kislak will join the board of directors of The HSUS in the near future.

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Yap films’ new documentary, PET FOOD: A DOG’S BREAKFAST, delves into the world of pet food manufacturing and profiles three pet owners who said their pets have gotten sick or died as a result of eating tainted food.

The documentary also features Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, a veterinarian and someone who used to work in the pet food industry. Hodgkins says in the documentary, “Unfortunately the pet food industry is cutting corners, is not doing the testing it says it’s doing, is not using the quality of ingredients it wants pet owners to believe are in that bag and can, and is not forthcoming with pet owners about those facts. It is not a truthful industry.”

In the documentary, Ppet owners also speak out about what they went through when their pets became ill or were dying from eating recalled food. They speak about their anger and the emotional trauma that they endured.

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