Animals Abused & Abandoned Blog

We have exciting news to share with you! Animals Abused & Abandoned has been invited to participate in a special one-day Internet fund raising event that will enable our Animals 3 friends to double the impact of a donation made on that day!

The prestigious Communities Foundation of Texas, in partnership with the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas, has created Donor Bridge. Donor Bridge is a new online resource that will make mutual connections between nonprofit organizations, donors and supporters. Donor Bridge will “launch” a one time only fundraising drive on May 20, 2009. That date is very important because Communities Foundation of Texas will match up to $2,500 in donations from “Friends” of Animals Abused & Abandoned on that day, and that day only.

Collaboration and support for this project are also provided by the Dallas Foundation and the Institute for Urban Policy Research at The University of Texas at Dallas. Gathering reliable information, making charitable gifts, and addressing community needs will become easier and more efficient as a result of this new communication tool. Animals Abused & Abandoned, Inc. was invited to join the Donor Bridge community through its membership in the Center for Nonprofit Management.

We count you among our many Animals 3 Friends and want you to know that a donation from you on May 20, 2009 will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of your gift to the abused and abandoned animals we work so hard to help.

Animals 3 will alert you two more times; once two weeks before the launch date and again on the morning of May 20, 2009, just to be sure you have an opportunity to offer your support for our beautiful and deserving animals on that “one time day.”

Thank you again, for your very generous past and future support.

Sincerely,

Monique Voelker
Animals Abused & Abandoned Inc

Posted on April 20th, 2009 by janehimmel
Filed under: General, Uncategorized | No Comments »

As we launch a new Spotlight Story this month, we would like to update you on two animals featured in previous Spotlight Stories:

We begin with Bailey, the German Shepherd, who was our Spotlight Story in November. We have had several inquiries for adoption and are still receiving some. Because she is an alpha female with a high prey drive, she requires a home without any pets.. So at this time, she is still waiting for that special person to make her a member of his/her family. Please read her story and if interested in adopting her, call Animals Abused & Abandoned at 214-601-2345. Living through such a tragic event, she merits a home of her own soon.

As you know, our most recent Spotlight animal was Jasper, a lab mix who required cruciate surgery to repair a leg injury. Animals3 has good news to report: Jasper was recently adopted! We thought we would share with you a letter from Jasper’s new parent and pictures of Jasper in his new home:

Dear Monique,

I thought I would give you a quick update on Jasper. We haven’t made any headway with the cats, but other than that he is doing great. I am going to start slowly acclimatizing him to them later this week, now that he had been home about a month. I’ve almost got the fence Jasper proof, although my cleaning woman accidentally let him out when I was gone this Saturday. I got a call from someone about 4 blocks from me in my neighborhood who said that he “joined” her walking her dog. She saw his tag and called me. By the time I got to her house, Jasper was inside her house playing with her dog! Apparently he has no problem going in stranger’s homes, although he seemed happy to see me and get back home.

We got about 6-8 inches of snow here last week, and I actually got both dogs out in the storm. We went on an hour and a half long park run when there was about 4-5 inches down and it was snowing very hard. Jasper loved it. It must have been his first experience with any significant amount of snow, much less being out in a storm. I actually let him off the leash in the main area of the park for a bit. He did pretty well, although I was afraid to let him have more than 5 minutes or so off because he would travel pretty far away from me (before running back at full speed). Baby steps as they say.

I would like to reiterate how sweet Jasper is. I am really surprised nobody grabbed him up before me. I guess if he was chewing things up and escaping all the time it would turn some people off, but what young dog/puppy doesn’t chew things and I’m not going to penalize Jasper for his amazing climbing/leaping ability. Rather, I am just building a supermax fence (not visible from the front, so thankfully can be wood). I’ve been lucky that he seems to have outgrown the chewing phase by now, but it wouldn’t have been a deal breaker or anything.

He is very loving, loves to cuddle up with me on the couch, is friendly with everyone, and isn’t overly aggressive with other dogs. My cats would disagree, but he really fits in perfectly in our little family and I can already see progress with them. –Charles

To read this month’s Spotlight Story or read other animals stories, please visit Animals Abused & Abandoned (Animals3). You can also share your own animal story or make a monetary donation at Animals3. Any amount will help these wonderful animals.

Posted on March 6th, 2009 by Monique
Filed under: Dog Stories, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

There is no doubt that the American pit bull terrier more than any other is the dog of choice for breeders looking to supply dog fighting operations. Such disreputable breeders raise the dogs in harsh conditions isolated and chained just out of reach of other dogs. They are usually poorly socialized to other dogs and to most people. Any dog can become aggressive, depending on its upbringing and environment.

As a result of their association with dog fighting, the pit bull terrier is now more often than not considered by the fearing public as a dangerous and aggressive animal. Legislative bills and local ordinances in a number of states have been proposed in recent years that would ban the breed entirely. But is this a fair and accurate assessment of the dog?

The ASPCA states that “responsible breeders who breed pit bulls as pets have generally selected against the high degree of aggression to other animals seen in fighting lines, while preserving the many desirable qualities of the breed.”

According to a variety of sources, the American pit bull terrier was once one of the most popular breeds among a wide variety of people, noted for strength, loyalty, and intelligence. In fact, this dog was chosen as the mascot for both RCA and Buster Brown Shoes and was also the sole canine member of the children’s television series Our Gang. Are we to believe that the same much beloved and trusted companion dog of the past is no longer suitable as a pet? The ASPCA “ When a dog that is loved, well-treated, and cared for, no matter its breed, is matched with the right kind of owner and household, it results in positive reinforcement of the human-animal bond.”

I invite you to view the following video that demonstrates both the abuse to which humans have subjected these animals alongside images of the pit bull as a loving family dog.

Additional Resources

ASPCA: Dog Fighting
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/

ASPCA: Pit Bull Cruelty
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/pit-bull-cruelty.html

Bulldogbreeds.com
http://www.bulldogbreeds.com/americanpitbullterrier.html

Pet Pit Bull
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/

Pete the Pup in Our Gang helping the kids (Little Rascals)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_TnLev_kWE

Pit Bull Problem – Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeuy_PBlqz8

Posted on February 9th, 2009 by Monique
Filed under: Dog Stories, General | 1 Comment »

The Labrador Retriever holds on to the honor of most popular purebred in 2008, its 18th straight year in the top spot. More than twice as many labs were registered in 2008 as any other breed, making it likely that it will remain in the number one position for years to come according to American Kennel Club (AKC) officials.

2008 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.

Labrador Retriever Yorkshire Terrier German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever Beagle Boxer Dachshund Bulldog Poodle Shih Tzu

Although Lab registrations vastly outnumber other competing purebred dogs, AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson states that the Bulldog is gaining ground as a new family favorite. Click here to find out where your dog ranks. The AKC is proud to be celebrating its 125th Anniversary during 2009. To learn more about the history of the AKC or see dog breed rankings by region, be sure to visit the following links!

• AKC Celebrates 125th Anniversary with a Look Back at First AKC Registered Breeds in History
• Top 10 Most Popular Breeds in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities

Posted on February 4th, 2009 by Monique
Filed under: Dog Stories, General, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

What if Animals Abused & Abandoned (A3) earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Animals Abused & Abandoned as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

Posted on January 19th, 2009 by Monique
Filed under: General, Uncategorized | No Comments »