The Paws ‘N Claws Eyewear brand has been designed exclusively for animal lovers looking for a way to support animal welfare. Paws ‘N Claws is a creative line of eyewear and for every frame or sunglass sold to the doctor’s offices and optical stores, Eye Deals Eyewear will be donating 2%-3% of the purchase price to the ASPCA ®.
President of Eye Deals Eyewear Sam Shapiro and his wife Phyllis are avid animal supporters who work with local groups such as Steel City Greyhounds, Animal Rescue League and the Pet Match adoption service. “We wanted to support a cause that’s close to our hearts and make it easy for pet lovers everywhere to easily join in the fight to prevent cruelty to animals,” he said.
Eye Deals Eyewear has been designing high quality, innovative eyewear for 29 years. All of the Paws ‘N Claws frame and sunglass designs are embellished with paw prints or bones in a fashionable and subtle way, so the customer can show their love of animals and support them at the same time.
I’ve just spent the day wearing my new pair of sunglasses in Mulberry and I love them. This is a high quality product, with a sturdy and cute eyeglass case and microfiber cleaning cloth included.
Here are some examples of the Paws N Claws sunglass range:
This is an unpaid endorsement.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Moving Animals Places, or MAP, is an interactive, web-based application to help address oversupply and demand challenges for animal shelters across the U.S.
Hosted by the ASPCA, the system allows shelters to contact each other and work out how to move animals places where they are more likely to find homes.
Membership is free and the data stream is in real-time so shelters are guaranteed to receive the latest information.
This is just one initiative to help relocate animals from overcrowded shelters and those with a higher euthanasia rate to those with space and capacity for adoption.
Does your shelter belong to the MAP system? If not, it may be worth a look!
This month, Ralph Lauren, has chosen to feature rescue dogs in showing his Fall 2013 Accessories Collection. This collection includes items of dog apparel, such as cashmere sweaters! (October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month, by the way)
If you buy any of the featured items between 15 October and 15 November, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the ASPCA.
It’s been just over two weeks since 367 lives were saved in a multi-state raid in the United States, the second-largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history.
Photo by the ASPCA
The Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), called in by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), assisted in seizing 367 dogs in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
‘The lowest places in hell would be reserved for those who commit cruelty to our animals’ George Beck, U S Attorney, Middle District of Columbia
Dogs were found in appalling living conditions, with little shelter from the area’s sweltering summer temperatures.
Federal and local officials also seized firearms and drugs, as well as more than $500,000 in cash from dogfighting gambling activities that took place over the course of the investigation. Remains of dead animals were also discovered on some properties where dogs were housed and allegedly fought. If convicted, defendants could face up to five years in prison, as well as fines and restitution.
The dogs, which ranged in age from days-old puppies to 12-13 years, are now receiving medical care and are being assessed for adoptive homes.
These videos show the condition of some of the dogs that were seized during the raid as well as the living conditions they were found in:
The rescue was the result of many agencies working together. Agencies assisting the ASPCA and the HSUS with the operation included the Florida State Animal Response Coalition and Sumter Disaster Animal Response Team (Bushnell, Fla.), University of Florida (Gainesville), Humane Society of South Mississippi (Gulfport), International Fund for Animal Welfare (Yarmouth Port, Mass.), Asheville Humane Society (Asheville, N.C.), Charleston Animal Society (Charleston, S.C.), Louisiana SPCA (New Orleans), American Humane Association (Washington, D.C.), Greater Birmingham Humane Society (Birmingham, Ala.), Atlanta Humane Society (Atlanta, Ga.), PetSmart Charities (Phoenix, Ariz.), Code 3 Associates (Longmont, Colo.), Montgomery Humane Society (Montgomery, Ala.), and Dr. Melinda Merck.
Tim Rickey, Vice President of the ASPCA’s Field Investigations & Response Team, participated in the raids and has commented on the realities of dogfighting:
When I first walked on the property, I stared across the yard and saw more than 100 dogs, most of them tied to heavy log chains, anchored to dilapidated dog houses. The dogs ranged from old to young, living on a worn dirt ring that likely had seen generations of dogs come and go to a sad fate.
Most were chained nose-to-nose to their neighbors to ensure continuous arousal.
This cycle begins with being chained at such an early age with little to no positive human or animal interaction. The burden continues with heavy chains, often with additional weights, to drag around their entire lives. The constant noise, arousal and anxiousness push them towards aggression to or from their yard mates. If they don’t respond, their life may end quickly, but if they do, they have sealed their fate of a long, torturous life.
Their only reprieve from the chain is death or brief release to be tested against another dog, eventually going back to the chain with little attention to their wounds. What follows is weeks of intense training and significant human interaction with the person who will commit the ultimate betrayal and force them into a barbaric battle for entertainment and profit. If they survive, they go back again to the chain: A vicious cycle that could go on for years until these dogs finally have no value or fight left in them and are discarded.
Donations to support the care and rehabilitation of these dogs, to any of the organisations involved, will be gratefully accepted.
Dog fighting is a crime and one where the victims (the dogs) have no voice. Luckily, animal welfare agencies such as the ASPCA are involved in investigating and prosecuting cases.
Successful prosecution is not easy – it takes a lot of effort to investigate and raid dog fighting rings. Increasingly, dogs who are rescued are assessed for behaviour and may be directed to welfare agencies for rehabilitation rather than immediate euthanasia.
These photos were taken at the dog fighting temporary exhibit sponsored by the ASPCA at the Crime Museum in Washington DC. They give a small glimpse into the plight of dogs used for fighting…
Scales such as these are used to weigh fighting dogs before they enter the ring
The investigation into Michael Vick’s kennels was a turning point in many ways; for the first time there was an offender who had the finances to pay reparation that would support rehabilitation of fighting dogs.
The ASPCA has a new campaign to fight puppy mills.
Since most pet store puppies are sourced from puppy mills in the USA, the organisation is asking that you pledge not to buy anything from a shop that sells puppies. That includes dog toys, food, treats and other items!
One of the greatest things about the internet is the ways it can be used to support charitable organisations, including those involved in animal welfare.
I like the Click to Give website. Advertisers support the site with proceeds of ‘clicks’ going directly to the nominated charity. This site supports the ASPCA for animals in need (and 5 other non-animal charitable organisations).
There is a simple registration process to become a user of the site and you are allowed to click only once each day. You can keep a tally of your reward points and collect these to earn reward gifts or donate points back to the charities for more support. For example, 400 points can be redeemed to vaccinate a homeless dog or cat.
You can also sign up to get a daily email reminder to ensure you click every day.
I hope you will sign up for the site by following this link:
DoggyMom.com 