Help the Homeless

Short but sort of sweet post here...to all who care about the plight of homeless animals yet lack the funds/time/etc., please visit The Animal Rescue Site. One click each day gives a shelter/rescue pet approximately one bowl of food. I do this every day like clockwork. Here is the link:
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Thank you!

My Maggie is gone...

Haven't posted here in many moons but, as this is an animal blog - and I'm all about animals - had to write a little eulogy for our Maggie, who died yesterday.

She'd just passed her 16th birthday and, though struggling mightily with arthritis, she was still perky and interested in life. Until yesterday morning. We think she had a stroke; in any case, we also knew she wasn't going to rebound from such a crisis. So we took her in to the vet - in the pouring rain, mind you - and she passed away as peacefully as possible (albeit after throwing up on the vet).

Anyway, our Maggie was never an 'easy' dog...a border collie mix, she was a handful her entire life. And, oh did we have many a battle of wills. But I loved her dearly. From the day I rescued her from the SPCA, stricken with parvo, to the last breath she took.

I know I'll feel better. After all, been through this before. Yet the grief is still very raw and her absence is huge. For the first time in 25 years, our home is without a dog. Don't know how long I'll be able to stand that.

For now, I hope and pray that Maggie is running and jumping in the air after a tennis ball as she did for so many years. And I hope she knows we did the very best we could for her...and that includes letting her go.

Rest in peace, brat...and kiss Emma, Beau, and Tarkio for us. I'll see you all again one of these days.

Why I wrote "Do Unto Others"

If anyone needs another reason as to why I wrote Do Unto Others (http://www.amazon.com/Do-Unto-Others-ebook/dp/B005KMBC1E), please read the following story (from the Orlando Sentinel, 1/11/12)...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-sea-gulls-killed-beach-animal-cruelty-20120110,0,806912.story#tugs_story_display

A Christmas "dog tale"...

My poor blog has been so woefully neglected that I thought I'd give it a little attention via hoping readers will give my short story a lot of attention...

Way back in 1996, we put one of our dogs - Beau - to sleep on the day before Christmas Eve. Lousy all the way around, to say the least. Got even lousier when Beau's sister, our precious Emma, mourned him for over a year. And, to be quite honest, I don't know why she snapped out of her grief...maybe because I did?

In any case, I sat down and wrote Zellwood: A Dog Story in 1998. And after two decades of professional writing, this little piece of work remains my favorite. So, I've decided that - this Christmas - I'm going to try and get as many dog lovers as I can to read it. Especially those who've lost and mourned a beloved pet, as we have (Emma died in 2004 and our third dog, Maggie, is now 16 so her days are surely numbered).

And although the story may initially sound like it's too sad for words...trust me...it has a glorious ending. So I hope all of you who read it will find it as cathartic as it was for me. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Zellwood-ebook/dp/B004KAA9PC

To each and all...have a wonderful holiday season.

Dog Books

If anyone is still reading my pitiful blog, the reason it's rarely updated is because I'm so busy writing books for Amazon's Kindle...and marketing said books (which is a major p.i.t.a.)...that I simply run out of time and energy.

Anyway, on that woeful note, I'm going to list my current books below in hopes that my animal-loving friends will - at the very least - sample them. And although they range from short stories to a suspense novel to my previously-published columns, they all have one thing in common: DOGS. Beloved, beloved dogs.

Here are the links to the books:
http://www.amazon.com/Zellwood-ebook/dp/B004KAA9PC/
http://www.amazon.com/A-Three-Dog-Night-ebook/dp/B004M191IA/
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Moon-ebook/dp/B004HFRGIS/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Animal-Advocate-ebook/dp/B0045OUK9S/

Very soon, I will have another book to add to this list. Again, think DOGS...:-))

Brevard County, FL Animal Services: Reactive vs. Proactive

Regarding the resignation of our current county animal shelter director and the search for yet another one:

This entire situation makes me so sad...I've lived in this county since 1965 and here we are in 2011 yet hardly a thing has changed in all those years. Brevard is 72 miles long and currently home to over 500,000 people. But we still have ONLY two animal shelters, both of which are in abhorrent shape. NACC should've been demolished decades ago (I used to work there so trust me on this one) and SACC never lived up to its touted expectations. So, if it weren't for the various humane societies, rescue groups, etc., I can't even imagine how our abandoned animals would suffer...as if they're not suffering enough already.


But it always seems to boil down to the same crap: money (not enough) and politics (too many). Animal services in this backwater county has always been reactive vs. proactive. As someone who has been involved with animal issues for over 30 years, I've never seen a time when this place didn't have serious issues with how we handle homeless pets.

For the record, I am not a proponet of "no kill" shelters UNLESS and UNTIL there are sufficient funds and space to make this program work. Nor am I a TNR fan. Sorry, but as a former shelter employee, I'd much rather see an animal humanely euthanized than to live out its life in a cage or simply "sustained" in a colony.

Do I have an answer? Well, I wholeheartedly agree that there should be more "publicity" (ie, adoption events, foster programs, etc.). I'd also be in support of a mandatory spay/neuter law for a set amount of time, one that was heavily enforced. But all that takes money. Personally, I'd like to see our shelters privatized as Brevard's powers-that-be still have their heads up their butts and I doubt a new director is going to be able to change a damn thing.

But since I know my "ideas" won't ever come to fruition, I just continue to beat my head against this wall that should've been demolished long ago. In my dreams, huh?

Flori...duh

With all the problems Florida has and with the current legislative session ending this week, our esteemed lawmakers in Tallahassee spent time working on a bill that would designate the Barking Tree Frog as the state's official amphibian. It would join the Zebra Longwing as the official butterfly and the horse conch as the state shell, among many other such designations.

I have lived here almost fifty years and I'm here to tell you that I wouldn't know a barking tree frog if it barked at me or a horse conch if it whinnied...no wonder people call us "Flori-duh".....

The Easter Bunny

My childhood Easter memories: A new spring dress, white shoes and gloves; a rainbow-hued cellophane-wrapped basket crammed with candy; multi-colored eggs in hiding…and the animals. Soft and furry bunny babies. Green, blue and pink chicks; little “peeps” that mysteriously disappeared after a few days.

I honestly don’t know where the tradition of giving tiny, helpless creatures to children on this holy holiday originated but it is a tradition that should be irretrievably broken.

Although I’ve watched TV ads with dismay as a lime-tinted hatchling popped out of a plastic egg, thankfully the horrible and inhumane practice of dyeing has been deemed animal cruelty by those who possess an ounce of decency. Yet, unfortunately, fluffy chicks can still be found in cheap abundance at your local feed store.

And much to the detriment of Peter cottontail, the Easter bunny myth rages on. Come the lovely month of May you need look no further than our animal shelters for proof. Rabbits galore, and they didn’t breed themselves silly to get there.

These hapless young animals are the remnants of Easter Sunday, tossed out as casually as that torn and crinkled cellophane, tragic symbols of an otherwise glorious occasion.

Far too many people do not project far enough into the future when acquiring a pet. Their own financial, physical, and emotional capabilities notwithstanding, the very real needs of the animal are often ignored.

This is especially true at Easter. For that fuzzy, itty-bitty chick will soon be a scratching, squawking chicken. And although baby rabbits are adorable, as adults they are a whole different animal than that precious little hippity-hoppity of six months ago.

So soon there will be a mini-farm in the back bedroom and the kids will have returned to their video games. Now what?

Humane societies constantly see the pitiful aftermath of these hasty, impulsive decisions. Yet they will take your feathered former-friend and hope for the best. They will try to calm your Easter bunny that, for lack of attention, has been reduced to a cage-trashing maniac. And they will listen to the loud and clear testimony cloaked in your sob story that the newness has worn off and, oh, what a mistake you made. That baby cluck has turned foul and the infant March hare is now a ‘dirty wabbit.’

Hopefully, the lesson will be learned here before it’s too late. For, although your children may beg and plead, the reality is that not long after the sun sets on a few Sundays, they will most likely ignore those once-upon-a-time little bundles of life.

If parents succumb to this seasonal whim, odds are great that it will be the animals who pay the ultimate price. Alone, neglected, and in a hell not of their own making, the meaning of Easter will surely be stained.

So please resist the temptation of crass commercialism and teach your children intelligent compassion instead. Cute and cuddly stuffed animals don’t mind at all being tossed aside and forgotten.

Patrick the Pitbull

Please take a deep breath - along with your painkiller of chioce - and watch the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYm7irMrlF4

Then please take a huge gulp of animal-loving righteousness and sign the following petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/patrick-starved-dog-thrown-down-garbage-chute/

'Nuf said...

Profound and Beautiful Baby Squirrel Rescue

I live in Florida. We have palm trees. I don't give a flying-flip if the dying fronds "hang" to the sides until they come off in their own good time. But my husband does.....SO, despite repeated warnings of "watch for baby squirrels" - which he repeatedly says he does - today he announces that there are two pink, hairless babies on the ground. I was so pissed I could've spit at him.

Anyway, not only were babies on the ground but the entire nest was, too, and it was upside down with the infants hidden underneath. So I righted the nest, put babies back, and watched and waited. No Mom. Got a towel, filled a hotwater bottle with warm water, and put all of it in a box with the babies on top. Watched and waited. No Mom.

In the meantime, called a local wildlife sanctuary. No answer. Left a message and waited. Still no Mom. Moved box into the sun (palm tree is in the shade and it was getting cold outside). Waited. No Mom.

Mind you, I've been through this scenario before but never with the "no nest" issue. And each and every time, Mom always came and got her kid(s) almost immediately. So now I'm getting increasingly anxious and worried and called the sanctuary again. Got an answer and was told everything I did was perfect and, if Mom didn't show up in a couple more hours, then deliver to said sanctuary. Yet I was supposed to remove the towel (I don't remember why).

Went out to follow these instructions and.....one of the babies was gone. How in hell did that happen when I'd had my eyes glued to the window for hours? In any case, one tiny pink body was still there and I got frantic that the other had wedged itself down inside the box. Rearranged everything again and went back inside. And watched. Waited for maybe a minute and...

Saw that scruffy tail beating the air. Saw her body trying to scale the sides of the box. Saw her disappear inside the box.....then saw her leap to the ground with her baby in her mouth. Saw her scamper away and I broke down in tears.

So let it be known far and wide that, IMHO, God is non-human. For watching this young mother squirrel finagle her way up, down, and all around to save her infants was an incredible experience. Where she took them, I have no clue (though I understand squirrels have multiple nests for just such an accident). All I know is that she wasn't going to let anything come between her and her kids.

And, for the record: If you find yourself in the same predicament, definitely give Mama time and space to come to the rescue. Unless she is dead, she will. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.....bless her heart, she will.

A Three-Dog Night

Below is an excerpt from my new e-book, A Three-Dog Night. Hope you like it...

Gabriel
by Rebecca Stroud
Copyright 2011

My name is John and I'm lonesome.

I've been living in basic shell-shock since my wife, Lydia, left me six months ago. We'd been married for nearly fifty years so how in hell do you carry on when the person you practically grew up with goes and dies on you? Not very fair of her, was it?

At least, I don't think so. I mean, we were supposed to grow older and grayer together. Then, quite selfishly, I was supposed to go first, damn it. Because I can't stand life without Lydia and I'm at a loss as what to do next.

Should I clean this house that hasn't seen a duster since she died? Should I get up out of my Lazy-Boy, turn off the idiot box, and go out to smell the roses. What roses? They've all rotted and withered on the vine…just like I'm doing.

I do make it as far as the front doorstep to fetch the morning paper. Occasionally, one of my neighbors is doing the same. So I wave and hurry back inside as I don't want to talk to anyone. Apparently, they don't really want to talk to me either because I see the looks on their faces. How they avert their eyes and scurry away faster than I do. Fine by me.

And since I still have to eat - although my appetite rivals that of a bird's - I also make it as far as the corner market where Lydia and I have been grocery shopping for decades. Sure, I could go to one of the big-box stores but why bother? Yeah, my brother told me I need to get out and mingle but I doubt Wal-Mart is the place to start a meaningful conversation. Say, how 'bout them tomatoes?

So, every Monday morning, I continue to buy my meager nutrient requirements at Bud's Bodega and hope like hell Bud doesn't want to 'engage' me in chit-chat. Of course, since Lydia and I have known him forever, neither can I be rude. This particular trip proves to be a test of my willingness to socialize.

"So, John, how are you this fine day?" Bud smiles like he's never smiled before.

I grunt and nod, "Okay, Bud. Thanks for asking." I head for the produce aisle to pretend I'm looking for that award-winning tomato. He follows me.

"Ya know, John, I've been thinking. Maybe you should get a dog."

Christ. A dog. Just what I need. Another perfect soul that I can get attached to, love more than life itself, then have it die on me, too.

"No, thanks, Bud. I'm doing okay. Just going to take some time."

Unfortunately, I have to pay for my meager nutrients so I find myself face-to-face with him while he rings up my bill.

"Really, John. Just listen for a minute. Please." Bud's entire demeanor changes in a heartbeat as he relates the story of a dog that saved his family from perishing in a house-fire. A dog, who shortly thereafter, was relinquished to the local shelter because his owners were getting divorced. A dog whose repayment for giving life was most likely going to be death as he was already nine-years-old.

So, as Bud recounted this sad tale, I did. Listen that is. Because something in the telling struck a familiar chord. Tugging at me, I think it was the fact that the dog and I were a lot alike. Through no fault of my own, I had lost the light of my life. Ditto for the dog. Then came the clincher...

My e-books...

Hi, everyone...is there even an "everyone" any more? Anyway, the links to my "animal" books are at the end of this post. A brief description of each:
1) Zellwood is a short story; it's about the grief process after losing a beloved dog.
2) Devil's Moon is a suspense novel; and, of course, there's a dog involved...big time. The book does, however, contain R-rated language as the antagonist is a real - ahem - piece of work.
3) The Animal Advocate you already know about but I'll tell you again; it's a collection of my newspaper/blog columns (yes, some you can read here) .
4) My next short-story book will be published in a week or two; more "dog tales"

In any case, whether you have an e-book reader or not, you can download these books to many other devices (your iphone, your PC, your Blackberry, etc.). Also, please pass the links along to all on your "animal loving" list - be it via email, Facebook, word-of-mouth, whatever - as the snowball effect is what will make my work a success. I thank you so much in advance...


Zellwood

Devil's Moon

The Animal Advocate

Buyer Beware

Just a note about Goodlife dog biscuits...

Although I've been a faithful customer for years, my latest bag contained a very disturbing - and potentially dangerous - "string" of treats. "String" meaning that three of the biscuits were connected by a heavy, ropy thread that also wound itself through the biscuits.

After repeated attempts to reach anyone who gave a shit at Goodlife (including writing a personal letter to the head of the pet division at Mars Corp. and including one of the treats) - to date - I have received no response.

So, even though I'm very careful about doling out treats to my dog, some may inadvertently toss them to their pet without noticing anything amiss. All I'm doing is asking that you be very careful and ensure that you check these biscuits first. For if a dog - especially a small one - ate the ones I still have in my cupboard, you would, at best, be looking at an emergency vet visit. At worst.....a choked-to-death dog.

I Apologize...

I've been so immersed in this ebook business that I've woefully neglected this blog. And I'm sorry. Another thing I need to apologize for is not checking my comments (I swear, every time I come here, something new has been added and I had no idea reader comments were awaiting my "approval"). So to those who I haven't responded to, please forgive me. I'm just getting around to reading your responses now...:-((

Hopefully, I'll get more animal posts up before too long but I'm also thinking about starting another blog about the trials and tribulations of electronic publishing. I'm not sure yet...

In any case, I appreciate all who have followed The Animal Advocate; though my "book" writing is veering off in other directions (Devil's Moon, a suspense novel, will be published on Amazon probably tomorrow), my passion is - and always will be - our beloved animal kingdom (and, fwiw, Devil is a dog!).

Be back as soon as I can...thank you for bearing with me while I navigate all these learning curves.

'Twas the Month after Christmas...

This is a repeat but, in my opinion, it can never be repeated enough:

Just as a horde of half-grown bunnies are plopped down on the doorsteps of animal shelters not long after Easter, so do piles of puppies and caboodles of kittens show up shortly after December 25th.

Obviously, this influx of hapless infants is due to poor planning, impulse buying, or simply that the 'thrill is gone.' Or worse, all of the above.

Unfortunately, these youngsters (and some oldsters) who are being relinquished will pay a much higher price than market value…and an extremely unacceptable one, at that.

Therefore, I'm writing this for those who might be so caught up in the spirit that 'surprising' someone with a living, breathing, and dependent creature on Christmas morning sounds like a really nifty idea. Well, trust me, it's not.

As we all know, the holidays are filled with much excitement, disrupted routines, and - as a rule - more visitors than usual.

So just imagine the effects these conditions can have on an animal that hasn't even had enough time to get to know you, not to mention learn its boundaries and territory, then settle into a daily regimen in its new home. That's a lot to deal with, period, let alone during the stressful days or weeks that encompass any special season.

Yet, far too often, I hear about people crating their 'Christmas' puppy or kitten, dog or cat for continuous hours on end simply to keep them out of the way of company, while cooking or entertaining, wrapping presents, etc. About delaying housetraining until after the holidays. No, people, no.

If you really, truly want a pet, just hold your horses and wait until your household has returned to its normal routine. Please don't selfishly cause a bewildered baby animal (or confused older one) to be set up for failure from the get-go when all it takes is a little patience and timing.

I realize full well that there is something magical about the decorated tree, the twinkling lights, the multi-colored packages that elicit childhood memories (or wishes) of puppies or kittens peeking their adorable faces out from under those pine-scented branches.

But, in these days of overwhelming pet abandonment, such fanciful pictures in our heads need to be tempered with a mega-dose of realism.

For never forget - ever, for an instant - that pets are forever needy. They need us for their care, their sustenance, their medical assistance, their training. They need us for our constant physical presence, attention and for our love.

In a nutshell, they need to be full-fledged members of the family for their entire lives and not relegated to a sugar-plum moment induced by the spirit of the season, one to be abruptly ended when the glitz and glitter is gone.

I pray this message is taken to heart…..all year long.

Thanksgiving Dinner: Food for Thought

I recently received a comment from a reader who labeled me a hypocrite because I avow to be an ardent animal lover, yet I consume meat.

For the record, I don’t eat much animal flesh; however, in the grand scheme of things, a little goes a long way…..as in, it doesn’t really matter if I have a hamburger once a year or steak every day. The bottom line is that an animal died for my dinner.

However, this column is not going to be an effort to convert the world to vegetarianism. That’s an impossibility and we know it. Whether I became a vegan this instant, the slaughterhouses would still continue to echo with the screams of terrified creatures. And that’s the point I’m going to address.

Not many decades ago, dogs and cats at county pounds were unceremoniously tossed into gas chambers, crammed together so tightly that a few even survived this traumatic horror. Animal-lovers were outraged and, as a result, today most shelters are operated by humane organizations with individual lethal injection being the normal mode of euthanasia. Still too sad, as still too many abandoned pets are being put to sleep, but at least - for the most part - they are not afraid or suffering before or during their final moments on this earth.

The same cannot be said for the cows, calves, chickens, pigs, and lambs that are killed every day for human consumption. So this begs the question: Instead of bombarding the world with grisly pictures that momentarily elicit tears and gasps of guilt, wouldn’t it be better if animal rights groups focused every bit of their considerable power into promoting strong enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act, the Animal Welfare Act and any other acts the government has in so-called force?

Death is a given for each and every one of us. So, bottom line, dead is dead. Yet what matters most here is not so much about when an animal dies, but how it dies.

Believe me, I am not being trite as this is a heavy-duty moral and ethical issue for those of us who love animals. But it seems to me that - first and foremost - preventing fear and suffering in any living creature should be the ultimate goal, one pursued with a vengeance.

Again, I could quit eating chicken, then smugly tell myself I am not contributing to the rampant cruelty that food animals endure. Yet, while I eat my salad, that cruelty rages on and the animals continue to suffer horrendously. So, unless and until we all fight to change the system and forever stop these inhumane practices, eating meat really becomes a moot point.

For while we loudly scream bloody murder about the squalid conditions of puppy mills, we should be ashamed that we’re not fighting just as vehemently to silence the unheard screams of animals suffering on factory farms and in slaughterhouses…and that includes your Thanksgiving turkey.

My Kindle Book: I did it!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Animal-Advocate-ebook/dp/B0045OUK9S

Well, here is the link to my labor of love (probably more like childbirth as it was such a pain). But, other than a couple of minor formatting errors I found in the preview, I think it turned out damned well for someone who learned it all from the ground up.

Anyway, I have no clue if you own a Kindle or any other e-reader but I do know you can download Kindle to PC (free), then I assume order the book (not free; it's a whopping $3.49). But, whatever, PLEASE DO pass this link along to any and all you know who might be interested in reading my pet columns. Or paste in on Facebook. Or Tweet it. Or stand on the street corner and shout, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!"

Seriously, I'm starting my "marketing" campaign with family, close friends, and those who have followed the column for years.....after that, it's going to be a crapshoot of linking, posting on forums, submitting to local papers, etc.

I appreciate anything you can do because if just one person along the way buys the book and learns something to help our precious animals - or is simply entertained by it - then it will indeed have been a labor of love.

I. Am. "This Close." to. Kindle...

I have been driving myself nuts lately learning basic HTML code so that I can format "The Animal Advocate" properly for uploading onto Amazon's website. Meaning: I have not written one damn thing in the past few months and that's also driving me nuts as I have so many things I want/need to say, issues to cover, etc.

Anyway, as soon as I get this sucker done, I'll let you know. Then - hopefully - I can get back to the business of this blog: writing about our amazing animal kingdom. Please bear with me...

Dragging My Tail

It's been six months - SIX MONTHS - since I last posted.....where does that precious time go? Anyway, as I'm still in the mind-boggling throes of compiling columns for a book, I do admit I've been sidetracked quite a lot. Always, always an animal issue to address and - now - my local humane society has graciously agreed to host The Animal Advocate on its website.

So, until I get back to this venue (whenever the hell that will be), if you'd like to read my most recent work, please visit http://www.crittersavers.com/ (scroll down to third logo on right & you'll see the column's link).

Hope to be back here sooner rather than later.....

New Year, New Direction

It's been awhile, I know.....I haven't abandoned the blog, so to speak. I've just been gathering my columns, gathering my thoughts as I'm in the process of creating a book containing my work. And let me be the first to tell you, it's a mental pain in the ass.....

Editing, formatting, researching. More editing, more researching. Copious notes of who to contact, who not to; what to do, what not to; what to say, what not to.....my brain is bleeding, not to mention my myopic eyes.

BUT, hopefully, it won't be for naught as I feel this is the best way to get my message across. The best way to reach thousands upon thousands of animal lovers in one fell swoop as between writing the newspaper column and dealing with Mom's death, I fear the blog - and its message - suffered. So now I'm going to try & rectify that.....I will keep you posted.