This Holiday Season, honor your pet with a photo decoration on a Companions For Life Pet Tribute Tree at selected neighborhood Starbucks*!

Just send us a photo of your pet or a short written tribute, along with a $5 donation, and we’ll create and hang your decoration next to a light - a red light for those pets who still grace our lives or a white light in memory of a pet who has passed on.

Tributes can also be made in honor of a friend or relative or their pet and we’ll send a personal note to the honoree letting them know of your gift in their name.

All proceeds benefit Companions For Life’s humane education programs. "Teaching children respect, responsibility and kindness toward animals helps them become adults who practice caring and compassion toward not just animals, but also the people in their lives and society as a whole," said Rebecca Poling, president of Companions for Life.

Our hope is that one day all pets are loved as much as yours. But until then, your donation can help us achieve our goal of No More Disposable Pets by providing humane education and shelter outreach materials in the Metroplex.

Conveniently donate online at http://www.companionsforlife.org/christmastree.html, then email us your favorite pet photo and we’ll create your tribute decoration, and hang it on the tree of your choice. Or mail your donation and photo to Companions For Life, P.O. Box 794073, Dallas, Texas 75379.

Need more information?

• Visit our website at http://www.companionsforlife.org/christmastree.html;
• Email info@companionsforlife.org or
• Call 972-661-2356.

* Pet Tribute Trees will be on display from November 28, 2008 through January 1, 2009 at the Starbucks at Preston & Beltline in North Dallas and the Starbucks on Arapaho & North Garland Road in Garland.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! We at Companions for Life have a lot to give thanks for this year, even as we continue to fight for a more compassionate world with no more disposable pets.

A short list of some things we're giving thanks for today:

• The passing of new Dallas City Animal Ordinances that we hope will help Dallas residents be more responsible pet owners and ultimately reduce chronic shelter overcrowding.
• The ongoing dedication of compassionate people in our shelters who keep going in spite of all the challenges, working to save animals and provide committed and loving homes for unwanted pets.
• Our passionate volunteers who pitch in wherever needed to help drive initiatives like humane education, shelter outreach and legislative change.
• Everyone who has donated time or money to help us continue our work - thank you!
• All the responsible pet owners out there who understand that pets are part of the family, to be loved and appropriately cared for.

Yes, there is darkness and cruelty in the world - but with people like you, there are slivers of light and silver linings! Every animal you help, or that we can help with your support, is one more ray of hope and light to fight the darkness.

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Get Your Pampered Chef Gifts Online & Raise Money for CFL!

Do you love Pampered Chef products? Want to help Companions For Life while getting a jump on your Christmas shopping and raise money for humane education?

Starting today, you can buy Pampered Chef products online 24/7, and just by starting your visit at this website -
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/shelleycancook?page=foh-welcome&password=H4E5, Follow this link to the special website our Consultants have set up and a portion of the proceeds will go to Companions For Life! Shop to your hearts content and as long you start at this page, your purchase will count toward our totals.

Place your order by December 8th to guaranty delivery by Christmas. And through November 30th, all unglazed stones are on sale 20% off! So act fast and score some great cookware for yourself and for those on your Holiday list.

One week left to chip in!

We still have $400 to raise to meet our target for funding the purchase of humane education materials for children - it's easy to help, just click the Chip In widget on the right; no donation is too small!

You can also send a check or money order to: Companions For Life, P.O. Box 794073, Dallas, Texas 75379.

What your contribution can do:

• $7.50 can buy a packet of 50 spay/neuter bookmarks for kids
• $ 9.99 buys a 48-page reproducible workbook for children grades K-3
• $15.00 creates 100 fliers explaining basic pet care for dogs or cats
• $24.95 provides a "Dogs, Cats & Kids" educational video for an elementary school.

Please act now to help shelters and schools teach children responsibility and compassion for pets!

Holiday Gifts That Give Back!

Did you know that Companions for Life has an eBay store where you can find great gifts for the holidays while doing your bit for animals at the same time?

100% of all sale proceeds goes towards helping Companions for Life continue to help animals through shelter outreach and humane education.

Buy your gift that gives back now!

Cat's at home; you're at work - how to keep Fluffy from getting bored?

One thing you learn living in a small space - EVERYTHING has to be dual purpose!! Like this handy vacuum-cum-kitty-toy - compact, multi-purpose and good for getting your cat on YouTube!

Technorati Tags: Roomba,vacuum,kitty,cat,cat on vacuum,cat on roomba,cat toys

Puppy Mill Action Week Nov 16-22 - ACT NOW!

Check out our post below - we're not OK with puppy mills, are you?

Please Help Us Teach Pet Responsibility!

Over the past few years, Companions For Life has come to the aid of dozens of local pet rescue groups and animal shelters by providing free professional humane education materials for their use. We've been able to do this thanks to the support of our wonderful donors who understand the important role education plays in improving the lives of pets in the Metroplex. But this year, more than ever, we need your help. The economy has hit all of the rescue groups and shelters very hard. Donations have dried up and they are having trouble making ends meet. Vet bills are eating up their funds faster than ever, while the number of animals surrendered continue to rise due to foreclosures and job losses. For many groups, education has become a luxury they can no longer afford. Please help us help them spread the word!

Your donation to Companions For Life will go directly toward the purchase of humane education materials to teach children to be responsible pet owners, teach adopters basic pet care, promote responsible pet ownership, encourage the public to do their part to fix the pet overpopulation problem, and much more! From videos for classroom presentations to door hangers about tethered dogs, from fliers about winter pet care tips to bookmarks urging teens to talk to their parents about spaying and neutering their pet, Companions For Life purchases these materials from national leaders in education - the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the National Humane Education Society, and American Humane Association, to name just a few. Purchasing in large quantities allows us to take advantage of huge discounts so we get more materials for less money! Won't you please help us today? Only $ 7.50 buys a packet of 50 spay/neuter bookmarks for kids, $ 9.99 buys a 48-page reproducible workbook for children grades K-3, $15.00 buys 100 fliers explaining basic pet care for dogs or cats, or $ 24.95 buys a "Dogs, Cats & Kids" educational video for an elementary school.

But please act now! Our current supplies are nearly exhausted and we need to raise $500 by the end of November to continue this critical mission! Donate online now using the Chip In widget on the right! Or send a check or money order to: Companions For Life, P.O. Box 794073, Dallas, Texas 75379. Regardless the method you choose, please donate now! By the end of November, we'll have to start turning away rescue groups and shelters asking for our help!

Puppy Mill Action Week is November 16 to 22!

Half the country must have watched the Oprah episodes on puppy mills, aghast at the conditions endured by the breeding dogs and appalled at the callous disregard for their animals' welfare demonstrated by the money-hungry breeders.

People wept for the dogs, suffering a hellish existence in squalor and bred literally to death for easy money. Who knew, people asked, that those cute puppies in the pet store and on those cheerful websites came with such an unacceptable price tag?

Even now, in the midst of an official recesssion, when record numbers of family pets are being abandoned and surrendered to shelters, puppy (and kitten) mills just keep churning out the inventory, focused on one thing - and one thing only: profit.

What do you think happens to breeding stock that is no longer viable? To litters that don't sell because people can't afford the "luxury" of a pet right now? To dogs and cats who aren't wanted so much once they're no longer that adorable puppy or kitten? How many of them count towards the tens of millions of animals being euthanized across the country every year? Are you OK with that?

This week is Puppy Mill Action Week - here's where you can make a difference:

Get educated.

• Learn about the difference between responsible breeders (yes, there are some) and back-yard or puppy mill breeders. Help your friends and family understand why it's a bad idea to buy that cute little buddy in the pet store.
• Parents and teachers can find humane education resources about the new Mission: Humane project, “A Cause for Paws,” to guide students in learning about dog care, promoting improved conditions for dogs in puppy mills, and raising awareness about how to get a dog without supporting cruelty. Check out the project for both elementary school students and teens.

Get active!

• The Humane Society is asking people to work with their local pet stores and encourage them to develop and implement "puppy friendly" policies by refusing to sell puppies in their store and supporting shelter adoptions instead.
• Please also write to your elected officials asking them to co-sponsor the Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS), HR 6949, to require broader federal oversight of puppy mills.
• Write to newspaper editors about the pet store/Internet puppy mill connection. Download a letter you can sign and send to your local paper

Part of the Oprah Puppy Mill Coverage:

Pease don't just sit there and be outraged, that doesn't do anything. Take a step towards closing down the puppy mill industry this week and help save lives!

What to do if you're unable to exercise your dog

Get an engineer to build you a robot!

Dog Plays Fetch with Robot

This doggie is having an awful lot of fun playing fetch by himself!

National Shelter Appreciation Week Event Saturday November 8th

November 2-8 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week so Dallas Animal Services and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Animal Welfare Committee are teaming up to help hundreds of pets find a home!

On Saturday, November 8, Dallas Animal Services will offer discounted micro chipping services for $15 for eligible pets who are adopted or brought to the shelter.

The DAYL will sponsor the cost of pet registration for the first 200 eligible pets who are adopted or brought to the shelter.

Companions For Life and Metroplex Animal Coalition will host an educational table at this event. We’ll educate guests about the new ordinances and provide spay/neuter resources.

Join us! Details below:

• Date: Saturday, November 8, 2008
• Time: 10am-4pm
• Location: The Dallas Animal Shelter, 1818 N Westmoreland, Dallas, Texas 75212
  

Eres mucho gato, Homer

This is a story for all those people who think that a black cat is bad luck, or that a blind cat is helpless.

Author Gwen Cooper is writing a book about her black cat Homer - a slip of a thing at 3 pounds, and blind after the surgical removal of both eyes due to a bad infection as a kitten.

On her blog, she tells stories of Homer. One particularly gripping post recalls a night when Homer proved that he truly was larger than life, and GOOD luck to boot! You'll have to read the story, no spoilers here - but hopefully you'll think twice when you overlook that little runt or that black cat in the shelter...

Saturday night fever

This footage of frolicking felines will have you laughing out loud - enjoy!

(Found on geniusbeauty.com and shamelessly cross-posted)

Some Monday puppy play

This puppy is having a grand old time and getting some exercise while he's at it - without ever having to leave the yard! Who needs to go for a walk when you have a trampoline?

Thanks to Cute Overload for the video!

Technorati Tags: Cute Overload,boxer,trampoline,dog exercise

You're invited - save the date: Oct 26, 5pm!

Meet Spotty, a recent adoptee from Dallas Animal Services - you can see he's on TOP of the world!

Click to view this invitation in a browser

We're on TOP of the World!
SAVE THE DATE & CELEBRATE WITH US!
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008

We're on top of the world because The Ordinances Passed (a.k.a TOP) - we hope you will plan to join us to celebrate this important milestone!

Our exciting TOP of the World celebration evening will include:

A Silent Auction to raise money for the Shelter Fund that will support and promote the animals at Dallas Animal Services.

A Raffle to watch the Cowboys play their Farewell Game at Texas Stadium!

You could win tickets for two in Sec. 29, Row 39, for the Cowboys’ Dec. 20 game against the Baltimore Ravens, plus reserved Blue Section parking and a delicious Sunday Brunch at Café Pacific—a total value of over $360.00!!

Where:

Sambuca Addison, Morrocan Room, 15207 Addison Rd, Addison, TX

When:

Sunday, October 26, 2008 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Cost:

$25 per person entry fee includes light hors d'oeuvres and 2 drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)

We will also be welcoming back TOP Dog, Kent Robertson, as Manager of Dallas Animal Services.

On-line event registration will be available soon.

Have a question or want to donate a silent auction item?

Our gratitude to Holly Forsythe and Sambuca for generously underwriting this event.

http://www.metroplexanimalcoalition.org/

Pet limits and tethering - are you legal?

Time's up for Dallas pet owners who have yet to comply with the city’s pet limitation and tethering regulations!

The two ordinances were part of a package of amendments to the City Code approved by the City Council on June 25. Pet owners were given 90 days to comply with most of the new regulations - that 90 days was up on September 25.

Pet Limits 411

According to the amended regulations, a resident of a single-family home is limited to a total of six dogs, cats or any combination of the two. If the resident’s lot is a half-acre or larger, the pet limitation increases to eight dogs, cats or any combination.

The limit for dwelling units that share a common wall, such as apartments or townhouses, was not amended - it remains at a total of four dogs, cats or any combination. The pet limitations do not apply to puppies or kittens younger than six months of age. Other details of the new pet limitation are explained in Section 7-4.6.

Pet owners who had more than six animals on June 25 must apply for an exemption for any cats and dogs over the limit of six. Exemption forms are available at Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center and may be filed there: 1818 N. Westmoreland Rd., Dallas, TX 75212.

The low-down on Tethering

The new tethering regulations ban the practice of tethering or chaining a dog unless it is in the owner’s immediate possession and control. According to Section 7-3.1, the only exemption is if the dog is properly tethered “for a period no longer than necessary for the owner to complete a temporary task.” Proper tethering and confinement requirements are spelled out in Sections 7-4.7 and 7-4.9.

You still have time to get your pet spayed or neutered!

The City’s new Intact Animal Permit requirement, also approved on June 25, goes into effect on October 25. The new ordinance requires pet owners to have their cat or dog spayed or neutered unless they obtain an annual $70 Intact Animal Permit for that animal.

Exemptions include puppies or kittens younger than six months; service, assistance and police dogs; purebred competition animals; animals exempted by their veterinarians, and others listed in Section 7-4.10. Applications for Intact Animal Permits are available at Dallas Animal Services.

For more information about these ordinances call Dallas Animal Services at 214.670.8246. To view Chapter 7 of the City Code or to download permit or exemption forms, log on to http://www.dallascityhall.com/.

DFW Pet Net

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know the heartbreak - the endless searching; the guilt; the fear...

The SPCA of Texas understands that sinking feeling, and has taken steps to help reunite more Metroplex pets with their owners by launching PetNet, a website where anyone who has lost or found a pet can post a photo and description of that pet.

This isn't just another website with a database of lost pets though - PetNet is unique in that the SPCA staff actually help you through the process by searching the lost & found records of participating shelters throughout the area.

Participating organizations to date include the municipal animal control agencies in Denton, Arlington, Collin County, Frisco, Irving, Rowlett, Addison, University Park, Wylie, Watauga and more! Dallas Animal Services and Operation Kindness are both in the process of signing up, and the SPCA is working hard to sign up even more partners.

For more information, or if you’ve lost a pet, visit the PetNet website or call 214-742-7722.

For information on lost pet behaviors and search techniquest, also check out Missing Pet Partnership.

Posted with a special thanks to Skip Trimble of Catyln Capital Corporation for providing the initial funding for this project.

Law Reforms Help Keep Pets and People Together When Disasters Strike

According to news reports, the most cited reason by thousands of people who stayed behind in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck was that they didn't want to leave their pets.

Forced evacuations excluded animals and literally tore animals from the arms of their distraught owners and emergency support did not extend to pets. The toll was unimaginable: animals abandoned and left to fend for themselves; people's hearts broken and worse: because of the exlusions, many people put themselves in harm's way by either refusing to evacuate or by returning to dangerous areas too soon. Human and animal lives were lost unnecessarily.

One of Katrina's many lessons was that human and animal rescue efforts have to be coordinated to include companion animals. This lesson was so profound that it resulted in a bi-partisan initiative and, as a result, the PETS Act (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) was passed by congress in 2006, for the first time, providing standards that included the evacuation of companion animals in times of disaster.

The most significant difference between the recent Ike and Gustav response was that people were told to take their companion animals with them when they evacuated. Specific instructions were provided to animal guardians how to safely take their pets on public transport. Thousands of pets accompanied the millions of people who fled inland in the face of the latest hurricanes - shelters throughout Texas and neighboring states set up emergency accommodations for evacuated pets, while animal rescue groups deployed early response teams and shipped thousands of crates to facilitate animal transportation.

"This is the first time in history that pets have been a priority in an evacuation," said Ana Zorrilla, CEO of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA-SPCA), based in New Orleans.

And Texas has been at the forefront of this new mindset.

• In Austin, officials drop off pet supply kits — including carrying crates and waste disposal bags — before evacuees even arrive at the shelters.
• Fort Worth keeps evacuees' pets at the city animal shelter and provides free microchips for the critters to make sure they will be matched with their owners.
• Evacuees staying at the Dallas Convention Center can play and cuddle with their pets at another area of the complex just across the street.
• "We get a lot of hugs from folks with tears in their eyes," said Kent Robertson, a division manager with Dallas animal services. "Their homes have been destroyed, and they don't know what they're going to do, but they have a place for their animals."

Inland Texan shelters have taken in hundreds of animals from Lousiana and coastal shelters - over 500 additional animals doubled the number of dogs cats and dogs already at the SPCA's two shelters in Dallas and McKinney, several hundred of whom still remain - they are up for adoption and won't return to their former shelters, which have to make room for stranded pets found along the Gulf Coast.

So far, Humane Society workers have rescued several hundred animals after Gustav and Ike. But they said they expect the number to be far less than the 10,000 pets rescued in Louisiana and Mississippi after Katrina. "This act is not only saving pets' lives — it's saving human lives," said Scott Haisley, senior director of emergency services for the Humane Society of the United States, which supported the federal law. "We are seeing fewer animals left behind," Haisley said.

You can still help! Visit your local Texas animal shelter and adopt or foster one of the evacuated animals, or donate supplies for their extra guests!

Mars Petcare September Recall

Back in August, Mars Petcare announced a pet food recall in California and Nevada.

This month, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary nationwide recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with a type of Salmonella.

Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities, so be sure to check the chart available the Mars Petcare website.

The company said consumers should look for "17" as the first two digits of the second line on the UPC for products affected. For Pedigree products, they should look for "PAE" on the bottom line.

They can also call (877) 568-4463 or consult http://www.petcare.mars.com/.

The brand names include some items under the names: Country Acres, Retriever, Doggy Bag, Members Mark, Natural, Ol' Roy, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Pedigree, Wegman's, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition and Red Flannel.

Free! Speaker Session September 18 for Rescuers and Shelter Staff

As part of our Top Dog Speaker Series, Companions for Life hosts evening receptions for shelter workers and rescue group volunteers featuring presentations from experts in various areas of animal rescue and animal welfare. Each Top Dog Speaker Series event offers a unique networking opportunity, refreshments, door prizes, and most importantly - exciting, interesting speakers. Here are details of our featured program this month.

Working With Dallas Animal Services
Presented by
Kent Robertson, Dallas Animal Services Director

Date: September 18th (THIS THURSDAY)

Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Venue: REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Tx 75244

Please join us as we welcome Dallas Animal Services’ new director.

Find out about new initiatives to increase adoptions and reduce euthanasia.

Learn everything you need to know about the new animal ordinances
and how they affect you, your staff and your volunteers.

We’ll have an opportunity for questions after the presentation and applications will be available if you need to register your group with Dallas Animal Services,
or apply for foster or grandfather exemptions under the new ordinances.

RSVP to: mailto:info@companionsforlife.org

Class size is limited, so RSVP now!

Please no pets except certified service dogs.
Refreshments and door prizes courtesy of Companions For Life.

www.companionsforlife.org