Florida has overturned a 45 year ban on the dying of chickens, allowing retailers to once again market them as Easter pets.

Tallahassee, Florida - Though dyeing chicks (and rabbits) for Easter has become somewhat of a tradition in parts of the United States, it has been illegal in about half the states and several municipalities. Florida had been one of those states that had laws against this practice.

Florida has now overturned this 45 year old ban on dyeing animals and, as expected, animal activist are not pleased.

Don Anthony of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida stated, “Humane Societies are overflowing with these animals after Easter ever year. This law has protected thousands of animals from neglect and abuse.”

According to Don the humane societies are overflowing with these animals after Easter every year.  The  coloring of these live birds turns them into holiday playthings that are quickly disgarded.

According to the Globe and Mail the two most popular ways to dye the chicks are by injecting color dye into the eggs and by spraying the baby chicks. The color usually lasts until the baby chicks shed their fluff and grow their feathers.

Although the hatchery owners that participate in this tradition proclaim it does not hurt the chicks at all, animal rights individuals disagree. They claim the experience is stressful for the birds.

Peter Theer, a retired poultry rancher stated, “You take regular food coloring and inject it into the egg on the 18^th day of incubation. They take 21 days to hatch. Put a little dab of wax on top to cover the hole up, and put it back in the incubator. It doesn’t hurt them, because the food coloring is perfectly safe.”

Though the dyeing of ‘Easter chicks’ has been around for generations, it has gone mostly underground due to the change in society’s views.

According to sources, the overturning of the ban on dyeing animals came about at the request of a dog groomer who wanted to enter contests where people elaborately sculpture and color their pets.

Don Anthony finds this upsetting, stating, “This law has protected thousands of animals from neglect and abuse, and it shouldn’t be lifted on the whim of one dog groomer who wants to dye poodles purple.”

Mr. Theer used to sell dyed Easter chicks every year before his shop closed in 2008. He said he would always tell the parents to bring the chicks back to his shop if their children grew bored with them – and they did, routinely. Don said, “The kids get tired of it pretty quick.”

People get these animals as holiday ‘gifts’, not thinking long term that the color will disappear as the feathers grow in and then they are left with full grown chickens to care for and immediately want to dump the birds.

Further experiments are taking place by a Dr. Kjelland to study the effects on injecting dye into the embryos. He is concerned about the dye’s possible health consequences in humans as well as if there are any effects on the developing embryo.

The Humane Society intends to continue to fight to reinstate the ‘no dyeing chicks’ law to protect these animals from further harm.

About the author: Jan Kelly is an author, animal advocate and homesteader. She has been surrounded by animals her entire life and her passion for them has led her first into volunteering in many animal rescue roles, then into working as a rescue manager on a 73 acre rescue. She is a Yahoo Contributor, writes animal related hubs, and maintains two animal related FB pages (pawsitively safe and SNAP of PA). You can also find her writing about other topics on her personal blog.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office placed a blue tarp over the area where dogs were being held because of their breed in an attempt to hide their identities.

Putnam County Florida will hold a stray dog for five days to give an owner time to reclaim it. After that, animals are put up for adoption or euthanized for room; except in the case of Pit Bulls, which are automatically euthanized. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department posted a note on their Facebook page last night defending their policy of not allowing Pit Bulls to be adopted out of their shelter. However, their policy is in direct opposition to Florida statute 767.14.

The Florida statute clearly states that communities are permitted to make their own regulations regarding problem dogs, but just as clearly states that those regulations cannot be based on breed. For instance, if a dog has a history of being aggressive, the county may impose fines or restrictions such as requiring the dog to be confined. The county cannot, however, make the blanket decision to discriminate against a breed of dog. Such discrimination is termed BSL (Breed Specific Legislation), and it is prohibited by Florida law.

James Cueva, an attorney for the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation said that Putnam County is in violation of the state statute and is operating outside of state law.

Jen Watson, with Pit Sisters Rescue in Jacksonville, discovered Putnam County’s policy when she called their animal control to pull a Pit Bull for her rescue. Watson was told that Pit Bulls at the facility are not adopted out. When Watson commented “That has to change.” She was told by a Putnam official that it would never change.

This means that any Pit Bull taken into Putnam County Animal Control is euthanized after the five day stray hold without ever being made available for public adoption or rescue. When an employee there was asked how it’s decided which dogs are bully breeds, she referred the question to the Sheriff’s Department, where the buck was passed from one official to another, until someone at the Putnam Sheriff’s Department finally provided this explanation via email:

“We deem dogs which are obviously, to any reasonable person who may see them, Pit Bull terriers.”

That method might work if the average reasonable person could actually identify a Pit Bull. However, the website pitbullsontheweb.com demonstrates just how difficult that can be. The mis-identification of breeds is one of the saddest results of breed specific legislation, and the best argument for discontinuing breed discrimination.

The Putnam County facility uses the cruel heartstick method of killing dogs and cats.

An error at the facility recently allowed one particularly docile Pit Bull to squeak through the system and be pulled by a rescue group. The rescue placed the dog in a foster home, but a few days later the Sheriff of Putnam, Jeff Hardy, demanded that the dog be returned to the county shelter.

The rescue set up a meeting with Sheriff Hardy, but when he was a no-show they refused to return the dog. The consequences were devastating. According to one advocate more than 17 bully breed dogs were euthanized on Friday in what may have been a retaliation and show of force. The Sheriff’s department would not verify that number and will only admit to killing five Pit Bulls that day, but 21 dogs that were photographed on Thursday, March 8th were missing from the shelter on Monday, March 12. An inside source said that seventeen of them had been euthanized and four were unaccounted for.

Putnam told rescues and advocates today that they would not allow any more photos to be taken of the bully breeds at the facility, and they have quarantined those dogs to an area that they have covered with a tarp. Rescuers are now restricted from seeing how many dogs are being held, and worry that the dogs under the tarp are not receiving proper ventilation under the Florida sun.

Pit Sisters Rescue is asking animal advocates to sign the petition they have started on change.org. The petition appeals to Putnam County officials to change their policy of breed discrimination.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

Listen to the latest online episode of Pet Pardons News Radio by CLICKING HERE.

This document, confirmed as valid by the FDA, which was leaked by a confidential source in the US Congress shows the history of tests on chicken jerky treats since 2007.

An FDA document leaked this week from a confidential source within the US Congress details the chronological timeline of tests that the agency has performed on chicken jerky treats since 2007 – tests which many pet owners say have ignored some of the most potentially lethal substances possibly responsible for the rash of pet illnesses and deaths.

The FDA has been aware of problems with chicken jerky imported from China since they started receiving reports in 2007 from dog owners about pets that grew ill or died after eating the treats.  2007 was  the year of the massive pet food recall when over 8,500 pets died from eating tainted pet food.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the number of complaints decreased, but in 2011 reports began to surface again. In the first two months of 2012 the number of complaints has doubled those received since 2007. It is clear that again there is a correlation between treats from China and illnesses and deaths of pets.  Since issuing their update in November of 2011, the FDA has received approximately 529 complaints regarding possibly tainted treats.

The newly leaked FDA document raises more questions than answers.

The list details tests have been performed for known toxins such as vitamin D toxicity, melamine and diethylene glycol (antifreeze). The document also indicates that tests were performed for various molds and microbiological contaminants, as well as salmonella and formaldehyde.  None have been conclusive in pinpointing any particular source of the contamination.

Of these tests, all have been negative or within the FDA’s  accepted range of being below toxic levels, even in samples which contained trace amounts of diethylene, propylene or ethylene glycol. According to the Poisoned Pets website “Approximately 1100 shipments of bulk glycols are received in the United States per year, yet despite the growing cases of deadly contamination, the FDA currently only tests for the fluid formulas. In other words, if the adulterated glycerin is on a product or in a product it is highly unlikely it will ever be discovered.”

The report indicates that the tests for melamine, and mycotoxins, (toxic substances formed by certain molds that grow on plant materials which are known to be toxic to the kidneys,) have all been negative.

Many of the FDA  tests have looked for toxicants that do not actually cause the symptoms that pets are exhibiting. Salmonella and molds do not cause kidney failure or acquired Fanconi Syndrome, yet the FDA has tested for these two possibilities at least 84 times while ignoring other potentially life saving tests.

Heavy metals are one of the primary causes of acute renal failure, but heavy metal tests had not been performed until this year. The document states that results of those tests are still pending. Heavy metals include: antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc; all of which can cause acute renal failure in subjects exposed to toxic levels.

Of the 130 chicken treat samples that the FDA has already tested this year, fifty-eight are being tested for metals and/or organic compounds; seventy-two are being tested for DNA analysis.

Results from these tests are still pending.

The fact that so many samples are being tested for DNA analysis suggests that the FDA is questioning that the chicken treats are, in fact, made of chicken.

After several government officials pressured the FDA, it is reported that the agency has agreed to inspect four Chinese facilities along the supply chain for the product and to expedite the testing.

Unfortunately for pets, chicken jerky treats are still available to consumers, and stores continue to not post the FDA warning about the products imported from China. The Facebook group – Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made in China is organizing a protest of stores still selling the treats for April 1, 2012. The Facebook group had just over 100 members a few weeks ago, but today they have over 2,200 members, indicating that more pets are being affected by the treats that still line store shelves.

Meanwhile, the response of pet food companies importing treats to consumers has been underwhelming. Pet owners are claiming many companies have stubbornly refused to voluntarily recall the treats as a precautionary measure and have instead sought to shift the blame to consumers by accusing them of overfeeding the treats.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

Listen to the latest online episode of Pet Pardons News Radio by CLICKING HERE.

Timur Rimut, a 24-year-old tattoo artist from Tatarstan, Russia has recently angered animal activists around the world by giving his pet Sphynx cat an ornamental tattoo.  The naturally hairless Sphynx, Coco, was sedated while Rimut tattooed her with the words “Carpe Diem” in a design that matches the tattoo inked across Rimut’s own chest.

The self-taught tattoo artist may need to brush up on his spelling, as instead of tattooing “Carpe Diem,” on his cat he mistakingly wrote “Carpe Deem.” Not only was Coco tattooed against her will, she has a tattoo that in effect, also has no meaning.

Coco isn’t the first Sphynx cat to be tattooed. The practice has been gaining popularity in Russia since 2009, when a Moscow artist, Oksana Popova, had her cat Mickey sedated for three hours so a tattoo of Tutankhamen could be inked on his chest. The tattoo artist Anatoly Keksel performed the work at his TattoonHamon Tattoo Parlor in Russia. Many Russian cat owners have followed suit.

Although they appear to be hairless, Sphynx cats actually have very fine, short hair that feels like peach fuzz. Their skin is the color that their furry coat would have been, if they had a regular cat pelt. A lack of thick fur makes the strange-looking cats susceptible to sunburn and extreme temperatures.

A cat that is being tattooed has to remain perfectly still, so must be anesthetized – sometimes for hours.

The British organization ‘Cats Protection’ has say that “Animals should only be sedated for veterinarian reasons, not for cosmetic. We hope that people realize that such behavior is unacceptable.”

A London RSPCA spokesman also stated that “We are totally against using animals for purely cosmetic reasons just on the owner’s whim. Clearly the animal has no say in the matter. We do not believe in using pets as fashion accessories. It shows no respect for the animal whatsoever.”

Some have called Rimut’s behavior the ultimate act of animal cruelty, and agencies wanting to know exactly how Rimut sedated his cat have prompted Russian authorities to investigate.

Russia is quite a cat savvy country. They have their own cat association(s) and their own cat breeds such as the Siberian, Don Sphynx, Russian Blue and Kurilian Bobtail, but Russian animal activist, Irena Novozhilova suggested that the fad is not so much a result of ignorance but a result of selfishness.

“The ethical thinking about animals in Russia lags behind the West,” Novozhilova said. “People here mostly buy animals for selfish reasons, and anything else that happens to them afterwards is a consequence of that.”

Listen to the latest online episode of Pet Pardons News Radio by CLICKING HERE.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

You can help keep Pet Pardons on the front line of saving shelters pets from the horrible realities of euthanization and gas chambers by supporting our amazing volunteer writing staff with a secure donation today. Every dollar will go towards supporting the voices of Pet Pardons journalists, and giving a voice to those who do not have one. Your donation today, could be the one that saves the life of the next animal just moments away from being abused or killed.

As reported by news station KTVB, the children are part of the 21st Century Program, one of the elementary school’s after-hours offerings. The program is funded through federal Title IV-B, with the goals of reducing achievement gaps and offering recreation and physical as well as social and cultural activity for student participants.

One major component of the program is a service-learning project. Past projects have included work with the local food bank, baking cookies for local military personnel, planting a garden for a retirement community and offering services and gifts to needy families during the holidays.

Throughout the 2009-2010 school year, the program’s academic activities included reading and math instruction, connecting with Turkish pen pals, physical fitness, painting, sculpting, drawing and tracing, and lessons on character development.

This particular service project is aimed at keeping shelter pets warm in an environment that often does not hold a lot of coziness. “Today we’re helping animals get blankets at the animal shelter because they don’t have many,” Dunlap told KTVB, adding that she relies on her own blanket for comfort and warmth

The blankets are meant for dogs as well as cats. The funding for the project was procured by the children themselves, earned by decorating a Christmas tree for the local Zions Bank. In return, the kids earned $35, which was immediately invested into getting additional funds to make the blankets.

“So we started with $35,” 21st Century Program teacher Janiece Rowan told KTVB, “and we used that money to do a candy-cane sale at Christmas time.”

They proceeded to turn their seed money into $268. That money was used to buy fabric to hand-craft the blankets. In addition, the school is currently running a fundraising drive to collect funds for the local shelter – and it is also collecting food for dogs and cats who are there.

In addition, the children sold soda on Valentine’s Day and plan to use the funds from that drive to meet more of the shelter’s needs. The animals are paramount in the childrens’ minds – and the kids have decided to take the animals’ comfort into their small, capable hands.

“Animals are pretty much like humans – they have needs too,” Dunlap told the station. “You know how dogs are … man’s best friend? A lot of them aren’t treated like that, so we thought we should help them get that kind of treatment.”

Rowan added that the project “really brought home to the kids” a visceral understanding of helping out in their community.

Lincoln Elementary School had 410 students during the 2009-2010 school year and serves students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. To find out more information on how to donate to the shelter through the school, call (208) 455-3321 or visit the school online.

The unfortunate state that many animals housed at the Purple Hearted Puppies facility were found in.

Summerdale police received a tip on last from a neighbor of the Purple Hearted Puppies Rescue facility in Summerdale, Alabama that animals in the facility were in distress. The call prompted police to investigate, where they found over 200 animals that had not been given food or water for close to two weeks. Although initial reports stated that at least 20 dogs and several cats were found dead, the number has at least doubled since then.

Related:  Arrests and Charges Brought Against Alabama Rescue Organization

When Purple Hearted Puppies Rescue opened its doors in June of 2010, it had the overall appearance of a state of the art facility. Rescuers looked around at the facility on January 27 and commented on the equipment for housing rescued animals, which is estimated to be a $250,000 set up. Some commented on how they wished their own rescues could afford such nice kennels.

But nice equipment isn’t the only thing needed to make a successful rescue organization. Somewhere along the line, things went terribly wrong. A civil court case has been pending for months to have the facility shut down. When local police received a call on January 26th that there were abandoned animals at the facility and went to investigate, it was obvious that the animals there had been abandoned.

Deneen Balistere, dog adoption coordinator of the Baldwin County Animal Humane Society (BARC) said today that rescuers are not sure how long the animals went without care. PHP owner, Sharon Dueitt, claims she’d been absent from the facility for 10 days, but rescuers think it might have been longer. Dueitt had hired someone to feed and water the animals who quit when he hadn’t been paid in over a week.

In all, there were approximately 200 animals total including livestock housed between the Summerdale facility and the owner’s home in nearby Robertsdale. Of that number, Balistere approximated the number of deaths to be 45 animals – including four or five that had to be euthanized because of the condition they were in. She was not sure if any of the dead animals had been boarders.

In addition to being an “animal rescue facility”, Balistere said that Purple Hearted Puppies was also a boarding facility and bred puppies that were sold at the local flea market.

Besides dogs and cats, PHP also had chickens, goats and horses. The two horses were among the euthanized animals. Balistere said that the chickens had gone to a farm, and the goats had gone to the zoo. The rest of the animals are being held at vet clinics and in local rescues and foster homes. Balistere continued on to state that many of the animals will need weeks of vet care, but because BARC does not yet have permanent legal custody of the animals, they cannot send them to out-of-state rescues or put them up for adoption.

The animals at PHP were housed in several areas, and where they were housed contributed to their overall condition. The dogs and cats housed indoors fared worse than those out of doors, with the exception of the animals inside the house on the Summerdale property. Those pets were able to tear open bags of food and help themselves – but the indoor kenneled animals could only look at the food outside their cages as they starved.  As many as six animals were housed in a kennel at a time, and the live animals had resorted to eating the dead ones. The outdoor animals, while without food, at least had access to rainwater.

The Dueitts have been charged with 20 misdemeanor counts apiece and are scheduled to appear in Summerdale Municipal Court on Feb. 20.

The Baldwin County Humane Society needs monetary donations to pay for vet care and food. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at www.BaldwinHumane.org, or mailed to PO Box 206, Fairhope, AL 36533.

Donations of supplies such as leashes, crates, bowls, cat litter, and pet can be dropped off at Summerdale Self Storage, 410 Ala. 59 N., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the BARC! Office at 306 Magnolia Ave. in downtown Fairhope from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

Jerry Jaurequi is accused of killing a Chihuahua with a golf club in an unprovoked attack.

Nobody knows what 58 year old Jerry Jaurequi of Menifee, California was thinking when he came out of his house with a golf club last Thursday and allegedly hit his neighbor’s Chihuahua so hard, the blow ended up killing her.

The nine-year-old six pound Chihuahua, Lily, had escaped from owner Barbara Hitchman’s home in the 28100 block of Summitrose Drive in Menifee with another dog. Hitchman had been taking out the trash when the little dogs got loose. Little did the dogs know, their exciting adventure would soon end in tragedy.

When Hitchman realized the dogs had absconded, she drove around the neighborhood looking for them. She didn’t have to go far before she found Lily lying on the pavement. Hitchman arrived only moments after Jaurequi had hit Lily so hard with the golf club that he had sent her flying through the air and crashing to the pavement.

Lily before her untimely death.

Neighbors who witnessed the cruelty said that the dogs had not provoked the attack. They told police the two small dogs were running along the street into the cul de sac when Jaurequi came out of his garage carrying the golf club.

Benji, the poodle mix, ran at the sight of him, but Lily didn’t run, with no clue as to what was about to happen. Jaurequi lined her up like a golf shot and swung. He was going to hit her a second time, but a witness intervened.

When Hitchman arrived on the scene, she confronted Jaurequi, who threatened her with the same treatment too. Hitchman and Jaurequi had never met before Thursday and there was no record of animosity between them before the incident.

Lily was rushed to the vet, but she died the following day of a lacerated liver, brain damage and a leg fracture.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Courtney Donowho said she did not believe the dog had posed any threat to Jaurequi and that he had allegedly struck the dog for no apparent reason.

Jaurequi was arrested and booked Thursday for investigation of felony animal cruelty and was released Friday on $5,000 bond. Riverside officials are determining what charges to bring against him. He is due in court on March 22.

The second dog, Benji, was uninjured.

About the author: Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

Summerdale police received a tip on Thursday from a neighbor of the Purple Hearted Puppies Rescue facility in Summerdale, Alabama that animals were in distress. The call prompted police to investigate, but the force was not prepared for what they found. The animals at the location had not been given food or water for close to two weeks. At least 20 dogs and several cats were dead, although some news reports claim as many as 43 animals died.

Related:  Dozens of Animals Found Dead at Alabama Shelter

The parties responsible, Sharon Dueitt and her mother, Roberta, were both released on $20,000 bond Friday; they have each been charged with 20 counts of animal abuse. The charges are all misdemeanors, but police and prosecutors are expecting to elevate some of the charges to felonies. They are also expecting to bring more charges against the women as additional animals had to be euthanized from being in such poor condition.

There has been a civil case pending to close down the facility, which opened just last June. Although they have been operating just within the law, the conditions at the shelter were filthy, according to animal advocates.  Eddie Ingram, Chief of Summerdale Police, said that there had been very hot weather this week, and when they opened the buildings where the cats were housed it was over 100 degrees inside.

“The dogs outside at least had access to water from the rain we had yesterday,” Ingram said “but the animals inside had nothing.”  About one hundred and forty animals made it out alive with the help of the Baldwin County Humane Society.

“Some of those animals that were still alive would have been better off dead.” Ingram said. “BARC has been just great getting those animals out of there.”

The Facebook page for Purple Hearted Puppies Rescue was disabled today in the wake of last night’s events, but the rescue’s owner, Sharon Dueitt, posted a message on her personal page:

(sic) I think it time everyone heard mine and my mothers side.
First off I didnt know the animals was in that bad shape I had people working for me people who I thought I could trust and who called me daily telling me he and his wife been taking care of the animsl.
I had no reason to doubt him and his wife..
I didnt run off I was sick so was my mother with the stomach flu.
My worker told me not to worry he take care of everything for me to rest and take care off my mother who is already in bad health..
Believe me if I knew half of it, if someone would have told me I wouldve been there on my death bed taking care of the animals..
My heart and soul are animals, I NEVER WOULDVE HAVE HEARED ANIMAL IN MY LIFE..
I trusted someone else who gave me his word that he was taking care of them.
No one wants to listen to me and my mother.
Please hear our of the story for you all judge us.

Dueitt had hired an employee to feed the animals at PHP, but when he had not been paid in almost two weeks, he abandoned the job. Summerdale police were questioning the man Friday, but did not place him under arrest.

Friday afternoon, the investigation had moved on to the Dueitt’s home in Robertsdale, where it was reported that 15 more untended animals had been found. Summerdale police believe that after making bail today, Sharon and Roberta Dueitt may have been arrested by police in Roberstdale where they reside, but Robertsdale Police could not be reached for comment.

Dueitt and her mother are scheduled to appear in Summerdale Municipal Court.

Approximately 40 people volunteered at the facility in Summerdale this morning to help clear out the remains left behind. Many brought donations of food, blankets and other pet supplies for the animals, however one volunteer was subsequently arrested for trying to steal portions of the donated food.

The Baldwin County Humane Society is in need funds to vet the rescued animals and to purchase food and supplies. Those interested can donate on their website: Baldwin County Humane Society.

About the author:  Ariel Wulff is an author, artist and animal advocate. She has worked in animal rescue for more than 24 years, authoring the book Born Without a Tail, a memoir of her experiences with rescued animals. She writes a column as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and is the National Animal Books Examiner. She also maintains a personal blog about dogs: Up on the Woof, and uses her yelodoggie art to spread the joy of living with dogs.

When we started Pet Pardons just over a year ago, we could never have imagined what it would become. Today, because of 400,000 fans like you, over 10,000 lives have been saved, and that number is growing fast. Together we are becoming a real voice for the animals, and to keep that momentum going we are launching this site to expand our reach and your influence.

On this site you will see 2 main sections, Pet Pardons News (PPN) and the Pet Pardons Blog. All the writers for both sections come from the Pet Pardons Community. We hope that PPN will become ‘the’ source for news about pets, and animals, in America & beyond, and we want you to be involved. We have a ‘News Tip Line‘ so that you can let us know about breaking news in your area, and we hope you will use it. The Blog was created so that Community members like you could share your stories, your knowledge and your experience with the rest of us, again furthering the positive message about people making a difference for the pets and animals everywhere.

We are offering advertising for sale on the site, and if you have a business that you want to put in front of thousands of dedicated pet lovers then we would love to hear from you. The proceeds from any advertising will help support the cost of running Pet Pardons, continuing to grow our footprint and most importantly save even more lives. If you are interested in ad rates please click on the ‘Advertise With Us‘ link at the top of this page.

Next month we will be expanding even further with the launch of the Pet Pardons Store, where you will be able to buy t-shirts, wristbands, hats & more. We are both very grateful for all of your support, your ideas, your input, your dedication and everything that you do every day to make a difference for those who cannot speak for themselves, and we are honored to have you all as a part of the Pet Pardons Community, we hope you like what we have done here!

Sincerely,
Chris Hoar & Ashley Owen Hill
Founders, Pet Pardons