Can you help Sookie get to her forever family?

Sookie is a gorgeous 25-pound black and white girl from Istanbul who is somewhere around a year old.

She has a family in Germany who has been approved to adopt her, and she also has a family in Canada who has been approved to adopt her.

So what’s the problem?

Sookie needs to hitch a ride.

We are looking for anyone travelling between Istanbul and Canada or Germany who can take Sookie with them. She will travel with all the appropriate paperwork, of course, and it will cost you nothing more than your time to help Sookie get to her new home. Someone from Let’s Adopt! will meet you at the airport in Istanbul with Sookie and her paperwork. Then she will travel in her crate in the cargo area of the airplane until you both reach your destination.

Help us spread the word. Share this post on your Facebook profile and with your friends. There must be someone among us who will be travelling from Istanbul to Germany or Canada in the coming weeks.

For more photos of Sookie, click here.

And to read about my own experience with transporting Lucy from Istanbul to Chicago, click here.

Please get in touch with us in the comments section if you can help Sookie reach her forever family. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I wrote a letter on Monday to a parenting website called Moms Like Me with groups all over the country. Their Louisville group is offering several sets of free circus tickets to families who leave a comment on their blog about their favorite part of the circus. Circuses with animals are not family-friendly activities.

Circuses.com publishes three great reasons to never take your children to a circus.

I encourage every one of you to take a stand against the use of animals in circuses. I challenge you to educate mothers about why they should never take their children to circuses which include animals. Many people may not know or may never have stopped to think about the cruelty of the circus. In fact, most people do not automatically make the connection between animal cruelty and human cruelty.

Here are three easy ways you can make your voice heard:

1. Help spread the message to moms that the circus is not a good choice for a family outing. You can sign here to help parenting website Mom Central realize that they should end their marketing partnership with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It just doesn’t make sense to link the raising of our children with the torture of animals.

2. Talk to your school boards to discourage circus promotion in schools. There is already enough violence in our schools and neighborhoods. Let’s make sure our schools are not doing themselves and their students a disservice by promoting animal cruelty.

3. Anyone anywhere in the world can take one minute to read and sign PETA’s online petition to take animals out of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus. There is also a petition to encourage the USDA to seize the 11 elephants used by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus based on the videos taken by PETA during its 2009 undercover investigation.

We need not be combative or aggressive in our mission to educate people about animal cruelty. The truth speaks for itself.

The Captive Animals Protection Society offers a step-by-step guide on everything you need to plan a circus protest.

As my friend Kaye says, speak your mind even if your voice shakes.

Hello, Moms Like Me!

I noticed that you are supporting the Kosair Shrine Circus by holding a ticket contest, and I wanted to share my opinions with you because I believe that it is important for groups such as Moms Like Me to educate their readers and take a stand on issues around how we raise our children.

It is more important than ever that we raise good global citizens, and it is our job to enable our children to recognize human and animal cruelty in all forms. If we take them to the circus to witness animals who are outside their natural environment performing unnatural “tricks” for human amusement, what are we really teaching our children? Are we de-sensitizing them to animal cruelty and teaching them that they should enjoy watching wildlife behave in unnatural ways?

Circus animals travel every day of the year in conditions that usually are not good, and they are often deprived of the companionship of other animals of their species. Nothing about the circus is natural or amusing. Think about it. Animals are afraid of fire just like we are. How much beating down of an animal’s spirit and physical body do you think it takes to get her to jump through a ring of fire?

It is not just so-called “radical” groups like PETA who recognize and condemn the cruelty that occurs in the circus industry. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals speaks up against the circus industry and suggests boycotting the circus. The ASPCA officials attend animal circuses in New York to inspect conditions and educate the public about the cruelty. Even the Humane Society of the United States opposes the use of wild animals in circuses. A simple Google search will produce plenty of information from unbiased sources like these.

How embarrassing not only that we allow this circus to happen in our backyards but also that we actually attend it.

Please note that the Shrine Circus is not a charitable event. Many people seem to believe that the money goes to help Shriners Hospitals and the burn victims they treat. This is not the case. The money goes to the Shrine Fraternity. The work done at Shriners Hospitals around the country is nothing short of extraordinary; people who want to support this work should absolutely make donations directly to the hospitals. I do exactly that.

I think you could write a brilliant piece with circus alternatives for moms and kids. Why not take your children directly to a Shriners Hospital and talk about burn dangers and good samaritans who work together to heal children who have suffered burns? Why not spend some time at home teaching your child about training the family pet and discussing the differences between domesticated and wild animals?

Why not read a children’s book such as _Saving Lilly_ by Peg Kehret or _The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours_ by Jane Goodall so that you can discuss the importance of wonderful, wild creatures remaining in their natural habitats and continuing their natural behaviors? Most of us can not afford to take our children on a safari, but why not take your child out in nature to observe and learn to appreciate wild birds, squirrels, and perhaps even deer?

Elephants, tigers, lions, bears, monkeys, and other “circus” animals were not put on this Earth for our amusement.

You could even include a link to the ASPCA’s list of circuses which do not include animals. I would be willing to bet that the eyes of every child in the audience at a cruelty-free circus still light up in amazement.

Maybe you could even post the very informative brochure “The Truth Behind the Big Top“ from the Humane Society of the United States .

The bottom line? You would be doing a great service to moms in the Greater Louisville community if you wrote a piece on the truth behind circuses and encouraged them to patronize only circuses which do not include animals. There are many, many alternatives.

We live in a day and age where money is very tight, and we also live during unprecedented times in which our purchasing dollars have the ability to effect great change. My purchasing dollars will never go toward a ticket for a circus that includes animals. I, like many other women around the country, am committed to creating a positive, sustainable, and wonderful community by carefully considering my purchases and my actions.

Step up and meet your reading public. We do not support animal cruelty.

Most people go to the circus because they love to see the animals. What most of them do not know is that they are supporting an industry with a long history of animal cruelty. An article on Moms Like Me about the cruelty of the circus industry would be a great service to your readers.

Thank you.

Kind regards,
Julia

Are you in or around Louisville, Kentucky?

The Shrine Circus is coming to town Thursday February 4th thru Sunday February 7th.  Animal Lovers of Louisville (ALL) is planning a peaceful demonstration for the 2:00pm show on Saturday, February 6th, 2010. The demonstration will be held at the Main Gate at the Fair and Expo Center on Philips Lane. We need to assemble at 1:00 pm at the Main Gate. We will be there less than one hour.

The organizer will have all the signs and pamphlets we will need. Just bring yourself and a friend. Even if you have never attended a peaceful protest, please come and help educate others on this very important issue. We are making a difference!

Look for the orange cones, and we will be there. No permit is needed for this part of the demonstration because we will be on a city-owned street. Parking is always a problem. However, we can park in the Transportation Cabinets’ parking lot which is across the street (Philips Lane side) from the old Executive Inn or in the Bowling Alley parking lot.

Are you far from Louisvillle but still want to help?

Please take a few minutes and call these people to let them know what you think of animal circuses.

The Shriners hire George Cardin who is one of the worst in the business. He has multiple USDA fines for cruelty to animals. The Shrine Headquarters in Louisville can be reached at 502-587-0406 and 502-585-5863.

Kosair Charities (who support the Shriners circus) can be reached at 502-637-7696. Let them know you will not be donating any money to them and that you recommend they associate their children’s health charity with a more suitable event than the circus.

Have you ever protested a circus or any other acts of animal cruelty in your area? Have any tips or resources to share with us? Please leave your comments!

Marijo was injured and left paralyzed in Istanbul. While looking for a safe place to give birth to her four kittens, she fell on a metallic blind. She and her kittens were all rescued by Let's Adopt!, and her kittens all found homes. Marijo now lives in New York because no family could be found in Turkey to adopt her.

My dear friends:

A few months ago I decided to make a change in Let’s Adopt! strategy.

Today, and after having to deal with three very unfortunate cases, I have decided that enough is enough.

From today, Let’s Adopt! Turkey will operate in a completely different way.

1. We will not be able to take up ANY new cases. For the last two years, I have been writing about the need for animal lovers to be responsible for their own rescues. Instead, people abused the system and dumped animals on me. The result has been a massive backlog of cases and astronomical bills left in pensions and vets in my name.

2. The animals we currently have will be rehomed overseas. If any of your previous adoptants wants to adopt another animal, they are more than welcome to contact me, but we won’t be seeking any new adoptive families locally.

3. From today, Let’s Adopt! Turkey will focus EXCLUSIVELY in the rescue and rehabilitation of blind, disabled, and elderly animals.

Let’s Adopt! has intended, from the beginning, to be an educational network. Rehoming was just another way to show people the meaning of responsibility and humanity, two issues that most parents seem to forget to teach their children and that schools seem not to pay any attention to.

I encourage all our members and friends to continue working with us, continue enlarging the network, and continue rehoming their own rescue animals by following our adoption rules. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Don’t wait for me to push you. Take action…TODAY!

For more information about our change of policy, please click here.

Have you joined the Let’s Adopt! member map?

This interactive map will be used for the following purposes:

- Re-homing logistics
- Volunteers needed at a special location
- Coordination of foster homes
- Coordination of flight volunteers
- Locations of trusted veterinary doctors
- Locations of Istanbul shelters

In short, we need to know where you are. Please be as specific as possible whilst keeping the level of privacy you wish. Being able to locate you quickly will help us be more efficient when we try to mobilize.

To access the map, please click here. This map will be published in search results and user profiles. I would like to encourage you to add your location as well as the location and details of those vets you trust. This will be a collaborative effort. The success (or failure) of this common resource will depend exclusively on the degree of input from our members.

Arthur loves running in the snow in our backyard.

I am queen of the foster failures. And now it appears I am also turning into queen of the transport failures…

I was due to drive King Arthur from the pound to the airport back in November so that he could be flown to a rescue out of state, but it seems that just wasn’t meant to be because he is still lying at my feet as I type this post. He is a nearly one-year-old Tibetan Mastiff who is so big (almost 100 pounds now…) that you forget he is still a puppy until you catch him carrying blankets around like Linus!

In truth, I have always wanted a giant dog. I’m the sort of person who daydreams about how cool it would be to have three Great Danes (rescues, of course!) who greet visitors to your home. That’s how I found out about Arthur’s transport needs in the first place. A friend who manages a shelter sent me the posting about him the day after I had met with her to pick up a dog that needed transport and had spent half an hour drooling over her rescued Great Dane named Sport.

I had never even heard of a Tibetan Mastiff when I read about Arthur, but I fell in love as soon as I saw him. He is perfect in every way, and absolutely everyone who sees him wants to come up and pat him. I’ve certainly done my fair share of reading up on the special considerations of giant breeds and am learning everything I can to make sure Arthur grows up to be as healthy and strong as he can be. There always seems to be a steep learning curve with every new member of the family. Every animal has its own special needs.

Arthur’s brother went to a rescue somewhere in Cincinnati. They certainly weren’t from the same litter, but they came into the pound together. He was a golden-colored dog, and I would love to find him and his new family so that he and Arthur could run together in our backyard. I am so glad those two made it out of the pound alive, and it breaks my heart every day when I think of all the dogs who do not have such a happy ending.

There are a few lessons we can all learn from gentle souls like Arthur:

1. There is never any reason to go to a breeder for a purebred dog. Pounds are filled with purebred dogs – especially the small ones like Terriers, Chihuahuas, and Malteses. Giant dogs might not be appropriate for everyone, but large dogs such as Black Labs and German Shepherds die every day in pounds across America while people continue to go out and buy them from breeders.

2. Black dogs (and black cats) are statistically the least likely to make it out of the pound alive. People have strange superstitions about them and overlook them, so please consider black dogs and cats when you are ready to adopt a new pet.

3. Big dogs have big hearts. They are gentle giants. And yet far too many of them are put down in pounds because far too many of us are unwilling to adopt big dogs. I have always found big dogs to be a lot easier than small dogs and certainly a lot friendlier with strangers and even small children. Most people with small children want to rush out and get a small puppy, and I think that’s probably one of the biggest mistakes they could make. With small children in the house, who has time to train a puppy? And with children who are not already dog-proofed, a larger dog like Arthur with a more laid-back attitude is going to react a lot less than a smaller, feistier dog when his ears get pulled or a child falls on top of him.

Arthur with Claus in the background

Let’s Adopt! in Turkey also has a very special giant named Leon who is looking for his forever home. You can see his photos here. As usual, get in touch with Viktor if you would like to open your heart and your home to this special boy.

Several beautiful Turkish dogs have found homes right here in the United States. In fact, Let’s Adopt! recently placed a King Arthur of its own in an American home. The adoption process is very simple as long as you meet the criteria and your application is approved. Ge in touch if you would like more information.

And ask your local rescue about large and giant dogs. Rescues oftentimes have difficulty finding foster and forever homes for larger dogs, so they are not always able to pull them from the pound. Why not step up and offer to foster or adopt one?

What have you learned from the animals you have adopted? Share your stories in the comments section.

Whenever there are natural disasters, I always think about everyone affected – the people AND the animals. All too often, the animals are sadly forgotten as we scramble to help the human victims.

On Dec 26, 2004, I was due to be in Sumatra or Borneo to live out a lifelong dream of seeing orangutans in their natural habitat right at the time the tsunami hit. My plans changed and I was not there, but I couldn’t stop thinking about all the animals who experienced the tsunami.

The wildlife, domestic animals, street animals, and farm animals are the silent victims of natural disasters. So many of them die every year in Australian bush fires, and so many of them died in Hurricane Katrina right here in America.

Right now, many animals in Haiti are suffering alongside all the human victims of the earthquake.

Many of us do not have the qualifications, skills, or abilities to travel to affected areas and add real value to rescue and relief missions after natural disasters. In many cases, the best we can do is donate money to help support those organizations and the individuals working for them to do the amazing work they do.

When the earthquake hit Haiti, I knew from my own background in public health that my donations would go to Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health and to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). That decision was easy.

It has taken me a bit more time to research the animal rescue and relief efforts in Haiti because I did not know anything at all about the situation for animals in Haiti prior to the earthquake. Today, I would like to share with you some of what I have learned so that you, too, can follow the plight of Haiti’s animals and make informed decisions about how to donate your money.

First of all, if you don’t already have it bookmarked, I would suggest keeping up with the World Society for the Protection of Animals blog: Animals in Disasters.

On January 20^th, the Haitian government asked for the WSPA’s immediate assistance with the animals affected by the earthquake. The WSPA and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have come together to lead the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH).

Members of ARCH include the following organizations:

• World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• American Humane Association
• Best Friends
• RSPCA (UK)
• In Defence of Animals
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• American Veterinary Medical Foundation
• Antigua and Barbuda Human Society
• ASPCA
• United Animal Nations
• The Kinship Circle
• One Voice
• Swiss Animal Protection
• Palo Alto Humane Society (PAHS)
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
• Finnish Federation for Animal Welfare Associations
• Animal Welfare Care Foundation (AMCF)

Humane Society International also does a great amount of work for animals in disaster situations. They are working independently in Haiti, but their existing relationships around the globe will ensure they are able to provide a great amount of assistance for the nation’s animals. HSI was the first international animal welfare organization on the ground after the tsunami, and they have a track record of sticking around well after the disaster.

A Facebook-based group called Operation: Haitian Dog Rescue has also been formed to charter a rescue plane and create a directory of adoptive homes in the U.S. They are currently seeking pilots able to assist Animal Rescue Flights with the transportation of staff, volunteers, and supplies to Haiti.

Although their website does not mention any work with Haiti at present, I will be keeping an eye on Pilots N Paws to see if they plan any flights to Haiti.

Haiti has long been the poorest country in the western hemisphere. An earthquake would be devastating even for any of us here in the United States, but it is truly paralyzing for a country like Haiti. The animals in Haiti were already suffering greatly even before the earthquake. There were no shelters, no animal control agencies, no veterinary colleges, and no animal organizations to advocate for the nation’s voiceless citizens.

Perhaps this is an opportunity to create lasting change for the animals of Haiti. I know that the rescue and relief work for humans and animals will carry on for many weeks and months to come. Let us not forget to support those organizations and individuals who are on the ground carrying out this work.

Have you ever worked with animals after a disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti? Do you know more about the animal rescue and relief work going on in Haiti? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!

Don’t forget to join the Facebook group of Let’s Adopt! (USA).

Today’s blog is an important message from Viktor, the founder of Let’s Adopt!

“Let me be clear.

This is likely the most important post I have made in the last two years of running Let’s Adopt! and posting daily.

Read it please, and share it. You will be saving lives if you do.

Yesterday night we saved the life of a dog. We literally snatched him away from a family that would have either lost him or dumped him at a shelter in a matter of days.

The family called themselves animal lovers, but they were clearly incapable of taking care of that animal, they would have NEVER been able to cater to his needs, to provide him with the right veterinary care, to fulfill the basic needs of the animal.

That adoption should have NEVER taken place and the dog is lucky I intervened.

It is VERY VERY easy to find a home for a dog on the internet, but it is VERY VERY difficult to find a good home.

In the last few months we have had to intervene to rescue animals that had been given away on adoption to the very wrong people by animal lovers who didn’t follow the correct procedures. The story is always the same. Someone finds a dog, puts his picture on Facebook and asks people to apply for it. Someone applies for it, and he gets the dog, no questions asked. The nightmare starts there… Two days later the dog is again on the streets or taken to a shelter.

Rescuing and rehoming dogs is a great mission, but is also a SACRED responsibility. Let’s Adopt! is not in the business of passing dogs from one hand to the other, what we do here is to finding homes for the next 15 years of the live of that animal, and we will NEVER compromise for the sake of comfort or expediency. This also means that we cannot work under pressure, and that we will take the necessary time to find the perfect home for that animal.

I encourage all of you to rescue animals and to take action where needed, but I must also beg you to follow a system and apply strict rehoming procedures, otherwise the result could end up in death for the animal you have just rescued.

I am going to explain again what are our Adoption Rules in an attempt to make you understand why we are so strict and why we will never again make exceptions.

1. FAMILY MUST HAVE A DOG RIGHT NOW… If the dog has died recently it doesn’t count.. if they have a bird? doesn’t count, if they had a dog when they were young? No… The reason for this is simple risk management. The only way I have to be absolutely certain that you can take care of our animal is when I see you are already taking good care
of yours. There is no other way.. the alternative is for me to believe in your story and your intentions, and think about it.. why should I?

You may like dogs or cats all you want but how can I be sure you will not change your mind after a few hours. People change their minds incredibly fast after a couple of pees on their favorite carpet.

2. Dog MUST live inside the home, not in the garden. No factories, no office animals, no farms. Many reasons for this, but mainly the fact that we are looking for long term adoptions, not short term arrangements. What are the chances a dog living on a factory will receive the necessary veterinary care and attention when he is sick?
Same as a dog living on a farm…

3. Dog MUST be fed raw. This is a particularity of this group. Raw feeding is the ONLY biologically appropriate diet for a carnivore. To me, agreeing to follow this rule means that you will be putting the interest of the animal above your own, and that is precisely the kind of person I am trying to find.

These are MY rules, and after two years of rehoming on Facebook our success speaks for itself. These rules are applied in all our networks, not only in Turkey. Canada, USA and France will follow exactly the same procedures. These rules are not here to satisfy my ego as some may think. I personally don’t care what you think of me but if you are reading this message right now it means you somehow value my opinion.

Our rules are there to ensure the life of the animals and I strongly encourage you to follow them in your own particular rescues.

In Turkey, statistically only 1 out of 10 applicants is capable of taking care of an animal. 1 out of 10.“

Please share this on your profiles.

Oliver on the day he came home with me...and before he got his first Martingale collar!

Greyhounds found their way into my heart back in 2007 in Australia when I got involved with an RSPCA raid to save starving, neglected animals on the property of an animal hoarder just outside Sydney. Several Greyhounds were among this group of animals, and some of them were lucky enough to make it out alive. One of them, Oliver, made it into my home. He was possibly the biggest of the Greyhounds in that group, and yet my mean little Mr. Claus picked him. (I’ll write about Mr. Claus and fear aggression in dogs in a later post!)

I will spare you my rants about everything that is wrong with the Greyhound racing industry. Suffice it to say that I strongly believe it should be outlawed altogether. Oliver and I were in the newspaper back in Sydney after a Greyhound died in the back of his negligent owner’s car outside a pub on a hot summer day. Raising awareness is important – especially in a country like Australia where nearly 95% of all Greyhounds are put to sleep (or worse) by age 2 or 3 when they are no longer “racing material.” That’s why I always encourage adopters to consider Greyhounds. Dogs seem to find their way to me, but if I were to handpick a houseful of dogs to adopt, you can bet that there would be several Greyhounds among them.

Greyhounds are perfect couch potatoes. One of the biggest myths about them is that they need a lot of exercise. In fact, they usually prefer to “roach” on your couch most of the day. (If you’ve never seen a Greyhound roaching, do yourself a favor and look up some images on the Internet. It’s hilarious!) One thing to keep in mind when adopting a Greyhound is that they are similar to puppies. Because they have never been treated as pets in anyone’s home, they do not know about hardwood floors or steps, for example. Sometimes they take a while to understand their new home and any other dogs and cats who share it. Keep in mind that the only other animals most Greyhounds have ever met are other Greyhounds. They are not socialized with other animals at all when they are brought up in kennels and on racetracks. I’ve heard it said that if you are having problems with your Greyhound all you need to do is adopt another Greyhound! I’ve also heard it said that Greyhounds are one of the few breeds who remember/recognize their littermates if they are reunited later in life.

I can’t think of a gentler, more sensitive, or more wonderful dog than a Greyhound. They are amazing creatures, and I would encourage you to go and meet some at your local Greyhound rescue. I’m willing to bet you’ll fall in love and want to adopt at least one! Let their last race be into your heart…

Here are four great links for more information about Greyhounds and rescue groups in your area:

The Greyhound Project, Inc.

Greyhound Pets of America

National Greyhound Adoption Program

National Greyhound Foundation, Inc.

Do you already have a Greyhound? Tell us what you love about him or her!

After 15 years in animal welfare as a rescuer, full-time volunteer, foster, mentor, and trustee of a grassroots rescue group in Berkeley, CA, volunteering for big established shelters, smaller shelters, no kill/kill…
I just had enough of turning in circles.
Here I was 15 years later, deeply disappointed by the lack of understanding of volunteer and shelter management by the last shelter I volunteered for the past 6 years.

I wanted change!

Each year we’d wait for the first litter to hit the shelters, and within weeks, there was mayhem, kittens/puppies everywhere. People “miraculously” found them under their porches, in their garages, no idea how they got there, but they always knew exactly how old they were
I was tired of listening to the excuses from people. It was always the animal’s fault, well if you didn’t count the allergies, baby on the way, boy/girlfriend moving in.
People are treating animals like a piece of furniture, the latest fad. Once out of fashion, they’re discarded.
Latest bold example are the little toy breeds, filling up the shelters all over the country right now. Thanks to Hollywood bimbos clutching them in front of cameras like purses – their airhead fans want to be like them, so instead of a frontal lobotomy they get a chihuahua or a pug or other little cutie.
These might be small animals, but they still need attention, affection, exercise, and yes, they live 10 years or longer. Cats can live over 20 years.
Are people not realizing that? Why is that?
Is it that the cute puppy or kitty is too tempting and they’ll agree to anything just to take the cutie home TODAY?!
I’ve held hundreds of adoption counseling sessions, and am still amazed how people setting themselves up to fail as responsible guardians.

So, what makes Let’s Adopt different?
Let’s Adopt is about awareness and holding humans accountable.
We are not in the business to build yet another shelter.We are here to change the system.Saving lives by educating humans, changing legislature, building local communities of animal lovers from the inside out.
Each of you can contribute to our mission by joining our network on Facebook and help us grow.
We want to connect a rescuer with a foster home, and get the animal directly into its new home.
Our adoption rules are a little different than the standard “fill out application- be approved-pay & good bye- whew“.(rescuers out there, you know exactly what I mean!)
We want to educate the adopter, and ensure that s/he understands beforehand the responsibility and the gift each animal coming through Let’s Adopt! is.We want to find forever homes. Nothing less will be good enough, and we have no issue turning applicants down. Our history in other countries prove that we’re on to something. Check out the Turkey based main page at blog.myletsadopt.com
Let’s Adopt! is not about moving a large number of animals, but about finding quality homes, educating communities and saving lives not even born yet.

The city I currently live in has it’s municipal shelter about 30 minutes from downtown.The Humane Society is a 10 minute drive.

Guess where prospective adopters will go browse for animals.
Guess where most animals are dying just days after arrival.
This needs to change!!!
I am tired of hiding the city’s dirty little secret with my tax dollars, while charity is sucking dry the donation pool. Easy, with 6 figure marketing budget.
Animal Rescue is big business.

When I went to a workshop at a Humane Society, the person leading the workshop started the day by saying… “Hello, my name is XXXXX XXXXXX, and our mission is to put us out of business….” >
Well, needless to say that after 7 years they are still up & running and probably still using the same line.
What has changed in the area? Nothing!
The municipal shelters are still overwhelmed and underfunded. The HS does good work, I don’t want to take that away from them.

However, 40 thousand animals are being killed in my metro area each year.

This is an outrage.

Which leads me back to the answer of the original question.

Why I am with Let’s Adopt!?
Because we’re here to change the game. To make to officials a bit more uncomfortable, ask tough questions and ultimately bring change. True change.
You can do this as well.
I will soon post some resources I am currently collecting for YOU to use in your community. How to start petitions, get measures on your local ballots, start a spay/neuter program… just to name a few.
So, stay tuned for that!
Meanwhile don’t forget to join the US network on Facebook.

Feel free to introduce yourself in the discussion section and share some of your local issues. Start a dialog with our virtual community…

Here’s to real change – for the animals!

One Love!
Misha

I woke poor Lucy up from her nap in her kitty condo to take this recent photo!

Turkey is an amazing holiday destination, but my holidays often end up having to do with animal rescue. Somehow I did not notice how many stray dogs and cats there were in Istanbul during my first trip to Turkey in January 2006. During my most recent trip in November and December 2009, my heart was broken almost upon arriving. There were homeless animals everywhere, and what stood out to me most was the number of cats and kittens. I think I cried at least once every day during my 14 days in Turkey because of the overwhelming sadness I felt for the animals.

Sure, there are some kind souls who leave food out for the stray animals. But the fact that these animals need to be spayed and neutered at a bare minimum seemed to be lost on the handful of Turks I engaged with about the issue. These animals also need proper medical care and loving homes with warm beds, but you have to start somewhere. There is no perfect solution, but I believe that TNR (trap-neuter-release) of homeless animals combined with public education on animal welfare are two ways to make a lasting impact.

I have been amazingly fortunate to have lived in many countries and traveled to many more. I have witnessed the plight of homeless animals in many different places, and I know that even my birth country of the United States still has much room to improve on this issue. We all have to start somewhere, and if we can collaborate and work together to create a better world for people and animals, we will make a lasting change.

I was born to a mother who had a Basset mix dog named Myles who slept in the playpen with me from the day my mom brought me home from the hospital. She tells me that my father’s family was howling for her to get rid of Myles before I was born, but there was no way that was going to happen because dogs and cats are fine with children. Children just need to be dog-proofed and cat-proofed! They have to be taught how to respect animals, and I am both lucky and grateful that I grew up with the opportunity to share my life with animals.

Love for animals brings with it a keen awareness of their plight. You can look the other way, but that is not going to change anything. Instead, I have struggled my entire life to understand how to fix the problems I see. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I realize I can not solve it all myself. I can not take in every single animal that needs a home, and it is very easy to drown in my tears and give up because the problem is too big. There is too much suffering. But I am not willing to give up. So what can I do? I can lend my voice to the voiceless, I can volunteer my time with rescue organizations, I can transport animals from shelters to rescues and foster families, I can foster animals, and I can TNR and feed the feral cat colony in my own neighborhood. But most importantly, I can join forces with others who are trying to solve the problem.

On December 6th, I met three kindred spirits at Istanbul airport. They were bearing two beautiful cats, and they were trusting us to bring those cats to America. I had found Viktor and the Let’s Adopt! community on the Internet before our trip to Turkey. I usually read up on local animal rescue groups to see how I might be able to help while traveling, and I made an offer to transport any animals who might need a ride to Chicago. As fate would have it, Viktor took my offer. One kitten was going to a family in West Virginia who had been in Turkey the month before and had adopted her but were unable to take her with them at the time. The other cat was Lucy.

As Viktor said as soon as he met my fiancé and I, the goal of Let’s Adopt! is not to send animals overseas. But there are some cases which require such drastic measures. Disabled animals have fewer chances of being adopted even in countries where people are used to companion animals, but imagine their chances of being adopted in a country that does not have a tradition of keeping companion animals inside the home. Beautiful Lucy had lingered in a crate at the vet clinic for 10 months. She is an older cat, and she has no teeth. She had no prospects for adoption in Istanbul. Enough was enough, and Viktor made the decision to send her overseas before her spirit was broken entirely.

I have transported animals in Australia from the shelters to the airports, and I have transported animals in America from shelters to rescues. My wonder dog, Mr. Claus (who also happens to have his own health challenges), moved from Sydney to Cincinnati with me. He had to travel in the cargo hold, so I had never transported an animal in the cabin with me until we brought Lucy with us. The journey could not have been easier. Lucy was an angel, and one particular woman in the flight crew was outstanding and even moved the woman seated next to Paraag and me so that we had more room with Lucy. The woman was elderly, and we had a complete language barrier. She was telling the air hostess that she didn’t mind at all and was asking questions about Lucy. Her interest and kindness were contrasted by two cranky gentlemen who did not like the idea that there was a cat in the cabin. One of the gentlemen who was two rows in front of us and on the other side of the plane was complaining of severe allergies. I didn’t understand the Turkish being spoken, but it was pretty clear (and pretty amusing!) that the air hostess was telling him to deal with it and put on a mask. She handed him the mask which he proceeded to take off an hour or so into the flight. I guess the allergies weren’t so bad after all…

Lucy rode in the middle seat between us, and we gave her food and water several times during the flight. She watched the TV screen with great interest, and she purred as we stroked her. A few people stopped by our seats to ask about her, and I made a point of telling them all about Let’s Adopt!. I cried for Lucy on the plane. It’s hard for me to imagine her being without a home for so long. She must be one of the easiest cats I have ever met. Like every other homeless animal out there, all she needed was a chance. They are all good pets; we just need to learn how to be good pet owners.

Many of us love animals and work with our local animal rescue communities to help in any way we can. Transporting an animal from overseas might seem impossible or just too complicated. Our experience was an easy one. All you have to do is present the pet passport (provided by the vet, of course) to US Customs and Immigration so that they know the animal has been vaccinated against Rabies. It really is as easy as that. And the sound of Miss Lucy purring next to my keyboard as she bathes herself in the wee hours of dawn makes it all worth it.

So some people bring home carpets when they go to Turkey. We brought home Lucy.

If you are considering transporting a special needs animal for Let’s Adopt!, I would be more than happy to speak with you and answer any questions I can about our experience. Just reach out to me via the comments section. Our community always needs flight volunteers travelling from Turkey to Europe and the United States, and there is no cost to you other than your time and effort. And the chance to help a special needs animal is priceless.

This is Lucy a few days after she arrived home with us. She decided she wanted an extra bed in the shelf of our bedside table!

Frida was once feral, and her ear was tipped after she was spayed. She wears a breakaway collar with a bell and an ID tag.

1. Record all of your pet’s information in one file.

We file away our credit card bills and our important personal information, so it makes perfect sense to keep a file for each of our pets. We move, we change veterinarians, and we forget. If we have everything in one file, we will always be prepared. Some things you might want to record about your pet are:

• birthday and adoption anniversary
• microchip number and the company’s contact details
• vet’s contact details (normal vet and emergency, 24-hour vet)
• medical history
• any necessary medications
• pet-sitter details
• any important behavior information (i.e. not cat-safe, aggressive with other dogs, etc)

If you have more than one pet, it might be easiest to keep one file for each pet. This allows you to grab exactly what you need and also makes things easy for anyone else who might be caring for your pets in your absence.

2. Be prepared in case your pet is ever lost.

• Record your pet’s microchip number by emailing it to yourself and saving it on your phone. I also make sure my family knows this information, and I make sure pet-sitters have it as well if I am going to be gone longer than a day. Notify your microchip company immediately if your pet is lost. Many companies automatically alert your local shelters for you.

• Make sure that you have two clear photos of your pet (one which shows his or her whole body from the side and one which shows his or her face close-up). You can use these photos to create posters to pass out at shelters and vet clinics during your search for your pet. Having all of this ready will save precious time and make it easy to start the search for your pet even if you are in a panic.

3. Craft a plan for personal and pet emergencies.

• Locate your nearest 24-hour emergency vet and make sure you know how to get there. Check to see if they allow you to pre-register your pet so that they have all the important details on file. Make sure you post the clinic’s phone number and address on your refrigerator or somewhere in your home, and keep a copy of those details in the glove compartment of your car so that you have them in case you are rushing to get your pet there. Definitely program the phone number into your cell phone, too!

• Speak to a trusted neighbor or friend about helping your pets if something were to ever happen to you. No one likes to think about this, but tragedies do happen. Make sure someone has a key to your house as well as detailed instructions about how to care for your animals and whom to contact to care for your animals long-term. Let this person know where you keep your pet’s files as well. It is also a good idea to prepare a signed letter stating that your neighbor or friend has your permission to access your home and care for your animals. Explain to whom your animals should be released in case they are ever taken to a shelter by emergency personnel who enter your home in the event of your death.

• Don’t forget to include your pets in your will and make sure your family is aware of what should happen to your pets in the event that you are no longer able to care for them.

Share some of your ideas for keeping your pets safe. We’d love to hear from you in the comments section of the blog!