Dear Tribe Members of the Let’s Adopt!USA Family.

First of, I want to thank all of our members for your continuous support in growing our FaceBook Network, and helping us connecting more volunteers and activists in the US.
I’d also like to take the opportunity to welcome all new members who have joined us over the past couple of weeks.
We could not do our important work without you.

Our tribe is growing daily.

As we are approaching the “Thousand Member Mark”, I realized that many of you don’t know each other (yet)…other than that we obviously share a love for animals, have compassion for the voiceless and want change… Drastic change.

So, this week I want to invite you to visit our

Let’s Adopt! USA FaceBook Photo Album

and post a picture of you and your pet(s).

post a picture of you and your rescue to our facebook group

It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3:

• Go to: Let’s Adopt! USA Group Photo Album

• Add your/pet’s name AND general location (state/metro area)  as captions.
• Post the image.
• In the comment section: Post a short story about how you met, and your life was changed.

DONE …

rescuing another being is a life-changing experience.

Add a quick note about what you have to offer to Let’s Adopt! USA in your capacity as a volunteer or activist, and what you would like to see changing in YOUR OWN COMMUNITY.
If you prefer you can also send me an e-mail to misha@myletsadopt.com

We can’t wait to see all your beautiful faces and read about your connections.

companions for life

Finally, please take a moment to add yourself to our regional networks in the LET’S ADOPT! USA group’s discussion section.

This will help us contact volunteers quickly when we need local foster volunteers, organizing transports/rescue or for local action alerts.
This will only take a few moments of your time - imagine how many lives we can AND WILL save together.

Thank you again for standing up for what is right.

We have a lot of work to do.

BE The Change…

Misha Dee
misha@myletsadopt.com

Let’s Adopt! USA
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=205025950458

Give Our Angels Wings:
http://bethechange.chipin.com/simbas-fund

Put Yourself On The Map :
http://bit.ly/LetsAdopt-Network-Map

CAGE 18 — FEMALE MIX, 6 MOS.

That’s about all she was to anyone… except someone gave her the name Petra. Her photo was taken to put on the internet with the others.

Petra at the shelter

She appeared on my Facebook page last Friday evening. She and the others in the post were from a shelter in the Dallas area. Their time was nearing an end; they were the “urgents.” As are so many by the time they hit Facebook.

Always my first thought is that I want to take them all. But how would that be possible? I already have several.

So what can I do to help them?

I hit the SHARE button at the bottom of the post and add their info to my network of friends. It’s the least I can do… and maybe someone will adopt one.

Within a few minutes, someone messages me. She has seen Petra’s photo and wants to adopt her. How can she do it? Is it even possible? She lives in San Antonio — five hours from Dallas.

My first response is YES! Because I KNOW this can be done.

On her fifth try, Karrie reaches someone at the shelter who verifies that Petra is still there. She takes Karrie’s info and puts a hold on Petra. Over the next few hours, a rescue group steps up and arranges to pull the little dog on Sunday. A foster comes forward who will foster her overnight Sunday night. And at noon on Monday, transport starts for Petra’s trip from Dallas to San Antonio.

Facebook rescue in action

At 3 pm Monday, Petra — renamed Vimba which means “Hope” in Shona — arrives at her new home.

The power of sharing via social media saved this pup’s life… a happenstance connection on Facebook.

But there are more in need in all areas.

Do these pets a favor and share messages about animals in need. You never know when your message might save a life! And it costs you nothing… just a few minutes of your time.

Here are just a few of the faces saved in the past few weeks through sharing.

A new lease on life thanks to a click of a mouse

Contributed by Holly Ellis

Join us on Facebook:

Let’s Adopt! USA

I stopped by a pet supply store the other day to fit “Ouzo” for a harness.

As we were browsing the store, tackling all the junk food barrels, which are strategically placed on snout level….all over sudden, in an otherwise fairly quiet store, a  big ruckus errupted…

..“ohhhhh” and “aaaah” *pupppppy!!!!…

Not just a puppy – it was a purebred chocolate Labrador Retriever pup, fresh from the breeder.

I just stood there for a moment, in disbelief – numb – thinking of all the cute puppies that were being murdered today in death camps around the country.
And here was this guy standing in front of me…beaming like a young father holding his first born.

We made eye contact – he smiled – waiting for me to chime into the “ohhhh & aaaahhhh” choir.

Instead I asked him: “Did you get him from a breeder?”

He blushed, looked at me like a young boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar…. “yeeeaah”

I just rolled my eyes, turned around and walked away with my GORGEOUS, PERFECT THREE-LEGGED UNIQUE Chilean Lava Hound.…..

It would have been pointless trying to educate him about the importance of spaying and neutering, why we should adopt and not buy from breeders..

he KNEW…and did it anyway.

That evening, I went online to check out Petfinder, and there are over 1000 chocolate labs waiting for a home RIGHT NOW…..

Granted, not all of them are purebred labs, but the point is that there are rescues for every single breed out there, and that each and everyone of us has a responsibility to stop this insanity of breeding pets for profit. It begins with the hamster for your kids, the cute little baby bunnies you give your children on Easter and to the shelter by Whitsun.

BE The Change…

~Misha & Ouzo

Dear Friends,

Most of you remember Coco…

She was found paralyzed by the side of the road. We looked for the reason and found out she had a bullet lodged in her spine.

Most people would have either dumped her in a Municipal shelter or put her to sleep. The best case scenario for her would be to live attached to a wheelchair.

Not us….

Please click HERE and see what happened with Coco…Please watch the video till the end. It is in German but this is one of those occasions where images speak for themselves. I can GUARANTEE you will cry with joy.

We thank all of those who were involved in this operation, we couldn’t have done anything without you.

We are currently working on the process of sending some of our rescues to their final homes overseas. If you want to be a part of it we will be thankful for your contribution to the Simba Fund.

Best

Viktor Larkhill

We love to tell a good story, a successful story, a story that fills up with hope.

But today we won’t.

Today I’m going to tell you one of my most painful stories in animal rescue. I’m doing this so that you get a glimpse of how it is to do what we do, every day and so that you understand why our adoption rules are what they are and why we cannot make exceptions.

Missy was rescued by one of the SHKD volonteers two years ago. She was a a wonderful sweet gentle and kind female dog. She arrived to the shelter with signs of sexual violence. She had been raped.
The rapist chose its victim well.  She was too kind and gentle to fight back.
For months SHKD worked on her, made her recover from her ordeal, brought her confidence up to speed.
Let’s Adopt! had just been created.. we had just a few members, lots of ideas.
I put up Missy’s pictures on my profile and sent an email to the 400 people or so that made up the group in those days.
A few hours later I received an email from a member. His name was Hakan Bozkurt. Nice guy. told me how he had a dog but had died of old age and how he missed him so much.. wanted to adopt another animal for his child. Any breed would do.
I liked him.
We met at the shelter, he came with his kid and a friend.. they were lovely people, animal lovers, kind and sweet. They liked Missy and Missy liked them.
We got his details, explained all about the dog, he had experience, we trusted him.
So Missy jumped on the car, wagging her short tail, one of the happiest days in her life.
We called that night.. Missy was sleeping with the kid. He sent us some pictures… wonderful!
One week later we called to check how things were going… the guy answer the phone. He was drunk.
He told us that Missy had been missing for three days. She was lost.
Apparently her six year old kid was walking her on the street without a leash, a truck passed, she got scared and run away.
He had done NOTHING to look for her. Nothing. Life continued as normal.
We spent three days looking for Missy all over the area. We checked every shelter, every street, we put posters everywhere…
Nothing.
I would love to think Missy is still alive and in a nice home with a wonderful family, but thinking so would be delusional.
Chances are Missy is dead. And if she is not dead she is trying to survive eating garbage in some construction dump, or dumped at the forest by one of the municipalities in this vast sprawling city.
So Missy was dead… nothing I could do about it.
But what I could do was to learn the lesson and to create a system that minimizes adoption risk. To create a set of rules that secured successful adoptions whilst at the same time helping us enlarge the community. And that is precisely what I did.

This is how we came up with our three basic adoption rules:

1. Family MUST have an existing animal.
2. Animal MUST live inside the home, not on the garden.
3. Animal MUST be fed raw.

Each and every adoption in Let’s Adopt! must be approved by me, and every time we screen a family I have Missy on my mind.

Missy was a failure and a painful lesson… but we learned from it, and created a system that saved thousands.

We must be ready to accept failures if we want to move forward…. and this applies to all of us, in all we do.

Never forget that.

-Viktor Larkhill

The judge will take a decision on Brindi’s life on Tuesday, March 9 at 9.30 hrs.

It is our firm belief that the only decision that will serve true justice is the sparing of Brindi’s life and her return to Francesca Rogier .

Imparting true justice is a very difficult task and this is why judges are held in such high regard in democratic societies. This authority is not God-given; it is granted by all of us as individuals.

Judges are there to deliver true justice, whether it serves the interest of the minority or the majority, the rich or the poor, the locals or the naturalized citizens or, in this case…

… a dog.

Viktor Larkhill

Let’s Adopt

We would like to thank everyone for your generosity and support in saving Genny’s life.

We could have truly not done it with out you.

Hooray For Genny & You!

Every single Dollar, Euro and Lira made a difference – there was no contribution too small and certainly not too large.

Genny has beaten the odds and is now in a new foster home, awaiting to meet her soul mate. Her final home, where she can have a sofa to call her own or at least share ♥
….where she can relax, knowing that she’ll be safe and treated like the princess she is.

Here are some current photos of Genny and her foster siblings…

They are guaranteed to bring some happy tears to those who have been following her story over the past month or so. They left me with a big smile all day…… Enjoy!

...just five more minutes...

*Doggie Bliss*

Thank YOU!

Please continue to support our work.

We currently have several special needs animals in vet care.

Apologies for the graphic image – but you need to see what we deal with here.

Meet LATTE…

Latte is fighting for his life

Latte was found nearly dead..

He has been lucky. We happened to have the most effective remedy available for this disease.

We are confident we will be able to save him.

Stay tuned and connected.

BE The Change! ♥

~Misha Dee

We are in urgent need of flight volunteers to the US, Canada (Montreal, Toronto), Germany and Holland.
Please get in touch with

Viktor: v.larkhill@googlemail.com

or contact me via

misha@myletsadopt.com

Thank You!

BE The Change

~Misha

Here’s an article by Viktor about how it works and why we are relocating animals to other countries.

Let’s Adopt! is Looking For Flight Volunteers for Angels Without Wings

Since its conception almost 2 years ago Let’s Adopt! has always been a pioneer in animal welfare related issues. We have introduced, singlehandedly, the concept of foster homes in Turkey. We have, for the first time in homing animals, put down rules other than the stupid documentations they ask for in shelters, gas bill, electricity bill, residence papers… We have, more than any bureaucratic nonsense of filling forms and providing that you live where you say you live, made sure that our dogs and cats actually LIVED INSIDE HOMES, not gardens and factory properties. We have insisted that the family should have another companion animal to adopt one from us. This is to make sure that they are aware of the responsibilities and requirements of an animal. Also, a great way to see how they care about their existing animals. We never agree to adoption of pure breeds simply on the basis of their blood. We make sure that the family adopts a stray first to be able to own a Golden Retriever or a Rottweiler.

And most of the time we have succeeded. The failures always happened when, out of the goodness of our hearts and naivete that we still
carry inside us for the goodness of people, we made exceptions.

No more exceptions, ever! Our rules are chiseled in stone and won’t be broken.

But, then there is something that really breaks our backs: The crisis and the way it effects thousand of families in this country and around the world. This is one of the reasons why there are so many abandoned animals, not only here but all around the world. Yet, people in Europe and North America still have the necessary funds to take care of their animals where the animals are seen as a part of the family and not accessories that look good near the fire place.

Why do I ramble on? Because that is what I do to ask for your help again, as you need to know why we do the things we do and need the
things we need?

We have declared that due to the non-existence of adoptions in the current climate we have a massive backlog of animals who need homes.

Not only that, we are experiencing an influx of animals which we had homed and now are being returned to us after months of being home dogs. Imagine the total destruction of the animals, imagine the damage the family makes their kids go through, imagine the state we are in…

Give Our Dogs Wiiiiings

Friends, though not every day of the week, we receive emails from our members in Europe and North America where people tell us that they are moved by the stories and struggles of our animals, asking us whether it would be possible to adopt them outside the country. After careful consideration, Skype conferences and many emails, we come to a decision.

It is all okay until when we need to fly our babies out, after their legal requirements are fully met;  chips, bloodwork when necessary,
vaccinations, fulfillment of a certain age etc.

This is when we need you. Many of you are professionals, many of you take trips outside the  country for business and for leisure, many of you study in foreign countries or visit friends and family who live abroad. Be our flight volunteers!!! Fly with one of our animals,
provided that there is the perfect family waiting for them on the other end and take part in the joy of knowing you have placed a life
in need in the safest of hands.

Get in touch with me a couple of weeks before you are due to fly and hopefully we will have  a dog or a cat for you as your flight
companion.

Go on, give us wings…

Viktor Larkhill
v.larkhill@googlemail.com

At the end of this brief post there is a link to a video. It is extremely thought provoking and I want you to watch it.

But first reflect on these wrong propositions.

A wrong proposition:   Humans own animals as property.

Companion animals are much more than that. They are a part of your family, they are a part of your life. Their value is not measured by cash. Society needs to rethink its stance as a whole.

A wrong proposition: You make a mistake, your animal pays for it. (pounded, killed).

You make a mistake, it is you who should pay. It is never the animal, it is the human, who makes things go wrong. The payment should be in proportion to the crime.

Letting your dog run without a muzzle CANNOT constitute a crime.

Wrong proposition: Breed Specific Legislation

A dog cannot be executed based on his looks. Breed Specific Legislation is a monstrosity and needs to be fought by all.

Your dog is right now at the merci of whomever decides to report him based purely on the way he looks. This leads to absurdities like the case of Rambo and Brittany.

A wrong proposition: If there is a law, even if unjust, we must obey.

If there is an unjust law, we must fight to change it. We must fight not only for ourselves but for those who follow, for those who might suffer, for those who believe in us.

And now pls watch this video because this is the very basic proposition we are trying to change.

It is time for Brindi to go home and to be reunited with her owner, Francesca Rogier.

If you are in Canada please CALL Mayor Peter J. Kelly, Mayor of Halifax on ph: 902-490-4010 and tell him that Brindi must be spared AND returned to her owner.

If you are abroad please email kellyp@halifax.ca and express the same… We have 7 days.…

For Brindi

For the Animals

Viktor Larkhill

Let’s Adopt!

to follow Let’s Adopt!’s entire Brindi campaign – visit our Canadian blog

BE The Change!

~Misha

Visit our Canadian blog to follow the entire campaign.

It’s important to contact (info listed at the bottom of this blog)

the major of Halifax IMMEDIATELY!!

BE The Change!

Misha

Many of you are asking us what has been the role of the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) since the Brindi Affair began.

Most of you hold the SPCA in high regard. So did I. Not any longer.

It would be fair to say that the SPCA is a pawn in the middle of this situation. They had a contract with the city of Halifax to house animals seized by animal control — such as Brindi. The contract was worth some $414,000. In addition to this contract, they operate a non-profit SPCA where strays and drop-offs and such are offered for adoption (just as any other SPCA). The city has opted to not renew the contract, that has since been awarded to a third party, a woman who runs a wildlife rehab center.

The SPCA is designed to house animals for no more than 30 days. Brindi has been in there for more than 570 days.

Since confinement, Brindi’s teeth have become infected. She has twice in the last maybe 5-6 months been treated for pancreatitis. So it’s safe to guess it may now be chronic.

Brindi is a mascot of sorts, her days are spent under a staffer’s desk.

Francesca had to FIGHT to be allowed to see Brindi. The first time she was allowed to see her was in January, 2009 (she was seized in July, 2008). She was not allowed inside the building and was confined to a
fenced area – the temperature was in the teens (or -0 celsius as we measure in Canada). She was given a ridiculous list of conditions to follow — come alone, no camera/video, no treats, 30 minutes to be determined by the SPCA, supervised visits only, and a few more. The terms changed at the whim of Halifax Regional Municipality/SPCA.

Her visits have been started and stopped throughout the year. The continuous change of rules prompted complains and the loss of her visitations rights.

Whenever Francesca wanted Brindi to be seen by her own vet a lengthy process of negotiation had to take place to everybody’s desperation.

In most cases the requests were denied.

Case law in Canada generally favors allowing an owner to see their animal during confinement when there is a case before the courts. Not Halifax. Case law also supports remediation between the owner and the SPCA. Not Halifax.

The SPCA could have stood up and said Brindi is not dangerous or mean, she sleeps under a staffer’s desk after all. In an attitude that betrays their lack of principles they decided not to challenge the city and risk their contract, a contract that was eventually lost.

In a recent letter signed by Kristen Williams, a spin doctor, the SPCA advocates an “alternative” to killing Brindi. This letter is nothing but a carefully crafted attempt by Halifax Municipality and the SPCA to cover themselves for their inadequate handling of the entire case.

A desperate attempt to save face after a number of recent scandals.

It’s too late for that. The SPCA has, in the handling of Brindi’s case betrayed its very founding principles, and the community has taken note. The SPCA will never be regarded in the same way by the Canadian Community.

It is time for Brindi to go home and to be reunited with her owner, Francesca Rogier.

If you are in Canada please CALL Mayor Peter J. Kelly, Mayor of Halifax on ph: 902-490-4010 and tell him that Brindi must be spared AND returned to her owner.

If you are abroad please email kellyp@halifax.ca and express the same… We have 8 days.…

For the Animals…
For Brindi…

Viktor Larkhill

Let’s Adopt!