URGENT! We need 1-2 volunteers next Friday afternoon (10/29) at CHICAGO O’HARE International Airport (ORD). Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you can help us out for a couple of hours….

As Let’s Adopt! is growing worldwide we are in need of volunteers at major US airports to assist us receiving animals from our flight volunteers, AFTER they have passed through customs.
The airport volunteer will then take the animal and check it in for its connection flight to its final destination – its new home

It’s one of the most vital part of our operations, and with that also
a lot of fun and very rewarding:

• Time commitment is only few hours.

• You’ll need a vehicle to accommodate the kennel(s) or crate(s), depending on the size and number of animals to be transported.

• Meet with the flight volunteer at Arrivals

• Receive animal(s) and all necessary paperwork.

• Give animal(s) a quick potty/water break.

• Continue to designated cargo facility nearby.

• Check in animal(s) with airline (we do all the booking)

• Send them on their way and don’t forget to take pictures and videos for our community.

• DONE!

What’s in it for you?
Be a hero to our rescues and special needs animals, by providing this essential link to the Chain of Change.
What feels better than being part of a movement, saving lives and inspiring other? There’s nothing quite like it….

“BEing in the moment – BEing part of the movement - BEing The Change“!

Will you join us?

e-mail me at misha@myletsadopt.com

URGENT:
We need 1-2 volunteers next
Friday afternoon (10/29)
at CHICAGO‘s O’HARE
International Airport (ORD).
Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you can help us out for a couple of hours. BE part of our movement!

Thank You!

Misha

BE The Change

Early July, I received a cry for help from rescuers of the Contra Costa County death camps.
Listings after listings of perfectly healthy, beautiful animals slated to go down any time.
Something had to be done – NOW.
But how? We have no fosters in the area.
Martinez is almost 700 miles away, my car was too small, renting an SUV or van + gas was too expensive. So, what could we do? As you know, Let’s Adopt! is a volunteer run organization. We don’t have a fleet of vans or SUVs at our disposal.
We don’t run shelters or a day care. We work with foster homes. Unfortunately we don’t have enough yet, but we’re growing and I am optimistic that this story will inspire some of you to sign up to become not just another foster, but a viable lifeline!

I contacted my friend Amy with the Pixie Project, and just asked her whether I could borrow the rescue’s  SUV for a long weekend.
It was a long shot and I held my breath, hoping, but really thinking she’d laugh me off telling, me “nice try, but I’m not giving you my car to drive it 1400 miles across state lines“.
Well, Amy did not only call me back right away, she contacted a fellow rescuer in town who immediately offered to take 5-7 dogs in addition to the ones Let’s Adopt! was about to rescue. It took some scheduling and wiggling the details, but in the end we sorted it all out.

leaving Portland for San Francisco

I started my trip from Portland to San Francisco on Saturday, July 10th at sunrise. A SUV packed with empty cages and kennels and a whole lot of hope and arrived in the Bay Area late afternoon, managed to reconnect with some old rescue friends from my time of living in SF. I learned the shelter wouldn’t be open until Tuesday, so I had time to connect and touch bases about the current status of animal rescue and welfare in the Bay Area.

…And it doesn’t look good at all. I spoke to one of the managers of the SF Animal Care & Control who described in despair how the city is shaving dollar after dollar off their budget, that could potentially safe lives. Yet the city uses funds to create silly projects like some “Good Samaritan fund” that rewards people who did the right or a good thing.
We’re now “bribing” people to do what’s right?
What a world.
This deserves its own blog. Stay tuned for an interview with a SF AC&C official.

Sunday: I receive the euthanasia list from the shelter.Pages after pages … Chihuahuas, Poodle Mix, Pit bulls, Pomeranian mix, King Charles Spaniel – another spaniel mix… the list was overwhelming to go through, but I had to. I needed to choose, who I could save. I had five to seven spots. That was it. Now many of you are already questioning the following: HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?
How does one choose?
I don’t know. At some point you have to put emotions past you and look at it from a rational point of view. As rational as one can be in a situation such as this. You look for temperament, adopt ability. I knew I couldn’t bring any Pits or Pit X, because I didn’t have a foster for one, and the other rescues can’t take them due to liability issues. Both rescues run day-cares and the prejudice against this breed is alive and well…..Something we will have to discuss another time.

With Pit bulls excluded, I made a list of 12 dogs and rearranged it from there. When I got to the shelter on Tuesday, there were already a lot of people in line. Some to adopt, others to claim their animals and then there were those that were waiting to surrender their pets. I was greeted by Annie, who held yet another more recent kill list in her hands. We compared notes and just rushed inside to look at as many dogs as we possibly could, knowing “they” are starting the killings in just a few moments. We had 5 dogs in no time, added another 2 – that was it!!
Or was it?

Annie + Lori doing the paperwork

While we checked out the first dogs with the help of Lori of Good Newz Pittie Pups Rescue,  Annie, presented me with 3 wire crates another person donated to the mission. I had dividers in them!!!By taking some of my larger kennels out and using those crates, I had more room. We pulled an older Aussie Shepherd, who we since named Jester.

More about this boy later. He is a special needs boy, who happened to bite me on the way back home,during one of the breaks. It’s not an aggression issue, he did that out of fear, stress, pain combined, when I tried to get him back into the car after a potty break.

Aaaanyway:

While I was outside arranging the crates and animals, I realized that I had more space. So I called Annie on her cell inside the shelter: “I’ve got room for two more, Annie….!!!”.

She zoomed into the euthanesia room, and snatched two dogs straight out from under the needles.

Safe! Pulled with minutes perhaps even seconds to spare!

safe! one has already been adopted!

safe! sweet, skinny little Pom mix

On the Road again....Portland here we come

After getting everyone settled in the car, sorted out the paperwork, we hugged and I went on my way back to Portland.
Because of time “lost” at the shelter and during some potty breaks with the dogs, I arrived back in Portland at 2:30 AM on Wednesday morning.
Theresa from DogStar waited for me, keeping herself entertained by doing some much needed bookkeeping. We unloaded the car, put everyone in a kennel, gave them some food/water and kisses, and went home. Mission accomplished – ten dogs save – alive!
Got home at about 3:30AM, Ouzo greeted me with kisses and hugs. I snuck upstairs, kissed Al “hello”. Ouzo squeezed in between us snuggling with me, licking my bite wounds…. I fell asleep thinking….What a trip!

Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY – ANYTIME!

All started with a small idea and the desire to help. It takes a community to do this. I still need fosters – everywhere. When I sent out a call for local fosters, Donde Buckowski stepped up immediately, and offered her home to one of the rescues.

Safe! Sophia (foreground) is available for adoption with LA!USA

Little “Sophia” is a Chihuahua mix with cow markings. Great with dogs, loves kitties, full of energy. Sophia has already a solid interest – after only few days.

safe! ESPERRRANZA, available for adoption via Let's Adopt!USA

I have little “Esperrranza”, a Chi( MinPin?) mix, who was going down for behavioral. “TIMID” her card said. I found her shivering in the back of her kennel, low to the ground, the noise level in her unit was unbearable – impossible to talk. Can you imagine a little dog in there for 2-3 weeks? I would be TIMID too. As soon as she knew she was safe – she gave kisses and one could just see the big sigh of relief in her entire body language. “Esperrranza” is available for adoption as well. There is some interest for her, but we’re still accepting applications for both of these dogs.

The standard Let’s Adopt! Adoption requirements apply:

• Must have another animal dog

• will be part of the family, not live in the garage, basement, or ever be left on a tie out or unsupervised in the yard.

• We are supporters of a species appropriate diet and all Let’s Adopt! animals are being fed a raw diet. (see http://www.rawlearning.com for more info).

• Adopter has to sign up with Facebook and create a photo album to share with the Let’s Adopt! community that shows the animal’s progress. (Or adopter can send pictures to me and I’ll set up the album for them)

We do not apply an adoption fee. Adopting one of our animals is a privilege not mercy. One can’t put a price tag on any of our animals.

Even if you can’t adopt, but would like to support our mission and rescue operations such as this, please contributing to the Let’s Adopt! Simba Fund

Many thanks to the following rescuers and agencies for their support and collaboration.

Annie Wong – Big Dawgs Rescue

Lori Wilson – Good Newz Pittie Pups Rescue

Melody Chen – FB cross poster and rescuer for the Contra Costa County Shelters.

Amy Sacks – Pixie Project

Theresa Shire – DogStar

and of course thanks to Billie+ David for housing and feeding me “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!”, as well as “Matela” for sharing HER sofa with a human.

BE The Change -

it is not THAT difficult if you just put your mind to it.

~Misha

This is the story of Gülümser “The One That Smiles”.

A very young kitten found eaten alive by worms.  Her ear gone, her lips, part of her tongue…. I will spare further details.

There was no way a young creature with not much of an immune system can survive such cruelty…. or could she?

The One That Smiles

“They” said she had no chance but then a miracle happened… she fought back!

As you can see, she has since recovered and grown into a beautiful, loving cat – adored by many – especially her new mom.

We couldn’t do this work without the support of our members.

Please consider adopting one of our animals..

and/or contributing to the Simba Fund:

Please share this video in your profiles as well.

Thank You from all of us at Let’s Adopt!

~Misha
BE The Change!

Whenever you visit our blogs, you might have noticed
the Let’s Adopt Community Map to the lower right of your screen.

Put yourself on the map and start saving lives.

What is it all about?
Very simple – The Map connects YOU to the rest of the Let’s Adopt! Network worldwide!

This is the place to put your marker on the map, tell us a little about yourself or copy the code to of your Facebook badge and let us know in what capacity you can support us.
For example: foster, transport, flight volunteer, action calls, etc).

Misha Dee

Create Your Badge

SAVE THE MAP and you’re all done.

Need a step-by-step?

:. sign in or register with Google
.:. Go to the map at
http://bit.ly/LetsAdopt-Network-Map to add your pin to the map.
.:. zoom the map,
.:. click the blue pin and drag it to your location.
.:. add your information, and be sure to SAVE the map when you’re done.

Easy – Yet such an important step to connect with others.

Share the map and invite all your fellow animal activists, rescuers, and volunteer friends and family, so we can truly build a tight network and react fast in any sort of emergency rescue situation.

Become part of the solution.  Join Let’s Adopt! USA today.

BE The Change!

Misha

Please SHARE/RT

You’re reading this because you’re probably a member of Let’s Adopt!
I applaud you for joining our networks.

Now I want to ask you to join our tribe, by becoming an active member of our operations, to join our tribe!
We are of course animal lovers, but we are activists first. Which means, that we love all the cute pictures of pups and kitties. However, there are too many cute pups and kitties dying in our so-called shelters and by the hands of abusers and breeders every single day.
We must act – NOW!

I am often disillusioned by what I see, especially on the web.
Horrendous abuse, crush videos, starved animals, scared animals going crazy in their kennels at the pound.
I have seen many of these cases in my work as an activist and rescuer. The 1-day-old kittens I raised with an eyedropper or feeding tube, just to see them succumb to a simple upper respiratory infection. The kittens that were exposed to FIP, and ultimately died because their intestines and organs literally liquefied inside of them.

However there were hundreds that were a joy to foster and raised to be strong enough to be adopted. There are many, many success stories, which by far outweigh the bad experiences.
Now I want YOU to experience the feeling of saving a life and what an impact you alone can make in your community.
I want YOU to reach out to your local pound and rescue a dog or a cat.

Rescue an animal from death row - TODAY!

Become its caretaker and angel.
We will then rally as a network to adopt the animal into a new home.

adopting an animal will complete any family

Our adoption criteria are strict, yet very simple.

• the adopter has at least one other animal

• the animal will live indoors only! Not in the yard, not on a tie-out, not in a garage, or a barn. It will live indoors as part of the adopters family.

• the animal will be fed a raw diet only. Your animal will be healthier, you will be happier, and you’ll save money in the long run, on cost of food and vet bills. More info can be found at http://rawlearning.com

• We do not apply an adoption fee. One can’t buy any Let’s Adopt! dog or cat.

• We believe that adopting an animal is a privilege, not mercy.

• The adopter will create a Facebook album with photos of the animal with its new family and updates.

These are our adoption rules in a nutshell.
Do you think you can handle it?
Have you been thinking of how in the world can you make a difference at these overcrowded pounds? Well, here is your chance to put your action where your heart is.

• Pull an animal.

• Then take it home, let it settle in,

let the dog or cat settle down for a few days

• take pictures and post it on the Let’s Adopt! USA page,

• Include all details you have about the animal:
• Age, temper, likes, dislikes, history (stray, dumped by owner, etc)

• We’ll campaign to get the animals adopted.

Do you realize that you will be saving TWO lives at once.
Not only will you be taking the one dog off death row, but another one will have a better chance, because there’s new cage space. And hopefully, you’ll inspire friends and family to do the same all over the country.
Perhaps concentrate on high kill facilities such as many municipal facilities in the South, from Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas – some pounds have a 90 (that’s NINETY) % kill rate.
Here’s where you can make a big difference.
There are many small groups that are willing to help you pull an animal and organize transport.
I will be listing some of these groups and links soon.
For now – please search your heart and decide whether you can open your home to a rescue this summer. I know you can and want to.

Let us help you figure out how and make it a reality. For the animals and for you.

We can potentially save hundreds of animals this summer. Are you with us?

Got Foster Dog?

Let’s start saving lives – one dog, one cat at the time.

BE The Change
Misha Dee

Read more »

Hello Friends!
I kindly ask you to please support the rescue and medical treatment of Genny, who is currently battling Canine Distemper. A potentially fatal disease.

Thanks to the animal welfare volunteer network Let’s Adopt! Turkey, she’s physically safe and with a volunteer foster home right now.

Please us help Genny! We’re all she has.

We’ve just learned, that WordPress is not supporting the updates for the ChipIn widget. Which means, you can still click through the chip in above to contribute to “Simba’s Fund”.
However to see updates and current status of the contributions, you have to click through to the “bethechange” page on ChipIn, which you can reach here:
ChipIn Simba’s Fund
We will track all contributions, as well as funds going towards Genny’s care.
Any funds left will be used for future rescues and their medical needs, as Let’s Adopt! specializes in the rescue and treatment of abused, injured or special needs animals.

Genny’s condition has improved a bit and she has been upgraded from “critical” to “stable”.

We even received a new video of Genny ‘playing’.

To learn more about this extraordinary group of international volunteers: Let’s Adopt!

For more info about the Simba Fund and how it came about.
Click Here

Thank You!

The next few days are still critical for Genny’s survival. Please keep her in your thoughts, and continue to support our important work.
We’ll keep you updated.
A big “Thank You” to all of you out there who have already contributed to Genny’s vet care before the Chip In was set up.
We are very grateful for your support.

For Genny…

Genny is fighting this killer disease with all she got

Thank You!!
Be The Change….Indeed! ♥

Misha Dee

Let’s Adopt! USA

one of Bali's magnificent beaches

Who wouldn’t like to be whisked away to Bali just in time for Valentine’s Day and right in the middle of our winter?

It is indeed a beautiful island, but its dogs and cats are suffering greatly.

A kind tourist offers water to a thirsty Bali dog on one of the island's beaches.

The Indonesian island of Bali is just over 2,000 square miles in size. The island has a population of about 4 million people and approximately 600,000 dogs, down from an estimated one million ten years ago thanks to a population management program.

Today we have an interview with Paula Hodgson, co-founder of the Bali Street Dog Fund (BSDF), which raises funds for the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA). Paula has some great information to share with us and some insight on TNR amongst the street dog population on Bali. She also has all the details on how you could take a volunteer vacation to help Bali’s street dogs.

BAWA is a not-for-profit charity registered in Indonesia. The organization’s aim is to relieve the suffering, control the population, and improve the health of Bali‘s street dogs through medical care, spay/neutering, street-feeding, puppy adoption, and education of school children.

BAWA currently has an experienced team of 7 Indonesian vets, who have been supported in the past by vets from Veterinarians Beyond Borders and by vets and vet nurses from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. BAWA’s vets are supported every day by a local dedicated team of nurses and helpers.

The BAWA street teams work outside in the central gathering place called the "banjar" in each village they visit.

BAWA’s street teams led by Indonesian veterinarians travel daily into villages and set up mobile operating stations to conduct up to 40 sterilizations per day. Some of the dogs they sterilize are brought in by their owners, but most are street dogs who are caught in nets and immobilized immediately before a vet sedates them for surgery. The mobile team remains in a village until 60-70% of its dogs have been sterilized. While the dogs are still sedated after their surgery, the vets place a small mark on one of their ears to enable easy identification.

BAWA’s clinic just outside Ubud offers free sterilization of pets belonging to any Indonesian family who can not afford to pay.

The organization operates under a no-kill philosophy and only euthanizes animals (by injection) when the organization’s veterinarians believe that the animal is suffering entirely too much and has no chance of making a recovery.

BAWA and its American founder Janice Girardi were featured in the September/October 2009 issue of The Bark magazine. Stay tuned for a future interview with Janice!

What’s a Bali dog anyway?

Bali dogs are unique. A 2004 genetics study by the University of California, Davis revealed that they were probably established in Bali 12,000 years ago when it became isolated from Java. They are the most genetically diverse dogs in the world. Their closest relatives are the Chow Chow, Australian Dingo, and the Akita. Until recently there has been no influence by European breeds.

BAWA is funded 100% through donations.

Paula is going to tell us how they accomplish this feat.

Paula holding a sick and injured Bali puppy.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your furry family.

I am an ex-pat New Zealander who has lived in Australia for 20 years, and I work as a medical secretary.  I have always been an avid animal lover and was heavily involved with anti-vivisection groups whilst in New Zealand. I had six cats and one dog growing up. I knew from the time I was very small that I was destined to be involved in animal welfare.

My furry family consisted of 4 gorgeous cats. Pumpkin, my eldest, was two weeks old when I found her in a drain. I hand raised her on a bottle until she was six weeks old.  She was born to feral parents, and even though she was domesticated she never lost that feral streak which I found to be an endearing part of her personality. Six weeks after I got Pumpkin, I took in a white cat with blue eyes who was profoundly deaf. Chantelle and Pumpkin became inseparable, but sadly Chantelle died at 12 months of age due to a bee sting. Nine months after losing her, I found myself saying “yes” to two beautiful 6-week-old kittens who had been dumped in a rubbish bin.  My family of one suddenly became a fantastic trio of tortoiseshells: Pumpkin, Apples, and Dusty. Dusty passed away aged 13 in 2006, and Pumpkin passed away aged 16 in 2008. Apples is now 16 and a diabetic. I cherish each day she is with me.

the divine Miss Apples enjoying some time outside

2. Why Bali? How often do you go to Bali?

Why Bali is a question I am often asked, and I say, “Why not?” I became involved in this cause when my closest friend Natasha came back from Bali and asked me to help the dogs in Bali. She became distressed each time she went there, and on a visit in 1999, she found a vet who was trying to help the street dogs. She came home determined to try and do something, and in September 1999, Natasha and I founded the Bali Street Dog Fund (Australia).

I try and go to Bali at least once a year, but due to unforeseen circumstances with my health and my cat Apples’ health, I have not been to Bali for 2.5 years. Even so, I am in daily contact with BAWA (Bali Animal Welfare Association) via email.

3. Tell us some of the things you do in Australia to help raise awareness and money for BAWA? What works?

Raising awareness for a charity can be difficult at times, but you must take every opportunity that arises to let people know about your work. A good website is the first step followed by brochures and business cards, word of mouth, and merchandise. Creating a database of supporters is essential, and putting out a newsletter once or twice a year is a good way to raise more awareness and to bring in donations.

BSDF holds a “Bali Nights” fundraising auction every year to raise money for the BAWA spay/neuter van and the animal welfare education program in the schools. Having great merchandise works wonders. I hand make greeting cards (everyday and Christmas) depicting gorgeous puppies and adult dogs from Bali, and those cards are one of our best sellers. Everyone who receives one of those cards gets our contact information and website on the back of the card, so that helps to bring in additional donations. A full range of merchandise is displayed on our website so that people can purchase it all year round and not just at our fundraiser.

4. Are there any Bali dogs in Australia? Do any of the dogs ever get adopted by families outside Bali?

There is one Bali dog living in Australia. Her name is Nessa, and you can see her story on our website.

It is extremely expensive to bring a Bali dog back to Australia due to the amount of quarantine required. Dogs from Bali have to go to Singapore for nine months before they are allowed into Australia. When Nessa came to Australia 5 years ago, the cost was $10,000. I imagine it would be much more now.

Sometimes dogs go to the USA, Holland, or Belgium after being adopted by families there, but currently NO dogs are allowed out of Bali due to the presence of rabies. Janice and everyone at BAWA are working to eradicate rabies from the island and to vaccinate and protect the island’s dogs during this time.

5. Are there any particular BAWA accomplishments that you would like to share with us?

BAWA has achieved a lot in the three years they have been operating. In 2008, they put Bali‘s only 24-hour animal ambulance on the road which was desperately needed, and it is kept busy every day. Ideally, another ambulance to cover other parts of the island is required. Unfortunately, BAWA does not have the funding available to make this happen, and BSDF only manages to raise enough money each year to fund the spay/neuter and education programs. At present, the 24-hour ambulance and the 24-hour vet clinic are both funded entirely by Janice Girardi, the organization’s founder. BAWA also launched the “Bali Idol” competition which is a puppy adoption competition within the schools. The success of this program has been phenomenal.

Village children are often very curious when the BAWA team arrives to spay and neuter dogs. They are supervised, of course, but the staff do allow the children to come close to the dogs. This is a great learning opportunity for the children, many of whom have never even touched a dog.

The biggest and latest accomplishment is hosting a Rabies Seminar just two weeks ago. Janice has worked tirelessly since rabies was first found in Bali in November 2008 and since the government started massacring the dogs in a misinformed attempt to eradicate rabies. Bali’s governor ordered that the island be eradicated of all street dogs and called on villagers to exterminate strays themselves. Dogs were poisoned and shot much to the horror of many tourists and even island residents, some of whose pets were also killed.

Janice and her amazing staff have never given up with their campaign to get the government to vaccinate not eradicate. The seminar was attended by experts from the World Health Organization, prominent veterinarians, and members of the Balinese Government, and it was made clear that culling will not work. Now it’s up to the Indonesian government to listen to all the expert recommendations and move forward in managing the situation.

6. What’s the biggest challenge you face in trying to raise funds for BAWA?

The biggest challenge is trying to get goods donated for our annual fundraising auction. All involved in the fund spend hours contacting companies asking for donations. It is always sad to be told, “No, your charity does not fall into the worthy cause category,” but we never give up. We just cross that organization off the list, and send out a letter to someone else. A lot of people will not donate to “overseas” charities, especially for animals. In the 10 years that the Fund has been going, we have come up against a lot of opposition as to why we help the dogs and not the people. As I always point out, there are plenty of charities for children in Bali but not for the animals. They have as much right to life as a human.

Paula holds a Bali puppy with terrible skin problems. Unfortunately, such skin problems are common among the puppies on Bali.

7. Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to help animals overseas?

My advice is to follow your heart. Don’t be put off by what people think or say. Animals are just as deserving as we are. I would definitely look into the charity you are thinking of helping to make sure they are above board, i.e. a registered charity that has been established for a while.

Last year, I was contacted by a Bali Street Dog Fund supporter who wanted to help a charity in Jamaica. She was uncertain of the charity’s authenticity, so I did some research on the Internet for her. In the end, they were a genuine charity, but it does pay to check organizations out.

If people want to volunteer for an overseas charity, again research the charity and establish a good email rapport with the organization before booking your ticket!

8. Anything else you would like to share with us?

BAWA desperately needs donations to continue its amazing work. That’s why I do what I do! We keep our operational costs as low as humanly possibly by capitalizing on the efforts of a small army of human volunteers.

You can make donations directly on BAWA’s website via the PayPal link, and for everyone in America, you can also donate by mailing a check to: BAWA; C/O Janice Girardi; 12407 Torrey Pines Drive; Auburn, CA 95602.

BAWA needs to keep its current ambulance on the road and fund another. BSDF would like to raise more funds to extend the spay/neuter and education programs across the island so that we can make a lasting impact on the status of animals on the island.

Another ambulance and spay/neuter van would be a dream come true so that BAWA teams could travel to other areas of Bali where the dogs currently receive no help. The western and northern parts of the island are quite remote, and BAWA has not been able to begin work there yet. Bali is over 2,000 square miles in size, so it’s almost impossible to reach out to the entire island with only one ambulance and one spay/neuter van.

The BAWA Animal Ambulance responds to calls from around the island 24 hours a day to assist dogs and cats in need.

Bali is pretty far away for most of us, but there are still ways we can help the island’s street dogs.

You can sign this petition requesting the Indonesian Government to create an effective law against cruelty to dogs. Every day in Bali. dogs are poisoned or stolen, often for meat. Others are starved, beaten, or neglected.

There are currently no laws whatsoever to protect the animals of Bali. BAWA works proactively to educate children in the correct treatment of companion animals and provides free medical care to street dogs and dogs owned by Balinese people, including sterilization, ambulance services, and a rescue program.

Without effective animal welfare laws, BAWA is handicapped.

Would you be interested in helping BAWA in Bali?

Volunteer vets and vet nurses as well as non-veterinary volunteers are needed to help at the clinic. Flight volunteers are also needed sometimes to carry supplies to Bali with their excess luggage allowances. (Customs letters and all paperwork are supplied though such documentation is rarely requested by the Balinese officials upon arrival.)

If you are planning a holiday to Bali and would like to offer a couple of days or even a week of your holiday to help at the clinic, please contact BAWA by emailing bawabali@aol.com . Please note that to volunteer at BAWA, you must be able to pay your own airfare and support yourself whilst in Bali. It is also essential you have your rabies shots and an up-to-date tetanus vaccination.

I enjoyed spending time in the vet clinic - especially in the bottom level which has an adoption center with lots of indoor and outdoor room for the puppies to play.

I volunteered with the Bali Street Dog Fund during the time I lived in Australia and have been lucky enough to carry medical supplies to Bali and to spend time with the BAWA street teams. These amazing people net and spay/neuter the street dogs every day. I can assure you that any time you spend volunteering with them will only serve to enrich your holiday. It’s the sort of experience you’ll never forget.

Also, for those of you who are wondering about the cats on Bali, BAWA does help them as well. The vet clinic outside Ubud desexes and adopts out cats and kittens in addition to dogs and puppies. The majority of the group’s work is with dogs, but cats are never turned away!

Don’t forget that Let’s Adopt! is always in need of flight volunteers to transport animals from Turkey to their forever families in places like Canada, Germany, and the United States. Turkey makes for an amazing vacation, so if you ever decide to go, please get in touch with Let’s Adopt! founder Viktor Larkhill (viktor@myletsadopt.com) to offer your time as a flight volunteer. This good deed will cost you nothing at all!

Also…

Genny, one of the dogs Let’s Adopt! has rescued in Turkey, has come down with distemper over the weekend and is in need of our support. Please read about her here, and email Viktor (viktor@myletsadopt.com) if you are able to help with Genny’s medical costs and those of the dogs she has been in contact with the past two weeks.

Have you ever volunteered overseas with animals? Please tell us about your experiences and your organizations. Let’s Adopt! members can be found all over the globe, and many of us travel a great deal. It’s always wonderful to have meaningful experiences and meet other animal lovers while on the road!

MYTH: “My pet will get fat and lazy.”

The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much junk food (canned or dry) and treats loaded with HFCS, and don’t give them enough exercise. A run around the yard is NOT exercise.  Consider switching our animals to a raw diet, which will keep them healthy, happy, lean and your visits to the vet at a minimum.

Read Viktor’s blog about why Let’s Adopt insists feeding our animals a raw diet.

MYTH: “It’s better to have one litter first.”

Actually,  science indicates just the opposite!!!
In fact, evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. The best time to spay your female dog or cat is before her first heat. Early spaying greatly reduces the incidences of mammary cancer.
Both pregnancy and birth can be very stressful for the animal.
Animals giving birth sometimes die from complications.
Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age.

MYTH: “I’ll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.”

You may find homes for all of your pet’s litter. But each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in less than one year’s time, each of your pet’s offspring may have his/her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The original problem of crowded kill-shelters is created by just one litter at a time. 

"FREE to good home"... the "wonders of birth" come at a high price for the animals AND our communities

There’s no need to breed – PERIOD!
This must stop!

I once had a lady from Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on my door to tell me about her vision of doomsday and all….while we were chatting, two of my five foster kittens jumped on the window sill and played in the sun.

orphaned kittens under the age of three weeks are euthanized on arrival at a shelter near you.... too much work, too little resources.

I told her that these kittens were born in my house to a rescued homeless cat, who was barely a year old herself.
The lady was so excited seeing the kittens, that she didn’t listen to a word I was saying beyond “babies”.
Said the following: “I want to get a cat for my children so they can witness the wonder of birth”.
I explained to her how this was exactly part of the problem, and asked her to take her children to a city shelter to show them hell on earth first.

Perhaps consider fostering for a local rescue like myself, and not only show the kids the wonders of birth, but also educate them (and obviously herself) about the consequences.
She said she couldn’t do that. Foster pets and then give them away…. “I don’t know how you do it”, she said.
“I get joy out of seeing them united with their adoptive home, and there’s always a never ending supply new fosters…”
The lady walked away, on to the next home to tell them about doomsday, not realizing that her thinking perpetuates the ultimate doomsday vision for every pet out there.

MYTH: “But my pet is purebred.”

So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats; mixed breed and purebred.
Your purebred’s testes aren’t any more valuable than those of a mixed breed. They’ll contribute to the same problem.

MYTH: “I want my dog to be protective.”

S/N does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones. The only changes in behavior you’ll see are positive ones.
Tom cats tend to reduce their territorial spraying depending upon the age they are neutered. If neutered young enough, before they begin spraying, they may never develop the behavior.
Neutered male cats and dogs fight less, resulting in fewer battle scars, contagious diseases such as Feline Leukemia and horrible abscesses.
And since they aren’t interested in pursuing females in heat, they also wander less, greatly reducing their chances of being hit by a car or getting lost.

MYTH: “I don’t want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.”

Pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego – HUMANS DO!
He doesn’t suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered – HUMANS project that onto them.
If your dog’s balls mean so much to YOU, and you have the resources to spend, consider Neuticles. </sarcasm>
However, you might consider getting a larger pair for yourself, and give your dog a break!
When I worked with a city shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area, I witnessed a young man trying to pick up his lost dog from the pound.

It was an intact pit. Very sweet – his owner not so much. He was informed that they wouldn’t release an un-neutered pit, and that by claiming the dog, he had to get the animal neutered within a certain time frame. He made a huge scene about how his beloved dog can’t be neutered. He couldn’t have his “baby’s balls cut off….”

The argument went on for a while.

Pitbulls are likely one of the most misunderstood and most abused breed in our society.

He finally said – “F*ck it – keep the stupid dog!!” - and stomped out.

Left his beloved dog, his baby there, on death row. Now jumped from “stray” up the death row chart to “owner surrender”. Needless to say – this once beloved baby was destroyed.
Why did I not do anything. Because our rescue was already over capacity, boarding dogs because foster homes were full and I personally had a house full of orphaned “wonders of birth”-kittens to foster.

neo natal orphaned kitten - death by ignorance of humans. Kittens like these are euthanized by default if no rescue will take them. And most won't/can't because of the lack of volunteers..

There are no resources.

Volunteers are hard to come by, and the ones shelters and rescues are so very lucky to have are exhausted!

MYTH: “It’s too expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.”

The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian’s fees, and a number of other variables.

But whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost; a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits.

It’s a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter; two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop. Most important, it’s a very small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.

Many counties offer free or low cost spay/neuter clinics or vouchers.
Yesterday, I posted a list of low/no cost spay/neuter resources.

Contact your local HS or SPCA for more information. If it turns out that there are no resources in your area, consider getting involved in you community, and help organize a yearly event. Thanks to social networking it is getting easier and easier setting up events and get the word out.
Use this tool!
Remember to BE THE CHANGE – don’t wait for others to do it for you!

Fix your pets, educate your friends and family, and don’t forget to you join us on Facebook, so we can network and delegate the resources each of us has to offer.

~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!