500 cats destined to be eaten at Chinese restaurants rescued

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In Beijing, China, 500 cats jammed mercilessly into tiny cages and intended to be part of the menu at Chinese restaurants were rescued this week. The man, identified only as Sun, was arrested on Sunday morning in the eastern Jiangsu province capturing stray cats and pets to sell to restaurants for 30 yuan ($4.40 each) reports the Strait Times.

Sun had been using sparrows and caged birds as bait to lure the cats. It was a journalist who supplied police with the information about a truck full of cats being sold. Many of the animals found were near death and faintly mewing in the heat. More cats and kittens were discovered in a makeshift hut near the highway. In the hut, different colored cats had been crowded into metal cages with a fan turned on to keep them from dying in the heat.

When a villager named Yang complained to police someone had been stealing his pets including his cat who had been nursing her five kittens, the authorities had launched an investigation and were led to where the cats were being held. It is not known if Yang ever found his cat and the kittens. Police stated if no one came forward to claim their pets, all of the cats would be treated and freed.

China statistics for killing dogs and cats for food are still extremely high; thousands and thousands are bludgeoned to death for the annual dog meat and lychee festival in Yulin. Claims that the cruel  practice has been stopped is still debatable. Every year more than ten million dogs and four-million cats are killed for their meat. Taiwan recently became the first Asian country to outlaw eating dogs and cats. Read more of that story here.

(Photo of 500 cats rescued via screenshot from Strait Times)

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Read about the Lab surrendered by her family and the child told to take a photo to remember her.

 

Animal advocates allege animal abuse in ‘cat vs scorpion’ video

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Animal advocates have taken exception to a YouTube video showing cats being attacked by a large scorpion; calling the potential deadly encounter animal abuse. A police complaint was filed in Bankok on Friday against Nate Bartling, who goes under the title of “My Mate Nate.” Bartling is a former Mormon missionary who rose in fame in Thailand for his tasteless “prank videos.” His online presence had been scarce after a video showing the cruel torture of a fish which made him one of the most disliked characters on social media. And then he’s back!

According to SinarOnline,  Nutch Prasopsin, the administrator of “Toon Hua Khong Bao,” a popular website (Kingdom of Tigers) with animal lovers, (especially cats) filed the complaint alleging animal abuse for exposing the cats to a venomous scorpion. Police official, Lt-Colonel Kampol Ratanaprateep agrees the video was an act of animal cruelty, even though Bartling has argued the scorpion was not poisonous; a medical specialist stated the venom could kill a cat.

On her website and Facebook page, Nutch called on animal lovers to show their force against acts of cruelty against animals. The controversial YouTube video “Cat vs scorpion: Who will win?”, was posted three days ago and has garnered over a million views. Most of the comments condemned his actions with Nutch posting an open letter to him stating:

“As a person who loves cats, I cannot tolerate or accept uncouth acts involving animals in these clips. I want you to take full responsibility as the owner of guardian of the cat(s) that you have used or may use in your clips.”

Bartling has lived in Thailand for three years, claiming he “never went to university. I only finished high school. It’s hard to believe his fame of “prank videos” that make fun and humiliate other people are so famous. If found guilty of animal cruelty, Bartling faces a maximum fine of $1,100 or up to two years in prison.

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(Photo via screenshot Thai PBS)

 

WARNING: The following video is disturbing and may not be suitable for all viewing audiences.

 

 

Missouri teens arrested after posting video of dragging kitten behind vehicle

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Two Branson, Missouri teens faces animal abuse charges after posting a disturbing video on Facebook of a kitten tied to the the back of a moving vehicle. Kyle Williams, 18, and Jordan Michael Derek Hall, 18, were arrested on Saturday night according to a press release by police. The video showed people “laughing as the kitten tossed and turned” while being dragged to his excruciatingly painful death.

Hall, 18, has been accused of driving the vehicle that dragged the cat until it was dead. According to the report, Hall drove the 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the cat tied to the back of the bumper. The report states the cat tried to run behind the vehicle until it was exhausted and couldn’t not run any more.  Prior photos of the cat in the beginning of the video, showed the animal looked “healthy and scared” before being brutally dragged to his death.

According to Facebook readers, who viewed the disturbing video which was removed a short time later, Williams posed with the dead cat and beneath the picture, he captioned:

“Try to guess how I killed my cat, but you can’t.”

The cat had been dragged for five minutes, and individuals were heard laughing; even when the SUV stopped and it started again dragging the cat, one sick individual could be heard yelling:

“Keep going. Don’t stop. He’s almost dead.”

In a report from the Branson Trilakes News, Hall admitted it wasn’t right what was done to the cat, but nevertheless he continued torturing the defenseless animal.Both men have been charged with a class E felony of animal abuse and armed criminal action. Williams appeared in court on Monday to be arraigned, however he displayed disruptive behavior and was removed. His next court appearance is scheduled to June 12. Both men were being held in jail in lieu of $15,000 bond, It is not known if they have since bailed out of jail.

Rest in peace poor cat. We hope you get some justice.

(Photos of Missouri teens accused of dragging kitten via booking photos)

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Read about the 4-year-old German shepherd Xavier who had been forgotten – now he has a chance at a new life.

 

 

 

 

 

Breezy’s Legacy, rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned animals in Central Florida

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Stormy was found drowning in a puddle

Thunder was found abandoned in the mud during a thunder storm.

On Monday night, May 22nd, 2017, a severe thunderstorm blew across the Orlando, Florida area. Above the sound of thunder and pelting rain, the mewing of a tiny kitten was heard. Two good Samaritans ran outside in the storm with flashlights in hand to find a newborn kitten, no more than 2 days old struggling to keep its head afloat in a deep puddle. The mother cat was nowhere to be found. The baby was wrapped in a towel and rushed inside. Soon after this rescue, the distinct sound of another kitten in distress was heard. This one was lying in the mud a short distance away from where the other was found.

The good Samaritans dried off both kittens, whose eyes were not yet open, and placed them in a box tucked in between warm, soft towels. An emergency message went out across Facebook for someone knowledgeable in the care of newborn, orphaned kittens to come forward and help.Dawn Marie, founder and operator of Breezy’s Legacy in Longwood, Florida responded, although it was 10:00 p.m. She advised she had a nursing mother cat to care for the newborns.

Breezy’s Legacy is best known for rescuing and rehabilitating injured, orphaned, or displaced wildlife and unwanted exotic animals. Their mission is to successfully rehabilitate and release all wildlife back into their natural habitat. Dawn Marie does not turn any animal away. According to her, no animal is too sick or too small to be taken in. She accepts all cases and does not euthanize any animals. If the animals are unable to be adopted or returned to the wild, they are kept at the rescue shelter to live out their natural lives. However, ministering to so many sick and displaced animals is not only heroic but also costly.

Dawn Marie has set up several donation lists for things needed daily for the shelter; items such as gift cards for grocery stores and Walmart, KMR formula, puppy replacement formula, paper towels, puppy food, hamster food etc…

Donations can be purchased via their Amazon Wish List. Cash donations are also welcome and can be done through the website or through PayPal using  breezyslegacy@gmail.com. For more information on Breezy’s Legacy and the amazing work they do, visit their website or their Facebook page.

Not only will you see firsthand the many animals saved by them but also informational write ups for the novice rescuer including tips on baby raccoon and baby squirrel care.

According to Dawn Marie, the two kittens rescued during the storm are doing well. The black male kitten is Thunder and the gray female is Stormy.

Please consider a donation to Breezy’s Legacy, or sponsoring one of the animals in their care so they can continue their important work.

It was Mahatma Ghandi who said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven, a cat hospice and rescue shelter

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Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is a no kill cat hospice and rescue shelter located in Englewood, Florida. They humorously bill themselves on line and on Facebook as the “World’s Greatest Cat House.” And indeed, they are. The founders and operators, Rick and Chrissy Kingston work very hard, day in and day out caring for two hundred special needs and unwanted kitties on their own.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven takes care of the largest amount of special needs cats and kittens in the area. They care for cats with feline leukemia, FIV, blind cats, feral cats, epileptic cats, senior kitties, kitties with only one eye and more. All of these special needs cats and kittens would have been euthanized because they would be deemed un-adoptable. None of the cats or kittens are put down due to behavior problems, space or adopt-ability issues. The only ones that are humanely euthanized are those with medical conditions that cause pain and suffering and have no chance of survival.

Also, Puffy Paws is the first rescue in the area to feature adoptable and special needs cats live on the Internet. It all started 16 years ago in the loving home of Chrissy and Rick Kingston. There they took in cats and sometimes even families of cats. In the fall of 2009, Puffy Paws Kitty Haven moved outside the Kingston’s home. To better handle the different medical needs, they have separated them into two separate living quarters. The “Haven Home” is a 2200 square foot building which houses the healthy, adoptable kitties and a permanent resident for those that have physical, emotional and behavioral problems. The second building is 800 square feet with a 400-square foot used solely for kitties with feline leukemia. This section has been nicknamed the “The Kitty Angel Club.”

Over the last 11 years, founder Chrissy Kingston estimated that she has worked thousands of hours caring for the kitties and spent over $100,000.00 on unwanted though loving cats and kittens.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven was named after a small, sickly kitten that was part of the Kingston’s family for only one year. The kitten’s name was “Poo-Puffy Paws,” or “Poo Puff” for short.  Although he was a happy, well loved, and well cared for kitten, he passed away during Hurricane Charlie in 2004. Naming the Haven after this very special kitten represented to the Kingstons something they wanted others to know and appreciate; one kitty at a time can change the heart of one person at a time.

On November 20th, 2006, Puffy Paws Kitty Haven became a not-for-profit corporation. This allowed Puffy Paws to raise funds for the cats currently in their care as well as future cats that will come to them needing a safe haven. But caring for 200 cats can be very costly and difficult to maintain when you rely solely on donations. It costs $946.00 a month to feed the cats and $275-$300 a day for cleaning supplies to keep the two buildings spotless and the litter-boxes clean.

(Photo of cat hospice via Facebook)

To read more about Puffy Paws Kitty Haven, donate or adopt one of their cats visit their website.

Also, visit their Facebook page.

“What greater gift than the love of a cat?”
—Charles Dickens (author, Great Expectations)

Rare male tortoiseshell kitten garners hundreds of adoption applications

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Meet Burrito – indeed a very cute kitten as are most of the cuddly little felines, but this tortoiseshell is different. Burrito is a boy! The six-week-old kitten is considered rare due to the gene that controls his orange and black fur color. 

In a press release from the Animal Welfare Association, Dr. Erin Henry was more than slightly surprised as she turned the little cutie over to reveal the kitten’s sex; probably being the only male tortoiseshell the veterinarian has ever seen. Dr. Henry explained:

“Females have two X chromosomes, while males have an XY combination,” the Animal Welfare Association said in a press release. “This means that only female cats can have orange and black fur. To be a male tortoiseshell cat, he must have three sex chromosomes: two XXs and one Y.”

Burrito arrived with his two litter mates, Empanada and Tortilla at the Vorhees, New Jersey rescue the second week in April. So far there have been nearly 400 adoption offers from around the country including Canada. According to the organization’s Facebook page, Burrito will be ready for adoption when he is eight-weeks old and this weekend, the cuddly, curious and adorable little boy kitten will be a guest at the AWA’s Paws and Feet 5K Race and Doggie Fun Day. And a special message from Burrito for everyone and for those kind people wanting to adopt him:

“He is asking that everyone donate $15 towards kitten care today for all the kittens like him that are coming in and need round the clock care because they are too young to fend for themselves. We have over 100 kittens in foster care right now. Please donate now and help homeless pets like Burrito. https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/PF5K“

(Photos via Facebook AWA)

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Friendly cat pierced through her upper body with razor-sharp arrow

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In a heartless act of animal cruelty, a neighborhood cat was discovered on Sunday  afternoon with a razor-sharp arrow piercing her upper body. A homeowner from the San Antonio, Texas area near Valley Hi Drive heard a loud noise in her front yard, and when she went out to investigate found the critically wounded cat.  According to the press release from the City of San Antonio, the orange tabby identified as Maggie was rushed to an emergency veterinarian office for treatment, but had to be euthanized due to the extent of her injuries.

Animal Care Services spokesperson, Lisa Norwood, Maggie had been microchipped and had been seen by witnesses wandering in the neighborhood. The cat had recently been rehomed after her original family moved out of the area.

Authorities have received several leads as to the person(s) who committed this disturbing crime to a friendly and trusting cat. Anyone with information is asked to contact Animal Services at 210.207.7234.

(Photos of cat shot with razor-sharp arrow via Animal Services)
City Service Requests & Information Dial 311 or 210.207.6000

Rest in peace Maggie. Your death was inexcusable.

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Son gives mom robotic cat after dementia forced her to surrender her pet

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This is a story about animals and people – maybe Virginia’s story about a robotic cat strays a bit farther away from what is usually written on these pages, but nevertheless, it’s about humans and how we relate and love our four-legged friends and companions. When a Washington senior mom, Virginia Smith needed 24/7 care as her health  deteriorated after the death of her husband and she was forced to surrender her cat, something very special was missing.

James Allen Smith moved his mother closer to him in Seattle, and from there he made arrangements for her to live in a full care residential community; Virginia has dementia. Whenever her son would visit, James couldn’t help but feel his mother’s heartbreak and the emotional toll not having a cat after so many years she shared with her best feline friends. James knew had deeply she missed her pets. And so, this wonderful son Googled “robotic cats” and from there, Virginia’s life would get a little better.

The Hasbro robotic kitty – all white and fluffy has just filled that void in Virginia’s heart. Watch as she comes alive and smiles. Robotic therapy animals have made headlines throughout the world. “Precious,” a Joy For All Companion Cat by Hasbro, responds to touch with lifelike motions; memory care patients enjoy holding and petting them. The cats can turn over for belly rubs and responds with a sweet meow and purrs as she stretches – just like a real cat. This time, however there are no allergies, no cat litter to deal with or veterinarian visits. Still these soft animal replicas bring kindness, joy and comfort.

Nothing wrong with having something to love. Thank you James Allen Smith for helping your mom and spreading the word.

More information and warning signs of dementia can be found here.

(Photo of robotic cat via ABC News )

Check out the heartwarming video here:

Social Media Outrage After Kittens Rescued From House Fire Are Euthanized

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Social media lit up in outrage after five kittens were saved from a deadly house fire in Conway, Arkansas, only to be euthanized shortly after they were taken to the local animal shelter. According to The Cabin, no people died in Thursday’s blaze, but seven pets perished.

After the fire, Capt. Rick Powell posted an image of the rescued kittens to Facebook – the photo’s caption reads:

These little guys lost their mom today in a house fire. We gave them oxygen therapy And I believe most will make it. They will have to bottle fed. They are at Conway animal shelter just in case someone is looking for a kitten.

Social media users who were celebrating the rescue of the kittens were heartbroken to discover that all of the kittens were euthanized shortly after arriving at the local animal shelter.

LaTresha Woodruff, Public Information Officer for the Conway Police Department, told the Pet Rescue Report:

One of the kittens died on the drive to the shelter. After exhausting her options for care for the others, the shelter director made the decision she thought was best under the circumstances.

Many people question the official response and believe that the kittens were put down because the shelter is not equipped to handle newborns.

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Alert garbage collectors responsible for saving lives – read the story here.

Kittens thrown away like garbage

 

Heartbreaking cruelty: Cat found impaled by arrow

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Police are searching for the person who impaled a cat with a sharp object and an arrow early on Wednesday morning. The heartbreaking cruelty was discovered by a hotel employee on the 800 block of Collins Court in Miami Beach, who found the yellow cat with an arrow through his head and another sharp object sticking out of his neck. According to Channel 7News, the frightened and fatally injured cat had been hiding under a dumpster.

The cat is one of four that live behind the Franklin Hotel on Collins Avenue and have been taken care of  by the hotel’s former owner who is now offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of  the responsible person(s). It was Georgio, a hotel employee who found the cat named Strush hiding.

“I hear, ‘meow, meow,’ so, over here, right here,” Giorgio said. “You see – look, look – you see the blood right here, right there. He had an arrow in the head.”

The cat was rushed to Dr. Rachael Johnson, a veterinarian at VCA Alton Road Animal Hospital. Strush suffered terribly as the arrow penetrated behind one of his eyes and came out his mouth. Rescue staff said the cat was non-responsive upon arrival. Sadly, Strush had to be humanely euthanized.

Miami Beach detectives are looking for the person or people behind the animal cruelty. Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Help Strush find justice.

Photos of cat impaled by arrow courtesy of Miami Beach Police

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