I just received this information on pets and the H1N1 flu virus from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). This information is frequently updated, so you can keep an eye on things by using the links I provided below. /Gary
American Veterinary Medical Association Updates H1N1 Flu Resources for Pet Owners, Veterinarians
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Nov. 5 – Since the news broke of a house cat in Iowa testing positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, pet owners and veterinarians alike have been scrambling to learn more:
Can my pet get sick? What would the symptoms of H1N1 in cats be? How is it identified? How is it treated? Read the rest of this entry »
I wondered if this would pass.That’s good news, especially for cats that don’t want their “fingers” cut off!
I thought the information below might interest you. Just received this press release from the Paw Project, one of the leading sponsors of anti-declawing measures in the state. /Gary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 on Tuesday to make non-therapeutic declawing of cats illegal within the County of San Francisco. Based on recommendations made by the city’s Animal Control and Welfare Commission and City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee, today’s measure, passed on its first reading, makes San Francisco the third city in California to ban the procedure.
“We are doing the right thing,” stated Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who introduced the proposed measure and has publicly called the practice of declawing “animal cruelty.” Read the rest of this entry »
National Response Corp. workers wipe gooey bunker fuel oil off shoreline rocks at Ballena Bay in Alameda, Calif. on Monday Nov. 2. (Laura A. Oda/Staff)
In response to a bunker fuel spill in San Francisco Bay last Friday that resulted in a mile-long slick, Friends of the Earth renewed its call for a ban on the use of this highly polluting fuel in ships and for other protective measures.
“As Bay Area residents learned in the aftermath of the Cosco Busan spill in 2007, bunker fuel is a filthy sludge that literally comes from the bottom of the barrel when oil is refined,” said Marcie Keever, director of Friends of the Earth’s Clean Vessels program. “We should have learned our lesson in 2007 and moved away from bunker fuel to cleaner fuel. Any further delay is unconscionable.” Read the rest of this entry »
I found the information below in the latest issue, Oct. 29, of the weekly e-newsletter of the Center for Biological Diversity, /Gary
The Center for Biological Diversity today announced the long-awaited winner of their 2009 Rubber Dodo Award:
** Real-estate bigwig Michael Winer.
As portfolio manager for the giant real-estate firm TAREX, Winer is a main man behind the largest developments in California and Florida, which would destroy tens of thousands of acres of endangered species habitat.
In California, TAREX is leading the Tejon Ranch in building two entire new cities, destroying thousands of acres of federally designated “critical habitat” for the endangered California condor. Read the rest of this entry »
Here are a few handy tips for making Halloween a safe day/night for your pets:
Keep your pets safe on Halloween: ** Keep pets safely inside away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities.
** Make certain that all pets are wearing collars with ID tags, especially indoor pets. Frequently opened doors tonight provide perfect opportunities for escape, despite our best efforts.
** Keep candy out of your pet’s reach. Candy can be harmful to pets and chocolate is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets.
** If you’re going trick-or-treating, leave the family dog at home. Dogs can be difficult to control with all those crazy ghosts and goblins running around them. A lost pet or a dog bite will quickly end your Halloween fun.
** Keep decorations away from pets. Candle flames might set fire to a pet’s fur. Dangling decorations should be kept in high places to avoid pet entanglement, choking and other potentially life-threatening hazards.
** Use fake cobwebs sparingly, if at all. Pets can choke on them.
** The only costume most pets want to wear is their own furry birthday suit. If your pet wears a costume, make sure it doesn’t restrict movement and supervise your pet carefully.
Have fun when you’re out trick-or-treating Saturday night! Stay on the sidewalk and watch out for cars. /Gary
Jack-O-Lantern Spider photo by Wally Wood, Livermore, CA
Gary:
I’d like to share with your readers my special garden lady, “Ms. Spinneret.” She is a beautiful pumpkin orange and if you look closely at her back you will see she has a Jack-O-Lantern face, ready for Halloween.
Trick-or-treat, anyone? Wally Wood, Livermore, CA
Wally:
Beautiful! A Jack-O-Lantern Spider!
What will Mother Nature think of next?! /Gary
Ms. Spinneret, sitting on her web, comes with a built-in fly swatter
Astoria, Oregon — Coast Guard members from Air Station Sacramento, California, load cold and wet seabirds suffering from exposure onto an HC-130 plane for transport to International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in Fairfield, California. The federally protected loons, murrers, scoters and other seabirds were rescued by the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, after becoming soiled by unusual sea slime caused by a harmful algae bloom along the Oregon coastline. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer Shawn Eggert)
The staff and volunteers at IBRRC are having trouble covering the costs of saving these large numbers of distressed seabirds. You can help — please do! http://www.ibrrc.org/donate.html
Thanks for caring.You can find out lots more about this in yesterday’s (Tuesday) blog. /Gary
Stranded by harmful sea foam, caged murres waiting to be checked in at IBRRC in Fairfield. (Paul Kelway/IBRRC)
The International Bird Rescue Research Center needs your help. So do a lot of seabirds that are in BIG trouble.
I just got a call from my friend Jay Holcomb, executive director of International Bird Rescue Research Center.
Jay works out of IBRRC’s bird center in Fairfield. When the Cosco Busan hit the Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, 2007, and spilled oil in the Bay, the oiled birds were taken to IBRRC for care. In my opinion, Jay and his staff and volunteers are the best in the business when it comes to caring for oiled and distressed seabirds. Jay travels all over the world to assist and advise when there’s a big spill. Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s an update from friends of the Earth on what’s being done to STOP cruise ships from dumping millions of gallons of sewage into California’s coastal waters, and in other fragile spots around the world. It’s about time!! /Gary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from Friends of the Earth:
Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Representative Sam Farr (D-Calif.) introduced legislation on Wednesday (Oct. 21) that would prevent cruise ships from dumping sewage and other waste into coastal waters.
“Cruise ships are currently allowed to dump raw sewage just three nautical miles from shore. This practice is not only disgusting, it can threaten the public health, coastal tourism, fishing economies, and marine ecosystems,” said Neesha Kulkarni, Legislative Associate at Friends of the Earth. “Advanced technology is available to treat this waste, but the cruise industry has failed to install this equipment on a majority of its ships. The Clean Cruise Ship Act would put a stop to this practice and hold the cruise industry accountable.” Read the rest of this entry »
