Meet Peter, a domestic black and white short hair cat living with food allergies:

Date of birth: 5/03

7/15/09: Peter is a handsome B&W cat with big round gold eyes and a shorthair coat. He’s a real sweet guy and he gets along well with other cats. He is 6 years old.

Peter has been at our shelter for a very long time. When we first met him, he’d been left at our doorstep in a box. His face was all scratched up and swollen and his ears looked raw. We determined that he had a food allergy and put him on a diet of Science Diet ZD formula. That cleared him up and he’s been fine ever since. He’ll need to stay on allergy food, and it can be purchased from your veterinarian or from our clinic. He can live with other cats as long as they are fed separately or the other cats eat ZD, too.

Peter has been neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and tested for FIV and feline leukemia. We’d love to find this sweet guy a good home soon.

Peter’s currently staying with the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City – but methinks he’d be much happier at home with you!

The HSGKC, by the by, is holding a silent auction this Friday, August 28:

Art Unleashed
Friday, August 28, 2009
7-10 pm
Hale Arena in the American Royal Complex
$25 early or $35 at the door

Art and animals unite once again at the 13th Annual Art Unleashed. Bid on more than 200 pieces of original pet-themed artwork during the silent and live auction. Join Brett Anthony, from NBC Action News, and The Nigro Brothers as they host this fun and furry event for the shelter pets. Tickets are only $25 early or $35 at the door. Be close to the action this year and reserve a table of eight for only $500. Tickets include complimentary hors d’eouvres and a cash bar. Free parking is available in Lot B, conveniently located next to Hale Arena.

Artwork includes a wide variety of mediums including: oil, watercolor, pen and ink paintings, metal artwork, sculpture, plush art and more. In this year’s live auction, attendees can bid on “Golfing Birds” metal artwork signed by golfing great Tom Watson. Golfing Birds also includes a signed golf ball by Watson.

You can learn more about the event – and preview the artwork for sale – here.

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Let’s mix things up this week, folks. Rather than featuring a local adoptable from Petfinder, I’d like to introduce y’all to Amelia – Amazing Amelia, that is – whom Best Friends Animal Society featured in a recent newsletter. While Best Friends is located in Kanab, Utah, Amelia is from Buffalo, Missouri – and her foster mom will help arrange transport.

Continuing with last week’s theme, Amelia is “special” – she lost one of her front legs when she was a pup. Don’t think this disability slows her down any. Amelia may be different, but she’s not at all less than.

Here’s Best Friends:

Dear Best Friends Members,

Meet beautiful Amelia who may appear to be handicapped, since she has only 3 legs, but, her daily life does not reflect any sort of disability. She runs, plays, laughs, snuggles with cats, makes games with other dogs, is well house trained, and is just plain good company.

An injury when she was younger caused the loss of her leg, but, she does not see any problem, always having a wonderful time, and, as it seems to be with all handicapped animals, giving encouragement to the rest of us as we deal with our disabilities, whatever they may be.

Please print out the flyer which can be seen by clicking here. Hang it all over, and help find Amelia the perfect home. Transport will be arranged.

If you can help Amelia find just the right home, please contact Diane, her foster mom, directly at diane1943 [at] comcast.net or 417 345 1070.

Thank you all so very much,
Diane

Diane Young
Regional Specialist
Community Animal Assistance
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741
www.bestfriends.org

network.bestfriends.org

A better world through kindness to animals.

The aforementioned flyer contains another photo of dear Amelia and reads:

Breed: Boxer mix
Location: Buffalo Missouri
Sex: Female
Age: 1 year

Description: Amelia is a small Boxer mix who had a difficult start in life, and now has just three legs to carry her around; she is not bothered by that at all, and, can do most anything a dog with four legs can do. She is young, probably about a year old, has a lot of energy and a healthy sense of self. She is house trained and walks on a lead, but needs more training in the idea of “come when called” as she thinks that is a game. She is a happy dog and thinks most things in her life are a game. She can be afraid of strangers, may growl at them softly, but warms up really quickly. She loves to play, loves other dogs, loves to nuzzle with cats, and will make the right person a great companion. Transport will be arranged.

Contact: Diane
Phone: 417 345 1070
Email: diane1943 [at] comcast.net

Please consider opening your home to this special girl – or spreading the word to those who can!

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Update, 9/9/09: Mely has been adopted! (But Carter is still in need of a home.)

In honor of Petfinder’s Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable “Pet” Day, I scoured the website for a local “special needs” dog – and found Mely and Carter, both from WE LUV PAWS Chinese Shar Pei Rescue. The two need not be adopted together; I just couldn’t choose between them, so decided to feature them both!

Ladies first; Mely is a young black terrier mix, the victim of ableism:

Mely is a 10-month old Terrier mix; at 28 pounds, she is basically full grown. Mely was hit by a car and had to have her back leg amputated. Her family turned her over to the vet to find a new home for her as they did not wish to have a 3-legged dog!! Mely is a sweetheart and is adjusting well to missing one leg. She seems to be fine with other dogs and is a fun little girl. If you have room in your family for a special dog, Mely may just be your girl!! If you are interested in knowing more about and/or adopting this dog, please complete and submit the application that is on this website.

Imagine that – dumping a disabled (or “differently abled,” if you prefer) dog, and in her time of need, to boot. The nerve!

Next there’s Carter, a cream-colored Shar Pei with neurological issues:

Carter is a young, special needs Shar Pei. The cream-colored guy is as handsome as can be and as nice as can be. He is a 5-point red and has just a bit of coloring on the tips of his ears. He is fine about other dogs (as long as they are nice) and around cats. Carter has just come to us and we are going to see if there are things that can be done to improve his quality of life. Carter has a neurological problem of some sort., he may have suffered a brain injury at birth. He can walk on rough surfaces but does fall over. He can get himself up and can walk and run. He loves running out in the yard — loves smelling things, loves to play, and is very good natured. His is fine in the house and wants to be around you as much as possible but he does need to have room to turn around and to get up when necessary. This very special Shar Pei will need a very special person to love and will probably need a lot of money to provide proper care for.

Please consider opening your heart and home to these “throwaway” dogs if you can. All companion animals deserve a family of their own – every one.

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As I mentioned last week, today is the first (?) annual Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day! Petfinder created the holiday in order to raise awareness about animals who have an extra difficult time finding their forever homes, for a whole host of reasons.

Among cats and dogs, animals who face added obstacles to being rehomed include:

- Seniors and adults;
- Animals with medical issues, including disability and disease;
- Animals with emotional or behavioral issues, such as shyness or a nervous temperament;
- Animals who must be the only nonhuman in the home;
- Bonded animals who must be adopted as a pair – or, worse still, a trio, quartet, etc.;
- Cats with feline leukemia (a transmissible disease);
- Black dogs (for additional information, please see my post at Change.org on Black Dog Syndrome); and
- Dogs who belong to a so-called “dangerous” breed (pit bulls being the “dangerous” breed de jour).

If you plan on adopting an animal companion (or have adopted in the past), congratulations! With this one simple act, you become a hero to two animals – the one you rescued from a pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary, and also to the animal for whom you’re freed up a space in said pound, shelter, rescue group or sanctuary. According to the HSUS, between 3 and 4 million cats and dogs are killed in U.S. shelters every year. While adopting one or two or even ten animals might seem a drop in the bucket, it makes a world of difference to the animals whose lives you’ve saved by adopting instead on buying.

But, as always, there’s more you can do! In regards to animal adoption, go out of your way to choose a cat or dog who meets the above criteria. Naturally, you may not be able to deal with all of these issues; for example, if you already live with one healthy cat, a FIV+ feline is out of the question. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, however, concentrate on how you can help animals in need. For example, adopting a black dog doesn’t take any more effort than adopting a multi-colored one.

If your home is already filled to capacity, you can urge friends and family members to adopt – and to consider adopting a “less adoptable” animal, to boot. Or make a donation to any one of the hundreds+ animal rescue organizations across the country (and the globe) – many of which specifically focus on a population of “less adoptable” animals, be they companion, farmed, or “exotic”/wild animals.

Of course, you can also help by spreading the word. Make this Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day a success by linking to Petfinder on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., and by telling the world about your “special” kids!

[Pictured above is a very young me, circa 1997, with two of my family's own "less adoptable" girls:

Shannon the black mutt, one half of a 6-year-old pair of sisters we adopted from the local humane society (her sister, Shana, had already passed when this photo was taken); and

Shadow the pit bull mix, who had been hit by a car and had a crushed leg when we found her.

As with all our kids, they were both pure awesomeness, and I miss them more than words can say.]

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Meet Saphron, this week’s Featured Adoptable! Saphron lives north of the city, in her temporary home at the Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter:

Meet Saphron, a beauty of a cat, looking for someone to take her in. Saphron was abandoned when her owners lost their house, but it was several months before a neighbor was able to catch her and bring her inside. By then she was emaciated and had frost bite on her ears and paw pads. Because of this, part of her ears have actually fallen off. But we think it only makes her even more cute. Saphron does not like other cats so would need to be in a home where she is the only pet. She is very stressed at the shelter, but the person who brought her in said that she was very well behaved and quite loving while staying at his house.

Saphron is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Saphron is a medium-sized, white, domestic short hair senior lady.

Pssst! Did you know that next Wednesday, August 12 is Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day?

Check out Petfinder’s website to:

* Get widgets to help pets find homes
* Find out which pets have it hardest
* Read touching adoption stories
* Learn why “less adoptable” pets rule!

More on this next week!

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