Tag Archives: NYC

Anipals & Hoomans UNITED

         Sum of you I have no doubt heard about a pup named Hero who passed away last week while in da “care” of Brooklyn Animal Care & Control in New York City.  Ofurs may have not. Either way dis is him and sum of his story

How could anybody let dat beauty slip away????????????

From da official Justice For Hero site:

         “When Hero, a 10 month old handsome brindle puppy, arrived at the Brooklyn shelter he was energetic, full of life, and full of love. After 10 days of sitting in a filthy cage, he caught the same upper respiratory infection that almost all of the dogs eventually catch. He was promptly placed on the list to be destroyed. Both a rescue and an adopter stepped up for Hero right away and we all thought things were looking up for him. When the rescue called to inquire, they were told an adopter was coming to see him and, if he was not adopted by them, he would then be available for the rescue. While the rescue stood-by waiting, the adopter was making the 3-hour trek to Brooklyn. What they saw when they arrived was “horrifying.” A shelter employee had to carry -yes, CARRY! – poor Hero out to meet the potential adopter. He was so sick he could not stand. The adopter was obviously shaken by the sight yet still wanted to help Hero. She asked to adopt him and bring him straight to a vet.

Anyone could plainly see that Hero was DYING. This is the part that blows our minds… the shelter REFUSED to release him because there was no vet there to give Hero his rabies vaccine– a vaccine which is actually contraindicated (and rendered ineffective due to high body temp) in sick animals. Even though he was on death’s door, they said the adopter had to drive an additional 3-hours the following day and that poor Hero would have to lie in a cage, DYING, for another night… another night without much-needed medical care.

We all know how this story ends. Hero is dead. He died in his cage while waiting for someone, ANYONE, to save him. The adopter would have taken him right to a vet. The rescue would have taken him to a vet…Instead, Hero was tossed back into a cage where sometime during the night he probably drowned in his own pulmonary secretions…dying from an illness THEY gave him.”

          Dis past weekend, on Saturday June 23rd, a rally organized by New York Animal Rights Alliance America co-founder Kay Riviello was held not only for Hero, but fur all da animals being slaughtered by Animal care & control of NYC using tax payer dollars…taxpayer dollars dat are used to line da pockets of da big wigs & employees of AC&C rather than going to care for any of da animals.   I was one of doze animals dat was furst left ta rot in a kill shelter & den pulled from dere by a no-kill who I’m fankful to fur saving me, but dat pretty much just left me ta languish in my cage fur nearly 2 months, until my dad now, just strode in on a 20 degree day in da middle of winter on a whim after not being able to get thru on da fone.  I know what deez animals go thru in deez shelters, & most never make it out alive.

One of the many signs at da rally…Heartbreaking.

          We got’s to da rally a bit late cuz dad was expecting dem ta be at d apark by City Hall in Manhattan where da rally was going to end instead of where everyone turned out to be–at da staging area a couple blocks away.  Once we finally made it we immediately met sum pawsome peeps including a young lady named Lisa dat dad admires fur her passion, assistance & helpful advice when we decided to foster Sal.   As part of da protest in order, ta make a  visual statement about da senseless killing of thousands of adoptable pets, da organizers had two blow-up dolls made ta look like NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NY-ACC Executive Director Julia Banks dat dey planned to euthanize by injecting dem wif “sodium pentothal” using a fake pink liquid wif plastic needles.

Dat Blow Up Dolls Days Are Numbered (Click to Enlarge)

Dolls made to look like Mayor Bloomberg & evil Exec Director Julia Banks (Click to Enlarge)

Dad chuckled at da whole euthanize Bloomberg &  Julia Banks fing cuz he knows da people don’t mean it & just wanna shock peeps into paying attention.  It takes  all sorts of methods ta wake people up to what’s goin’ on & so long as dey are peaceful like da lil rally held on Saturday we support doze methods.  As I barked befur, we met sum really nice peeps & while sum were very passionate and all were and are angry over the atrocities happening in NYC shelters dey were all respectful & reasonable.  It may not seem so from da outside when ya see ‘em euthanizing two blowup dolls but ya gotta takes my word, dey don’t wanna kill anyone–DEY WANT DA KILLING TO STOP!!!!

         Are dere unreasonable animlal rights activists in da world? Sure…of course.  Dey nots da majority though & heck, wif all da injustices & cruelty we witness it sometimes causes our perfectly reasonable hooman pals ta say fings like “I hate people” or “da world would be better without people,” but dats just out of frustration most of da time.  We all know & should remember dat behind all our pals FB & twitter accounts & blogs are loving & caring hoomans dat help ta connect us & keep us all connected & work ta help save anipals everywhere & promote anipal causes.  I have a blog post titled ‘Anipals Unite’ & ‘m correcting dat title today by calling dis one anipals & hoomans united. It takes all of us! I do my part by being cute & behaving myself heeding my training thus getting peeps ta let dere guard down which allows dad ta do his part by delivering sum positive messages in support of anipals & anipal causes dat are dear to our hearts.

Red Shirt fur da rally…doggles fur protection

Aren’t I da cutest? Well AC&C shelter handlers would kill me in a heartbeat just da same & once upon a time dey almost did!

         Dad had somewhere else he needed ta be dat night so we couldn’t stay ’til da end of the rally & protest, but we’re glad we got ta check it out & dad says he’s gonna attend more in da future & gets more involved.  I had a ball!!!  everyone was giving me lots of attention & wanting ta take a picture wif me or of me lookin snazzy in my doggles  and everyone told dad what a good dog I was…he was super proud of me. Especially cuz he knows how far I’ve come. I wasn’t always “perfect.” it took time, training & patience & lots of dogs & cats in shelters never get a chance ta show what dey can become given sum love & a home. Hero had sumone dat was willing ta give him dat chance & da monsters @ ACC robbed him of it…

          I’ll leave you all wif da pawcircle prayer

“May all who are lost,be found. May all who are ill, be well. May all in harms way, be saved. May all without homes, be loved.”

PAW LOVE, Hugs, and ArOOOOOOOOOOOO

Da Heat is On…

          It’s time fur doze lazy, hazy, crazy, days of Summer my pals and all paws aside—I am a snow dog. Dat doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a romp thru da grass on a hot day or a dip in a lake, but dat hot pavement & long walks in da sun are definitely not my bag puppy. I have a feeling dat dis is da case fur most pups, especially my short nosed pals such as da English & Frenchie bulldogs.  Unlike hoomans, dogs can’t sweat in the same way in order ta regulate dere temp.   A dog’s main cooling system is in his or her paws and tongue.

Yippeeeeeeee Snow!

           I’ve never had an episode of heatstroke or anything, though my tolerance fur da heat has waned as I’ve gotten older & fankfully dad has taken note.  But other anipals have not been so fortunate in avoiding heatstroke, which can cause serious injury & death even, and da shame of it is, is dat fur many, it could have been avoided if dey hooman(s) had just taken the proper precautions.   So if ya haven’t guessed, tadays blog post is gonna focus on keeping us anipals safe from heatstroke or other heat related injury like burned paw pads during those scorching Summer months.

Please Take Heed

          Furst off, all dogs need ta be carefully monitored in temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but short-haired breeds and doze with pale skins are particularly vulnerable ta heatstroke, as are short, snub-nosed dogs like Shih Tzus, Pugs and Bulldogs.   My foster brofur Sal, at 75-80 lbs, short haired, and pale skinned,  is a high risk fur heatstroke pup, and besides da fact dat it’s been scorching in NYC fur da past 2 days he’s da other reason why me and my dad were inspired to write dis post.

          Like we says tho, preventing heatstroke is something all pet owners need ta fink about during da summer months.  Pets need access ta plenty of shade and cool drinking water at all times in order ta prevent heatstroke.  Dat means, do not leave water bowls in da sun; place dem in shaded areas and please avoid metal water dishes cuz dey get hot.   As far as shade, remember dat da sun moves around during da day so make certain dere be lots of shade in different parts of da yard.   And although dey provide shade, a kennel or dog crate can heat up just as quickly as a car!

          Dat brings us ta cars. You’d fink dat dis was common knowledge & needn’t be discussed, but peeps continue ta lock dere pets inside vehicles on hot Summer Days. According ta da Humane Society da temperature inside a car will rise 30 degrees a minute if parked in da sun, on a hot, humid day . These temperatures are dangerous!!! It’s not safe ta leave your dog in da car fur even a quick errand…DON’T DO IT!!!!!!

BOL!!! Seriously though…

          Anudder fing not ta do…exercise or walk us pups during the heat of the day. we love our hoomans and unless were deathly ill will never turn down da opportunity ta send time with ‘em and play games with ‘em so it’s up ta our hooman parents ta make sure dey & we don’t over do it. da best time for ‘walkies’ during the day is when the heat and humidity is lower; early morning and late afternoon. Concrete and tarmac pathways can get very hot and can be painful on a dog’s paw pads.

…………

          I mentioned dat my tolerance fur heat has waned over da years & dat’s important cuz OLDER pets, I’m ten years young, are more susceptible to heatstroke. If dey are outside be sure ta monitor dem AT ALL TIMES. One udder fing ta watch out fur is da length of ya pups hair. On long haired pups like myself da recommended length is about one inch. Dat leaves some insulation and enough protection from sunburn. Matted fur needs ta go, mats trap heat.

Oh Boy dat lake sure does look inviting! And dis what i fink of dat “No Swimming” sign.

           If forbid, a doggie or cat does suffer heatstroke take ‘em to the vet as soon as possible.  Symptoms of heatstroke are vomiting and diarrhea, rapid breathing and excessive panting, along with warm, dry skin.  If his gums are pink or gray instead on a normal healthy red-pink coloration, WORRY!  Initially, get ‘em out of the sun, place ‘em in a bowl of cool water and gently rub dere underbelly. Don’t use cold or iced water. Give ‘em only a small amount of water ta drink or let ‘em lick ice cubes.

So be safe out dere my pals & enjoy your Summer da right way!  I fur one am making my dad look into cooling jackets & collars and da like for doggies and when we get ‘em, we’ll do a review and maybe post sum pics of me rocking my ‘Cool’ gear.

PAW LOVE, Hugs, and ArOOOOOOOOOOOO

Facts of Life

          Happy, Happy Wednesday Efurryone!!! Yesterday, Tuesday, was one of doze days dat starts out not so pretty—gloomy skies & rain it was—but den da clouds broke & da sun cames out & it warmed up quite a bit & next thing ya know, it was a great Spring day. ..great looking at least. 

         My dad says any day you wake up & ya still here is a pretty gud day.  If ya wake up & have ya family & furiends and a roof ova ya head—better den gud.  And If ya have da love of ya family & furiends, a roof ova ya head and ya HEALTH, well den it’s a GREAT day! Of course f ya wakes up & one or more of doze things are off, well in dat case den, you at least have another day to work towards makin’ ‘em betta.   Well fankfully, I haz all of dat and it is a great day—fur me—but I cants help but think of all my anipals & friends out dere for whom da day is not so gud.  Dat doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate my doggy blessings—if anything, I appreciate ‘em more, knowing what I knows ‘bout struggling anipals ‘round da world.  Doggy’s & kittens wit no home or family of dere own…hoomans dealing with dere beloved companions suffering thru illnesses such as cancer, severe allergies, heartworms, tumors, anaemia, and much, much more….my super cute & wicked smart dolphin pals & dere cousins, da whales, being hunted and slaughtered by bad hoomans…anipals being hunted near extinction & so much more goes thru my mind almost daily.  

          Being a furbaby myself dat was abandoned by his family  in a shelter where I waited 3 whole months befur being rescued by my real family it’s only natural dat I think of deez things & of da less fortunate of my anipal brofurs & sisfurs, but it’s on my mind even more den ever now—and why is dat???  Cuz of facebook & Twitter dats why!  

          Befur I got on doze & started making furiends,  I felt as tho it were just me & my dad fur da most part, making our way thru a world dat was more concerned with da Real Housewives of New Jersey den anything substantial.  A big part of dat of course is probably cuz we spend most of our time in New York Stinky—I mean—City. BOL!   On da ofur side of course dere are doze nutso groups dat are da opposite of oblivious such as PETA.   PETA, who if you’ve been paying attention actually KILLS ANIPALS & spend donation money on ridiculous, sure ta go nowhere, lawsuits such as da one against Seaworld claiming dat da “killer” whales, which are actually Dolphins by da way, were slaves & dat captivity violated their CIVIL rights.  I may just be a dog, and I’m not a very political pup, but HUH!?!?!?!?! WTH were doze dodo heads thinking?  Millions of dollars wasted & not one anipal helped!  I loves anipals—PETA loves money…& exploiting anipals ta make more money.  Anyway, of course, in da middle of doze extremes dere are small groups we know of, peeps of substance , likes da cool folks ova at Bobbi and Da Strays, & of course our close personal furiends who we can chat & play wit & have meaningful conversation & belly rub time with, but doze four people aren’t always available—hehehehehehehe.  Nowtho, wit facebook & Twitters, dey don’t needs ta be.

          Dad let me have a Facebook page a few months back, Barkys Place NYC, & at first it was slow going.  I “liked” a bunch of pages of anipal interest groups such as Life With Dogs, Natural Balance & Pets For Patriots & of course I asked a bunch of dads furiends ta come by, like my page and share photos or story’s of dere companions wit us….Like I says tho, it was slow going.  Once I got on Twitters tho, efurrything changed. It was so easy ta find & connect with anipals & peeps of similar interests. So easy and fun ta connect wit furiends & share story’s & learn about each ofur.  Now here’s da yin and yang of it all.  It’s so pawsome being connected & sharing my life with all these new anipals and yet it hurts so much ta see, read, & hear, of  da suffering some of ‘em go thru. It’s beautiful and it’s ugly. On da one paw ya have Dana Moody, anipal lover and keeper of da pawcircle who does so much fur furbabes by promoting their causes & spreading awareness via Twitter and da great Pawcircle website dat is designed ta highlight & bring comfort ta fur babies & dere hoomans. And way on da offur  side of things ya gots ANIMALS like Darius Ewing & his sick pals who set Justice, a young puppy, on fire after trying ta strangle ‘em with a rope furst.  Deres da beauty of watching a young pup like Kiba da Bulldog growing up & da sadness of losing newfound pals like Sweetface to lymphoma cancer and my pal Paws, affectionately known as Mr Mega Paws who lost his life to a horrible disease called Mega Esophagus.  I gets ta see all da cool pups, kitties, rabbits, ferrets and more dat have super duper loving families and lives getting to be carefree pets in dere furever homes…I also see now more den ever all da poor pups & kittens dat are stuck in shelters, some of them never ta make it out alive, abandoned by peeps who don’t understand what love & family truly means.  I think I know what ya thinking,but I wouldn’t trade it fur anything. 

          I coulds try & ignore da bad, but den what kind of pal would I be ta furiends like Tina da Pug who is tryin ta stay in gud spirits while both her mama & brofur Hooie are sick?  What kind of pup would I be if I didn’t at least help ta share da stories of ofur pups &  anipals stuck in shelters like I once was all doze years ago?  I gots ta take da good with da bad…and dere is always gud!  Ask my bud Kaito Kamui—him and his mama had ta say goodbye ta Lally, Kaitos senior kitty brofur yesterday and dat is awful sad.  A gloomy start to a gloomy day.  It gonna take a long time ta heal from losing dere companion, but just as da sun peeked out yesterday and it became a brighter day outside, it too got a lil brighter for dem cuz dey were not alone & are gettin’ lots of  love and support from dere anipals, peeps, & furiends online.  Pals dat have been sending ‘em words of encouragement & praying fur dere family ta be well. Pals likes ArlieJo in Pennsylvania all da way to Pandora  in Awizona and me of course, in NYC.  And seein’ dat also makes my day betta, not ta mention dat I too have gotten lots of love & support from peeps & anipals over da past few months whether it has been in dere support of sharing issues & stories I am passionate ’bout or givin me words of encouragement during my cataract surgery ,or helpin my dad take care of my foster brofur Sal.  It’s been a wild and crazy ride gettin ta know efurryone & we’ve gone from just da two of us to so many furiends dat we’re havin a hard time keeping up with efurryone & efurrything…my calendar is FULL. It’s been great & now dere are no gloomy days–just days dat sometimes have gloom in ‘em. So as dey say, “ya take da gud, ya take da bad, ya take ‘em both and there ya have da facts of life.” We Love you guys!!!!!!

       PAW LOVE, Hugs, and ArOOOOOOOOOOOO

April Games

Hey furiends & anipals…It’s been an exciting week here at the Barky residence.  As you know from my last blog post, in just a few days I will be having my cataract surgery and we’re all purty excited about dat! My foster brofur Sal & dad also came home with new furiends Mia da Shetland & her mom Stephanie who dey met at da park on Tuesday. Mia was in need of sum serious grooming & so dad offered ta help cuz we have all da cool grooming stuffs & he does me up all da time. Mia’s mom tried ta pay us, but we explained dat Good Mojo & Paying It forward doesn’t work like dat. I did accept sum belly rubs & smooches tho—I just can’t help myself. Woof!

We also found out dat dere is gonna be a pawsome twitter pawty thrown on April 28 fur our furiend Spooky who not only had ta fight Lymphoma cancer in da past year but also deal wit da loss of not one, but two fur siblings. Da party is dubbed #ArabianPawty & the aim of the pawty is to bolster da spirits of Spooky who is now in remission, but must have near monthly check-ups, & his mum, & have some fun together. And along the way, peeps & furiends can donate to help pay the vet. Don’t furget ta put dat on ya calendars.  Me & dad are even donating two cool doggie apparel items ta be given away to a lucky winner during da pawty.

And of course we still have my cool foster brofur Sal living with us & if you haven’t met Sal, ya don’t know what ya missing furiend!  Sal is looking for his new forever home after suddenly finding himself on deathhrow @ the NYC Animal Care & Control Center after his owner was arrested.  He survived da “To Be Destroyed” list at least 5 times!  I can say dat whatever it is dat his owner was incarcerated fur, it sure as heck wasn’t animal cruelty because Sal is a super sweetheart!!! Da way we all came ta be together is dat dad saw Sal, like many other dogs in need, posted on a FaceBook page called Urgent Part 2.  Urgent was created ta help advocate fur NYC’s Death Row Dogs.  What started as a desperate attempt to save some dogs turned into an enormous community of caring peeps & tagether, dey are fightin’ ta reform da NYC shelter system & save the thousands of adoptable animals being DESTROYED EVERY YEAR.  Well after sharing Sal’s story & looking at his face for over a week, I convinced my dad dat we should step up & foster the little guy because frankly it was time that we did more than just share or retweet. It’s been a fun lil adventure dat I will fur sure blog about in da near future.

I also made tons of new furiends on Facebook & wanna fank efurryones fur sharing my page & supporting me & my dad’s efforts. It really means so, so, much to us!!! Really!  Here’s a list of sum of my new pals..please feel free ta stop on by & like dere pages —-Starla: da fun loving Lab/Pittie Mix, Pudge: a.k.a. Mr Squishyface, Dog minding service Laura’s Little Lodgers, Pixel Blue Eyes: the talented, adventurous mini schnauzer,  Sara the Teddy Bear: part shitzu part bishon, Maggie Kay: the Princess Shih Tzu, Emmitt: an adopted dog that overcame the odds, & Tink & her boyfriend Scrappy & many,many more new furiends dat I’ve been fortunate enuff ta connect wif on Facebook

PAW LOVE, Hugs, and ArOOOOOOOOOOOO