YouTube is running a small spotlight event asking people to join in and volunteer their time to make videos for local animal welfare organizations. It’s part of a campaign called Video Volunteers.
All they ask is that you choose your favorite animal welfare organization, make a 3 minute video, and then submit it to YouTube.
Hurry, this all ends tomorrow, Oct 22nd.
Link, via YouTube.
It appears that the most recent celebrity pet fad happens to be tiny domestic pigs. At least in the UK, according to the Dailymail in their article “Tiny porkers with a big price tag: £700 ‘micro-pigs’ are the latest celebrity pet craze.”
Two years later the pigs are fully grown – but still only weigh up to 65lb and stand at around 14in tall.
Unlike popular myth, the pigs are exceedingly clean and enjoy the company of people.The adorable animals, which grow to just 14in tall, are being snapped up by celebrities, including Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley.
‘Demand for micro pigs is soaring and we are inundated with inquiries every day,’ says Jane Croft, 42, who has given up her job to breed them full time.
‘It’s amazing how popular they have suddenly become and just how many people want pigs as pets.’
Micro pigs are much smaller than a standard farm pig and weigh 9oz, about the size of a tea cup when they are born.At two years old they are fully grown and weigh in around 40-65lb and are about knee height at 12-16in tall.
They can live for up to 18 years, but make popular pets as they are low maintenance, quiet and surprisingly clean.‘Micro pigs make fantastic pets as they are very low maintenance. You don’t have to take them for walks and they have very few health issues,’ said Miss Croft.
I’ve known at least one person who has lived with a pig himself, a large pot-bellied pig; and one friend who wishes that she could spend a lot more time with them, but doesn’t have a living situation that could house a pig. I myself grew up almost atop a farm and experienced pigs in a more barnyard atmosphere.
The article does cover a lot of the reasons why people might be interested in a micropig breed, it should be noted that “low maintenance” might be a colored expectation. Families and owners getting pigs of all stripes can find themselves at odds with the unexpected needs of their porcine friends, explained by the reports I’ve found lurking online about the abandonment rate. People should not be buying pigs from a breeder (even the claimed reputable one above) without a good deal of research and perhaps a talk with an expert vet on what to expect.
Link, via the Dailymail.
This month, the ASPCA is holding the Adopt-A-Shelter Dog photo contest to promote the adoption of dogs.
Capture a photo of your pooch showing some affection for a pet of a different species and you just might win the grand prize. The deadline is October 31.
Contest rules, via the ASPCA.
Widely acclaimed animal artist, Ron Burns, is hosting a new contest to celebrate and raise awareness about National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.
The contest is titled “Reading Rufus Rhymes to Rover” and this time the top prize is a commissioned pet portrait! (That is a prize worth about $30,000). Anybody who has adopted a dog is eligible to enter. Contest will end October 31st, 2009.
Contest details, via Ronburns.com.
In my world, every month already is “Adopt a Shelter Dog (or cat, ferret, horse, bird, rabbit, etc) Month”. But October is the official month when the national spotlight shines brightly on adoptable dogs in shelters and rescues.
I can think of over 43,066 great reasons to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue:
1) There is a wide variety of dogs to choose from. They come in every shape, size, age, mixture, and purebreds.
2) You will not only save the dog that you adopt but you will open up a space in the shelter for another dog.
3) Shelter dogs are usually already neutered or spayed as well as vaccinated thus sparing you that expense.
4) The shelter is experienced in matching pets with people and they can help you to select the right dog to fit your lifestyle and personality.
5) By adopting a shelter dog, you will be part of the solution to the current epidemic problem of homeless dogs.
6) There are 43,066 dogs looking for homes posted on PETS 911 right now.
Over at Petlvr.com there is an article about the homeless and pets. They include some links and resources for everyday people and business owners such as Pets of the Homeless.
Many homeless individuals, whether temporarily or chronically homeless, own dogs, cats or both. In some areas of the United States, nearly one in four homeless persons owns a pet. The unconditional love of a pet can sustain a person through difficult life circumstances. For many people without a stable home, a pet is a best friend, constant companion, confidante and the only source of consistency in the pet parent’s life. But much as pets can benefit people who are homeless, they may also be a factor preventing their owners from obtaining housing. People unwilling to give up their pets often find that most homeless shelters and subsidized housing projects are not open to them.
I have been studying the itinerant culture of Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona for several years now and one common thread amongst many of the homeless is the companionship of pets. An equal number of cats and dogs, commonly on leashes, and sometimes snakes, turtles—and yes, once a fish, although that didn’t last long on the street. Many of them have pets for the companionship, some because it deliberately restricts them from being taken to homeless shelters, others remain homeless for just this reason: refusing to give up their loved animal.
Usually, the pets with the homeless population are well cared for, but the lack of resources of their companions does translate into a certain amount of danger for the pets themselves. An itinerant person may easily get enough money to buy food for their pet, but veterinarian bills are generally entirely out of their reach—and then there’s the general dangers present to most animals who don’t have a stable domestic environment.
Link, va Petlvr.com
