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Orphans of the Storm announces 12th Annual Benefit Dinner: Golden Years-Celebrating the Joys and Rewards of the Older Pet

Don’t miss it – Monday, April 23rd at Marriott’s Lincolnshire Resort

Orphans of the Storm animal shelter announces its 12th annual benefit dinner – “Golden Years – Celebrating the Joys and Rewards of the Older Pet” to be held at the Marriott’s Lincolnshire Resort on Monday, April 23rd. The evening kicks off with cocktails and a silent auction at 5:30pm.

“By loving and caring for the older dog or cat, we make a statement about compassion and the value of life at all ages. Just as the puppy and kitten have their whole life ahead of them, so does the older dog and cat have the rest of their life in front of them. That older animal often enjoys the best years of his life while at the same time nurturing in us warmth, compassion and wisdom.”

Reservations are available at $250 each. A Sponsor Table is available for $2,500 and a Patron Table for $5,000. Each table seats ten. You may call the shelter directly at 847-945-0235 to make your reservation. We are also accepting items and services to be included in the silent auction. To donate towards the auction please contact the shelter or jackie@orphansofthestorm.org.

Orphans of the Storm is the final refuge for thousands of stray, abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats from throughout Lake County each year. All animals receive the best possible care and attention with a final goal of adopting them into warm and loving homes.

Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter
2200 Riverwoods Road
Riverwoods, IL 60015
847.945.0235

Photo submitted by Bark in the Park

Dogs are leading their caretakers to their favorite canine event of the year—The Anti-Cruelty Society’s Bark in the Park. On May 5, 2012 at 9 a.m., rain or shine, thousands of dogs and their owners are scheduled to congregate at Montrose Harbor for a morning of fun and an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for The Anti-Cruelty Society’s programs and services.

Thousands of humans and their dogs are expected to attend this year’s event creating a great day of camaraderie amongst animal lovers. Emcees, ABC 7’s Hosea Sanders and Roz Varon, will be on site kicking off the walk and keeping everyone energized throughout the morning.

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From HSUS

During Humane Lobby Day 2012, citizens from across Illinois met with lawmakers at the Capitol and urged them to pass legislation that bans tail docking of cattle and stops the cruel trade in shark fins in the state. Gov. Pat Quinn also made an appearance in show of support for these measures. The Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA® co-sponsored the event.

Advocates lobbied in favor of H.B. 1697, introduced by Rep. Robert Rita, D-Cook County, which would amend the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 and the Humane Care for Animals Act to prohibit routine tail docking of beef and dairy cattle.

Tail docking is a procedure in which a cow’s tail is partially amputated, often without anesthetics, for no scientific reason. Routine tail-docking of cattle is opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association and is discouraged by the National Milk Producers Federation. The bill would still allow tail docking for sick or injured animals when performed by a veterinarian using suitable pain relief.

Advocates also pushed for passage of H.B. 4119, introduced by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, which would ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in the state. The bill was recently approved by the Illinois House and now awaits the Senate’s approval, where Sen. Antonio Muñoz, D-Chicago, is sponsoring the bill. Every year, tens of millions of sharks are inhumanely killed to make shark fin soup. Illinois’ market for shark fins helps drive the practice of shark finning and the staggering decline in shark populations.

“It’s encouraging to see that Illinois lawmakers have taken favorable actions toward ending inhumane tail docking procedures and banning shark fins in the state,” said Kristen Strawbridge, The HSUS’ Illinois state director. “We now urge state lawmakers to take the necessary steps to make these important animal welfare initiatives a reality.”

“Illinois residents care about the humane treatment of animals,” said Vicki Deisner, ASPCA state legislative director, Midwest region. “We hope our supporters will use the information they obtained today throughout the year and continue to impress upon legislators their commitment to enacting stronger laws to reduce animal suffering.”

Illinois continues to rank high in The HSUS’ national survey of animal protection laws, coming in 4th out of all states and the District of Columbia in 2011. The state scored slightly higher from its 2010 ranking because of strong laws against animal cruelty and exotic pets. Earlier this month the Illinois House Judiciary Law Committee tabled H.B. 5143, an “ag-gag” bill that would have criminalized whistleblowers who expose animal abuse, unsafe working conditions, environmental destruction and other illegal and unethical activities on farms.

Spring Break 2012: Dogs Gone Wild!

Is everyone always telling you that your dog is the life of the party? Is your dog exhibiting signs of cabin fever? Unleashed Pups, Chicago’s favorite dog boarding and training facility, wants to reward the canine with the most outgoing and fun-loving personality by offering a Spring Break Package that goes to the dogs, which includes a free weekend stay for the winning pooch and two pals and of course, some tasty treats from Spring Naturals! Take some time to enjoy a little rest and relaxation while your dog and his buddies “party it up” in the festive Spring Break atmosphere at Unleashed Pups.

It’s easy to enter – no purchase is required, simply post a picture of your dog “partying” and living the good life on the Unleashed Pups Facebook page.

The staff at Unleashed Pups will review all entries and determine which dog seems to have the most entertaining personality in the photo. The top “party animal” will be rewarded with a free weekend stay at Unleashed any time from April 15 to June 15. The winner will be contacted directly by Unleashed and your dog will not only receive a Spring Naturals treat pack, but some TLC spoiling and publicity from the “puprazzi” at Unleashed Pups.

“Unleashed Pups was looking for a way to celebrate dogs being dogs and pack animals”, said Bridgid Nolan, dog trainer and owner of Unleashed Pups. “We pride ourselves on having a fun and exciting supervised atmosphere for our dogs during their stay with us so it’s a great treat for us as dog-lovers to recognize the most friendly dogs that are a part of our community.”

Even if your dog isn’t selected, don’t miss out on all the Spring Break fun at Unleashed Pups. In celebration of Spring Break Dogs Gone Wild, from now until April 15th book three nights at the Unleashed Pups facility and receive the fourth night free by posting your pets photo on the Unleashed Pups Facebook page! For more details on this special promotion please e-mail info@unleashedpups.com. Unleashed Pups offers not only boarding service, but daily dog daycare, walking and training courses. For more information, please visit their website  or call 312.475.9910.

Stephanie Krol can be best described as a mixed breed of a newshound and publicist in the pet industry. She has the ability to sniff out the latest lifestyle trends when it comes to pets. As a proud “pet parent” of three rescues Nigel (cat), Simon (dog) and recent addition of Nola (cat). Stephanie spreads the word of animal welfare every chance she gets. She is the board president of the Humane Society of Elkhart County and serves as a spokeswoman for the animal shelter along with volunteers for a variety of animal welfare initiatives. For more information, visit Steph Tails All on Facebook.

Blackhawk’s Left Winger Bryan Bickell has a message for Chicagoland residents: Learn the truth about pitbulls and adopt one today!

Bryan Bickell and fiance, Amanda Caskanette have partnered with Found Chicago and Adopt-a-Pet.com for a campaign aimed at debunking myths about pitbulls and raising awareness for shelter pets.  Read the rest of this entry →

Squirrel poison. Photo credit: CBS Local Chicago

Veterinarians and pet stores on the North Side of Chicago are sending out an urgent message to local pet parents:  there is someone putting squirrel poison where dogs can get it and it’s already killing area dogs.

The squirrel poison looks very similar to rat poison but has a different color. Instead of the blue/green color of mouse and rat poison, the squirrel poison is a reddish pink color–almost the same shade as raw hamburger meat. The reason that the squirrel poison is more of a threat than rat/mouse poison is that there is more food product in the squirrel poison–making it much more appealing to unsuspecting dogs. Read the rest of this entry →

Rob and Fred are raising money to help youths affected by HIV and AIDS. PHOTO: Jesse Freiden

Greeting cards raise money for HIV positive teens
By Brendan Quealy

Sometimes life is tough. Dr. Rob Garofalo knows this, and so do his patients. Garofalo is a pediatrician specializing in treating HIV/AIDS positive adolescents. “From the onset of my career I have always had a passion for working with the underserved youth population, the LGBT community, as well as the homeless,” explains Garofalo. “It has been one of the most exhausting, yet rewarding experiences of my life.”

Since he began this work in 1995, Garofalo has seen the HIV landscape change right in front of his very eyes. Early on, many of his patients were sick and hospitalized, but today he is able to help these young people live normal lives.

Garofalo had his own trials and tribulations to cope with when he was diagnosed with cancer six years ago.“That was a real jolt that kind of rocked my world from a health perspective and psychologically,” he notes. “I just found myself having a really hard time getting up every day and moving forward. I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t eating right. I was letting a series of unfortunate events get to me.”

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Greyhounds Only
847.421.9828
GreyhoundsOnly.com

Hi, my name is Bayberry, and I am a very cute little black-and-white “cow” dog. I just turned two and life is so exciting! I have lots of energy and like to be where the action is, I like visiting with my doggie friends here in the kennel, but I like my personal space too, and I’d rather not share my people with another dog. But don’t worry—I am fun enough to be all the hound you will ever need!

What is your favorite song and why?
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper—that is my mantra in life! I’m a happy girl!

If you won the lottery, what would you do?
I would buy a huge house on the beach for my family and me. Then we could explore all the rooms together and do all sorts of fun things, and when we got tired of that we could go play in the water. I would send the rest of the money to all my greyhound friends still on the track, and they could all retire and come to live next door!

Pink or purple?
Definitely pink—it looks so smart with my black-and-white coat!

Beach or mountains?
Beach all the way. Sometimes I even try to stand in my water dish and pretend I am playing in the Waves!

Greyhounds Only
847.421.9828
GreyhoundsOnly.com

Hi, my name is King! I am a handsome 4-year-old boy who is a little goofy, but super sweet. I love meeting new friends, but am happy to lean against you for a big hug and some cuddles. I’m really tall so you don’t have to lean over to pet me! One of my greyhound friends even thought I was a bridge and walked underneath me! I like other dogs, but cats get me a little too excited. I would love to be your best friend!

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
I would be a redwood! Because I am red (brindle) and really tall, and I like to stand around and hang out with you.

Pink or purple?
Purple—it is a royal color good for a King.

Beach or mountains?
Beach. I would like to just lie there and sunbathe.

Hamburger or hot dog?  
Why choose? Give me both!

What do you dream of at night?
I dream of having a family of my own to give me all the hugs I could ever need!

From Tree House Humane Society:

Tree House is proud to have been selected as one of only 56 shelters in the country to participate in the ASPCA’s Mega Match-a-Thon Adoption Event – sponsored by the ASPCA. The dates are Friday March 30 & Saturday March 31.

As a cageless, no-kill shelter, Tree House focuses on the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and abused stray cats, and in creating a No-Kill Chicago and Nation!

Help Tree House achieve their goal of adopting 26 cats in 26 hours! For more details visit TreeHouseAnimals.org

If you have been thinking about adopting a cat (or are ready to bring home another) or are interested in learning more about adoption – this is the weekend to visit Tree House! We’ll have adoption specials, cat care gift package, prizes, and more…

Adopt a cat during this special weekend and receive:

•    No Adoption Fees
•    Free, hand-made, hemp canvas, breakaway collar and a beautiful ‘fair-trade’ silver charm (thanks to Purrfect Play.com)
•    Cat Care Gift Package (with a variety of items including gift cards to some wonderful local pet shops – thanks to 4Legs Pets and Follow Your Nose – treats, cat toys from Frolicat, to help get your new friend settled, and more)

Plus, You Could Enter to Win a Sleepypod®

Adopt during this special weekend or fill out an application and complete your adoption by April 15, 2012 to be entered to win.

Extended Hours, Happy Meowers, and a Sunday ‘Munch’

Visit Tree House at:

Tree House Adoption Center Headquarters
1212 W. Carmen Ave.

Tree House Bucktown Branch Adoption Center
1629 N. Ashland

Hours:
•    Fri & Sat, March 30 & 31, noon – 10:00 p.m.
•    ”Happy Meower” Fri & Sat, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., enjoy ‘munchies and mocktails’
•    Sun, April 1, noon – 6:00 p.m., including a Sunday ‘Munch’