Tails in the News
By C. Warner Sills
WE TV network is set to launch a new line of pet-friendly programs for their spring lineup. WE will premiere two new original programs this year aimed to give viewers a little taste of puppy love. Starting in April WE will air America’s Cutest Puppies and Adventures in Doggie Daycare Saturday nights starting at 9pm ET & PT. America’s Cutest Puppies will feature weekly showcases of dogs from around the country with viewers voting for the one and only cutest puppy. The show held auditions in 10 cities, including Philadelphia, where one special pup was chosen to represent his/her city and move on to the final competition. The Philadelphia auditions took place in September at Best Friends Pet Care in Willow Grove, just outside of the city. Guest judges included a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Geno of Philly’s famous cheesesteak eatery, Geno’s Steaks, and Miss Pennsylvania 2005.
America’s Cutest Puppies will have a 10 episode run with a special one-hour finale extravaganza at the end.
Adventures in Doggie Daycare will chronicle the happenings at The Downtown Dog Lounge, a popular Seattle Dog Daycare which isn’t your ordinary kennel but rather a chic hound hot spot fully equipped with new age dog cuisine like ostrich and kangaroo meat, holistic grooming and acupuncture, new-age training programs and of course, Brazilian pooch trims. Adventures will feature eight 30-minute episodes and will follow America’s Cutest Puppies. For more information visit www.WE.TV.com.
Philadelphia is one of the largest community areas that is being targeted in 2007 and has approximately 667,000 cats and dogs living with guardians and around 300,000 stray and feral cats. While the ASPCA has worked diligently with Philadelphia animal welfare organizations in the past, the citywide cooperation efforts initiated by the new ASPCA campaign will hopefully help the large number of animals in need of homes. Besides working closely with Philly outfits such as the City’s Department of Health, Philadelphia Animal Care & Control, the Pennsylvania SPCA, the Alliance for Philadelphia’s Animals, and Morris Animal Refuge, the ASPCA is also planning a three-year, $150,000 pledge to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
While Mission: Orange will be starting its work primarily with five target communities, which in addition to Philadelphia include New York City; Austin, Texas; Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi; and Tampa, Florida, the ASPCA hopes to maintain its goal of helping to find homes for all animals in the United States and will be researching and evaluating a new group of communities starting in 2008.
“Mission: Orange is a focused, measurable effort to create a country of humane communities, one community at a time, where animals receive the compassion and respect due to them as sentient beings,” says ASPCA President Ed Sayres. For more information www.ASPCA.org.
This winter more homeless dogs will stay warm thanks to the efforts of the Canine Lifeline Foundation. Through fundraising efforts and a recent grant in the amount of $800, the organization was able to purchase and donate 20 insulated doghouses to the Clay County Humane Association in West Virginia. The shelter was the first to be chronicled in an ongoing documentary series by Canine Lifeline that shows volunteer crews working to improve under-funded humane societies. The group has a goal of raising $160,000 this year for shelters and rescue groups. For more information visit www.CanineLifeline.org.
Puppy love programming comes to the WE network
WE TV network is set to launch a new line of pet-friendly programs for their spring lineup. WE will premiere two new original programs this year aimed to give viewers a little taste of puppy love. Starting in April WE will air America’s Cutest Puppies and Adventures in Doggie Daycare Saturday nights starting at 9pm ET & PT. America’s Cutest Puppies will feature weekly showcases of dogs from around the country with viewers voting for the one and only cutest puppy. The show held auditions in 10 cities, including Philadelphia, where one special pup was chosen to represent his/her city and move on to the final competition. The Philadelphia auditions took place in September at Best Friends Pet Care in Willow Grove, just outside of the city. Guest judges included a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Geno of Philly’s famous cheesesteak eatery, Geno’s Steaks, and Miss Pennsylvania 2005. America’s Cutest Puppies will have a 10 episode run with a special one-hour finale extravaganza at the end.
Adventures in Doggie Daycare will chronicle the happenings at The Downtown Dog Lounge, a popular Seattle Dog Daycare which isn’t your ordinary kennel but rather a chic hound hot spot fully equipped with new age dog cuisine like ostrich and kangaroo meat, holistic grooming and acupuncture, new-age training programs and of course, Brazilian pooch trims. Adventures will feature eight 30-minute episodes and will follow America’s Cutest Puppies. For more information visit www.WE.TV.com.
Delaware County control officers to seek out unlicensed dogs
The Delaware County Animal Control office, in conjunction with the state’s Bureau of Dog Law, will begin a large-scale sweep of Delaware County residents in March in order to seek out unlicensed dogs. Control officers and a state dog warden will be granted permission to check to see whether household pets are correctly licensed, with fines ranging from $25 to $300 for unlicensed dogs. The state’s Bureau of Dog Law requires that all pet caregivers living in Delaware County must renew their pet licenses annually. Since this year’s deadline was Jan. 1, the sweeps will serve as an effort to ensure that people file for their licenses. It is estimated that 100,000 dogs live in the county with an average of only 12,000 tags sold during 2006. License applications can be downloaded from the Delaware County’s treasury department, with hard copies available at various county offices. Fees for the license range from $6 for a neutered male/female and $8 for un-neutered animals. Sweeps will commence in March and will last for an indeterminable amount of time. For more information on the sweeps or Delaware County and Pennsylvania pet licensing laws visit www.Co.Delaware.pa.us or call (610) 891-4000.Local business donates food, toys, and treats to animal refuge
Willow Grove’s Best Friends Pet Care boarding and grooming facility recently presented the Morris Animal Refuge with donations of food, toys, and treats they collected through their 6th Annual Angel Tree. The Best Friends Angel Tree Program, aimed at raising awareness about homeless dogs and cats at local shelters and rescues, began in 2000 and is underway at all of the company’s 44 boarding kennels around the U.S. Last year’s program provided food, toys, treats and pet care products to more than 60 shelters and rescue groups.Philadelphia chosen for newly launched ASPCA program
On Jan. 10, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced the launch of “ASPCA Mission: Orange,” a nationwide campaign to create humane communities. The organization will partner with selected cities to create “a sustainable system” for the animal community in each area, providing them with a $200,000 investment for a minimum of three years.Philadelphia is one of the largest community areas that is being targeted in 2007 and has approximately 667,000 cats and dogs living with guardians and around 300,000 stray and feral cats. While the ASPCA has worked diligently with Philadelphia animal welfare organizations in the past, the citywide cooperation efforts initiated by the new ASPCA campaign will hopefully help the large number of animals in need of homes. Besides working closely with Philly outfits such as the City’s Department of Health, Philadelphia Animal Care & Control, the Pennsylvania SPCA, the Alliance for Philadelphia’s Animals, and Morris Animal Refuge, the ASPCA is also planning a three-year, $150,000 pledge to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
While Mission: Orange will be starting its work primarily with five target communities, which in addition to Philadelphia include New York City; Austin, Texas; Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi; and Tampa, Florida, the ASPCA hopes to maintain its goal of helping to find homes for all animals in the United States and will be researching and evaluating a new group of communities starting in 2008.
“Mission: Orange is a focused, measurable effort to create a country of humane communities, one community at a time, where animals receive the compassion and respect due to them as sentient beings,” says ASPCA President Ed Sayres. For more information www.ASPCA.org.
Foundation supplies shelter with doghouses through fundraising efforts
