Tails in the News
By Sarah Dahnke
Del Monte, which owns the Meow Mix company, has donated 40,000 pounds of cat food to the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA. The 43 pallets of food, which is enough to last the shelter one year, was delivered in a 52-foot semi truck and unloaded can-by-can on July 18 by a massive human chain of volunteers, staff, and board members. The food supply is one of the largest donations the AAWL has ever received and comes right in the middle of kitten season, when the shelter becomes overcrowded. The AAWL says it plans to share this donation with other local shelters experiencing the same overpopulation problems.
Early on the morning of July 22, a member of Foothills Animal Rescue found an anonymous note at the group’s door stating that a horse was tied up behind the building. The author of the note wrote that his or her vet had recommended euthanizing the animal, but he or she just couldn’t go through with it. The rescue volunteers found the malnourished and dehydrated horse hidden in the alley behind the facility. That’s when they made a phone call to LUV Shack Ranch Rescue, a horse rescue group.
“She is 200 to 250 pounds underweight and needs dental work,” says Joey Ogburn, president and founder of LUV Shack. “But within 24 hours of arriving at the facility, she’s already eating and drinking on her own. However, due to severe muscle atrophy, it took a while to get her legs moving.”
It is likely that the horse, named Delilah by a rescue volunteer, needs hoof care and has worms and a number of other conditions, which will be diagnosed and treated through regular veterinary care, according to Ogburn.
When LUV Shack took in Delilah, they were already at capacity with 18 horses, but wouldn’t abandon a horse in need. As a result, the organization is seeking financial and supply donations from the general public and would like to locate a foster home for her once she’s on the right path for good nutrition.
“She’s a sweet mare with a strong will to live,” Ogburn says. “She should be able to go to a foster home within a month.”
To contact LUV Shack, call (602) 400-0826 or visit LUVShackRanch.org.
Drug development company Covance Laboratories has broken ground in Chandler, causing several members of the animal community to step forward and question the facilities’ practices. The Arizona Humane Society met with a public relations firm that represents Covance to express concerns about the company’s animal testing procedures. The AHS has asked the company to provide all of the animals at the facility with care that exceeds the standards outlined in the Animal Welfare Act. It also asked Covance to allow animals used for laboratory tests to be available for adoption once the tests are complete. AHS President Cheryl Naumann has asked for a further dialogue with Covance to continue and address these issues, which have not yet been resolved. Following the meeting, a group of Chandler residents in conjunction with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sued the city of Chandler, alleging the city violated Arizona’s Open Meeting Law and state and city zoning laws by allowing the facility to break ground. The plaintiffs say they are concerned about Covance’s alleged poor record on public health and animal welfare issues. So far, no further progress has been made with the AHS concerns or PCRM’s lawsuit.
Major food retailer unloads year-long food supply donation
Del Monte, which owns the Meow Mix company, has donated 40,000 pounds of cat food to the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA. The 43 pallets of food, which is enough to last the shelter one year, was delivered in a 52-foot semi truck and unloaded can-by-can on July 18 by a massive human chain of volunteers, staff, and board members. The food supply is one of the largest donations the AAWL has ever received and comes right in the middle of kitten season, when the shelter becomes overcrowded. The AAWL says it plans to share this donation with other local shelters experiencing the same overpopulation problems.
Local shelter seeks immediate assistance for abandoned horse
Early on the morning of July 22, a member of Foothills Animal Rescue found an anonymous note at the group’s door stating that a horse was tied up behind the building. The author of the note wrote that his or her vet had recommended euthanizing the animal, but he or she just couldn’t go through with it. The rescue volunteers found the malnourished and dehydrated horse hidden in the alley behind the facility. That’s when they made a phone call to LUV Shack Ranch Rescue, a horse rescue group.
“She is 200 to 250 pounds underweight and needs dental work,” says Joey Ogburn, president and founder of LUV Shack. “But within 24 hours of arriving at the facility, she’s already eating and drinking on her own. However, due to severe muscle atrophy, it took a while to get her legs moving.”
It is likely that the horse, named Delilah by a rescue volunteer, needs hoof care and has worms and a number of other conditions, which will be diagnosed and treated through regular veterinary care, according to Ogburn.
When LUV Shack took in Delilah, they were already at capacity with 18 horses, but wouldn’t abandon a horse in need. As a result, the organization is seeking financial and supply donations from the general public and would like to locate a foster home for her once she’s on the right path for good nutrition.
“She’s a sweet mare with a strong will to live,” Ogburn says. “She should be able to go to a foster home within a month.”
To contact LUV Shack, call (602) 400-0826 or visit LUVShackRanch.org.
Drug company causes controversy in animal community
Drug development company Covance Laboratories has broken ground in Chandler, causing several members of the animal community to step forward and question the facilities’ practices. The Arizona Humane Society met with a public relations firm that represents Covance to express concerns about the company’s animal testing procedures. The AHS has asked the company to provide all of the animals at the facility with care that exceeds the standards outlined in the Animal Welfare Act. It also asked Covance to allow animals used for laboratory tests to be available for adoption once the tests are complete. AHS President Cheryl Naumann has asked for a further dialogue with Covance to continue and address these issues, which have not yet been resolved. Following the meeting, a group of Chandler residents in conjunction with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sued the city of Chandler, alleging the city violated Arizona’s Open Meeting Law and state and city zoning laws by allowing the facility to break ground. The plaintiffs say they are concerned about Covance’s alleged poor record on public health and animal welfare issues. So far, no further progress has been made with the AHS concerns or PCRM’s lawsuit.
