Tails in the News
By John Gleason
Animal advocate receives Evie Award
Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), located in Walnut Creek, recently awarded Dr. Emily Weiss its prestigious Evie Award. The foundation gives the award annually to an individual who exhibits excellence in the compassionate care of companion animals. Weiss was chosen because of her tireless devotion to animals and to programs that match animals to loving caretakers. She is the American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)’s senior director of shelter behavior programs and also the developer of ASPCA’s “meet your match” adoption program.
The Evie Award takes its name from the infamous cat who disrupted an Oakland Athletics baseball game by running onto the field. Oakland’s manager at the time, Tony LaRussa, eventually snagged the frightened cat from the playing field and attempted to place the attention-starved kitty with a shelter. When LaRussa discovered that there were no no-kill shelters in the area, he took it upon himself to start the first one in the Bay Area. Thanks to one mischievous cat named Evie, ARF was formed.
The Evie was presented at ARF’s annual Stars to the Rescue Gala, held Jan. 5 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.
Shelter launches program to help senior cats
Town Cats, the no-kill animal shelter and adoption center located in Morgan Hill, California, recently launched a new program called the Senior Cat Care Medical Fund Campaign. The organization’s fund is committed raising money for the perpetual care of older cats. The money is badly needed because Town Cats’ older residents require medical treatment and extra care for diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, and more. Town Cats believes that this fund will be the answer to paying for the cats’ long lease on life. In addition to raising money for the continued medical care of the older kitties, Town Cats has also begun educating the community about the joys of adopting older cats, spouting the benefits of having a mature cat with a stable and developed personality. The group also adds that while young cats are adorable and playful, mature cats are less destructive and will still play with their guardians. Mature cats also enjoy being in their caretaker’s lap, lazily sleeping the day away. For more information visit TownCats.org.
Successful canine ball comes back for another spin
Billed as “the pooch event of the season” in 2007, the annual Bark and Whine Ball is coming back in 2008 for the 13th time in its successful history. The gala features delectable treats for people and dogs alike, and includes a robust cocktail buffet, the delightful sounds of Dick Bright’s Orchestra, and a silent auction to raise money for the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SFSPCA)’s Cinderella Fund. The fund provides special treatment and medical care for the neediest animals in the community.
Hosting the ball is volunteer organization (and fundraising arm of SFSPCA) Critter Lovers at Work, or CLAW. The organization attempts to transform the lives of the most destitute cats and dogs who arrive at the shelter. CLAW works with animals who have not only been abandoned, but are also injured or sick, providing special treatment and extended medical care above and beyond traditional action. With the help of the Cinderella Fund, the sick animals receive skilled medical care at the SFSPCA Animal Hospital. Once the pets are returned to health, they are adopted into loving homes.
The Bark and Whine Ball is one of CLAW’s largest fundraising events and is sure to continue to be a hit in the canine community. The party will take place on March 6 between 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Gift Center Pavilion. Tickets cost $150 for humans and $20 for four-legged companions. The trained SFSPCA staff and volunteers will be providing canine walking and restroom assistance to make the night a little bit more enjoyable for everyone.
Come out and spay
Spay Day is the antithesis to February’s holiday of love, Valentine’s Day, but it is equally as important in terms of maintaining a healthy status quo in a cat-friendly household. That’s why Purrfect Cat Rescue will be holding its second annual Spay Day event at NewPark Mall in Newark on Feb. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. Spay Day features spay and neuter services, and will also have prize raffles, adoptable cat showcases, and fundraising merchandise for sale. Last year’s event saw the successful spaying and neutering of 300 cats and kittens, and raised more than $5,000 for the organization.
Dog euthanized after attack
Tazz, an unneutered San Jose–area Boxer/Pit Bull mix, has been euthanized following his horrific attack on a 20-month-old girl and her grandmother.
Tazz was being fed before the confrontation that would eventually end his life. When Elizabeth Cisco and her granddaughter, Anna, went into the home of Cisco’s sister (also Tazz’s caretaker), the dog became enraged. Tazz initially bit Cisco’s arm, but redirected his attack to Anna when the baby was flung onto a nearby couch. Tazz bit Anna in the lip and chin area, tearing the skin to the bone and requiring Anna to undergo reconstructive surgery. Anna’s condition deteriorated further when she caught pneumonia and suffered a collapsed lung post-operation. Her condition is not life threatening, as of press time. Cisco also sustained severe injuries after being bitten on the ears, face, and legs.
This was the second reported incident involving Tazz and a human. Santa Clara County received a previous report of Tazz biting a man a year ago, and authorities identified the dog as potentially dangerous. At the time, county officials decided not to label Tazz as a threat because the bitten man’s injuries had not been of a significant nature.
