News Alert: April 10, 2009

1. Pet Poison Alert: Lay Off the Lilies

Spring is here, people! Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Passover or the arrival of daffodils, it’s time to show our fur kids some love by keeping them safe from one of the season’s most popular—and poisonous—plants, the Easter lily.

In the past year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center fielded 442 cases of pets who ingested some variety of the lovely lily. The vast majority of those cases occurred during the spring and summer months, and 83% involved our feline friends. Some examples of common lily varieties that are dangerous for cats include Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and certain species of daylily.

“All lilies belonging to the plant genus Lilium are highly toxic to cats,” explains Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Animal Health Services. “Consuming even small amounts can cause a life-threatening situation.” Certain species of the genus Hemerocallis are also known to produce similar toxic effects. Lilies may cause a cat to vomit, become lethargic or develop a lack of appetite. Without immediate and proper care, a cat may develop life-threatening kidney failure within 36 to 72 hours of ingestion.

“Time is really of the essence for treatment,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. “If an owner suspects her cat may have eaten any part of a lily, she should seek immediate medical care.”

The ASPCA recommends leaving lilies out of Easter baskets or Mother’s Day bouquets destined for homes with cats, or using safer flower varieties as substitutes. Some pretty alternatives include Easter orchids, cacti and daisies, as well as roses and violets.

For more information about household flowers that can hurt cats and dogs, check out our online guide to toxic plants. As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

2. Fighting Animal Cruelty, One Action at a Time—Send Us Your Stories!

Hey animal lovers, did you know that you don’t have to be an animal cop, lawyer or judge to help fight animal cruelty? It’s true! The fact is, individual actions go a long way in helping to protect animals and even the smallest of efforts bring about big change! Have you ever talked a colleague into spaying or neuteringhis cat to prevent unwanted litters? Or convinced a group of friends to join you in hosting a benefit for your local shelter? Maybe you organized a special rally in support of humane legislation or bravely made the call that saved a starving dog in your neighborhood. Whatever the action, rest assured you have made a world of difference for the animals involved! This April, in honor of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, we would like to honor you by bringing to light the many ways you have helped prevent animal cruelty. Whether you stopped a community event from raffling off a live animal as a door prize, became a feral cat colony caretaker or got your school to cancel a trip to the circus—we want to hear about it! Share your story with us for a chance to be featured on our website and in ASPCA News Alert. Simply email your story and any related photos to ifoughtcruelty@aspca.org. P.S. Lights! Camera! Action! We’ve got more goings-on to raise awareness about helping animals! On April 14, tune in as the ASPCA’s very own Jo Sullivan makes her debut on The Martha Stewart Show to talk about an exciting new partnership with Fresh Step to promote Cat Care Month. And on April 16, be sure to set the dial to the Home Shopping Network for the launch of an exciting new line of ASPCA Collection jewelry!

3. ASPCA Happy Tails: Home, Sweet Home

Having an animal companion go missing is one of the most terrifying realities a pet parent can face. Proper ID tags and microchipping have proven essential in reuniting lost pets with their families—in the recent case of one missing California puppy, however, it was the ASPCA MySpace page that helped bring her home!

On March 3, two days after being adopted, nine-month-old Chihuahua mix Buei Buei (pronounced Bebe) escaped from her Corona, CA, home through a window left open a crack when owners Xinfeng Liu and his girlfriend went out for a few hours. After returning to find their puppy gone, the couple spent the next few days frantically knocking on neighbors’ doors and calling local animal shelters. Meanwhile, Buei Buei had wandered to the freeway two miles away.

At 6:30 the following morning, Yvonne Ansite was driving home from her shift at a Corona Wal-Mart. “About a quarter of a mile onto the freeway, I saw a little white puppy. She was almost hit a few times," Yvonne remembers. "I pulled over to pick her up and she climbed right into my car.”

When Yvonne arrived home, she and her sister searched the Internet for a local animal shelter where they could report the found pup. As their search proved unsuccessful, they emailed a request for help to the ASPCA MySpace page. Elyse Orecchio, Associate Editor of Social Media, directed them to the Find a Shelter tool at ASPCA.org, a database of more than 3,000 animal care facilities across the country. “I was touched by Yvonne's determination to reunite the pup with her pet parents,” Orecchio comments.” I'm so glad our friends on social networks like MySpace feel they can reach out to us for help—and that we can give it to them!”

Says Yvonne, “We used the shelter locator to get the phone number of Corona Animal Control, and that was the key that helped reunite the puppy with her family.” After Buei Buei was dropped off, one of the shelter’s animal trainers, aware of the missing Chihuahua mix, contacted Liu. On March 7, pup and owner were reunited. Not every pet parent is as lucky. To increase the chances of bringing a lost pet home, please make sure your animal companion has proper ID tags and a microchip with updated information. Take a peek at other stories of pets who were reunited with their families.

4. Manhattan Man Arrested for Beating Dog and Girlfriend

Early last week, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Special Agent Debbie Koch arrested Manhattan resident Richard Smith, 24, on multiple charges related to domestic abuse. Smith allegedly assaulted his 21-year-old girlfriend and severely beat a two-year-old Shiba Inu belonging to the girlfriend’s sister. Multiple attacks on the dog allegedly occurred in the last few months.

“As we have seen in the past, the brutality associated with domestic violence all too often affects other members of the household, including pets,” says Joe Pentangelo, Assistant Director, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement.

The dog, named Michigan, was brought to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH) on March 25 in a state of distress. ASPCA veterinarians discovered that she had sustained 12 fractured ribs and suffered from trauma. Michigan is currently recovering at BMAH and will be reunited with her owner. Smith was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty and assault. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail and a $2,000 fine. If you know of an animal who is being hurt, please report it—those who assault animals often abuse the people in their lives, too. To report animal cruelty in New York City, contact the ASPCA’s anonymous tip line at (877) THE-ASPCA. Visit our Report Cruelty FAQ to learn how to report cruelty elsewhere.