News Alert: October 30, 2009

1. Give a Gift That Costs You Nothing: ASPCA Bequest

Your will was written some time ago and now you’ve decided you’d like to include the ASPCA in your estate plans—what can you do? Making the ASPCA a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or retirement plan are two examples of how you can achieve your goal, and both are easy to do. Just get a new beneficiary form from the financial institution in charge of your account and request that the ASPCA be included as one of your beneficiaries.

You’ll need the ASPCA's:

• address: 424 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128
• telephone number: (212) 876-7700
• federal tax ID#: 13-1623829.

If you have bank or brokerage accounts, you may be able to make a “Pay on Death” or “Transfer on Death” arrangement with your financial institution. None of these gifts require legal fees or appointments with attorneys, and all may be completed by telephone and mail in the privacy of your home.

If you have any questions, please contact the ASPCA’s Director of Planned Giving, Marsha Pierson, CFP^® at (212) 876-7700, extension 4505, or via email at marshap@aspca.org.

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2. Free Shipping at the ASPCA Online Store: 10/30—11/4

Now’s the time to get your winter shopping groove on, animal lovers—all items are shipped for free until Wednesday, November 4! Use discount code NOSHIP66.

Shop for the Holidays Some very special rescued pets are featured on our exclusively designed greeting cards—these furry faces of ASPCA cats and dogs are the perfect signs of hope for the holidays. Each box contains 16 cards, envelopes and silver seals embossed with the ASPCA logo. You have your choice of all cats, all dogs or a mix.

Winter Apparel Take your pick from our cozy long-sleeved shirts—one is embroidered with the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement badge, another sports the ASPCA logo. Both say, I support the fight against animal cruelty!

Pet Care Nothing could be better for you and your cat’s health than this battery-operated barrel of laughs! The Fling-ama-string is an automated string-flinging machine that hangs on any standard door knob. Cats can bite, paw and claw at the string for hours, and as soon as they let go, the string automatically starts to rotate again!

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3. ASPCA® Cat Assistance Program: You Can Help!

The ASPCA estimates that over three million cats and kittens end up in shelters each year—now, due to the troubled economy, more cats than ever are at risk. That’s why Fresh Step^® litter and 9Lives^® cat food have stepped up to help us launch a program this November to support pet food banks at shelters nationwide. The ASPCA^® Cat Assistance Program is a national grassroots effort to provide food and litter to cats across the country whose owners are in need of assistance.

Find out what you can do to help keep cats in their loving homes.

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4. Cat Survives 2-Mile Ride in Car Engine: Points to Winter Danger

Last week, the country was mesmerized by the story of a tan-and-white Tabby cat from the Bronx, NY, who survived an unusual ordeal: a two-mile drive through his northern NYC borough, while stuck inside the engine of an SUV. The stray was so severely wedged inside that the battery and other engine parts had to be removed in order to free him. Though the story has a happy ending—two detectives from the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit pulled the cat, who is now recovering nicely, to safety—the incident points to a winter phenomenon that many felines do not survive.

During the winter, ASPCA experts explain, it’s common for outdoor cats to sleep under the hoods of cars for warmth and protection. Once the motor is started, however, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. One solution is for owners of vehicles to bang loudly on the vehicle hood before starting the engine. This gives a sleeping cat the chance to escape or announce his presence by meowing or moving around.

The danger doesn’t only apply to strays, however. Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, ASPCA Executive Vice President, warns: "For their own benefit and for the benefit of the communities where they live, owned cats should not be allowed to roam freely outdoors."

Pet parents, be aware: there are many other dangers that our animal companions face during winter. Thankfully, ASPCA experts have provided a list of essential cold weather tips to keep animals safe from winter threats. Here's a sneak peek:

• Keep your cat inside. When outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. And cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
• Engine coolant is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.
• If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, minimize his time outdoors—briefly take him out, and only to relieve himself. This includes puppies, who can be paper-trained during the colder months rather than housebroken.
• Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter—a longer coat will provide more warmth. And continue to brush your pet regularly during the winter months. This will remove dead hair and keep the coat clean to ensure better insulation. It will also keep natural oils distributed throughout the coat.

Read more about caring for your pet in cold weather with our winter skin and paw care tips.

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5. Dog Shot By Memphis Officer—ASPCA Speaks Out!

In a tragic example of what happens when proper police protocol is not followed, two pet Labrador Retrievers were shot at last Thursday by officers from the Memphis Police Department when the canines used their dog door to see who had come into their yard. The officers entered the private property to investigate a possible burglary because the homeowner’s alarm system had been triggered. Although one dog was shot and the other ran away, the dogs’ owner, who was not home at the time, was not informed by the authorities that anything unusual had taken place, leaving her to discover quite a frightening scene when she returned home hours later.

“Police shootings of family dogs are a huge problem nationwide,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President of Anti-Cruelty Field Services. “In general, in at least one-third to one-half of all incidents where a police officer fires a gun, the target is a dog. In almost all cases, just a sharp verbal command or a confident display of authority is enough to deter a dog attack. The easiest way for police officers to do this would be to raise their batons in a threatening way. Failing that, pepper spray may be used. Shooting is very rarely justifiable.”

The Memphis Police Department has received regular training in animal handling and dog confrontations over the last decade, but that does not seem to have stemmed the rate of anti-protocol dog shootings by its officers, which is significantly higher in Memphis, per capita, than in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. “It’s ironic—Memphis is ahead of most other police departments in the nation in that they have official use-of-force policies for encounters with animals—but the real-world effectiveness of these policies depend much on internal support and enforcement and holding people accountable,” adds Dr. Lockwood.

Last week’s shooting of the two Labs comes just one week after a similar incident in which a Boxer mix was also shot in his home by a Memphis policeman. The Memphis Police Department is investigating both incidents, and all three dogs are now back home with their families, recovering from their ordeals.

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6. ASPCA Happy Tails: Patience Makes Purrfect

Shira Savada of Manhattan knew what she was looking for in a pet and was willing to wait for just the right four-legged friend. A handful of times, over the last few months, she visited the ASPCA looking for the perfect kitty, but the feline stars weren’t aligned quite right until Saturday, October 10, when she met a personable, two-year-old Tabby named Rihanna.

“I had been looking to adopt a cat who was over a year old and had a sweet temperament,” explains Shira, “—an independent kitty who liked to lounge on the couch and watch TV, but also loved playing with toys and meeting new people.”

Rihanna was that longed-for match. The pretty young thing was first brought to the ASPCA by a good Samaritan who found her alone, homeless and suffering from a bite wound on her tail. Her mellow, good nature quickly made her a favorite of shelter staff. Socializing was key for the former stray and made all the difference in the first meeting with her future forever mom. “She let me pick her up, and we played on the floor in the cat room,” Shira says. “When she gave me a hug, I knew she was coming home with me.”

Now called Violet to better reflect her petite, girly frame and Shira’s favorite color, this charming cat has settled into her new life as the “only child” of a devoted pet parent. According to Shira, she loves exploring, perching and running from one end of the apartment to the other. It seems this little kitty has wholeheartedly let down her guard and embraced her good fortune.

“Violet’s definitely a character!” Shira muses. “She does something I’ve referred to as ‘sashing’—she lies across me (and anyone else who picks her up, really) and positions herself like a Miss America sash. With her head close to mine, she starts rubbing her head against my face and purring.”

Shira adds: “Violet is the best. She really makes me happier—I've got someone who counts on me and who I can count on for unconditional love.”

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