News Alert: November 20, 2009

1. Dog of the Year Passes Away with Honors

On October 29, a very special 8-year-old black Labrador Retriever arrived at New York City’s Pierre Hotel and charmed a ballroom full of people while receiving the ASPCA Dog of the Year award. The Lab was Archie, assistance dog and social lifeline for Iraq war veteran Sergeant Clay Rankin. The event was the 2009 ASPCA Humane Awards Luncheon.

Archie’s talents and warmth were clearly recognized by the ASPCA. His humane hero description read: Archie's loyalty and perseverance in helping Sgt. Rankin accomplish his daily tasks has allowed the veteran to regain his confidence and independence, move forward with his life and continue serving the country he loves.

It was when Sgt. Rankin took to the podium to accept Archie’s award, however, that the depth of their relationship became clear. “Archie helps me to walk. He helps me to maintain my balance. If I need something, he gets it for me,” began the Sergeant. “He also wakes me if I’m having nightmares and touches me with his nose if I start going into a flashback.” He then told a powerful story about one soldier who’d been sent home with a bad injury. When he met Archie during a hospital visit, he smiled for the first time since being deployed. “There is life after injuries,” the Sergeant assured the rapt audience, who gave him a standing ovation.

On Thursday, November 12, while returning home after visiting soldiers at a VA hospital in San Antonio, TX, Archie passed away from an apparent heart attack. His death was unexpected.

Dog and man came together in October 2006, after Sgt. Rankin returned from Iraq with spinal injuries. As Rankin suffered daily pain and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Archie quickly became his primary caregiver and social safety net. Trained by Patriot Paws, a Rockwall, TX-based organization that works with service dogs and matches them with disabled veterans, Archie was also the first canine graduate of the Army Wounded Warriors Program, which assists and advocates for seriously wounded, ill and injured soldiers, veterans and their families.

"I only met Archie once, this year at the Humane Awards Luncheon,” says Arielle Greenberg, ASPCA Special Events Manager and member of the committee that chooses each year’s heroes, “but it was enough for me to see that he was not only essential to Sergeant Rankin, but a ball of happy energy all on his own."

We honor Archie and Sgt. Rankin, and the model of the human-animal bond that they displayed.

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2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Sweet ‘n’ Salty

Earlier this year, when Kim Moore of Manhattan was surfing the ASPCA website, she became intrigued by a fetching feline named Cora. The 2-year-old Tabby is a gorgeous, mellow lass who has one extra-distinguishing feature—the iris of her left eye is a slightly different size and shape than her right iris. Kim thought it made the young cat unique and compelling.

Soon after, Kim visited the ASPCA Adoption Center to meet Cora and some other cats looking for homes. “I remember walking by Cora's habitat and thinking, ‘Oh, that's the cat with the funny eye!’” laughs Kim. “She was very shy and just hid in her bed—unfortunately, she wasn't too keen on meeting me.”

But Cora’s reserve didn’t put off the determined potential pet parent. Says Kim: “I didn’t end up adopting a kitty that day, but came back two weeks later to try my luck again—Cora was still very shy but sweet. When I picked her up, she burrowed her head in the crook of my arm like a little bunny, and I decided to adopt her.”

Since that fateful day, Kim and Cora—now named Salty for her “salt-and-pepper” markings—have officially bonded. According to Kim, it took about a month for the introverted kitty—who was deemed a Private Investigator by our behaviorists—to fully emerge from her shell. “The first couple of weeks she camped out in the bathroom and was more than content to stay there with a few brief excursions to the kitchen for exploration,” Kim explains. “Now I can't believe what a spunky, sassy, energetic, playful kitty is inside of her! She is full of personality and is non-stop rolling around on the floor, stalking toys and chasing her tail. She even sleeps on my bed with me at night.”

She adds: “Some advice to potential adopters—don't overlook the Private Investigators! They might just need some time to warm up, but once they do, look out! Salty is so much fun and cracks me up every day.”

The beaming new pet parent is even considering returning to the ASPCA Adoption Center to find a friend for Salty. Here’s hoping she meets another fun-loving sweetheart to warm her days and brighten her nights.

“I'm so happy to have Salty in my life,” Kim says. “I love coming home to a warm, fuzzy kitty, full of chirps and purrs.”

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3. Top 10 Holiday Gifts, Plus 20% Off in the ASPCA Store

Animal lovers, start your holiday shopping off right with a 20% discount on everything in our online store! From doggie tees and cozy winter apparel to personalized jewelry and unique pet toys, we have something for everyone on your list.

Also, be sure to check out our top ten gifts of the season and use checkout code HOLIDAY25 to get your 20% discount. And hurry! The sale runs from today, November 20, through midnight on Thursday, November 26.

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4. Making a Planned Gift to the ASPCA Before Year’s End?

Are you planning to make a gift to the ASPCA before the end of the year? If the answer is yes, please read on to see how you can use your appreciated securities to do so.

As stock prices increase, so do the taxes you owe on capital gains when you sell the stock. But when you donate publicly traded stocks that are held long term (owned for more than one year) to a qualified charitable organization such as the ASPCA, you avoid all capital gains taxes. Plus, you may take the full fair market value of the stock gift as a charitable deduction on your income taxes. Read more information here.

And if you have stock losses, you can sell the stock yourself to realize the loss and take the deduction for tax purposes, then generate a charitable deduction by donating the cash proceeds of the sale to the ASPCA.

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5. Swine Flu Infects Housecat—Are Your Pets Safe?

Ever since the news broke earlier this month that an American cat caught the swine flu, rumors about how pets can catch this disease have been spreading—but we're here to set the record straight!

"On November 2, test results confirmed that a pet cat in Iowa was infected by the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, which was most likely transmitted by human family members," reports Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA. "All family members, including the cat, have now recovered. In unrelated incidents in other states, a few pet ferrets also recently tested positive for H1N1, and one of them has died.” Although we already knew that infected humans could transmit H1N1 to both pigs and turkeys, these are the first reported cases of the virus affecting cats and ferrets.

According to Dr. Murray, there are no known instances of a dog catching H1N1 (but remember, it is flu season, and your dogs are still susceptible to catching other flu bugs). In addition, there is currently no evidence that H1N1 can be passed from pet to human—it seems to be going only the other way, with people transmitting the illness to their pets.

A little common sense will go a long way in decreasing the likelihood of passing the illness on to your pets. If members of your household are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, the ASPCA recommends protecting your pets by:

• washing hands thoroughly,
• covering coughs and sneezes and
• avoiding close contact with pets during the course of the illness.

In fact, if you’re sick, it’s a good idea to give your pets a place other than your bedroom to sleep at night until you get better.

If any pet displays symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing or difficulty breathing—especially if a human family member has recently suffered from influenza—please contact your veterinarian.

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