Add Three More to the List!

Hooray! A little more than one year after the successful launch of ASPCA Mission: Orange, our initiative to curb the needless euthanasia of the country’s healthy, adoptable pets, three new communities have been chosen to take part in a year-long intensive learning experience called Join ASPCA Mission: Orange. Buncombe County (Asheville), NC, Cleveland, OH, and Oklahoma City, OK, will work together with experts from the ASPCA to develop and implement programs specifically designed to increase live release rates—adoptions, transfers and returns to owners—of animals in their shelters. At the end of the year, those who show significant progress will have a chance to apply to become ASPCA Mission: Orange Target Communities.

Check out our ASPCA Mission: Orange pages to find out how shelters in your community can become part of our initiatives.

Because Moms Love Cute Wittle Animals

Happy May! You know what May means--Mother's Day! (Even if you try to forget, TV won't let you. And if you keep your TV shut, your mom won't let you forget either.) After all, even the most selfless moms want to be recognized one day a year—and now thankful husbands, kiddies and other family members can choose a gift she’ll really love. Check out the jewelry, books and other items selected especially for Mother’s Day in our Online Store. Not only will giving a gift from the ASPCA help us in our mission to save animals, but Mom will look great spreading the message in one of our ladies’ fitted tees!

Voluntarily Showin' Gratitude

It's National Volunteer Week! The staff at the ASPCA Adoption Center has decorated the building for the volunteers and is providing yummy treats all week. Our volunteers are crucial to the well-being and happiness of our animals.

If you've thought about volunteering at an animal shelter, this is the perfect time to check out your options! Visit your local shelter and ask how you can help! If you live in New York City, you can volunteer at New York City Animal Care and Control.

If you're already a volunteer, thank you for your important, selfless work. We couldn't do it without you.

In Praise of Older Cats; Tell Us Your Story

Has your elderly kitty retired into luxurious windowsill lounging, reminiscing over her lifetime of catnapping and chasing felt mousies? It's not uncommon for cats to reach their twentieth birthday, and this June, for Adopt-A-Shelter Cat month, we want to honor your wise old buds.

If you have an elderly feline who’s living the good life in her golden years, please send a photo and adoption story to catstory@aspca.org. You may be featured on our website this June.

Happy Earth Day!

The green scene in 2008 has gone beyond gardens—it now includes litter boxes and doggie treats. This Earth Day, you don’t need a green thumb to help the planet. If you have an animal companion who eats, sleeps, plays and poops, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to cut down on waste, raise your pet’s quality of life and color your corner of the world green.

Top Ten Ways to Go Green for Pets

Spring Cleaning
Empty out the dark corners of your closets, basement and attic, but before throwing your dusty treasures away, call your local shelters and ask if they need old towels, bedding, leashes, litter boxes and pet toys. They may even be looking for unused printers and computer monitors.

Water Works
Give your pet filtered tap water instead of bottled to drink. If you must use bottled, be sure to recycle.

The Power of Poop
Scoop dog poop with biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags from the grocery store. If you’re a suburbanite (or an urbanite with a lawn), do some research on doggie septic systems—they help keep your lawn free of smelly surprises and break waste down into a liquid the ground can absorb. And kitty parents, go for eco-friendly cat litters, avoiding brands with mined minerals.

Green Grooming
Use earth-friendly pet shampoos and grooming products whenever possible.

Garden of Delights
If you have space, consider growing your own garden for your fruit- and veggie- loving reptiles and small mammals. Before using insecticides, research mulching and other gardening practices that can help reduce the amount of insecticides and herbicides you might need.

Spot On
Should your furry love leave a little dribble (or more) on the carpeting or floor, don’t reach for the bleach. Use vinegar instead. This environment-friendly liquid can act as an effective odor-remover and can kill mold and bacteria. Please keep in mind, though, that vinegar must be diluted correctly with water.

Cutting Back is Going Green
There are plenty of small ways to cut back on energy and materials.

· Instead of using a blow dryer to dry your freshly bathed pet, towel or air dry her.

· Walk your dog to the doggie park rather than driving there.

· Cut down on paper products—clean up with rags or recycled paper towels.

· Put light and heating bulbs in your reptile and fish habitats on timers.

Put Your Foot Down
Don't wear shoes in the house. They bring extra pesticides, fungicides and dirt inside—your pets are exposed enough when licking their paws after walking outside on treated surfaces. (Of course, you should wipe all paws before letting them back into the house!)

Green Goodies
Consider making your own healthy dog biscuits and storing them in reusable containers. If you purchase store-bought treats, buy them in cardboard packaging and be sure to recycle.

Bulk Up
Buy pet supplies in bulk or the largest available size. You’ll make fewer trips to the store and cut down on packaging to discard of.

Action Against the So-Called "Greatest Show"

We have urged Turner Network Television (TNT) to immediately cancel Greatest Show on Earth, its upcoming series that touts a “behind-the-scenes” look at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Unfortunately, the real behind-the-scenes story is one of unrelenting cruelty to animals: the abuse of Ringling Bros. circus elephants has been exhaustively documented by animal welfare organizations, state humane agencies and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors. The ASPCA—currently involved in a lawsuit against the circus for violations of the federal Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act—urges all those who care about animals to speak out against TNT’s new show.

In a March 19 letter to Turner Network’s president Steve Koonin, ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres wrote, “To entertain the unsuspecting public at the expense of the welfare of these noble animals goes against all tenets of humanity and our responsibility to protect the animals with whom we share the earth. TNT’s viewers should certainly not be subjected to such hypocritical and unethical programming.”

You can help us speak out against Greatest Show on Earth by emailing its producers, Mark Wolper and Al Hassas, at kathleen.doise@wbtvprod.com and al@thecollective-la.com, respectively. TNT president Steve Koonin can be contacted at anne.smith@turner.com. Letters may be sent to: Steve Koonin, President, Turner Network Television, 1010 Techwood Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

You can further fight animal exploitation and abuse by taking the ASPCA’s Pledge to Fight Animal Cruelty. Just a click will help you learn how to identify and report abuse, stay up-to-date on the latest animal cruelty news and learn how to write letters to your legislators in the name of animals.

To learn more about circus cruelty, please visit www.aspca.org/circus.

ASPCA Day--The Aftermath

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Huh? Oh, excuse us, we're still exhausted from all the celebrating yesterday! Thanks for helping us celebrate ASPCA Day! We hope you had as much fun as we did. We’re honored by all the landmarks that lit up in orange last night, including the Empire State Building, the Sears Tower—and even Niagara Falls! But we are even more moved by your outpour of affection and support for all those wonderful animals out there who need homes. ASPCA Day may be officially behind us for this year, but there’s still more fun to be had and more awareness to spread! Make sure you stay tuned to our website to keep up to date on how to help fight animal cruelty—and if you were at Union Square in New York City with us yesterday, you just might see yourself decked out in orange when we post our photos!

So, how did you celebrate yesterday? Are you a teacher who had your class dress up in orange? Did you organize a special event in your area to spread the word about fighting animal cruelty? We wanna hear your story, so enter our Community Leader contest. You could win a trip to New York City!

If you don’t want to enter the contest, but still want to share photos and stories from your community’s ASPCA Day celebration, you can do so on the ASPCA Day Group on our Online Community. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again!

Live Chat With Officer Annemarie Lucas--Tomorrow!

Going orange for ASPCA Day this April 10? Great! We’ve planned some exciting events for this special day, which honors the ASPCA’s victories on behalf of animals. Many of these victories resulted from the lifesaving work of our ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers, whom you’ve probably seen in action on Animal Planet’s hit series, Animal Precinct. To learn more about their work, please join us for a talk with ASPCA Supervisory Special Investigator Annemarie Lucas at our ASPCA Online Community tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8, from noon to 2:00 P.M. EST. Don’t miss this chance to talk to one of the ASPCA’s finest and find out how to prevent animal cruelty in honor of ASPCA Day!

Letter From Our VP: How ASPCA Day Moves and Inspires

To kick off this exciting week—ASPCA Day is Thursday, but we’re already in the spirit around here!—we have a special guest blogger. Jo Sullivan, ASPCA Senior Vice President of Development and Communications, wanted to share with you how ASPCA Day has touched and inspired her. She will be speaking at Union Square in New York City on Thursday—don’t miss it! So without further ado, here’s Jo:

As April 10 approaches, I am struck by the sense of excitement people are feeling for ASPCA Day. What started out as a few people posting notices on meet-up sites and asking their friends to "do something orange" has turned into the largest event the ASPCA has. It is humbling to know how many people we touch and how much our work means to the pet loving part of our population. Last year we poured over stories and photos across the country and were moved to tears by so many of them. One that stands out is the story of a privately owned nursing home—the residents, the facility, even the staff all went orange. They sent pictures of four-legged babies with all the residents, and pictures of all the decorations and orange snacks anybody could want. My mother was suffering from Alzheimer's at that time and in a nursing home herself. Knowing how much happiness and comfort my dogs brought their Grandma when they visited, I was especially touched at how some special people brought joy to that group and helped us go orange—even in a nursing home. Schools, banks, neighborhoods—the stories went on and on and we were honored by every single effort.

When I started here in 1999, it was the realization of a life-long dream to help animals. True, I thought I'd end up being Dr. Doolittle and have the power to speak to critters—but speaking for them is close enough. April 10 has a special significance to me because it allows us all here to take a moment and celebrate what we've done. To acknowledge homeless pets and animal cruelty can be hard, slow to change, painful to see and sometimes it seems overwhelming. But to allow ourselves to look around at the victories we've achieved makes it worthwhile.

April 10 acknowledges that 142 years ago, a brave man named Henry Bergh felt animals were important enough to form the first animal welfare society in North America, and that 142 years later, we are still here. Still fighting. Still winning. And most importantly still loving the animals we serve. Join us and go orange— tie a ribbon on your car, your wrist or your front door. When somebody asks "What's that mean?" you can tell them that you are going orange for animals and to check out the ASPCA's website to find out how they can go orange, too.

April is All About the Animals

Happy April! We fool you not—April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month! It also just happens to be the month ASPCA Day falls. Henry Bergh, who founded the ASPCA 142 years ago, would be very proud!

What can you do to help animals this month?

1. Take the pledge to fight animal cruelty.
2. Invite your friends to do the same!
3. Go orange for ASPCA Day this April 10th!
4. Read the top 10 ways to prevent animal cruelty.
5. And, of course, become a member of the ASPCA!

Stay tuned this month. Check this blog and our website, www.aspca.org, for updates on events and dates for live, online discussions with ASPCA experts on our Online Community.

Reach Out and Nominate Someone

Time to make your nominations for the 2008 ASPCA Humane Awards! Why not give a shout-out to an extraordinary animal or animal lover in your life, someone who has furthered animal welfare in the United States over the past year. Winners will be invited to attend the Humane Awards Luncheon in New York City. The deadline for entries is July 15, 2008, at 12:00 PM (EST). Here are the categories for which Humane Awards will be given. Click these links to bring you to the appropriate nomination form.



ASPCA Dog of the Year
For the dog who has performed a heroic act in the past year.

ASPCA Cat of the Year
For the cat who has performed a heroic act in the past year.

ASPCA Kid of the Year
For someone 14 years of age or younger who has performed a heroic act in the past year.

ASPCA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
For the member of a municipal police force—or other public service officer—who made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year.

ASPCA Firefighter of the Year
For the member of a fire department or rescue squad who has made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year.

Last year’s winners included a first-aid wunderkind and golden retriever who performed a modified Heimlich maneuver on his choking owner, a petite kitty with a loud voice who saved her family from dying of carbon monoxide poisoning and a selfless pre-teen who works tirelessly on behalf of homeless horses.

P.S. Winners will be chosen by a committee selected by the ASPCA, and announced to the public in mid-October. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org/nominate.

P.P.S. Need another reason to nominate someone? If they win, they might bring ya with them to NYC! ;)

ASPCA Day Wake-Up Call For New Yorkers!

Hey New Yorkers, how early are you willing to wake up to help animals? On ASPCA Day, April 10 (next Thursday!!) we're looking for volunteers to attend The Today Show wearing orange and holding posters! If you need orange gear to wear, get it here.

-The Today Show (NBC) is on the corner of 49th St. and Fifth Ave

The meeting time will be 6:00 AM...ouch, we know, but it's for a good cause. Thanks so much--hope to see you there!

And the Winners Are...

Back in February, we put out a call for photos of your first puppy (and kitty) loves for our My Furry Valentine Contest. Our judges have selected their top entries, and we’re proud to present them here. Thank you to everyone who entered, and four paws up to our winners. May your days be filled with wagging tails, purry wishes, furry head butts and doggie kisses!

Click here to get up close and personal with the winners. Read all about these amazing animals and their adoption stories!

Know somebody who can’t resist cute dogs and kitties? Please share our winners with them, too.

Teens: Chat With Award-Winning Author Tomorrow!

Why do animals go extinct?

What can people do to help keep endangered species alive?

If so many species have died off, why did you, as an author, choose these specific animals to write about?

J. Patrick Lewis, award-winning author of nearly 40 books for kids, has written poems about the history and beauty of 22 extinct animals in Swan Song, featured this month on the ASPCA’s Henry’s Book Club. Lewis, who has been writing for kids for over 20 years, will chat with teen readers about extinct animals and what it’s like to be an author. Please join us in the ASPCA Online Community tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. EST.

Last Chance to Win an ASPCA Day Kit!

Ready to go orange on April 10? To get the party started, we're giving away 100 free ASPCA Day Kits, complete with a T-shirt, bandana and wrist bands to share with friends and fellow animal lovers.

You may remember our first announcement in Feb. about this...where does the time go? The contest closes on March 27—that's Thursday—so enter right now. Pronto, before you forget!

Poisonous Plants Video and..Don't Miss Live Chat Tomorrow!

Lilies, amaryllis, English ivy… What flora should be forbidden in your home, pet parents? These common plants, along with 14 others, are featured in a new video hosted by our own Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist & ASPCA Senior Vice President. Created especially for National Poison Prevention Week, March 16-22, the video outlines possible toxic effects, along with actual examples of each plant, so you know what to look out for.



P.S. Got questions about other potentially toxic plants and substances? Why not ask our ASPCA experts directly!? Join our live “Ask the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center” chat TOMORROW, March 20, from noon to 2:00 P.M. EST in the ASPCA Online Community. Dana Farbman, CVT, Senior Manager, Professional Communications, and Dr. Eric Dunayer, Veterinary Toxicologist, will be ready to answer your toughest questions about pet poison control.

Find Us on Bebo!

Have you heard about Bebo yet? It's a social networking site that's especially popular with the young crowd! We've launched a new profile there, and we hope you'll send us a friend request! While you're at it, comment on the photos of our animals from our adoption center and draw a picture on our white board.

Official ASPCA Bebo Profile

See you on Bebo!

Adopt-A-Bull Contest

Nobody loves a story about someone finding their perfect four-legged match as much as we do—except maybe you. Now, we’re putting out a call for adoption success stories featuring pit bulls. What better way to get the word out that pit bulls can indeed make loving and loyal, delightful and devoted companions?

We've launched the Adopt-A-Bull Contest (pretty clever, if we do say so ourselves), sponsored by the New York-based Animal Farm Foundation, Inc, a group dedicated to protecting American pit bull terriers from discrimination and cruelty. We're accepting nominations of successful adoptions of pit bulls made at shelters using the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match™ program. MYM focuses on the individual dog and adopter—making matches based on an individual dog’s behavior and the lifestyle and expectations of the adopter.

The contest will run four times throughout the year, with one winner announced each quarter. The winning shelters will be awarded a $4,000 grant, and the dog-and-pet parent matches from each winning shelter will score a prize pack and automatically be entered into the “Vote for Your Favorite Match” contest, which will take place here, online at ASPCA.org., in February 2009. Yep, we’ll be asking you to cast their vote for your favorite couple, so stay tuned!

The grand-prize shelter winner will be treated to a trip to New York City to participate in the third annual ASPCA Day celebration (that’s April 10, 2009) and a $5,000 grant, and the pet parent-pooch duo who receives the most votes in our online contest will win a photo shoot with a professional photographer and a bronze of their top dog.

And if, over the course of the contest, any of our winning dog-human duos get you thinking that a pit bull might make a perfect match for your family, please visit ASPCA.org for more information…that’s the point of our contest, after all!

Meet Your Match Shelters: Enter the Contest!

Recent Pit Bull/Pit Bull Mix Adopters: Enter the Contest!

Now, since we figure we're entitled to one bad pun per blog post, we'll sign off saying this: If you don't enter this contest and you're eligible, that'll really be the pits.

Our Response to Infamous Marine-Puppy Video Clip

Thanks to everyone who contacted us about the video clip recently seen all over the Web, where a member of the United States Military can be seen apparently committing a heinous act of animal cruelty, flinging a puppy off a cliff.

We understand your outrage. Please click here to view our response. We invite and encourage you to share this link with your friends who are concerned about the upsetting incident.

Live Chat With ASPCA Lawyer-Lobby Expert!

I always hear the term “Breed Specific Legislation,” or BSL. What does that mean?

How can I help pass humane legislation in my state?

What’s the best way to get my legislator’s attention about a humane issue?

The number-one question we get here at the ASPCA is: How can I help? (This also happens to be our favorite question!) Lobbying for laws that protect animals is a great way to get involved. Wanna find out more about humane laws and how the legislative process works? Just ask the ASPCA’s Ledy VanKavage, Esq., Senior Director of Legislation and Legal Training.

VanKavage will be on hand to answer your questions live Friday, March 7 from noon to 2:00 P.M. EST in our ASPCA Online Community. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the humane movement! For more information, please visit the Lobby For Animals section on our website.

How to Donate Without Spending a Dime

Bet you thought it was impossible to donate money without actually, well…donating money! Well, we've teamed up with AnimalAttraction.com, an online community for pet lovers, and for each new free registration on the site, Animal Attraction will donate $1 to the ASPCA! Not only that, but for each friend you refer who joins, they’ll donate another dollar—and for every new day you log in, they’ll give an extra penny. Believe us, it adds up.

The amount AnimalAttraction contributes to the ASPCA shows up on your profile, so you can proudly track the money you’ve helped raise. And it won’t be difficult to want to sign in every day—there are plenty of fun incentives on AnimalAttraction to keep you hooked. They’ve got a photo contest, pet news and other exciting features.

Goin' For the Gold: ASPCA Talent Show

Last Friday, we celebrated I Love NYC Pets Month by giving shelter dogs a chance to take the stage. At the ASPCA’s third annual “Best in Show” competition, ten adoptable dogs displayed their talents to our panel of celebrity judges, including Emmy award-winning Third Rock from the Sun actress Kristen Johnston; legendary actress and singer Maureen McGovern; HOT 97 DJ Angie Martinez; Lonneke Engel, the face of Ralph Lauren’s HOT perfume, and the ASPCA’s Supervisory Special Investigator, Officer Annemarie Lucas.

The feisty contestants─scored on overall presentation, attentiveness to their handlers and creativity of their tricks─really hammed it up for our judges. Honda, a seven-year-old Rottweiler, put all of his toys away. Yankee, an eight-year-old pit bull mix, played "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on a toy piano to score second place, and one-year-old pit mix Charlie’s kiss-giving expertise earned him third prize. But it was Jazz, a three-year-old mastiff mix, who took top honors when, wearing her special fire-fighting T-shirt, she demonstrated the three rules of fire safety: Stop, Drop and Roll.

All the dogs were rewarded with treats, resounding applause and television coverage, and the following weekend, Jazz really did get first prize─she was adopted! That was the point of the contest after all, to show potential adopters just how snuggly, smart and loveable our shelter dogs are.

“I have never met anyone who’s had a bad experience with a rescue dog,” Kristen Johnston told CBS while scratching her very own ASPCA rescue, Pinky, under the ears. The seven-year-old pit bull mix watched all the action as she basked in her adoptive mom’s adoring touch.

Here we have a video of the talent show, for your viewing pleasure!

Poor Poodle; Amazing Arrest

Last Tuesday, ASPCA Special Agent Debbie Ryan arrested Diana Elias, 52, at her home on East 122nd Street, New York City, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. Following up on an anonymous complaint, Agent Ryan discovered Elias’s six-year-old miniature poodle, Miss Bea, in a closet, encased in a solid cocoon of matted hair laden with urine, feces and filth. Long-term lack of grooming and exercise had rendered Miss Bea unable to stand or walk; she was also suffering from an ear infection and nails so overgrown that they curled around and pierced the skin on her paw pads. Vets at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH) removed three pounds of knotted hair—one-third of the dog’s total body weight.

“This was an extreme case of neglect, one that didn’t happen overnight,” says Dr. Robert Reisman, ASPCA Medical Coordinator of Animal Abuse Cases. “The muscles in Miss Bea's front legs had atrophied due to non-use, and her carpal joints—the equivalent of wrists in humans—became extended to compensate for her immobility. It took at least four months for her to reach this state.”

While Elias, charged with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty, faces up to one year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine, Miss Bea is getting her second chance at life and love. After completing medical treatment at BMAH, including spay surgery and a thorough grooming, she was made available for adoption. On February 14, her new parents, Gabrielle and Giovanna Sorci, came all the way from Pennsylvania to adopt the little white dog and give her the love and nurturing she deserves—a true Valentine’s Day success story!

If you know of an animal whose health is being compromised by neglect, please report it. In New York City, contact the ASPCA's anonymous tip line at (877) THE-ASPCA. To learn how to report cruelty elsewhere, visit our Report Cruelty section.

ASPCA Animals Featured on Oprah.com!

Naturally, the Oprah Winfrey show is focusing on love today. And even more naturally, Oprah is making the wonderful connection between love and adopting an animal!

Check out the 20 featured dogs and cats on Oprah.com. They are all available at our ASPCA Adoption Center!

Safety Tips For Valentine's Day (Huh?)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bet you never thought to associate Valentine's Day with pet hazards, but hey, that's our job, to be better safe than sorry. So please read these tips to keep your furry ones safe today, and then proceed to give them a kiss and a hug. After all, have you ever had a Valentine who gives you more love?

- Many varieties of lilies are highly toxic to cats, so if these are your—or your Valentine’s—flower of choice, make sure your cats can’t get near them. Other potentially poisonous flowers may include tulips, amaryllis, daisies, chrysanthemums and baby’s breath. Check out our Safe Flower Guide for a list of alternatives.

- Candlelit dinners are about as high on the romantic scale as you can get—but please don’t leave the room while flames are still burning. Many pets, particularly kittens, are attracted to the flames and could get burned or singed. Let curious paws find safer things to play with!

- Take extra care if you’ll be serving vino with your dinner—many pets have been known to explore an alcoholic beverage left in a glass. If ingested, this could cause a range of symptoms, from vomiting and diarrhea to metabolic disturbances and even coma.

Click here for the complete ASPCA Guide to a Pet-Friendly Valentine’s Day.

New ASPCA Online Book Club--For Young 'Uns!

With the launch of Henry’s Book Club, named after visionary and ASPCA founder Henry Bergh, young animal-loving readers can sink their teeth into wonderfully written humane books─and share their thoughts with each other online.

Each month our humane education experts will feature a book for young adults from our collection of Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award winners. Readers will be invited to a moderated online discussion with thought-provoking questions provided by ASPCA experts and the book authors themselves. And, as a special experience, they’ll be invited to live, online chats with the authors. Our first author chat will be held next Thursday, February 14, from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. EST, in the Henry's Book Club Online Community. Ann Martin, author of this month’s young adult selection A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray, will answer readers’ questions directly.

For the little literati, not only will we feature a book each month, chosen by Henry, the club’s canine mascot who dons a Bergh-esque top hat, but we'll give parents and teachers guidelines on how curious young readers can start their own book clubs. So let’s put some great humane literature into the hands of our next generation and let them discuss the books with their own literary set.

"Little Black Dress" Contest--Benefit for Animals and Egos!

Who: Shapes Total Fitness and Blue Martini present “Little Black Dress” to benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

What: The “Little Black Dress” contest is for all females in Tampa Bay over 21, and prizes will be awarded to women in several age categories. Tickets are $10 at the door and $5 in advance, with a $25 registration fee. All proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay!

Where: Blue Martini at International Plaza

When: Semifinals- Monday, February 11th, 6-9pm
Finals- Wednesday, February 13th, 6-9pm (Top 5 from each age category make the finals)

Why: Because your contributions will go toward homeless animals and because you’ll get to celebrate your fabulous shape in man’s most fabulous (and flattering!) invention—the little black dress.

Did You Catch CSI Last Night?

Created in close consultation with two ASPCA experts—Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives, and Dr. Melinda Merck, the country’s premiere “animal CSI,” last night’s episode focused on the brutal and illegal world of dog fighting. A special thanks to CSI for helping us raise public awareness of this abominable form of animal cruelty.

If you missed it and would like to learn more about what you can do to stop dog fighting, please visit the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Resource Center.

Live Chat with Expert Psychologist--Today!!

Help, my boyfriend asked me to choose between him—and my cat!

Will I ever be able to cope with the loss of my best friend—my dog?

Is there a way to get my new husband to warm up to my pets?

The ASPCA's Dr. Stephanie LaFarge is a psychologist who specializes in human/animal relationships and the human/animal bond. You may have seen her regular Q&A column on our website. Today, February 8, the good doctor will be in to host a live chat on our ASPCA Online Community. Please join us from noon to 2:00 P.M. EST to gain some expert insight and advice for strengthening your relationships with the four-legged members of the family.

How Does Your Dog Measure Up?

That's right, we need your dog's measurements. We’re looking to expand our ASPCA Collection of collars, coats, life preservers and harnesses, and in order to best suit (literally!) the needs of all canines, we'd love to get the stats of your pooch's chest, neck and body.

Don’t worry, we're not looking for 34-24-34. That'd probably look pretty silly, actually. Before you grab your tape measure, make sure you sit your dog down and tell her that true beauty is found within, and you love her no matter what her proportions are. For full details on how to measure your dog, and to take the survey, please click here. Hurry, the deadline is next Friday, February 8—and thanks in advance for your help.

Show Us the Love!

Remember the first time you fell in love? You gazed into each other’s eyes, and all you could hear was the thump, thump, thump of… his wagging tail?

You know how we love to celebrate the human-animal bond at the ASPCA, and this February, we’re thrilled to announce our My Furry Valentine Photo Contest in honor of your first puppy (and kitty) loves. We wanna see your best shot of your best bud—maybe it was your childhood pooch, or the first four-legged member of your current family. You know, that special furry someone who opened up your heart and helped you earn a lifetime membership as a doting pet parent.

The top ten winners will receive an ASPCA Prize Pack, and winning photos will also be featured on the ASPCA website and in ASPCA Action. Please visit ASPCA.org for complete details and contest rules. Entries will be accepted now through February 29—we can’t wait to see what you’ve got for us!

Make 'Em All Say AWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Bypass the candy and flowers this Valentine’s Day—how cliché, right? A professional portrait of you and your real true love—your pet—is the ultimate gift.

For a $75 donation to the ASPCA, you will get a 30-minute professional photo shoot at the ASPCA’s 424 East 92nd Street headquarters with photographer Geoffrey Tischman. You’ll also receive a 5 X 7 portrait from the shoot, and when you order additional Valentine’s Day cards and custom prints, 50 percent of those funds will benefit the homeless animals at the ASPCA.

Tischman will be available on Friday, February 1, and Saturday, February 2, from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. As space is limited and RSVPs are required, please call (212) 876-7700, ext. 4586 to reserve your spot.

P.S. All pets are welcome—the furry, the feathered and the scaly!

Double Digits, Dawg!

We're here to brag--er, humbly report--that ASPCA adoptions at its Manhattan headquarters and mobile adoption center, as well as mobile spay/neuter surgeries, each experienced double digit increases in 2007. Whoo hoo!

“The plight of homeless animals is still a significant concern in New York City,” said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. “But by focusing on increasing adoptions and preventing unwanted litters, we’re increasing exponentially the number of lives we can save.”

In 2007, a total of 2,728 cats and dogs were adopted, a 21 percent increase over 2006, when 2,253 were adopted. “This is the largest percentage increase we’ve ever seen in a one-year span,” said Gail Buchwald, the ASPCA’s Senior Vice President of Animal Placement and Mobile Clinic Outreach.

The rise in adoptions at the ASPCA in 2007 is attributed in part to a $5 million, state-of-the-art renovation completed in the fourth quarter of 2006, which increased the capacity in its Pet Adoption Center by 40 percent. The quality housing space, in a cheerful and cage-free environment, helps showcase pets and increase their chances for adoption.

**Click here to check out the available animals at the ASPCA, and get a tour of our awesome adoption center!

One Million Strong!

Slaps on the back all around...we did it! Back in September 2006, we first asked you to lend your support—and signatures—to the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, started by the UK-based World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). The petition calls on governments all over the world to accept animal welfare as an important issue.

We are thrilled to report that on December 22, 2007, Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oscar Arias signed the petition, making him its one-millionth signatory! WSPA’s goal for 2008 is two million more signatures on the petition, and its ultimate goal is 10 million signatures and United Nations adoption of the declaration.

Every nation in the world is now represented on the petition. Have you signed it yet? To find out more about the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, please visit http://www.animalsmatter.org/.

'Tis The Season...Sorta!

It's never too early to start next year's Christmas shopping! Not when there are sales to be had.

Check out our online store for amazing discounts on the cutest holiday cards, ornaments and stockings.

Jason Taylor Has a New Defensive Strategy

Don’t sit on the sidelines, animal lovers—come join Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor on the ASPCA team! In a brand-new public service announcement (PSA) created by the ASPCA in partnership with the National Football League, Jason introduces us to his good buddy of 11 years, Bear the Akita. “Nothing compares to the love and loyalty of a pet,” says the defensive end. “This little guy’s a big part of my team….and today, we need you to get in this game.”

Jason is not only a football star, animal hero, and in the opinion of some female ASPCA staffers, dreamy—he was recently selected to play on the AFC Pro Bowl squad! Whoo-hoo!

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