Animal Cruelty

Chicken Scratch is an ASPCA Blog feature that highlights interesting news about farm animals and farm animal welfare.

For a one-year-old Shih Tzu named Cosita, life wasn’t always easy. Purchased from a pet store and then neglected for nearly a year, Cosita was suffering from a number of physical and emotional ailments by the time she was rescued by the ASPCA. But despite it all, this petite pup had a lot of love to give—and fortunately, she found the perfect person to give it to. Here is Cosita’s Happy Tail.

It may be just the start of November, but a group of kittens is getting out of school early this year! On November 4, the ASPCA hosted a ceremony for a class of felines who recently graduated from our kitten nursery. These kittens—many of whom came in as neonates and were in jeopardy from the moment they were born—have received extensive medical and behavioral rehabilitation and will be available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center.

It is well known that pets can bring joy and enrichment to an adopter’s life, but did you know that animals can also make a major impact on the lives of strangers? Through Animal Assisted Therapy, your pet’s paws and purrs can provide health, healing and comfort to people in need.

With so many critical issues facing our country, making sure your voice is heard at the ballot box tomorrow is more important than ever. On November 4, Americans will be electing all 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 36 U.S. Senators, as well as many governors, state senators and representatives, and local elected officials. These individuals will be making policy that will have tremendous impact—for better or worse—on the lives of our nation’s animals for the next two to six years.

Halloween, the spookiest, kookiest day of the year, is finally here! It’s time to bust out the glitter and fake blood, and dress up your pets in the cutest, cleverest costumes you can find. But wait—is trick-or-treat apparel really a good idea for your furry friends?

In honor of the cutest holiday around, we’re joining forces for the second year running with car service Uber and humor site I Can Has Cheezburger for UberKITTENS, a very special seven city kitten event.

Special-needs animals can make wonderful pets, but they’re not right for every adopter. For proof, look no further than Gia—a sweet, overweight, asthmatic kitty who was adopted and returned multiple times over the course of three years. Though it is hard to see an animal stay at our Adoption Center for so long, it makes it that much more rewarding when they finally find the forever home they deserve. Here is Gia’s Happy Tail.

We have exciting news! In just one weekend, animal welfare groups in 33 communities nationwide found homes for 4,865 cats and dogs during the ASPCA’s 2014 Mega Match-a-thon October 17-19.