Animal Cruelty

Guest blog by Jessica Johnson, Senior Manager of Grassroots Advocacy for ASPCA Government Relations.

Is your pup patriotic? Today is Dogs in Politics Day!

Officially called “Checkers Day” after the famous 1952 speech by then-Senator Nixon, this day celebrates the importance of our four-legged friends, even in Washington! Canines have had the run of the White House for decades and have joined members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

It is never too early to use your retirement assets wisely: People of all ages have IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s, and yet these assets are often overlooked when considering how to help animals in need. A beneficiary designation on a retirement plan costs nothing now, and at the same time allows you to include the ASPCA in your future charitable giving without having to consult an attorney.

It’s been just over a year since the ASPCA rescued 367 dogs in the second-largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history, and today we’ve reach another milestone: Two more dogs from that bust are ready for forever homes.

Guest blog by ASPCA President & CEO Matt Bershadker

Just because most disasters strike with little or no warning doesn’t mean we can’t effectively prepare for them. But while a lot of attention has been devoted to disaster planning for people, disaster planning for pets is all too often left out of the conversation, with tragic results. September may be National Preparedness Month, but the truth is we should always be preparing –with both ourselves and our pets in mind—so we can always be ready.

The ASPCA, at the request of the Monroe County Humane Investigator and the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, is assisting with the removal and sheltering of 15 dogs and a parakeet found living in an overcrowded mobile home in rural Kendall, Wisconsin.

As a result of an investigation initiated by Monroe County Humane Investigator Bekah Weitz, a search warrant was executed this morning for the removal of the animals.

If a natural disaster or emergency strikes, will you be prepared? As part of National Preparedness Month, the ASPCA wants to make sure that pet parents are ready for any situation that may arise. That’s why we’re hosting the ASPCA Disaster Preparedness Month Hangout tomorrow, Thursday, September 18 from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M EST.

Back in June, we told you about the ASPCA’s new neonatal kitten ward. This first-of-its-kind facility was designed specifically to manage the influx of newborn kittens that flood shelters every year during feline breeding season (also known as “kitten season”). Now, just three months later, we are thrilled to share one of the neonatal ward’s very first success stories. Here is Catsup’s “Happy Tail.”

The ASPCA is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case of a deceased cat discovered inside a cooler with a rope tied around its neck on September 2 in Lee County, Florida.

The female gray-and-white tabby was found by a resident on the side of the road on Elva Avenue in Lehigh Acres, according to Lee County Domestic Animal Services, which is leading the investigation. The cat appears to have been strangled.

As the 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge wraps up, we’d like to congratulate the three finalists in the running to win the Community Engagement Award: