10 Years, 10,000 Dogs and Cats

What can you say about a group of people who’ve been so dedicated to animals that in ten years they’ve made life-changing (and sometimes life-saving) differences in the lives of over ten thousand animals? What is in a number anyway? Not much maybe, unless you’re one of the ones being counted. And for those dogs and cats in the lucky group that have been rescued and rehomed by Almost Home Foundation – it makes all the difference in the world.
I can’t think of a better organization when it comes to people who are working to be the change for animals, than the one I’m proud to have been a part of the past decade. From the beginning, it was a group of people who focused solely on the welfare of pets. A Chicago-area rescue organization committed to no-kill, no-harm, nothing-but-respect for our furry friends.


      Chuck Hanson, President and Co-Founder, Almost Home Foundation

In its very first year of existence, Almost Home Foundation made a name for itself in neighboring towns. Aggressively seeking out volunteers, foster homes, and innovative ideas that would afford the greatest number of pets to be rescued, AHF also became known and trusted by local police departments for its reliability in assisting with homeless and abandoned pets. The network grew quickly, and so did the number of people willing to volunteer and donate.
Also in its first year, Almost Home Foundation sent a team to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The folks who went on that mission told me they were permanently affected by what they witnessed there. They were brave souls; and they brought back dogs (including a pregnant mama and her soon-to-be-born puppies) that would find homes and new families here in the Chicago area.
One dog was even reunited with its original family, who had been displaced by the hurricane and were devastated over having to leave their dog behind. The dedicated efforts of the foster family in finding the dog’s missing family helped in a historic national discussion about the importance of including family pets in official disaster plans.


Rescued by Almost Home Foundation from Puppy Parlor backroom breeding.

Over the years, Almost Home Foundation has championed causes such as spay/neuter, declawing, TNR and feral cat communities, breed discrimination and breed-specific laws, and puppy mills. AHF even rescued dogs from Puppy Parlor – a pet store with a puppy mill setup. If there was an issue that involved the welfare of cats and dogs, chances are AHF has worked to further it.

The organization has rescued many a homeless pet found in the surrounding towns. It has also provided a lifeline for many pets that were facing grim futures in high-kill shelters in downstate Illinois, as well as in southwestern states where shelters are overflowing and funds are scarce.

Lose the puppy fat: study has a bone to pick with Crufts' dumpy dogs

Basset hounds at Crufts earlier this year. The breed is one of those most likely to be overweight. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Image

The pampered pooches on show at Crufts are billed as the finest doggie specimens – but one in four is overweight, research has revealed.

Analysing 960 images of 28 different breeds of adult dogs placed between first and fifth in their class between 2001 and 2013, researchers found just over a quarter were overweight.

And widespread dissemination of pictures from the world’s largest dog show may be normalising obesity in the animals, the study published in the journal Veterinary Record said.

Pugs, basset hounds, and labrador retrievers were the breeds most likely to be too chubby, with 80% of pugs analysed by the researchers found to be overweight. All three of those breeds are renowned for being prone to obesity.

Pugs were originally bred to be a companion dog, but basset hounds and labradors were bred for hunting and fieldwork respectively, so being larger would not be advantageous, according to the researchers.

Labradors were originally used for hunting and fieldwork, so like this pair at Crufts their ideal weight should reflect this. Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian

Overweight dogs can suffer limited lifespans and are more prone to diabetes, breathing problems and orthopaedic issues, as well as certain cancers.

Standard poodles, border terriers, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Hungarian vizslas and dobermanns were the least likely to be overweight. None were underweight, which the researchers said suggested “judges are more aware of the characteristics associated with underweight condition”.

Obesity among show dogs is, perhaps unsurprisingly, less prevalent than in ordinary pet dogs. But researchers said it was still a cause for concern that 26% of dogs at Crufts appear to be above their ideal weight.

Labradors were originally used for hunting and fieldwork, so like this pair at Crufts their ideal weight should reflect this. Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian

“These dogs showcase the ideal characteristics of the pedigree breed, and there is a danger that widespread media exposure might adversely influence owner perception of optimal body shape,” the report said.

“Given the proportion of show dogs from some breeds that are overweight, breed standards should be redefined to be consistent with a dog in optimal body condition,” its authors suggested.

The Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, said its new judging criteria had policies to emphasise the importance of good canine health, including weight.

“Further effort is now required to educate owners, breeders and show judges so that they can all better recognise overweight condition, thus helping to prevent the development of obesity,” the organisation said.

Poachers shift to hornbills as rare animals decline

Because of decreasing numbers of rare wildlife species in Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL), located in North Sumatra and Aceh provinces, poachers have recently started catching the rangkong, or hornbill.

“Hornbills are currently being targeted by poachers because they are rare and hard to catch, partly because their population is further declining,” TNGL center head Andi Basrul told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Basrul said the hornbill was highly valued on the black market, and was being sought by poachers only as of this year. He added that based on the accounts of poachers arrested by officers, the price of a hornbill beak was around Rp 9 million (US$690), or Rp 90,000 per gram. Basrul said officers confiscated 12 hornbill beaks, which had been cleaned and prepared for sale overseas, from the two poachers. He said poaching suspects could face five years in prison and be fined Rp 100 million in accordance with Law No. 5/1990, which covers the conservation of natural resources and ecosystems. Meanwhile, a suspect who traded in hornbill beaks, Jamas, 37, said he had only recently traded in the bird. Jamas said that he used to poach other animals, including elephants and tigers, in TNGL. However, as the endangered animals became harder to find, Jamas said that he switched to trading hornbills. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Indonesia Program, the population of rare animals in the park, including Sumatran tigers, rhinos, elephants and orangutans, has continuously decreased over the last 20 years.

Florida law threatens jail for falsely sneaking pet around as service animal

People who try to sneak their pets into restaurants, airplanes and other public places by claiming they are specially trained service animals could face 60 days in jail under a Florida law taking effect on Wednesday.

Falsely claiming your pet is a guide dog could land you in jail under a new Florida law. Photograph: Guide Dogs for the Blind Association/PA

Under the law, judges could also make the pet owners spend a month working with organizations serving people with real disabilities.

“I love my cat,” said Florida state representative Jimmy Smith, a Republican who sponsored the legislation. “But I’m not taking my cat everywhere I go.”
Smith said some pet owners are abusing the Americans with Disabilities Act by putting a guide dog harness or insignia on their animals and taking them into places that normally bar animals.

Pet owners can easily obtain service animal vests and registration documents, even for untrained pets, by sending as little as $75 to otherwise legitimate training facilities.

“To imply that you have a medical or service animal defrauds those who really need their service animals,” Smith said.

Smith noted that some service animals are trained to sense impending seizures or other conditions such as trauma that do not meet the eye, as well as more traditional duties helping the blind and deaf.

He said some restaurants, hotels and other public facilities turn away people with guide dogs if the patrons are not blind or do not have other readily apparent disabilities.

In addition to a 60-day jail term, Smith’s bill provides for offenders to perform 30 hours of community service for an organization that serves people with disabilities.