Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

To contact us Click HERE


March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

To contact us Click HERE

I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

Stephanie's Favorite Songs, 2011

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As always, it was a good year for music! I've completed my favorite song list of 2011 and posted it on Spotify.
The full list, in song order, is below, with a few annotations here & there.
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks A great song to kick off the collection, it also kicks off a short gun-themed set. Note that the collection ends with a gun-themed song too.
Imelda May – Johnny Got A Boom Boom
Danger Mouse – Two Against One (feat. Jack White) Danger Mouse's Rome CD was amazing - I chose 2 songs for this collection, but there are many more great songs too.
Chris Difford – Like I Did Good for all the rock-loving parents out there, and quite a lovely tune too.
Diego Garcia – Under This Spell I'm guessing Amy's Leo will like this one.
Gomez – Options
Imelda May – I'm Alive Sounds quite a bit like Nick Lowe; and each of the 3 Imelda May songs here sound different from each other.
Nick Lowe – Shame on the Rain Yeah, I should have included his song "I Read A Lot" but this fit better.
The Steep Canyon Rangers – Atheists Don't Have No Songs Steve Martin is amusing here. This song kicks off a short (and hopefully not-too-offensive) religion set.
The Dirt Daubers – Wake Up, Sinners
Eliza Gilkyson – 2153
Eleanor Friedberger – Heaven
Emmylou Harris – Big Black Dog A great sing-along song, whether you have a dog or not. It's fun for cat lovers too.
Iron & Wine – Tree By The River How can you not love a song with this lyric: "I mean the world to a potty-mouth girl, with a pretty pair of blue-eyed birds." ?!
Danger Mouse – Black (feat. Norah Jones)
Sarah Jarosz – Annabelle Lee
Robbers On High Street – Second Chance Thanks to Amy for alerting me to Robbers on High Street; this isn't the song she first recommended, but it's quite a fun song anyway.
Garland Jeffreys – Rock On The first of two covers; I want to pair this one with Spiders & Snakes.
Imelda May – Tainted Love The start of this song makes me think of the Waitresses, which surely was intentional.
Noah And The Whale – Just Me Before We Met My favorite line: "don't be shy; be brave little champion."
Peter Bjorn And John – Tomorrow Has To Wait
Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane Lolhusband doesn't like that there is only one lyric here, but I love how it sounds.
Thomas Dolby – Road To Reno It's been a long time since he's had a new album, and this was worth waiting for.

If CDs were more than 80 minutes, we'd have more songs here ... but these are the cream of the 2011 crop.

A Librarian's View of ScienceOnline

To contact us Click HERE
I've submitted a photograph to #scio12 science-art show.  I wanted to convey something about science, which is tough since what I most like to photograph is flowers and cats. Ok, I could have argued that they were science photos, but I thought it was a stretch.
I thought more about it and decided to take photos of some of the books I've acquired (for myself or for my library) as a result of ScienceOnline past & current.  Here, therefore, is my view of ScienceOnline:

The books are, from top to bottom:

• Graedon, J., & Graedon, T. (2011). The people's pharmacy quick & handy home remedies. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
• Zimmer, C. (2011). A planet of viruses. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Skloot, R. (2010). The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers.
• Dunn, R. R. (2011). The wild life of our bodies: Predators, parasites, and partners that shape who we are today. New York: Harper.
• McKenna, M. (2010). Superbug: The fatal menace of MRSA. New York: Free Press.
• Linden, T. (2011). The New York times reader: Health and medicine. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.
• Tucker, H. (2011). Blood work: A tale of medicine and murder in the scientific revolution. New York: W.W. Norton.
• Mooney, C., & Kirshenbaum, S. (2009). Unscientific America: How scientific illiteracy threatens our future. New York: Basic Books.
• Specter, M. (2009). Denialism: How irrational thinking hinders scientific progress, harms the planet, and threatens our lives. New York: Penguin Press.
• Meredith, D. (2010). Explaining research: How to reach key audiences to advance your work. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press.

You can check out (literally and figuratively) these books on my WorldCat list of ScienceOnline Books.

Field trip to Durham's @LifeandScience museum! #scio12

To contact us Click HERE
I was thrilled to go on a behind the scenes tour of Durham's fabulous Museum of Life and Science at last week's ScienceOnline conference. Here is an annotated visual tour of the trip, with photos taken by several of us on the tour. I used Storify to curate the images, which were posted on Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube (the bear video is awesome; especially the last 10-20 seconds).

Thanks especially to Keeper Mikey for the tour!

Police: Dog breeder cited for animal cruelty in E.B

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EAST BRUNSWICK — Summonses have been issued to a township woman who police said was breeding and hoarding more than 60 Shih Tzus in her Rues Lane home.Ellen Shih was cited for 63 counts of animal cruelty, 63 counts of failure to provide veterinary care, 58 counts of unlicensed dogs and 58 counts of no rabies inoculation. Police said Shih used to breed and sell the dogs, but the situation had become “unmanageable.”According to police, the dogs were found in poor condition, with flea infestation, flea dermatitis, contact dermatitis, conjunctivitis and other health conditions when the Helmetta Animal Control Service went to the home on Sept. 27 in response to complaints of possible animal hoarding. The dogs were removed and taken to the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter, Main Street.After reports of the dogs’ removal surfaced in the local media, dozens were quickly adopted by new owners.Brandon Metz, an animal control officer for the Helmetta Animal Control Service, said that as of Oct. 9, only nine of the 63 dogs remained at the shelter. The majority of the remaining dogs are pregnant females, he said..."  More

SPCA seizes 51 animals at Adams County farm

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The Adams County SPCA has seized 51 animals at a farm near East Berlin.

A humane officer said some of the animals were found dead or near death with parasites, untreated wounds and signs of malnutrition. A dozen cats had to be euthanized after they were seized.Calves, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, horses and rabbits were seized, according to a property owner.The property owner said the animals were not neglected or distressed.The SPCA plans to file charges including animal cruelty..."  Link & video

Ogden dog hoarder wonders why he did it

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A 60-year-old man says he doesn’t know how he let his good intention to rescue dogs turn into a hoarding situation that ended with last week’s removal of 149 sick and starving Chihuahua dogs from his home in Ogden."I don’t understand me," Miguel Salgado told the Standard-Examiner (http://bit.ly/XSaEuv ). "I think now: ‘Why?’"Animal services officers and volunteers removed the mixed-breed Chihuahuas from his home and took them to four agencies. Health officials have told Salgado he can’t live in the house until it’s cleaned out and he will have to replace all his furnishings, including clothes. Until then, he is staying with friends.Salgado said he shut off his electricity and telephone service to pay for dog food, of which the dogs went through an estimated 100 pounds a week.He said things got out of control after he underwent open-heart surgery two years ago. He took in strays, dogs given to him by neighbors and canines dumped over his fence by others. Only a few were spayed or neutered."The doctors tell me, ‘You lucky man. No operation, you dead,’ " said Salgado, who speaks limited English. "All I’m thinking is, ‘What happen to my dogs?’ "When animal services officers and volunteers removed the Chihuahuas from his home, the dogs were suffering from starvation and ammonia burns from exposure to urine. Some have birth defects from inbreeding. They will be put up for adoption after receiving shots and an examination by a veterinarian.Salgado cried as he talked about the dogs being gone..."  More

Humane Society given custody of 173 seized animals: Owner will not appeal decision

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By Andrew Snyder

The Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) was awarded custody Monday of 173 animals recently seized in Denton County. The species involved include guinea pigs, cats, chickens, rabbits, goats, donkeys, doves, ducks, geese and an emu.

The animals were seized from their owner on Sunday, Nov. 11.

“Discovering many different species, especially in pairs like this, signals a suspected breeding situation,” said Shelly Meeks, lead investigator at the HSNT, in a release following the seizure. “The conditions were absolutely deplorable, with feces and animal carcasses everywhere, as well as inadequate food and water. There were animals forced to live in small enclosures with animal carcasses.”

The owner chose not to appeal the custody decision, and the HSNT will now be able to begin placing the animals with new owners. The organization is preparing 30 bunnies for adoption, by spaying and neutering them, as well as several donkeys, pigeons and doves. Those interested in adopting an animal can mail, fax or turn in an application at the HSNT office at 1840 East Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth.

The 173-animal seizure came just over a month after two additional instances of mass animal neglect. The Flower Mound Police Department recently recovered 51 Maltese mix-breed dogs abandoned on the side of the road days after the HSNT recovered 41 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels abandoned in Sanger.

Flower Mound police captain Richard Brooks said the dogs recovered by his department had “mud and feces in their hair.” All the dogs have since been adopted, but a $1,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the party responsible for dumping the dogs..."  More

Great Danes hoarded in Mpls. home

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• 
  

• by: PAUL WALSH

Authorities in Minneapolis have uncovered a hoarding case involving a breed of dog known for its mammoth size, and now they are on a mission to find good homes for the animals.Seven Great Danes were living in "filthy conditions and ... had very little socialization and care" in a home, said city spokesman Matt Lindstrom.The dogs' owner surrendered them to the city's Animal Care and Control, which placed two puppies in new homes and began handing over the other five -- all adults -- to a rescue organization in two stages starting Monday."They are wonderful dogs, but they are big dogs," said Ann Heinrich, whose Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota and Wisconsin took in three of the dogs Monday and will return for the other two Wednesday.Danes are considered the world's tallest breed, standing more than 3 feet tall from paw to shoulder and weighing at least 100 pounds by adulthood. It's the size of the five dogs that requires Heinrich to make two trips for the handoff.Even though the dogs' owner cooperated with Animal Control, "this case is still under investigation for possible animal cruelty" charges, Lindstrom said.Photos taken two weeks ago and released by the city show a thoroughly trashed living room and filth surrounding a kiddie swimming pool made into a dog's bed.In light of this case, Animal Care and Control officials said in a statement that a residence with a large number of animals is "not a healthy environment for the people or the pets."..."  More

Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

To contact us Click HERE


March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

To contact us Click HERE

I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

Mom's 75th Birthday!

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Sunday, Aug. 26th 2012 my mom turned 75. We had a party for her at W.Dennis Beach, which we entitled "The Party of Lights". Everyone was supposed to be 'lit up' in some way. This is how it looked after dark. 
Here's a photo of my mom and her 4 kids: (in order of oldest to youngest) Treg, Me, Odin (dark hair) then Grethe. Yes, we have really weird names, but you have to blame that one on my dad. They are all Scandinavian like he was. 
Here's the birthday girl herself! She was in her glory with all her kids, grand kids and friends gathered for her special day. 
I bought some light up balloons and we tied them to a bucket, put them in a kiddie pool filled with water so they wouldn't pop, (and so the kids wouldn't step on them) and my sister had some easter egg lanterns with glow sticks in them hanging off of bamboo sticks, and the candles were all just led candle lights. There were no flames at all, but the whole place looked and glowed as if there were. It was really neat looking!
Then of course, we glowed too. I have to say, it stopped passer by-ers. One even wanted to take photo's!

Breten (me), Brielle (my oldest) Odin (sister) Mom, Sienna  (my youngest) Grethe (sister)

Here is all the girls in the family, except for my youngest niece, Qena. She's only 2 and was running around  somewhere. We couldn't catch her for the photo. 

me and Brielle all a glow

This is a great photo of Brielle and her aunt, but look closely in the background and you'll see my nephew, Frey (another Nordic name) making a lovely face. Leave it to a 12 year old...

Here's Qena! (my 2 yr. old niece)

My mom with her son who she sees about twice a year (even though he lives 45 minutes away. )

Sienna, Grethe and Quince (her oldest son)

The sun went down and the lights started to glow!

My brother, and his sons, Brenden and Dylan set up their instruments and started to play. They are all really good and it was great to have live music!

another shot of the pool and lights

Add caption

It was a really fun party. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and the glow lights were such a great thing to do. I think we may just do that again next year! Happy birthday Mumma. ~

Dave's 50th

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Odin, Greg and me

This past Friday I was invited to Dave's impromptu 50th birthday party at the Lost Dog pub in Orleans. I invited my sister, Odin to go with me because she knew the whole gang that was going to be there too and I sure as heck didn't want to go alone! My old next door neighbor (when I was a kid) Greg, who invited me, and all of his friends who I used to hang out with,  were there so it was like a class reunion of sorts. I hadn't seen most of these people in 32 years and didn't even recognize a lot of them including the birthday boy! (It's funny but they said I hadn't changed - except the hair color of course) I don't know if that's good or bad.

Anyway.... There's just something warm and fuzzy about being with childhood friends. You kind of forget the present stresses and it takes you back to a simpler time in your mind, when life was easy and all you had to worry about is what to do on a Friday night. Seeing Greg especially was like seeing part of  family because he was like a brother growing up.
So, even though I was out of my comfort zone, and it was hard to talk myself into actually getting out of the house at night and going,  I'm so glad I went. I remembered what it was like to be a 'person' again- not just a mom or an artist, and I realized that I need more of that balance in my life. Balance. It's a good thing.

no more photo's?!

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Ok, so I just got an message saying I've just about hit my limit on photo's for this blog unless I start paying so much a month. Hmmmm Now I'm not sure I should continue this blog or not. I mean, I love that my blog is mostly photo's and not much writing. I guess because I'm a visual person, and I've got enough stuff to read every day. I imagine a lot of you are like me too. Sometimes one can be overloaded.

 My mom, sis, daughter and I are planning on starting an 'idea' blog, filled with creative ideas from the 4 of us- and we've already purchased the domain name; theIdeaDivas.com. I'll probably be devoting more time to that soon anyway so....... I don't know what to do.

A Librarian's View of ScienceOnline

To contact us Click HERE
I've submitted a photograph to #scio12 science-art show.  I wanted to convey something about science, which is tough since what I most like to photograph is flowers and cats. Ok, I could have argued that they were science photos, but I thought it was a stretch.
I thought more about it and decided to take photos of some of the books I've acquired (for myself or for my library) as a result of ScienceOnline past & current.  Here, therefore, is my view of ScienceOnline:

The books are, from top to bottom:

• Graedon, J., & Graedon, T. (2011). The people's pharmacy quick & handy home remedies. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
• Zimmer, C. (2011). A planet of viruses. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Skloot, R. (2010). The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers.
• Dunn, R. R. (2011). The wild life of our bodies: Predators, parasites, and partners that shape who we are today. New York: Harper.
• McKenna, M. (2010). Superbug: The fatal menace of MRSA. New York: Free Press.
• Linden, T. (2011). The New York times reader: Health and medicine. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.
• Tucker, H. (2011). Blood work: A tale of medicine and murder in the scientific revolution. New York: W.W. Norton.
• Mooney, C., & Kirshenbaum, S. (2009). Unscientific America: How scientific illiteracy threatens our future. New York: Basic Books.
• Specter, M. (2009). Denialism: How irrational thinking hinders scientific progress, harms the planet, and threatens our lives. New York: Penguin Press.
• Meredith, D. (2010). Explaining research: How to reach key audiences to advance your work. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press.

You can check out (literally and figuratively) these books on my WorldCat list of ScienceOnline Books.

Field trip to Durham's @LifeandScience museum! #scio12

To contact us Click HERE
I was thrilled to go on a behind the scenes tour of Durham's fabulous Museum of Life and Science at last week's ScienceOnline conference. Here is an annotated visual tour of the trip, with photos taken by several of us on the tour. I used Storify to curate the images, which were posted on Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube (the bear video is awesome; especially the last 10-20 seconds).

Thanks especially to Keeper Mikey for the tour!

The Easter Bunny's Important Message

To contact us Click HERE
Every year, around June and July, animal shelters around the country are seemingly instantly flooded with rabbits that are no longer wanted. Countless well-meaning families buy cute baby bunnies as Easter presents for the children, only to realize a few months down the line what complex creatures these are, what complex care they require, and what a bad combination a skittish, unneutered rabbit and a rambunctious child can be. Read this article on why rabbits don't always do so well with children and vice versa and read here about the importance of spaying and neutering.

Buying a rabbit as an Easter present is a time-tested bad idea. Sure, baby bunnies are ridiculously adorable, but they also require a varied diet, not inexpensive vet care, a spay/neuter surgery, daily attention and playtime, and intricate rabbit-proofing (which in turn requires a watchful eye and sometimes infinite patience). Rabbits are excellent pets, but only in the right circumstances, which includes knowing full-well what you're getting into. And if you've done the research and still think you're ready to get a rabbit, don't ever buy from a pet store! Instead adopt from a shelter or a rescue and save a life!

Buy a toy rabbit for Easter-- adopt a real rabbit for life!

Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

To contact us Click HERE


March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

To contact us Click HERE

I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

A Librarian's View of ScienceOnline

To contact us Click HERE
I've submitted a photograph to #scio12 science-art show.  I wanted to convey something about science, which is tough since what I most like to photograph is flowers and cats. Ok, I could have argued that they were science photos, but I thought it was a stretch.
I thought more about it and decided to take photos of some of the books I've acquired (for myself or for my library) as a result of ScienceOnline past & current.  Here, therefore, is my view of ScienceOnline:

The books are, from top to bottom:

• Graedon, J., & Graedon, T. (2011). The people's pharmacy quick & handy home remedies. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
• Zimmer, C. (2011). A planet of viruses. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Skloot, R. (2010). The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers.
• Dunn, R. R. (2011). The wild life of our bodies: Predators, parasites, and partners that shape who we are today. New York: Harper.
• McKenna, M. (2010). Superbug: The fatal menace of MRSA. New York: Free Press.
• Linden, T. (2011). The New York times reader: Health and medicine. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.
• Tucker, H. (2011). Blood work: A tale of medicine and murder in the scientific revolution. New York: W.W. Norton.
• Mooney, C., & Kirshenbaum, S. (2009). Unscientific America: How scientific illiteracy threatens our future. New York: Basic Books.
• Specter, M. (2009). Denialism: How irrational thinking hinders scientific progress, harms the planet, and threatens our lives. New York: Penguin Press.
• Meredith, D. (2010). Explaining research: How to reach key audiences to advance your work. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press.

You can check out (literally and figuratively) these books on my WorldCat list of ScienceOnline Books.

Field trip to Durham's @LifeandScience museum! #scio12

To contact us Click HERE
I was thrilled to go on a behind the scenes tour of Durham's fabulous Museum of Life and Science at last week's ScienceOnline conference. Here is an annotated visual tour of the trip, with photos taken by several of us on the tour. I used Storify to curate the images, which were posted on Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube (the bear video is awesome; especially the last 10-20 seconds).

Thanks especially to Keeper Mikey for the tour!

The Easter Bunny's Important Message

To contact us Click HERE
Every year, around June and July, animal shelters around the country are seemingly instantly flooded with rabbits that are no longer wanted. Countless well-meaning families buy cute baby bunnies as Easter presents for the children, only to realize a few months down the line what complex creatures these are, what complex care they require, and what a bad combination a skittish, unneutered rabbit and a rambunctious child can be. Read this article on why rabbits don't always do so well with children and vice versa and read here about the importance of spaying and neutering.

Buying a rabbit as an Easter present is a time-tested bad idea. Sure, baby bunnies are ridiculously adorable, but they also require a varied diet, not inexpensive vet care, a spay/neuter surgery, daily attention and playtime, and intricate rabbit-proofing (which in turn requires a watchful eye and sometimes infinite patience). Rabbits are excellent pets, but only in the right circumstances, which includes knowing full-well what you're getting into. And if you've done the research and still think you're ready to get a rabbit, don't ever buy from a pet store! Instead adopt from a shelter or a rescue and save a life!

Buy a toy rabbit for Easter-- adopt a real rabbit for life!

Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

To contact us Click HERE


March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

To contact us Click HERE

I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

Meth making, cat hoarding home comes down

To contact us Click HERE

• 
  
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• Lysee Mitri

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A dangerous home with a history of making meth and hoarding cats is being torn down in Albuquerque South Valley.The Bernalillo County Health Department and Animal Control first inspected the home, located on the 2100 block of Metzger, a year ago after receiving a complaint about too many animals being located on the property.Officials found piles of trash, feces and more than a dozen cats. But that was just the start of it, upon further investigation the strong smell of chemicals led inspectors to the making of a meth lab.County officials say they had no other choice but to tear the problem house down, and that’s exactly what they did.After coming to an agreement with the property owner, bulldozers came out the home Tuesday to take it down.Nearby residents say they’re happy to see the house come down. Demolition crews dug straight into the roof Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday to finish taking the house down..."  More & video

Valpo area home raided for animal neglect

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By Amy Lavalley 



As officials from Porter County Animal Control and the county’s animal shelter rounded up her pets, Deborah Brewer blamed “a severe depression” for the condition of her house, which reportedly was, in some places, inches deep with animal feces.


“It’s my worst nightmare, taking the only things I love in this world,” she said Monday outside her home at 405 Sturgeon Drive, in the Salt Creek Commons subdivision. She said she is willing to relinquish her dogs to the Porter County Animal Shelter for adoption, but not her 10 cats.“I cannot afford to bail them out,” she said of the dogs, adding she knows they will be properly cared for if they are adopted.In all, Animal Control seized seven dogs and one cat from the home; Brewer agreed to surrender the rest of the cats once she catches them.Brewer, 61, faces charges of animal neglect, a Class A misdemeanor; the case is being forwarded on to the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office. Brewer must post bond for a hearing to get her pets back; if she does not post bond in 10 days, they will be put up for adoption..."  More

The Easter Bunny's Important Message

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Every year, around June and July, animal shelters around the country are seemingly instantly flooded with rabbits that are no longer wanted. Countless well-meaning families buy cute baby bunnies as Easter presents for the children, only to realize a few months down the line what complex creatures these are, what complex care they require, and what a bad combination a skittish, unneutered rabbit and a rambunctious child can be. Read this article on why rabbits don't always do so well with children and vice versa and read here about the importance of spaying and neutering.

Buying a rabbit as an Easter present is a time-tested bad idea. Sure, baby bunnies are ridiculously adorable, but they also require a varied diet, not inexpensive vet care, a spay/neuter surgery, daily attention and playtime, and intricate rabbit-proofing (which in turn requires a watchful eye and sometimes infinite patience). Rabbits are excellent pets, but only in the right circumstances, which includes knowing full-well what you're getting into. And if you've done the research and still think you're ready to get a rabbit, don't ever buy from a pet store! Instead adopt from a shelter or a rescue and save a life!

Buy a toy rabbit for Easter-- adopt a real rabbit for life!

Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

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March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

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I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

Animal Control investigates report of dog hoarding in Union; seven dogs seized

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Seven dogs and a cat were seized by Porter County Animal Control on Monday from a residence in the 400 block of Sturgeon Drive in Union Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said.
The owner of the animals is facing a possible charge of cruelty to vertebrate animals.According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Animal Control Officer Patrick Cassin, on Oct. 4 a neighbor complained about the smell—which “had gotten increasingly worse over the course of the last five years”—from a home across the street. Cassin attempted to speak to the property owner that day but was unable to make contact, although he did observe “a strong odor of animal feces coming from inside the residence,” he stated in his affidavit.
Two days later, Cassin returned, went to the back, and observed through a sliding glass door animal feces so thick on the floor that “the actual floor itself could not be seen,” he stated. Once again, however, he was unable to make contact with the property owner.
Then, on Thursday, concerned about the property owner’s welfare, a PCSP was dispatched to the residence, where he also failed to make contact but did say, after looking through the windows, “that the inside of the residence was in disarray and filled to approximately chest height (five feet) with trash.”..."  More

Woman Facing Charges For Hoarding Over 60 Animals

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by Shawndrea Thomas


On Monday morning Edwardsville police served a search warrant at 73 birdie court after a series of at least 10 complaints and code violations since 2009. City officials say there were problems with un-kept grass and weeds.One of the most recent was a stench coming out of the house.  When police entered the home they discovered at least 60 animals inside, 57 cats and 3 dogs living in unsanitary conditions.A woman and her 18-year-old daughter lived in the house. Metro East Human Society Executive Director Kathy Turner says this case was shocking.“Obviously there’s some mental illness issues going on they think they’re doing them a favor they are not we know that,” said Turner.The Metro East Humane Society took in the animals. Now they’re being treated and nursed back to health. Unfortunately, one of the dogs and a cat died in the process. The Edwardsville city building inspector says the house on Birdie Court is unsafe..."  More

KC Motel Investigation: Feces, Fleas and Drugs

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Police arrested six people Wednesday morning when they were called out to 43rd and North Prospect in Kansas City, Mo., to investigate illegal drug use and animal hoarding at a motel.Police say they have received about one hundred complaints this year alone about activity at the Extended Stay Inn, according to Police Sergeant Marissa Barnes with the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.When they arrived at the motel on Wednesday, they found dozens of cats and dogs and say many of the rooms are uninhabitable with animal feces, fleas, mold, and drugs.“Definitely some fire safety issues. I mean this whole back side. Most of it’s boarded up. We’re having problems with people coming in here and squatting or coming in here and taking copper and stuff. It’s just an ongoing problem. It’s a den for crime right now,” said Sgt. Daniel Graves.Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still waiting for the owner of the motel to arrive before they determined if they will shut down the motel. If they do condemn it, as many as 50 people living there will be forced out.“After bouncing around from shelter to shelter, we found this place. And we talked to the people at first. And we wanted to know, is this safe? Because I have a daughter,” said one resident named Ashley Watson as she began to cry. “And they all told us it was safe. They told us it was a nice place. And they lied. They lied so much.”Ashley lives with her family at the motel after they lost their other home. She has a 14-month-old daughter..."  More

Aurora Man Hoarded Hundreds Of Birds

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By Amy Cavanaugh 

We've heard about plenty of cases of cat and dog hoarding, but the latest animal hoarding story makes us even more squeamish—an Aurora man's home has been condemned after it was found with hundreds of birds.
A paint contractor spotted the birds on Wednesday and called the authorities, who searched the home on Friday. Some of the birds were dead and there's a ton of trash everywhere. Rescuing the birds is on hold because no one is allowed into the house until the results of an air quality test come in on Monday. Most of the birds are not in cages and according to ABC 7, you can see the birds "fluttering in the window." The man is 57 and cooperating with authorities, so we hope this case is resolved quickly—there's a reason The Birds is our least favorite Hitchcock movie..."  Link