Get Involved

Gabriel's Angels: Making a Difference in the

Lives of Children

Since August of 2000, Gabriel's Angels has been serving the abused, neglected and at-risk children of Maricopa County through the application of pet therapy. Beginning with just one

pet therapy team, Gabriel's Angels has now grown to over 80 teams serving nearly 50 facilities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, with dozens more on the waiting list.

Pam Gaber, founder of Gabriel's Angels, and her then two-year old Weimaraner, Gabriel, happened upon a journey that would not only drastically change their lives, but those of thousands of children. After their first visit to the Crisis Nursery, Inc. in Phoenix in August of 2000, Pam realized the overwhelming need to reach as many children as possible based on the undeniable bond that was created between the children and Gabriel on that very first day. Both the on-site caretakers and social workers quickly confirmed that the children Pam and Gabriel worked with in their visits became more empathetic and nurturing toward one another. Because Gabriel offered these children unconditional, non-judgmental love, he in turn, taught these children empathy, trust and respect.

There are many horrific statistics describing the numbers of children victimized or killed each day, the types of abuse they suffer, as well as the societal affects their childhood abuse has on them as they mature into adulthood. Statistically, a large percentage of abused and neglected children will repeat the cycle of violence they experience by becoming future child abusers themselves, by becoming more susceptible to illegal drug use, juvenile delinquency and adult criminality. All of which impose a growing economic burden on society.

Gabriel's Angels Pet Therapy Teams visit crisis nurseries, domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, group homes for teens and foster care facilities throughout the Valley, all in an effort to intervene in the violence of these

children's lives. The primary focus of our therapy team visits is to cultivate the basic, healthy core behaviors in these children in order that the course of their lives might be altered from that which is statistically inevitable. For some of these children, these pet therapy visits are the only sense of joy or self-worth they experience in a day.

At the end of the day, our goal is to give back to these children some of the things their abusers have taken away - their power, a feeling of self-worth, a sense of accomplishment, trust, compassion and respect.

Please visit us at www.petshelpingkids.org

Save Pets From the Next Disaster

Help prevent what happened after Katrina from ever happening again. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act), S. 2548 and H.R. 3858, requires state and local authorities to consider the needs of individuals with pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster. You could help save thousands of people and pets from anguish -- even loss of life -- during the next major disaster, just by asking your U.S. Senators and Representative to support this legislation.

Take Action

Please call your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative and urge them to co-sponsor the PETS Act (S. 2548 and H.R. 3858) if he or she has not already done so. You can reach your federal legislators by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

On the internet: www.hsus.org and click on no pets left behind. In addition, you can find several locations in Arizona who are hosting a “Party Animals”, No Pets Left Behind Party Animals Event on June 11th . This is a great opportunity to support a worthwhile cause, help raise some funds and meet other animal lovers like yourself. Currently there are four parties locations listed: Apache

Junction, Chandler, Patagonia and Tucson.

Phoenix Shelter Helps National Pet Rescue Project Reach

It has been 115 days since a healthy* cat or dog was euthanized in Maricopa County's shelter system. The goal was to make it through the single month of

October 2005 without euthanizing a healthy animal but now, more than halfway through the month of January, the nine organizations comprising Maddie's Pet Rescue Project in Maricopa County have far surpassed that original goal. "Making it through October and meeting our goal was fantastic, and now we are nearly at the end of our fourth month without euthanizing a healthy animal. That is absolutely unprecedented," said Linda Branch-Dasch, executive director of the Arizona Animal Welfare League, the lead agency for Maddie's Pet Rescue Project.

To put this in perspective, Maricopa County is the nation's 4th largest county with 107,865 animals entering the shelter system in 2005. In fact, more than half of Arizona's entire population lives within Maricopa County's borders, which encompass more than 9,200 square miles. Making it through 115 days without euthanizing a healthy animal has never been done in an area this large and with this many homeless animals.

Maddie's Pet Rescue Project is funded by a grant from Maddie's Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation - a national foundation. The grant helps each participating organization strengthen its adoption programs and increase the number of homeless pets it can place both now and in the future. Participating Maricopa County organizations include:

* Arizona Animal Welfare League

(Lead agency on Project)

* Animal Rescue Center

* Arizona Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

* Arizona Humane Society

* Helping Animals Live On

* Maricopa County Animal Care & Control

* Pause 4 Paws

* Starting Over Animal Rescue

* Sun Valley Animal Shelter

While the initial goal has been met and surpassed, it is important to emphasize that a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure continued success. Only with the help of the public through responsible pet ownership and spaying/neutering will the Maddie's Pet Rescue Project, through the efforts of Arizona Animal Welfare League and its partners, be able to continue this extraordinary effort. For more information on Maddie's Pet Rescue Project in Maricopa County please visit www.commonpaws.org.

The term "healthy" means and includes "all dogs and cats eight weeks of age or older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable or placement as a pet, and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, a congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future." This definition is being used as a national standard for categorizing dogs and cats in shelter systems.

About AAWL:

The Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL), Arizona's oldest and largest no-kill shelter, provides adoption, resource and education programs that improve the quality of life for dogs and cats. AAWL's shelter facilities provide a temporary home for nearly 2,400 dogs and cats every year, offering medical and behavioral treatment for those in need. Founded in 1971 by "Miss Kitty" of TV's "Gunsmoke" fame, AAWL's priority is to take in adoptable animals from other shelters where they might be euthanized and to care for them until each is adopted into a loving, lifetime home. AAWL receives no government funding and is supported solely by donations and memberships. AAWL is located at 30 N. 40th Place in Phoenix. For more information, visit www.AAWL.org.

About Maddie's Fund® The Pet Rescue Foundation, (www.maddiesfund.org) is a family foundation funded by PeopleSoft Founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, to create a no-kill nation. The first step is to help develop programs that guarantee loving homes for all healthy shelter dogs and cats throughout the country. The next step will be to save the sick and injured pets in animal shelters nationwide. Maddie's Fund® was named after the family¹s beloved Miniature Schnauzer who passed away in 1997.

What to Do About a Dog Who's Left Outside

reprinted from the Humane Society of the United States: www.hsus.org

The HSUS strongly recommends that all pets be kept indoors with the family. We do not discourage pet owners from letting their dogs spend time outside, as long as the animals are supervised and under control at all times. But leaving a dog outside for long periods, especially if he or she is chained or otherwise tethered, can be physically, emotionally, and behaviorally detrimental. Dogs need companionship, care, exercise, and attention.

Tethering or otherwise leaving a dog outside for an extended period without supervision not only deprives the animal of these things, but can also lead to behavior problems (including aggression). It may place the dog in serious physical danger: A confined or tethered dog is unable to escape the harsh effects of weather (heat, cold, storms, etc.), attack by other animals, or theft or abuse by humans. The HSUS receives countless calls and letters from pet owners and neighbors about dogs who have died from exposure or been stolen, abused, or even killed while left tied outside.

If you are concerned about a dog who is frequently tethered or otherwise left outside without proper shelter, food, or water, please contact your local humane society or animal control agency. A growing number of anti-cruelty laws and ordinances include "adequate care standards" that make it illegal to keep a dog outside without proper shelter in inclement weather or dangerous temperatures. (A few communities have even enacted ordinances prohibiting the tethering of dogs.)

Your local animal care and control organization will be familiar with the laws and ordinances that apply to your particular area and situation. Even if the dog's owner is not violating any laws, an animal control officer or cruelty investigator may be able to persuade and empower the dog owner to take steps to improve the situation. In some instances, persuading the individual to voluntarily give up the dog is the best solution for the animal.

The easiest way to find your local humane society or animal control agency is online at www.Pets911.com. Here you can enter your zip code and find a list of animal shelters, animal control agencies, and other animal care organizations in your community. You may also want to call Information or look in the Yellow Pages of your phone book under listings such as "animal shelter," "humane society," or "animal control." Public animal care and control agencies are often listed under the city or county health department or police department.

If you are interested in getting a law enacted to ban the practice of tethering in your community, or if you would like to strengthen other animal protection laws already in place, please contact The HSUS at 2100 L Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

Publisher's note: let's all try and make our neighborhood a safer and kinder place for animals:

Spay or neuter your pet (s)-the pound is loaded with animals from unwanted

pregnancies

Be on the alert for animal abuse & report it

Adopt a new pal from the pound, Humane Society or other rescue group-don't buy

a animal: save a life and adopt

Contribute $ to an animal organization. They need lots of help

Spend some quality time with your animals-they live for your love

OUR HEROES…...THEIR HEROES

A huge pat on the back to the Arizona Humane Society for all their efforts in assisting the rescuing of hundreds of animals left homeless and stranded by hurricane Katrina. Not only has this organization sent four different teams of staff members to the area but has arranged for over 150 animals to be sheltered here in Phoenix until they can be matched up again with their owners. These animals will probably not be up for adoption for some time as it will take awhile to try and locate their owners.

Not only was this a mammoth commitment of time, but of money ,to step up and help out. If you would like to donate, go online to www.azhumane.org or you may mail your donations to: Arizona Humane Society, Development Depart, 1521 W. Dobbins Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85041. Indicate on the check that the money should go to the Rescue & Relief Fund.

Pictures courtesy of Arizona Humane Society

Beagles of Arizona Rescue Club

A new rescue group - Beagles of Arizona Rescue Club (BARC) has begun operations in the greater Phoenix area. As a non-profit, all-volunteer rescue group, BARC provides assistance to homeless and needy beagles.

Beagles coming into the rescue group's care are eventually placed in permanent loving homes based upon their needs.

All dogs are fostered in volunteers' homes until adoption. Adoptive homes are screened through an application and home visit process.

Goals for the new rescue group include education about the breed, providing foster homes and veterinary care, supporting volunteers in their rescue efforts and working with shelters and humane societies to reduce euthanasia of healthy animals. BARC supports a no-kill environment and local spay/neuter efforts.

Beagle lovers who want to help homeless beagles are welcome to visit the group's web site for more information. Volunteers can participate in a variety of activities including rescue events, fostering, transporting dogs and fund raising.

BARC is now accepting applications for adoptive families and volunteers. Applications and information about the group is available on their web site - www.azbarc.com.

Messages may be left for BARC at 602-212-6700. Mailing address is: P.O. Box 1156, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340-1156

Finding Simple Joys in Making a Big Difference for Dogs

By Cynthia Taylor

I'm a sucker for the shepherds. Most of us have a special affinity

for a particular breed or mix of dog, and I've got "shepherd crazy"

plastered on my forehead. Maybe it's those little eyebrows that

seem to make their eyes more expressive, or that tell-tale black

beauty mark on the cheek. Maybe it's because every dog we had

when I was growing up was a German shepherd (my dad was a

policeman). I don't know, but I'm hooked.

This is how Keota the foster dog came into my life. I was involved in a major rescue operation that saved more than 100 dogs, and it was her little face that jumped out at me first. She was one of the shy ones. All of the dogs were living outdoors in chain-link runs with doghouses. There was not much history available about her, but since she was only about 10 months old, we suspected that she was born at this place. The only home she had probably ever known was that 10 square feet she shared with another dog, with no toys and no quality human companionship and certainly no walks on the leash or visits to the dog park - nothing that resembled much of a normal home life.

For the first week in foster care, she barely stepped foot outside of her kennel-crate, which I placed in close proximity to my home office so she could see and hear me as much as possible. That safe place has been her security blanket. She never made a peep, not a whine or bark or whimper, except for the end of that first week when she went out in the dark and howled at the moon - not a haunting, scary howl, but a sweet, adorable little howl. The next morning, I found every dog toy and human shoe in the entire place had been collected into a pile in the backyard. I guess she has packrat in her veins, too.

With that discovery of toys, Keota seemed to turn a corner. Before that, unless she was in her kennel-crate, I could not approach and pet her. She always opted to keep a safe distance from me and any other people. Dogs have been a different matter. She absolutely adores the company of other dogs. I believe it was watching the other dogs interact positively with me that brought her around so quickly. I'll never forget the morning she woke me up by kissing my toe, her first attempt to initiate contact with me. Now she comes to me on her own for petting and treats.

As she has come out of her shell, she also has discovered that, in addition to playing with toys, she likes to her feet in water, as well as romp and wrestle with the other dogs. This new-found confidence also has prompted her to start doing some of those normal puppy things she probably never had the opportunity to experience when she was younger, including chewing. Somewhat surprisingly, this is actually a joy for me, because it's normal behavior for a young dog, which tells me she is on the road to social recovery. I know it is something she can overcome with support and training, just like learning to walk on the leash, another thing she has not yet mastered.

I don't know how Keota ended up homeless, but she has wriggled her way into my heart. I hope that more people will continue to get involved in fostering dogs to find out how rewarding it can be. Ironically, it's usually not the easy ones that make the biggest impact on you, but rather the ones that seem to truly need you, the ones that take the extra work.

My next task for Keota is finding the perfect adoptive home for her, with people who have at least one other dog and the patience to provide for her social and training needs. It wouldn't hurt if they have "shepherd crazy" plastered on their foreheads. I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes Keota so doggone irresistible. Maybe it's the eyebrows or the beauty mark. But I won't have to explain it to her adopters...they will just understand.

BIO: The Center for Animal Rescue and

Adoption is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to save more animals through innovative and creative problem-solving, capacity-building and collaboration. For more information, visit: www.savemoreanimals.org.

Get the new “pet friendly license plate

“It shows others how much you love animals - and it pays for spay and neuter services statewide to help end pet overpopulation. This gorgeous, four-color specialty license plate features original work by renowned artist

RON BURNS and a tag line that reads, “Pets Enrich Our Lives.” It's a must-have for anyone who wants to make the world a better place for animals in our state. Best of all, this specialty plate is just $25 - and $17 from the sale of each pet-friendly license plate is deposited into a fund that pays for spay and neuter services for dogs and cats across Arizona!”

Order online at www.servicearizona.com

Or call: Phoenix area - (602) 255-0072

Tucson area - (520) 629-9808

Elsewhere in AZ - (800) 251-5866

The Arizona Humane Society Needs Your Help!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP US SAVE LIVES BY PROVIDING FOSTER CARE?

“We are currently in dire need of foster-care families for sick, injured, abused and newborn/underage puppies, kittens, dogs and cats.”

ABOUT FOSTER CARE

“Foster care” simply means you will take in and care for ~ on a temporary basis ~ an animal who needs safe respite for a few days or weeks. There are no out-of-pocket expenses, and you work under the direction of our medical team. You can take in as many, or few, animals as you can handle, and you can provide foster care at a time that is convenient for YOU. We work diligently to match you with a pet(s) that you are comfortable caring for - we'll never pair you up with a pet you cannot adequately care for or feel uncomfortable around.

Foster care is very rewarding, as you are helping to save a life that might otherwise be lost. MOMS and DADS ~ this is a great way to help teach your kids about responsibility and help children and teens develop empathy and respect for other living beings. It's also great preparation and hands-on training if you're thinking about getting a permanent pet (think of this as the test drive!).

For more information and to help out, call 602-997-7586, ext 1040 or www.azhumane.org