Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~
Companion pets play important roles in all aspects of our lives. Their unconditional love is something that all pet guardians acknowledge and appreciate. As Independent Pet Consultants for Shure Pets, we understand this truly unique and irreplaceable relationship, and as a result, proudly offer a premium line of pet products, fundraising programs and business opportunities dedicated to the health and welfare of animals.
For more information on pet events benefiting the rescue community, please visit our News and Events page.
Make Your Voice Heard!
2008 is proving to be an intense election year! Now more than ever, our state elected officials need to hear from us (the voters!) on legislation impacting the welfare of OH's animals:
HB 22 - To amend sections 959.99 and 2152.19 of the Revised Code to increase certain penalties for cruelty to animals and to require a child under fifteen years of age who commits cruelty against a companion animal to undergo psychological counseling. HB 45 - To enact sections 1534.01 to 1534.14 and 1534.99 of the Revised Code to require persons who possess dangerous wild animals or exotic animals to obtain a personal possession permit and to establish requirements regarding the possession and care of dangerous wild animals and exotic animals.
HB 223/SB 173 - To amend sections 955.02, 955.10, 955.12, 955.20, 955.26, and 1901.183 and to enact sections 956.01 to 956.19, 956.98, and 956.99 of the Revised Code to establish licensing requirements and standards of care for certain dog breeding kennels and dog intermediaries.
To locate your legislator in the Ohio General Assembly House and/or Senate, click here.
The New Ohio Horse License Plate will Soon Be Available at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles!
Costing the owner of a car, truck or trailer an additional $30 annually, the Ohio Coalition for Animals will receive $20 from every plate sold. Funds will be dispersed throughout the state to assist with the challenges facing the horse industry of Ohio.
Please Support Us in Our Efforts!
Since 2004, the Buckeye Dog Auction in Holmes County, OH has grown into anything but run of the mill. The majority of breeders from across the Midwest who participate in this event are raising large numbers of puppies for profit in mills - mass dog breeding establishments with living conditions characterized by overcrowding, filth, and lack of food, water, shelter and little to no veterinary care.
For more information on our efforts to ban dog auctions in Ohio, we invite you to visit the website - Ban Ohio Dog Auctions.
Introduced Legislation Sets Guidelines for Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes!
New legislation in the U.S. Senate, introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), directs the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) to include animal cruelty crimes as a separate category in the agency's crime data reporting system.
"Having the ability to track animal cruelty cases anywhere in the country is a long overdue step that would not only help animals, but would also give law enforcement agencies the tools they need to prevent violent offenders from escalating their terrible behavior," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States, and president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
The Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007 directs the U.S. Attorney General to modify the FBI's crime data reporting systems, which include the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the National Incident-Based Reporting System, and the yet-to-be released Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx), to list cruelty to animals as a separate offense category.
Although all states have anti-cruelty laws and 43 states provide felony-level penalties, local police agencies do not have a place in their reporting forms to enter these crimes. The result is that animal cruelty crimes are assigned to miscellaneous categories that provide no further guidance to law enforcement agents or policymakers. Without accurate tracking, there is no way to access important information such as trends or the relationship to demographic and geographic data, on which to base policy development and resource allocation.
Sen. Menendez was joined in introducing the bill Dec. 12 by co-sponsors Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). In the House of Representatives, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) have been leading the effort to add animal cruelty to the FBI’s crime data reporting system.
The American Humane Association supports this legislation. Tell your senators to co-sponsor and support the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007!
Foreclosure Crisis Means More People Must Give Up Pets!
The mortgage crisis unfolding around the country, particularly in hard-hit states like Ohio, often has an unpublicized victim: the family dog. Nearly 20 percent of the 182 people who deposited dogs at the Franklin County Dog Shelter by the middle of December this year said they were being evicted. "There's even a national term for it: 'foreclosure dogs'," said Lisa Wahoff, the shelter's director.
Read more about how Lisa and her team are raising awareness about this very important issue impacting the rescue community in the December 22, 2007 issue of WCPO.com.
Discrimination Against Dogs: 'Black Dog Syndrome'!
Many loving pooches in need of good homes nationwide are being overlooked and underadopted at area shelters, and they all share one thing in common: the color of their fur. It's a phenomenon called "black dog syndrome" and it has pet advocates worried.
Read more about how Columbus Top Dogs supporter, David Cuccia, and his beloved companion, Jasmine, are raising awareness about this very important issue impacting the rescue community in the June 30, 2007 issue of WCBSTV.
