Welcome to Animal Nation!

Lions and tigers and bears ... oh my! Pets and the wild and their rights ... oh my! We will now be writing a weekly posting dedicated to all things animals, called Animal Nation!

I would like to start this off on a cute and funny note about my dog Hannah (a.k.a. Hannah Banana .... also, the love of my life). There's no doubt that pets have a way of brightening your day. Nothing compares to that unconditional, never ending love they give .... and of course, who can forget all those entertaining and hilarious moments.

Hannah has acquired this quirky new habit lately of sleeping with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. The first time I noticed it, I laughed so hard and grabbed my camera right away to make sure I could document this kodak moment. So, here is my Hannah Banana caught with her tongue out ... hehehe!

ENJOY!


On this day, the tongue was slowly making it's way out ... lol

Help stop the animal abuse at Ringling Bros. Circus

Animals at some circuses unfortunately live miserable lives of deprivation, confinement and abuse. Ringling’s animal-care history is riddled with USDA violations and penalties. (Click here to learn more) Twenty-six Ringling elephants, including four babies, have died since 1992!

After a change of heart, former Ringling trainer Sam Haddock provided never-before-seen heart-breaking photos of baby elephants bound by the legs, neck and body with ropes and chains while being shocked and hit with bull hooks in order to learn unnatural stunts.

Please join the ARFF at their demonstrations in Orlando thsi week:
When:
• Thursday, January 14 at 6:00pm (opening night candlelight vigil; please dress in black!)
• Friday, January 15 at 6:00pm
• Saturday, January 16 at 10:00am, 2:00pm and 6:00pm
• Sunday, January 17 at 11:30 noon and 3:30pm
Where: Amway Arena - 600 West Amelia St., Orlando (view map)
Everyone will meet on the Amelia Street side of the arena, facing West Colonial Drive

Post-Ringling brunch
When: Sunday, January 31 at 10:30am
Where: Ethos Vegan Kitchen, 1235 N Orange Avenue, downtown Orlando
Even if you can't make it out to the protests, ARFF invites you to join them for brunch and find out how you can help at upcoming events. There will be a special protest recap and speaker. Don't miss it! Please RSVP to: ArffCentralFl@arff.org.

Update on Nosey the elephant
Sadly, it appears that "Nosey," the circus' solitary elephant, remains in poor health. (USDA inspectors have repeatedly noted the elephant's "extremely poor skin.")
Please contact the President of the Osceola Flea & Farmers Market and urge him not to host circuses with animals in the future.
Frank Buonauro, Jr., President
Osceola Flea & Farmers Market
2801 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.
Kissimmee, FL 34744
Fax: (407) 846-3392
E-mail: usaflea@aol.com
Online comment form

Thank you for anything you can do to be a part of helping our animals!

Peace, Love and Light!
~Ami

Help animals for free

You can help every day by clicking on the purple button at The Animal Rescue Site. When you click on the purple button, the sponsoring advertisers make a donation to feed and care for animals in shelters.

Looking to buy a something for your pet or possible searching for a great gift for your animal-loving friends? Check out The Animal Rescue Site store for an array of options! Every purchase made at The Animal Rescue Site store helps fund food for animals in shelters at no extra cost to you.

Help our lovely animals today - It’s super easy and FREE!

With warm thoughts,
~Ami

Surprised Kitty video

This is so adorable that I had to share... Hopefully it will bring a smile to your face right when you need it :)

Surprised Kitty Video

God and Dog

This is so beautiful! Made me appreciate and love my Hannah even more. Can't wait to take my morning walk ... and my walks are also my pray time. This video really touched my heart :)

Order holiday cards + ornaments that help animals

Purchase your holiday cards and ornaments through the Humane Society of the United States to support this amazing organization and help our beautiful animals.

Choose from a beautiful array of holiday cards or fun ornaments!

Spread the word and send this link to your friends and family.

Much Love!
~Ami

Earthlings - Intense!

The trailer to this documentary called Earthlings is why I am a vegetarian. Please prepare yourself before watching this trailer. It is intense - AND real! I've read a bunch of details about what we are doing to our animals and could barely get through each word, but actually seeing some of it goes way deeper. The cruelty and inhumane torture of animals is beyond my comprehension. Please take the time to watch this....it's hard to watch, but if we can eat it, we need to see it .... we need to know.... we need to be aware of what we are promoting by what we eat. So please have the courage and the heart to watch this and help spread awareness by sharing it with others.

Earthlings - watch the trailer here

Shelter animals make GREAT pets!

Between three and four million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in animal shelters across the nation. If more families looking for a pet chose to adopt their new furry friend from a shelter, we could put an end to this tragedy. The bottom line is shelter animals make great pets! Your local shelter is full of pets looking for love and a second chance for a loving and forever home.

That's why I encourage you to please take a moment to watch this video and pledge to adopt your next companion from a shelter -- you will be saving a life!

You can also search for adoptable pets near you

Person to person advocacy

Put that compassion into action for the animals! By spending just a few hours handing out literature and talking with people one-on-one, you can educate countless people about the exploitation of animals. The Animal Rights Foundation of FL (ARFF) needs your help to leaflet at the following events:

• Maitland Art Festival, October 2-3.
• Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, October 10-11.

If you can help please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Help needed at ARFF Information tables

Information tables are a great way to educate the public and provide them with literature and information they need to be informed about animal exploitation and abuse.

Animal Rights Foundation of Florida will have a booth at the Central Florida VegFest on Saturday, October 24 in Orlando's Loch Haven Park.

If you would like to sign up for a shift for one of the following events, please contact: ArffCentralFl@arff.org.

McCruelty: I'm Hatin It!

In the U.S., chickens killed by McDonald's suppliers are slaughtered using an outdated method that results in extreme suffering. As the biggest seller of chicken meat in the U.S., McDonald's has the responsibility and the ability to reduce this abuse. They can demand that their U.S. suppliers use a less cruel method of slaughter available to them called controlled-atmosphere killing, or CAK, and it would cost the corporation nothing to demand that its suppliers use it. CAK would eliminate the worst abuses currently suffered by chickens killed for McDonald's.

Please help Animal Rights Foundation of Florida speak for the chickens and educate the public at our McMurder protest.

Date and time: Saturday, October 3 (for World Farm Animals Day), starting at 6:00pm
Location: 2535 Howell Branch Road (SR 436 & Howell Branch Road), Casselberry 32707

If you can make it to the protest please RSVP to ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Ask IHOP To Let Hens Out of Their Cages

When IHOP serves its pancakes and eggs, you can be sure the eggs come from hens crammed into wire cages so small the animals can barely move for their entire lives. The restaurant chain most known for its breakfasts refuses to take make a change and buy their eggs from cage-free farms that don't cruelly confine hens in barren battery cages. Major restaurant chains such as Denny's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. got on board earlier this year…. Why can’t a restaurant as large as IHOP make the same changes?

IHOP's refusal took on new urgency this week with the release of this undercover video that reveals shocking abuses at IHOP's primary egg supplier. As you can see, the footage reveals filthy conditions, sick and injured hens, and birds forced to live in cages with the decomposing corpses of dead birds.

You can help to move IHOP away from this cruelty. Please urge IHOP to follow its competitors' lead and start switching away from battery cage eggs. Here's how:

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite phone call to Argonne, a company that owns hundreds of IHOP restaurants, at 404-364-2984 (if voicemail picks up, press '1' for Argonne President Michael Klump). You can say something like this:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling to ask IHOP to start using eggs that don't come from hens crammed into cages. I just watched the undercover video of your egg supplier, and the images of animal cruelty are appalling. Please start switching to cage-free eggs. Thank you."

After you make your call, please follow up with an email to IHOP headquarters to let them know that customers care about animal welfare.

Help animals through your wedding registry :)

To all couples who are animal lovers...

Guess what? By creating a wedding registry at WeddingChannel.com, your guests can purchase gifts for you and a portion of the sales price will be donated to benefiting The Humane Society of the United States. Isn't that wonderful?!

Be a part of this awesome opportunity to help animals and visit WeddingChannel.com to create your wedding registry today.

Many blessings,
Ami

Recycle your Electronics

We wanted to share with you a great opportunity to help the planet as well as animals!

Have you ever wondered what to do with all your old electronics? Now you can recycle your old cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and many other electronics through a company called My Bone Yard. It's simple, safe, and My Bone Yard will even pay for shipping.

How does this help our animals? ..... By recycling through this company, the value of your items will be donated to The Humane Society. Get started now and visit My Bone Yard for more information.

Peace and blessings!
Lovebug

End Dogfighting Program

The End Dogfighting program through The Humane Society of the United States focuses on young men on the streets who have been involved in fighting dogs. This program gives these dogs the opportunity for a new and better life that is free from animal cruelty. They offer free pitbull training classes to these young men who can not control their lunging, snarling animals. They have the opportunity to gain pride their dog's performance and experience positive competition, which makes dogfighting much less tempting. The men begin to see their dogs as friends, not fighters -- and with these new feelings and beliefs, they realize it is no longer the way they want to treat their pets. Some men even become community representatives and help pull others out of the quicksand that is urban dogfighting.

Over the last year alone, the End Dogfighting programs have reached hundreds of at-risk youth and dogs with constructive alternatives and a message of compassion. So many cities across America are desperate for The HSUS's innovative community-based outreach programs.

This program is about change -- the kind of change that inspires. Both people and pups can make astonishing progress through The HSUS' End Dogfighting program. But they can’t continue to make a difference without our help.

If you would like to contribute to this wonderful program, Click Here to make a special gift today . This is an opportunity to reduce dogfighting on the streets and protect dogs from this horrible lifestyle and brutality.

Animal Protection Studies - Degree available

The Humane Society University (HSU), a division of The Humane Society of the United States is licensed to provide degree-granting undergraduate curriculum exclusively dedicated to Animal Protection Studies for a Bachelor of Science or Graduate Certificate Programs in Animal Studies, Animal Policy and Advocacy, and Humane Leadership.

Apply Today

Some exciting course topics include Animal Behavior, Animal Minds and Animal Protection, Animals and Literature, Animals and Ethics, Animals and Public Policy, Organizational Leadership and Culture, and Finance for Managers. Online courses are also available.

See how you can make a difference for animals. For more information, to fill out an application, or to see course listings: Click Here or email them at admissions@humanesocietyuniversity.org

Protect animals and their fur!

Please join ARFF (Animal Rights Foundation of FL) and local activists to speak up for the millions of animals who are poisoned, electrocuted or skinned alive for their fur every year.

Together, we can educate others about the cruelty involved in the fur trade. Help to make our community aware in hopes that they will choose compassion over fashion by no longer buying fur. Hopefully, they will also spread the word to others and we can truly make a difference.

Posters and leaflets will be provided by ARFF, so just bring yourself and anyone else who may want to be a part of this cause.

Date and time: Wednesday, August 26 from 12:00 to 1:00pm
Location: At the corner of International Drive and Universal Drive

If you can make it to the protest please RSVP to ArffCentralFl@arff.org

Wonderful puppy needs a new home

Are you looking for an affectionate and kid loving puppy to add to your home and family? Sadie would be perfect for you! She is 15 months old and is a very happy, loving and friendly dog. She is excellent with kids, other dogs and cats too. She has a great temperament and is up-to-date on all her shots. She also is current on her heart guard medicine AND is also crate trained. Her current owner just doesn't have the time and energy to keep up with the care and attention that this wonderful pet needs.

It would be wonderful if she could find a new, loving home with kids and maybe other dogs to play with. If you are interested or know anyone who is, please feel free to contact us:
revitalizeorlando@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/revitalizeorlando

Much Love always!
~Ami

Puppy mill survivors free from cages

Thanks to the work of your Humane Society of the United States, nearly 300 puppy mill dogs have a fresh start and are free forever from the horrors of the mass breeding operation known as Thornton’s Kennels in Wayne County, N.C.

The animals were treated at an emergency shelter, where dedicated teams of local volunteers and veterinarians, along with partners from the animal welfare community, have been tending to the dogs' many critical needs. Finally, these dogs are at the beginning of their ultimate journey -- to a loving home of their own.

Watch this video that takes you inside the rescue of these innocent victims. You can also make an emergency contribution to support this rescue operation and others like it.

Tragically, hundreds of thousands of dogs still suffer at the hands of this industry. These are the animals that the HSUS rescue teams are trained to save. In fact, during the past year alone, they’ve rescued thousands of animals from puppy mills around the country.

Please help make these animal rescue operations possible.

Thank you for you love and support!

Help protect FL turtles

Florida’s freshwater turtles are facing a serious crisis: They are being ripped from the wild by hunters who sell them to feed the growing world market for turtle meat and products. The methods used to capture, handle, transport, and slaughter turtles are invariably cruel, and the number of turtles caught threaten the species’ very survival. Scientists have already sounded the alarm. The state isn’t doing enough to protect its wild turtles. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has set such ineffective limits on commercial turtle hunters that Governor Charlie Crist recently urged the FWC to move towards a complete ban. The FWC has agreed to consider a ban. You can help end the turtle hunt!

TAKE ACTION
CLICK HERE to send an email to the FWC asking them to ban the turtle hunt; be sure to copy Governor Crist to let him know you share his concern on this important issue. It only takes a minute. And don’t forget to tell your friends and family in Florida about how they can take action, too. Thank you for taking action on behalf of animals!

Thank you for all you do for animals!