The cat, not yet having mastered reading, naturally assumes the newspaper is a special sleeping mat whose cryptic symbols mean "Lie here, please."

Koto is more than happy to oblige, while Lyra patiently waits her turn.

I just got an anonymous tip that supposedly, a major motion picture will be filming extensively on Penn's campus this summer.

Click to find out which film!

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We are ready to retch over an AP story we just read - as you know out of curiousity we follow real estate and mortgage stories out there so we stay current.

Even more disturbing? This AP article is about people who abandon their pets when they abandon their homes one step ahead of the foreclosure man. This article is profoundly disturbing, and people who do this should get their asses thrown in jail. Our pets depend on us, they are part of our families. They aren't furry accessories to be discarded...

Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals
By EVELYN NIEVES – 4 days ago

The house was ravaged — its floors ripped, walls busted and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull.

The dog found by workers was too far gone to save — another example of how pets are becoming the newest victims of the nation's mortgage crisis as homeowners leave animals behind when they can no longer afford their property.

Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

....The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters and drawing fury from bloggers, especially as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children's bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing...

and

Hidden victims of mortgage crisis: Pets/Owners abandoning their dogs and cats after foreclosure

related video

Please support animal rescue and no kill shelters. We suggest Main Line Animal Rescue. Support them, support your SPCA, support breed specific rescue...

Another story all shoud read is A mortgage crisis that didn't have to be
By Gail MarksJarvis Chicago Tribune:

"It's not a pretty picture, and it didn't have to come to this.
The worst housing slump since World War II is showing no sign of abating. Manufacturing activity is hinting at recession. Employment is weakening. The stock market has fallen dramatically. The mistakes banks and brokers made with mortgage-related bonds have left a lingering credit crunch, or a reluctance by lenders to make affordable loans to consumers and businesses.

Investors have gone into the new year with a dreary attitude, and Wall Street analysts are warning investors to be careful.

"Batten down the hatches," Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. economist Michelle Meyer said in a recent report.

Meyer estimates that the housing mess, which set off the economy's problems, is only half over, and that home prices will be down at least 15 percent when they hit bottom in 2009.....As early as 1999 to 2000, consumer advocates were tracking what Keest calls a "foreclosure crisis," in which one in four homeowners were unable to handle payments.

"The industry wouldn't listen," she said."

Are dogs possessions or members of the family? Do puppy lemon laws mean anything?

Look, this topic of irresponsible dog breeding, dog hoarding, pet abuse is a topic that makes me sick to my stomach. A long time ago, I put up a post called "ANOTHER PA Dog Breeder violates Puppy Lemon Laws....". The post has stayed a bit active...recently, someone claiming to be the breeder in question has posted comments. I have no problem with that, but her lawyers might as it puts her ever so out there...in the comments, whomever this person is said they would replace "defective" puppies?

Dogs are not shoes they are members of our families, so ...to some people what was suggested is fine, but to others, that is like trading in a defective child. And that leads me to an interesting question: what do these breeders do with "defective" puppies that people return? Where do unwanted puppies go?

So anyway, I found the following on the web:

January 29, 2008
Bullie Pups R Us case still pending

I've received quite a few comments and e-mails about the status of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's lawsuit against Bullie Pups R Us and its owner Traci Murai.

My entry on English bulldogs hitting the AKC top 10 breeds is what stirred the pot on this issue.

I had been trying to get a comment from Attorney General Tom Corbett's office for about two weeks and finally got some information today.

According to Nils Frederiksen, deputy press secretary for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, the Bullie Pups R Us lawsuit is an ongoing civil case. The Reading Eagle had published a story when the case was filed, back in April of 2006

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

Press: The Attorney General's Press Office - Pennsylvania Office ...

Better Business Bureau Reliability Report

Kennel Shut Down For Selling Sick Bulldogs

Thoughts on Paws: April 2006 Archives

PetAbuse.com

Classified Ad Online

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

next day pets ad

bulldogs from russia

Is this the breeder website? BulliePupsRUs Legal Info

NOTE: OFFERS FOR SALE ARE NOT VALID TO RESIDENTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

Refund/Cancellation policy
NO REFUNDS in part or in full will be given for ANY reason. ONLY full credit for another puppy will be given for any and all reasons.

If you are unhappy with your puppy for any reason that is not covered under the contract, and that we feel is valid, we will possibly work with you on getting a second puppy at a siginifigant discount. We review each case individually and retain the right to refuse a discount for another puppy at any given time.

Additional important links... Please check to see if your state has a Puppy Lemon Law.

Currently 11 states throughout the USA have Puppy Lemon Laws. Know your rights!

Is this breeder now only selling OUTSIDE of the Commonwealth of PA? Do the people buying these dogs know that probably invalidates at least some of their rights under puppy lemon laws? (I am not a lawyer, but a lawyer told me possibly "yes") If you breed good dogs, why all the random registries? (non AKC)

www.bulliepupsrus.com/forsale

redorbit.com: amity kennel is sued by state

dog channel

news story (related)

k9 stud

k9stud

Publication:Reading Eagle; Date:Mar 14, 2007; Section:Berks & Beyond; Page Number:B3
Police log

District judges

(All information was obtained through records in the Berks County Courthouse.)

Before Victor M. Frederick IV: Cases waived into court:

Traci Murai, 36, of the 300 block of West Morlatten Road, Amity Township, forgery and tampering with records.

awarenessday.org

bulliepupsrusattorneygeneral.blogspot.com

Friday, November 9, 2007
8am-5pm
PA Convention Center

The time has come for us to stop talking about the problems in our neighborhoods and start acting. This year’s conference is inspired by the community activists and youth leaders who work hard to make our neighborhoods places of opportunities where people excel, ideas grow and dreams are realized. By bringing together young people ages 14-21 and adults from around the region, we will begin to create real solutions to the many challenges in our communities. Workshops and interactive sessions will empower youth to effectively address the challenges they face everyday and enhance adults’ capacity to nurture the potential of every youth. We invite everyone, both youth and adults, interested in making a positive and lasting impact in their community to “Step Up!” and “Be the Change”.

**This year’s conference will feature an exciting keynote speech by Ephren W. Taylor, CEO of City Capital Corporation and the youngest African-American CEO of a publicly traded company ever!**

*The conference will also feature a lunchtime comedy performance by Philadelphia’s own Keith from Up Da Block!*

For more information, or to register, visit us online at www.greatsettlements.org or call Amanda at 215-925-7875.

What Do You Do After You Pray:
The Church's Response to Gun-Violence in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA – With more than 250 murders after the first half of 2007, the city once known as the City of Brotherly Love has instead quickly become known as Kill-a-delphia, forcing many residents to live and operate in fear as a result of the gun-violence inflicting the city.

On Saturday, August 25, 2007, Philly Koinonia Ministries (pronounced koy-no-NEE-yah) will organize its initial effort dealing with this problem, the "2007 Gun-drive and City Fellowship". This will be an outdoor effort beginning at 10 a.m. taking place at the Dorothy Emmanuel Recreation Center, located in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. To effectuate a change in our culture, we must not solely rely on the power of prayer, but also take responsibility with our actions to address the stronghold embattling our city; for our actions speak louder than our words. The organization identifies fear as the stronghold that simultaneously creates gun-violence, and results from gun-violence, and therefore will focus using this effort to present an understanding of God’s love to combat the stronghold of fear dwelling in this city as a result of gun violence; for God is love (1John 4:16) and in love there is no fear (1John 4:18).

In addition to the gun-drive (individuals will receive a gift card in exchange for their gun), this effort will also include an appearance by Mayoral Candidate Michael Nutter; messages given by local Pastors, such as: Bishop Keith W. Reed, Pastor Kevin M. Aiken, Pastor Chandra I. Williams, Pastor Daniel Sutton, Pastor Larry Anderson, Pastor Eric Mason, among others; performances by local choirs and other guest artists; and also a nonprofit/vendor area featuring more than 30 tables of advocates, businesses, and non-profit organizations that offer programs and services related to the focus of this effort.

For more information, please visit www.PhillyKoinonia.org.

News Item:
It's cats vs birds in Cape May

The bird sanctuary in Cape May, NJ, is well known to the bird watching community, and is the home of the World Series of Birding. You didn't know there was a World Series for birds? Well neither did we, but it's a big deal for the state. It's estimated that bird watching activities bring about $2 billion into the New Jersey economy each year, so yeh, we'll give 'em that, it's a big deal.

Folks who live in Cape May, have this thing about cats. They like their cats, a lot. Just about any postcard you see with a Victorian setting has a cat lounging around in it somewhere, and Cape May is a Victorian town.

Cats have kittens, lots of kittens, lots and lots of kittens, and more and more of those kittens aren't finding a home. So you have this small town, with a booming stray cat population, and in this town you have a haven for birds. Are you getting the picture yet? Stray cats on the loose with no place to go, and lots of birds all around. You got it, the feathers are flying, and the birders are getting upset. It's rumored the federal government may step in on the side of the birds, to protect the habitat. To the cat people that means euthanasia for captured cats, and that has the cat folks fuming.

Local officials say it can all be worked out, the cats and birds can live in harmony. If not, a real feud could be brewing. Imagine tree lined streets, horse drawn carriages, and gingerbread houses, then throw in the Hatfields and the McCoys, just for grins.

News Source: Philly.com

Cartoon from Sid in the City

News Item:
Cat predicts death

Oscar the cat has been all over the news lately, because of what appears to be a sixth sense. Stories do pop up every now and then about animals being able to detect illness in humans, before the human is aware of it. Oscar, it seems, can sense the final curtain call, and knows when people are going to die.

Oscar resides in a nursing home in Rhode Island, himself having been rescued as a kitten from an animal shelter. In the two years that he's lived at a place called Steere House, he's earned a reputation for not being overly friendly. He walks the halls, preferring to be left alone. Not exactly a lap cat. From time to time though, Oscar strays from his routine, and makes himself at home in someone's room. The cat that doesn't like to be petted or held, will curl up next to a patient in their bed.

25 times now, within this two year span, Oscar has chosen the patient closest to journeys end. Within a day or two, each chosen patient passed away, and Oscar left the room to roam the halls again. His accuracy has been uncanny, so much so in fact, that staff have been using his predictions to notify family members, and Oscar has been right every time. The cat that doesn't like people will even stay in the crowded room as each family member says their last goodbye.

Psychic? Maybe...
Detecting pheromones emitted from the patients body? Probably...
Strange? Definitely... very very strange indeed.

News Source: ABC News

Cartoon from Sid in the City

I saw the story of Zero the abused beyond all imagination dog on NBC 10. Today, I hear the poor dog died. I am sick of hearing about how cruel we are to animals as human beings. Sick of it. We need to break the cycle of animal abuse. And those convicted of cruelty to animals deserve more than a slap on the wrist. We need justice for animals.

Sleep with the angels Zero. I'm sorry cruel humans never gave you a real doggy chance....

NBC10: Emaciated Rescue Dog 'Zero' Dies

After days of gentle feeding and lots of love, Zero, the emaciated pit bull who was rescued and nearly 45 pounds underweight, died in his foster mother’s arms.

A representative of the Camden County Animal Shelter said the grossly underweight pit bull passed away Sunday night after his health started to rapidly decline.

“He took his last breath in his foster mother’s arms knowing love for probably the first time in his life,” Camden County Animal Shelter’s Heather Speeks wrote in an e-mail to NBC 10.

.....“Our hope is that Zero's death is not in vain,” Speeks wrote. “His legacy is to make people aware of the cruelty and abuse suffered by animals.”

She urged anyone who knows of or suspects animal cruelty or neglect to report it immediately. She also said if someone finds an animal alone on the street, they should call authorities.

Yes...this is nothing than a purely sentimental blog piece on a horse no one knew personally, but symbolized so much. And if you have ever loved and lost a pet, you will allow this segway without sniping...

Barbaro, in case you all have been out of the country, was the Chester County horse who won the Kentucky Derby by over six lengths in May 2006.

His leg snapped a couple weeks later at the Preakness.

Barbaro survived so much, we all took it for granted he would get better. Today, his owners said good-bye when it became apparent he wouldn't get better.

That is the thing about owning animals - (and they aren't just investments or furry accessories with legs) - knowing when to say good bye.

Just like two of our SAC members recently shed many a tear saying good-bye to their cat, we're sure it isn't any easier for the Jackson family and the vets who knew that today they had to say good bye to Barbaro.

RIP Big guy. May there be forever fields of clover and apple trees for you now.....

It seems like forever and a day since I brought you the tale of Whiskers the cat. Whiskers was the cat murdered by the Delaware County S.P.C.A.. There has been some justice for Whiskers, just like there was some justice for the puppy mill dogs under hoarder Michael Wolf's "care". Of course, as how some animal activists hear it told, there is the supposition that this guy might try it again in another state, but who knows for sure? What we do know for sure is that just before Christmas, once again animals were found on his property although he is not permitted by law to have them.

Ok, back to Whiskers. It is MY opinion that although Ed Rendell has taken steps to police puppy mills, he needs to put similar energy into policing S.P.C.A.s and shelters to make sure they are compliant and humane...but ohhhh no, that might detract from PA L.C.B and other patronage jobs....let's not be half assed Eddy, Cats are people too you know!

Ok, without further ado, here's the justice for Whiskers update. It is my opinion that this woman should also be barred from having pets of her own for a reasonable amount of time. I would also like to put it out there that we have NOT had an update about PACCA or any other problematic shelters or rescues. If you know something, post it. But if I see things that are out of line, or I deem potentially slanderous, foul language or in general bad taste, I will yank this post. Keep it clean. If you want to help these homeless and abused and lost pets, you have to think before you act. Don't abuse my posts with personal vendettas, and don't slam me for requesting it - animals and domestic pets are important, yet potentially explosive topics....

Lied about euthanasia, SPCA officer sentenced
By Mari Schaefer
Inquirer Staff Writer

A former Delaware County SPCA official who told a family their cat had bitten an employee to cover up a mistaken euthanasia, then falsified state documents, has entered a program for nonviolent first-time offenders.

Debra Jane Marchetti, 50, of Upland, was sentenced to 32 hours of community service and 12 months of probation Tuesday. Marchetti was charged with tampering with public records and other related charges. She had been the SPCA director of operations......On Feb. 10, 2006, Kathy Giaconia's 14-year-old cat, Whiskers, slipped out of her mother's Ridley Park home and was taken to the Media shelter by animal-control officers who were called by a neighbor. After Whiskers went missing, Giaconia called and visited the shelter, where she saw her cat through a window. She left a message taped to the door.

The next day, when Giaconia arrived to claim her cat, shelter workers told her Whiskers had bitten someone and was euthanized. They had not checked the phone messages. The written message Giaconia left was still taped to the door.

"We are upset that there is nothing that will prevent her [Marchetti] from working with animals again," said Giaconia, who now lives in Washington Township, N.J. "I know there were other people involved and I'd like to see them held responsible."

The shelter fired two other employees responsible for the circumstances surrounding Whiskers' death. Marchetti was sentenced by Delaware County Judge Kenneth A. Clouse.

Contact staff writer Mari Schaefer at 610-892-9149 or mschaefer@phillynews.com

News Item:
Doo-ing the town

When you're out on the town, you may have, on occassion, had to side-step some doggie-doo. There may have even been times when you 'mis-stepped'. In the Tompkins Square Park or Chelsea sections of New York, mis-stepping is now less of a hazard. The doo-doo piles are still there, left behind by unconcerned dog owners, but now they're much easier to see and step around. Three young guys, in what they call 'urban beautification', have started to decorate the abandoned mounds, as art. They make Santa-Doo, Hot Dog Doo, maybe even Scoobie Doo, but you really have to see it for yourself. I mean, you just can't make this stuff up...

Full Story: Time Out New York

Cartoon from Sid in the City

LEO "Fluffmeister Von Kittycat"

FELINE EXTRAORDINAIRE

The following is taken from my blog that has followed the course of my lovely cat Leo's battle with a tumor on his jaw since January 2006. The entire blog can be found at http://mynameisleo.blogspot.com/

For the first time in 13 years, I am without a pet.

My darling Leo left his earthly body behind Sunday morning, October 8, 2006 with the help of a caring vet...his favorite humans at his side.

Has this ever happened in your house? Paper, toys, and debris of unknown origin accumulating to the point that you're afraid to delve into the pile for fear of finding a rotting sandwich or small animal carcass?

Well, I'm about to let you in on a little secret -- a revolutionary way of cleaning your house or apartment that will save you HOURS of tedious housework.

Ten years of extensive testing by a real-life mother of two small children (me) has led to the development of an exciting new system that will change the way you clean FOREVER!

And now I'm offering it to the general public for the VERY FIRST TIME!

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You may even find a musical instrument you never knew you had!

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I'm glad you asked! Ordinary plastic containers allow the user to see the items inside. With the items in sight, the user feels obligated to sort through the box - thereby wasting HOURS of time better spent watching brain-melting daytime TV.

But BIG BOX O' CLEAN!(TM) is made from revolutionary opaque fiber (patent pending). The durable material keeps the contents discretely out of sight and out of mind.

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Or throw a towel over your BIG BOX O' CLEAN!(TM) and you've got yourself a durable end table or pet bed!

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Beautiful Ode to A Dog Named Twinkle...

So, here I was, on a rainy Friday afternoon , trolling around and reading what was up in other people’s world. I stumbled upon BLINQ, and Dan Rubin’s tribute to his dog Twinkle.

I’m still crying. It’s not even my dog. But as was the case with John Grogan’s Marley and Me, it struck a chord....

People think I am a little nutty when I go on my pet post tangents, but read what Dan wrote and you’ll understand why.

There is not much better than the unconditional love and companionship of a dog. Or cats. Can’t forget the cats. One of my oldest childhood friends had to put down her cats recently within a few weeks of each other. They were cool beasts. I remember when she brought them home from the Morris Animal Refuge.

I feel so badly for Dan Rubin and his family because if you have ever loved and lost a pet, you will oh so get this post from the heart.