guys...seriously...support the ASPCA

[backwoodsbob]

they do such great work.....they really have few if any equals out there.

And they gave me my bearded wonder




They really do great work.....the only equal I have seen is some local PAWS groups...PAWS is worthy of support too

[shenmue]

1. Adopting my dog Keisha

was the best $55 I ever spent.

She went to Dog Heaven last year.

[backwoodsbob]

2. Bless Keisha

hope you had as many good years as I am having with Happy and Junior...the ASPCA is amazingthey do so much on so little...they amaze me

[shenmue]

3. Yeah :)

We got Keisha when she was 6. She lived to 16. A furry little baby from the SPCA of Clearwater.

[backwoodsbob]

4. I wish more would join the cause

you don't need a paper about pedigree saying a dog is special....they all are.EVERY dog is special...I LoVE them all.

ADOPT A PET from your local shelter.

[stupidicus]

5. I do

by fostering/caring for between 50-75 kittens a year.

[japple]

12. That is wonderful! Rescue groups cannot do their work without fosters. It is some

of the most rewarding work I have ever done (esp. the bottle baby kittens!!!). Thank you for being there for the kittens.

[stupidicus]

15. indeed

I should be paying them for the most rewarding pleasure of it all.

My better half and I have been doing it for quite a few years now as volunteers for our city ACC

[japple]

24. Well, bless you for doing it. And, in case no one else has cristened you here, WELCOME

TO DU. Thanks for becoming a member. Haven't seen you around (of course I don't get out very often), but sometimes new DUers don't get welcomed to this amazing, wonderful, terrible, frustrating, beautiful community. That's the best part--the community. Hope you and your better half will share kitty stories, pictures (esp. if you have pics of bottle babies.) WE LOVE KITTY PICTURES AT D.U.!!!

[stupidicus]

26. thank you

I got a few a couple of years ago now when I started participating. I had used it for about a decade as the news aggregation place it is prior to that. My better half has little interest in politics, at least to the point where she'd find herself in a place like this.

We've yet to have any of the "bottle babies" you speak of, but have for the first time with the last group of half a dozen, been weaning them off of their mom who's with us as well. In terms of the pics and stories, I have more than a few of the latter, but none of the pics to accompany them. We decided early on not to have the reminders, which would be to the tune of a few hundred by now. As you may know or could possibly understand, letting them go is hard enough the way it is...

[demwing]

6. I thought so too, so I gave them $25 a year ago

and ended up getting on the charitable org "easy touch" list.

I've worked my way off of all the other lists, but to this day, I still get a weekly request for funds from ASPCA. I've asked that they stop soliciting me at least a dozen times, they promise to, and then the mailer comes.

The only way I can see dealing with this is through legal means, but hell, they're the ASPCA! I don't want them to get in trouble, I just want to be left alone

[angstlessk]

11. So you get an occasional email or mail...

I do hope it is email, cause they would be wasting money sending you snail mail...

So the frick what...suck it up, you ...nevermind

[demwing]

16. Snail mail, not occassional - every week

for a fucking year, despite multiple requests to quit.

You don't approve? I don't get why that makes you angry, but I don't care, either.

[etherealtruth]

7. A very worthy cause! n/t

[pscot]

8. There are 2 rescue dogs

sitting on my couch right now. I definitely second your appeal.

[MarianJack]

9. We're usually too damn broke to contribute any real money, BUT...

...we have a wonderful kitty (Spirit) and a love bug of a doggie (Curly) from the ASPCA. Our other kitty (Oreo), we brought in as a stray.


2 of our 3 furry boys are from the animal shelter, for whom we have eternal gratitude. We do, then, drop off frequent bags of kitty litter and food as donations and to show how thankful we are for the 3 little "beasts" that we humans love and who are such vitally important members of our family.

PEACE!

[backwoodsbob]

10. that is mainly what we do

we do food drives for our local spca and owr local PAWS no kill rescue......NOTHING is more important to me than our furry friends....they are my cause and my life work

[MarianJack]

13. They are WONDERFUL friends!

My doggie Spencer went to doggie Heaven in 1993. I've loved all of my pets, butmy Spencer is THE special doggie of my life. I've had his ashes for 20+ years because I wasn't going to bury his ashes until I was in the home that I knew would be the place for the rest of my life. Now that we're there, we'll be burying him in our back yard in out serenity corner where we have a little bench and a garden statue of St. Francis of Assisi. I know that someday, hopefully a LONG time from now, Spirit, Oreo, Curly and any future pets will rest with him.

People who've never had animals in their lives have NO IDEA of how much a vital part of our families they become and they also have NO IDEA of what they're missing.

PEACE!

[backwoodsbob]

17. that is ...all I can say is I understand

Buddy Guy was my friend /best friend .

I literally watched my best friend ever...Buddy Guy...get killed running in front of a truck.
DU probably saved me from committing suicide that night...I was beyond devastated...seeing Buddy getting killed...I was literally suicidal that night.

They aren't pets...they are family

[The Straight Story]

14. Speaking of them, Jewel tweeted this out today:

Jewel @jeweljk · 32m

Horses need help! Find #HelpAHorse Day events nearby & get involved http://bit.ly/Qb0Edz @aspca

[backwoodsbob]

18. THIS is an event we caN All get behind

thank you VERY MUCH for the link.

THIS is the type of thing where a group like DU CAN make a difference

[MADem]

19. Actually, if you want local impact, you should donate directly to your local shelter, not the

American Society. Much of their money goes towards awareness advertising; if you want your money to go to the animals, give to your local shelter or your STATE SPCA.

Don't mean to harsh your thread, or anything...but just be aware that a lot of the money goes to ads and administration and it's not spent locally, necessarily.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/05/04/is-the-aspcas-tear-jerking-commercial-deceptive/

LOS ANGLES (CBS) — Is this what you call a cat fight? Or is it just a question of which animal rights agency is top dog? The Humane Society of California has filed a complaint against the ASPCA with the Attorney General.
They say the animal rights organization received $116-million in 2009, and only gave three-tenths of a percent to California. The group’s commercial (including an 800-number seeking donations would imply they are a national organization but they are based in New York City and only cater to New York animals in need, according to the Humane Society.)
SPCA’s are completely independent non-profits. So if a person living in Los Angeles, for example, is moved to make a donation (after seeing one of those tear-tugging commercials with Sarah McLachlan’s haunting “Angel” playing) you would potentially be giving money to needy animals in New York.
California’s State Humane Society wants to stop that practice calling the commercials misleading. They allege those commercials are unfair and deceptive and cause many people in the State of California to believe they have donated to local SPCA’s or Humane Societies.
The ASPCA believes the complaint is without merit. They issued a release in response. “The ASPCA is a national organization dedicated to helping animals wherever there is a need. Animal welfare supporters are happy that we aid local communities, offer field investigation and recovery services and provide critical life-saving programs all around the country.”....

http://www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/10410881/

The SPCA of Wake County cares for thousands of cats and dogs every year. They do it without federal, state or local funds. Despite the name, the shelter gets no help from the ASPCA.

“It’s a perpetual source of confusion,” said Wake County SPCA Executive Director Hope Hancock.

Hancock says groups like the Humane Society and ASPCA do good work. The problem is that many donors think they're the parent groups of local shelters, but they're not.

“I think there is a misconception about both the Humane Society and the ASPCA. The names cause confusion,” she said. “I’ve got to tell you, they both have compelling campaigns. I’ll give them that, but that money is not landing locally.”

[backwoodsbob]

20. you didnt harsh my thread

you made a great point.....and I agree.

I donate to locals as much as possible...as we all should.

Happy and Junior are both ASPCA rescues....but we donate to the LOCAL rescue....NOT the national group.

You caught a great point I forgot to put in....good catch

[MADem]

21. I give to a couple of local shelters and one where I visit up in northern Maine.

Every cent--and dog bed, paper towels, bleach, cans of dog food, etc. (they put lists out of stuff they need) -- helps!

Nothing like good pets!

[Eleanors38]

27. Humane Society U.S. spends $$$ to prohibit hunting.

They may have put some effort into helping animals, but they have a big interest in and legacy of lobbying against regulated hunting.

[octoberlib]

22. We donate to local shelters like the Animal Adoption League and Kerry's Cats

We adopted our dog and both our cats from these wonderful organizations. Cute dog, btw!

[femmocrat]

23. Same here. We prefer to donate to local shelters.

I'm not sure about the "overhead" costs at those large national organizations. But I know the local groups need every penny.

[Kermitt Gribble]

25. The last handful of years, I've tried to buy all holiday and birthday gifts from

the ASPCA, Humane Society and local rescues. There are hundreds of local rescues in my area who take in thousands of animals from local shelters. The people that run and volunteer at these rescues are saints.

It is important to also support you local rescues - a lot of them struggle to supply food, medicine, etc for the animals they have saved.