may 2022

WAGGIN TAILS                       MAY 2022
BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK – 5/1/22 TO 5/7/21
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
MEMORIAL DAY
 
Dear Friends and Members:
 
          The year is flying by.  May is a beautiful time of year, not hot, not cold.  I looked at last year’s newsletter before I wrote this.  The pandemic is at an all-time low, but it is still out there.  I just received my 2nd booster.  Check with your doctor, and see if you should get it also.  We need all the animal lovers we can get, and we don’t want to lose any.
 
          The pictures of what is happening in the Ukraine are horrible.  We see the loss of human life, and in many of the pictures, we see stray cats and dogs that were family pets.  There are Humane Societies helping them.  If you can give them a donation to help them help the animals, please do.  It made my heart feel good when I saw so many of the refugees taking their pets with them.  They are part of the family.  Let’s hope that this horror ends soon.
 
          Kitten season is here, so be on the lookout for pregnant moms.  We are working with rescuers in Brooklyn, Florida and South Carolina to spay, and neuter as many animals as we can.  We need help with food, and administrative needs.  No Directors are paid.  If you work, and have a bulletin board in your place of business, please put our newsletter on it.  Maybe others will help also.
 
          Enjoy the Spring, and the coming summer..
 
          Please adopt from a shelter.  Be happy, be safe and help one stray at a time.

 
LEGISLATION                                                                                                          [REPRINTED]

 
Maryland legislature passes bill to ban the trade of parts and products made from elephants, tigers, lions, giraffes and other iconic wildlife

MARYLAND—Today the Maryland legislature passed a bill that would ban the sale of parts and products made from imperiled wildlife species. The legislation is now headed to Gov. Larry Hogan for his signature. The bill (HB 52/SB 381) prohibits the trade in Maryland of products made from 15 at-risk species including tigers, lions, pangolins, giraffes, elephants, rhinos and sea turtles.
The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International conducted an undercover investigation in 2021 that revealed a thriving ivory trade in Maryland. Hundreds of items likely made from ivory were found for sale at 20 stores across the state. The items included carved elephant tusks, figurines, trinkets and jewelry. Many of the sellers were unable to provide any information or documentation on the age or origin of the items that were likely ivory, which is required under federal law.
“Our undercover investigation demonstrated the need for urgent action to protect at-risk species by banning the sale of their parts and products here in Maryland,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Maryland state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “We are grateful to Senator Will Smith and Delegate Sara Love for prioritizing the lives of these incredible animals over trinkets made from their body parts, and for taking decisive action before these animals go extinct.” 
Federal laws and regulations primarily restrict the import, export or interstate trade of products from endangered and threatened species, but they do not regulate intrastate sales. Because illicit products are smuggled into local and state markets, state laws are needed to complement existing federal laws and regulations to stop the cruel global poaching epidemic.
Each year, as many as 15,000 elephants are killed in Africa to supply the demand for their ivory. A recent report found the population of savanna elephants has declined by 60%, and forest elephants by more than 86% since the 1970s, placing them just steps from extinction.
Between 2006 and 2015, approximately 40,000 giraffe parts and products were imported into the U.S.  African lion populations have declined by 43% since 1993 and are still declining. Pangolins are targeted for their scales and are the most highly trafficked mammal in the world. 
“Maryland consumers don’t want to contribute to the poaching crisis. By aligning Maryland law with federal law, we are doing our part to help these beautiful animals survive for future generations,” said Del. Sara Love, D-Montgomery, lead sponsor of HB 52. “As a wildlife lover and someone who has had the opportunity to see many of these species in their natural habitats, I am proud that Maryland has taken a stand.”
Sen. Jack Bailey, R-St. Mary’s, has worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents to track illegal ivory imports. He spoke on the floor after the Senate voted in favor of the bill, stating, “This is a step in the right direction.”
“The U.S. is a major contributor to the $20 billion illegal wildlife trade, which pushes many iconic animals to the brink of extinction while increasing global instability,” said Sen. Will Smith, D-Montgomery, lead sponsor of SB 381. “Not only will this law protect imperiled species across the globe, but it will also shore up national security and starve criminal syndicates of another source of profit.”
 
LEGISLATION                                                                                                          [REPRINTED]

Virginia is for animal lovers
Governor signs five life-saving bills into law, benefitting dogs bred for research
The Humane Society of the United States and Virginia’s animal lovers thank Gov. Glenn Youngkin for signing five bills to regulate facilities that breed dogs and cats for research and improve treatment of animals. The bills, which passed both chambers with unanimous, bipartisan support, were introduced to address conditions at a research dog breeding facility in Cumberland County, Virginia. This facility, which has thousands of dogs on site, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over 70 times since 2021 for violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.  
Some of those violations include: 

• food being withheld from 13 nursing adult female beagles for 42 hours. The dogs were housed in individual cages with their litters of 6-week-old puppies during this fasting period. Metal self-feeders, which were normally mounted on the doors of each cage, were turned around outside of their cages, so the dogs could see and smell the food but were not able to eat it. 
• incompatible dogs being housed together, leading to the death of at least two dogs and injuries to 48 others. 
• failure to identify and provide veterinary treatment to more than a dozen dogs, several of whom required critical care, including a puppy who fell into a drain pan and was covered with feces and an adult dog with her toes stuck in the slated flooring. 
• 21 puppies who were found damp, shivering and cold. An additional 25 puppies had been found dead with cause of death attributed to cold exposure.   
• staff performing unnecessary painful medical procedures.  
• medical records indicating that 196 dogs and puppies were killed and did not receive anesthesia prior to being killed using painful methods. 

To date, 350 dogs and puppies have been released by the facility and rescued by Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, a Virginia-based private animal shelter. Homeward Trails has worked with shelter partners in Wyoming, California and Virginia to foster and adopt out these beagles.  
“These dogs endured unimaginable cruelty,” said Molly Armus, Virginia state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “Sen.  Bill Stanley, Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Del.  Rob Bell, as well as the numerous members of the General Assembly who supported these bills, have ensured that no animal has to suffer this way again in Virginia. Legislators from both parties came together to move these critical bills forward so that dogs and cats bred for research receive protection and humane treatment.” 
S.B. 87, sponsored by Sens. Stanley, R-Franklin, and Boysko, D-Fairfax, and H.B. 1350, sponsored by Del. Bell, a Republican who represents the 58th House district, are companion bills that will prohibit dealers and breeders from importing or selling dogs or cats bred by anyone with certain federal Animal Welfare Act violations. Sens. Stanley and Boysko also carried three other pieces of legislation: S.B. 88, which will require research dog and cat breeders to maintain and report certain statistics to the state on a quarterly basis, S.B. 90, which expands current Virginia law and will require dog and cat breeders that sell to laboratories to offer for adoption animals no longer used for breeding purposes prior to euthanasia, and S.B. 604, which clarifies that dogs and cats in the possession of research breeders are protected by Virginia’s animal cruelty statute. With Virginia holding the largest research dog breeding facility in the U.S., these laws will have a monumental impact on dogs used in research within the commonwealth.
 
FYI                                                                                                             [REPRINTED]

Reward offered in Indiana for information on severely emaciated dog left on side of the road
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of an extremely emaciated dog found on the side of the road in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area. 
The Case: On March 21, a passing motorist found a dog on the side of the road near U.S. 27 South and Hessen Cassel Road. The driver transported the dog to an emergency veterinary hospital before the dog was eventually transported to Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control.  
The dog is described as a black and gray female mixed breed and is estimated to be between 8 and 18 months old. She weighed 11.5 pounds at the time she was brought to the clinic. Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control staff believe she should have weighed between 30 and 40 pounds. She was unable to walk, leading investigators to believe she could not have traveled to this location on her own. She appeared to have been abandoned by someone. The dog was humanely euthanized per the recommendation of the veterinarian who examined her.  
“No dog deserves to suffer in such a cruel way,” said Samantha Morton, Indiana state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “We are hopeful that offering this reward will lead to justice for this innocent being whose life was cut entirely too short.” 
Animal Cruelty: The serious attention and engagement of law enforcement, prosecutors and residents in cases involving allegations of animal cruelty is an essential component of protecting the whole community. The connection between animal cruelty and violence toward people is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and many other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault. 
The Investigators: The Allen County Sheriff’s Department’s Field Service officers are investigating this case. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the Allen County Sheriff’s Department at 260-449-7491. 
Resources:  The Humane Society of the United States raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources and support to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. We offer rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and work to strengthen laws against animal cruelty. 
FYI                                                                                                                                               [REPRINTED]

US Endangered Species Act protection sought for hippos
Investigations show a thriving market for hippo parts in the United States
WASHINGTON—Wildlife protection groups today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect hippos under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The legal petition was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity.
One of Africa’s most recognizable species, the common hippopotamus, faces a high risk of extinction and is disappearing from the wild. With only as few as 115,000 adult hippos remaining in the wild in Africa today, and increasing and unabating threats from habitat loss and degradation, poaching, and trade in hippo parts—teeth, skulls, ivory, skin and meat—the future of hippos is uncertain.
The comprehensive analysis of trade included in today’s petition demonstrates that hippos are highly sought after by traders, poachers, and trophy hunters for their ivory tusks and other body parts. The United States plays a key role in this trade. Over the course of the last decade, the United States imported more hippo parts and products than any other country, including over 9,000 teeth, 5,700 skin pieces, 4,400 small leather products, 2,000 trophies, and 1,700 carvings. These imports represent a combined minimum of 3,081 hippos killed for legal trade. Many more hippos are poached and their parts enter trade. Listing under the Endangered Species Act would ensure near-total restrictions on most imports and sales.
Adam Peyman, director of wildlife programs for Humane Society International, said: “Hippos are being needlessly slaughtered for commercial trade and trophy hunting. As the leading importer of hippo parts, the United States should be ashamed of the role they play in the decline of this iconic species.  If we don’t protect them now, hippos may disappear forever.”
Undercover investigations by Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States between 2018 and 2021 revealed a thriving market of hippo parts and products for sale in the United States. Investigators found thousands of hippo items, including trinkets made from carved teeth, hippo ivory-handled knives; hippo leather purses, belts, and boots; hippo skulls and hippo skull table. Investigators recorded sellers of hippo parts explaining how they skirt state laws meant to protect hippos.
“We cannot continue to allow thousands of hippos to be killed for their teeth or skin, for a ridiculous trinket or a pair of boots. This iconic species must be granted urgent protection under the Endangered Species Act to end this cruel cycle. We will not sit back and watch hippos vanish,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.
“Limiting U.S. imports by listing hippos under the ESA will grant them important protections and will set the stage for other countries to follow,” said Tracie Letterman, vice president of federal affairs for Humane Society Legislative Fund. “As conservation leaders, but also the leading importer of hippo parts and products, the U.S. has a critical role to play in saving hippos from extinction.”
Hippos are also under threat from habitat loss and destruction. Dependent on freshwater systems, hippos are threatened by drought, agricultural and other water diversions, and loss of grazing areas. Climate change is predicted to cause further droughts in sub-Saharan Africa with detrimental consequences for hippos, reducing their birth rates and increasing their mortality.
“Adored for their yawning jaws and distinctive ears, these monumental animals deserve to thrive in the wild, and U.S. protections will help ensure they do,” said Tanya Sanerib, the international legal director at Center for Biological Diversity. “Hippos are irreplaceable ecologically, playing key roles in both aquatic and grassland systems. We’re losing keystone species like hippos in part because of human exploitation. In the middle of an extinction crisis, we can’t ignore the huge volumes of wildlife captured, killed and traded globally to supply U.S. demand, including for hippos and their parts.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to review and respond to the petition and determine whether a listing may be warranted.

 
LINDA’S LINE
 
          Hi.
 
          May - the month when the beauty of nature unfolds, as all the trees and flowers of spring begin to bloom.  This time of year, we also celebrate Mother’s Day to honor all the two-legged, and four-legged mothers of the world.  So, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the mothers out there (both human, and animal) a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.
 
          We also celebrate Memorial Day this month, a time to honor all of the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces, both here and abroad.  To them we say, “we appreciate you, and thank you for all that you do for us.”  Please remember to keep them, and their families in your prayers.  We also remember all the brave service members, who gave their lives for our country.  Let us also remember the soldiers, and people of the Ukraine, and keep them in our prayers as well.
 
          Now that spring is here, and the warmer weather is showing its face, please be sure to protect your pets from fleas, and ticks.  We have had more than our share of rain this year, and I am sure that there will be plenty of these little critters, and we don’t want our
pets to be uncomfortable.  There are many good flea, and tick products on the market, but please be sure to ask your veterinarian, which of these is best, and safest for your pet.
 
Also, when walking your pet, please remember to keep them away from the fertilizers, and other white powders that homeowners use on lawns this time of year, as these things can be very dangerous to them.  It is normal for an animal to be curious and want to smell around when we are walking them, but they don’t always understand the danger – especially young dogs – so it is up to us, as their guardians, to protect them.
 
          Please try to remember to carry a can of pet food, and some bottled water with you, and if you see a stray that needs help, especially one that is pregnant, offer it to them – please don’t pass them by.  Remember that this is kitten, and puppy season and animals that are pregnant need our help even more.  If you can pick them up, and bring them to a no-kill shelter, that would be perfect.
 
          I know that we all love to grow things, especially flowers this time of year, but when you have pets, please be careful what type of plants that you buy as there are many that can be toxic to animals.  If you wish to find out which plants are safe for pets, and which are not, you can contact the ASPCA to get a book from them, which contains a list of safe
plants, as well as a list of those that are dangerous.  You will find it very helpful, and informative.
 
          We pray for all the people, that we have lost to this pandemic.  Our thoughts, and prayers go out to their families.  Thank G-d we now have vaccines available to help keep us safe during this difficult time.  Please take advantage of these vaccines, and stay safe.
 
          Have a wonderful spring, and G-d Bless you all.
 
Till next time.
 
 CLOSING THOUGHT
 
            HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to one, and all – mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends.  Mothers are the backbone of families (Dads can be also).  Enjoy your day.
 
            If you see a four-legged mother-to-be or know that she had kittens, please try to help.  Kitten, and puppy season is here.
 
            Thank you to all our Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members for all your constant support.  To all who responded to last month’s newsletter, Thank you.
 
            This month is Memorial Day, so our prayers for the troops, and the Ukrainian troops, mean even more.
 
Please Remember Our Troops
 
 “We salute you for all you have done.
Your courage has kept us safe.
Your sacrifice has kept us free.
All of America owes you more than we can repay.
Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.
We are behind you all the way –
From the battlefield. . .to recovery!”
 
To help our supporters, who shop on Amazon, to support Save Our Strays through the Amazon Smile program, please go to Google and type in AmazonSmile.com.  You will then be directed to a home screen that says AmazonSmile in the upper left-hand corner.  Log in with your Amazon account (email/phone number and password).  If you are already logged in, just go to the search bar, and type in “SAVE OUR STRAYS INC.”  Then select the second option, “Brooklyn, NY.”  Click on the Amazon Smile LOGO in the top left corner of your Amazon page.  Once you have done this, Under the word ALL in the search bar you should see  a line that says “SUPPORTING: SAVE OUR STRAYS.”  Now you are ready to shop.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Save Our Strays Inc.  Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for all holidays (keep in mind that Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just around the corner) and other occasions i.e.: birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, christenings, bar mitzvahs and lovely gifts for all occasions.  Items that they have are: electronics, jewelry, clothing and more.  You may have to set up an Amazon account to use Smile.  Please try.  It is important.  (See instructions on the next page.)
 
A MOTHER’S DAY POEM
 You are a mother,
You are strong,
You are the guardian of our
lives.
We look to you for comfort
and care
You are always there.
 We will follow your strength,
and become stronger in turn
We will help children
and animals
and all that need care
This Dear Mother, is
our thanks to you.
 
Till next time.
       Waggin’ Off
 
 
AMAZON SET-UP PAGE
 
GOOD NEWS
 
          Supporters of Save Our Strays can now use the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones!  Simply follow these instructions to turn on Amazon Smile, and start generating donations.  Please pass this on to anyone who uses Amazon, and doesn’t necessarily have a charity that they support.  Now is the chance to support Save Our Strays.  The funds go for food, and medical treatment.  We are certainly a worthy cause.  A dollar spent this way feeds an animal in need.
Amazon Smile is now in the Amazon Shopping app
          You can now support Save Our Strays on iPhone, and Android phones.
If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, please update your app.
 
How to turn on Amazon Smile in the mobile app – instructions below.
 
1
Join Amazon Smile
If you are already an Amazon Smile member, sign up on your web browser.
Simply select Save Our Strays to start generating donations, at no cost to you.
 
2
Get the app
Download or update the latest version of the Amazon Smile Shopping app on your phone.  You can find it in the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.
 
3
Turn on Amazon Smile
Open the app, and find “Settings” in the main menu.  Tap on “Amazon Smile,” and
follow the on-screen instructions to turn on Amazon Smile on your phone.
 

1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device.
2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app, and tap into

“Settings.”

1. Tap “Amazon Smile,” and follow the on-screen instructions to

complete the process.
 
Amazon Smile benefits
Same products, same prices, no cost to you.
Amazon Smile has the exact same low prices, Vast selection, and convenient shopping
as the Amazon you know.