Friday, July 11, 2008

In Memory of Lady Grey

Those who visited our adoption days at Bridgewater PetSmart will remember Lady Grey, the beautiful grey cat with the crinkled ear. She unfortunately passed away at her foster home earlier this week. Although she never had the chance to be adopted, she didn't know -- she always felt safe and loved in her foster home with her foster parents Charlie and Delores. She will be greatly missed by everyone who met her.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

4th Of July Animal Safety Tips

Tips from In Defense Of Animals.

The Fourth of July can be one of the most dangerous and frightening holidays for animals. Loud explosions are terrifying to animals who don't understand them.

With proper planning and some common sense, your companion animals can remain safe and secure on Independence Day. Here are some tips:


* First and foremost, leave your companion animals at home when you go to see fireworks! Resist the urge to take them to fireworks displays.

* Before you leave home for the fireworks, make sure your animals are indoors in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your companion animal could destroy or that would be harmful if chewed or swallowed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company.

* Make sure your animals are wearing identification tags (and it's even better if they're also microchipped!) so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.

* Do not leave an animal in your car. With only hot air to breathe, your animal friend can suffer serious health effects, even death, in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air or cooling, but they do provide an opportunity for your animal to be kidnapped.

* If you know that your animal becomes seriously distressed by loud noises, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.

* Never leave your animals outside unattended, even in a fenced yard, and especially not on a chain. With explosions occuring, animals who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death. (There are lots of other reasons to never leave your dog chained! Contact us if you want more information about the negative effects of chaining dogs.)

* If you find somebody else's companion animals running at-large, either take them to the address on the tag, if you feel comfortable doing so, or bring them to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their human families.

And our friends at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offer the following additional tips, which are appropriate year-round but especially so on Independence Day:

* Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where animals can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison animals. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your animal that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of animals' reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing - or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

* Keep animals on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can cause severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

* Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in animals.

* Never use fireworks around animals! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious animals, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Manalapan Under The Stars

Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) hosted a Public Outreach table at the "Manalapan Under The Stars" event on June 14th. Luckily, the storms held off until the last 20 minutes of the day!

We met a lot of great people and distributed information about spay/neuter, adoption, and going vegetarian. The vegetarian information was very popular and we were happy to see the interest!

Special thanks to volunteers Michelle, Catherine, Janine, MaryAnn and Chet for helping with the day, as well as our event neighbors Maria and Tom who kept us dry when the storm hit!

Some animal-friendly vendors we met at the event included:

picforever.com - Lockets and charms jewelry. Preserve your favorite animal memories with a necklace, bracelet, or keychain!

ecoquestintl.com - Yvette of Healthy Living Technologies offers high-quality air purifiers, ideal for multi-animal households.

TMJewelryShows@aol.com - T & M Jewelry. Pretty necklaces, bracelets, and pins with proceeds helping cat rescue efforts. They also host in-home parties.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

4th Grade Student Teaches Adults A Lesson In Compassion

The following was sent in by Miguel's proud Mom!

"This is a true story regarding an animal rescue by my son, Miguel. He is 10 years old, Filipino, and in the 4th Grade. We went to Calaguas Island for our vacation. While there, we witnessed a fisherman capture an almost 3 kls tortoise in his fishing pen. He wanted to sell the tortoise and someone offered to buy him for P100.00. I just looked around and said that it is prohibited to kill turtles, but did not do much to persuade them to stop. My son asked me to give him P120.00. I asked him what will you do with the money. He said, "I will buy it from that man and I will return it to the sea." I was so amazed with my son that without hesitation I gave him the money. He said that the turtle must be sad because maybe it had a family. I was so touched by his gesture and I told myself that I have to do something for my son. I want to let the whole world know how proud me and his daddy are!"

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Merlin Update

Below is the newest photo of Merlin, who is home, happy, and healthy!

If you remember, Merlin is the cat who needed PU surgery for a blockage. The blockage was so severe that he would have died without the surgery. His human mom, Ingrid, had just adopted him from a rescue a week before he became ill and was unable to pay the very large veterinary bill to save Merlin's life. Homeless Animal Lifeline made arrangements with one of our vets to have the surgery performed and, with help from your donations, Merlin had his surgery and had a good post-operative check-up. He's back to normal and enjoying life!

Thanks to everyone who helped with Merlin's vet bills. His mom, Ingrid, is very grateful, and I'm sure Merlin would say thanks if he could!

Recommended Link: Little Lotus Hearts

Little Lotus Hearts

From their website:

"Little Lotus Hearts was founded in 2005 by Dean Willard and his daughter, Emily, to provide services to people who have a deep love and respect for animals. As practitioners of the Tibetan Buddhist faith, both Dean and Emily are firm believers in the Buddhist teaching that all sentient beings are equal, in that they all wish for happiness and the avoidance of suffering. This is where Little Lotus Hearts comes in.

At Little Lotus Hearts we offer people with healthy animals, ways to enrich their lives, people with ailing animals, options to try to improve the quality of their lives and people with deceased animal companions, ways to honor and give back something to the animal companions that gave so much to them.

Little Lotus Hearts' services are available to any animal lover anywhere regardless of religion, race, nationality or background. All that is necessary is love and compassion for animals."

Saturday, June 7, 2008

HAL Happenings - June Newsletter

~*~*~*~*~Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) Happenings~*~*~*~*~

Homeless Animal Lifeline
A NJ Nonprofit Corporation
Internet: www.halrescue.org
Email: RescueHAL@aol.com

June 3, 2008


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HAL'S 3RD ANNUAL MULTI-HOUSEHOLD YARD SALE

Despite the rain, HAL supporters braved the weather and donated $345.00 of their earnings. This generous donation will be used to help HAL offset the costs of running our programs. Thank you to the volunteers and special thanks to Carol for organizing and hosting the event!

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JOIN HAL AT OUR JUNE PUBLIC OUTREACH EVENTS!

Our Public Outreach events help to educate the public about a variety of important animal issues, such as spay/neuter, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats, protecting wildlife, and more.

Please visit HAL's Public Outreach website The Animal Spirit at www.theanimalspirit.com.

If you would like to host a Public Outreach table for HAL or learn more about our Humane Education program, please contact RescueHAL@aol.com for more information.


Yard Sale and Public Outreach Table
June 21st - 9AM - 2PM
Rain Date: June 22, 2008
341 Amwell Rd. (Next to Racquetball Club)
Hillsborough, NJ 08844


Manalapan Under The Stars - Public Outreach Table
June 14, 2008, 4PM - 10PM
Rain Date: June 21, 2008
Manalapan Recreation Center
Route 522 at Taylors Mills Road


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FEATURED CAT

We are featuring Valentine once again! For some reason, this absolutely wonderful cat keeps getting passed over at adoption day.

Valentine, a male Persian mix, was found wandering the streets of Somerset County. A Good Samaritan took him in, but could not keep him. HAL came to the rescue and took Valentine in. He was groomed and is ready to move into YOUR home! Valentine is one of the mellowest cats you will ever meet. He lounges in his bed at adoption days at PetSmart. He's so relaxed that most customers are shocked when they realize that he's a real cat! However, if you give him a little catnip he turns into a party animal! Valentine is estimated to be about 4 years old.

You can view Valentine's photo on his Petfinder page.


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VOLUNTEERS - WE NEED YOU!

**Responsible foster parents in the Somerset County and Monmouth County areas are desperately needed! Contact RescueHAL@aol.com for more information on becoming a foster parent and joining the HAL family.

**Safe Placement Program: In December, 2007, we read about a horrifying case in Aberdeen, NJ concerning Anthony Appolonia who was charged with animal cruelty. He convinced at least 22 cat owners that he would provide a safe environment for their pets after responding to their "free to good home" advertisements. Once he adopted the cats, he tortured and/or killed them.

HAL is recruiting volunteers to contact people who place "Free To Good Home" ads and warn them of the dangers, as well as help people find safe homes for animals.

Our goals are:

1 - to have a volunteer for every Internet list in NJ that allows "Free to Good Home" ads. These volunteers would contact people who place ads and not only warn them of the dangers of "Free To Good Home" ads, but offer to work with them to ensure that the animal is placed into a safe, loving home.

2 - sending a Letter To The Editor and/or place classified ads in NJ newspapers that warns about the dangers of "Free To Good Home" ads.

This volunteer effort costs you nothing and could be done from the comfort of your own home!

We also have a free information pack that is ready to use. The info pack includes a "Finding A Safe Home" tip sheet, a "Free To Good Home Ad" warning sheet, news article, and sample letter, as well as a sample adoption contract.

Interested in helping or want more details? Let us know at RescueHAL@aol.com.

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JUSTGIVE.ORG

HAL is now registered with JustGive. You can visit our donation page.

JustGive makes it very easy and safe to donate to HAL. You can designate your donation for a specific purpose or dedicate your donation in someone's name or as a memorial.

HAL is an all-volunteer, 100% donation-supported organization; we depend on donations to keep our work going. We understand that everyone is struggling to make ends meet. While donations to HAL have declined, our costs to run our programs have skyrocketed, especially our adoption program, which has been hit the hardest. Your continued support is always appreciated, but we are even more grateful during these very difficult financial times. A donation of as little as $5.00 can help us buy food for an animal in need.

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WELCOME, NICOLE!

HAL would like to welcome our newest volunteer, Nicole.

Nicole learned about HAL when she adopted Miss AmeriCat (formally Madeline) during our adoption day event at Bridgewater PetSmart. She has now become a foster mom for two kittens, Chicago and Wrigley, and we are very happy to have her as part of the group!

You can view Chicago and Wrigley's
Petfinder page
.

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VEGAN RECIPE

Avocado Tomato Salad - Great for Summer!

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 c soy mozzarella cheese (can be found in any health food store or in the "natural" or "green" section of most grocery stores)
½ cucumber, seeded (optional) and diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced
¼ c red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
several T excellent olive oil
dash of salt

Toss the cheese with the vegetables, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

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ADOPTION DAYS

Visit us at the Bridgewater PetSmart every Saturday from 11:30 AM to 4 PM to meet our beautiful kittens and cats who are up for adoption!

Special Adoption Event: June 21 at Freehold Petco, 4345 US Route 9. 12PM - 4PM. Thanks to Maria for volunteering. Maria is foster mom to many kittens and cats who are in need of permanent, loving homes. Please visit them at their very first Petco appearance!

During "kitten season," adult cats are often overlooked. HAL has many adult cats (1 year old and up) who would love to become a member of your family. Please give them a chance! Remember, kittens grow into cats very quickly!

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"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart."

"Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity."