Nikki Sets Good Standards for Kids—By Singing Them!

Why, thank you, Nikki Granat! Our new 12-year-old friend will be singing to raise money for the ASPCA and for The Friends Of County Animal Shelters in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Proud parents Jay and Robin Granat wanted to introduce their daughter to the concept of philanthropy, and asked her to choose a charity to support. “I feel bad when I see puppies without homes and I wanted to sing to help them,” says Nikki.

Crooning classics by legends like Nat King Cole and Jennifer Holliday, Nikki is obviously no ordinary kid. So show this special songbird some love in Jersey this weekend!

Performance info:
Sunday, September 16th
2:15 P.M.
Oritani Field Club; Hackensack, NJ

To read more about how kids can help animals, check out our kid site, Animaland!

Get Your Stuff Together!

Of course you’d never forget to include your pet in your emergency planning. It’s just a matter of how. Here are some essential items to pack:

- Pet first-aid kit and guide book
- 3-7 days' worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food
- Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)

- Litter or paper toweling

- Liquid dish soap and disinfectant

- Disposable garbage bags for clean-up

- Pet dishes for food and water

- Extra harness and leash (Note: harnesses are recommended for safety and security)

- Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires (Remember, food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit—otherwise they may go bad or become useless.)

- Bottled water—at least seven days' worth for each person and pet
- A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet

- Flashlight

- Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)

- Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make "Lost" posters)

We have a new product at the ASPCA online store that can be crucial to protecting your important paperwork. The Pet Grab 'N Go Bag is an element-proof storage bag that has passed rigorous testing and is virtually indestructible.

For more disaster readiness tips and information on our national disaster relief efforts, click here.

Teachers, Invite the Animal Kingdom Into Your Classroom!

Want your classroom to be aflutter with young animal lovers this September? Check out the ASPCA's Humane Education section for some great ideas on how to incorporate animal themes and humane lessons into your plans. Kids love animals—and including them in a reading, writing or math activity can make the lesson more effective and double the fun.

You'll find:

- Back-to-school classroom tips

- An animal-themed event calendar

- Downloadable lesson plans (in keeping with national standards)

- Children’s book list

And that's just for inside the classroom. We also offer service learning projects and links to volunteer opportunities that allow students to practice being humane citizens in the giant classroom outside of school.

Press Release: ASPCA Applauds Gov. Rendell’s Proactive Steps to Improve Animal Welfare in Pennsylvania

NEW YORK, October 17, 2006—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauded Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s proactive steps to overhaul animal welfare conditions in Pennsylvania, including his appointment of two key officials in specially-created positions, his proposed regulatory and legislative changes to the existing Dog Law.

“The ASPCA has been working with Governor Rendell and his staff in an advisory capacity for some time now to revamp animal welfare conditions in the state of Pennsylvania,” said ASPCA President Ed Sayres. “We have been impressed by the Governor’s obvious commitment to animal welfare and to improving conditions in state-licensed kennels, which have been operating in open violation of the existing Dog Law. Both the appointments and proposed changes announced by the Governor today are an important first step in making Pennsylvania a humane community we can all be proud of, and will directly impact the quality of life of dogs all over the state.”

Read the rest of this press release...

Tags: ASPCA, Animal Welfare

ASPCA in the News: New York dog gets first restraining order

NEW YORK (AFP) - A New York judge has issued the first restraining order on behalf of a dog, using a new state law that offers protection to pets, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said.

A 20-year-old man was ordered to stay at least 90 meters away from the five-year-old bichon frise, Bebe, after he was arrested and charged with injury to an animal for allegedly hitting the pup.

The dog's owner, a friend who had been fighting with the accused man, returned home to find Bebe covered in bruises. The man faces up to a year in prison for beating the animal.

Read the rest of this story on Yahoo! News...

Michigan Residents: Help Pass HB 4254!

HB 4254 would require public schools to provide alternatives for students with a moral objection to dissection.

Some Michigan high schools still require students to dissect cats. In states that permit pound seizure (e.g., Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin), Class B dealers who do not breed animals, but instead obtain them from “random sources,” can purchase cats from shelters and sell them to companies that prepare animals for school dissection. Class B dealers may also profit in this way from the sale of cats who have been stolen by middlemen called “bunchers.”

HB 4254 is a “win-win” bill, as it would allow students who object to dissection to opt out, while not requiring any action of students who do not object.

Michigan residents, please click here to urge the House Education Committee Chair, Brian Palmer, and your representative to vote “YES” on HB 4254!

Californians: Help Ban Dog Chaining!

SB 1578, the bill to ban dog chaining as the primary means of confinement, has already passed the Senate and is now set for a vote on the Assembly floor, probably within the next week to 10 days.

SB 1578, the Anti-Chaining Bill, would prohibit chaining or tethering a dog to a stationary object as a primary means of confinement. Research has shown that chained dogs are nearly three times as likely to bite as dogs who are not chained.

California residents, please click here to send a letter to your assemblymember asking for his or her support today.

Victory!! Senate Passes S. 2548

The ASPCA is happy to announce that prior to its summer recess on Friday, August 4, the United States Senate passed S.B. 2548! The House of Representatives passed its version of the PETS Act in May. Since both versions differ slightly, the bills will need to go to a conference committee where the differences will be reconciled. The final legislation will then be sent to President Bush for his signature into law or veto. The ASPCA will keep you apprised once the members of the conference committee are appointed to urge them to support the Senate version of the bill, which is stronger.

Learn About Disaster Preparedness
Important information you'll need in order to keep your pets safe should disaster strike. Are you prepared?

Illinois Residents: Help Feral Cats!

HR 1235, in the House Rules Committee, recognizes October 16 as National Feral Cat Day

The ASPCA supports the principle of managed colonies for feral cat population control until the colony size can be reduced by attrition. Managed feral colonies should include trapping, vaccination, neutering/spaying, and permanent identification including microchipping and ear “tipping” (surgical removal of the tip of one ear as a visible sign that the cat has been sterilized and belongs to a managed colony).

Please click here to send a letter to your representative asking them to support HR 1235.