Latest news with #animaladoption
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baxter Springs breaks ground on adoption center project
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — Something new coming to Baxter Springs is celebrated. Ground was broken Wednesday morning on the land that will eventually house the Ronald O. Thomas Animal Adoption Center. It's located in the 200-block of W 3rd Street. Donor dollars are making all of it possible and officials said it's actually been a flawless process. Along with the Thomas Foundation money is also coming from the Ross Hartley Family Foundation and the Dean and Beth Auman family. This project has been in the works for the past two years. 'There was a definite need. Our current facility only houses about 4 dogs, and this is going to multiply that probably 10 times over, so,' said Sheldon Bales, Baxter Springs Director of Public Works. 'There's so many people dumping off dogs these days. It's — and we can't keep up right now. So this is really a great thing for this town,' said Harold Lee Simpson, Baxter Springs Animal Control Officer. 'We have a lot of good things going here in Baxter. You hear a few negative things, but we've got 99 good things going and maybe one bad thing, and that's what you hear — but we've got a lot of good stuff going on here,' said Kelly Abbott, Baxter Springs Mayor. Baxter Springs Fire Department celebrates new facility Baxter Springs breaks ground on adoption center project Donations help local fire department build training facility Joplin dentist on trial for drug trafficking, illegal weapon Galena and surrounding communities to enhance emergency response cooperation Bales told us the outpouring from the community has been unbelievable since their press release went out on Monday. The facility, by the way, will house both dogs and cats. Construction could start as soon as 90-days from now. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EPA to launch program that lets people adopt its lab animals amid Trump cuts
The US Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new program to adopt some of its 20,000 lab animals in the wake of Trump administration plans to dramatically cut the regulator's research arm. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer) non-profit obtained and revealed an EPA document announcing the adoption program. The document announced adoptions for zebrafish and rats from an EPA lab in North Carolina. It states: 'Adopt love. Save a life. Our adoption program has been approved. Would you like to adopt?' The move is part of the fallout from broad EPA cuts targeting toxicological and other basic research work that is largely being done by the agency's office of research and development. The office is being replaced with a much smaller 'office of applied science and environmental solutions', which, Peer wrote in a statement, is focused on shorter-term projects limited to 'statutorily required functions' instead of long-term research. The move is an 'ill-advised scientific self-lobotomy', said Kyla Bennett, science policy director with Peer and a former EPA attorney. 'Instead of developing a strategic plan for meeting its scientific needs, Trump's EPA has decided to largely abandon scientific research except when it is specifically mandated by law, thus embracing some short-term savings to its long-term detriment,' Bennett said. The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration is aiming to eliminate at least 1,000 EPA scientists, or approximately three-quarters of the office of research and development's staff. The plan, however, is on hold as a legal battle plays out. The agency uses rabbits, mice, rats and other animals primarily to test the safety of chemicals and other environmental pollutants. During Trump's first term, the EPA announced a plan to reduce animal testing by 30% by 2025 and end it altogether by 2035. The Biden EPA nixed those plans, and the agency now says it will not be bound by time limits, and is following 'the best available science', Bennett said. Researchers use zebrafish to test for toxic effects of some chemicals and pollutants because of the 'many similarities between the metabolism and physiological structures of zebrafish and humans, and the nervous system structure, blood-brain barrier function, and social behavior of zebrafish', according to a peer-reviewed study. Recent research looking into the toxic effects of common plastic chemicals and how they may disrupt humans' circadian rhythm used zebrafish in the research. The reduction in animal testing will 'make EPA even more dependent on research from chemical companies, which is often framed to mask, rather than identify, potential health and environmental risks', Bennett said. She added that eliminating animal research would make it more difficult for the agency to evaluate the toxicological effect of complex chemicals with several thousand variations, like Pfas. It would also kill research that relies on lab animals to understand the long-term effects of pollutants, such as particulate matter. 'The EPA is abandoning its status as a premier scientific organization,' Bennett said.
CTV News
01-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Pet abandonments in Quebec used to spike around Canada Day; now they're year-round
Three-year old Rocky, who is available for adoption, finishes play time with Pascale Thibaudeau, an employee at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Montreal, Que., on Friday, June 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Canada Day has traditionally been synonymous in Montreal with moving day: piles of junk on street corners, sweaty bodies carrying couches up and down the city's winding staircases — and a spike in abandoned animals at shelters. However, Montreal's SPCA is no longer seeing a big jump in animal surrenders around July 1, but that's not because people have stopped giving up their pets before moving homes. The shelter says that compared with years past, fewer residential leases terminate at the end of June; therefore, instead of abandoning their pets all at once, Montrealers area leaving their animals behind all year long. And the number of surrendered pets is increasing, a trend that Laurence Massé, executive director of the Montreal SPCA, blames on the high cost of living and on a lack of pet-friendly rentals. 'We used to see a really, really huge increase, a huge discrepancy between the surrenders in July and all of the other months,' Massé said in a recent interview. 'We don't tend to see the same increase as previously because people move all year long now.' In the first four months of 2025, the Montreal branch of the SPCA reported 1,212 animals surrendered, a 26 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. The SPCA received 3,000 surrendered pets in 2024. Ahead of July 1, the SPCA's Montreal facility was already hosting almost 200 animals: nearly 100 cats, 27 dogs, 39 small animals like rabbits, and 25 wild animals. Massé said her organization is already at 112 per cent capacity for cats and 118 per cent for dogs. 'We're never going to leave an animal behind, so we're going to open our offices, we're going to find a foster family,' Massé said. There had been concerns that animal shelters would see a major spike in abandoned pets after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people had adopted pets during lockdowns. That anticipated wave of animal surrenders never came, but abandonments have been rising due to a complex combination of factors, Massé said. No-pet clauses in leases are a major problem, Massé said, noting that 52 per cent of Quebec families are pet owners, and 25 per cent of pets are dogs — but just 4.2 per cent of landlords permit dogs in their apartments. 'So it's really, really hard to find a place. So that's one of the biggest factors of surrender.' The SPCA has argued in favour of Civil Code changes to ban no-pet clauses. Opposition party Québec solidaire attempted to bring legislation on the issue in 2023 but failed. Martin Messier of the Quebec Landlords Association says his members would be more open to allowing pets if the Quebec government permitted landlords to collect deposits for potential pet-related damage. 'I think that for a lot of landlords, the problem is never the pet, it's always the pet owner that does not take care properly of their pet.' 'We want to make sure that we have a building in good condition … that we have other tenants that are able to enjoy their unit as well,' Messier said. In 2015 Quebec changed the legal status of animals to declare them sentient beings, not property; but legislators didn't change the rules around no-pet clauses, which remain legal. Lawyer John-Nicolas Morello, head of a non-profit committed to advocating for ethics and animal law, said the SPCA has launched a court challenge against Quebec's rules around no-pet clauses. That case, however, won't be heard for several years. Other jurisdictions have taken the lead on this issue: France and Ontario, for example, have invalidated no-pet clauses in residential leases. Morello said his organization supports the SPCA challenge, and in the meantime has created a manual to help guide tenants during lease negotiations so that landlords feel more comfortable with pets. 'Until that (legal challenge) happens, we thought that it was important to try to develop a tool to allow an informed discussion between the landlord and the tenant,' Morello said. But more and more, Massé noted, the consideration to give up a pet is a financial one. 'In the last two years, we tend to see an increase in surrenders for economic reasons,' Massé said. 'We're living in an inflation context right now and unfortunately people have a hard time affording their own food. So, what about food for the animal?' The SPCA runs a program that offers food, litter and toys for pets whose owners are struggling financially. Aside from pet necessities, it's difficult for families trying to budget for potential veterinary care. 'So behind every surrender, there's (often) a financial reason, unfortunately, and we're seeing more and more this year,' Massé said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025. Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
Free Malaysia Today
12-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Sweet Biby: from stray pup to vet's beloved companion
Biby was once a stray pup who Dr Teoh Kah Ying adopted after spotting her begging for food. (Teoh Kah Ying pics) PETALING JAYA : It was meant to be just an ordinary night at the mamak stall – until Dr Teoh Kah Ying noticed a scruffy pup approaching customers for food. Animal-lover Teoh, who was then a veterinary student, was deeply moved by the sight. When she asked the stall workers about the pup, they told her that she first appeared about three weeks ago. They didn't think she belonged to anyone. 'I said, 'Okay, I'll take her',' recalled Teoh. That was about 10 years ago and today, that same stray – whom Teoh named Biby – has been thriving under the loving care of Teoh and her family. Teoh is now a veterinarian and runs Furkids Wellness Centre, a veterinary clinic in Petaling Jaya, with her sister, also a veterinarian. And like most dogs, Biby isn't particularly fond of being at the clinic – even though her human is the vet! 'She would look at me, and I know what she's trying to say: 'Let's go home!',' said Teoh, 30. Perhaps, Teoh mused, it's not fun watching your human pay attention to other animals. Still, Biby remains well-mannered – if she follows Teoh into the surgery room, she settles quietly in a corner and often falls asleep until her human is done. 'She never causes troubles, never barks or bites anyone,' Teoh shared. When it's time to head to the clinic, Biby takes her own sweet time leaving the comfort of the warm bed. Well, who wouldn't choose sleeping over work? (Teoh Kah Ying pics) Biby, she added, loves eating kibbles soaked in fresh milk – especially when it's the Farm Fresh brand. Another one of her favourites? Kuih kapit! 'One fun fact: if other people feed her, they can just put the food down and leave. She will lap everything up. But if it's me, she won't eat on her own. She waits for me to feed her by hand,' said Teoh with a smile. It's a small gesture, but one that speaks volumes about the quiet and strong bond they share. The canine also loves going for walks – although not always with her human in tow! 'Sometimes when I'm busy and my sister has the day off, I'll leave Biby at my sister's place. But Biby knows how to sneak out of the house, go for a walk on her own, and then come back. I think she's street smart,' said Teoh. Their connection runs deeper than companionship as Teoh believes their personalities are quite similar – they're both introverts. 'At the groomer's, the other dogs will be playing in the common area. But there is also a private space. The groomer tells me that Biby opens the door to the private area herself and stays inside,' she said. Dr Teoh Kah Ying with Biby, her precious pet, fellow introvert and sleepy head. (Teoh Kah Ying pics) Now about 12 years old, Biby is showing signs of ageing and has developed cataracts. To keep her safe and comfortable, Teoh ensures that every room is well-lit so Biby can navigate with ease. She also keeps a close eye on Biby's health, regularly checking her eyes, gums and teeth and giving her soothing massages. 'Even though I've said goodbye to many animals, I don't think it's going to be easy when it's her turn,' Teoh admitted. From her days as a veterinary student to becoming a practising vet, Biby has been by Teoh's side, a loyal companion through life's ups and downs. Sweet and steadfast, Biby is a reminder of the lasting bond between humans and dogs – and the special gift their presence can be. Learn more about Furkids Wellness Centre via their website and on Instagram.
CNA
08-06-2025
- General
- CNA
Some cat welfare groups are over capacity with more animals needing help
Some cat welfare groups say they are over capacity as fewer animals are getting adopted compared to previous years. And they are struggling to serve community cats, as they report a 20 per cent rise in suspected abuse cases compared to last year. Rachel Teng with more.
