Three bears return home
Just before winter, PAWS received three orphaned black bear cubs-two
females and a male. All were found in different areas of Washington,
all alone and too young to survive the winter on their own.
Gradually, the three were introduced to each other to provide them with
important socialization, exercise and stimulation. Throughout their
stay in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, staff, volunteers and
visitors watched them on a video monitor, delighted by their frolicking
behavior and amazed by their rapid growth. Click here to watch a video of them at the center just before their release.
Approximately six months after their arrival, all three were healthy
and strong enough to go off on their own. Last month, the two females
were released 35 miles apart in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National
Forest and the male was released deep in the Cedar River Watershed. At
each site, as each crate door opened and the fuzzy, black bodies
lumbered out in the open, everyone felt joyful-partly because we knew
there were three less, large hungry mouths to feed. But mostly we were
joyful because after the hard work of a caring team, these magnificent
creatures were now able to be what they were meant to be-wild and free.
Click here to watch the story by KOMO 4 News about the release of the male black bear.
Help put an end to the "Deadliest Horse Race in the World"
The small town of Omak in Eastern Washington is the home of the brutal
"World Famous Suicide Race." During this August event, riders
repeatedly race horses off Suicide Hill at a slope organizers have
boasted is an "almost vertical…62 degree angle." At breakneck speed
horses then meet, with concrete force, the rocky Okanogan River. After
a panicked swim of more than a football field in length, the horses
face a final, grueling uphill sprint.
In the last 20 years that PAWS has monitored the Suicide Race, 20
horses have died. In 2004, three horses were killed in the first heat
alone! Washington law prohibits the "injury or death of animals for
amusement or gain." If horses racing at Emerald Downs were to die at
the same rate as horses in the Suicide Race- one horse in every four
races- it would be shut down immediately. What makes the horses of Omak
unworthy of the same protection?
PAWS is working to end this cruel race once and for all and you can help by joining the PAWS Suicide Erasers. Visit www.suiciderace.com
to sign up as a Suicide Eraser and learn more. It features shocking
videos of the race, a contact list of corporate sponsors, frequently
asked questions, downloadable brochures, race history and much more.
Reunited and it feels so good!
It was the last day of Abe's stray period and his guardian still hadn't
been found, which is common for cats in shelters across the country. In
2004, only two percent of stray cats that came to PAWS were returned to
their guardians. PAWS staff knew that someone had to be missing this
amiable, outgoing feline. He was obviously loved. So they checked the
lost reports one more time and scanned the Petfinder.org website, a new
procedure, hoping to find someone looking for an elderly, black cat
with long, fluffy fur.
"We found a description on Petfinder's site of a lost cat that sounded
just like Abe," said Kay Joubert PAWS Companion Animal Services
Director. "Only the family lived in Mountlake Terrace, not in Lynnwood
where the cat was found. It was close enough for us to give it a try."
Beckie Bonnell was relieved to receive the call from PAWS. Abe, whose
actual name is Griffey, otherwise known as the "Griff Monster," had
been missing for about a week and a half.
"He's the king of the neighborhood, even though he's 16," said Beckie.
"He likes to come along when we walk the dogs, but in all the years
we've had him, even after moving nine times, he'd never gotten lost."
She could hardly believe that he was found in Lynnwood and wondered if
he might have accidentally taken a car ride with someone. "I've gotten
all the way to the grocery store before, only to find Griffey in the
back seat," Beckie recalled.
Despite his recent adventure, Griffey was eager to continue his
exploration, except now he does so sporting a multi-colored collar with
a shiny new identification tag-his ticket home the next time he wanders
too far.
Seriously fun- and important- playtime
Need a place for your puppy to play without the risks of an
unsupervised adult dog park? PAWS introduces a new program for those
little canine rascals: PAWS Puppy Club. This program (which began on
June 4th) is a fun and safe way for people and their dogs, eight weeks
to four-and-a-half months old, to socialize and play with other dogs.
Every Saturday, from 10 am to 11 am at PAWS, puppies can join the fun
and gain the skills they need to grow into well-balanced adult dogs.
PAWS Puppy Club is supervised by a professional dog trainer and costs
$10 per one-hour session. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are
preferred. Call 425/787-2500 ext 820 or email programs@paws.org. All puppies must be accompanied by their guardians and up-to-date on all required vaccinations.
Help the environment at Earthshare's Day in the Park
Join PAWS' naturalist Kevin Mack on Saturday, June 11th, as he leads
PAWS' team to help with beach clean up, rebuild trails and remove
invasive plant species at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle. This annual
event organized by our fundraising partner Earthshare of Washington (www.esw.org)
starts at 9:30 am and goes until 3:00 pm. There will be free food, live
music and giveaways. You can sign up directly and read more about the
event at www.dayinthepark.org.
Send your car to the dogs (or cats!)
Selling your vehicle? Avoid the hassle of expensive ads, receiving
phone calls and price haggling. Help the animals by donating your car,
truck, van, SUV, RV, boat, or motorcycle in good running condition to
PAWS. It's easy and for a great cause. Learn more about donating your vehicle to PAWS.
All rights reserved. ©2005 Progressive Animal Welfare Society
