ohmidog!

In a poor shanty town in Lima, Peru, a deaf and mute boy is helping dogs, and proving actions speak louder than words ever will.

According to this report, posted on Care2 by Rosemary Underhay, who works with Vida Digna, a Peruvian animal welfare association, they first noticed the boy in a line of people waiting to get medical care for their animals.

“In the line there was a small boy, deaf and unable to speak, who used sign language to tell us we needed to see something urgently,” she writes.

“He disappeared for a while and then returned with a small, cold, miserable puppy covered in an angry, itchy mange and with a nasty, festering wound caused by scalding water, probably thrown at him to scare him away from market stands.”

A veterinarian dressed the dog’s burns and treated his mange, and another resident volunteered to take the dog in until he recovered from his wounds.

Every week, the neighbor and the deaf boy were back in the line with the dog, named Milo, so his progress could be checked.

Two months later, as the program came to an end, Milo had completely recovered. By then, many were interested in adopting him. He now lives in a happy home, not far from the boy who helped him.

The boy, meanwhile, continued to bring in other strays in need of help, Vida Digna says.

“We always see him on our programs because he brings us strays. He wants us to give him an injection along with the dogs (the anti-mange injection), and the vet pretends to get ready an enormous syringe.”

Underhay said they don’t know if the boy is in school. Half of all school-age children there are not, because their parents cannot afford it.

“… We always try to make it clear to him that he is changing his world, by turning suffering into happiness,” Underhay wrote.

“We feel that the message is very strong, that people who are living permanently with those terrible constraints still want their animals to be well-cared for. People love their animals. The animals of the poor are often ill-cared for simply for lack of information and money. We teach above all, but provide services at prices most can pay for, even if only bit by bit. That is our work.”

Click this link to  make a donation to help provide care for the animals in Peru’s shanty towns.

(Photos: Care2.com)

A puppy was found tied to a tree in Greensboro yesterday, with third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body.

The dog was picked up after an anonymous call to animal control.

He’s now in the care of the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

Executive Director Marsha Williams told Fox News that the hound mix was found at a small apartment complex off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Chemical and powder residue were found on the three-month-old dog, samples of which were sent to Greensboro police, Williams said.

The dog may have been burned a week or two ago, Williams said.

Other than the burns, the dog, who has been named Hoyt, looked healthy and had no broken bones, Williams said.

Shelter veterinarians have performed skin grafts, wrapped the dog in burn bandages, and given him pain medicine and antibiotics, she said.

“He’s in a lot of pain,” Williams said. “He’s a real sweet dog.”

News 14 reported that the puppy’s caretaker, Anthony Jones, said he had found the dog and was caring for it when one day the dog became disoriented. He said the burns couldhave resulted from a pet shampoo he used on the dog.

Jones said he called animal control to have them come get the dog, but didn’t tell them he was the pet’s owner because he didn’t want to be responsible for paying for its medical care.

Hoyt’s case is the first of its kind this year. Last year, a Pomeranian mix named Bailey was found burned, the third such case in a 13-month period.

Hoyt is being treated with money donated to Susie’s Fund, which was created in 2009 after the dog the fund is named after was badly burned. Her case led to the legislature approving stricter penalties for animal abuse cases.

The shelter is hosting a “Bark & Wine” fundraiser from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Dog-Gone Fun at 203 Berry Garden Road in Kernersville. Tickets cost $20, and all proceeds go to Susie’s Fund.

The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) has received its third burned cat  case this year — a five month old kitten — and is seeking help from the community.

On Tuesday, two men saw the burning kitten as it ran by them in the 2400 block of Llewellyn Ave. in Baltimore City.

It rolled on the ground and put the fire out itself. They confined it until Animal Control arrived. The black kitten smelled strongly of smoke and is singed on both it’s back and its belly.

It will most likely lose its ears and its skin is already sloughing off. The kitten was medically treated and is now in foster care receiving on-going treatment.

BARCS is asking the public to contact 911 with any information regarding the case.

Donations to the BARCS Franky Fund, that treats sick and injured animals, are being accepted to help treat the kitten. Checks may be made payable to BARCS Franky Fund, 301 Stockholm Street Baltimore, MD, 21230. They can also be made online through PayPal at http://baltimoreanimalshelter.org.

In yet another case of animal abuse in Baltimore, a teenager doused a young female cat with lighter fluid and set her on fire.

The cat, and the kittens she recently gave birth to, were taken to Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) after police responded to a call in the 3300 block Saint Ambrose Street.

The cat, who has been nicknamed Mittens at the shelter, is suffering from burns on most of her body.

Witnesses told police that, earlier this month, a juvenile placed the cat in a milk crate on the back porch, doused the milk crate and the cat with lighter fluid and then struck a match and threw it in the crate.

In flames, the cat broke free from the milk crate and ran from the yard, running in circles until the fire was extinguished, BARCS said. She then returned home and hid under a table.

Police have not reported whether any arrests were made at the residence, which they said still smelled of singed skin when they arrived.

The cat and her kittens are residing in “Critter Care” at BARCS. Mittens has third and fourth degree burns. She is expected to survive, but will need long term treatment.  It will be months before she is healed and her fur may not grow back

“This is another horrible case of animal abuse in Baltimore City, ” said Jennifer Brause, BARCS’ Executive Director. “Mittens is a wonderful cat, who despite her injuries is still caring for her kittens and is very affectionate to the staff.”

Mittens’ medical bills will be covered by BARCS’ Franky Fund, a fund that relies on donations from the public to pay the veterinarian and medical bills of injured animals that come to the shelter for care.

Donations to the Franky Fund are accepted through the BARCS website, or at the shelter, located at 301 Stockholm Street in South Baltimore (near M&T Bank Stadium).

PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture calling for an immediate investigation of how the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston is treating the dogs, monkeys, sheep, goats, ferrets and mice being used in experiments.

PETA says a whistleblower has informed them that the animals are being intentionally burned, mutilated, and cut open for experiments the organization describes as “cruel.” Also at issue, PETA says, are claims that the animals are receiving inadequate veterinary care, and are being neglected and handled carelessly by improperly trained staff.

The unidentified whistleblower told PETA that researcher Daniel Traber has subjected sheep, pigs, and mice to third-degree burns on up to 40 percent of their bodies and forced the animals to inhale smoke from burning cotton. UTMB experimenters also intentionally caused spinal cord and sciatic nerve injuries in sheep, PETA says.

“Our source also reports the following: UTMB faculty members cut open dogs and surgically implanted tubes into their colons for irritable bowel experiments. One dog reportedly died during surgery, and another died in pain following surgery when staff members did not provide anesthetics and were apparently unable to use the monitoring equipment correctly.”

PETA says it has has repeatedly reached out to UTMB through letters and phone calls to discuss the alleged violations, but has gotten no response. A PETA petition urges  UTMB to “immediately conduct a thorough investigation of the university’s laboratories and dismiss any employees whose incompetence, negligence, or outright cruelty are found to have contributed to increased pain and misery for animals.”

PETA highlighted Traber, of UTMB Department of Anesthesiology, two years ago in its “Vivisector of the Month” column, which reported that:

“Traber … has made a living for almost three decades by burning animals’ skin off. In a recent experiment, he either torched mice with a Bunsen burner until more than 40 percent of their bodies was charred or forced them to inhale smoke. A few select mice got the full treatment—they were both burned and forced to inhale smoke. Some died during the experiment, and survivors were subsequently killed.

“In another study, Traber heated an aluminum bar to nearly 400 degrees with a Bunsen burner and roasted the skin of live pigs on it for 30 seconds, creating a series of deep burns that covered 15 percent of their bodies. In order to repair the deliberately injured animals, Traber and colleagues then removed skin from the pigs’ legs to graft over the areas that had been burned off. After living through all this torture, the pigs were killed. Again, this is only his most recent work—Traber has been burning, mutilating, and killing sheep for years.”

About four months ago, two dogs were found wandering the streets of Phoenix, both with what appeared to be fresh and severe chemical burns on their backs.

One of them was a puppy, a pit bull mix named Ash, who was featured in news reports and, after medical treatment and some time in foster care, adopted out to a new home.

The other was this fellow to your left, a one-year-old pug mix who has also recovered from his burns — though his back, too, remains scarred  – but hasn’t gotten as much press as his partner.

Maybe it was because his pug-something mix didn’t have the media appeal of a pit bull. Maybe someone found his underbite, which makes him look a little like a miniature wolfman, camera-unfriendly.

When I ran into Wolfie, as he has been named, at an adoption event/fundraiser in Cave Creek, Arizona, Saturday, he seemed eager to flash his grin and happy to pose for my camera.

But, by weekend’s end and after appearing at two adoption events — one at For Goodness Sake, a thrift store in Cave Creek whose sales benefit animal rescue groups, another at an area pet store — Wolfie remained in need of a permanent home.

He’s an affectionate little dog who — though he still gets scared by strange objects and sudden motions — gets along well with both other dogs and humans, according to Paula Monarch, who’s serving as his foster mom through Little Rascals Rescue.

Wolfie has been in Paula’s care since September — about a month after he and Ash were found in South Phoenix, both with severe burns that were believed to have been caused by chemicals, acids or pool cleaners.

Officials suspect it was an intentional act, but no arrests have been made.

Wolfie spent three weeks at the vet’s, getting his wounds flushed and cleaned several times a day, and his burns coated in silver sulfide.

They’ve healed over and no longer cause him any pain, but because of the hairless streaks on his back, he’ll probably need to wear sun screen or a T-shirt if he spends much time outside.

Paula said she suspects Wolfie may have suffered other abuse, as well. He gets nervous when she picks up the remote control, and will scurry away with his tail between his legs.

Before long, though, he’s over it and cuddling again.

Already, the tale of Wolfie is a brighter one than that of a Phoenix, a pit bull who was set on fire in Baltimore last year. Despite a valiant fight, she died several days later, but her case led to an ongoing re-examination of how best to fight animal cruelty in the city.

Wolfie made no headlines, and he’s still waiting for that one person or family who see courage in his bald spots, beauty in his underbite, and will ensure the next chapter of his story is a happy one.

If you’re interested in adopting Wolfie, email bu.ter.fly@hotmail.com, or call Jen at 623-210-6578, Ryan at 623-606-4855, or Patti at 602-943-7059.

A year-old pit bull is recovering after being dragged for nearly two miles behind a pick-up truck in Florida.

Holly, as the dog was named by the veterinarian treating her, had two toes surgically removed yesterday but “is doing really well,” Dr. Leonard Fox in Port St. Lucie said. “I really do believe that six weeks from now she’ll be running around like nothing happened,” he told TCPalm.com.

When she was brought in, the dog had severe road rash, particularly on her feet, which Fox said “look like ground beef.” She’d been dragged so long the big toes on her rear paws were worn down to the bone, necessitating the amputation.

Fox said the road rash will have to be treated like burns, with fresh bandages every few days. More surgery may be required Thursday or Friday to remove dead skin, and Holly may get a cast on her left hind foot as well.

The driver of the truck, Napoleon Zarah Davis, 31, of Port St. Lucie, was released from the St. Lucie County Jail Monday after paying $2,500 bond on a felony charge of animal cruelty.

The story is similar to one  recently reported in Tennessee.

Davis told police he was taking the dog to the Humane Society of St. Lucie County Monday when the dog jumped out of the truck bed. The dog was dragged 1.9 miles, before a man caught up to Davis and got him to stop the truck, according to police.

Davis  told police he didn’t know the dog, whose 15-foot leash was tied to a post in the truck bed, had jumped out.

(Photo: Port St. Lucie Police Department)

An 8-month-old cat deliberately set on fire — twice — by what a witness described as a group of young people was treated for serious burns and is now being montiored at Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter.

The city office of Animal Control received a call from a citizen who said she saw several children throwing rocks and bricks at the cat in the Garrison Avenue neighborhood. The witness said the children then poured liquid on the cat. The witness said she turned away, but when she looked back the cat was burning.

The cat was able to roll and put the flames out, but the children caught it and set it on fire a second time.

Despite her condition the cat, now named Gabrielle, was purring as the BARCS staff evaluated her, according to Jennifer Mead-Brause, executive director of BARCS.

BARCS, using money from its Franky Fund, sent Gabrielle to Everhart Veterinary Hospital for further evaluation.

Gabrielle is back resting at the shelter now, and a local animal rescue organization, Recycled Love, has agreed to take over the care of Gabrielle.

This case is being referred to police for further investigation.

Baltimore police  have charged two teenagers with dousing a pit bull with gasoline and setting it on fire, but a press conference on the arrests was canceled yesterday.

Police said the arrests were made over the weekend.

The suspects were charged as juveniles, and their identities have not been made public. One TV report, however, identified them as 17-year-old twin brothers.

A WBAL-TV report identified the boys’ mother as Denise Griffin. Mrs. Griffin said her sons were taken in for questioning on Friday night.

“I know they didn’t do it. I keep hearing different things around the neighborhood about the dog ran up to there. The dog — nobody said the dog was right there. So, I feel as though I know my boys didn’t do it. It’s a reward out and then wasn’t nobody picked up around there until they said something about a reward,” Griffin said.

The case had raised the ire of animal welfare advocates across the country, and between public donations and those from humane organizations, thousands of dollars poured into a reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who killed the dog, who was named Phoenix after she arrived at the Baltimore animal shelter.

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Phoenix, the Baltimore pit bull who was set on fire last week, has died.

The dog, who showed signs of having been used in dogfights, was doused with gasoline and set on fire Wednesday afternoon in Southwest Baltimore. A police officer, upon spotting her, put the fire out with her sweater. No arrests have been made.

The dog was taken to BARCS, treated locally at Swan Harbor Animal Hospital, then sent to Pennsylvania for additional treatment.

Officials at Main Line Animal Rescue, in whose care the dog was placed, said yesterday that Phoenix experienced increased creatinine levels, causing her kidneys to shut down.

The dog,  who arrived at BARCS with her tail wagging even though she’d received burns over 90 percent of her body, was put down at 8:45 this morning.

” She had a strong will to live but her physical problems were just too extensive,” a MLAR representative said. “Thanks to all the caring people who will hold her in their heart.”

 ”She touched the hearts of everyone that came in contact with her and anyone who heard her story,”  said Jennifer Mead-Brause, executive director of BARCS.  “We can only hope now that someone will come forward so that there can be a conviction on this case.”

As Mead-Brause explained it, Phoenix’s kidneys couldn’t cope with the natural chemicals her body was producing to fight off infection.

“As her body was trying to heal, her muscles were producing natural chemicals that are excreted through the kidneys. Unfortunately her kidneys could not handle the process and began to shut down. Due to kidney failure, and the long road still ahead for recovery, the veterinarians that were caring for her decided it would be best to euthanize her.”

BARCS has set up a reward fund, which now stands at $3,000, for information leading to the suspects.

For information on how to donate to the reward fund, or the Franky Fund, which helped pay for the initial emergency care Phoenix received, visit the BARCS website.