Bark to the Park
Join The Humane Society and Project Pet for Bark to the Park 2010 at Finlay Park (Downtown Columbia), and enjoy a fun-filled family day while helping support shelter pets across the Midlands! The day starts with a 1-mile fun walk for you and your four-legged friend. Following the walk, there will be lots of great activities for dogs and their people at the Festival for the Animals! Get an early start and form a walk team today or sign up as an individual walker. There are great prizes for all levels of walkers, and the sooner you start letting everyone know about your involvement, the better!
All proceeds benefit shelter pets in the Midlands. More than 19,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in just two area shelters each year. Help us help them by participating in the 2010 Bark to the Park Walk and Festival for the Animals.
Register for the Bark to the Park Walk now, and start saving lives today!
About the Walk
Check-in starts at 9am, and the walk begins at 10am near the “Top of Finlay” on Laurel Street. The last day to form or join a team is April 10th, 2010, but you can always sign up to walk as an individual.
Walk registration (includes entrance to festival):
Pre-registration through April 16th: $25 minimum donation
Day of Walk registration: $30 minimum donation
About the Festival
12pm-4pm at Finlay Park
Festival Admission: $10 per person (dogs and children under 5 are FREE)
Activities:
- South Carolina's LARGEST 1-day adoption event
- Low-cost microchipping clinic - Just $10 per dog!
- K-9s In-Flight Frisbee Show
- Flyball demonstration and challenges
- Contests for you and your pooch
- Vendors galore
- Yummy food by McAllister's
- and much, much more!
Coping with the Loss of a Pet
Supplied by the ASPCA
|
It is difficult to imagine our lives without our pets, but sooner or later, all pet parents will face the passing of our beloved animal friends. The powerful emotions that may be triggered by a pet’s death can cause some individuals to feel confused, frightened, angry, guilty and sad. Please remember, these emotions are all normal. It is natural to grieve, and it is important to have compassion and support in one’s time of grief. The ASPCA can help if the animal you love has died or if he or she is ill, injured or elderly. At aspca.org/petloss, we have compiled a wealth of information to aid you during this trying time. Our End-of-Life Care FAQ addresses questions about making your pet’s final days comfortable, peaceful and dignified. We also have a general Pet Loss FAQ and an article on helping children understand the loss of a pet. In addition, ASPCA Counseling Services offers a Pet Loss Support program that provides personalized help with euthanasia issues, grief counseling, helping other pets cope and more. For assistance, please email Dr. Stephanie LaFarge, Senior Director of ASPCA Counseling Services, through her online Pet Loss column. You may also call the ASPCA’s 24-hour, toll-free Pet Loss Hotline at (877) GRIEF-10.
Victory: Government Adopts Stronger Rules for Organic Milk
Supplied by the ASPCA
Good news—the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed regulations for the care of “organic” dairy cows, which we asked you take action on two weeks ago, have been approved! The new rules, effective June 17, stipulate that organic milk and meat must come from livestock grazing on pasture for at least four months of the year; 30 percent of the cows’ feed must come from grazing; and ranchers must have a plan to protect soil and water quality.
“We are delighted to learn that so many cows will now have access to pasture and an opportunity to graze,” says Robert Baker, ASPCA Senior Manager of Farm Animal Welfare. “We hope this will be the first of many steps the USDA will take to align organic standards with humane standards. Consumers need to be given an opportunity to make a ‘humane’ choice as well as a healthy choice when they choose organic products. We welcome these initial measures toward this goal.”
We would like to give a big thanks to News Alert readers and members of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade who took the time to email the White House from ASPCA.org. Over the span of 15 days, more than 33,000 emails were sent!
“Clear and enforceable standards are essential to the health and success of the market for organic agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a USDA press release issued last Friday. “The final rule published today will give consumers confidence that organic milk or cheese comes from cows raised on pasture, and organic family farmers the assurance that there is one, consistent pasture standard that applies to dairy products.”
For more information on the new rules for organic milk, visit the website of the National Organic Program.
