We also have a ton of other special medical needs right now…..a mama kitty also getting a leg removed tomorrow night, a Walker Coonhound whose leg is so badly broken that you can literally hear the bones grinding against one another….it’s bad. We’ve also gotten in a raft of hw+ dogs. So anything you can donate is *so* much appreciated. Even if it’s $5, $1, whatever. These animals need all the help they can get! They are fortunate to find themselves in a shelter that truly wants to help them, rather than just euthanizing any animal that has special needs, but unfortunately it is a very poor shelter. I know money is tight for everyone right now, but if you can spare even a few dollars it really would make a big difference.

Donations can be made via PayPal to ashtabulaanimaladvocates@gmail.com (gmail.com) or via this donation button:

We are also seeking rescue for Shelly, as well as our other special needs guys. Shelly is a very pretty little medium-sized girl. The pic doesn’t do her justice; she was too scared when it was taken to really show how pretty she is. Long hair, fluffy curled tail…just a lovely dog, and sweet as pie. She really deserves the opportunity to recover outside of the shelter environment.

Also, don’t forget that 100% of proceeds from my AnimalProtectvLeague shop and 20% of profits from my fashionsplatter shop go to help Ashtabula APL animals in need! So you can make a donation *and* get something cool :)

Brittany is a beautiful little medium-haired black cat who came to the Ashtabula APL back in April, with one leg nearly flattened due to being hit by a car. Before anything major could be done for her, it was discovered that she was pregnant. She had her kittens at the shelter and has been a great mom to them, but now it’s time for the leg to come off. It’s been infected over and over, they’ve done all they can to treat her, and the only thing that will allow her to live a full life is amputation.

The vet who comes in once a month or so and does the special needs surgeries just let us know that he will be in this Friday night. We have a ton of special needs animals right now, and need to raise a lot of money, but for now we really want to focus on Brittany. The poor thing has been through so much. The vet estimates that the time, supplies, etc will cost about $200, so that is the minimum we need to raise by Friday night. Any extra raised will go towards helping some of the other special cases (the vet is there to spay and neuter….we need to raise money to have him spend the time on these special surgeries).

To donate, please PayPal to ashtabulaanimaladvocates@gmail.com (gmail.com) or via this donation button:

We would also love to find rescue for Britt and the kids. They are *beautiful* cats.

Also, don’t forget that 100% of proceeds from my AnimalProtectvLeague shop and 20% of profits from my fashionsplatter shop go to help Ashtabula APL animals in need! So you can make a donation and get something cool in return :)

I’m going to be honest here and say that Hank may not survive the surgery. Apparently the infection is pretty bad and sepsis is a real risk, as is his little body just not being able to handle the stress. But he will *definitely* not survive without the surgery, so it’s his only chance.

If you can donate to help Hank get his surgery, please PayPal your donation to ashtabulaanimaladvocates@gmail.com (gmail.com) or via this donation button:

Please check the APL blog if you are interested in updates on Hank. In the unlikely event that more than $200 is raised for Hank, I will put any extra money towards the next animal in greatest need. We do also have a Basset mix with a cherry eye that we are hoping to get fixed on the same day….I’m just waiting to hear how much that will cost. If you would prefer that your donation not go towards another animal, and instead be refunded if it’s not needed for Hank, please just let me know.

Check out Hank’s Petfinder listing.

And if you have a moment, please have a look at our other dogs and cats in need as well. The shelter is so horribly overcrowded right now…dogs are two to three in a cage with no air conditioning. It didn’t help that the computers were down for months so Petfinder was out of date. It’s gradually getting updated now….most dogs and some cats have pics, so please do look and see if there are any animals you can rescue, adopt, or just spread the word about.

Also, don’t forget that 100% of proceeds from my AnimalProtectvLeague shop and 20% of profits from my fashionsplatter shop go to help Ashtabula APL animals in need! So you can make a donation and get something cool in return :)

http://www.cafepress.com/K9_Advocates

(not a promo, btw…I don’t benefit in any way from sales of this shirt. But I am *so* buying one!)

Please see the email from Shana below for information about how to contact your representatives about this proposed ban. And please do check out the article at
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/breed-bans/article/524 for more information on the ban, and why such bans do not work and are not necessary. Stricter laws are needed to punish irresponsible dog guardians. Bans don’t work. They alienat the responsible guardians and drive dog fighters further underground. Punish the deed, not the breed.

As you read this, please keep in mind that even if you’re not big on pit bulls, breed specific legislation is a danger to *all* dogs. There have been bans proposed in other areas against shepherds, labs, even pugs! Not to mention that fact the if all a dog has to do is *look* like a pit bull, many non-pits will be euthanized as well. Volunteering at the Ashtabula APL I see first hand how any dog with a wide head and a big smile is thought to be a pit, even by the dog warden!. Ontario has had a ban like this for a while, and apparently it is a nightmare to be a dog guardian there now. People can’t walk their big-headed purebred labs down the street without being harassed.

And, honestly, you don’t even have to *like* dogs to see the dangerous impact such a ban would have on our personal freedom.

Please do spread the word about this atrocity in the making. Feel free to forward this email or post from it on blogs, forums, anywhere you can reach people that can help. And above all, please use the instructions below to contact your Representative and let him or her know that you oppose this Bill.

Thank you,
Dawn

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: CAO <shana@canineadvocatesofohio.org>
Date: Tue, May 20, 2008 at 10:35 PM
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Ohio to Ban Pit Bulls
To: CAO <shana@canineadvocatesofohio.org>

As most of you are now aware, Ohio Representative Tyrone Yates
introduced House Bill 568 (the “Bill”) earlier today, which, if
passed, will prohibit the ownership of pit bulls in the State of Ohio.
The Bill requires all owners to surrender their “pit bulls” within 90
days of the effective date of the proposed law. The Bill provides
that the dog warden “shall” euthanize all pit bulls within 10 days of
their surrender. In addition, a dog warden or other officer that has
probable cause to believe that a dog is a “pit bull,” may apply for a
search warrant. With a search warrant, an officer will have the
authority to seize the dog and surrender the dog to the dog warden to be killed.

To see a copy of the Bill, please visit:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_568.

We heard from Webster’s Aide earlier today and she indicated that the Bill has been assigned to a committee. Until I am informed of the committee considering the Bill, there are a few things each of us can do. Please DO NOT WAIT to do the following: please remember to be polite and respectful in all correspondence!

Ohio Residents:

Contact Your House Rep as follows:

(1) Draft a PERSONALIZED LETTER to your house representative.

If you do not know who your representative is, please visit:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp.

In the letter, indicate that you are a constituent, that you oppose Bill 568, that you will leave Ohio if this passes (if that is
the case) and that you want your representative to oppose the Bill.

Please try to send this letter out immediately.

(2) Call your representative to express your opposition and to urge your representative’s opposition. Tell him/her that you will fight this all the way. Remember to leave your name, city of residence and phone number. You will most probably get your reps voicemail. Please plan what to say prior to making the call.

ALTHOUGH EMAILS ARE EASIER, PLEASE FOCUS ON SENDING LETTERS AND CALLING. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT!!!!! TAKE 15 MINUTES TO WRITE A LETTER AND MAKE SURE TO PERSONALIZE IT. OUR REPRESENTATIVES NOTICE WHEN THEY RECIEVE FORM LETTERS.

(3) Send an e-mail to your representative urging him/her to vote against the Bill. Tell him/her that you will leave Ohio if this passes.

***For additional talking points for your letters, please visit:
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/breed-bans/article/524.

Contact the Leadership: (contact information below)

(1) Use the LETTER you sent to your representative and revise it
slightly. Although you may not be a constituent, leadership has a lot
of power and expects to hear from the residents of Ohio. So, please
send letters.

(2) Call each member of the leadership. You will probably get
voicemail but please leave your name, city of residence and phone
number. Please plan what you will say prior to making the call.

****At this point, we do not want emails sent to leadership.*************

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ONCE YOU’VE SENT THE LETTER, LEFT A
VOICE MAIL AND EMAILED. WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT
EVERYONE’S DONE AND WE’RE TRYING TO FIGHT THIS AS A UNIFIED GROUP SO
YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED!

Out of State Individuals Wishing to Voice Opposition:

Until we determine to which committee the Bill has been assigned, if
you would like to voice your opposition, the best thing to do is to:

(1) Send LETTERS to House Leaders (contact info below) and voice
your opposition.

(2) Call the leadership and leave messages voicing your opposition.

Leadership Contact Information:

John Husted
Speaker of the House
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-6008
Fax : (614) 719-3591
Email Address: district37@ohr.state.oh.us

Kevin DeWine
Speaker Pro Tempore
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-6020
Fax : (614) 719-3970
Email Address: district70@ohr.state.oh.us

Larry L. Flowers
Majority Floor Leader
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-4847
Fax : (614) 719-6958
Email Address: district19@ohr.state.oh.us

Jim Carmichael
Assistant Majority Floor Leader
77 S. High St
12th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-1474
Fax : (614) 719-0003
Email Address: district03@ohr.state.oh.us

Michelle G. Schneider
Majority Whip
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-6023
Fax : (614) 719-3589
Email Address: district35@ohr.state.oh.us

Shannon Jones
Assistant Majority Whip
77 S. High St
11th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-6027
Fax : (614) 719-3967
Email Address: district67@ohr.state.oh.us

Joyce Beatty
Minority Leader
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-5343
Fax : (614) 719-3581
Email Address: district27@ohr.state.oh.us

T. Todd Book
Assistant Minority Leader
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-2124
Fax : (614) 719-6989
Email Address: district89@ohr.state.oh.us

Fred Strahorn
Minority Whip
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-2960
Fax : (614) 719-6940
Email Address: district40@ohr.state.oh.us

Mike Foley
Assistant Minority Whip
77 S. High St
14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-3350
Fax : (614) 719-3910
Email Address: district14@ohr.state.oh.us

************************************
Shana Klein, President
P.O. Box 19081
Cleveland, Ohio 44119
www.canineadvocatesofohio.org (more…)

I’d been in about my worst funk in recent history….I know it was precipitated by sleeping too much, as well as worrying about some health issues I’ve been dealing with. I did some more research (which I really should cite here & hopefully will get a chance to do later)….apparently depressed people dream more that non-depressed people, not only that but their dreams tend to involve more mental activity, with the end result that you can end up feeling exhausted *from* sleeping. Some anti-depressants actually work by suppressing REM sleep. At any rate, I know that a bit of sleep deprivation always helps me to feel better, so Monday and Tuesday night I kept it to about 4 hours. Still felt pretty crummy but could at least get my butt off the couch long enough to get my chores done, so that Dave didn’t have to do them for me anymore. And of course as always when I’m down I crave carbs like mad, and of course as always I tried my best to eat a somewhat balanced diet anyway. Until yesterday afternoon….I just gave in to it & had a big bowl of instant mashed potatoes with canned mushrooms & vegan gravy, and like half a bag of frozen corn. The whole meal had just a smidge of protein from the mushrooms, and no fat to speak of. After I ate it I felt a little sleepy & told Dave that I was going to lie down. He was going to wake me in like 10 minutes but he got stuck on the phone and didn’t make it down. I woke up on my own about half an hour later, with the weirdest feeling like “What am I doing on the couch in the middle of the afternoon?” Once I got up I felt *really* good, but assumed it was just a boost from the carbs & that it would wear off when they did, but it *didn’t*. The depression was just *gone*, and I still feel really good today.

I have no idea what happened. I’ve never had it just…..leave like that, so quickly, with a nap as the line of demarcation. Dave and I have been laughing that I cured my depression with mashed potatoes. And heck yeah that’s the first thing I’m going to try next time I’m down but I’m sure it had to be more than that. I mean, as those of you who’ve exprienced it know, it’s not just a matter of now I’m in a better mood….there’s a whole host of physical symptoms that go along with depression. Basically you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck and covered with a lead blanket and then told to try & go about your life as usual. And all of that was *gone* after the nap. And it hasn’t come back. Weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced.

At any rate, now that I’m feeling better I have to try & catch up with life. Will be doing some work on my Etsy shop this evening and hopefully getting some new stuff listed. Back into the swing of Ashtabula Animal Advocates as well. I’ll try to post daily while I’m feeling up to it :)

I was already a member of Etsy for Animals (EFA) with my AnimalProtectvLeague shop, but I’ve added my fashionsplatter shop as well & made that my “official” member shop, so that I can take part in challenges with items that would represent that shop. EFA is a group of Etsians who use their skills to support animal causes, and I’m proud to be a part of that movement.

I’ve also joined Vegan Etsy, a group for Etsians who are vegan and maintain vegan shops. This seems like a very positive group, interested in spreading, not preaching, the positive message of veganism. The groups founder has featured my shop on her blog :)