ASPCA responders help animals displaced by devastating Dog Head Fire in New Mexico

At the request of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, the ASPCA arrived in Albuquerque on Monday to help shelter and care for the nearly 500 animals displaced by the devastating “Dog Head Fire” in New Mexico’s Manzano Mountains.

Hundreds of evacuated animals are being cared for at three locations in Bernalillo and Torrance County: Los Vecinos Community Center; Bernalillo County Animal Shelter; and Torrance County Estancia Emergency Animal Shelter. ASPCA responders have been dispatched to all three locations to support local agencies with shelter operations and daily care.

American Humane Association announces new Humane Conservation program

American Humane Association has announced the launch of a global program dedicated to helping ensure the welfare and humane treatment of the remarkable, endangered and disappearing animals living in the world’s zoos and aquariums.

In the face of what scientists are calling a “Sixth Extinction” with species disappearing at a rate 8-100 times higher than expected since 1900, zoos and aquariums are playing an outsized role in preserving the vital web of life on Earth.

Serving as arks of hope for endangered animals and powerful ambassadors for conservation, these institutions are drawing more visitors each year than all sporting events combined. And as people become increasingly aware of and invested in the fate of the world’s creatures, more and more are rightly demanding that the millions of creatures who live in zoos, aquariums and conservation centers be afforded good treatment and welfare.

Adopt a cat or two during American Humane Association's Adopt-A-Cat month

Each spring during “kitten season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country. That means your local shelter has tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats, and everything in between. And the shelter staff is ready to help you adopt your very first cat – or to bring home a friend for another beloved cat – just in time for American Humane Association’s Adopt-a-Cat Month.

This year, America’s first national humane organization is commemorating a century of rescuing cats, kittens, and many other animal species from disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and major animal cruelty cases, and is encouraging Americans everywhere to rescue a cat or kitten of their own from a shelter or rescue group.

The popular annual campaign is part of a larger effort by American Humane Association to help these beautiful animals and focus on and help solve the unique challenges and issues they face. Although cats have often been referred to as America's “Most Popular Pet,” they receive less veterinary care, have less research dedicated to their unique health/behavioral issues, are more likely to be feral, and are more likely to be euthanized in shelters than dogs. American Humane Association continues to conduct research identify barriers to cat adoption and retention, as well as other key welfare issues. 

New York moves to dismiss speculative allegations against cats at Jones Beach

Alley Cat Allies applauds the State of New York's motion to dismiss a complaint filed by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) in New York federal court.

The complaint alleges that the New York Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (NYS Parks) was in violation of the Endangered Species Act by allowing feral cats to continue to live in Jones Beach State Park, where a group of piping plover birds also lives.

New York pointed out that ABC had not shown any causal nexus between the presence of cats at Jones Beach and impacts on the piping plover. The state called ABC's allegations that there is any connection between the presence of the cats and alleged impacts on the plovers "highly suspect and unreliable."