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by pawlitico
Here in our wine country doghaus, it's Thanksgiving eve — time fur me to put paws up in woof thanks and gratitude.
First, I give thanks that Tilin Corgi, my best buddy in the whole world, made it through all his ordeals this past year. I don't know what I would do without his dog-mentorship.
Tilin, you're really top paw!
Second, I give thanks that our Ani Siamese is part of our lives. In early December, it'll be a year that she has been with us. Our little pussin sure has grown up! She still likes to ambush me, but that's okay. I have fun ambushin' her back.
Third, I give thanks that dog-ma made us a nice dinner of free-range chicken and vegan treats fur dessert. Actually, she always makes us a dogalicious dinner. But today was special 'cuz we took turns barkin' and meowin' about what we're thankful fur.
We feel blessed to have full stomachs and to be safe and warm at home together. Pawleeze remember that there are lots of rescue corgis and cats who need homes.
It'd be arfully nice fur everybuddy to have a furever home, or to at least have sanctuary in a place like Happy Tails, in Sacramento, California.
As Daisy the pussin says,
"No-kill, cage-free sanctuaries are few and far between, but more and more shelters are converting to no-kill. Our hope is one day ALL shelters will be no-kill and cage-free. Or better yet, maybe one day we won't have the need for animal shelters. *sigh*"
by pawlitico
Read it and howl: The State of California wants to impose a 9% sales tax on veterinary care!
Remember when my buddy Tilin "winecountrydog" Corgi had major emergency veterinary surgery and looked like he did in this photo?
Do you think we corgis had lotsa cash to pay for all that wonderful surgery and after-care? . . . Imagine what adding an extra 9% to our vet bills would've done to us!
We're not the only ones who can't afford a tax on vet care.
I want to bark to Governor Schwarzenegger on behalf of humane "food animal" farmers and California consumers: A 9% increase in the cost of farm animal vet care will not only cause food prices to rise but also cause some farmers to go under.
The cost of biz for farmers has gone up, as feed costs and other prices have soared. The implementation of State Proposition 2 to set standards for confining farm animals will also increase the cost of doing business for "food animal" farmers, albeit it for the right reason. Howl, we're trying to suppawt humane farmers who raise free-range "food animals" and produce cage-free eggs, and here the State comes along with an idea that'll hurt these good guys.
All farm animals require veterinary care — and deserve good healthcare — just as we dogs do, but farmers can't afford higher medical costs.
This is the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Action Alert:
Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced his plans to add a sales tax on veterinary services as part of his budget plan to stimulate the California economy. This was part of a larger combination of program cuts and revenue increases to solve the multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. It is particularly disturbing that veterinary services were included with "appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair and golf." All of the other healing arts professions were excluded from the sales tax proposal.
A special session of the Legislature must be convened to approve the Governor’s plan. The proposal would need to be approved by the Legislature with a two-thirds majority of both the Assembly and the Senate.
The CVMA is strongly opposed to this proposal.
Our legislative team has been working hard to get sales tax on veterinary services removed from the Governor’s proposal. We know you are concerned for the welfare of your patients, the difficult choices your clients may need to make if the cost of veterinary care increases, more animals being abandoned to shelters, increased euthanasia, and the overall strain placed on small businesses.
It is imperative that the voice of the veterinary profession is heard with respect to this important issue. We urge you to write personal letters to the Governor, your state representatives and their leadership expressing your concerns. We also encourage you to get your clients involved and ask them to write letters as well. It is easy to do. View the CVMA Fact Sheet and contact information. Visit the Legislative Action Center for contact information for your state representatives.
Your letter should be mailed directly to the Governor with copies forwarded to key members of the Legislature, including your local representatives. The letter should be on your practice letterhead, and if possible we would appreciate it if you would fax the CVMA a copy of your letter as well at (916) 646-9156.
If you have any questions, please call the CVMA office at 1(800) 655-2862.
Thank you for your assistance,
William Grant II, DVM
CVMA President
Paw-leeze, veterinarians and everybuddy everywhere, growl to the Governor and State pawliticans to stop this doggone crazy tax proposal — even if you don't live in California!
Tell the State to spread out a sales tax increase across the board, or add it to some high-demand consumer items like electronics and booze. Human medical care isn't taxed. Veterinary care should NOT be taxed either!
The CVMA is asking its membership of more than 6,000 veterinarians to write letters to the Governor about the hardship this proposed vet sales tax would create. Read more at CVMA.net and at Veterinary Newsmagazine's DVM360.com.
I'm hoping you pets and people out there will write your own letters. Woof!
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814
916.558.3160 Fax
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The Honorable Karen Bass
Speaker of the Assembly
State Capitol, Room 319 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2147 Fax
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The Honorable Don Perata, Senate President pro Tempore State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 916.327.1997 Fax
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The Honorable Darrell Steinberg
Senate President pro Tempore
State Capitol, Room 4035 Sacramento, CA 95815
916.323.2263 Fax
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The Honorable Mike Villines
Assembly Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3104 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2129 Fax
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The Honorable Dave Cogdill
Senate Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3048 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.327.3523 Fax
When you write to the Governor and legislative leaders, ask them to remove the proposed sales tax on veterinary services in the 2008-09 Special Session proposal.
by winecountrydog
They say it's my birthday!. . . I checked my doghaus calendar, and, sure enuff, the date November 15th was circled as my 11th birthday. Nobuddy knows exactly which day I was born on, 'cuz as a puppy, I was a GGPWC rescue. But dog-ma brought me home when I was six or seven weeks old, so she knows how many years I have.
We started pawtying on the 13th.
I wanted to celebrate the occasion inside Russian River Brewing Co. with friends Katie da KRSH DJ and Justin of 1/4 Mile Combo. You recall that I enjoy the occasional 1/4-cuppa ale for my back spasms?
But, oh howl, dogs aren't allowed in Calif. eatin' places. So I ended up not havin' ale for what was ailing me.
Instead, I got to got to Dr. Jordan's clinic. I had a lovely laser therapy session. Woof! K-class laser therapy is fur healing, and I'll be paw-writing about it soon.
At Dr Jordan's, I made a new furriend — a sweet little rescue guy named Mo. He was with his nice human, Ali.
At home, I've been enjoying meals even more delicious than usual. I've received some gifts, too. My favorite gift is the yummy, healthy organic dog treats that Ani made for me.
'Tis still shocking that I'm as old as they say. I play like a puppy. Kind of.
Oh my paws, I'm so tired from pawtying.
by winecountrydog
I always tell Ani Siamese, my young shelter rescue, how much I appreciate her company. Here you see Ani sitting with me last week when my back wasn't feelin' great 'cuz of my surgery adhesions.
Ani Siamese just loves me. She loves Jack Corgi, too, but she seems happiest when she's sleeping next to me — especially at night.
Whoever said that dogs and cats don't get along never knew Welsh Corgis or Siamese cats well. Humans who believe in the animosity myth must like to keep it goin' to have somethin' to talk about.
My Siamese so enjoys being with us dogs that she often follows us and mimics our behavior. Ani does everything but bark.
Ani will learn to bark soon, we think. She's still purrfectin' her vocalizations. As the ASPCA explains, "By changing volume, intensity and number of repetitions of the vocalizations, and backing them up with expressive body language and olfactory signaling, cats ensure their messages are received and that their needs are met."
In our next photo, you see Ani scratching her head with her left hind foot. Believe it or not, Ani lifted her foot up to scratch as soon as she saw me lift mine!
After dog-ma turned off the light, Ani and I went back to sleep together. Snug as two furry bugs in rug. A furever love. Woof!
Paw-note: I hope every dog who loves meezers will consider rescuing a Siamese like mine.
by winecountrydog and pawlitico
Today's the day that U.S. humans elect a new president. California humans also vote on State Proposition 2 today.
A YES vote will create some humane farming standards that alleviate the suffering of pigs, calves, and laying hens.
A YES vote will also create the opportunity fur humane consumers like us to support strong growth of a humane farm economy.
The following video shows what some Bel Air celebrities had to say about farm animal welfare at a big gala benefits fur YES on Prop 2. Be fur-warned: Watch this video only if you can handle some disturbing images of animals on factory farms.
Did you know that our pro-Prop 2 pawsition isn't 'cuz we want to make everyone vegan or vegetarian? What we hope to see is California farmers becoming leaders of the HUMANE Future Farmers of America (FFA).
Woof thanks to all humane farmers! You're the humane change we need in the world.
And woof thanks to orgs like HSUS and Farm Sanctuary, and to consumers everywhere who vote YES every day with their forks for the humane treatment of farm animals.
by pawlitico
You pawbably know celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck as the Los Angeles-based restaureteur, businessman, and owner of Spago Beverly Hills -- where Puck put Cal-Pan-Asian fusion on the world food map.
Back in 2007, when I was a young, carefree corgi, I wasn't following the news the day Chef Puck said he was rejecting the use of crated veal and foie gras. He then announced he was going to use eggs, meat, and poultry only from animals raised under strict humane care standards.
The other day, I pawed across a Humane California video in which Chef Puck told the world about this humane commitment. He also urged Californians to vote for Prop 2 -- the State ballot initiative to set humane standards for confining farm animals.
When a successful businessperson with a company the size of Wolfgang Puck Companies -- which includes 15 fine-dining places for humans, fancy catering services, express-food operations, canned foods, and much more -- announces he's limiting meat, poultry, and egg buying to only humanely-farmed sources, you've got to sit-stay and listen!
Chef Puck's humane pawsition negates doomsdayers' fears that implementing State Proposition 2 standards will put California farmers out of business. What his decision tells us is that huge consumer demand for humane food products is in the wings.
A word to the paw-wise: Farmers and food purveyors had better get ready now to supply humanely-farmed foods!
