Sunday, December 23, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Man Reunited With Beloved Shih Tzu After 5-Year Search
A Shih Tzu named Bandit disappeared five years ago. But he wasn’t gone forever.
Bandit’s person, Mike, and Mike’s nieces kept looking for the dog, whom Mike had fought to keep in his divorce settlement. But it turned out that Bandit found him.
Bandit somehow wound up at an animal control facility, and from there he went to a shelter called reTails Indy, which later posted Bandit’s story on its website.
The shelter scanned him for a chip, and lo and behold, he had one. Somehow animal control had missed it. The shelter staff were even more surprised to find that the phone number registered with the chip was still current. Mike lived right nearby. Within 10 minutes he was at the shelter, ready to reunite with his long-lost companion.
“This is my little buddy,” Mike said, holding Bandit close and fighting back tears. “This is my best friend.”
Bandit had run out an open door five years earlier and was seen being scooped up by a stranger in a car. Someone got the car’s license plate number, but Mike says the man refused to return Bandit despite his repeated attempts.
Mike was often out of town doing construction work; it was lucky that Bandit happened into the shelter when he did, because a week earlier Mike would not have been home to take the call and pick him up.
Without a microchip, Bandit and Mike never would have found each other again. Time Magazine writes that “approximately 10 million pets that have been chipped over the past 15 years.” They “have helped reunite more than 600,000 pets with their owners,” reports Petside.com‘s Lavanya Sunkara. For a FAQ about microchips, visit the Humane Society‘s website.
Bandit’s person, Mike, and Mike’s nieces kept looking for the dog, whom Mike had fought to keep in his divorce settlement. But it turned out that Bandit found him.
Bandit somehow wound up at an animal control facility, and from there he went to a shelter called reTails Indy, which later posted Bandit’s story on its website.
The shelter scanned him for a chip, and lo and behold, he had one. Somehow animal control had missed it. The shelter staff were even more surprised to find that the phone number registered with the chip was still current. Mike lived right nearby. Within 10 minutes he was at the shelter, ready to reunite with his long-lost companion.
“This is my little buddy,” Mike said, holding Bandit close and fighting back tears. “This is my best friend.”
Bandit had run out an open door five years earlier and was seen being scooped up by a stranger in a car. Someone got the car’s license plate number, but Mike says the man refused to return Bandit despite his repeated attempts.
Mike was often out of town doing construction work; it was lucky that Bandit happened into the shelter when he did, because a week earlier Mike would not have been home to take the call and pick him up.
Without a microchip, Bandit and Mike never would have found each other again. Time Magazine writes that “approximately 10 million pets that have been chipped over the past 15 years.” They “have helped reunite more than 600,000 pets with their owners,” reports Petside.com‘s Lavanya Sunkara. For a FAQ about microchips, visit the Humane Society‘s website.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/five-years-of-reasons-to-microchip-your-pet-2.html#ixzz2FnzBBEXP
Friday, December 14, 2012
5 Reasons Not to Buy a Puppy for Christmas
1) Family members should be adopted, not “bought”: There are enough animals looking for homes in shelters that the idea of encouraging the demand for backyard-bred puppies is difficult to justify. Here’s a cute animal shelter commercial encouraging viewers to adopt:
I’ll also add that some people purchase their animals, particularly dogs, because they are looking for a particular breed. In reality, just abut any mix or breed will come through your local shelter at one time or another. They likely will not come with pedigree papers, but the people for whom that is a priority are probably not my audience here.
One of the things I like about my local shelter is that they treat their animals as individuals, carefully informing prospective owners about energy levels, interests and attitudes. Finding the perfect match is not just about finding a specific breed, but the quirks and particularities of each individual. Mixed breeds are an excellent choice no matter what you’re looking for: you just have to find the one that’s just right for you.
2) Buying animals makes it okay to throw animals away: I believe the commoditization of animals is a huge root cause of animal cruelty. Putting animals on shelves and selling them like cheap, plastic toys makes them a part of our disposable culture. What does disposable mean for an animal? It means that rather than raising and teaching them, as we would our human family members, we play with them until they break or get boring, and then throw them away.
It’s not that I think a lot of people are purchasing pets whom actively abuse their animals (though such sickos exist). Rather, I think this is the type of attitude that makes it okay to buy puppies because they’re cute, not bother training them, and then get rid of them. It’s the animal shelters who now need to find homes for adult, poorly-socialized dogs. Purchasing a pet means tacitly endorsing the idea that companion animals are disposable (and sub-consciously affirming it).
3) Buying animals keeps puppy mills in business: We vote most effectively with our wallets, and if we don’t like the mistreatment and neglect puppies experience in those horrible facilities, we have to stop buying from them. Puppy millers don’t get into it because they actively hate animals. They do it because they’re lazy and greedy. If there’s no money in it, puppy mills will cease to exist.
4) You can’t play matchmaker for someone else: Dogs are as individual as people. Some are couch potatoes; some need to run. Some need a lot of attention; some need their space. And maybe you think you know someone well enough to pick the right dog for them, but even if that’s true, there’s that indefinable, je ne sais quoi, that you just can’t force.
5) You can’t make that kind of commitment for someone else: Adopting an animal is a huge commitment, and nobody can make that choice but the person who will be taking care of it. Even a lifelong animal-lover has to be in the right frame of mind and at the right moment in their lives to take someone new into their home.
Giving someone the wrong animal, or even the right animal at the wrong time, is much less likely to result in a forever home than a person making that decision themselves. As cute as it may seem to wrap up a little puppy or kitten in a bow and surprise someone on Christmas morning, it’s a guilt-ridden and heart-rending experience to be returning that same animal to a shelter in January.
I wonder how much of the income that supports puppy millers comes from well-intentioned but thoughtless individuals buying eight-hundred dollar pet store puppies that end up in a shelter a few weeks or months later. It’s no skin off the breeder’s nose, nor the pet shop owners.’
Having said all that… is there a right way to give someone a pet as a gift? Perhaps. If somebody has already expressed a very clear intention to adopt a pet in the near future, you might take them to a shelter and pay for part or all of the adoption fee. Some shelters also sell adoption certificates for use as gifts. This would probably work best with one’s spouse or (maybe) an older, responsible child.
But if you’re not absolutely sure, you should probably let someone choose their own time and place to adopt, and knit them a scarf instead.
I’ll also add that some people purchase their animals, particularly dogs, because they are looking for a particular breed. In reality, just abut any mix or breed will come through your local shelter at one time or another. They likely will not come with pedigree papers, but the people for whom that is a priority are probably not my audience here.
One of the things I like about my local shelter is that they treat their animals as individuals, carefully informing prospective owners about energy levels, interests and attitudes. Finding the perfect match is not just about finding a specific breed, but the quirks and particularities of each individual. Mixed breeds are an excellent choice no matter what you’re looking for: you just have to find the one that’s just right for you.
2) Buying animals makes it okay to throw animals away: I believe the commoditization of animals is a huge root cause of animal cruelty. Putting animals on shelves and selling them like cheap, plastic toys makes them a part of our disposable culture. What does disposable mean for an animal? It means that rather than raising and teaching them, as we would our human family members, we play with them until they break or get boring, and then throw them away.
It’s not that I think a lot of people are purchasing pets whom actively abuse their animals (though such sickos exist). Rather, I think this is the type of attitude that makes it okay to buy puppies because they’re cute, not bother training them, and then get rid of them. It’s the animal shelters who now need to find homes for adult, poorly-socialized dogs. Purchasing a pet means tacitly endorsing the idea that companion animals are disposable (and sub-consciously affirming it).
3) Buying animals keeps puppy mills in business: We vote most effectively with our wallets, and if we don’t like the mistreatment and neglect puppies experience in those horrible facilities, we have to stop buying from them. Puppy millers don’t get into it because they actively hate animals. They do it because they’re lazy and greedy. If there’s no money in it, puppy mills will cease to exist.
4) You can’t play matchmaker for someone else: Dogs are as individual as people. Some are couch potatoes; some need to run. Some need a lot of attention; some need their space. And maybe you think you know someone well enough to pick the right dog for them, but even if that’s true, there’s that indefinable, je ne sais quoi, that you just can’t force.
5) You can’t make that kind of commitment for someone else: Adopting an animal is a huge commitment, and nobody can make that choice but the person who will be taking care of it. Even a lifelong animal-lover has to be in the right frame of mind and at the right moment in their lives to take someone new into their home.
Giving someone the wrong animal, or even the right animal at the wrong time, is much less likely to result in a forever home than a person making that decision themselves. As cute as it may seem to wrap up a little puppy or kitten in a bow and surprise someone on Christmas morning, it’s a guilt-ridden and heart-rending experience to be returning that same animal to a shelter in January.
I wonder how much of the income that supports puppy millers comes from well-intentioned but thoughtless individuals buying eight-hundred dollar pet store puppies that end up in a shelter a few weeks or months later. It’s no skin off the breeder’s nose, nor the pet shop owners.’
Having said all that… is there a right way to give someone a pet as a gift? Perhaps. If somebody has already expressed a very clear intention to adopt a pet in the near future, you might take them to a shelter and pay for part or all of the adoption fee. Some shelters also sell adoption certificates for use as gifts. This would probably work best with one’s spouse or (maybe) an older, responsible child.
But if you’re not absolutely sure, you should probably let someone choose their own time and place to adopt, and knit them a scarf instead.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/5-reasons-not-to-buy-a-puppy-for-christmas.html#ixzz2F3O685Nv
ASPCA-CHRISTMAS PUPPY STORY
When Dora was rescued by our Humane Law Enforcement department in
December 2011, she was very thin and suffering from a severely damaged
tail. But at the ASPCA, she got the care she needed—both physical and
emotional—to start over in life.
When one of our supporters heard her story, he was overcome with emotion. He later became her foster parent, then her adopter. Today, Dora is living the good life with three other Shih Tzus, completely pampered and totally content. She couldn’t have it better, and that’s thanks to our members.
Dora is a happy, healthy pup because people like you care about her and the thousands of other animals who experience unnecessary suffering. Please consider making a gift today. For every Dora in a wonderful home, an untold number await our help.
*some may see this dog as not the cutest thing in the world (oddly I do) but all dogs have personality and the want to love you.
When one of our supporters heard her story, he was overcome with emotion. He later became her foster parent, then her adopter. Today, Dora is living the good life with three other Shih Tzus, completely pampered and totally content. She couldn’t have it better, and that’s thanks to our members.
Dora is a happy, healthy pup because people like you care about her and the thousands of other animals who experience unnecessary suffering. Please consider making a gift today. For every Dora in a wonderful home, an untold number await our help.
*some may see this dog as not the cutest thing in the world (oddly I do) but all dogs have personality and the want to love you.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
TAKE-ACTION TOOLBOX #1: DEFEND THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
The Endangered Species Act is a remarkable success. A new Center for Biological Diversity analysis of 110 species finds that 90 percent are recovering on pace to meet recovery goals set by federal scientists.Simply put, it’s the most powerful tool for protecting and saving species at the brink of extinction. Wolves, whooping cranes, panthers, sea lions and species in all 50 states are improving because of the Act. From the Key deer in Florida to the Aleutian Canada goose in Alaska, the Act has saved more than 99 percent of the 1,482 species under its care from extinction.
But some members of Congress have attacked the Act, falsely claiming it’s a failure and using specious arguments to call for gutting crucial parts of this life-saving law.
The Center has been at the forefront of Endangered Species Act protection, petitioning for thousands of species, protecting habitat and filing litigation against those agencies that fail to uphold the Act. Likewise, the Center is dedicated to protecting the Act itself.
Our new report is a science-based rebuttal to attacks on the Act by critics like Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, who says the Act is “failing badly” because only 1 percent of species have been recovered. The report finds that 80 percent of species haven’t been listed long enough to reach their projected delisting date but that, again and again, species are on a positive trajectory toward recovery.
It’s time to celebrate the success of the Act and to defend it from those who want to tear it down. Click here to locate endangered species where you live, and please take a moment to write your senators or a letter to your local newspaper.
So You Wanna Be an Animal Lawyer?
November 30th, 2012
Animal Legal Defense Fund
You’re almost a senior in high school, or just starting college, and you think you might want to spend your life helping animals? What a great idea! Animals need your help and the next generation of animal lawyers is going to revolutionize animal protection laws. If you want to do something cool with your life, help animals, and impress your parents with a smart career—animal law may be for you!
What classes should I take for a career as an animal lawyer?
Actually, a wide range of classes are useful, including sociology, political science, psychology, economics, history, and anthropology, science, mathematics, logic, philosophy, and computer science. Make sure you keep a high GPA!
What is the average salary of someone working in the animal law field?
An average starting salary for a new animal lawyer is around $50,000. Many lawyers practice in the private sector and incorporate animal law into their practice. In this case, the pay scale would be based on salaries at private firms – and vary depending on the size of the firm, and the location.
What are some groups with job opportunities in the animal law field?
Animal rights nonprofits such as the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), In Defense of Animals (IDA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), employ animal lawyers. Many attorneys offer their services to ALDF on animal related cases pro bono, or free of charge.
What are some skills needed in the animal law field?
Being an animal lawyer requires an above average capability in skills such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, and analysis. In addition to those skills, being an animal lawyer takes an incredible amount of patience.
Do I get to work directly with animals?
Overall, animal lawyers work indirectly with animals; however some cases may require the attorney to interact with animals. In addition to working with passionate co-workers, animal lawyers work with judicial employees, legislators, clients, and the public.
What does a day in the life of an animal lawyer look like?
This depends on the type of law you choose to practice. ALDF has three main focuses: filing lawsuits, helping prosecutors put abusers behind bars, and animal law education—working with law schools, law students, and law firms on incorporating animal law into their legal profession.
What else should I know?
Many consider the animal protection movement one of the greatest movements of our generation. It’s a great time to get involved because there is so much work to get done and each individual has the potential to have a major impact on making the world a better place for animals.
Expert Advice from Animal Lawyers
EMILY DAVIDSOHN
Emily is a Staff Attorney and Case Coordinator with the Oregon Humane Society. She was also featured in ALDF’s Where Are They Now? series.What is one piece of advice you have for young lawyers interested in animal law?
EMILY: Set a goal of where you want to be or what you want to be doing and then pursue every path to reaching that goal with equal vigilance.
What do you wish you knew as a teen or had maybe done differently?
EMILY: I wish that I had known about all of the groups doing national work on animal welfare issues, like ALDF, HSUS, ASPCA, and Best Friends. These organizations are a wealth of material and opportunities for all ages and would have helped me shape my goals at an earlier age if I had known about them.
What’s your favorite thing about being an animal lawyer or studying animal law?
EMILY: The best thing about my job is being an advocate for the animals involved in our cases through every step of the investigation—from the very beginning when the report comes in until the animal is adopted out to a new forever home.
LEWIS BOLLARD
Lewis
is a third-year law student at Yale University and winner of the
Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest (sponsored by Public
Justice) for his essay “Ag-Gag: The Unconstitutionality of Laws Restricting Undercover Investigations on Farms.”What is one piece of advice you have for young lawyers interested in animal law?
LEWIS: Think incrementally. We're sadly not going to litigate an end to animal abuse tomorrow, but we can reduce animals' suffering with every lawsuit.
What do you wish you knew as a teen or had maybe done differently?
LEWIS: The law is not the only way to fight for animals. If you're passionate about the law, become an animal lawyer. But if you're not, pursue your passion for politics, business, advertising, or whatever, and put that skill to use for the animals.
What’s your favorite thing about being an animal lawyer or studying animal law?
LEWIS: The prospect of helping animals… It's worth getting up in the morning if you might be able to help a hen trapped in a battery cage or a pig stuck in a gestation crate live a happier life.
MATTHEW LIEBMAN
Matthew Liebman is a senior attorney at ALDF and co-author of the first-of-its-kind book on international variations of animal law, entitled A Worldview of Animal Law.What is one piece of advice you have for young lawyers interested in animal law?
MATTHEW: Think hard about what you want to accomplish for animals and make sure you’re choosing the career path that will best enable you to make a difference.
What do you wish you knew as a teen or had maybe done differently?
MATTHEW: I became a vegetarian when I was 15, but I wish I knew then how much cruelty is involved in the production of dairy and eggs, not just meat. I didn’t go vegan until I was twenty; I wish I had done it sooner.
What’s your favorite thing about being an animal lawyer or studying animal law?
MATTHEW: The best part of being an animal protection lawyer is seeing how our cases create real differences for animals. In one case, we rescued several pregnant horses from horrific neglect, and a few months later, I got to see them frolicking in a pasture with their foals. In another case, we sued to remove a bear from a tiny concrete cell, ultimately placing him in a naturalistic sanctuary where he can splash around in his swimming pool and explore his surroundings. Seeing the law have such a tangible, material difference in the lives of animals is incredibly rewarding.
ALEXIS FOX
Alexis Fox is the Massachusetts State Director of the Humane Society of the United States and was featured in ALDF’s Where Are They Now? series. What is one piece of advice you have for young lawyers interested in animal law?
ALEXIS: Find a mentor! The field of animal law is filled with friendly attorneys and advocates who want to help you find your way. You are the future of our movement and we want to help you help animals. So reach out, ask to meet for a cup of coffee and talk with mentors who can guide you as you find your place in this fight for animal protection.
What do you wish you knew as a teen or had maybe done differently?
ALEXIS: I wish I had read Dale Carnegie’s book How to Wins Friends and Influence People at a much younger age. It was first published in 1936 but the lessons inside are timeless. I also wish I had read Ethics Into Action by Peter Singer a long time ago. Both books are now required reading for my interns.
What’s your favorite thing about being an animal lawyer or studying animal law?
ALEXIS: I love that we are writing history. Whenever I am told that something cannot be done I remind myself that it just has not been done yet.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
4 Vital Interview Questions to Ask
Most candidates can hack your interview questions to tell you what you want to hear. But if you approach it right, not these.
iStock
And they're right, especially if you insist on asking opinion-based job interview questions.
(Quick aside: Is there really a perfect answer to a question like, "What do you feel is your biggest weakness?" I think there is: "If that's the kind of question you typically ask, I don't want to work for you.")
Asking opinion-based questions is a complete waste of time. Every candidate comes prepared to answer general questions about teamwork, initiative, interpersonal skills, and leadership.
That's why you should ask interview questions that elicit facts instead of opinions. Why? I can never rely on what you claim you will do, but I can learn a lot from what you have already done.
Where employee behavior and attitude are concerned, the past is a fairly reliable indication of the future.
How do you get to the facts? Ask. Ask an initial question. Then follow up: Dig deeper to fully understand the situation described, determine exactly what the candidate did (and did not do), and find out how things turned out. Follow-up questions don't have to be complicated. "Really?" "Wow... so what did he do?" "What did she say?" "What happened next?" "How did that work out?"
All you have to do is keep the conversation going. At its best, an interview is really just a conversation.
Here are my four favorite behavioral interview questions:
1. "Tell me about the last time a customer or co-worker got mad at you."
Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's interpersonal skills and ability to deal with conflict.Make sure you find out why the customer or co-worker was mad, what the interviewee did in response, and how the situation turned out both in the short- and long-term.
Warning sign: The interviewee pushes all the blame and responsibility for rectifying the situation on the other person.
Decent sign: The interviewee focuses on how they addressed and fixed the problem, not on who was to blame.
Great sign: The interviewee admits they caused the other person to be upset, took responsibility, and worked to make a bad situation better. Great employees are willing to admit when they are wrong, take responsibility for fixing their mistakes, and learn from experience.
Remember, every mistake is really just training in disguise... as long as the same mistake isn't repeated over and over again, of course.
2. "Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last six months."
Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's reasoning ability, problem solving skills, judgment, and possibly even willingness to take intelligent risks.Warning sign: No answer. Everyone makes tough decisions, regardless of their position. My daughter works part-time as a server at a local restaurant and makes difficult decisions all the time - like the best way to deal with a regular customer whose behavior constitutes borderline harassment.
Decent sign: Made a difficult analytical or reasoning-based decision. For example, wading through reams of data to determine the best solution to a problem.
Great sign: Made a difficult interpersonal decision, or better yet a difficult data-driven decision that included interpersonal considerations and ramifications.
Making decisions based on data is important, but almost every decision has an impact on people as well. The best candidates naturally weigh all sides of an issue, not just the business or human side exclusively.
3. "Tell me about a time you knew you were right but still had to follow directions or guidelines."
Purpose: Evaluate the candidate's ability to follow, and possibly to lead.Warning sign: Found a way to circumvent guidelines "... because I know I was right," or followed the rules but allowed their performance to suffer.
Believe it or not, if you ask enough questions some candidates will tell you they were angry or felt stifled and didn't work hard as a result, especially when they think you empathize with their "plight."
Good sign: Did what needed to be done, especially in a time-critical situation, then found an appropriate time and place to raise issues and work to improve the status quo.
Great sign: Not only did what needed to be done, but also stayed motivated and helped motivate others as well.
In a peer setting, an employee who is able to say, "Hey, I'm not sure this makes sense either, but for now let's just do our best and get it done..." is priceless.
In a supervisory setting, good leaders are able to debate and argue behind closed doors and then fully support a decision in public - even if they privately disagree with that decision.
4. "Tell me about the last time your workday ended before you were able to get everything done."
Purpose: Evaluate commitment, ability to prioritize, and ability to communicate effectively.Warning sign: "I just do what I have to do and get out. I keep telling my boss I can only do so much but he won't listen.... "
Good sign: Stayed a few minutes late to finish a critical task, or prioritized before the end of the workday to ensure critical tasks were completed.
You shouldn't expect heroic efforts every day, but some level of dedication is important.
Great sign: Stayed late and/or prioritized - but most importantly communicated early on that deadlines were in jeopardy. Good employees take care of things. Great employees take care of things and make sure others are aware of potential problems ahead of time just in case proactive decisions may help.
Obviously there are a number of good and great answers to this question. "I stayed until midnight to get it done," can sometimes be a great answer, but doing so night after night indicates there are other organizational or productivity issues the employee should raise. I may sometimes be glad you stayed late, but I will always be glad when you help me spot chronic problems and bottlenecks.
Like with any other question, always evaluate a candidate's answers to this question based on your company's culture and organizational needs.
Few candidates can bluff their way through more than one or two follow-up questions. Turning the interview into a fact-based conversations helps you identify potential disconnects between the candidate's resume and their actual experience, qualifications, and accomplishments.
And you'll have a much better chance of identifying a potentially great employee, because a great employee will almost always shine during a fact-based interview.
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