News and Current Issues
Read about current Events organized by the Peoria Humane Society.
Low Cost Spay Neuter Program
Did you know the Peoria Humane Society funds a low-cost spay/neuter program for low-income pet owners? Your generous contributions helped to spay and neuter hundreds of dogs and cats each year. These surgeries prevent hundreds of kittens and puppies coming into a world that has no homes for them. In 2005, the PHS – in cooperation with our local vets, the Peoria County Veterinary Medical Association – spayed or neutered more than 300 dogs and cats. Considering that one female cat can produce 420,000 kittens in just 7 years, imagine what we’ve prevented by spaying all these animals.
To participate in the program, pet owners must prove they meet income guidelines, have their pet vaccinated against rabies and registered, and pay $50. The PHS initiated this program more than nine years ago and continues to promote it throughout the community with billboards, flyers, and other advertising means.
Thank you to the Peoria County Veterinary Medical Association for their cooperation and collaboration on this project. The Peoria community benefits tremendously from the progressive and professional programs offered through the collaboration between organizations like the PCVMA and the PHS. Thanks goes to the City of Peoria and Peoria County as well in their continued support of the animal control and animal welfare programs offered.
Help for Victims of Fire
Over the past several years, the City’s Fire personnel have struggled to assist pets caught in house fires. Numerous pictures have been published showing a firefighter frantically trying to provide oxygen to resuscitate a dog or cat overcome by smoke in a house fire. Tragically, many of these pets die of smoke inhalation because the oxygen masks used are intended for humans and don’t work well with animals.
The Peoria Humane Society, in conjunction with Helping Animals, Inc., have purchased and provided oxygen masks for each Fire Station in the City of Peoria. Now, when a firefighter encounters an animal suffering from smoke inhalation, he will have the right tool to provide aid. Each station received a package of three masks; one of which will fit most animals from cats and rabbits to the largest dog. The masks can be sterilized and re-used. Additionally, the PHS provided individual masks to the Peoria Police Department for the K-9 Unit in the event any of the police dogs is caught in a fire.
Fire can destroy a person’s home, possessions, and family. The Peoria Humane Society wants to prevent a fire from taking a beloved pet if possible. We hope to be able to supply similar masks to the surrounding fire departments in Peoria County in the coming years. If you’d like to assist our efforts, contact Patti Schaffner at 682-9015.
For your own protection, the PHS has window stickers available, free of charge, that you can use to alert rescue workers that pets are inside. A sticker on your door or window will notify fire personnel, paramedics, police, and others that animals also reside in the house which could lead to their safe rescue. If you’d like a free sticker, please contact Kitty Yanko at 494-8171.
Shelter Transfer Program Saves Animals' Lives
PAWS has begun offering animals to other shelters who have empty cages thereby saving pets' lives. The Shelter Transfer Program gives PAWS the chance to partner with other facilities who have cages available and potential adopters waiting for pets to take home.
Smaller, limited intake shelters often have space available for such transfer of animals which moves pets from those areas that have large numbers of unwanted and homeless animals. The program creates a happy ending for all involved - much needed space is freed up at PAWS and animals that might not have found homes locally are placed with families in other regions.
The shelters chosen for the STP are in communities throughout the State of Illinois and comply with all the licensing requirements set by the Department of Agriculture. Prior to entering into a partnership, the other shelter submits copies of its licenses, adoption guidelines, and contract for approval. Then, PAWS' staff evaluates dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets for temperament, health, and general condition. Those chosen to participate receive vaccinations and de-worming prior to release. The receiving shelter sterilizes the animals and, in most cases, keeps them until they find a new home.
The Shelter Transfer Program illustrates another way PAWS strives to place as many animals as possible.
PetsMart Cat Adoptions
PAWS, at any given time, has so many wonderful adult cats waiting to be adopted. Often adopters are looking for that cute little ball-of-fur kitten, and don't consider an adult cat. But there are many advantages to adopting an adult. First of all, you see the personality of the cat you may be spending the next 10 - 20 years with. If you're looking for a lap-sitter or a more independent type, you can't always tell what a kitten is going to be like when it grows up. An adult or young adult cat may be a better choice for a family with small children or other pets. And, as cute and adorable as they are, kittens just don't stay kittens for long.
PetsMart helps promote adoption of these wonderful adult cats by allowing PAWS to place adoptable adult cats in their in-store Adoption Center for one week each month throughout the year. PetsMart staff care for the cats and facilitate adoptions to customers throughout that week. It's a great opportunity to showcase some of PAWS' just-as-lovable adult cats hoping to become someone's new Best Friend.
Community Lawn Care Fundraiser
Community Lawn Care is a locally owned, professional lawn care company. Their services consist of regularly scheduled applications of fertilizer, and weed & insect control specially designed for the turf grasses in the Peoria/Bloomington area. Best of all, Community Lawn Care donates 10% of every dollar received for their services to a local non-profit organization. If you decide to use their services, you can request that 10% of every dollar you spend is donated to the Peoria Humane Society. For more info, go to: http://www.communitylawncare.com/lls/phs/
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Keep ID Tags on Your Pet
PHS wanted to do something to help reduce the number of animals coming to PAWS simply because they were not wearing identification. It is very sad to see animals entering the shelter and ultimately being euthanized because there was no way to know where they came from and to whom they belong. PHS now presents each cat or dog adopted from PAWS with a free ID tag, which could some day save their life. New adopters are given an ID Tag Coupon which they can take to the Petco store in Peoria to receive their free personalized ID tag for their new pet.
PLEASE - Keep identification tags on your pets! It could literally save their life some day. Some important facts you should know:
- 95% of the lost pets found without a tag DO NOT get home!
- 95% of the lost pets found with a tag DO get home!
ADOPT A FARM ANIMAL
Farm Sanctuary is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and protecting farm animals. They offer people an opportunity to adopt farm animals from their organization. A growing number of people are adopting farm animals as "pets" to directly help victims of "food animal" production. Like all animals, cattle, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals are intelligent, social, sentient beings, yet every day, billions of farm animals suffer fear, pain, and neglect at factory farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses across the country. Opening your home to farm animals directly saves a suffering "veal" calf or "downer" pig. Anyone with a kind heart can care for farm animals. If you are interested in Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Farm Animal program please contact the Farm Sanctuary at info@farmsanctuary.org or visit their website at www.farmsanctuary.org. You could make a difference for a suffering farm animal.
The PAWS Pet of the Week
The PAWS Pet of the Week is presented by WMBD News Channel 31 and 97.3 River Country. Every Thursday, Kitty Yanko of the Peoria Humane Society and Rick Stephenson, morning DJ of River Country, make a guest appearance on WMBD This Morning with the PAWS Pet of the Week. You can also see the PAWS Pet of the Week on Public Service Announcements produced by WMBD throughout the day, everyday.
River Country runs PSA's throughout the day as well. The PAWS Pet of the Week can also be seen on WMBD-TV's website, www.wmbd.com.
Dog Fighting in Peoria
The Peoria Humane Society and PAWS are unalterably opposed to blood sports such as dog fighting and cockfighting. These are brutal animal contests resulting in suffering, torture, harassment, and death for animals forced to participate. Such sports amount to torture for fun and are degrading and unfit for civilized society.
The Humane Society of the United States reports that the investigation of illegal animal fighting activities by local law enforcement, animal control, and humane agencies is frequently difficult, frustrating, and unsuccessful. The lack of success is most often due to circumstances beyond the control of the investigating agency.
The Peoria Humane Society is always exploring possible methods to expose and prosecute dog fighting citizens in the Peoria community. Public awareness campaigns, rewards for information, and other ideas are receiving serious consideration. If you have a suggestion or idea that may help in the fight against this blood sport, please contact the Peoria Humane Society at 682-9015, in confidence. If you witness or hear of a dogfight, please call PAWS immediately at 494-8911.
Breed Rescue Efforts Pay Off
The Peoria Humane Society assists PAWS with breed rescue efforts. Approximately 30 percent of the dogs received at PAWS are purebred. The PHS supports the animal shelter by coordinating transport and placement of purebred dogs to breed rescue groups throughout the Midwest.
Each year rescue groups are able to foster and place countless dogs that might otherwise be euthanized. Thanks to our efforts many lives are saved!
In 2007, PAWS sent 95 pets to rescues!
Book Endowment Fund
The Peoria Humane Society has established a Book Endowment Fund. With our new Education Center, we now have a Resource Library filled with videos, books, and pamphlets on a variety of animal topics. In a continued effort to provide humane education to area students, the Education Department at the Peoria Humane Society has reviewed and selected a number of books that have a humane theme and are age appropriate for young people to read. These selected books meet or surpass our standards for humane content. A contribution of $15 will allow us to purchase a book for our library in the name of the donor or in memory of someone the donor designates. Each $15 donation toward the resource library will be recognized in the Peoria Humane Society’s Pawprints newsletter and books purchased will have a donor name label inside.
If you are interested in a list of approved and selected book titles please contact our Humane Educator at 494-8171.
Donations to the Book Endowment Fund can be sent to the
Peoria Humane Society, P.O. Box 3592, Peoria, IL, 61612-3592.
President George Bush Signs the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act
President Bush signed this bill into law in May of 2007. The law makes it a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, to move animals across state lines or national borders for the purpose of fighting. Penalties include up to three years in jail and/or fines of up to $250,000.
Ways to Prevent Dognapping
Dognapping can occur anywhere and any breed of dog is vulnerable. Pets are stolen for a variety of reasons, including illegal dog fighting activities, irresponsible breeding, animal research, burglary scams, or simply for profit. Pet owners should be aware of where their dogs are at all times. Never leave your dog in a car while unattended, never tie your dog up to a post while running into a store, always respond to your dog when it is outside and starts barking, and check frequently on a dog left outside in a fenced yard. Dogs that are left outdoors when the homeowners are not home are very vulnerable to being stolen. Dognappers are a real threat to all dogs in every community.
Large Black Dogs Hard to Place
New information has come out about the plight of big black dogs languishing in shelters. These ordinary looking dogs are often overlooked by potential adopters in favor of lighter colored dogs. Often people are apprehensive about a black dog's disposition because of the color alone. There are now many adoption groups in the United States working with local shelters to place large black dogs. These dogs often have sweet dispositions and are deserving of a home. For more information about the plight of black dogs, you can visit the website: www.blackpearldogs.com.
Dog Fighting in Peoria
Animal lovers around the country remain stunned by the news of NFL Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick’s alleged dog fighting activities. As the stories of tortured dogs and gruesome fights surface, society at large begins to recognize the cruelties that accompany this crime.
Not all dog fighting occurs at the level of organization that Vick apparently conducted. In Peoria, animal control officers respond to calls about dog fights regularly. Unfortunately, the authorities rarely arrive in time to stop the fight or arrest the individuals. Because these fights occur in alleys, back yards, and garages, the dog owners can easily grab their dogs and run for cover. Animal control officers have discovered vacant houses used to hold fights, train dogs, and hide stolen pets. Sometimes, the rooms are turned into ‘pits’ where the fights take place. Carcasses of the losers or stolen pets often remain in these houses when the perpetrators move on. Again, officials find it near impossible to locate and punish those who commit these crimes.
Frequently, officers find and rescue the cast offs from these barbaric events. Dogs who have fought and lost are discarded like garbage, many times still suffering from their multiple wounds, broken bones, and torn flesh. Sometimes the dogs are left in dumpsters, in alleys, and vacant houses still alive. And, the winners don’t fare much better. Although they may have won the fight, they, too, receive multiple, serious injuries that either go untreated or are treated by their owners. Fighters are reluctant to take the dogs to the veterinarian for fear they may be reported. Consequently, they obtain medical supplies illegally and will suture wounds or splint broken bones themselves. Obviously, the dogs suffer from this lack of professional care.
PAWS receives nearly 3,500 dogs each year and almost 1,000 of those are pit bull or pit bull mix dogs – the breed favored by those who fight dogs. Of those 1,000 pit bull type dogs, about 50% show physical and behavioral signs of dog fighting. While many of these dogs show friendliness to humans, they behave aggressively with other animals. The females often display evidence of multiple breeding and litters. The males, who are more commonly fought, have old scars around their faces, ears, neck, chest, and front legs. Many have torn ears. While all dogs are assessed for temperament and behavior regardless of breed, those pit bulls who show signs of fighting are never placed for adoption and must be euthanized.
Dog fighting is a crime which carries a Class 4 felony penalty in Illinois. Dog fighting is brutal, cruel, and torturous. And, dog fighting still exists – even in our community. Ideally, the attention paid to Michael Vick and his crimes – and the penalty he will hopefully pay – may bring light to these horrifying events and show that this practice is not a sport but a serious crime affecting thousands of innocent animals each year. Maybe, Michael Vick’s plight will cause even one person to stop promoting, attending, or participating in dog fights. Maybe, some dogs won’t have to suffer as these did.
PAWS encourages anyone with knowledge of a dog fight or other crime to call 911 and the animal shelter at (309) 494-8911.