Horse Heroes Successful!

Remember back in September when I posted about the horses that were in an auto accident on their way to the slaughterhouse?

Guess what! Dozens of the horses are improving so well that they could soon be adopted! I'm so happy and so excited. It broke my heart when I heard about these horses and I even donated as much money as I could to this cause. Read this! Isn't that fantastic? I'm so friggin' happy!!

Merry Christmas to the horsies! I wish I could adopt one...man...

Ireland's Kitty

I just read one of the blogs that I usually read - one of my fixes - and I am infuriated, ready to travel to Southern California to hurt someone!

Read the post entitled "My Kitty" on Ireland's blog.

If, indeed, someone did this to her kitty, I am seriously pushing for jail time. If someone can do this to a kitty, who's to say they'll stop there? I mean, what in the hell can a cat do to deserve that kind of treatment? Man, I'm so frickin' angry that I can't see straight.

Okay, I'm going to calm down now.

Ireland, I am sooo very sorry for Little Man. I hope he gets better and let me know if you need anything whatsoever.

Killer Whale Attacks Trainer

Guys, I'm very scared...

Watch this video of a Killer Whale attacking its trainer at Sea World San Diego. The Whale takes the trainer by the foot and drags him underwater. You can't really see the attack...but, I'm so scared that they'll put this Whale down because of this. Do you think? They are saying the trainer is in good condition with just a broken foot. Granted, you can't say "just", the poor guy suffered a broken foot and I understand that. But, you surely can't expect to kill an animal for that right? Oh Gawd, I don't think I want to know.

The Daily Puppy

I, now, get this newsletter called The Daily Puppy. Jen got me hooked on it. But, anyway, this picture was on today's issue and I just melted when I saw it. You can take a look at more pictures of Barley at The Daily Puppy link above.

Is that the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

Man, I love me some doggies!

I Say Starve Her!

Okay, sorry guys, but I'm so GOSH DARNED PISSED I can't control myself! Read this and tell me this woman shouldn't be shot in the head! I just wish they'd get her in custody and then starve her for a few weeks - let her see what it's like to be dehydrated and starving!

What is wrong with people, I'm serious - I want to know! Tell me so I can fix it!

And, before you all say anything about the whole "St. Louis was named the Most Dangerous City in the Country" thing, this happened in Illinois - right across the Ole Miss.

Pissed Again!

First off, read this article. Now, please explain to me why they couldn't call Animal Control or the Humane Society or something to catch this bird? Shooting and killing it was the only answer? I'm so friggin' pissed, it's not funny! I think I might write to that police department and go off on them!

And, are you figgin' kidding me? They're sending the bird's meat to a local pantry? COME ON!!! This all could have gone completely different - they just wanted the meat, why else would that be part of the article? I'm so mad, I think I'm having a stroke!

Koko's Fraternal Twin!

Seriously, could this dog be any cuter? I was wandering around cuteoverload.com and I came across this absolutely ADORABLE picture. I am specifically drawn to this picture because Kokobean [one of my many nicknames for Koko] does this ALL THE TIME!

I am absolutely bound and determined to get a pic of Kokobean like this so that I can prove it. So, I'll be stalking her this weekend. I'm sure I'll be somewhat similar to the paparazzi trying to get a picture of the elusive Suri!

In other news, J leaves for New York tomorrow morning (for work) and that means I won't be going to the game tomorrow. J says this is okay because, in his exact words, "we only have the one game left in the series tomorrow". Do you think he's confident that we'll sweep the Padres for the second postseason in a row? It'd be superfantastico if he were right, because then, the Cards would have a few days off (waiting for the other series to finish) and we'd be ready for the NLCS. Plus, J comes back Wednesday and maybe we'll be able to make some games for the NLCS. Man, how I love season tickets!

Tomorrow, my parents are coming over to help me get the front yard straightened up. My house is such a mess in the front and I can't stand it. My dad's going to dig all of the existing landscaping out so that I can start fresh with whatever landscaping I want. Plus, I finally talked J into getting one of those white vinyl fences for the backyard. How exciting...and expensive.

I Want to be a Horse Hero!

I received an e-mail from the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch (where horses that are rescued through the Humane Society of Missouri go) last night asking me to be a Horse Hero to one of the many horses that were rescued from that horrific traffic accident on I-44. See my original post regarding this accident.

So, the problem is that there are 25 horses and one hinny that you can choose from. Now, I'd LOVE, absolutely LOVE, to be able to sponsor every horse and the hinny, but I'm just not that rich. I need your help in picking the horse to sponsor. Leave a comment in the comment section and let me know which horse you think I should sponsor. I'm leaning towards one of the really thin ones or one of the horses with head injuries - but help me!

See the list of horses and the hinny here! Please help!

Horses Rescued

So, a couple days ago, there was an accident on I-44 and it involved a truck transporting horses to the slaughterhouse. I don't want to recite the details of the accident and about how many died, so here is the article for you to read.

I just wish I knew a way to make sure the Humane Society gains custody of the horses. I can't, for a second, understand why we are slaughtering horses for people in Europe and Japan to eat!

You know, I was in a crabby mood anyway and if I wasn't at work right now, I'd be crying. This totally sickens me and I don't know what to do anymore. I gotta be able to help somehow, wouldn't you think? I'm going to donate money to the humane society to offset the costs of the rescue (so that they continue to do that), but I want to write to someone or do something to make sure these horses don't go to the rightful owners (if that is the slaughterhouse).

Now,I know when I post about abused or hurt animals that I tend to ramble with no sense whatsoever, but in my defense, I don't even know what to say anymore. It breaks my heart completely and I don't know what to do to stop this stuff.

Also, here's also an article about a chicken farm that totally depressed me last night. What to do, what to do. Seriously, I need to know...what is wrong with the people hurt or neglect animals? Why do they do it? Why do they think it is right? How do they live with themselves?

For example, the guy and his wife that were driving those horses to the slaughterhouse, I could NEVER do that. I'd either lose my job or I just wouldn't be contracted for that run. I just don't understand how people have the heart to do this stuff.

Everyday I get closer and closer to being a vegetarian (granted, I'm not big on meat anyway). I may actually make an effort soon. I feel like such a hypocrit. I moan and groan about abused and neglected animals and then I go home and eat a chicken caesar salad or something, ya know? God, what is wrong with me? What is wrong with people in general?

I'll stop now.

Croc Hunter

I know, I probably post too much, but I saw this article on CNN and it actually brought tears to my eyes. I was especially teary-eyed when I read the paragraph quoting Terri's reaction to the death of her husband.

I'm still so bummed about his death and I'm glad to hear that the family will continue his work with animals. Also, I guess it kinda breaks my heart because Terri said that her husband always thought "he would die early, but that he would be killed in a car wreck and not by an animal". It just goes to show he loved animals so much that he couldn't believe one would kill him. I guess it's ironic in a sense because I always assumed he would die from some animal-inflicted wound - I just didn't think it would be so soon. It's sad to think that a man died from something he loved so much.

I guess this is the one celebrity that I'm most heartbroken over losing.

ANNUAL PET BLESSING FESTIVAL OF HAWAII KOTOHIRA JINSHA-HAWAII DAZAIFU TENMANGU

This is a late post, I actually jotted it down on a piece of paper a while ago and I've just gotten around to posting it.

This festival needs to be held everywhere. I would love to have a festival in St. Louis where folks can take their pets to be blessed. I think this is fantastic! Maybe I should start one here in St. Louis - of course it wouldn't be a Shinto Blessing, but I could do something like it. Is there something like this in St. Louis already? I can't be the only one that loves the idea. Let me know.

Animal Abusers!

While I wrote my post about Steve Irwin aka The Crocodile Hunter, I came across something I had written quite a while ago. I can't really remember when it was written, maybe in July sometime, but I thought I'd post it.

Okay, this is going to be a REAL rant! Something has to be done about people that abuse animals. They need to get jail time, lots of it. I just can’t, for the life of me, figure out why someone would want to hurt a defenseless animal.

On the news the other night, I heard about a cat in Barnhart that was shot with an arrow. Come on, why a cat? What could that cat have possibly done to deserve that? The cat survived; his owner took him to the vet to have surgery to remove the arrow, but what about the sicko that shot him? I mean, I feel like finding this guy and shooting him in the a$$ with an arrow! I am overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and pure disgust when I hear about stuff like this. I know I cry a lot, but I cried for a good 5 minutes over the cat. I just think how can you possibly look at a cute, defenseless, furry animal and shoot it? How? I want to know what goes through a person’s head when they do that. It makes me think about the little, baby ducks and geese that were found in my parents’ subdivision with arrows and darts stuck through them. I cried for a long time after that happened too. (*On a side note to the parents of the kids that did that - get your kids some help, that is how Jeffrey Dahmer started - get a CLUE).

Why can’t people just look at animals and admire them, why do they have to hurt or kill them? I know some animals can be pests, but it’s not like they intend to annoy you, that’s just nature.

I don’t know, I should probably seek psychiatric help about this because I am 100% certain that I like animals more than I like people. I’m definitely not a people person, but I could and would do anything for animals. For example, there was a hawk flying around above our yard (when we lived with my parents) one day and I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until I saw the little squirrel that was scared stiff in the middle of the yard. I was so scared that the hawk would swoop down and take the squirrel away like that crazy creature on the movie Jeepers Creepers. I wasn’t going to let that happen – I quickly ran outside by the squirrel, which oddly didn’t move one inch when I did that. My intentions? I was going to keep the hawk from getting the squirrel. I know they do it out of instinct and to survive; I know that hawk will just eat some other animal, but I couldn't stop myself. Yes, I know the hawk is an all important animal too, but seeing that squirrel scared stiff threw me into panic mode. So, I go out there and get right next to the squirrel. The poor little thing was so scared that I was able to pet him! Yeah, how many times has a squirrel let you pet it? Well, I scared the hawk off and the squirrel was finally able to run up a tree! My point? Well, I would never do that for a human. I don’t stop for stranded motorists (because of the “good people” post – God only knows if they’re really stranded or if they’re a serial killer); I don’t go out of my way to help people out, but I do go out of the way for animals. There are tons of stories about me trying to save animals that I could never write them all down. To vaguely list them: the field mouse in our garage, the bird stuck in the pool, the bird with the broken wing, Koko, and the bunnies attacked by a dog.

Like I said, I think I need to seek psychiatric help. Plus, the only charities I give to involve animals. I recently gave money to the St. Louis Humane Society for Charlotte, a Chihuahua that had a plastic tie wrapped around her neck. Her neck & head swelled to the size of a grapefruit. I gave money to the Pitbull who had his ears cut off, I give money to the Zoo, I give an annual check the Humane Society of Missouri and I always give that extra $1 to PETsMART when I'm paying at the register.

ATTENTION ALL ANIMALS ABUSERS (aka SICKOS): LEAVE. ANIMALS. ALONE! Just remember, Karma does exist and what goes around comes around.

"Crocodile Hunter"

First off - before I even start, "crocodile" is one of those words that doesn't look right when you type it. I kept looking at it thinking I spelled it wrong, but it's right. Okay...now that I've cleared that up.



I know I am late in talking about this, but Steve Irwin's death really bothered me. This is the first time I've ever really been choked up over a "celebrity's" death. Yeah, I was sad when Princess Di passed away; I was sad to see Chris Farley go; but, this time I actually cried. I loved Steve Irwin and not because of his show and not because he hunted crocs, but because he genuinely loved all animals (even the ugly ones - bugs and spiders and the like). He knew so much about animals. I used to watch his show in amazement because he knew things about animals that you couldn't learn in a classroom or even at the zoo. He knew things that some Zoologists would give their right leg to know. He knew things that proved he loved all animals. This man's life was all about animals, he grew up with his father teaching him and he was going to raise his kids to know animals the way he did. He lived his life for and with animals.

At the Hunter's memorial service, his father urged the attendees not to grieve for his son, but for the animals, for they had lost "the best friend they ever had". I truly believe that and it breaks my heart.

By now, you all know how much of an animal enthusiast I am and there are only two human beings on the planet that I admire in the Zoology world and they are Jack Hanna and Steve Irwin. They both exhibit the kind of knowledge of animals that I could only dream of having. I guess, I am still shocked that Steve is gone and it will take a while for it to settle with me.

My heart and prayers are with his family, his country and all the animals that he cared so deeply for.

Tadpoles - Pollywogs

This post was actually written on June 26 -

Okay, so we're finally in the house, we’re working on it and we’re working on opening the pool (which hasn’t been opened in 4 years). So, we siphoned all of the water out of the pool, with the exception of a swale in the deep end. When we got down to about a foot of water, we saw that there were a bunch of tadpoles in the pool. Apparently, my dad hates frogs and tadpoles (he used the term “pollywog” which I have never heard in my entire life and figured it was a word he made up - he does that a lot), because he suggested we just skim them out and toss them in the trash!! We have argued over this for days now. I refuse to kill 100 baby animals because their parents didn’t know that we were going to pick THIS year to open the pool. So, I suggested we get a container of some sort and skim them out and put them into the container with some water. After we do that, we can take them to a lake somewhere and let them go. But, I don’t know if that would be horrible for the froggy parents if they don’t know where their babies are, but I’d rather do that than kill them. So, I keep putting my dad off - I, finally told him to wait until the hardwood floors are refinished (because we’ll be away from the house for a whole week and won’t be able to take care of the pool that week). So, last night, J found a few of the tadpoles had grown their hind legs and were climbing up the side of the pool. So, J got them out with the skimmer and set them in a little area in the yard where Beanie wouldn’t get them. We went to check on them last night and they were gone (I’m assuming they hopped away - okay, so I'm hoping they hopped away and weren't eaten by some animal). I’m so happy! So, hopefully the others will grow their hind legs and be able to get out of the pool in the next week (when the floors are being refinished). In the end, I’m just happy they weren’t killed.

I must say, my dad thought I was an idiot, he acted as though I was some kind of PETA maniac because I wanted to save 100 little tadpoles. Oh well, he knows how I am about animals. I'm not quite PETA-like yet, but I'm getting there. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan and I don't go around throwing red paint on people with fur coats on, but I surely don't like to see animals hurt, tortured, and/or killed.

Update: July 13, 2006
We still haven’t finished working on the pool, but I am happy to report that all of the tadpoles have vacated the pool!

Update: July 19, 2006
Okay, so today St. Louis had one of the worst storms in 100 years and it knocked the pool over (our fault for keeping it empty for so long). So, now we are just going to get rid of the pool and buy one later - if we want. All of that fuss and the pool is gone! Story of my life!