This week's Rescue TV!

Precious Four rescue operation happening at this moment!


Our Precious Four circus elephant rescue is fully underway! The Wildlife SOS team has now been on-site for more than 16 hours. The situation is very dangerous, but first and foremost we want you to know that Pearl, Ruby, Goldie, and Sylvie are safe.


Here's how it's happening: Upon learning Goldie and Sylvie are mother and daughter, we decided to evacuate them together, on the same truck. We had hoped (in vain) that their mahouts would cooperate; instead, the confusion generated by a growing crowd made it even more difficult for us to load poor Sylvie and Goldie onto their truck.


This has been one of our most challenging and expensive rescues ever. But we want you to know that Pearl, Ruby, Goldie and her daughter Sylvie are safe, and we're doing everything possible to get these beautiful elephants to our temporary holding facility as soon as possible!

If you haven't already donated to support
Pearl, Ruby, Goldie, and Sylvie, please give today.


Victory! 4 Elephants Rescued From Deplorable Life in Illegal Circus. Elephants are some of the most fascinating animals on the planet. They’re incredibly large but have such an elegance and grace about them that it is easy to see one and wonder how they are even able to exist. In addition to their awe-inspiring appearance, elephants are also extremely intelligent and emotional creatures. Unfortunately, many of these intriguing characteristics are what has led us to imprison elephants and use them for the sake of our entertainment, especially in circuses.

Compared to the dynamic life they would experience in the wild, life in a circus is none at all for elephants. In order for them to be rendered submissive enough to perform tricks and unnatural feats, they are subjected to extreme abuse to the point that they lose their will to fight back. To reinforce this fear, trainers use painful bullhooks and other methods to keep elephants in check. When they’re not performing, these animals are left chained for hours on end. Clearly, the fun that the circus appears to be on the exterior is anything but for the animals inside.

Thankfully, there are many organizations working to free elephants and other animals from this sad existence, one being Wildlife SOS. 

Wildlife SOS is currently working to rescue all of India’s remaining circuses elephants and give them a better life in their sanctuary. In 2013, India instated a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, however, many of the elephants have remained in the care of their former captors – forced to live in the same inhumane conditions, only this time, without the breaks to put on a performance.

In 2016, Wildlife SOS set out to free all 67 of the elephants remaining in circuses across the country and with their most recent successful rescue of four elephants, they have successfully reduced that number to 55 – with plans to get it down to zero over time.

The four elephants, named Pearl, Ruby, Goldie, and Sylvie, were rescued from Rambo Circus in Pune, Maharashtra, following a two day and a night-long operation by a rescue team from Wildlife SOS in coordination with FIAPO, PETA, Police and Forest Department.
Elephants chained in both front and hind legs
“It was shocking to witness the inhumane conditions that the elephants were kept in, shackled by spiked chains and denied any chance at a natural life. The elephants in this circus were a priority as they were in terrible distress” said Geeta Seshamani co-founder Wildlife SOS in a press release.

Despite the standing ban on wild animal circuses, Rambo Circus continued to display these elephants. Thankfully, the circus was discovered and reported to the Central Zoo Authority after the horrifying details of the poor animal welfare conditions the animals lived in were exposed. From there, this conglomerate of organizations were  free to rescue Ruby, Goldie, Sylvie, and Pearl.


Rhea Lopez, Elephant Campaign Manager for Wildlife SOS explained, “While in the circus, the elephants were restrained by both front and back legs even they weren’t performing and were given no opportunity to exercise and no access to fresh water which is mandatory under the law. The mental and physical health status of these elephants is very poor.”
Feet in a terrible state
Elephants chained and standing in their own feces at the circus
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Luckily, this sorry existence is over for these four elephants! Wildlife SOS has since named this new little herd, the Precious Four and they are currently on their way to the organization’s elephant rescue center. There is nothing that makes us happier than knowing the days of suffering are all over for these animals!

You can help Wildlife SOS care for these elephants and fund efforts to rescue more by making a donation, here. All image source: Wildlife SOS

Meet the newset couple: Kassandra & Vini

Watching formerly captive bears that have been rescued from poor conditions enjoy their lives in a natural environment, is already very special. But to give them a partner for life, fills us with so much joy we can't even express it in words.

After many terrible years alone in captivity, we are finally able to give bears Kassandra and Vini from our Bear Sanctuary Prishtina the most beautiful thing on earth, a partner with whom they can share the rest of their lives with. There is nothing better than having someone to keep you company while you are eating, playing and sleeping, right?

See what happens when rescued sun bear cub Murphy has a bubble bath

Read more about Murphy and his bath and how he came to be rescued by Animals Asia: https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/media/news/news-archive/see-what-happens-when-sun-bear-cub-murphy-has-a-bubble-bath.html - Music: Compositions 3 by Dave Depper is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Unluckly Pigeon Pulled from a Chimney
FIONA - A rescued dairy calf.
Fiona arrived at the sanctuary with urine scalds to 40 percent of her body, resulting in her skin being inflamed and causing her to lose her fur.

About 4 weeks old, it is quite apparent that Fiona has been kept in a dirty crate filled with her own urine and excrement. This is a common process in most dairy's where the primary concern is removing babies from their mothers as soon as possible so that humans can have the milk.

Fiona's legs have not developed properly owing to the cramped conditions. We hope that her new found freedom and ability to move around will help to restore her muscles so that this will not trouble her when she is older.

Fiona has been treated with antibiotics and is receiving around the clock care from our dedicated volunteers. While she has a bit of a while to go before we can consider her well she is bright and playful, and although still terrified of people she is starting to respond to some of the volunteer care staff.

Please make an online donation to help us restore Fiona to full strength. You can also help the sanctuary animals by joining our Supporters Club. Fiona is also available for sponsorship at
www.farmanimalrescue.org.au

While she is currently scared and poorly we believe we can make Fiona well and that she will have a beautiful, long and happy life. Sadly, for millions of calves born into dairy farms every year fear, pain and deprivation is all they will ever know.

Whether chosen for veal and slaughtered at 3 months, discarded after being shot at birth, or used as a milk-producing machine dairy cow lives are typically short, painful and unhappy.

Please choose to boycott dairy products for Fiona starting today, and help us to build a more compassionate world tomorrow.

Go Vegan for a more compassionate world.

Amazing Group of People Rally Together to Rescue 50-Foot Whale Stranded in Vietnam. It can seem like the news is constantly flooded with negative stories of people doing ridiculous things involving wild animals. We’ve recently seen a group of tourists effectively stop endangered turtles from laying eggs because they wanted to pose for photos and a guy who chose to take selfies with a stranded shark instead of helping get it back to sea. Given these examples, it can be easy to lose faith in humanity and want to just crawl into a hole and never come out. But, don’t fear Green Monsters, because for every WTH moment people have with animals, there are also a lot of really amazing ones as well.

There is nothing that we love more than a story featuring people coming to the aid of animals in need – and this is certainly one of those. Recently, a 50-foot whale was discovered stranded on the shore of Dien Chau District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. After a local fisherman spotted the creature it wasn’t long before a group of local residents rallied together to help the struggling animal.
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Despite the size and enormous weight of the whale, the group remained diligent in trying to get it back to sea. Eventually, locals called in the help of two excavators to aid in rescue efforts.
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Pham Thi Hoe, a local resident, explained to Tuoi Tre News that whales are considered the “king of the ocean” and “it is believed that fortune will arrive when one sees such a creature.”
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Recognizing the respect and care that the whale deserved in this situation, the group managed to usher the giant marine mammal back to its rightful home after working for seven hours. Once back in deep water, officials continued to monitor the whale’s activity.
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According to reports, seven such whales have been found stranded on this beach in the past few months, but this was the only one who was still alive on land. We could all stand to follow the example set but these incredible people who went so far out of the way to make sure this whale was saved.

Remember, if you ever come across a marine animal in distress, it is best practice to contact a professional before attempting to rescue or help the animals. Click here for a list of hotlines you can call in case of an emergency. All image source: Tuoi Tre News


Brave cow attacks two men in attempt to rescue girl from being murdered in India
Wildlife SOS Responds as Forest Fire Tears through Sanctuary
In early May, a forest fire ripped through the Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, dangerously close to our Agra Bear Rescue Facility. The horrific blaze left many animals dead and injured, and left some orphaned -- like the tiny deer fawn pictured above.

While our rescue center remained untouched by the blaze, the proximity allowed Wildlife SOS staff members to directly aid in the treatment of injured and orphaned animals. See more about the ordeal -- and our response to it -- here!

Dog Who Survived Hell On Earth Picks Out His Very First Toy. Weeks after being rescued from an illegal slaughterhouse operation, perhaps best described as hell on earth, this sweet young pit bull is finally learning what it means to be loved — and he has a new toy to prove it.
Kona was among hundreds of animals seized in October during raids on illegal farm slaughterhouses in Palm Beach, Florida, described as the largest tactical strike on extreme animal cruelty operations in U.S. history. For months prior, investigators from Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) had been working undercover to document abuses at the farms, one of which was called Rancho Garcia.
That's where they first met Kona.

"He was going to be prepped for fighting," ARM founder Richard Couto told The Dodo. "While we were undercover, all the ARM investigators really took a strong liking to him. He's a really lovable, amazing, amazing dog. We were hoping to strike the property soon enough, while he was still alive."
Couto had real reason to be concerned. The farm's operators had been observed brutalizing a variety of animals in the most unimaginable ways, and their dogs weren't spared from this torture either. Fortunately, ARM and local law enforcement interceded in time.
"We'd been undercover, so couldn't show any affection to the animals, so it was the first time I could get on my knees and be nice to them," Couto said. "Kona was the first animal I came in contact with, and he jumped in my lap and started licking me. It was a great feeling."
Following the raid, during which her owner had been arrested, the dog and nearly a thousand other animals were brought to safety. After spending several weeks under the care of animal control, the paperwork came through allowing Kona to be taken home by a new family. Couto jumped at the opportunity.

"I rushed to animal control and personally adopted him," he said.

One of the first orders of business to mark the formerly-abused pup's transition into a happy life was to pick out a toy.

"I took him to a pet store for the first time," Couto said. "I let him walk through the aisles. It was very foreign to him. He's never owned a toy. He's never owned a bone, unless it was from a slaughtered animal. He used to have to fight for the scraps of horse meat. The first time he'd ever owned a toy. It was a nice moment."
With a little love, the dog who had spent his whole life living in terror has become unrecognizable.

"He's probably the most lovable dog that I've ever had. He won't even bark," said Couto. "There's not a vicious bone in his body. On the farm, he was scared. You could see the fear on his face. Now he's literally a new dog. He's at our sanctuary, surrounded by people who love him."
Kona, who's only about a year old, will be able to live out his days in peace and comfort along with hundreds of other animals — including cats, cattle, sheep, goats, rams, ducks, swans, pigeons, rabbits and horses — each of whom were rescued during the recent raids.
"They're all at our sanctuary now," said Couto. "The animals that we have are ours for life. They'll stay with us forever."

That gentle dog is even doing his part to keep them safe.

"[Here is] Kona protecting the ducks and swans rescued from same property," Couto said. "He thinks they're his flock."
They Thought This Was A Starving Dog Living On The Streets, But She Turned Out To Be So Much More. The rescue team at Los Angeles-based animal rescue organization has saved so many dogs that it’s hard to even count them. But the animal they were recently called to rescue was unlike any they had encountered before.

When the team arrived on the scene, they were a little unsure of how to approach the animal, but what followed was something truly special.

When rescuers first heard about this mysterious animal wandering the streets, they didn’t know what to make of it. They were sent a picture via text that showed it was “disoriented and clearly very sick.”


So when they got up close to the animal, which they eventually named “Julia”, they had a feeling she was no regular dog.


In fact, they had a pretty good idea what she actually was…





The rescue team at Los Angeles-based animal rescue organization has saved so many dogs that it’s hard to even count them. But the animal they were recently called to rescue was unlike any they had encountered before.

When the team arrived on the scene, they were a little unsure of how to approach the animal, but what followed was something truly special.

Julia was a wolf-dog hybrid!
Elephant Falls In Love With A Man.
It did not take long for Khamla and her herd to accept Darrick to be one of their herd. Darrick was on the trip to rescue and transport them in June of last year and spent the whole trip with them while they were transported to our project. Darrick cannot be a full time mahout because he is busy all day with many work projects for animals, but when he makes free time, he goes to spend time with Khamla and her herd. They all know who is his love. And they call out for him when he is not among them. To be herd is a rare privilege in the current tourist model of elephant experience. One day it will be a respected and time-honored right. They need to be herd. They need to be heard ! Time for us to listen.

Piglet Rescued From Slaughter Becomes BFF with Kitten.
Master Julian was rescued right off the motorcycle that was taking him to slaughter by the people at Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue, where he was befriended by a menagerie of felines.

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Full Story:

According to Catherine Besch, co-founder of Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue, Julian is an ordinary farm pig. Yes, she loves him dearly but she promises all pigs are like Julian - intelligent, affectionate and a bit naughty.

Cat saw Julian and his siblings on a motorbike heading to town to be raised and within 6 months slaughtered. When she saw the piglets, she knew she could only take 1 and she made the agonizing decision and picked Julian.

Master Julian lives like a king. As a piglet, he slept with his human but his BFF was Chairman Meow a stubby tailed, orange and white tabby. The piglet and the kitten grew up together. One becoming proportionately larger than the other -- but size didn't matter for these two who are still best friends 1.5 years later.

Today, Master Julian is 250 lbs and sleeps on the floor. His purpose in life is to educate the Vietnamese that animals have a name, a face and in this case can also be a friend.

Elderly German Shepherd Who Spent 11 Years on a Short Chain Finally Gets the Love She Deserves. We’ve all seen it. The shattering sight of a chained up dog, with eyes full of desperation to be anywhere else but where they are now. Gergana was no different. She’d spent her life chained to a tree, never knowing anything else but six square feet, watching animals and people passing by, most likely wishing she could switch places. The only purpose she had in life was to guard a deserted land – that’s why her owners chained her up.

Gergana wasn’t a companion, but a mere piece of property there to do a job, until she got sick and became more of a burden than a use. That’s when her owners finally let the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas take over and give Gergana the care she desperately needed. After 11 years of imprisonment, she would, for the first time ever, experience freedom.
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A Long Road to Recovery
With a skeletal physique and tumors hanging down from her breasts, it was clear that the years of being chained up and neglected had taken their toll on her health. Her life now depended on the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas team. Inevitably, they took her straight to the clinic for a thorough examination. The good news was, she didn’t have metastases. However, she would require surgery to remove the tumors. The bad news is, the vets found she had tumors in her ears as well, so a sample needed to be taken in order to check whether they were cancerous or not. At the same time, she was eating well. During her decade on a chain, Gergana only got fed every now and then when her owners remembered. Now, she got meals all the time and her appetite never wavered.
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Growing Medical Bills
Every day, needy animals are brought to the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas. Unfortunately, the foundation can’t always afford to provide every animal with veterinary care because they don’t receive enough donations. They’re already hundreds of dollars in debt with the clinic because they struggle to fund each animal’s medical bills. Therefore, they were unsure whether they’d be able to foot Gergana’s towering veterinary bills that seemed to be growing by the day.
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After posting her story on their Facebook page, several kind individuals came forward with donations, which enabled Gergana to get the care she required. As a result, the tumor removal surgery was carried out successfully and the sample for her ear tumors was taken, which also revealed good news – they weren’t malignant tumors!

How is She Now?

Gergana, it’s plain to see, has not had an easy life. Even when she got help after eleven years of solitude and confinement, she needed to undergo multiple examinations and surgeries which was understandably stressful and scary for her. But now, she’s better than she’s ever been before. The foundation says she  ”looks amazing.” She’s gained weight, her ears look better and she seems much more at ease now than she used to.
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Radostina Dubarova, who works at the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas says, “She acts very gently. She constantly searches for attention from people. Very often she runs to you, climbs upon you and ‘talks’ and ‘purrs,’ begging you to caress her.”

Gergana is currently living at the Animal Friends Foundation Burgas shelter and once she’s received all the treatment she needs, they’ll put her up for adoption and she’ll be ready to start her new life with a new, loving family – the life she’s always dreamed of.

Will You Help Gergana Get the Rest of Her Treatment?
She still has a lot of health issues, though. The foundation is currently trying to raise money for her much-needed dirofilaria treatment. You can help this sweet pup, and many other animals at the shelter, by donating today. Her life depends on kind, compassionate, generous people like you. You can also find and follow her story here.
Rescued female bear cub without mother enjoys her new outdoor enclosure
Do You Know How to Help Turtles Cross the Road?
Howl of a Dog with Heavy Chain Around Neck Starving is Rescued - No Hope for Paws in Chains.


Did you know large heavy chains are used to tether and walk dogs? This video is part of the Howl of a Dog, Hope for Paws video series by WA2S Films: http://www.WA2S.org

Support the American Strays Project http://www.WA2S.org/donate

WA2S Films supports people and groups that are creating impact within the animal rescue / welfare world. Please, share this video, subscribe to this WA2S Films YouTube channel and you will be helping hundreds of non profits at once. Thank you for sharing, thank you for caring.

Details about the American Strays 2030 Project: http://www.WA2S.org/american-strays

Amazing Rescue Team 3D Prints a New Shell for a Tortoise Who Was Injured by a Bush Fire. When Freddy the tortoise was caught in a bush fire in Brazil,  it was a miracle that the slow-paced creature managed to get out alive. Unfortunately, in the process, the reptile lost something precious – his shell. After learning about the trauma this tortoise had gone through, a newly-formed group of animal rescuers, aptly named “The Animal Avengers” decided to come forward and help the poor creature by creating a brand new, customized shell for him! The group, which consists of four vets, one dental surgeon, and one 3D designer, was able to make the shell by constructing a 3D computer image based on various pictures taken of Freddy. Once the design was created, Dr. Paulo Miamato, a dental surgeon, turned the design into reality with the use of a 3D printer.

3D designer, Cicero Moraes explained that the female tortoise was named Freddy because her burned “back looked like the face of Freddy Krueger.”
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Thankfully this wasn’t the case for long. With the designs finalized, The Animal Avengers were able to make Freddy’s shell fairly easily.
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Once created, the prosthetic shell was surgically attached to Freddy.
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It fit her perfectly!
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The Avengers decided that the shell needed a little color, though. So they painted it look like a natural shell!
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Now she’s ready to take on the world!
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We applaud the team over at Animal Avengers for their amazing work! They are living proof that we can use the technology available today not only to help ourselves, but to help make the lives of our fellow Earth inhabitants a little better. All Images Source: Bored Panda and Abc News


Donkey adoption: only 50 donkeys left from Big Island are still available for adoption
Critically Ill Badger Cub - A Message From Simon
Jon Stewart Rescues Starving Pony Who Was Shot 100 Times With a Paintball Gun. When Jon Stewart retired from the Daily Show, many of us grew sad, thinking the comedian’s presence would slowly fade from the media until we no longer heard of the funny newscaster. Thankfully, this has not proven to be the case. In fact, Stewart seems to be in the news every other week, and almost always because he’s doing something incredibly awesome for animals! This week, the lucky animal is Lily, a once-emaciated pony that was found abandoned and covered in paintball markings, and will now have a new home thanks to the kind Stewart family!
The white mare, who was found at an auction stable in March, had been shot more than 100 times at a close range with paintballs. The cruel act left the poor girl partially blind and wounded. Thankfully, after just two months, justice has been served! This past Friday, the Rhode Island man prosecutors say abandoned Lily was found guilty of cruelty charges and fined nearly $15,000.
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But the good news didn’t stop there. Shortly after Lily’s former caretaker was charged, Kelly Smith of Omega Horse Rescue shared some more big news. Lily was getting adopted by Jon Stewart! Lily, who has been recovering at a Pennsylvania veterinary center, along with her friend Anita, will spend the rest of their lives at Jon and Tracey Stewart’s farm sanctuary.

While it can get disheartening to constantly hear news of animals ending up in the wrong people’s hands, the Stewart family sure knows how to even out the playing field and restore your faith in humanity. We’re glad Lily will never have to deal with another traumatic experience like this again and is now in good hands! Image Source: Yahoo News


Dog falls off truck on US Highway 99 and survives on median for five weeks

peta2  @peta2
32-year-old Iris was caged alone at a roadside zoo.

This is her meeting another chimpanzee after her rescue. ❤️
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Rescued Leopard Shazam makes friends with Nikita a white tiger.
We make some unusual Miracle Matches here at The Wildcat Sanctuary, that's for sure! This is a video clip of the day Shazam met Nikita.

After Shazam lost his best friend, black jaguar Diablo Guapo, it was clear he wanted to make a new friend. So Nikita, a white tigress, moved in next door and they hit it off right away! They spend their days now talking to each other and with great interest in what each is up to. It's been a great thing to see this friendship unfold.

Watch the Beautiful Moment a Sick Ewe Gets Reunited With Her Twin Lambs and Finds a Reason to Live.
When Dawn the elderly ewe was surrendered into the care of Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary, she was completely unable to walk and appeared as if she had given up all hope on life. Like any animal that comes into Edgar’s care, Dawn was given all the appropriate care she would need to recover, but without that added spark to live, her future started to look bleak.

Knowing they had to do whatever possible to help this ewe, the Edgar’s team contacted her rescuer and discovered that she had recently given birth to twins. The bond between a mother sheep and her babies is just as beautiful and strong as that of a human mother and her children, so there was no questioning that the cure to Dawn’s sadness lay with her babies. With that, Edgar’s made the call and Dawn’s two little ones came to live on the sanctuary as well.

Seeing the happy mom react to the sight of her little ones is sure to warm your heart. Every animal deserves the chance to live a happy, healthy life alongside their loved ones and we are so grateful that Edgar’s Mission could make this happen.

Badger Cub Urgently Needs Your Help!

Rescued from Abuse...But Still Fighting for Life

In Defense of Animals
Heartworm in dogs is an often lethal affliction. Untreated, spaghetti-like roundworms grow and work their way through the chambers of dogs' hearts and into the arteries of their lungs, killing the poor victims as their hearts struggle and eventually fail to meet their bodies' need for blood. Heartworm is a serious and scary affliction, but it is preventable and entirely treatable.

For the 31 heartworm positive dogs at In Defense of Animals' Hope Animal Sanctuary, it is not too late to save them from these relentless parasites. These suffering  dogs previously had no one to provide them with the simple preventative medication that would have staved off this killer affliction. Instead, they were victims of abuse and neglect, and now that we've rescued them, they are once more fighting for their lives against a microscopic killer that has taken up residence in their fragile bodies.

Rescue was just the first step. Now the difficult and costly task remains; the task of keeping our promise to those who we have saved from abuse, of restoring these poor innocent beings to health so that they can have any hope at all of finding the love and care they deserve in new forever homes.
We have been so encouraged by the outpouring of support that these afflicted dogs have received. Your help means that they and others like them will get the long-term and costly treatment necessary to rid themselves of this deadly ailment.

If you have not already done so, please consider making a generous contribution today to help fund this costly and time consuming treatment. Your donation today will literally save a life.
X-Rays X-Rays: Cat Swallows Sewing Needle

Rosa knew something was wrong when her cat became lethargic, hypothermic and dehydrated. What she didn’t know was that he had swallowed a sewing needle. See the X-rays and find out what happened.
Memorial Day Safety Memorial Day Pet Safety

Memorial Day means sunshine, barbeques and the great outdoors. Be sure to brush up on your pet safety tips before the “dog days” of summer kick into full gear.
Joplin Five Years Later: The ASPCA Revisits the Joplin Tornado

Five years after the ASPCA deployed to Joplin, MO, in the wake of a devastating tornado, we returned to take part in a community event for its residents and pets. Read this moving update.