AR-News: Home at Last for Peanut the Parrot/Update on Ellen DeGeneres Auction

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From: ASPCA News Alert 
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 9:03 AM
Subject: Home at Last for Peanut the Parrot/Update on Ellen DeGeneres Auction



           
                  Welcome to ASPCA News Alert, the weekly newsletter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

                  1. Petfinder Happy Tail: Look Who's Talking!
                  2. Ellen DeGeneres Auction Brings Big Bucks to the ASPCA
                  3. Let's Put a Stop to Canine Profiling by Insurance Companies
                  4. Today is Answer Your Cat's Question Day!
                  5. Shelter Dogs Documentary on HBO
                  6. Israel's Cats Need Your Help

                  PETFINDER HAPPY TAIL OF THE WEEK: LOOK WHO'S TALKING!
                  When the phone rings at Craig and Sue Harms's house, you're never really sure whether or not you should answer it. It may just be Peanut, the family's African grey parrot, doing his spot-on imitation of a telephone ringing. And then again, if you call the Harmses, at first you may not exactly be sure with whom you're speaking. The aforementioned Peanut can also mimic telephone conversations--in two different voices.

                  The Harmses adopted their resident chatterbox after seeing him on Petfinder.com, the ASPCA's online partner and largest searchable database of homeless pets on the Web. His photo and description had been posted by Perfectly Precious Rescue and Adoption, and he was then being cared for by the St. Louis-based group. It seems that Peanut had been relinquished by a family that no longer wanted him--perhaps they hadn't done their research and only too late realized the big responsibility that goes into living with one of the larger members of the parrot family.

                  But meeting that responsibility does have a major payoff--as Peanut's new family would soon learn. When Craig and Sue arrived to meet the companion avian, he climbed up into their arms, nestled against their cheeks and said "Hello." (Talk about turning on the charm!) The next thing Peanut knew, he was on his way to his new home with the Harmses.

                  P.S. If you're thinking about a large parrot like Peanut as a pet, the ASPCA urges you to find out as much as you can about these sensitive, smart flock animals before you bring one home. For more on companion avians, please visit ASPCA online. 

                  UPDATE ON ELLEN DEGENERES EBAY AUCTION
                  In last week's issue, we reported that animal lover/talk show host Ellen DeGeneres had placed a specially created set of twin-sized bedding featuring her own likeness up for auction on eBay, with all proceeds to benefit the ASPCA. Bidding was fierce, and when the virtual hammer went down on January 18 at 7:00 P.M., the item had closed at a whopping $18,500! 

                  "We are thrilled to be the recipient of this most generous gift and thank Ms. DeGeneres for her ongoing support of our mission," says Ed Sayres, ASPCA president. "Her support for the millions of companion animals in need of homes at shelters nationwide is critical in helping to educate Americans about the importance of pet adoption and other humane issues."

                  For more on the auction, and DeGeneres' good works for animals, please visit ASPCA.org. 

                  HELP END BREED DISCRIMINATION BY INSURANCE COMPANIES
                  Has your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy been cancelled or denied because of your dog? More and more homeowners across the United States are finding themselves having to choose between keeping their beloved companion canine and obtaining insurance--just because their perfectly behaved, friendly dog belongs to a breed that the insurance company has deemed unacceptable. 

                  Here at the ASPCA, we want to see that insurers look to the "deed" of the dog rather than the breed! To that end, we've previously called on ASPCA News Alert readers to tell us their stories. Now we are asking you to contact your state's Insurance Commissioner to let him or her know of the difficulties you have encountered. For more on the issue, please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center, where you'll be able to send a letter to your official today.

                  INQUIRING KITTIES WANT TO KNOW...
                  If you share your home with a companion feline, you know that curiosity can thrill a cat--which is no doubt the reason behind Answer Your Cat's Question day, celebrated nationally every January 22. (Yes, that's today!) While this holiday may not yet be comparable to New Year's Day or Halloween, it's a fun excuse to honor your resident kitty and find out what really makes her tick. Educators and parents, check out ASPCA Animaland  for cool cat-care tips to share with the young animal lovers in your life. And for those of you who want to go all out, send a commemorative e-card to a pal or two.

                  DON'T MISS IT--SHELTER DOGS DOCUMENTARY NEXT WEEK!
                  If you care about the hundreds of thousands of stray and unwanted dogs born around the world each day, please make it a point to catch Shelter Dogs, an award-winning documentary by Cynthia Wade that chronicles a year in the life of a rural animal shelter in upstate New York. The moving, magnificent work will make its small-screen debut on HBO on Tuesday, January 27, at 7:30 P.M. EST; it will also run on January 31, February 4 and February 8, but please check your local listings for airtimes.

                  And if you'll be in the Salt Lake City area, you can attend one of the following special screenings presented by the Salt Lake City Film Center and the Park City Film Series:

                    a.. Wednesday, January 28, 7 P.M., Salt Lake City Library, 210 East 400 South 
                    b.. Thursday, January 29, 7 P.M., Park City, Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Avenue
                  For more information on either of the above screenings, please contact info at slcfilmcenter.org.  And to find out more about the film, please visit www.shelterdogs.org. 

                  LETTERS NEEDED TO STOP KILLING OF ISRAEL'S HOMELESS ANIMALS
                  As a result of a single case of rabies in a cat in Kfar Saba, Israel, plans are under way for mass poisonings in the area. ASPCA News Alert readers, the Cat Welfare Society of Israel is asking for your help in stopping this inhumane campaign. Polite letters are needed to Israeli officials, urging them to cancel this plan, which in reality will not prevent the spread of rabies. CWSI also recommends asking these officials to demand comprehensive oral rabies vaccine campaigns for wildlife and affordable vaccine programs for domestic animals. 

                  E-mails can be sent to:
                  Mayor of Kfar Saba, mayor at ksaba.co.il
                  Israel Katz, Minister of Agriculture, sar at moag.gov.il
                  Danny Naveh, Minister of Health, sar at moh.health.gov.il
                  Avraham Poraz, Minister of the Interior, sar at moin.gov.il

                  For more information on the country's homeless animals, please visit the Cat Welfare Society of Israel online.

                  HELP SPREAD THE ASPCA MESSAGE--PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO ONE PERSON!
                  Know someone who cares about animals as much as you do? Please forward this issue of ASPCA News Alert to them. Anyone with an e-mail address can register directly at our website. And please tell teachers and humane educators about Animaland, the ASPCA's interactive website for kids.

                  If you'd like to help us even more, you can find out how to become a member of the ASPCA or contribute to our special funds. To help pass humane legislation in your state, visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center.

                    

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