This Video Gives Me Goosebumps!!

     With Earth Hour 2013 fast approaching I wanted to share with you WWF's "I Will If You Will" video!!  I have participated in Earth Hour for the past several years and my biggest fear is this amazing event slowly fizzling out!  With your help we CAN keep this movement alive!!

What are you doing this year for Earth Hour 2013????  

xoxo
nicole

Visiting Touch of Life Animal Shelter in Egypt!!

   *Myself with 3 day old puppies born at the shelter*

          Well, it has been a crazy few months!  Not only did I all get through the relentless holiday rush and Christmas celebrations, I also visited one of the most unique countries on earth......Egypt!  I had the most amazing time with my good diving friend Maria who hails from Sweden.  We spent a week diving the most Southern part of the Egyptian Red Sea!  Being able to dive up to four times a day, being surrounded by the ocean and in the company of fellow enthusiasts, Maria and I couldn't have had a better week!

        Upon returning to land from sea, Maria and I spent a day touring the temples of Luxor and then we had 3 days in Cairo.  During my final day in Egypt (after Maria had flown back to Sweden) I had the opportunity to visit the Touch of Life animal shelter in Giza.    

         I had such a wonderful time and spent 5 hours with the founder of TOL; Anouchka Mellin, her good friend and fellow volunteer Manal Gad and their two shelter staff.  The animal shelter is actually a rented house on some beautiful property which houses everything from donkeys, horses and goats to dogs and cats.  The dogs were so well cared for and clearly had so much fun running around the property.

         The cats are all indoors and have access to the three levels of the house.  I honestly couldn't believe how well they all get along and the fact that there was NO smell and EVERYONE used the litter boxes was astonishing!

              
    
     Unfortunately, as in many parts of the world, animal welfare is basically non-existant in Egypt.  Every day dogs and cats are abused, hit by cars and simply thrown away as trash.  With only 3 working shelters in Cairo/Giza it is a constant uphill battle to save as many lives as possible.  I was so glad I visited Touch of Life as they are one of the smaller and lesser known shelters in the area.  Anouchka has dedicated her life to rescuing as many animals as possible and changing the way Egyptians treat their pets.

       From Canada, I brought a small animal carrier filled with toys for both the dogs and cats, towels, medical gloves, plastic syringes, masks and leashes & collars that can be used for years to come.  I was also fortunate enough to leave $80.00 which will be used to purchase medications for some of the cats which have come into the shelter with eye infections. I have visited many shelters and animal rescue groups from around the world but for some reason TOL has really touched my heart and I am dedicated to helping them however I can!  I am currently holding a 50/50 raffle for TOL and so far a total of $225.00 has been raised for the shelter and $225.00 for the winner!  If you are interested in purchasing some tickets please leave a message below!!  Tickets are $3 each or 5 tickets for $10!!

     
xoxox
Nicole

Canadian Shaves Her Head For Thai Dogs!

    Candace heads up the Canadian Soi Dog Support Group . The event was held on Saturday November 10th at 11am & was covered by local newspapers & media in British Columbia. Candace is one brave lady especially considering it's now winter in Canada & she will now need to spend the cooler months wearing wooly hats. Candace raised $1600 & we are absolutely amazed by her courage & determination. Candace’s adopted Soi Dog, Gracie (formerly Ziti), was of course on site for the event. Many dogs have been adopted to Canada and Candace hopes to raise the number in 2013.

     Through public fundraisers such as this, Candace is working hard to ensure the entire town she lives in is familiar with Soi Dog and our efforts to stop the dog meat trade.  Awareness and participation is growing fast in Canada and Candace encourages Canadians to join her contact list of supporters. Please email Candace if you’d like to join the Soi Dog Canadian Support Group Her email is: coastcandace@hotmail.com

     A lot more ideas are on her slate for the new year, including more fundraisers, advertising campaigns, working towards registering Soi Dog as a charity in Canada, dog of the week promotions, publicizing donations wish-list and veterinary volunteer email campaigns, and recruiting volunteers to start chapters in different cities. Candace is also looking forward to helping with some orders & baking for Give A Dog A Bone Canada. 

     Candace will be holding another fundraiser on Dec 16 which will be a “Santa Paws” (Pet photo session with Santa), in co-ordination with Robin Andexser of Best Paws Forward Canine Training School. 

Our Canadian Support Group is growing rapidly. If you live in Canada & would like to get involved, Candace & her team would be delighted to hear from you. You can also join the Canadian Soi Dog Adopters Group on facebook.

xoxoxox
Nicole

40 Wild Dogs Burned Alive

The slaying of more than 40 wild dogs in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, on the eastern border of Serengeti National Park, is currently under investigation by Ngorongoro district authorities.  According to reports, people living in the area are alleged to have carried out the killing in reaction to the loss of livestock to the animals. Villagers complained to journalists that 157 of their goats and four of their cows had fallen prey to wild dogs. The dogs were apparently burned alive in the caves in which they reside, near the villages of Kertalo and Orkiu, when the perpetrators lit fires in the caves and blocked the entrances with rocks, trapping the animals inside.

For more information, please visit the amazing organization "Friends of Serengeti", who have devoted their time and energy to preserving one of earths most amazing ecosystems!

Sincerely,
Nicole

Hillary Clinton Speaks Out On Wildlife Trafficking

     U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, recently spoke out about the threat from wildlife trafficking, describing it as a global issue requiring a concerted global response.

     “Wildlife trafficking has serious implications for the security and prosperity of people around the world,” she recently told a packed meeting at the U.S. Department of State. “We need to address wildlife trafficking with partnerships as robust as the criminal networks we seek to dismantle. We need governments, civil society, businesses, scientists and activists to educate people about wildlife trafficking.”

     The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has long been involved with the wildlife trafficking issues.  Following the Secretary of State’s address, Crawford Allan, North America Director for TRAFFIC - the wildlife trade monitoring network, a partner of IUCN - spoke of his work with TRAFFIC over the past 20 years tackling the global illegal trade in wildlife.  He spoke of the alarming recent rise in rhino and elephant poaching to record levels in Africa, mainly to meet demand for horn and ivory in Asia.

     “The unprecedented surge in wildlife crime reflects a fundamental shift in the structure and operation of the illegal wildlife trade over the past decade,” said Allan.  “Wildlife crime is seen as relatively ‘easy money’, providing high returns for relatively little risk, so it is little surprise organized criminal networks are becoming increasingly involved.” 

         Lek & Hillary

     “NGOs, such as TRAFFIC, WWF and WildAid can’t tackle such threats alone; we need governments to get involved.”  “In this regard, TRAFFIC warmly welcomes today’s strong commitment shown by Secretary of State Clinton, clearly placing the US Government at the forefront of global efforts to deal with the growing menace from organized wildlife crime.”

     Already standing by its commitments, the US Government also announced a major grant through USAID to support a Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (W-TRAPS) programme, an international, multi-stakeholder effort led by IUCN and TRAFFIC to inform, facilitate and support efforts to reduce transregional wildlife trafficking.  IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges

A huge thank you to Living Green Magazine for the article!  Please visit them here daily: CLICK HERE

xoxox

nicole

Volkswagen Finally Jumps On The Hybrid Bandwagon!

Volkswagen is finally in competition with so many other leading car companies when it comes to hybrid vehicles   Claiming to drive like a turbo and save like a hybrid, Volkswagen's first car in this class is very very sleek and has me checking out it's features!  My favourite part is the onscreen display of the hybrid system which will allow drivers to see exactly how your car is maximizing its energy usage, driving range and battery percentage.  With my 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid's lease coming to an end in 2014, I might have a few extra cars to test drive!  Fingers crossed the Volkswagen Beetle will be next in their Hybrid lineup!!

xoxoxox

Nicole

Love Has No Borders!

 Kathleen and I met just this week and became instant friends.  Through our connection and commitment to Toronto Cat Rescue, we began talking about our love for animals and how we would do anything to save them all!  She told me this incredible story that only happened last week so I asked her if she would like to share it with my dedicated followers.  Of course she was so excited to tell the tale of a cold, hungry and abandoned kitten that her husband came across at the beginning of November.  Enjoy!!!

       Last weekend while visiting Michigan for a football game my husband Steve noticed a small tabby cat hanging around his motel door. Never one to pass up a cat cuddle, he soon discovered that this cat was friendly and quite hungry so he shared what food he had with her (a muffin). Steve is a big-time animal lover, so much so that he often captures bugs (not animals but creatures nonetheless) that have gotten into our home and releases them outside.

       He was traveling with three other guys, all of whom needed to be back home by Sunday afternoon and so he had to leave her behind. There are strict rules against taking pets over the border and he would have had to get her vaccinated and be able to show the records to border patrol. It was Sunday; it just wasn’t going to happen.  As any animal lover can tell you it is not easy to forget an animal in need once you’ve looked into their eyes and Steve could not stop thinking of her when he got home.

       Once I heard the story I started looking up Michigan based cat rescues. I called the Red Roof Inn that the guys stayed at and was able to connect with an employee there that new of the cat and had been feeding her too.  Understandably all the rescues are at capacity but also cash-strapped. Mid-Michigan cat rescue agreed to go out and find this little girl if I would make a donation towards her rescue. Naturally I sent the money right away. That’s how Steve, whose birthday was just days earlier on Halloween, got a belated birthday present of a rescued cat…in another country!

How amazing is that story!?!?  I just love meeting new people and realizing that I am not the only one who goes above and beyond for our crazy little furr-babies.  Thank Kathleen and Steve for being so selfless and spreading the word about animal welfare!

xoxox

Nicole

Turtle Killers Caught and Awaiting Trial!

In August, two local construction workers killed an Olive Ridley sea turtle near the Parque Hawaii. The female turtle had arrived on shore to lay her eggs and the young men, frustrated that she did not lay her eggs, used a broken bottle to kill her and extract her eggs.

Together with furious local residents, ARCAS staff detained the men and called the police. The detainees are currently in jail awaiting trial. The 116 extracted eggs were buried in the Hawaii Hatchery and successfully hatched in late September.

*The Bloody Eggs*

Egg Ban In Guatemala!!

The National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) issued a ban on sea turtle egg collection between October 15, 2012 and October 15, 2017 of the species Leatherback (

Dermochelys coriacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Green (Chelonia mydas), Black (Chelonia mydas agassizzii), and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta). Stating that the exploitation of eggs of these species is a threat to their survival and that this has caused "a marked decrease in their populations," it announced it is taking "necessary and urgent" measures for their protection and conservation. The ban authorizes the collection of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle eggs during the same five years, but only if collectors give 20 percent of the eggs collected to a registered hatchery. ARCAS has been working with CONAP and the USAID/MAREA project to strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts in Guatemala. 

Do The Math People! It's Simple!