We Love You, Mom!

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 10th!), so the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) is encouraging everyone to think outside the box -- or the cage -- this year.

Mothers play so many different roles at our shelter, so we came up with three very special ways to say "I love you, Mom."

#1: Adopt a Mom!

Many cats and dogs come to our shelter with "buns in the oven" and give birth to kitties and puppies. Their babies get adopted quickly but the moms are overlooked because they're older, so they're left behind in the shelter. In other cases, our humane law enforcement officers rescue "breeding mothers" (dogs who are used to give birth to litter after litter) from puppy mills, backyard breeders, or dogfighting rings. When the dog can no longer produce litters, the owners often neglect them -- or worse -- so we step in and save them. So one way to show moms how much we appreciate everything they do is by adopting one! All of our adoptable animals (including Lisa, the dog shown above, who was a breeding mother in a Philadelphia dogfighting ring) are listed on the PSPCA website at: www.pspca.org/adoption_centers.

#2: Sponsor a Mom!

We understand that not everyone is able to have pets, but you can still show your support by sponsoring one. For a donation of $50 or more, we'll send your Mom a photo and the story of one of the animals in our shelter. Your donation will help cover the animal's food, shelter, and medical care while it waits to be adopted. Normally the Sponsor-a-Pet program is $150 for cats and $200 for dogs, but we will honor the reduced price of $50 (for cats and dogs) until Tuesday, May 5, at 5:00 pm (this guarantees that your gift arrives in time!). To sponsor a pet for Mother's Day, contact Katie Riecks, Development Associate, at (215) 426-6304 ext. 272 or kriecks@pspca.org.

#3 Become a Mom!

That's right, you can become a Mom -- a foster mom! -- in time for Mother's Day! Foster moms provide caring homes for animals that are too young, too sick, or too unsocialized to be adopted yet. And now that kitten season has arrived, we especially need foster moms to take nursing cats and their babies. Newborn animals, nursing moms, and sick animals require much more attention than they can receive from the shelter staff. Foster moms can give them animals the extra TLC they need before finding their permanent homes, and they also clear space in the shelter for other animals waiting to be adopted. To become a foster mom, visit the PSPCA website at http://www.pspca.org/docs/Foster_Application_Internet.pdf or the Animal Care & Control Team (ACCT) website at http://www.pspca.org/acct/foster_rescue.

On that note, here's a video of a mommy cat and her baby kittens, who were born one day after arriving at the PSPCA.

Happy Mother's Day!

Couch Potatoes

Yesterday I wrote about a cat who likes broccoli, so today I'm writing about potatoes.....couch potatoes, to be exact!

Here are two emails I received about dogs who love to lounge. Both of them were adopted from the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) in Philadelphia.

The first email is from Nanci, who adopted Dempsey (formerly known as Heinz) -- the pit bull in the top picture:

"We adopted Dempsey in mid-January of 2009 and he’s as happy as he can be. He is an amazing addition to our family! He’s just loving life and his new pack. He is incredibly gentle with the kids. When the baby hands him his dog toys, Dempsey is so careful and gentle while accepting them. Everywhere I take him, he is simply fawned over and eating it up. His new vet is in love with him. Dempsey is a great on following commands -- he can sit, lay, and stay. Dempsey also LOVES other dogs and has made a few new doggie buddies at the dog park (there are no restrictions on pit bulls where we live!). His favorite activities are chewing on his bones, getting massages, and resting on his old man chair….it’s now his!"

The second email is from Anne, who adopted Buddy (formerly known as LT) -- the Lab mix in the bottom picture):

"Buddy is doing GREAT! What a sweet dog! He loves to play, he goes for long walks two times a day with my dad, and he hangs out with his new sister Maggie every now and then. She usually comes in to raid his toy box and Buddy doesn't mind at all, mainly because he's a big 'ol couch potato. He and my dad made quick friends! I take him with me on Sundays to my friend’s house and we walk through the cemeteries with her dog, Jay. She also has 3 cats and 2 birds, and Buddy is NOT aggressive with other animals. We are so HAPPY that someone saw what a great dog he was and set things up so that he could at meet his new sister, which obviously went well and now he has forever home. We love Buddy so much!!! Take care and thanks again for checking in."

He Likes It! Hey Mikey!

I've officially run out of excuses for not eating my vegetables.....even the cats are doing it!

Read this success story about Mikey, who has an affinity for broccoli. Mikey was surrendered to the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) on New Years Eve of 2008.

"We adopted Angel, who we have since renamed Mikey. The week before we adopted him, I was at the PSPCA with my sister and saw him. The following weekend my 19 year old daughter went with me to “visit." We opened the cage and he instantly put his two front paws up on her shoulders and snuggled under her chin and began purring. She looked at me and said “I think he just adopted us.”

Mikey settled right in with our other male cat and our big dogs. He is extremely calm, loving, and affectionate. For the first week or two, the cats avoided each other, but after that, they became the best of friends. They play, sleep, eat, and watch the birds from the patio window together.

He loves attention from us as well, and will still put his front paws up to be picked up and carried around like a baby looking over my shoulder or snuggling under my chin.

We have found (by accident) that he finds people food amusing as well as an occasional tasty treat. He will bat a piece of broccoli around the floor, pick it up in his mouth and toss it around for a few minutes, before finally eating it (yes…he eats broccoli).

Mikey has been a wonderful addition to our family and we are so happy that he is with us. His constant purring makes us think he is pretty happy with his home as well."

"Puppy Mills: Exposed" Airs Tonight on Animal Planet

Do you remember my story about Baxter, the white labradoodle shown above? He was rescued by the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) from a puppy mill outside Philadelphia: http://pspcatails.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post_27.html.

Tonight you can get the full scoop on Baxter and other puppy mill dogs by watching Animal Planet’s “Puppy Mills: Exposed” episode, which airs tonight (Monday, April 27) at 10:00 pm EST on Animal Planet.

The episode features real-life footage of PSPCA humane law enforcement officers busting local puppy mills and saving animals from abuse and neglect.

You’ll learn why Pennsylvania – specifically Lancaster County – is called “the puppy mill capital of the east.”

You'll also learn why it's so important to adopt, rather than shop, for pets.

"Puppy Mills: Exposed" is something everyone should see....even if it's past your bedtime.

To learn more about the PSPCA’s efforts to stop puppy mills in Pennsylvania, visit: http://www.pspca.org/news/puppy_mills.

Happy Hour Has Gone to the Dogs!

You are NOT going to believe what just happened.

I'm in my office at the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) and four dogs walk over to my desk. They all looked familiar and they seemed to know their way around the place.

One of them -- the Australian Cattle Dog/Collie mix-- steps forward and hands me a letter. The brown Pit Bull with the perky ears says they're not leaving until I post it on the blog. The Pug starts licking my face and says she won't stop until I do it. The white, three-legged Pit Bull says he needs me to type it for them.

He only had three legs, how could I say no?

So here's their letter, which I'm posting on the dogs' behalf.

To all the dogs in Philadelphia:

Our names are Uluru, Mary Todd Lincoln, Mazzy, and AJ. We were each adopted from the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA), where all of our moms work.

As PSPCA alumni, we want to give something back to all the dogs who are still in the shelter, so we're throwing a happy hour to raise money for a PSPCA dog park!

Yep, that's right. Happy hour has gone to the dogs! The festivities take place tonight, Thursday, April 23, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Parc (227 S. 18th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia).

You see, we have great lives now, but we remember what it's like to be a shelter dog. We'd sit in our kennels all day long, dreaming of green grass and fresh air. We'd have so much energy, we didn't know what to do with ourselves. All we wanted to do was run around.

At times we got a little stir-crazy. Other times we felt like giving up. Most of the time our muscles hurt from not being used.

Now that we're adopted, our moms take us to the park everyday. Boy, is that living! We run, we play, we sniff grass, we meet friends......life couldn't get any better!

And that's why we want to build a dog park for our friends who are still at the shelter. We think it's the perfect way to keep them happy and healthy while they're waiting for good homes.

But we need your help. So here's what we're asking:

(1) Invite your owners to the happy hour tonight. Make sure they know that a portion of tonight's drink sales will directly benefit our dog park project.

(2) Invite your owners' friends to the happy hour tonight. The more, the merrier.

(3) If they can't come, don't bark at them. Just remind them to show their support by donating online: http://www.pspca.org/donate/dogpark

One last time......Thursday, April 23, 5:0o to 7:00 PM, at Parc.

We hope to see you there (and yes, we will ALL be there....and so will our moms!)!

Sincerely,

Uluru, Mary Todd Lincoln, Mazzy, and AJ

Three Lucky Dogs

There's an old saying that three white dogs together are a sign of good luck, so today's story is about......three white dogs!

Last Thursday, the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) helped rescue three white Shepherds running loose on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia. The dogs had escaped from their yard and were darting into oncoming traffic.

With help from some good samaritans, the Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) caught the dogs and brought them to safely to the shelter. The following afternoon they were reunited with their owner, who was thrilled that they survived the incident.

"They're going to get a shower, they're going to see their vet again, and then they're going home and getting a steak dinner," said the dogs' owner.

These dogs certainly had luck on their side!

In case your dogs are NOT so lucky, please -- PLEASE! -- have them licensed and microchipped!

If you live in the City of Philadelphia, you are required by law to have your dog licensed. Licensed dogs picked up by ACCT are held for at least five days while efforts are made to contact you. However, unlicensed dogs are only required to be held at the shelter for 48 hours.

To purchase a license, visit the PSPCA (350 E. Erie Avenue in Philadelphia) or ACCT (111 W. Hunting Park Avenue). The costs vary, so please click here for more information: http://www.pspca.org/acct/e-acct.

The PSPCA also recommends that you have your pets microchipped. A microchip is a a small radio transponder (the size of a grain of rice) that is inserted under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades in a relatively painless procedure. If your pet becomes lost, any shelter or veterinary office can use a scanner to quickly identify your pet by its microchip. Thousands of petowners are reunited with their pets every year thanks to microchips.

The PSPCA offers low-cost microchips for $15. To schedule an appointment to have your furry friend microchipped, call the PSPCA at (215) 426-6300. For more information, visit: http://www.pspca.org/services/hospital.

Finding Time for Jade

It's a cold and rainy day outside, but this email truly brightened my day!

This is from a Mechanicsburg resident who drove two hours to adopt a dog from the Pennsylvania SPCA's (PSPCA) Danville Adoption Branch. Ironically, the dog was originally surrendered to the shelter because its previous owner "didn't have enough time."

Dear Kim,

My name is Jessica. My husband and I adopted a 2-3 year old black lab mix from the Danville SPCA about a month ago. I just wanted to let you know that she is a wonderful dog, we feel really lucky to have found her.

We named her Jade, and she's doing really well. She's getting along with my cat, Diva (though by "getting along," I mean she's staying out of Diva's way). Diva is quite well named, I adopted her from the SPCA in Norfolk, VA, about 4 years ago. Jade doesn't bother her at all.

Jade is also doing great with our 6 month old son Colin. She just watches him, lets him grab her hair, and she licks his ears. He's constantly laughing at her, while he watches her play.

Jade loves her tennis ball, going walking and jogging, and most recently, going to the dog park where she gets along great with other dogs.

I was really impressed with the Danville SPCA, and have nothing but nice things to say about them, which is ultimately why I was willing to drive two hours to adopt a dog from the nice folks at the Danville SPCA. They were wonderful and very easy to work with.

I know that there is a real epidemic of unwanted pets, and you guys are really doing a good thing finding homes for them. I am really glad we found Jade and were able to adopt her, she's awesome, and fitting into our little family like we've always had her.

Thanks a lot,

Jessica

Teamwork

The following success story illustrates the power of teamwork, especially when animal lovers are involved.

In May of 2008, Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Officer Greg J. rescued a very special dog from a cruelty/neglect case in Northeast Philadelphia. The dog was NyNy, an older Doberman Pincher who was left in a yard with large, open, infected wounds on this forearms, the result of "lick granuloma." His nails were so overgrown that they were digging back into his paws. NyNy was bleeding in multiple places and he suffered from hypothyroidism, which had gone untreated for years.

When Officer Greg arrived at the scene, he knew right away that NyNy was a special dog that deserved a second chance. He recalled:

"After initially seeing NyNy in his rear yard hobbling toward me, my heart went out to this dog that clearly hadn’t received necessary vet care, nor had his grossly overgrown nails clipped. He had a great large yard and yet he couldn’t enjoy painlessly running around it."

Officer Greg brought NyNy back to the PSPCA to begin the healing process. "NyNy didn’t put up any resistance to going for the ride to the PSPCA when I put him in our vehicle," he said. "Even on the exam table, he was extremely cooperative and let our vets treat his wounds and trim his nails."

NyNy spent two months at the PSPCA healing from his wounds, both physical and psychological. He was still unsure about people and didn't know how to trust them. But PSPCA staff and volunteers never gave up on NyNy, whom they knew was a loving dog underneath all the fear and anxiety.

In July, Pam T. of the Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA, Inc. came forward to find a permanent home for NyNy. Pam reached out to her extensive network of Doberman lovers and connected with RhondaSue, who gladly opened her home to NyNy.

RhondaSue shared the following update on NyNy, whom she how refers to as "Jack":

"Jack's gait is very good. He runs and pounces and wants to be hugged and petted all the time. He is good about taking food from your hand.

Jack has not overcome his obsessive licking on his left front paw, so he wears an Elizabethan collar ("E-collar" or "E-cone") that is transparent.

He is quite the charmer with visitors. He "cones" them (pushes his E-cone against them) and won't leave until I tell him to "go to blankey." He likes men and women both but seems to have a preference for women. He is good with older children.

Jack does not bite. He loves his blankey and has "his" spot in the living room. He is not food aggressive and sits and waits until released to eat. He takes thyroid medication every morning and Rimadyl once a day.

I have two other large dogs (neutered males) with whom he gets along fine. There is the occasional growl over a bone or who can squeeze through the door first but no aggression. Jack loves to be petted and sit right by me. He keeps his eye on me all the time. He loves being in the house. He goes outside to do his business but has absolutely no interest in staying outside even now that nice weather is here.

Jack has a forever home with me. It was love at first sight for both of us. He has never been anything but loving to me. Thank you for not putting him down and contacting Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA to take him. That chance he was given has been a blessing to both Jack and me. We love each other and he will have a loving home for the rest of his life."

When I shared this update with Officer Greg, he was thrilled to hear that NyNy/Jack is living the live he deserved.

"He’s a very kind dog that now has the opportunity with another home to provide the loving companionship I know he’s capable of providing," he said.

Now that's teamwork! What a great example of what can be accomplished when animal lovers work together.

To Love and Be Loved

A 19th century French author named George Sand once said, "There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.”

Judging by the picture above, Layde Luv and her new owner, George, would probably agree.

Layde Luv was adopted from the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) on Valentine’s Day of 2009. I recently received the following update from George.

"My family and I adopted a dog which we picked up on Valentines Day, hence her name Layde Luv. She's a loving, playful pitbull terrier.

Since the adoption, Layde seems a lot more comfortable with human interaction and a lot happier also. She interacts very well with children of all ages. She doesn't like to be alone very long, so she is in my car with me a lot! She thinks she's a lap dog when she jumps right into your lap to cuddle, nuzzle, and play.

Layde enjoys warm baths in between grooming appointments. People in the nieghborhood love all the different sweaters she sports when it's chilly.

I am in the process of training Layde. She already knows the basic commands sit, stay, come, and down. She loves going to the park and running with me. Although we have not mastered off-leash walking yet, she walks on a lead properly, without pulling, etc.

Layde has already become a member of the family and shows us her growing love and devotion daily...and we do sincerely love her!"

Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny arrived early this year!

Actually, the "bunny's" name is Helio and he's a 1.5-year-old cat who, along with his three sisters, was abandoned on a doorstep near Danville, PA, in November 2007. A good samaritan brought the kittens to the Pennsylvania SPCA's (PSPCA) Danville Adoption Branch. The kittens were underweight and in desperate need of some TLC, so they were transferred to the Philadelphia Headquarters to receive medical care.

The three females went to foster right away, but poor Helio didn't have any takers.

That's when Heather, a PSPCA employee, and her officemates decided to give the poor guy a chance. They took Helio in as an "office foster," allowing Helio to relax alongside their desks while they worked (and kept a watchful eye on him!).

But as luck would have it, Helio hurt his leg and, at the same time, he became ill. His temperature reached 105 degrees. Things were not looking good.

Once again, however, Helio pulled through. After weeks of cage rest, extra feedings, and medical care, he began to heal.

Not wanting to take any chances, Heather decided to foster Helio at her home, where he could regain his strength in a quiet, peaceful environment.

And he's been there ever since!

I guess you could say it was destined to happen. Heather had been looking to adopt a friend for her resident cat, Cagney -- who is also a PSPCA alum.

In fact, Cagney was born at the PSPCA! His mother was brought to the shelter as a stray and gave birth to a litter of seven kittens. Sadly, only one of the kittens -- Cagney -- survived. Heather adopted him in October 2007.

And if that weren't enough, Heather's mom adopted Cagney's mother, Lucy!

So now everyone -- Helio, Cagney, and Lucy --lives together under the same roof as one big happy family. (Did I mention they also have a dog, Hunter, who was adopted from the PSPCA in November 2007? We'll save him for another post....)

Heather wrote the following update:

"Cagney and Helio are complete opposites, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cagney is a typical cat—he will decide when he wants to be scratched behind the ears and who will pet him.

Helio on the other hand, lives up to his namesake—race car driver and "Dancing with the Stars" champion Helio Castroneves. He races and dances around the house constantly—you would never know he had such a rough start in life."

And the Easter Bunny ears?

"Helio happily obliges my wanting to dress him up in funny hats."

I'd say it's working out well for him. In fact, Helio just won a photo contest on "People: Pets" for being so darn cute: http://www.peoplepets.com/photos/funny/easter/10.

On behalf of Helio, Cagney, Lucy, Hunter, and the rest of the PSPCA animals.........Happy Easter!

Two Happy Endings for Two German Shepherds

The Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) is a big fan of German Shepherds, so today's post is about two of our former residents: Alfie and Angie.

You've probably heard about Alfie (in the top picture), the German Shepherd "hero dog" who alerted her owners when their two-year-old son climbed onto the roof of their home in 2006. Sadly, last week Pennsylvania (PSPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Officers found Alfie abandoned in the basement of that same home.

Alfie had very little food, no water, and feces were covering the ground. She was 15 pounds underweight and severely dehydrated. Alfie been neglected for at least two months. PSPCA Officers brought her to the shelter, where she received much needed medical attention and TLC.

Thanks to the outpouring of concern from the community, Alfie went to a loving foster home within days of being rescued. Now she's on her way to a permanent recovery.

Another one of the PSPCA's former Shepherd residents is Angela, the beautiful black dog in the bottom picture.

Angela -- now known as "Angie" -- came to us from animal control in January 2009. After a one-month stay at our shelter, she was adopted by a loving family.

Angie's new owner shared the following update:

"Me and Angie are doing wonderful. She has 2 best friends, my dog Ginger and my cat Shadow. They play all the time. She also has a couple of friends over at the nearest dog park. We go there 4 times a week and she loves it.

I believe Angie is very happy and I'm completely happy with her. I wanted to let you and everyone at the PSPCA know that she has a great family who loves her.

Angie is an amazing dog, a diamond in the rough. I love her and I thank you so much for giving her the chance to meet me and fill the missing part in my life. I'm full now, I have everything I could ask for.

We are happy and love the PSPCA. Just let me know if there is anything I and my family can do. Thank you."

Two happy endings for two beautiful dogs!

Curious the Therapy Dog

I’m proud to share the following update about Curious, a lovely and talented Pit Bull who was rescued by the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) Humane Law Enforcement team from cruelty/neglect case in Philadelphia. She spent one month at our shelter before going to a rescue group.

“I am the founder of Wet Nose Rescue and the person who pulled Curious from the PSPCA.

One of our volunteers asked to foster her and fell in love. Needless to say, she turned into one of those "failed fosters" and Curious became a permanent member of their family.

It didn't take long for her to learn that Curious was not only sweet, but a very special and gifted dog. She and her husband also had two other dogs in their family, one of which they did not know was ill (Chance).

Curious exhibited some unusual behavior towards Chance, who started having seizures that Curious seemed to recognize prior to them occurring. It was eventually found that Chance had a brain disorder.

Through the remainder of Chance’s life, Curious made herself inseparable from him and was his constant companion and guardian. She would literally lay on top of him during seizures to keep him from falling.

During this time, Curious started her training to be a Therapy Dog, but she always seemed a little distracted. Her owners were not certain Curious would ever be able to complete all the necessary training.

When Chance passed away, they started to see a change in Curious. She seemed less distracted and actually started playing and acting more like a dog, almost as if her job of watching over Chance was complete now.

The owners took Curious back to her Therapy Dog classes and she passed with flying colors!

We are all so proud of this wonderful girl, and what a tribute to all of those wonderful Pitties!”

Does anyone have a tissue? What a touching story!

Curious is one of the many Pit Bulls who once called the PSPCA home: in 2008 we sheltered 7,163 dogs and 1,052 (14%) of them were Pit Bulls.

Sadly, the breed has been misunderstood and maligned for years due to sensational myths perpetuated by the media and advocates of “breed bans.” This means that Pit Bulls often linger in the shelter for months because they are overlooked and unwanted by potential adopters who aren’t aware of their loyal, loving nature.

We can change this. We NEED to change this.

And we need your Pit Bulls to lead the way!

So on Monday, May 11, the PSPCA will offer the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test – and the PSPCA is providing full scholarships to all Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes! That’s right….it’s FREE!

The CGC test is the first step in becoming a Therapy Dog. CGC is a certification program administered by the American Kennel Club that rewards dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. It stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs.

We know there’s no shortage of Pit Bulls who are up for the challenge, so we kindly ask that you schedule an appointment by emailing nlarocco@pspca.org or calling (215) 426-6300 x259.

For more information, check out “DOG-102A: Canine Good Citizen Test” on our website at http://www.pspca.org/services/training_behavior.

Two paws up for Curious for leading the way!

Living the Good Life

I recently received an email from “Cookie’s Papa,” the proud owner of a Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) alum! Cookie is a 4-year-old Rottweiler/Shepherd mix whose previous owner fell on hard times and lost her house, so she surrendered Cookie to our shelter.

“Cookie’s Papa” wrote:

“We adopted Cookie in December 2008. I met her at a mobile adoption that I was working at as a volunteer and I went to the PSPCA the next day and adopted her. I knew Cookie was special because everyone at the shelter was so sad to see her go.

Cookie had a rough first week or two trying to figure out where her "tootsie rolls" go, but she learned quickly. She now knows how to sit and give paw. Cookie is our baby and she never leaves my side. The neighborhood knows her by name because she greets everyone with a wet kiss.

She goes to the spa once a week for massage and doggy time. Cookie is the love our life and I can't imagine life without her.”

Everyone at the PSPCA is happy that Cookie is living the good life, complete with weekly spa trips! Every dog deserves to be pampered.

Cookie’s pals back at the shelter could use some pampering, too. Many of the animals that come to us have never had a bath until they enter the shelter. After they're rescued from cruelty and neglect, our grooming tub is their first stop! Once they're sudsed up, we see a whole new animal: healthier, fluffier, and much, much happier.

April showers mean especially muddy paws, so this month we’re collecting grooming supplies for our shelter animals. You’re invited to donate shampoos and conditioners, grooming clippers, and special treatments (medicated shampoos for flea, tick, mange, and skin irritations) to the Pennsylvania SPCA. Clean, gently used towels are always welcome, too!

To help our furry friends look and feel their best, visit our website: http://www.pspca.org/donate/wishlist.

Our animals need all the help they can get finding new homes. Your grooming donations will help them put their best paw forward!

PS: Cookie, we love your new set of ears!

Birds and Baseball

The Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) isn't home to just cats and dogs -- we also have hamsters, horses, ferrets, rats, pigs, donkeys, bulls, roosters, chickens, iguanas, guinea pigs, turtles, ponies, bunnies....and birds!

Yes, birds.

Two days after Christmas of 2008, the PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement team rescued more than 60 birds (and one cat!) from a trailer home in Northern Pennsylvania. The majority of the birds were in dirty, broken cages and others were flying freely though the trailer. All of them had been badly neglected, but the majority were healthy enough to be adopted.

So what happened to the birds?

Just ask Margaret and Jacqueline, who adopted one of them. His name is Trua and he's a two-year-old Cockatiel.

Margaret wrote:

"Trua is a wonderful bird, and he brings our family a lot of love and makes our daughter Jacqueline so happy. He kisses and goes on our hand just like our Jingels did. Jingles is so missed, we had him for 16 years. Now we have Trua and he has a wonderful home and is cared for so much."

It looks like Trua is also a Phillies fan!

Speaking of the Phillies, the PSPCA is having a "Pup Rally" tomorrow, Thursday, April 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia. We're joining the Phillies Red Phanatic, Phillies Broadcasters, and Phillies Ballgirls to raise funds and awareness for the PSPCA.

It's free and open to the public -- especially the dogs (or the Chase Mutleys, rather). At 5:45 PM there will be a "Pup Parade" and prizes will go to the best-dressed pooches, so dress your pups in their Phillies best.

For more information, visit our website: http://www.pspca.org/events?id=218.

Sadly, we can host any birds tomorrow, but we know that Trua will be there in spirit! Judging by the picture above, maybe he's planning to call in???