Monday, October 1, 2012
Valmar can't type, file or use a copier, yet he spends all day in an office. His resume includes purring, giving head butts and playing. Can he get a job being your cat?
At LifeLine Animal Project in Avondale Estates, the Dog House and Kitty Motel are often at capacity with homeless pets. Everywhere you look there are pets who were rescued off death row at kill-shelters, cats and dogs who were abandoned, abused or seized by authorities in criminal cases. All these animals are getting love and attention, medical care and, if needed, obedience training. All are waiting on adoption and their own, personal, new beginning/happy ending. Even the rescue and animal advocacy group's administrative office has a few furry occupants, mostly cats waiting on new homes, who spend all their time "helping" the staff work by taking up chair space for their naps, rolling pens off the desks, greeting visitors and sunning …
Monday, September 24, 2012
In a world where people and pets are lauded and desired for beauty and rewarded for being young and cute, what happens to dogs like Christie?
She's not pretty. She's not very young. Her coat is patchy, her teeth worn. Her skin is ragged in places and it's obvious that Christie, a female Rottweiler mix, has not led an easy life. Yet if you spend a few minutes with her -- and a few minutes is all it takes -- you soon realize this older girl is sweeter than sugar cane and has a lot of spark in her yet, despite some treatable health and "beauty" issues. There are no defects in her personality. She's being cared for at LifeLine Animal Project and the Avondale Estates-based animal advocacy and rescue non-profit is looking for someone who wants to help this part of Christie's life be the best part. They are asking that someone out there foster Christie in their home and show her a …
Monday, September 17, 2012
When it comes to looking for love, even finding your perfect pet partner can be done online or off.
Adopting a pet is a big decision and many people count it as one of more pleasant and rewarding ways to enhance their lives and bring unconditional love into their home. But where to start? First off, reach around and pat yourself on the back if you've decided to adopt a homeless pet. Statistics peg the euthanasia rate in the Atlanta metro area at 60,000- 80,000 dogs and cats annually, one of the highest rates of any U.S. city. These dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are almost all put to death for one reason and one reason only: they don't have a home. The simple act of adopting a pet makes you a life saver. And don't worry if you have a specific breed you prefer over another. Twenty-five percent of all pets in shelters are purebreds. Also…
Monday, September 10, 2012
A piece of paper attached to the box read "Please help." Inside was a small, injured, 6-week old kitten.
It's been a long and winding road to wellness for Twist the cat. This summer in College Park he was discovered by rescuers in a cardboard box with a note attached. He was meant to be found. The box was conspicuously placed in a public place, the attached note both a plea for help and a short biography of the small kitten inside: Please help. We found this kitten in the street 2 days ago with blood on his face and paws, walking like he was injured. We gave him a bath and cleaned him up. We've been feeding him liquid formula with an eyedropper because he does not seem to be old enough to feed himself. We could not leave him in the street like that unable to defend himself as he does not seem old enough to walk. We are unemployed at the …
Monday, September 3, 2012
Thanks to some nifty surgical care and community support, Peanut the puppy is learning to prance.
He has two splints on his front legs for a few weeks, making his walk resemble a fawn from a Disney film - stiff legged and bouncy at the same time - but puppy Peanut is definitely moving in the right direction. Abandoned last month with two severely broken legs, Peanut, a 2-pound Chihuahua/miniature pinscher mix, was rescued by LifeLine Animal Project, after he was found all alone in a parking lot. When his owner could not be located, the Avondale Estates animal advocacy/rescue non-profit accessed his situation and quickly realized that specialty care was needed to put Peanut back together. Make that expensive and extensive specialty care. Georgia Veterinary Specialists offered to help Peanut with his orthopedic surgery, and even gave …
Monday, August 27, 2012
Peanut is four months old, weighs almost 2 pounds and was abandoned with two severely broken legs.
Atlanta can be a huge and scary place when you're all alone and only weigh 2 pounds. A chihuahua/miniature pinscher puppy was found this month, alone and in obvious pain, outside of an auto parts store. His owners could not be located and there were no "Lost Dog" notices online or in the paper matching his description. It was as if the tiny, terrified dog appeared out of nowhere. It soon became obvious he had nowhere to go and, with two broken legs, he wasn't going very far anyway. Enter LifeLine Animal Project. The Avondale Estates rescue and animal welfare organization took in the tiny two-pound pup (now named "Peanut" by rescuers because of his small size) and promptly set about finding a way to get him back on all four feet. They took …
Monday, August 20, 2012
Is a spring-loaded leg trap used for hunting wild game a fair way to try to catch a stray dog? One high-school teacher in Henry County thought so.
Flint, a handsome Akita/Husky mix, is safe in LifeLine Animal Project's Dog House shelter today. He receives regular meals, medical care, four walks a day and plenty of affection from the Dog House staff. What he's missing is significant, however. He's missing some of his toes and part of one foot. A few short months ago, Flint was an abandoned dog in McDonough, surviving by his wits and roaming free with another dog thought to be a sibling. The two were presumed abandoned by their owner and showed no aggression towards humans, in fact, they did all they could to avoid contact with people. However, they were spotted on a regular basis by locals who could see they were under-nourished and obviously in need of help. The two dogs managed to …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Almost 500 dogs and cats in DeKalb got free vaccinations, 216 vouchers for free spay or neuter were given out and 399 pet owners signed up to be a waiting list when supplies ran low.
Pet owners from all around DeKalb descended upon Shoal Creek Park II in Decatur in cars and on foot Saturday, many bringing more than one pet, a few bringing four or five. Many came early, lining up well before the event was set to begin at 9 a.m. They were all there for "Healthy Pets DeKalb" Day, an event presented by LifeLine Animal Project and Fix Georgia Pets and designed to help pet owners in need. Due to a generous grant from Anne Cox Chambers administered through Fix Georgia Pets and with additional funding from the Atlanta ResponsiBully Coalition and DeKalb County Animal Services, LifeLine was able to offer free services to DeKalb's pet parents including rabies and distemper vaccinations and free spay and neuter surgeries. By 10 a…
Monday, August 6, 2012
Star the sweet street cat is safe in LifeLine's no-kill Kitty Motel, but she's been there for years, waiting for a place to call home.
Most cats who live on the streets don't live a full life span. Many rescued cats in shelters don't enjoy a full life span either. They are at risk for getting sick (imagine yourself living in a crowded animal shelter) and in many county-run shelters, they can be euthanized if not adopted fairly quickly. Star the street cat has defied the odds nicely so far. She survived living on the streets of Kirkwood until she was saved by LifeLine Animal Project and for the last few years she has lived with other rescued cats in LifeLine's cage-free, no-kill Kitty Motel. She has food, medical care and the company of other felines. What she doesn't have is a home of her own. When LifeLine staff and board state they are "no-kill" they mean precisely …
Monday, July 30, 2012
Pet owners can get free dog and cat vaccinations, spay and neuter and pet food on Aug. 11 at Healthy Pets DeKalb Day.
On Saturday, Aug. 11, from 9 am to 2 p.m., Decatur's Shoal Creek II Park will be going to the dogs (and cats) in a big way at Healthy Pets DeKalb Day. The event is sponsored by Fix Georgia Pets and LifeLine Animal Project, a 10-year-old animal rescue and advocacy non-profit located in Avondale Estates that routinely reaches out to metro area communities to help pet owners who might not otherwise be able to afford preventative health services for their companion animals. They operate two low-cost spay and neuter clinics (in Avondale and College Park) and they hold Pet Wellness Days twice monthly at these clinics, supplying pet vaccinations and health testing to the public at well below market cost. Through their Community LifeLine …
Ralph Ellis
4:09 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Would you adopt a cat with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus? more ›