Noah's Wish Fundraising Auction

I got to know Amy Maher and the Noah's Wish organization in the wake of the Peru earthquake and tsunami in 2008.  

Noah's Wish is a unique animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing and sheltering animals in disasters, throughout the United States and Canada.

The singular mission of Noah's Wish is to save animals during disasters with our rescue and recovery services and to mitigate the impact of disasters on animals through our educational outreach programs.

Noah's Wish annual Summer Auction begins June 22, and runs through July 4, 2011. Be one of the first to check out the wide assortment of items available to the highest bidder.

I received this note from Amy

"It's time once again for a Noah's Wish fundraising auction.  We have had a very busy spring, with floods and tornadoes striking the midwest and north-central U.S.  You can see reports on our most recent responses at this link:  http://www.noahswish.info/CurrentWatchesDeployments/  Most of you probably know that hurricane season started June 1, and it's (always) fire season out west.  And I'm sure most of you noticed the cost of travel has increased substantially over the past couple of years.  Our volunteers often have to pay their own way to disaster deployments, which is a lot to ask of people who give their time and talent to help care for animals displaced by disasters.  In order to help ease that burden, the funds raised during this auction will be used to reimburse volunteers for travel expenses.   Please check out this auction and see if there's something you need, or just want.  We have over 70 items, including jewelry, books, pet supplies, prints and even an original painting. http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=noahswish 

You can pick up a bargain and do a good deed all at the same time.  We'd also appreciate it if you'd share this info with others who might be interested.  Noah's Wish can only do what we do with the help and support of our friends.  

Thanks! 

Amy Maher
www.NoahsWish.com
www.cafepress.com/noahs_wish  (Our online store, in case you'd rather just buy something)"

Please support Noah's Wish in their mission and pick up a great gift in the process!

Three Rescue Dogs Get a Second Chance

In the last week three especially alarming cases have presented themselves.  We have rescued three different dogs all suffering from extreme cases of neglect due to abandonment, or in one case, an owner that just watched his "pet" grow sicker without doing anything about it.

First Rescue

The first rescue is a dog that we collected from the street.  His eyes are so very sad.  We brought him to the clinic, yet he seems as if he is waiting for the relief of death.  In addition to the very common ailments of mange, fleas, and ticks, this dog has a respiratory infection which could indicate heart issues.

Volunteering in the Amazon!

Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety works throughout the year to control the animal overpopulation problem through free spay and neuter clinics.  Many people do not realize that we have a fully operating veterinary clinic with two licensed vets on staff.  Our programs are year-round.  Our programs are supplemented and have a farther reach due to the Vets Abroad program, which offers specialized volunteer trips 4-5 times per year.  We finished a very successful trip in late April, and we just started a new trip over the weekend.  These trips are designed for professional veterinarians and vet staff.  We may allow non-veterinary volunteers if they have experience handling animals, are vet students, or are fluent enough in Spanish so that they can serve as a translator.

Crowd control at a Clinic Above the Belen Meat Market

"Belen market takes some seeing to believe.  It is a heaving chaotic scene of hustle and bustle and everything is available for purchase.  Huge anaconda skins decorate some of the stalls, animal skins, potions are for sale adjacent to clothing and grocery stalls.  It is a sprawling center of commerce in Iquitos and bizarrely, above the meat market, Amazon CARES were running a community outreach project.  I'm really impressed with what Molly has set up here, she has a great team and they are doing a lot of good."  Luke Gamble, Director of the Worldwide Veterinary Service and star of "The World Wild Vet".

PetSafe Gives Peruvian Rescue Dog the Royal Treatment!

By Molly Mednikow, Founder and Executive Director of Amazon CARES.  Originally posted on the blog of PetSafe.net 

READER GIVEAWAY: A $100 Value. See details below on how to enter!

My name is Molly Mednikow and I am the Founder and Executive Director of a great charity called Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety, also known as Amazon CARES. I started CARES after witnessing the hardship companion pets face in the Peruvian Amazon region.

I first traveled to Peru on a dare. I had been supporting a charity, Rivers of the World, that delivered school supplies to remote villages on the Amazon. The Director came into my place of business, a high-end jewelry store, and invited me along. My salespeople laughed, so I stubbornly said yes, I would love to go. That and subsequent trips changed my entire perspective on life.

I am part of a 125 year old family jewelry tradition. I was fortunate to own a successful store in Atlanta, Georgia. Yet with every visit to Peru the jewelry business became less important to me. Whenever I sold an expensive piece of jewelry I would think about how the same money could help so many people and animals in poverty-stricken Iquitos, the capital of the Peruvian Amazon region.

Notes to God from the Dog

Dear God:  Is it on purpose our names are the same, only reversed?

Dear God:  Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God:  When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch?   Or is it still the same old story? 



Dear God:  Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a Dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around ? We do love a nice ride ! Would it be so hard to rename the 'Chrysler Eagle' the 'Chrysler Beagle'? 


How to Gain Weight in the Rainforest (and How I'll Lose It)!

I must admit, I never thought I'd be covering THIS topic on the Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety blog!  The publishers of Think, Act, Love, Lose Weight: The 10 Secrets To Forever Weight Loss by Shane Jeremy James contacted me about doing a book review.  I replied that my blog was related to animal rescue in the Amazon, HOWEVER, I had recently returned from the Amazon, where, incredibly I had gained weight!  I didn't think they would take me seriously, but they sent me a copy of the book.  

Fighting Cruelty & Abandonment

Ten Tips for (Amazon) Volunteers

A volunteer trip to the Amazon is NOT for everyone.  Our volunteers generally adapt and enjoy themselves, yet I am often surprised at the lack of preparation or research of some volunteers.   Then they make things worse by complaining.  We have produced extensive materials for volunteers in the past, but this is a handy short version.  Of course, this is only a condensation of suggestions.  Please leave comments and more suggestions in the comments section.  

Many of these tips apply to ALL volunteers, not just those of Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety.

Ten Tips for Amazon Volunteers...