Delta Animal Shelter takes in 45 new animals

 Gladstone Public Safety and Delta Animal Shelter worked together to rescue 45 animals from a home in the 1300 block of Delta Avenue on Thursday. The animals owner reached out for help tending to the animals before agreeing to hand them over to the shelter.

"This person spoke to the animal shelter and they were saying that they were concerned about the animals and they wanted to do something with them," Ryan Peterson, a Public Safety Officer involved in the rescue, tells TV6. "The animal shelter people were able to convince her that it would be in their best interest to surrender the animals."

Both the animal shelter and Public Safety office said the animals seemed well cared for and in good condition at the time.

"This was a situation that was very sad, but the person did the right thing by contacting the shelter and asking for help," Director of the Delta Animal Shelter, Susan Gartland, said. "The animals were surrendered willingly to the shelter."

Gartland also reminds the public if they are in a similar situation, that reaching out to a shelter is the best option.

All dogs and puppies have been since visited by a veterinarian for vaccines since being brought in. They will soon be neutered and spayed before they go up for adoption. The shelter will also work to socialize the more shy pups before they become available. The animals are all looking at spending a few more weeks at the shelter before that happens.

During their time there, the shelter is reaching out to the public for help taking care of their newest residents.

"Right now, the greatest way to help the animal sheltor is financial, to do donations, or our second greatest need is supplies," Gartland said.

Those supplies include cans of wet dog food, puppy pads and garbage bags.

Grieving dad takes in 300 cats after the loss of his son

If you dream of one day quitting your job and becoming a full-time cat person, you might want to model yourself after Chris Arsenault.

The retired train conductor has taken in hundreds of cats in need, building his own dang dream world for his feline friends.

He called it the Happy Cat Sanctuary and right now it’s chockers with cats.

The facility, located in Long Island, is massive.

It includes a main shelter and a big, open yard with specially-built fences design to keep the cats from climbing out.

There are fountains, heaters, air conditioners and a whoooooole lot of cat lounges.

According to a recent report from The Dodo, the sanctuary currently has roughly 300 cats.

But it’s not overcrowded.

“It’s so big that even if a cat isn’t that fond of others’ company, he can claim whichever area he likes as his own,” Arsenault told Dodo journo Kristen Warfield.

“The most important thing to me is that they’re comfortable and that everything is kept clean.”

But it wasn’t always like this.

Arsenault started rescuing cats while grieving the loss of his 24-year-old son Eric, who died in a motorcycle accident.

While dealing with the tragedy, Arsenault came across 30 kittens in a very bad way and nursed them back to health.

It was this during process, in the wake of such loss, that he found his calling.

So he opened his heart - and his doors - to felines in need.

Now, the sanctuary cares for cats that have been rescued from hoarders or abusive owners. And even poor kitties used as bait in dog fighting rings.

With their trauma in the past, the sanctuary gives the cats the freedom to safely “roam, scratch, lounge, and climb”.

“All cats are neutered, have access to vet care, and are regularly brushed and given lots of love and attention,” the sanctuary website says.

Arsenault’s story is now picking up traction after featuring on sites like The Dodo and college journos Anna Brooks and Kyle Kucharski making a doco short about him, which you can watch on Vimeo.

The sanctuary takes donations to keep the lights on and the breakfast bowls full, and adopts out cats and kittens to new, loving homes.

You can keep up with the facility on social media by following the Happy Cat Sanctuary Facebook page.

Why dog lovers should never buy puppies from pet shops

Pet shops are to be banned from selling puppies, under tough new rules to prevent so-called “puppy farming”.

Many are familiar with the image of a puppy in a pet shop window, but behind the cute image often lies a story of exploitation and even abuse.

Michael Gove, the environment secretary, acted after the RSPCA warned of a "puppy crisis."

Third-hand sales of puppies often mean that sick dogs can be sold as healthy, and it is difficult for the consumer to find out the health of the mother. Animals are often also taken away from their mother far too soon, which can cause problems, and bred in sub-standard conditions.

The Telegraph spoke to David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, about why this new piece of legislation is so important, and what potential pet owners should look for before buying a dog.

The truth behind pet shop pooches

Mr Bowles said: "The trade in puppies in England is probably something like 700,000 dogs coming on to the market every year.

"And some of those dogs are being sold by what we call third party sellers and you get very poor conditions, being sold in lay-bys, the dogs have poor welfare and they're very badly adjusted."

Never buy dogs from a pet shop

Mr Bowles was very clear that dogs should only be bought from the breeder.

He said that research should be done to find an appropriate breeder, explaining: "So if you want a specific breed just get it from a breeder that you trust, do your research and certainly work out whether you have the energy, the money, the time to exercise that dog, give the dog the right food and water, give it the right veterinary care."

The checks you should do when buying a puppy

The RSPCA chief explained: "They shouldn't be giving you the dog on the first time you get there, you certainly should not be getting the dog anywhere apart from the breeder's house. You should be asking to see the dog's mother because that shows that the person has bred the dog themselves.

"Ask where it's come from if it's microchipped, if it's vaccinated. All of those things the breeder should be very happy to give you the information and you should walk away with a well-adjusted dog.

"Ask if the breeder has the puppy contract. Ask if they are Kennel Club registered. Those are all fairly good signs to show that the breeder knows what they're doing and is breeding responsibly.

"So a dog should be well adjusted and well socialized; if it looks scared, it doesn't look like it knows how to react around humans then it may be badly socialized. "

The new measures mean it should be easier to buy a healthy puppy

Many of the warnings the RSPCA has given about purchasing a puppy are covered under the new measures.

These include banning licensed sellers from dealing with puppies and kittens under the age of eight weeks; introducing compulsory licensing for breeders who sell puppies, which they must have bred themselves, and requiring puppy sales to be completed in the presence of the new owner, preventing online sales.

Adams County SPCA reports seizing 133 animals in deplorable conditions

Adams County SPCA closed unexpectedly Friday following the seizure of more than 100 animals, according to the organization's social media accounts.

Most of the animals seized were birds, including pigeons, ducks, geese and chickens. The organization also took in pigs, rabbits, cats and miniature donkeys from a residence in Adams County, the post states.

With a search warrant, the SPCA seized a total of 133 animals from the residence on Dec. 7. None of the animals are available for adoption at this time because of the pending court case.

A Facebook post depicts alleged "deplorable conditions" with the animals confined to small spaces and living in unsanitary conditions. (Warning: Some might find the photos disturbing.)

The Adams County SPCA could not release more details at this time because the investigation remains open.

The organization is asking the community for donations — both monetary and in the form of Tractor Supply gift cards, bagged straw and bales of hay — to help care for the animals in the coming days.

Here's how you can help animals affected by the California wildfires

Last week, as the Skirball Fire burned up more and more of Southern California, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Tae Kim was helping with evacuations.

Kim's focus was to "get people out," LAPD spokesperson Sergeant Hector Guzman told TODAY. But while going door to door in west Los Angeles, Kim found a cat that seemed to be in trouble.

The cat was in a house whose front door was open. No one appeared to be home, so Kim carried the cat to his patrol car to make sure the feline would be safe.

"For somebody it's their companion, family member," said Guzman. "It could be their everything."

The six wildfires tearing through Southern California have burned up 175,000 acres and counting. A reported 90,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. On Friday, authorities confirmed 70-year-old Virginia Pesola as the first person to be killed in connection with the fires.

Heroic individuals are working around the clock to save animals from these harsh conditions — and the good news is you can help.

A big way to do that is by supporting animal shelters in the affected areas.

Randy Friedman, spokesperson for Ventura County Animal Services — in the area where the Thomas Fire has spread across 148,000 acres — told TODAY that the shelter has taken in far more animals than usual in order to provide a "safe space" for the community's pets.

That includes those who are lost and stray, and those who need refuge while their human family members are evacuated. VCAS' usual capacity is about 400 pets; they are now caring for more than 1,000, both at the regular shelter and at the evacuation shelter at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

On Friday, an elderly woman came to VCAS with her three dogs, one of whom is 17 years old. She was evacuating to an emergency shelter, but her dogs weren't allowed. Full to the brim already, staff quickly built a new kennel in the shelter director's office so the dogs would have someplace to stay until their owner could reclaim them.

"That's our main mandate," Friedman said. "To keep people's pets safe."

To help in this mission, VCAS is maintaining a fire wish list, updated regularly as needs change. They're also posting updates on the VCAS Facebook page.

Friedman said another priority is to have animals go home as quickly as possible to free up much-needed space. Families who have left pets at the shelter while they are evacuated should retrieve them as soon as they are able. While the shelter has been closed to adoptions due to the fire, that should change early in the week at the latest, Friedman hopes — and "adopt right away once we're back open," he said.

The Humane Society of Ventura County is also working "in full-throttle crisis mode," said spokesperson Franki D. Williams. "We have been open 24/7 since Monday and have been intaking animals as well as going out on animal evacuations since that time."

Shelters swell with more than 1,000 animals displaced by wildfire

At the Camarillo Animal Shelter, which has nearly doubled its population in the wake of natural disaster, even the deputy director's office is being used to temporarily house kenneled pets displaced by the Thomas Fire

"We have never been this busy over the past 10 years, as we have been over the past few days," said marketing director Randy Friedman.

Ventura County Animal Services has fielded an "alarming" amount of calls for animal welfare this week, according to field operations supervisor Bryan Bray.

"We've had an extreme volume of calls," Bray said. "Everything from ‘Can you check on my animals because I've been evacuated' to ‘my animals need to be evacuated' to ‘where can I take my animals.' "

As of late Friday, Ventura County Animal Services had received more than 1,000 displaced animals, 426 of which were being kept in Camarillo, including house pets, horses, ponies, emus, chickens, quail and a pig.

The temporary shelter at the Ventura County Fairgrounds was housing 315 domestic animals, 215 equines and 47 others.

"We're stretched, but we're making it happen," Friedman said. "The community has really come out in a way that has just floored us."

Friedman said the community has donated "literally a ton of food" for the animals. It has also responded to the live wish list Friedman maintains on the shelter's website.

"Within a few minutes after posting something, people have purchased it and they've brought it to the shelter," Friedman said. "We just needed eye drops … because our field supervisors are in the smoke and their eyes are all tearing up. All of a sudden, somebody came in with eye drops."

The Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center evacuated 59 dogs and 77 cats to the Santa Paula Airport on Monday and Tuesday.

Nicky Gore-Jones, SPARC's executive director, said the public has responded with "unbelievable generosity."

"During this week, some things were more important than others," Gore-Jones said. "I was looking possibly for fosters at the beginning of the week, just to get animals out quickly. Then we were looking for food and … water. Every day, things have changed."

As of Friday, when the animals returned to the center, Gore-Jones' priority has shifted back to finding homes for the animals.

"Now our No. 1 priority is for people to adopt our animals because we were full before the fire and we're overloaded now because we haven't been able to adopt out all week," Gore-Jones said.

The Humane Society of Ventura County, which has taken in "hundreds of animals" this week at its shelter in Ojai, has made a public cry for monetary donations.

"Donations are pouring in and are greatly appreciated, but the need is monumental and ongoing," director of community outreach Greg Cooper said in a news release.

"If people want to donate, money is our No. 1 ask," Cooper said, "since we can appropriate the funds to specific needs for fire relief."

Others have donated their time. The Camarillo shelter has been boosted by about 50 volunteers. "Hundreds" of volunteers have donated time in Ojai, according to Cooper.

"We have vets and a vet tech volunteering their time," Cooper said, "including bringing in a mobile clinic to the shelter to assist with any injuries or questions."

Cooper mentioned a dog who was brought to the Ojai shelter with singed hair and burns on all four paws and his back. "Mike" is receiving round-the-clock care.

"He's a fighter and he's doing OK," Cooper said. 

With the fire continuing to burn, Bray's advice for animal lovers is to have a plan.

"We want animal owners to be prepared," Bray said. "Even though you may not be under a voluntary or mandatory evacuation, situations change rapidly. So we want you to be able to get out quickly with your animals and be able to house them safely.

"What we've noticed is a lot of transportation issues as far as livestock and large animals, people not having enough trailers or not being able to get them out quickly enough. So those have been obstacles that we've been trying to deal with."

That included a call to an evacuated home on Casitas Pass Road, where three officers took in about 100 chickens, quail and a peacock.

"We actually had three officers out there rescuing these animals," Bray said. "We were able to successfully capture all of them and bring them to the shelter to house them safely."

Rescued animals being brought to Brazoria County Fairgrounds

In Harvey's wake, crews are working to save stranded animals and reunite owners with lost pets.

The lines didn't stop Friday at a parking location at the Katy Mills Mall. People weren't there to buy goods, instead, help animals left stranded by Harvey.

"I think that these dogs and animals need help and I thought it would be fun to help," volunteer Jack Herberig said.

Volunteers walked, fed and clean animal cages.

"It doesn't make me sad," Herberig said. "It just makes me want to help."

An Austin based group, Austin Pets Alive, is running the parking lot shelter. An area originally meant to help nearby agencies, but that quickly changed.

"We also are running into an extreme need for stray animals to go," Austin Pets Alive Executive Director Ellen Jefferson said. "So we've also become a little bit of a hub for stray animal intake."

The displaced animals are crated and packed into cars. They'll be moved to nearby shelters. The goal now is to get pets reunited with owners.

"We are rapidly working with the city of Austin, city of Houston, and Best Friends," Jefferson said. "They are working on a lost and found database that people would have access to."

It might take some time because animal organizations say this is not like anything they've seen before.

"We were involved with the 2011 Bastrop fires that were really terrible for animals," Jefferson said. "We did search and rescue that was nothing compared to this. This is just massive."

Katy isn't the only place where animals are being saved. As the water rises in Brazoria County, crews are racing to help stranded animals.

"We've been working for seven days," Brazoria County emergency management lead Jesse Leija said. "We've got about a hundred plus horses, cattle. We've got about 200 to 300 heavy cattle that we've been working with."

And with the levels continuing to rise, responders aren't sure when they'll be able to retire their street boats.

"God created creatures," Leija said. "We're here to save them."

If you're looking to help animals, check with the shelters and see if they need volunteers. The groups certainly need supplies, including plastic spoons, kennels and poop bags. You can also donate online.