"Safe at Home" not so safe for Victims of Domestic Violence

Incidents of domestic violence rise significantly during times of stress. Unemployment, substance abuse, fear, boredom, frustration and feelings of worthlessness often manifest themselves as anger against one’s family and/or self, specifically, as suicidal or homicidal acts.  Being cooped up indefinitely exacerbates the situation. Significant others, children, elder citizens, and pets can find themselves in dire straits during the Covid-19 pandemic. Add, home schooling, layoffs, past due bills, a surge in gun purchases, and general angst to the mix, and you have a perfect storm for violent and abusive behavior.

In the late nineties, spcaLA, (not a chapter or part of any other SPCA), developed the Animal Safety Net program (ASN) which offers shelter and care to the pets of domestic violence victims at no cost, so they may flee a dangerous situation without fear for the safety of their animals. This program has provided refuge to dogs, cat, rabbits, rats, horses and a fish. Sadly, the domestic violence shelters that we deal with are reporting to us that they are already full. 

Both, the New York Times and CNN  are writing about this issue in the context of the pandemic. It is also important to state that anyone, men, women, children, elders, and pets can be a victim of this rage.

Please take care of yourselves and each other.

I have included below a resource list provided by CNN:

National Domestic Violence Hotline Call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522

Available 24/7. Can connect callers with local resources and immediate support. Also available through online chat tool.

National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673

Provided by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Available 24/7. Also available through online chat tool.

Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741

Available 24/7 for victims of abuse and any other type of crisis.

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-422-4453

Available 24/7 in 170 different languages.

Office on Women's Health Helpline 1-800-994-9662

A resource provided by the US Department of Health & Human Services.

Find a list of resources organized by state here, provided by the Department of Health & Human Services' Office on Women's Health.

PETS and COVID-19

In light of recent reports that a dog in Hong Kong was found to have developed an immune response to the COVID-19 virus - antibodies were found in the blood – I want to reassure you and provide you with some tools to keep us all safe. 

Your spcaLA has been working around-the-clock with veterinary and public health officials nationwide to develop protocols to protect pets, animal care staff, and the public during this crisis.

Despite this result, Hong Kong officials stressed that these cases of infection in dogs appear to be infrequent. As of March 25, 2020, the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has conducted tests on 17 dogs and eight cats from households with confirmed COVID-19 cases or persons in close contact with confirmed patients, and only two dogs had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. These findings indicate that dogs and cats are not infected easily with this virus, and there is no evidence that they play a role in the spread of the virus.

Veterinarians stress that it’s important to note that an infection, as was the case in these Hong Kong animals, does not mean the animal is infectious, and the best practices are focused on hygiene and social distancing.

Guidance for Pet Owners

Pets are members of the family, and just like human family members, spcaLA urges pet owners to protect pets. If dog parks are still open in your area, spcaLA urges pet parents to avoid them.

• Maintain good hygiene practices by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching pets, in keeping with CDC guidelines.
• Do not allow your dogs to play with other dogs or meet people during daily walks. Keep a six-foot distance between your dog and others, just as you would with other people.
• Curb your dog’s interest in sniffing excrement of other animals, or picking up refuse on the ground.
• Before you come inside from a walk, wipe your dog’s paws with a sudsy solution of pet shampoo and water. When finished, discard the wipe and thoroughly rinse your pet’s paws with water to remove soap residue. If you have them available, you may consider having your dog wear shoes, socks, or booties outdoors.
• Keep your cats and other pets safely indoors. If you are unable to confine your cat, follow the wipe down procedures indicated above.
• Do not use Lysol wipes, bleach, or other harsh chemicals on your pets. Ask your veterinarian for additional safe options to clean your pet’s paws.

Guidance for Animal Care Facilities

• Protect your staff and volunteers. Determine and implement your shelter’s intake procedures, which should apply to returning fosters and other clients, as well as stray and surrendered pets.
• Protect the community. Determine and implement your shelter’s procedures prior to placing animals in adoption, foster, or returning them to their owners.
• Pet boarding and daycare facilities, many of whom are open and caring for the pets of medical, grocery, sanitation, food delivery, and other essential workers, should take care to develop and implement intake and return procedures.
• Protocols for incoming and outgoing animals may include bathing (paying special attention to the areas most frequently petted by people), a period of isolation, and other actions. Further consideration should be made as to PPE for staff and procedures to accept or return animals to the public while maintaining safe social distance. Animal care facilities can email info@spcaLA.com to obtain a sample copy of spcaLA’s protocol.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and will update protocols with any new information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Furthermore, you are encouraged to stay informed by following these organizations’ websites: World Health Organization, American Veterinary Medical Association, and World Organization for Animal Health.

It’s our job to protect animals and that is what we intend to do. Right now, it’s important to keep a level head. Take care of your pets, and each other.

Convicted Glascow drug dealer sells designer dogs from Dubai

Since today is National Puppy Day, I would like to remind you to adopt a shelter dog rather than to buy a designer dog puppy from a puppy mill half way around the world. Like the drug trade, the designer dog trade is worldwide, lucrative, often criminal in nature, (notwithstanding animal cruelty,) deceptive, (a lot of bait and switch), appeals to those who lack empathy for the dogs and their customers, and subscribe to a business model that invests nothing in the "product" while gauging the highest prices from their buyers. Sometimes the dogs offered for sale are actually stolen.

I have been ranting about this for a while, and even wrote a book about it, as the trend to have a designer dog exploded exponentially, leaving customers brokenhearted and puppies broken bodied.  Here is an example that just came across my desk courtesy of the Scottish Sun: a convicted cocaine dealer was released from prison in Scotland, fled to Dubai, and uses his old drug network to sell and transport English and French Bulldogs!

The only way to stop puppy mills, Craig's list peddlers, and Instagram fakers, is to just not buy them. Don't create a demand for this "supply". This "supply" has feelings and feels pain.

So please, adopt a shelter dog. 

spcaLA and Safer at Home order

SAFE!

Last night, California leadership came together to issue the new Safer at Home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The order seeks to help our community flatten the curve, and reduce the spread of the virus.

For many of us - me included - my first thought was of the pets. Will pets in the shelter be okay? Can staff come to care for them? And more personally, can I still walk my dogs?

The pets will be okay. spcaLA staff will continue to provide care for those in the shelter. And, you can continue to care for your own pets. Veterinary offices can continue offering services, pet supply retailers can continue to provide pet food and supplies.

In fact, caring for your pets is one of the very best things you can do. If you have a dog - or two - go for a walk. Just, maintain social distance from your neighbors and their dogs, in keeping with the Safer at Home order.

Cat person? Your indoor cat has been practicing isolation for some time - snuggle with your kitty and a good book by a sunny window. Take a nice long stretch. No pets at home? Take a gander at our live cat feed on Explore.org.

Tortoise person? Hibernate!!! 

Looking for ways to enrich your life, and those of your pets and kids? Follow spcaLA on social media, like Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram. We'll do our best to keep you informed, educated, and entertained.

If you are able to help, please consider making an online donation to help spcaLA continue to serve. Looking for other ways to help? Please use AmazonSmile when ordering supplies, vote for spcaLA on your TargetCircle app (until 3/31), and make spcaLA your charity of choice on your Ralphs account (NPO Number 82162).

I know these are uncertain, and frankly scary times. Together, we will come through this. 

Please, take care of yourselves, and each other.

Corona (Covid-19) - what about my pets?

I know that we are all worried and concerned for the people and pets we love. It does not help that this is also a situation that changes daily with new data and news. The important thing is to rely on facts from those sources who know the facts.  

I am sure that you heard that Hong Kong health authorities released information that a pet dog belonging to a person infected with the Covid-19 virus tested as a weak positive for this type of coronavirus. At this time there is uncertainty if this dog was actually infected by the owner, or if the weak positive test result was due to surface contamination from the dog picking up traces of the virus in its nose and mouth. The dog is currently under quarantine with the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for further testing. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at this time there is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread Covid-19.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) continues to monitor the situation, and encourages the public to stay informed with updates regarding Covid-19 from the following organizations’ websites: World Health Organization, American Veterinary Medical Association, and World Organization for Animal Health.

spcaLA offers these tips to pet companions in the wake of Coronavirus concerns:

• Maintain good hygiene practices by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching pets.
• Optimize your pet’s health by providing regular preventative care including vaccinations, deworming, and flea and tick prevention.
• Regularly visit a veterinarian for overall health examinations.
• Create a pet emergency preparedness kit that includes items like, food, bowls, water, medications, leash/collar, vet records, etc. Include pets in emergency plans, and indicate a designated caregiver in the event you are unable to care for your pets. Visit spcaLA.com for a complete list of pet preparedness kit items.
• Make sure your pet is licensed and microchipped, and information is up to date.
• Ensure all of your pet’s information is readily available for emergencies including current photos, pet license information, vaccination history, and microchip number. Consider saving and updating the information on your smart phone for quick access.
• Always keep a cool head. Remember, preparation is key.

Stay healthy and prepared.