We are so incredibly happy to announce that Coco’s foster parents have fallen in love with her and decided to adopt her! We think her brother, Cooper, did some convincing as well. We hope you enjoy the following update from Coco’s new family and these new photos as much as we did! Have a wonderful life Coco!!!

“We feel so lucky and blessed to have found such an amazing dog in Coco. We couldn’t have found a better companion for our other dog Cooper. From the minute they met, it was love at first sight. Coco came to us a little timid and scared, but after some time, she has finally made herself at home. If she could have it her way, she would spend all day cuddling and getting belly rubs. We were new to the idea of rescuing/fostering a dog and Animal Advocates Alliance was amazing in working with us every step of the way. I never thought I’d be raising two pitbulls but now I can’t imagine my life without them. They are the most loyal and caring dogs and I’m thankful for organizations like AAA for the work they do. If it wasn’t for them, Coco may not be here with us today. Thanks Coco for selecting us to spend the rest of your life with!”

Beginning July 14th, 2009, a new airline called “Pet Airways” will begin offering flights exclusively for pets!  On Pet Airways, animals ride in the passenger compartment of the plane, where the seats have been removed and replaced with enough kennels to transport approximately 50 dogs and cats per flight.  Each flight is staffed with two pilots and a “pet attendant,” who makes sure that all the “pawsengers” (as they are called by the airline) are safely secured during the trip and get plenty of potty breaks.  Flights on Pet Airways cost $149 each way.  To read the full article, click HERE

A six year old Australian Sheppard has stepped into the role of playing mother to four newborn kittens that lost their mother. To read more click HERE

A soldier could be dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for allegedly stomping on and killing an adult dog named Tinkerbell and injuring a second dog named Wrigley. For the complete story please click HERE

Celebrating Mother’s Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G19FIpOpVJM

Happy Mother’s Day to those of you with two legged children and those with four legged children!

A quote from Prince’s new mom, Debi: “I did NOT know that Prince was a “new hope” dog.  That is incredible to me because we think he’s awesome!  Given the life he’s had, he’s shown remarkable progress in such a short amount of time…I’m so pleased he’s with me.”

• Name: Prince
• Rescued From: North Central Shelter
• Journey: Prince, a handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, was left at the shelter by his owner, who said he had kept Prince locked in a car during the day and let him out at night to guard his property. Having not been socialized with people or other dogs, Prince was fearful and insecure. Unfortunately, the shelter brought out the worst in Prince and he was labeled as people- and dog-aggressive. Just 2 hours before euthanasia, Animal Advocates Alliance rescued Prince, believing that he was a good dog and should not be penalized for his previous owner’s mistakes. Prince was sent to live with a behaviorist for rehabilitation. Just as we thought, Prince was not aggressive – he was just the worst case of insecurity the behaviorist had ever seen in a dog. Prince eventually started to come out of his shell and a true transformation began.

• Name: Zulu
• Rescued From: Inglewood
• Journey: Zulu is one of too many dogs that spend their lives on a short chain with no socialization or even an occasional walk. Fortunately, Zulu’s owners recognized that Zulu deserved better and reached out to a neighbor in an effort to find him a new home. Zulu, who was only 9 months old, was relinquished to AAA, and taken immediately to a vet to be neutered and vaccinated. He was then placed in a wonderful foster home where he finally had room to play and socialize with several foster brothers and sisters, including his best friend, a large pit bull named Mookie. Several weeks later, Tom saw a picture of Zulu on Petfinder.com and fell in love. On Dec. 28, 2008, Tom surprised his fiancé, Monica, with Zulu and she fell in love, as well! Zulu, now Bruno, has an enormous yard and a family to adore him!
• Adoptive Family: Tom and fiancé Monica.
• Favorite Activity: Going to work with his dad, Tom.

The Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation has a budget of $4.6 million, 47 full-time employees, and operates two County shelters in Camarillo and Simi Valley.  Like many other shelters across the Country, the Department has experienced an increase in the number of pets impounded due to the widespread economic crisis. Read full text of article HERE.

On May 5, 2009, the European Union voted to ban the importation of seal products in an attempt to force the Canadian government to cease its annual commercial seal hunt, which kills 300,000 seals each year, on average.  Specifically, the European Parliament endorsed a bill characterizing the seal hunt as “inherently inhumane” and expects the EU goverments to support the law, which would go into effect in October 2009.  While other countries such as Namibia, Russia and Britain permit seal hunts, the bill targeted the Canadian hunt due to its large scale and the cruel manner in which seals are killed (clubbed or shot with rifles). The ban would preclude all seal products and processed goods derived from seals, including skins (used in fur coats, bags and other clothing), meat, oil blubber, organs and seal oil.  Given that Canada exported $4.7 million worth of Canadian seal products to the EU just last year, it is hardly surprising that the Canadian government has vowed to challenge the ban on the seal hunt, which it claims adheres to stringent animal welfare standards. Read full text of story HERE.

I’m not big on contests myself but Mighty Dog dog food has a contest going right now. I feel like this contest is a good way to bring attention to the issues that we all find to be so important.

Straight off their website:

Your dog could star in Mighty Dog® Nation: The Movie, a 3 to 5 minute feature dogumentary. Just share your story through video, and users will vote to help decide if your dog should make the cut. If selected, we will send a production crew to your house to capture your story.

Here’s the link to enter: http://www.mightydog.com/MightyNation/dogumentary.aspx

They’re looking for all types: The front porch defender, couch paw-tato, inquisitive headmaster, intentive adventurer, and the wagging walk on role.

This could be an excellent opportunity to draw attention to how awesome rescue dogs are. I highly suggest you submit your rescue dog today!