Paws for peace walk helps domestic violence victims and their pets

In the past month, 12 people in Central Florida died at the hands of domestic violence or abuse.

That's why this past weekend, people and pets, hand in paw, walked to help victims of domestic violence -- not just humans, but their animals.

The annual Paws for Peace walk started with a reminder of innocence and hope. They released butterflies, honoring all the victims.

So many butterflies, they were tough to get out of the container.

According to Harbor House of Central Florida, sponsor of the Paws for Peace walk, in 2010 there was one domestic violence homicide every two weeks in Orange County, Florida. It's a huge problem in our area. Harbor House has a shelter for victims and their families. And soon they'll have a shelter for pets too. 

The Paws for Peace shelter opens in December. It's meant so that families don't have to leave their pets behind.  According to Harbor House:

• According to the American Animal Hospital Association, an estimated 88% of pets living in households with domestic violence are either abused or killed.  
• Of all survivors who enter shelters to escape violence, 57% have had a pet killed by their abuser.

Lulu met lots of dogs at the Paws for Peace walk Saturday. Dogs of all shapes and sizes, all lending a paw to a great cause.

Not only did humans raise money for Harbor House and the shelter (I raised $140 thanks to you guys -- my loyal friends, family and readers), but puppies helped raise money too with a special photo contest. Lulu entered. People voted for the best looking dogs. I don't actually know if Lulu won anything, but people loved her.

Harbor House then raised even more money selling shirts, bandanas, and raffle tickets for awesome prizes. All told, more than $18,000 was raised for Harbor House. That will go a long way toward finishing the shelter and helping families.

But unfortunately, there's still more that needs to be done. If you're in the Orlando area, please consider helping Harbor House by going to their website.

Do you know what the domestic violence is near you? Do they have a way to help victims with pets? Look them up and find out how you can help them. Perhaps it's just a donation. Perhaps they need someone who can help take those pets in.

There are only 70 domestic violence shelters in the country that can make some provision for pets.

And if you need help finding a shelter near you, or you need help getting out of your situation, you can go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website. There is also a phone number you can call: 1-800-799-SAFE(7233).

Doggy Day Out Donations Go to Harbor House and Domestic Violence Victims

Lulu is confused again. Lots of food, treats, toys -- and she can't have ANY of it!

It's not for her though. It's all the donations people gave at Doggy Day Out Orlando a few weeks ago at Barber Park. Check out the link above. I posted pictures from the event.

All these items went to Harbor House of Central Florida today. They will all be part of the Paws for Peace kennel, which opens in December.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to our sponsors who donated prizes:

Pine 22
Tijuana Flats' Just in Queso Foundation
Painting with a Twist
Jimmy Johns (Amanda and Joe Clark, especially!)
Woof Gang Bakery -- Winter Park
News 13
Pookie's Bakery
Rick's Dog Deli.com
Orlando City Soccer
Sit n Stay Pet Cafe

What's next? We will host another event after the holidays. But first, Harbor House of Central Florida is having their Paws for Peace walk this Saturday at Blue Jacket Park.


Did you know:

• 48% of domestic violence survivors delay leaving an abusive home because they don’t have a safe place for their pets.
• Pet abuse is often a retaliatory action of abusers. Animals are used as leverage by the batterer as a means to control their victims or as part of a pre-emptive strike to gain or maintain control.
• According to the American Animal Hospital Association, an estimated 88% of pets living in households with domestic violence are either abused or killed.
• Of all survivors who enter shelters to escape violence, 57% have had a pet killed by their abuser.

 These statistics were provided by Harbor House.

So please, help me by donating to the Paws for Peace website. My personal goal is $125. You can go to my personal fundraising site to donate. 

If you can't donate, please at least help me spread the word. 

Pets should not be used as pawns for violence. 

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween

Oh God -- not this thing again! I don't wanna be an astronaut, Mom!

PS: I am still trying to raise money for the Paws for Peace walk, helping Harbor House of Central Florida, domestic violence victims and their pets. The walk is this Saturday.

If you can donate money, please help. If you can spread the word to your followers, I'd appreciate that too.

Help me raise money to help domestic violence victims and their pets

Whew! The last couple of weeks have been busy! First, we got lots of donations for the new Paws for Peace kennel with our Doggy Day Out Orlando event.

And then Lulu and I had a blast at Barkworld Expo in Atlanta!

But we're not done yet!

Right now Lulu and I are trying to raise money for the Paws for Peace Walk, which is this Saturday in Orlando.

The walk is hosted by Harbor House of Central Florida, which is a shelter for domestic violence victims. This is the third annual walk, and it's meant to help both victims and their pets.

Did you know:

• 48% of domestic violence survivors delay leaving an abusive home because they don’t have a safe place for their pets.
• Pet abuse is often a retaliatory action of abusers. Animals are used as leverage by the batterer as a means to control their victims or as part of a pre-emptive strike to gain or maintain control.
• According to the American Animal Hospital Association, an estimated 88% of pets living in households with domestic violence are either abused or killed.
• Of all survivors who enter shelters to escape violence, 57% have had a pet killed by their abuser.

 These statistics were provided by Harbor House.

So please, help me by donating to the Paws for Peace website. My personal goal is $125. You can go to my personal fundraising site to donate. 

If you can't donate, please at least help me spread the word. 

Pets should not be used as pawns for violence. 

Hurricane Sandy and your dog: Helping your pet through a storm

Back in June when hurricane season started I wrote a post about preparing your pet for the season.

Sandy is now bearing down on the northeast, and weather reports say people as far away as Chicago will eventually feel the storm's effects. So I wanted to push this post up again, and highlight some points that might help people keep their pets safe during and after the hurricane.

BEFORE A STORM

Gather the following:
1) Your paperwork
2) Enough food to last a week
3) Travel dishes. If necessary, whatever you need to serve canned food.
4)Water. The rule for humans is one gallon per person, per day. How much does your pet drink? Maybe not that much, so maybe half a gallon per pet, per day.
5) Treats. Your pet is as nervous as you, if not more. Treats are a welcome distraction, and bring a touch of the familiar.
6)A favorite toy. Does the same as the treats.
7) Favorite blanket, pillow, towel, bed, etc.
8) Puppy pads, litter or newspaper -- because walking the dog may not always be possible.
9)Bags, paper towels, etc. for clean up.
10) Whatever medications you may need, and first aid stuff too.
11) Crate, cage, leash or whatever you use to transport the pet in the event you have to go.

Get your home and yard pet-storm ready. You board up the windows (don't duct tape the windows, it does nothing), bring in the patio furniture, trim the trees, clean the gutters, etc. Also, cover pools, turn over any containers that may get filled up with water (bird baths, buckets, planters, plastic pools). Bring outdoor pet food/drink containers in, and the dog house too if you can. You don't want dogs to drink the water when the storm is over. And this water will breed mosquitoes and other bugs in the days to come. It may also harbor bacteria that will make them sick. Rain water isn't the real concern here though, so much as flood water.

DURING THE STORM

Stay in your safe havens. These are places without windows, preferably. Also avoid turning electronics on if you can. And make sure there is something in that safe haven that comforts the pet -- a toy, a blanket, a bed, etc.

Mind your children. Know how to calm your pet if they start to get nervous, or worse, freak out. If you have a pet who is nervous or upset from the storm, they may not have as much patience for a rambunctious child. They have to know that the pet needs to be left alone, or treated gently at the very least.


Keep them distracted. Just as your child will need some distractions during the storm, so will your pet. Toys are good for that.

Keep Calm. Pets sense your stress, your fear. By keeping calm, you help them keep calm. 

AFTER THE STORM

Do NOT give your pet tap water. Even if your home has water, it may need to be boiled before its drinkable. Don't use that water for drinking or bathing until you know it's safe.

Do NOT let your pet out of the house unsupervised. Even if a quick glance of your backyard shows no major issues, it's not safe to let your pet out until you know there's no place they can get hurt. What about downed power lines, exposed cables, pieces of wood, metal, shingle, glass that came off something during the storm that ended up in your yard? Are there any places where the pet might take a lap of water? Any bedding, dishes, or other pet items that came in contact with any flood water needs to be thrown out. Don't let the pet touch it. 

Avoid  dog parks. Your pet's favorite park may be a hazard after a storm for a few days. Bugs, puddles, fallen tree limbs. Give it a while before you take your pet to an off-leash park, or at least make sure it's cleaned up first.

More tips can be found at the National Hurricane Center website, and the ASPCA website.

 From all of us at Life with Beagle, to everyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy: Stay safe. It will be over before you know it.

Odds and Ends: Barkworld, Paws for Peace and Tuson the Beagle

Pretty awesome, huh? Lulu took this at Barkworld tonight! We are having an awesome time learning how to make our blog better, how to reach more of you, and how to help more people in our community. I'll have more once the event is over.

And look at all the great doggy swag we got after just one day! We're going to be talking about all kinds of stuff in the coming weeks!

Meanwhile....

Lulu and I have finally registered for the Paws for Peace walk in Orlando Saturday, Nov. 3. We are walking to raise awareness about domestic violence, and to hopefully help end abuse.

As you know, we held Doggy Day Out Orlando to benefit Harbor House of Central Florida and its new Paws for Peace Kennel!

They are almost ready! The kennel opens in December.

We are trying to raise as much money as possible for it. If you can donate, please go to my Paws for Peace donation site... which is RIGHT HERE. Any size donation will do. Thank you ahead of time. We are walking for a great cause!

Tuson the beagle still needs a home! He is at the Seminole County Animal Services in Sanford. You can find out more about him on Petfinder. He is 7 years old, about 38 lbs., very sweet, but not good with small children. Please help him find a forever home!

Doggies Get a Day Out and Help Domestic Violence Victims

When we got to Barber Park Sunday for Doggy Day Out Orlando, we didn't know what to expect, Lulu and I.

We had put out a lot of fliers, tweeted lots, got our friends at News 13 to talk about it. But would people show up, and would they donate?

Boy, did they ever!

People started showing up before we were even ready.

Folks came with all kinds of dogs -- poodles, beagles, pugs, corgies, westies.

And they brought all kinds of things for the Paws for Peace kennel -- food, treats, leashes, toys, even a pet carrier!

I want to thank all the wonderful people who made this possible.

My friends Rachael Singer, Jenevieve Jackson and Brian Wilson for all their help at the event and with the event.

(Me and Brian and our dogs)

News 13's Allison Walker, Brett Rosner and Ybeth Bruzual for helping spread the word. And Ybeth's mom for her goodies, they were a big hit!

 (News 13's Ybeth Bruzual hangs out with John Ambrogne)

Special thanks to Audra Turner and Joshua Perry at Orange County Parks and Recreation for helping me make this happen at Barber Park.

And finally, our sponsors, who donated awesome prizes:

Pine 22
Tijuana Flats' Just in Queso Foundation
Painting with a Twist
Jimmy Johns (Amanda and Joe Clark, especially!)
Woof Gang Bakery -- Winter Park
News 13
Pookie's Bakery
Rick's Dog Deli.com
Orlando City Soccer
Sit n Stay Pet Cafe

 (Some of our prize winners)

Now I'm working on getting the donations to Harbor House of Central Florida for their new Paws for Peace Kennel, opening in December.

I think we will definitely try to do this again. I am humbled by the turn out. Thanks again!