A Note From The Editor :
There once was a dog named Violet , a beautiful , freckled , sable and white Coonhound , whose life consisted of living in a laboratory cage , being subjected to cruel , painful experimentation . Fortunately , she was adopted when the lab , that referred to her only as # CEGMBN , determined she was no longer needed . Unfortunately , most lab animals do not share that lucky fate . The government experiments on nearly 45,000 dogs , cats , monkeys , and other animals every year . Virtually all are killed because It ' s more convenient to euthanize their " subjects ," rather than make the effort to let survivors be adopted into a loving home when the experimentation ends . Following the White Coat Waste Organization ' s campaign and action by the U . S . Senate , the House has reintroduced the AFTER Act ( Animal Freedom from Testing , Experiments , and Research - HR 5244 ), also known as " Violet ' s Law ," to make adoption an option for lab animals . The legislation would make retirement a requirement across the entire government , ensuring that all federal agencies have policies in place to allow and facilitate the relocation of healthy lab animals to rescues , sanctuaries , or private homes .
It took Violet eight months to simply learn how to be a " normal " dog . Her owner says that their cat , Bert , was instrumental in teaching her how to trust people and accept love from their family . He often sat next to her , purring and kneading her blanket , as she cowered in her crate , too afraid to come out . When she finally did , he even taught her how to go up and down the stairs in their home . So sweet ! Her owners say she was well worth their patience and time . There are tens of thousands of dogs and cats just like her , waiting for their hell on earth in government labs to end . If you believe they should have the chance to be adopted and live the happy life they deserve , please take action . Log on to https :// www . whitecoatwaste . org / contact-congress-2 , and urge your local legislator to support Violet ' s Law .
- Karyn Stratton
In This Issue :
Pet Calendar of Events ...................................... page 2 Upcoming Pet Events .......................................... page 3 Around the Hydrant : News You Can Use ......... page 4 Hairball Awareness .............................................. page 4 Cranky Cats .................................................. page 5 Breed All About It - The Boston Terrier ........... page 6 Health Highlights : Springtime Hazards ............ page 7 Cute & Crazy Critters ........................................ page 8 Adoption : A Loving Option .............................. pages 10 , 11 Pawsitively Delicious - Pet Recipe ................... page 12 Ask the Groomer - Spring Allergies ................. page 13 Win Tropiclean Itch Relief Shampoo ................. page 13 Wise Words from WAGZ .................................. page 14 Subscriptions - Let Us Fetch Your Next Copy ... page 15
On our cover : “ Frankie "
Thanks to Melissa Jansen of Cape Town , South Africa
for providing us with her photo !
Pawsitively Pets -- April
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