Anke Herrmann’s Post

Losing a pet is heartbreaking. The first Saturday in April is Every Day is Tag Day, a nationwide effort created by American Humane to prevent the heartache of losing a pet. DID YOU KNOW? Approximately 10 million companion animals wander away from home each year. Millions end up in shelters. Tragically, only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats in shelters shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their guardians. To Make Every Day Tag Day: > Make sure your pet always wears a collar with a current ID tag, rabies tag, and city/county license. Include a contact name, address, and daytime and evening phone numbers on their ID tag. > Keep your pet’s licenses, ID tag, and microchip current. Make sure to update the tag if you change your address or phone numbers. Microchips add an additional layer of protection in the event the pet's collar and/or tag fall off or are removed. > When moving or traveling, place a temporary tag on your pet with the phone number of someone who knows how to reach you. > Remember that even indoor pets need tags. Many strays in shelters are indoor pets who escaped and got lost. @tailsofhopewpa @americanhumane #MakeEveryDayTagDay #EveryDayIsTagDay #pets #cats #dogs #companionanimal #shelter #tag #license #rabies #microchip #petsafety #petsarefamily #nonprofit #community #love

International Guide Dog Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible impact Guide Dogs have on the lives of those living with low or no vision, disability, or illnesses. This special day raises awareness about Guide Dog accessibility and celebrates the unique and powerful bond between a Guide Dog and their human companions. So what can you do to celebrate International Guide Dog Day today?  1. Learn about Guide Dogs - You most likely know that golden retrievers are great Guide Dogs but did you know that poodles and boxers can be Guide Dogs too? Did you know that Guide Dogs, Assistance Dogs, and even puppies in training are legally permitted to accompany their handlers virtually anywhere, including supermarkets, restaurants, shopping centres, public transport, hotels and rideshares, with only a few exceptions such as certain zoo enclosures and operating theatres? 2. Adopt a reclassified or retired guide dog - If you have the means, adopting a reclassified or retired Guide Dog can be a great way to support Guide Dog trainers.  3. Make a donation or volunteer your time - Donate to a Guide Dog organisation like Guide Dogs to West Australians (https://ow.ly/qGBi50RlSi2), or volunteer your time to help out Guide Dog organisations.

It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it 🤍 Being a dog rescue does not mean cuddling cute puppies all day (although there are times for that)! There’s a lot that goes into saving lives behind the scene that often take months-a year of planning to save each life. Our team is human and we will never get used to seeing dogs go through tough times. Ongoing support from you all truly makes all the difference in the world for dogs, and for us. Help dog rescues whenever you can. There is something everyone can do! How you can help: -Set up a monthly donation (link in bio) -Donate kibble. This is a never ending need! (Amazon wishlist in bio) -Foster! We need at least 20 short term and long term fosters currently to help current dogs and local surrenders who need help (apply on our site) -Volunteer your time (we always need drivers, supply hubs, administrators, and photographers) -Share our content! Getting the word out about dogs in need of fosters and adopters does work! #dogrescue #torontodogs #redemptionpaws #adoptme #fosterme #adoptdontshop

Having three pups (2yo German Shepherd, 18 month old Husky-Pitt, and an 11 week old husky-Pitt) I find it shameful that one of the most loyal and loving creatures to man is often betrayed by the ones they love most. In a world full of chaos, famine, war, and climate distress, wouldn’t it make more sense to include joy and happiness—the kind you share with your dog(s)? Over four million dogs are euthanized each year, with 90% being dropped off at shelters by their owners who just said, “I’m done, someone else can take it from here.” Yet, the truth is, man’s best friend often ends up in bags like you see in the photo, never making it to a foster or forever home. If you’re no longer motivated to care for your dog, call friends and family and seek to get them into a home, so these lovable animals can share their love and affection. Imagine if we can show compassion and love to these furry friends—imagine what we can do for each other as a whole. A community that loves and cares for dogs enjoys several benefits: Social Interaction: Dogs serve as natural conversation starters, helping people interact more easily and break down social barriers. Dog owners often join a wider community of pet lovers, participating in dog-related activities and events. Emotional Support: Dogs uniquely reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety in their owners. Their constant presence and unconditional love offer comfort and companionship, which can be particularly beneficial for individuals living alone or struggling with mental health issues. Enhanced Well-being: The bond between humans and dogs contributes to overall well-being. Whether it’s through physical activity, stress reduction, or emotional connection, dogs enrich our lives and play a significant role in our communities. So, a society that loves and cares for dogs fosters stronger social connections, emotional well-being, and a sense of community. 🐾

🙅♀️🐾 This Dog Bite Prevention Week, let's empower our children with the knowledge they need to stay safe around dogs. Remind them to never kiss a dog on the face, never disturb a dog who is eating or sleeping, and never tease or approach a dog without permission. If encountering a stray dog, teach your kids to "be a log, lie like a log, or stand like a tree" to avoid triggering fear or aggression. By instilling these simple guidelines, we can prevent dog bites and foster positive relationships between kids and pets. Together, we can create a safer and happier environment for all! 👉 For a Safety Around Animals Presentation contact our Community Outreach Coordinator Cameron at cameron@qcawc.org! #DogBitePreventionWeek #SafeInteractions #PetSafety #qcawc #safetyfirst #tagtheqc #quadcities #animalwelfare #humaneeducation #nonprofit #animalshelter #501c3 #dogs

Today is Puppy Mill Awareness Day 🐶 We stand united against the hidden horrors of puppy mills. Choosing a puppy is more than finding a companion; it's a commitment to their health, happiness, and future. If you don’t take the time to carefully choose where you get your puppy, you could end up with a dog that suffers from serious medical issues or behavioural problems, causing you a great deal of heartache, frustration and expense. Worse, you could end up unknowingly supporting the cruel puppy mill industry. Here are a few red flags common to puppy mills, brokers, irresponsible breeders and scammers: 🚩Not requiring you to visit them and their dogs 🚩Not asking you anything about your experience with dogs, your lifestyle, etc 🚩Offering to ship or deliver the puppy to you or meet you in a public place to hand it over 🚩Requires you to send money to another country Learn how you can avoid supporting this cruel industry with our toolkit on what to know before getting a dog: https://lnkd.in/gx8tQWSG #humanecanada #animalwelfare #endpuppymills #dogwelfare #adoptdontshop #animallovers #humanesociety #spca #donate #animalactivism #stopanimalcruelty #animaladvocacy #ilovedogs #dogsofinstagram #dogs #puppymill #puppymillawareness

🐾 As the need for comfort dogs grows, so does the USO's Canine Program🐾 The USO Canine Program is expanding to provide more support to service members and their families, thanks to dedicated handlers and their incredible dogs. Learn how USO Missouri started this program and how it continues to make a difference. Check out the full article to see how these four-legged heroes are bringing comfort and support where it’s needed most 🔗 https://bit.ly/3yLRnnn #USOCanineProgram #MilitarySupport #ServiceDogs #NRDResources #ServiceDogSupport

Don't have an agenda, be patient, watch your dog. On Friday, I hosted the Live Expert Panel discussion (as part of the Panic to Peace virtual summit) where most of the speakers came together to answer and discuss the most commonly asked questions, e.g. 🐾 Best practices for helping a traumatized rescue dog settle and gain confidence 🐾 Often overlooked signs of anxiety in rescue dogs 🐾 Integrating a new rescue dog into a multi-dog household 🐾 The impact of spaying and neutering on hormone disruption and anxiety 🐾 How to break through the "anxiety loop" between us and our dogs If you’re registered, keep an eye out on Monday for the recording. If you’re not registered yet but curious, I think it’s worth signing up just for that (link in comments) And if you decide to upgrade to a VIP ticket, you’ll have lifetime access to the recordings, the private podcast so you can listen on the go, extra speaker gifts, detailed session notes, AND you’ll help support The Phenix Advocacy Center for R+ Canine Professionals - 10% of VIP pass proceeds are donated to go towards supporting canine professionals who are committed to ethical training and who do not use force, pain, fear or intimidation with animals. Because their wellbeing is crucial to helping dogs! The feedback so far has been heartwarming. I’ll do a proper debrief when it’s over but I already know that this wasn’t my last event of this kind. 🐾💃 #soultouchedbydogs #doglovers #virtualsummit

Losing a beloved pet can be a heart-wrenching experience, filled with worry, uncertainty, and fear. But on this special day, we come together as a community to offer support, resources, and hope to those who are searching for their missing companions. Whether it's sharing photos and descriptions on social media, posting flyers in the neighborhood, or volunteering with local animal shelters and rescue organizations, every effort counts in bringing lost dogs back home where they belong. 🏡💕 So let's come together on National Lost Dog Awareness Day to raise awareness, share resources, and show our support for all those who are missing a furry friend. Whether you're a pet owner, an animal lover, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, your kindness and compassion can help bring hope and healing to those in need. 🌈🐾 Share your stories of lost dogs who have been found, tips for preventing lost pets, or words of encouragement for those searching for their furry friends in the comments below. #LostDogAwarenessDay #SpreadHopeAndLove #CommunitySupport #Pets #PetLovers

This is going to step on some toes but you need to know …. If we are going to take Veteran suicide seriously, we have to take the training and selection of service dogs seriously. I started getting private messages from the recipients of other SD organizations, and that’s how this started. These weren’t messages of ungratefullness but somehow possibly through social media they looked at LifeLine’s program and had questions. Most people have no idea really what a service dog is supposed to do or the level of training he/she supposed to have. I would safely guess very few of you have ever truly seen a legitamate service dog, due to the numerous emotional support animals walking around with service dog vests on (a violation of federal law by the way) or the owner trained/organization trained service dog that’s gotten less than just a few months of training. I am not going to publicly name the organizations , that’s not what this is about. This is about tranparency and I am fiercly protective of and have no tolerance for actions that do not truly benefit the Veteran for whom the organization was founded for. Every non-profit organization is required to file Form 990 or Form 990 EZ. After talking with a few Veterans who again were very grateful and just wanted to know if I could some additional training with their service dog. I learned that the training for that team was MINIMAL.. Basic obedience with very little public access work and at a max 3 tasks. That’s what they got. These are respected organizations you’ve heard of and most are “accredited” or “affliated” with self appointed “governing” associations. (LifeLine has a big share on that as well, but for a later post). NO organization should have less than a 75% success rate. LifeLine Service Dogs has a 93% succcess rate and was DENIED a open and competitive government funded, bid opportunity because the norm as reported by other organizations is somewhere between 10% - 50%. The reponse on LifeLine Service Dogs bid focused multiple times and I quote “the apparent success rate”. That was their only issue/concern. I asked the determining decision board to review this information and tried to share and bring awareness to and there was no interest to discover actual facts. Instead we’ve made a discovery…. One of the organizations who won the bid reported a 1.8 million budget , there is no report on how many dogs were enrolled and how many dogs continued on through training for graduation. This isn’t disclosed, however I feel those numbers are important if your supporting an organization who’s gained your support for the Veteran and his service dog. Additionally, this organization went on to pay, with organization funds almost $600,000 to the CEO’s own for profit company, as well as paying two other companies owned by relatives. This organization has recieved recognition on a national broadcast level. See comments for the other organization we looked into for 990 IRS reports.