Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I always get sad around this time. The entire holiday is centered around a dead bird. I can't stop thinking about how these birds are born, raised & killed. I know this isn't the "holiday spirit" but it's the truth.

If more people knew what happened behind the scenes, their holiday would take on a new meaning. Let's celebrate all life! We don't NEED animal flesh to survive. That's a fact. Make your next Thanksgiving one of peace & happiness for all God's creatures. You have that power. Pretty cool, huh?

I love what I do here at Animal Matters but it can be depressing - I'm not going to lie. Each day, I receive emergency pleas from the public mostly wanting to dump their pets. Or I'll get the death list from area shelters (looking at all of those faces of pets going to die is knife-wrenching). Although I feel good about helping people by offering services or information, I know the majority of them are still going to abandon their pet. Many evenings end with a heavy heart.

We've shaken things up a bit here at Animal Matters. In addition to helping the public and their pets, we started a cycling racing team called Pitbull Racing, www.PitbullCycling.com. This was a nice way to marry my love for cycling with my passion for animal rescue/adoption. My cycling buddies and I have cool gear that spreads the word about Pitbull awesomeness, pet adoption and it looks menacing! It's a lot of fun.

You don't have to cycle to support the team. If you want to purchase any of our gear, just let me know. I'm still working on the site but you can find us on FaceBook. Just do a search for Pitbull Racing in Florida.

I needed this diversion. Wearing the Pitbull gear out & about & on my bike allows me to educate people about our mission. This is just another way to make the world a better place for those who can't speak for themselves.

Remember -- spay, neuter & adopt!

:)

Melissa Wu

I just received a brochure from Petfinder.com today regarding Pet Allergies. One of the most impactful sections of it is retyped below. Please pass it on. Have to stop the misperceptions out there:

Do Hypoallergenic Pets Exist?

No. The fact is, all cats and dogs can cause allergy symptoms in people who are allergic to pet dander. Dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair, such as Poodles or Bichon Frises, may be less irritating to some people - althought that could be because they are groomed and bathed often. In addition, one cat or dog of a particular breed may be more irritating to an allergy sufferer than another pet of the same breed. The bottom line is, a person with pet allergies has to meet an individual pet to determine how he or she will react to that pet.

Wow, I am inundated with requests from the public to help stray cats they find. There are so many darn cats fighting for their lives on our streets. I'm so grateful that people take the time to write to me on the cats' behalf. I always tell them there are two ways I can help them:

1. I can post pictures/bios of the cats on our Petfinder page (if they're adoptable).
2. I can help by offering traps & paying for the vetting. I offer this because getting these cats spayed, neutered and tested is the most important way to keep populations low.

After I reply to these pleas, I don't often hear from the people again. I think they wanted a "quicker fix (pardon the pun)." Even if I had a facility, it's so hard to find homes for domesticated cats...ferals are almost impossible.

Even though I can get reduced rates at some local vet's offices for the medical treatment, this can get expensive for Animal Matters! I love helping people help animals. I'm so appreciative that there are people out there who care. I want them to know that they're not alone & that there is help.

Please help me help them. You can make an online tax-deductible donation on our website, www.animalmattersonline.org.

Thanks.

Melissa