The Happy Kennel

Johnannesburg, South Africa

After running wild through the world’s concrete jungles, the financial crisis now stalks the South African savanna and one of the world’s most beloved predators (South Africa lions) could become its prey.

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The cash crunch could force a South African game reserve to euthanize 16 lions as their funds for lion food run out.

SanWild Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary, in the rural northern state of Limpopo, has issued an urgent funding appeal to help keep up with 45,000 rand ($6,160) monthly meat bills to feed 14 lions and two cubs. most of the lions had been rescued from South Africa’s lucrative “canned hunt” industry, in which hunters pay large fees to shoot wild animals in relatively small enclosures.

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“If we really have a problem with getting funding, we will have to euthanize the animals,” says SanWild’s founder and trustee, Louise Joubert, in a phone interview. Funding has been difficult for most of 2009, Ms. Joubert says, a sign that the economic crisis is discouraging potential donors from giving to animal causes such as SanWild. “We had a substantial drop in 2009, and the economic crisis had a big impact. People wrongly assume that only the large donations matter. but it’s small donations that have kept us going all this time.”

SanWild took in the lions in 2003, after the South African state of Limpopo confiscated the lions from illegal breeding and canned-hunting operations, and handed them to SanWild to care for them. SanWild agreed on the condition that the state help to pay for their upkeep, but after one payment, Limpopo’s payments stopped. SanWild has lived on donations ever since, to the tune of some 650,000 rand per year ($88,356). Each adult lion consumes 5 kilograms of meat a day.

“I think everybody is having more stressful times now, because of the economic crisis,” says Annie Beckhelling, founder of Cheetah Outreach, a cheetah conservation group in Stellenbosch. “Funding is especially difficult to get at the moment, especially in places like Africa, where the sustainable industry is tourism, and where the big draw for that tourism is our big cats.”

Kenya has had similar difficulty keeping its lions alive, but for different reasons. in the Amboseli National Park, a drought has wiped out much of the wild lion’s food source, forcing the big cats to move in on the private livestock herds in nearby villages. in response, Kenya has trucked in thousands of zebra and wildebeest, a temporary but expensive measure.

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South Africa lions: Global financial crisis may starve lions

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A treasure trove of hundreds of new animal species and corals have been discovered by researchers off 2 islands on the great Barrier Reef and a reef off northwestern Australia. Researchers encountered many strange, new and beautiful sea creatures including scores of amphipods, dozens of small crustacean species, parasitic isopods, soft corals and rare jellyfish, among others.

Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

CReefs researchers conducted the first systematic inventory during recent expeditions to Lizard and Heron Islands on the great Barrier Reef, and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, to provide a baseline to gauge future change in these habitats, where scores of wonderful creatures catalogued were thought to be new to science.

Researchers believe between one-third to half of the hundreds of soft corals found are new species.

While the colorful creatures aren’t reef builders, they dominate some areas studied, covering up to 25% of the ocean floor and provide important habitat for other species.

The addition of as many as 150 new species to the global inventory of soft corals is a significant addition to the scientific community — although the creatures are numerous, they’re poorly understood.

Pohls sea urchins found off Lizard Island. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Twisted Nudibranch, Chromodoris elizabethina. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Pteropod jellyfish. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

The explorers released some initial results and stunning images of the water-world of weird and wonderful creatures from their landmark 4-year effort to record the diversity of life in and around Australia’s renowned reefs.

The expeditions affiliated with the global Census of Marine Life help mark the International Year of the Reef and included the first systematic scientific inventory of spectacular soft corals — named octocorals for the 8 tentacles that fringe each polyp.

Lizard tree worm found on Lizard Island. Photo John Huisman / Murdock University

Whale shark, Rhincodon typus. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Dendronepthya soft coral, coral gardens, Lizard Island.
Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Hundreds of new kinds of incredible animal species surprised scientists exploring the Australia waters:

• about 300 soft coral species, up to half of them thought to be new to science
• Dozens of unknown small crustacean species
• a rarely sampled amphipod, featuring a bizarre whip-like back leg about 3 times the size of its body
• new species of tanaid crustaceans — shrimp-like animals, some with claws longer than their bodies
• beautiful, rare Cassiopeia jellyfish, photographed upside down on the ocean floor waving its tentacles in the water — a posture that enables symbiotic algae living in its tentacles to capture sunlight for photosynthesis
• potentially new “bristle worms,” relatives of leeches and earth worms — up to two-thirds of species found at Lizard Island alone are thought to be undescribed
• Scores of tiny amphipod crustaceans – insects of the marine world — an estimated 40 to 60% will be formally described for the first time

Sabellids – fan worms or “bristle worms,” relatives of leeches and earth worms.
Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Detail of a sabellid, known as a fan worm. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Platoma alga specimen. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

“We were all surprised and excited to find such a large variety of marine life never before described — most notably soft coral, isopods, tanaid crustaceans and worms – and in waters that divers access easily and regularly.” said Dr. Caley, Principal Research Scientist at AIMS and co-leader of CoML’s CReefs project

“Compared to what we don’t know, our knowledge of marine life is a proverbial drop in the ocean. Inventorying the vast diversity and abundance of life across all ocean realms challenges both science and the imagination.”

Researchers were also fascinated by discoveries of various isopods — often referred to as vultures of the sea, since some feed on dead fish.

Some isopods are parasitic and burrow into the flesh of live fish. Most infamous of the parasitic isopod are cymothoids — the “tongue biter” — named as such as they invade a fish and eat its tongue off, essentially replacing the tongue by attaching to the host’s mouth.

The scientists’ studies also included seaweeds, urchins, and lace corals known as Bryozoans for which colonies consist of asexually budded (and therefore genetically identical) individuals. Colonies form large intricate structures which bear no resemblance to the structure of the individual.

Cuttlefish on Lizard Island. Photo John Huisman / Murdock University

Octopus venturing out from its hollow. Photo John Huisman / Murdock University

Ctenophore or Comb jellyfish collected on Wassteri Reef, Heron Island.
Photo John Huisman / Murdock University

“Amazingly colorful corals and fishes on reefs have long dazzled divers, but our eyes are just opening to the astonishing richness of other life forms in these habitats,” says CoML Chief Scientist Ron O’Dor.

“Hundreds of thousands of forms of life remain to be discovered. Knowledge of this ocean diversity matters on many levels, including possibly human health — one of these creatures may have properties of enormous value to humanity.”

“The new Australian expeditions reveal how far we are from knowing how many species live in coral reefs around the globe. Estimates span the huge range from1 to 9 million.” says Dr. Nancy Knowlton of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, another principal investigator with CReefs.

Caulerpa cupressoides green alga. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Green banded snapping shrimp, Alpheus parvirostris, taken from a dead coral head
off Heron Island. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

White topped coral crab. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Most people think of the hard corals, and not so much of the sand flats and other sorts of habitats that exist, but it’s in those other habitats that a lot of these species reside. those are the sort of places that haven’t been well sampled, and the researchers at the Heron Island Research Station off the coast of Gladston, Australia are trying to get a better idea of marine life that lives in them.

There are many unseen communities with incredibly diverse populations all living together and building unseen ecosystems from the ruins of another.

Bleaching, climate change, bacterial infections, severe weather conditions, and human intervention have all contributed to the decline of these reefs, and will continue to do so. Yet this group of scientists is proving that a hidden and sometimes overlooked world continues to exist and dazzle the imagination of what may be.

The researchers also set out new methods designed to help standardize measurement of the health, diversity and biological makeup of coral reefs worldwide.

Colonial salp jellyfish captured off Lizard Island. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Mollusks. Photo Census of Marine Life

Nudibranch on coral head off Heron Island. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

“Corals face threats ranging from ocean acidification, pollution, and warming to overfishing and starfish outbreaks.” said Dr. Ian Poiner, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), which led the research.

“Only by establishing a baseline of biodiversity and following through with later censuses can people know the impact of those threats and find clues to mitigate them.”

Dr. Poiner also chairs the Scientific Steering Committee of the CoML which will release its first global census in October 2010 after a decade of research.

Dr Julian Caley says the 3 explored coral reef sites are located in 2 ocean basins with different levels of biodiversity.

“These site characteristics offer clues to predict patterns of biodiversity on reefs that are well known and those that aren’t.”

a sea urchin off Heron Island. Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

the underside of a nardoa rosea, or sea star, in the waters off Heron Island.
Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Photo Census of Marine Life

Previous studies have uncovered large differences in the biodiversity at the great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island and Heron Island further south, where there are 30% more hard corals and 40% more fishes. the cause of such variations in species diversity is poorly understood, but species richness in the region tends to decrease with distance from the equator.

Understanding these biodiversity gradients will help scientists predict reef biodiversity worldwide.

Expeditions to the same 3 sites will be repeated annually over the next 3 years to continue their inventory and measure impacts of climate change and other processes over time.

Photo Census of Marine Life

Photo Census of Marine Life

Photo Census of Marine Life

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures
The CReefs team expect to find out more about the fragile ecosystems on the reef by placing innovative dollhouse-like artificial habitats for animals to colonize on the ocean floor at Lizard and Heron Islands.

Dollhouse-like artificial habitats for animals to colonize.
Photo Gary Cranitch / Queensland Museum

Creatures that move into these Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), which provide shelter designed to appeal to a variety of sea life, will be collected over the next 1 to 3 years to help scientists understand the patterns and rates of recolonization on these reefs.

Despite the large number of new species already discovered, Dr. Caley believes as many new species again may be found on future expeditions.

CReefs has embarked on a mission to create a more precise estimate of reef species by the time of the first CoML synthesis report in 2010.

“Even at the low end of this range, we must wonder why nature has evolved such prolific diversity on coral reefs. While they are icons of diversity, the processes that have generated and maintained coral reef biodiversity are still unknown.” adds Dr. O’Dor.

Photo Census of Marine Life

Photo Census of Marine Life

Photo Census of Marine Life

Expeditions
Each of the 3 expeditions — Lizard Island, April 2 to 22, Ningaloo June 5 to 25 and Heron, Aug 25 to Sept 14 — was 3 weeks in duration and included about 25 members.

Photo Census of Marine Life

Photo Census of Marine Life

Sand flats. Photo Census of Marine Life

Samples of dead coral heads — the skeleton of a coral emptied of the fleshy animal that once lived inside — were obtained to capture all of the animals inside. a single dead coral head can yield more than 150 individual crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms. these dead coral heads host many thousands of species worldwide.

As with the ARMS devices, the collection and analysis of biodiversity in dead coral heads is being standardized to promote the comparability of research worldwide.

The Australian expedition is part of an unprecedented global census of coral reefs, CReefs, one of 17 Census of Marine Life projects.

Photo Census of Marine Life

Squat Lobsters. Photo Census of Marine Life

Pistol Shrimp and Heat Worms. Photo Census of Marine Life

Coral reefs are highly threatened repositories of extraordinary biodiversity, often called “the rainforests of the sea,” but little is known about the ocean’s diversity as compared to its terrestrial counterpart.

Important issues being addressed by CReefs Australia include:
• how many species live on coral reefs?
• how many of these are unique to coral reefs? and
• how does this diversity respond to human disturbance?

Sea grasses and algae. Photo Census of Marine Life

Sea grasses and algae. Photo Census of Marine Life

CReefs, led by scientists at AIMS, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), aims to census life in coral reef ecosystems, to consolidate and improve access to coral reef ecosystem information scattered throughout the world, and to strengthen tropical taxonomic expertise.

The biodiversity data generated will be made publicly available through the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) an initiative of the Census of Marine Life.

Among other activities, CReef associates in India convened this year to review the success of a series of 17 recommendations made to government in 1998, ranging from the establishment of marine protected areas and related legislation to the creation of a National Coral Reef Research Center.

Source: Census of Marine Life

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Hundreds of new Animal Species Discovered off great Barrier

Published: March 9, 2010

Brooksville Garden Club will meet Wednesday, March 10, at first Presbyterian Church, 250 Bell Ave., Brooksville. a luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m., followed by a presentation by Sue Walsh on “Whooping Crane Migration.” the club’s purpose includes furthering the education of the public in horticulture, conservation and botany. For more information, call Nancy at 352-799-2042, Louise at 352-799-3160 and Lorraine at 352-397-3157.

Spring Hill Garden Club will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at Forest Oaks Lutheran Church, 8555 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. a potluck luncheon will be held; bring a dish to share and a place setting. Members of the club maintain the plant nursery located at 1489 Parker Ave., off Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, the waterfall area at the entrance to Spring Hill on U.S. 19, and the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens adjacent the nursery. the nursery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Saturdays. Visit the gardens anytime during daylight hours. Garden helpers are needed on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings. For more information, call 352-683-9933 or visit its Web site at www.naturecoastbotanicalgardens.com

Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will conduct a Native Plant Sale at the “March for Parks” event to be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at Cabin No. 1 of J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park, off U.S. 19, New Port Richey. Literature and nursery information will be available free of charge, and native plant books will be available for sale. Chapter members will be available to answer questions. a plant profile will be featured with each plant purchased; and plants can be stored for later pick-up, and carts will be available to transport plants. For more information, visit www.pasconativeplants.org.

State Clubs

Wisconsin Club will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, at the Spring Hill Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. Feature presentation will be by Jason Mickel, senior planner for Swiftmud, on the topic of how watering lawns can result in lowering the water tables causing local sinkholes. Following the meeting, coffee and dessert will be served. in addition, the club will hold its social dinner Wednesday, March 17, at Sioux City Steakhouse, 8515 little Road, New Port Richey. the club will meet at 3 p.m. in the far east end of the best Buy parking lot on U.S. 19 in Spring Hill and will car pool/caravan to the restaurant. Annual dues are $8 per person, and anyone that has lived in Wisconsin at some time qualifies. For more information, call Carol Zellmer at 352-666-2974 or Bob at 352-573-7171.

Maine Club will meet at 12:15 p.m. Friday, March 12, at the Spring Hill Community Center, 1202 Kenlake Ave. a potluck dinner will be held, and everyone is requested to bring a dish to share and own place setting. the club meets the second Friday of the month from November through April. All present and former residents of Maine are welcome. For more information, call 352-592-0741.

Hernando County Democratic Women’s Club will meet at noon Friday, March 12, at the West Hernando Branch Library located at 6335 Blackbird Ave., off State Road 50, near Weeki Wachee. also, tickets are available for the “Tribute to Women” luncheon to be held at noon Saturday, March 20, at Silverthorn Country Club. For information or tickets, call Beverly at 352-683-0323 or Carol at 686-6198.

Elks Lodge 2582 will offer breakfast from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday, March 21, at the Lodge located at 14494 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. the menu will include french toast, eggs to your liking, omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage and coffee, tea and juice. the cost will range from $3.25 to $5.25, and members and guests are welcome. For information, call the Lodge at 352-596-2582.

Vagabond Ladies Travel Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at the Spring Hill Branch Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. the newly formed club is for women who want to travel, but either by choice or by circumstances, do not have a travel companion. the purpose of the club is for women to explore destinations and meet other like-minded women to share travel adventures. Single women or married women with a stay-at-home husband are encouraged to attend. For information, call 352-212-0142.

Sons of Italy, Nature Coast Lodge 2502, Order of Italy of America, holds a monthly dinner/business meeting the third Wednesday; a “social night” at a local restaurant monthly on the first Wednesday; three yearly dinner-dances; scholarship, Columbus Day and Christmas. in March, the Lodge sponsors a St. Joseph Day Community Mass and complimentary spaghetti dinner, bowling, bocce and yearly trips. its annual picnic is held in September. Membership is open to all; it is not necessary to be of Italian heritage. For information, call Gene Gesselli at 352-596-9456.

VFW Post 10209 is offering karaoke with Rusty from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at the Post located at 14736 Edward R. Noll Drive, Spring Hill. a karaoke bash is held the last Tuesday of every month; bring a covered dish. Pasta night is held Wednesdays, and prime rib dinner is held Thursdays; kitchen is open until 8 p.m. both nights. Live music is featured from 8 to 11 p.m. every Friday and from 6 to 10 p.m. every Saturday. a cover charge will not be charged. the public is welcome. For information, call the Post at 352-796-0398.

Grumman Retiree Club, Florida Midwest Chapter, will meet at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 18, at Buffet City Restaurant, 13235 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. a speaker from Hernando-Pasco Hospice will be featured. the buffet cost is $13 per person and must be paid in advance; reservations are required. All retirees and guests from Grumman and Northrop Grumman are welcome and encouraged to attend. For reservations or information, call Hank Mehl at 352-686-2735 or e-mail at hmehl@tampabay.rr.com.

Hernando County AARP Chapter 1026 invites members to its meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25, in the Great Room at the Atria of Evergreen Woods located at 7030 Evergreen Woods Trail, off State Road 50, Spring Hill. a special meal will be prepared by executive chef Stephen Westoff. There will be a nominal charge for the all-you-can-eat buffet meal, and the ticket for same will later be used for a door prize. the theme will be “Springtime in Spring Hill.” the topics will be “Your Botanical Gardens,” a DVD by Jim Fellenbaum, vice president of the Spring Hill Garden Club, and “Landscaping on a Limited Budget” by John Korycki, Hernando County Extension Service. Firm registration is required and must be on a first-come, first-served basis. For reservations or more information, call Bob at 352-596-0722, Joyce at 352-688-6910 or Rose Deorie at 352-688-5606.

Spring Hill Art League will hold its meeting and demo Monday, March 15, at the United Church of Christ, 4244 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. a short business meeting will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a demonstration by Jana Withers of plein air painting. New members and guests are welcome. For more information, call Esther Pohl at 352-398-1532 or visit www.springhillartleague.com.

Suncoast Ship Model Society will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at the Weeki Wachee Senior Citizens Club located at the corner of Toucan Trail and Susan Drive in Spring Hill. All modelers interested in building model ships and boats are invited. For more information, call Jim at 352-592-6419.

Daughters of the American Revolution, Winding Waters Chapter, will meet at noon Thursday, March 18, at Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Lane, off Barclay Avenue, Spring Hill. Guest speaker will be David P. Letasi, president of the Hernando Preservation Society. Membership is open to women 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. the group can help with your genealogy. For more information, call Sharon at 352-796-7996.

St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 8064 weeping Willow St., off State Road 50, Brooksville, holds its perogi and bake sales from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesdays. Last day of sales before Easter will be March 24. Bapka, apricot, prune, poppy and nut rolls, cookies and perogi will be featured. Phone orders will not be accepted on day of sales. For more information, call Alyce at 352-688-1839 or the church at 352-597-5589.

Opera Lovers Club will meet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20, in the clubhouse of the Forest Glenn Retirement Village located at 1431 Friar Tuck Lane, off Osowaw Boulevard, Spring Hill. Jerry Squire will present a program focusing on less familiar operas and singers. the public is welcome to attend, and everyone is encouraged to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. For information, visit http://naturecoastwebsites.com/opera.htm or call Kathy Hoover at 352-688-4741.

Hernando Harmonizers has openings for singers. Men who love to sing are invited to join the Hernando Harmonizers of the Barbershop Harmony Society from 6:45 to 9:15 p.m. every Monday at Nativity Lutheran Church, 6363 Commercial Way, just north of the intersection of State Road 50 and U.S. 19, Weeki Wachee. Singers have an opportunity to participate in community performances, annual show, competitions, etc. For more information, call John at 352-666-0633 or George at 352-556-3936, e-mail BASSharmonySingR@aol.com or visit its Web site at www.HernandoHarmonizers.org.

Main Branch of the Hernando County Public Library will hold its next monthly book discussion meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 15, at the library located at 238 Howell Ave., Brooksville. “The almost Moon” by Alice Sebold will be discussed. Registration is not required, but copies of the book are limited. Check out a copy at the Main Library to join the informal discussion. For more information, call the library at 352-754-4043.

Senior Citizens Club of Hernando County offers the following activities at the hall located at 7925 Rhanbuoy Road, Spring Hill: bingo will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday, and card games are held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. For information, call Barbara at 352-683-2440. For information regarding crafts, line dancing and Weight Watchers, call the club. Group road trips such as Biloxi, Sterling and Hard Rock plus cruises are periodically arranged for members and their guests. Club membership is $20 annually. For information, call the club at 352-596-1095.

SHARP Crime Watch is seeking day and night patrollers and dispatchers. SHARP Crime Watch has been in existence for 28 years watching over the Spring Hill area. Patrollers are provided with radios and patrols his or her own area. Dispatchers keep close contact with the Sheriff’s Department, Animal Services, Road Department, Code Enforcement, etc. SHARP makes daily calls to the elderly who live alone and will also watch someone’s home when the residents are out of town. SHARP meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the Senior Citizens Club of Hernando County, 7925 Rhanbuoy Road, Spring Hill. if interested in volunteering, attend the monthly meeting or call 352-683-5936.

Spring Hill Amateur Radio Club (SHARC) meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of every month at the Oak Hill Hospital Enrichment Center. Anyone interested in Ham Radio is welcome to attend. Testing for an FCC license is conducted at 6:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the same location. the club operates a 2-meter repeater on 146.805 MHz (no tone). Every Tuesday the club conducts a Club net at 7:30 p.m. Anyone with a Ham Radio license is welcome to participate in both nets and attend monthly meetings. For club information, visit its Web site at www.kf4ixu.org or call Ed at 352-684-7623.

Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Club invites those interested in HAM radio to join the group on its radio net at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights on the club’s repeater WA4GDN, 146.670 MHz and read the club’s newsletter at www.gulfcoastarc.org. For information, call John at 727-848-7785.

SPCA Thrift Shop, 9075 Grant St., adjacent to the shelter, Brooksville, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Housewares, books, games, toys and clothing for the entire family are featured. All clothes are $5 a bag. All proceeds from the thrift shop benefit the care and upkeep of the animals at the shelter. Donations are welcome and can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays or Fridays, but large furniture or appliances cannot be accepted. To reach the SPCA shelter and thrift shop, take Sunshine Grove Road (off State Road 50) to Taylor Street, then turn left onto Grant Street. For information, call the thrift shop at 352-540-5727.

In addition, the SPCA of Hernando County is seeking a clinical microscope in an effort to reduce operating costs of the no-kill animal shelter. To donate a microscope, call 352-596-7000.

Karen’s Kit ‘n Kaboodle (St. Andrew’s Thrift Shop) announces a new feature – a small area known as La Boutique where unusual, trendy or special items will be available. the shop will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and is located at 2301 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill. the boutique-style shop features a $5 bag sale the second Tuesday of the month. Donations are appreciated and can be left in the shop during hours of operation or in the drop-off bin after hours. To volunteer or schedule pick-up of large items, call 352-686-1114.

Daystar Lifecenter Thrift Store, 7120 Hope Hill Road, off State Road 50, Brooksville, is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Fridays and Saturdays. Clothing, crafts, furniture, housewares, books, small appliances, electrical items and Christmas decorations are offered. the store is located one-quarter mile behind St. Anthony Catholic Church. To schedule a pickup or for information, call 352-799-5930.

Jericho Road Ministries has a thrift store in the Winchester Plaza located at 5260 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, in addition to its stores located at 16479 Wiscon Road, Brooksville, and in the Sunrise Plaza at 31170 Cortez Blvd., Ridge Manor. All stores are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Clothing for adults and children, household items, furniture, kitchenware, toys, as well as numerous specialty items are available for sale. the Ministry has a women’s shelter, Mary’s House, which is located at 1163 Howell Ave., Brooksville. the thrift stores were established for the purpose of supporting the Jericho Road Men’s Rescue Mission Shelter located at 1090 Mondon Hill Road, Brooksville. Donations are welcome and can be brought to any of the thrift stores during business hours or larger items can be scheduled for pick-up daily. For information or to schedule a pick-up, call 352-797-9009.

Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, 19450 Cortez Blvd., in the Brooksville Square Shopping Center, Brooksville, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Clothing for adults and children, furniture, household items, kitchenware, books and a holiday room are featured. Donations are welcome and can be delivered to the thrift store during business hours. larger items can be picked up Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Volunteers are needed to work in the thrift store or on construction. Habitat established the thrift store to support the construction of decent and affordable Habitat houses for low-income eligible individuals who are willing to partner in the building of someone else’s home and their home. For information, call 352-754-1159.

Mid-Florida Community Services provides nutritious meals year-round to seniors age 60 and over. Seniors are welcome to visit any one of its four dining sites within the county. in addition, the Meals on Wheels program provides nutritious lunches five days a week to seniors who are homebound. the daily contact by the program’s volunteers ensures a visit by someone who provides companionship, while checking on the person’s health and well being. Volunteers are welcome, and donations are appreciated. For more information, call 352-796-1425 or 352-796-0485.

Experience Works, a senior work force solution, provides information and assistance with employment and training to income eligible seniors age 55 and older. For information, call Amy at 352-200-3042.

HEART Literacy Adult Education Program is offering reading, math, language arts, free Pre-GED testing, Florida Ready to Work (work credentials for employment), and ESOL (English for Speakers of other languages). All classes are free of charge, and child care is also offered free of charge at most sites. An appointment is not necessary. To sign up, bring a Florida photo I.D. to any of the following sites: Career Central, 7361 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill, from 5:45 to 8:15 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; Northcliffe Baptist Church, 10515 Northcliffe Blvd., Spring Hill, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Monday and Wednesday; Grace World Outreach Church, 20366 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday; HEART Literacy, 801 North Broad St., Brooksville, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. For more information, call 352-797-7018.

Schatzan Ranch is a nonprofit horse rescue/rehab facility that is accepting donations of any kind, i.e. monies, time, supplies, or services. Donations are tax deductible and are all used for the horses. Appointments can be arranged to visit the ranch. For an appointment or more information, call John and Kathy Schatzan at 352-585-7014 or 352-263-4701, or e-mail Schatzan@aol.com.

Hometown Happenings 0310

With the popularity of youth Free Flash Games, a pair of action and adventure game, as little by little.

Most young people of different types of games, and according to their preferences.

For all time favorite Mario game is one to attract all.

Regardless of any age, sex or place, people like to play online. All these free games in Flash, has been more and more people to its online presence significantly.

No wonder that most people who enjoy playing these games. Addition, Free Flash Games often use, and also the influence of all online action game.

This type of game, one of the best things is that anyone can play without paying a penny to play them. Without paying any commission, or for any person to go to buy, what people do is to surf the Internet, enjoy these free to play online. In addition, children enjoy these characters in a game, in this free game Flash for this.

Not only that, now, and also workers or adults, are also very concerned about the enthusiasm of these games. overall, there are many services provided by the website that provides free action game play online.

The site has a large collection of a variety of popular, games for children of extreme racial or any other game site. there is speculation like this before, these games online in flash only for children and youth media. however, with these online games allow a user the ability to popularity has had all ages.

Now we all like to play networks, because they do not cost one anything.

Then a get a good time playing these games online action for relaxation. the action was taken only as a part of the Bravo, but now everyone on the Internet so much, why these sites that offer these games in traffic, is increasing access.

One can be of any sporting event, Kidz games, arcade type of game sites to any other action game.

There is a growing obsessed with playing these free online games available for each site.

In the competition between these sites have become similar types of users, most point because getting a simple connection to a better service and better use.

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Littlest Pet Shop Birthday Party Ideas

Compared to caring for a dog, fish, or reptile, cats are one of the easiest pets to take care of. Their minimal care makes shopping for cat supplies very easy. Cats are quite easy to manage and only require minimal surveillance. The only time you need to worry about your cat is when they are kittens. They are a lot more playful at that age compared to when they grow bigger.

Unlike dogs, cats prefer to stay still in their environment. however, if they end up walking out of your home, they may not come back again. To counter this occurrence, get the most basic of cat supplies: a collar. The collar will distinguish your cat from the strays around the streets. it will also help your neighbours spot the cat while you are looking for them.

Those who will be away for quite some time can bring a carrier with them. Of all the cat supplies, the carrier is needed most for travel. you can place the carrier in your car. Playful cats should have a larger sized carrier. other wouldn’t mind staying still in the smaller ones.

Although cats may seem expensive, you can actually save a lot on buying their cat supplies. you can start saving by using stuff around the house. Cats don’t mind playing with old toys or objects that you are not using. all you have to do is observe which things your cat enjoys. Make sure they are not too dangerous either.

You can wrap a ball in foil to catch the cat’s attention. other toys you can use are small stuff toys that can pass off as mice. your cat can use these toys as practice for killing the real thing. since cats are very playful, they like to move their hands and body around with the toy. Thread balls are another fun toy they will enjoy.

If you are after affordable rates, the best places to look are online stores. The Internet is home to a variety of cat supplies sold by merchants who need a little quick cash. since the sellers are not under any major retailer, they have a greater reduction than the discount prices in local stores. Start by looking at known sale sites such as Amazon.com or Ebay.

You can also buy a large quantity of cat supplies at a lower rate with these online sellers. Compared to bulk purchases in nearby pet stores, you can save more and have a steady supply for the cat in the long-run.

Other cats like to play with fake mice. this will give them practice on actually killing the real thing. these cat supplies will keep them busy while you cannot attend to them at home. The famous ball of thread really works on cats.

To prevent your cat from damaging furniture, you can clip their nails. this way the toys you give them won’t get damaged either. you won’t have to worry about wasting money on the cat supplies you gave them.

Jeffry Johnston is the owner of a pet store and an animal lover who gets success in helping others succeed in raising and training their pets as well. To find out about a cat scratching post and other cat supplies, please visit petstore.com.

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Talk with your Animals » Blog Archive » How to buy the best Cat …

APE Action, ThumpingTails Animal Rescue and Rio Films to Host a

Celebrity-Attended Fundraiser to Save Unwanted Pets

“Dogs” of the Sea to Help Dogs on Land; Fundraiser to Showcase RioFilms’

Award-winning new Documentary “California Sea Lions-An Unforgettable Encounter”

Animals, People, and Environment Action Inc. (APE Action), a non-profit organization committed to promoting change through education, ThumpingTails Animal Rescue, a non-profit organization that rescues dogs of all ages, breeds, backgrounds or sizes; and Rio Films, makers of “Seal Island” and the new, award-winning documentary “California Sea Lions-An Unforgettable Encounter” will host a celebrity-attended fundraiser on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2 pm at MODERN MEDIA in Culver City. The “Save Unwanted Pets” fundraising event will showcase Rio Films’ new movie “California Sea Lions-An Unforgettable Encounter” and will include wine tasting, appetizers/desserts, live music, children’s activities, silent auction/raffle, and an art exhibit.

The “Save Unwanted Pets” fundraiser is already gaining celebrity attention from Hollywood. Actors Marla Sokoloff (Desperate Housewives, Modern Men, The Practice), Jason Biggs (American Pie), Jenny Mollen (Crash; TV Series, My Best friend’s Girl), Sarah Carter (CSI NY; TV Series, Skinwalkers), Krista Allen (The Final Destination, Anger Management), Annie Duke (The Apprentice, World Series of Poker), Joseph Reitman (Gamer, Crank 2: HighVoltage) and many others, are scheduled to attend and show their support. together, APE Action, ThumpingTails and Rio Films aim to draw attention to the serious need to fund care for the overwhelming amount of unwanted pets, as well as garner support for Sammy’s Place senior dog sanctuary and ThumpingTails Animal Rescue.

What: “Save Unwanted Pets” Fundraiser

Who: APE Action, ThumpingTails Animal Rescue and Rio Films

When: Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 2 pm

Where: MODERN MEDIA

5826 Uplander way, Culver City CA 90230

Why: APE Action’s goal is to raise funds for Sammy’s Place, a senior dog sanctuary. This is a sanctuary where elderly dogs come to spend their last days, weeks, years in a loving environment. There is an overabundance of aging dogs abandoned in shelters every day that would benefit from the continued funding of Sammy’s Place.

ThumpingTails Animal Rescue’s goal is to raise funds to continue its work in animal rescue, rehabilitation and placement. The organization often focuses on dogs considered least adoptable including large dogs, seniors and those with medical needs.

Pre-sale adult tickets are $30/at the door $35, Children 2-17 years $10 pre-sale/$15 at the door. Children under 2 years old are free; Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. to purchase pre-sale tickets contact tickets@apeaction.org

About Animals, People, and Environment Action Inc.

Animals, People, and Environment Action Inc. (APE Action) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting change through education. APE Action’s mission is to further extend its work in animal rescue, rehabilitation and training by educating people on the importance of respecting life in homes, communities, and the environment. through the implementation of educational programs, the organization strives to establish a sense of responsibility for making the world a better, and more humane, place. APE Action’s objective is to encourage kindness and empathy for both humans and animals, and to facilitate mutual understanding and respect in order to alleviate neglect and cruelty. For more information, please visit www.apeaction.org.

About ThumpingTails Animal Rescue

ThumpingTails rescues dogs of all ages, breeds, backgrounds or sizes. TTAR’s efforts often focus on those dogs considered least adoptable – large dogs, seniors or those with medical needs. Their dogs are rescued from public shelters that often find themselves in danger of being euthanized due to overcrowding, illness, age, or breed. The rescue also helps dogs that are abandoned, lost, or whose owners have passed away. TTAR’s mission is to help the animals that cannot help themselves. www.thumpingtails.org

About Rio Films’ California Sea Lions-An Unforgettable Encounter Movie

California Sea Lions-An Unforgettable Encounter will take viewers on an incredible journey into the mysterious world of one of the sea’s most dazzling creatures-the sea lion! Narrated by actor Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy, Goonies), viewers discover the beauty and grace of these aquatic and acrobatic seals as they thrive in the cool Pacific waters off the California coast. This breathtaking encounter will inspire affection and wonderment for one of the most astonishing creatures to ever evolve. go up-close and personal into the sea lions’ world and get an unprecedented glimpse into their mysterious lives. Plunge into the realm of wild California sea lions in this awe-inspiring documentary film.

Party to Help Homeless Pets

I want to buy a bunny from pet supermarket when do they sell them?

I wnt to buy a bunny when does pet supermarket have bunnies?

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Our friends at the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good are keeping busy in this final push for universal health care coverage. in a statement issued today, their new President, Morna Murray said, “Isn’t it time we agreed it is simply unacceptable for anyone in America to be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition or arbitrary annual limits of what an insurance company decides is good for its own profits? Is such a system good for Americans? Is it good for vulnerable low-income and working class families and children? it is good for one thing and one thing only — health insurance industry profits. this does not serve the common good.” the full statement is here.
Murray’s point is familiar to anyone acquainted with Catholic social teaching, but it was oddly lacking from the President’s speech yesterday in Philadelphia. There he focused on the outrageous increases in health care premiums at a time of record profits for the insurance industry – $12.2 billion in profits for the five largest firms last year to be exact. I confess that I love it when the President sounds a populist theme, but I wish he had been sounding that theme last summer. now, it is too late.
Obama should have consulted Murray before his speech. the decisive votes at this point are a group of a dozen or so pro-life Democrats. I do not suspect they will be moved much from their commitment to the original Stupak Amendment, but if the President had made the moral case all along for universal health insurance, it might put the debate about abortion in perspective. No, there should not be any government funding of abortion, but there are many ways to skin that cat, and it is a crying shame to let health care reform fail because only one method of cat-skinning is viewed as permissible. the reason to enact universal health insurance is, as Murray suggests, because it is the right thing to do. Period. yes, we need to dot the I’s on the abortion language, but achieving universal health coverage is – per se – a pro-life thing to do. Thousands die every year because they lack coverage. the status quo is unacceptable and it is morally wrong to block the best shot at reform in any of our lifetimes.

Murray’s Moral Case for Health Care Reform

A man charged with animal cruelty received a suspended sentence and a three-year term of probation in Richmond provincial court earlier this month.

Michael Carich was found guilty in a case in which 41 cats had to be euthanized after they were seized from his home on River Road, near No. 7 Road, in 2008.

Carich told The Richmond Review a year ago that he was simply trying to spare the cats’ lives when he took them in.

But officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals didn’t see it that way.

Acting on a complaint, officers arrived at the 78-year-old Carich’s home to find 41 cats in various states of distress, living in a home steeped in cat urine and excrement and reeking of ammonia. Carich was charged with causing an animal to continue to be in distress.

Some 14 seized cats were euthanized after being assessed by a veterinarian. Subsequently, Carich was ordered to take the remaining 27 cats to a vet and clean his home, but a follow-up visit later that same week showed no improvements. As a result, those cats were also seized and found to have contagious diseases and a poor prognosis, and so were also euthanized.

Cat cruelty nets man three years probation

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Want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your dog? Join other dog-friendly professionals at the Derek Dog Day Out Valentine’s Party. You will have an opportunity to meet Madison, Hotel Derek’s Project Derek Dog winner, and Sondra Pulford (Madison’s human) as well as Hershey Grace (from the Citizens for Animal Protection).

the doggy Valentine’s Day party is open to well-behaved leashed dogs and their humans. there will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, and the first cocktail is free.

LOCATION
Hotel Derek Ballroom
2525 West Loop South
Houston, TX, 77027
*See the Google Map below for directions.

DATE
Thursday, February 11, 2010

TIME
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

COST
$10 donation to benefit the Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP)

ATTIRE
Red of course!

Hotel Derek is an upscale Houston hotel. Located in the Galleria, it is the perfect location for both business and pleasure. and the best part is that Hotel Derek is dog-friendly.

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Celebrate Valentine's Day with your dog at Hotel Derek in Ho