Michael Gill of We Love Pets in Media and Springfield, with employee Gina Zwucky, calls the switch from commercially bred dogs to rescue animals "a bumpy ride," but "much more rewarding." (CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer)

On Christmas, while his 3-year-old daughter opened her presents, pet-shop owner Michael Gill was in his bathroom cradling an English bulldog mix puppy suffering from a lethal canine virus.

The dog had contracted parvo, a deadly and highly contagious intestinal disease. Six puppies in his store that died, along with seven that became sick, were delivered by a Missouri-based dog distributor, he said.

"It was the single worst experience I've had with animals in 20 years," said Gill, owner of We Love Pets in Media.

In February, Gill decided to stop buying dogs from commercial breeders and opted for rescue dogs from shelters, a trend the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said was catching on.

The Missouri distributor says industry critics are uninformed.

Commercial pet stores often buy puppies from dog brokers or distributors, the middlemen between breeders and the retailers. Animal advocates say some of those breeders are puppy mills that raise the dogs in poor conditions.

The ASPCA estimates that there are about 10,000 puppy mills in the country. Of those, 20 percent to 30 percent are U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed breeders licensed to sell to stores.

Missouri is a national leader in puppy mills, along with Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. More than two million dogs from puppy mills are sold each year, according to the humane society.

"It's been a bumpy ride," said Gill of the change in his business model, which also has required renovations at his Media and Springfield stores to accommodate the more mature and larger rescue dogs. "It's much more rewarding. We don't feel comfortable selling [brokered] puppies."

Gill's two locations are not the only area pet stores to make the change.

The owners of the 10 area PetsPlus stores, Mark Arcadia and Bruce Smith, made a similar decision. Two of their locations - in Jenkintown and on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia - are adopting rescue dogs. The other eight expect to convert by the end of the year.

"It is definitely a trend," said Kathleen Summers, the humane society's director of outreach and research.

Saving animals
Two factors driving the change are consumer concerns over puppy mills and complaints about sick dogs purchased from pet stores, Summers said.

New local regulations are also pushing the conversion.

Citing concerns about puppy mills, governments in more than 50 places across the county have passed ordinances that ban the sale of commercially raised puppies in pet stores, Summers said.

The list includes Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Chicago; El Paso, Texas; Toledo, Ohio; San Diego; Los Angeles; and the state of Florida. In New Jersey, Brick, Manasquan, Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant Beach, and North Brunswick have banned sale of commercially raised puppies.

Michael Stokley, director of corporate sales for Hunte Corp. in Goodman, Mo., one of the largest distributors of commercial puppies in North America, said lawmakers were uninformed on the issue. He said allegations against commercial distribution of puppies were driven by activists with an agenda.

"We have a totally regulated industry top to bottom," he said. "Yet arbitrarily, people are shutting down taxpaying, regulated businesses within their community."

We Love Pets and PetsPlus alleged that they purchased sick puppies from Hunte.

Stokley said that he was familiar with Gill's complaints, but that the store's "records did not support his allegations." The company meets all federal, state, and local regulations, he said.

The USDA inspection reports from 2011 to January 2014 showed Hunte to be in compliance.

Smith said PetsPlus did business with Hunte for 10 years but dropped it a year ago. He said Hunte had delivered puppies with colds and pneumonia.

Smith said the two PetsPlus stores now draw puppies from a shelter in Bowling Green, Ky., and were contacting with local shelters for adoptions.

"We like saving lives," he said.

PetsPlus still is listed in Hunte's database, although Stokley said he did not know when Hunte had last shipped puppies to the stores.

"If that is the decision they made, that is a business decision," he said.

Gill now works with one of the activists who picketed his store almost every weekend for 21/2 years.

Patricia Biswanger, now board president of the Chester County SPCA, said she did not hesitate when Gill offered the SPCA space for shelter dogs and other animals.

"It is all about saving animals," she said. "I'm delighted to be working with him."

mschaefer@phillynews.com

We've heard of stories where pets travel miles to where their owners are after their owners somehow lost them or abandoned them. Here's a story of Susu, who was found a distance away from home as told by Francis.

Late last year, upon arriving to my home in Klang, I was stopped by the resident guards who were in a state of panic. They were excited and worried to have found a lost dog nearby. Because they know that I feed stray dogs, they thought I would be the right person to tend this lost dog. The dog seemed to be in quite a bad state. However, it had a license from MPSJ indicating he had owners.



It was already 1am and I asked the security guards to help keep keep him for just one night as I have three dogs at home and I wouldn't be able to bring him home without causing a ruckus. They agreed, fortunately.

The next day, I sent the dog to the vet in Putra Heights for a check up and to keep him there while being treated.



I decided to pay a visit to MPSJ to find out the identity of the dog's owners and I was directed to Jabatan Haiwan in USJ, Subang instead. With the MPSJ dog's ID number, the staff manage to track the name, address and the phone number of the owner. 

To my surprise, this dog's home is actually in USJ, Subang itself! Without hesitation, I dialled the number given and spoke to a woman. I asked her if she had lost her dog. She was instantly worried and emotional. I told her that her dog (named Susu) was in good hands in Klang. She was very curious about how her dog ended up about 24 km away from home!

According to her, her dog had run away when she forgot to close her house gate a few days ago. She was grateful that Susu was found safe.

We immediately set a time to meet at the vet in Putra Heights, Klang, for her to be reunited with Susu. However,  I also requested for her to bring proof that Susu was indeed her dog.

She agreed and brought all the related documents for me to see upon us meeting.  Sure enough, the documents were in order and Susu was excited to see her. They went home happily together.

Till today no one knows how she ended so far away from home.

To show her support for Save our Strays (SOS) Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) program, Seow Ping has offered to donate 30% from the sales of her paintings to SOS. An animal lover herself, she has 7 cats which has all been spayed as she believes neutering is the most effective and humane way to control the strays population. Since young she has compassion towards animals, the constant sight of hungry, homeless or wounded strays make her heart ache terribly. Even though she helps them whenever possible, she never stops wanting to do more. Seow Ping who usually paint impressionism and abstract art has decided to showcase a cat collection specially for this exhibition. She hopes that through her paintings, people can see the other side of strays. They are living being that too can experience joy and pain,not only cute but also a loyal companion.

Besides this exhibition, Seow Ping is also looking at collaborating with SOS to sell her paintings and postcards via Facebook to continuously raise fund for SOS TNR program. With 50% of the sales proceed to SOS, her generosity towards our strays are truly appreciated.

There are only 14 pieces of Cat paintings on exhibit @ Acheh Art Row Gallery, more paintings will be exhibited at the following galleries from July till September.

22.07.14

Muzium dan Balai Seni Lukis Pulau Pinang
Paras Bawah Dewan Sri Pinang Jalan Lebuh Light 10200 Pulau Pinang
Opening : 5pm-7pm

02.08.14

20, Lebuh Achech 10300 Georgetown
Opening: 4pm-6pm

16.08.14

Muzium dan Balai Seni Lukis Pulau Pinang
Paras Bawah Dewan Sri Pinang Jalan Lebuh Light 10200 Pulau Pinang
Opening: 5pm-7pm

13.09.14

Muzium dan Balai Seni Lukis Pulau Pinang
Paras Bawah Dewan Sri Pinang Jalan Lebuh Light 10200 Pulau Pinang

Opening: 5pm-7pm

14.09.14

Galeri Seni Mutiara
118, Armenian Street,10200 Penang, MALAYSIA
Opening: 6pm-8pm

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Check out this #Rescuestory from Francis

Ah Cat was my very first animal rescue. In late November 2012, I was in Balakong for a meeting and the moment I came down from my car, I saw this terrible looking cat on the road side. For some reason, the cat approached me.

He was wounded and a terrible smell emitted from him. I decided to pick him up, found a box to put him in and looked for the nearest vet to get him treatment.


Ah Cat when I found him

I found a vet and the doctor agreed to treat Ah Cat and he was under close supervision and care in the vet for a couple of weeks. After two weeks, I paid Ah Cat a visit and was happy to see that his physical wounds had started to heal.


After a month in the vet, Ah Cat wounds healed a lot more and he looked much healthier.


In January, Ah Cat showed great improvement. He was actually placed in a separate room from the other animals as every time he scratched himself, the dry 'flakes' would fly everywhere.


In order for him to heal faster, the doctor recommended Science Plan Vet Essentials.

After almost 4 months in the vet, and spending at least RM3k on medication and boarding charges, his wounds returned. The doctor sadly confirmed that this was a deadly virus. Ah Cat had an animal's version of HIV .

If he was to go back to the street and fight with other animals, the other injured animal would get infected too. After much consideration and for the safety of other animals and humans, I decided to put him to sleep and this was the toughest decision I have ever made :(


What I thought was to be a successful rescue mission turned out to be a sad ending instead. I spent a total of four months visiting him in Balakong despite living in Klang. I hope I made a difference in his short and painful life. I also hope this story won't deter others from rescuing strays (yes, the cost is high) but instead inspire them to make a difference when possible and give as much love no matter whatever situation the stray may be in.

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION (FIV) IN CATS ACCORDING TO PETMD

The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is a complex retrovirus that causes immunodeficiency disease in domestic cats. Immunodeficiency is the medical term used to describe the body’s inability to develop a normal immune response. FIV is slow moving, capable of lying dormant in the body before causing symptoms (lentivirus). It is in the same class of viruses as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in people.

There is no genetic susceptibility for infection, although genetics may play a role in the progression and severity of the disease. The average age is five years at the time of diagnosis, and the likelihood of infection increases with age. FIV is a transmissible disease that occurs more often in males because of their tendency to be more aggressive, and because they are more likely to roam, thereby increasing their exposure to the virus.

SYMPTOMS 

• Diverse symptoms owing to the decreased ability to develop a normal immune response. Associated immunodeficiencies cannot be distinguished clinically from feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
• Recurrent minor illnesses, especially with upper respiratory and gastrointestinal signs
• Mild to moderately enlarged lymph nodes
• Inflammation of the gums of the mouth and/or the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth is seen in 25 percent to 50 percent of cases
• Upper respiratory tract disease is seen in 30 percent of cases - inflammation of the nose; inflammation of the moist tissues of the eye; inflammation of the cornea (the clear part of the eye, located in the front of the eyeball); often associated with feline herpes virus and calicivirus infections
• Eye disease - inflammation of the front part of the eye, including the iris; disease of the eye in which the pressure within the eye is increased (glaucoma)
• Long-term (chronic) kidney insufficiency
• Persistent diarrhea seen in 10 percent to 20 percent of cases
• Long-term, nonresponsive, or recurrent infections of the external ear and skin resulting from bacterial or fungal infections
• Fever and wasting - especially in later stage
• Cancer (such as lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops from lymphoid tissue, including lymphocytes, a type of white-blood cell formed in lymphatic tissues throughout the body)
• Nervous system abnormalities - disruption of normal sleep patterns; behavioral changes (such as pacing and aggression); changes in vision and hearing; disorders usually affecting the nerves in the legs and paws. 

CAUSES 

• Cat-to-cat transmission; usually through bite wounds and scratches
• Occasional transmission of the virus at the time of birth
• Sexual transmission is uncommon, although FIV has been detected in semen

  
DIAGNOSIS

Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your cat, taking into account the background history of symptoms and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition. A complete blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. Your doctor will need to rule out bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, and will also test for parasites and tumors before settling on a final diagnosis.

TREATMENT

Unless your cat is severely dehydrated, it will be treated on an outpatient basis. Your veterinarian will first work to manage any secondary infections. While secondary infections will not usually cause disease, your cat’s weakened immune system will given them entrée and they will cause further complications in your cat’s overall health. Surgery may be necessary for dealing with infected teeth and for the removal of tumors. A special diet plan may also need to be put into place.

LIVING AND MANAGEMENT

How much monitoring your cat will need from you depends on secondary infections and other manifestations of the disease. You will need to watch for the occurrence of infections in your sick cat, and be aware that wasting may occur, and that your pet may die of this disease. But, in general, the earlier FIV is detected, the better your cat’s chances are for living a long and relatively healthy life.

Within 4.5 to 6 years after the time of infections, about 20 percent of cats die; however, over 50 percent will remain without clinical signs of the disease. In the late stages of the disease, when wasting and frequent infections are most likely to occur, life expectancy is less than a year. Inflammation of the gums and mouth may not respond to treatment or may be difficult to treat.


In order to prevent this disease from occurring in the first place, you should vaccinate your cat against the virus, and protect your cat from coming into contact with cats that are FIV positive. You will also want to quarantine and test new cats that are coming into your household until you are sure that they are free of the virus. It is important to note that some cats will test positive for FIV if they are carriers, although they may never have symptoms of the virus, and that cats that have been vaccinated against the virus will test positive for it even though they do not carry it. Euthanasia is not normally called for when a cat has tested positive in part because of these reasons. If your cat has tested positive you will need to talk to your veterinarian about what to do to prevent possible transmission to other cats, and what symptoms to be watchful for, should they occur.