As you may have recently heard in the news, a tiger in the Bronx zoo became mildly ill and tested positive for COVID-19. There have also been media reports about a small study just published suggesting that domestic cats are susceptible. Dogs may be vulnerable too, but the evidence points to this being less likely. In this study, a few cats and kittens were injected with mega doses of the virus, contracted the disease and infected other cats. Understandably, these stories are adding to the confusion and worry about how to keep ourselves and our animals safe.  But neither the zoo
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If you’ve heard of Ann Arbor’s annual deer killing you have probably heard that deer are overpopulated due to a loss of natural predators, specifically wolves, leaving us no choice but to hire sharpshooters. Since it continues to be repeated by elected officials as the basis for expensive public policy, I guess it’s time to stop rolling my eyes and to review a bit of wolf history and explain why wolves are not at the root of our problem and could never be part of the solution. It is true that wolves once roamed our entire nation, including our state
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Did you know that HSHV is a vegetarian organization? We don’t ever use donor money or sponsor events that entail meat (for human consumption, that is; feeding animals is a bit trickier) and are careful to avoid or to consider the sourcing of other animal-based food and products. We do this because not eating animals is another way we can help save lives. We do it also because of the rampant and pervasive cruelty in the industrialized farming industry, known as factory farming. It isn’t our job to tell folks what to eat, but it is our responsibility to increase
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As Americans, we treasure our right to free speech and peaceably assemble. As animal lovers, we depend on these rights to speak out for those who can’t do so for themselves. Throughout history, sentient but defenseless animals have been treated as inanimate objects, used and abused by anyone with the desire to do so. Though we still have a long way to go, from wildlife to animals kept in confinement, protections from unnecessary suffering and mass extinction only exist because of courageous and compassionate people willing to stand up for them. Recently, members of Ann Arbor City Council tried to
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Recently a news story about an abandoned puppy in Michigan “went viral” because of a sad note attached to that pup.  The note told a story of an owner who had a stroke and a puppy needing a new home because of it. While this is a heart-breaking situation, it is also very common.  This easily happens hundreds of times a day in Michigan alone.  The reality is that our companion animals get stuck in the crosshairs of our messy lives. The part of the note that bothered me was at the end, it read “Please don’t take me to
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Gubernatorial candidate, Shri Thanedar, recently received some negative publicity regarding lab animals (beagles and monkeys) used at his former research facility.  The company filed for bankruptcy and the animals were abandoned, locked in the building with no care.  They were saved by former lab workers who broke into the building to provide food and water, and rescue groups who found placements in homes and sanctuaries.  The candidate claimed he was an animal lover and blamed the bank that foreclosed on the property. Political candidates face much public scrutiny to help voters understand their ability to lead.  Though very occasionally an inflammatory
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