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PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY
Rescue. Advocacy. Sanctuary. For Life.
Since 1984
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Newsletter | September 2024 | |
PAWS’ Bears Embrace the Changing Seasons | |
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At the ARK 2000 sanctuary we may not be done with the hot weather quite yet, but our temperatures are slowly starting to drop. That means cooler days and nights and rainy conditions soon to come.
Our rescued bears, Ben (pictured left) and Mack, will be transitioning into the fall season with different activities, behaviors, and food choices. Both bears typically become more active in the cooler weather, and they feast on a bounty of acorns and abundant grasses. Ben prefers a wider range of fruits and vegetables compared to the summer months. To satisfy these seasonal changes, caregivers provide a variety of seasonal produce in the bears’ diets.
Thanks to the broad oak trees in their enclosures, Ben and Mack can dine on a wealth of acorns. Interestingly, acorns have a high tannic acid content that makes them intolerably bitter to taste for humans. To bears, they represent a fatty, calorie-dense source of nutrition that helps increase fat stores for the colder days ahead.
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PAWS is proud to care for these two bears and provide a lifetime home for them. We rescued Ben from a roadside zoo where he was confined in a tiny, concrete-floored cage (photo on right by Animal Legal Defense Fund). This now senior bear has been with us for 12 years.
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When captured by state wildlife authorities, Mack (pictured left) was an orphaned wild cub who became dependent on food offered by people. He is missing part of his right rear leg, which does not slow him down at all! Mack has called PAWS home for eight years.
The beauty of the PAWS sanctuary is that the animals truly experience the seasons, which bring different sights, smells, and even foods. With enclosures immersed in nature, they experience ever-changing environments, peace and quiet, and freedom of choice.
Your support makes all this possible for the elephants, bears, big cats and other wild animals at PAWS – and those animals yet to be rescued. Thank you!
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Program for the 2024 PAWS International Captive Wildlife Conference Now Available
Hurry! Registration Closes Friday, October 25
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Join us in Los Angeles, California, November 9-10, for the world’s only International Captive Wildlife Conference, and to celebrate PAWS’ remarkable 40 years of rescue, sanctuary, education, and advocacy at a special evening event.
Our conference program is now available, detailing panels and individual presentations by leading experts from 10+ countries.
Speakers will tackle issues such as circuses, animal tourism, wild animal interactions, zoos, exotic “pets”, and more, through the lens of advocacy, legislation, animal law, conservation, academia, and animal care and welfare.
You’ll hear about the problems affecting captive elephants, marine mammals, big cats, and other wildlife, as well as key advances, challenges, and solutions.
In conjunction with the conference, we will be commemorating PAWS’ milestone with a special 40th Anniversary Evening Celebration (including celebrity guests!) on November 9, making it an occasion you won’t want to miss.
Don’t forget! Conference registration closes on Friday, October 25.
Click here for more information. We look forward to seeing you in November!
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PAWS appreciates the generosity and participation of our 2024 conference and 40th anniversary sponsors:
KERR FAMILY Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, PETA Foundation, Tigers in America, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, International Fund for Animal Welfare, World Animal Protection, Project Chimps and FOND O’FOODS.
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PAWS & Science: Peer-reviewed Paper Examines the Possession of Dangerous Wild Animals as Pets in Great Britain | |
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PAWS’ CEO, Chris Draper, PhD, is the lead author of a recently published academic paper, Private Keeping of Dangerous Wild Animals in Great Britain. The paper examines the scale and scope of the private possession of dangerous wild animals in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The authors found that while the overall number of licensed dangerous wild animals has declined in the preceding 20 years, there have been notable increases in the keeping of wild cats, venomous snakes, and crocodilians.
The paper concludes that the keeping of dangerous wild animals, currently allowable under Great Britain’s Dangerous Wild Animals Act, may need to be substantially reviewed, restricted, or even ended due to the great risk to the public and welfare of the animals.
Read the published academic paper here.
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Lynn Dowling, RVT; Jackie Gai, DVM, PAWS’ Director of Veterinary Services; Kirk Stafford | |
PAWS Celebrates Our Veterinary Technicians | |
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October 13-19 is National Veterinary Technician Week, and we can't wait to express our gratitude for two very special people.
Lynn Dowling is a registered veterinary technician who has assisted PAWS Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Jackie Gai in providing high quality medical care for an astounding variety of wild animals since 2005.
Lynn has been a member of PAWS' staff since 2013, sharing a wealth of experience and knowledge and providing excellent care for the animals who call our sanctuary home. Her technical skills, as well as her compassionate heart and exemplary dedication to animal welfare, make her an invaluable member of our veterinary care team.
Kirk Stafford has volunteered his services at PAWS for over 25 years, assisting with veterinary procedures as well as building and servicing our anesthesia machines.
Kirk supervised the anesthesia department at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for over 33 years. He has also operated Stafford Medical, a veterinary anesthesia equipment maintenance and repair company, for over 38 years. His presence during anesthetic procedures is enormously reassuring, and his selfless dedication of time and talent over the years is truly extraordinary.
PAWS is honored to have these two amazing professionals on our veterinary care team, and we celebrate them during National Veterinary Technician Week, and always!
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THANK YOU!
September Amazon Wish List Donors:
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Lynn Bruser: one box of Denamarin, 30#; two bottles of CosequinDS, 132#; one bottle of Renal Essentials, 60# and two bottles of AminAvast, 60#. DeAnna Burke: one box of Oranges, 35lbs. James & Robin Piane: one box of Procell AA Batteries, 144 pack. Carol Weldin: one bottle of AminAvast, 60#; one bottle of Renal Essentials, 60# and one bottle of CosequinDS, 132#. Linda Boitano: one bottle of Renal Essentials, 60#.
Deborah Veatch: two bottles of Renal Essentials, 60#. Nancy Gordon: two bottles of Renal Essentials, 60#. Scott & Stacy Lindblom: two bottles of CosequinDS, 132# and two bottles of Renal Essentials, 60#. Cyndi Miller: two boxes of Oranges, 35#. Andrea Haverland: two boxes of
Oranges, 35lbs.
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We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. We have an ongoing need for many of the products listed. Click here to review the items and donate.
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PAWS provides lifetime care to the tigers, bears, elephants, and other animals who call our sanctuary home. Your kind support provides expert daily care, necessary veterinary treatments, and specialized nutritional support, all tailored to the individual needs of each animal. Your gifts make this excellent care possible. | |
There are many ways you can help PAWS animals: | |
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Donate. Although we work closely with regulatory agencies on animal rescues, PAWS receives no government funding and must rely on your donations to continue our work. When you make a contribution for the wild animals at PAWS, it is unlike any other. How many people can say they’ve gifted elephants with spacious rolling hills and a more natural life, or made a present of a lush, tree-filled habitat for a tiger? Or given a bear a new chance at life? And you ensure we are prepared for the next wild animal in dire need of rescue. Three ways to give and every donation matters.
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PAWS is proud of its 4-star rating with Charity Navigator - the highest rating possible. We are part of an elite group of charities with an "exceptional" designation (at least four consecutive years of 4-star ratings), meaning that your gift will have the greatest impact possible.
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Give to one of PAWS' ongoing MightyCause campaigns: Our "Dollars for Dirt" or "Give BIG for PAWS' Elephants" fundraisers for the elephants, like Prince (pictured), or our "Help Captive Tigers" fundraiser to benefit the rescued tigers living at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
Adopt A PAWS Animal. If you would like to help our animals, one of the best ways is to become an "adoptive parent," or give a PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover in your life. PAWS adoptions are symbolic adoptions only. No animal will be sent! Learn more
PAWS Partnerships. Help us change the life of a victim of captivity by becoming a PAWS Partner. PAWS partnerships help support our sanctuary operations and the day-to-day care of the animals. Learn more
Estates/Planned Giving. You can help us make sure captive wildlife in need of shelter will always have PAWS' sanctuary to call home! Learn more
Corporate Donations and Matching Fund Programs. Learn more about what is needed.
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Purchase PAWS apparel and merchandise. Clothing for adults, kids, toddlers and infants, as well as other fun merchandise like notecards and coffee mugs - available from our CafePress online gift shop.
PAWS Amazon Wish List. We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. Many items are ongoing. The list is always current! View here.
EBAY Giving Works. Visit PAWS eBay page to view our current listings and to bid. List your items on EBAY and choose PAWS as your charity. Donate a percentage of each sale to the animals. Visit our EBAY charity listing page here. Start selling or buying!
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Shop online through IGive and raise money for PAWS! Up to 26% of your purchase - at more than 1,600 retailers - can be donated to PAWS. Learn more
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