"HERO PEOPLE OF THE WEEK" - Mike Arms, Helen Woodward Center

Our Hero Person this week has been serving animals for decades since a close-to-death experience changed the way he viewed our furry-friends. Mike Arms is the Top Dog at the Helen Woodward Center in San Diego and he's no stranger to Animal Radio airwaves. He explains his latest viral campaign for animal awareness.

Animal-lovers and animal welfare organizations across the globe will unite on Thursday, September 26, 2024 (the fourth Thursday of September, annually) with a Remember Me Thursday pet candle-lighting ceremony. The candles, lit on the exact same day across the world, will honor the millions of pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home and shine a light on the millions of healthy pets who are still awaiting adoption. The Remember Me Thursday global awareness campaign encourages individuals to light a candle this day (literally or virtually) and to opt to adopt, reducing the millions of orphan pets euthanized each year.

The first Remember Me Thursday took place on September 26, 2013. Little did Mike Arms (Remember Me Thursday creator) know how much this campaign would mean to pet lovers, but also to those working on the front lines of animal welfare.

139 countries united to support the movement, with over 100,000 individuals around the globe holding candle-lighting ceremonies of their own, spreading the message through social media, visiting the Remember Me Thursday website and lighting a virtual candle.

If you are a pet adoption organization, or an animal rescue, and you would like to join Remember Me Thursday, you can begin to plan your candle-lighting event today! Visit our Planning Page to download free documents and planning guides. And remember to register so we can add you to our participants list!

Mike's Story:

Michael Arms was an enthusiastic young man who set out to change the world, one puppy at a time. After completing his education and serving a tour of duty as a United States Marine in Vietnam, Mike returned to his home in New York and accepted a position with the Humane Society.

While he took great pride in saving the lives of orphaned pets by finding loving, permanent homes for them, the stress of all the pets he could not save was beginning to take its toll. He was losing weight. He tossed and turned through one sleepless night after another. Convinced that there was nothing he could do, he tendered his resignation and accepted a position outside of the animal welfare industry.

During his final week, just as he was ready to leave the office one evening, a call came in informing the Humane Society about a dog that had been stuck by a car in the Bronx. When Mike's secretary asked what she should do he told her to send a truck out to pick up the dog. But she stated, "There's nobody available. They've all gone home for the day." So Mike removed his suit jacket, put on a technician's coat, and drove to the site to pick up the dying puppy.

When he arrived, it was immediately obvious that the pup's back was broken. Bending over to pick it up, he was interrupted by two men standing in a doorway. "What do you think you're doing?" they asked. Mike explained that the puppy was hurt and that he was going to take it to the Humane Society.

"No you're not."

"Why, is it your dog?" asked Arms.

"No, but we have a bet on how long it's going to take before it dies."

"You guys are really sick," he said, stooping once again to pick up the little body.

"That was when these two heroes attacked me from behind. They stabbed me; they beat me, and left me there in the street to die with the puppy."

Just as Mike Arms was slipping into unconsciousness, the pup crawled over to him and began licking his face. "There was no way that the little guy should have been able to reach me with his broken back. But somehow he pulled himself over to me with his front paws and brought me back to life, stated Mike."

"There in the gutter I prayed and promised God that if he would allow me to live, I would never turn my back on an orphaned pet."

The puppy didn't survive, but Mike Arms did. And since that time, Mike has dedicated his life to saving orphaned pets. He is credited with finding loving, lifelong homes for more dogs and cats than anyone else in history.

Ticks Hitchhike on City Dogs Too - Dr. Debbie

Ticks are common parasites known to infect people, pets and spread disease. Over 850 tick species exist worldwide, although fewer than a dozen species are of risk to pets in the U.S. But here in Las Vegas, pet owners often dismiss the existence of ticks with the likes of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Think ticks are only a problem for pets that travel or visit the mountains? Think again.

The Tick Tale
Ticks are parasites known to infect mammals, reptiles and birds and feed on their host's blood. Although of tiny size, ticks ingest 200 to 600 times their weight in a blood meal.

Ticks are attracted to a host's movement, body warmth or exhaled carbon dioxide and then latch on. Through this feeding behavior they can transmit diseases to pets such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichia, Babesia and Tularemia. Disease transmission takes some time and may occur after 36 to 48 hours of feeding behavior.

Some ticks can live months or up to a year off its host without a feeding, so year-round prevention is important for pets at risk for continued exposure.

Battling Ticks
There are many topical tick control products available for pets. Speak with your veterinarian for an product that is effective and safe with your pet's individual health in mind. Cats are sensitive to some ingredients, may develop toxicity, and should never be treated with a product labeled only for dogs. Additionally, pet owners using multiple products on their pet should first consult with their veterinarian to ensure safe use of combined products.

When removing a tick, avoid handling it directly. Wear gloves or handle with Kleenex since ticks can pass infections to people as well. Grasp the tick with tweezers close to the skin. Extract the tick by pulling straight out of skin. Don't squeeze, twist or leave any legs behind. Disinfect the area and dispose of ticks in rubbing alcohol.

Here's a photo of a typical tick, born and bred in Las Vegas and recently extracted from one of my Shih Tzu patients named Kane. Kane never leaves the state, doesn't hike in the mountains, and enjoys the comforts of a house-dog lifestyle. A tick was discovered on Kane after a day of supervising his owner's yard work and shrub trimming.

Maybe Kane's story will be an eye-opener for city dwelling pet owners. Pet parasites like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes still lurk in that urban jungle.

Visit the Dogs & Ticks website for more information ticks, diseases and prevention.

Animal Radio News - Tammy Trujillo

FBI Gets Involved With Animal Cruelty
Cruelty to animals has it's own category in the FBI's federal crime reports. Local agencies are also able to track them to report to the FBI. Previously, cases were included in the 'other offense' category because the victims weren't people. There was a real incentive for law enforcement agencies to pay closer attention to such incidents. And with animal cruelty and neglect included in reports, agencies are able to allocate officers and funds to handle these cases, track trends and deploy accordingly, in so many ways.

Is Your Pup An Optimist Or A Pessimist?
Research at Sydney University's school of Veterinary Science said that dogs, just like people, have those traits. This actually is very valuable information. It could dictate whether certain dogs are cut out for certain jobs. A pessimistic dog that avoids risks would be better as a guide dog while an optimistic, persistent dog would be more suited to detecting drugs or explosives. Optimistic dogs are more likely to be unfazed by failing at tasks and more likely to pick themselves up and try again. Even for dogs who are just pets, it could help determine what kind of enrichment activities might help their well-being.

University-Wide Pet Therapy Program
Oklahoma State University is considered America's Healthiest Campus. It also has the nation's most comprehensive, full-time, university-wide pet therapy program. Multiple dogs are in the pet therapy pack called Pete's Pet Posse. It's named after OSU's iconic school mascot Pistol Pete. The program helps students, faculty and staff deal with emotional and stressful situations, like finals. Many studies have shown how animals can reduce stress and lower blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol.

So What Are They Naming Their Pets In The UK?
Turns out a lot of pet guardians in the UK are so into their favorite TV shows, that they are taking names for their pets from them. Poppy from Game of Thrones was the most popular name for both dogs and cats. Sherlock from that show also was a frontrunner.

Free Animal With Purchase of Pizza
A Pizza Hut in Australia apologized for offering a 'free small animal' with the purchase of 10 large pizzas. The deal was offered in connection with a local pet store. The corporate office at Pizza Hut said it didn't approve the promotion and no animals were given away.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1280)