September 3rd Saturday - International Coastal Cleanup Day

Hundreds of thousands of people will descend on beaches, lakes, and streams all over the world to remove trash and debris — on land and under the water. Volunteers of all ages from every continent will form the largest weekend volunteer event on behalf of clean oceans and waterways — Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.

Visit the Ocean Conservancy to see how you can help.

September 3rd Saturday - Puppy Mill Awareness Day

What are Puppy Mills?

Puppy Mills are breeding facilities that produce puppies in large numbers. Documented problems of puppy mills include: unsanitary facilities, overbreeding, inbreeding, disease, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals. Often the puppies are sold directly to the public via the Internet, newspaper ads, or at the mill itself. In other cases, they are sold to brokers and pet shops across the country.

Puppy Mill Facts

• Puppy mills contribute to millions of unwanted dogs who are euthanized each year in the United States.
• Mill puppies are more likely to have severe health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues.
• Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages and lack of socialization.
• Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years and are bred as often as possible before they are killed, sold through auction like used cars or abandoned.

Visit the Puppy Mill Awareness website for more information.

September 3rd week - Farm Animals Awareness Week

National Farm Animals Awareness Week is designed to educate the public about the nature of farm animals, including cows, chickens, pigs and other animals raised for food. Dr. Michael Appleby, senior vice president of farm animals and sustainable agriculture for The HSUS notes, “More and more farm animals are being raised on huge factory farms, where the conditions make it impossible for them to express their natural behaviors. We are hoping that educating people about the socially complex and intelligent nature of animals raised for food will increase concern about their welfare.” Some little known facts about farm animals:

• Pigs have a highly developed sense of smell and can be trained, much like dogs, to detect certain scents. In France, pigs are used to find truffles; police have used them to detect drugs; and they have been put in to service finding landmines during wartime.
• Cattle are very social. They are able to recognize more than 100 individual herd members and have definite preferences about who they choose to interact with, forming close bonds with some and avoiding others. The bond between cow and calf is especially strong. Mothers will become distressed if separated from their calves, even refusing to move or eat until reunited.
• Mother hens pass on lessons on life to their chicks, teaching them what to eat, how to drink, where to roost, and how to avoid enemies.
• Goats have been known to make clever use of their horns, using them to open gates and feed bins and to batter down boards in their enclosures.