Inside This Issue:
- NAIA's 2025 Conference: We Want Your Input!
- Gifting a Pet for the Holidays? It's Not a Simple Yes or No Question
- The Vole-Hunting Squirrels of California
- Rescue Crew Discovers Hundreds of Missing Dogs and Cats, Bones, and Ashes
- Stay Warm and See You Next Year!
NAIA's 2025 Conference: We Want Your Input!
NAIA's annual conferences have been on the leading edge of exploring tough questions and seeking novel solutions to animal problems. Many ideas that are now fairly mainstream – pet overpopulation vs. retention issues, dog importation, toxoplasmosis, the dark side of early spaying and neutering – saw their earliest light at our conferences, and we continue to fearlessly tackle new issues as they arise.
In 2025, we would love for you to attend our annual conference… and before we plan it, we also want your input!
Write us at naia@naiaonline.org, discuss it online, or even shoot us a phone call. Let’s have some fun hashing this out!
Gifting a Pet for the Holidays? It's Not a Simple Yes or No Question
Bad idea? Good idea? Yes.
For some people, the idea of getting a puppy for Christmas is sweet – perhaps idealized with a red bow, evoking a certain classic scene from Lady and the Tramp. For others, the concept of “pets as presents” is fiercely shunned. People who feel this way are convinced the gifted puppy, kitten, or bunny will soon lose its luster, suffer from neglect, and ultimately end up in a shelter. Of course, as with most complex issues, a rigid yes/no view is more convenient than correct.
Animal welfare experts emphasize nuance. A new pet can be wonderful during the holidays – but it must be planned. The goal isn't to discourage the acquisition of a pet, but to ensure successful, permanent matches between pets and their new families.
Some breeders may have puppies that are ready to go home in December. Modern shelter practices often include holiday-themed adoption events and initiatives, too, recognizing that the season can be an excellent time for pet adoption when done thoughtfully. The holidays are vacation time for a lot of people, too – families might have more time to help a new pet adjust.
Better Ways to Give Pets as Gifts:
- Skip the surprise: involve the future family in the selection process.
- Consider giving pet-related items first, like supplies or a gift certificate to use where the recipients frequent.
- Make sure the timing is right! Some people have time off, but for others, holiday chaos might be the worst possible time for pet introductions. Waiting until after the New Year may be the best call.
- Make absolutely sure the person(s) receiving the pet has expressed genuine interest and is aware and willing to make this long-term commitment.
Key Considerations:
- Financial preparedness for years of pet care.
- Time commitment for the animal's entire life span.
- Suitable and stable home environment.
- Family dynamics and existing pets.
The bottom line is that giving a pet as a present during the holidays is about the approach. Can it be a disaster? Of course. But with proper planning, consideration, and involvement of all family members, bringing a new pet home for the holidays can be the beginning of a beautiful lifelong relationship.
Source: A pet for the holidays? The do’s and dont's from animal experts
The Vole-Hunting Squirrels of California
*carnivorous squirrel noises*
When the California ground squirrels are feeling peckish – look out! Well, at least if you’re a vole. A new study on the California ground squirrel has documented this adorable herbivore hunting, killing, and eating voles. And we’re not talking about a few isolated incidents – with the population that was studied, hunting behavior was observed numerous times, among ground squirrels of all ages and sexes, and peaked during a vole population explosion!
It is well-known that herbivores, including squirrels, will occasionally scavenge animals for various reasons, sometimes dramatically so – you might remember the deer that was caught on camera eating human remains a few years ago. So, in and of itself, there’s nothing shocking about a ground squirrel opportunistically taking a bite out of a smaller mammal. However, the hunting behavior and the frequency at which these squirrels were observed eating other animals certainly raises some questions!
Currently, it is unknown whether vole-hunting behavior is limited to the specific squirrel population that was observed, or whether it is widespread throughout the species. Even if it is common, the voles can probably handle it – the biggest damage would be to the ground squirrel’s public image.
Source: Forget cute and fluffy: bloodthirsty squirrels captured on film enjoying a diet of rodents
Rescue Crew Discovers Hundreds of Missing Dogs and Cats, Bones, and Ashes
Animal bones were found in the property owners' wood stove.
In a horrific tale out of Minnesota, the owners of a self-described rescue facility are accused of burning up animals over the course of a few weeks as plans were made to seize hundreds of cats and dogs from their property. The facility held around 300 animals in total and had been investigated due to reports of severely underweight animals and squalid conditions.
Sadly, as rescuers put together the necessary temporary housing, food, medicine, and other supplies needed to care for such a massive influx of dogs and cats, many of the animals at the “rescue” facility vanished. When officials arrived, only about 70 animals were still on the property – along with the ghastly discovery of numerous bones, piles of ash, and animal fragments. At this time, the owners have been charged with 10 counts of animal torture. The disgust and sorrow expressed by visitors to the property is immeasurable.
Miraculously, nearly all the surviving cats and dogs were reportedly quite healthy and should be ready for adoption soon. Also, this event has placed a spotlight on the need for more oversight of animal rescues and the problem of substandard operators avoiding inspections by operating as foster-based rescues.
Source: Minnesota deputies saw 250 animals suffering at purported rescue. Weeks later, only 70 were left
Stay Warm and See You Next Year!
What fine winter plumage (it's best if you pretend you can't see her)!
Tomorrow is the winter solstice – the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the start of winter. Did you do anything to prepare? You probably did. Animals certainly do, too. As winter approaches, an extraordinary preparation ritual unfolds across the globe, as wildlife embarks on months-long readiness plans for the cold season ahead.
Nature's inhabitants display remarkable foresight in their winter preparations. Animals like the wood frog start producing natural antifreeze in their bodies, while ptarmigans grow thicker, white-colored plumage to blend with the snow. Marine mammals such as seals and walruses build up layers of blubber during the warmer months, creating natural insulation that will sustain them through the winter. Of course, the human animal mirrors these survival instincts in our own ways. Families spend autumn stocking pantries, insulating homes, and servicing heating systems. Communities in colder regions prepare snow removal equipment and salt reserves for roads. Like animals that gather extra food before winter, people often preserve summer harvests through canning, freezing, and drying to ensure food security during the cold months.
This parallel preparation between humans and wildlife showcases our shared instinct for survival. From the smallest frog to the largest human cities, winter preparation is a universal dance of survival that begins months before the first snowfall. So Happy Holidays to all and enjoy the food and festivities of the season - we’ve worked all year for it.
Note: there will be no newsletter next week, as NAIA will be hibernating with the other animals. See you in 2025!
Source: How 15 Winter Animals Survive Frigid Temperatures
Also in the News (Special List Edition)...
★ What’s an axolotl? Why obscure animals rule kids’ world (Rare, Weird, Sometimes Endangered – Kids Love 'Em!)
★ Pet City closes in Fort Collins ahead of looming pet sales ban (Animal Legislation; Pet Store Bans)
★ Bird flu sweeps through zoos with ‘grave implications’ for endangered animals (Zoos; Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza)
★ SPCA of Wake County slashes pet adoption fees for the holidays (Rescue & Shelter Opportunities; Home for the Holidays?)
★ The 6 Most Hilarious Things We Learned about Animals in 2024 (Fun & Goofy Year-End Lists; Hilarity Ensues)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
