Reflections on Cape Charles and the Eastern Shore
Just getting cozy in the office before going for our rabies vaccine!! . Then hope and pray someone opens up their heart and home for her!! She is super sweet and very friendly and loving!!
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
Call ESRAF Melfa 757-787-7091 to meet this sweetie and bring her home with you!
Ready to Adopt! ! Call ESRAF Melfa 757-787-7091 to meet her
Not only did Biden leave American citizens behind, but his administration also refused to let Kabul Small Animal Rescue save dogs. They had a plane and the dogs at the airport. Instead, all dogs were released at the airport to go who knows where. The UK saved their dogs, but we didn’t save ours.
The majority of KSAR staff, and the cats in their care, were never granted access to the airport. They are safe for the moment at another location in Kabul.
The current information regarding the status of KSAR’s 130 dogs is much less clear, despite our constant efforts to confirm their whereabouts.
Here is what we know: In the end, the dogs and their caretakers were explicitly NOT allowed to board military aircraft, and numerous private charter aircraft were not granted access to the airport either. Charlotte was informed that most of the KSAR dogs had to be released into the airport on August 30 as the airport was evacuated – turning once rescued shelter dogs into homeless strays. They were not given access to the flight we had secured to transport them out of the country. They are within the airport in an area used for housing employees at the far end of the flight line. We haven’t been able to confirm the number of dogs released, nor can we confirm whether the U.S. Military evacuated the 46 working dogs that had been under KSAR’s care when they left. We are urgently pressing for more details, and while this is more difficult now that the U.S. military has completely evacuated Kabul, we refuse to give up.
Moving forward, KSAR’s primary objective is to return to the airport– when it is safe and with the hope of Taliban cooperation–to try and retrieve or re-rescue the animals who were released at the airport. The situation at the airport remains very unsafe, but KSAR is hopeful their staff will be allowed to return to the airport at some point to try to save their dogs. During her departure from the airport on August 30, Charlotte requested the U.S. Military open the bags of dog food she was able to bring into the airport and scatter their contents in the area where the dogs had been released.
Our team of NGOs (SPCA International, War Paws, Marley’s Mutts, Animal Wellness Action and Puppy Rescue Mission) has been working tirelessly to rescue KSAR and the animals in its care for the last week, exhausting every possible option and resource we could. We have worked day and night to develop and implement strategies for rescuing Charlotte, her staff, and her animals, as well as contingency plans. The massive network of U.S. and foreign agencies, politicians, charter companies, and rescuers that we enlisted also did their absolute best to advocate for the extraction of Charlotte and the dogs. We also appreciate the support of those in the U.S. military who helped us.
“We are heartbroken that the aircraft we secured to transport the rescued dogs of Kabul Small Animal Rescue out of Afghanistan were not ultimately allowed to take the animals and their caretakers safely out of the country,” said Lori Kalef, Director of Programs at SPCA International. “Our team has been working around the clock and has exhausted every possible option and resource we could in our mission to rescue the dogs before the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. We’ll continue to do everything we can to evacuate Kabul Small Animal Rescue’s staff and animals from the country after August 31. We cannot thank our supporters enough for everything they’ve done to help the dogs and cats of Kabul and their caretakers.”
“I feel eternally grateful for our team, partners and all the government agencies that stepped up to lend their voice during this intense and difficult time. Charlotte’s courage and steadfast devotion to the rescued animals in her care and the tireless efforts of all involved animal advocates working around the globe is awe-inspiring,” said Zach Skow, founder of Marley’s Mutts. “We are dedicated to saving them and will continue to seek options to help her and the rescued dogs and cats to leave Kabul safely. They deserve no less.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently enacted policy suspending transports of dogs from Afghanistan and more than 100 other nations into the U.S., was another terrible impediment, despite our negotiations and pleadings. We applied for an Emergency Exemption so that Charlotte and the dogs could get out on our chartered flight this week. But the CDC’s adherence to its import policy during this time of crisis put animals and people at risk. We are alarmed that leaders at the CDC are not bringing a more balanced perspective to the importation of dogs, especially after the U.S. House of Representatives rebuked CDC on this issue and passed an amendment to restore a proper screening process.
This entire situation is a reminder that when governments, including the United States, don’t recognize the human connection to animals, they put people at risk. If Charlotte and her staff had been allowed to take their animals – with the support of private animal rescue groups that had paid for and organized a charter flight – they’d be safe, and so would the animals. Now she’s still in Kabul, desperately working to bring these animals into a safer space.
While this was our last chance to evacuate the dogs from Kabul before August 31, we are not giving up. We’re currently pursuing options for transporting the dogs and cats out of Afghanistan after that deadline, and the funds we raised will continue to support the care of the animals in Kabul. SPCA International will continue to act as a conduit of information between KSAR and the public.
Here is what’s needed:
The American Humane Society slammed the Biden administration after the US military allegedly left its contract dogs behind in Afghanistan before pulling out of Kabul.
“I am devastated by reports that the American government is pulling out of Kabul and leaving behind brave U.S. military contract working dogs to be tortured and killed at the hand of our enemies,” American Humane President and CEO Robert Ganzert said in a statement.
The Biden administration tried to tweet their way out of it, noting that they were actually U.S. military contract working dogs. Who cares if they are contractors?
Update: The Taliban has reportedly stated that the dogs left at Kabul Airport will be rounded up and put into service for the Islamic Emirate.
“These brave dogs do the same dangerous, lifesaving work as our military working dogs, and deserved a far better fate than the one to which they have been condemned,” he wrote.
“This senseless fate is made all the more tragic, as American Humane stands ready to not only help transport these contract K-9 soldiers to U.S. soil but also to provide for their lifetime medical care,” Ganzert continued.
He noted that his organization “has worked hand in hand with the military for more than 100 years to rescue military animals,” adding that the group “brings home retired military working dogs and pairs veterans with life-saving service dogs.”
Ganzert said that “it sickens us to sit idly by and watch these brave dogs who valiantly served our country be put to death or worse.
“In order to prevent this tragedy from occurring, these K-9’s should be loaded into whatever cargo space remains and flown to safety,” he said.
“We call on Congress to take action to classify contract working dogs on the same level as military working dogs. Failure to do anything less, is a failure of humanity and a condemnation of us all.”
Hi, I’m Laura and I’m a 3 month old lab mix little girl. Just a baby now, but I should weigh around 50 lbs when grown. I should be ok with dogs as I came here with 3 siblings. And, as a baby, I should be good around children. I have started my vaccines, but can’t have visits until I get spayed on August 20. You can get an application through email at shorespca@gmail.com or picking one up at the SPCA. You can get pre-approved by doing this now, and only have to wait until I can have visits.
Accomack County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for the following position: Full-Time Animal Control Attendant at the Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility.
Applications may be obtained from the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office or on line at accomackcountysheriffsoffice.org.
Applications must be returned to this office by Monday, August 23, 2021 at 4:00 pm. Accomack County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.”
**Please note that we will not accept applications submitted through Facebook.**
We cannot begin to list the joys of adopting an older fur kid! Why don’t you meet Deuce and see for yourself.
Meet Deuce!
Hi, I’m Deuce and I’m a sweet, older boy at 12 years old. I am a real gentle soul, and seem to be a happy guy, loving everyone I meet.
I am going outside with small dogs and do well, but haven’t been around cats or children. I tested negative for heartworms and I am up to date on vaccines as well as neutered already.
If you want to visit with me, first fill out an application and submit it to shelter staff-visits are scheduled after applications have been looked over.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Fauci, directed $424,455 to researchers at the University of Georgia in September 2020 to infect dozens of beagles with disease-causing parasites.
The experiment was to test an experimental drug on them, according to documents obtained by White Coat Waste Project (WCW).
According to an NIAID task order form released via a Freedom Of Information Act request, the 28 beagles were to be allowed to develop infections for three months before being euthanized for blood collection.
According to emails obtained by WCW, the study began on Nov. 12, 2020, meaning the beagles would have been scheduled to be euthanized in June 2021.
These films explore chicken farming in America, and provide a brief history of the chicken industry and discussion of the adverse environmental impact of the industry on land, air, water, human/animal health and well-being. With Karen Davis, PhD, Founder and Director of United Poultry Concern.
Until All are Free is a film about the interconnection of all beings and our planet…It’s a film about justice, compassion and saving our world.
NOAA – Understanding the effects of climate change on sharks and other fish populations is an emerging area of study and a priority for NOAA Fisheries. Climate change is causing warming seas, acidification, rising sea level, and other long-term shifts in the environment. It is already affecting numerous marine species in complex ways. Sharks are no exception. The impacts of climate change on marine life are expected to continue into the future, potentially resulting in:
We are conducting research on many species and across fisheries to find ways to characterize such ecological shifts and address climate vulnerability and resilience.
A climate vulnerability assessment for 82 fish species, including some sharks, off the northeastern United States found that impacts are likely to vary by species. In general, sharks may have lower overall vulnerability than other marine organisms (e.g., shellfish, salmon, or eels). They are less likely to experience changes in abundance. However, because of their extensive range, sharks have a high likelihood of shifting their distributions or expanding into new habitats to follow preferable ocean conditions.
In Atlantic and Pacific U.S. waters, many fish species are shifting northward as the oceans continue to warm. For example, species like the thresher shark, which are common off southern California, are expected to become more common off Alaska along the Pacific coast. Along the northeastern United States, smooth dogfish may actually gain suitable habitat, whereas thorny skate (a shark relative) may lose habitat as the region warms. Some species are also shifting to deeper, cooler waters as shallow coastal environments warm.
Understanding any potential climate change impacts on sharks is further complicated by the need to characterize climate effects on their prey species. Population shifts in more sensitive prey could influence the distribution of predators. For example, zooplankton are prey for filter-feeders like the basking shark. Shifts in their seasonality or abundance could force these sharks to abandon historical foraging grounds and seek out more productive areas.
Such complexities require a more holistic approach to studying these large-scale environmental shifts. This is why NOAA Fisheries is also advancing its efforts on ecosystem-based fisheries management. For example, shark catch rates and species diversity metrics are included in State of the Ecosystem reports to track long-term changes in fish communities. EBFM Regional Implementation Plans also account for shark populations.
NOAA Fisheries will continue to research creative ways to adapt fisheries management as the effects of climate change are likely to be variable and complex depending on the species and region.
NOAA – Sandbar sharks were the most common shark caught during the 2021 Large Coastal Shark Bottom Longline Survey. This survey of large and small coastal sharks was conducted from April 12 to May 28 by scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Apex Predators Program.
The survey is conducted in U.S. waters from Florida to the mid-Atlantic area every two to three years to provide relative abundance indices of coastal shark populations. Working from the contracted commercial longline vessel F/V Eagle Eye II, scientists from the center’s Narragansett Laboratory in Rhode Island and vessel crew caught 2,462 sharks of 11 species. The vessel left Port Royal, South Carolina to begin the survey just south of Fort Pierce, Florida. The survey ended at the North Carolina–Virginia border.
“We had a lot of weather delays this year, but we were still able to complete the majority of stations we cover each survey,” said Cami McCandless, who along with Lisa Natanson were the two scientists on board for the survey. Both are from the center’s Apex Predators Program based at the Narragansett Laboratory. Natanson has been the chief scientist on this survey since its inception in 1996. She retired in 2020 but returned this year to help lead the survey one last time before handing over the reins.
“The survey was designed to sample coastal sharks just prior to their northward migration along the coast,” Natanson said. “The 47-day survey consistently occurs in early to mid-April and ends at the Memorial Day weekend. Since the inception of the survey, there has been an increase in weather days. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of stations although the geographic extent of the survey has remained the same over the years.”
Sandbar sharks accounted for 70 percent of the shark catch and were mostly larger juveniles and adults. Other species included:
The results represent a change in species composition from the last survey, conducted in 2018. During that survey, sandbar sharks were still the primary species followed by dusky sharks, but blacktip sharks were third in abundance, followed by Atlantic sharpnose, tiger, and scalloped hammerhead sharks.
“This is not the first time changes in species composition have been observed with these data. In the first five surveys, blacktip sharks were rarely observed, but since the 2009 survey, they have been in the top five species caught. Additionally, this is the first year scalloped hammerheads have been in the top five species caught,” Natanson said.
NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Shark Tagging Program tags were attached to 2,132 sharks representing 10 species before they were released. 202 animals, a subset of the original 2,132, were also injected with oxytetracycline for age validation studies. A 9-foot female white shark was also tagged with a 10-year archival tag provided by Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries for a shark study he is leading.
In addition, 10 sharks previously tagged with Cooperative Shark Tagging Program tags were caught, along with two fish, a sandbar shark, and a cobia, each with a Virginia Institute of Marine Science tag. One of the recaptured sharks on the recent survey was a sandbar shark tagged years ago by McCandless during the Cooperative Atlantic States Shark Pupping and Nursery (COASTSPAN) survey in Delaware Bay.
“This was a female sandbar tagged as a 1-year-old during our July survey and was recaptured 15 years later this April off Georgia,” McCandless said. “I hope to see her again in Delaware Bay, maybe when she comes back to give birth to her own pups. She is within the size and age range for mature females, but we saw no clear indication that she was pregnant this year.”
Although the goal of the survey is to capture, tag, and release animals, sometimes sharks die during capture. These animals are sampled for other studies. During the survey, sharks representing eight species were brought on board and sampled for age and growth, reproductive, and food habits studies. Reproductive information was obtained from 59 sharks, backbones were removed for age and growth research from 75 sharks, and stomachs were examined from 18 sharks. Morphometric data—detailing size and shape—were also collected on all undamaged sharks brought on board.