Did you know black cats…

• Are adopted at slower rates than other color cats.
• Tend to be more abused than other color cats.
• Crossing your path are seen as good luck in Britain, Japan, and Ireland.

To help educate the public and eliminate negative attitudes towards black cats, National Black Cat Day was created.

Please join in and make some positive actions, such as...

• Posting pictures of black cats on social media and sharing what you adore about them.
• Helping animal shelters care for black cats and other creatures through your donations.
• Adopting a black cat and giving them a loving home.

It’s time to eliminate the stigma against black cats and celebrate them!

Two of Rosie's books, The Golden Sword and Time Smugglers were finalists for the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  

Check out our discussion by clicking here.

Click on the book covers to learn more about each book.

                                     ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Read Yes, Fernando to see the positive power found in opening to change.  

Click on the book cover to find out more! (Affiliate link)

Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals that live in close-knit family groups, roam vast acres, and need to live in warm climates. 

Zoos, including the Woodland Park Zoo located in damp, rainy Seattle, cannot provide the environment for elephants to live healthy lives. And some zoos have taken this to heart, closed their elephant exhibits, and sent their elephants to live in sanctuaries.

As stated in a recent article in City Living Seattle by Christie Lagally, “a recent survey commissioned by the Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants shows that 62% of Seattle voters believe the elephants should be moved to a sanctuary immediately.”

To date, 27 zoos have closed or plan to close their elephant exhibits.  Click here to find out which ones.

There is enough suffering in the world.

You can make a difference to help end the suffering of these wonderful, intelligent animals.

Please add your voice to eliminate elephant breeding and housing at your local zoo.  If the zoo really wants to help elephants, it should follow the lead of the NYC Bronx Zoo and place money for helping preserve elephants in the wild in Asia and Africa.

More information can be found at:

• Community Coalition for Elephant Retirement
• Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants
• In Defense of Animals

Easy & Quick Steps You Can Take Now:

1) Write your local council members and local zoo letting them know you want to see their elephant exhibits closed, their breeding programs stopped, and their elephants sent to a sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries as soon as possible.  

2) If you live in King County and/or Seattle, click here for a list of council members to contact.  You can email your support—even if it is just one sentence—“Please send Woodland Park Zoo’s elephants (Bamboo, Watoto, and Chai) to a sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries as soon as possible.”  

3) “Like” the Facebook page for the Community Coalition for Elephant Retirement

4) “Like” the Facebook page for the Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants

5) Tell others about this issue and share this blog post to help spread the word in helping these magnificent animals!

Your actions do make a difference!  Thank you for taking part to help end suffering in this world!

NOTE: On 4/25/2014, Alyne Fortgang of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants (FWPZE) told me that FWPZE is beginning a round of meetings in the next two weeks  with Seattle council members starting with Jean Godden.  Thus, this is a pivotal time for you to contact King County and City of Seattle council members to add your voice in helping to end the suffering of the WPZ elephants!

Love animals?  Help animals!  And the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) makes it easy.  They publish the Humane Activist five times a year.  It only costs $10.00/year to subscribe.  Each short newsletter includes updates on legislation that supports or hurts our animal buddies.  

A great feature is their section on HSLF-supported animal protection bills before the U.S. Congress.  You then just email or call your senators’ or representatives’ offices and let them know you'd like them to support the specific bills listed.  It's easy--just give them the bill number listed in the newsletter.

Once you find out the contact information for your senators and representatives, post that phone number someplace for easy access—like your refrigerator.  And/or add their email addresses to your email accounts.   

How to find your senators and representatives?  Go to www.hslf.org/leglookup or http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. 

Take action NOW!  And boost your good karma today! 

Don't you love the beauty of whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine mammals?

If yes, please take a moment to honor these amazing creatures by helping to protect them from the horrible impacts of mid-frequency sonar. 

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council in its Spring 2013 edition of Nature's Voice "the National Marine Fisheries Service is preparing to approve the Navy's five-year plan to use high explosives and deafening mid-frequency sonar in its training and testing exercises throughout enormous swaths of ocean off America's coasts."  

This extreme noise has harmful and horrible effects to marine mammals, including hearing loss as well as hemorrhages in the lungs and other organs.

Pierce Brosnan narrates a short video of the impacts.

Learn more and add your voice today to protect the lives of these and other amazing sea creatures at NRDC's website.