"OK, now open real wide . . ."

They're lucky tigers, even though they may not agree. Then again, their toothaches have probably gone away and they're feeling much better overall.

For many of the tigers who live at PAWS ARK 2000 sanctuary in San Andreas, CA, the last weekend of August was a marathon dental weekend. (Most of us quail at an hour-long dentist date. Imagine being a tiger -- drugged, trucked to the surgery site, operated on, returned 'home' and then waking up with a feeling that something strange just happened.)

By the end of the weekend, 19 root canals and one oral surgery had been performed on five tigers by a group of doctors ("Vererinary Dentists Without Borders") who provide their services free to "disadvantaged animals" in non profits like PAWS.

Both a video and a slide show of the tigers being treated are on the PAWS newsletter site (newsletter@pawsweb.org. For (amazing!) background information, the site of the Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation (PeterEmilyFoundation.org), which supplied the doctors and technicians who pitched in at PAWS, may also be of interest.

Humans helping non-human animals who, in all these cases, had already been rescued from horrible lives: way to go -- and thanks!
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No muddy paws for this animal abuser

Besides all the non-human animals on earth, sometimes pejoratively described as "beasts," there are occasional "strange beasties" among humans. These creatures cry out for sensitivity injections at the very least or, preferably, serious punishment. It would be nice if once in a while such people as the woman described in the news story here could walk in someone else's shoes -- or in this case, walk, run and be dragged and physically injured in someone else's paws.

Here's what happened late last month to Marlin, a puppy.

(http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/middletown-dog-recovering-after-being-dragged-behind-car-for-having-muddy-paws)#

About an advoCAT (and TNR)

Cats, especially ferals, need all the friends they can get. The link here leads to a story in NewJerseyNewsroom.com about a major friend of cats who has been respectfully nicknamed "AdvoCAT."

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/style/feral-cat-concerns-trap-neuter-return-tnr-is-this-advocates-answer
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