AnimalBeat II
Pat Summers
Lawrence Township, New Jersey, United States
(Shown, only partially, at far left: Harry Summers, our long-haired orange tabby and first-ever cat, who quickly gave my husband and me reason to love cats in general and to add Billy Summers, a sweet tuxedo, to our family.) My professional background has included years of experience in education, state government and freelance writing. Thanks to that variety and my never-satisfied curiosity, I have wide interests. However, animal issues and animal welfare take up most of my time and thought.
Past, present & future: for the animals!
My last blog post, in June, suggested that after a summer time-out, I would pick up again around Labor Day. But I didn’t do that, mainly because by then, I had realized that after eight years of researching and writing AnimalBeat II (with nearly 300 posts) on top of three years producing (the original) AnimalBeat (animalbeat.blogspot.com), with nearly…
A summer round-up: weather, issues, pleasures!
And so, spring has now deferred to a major heat wave, heralding summer. Happily, though, before the wilting weather began, I noted some first-for-the-season animal sightings – 4 caterpillars, 1 chubby groundhog, wasps flitting in and out of the birdbath (backyard birds too), bunnies, a hummingbird (but only at a friend’s feeder – not yet…
Of bad breeding, vet checks & harmless cicadas
Most of us who are into animals are probably aware of the health issues some dogs confront because of their “squished-in” faces. It’s hard to look at some of those animals — including college mascots! — whose lives may be shortened or at least very uncomfortable. That’s what happens when people “style” dogs for their…
Dominionism revisited & animals, of course, pay the price
As I type right now, the media are all agog about the coming-up Kentucky Derby race – part of the so-called “sport” of horseracing. More accurately: “horse-killing.” Last year’s “Triple Crown” races (the Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes) were the worst of the worst for horses (beautiful sentient beings who are involuntarily…
‘Great & small creatures’ sometimes win; other times . . .
If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. —Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (1885-1962) …
Help backyard critters, think dog crates & adopt adult cats
Firefly Weather or not, spring started last week. Here’s a timely suggestion for what to do now that may surprise you: give in to holiday candy, take nice long naps or read a good book — but don’t race outside to clean up the yard or garden! Right now is just too early for…
All about elephants & help for Canada geese
Woolly mammoth (model) The rains, floods and fires, the long Covid, the horrifying headlines . . . and more and more, and on and on . . . . Nothing to do about all that except: think of elephants. Beg pardon? Well, doing that is possible for a day, anyway, when you daytrip to the…
Wrong for right whales, animal briefs & wannabe homies
Once considered the ‘right’ whale to kill Her short life was pain-filled and her death was unavoidable – all part of a very sad story. She — # 5120 – to those watching out for her, was a young female right whale whose every fin stroke hurt because a rope was “corkscrewed” around…
Save our wildlife: save the date!
“New Jersey has only 17 days a year when some animals are not hunted.” As an animal-advocating state resident, I was shocked by that statement — and the accompanying information: On the 348 other days [of the year], deer, bears, turkeys, geese, opossums, coots, coyotes, groundhogs, squirrels, ducks, rabbits and numerous other species are all…
Chilly pets, killer kitty, flying free & adoptable adult cats
Other people who watch the weather have already commented on the weird, unpredictable weather we’ve had, including days this month and last that wanted to be spring-like. Even though they didn’t take hold, those days allowed for at least one “robin convention,” as I describe them, in my neighborhood, and an unusual number of squirrels,…
