Saving all adoptable animals—that's the goal of Mission Orange. The four major animal shelters in Sacramento -- the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Sacramento Animal Cares Services, the Animal Care and Regulations Center and Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary -- hope to make a difference in animal welfare by joining forces in "Mission Orange." Also known as a community initiative, Mission Orange aims to increase the live release rate, or percentage of animals that leave the shelter system alive through adoption or return to owner, and earn a prestigious grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "We are combining all of our resources in order to i

"You are super cute," said Lesley Kirrene, as she walks past bright-eyed animals waiting for homes. "Once the animals are on the adoption floor we have made a commitment to them that we will find them homes," said Kirrene, director of public relations for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The shelter is keeping its promise. Cage after cage proudly displays the blue sign reading "On hold," which means the animal is waiting to be picked up and brought home. The lucky dogs for the day were Dorris, Roscoe, Rockie, Dot, Brindle, Fred, Conan, Bob and Kasey, who wagged their tails excitedly, knowing that they were about to go home. The shelter is not considered a "no-kill"

By The Celebrities Psychic NANCY BRADLEY     “UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, A PART OF ONE’S SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED” Anatole, French Novelist   There is only one statue in all of New York City that does not need to be polished in spite of weather, bird droppings, dust, grime and elements, and that is the statue of BALTO. Balto is the beautiful Siberian husky sled dog that is immortalized as one of the 150 dogs that brought relief in the form of serum to the citizens of Nome, Alaska in 1925-26 from the horrible diphtheria epidemic killing the residents. And the reason the statue does not need continual polishing and cleaning is because residents and guests to the site pet the statu

The new county animal care and regulation center on Bradshaw Road is providing a more spacious habitat to a wide variety of animals. It houses cats, dogs, rabbits, reptiles, llamas, goats and horses and any other animal that comes through the doors. It also extends many animals' lives. For visitors to the previous county animal shelter, the words 'five days' are chilling. That is the typical amount of time animals live at a government-run animal shelter before they are euthanized. If they are deemed dangerous, diseased, or unadoptable they will be killed immediately. The new shelter allows the animals to have more time. The facility is spacious so the animals are displayed in habitats.

  Seventeen-week program expands job opportunities in a tough economy Two local veterinary educators have found a way to help animals, people and the economy all at once. Al Aldrete, DVM of Davis and Alex Henderson, RVT of Dixon in 2006 founded a school that trains veterinary assistants to become registered veterinary technicians. There are plenty of veterinary assistants, but not enough registered techs authorized to perform certain medical procedures and operate technical equipment independent of a veterinarian’s supervision. If a veterinarian doesn’t have enough registered technicians, they must do the work themselves or risk losing their license. Veterinarians outnumber veterinary

It was a moment comparable to being at the circus, watching dogs large and small waltz by in bright, bulky and outlandish costumes, some complete with suspenders or patent leather doll shoes. The woolly mammoth, the lobster, the ballerina, the Lion King, the construction worker, the geisha, the bum, and the hippie — exceptionally well-costumed dogs — assembled in line for judges to determine which one would win this year’s dog costume contest. Zury, the 2-year-old Australian cattle dog dressed as a bum, was the first-prize winner, followed by Rudy placing second for his construction worker duds, and Klusso placing third as the Lion King. According to Lesley Kirrene, Sacramento SPCA direct

Adventure-seeking canines will be the stars at Saturday’s grand opening of the Sutter’s Landing dog park. Sutter’s Landing Regional Park, once a city landfill, is already a top spot to take Midtown dogs due to its setting on the American River. The three-acre dog park offers chihuahuas, labradors and St. Bernards a new leash-free place to play with their companions. The park includes shade canopies and trees, a dog drinking fountain, fencing and separate areas for large and small dogs. The park is covered with decomposed granite and recycled mulch, which the city estimates will save thousands of gallons of water each year. Staff from the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and Ci

Live snakes, bats and a desert tortoise named Shelly - these animals will slither, fly and crawl their way around the California Museum on Saturday, April 25. Inspired by Earth Month and Earth Day, Family Fun Day will have the theme "California's Critters and Crawlers." From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., families and individuals will be able to enter the museum for free and view any of the regular exhibits as well as build crafts, learn about animals and view some endangered and threatened species. The goal is "to learn more about California's natural diversity," said Ashley Robinson, the museum's communications manager. Emceeing the event will be Francie Dillon, a children's entertainer who will be

Jas is a giant puppy dog. He is my roommate's dog, and Antonio's biggest nuisance. He has the sweetest disposition and would never hurt a fly on purpose. He is enormous, energetic and clumsy, so accidents do happen. My roommate, Jenna, adopted Jas when he was 5 months old from the Sacramento SPCA. He had been neglected by his prior owners, and as a result was starved for attention and had some behavioral problems. A stipulation for adopting a puppy like Jas is to participate in mandatory training through the SPCA's training courses. Jas was awarded "Most Improved" in his beginners class. Jenna told me that when he first came home, Jas was very rambunctious and a bit whiny. As soon as he

 Someone thought it would be a good idea to abandon a couple of chickens at one of the UC Davis housing complexes. Two months and ten fold as many critters later, one can hardly walk next door without incurring the disapproving clucks of these easily-startled fowl. At least the students can now save some cash and ditch their alarm clocks for that au-naturale 7:00 am wake-up call.

When my roommate came home with Antonio he was just a little ball of fur about the size of a tennis ball. She had been driving down Longview Drive when she noticed that the orange center line was moving. She slowed and saw that a tiny orange kitten was walking along the paint. She threw on her hazards, jumped out and scooped him up to take home. Antonio was only about 3 weeks old, and she got him just in time. He was covered in burrs, hungry, thirsty and confused. His eyes were still that clear-blue of a newborn. We gave him water and a bath before we went out to the pet store in search of kitten milk and a dropper to feed him. We did an online search before we went to find out what the