Thank You Rick! Wolves in Wyoming. Siku, Polar Bear. Toxic Treats. Seeing Eye Dogs. Depressed Pug! Lewis and Clark.

First, I would like to say a great big THANK YOU to Rick Doyle of http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/ . He took over my machine with TeamViewer to find and fix the broken registry thing that was stopping my Live Writer drafts from publishing to this blog.  He sure knows his stuff!  There is no way I could have done what he did.  Thank you again, Rick.
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For "Mammal Monday":

From : National Parks Conservation Society:  Protect Wyoming's Wolves.
"We hoped that the government's plans to move forward with a park wolf hunt was an oversight. We do not believe that to be true any longer.
Why would our government permit the shooting of wolves in the very places that were set aside as refuges for wild animals and for the enjoyment of the American people?
The government appears to be moving forward with aggressive plans to remove wolves from endangered species protections (de-listing) and open up the door to let people hunt them in Wyoming’s national parks. To reverse this onslaught, we need your help now--more than ever!
Although 53,000 of NPCA's supporters have already expressed overwhelming dissatisfaction with the Department of the Interior's plans to allow wolf hunting on Wyoming national park lands, officials have ignored our voices. We are now focusing our attention on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
The USFWS has issued an unacceptably short comment deadline through Regulations.gov. Please act today!
Take Action: Please tell USFWS Director Dan Ashe to prohibit wolf hunting and lethal state wolf control inside Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway by not de-listing wolves in Wyoming. These parks deserve the same level of protection that has been given Yellowstone, and hunting wolves needs to be prohibited--now and in the future.”  Click Here to Send Your Comments!
Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FWS-R6-ES-2011-0039-7450
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Save the Polar Bears!
“Named Siku, meaning 'Sea ice' in Greenlandic, he was born at the Danish Scandinavian Wildlife Park.

“Vigh-Larsen (the handler of Siku at the Park) asked viewers of a TV show to make an effort to reduce their carbon footprints and save energy on Siku's behalf. "And if you all do that, he would be very, very happy," he said.”
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Siku's first birthday

“What a bash! In this video, Siku celebrates his first birthday with his mother Crystal. The party included cards from Zoo visitors, a birthday greeting written in peanut butter, plenty of food, and a friendly tug of war with a tasty salmon. Later it turned into a swim party -- in December!”
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Polar Bears and Wildlife in Peril

UPDATE: Unfortunately, HR 4089 passed the House and is on the way to the Senate.

“The so-called "Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012" is a highly controversial bill that combines several radical hunting proposals into one package. This legislation seeks to: a) indulge a small group of wealthy trophy hunters who want to import polar bear trophies from Canada in defiance of current law; b) mandate that federal agencies open nearly all federal public lands to hunting without regard to the impact on wildlife and other resources; and c) strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its ability to protect habitat, animals, and people from lead poisoning through toxic ammunition exposure.  We encourage you to add your own thoughts or comments about this legislation in the editable portion, so your legislators know how important this issue is to you personally.”
https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5507&s_src=fapfbtabonlineoption5507
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Toxic Chicken Jerky Treats:

Pet Owners Square Off Against FDA

Story at-a-glance

• “Over four years and hundreds of sick and dead pets since their first warning to consumers, the FDA continues to proceed at a snail’s pace investigating just what the problem is with chicken jerky treats from China.
• Fed up pet owners have begun to involve their elected officials in demanding faster and more decisive action from the FDA. Pet owners have also teamed up to put pressure on retailers to voluntarily pull chicken jerky treats made in China off store shelves.
• An internal FDA document obtained by a major media outlet mentions three brands of pet treats contained in reports from pet owners and veterinarians.
• Predictably, the pet food companies in question and the FDA continue to insist there is no link between sick pets and chicken jerky treats.
• Under no circumstances should pet owners offer chicken jerky treats, tenders or strips from China to their dog or cat. Buy pet food products made in the U.S., or even better -- make your own chicken jerky treats right at home.”

Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/13/pet-owners-vs-chicken-pet-treats.aspx
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Videos of Guide Dogs of America.  From: “Dog Bless You”:
http://explore.org/#!/videos/player/guide-dogs-america
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The Most Depressed Dog In The World, By Eric Letendre

“This poor little guy looks so depressed but……I am a dog therapist. Below these pictures are the cures for any dog that needs a little fun.”



“Dogs love games. A few minutes playing a game would cheer up this sad little guy. The best games are teaching games.    You can have fun and train your dog to come when called at the same time.    Click here:“8 Incredibly Simple Steps To Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called”
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On This Day:

Lewis and Clark depart, May 14, 1804:

“One year after the United States doubled its territory with the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition leaves St. Louis, Missouri, on a mission to explore the Northwest from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
Even before the U.S. government concluded purchase negotiations with France, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned his private secretary Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, an army captain, to lead an expedition into what is now the U.S. Northwest. On May 14, the "Corps of Discovery"--featuring approximately 45 men (although only an approximate 33 men would make the full journey)--left St. Louis for the American interior.
The expedition traveled up the Missouri River in a 55-foot long keelboat and two smaller boats. In November, Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian fur trader accompanied by his young Native American wife Sacagawea, joined the expedition as an interpreter. The group wintered in present-day North Dakota before crossing into present-day Montana, where they first saw the Rocky Mountains. On the other side of the Continental Divide, they were met by Sacagawea's tribe, the Shoshone Indians, who sold them horses for their journey down through the Bitterroot Mountains. After passing through the dangerous rapids of the Clearwater and Snake rivers in canoes, the explorers reached the calm of the Columbia River, which led them to the sea. On November 8, 1805, the expedition arrived at the Pacific Ocean, the first European explorers to do so by an overland route from the east. After pausing there for the winter, the explorers began their long journey back to St. Louis.
On September 23, 1806, after almost two and a half years, the expedition returned to the city, bringing back a wealth of information about the largely unexplored region, as well as valuable U.S. claims to Oregon Territory.”
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Yesterday:
The weather has been cooler, and we have had showers during the night a few times.  That made the hedge grow even more than when I water it.  So Jay spent the morning clipping it quite a bit shorter so that Bobbie cat could see the road from her window again.   I raked up two trash cans full of pine needles and hedge clippings, so we have a burn pile again.
Another great “windows and doors open” day.