Published Articles & More
August 10, 2015
Back in caveman days, we converted wolves to dogs because we had a mutual agreement that was beneficial to both of us. We were supposed to help and protect each other. Over the past 10,000 to 15,000 years, we have evolved, yet violated this agreement. We now kill them with lethal injections in the pounds. Some use… Continue Reading »
April 8, 2015
On March 2, a one-year-old Pointer mix, was left tied to a light post with a handwritten note, “My name is Joey. I am looking for a home. Please take care of me!” A good Samaritan, Lisa Snyder, who is also homeless herself, found him drenched in rain, in San Pedro where temperatures dipped into the 40s… Continue Reading »
March 4, 2015
When we adopt a dog, we often want to give him/her a new name for a new life. But what matters to dogs the most is “familiarity.” That’s why they get so happy when they see someone they’ve met before, or return to a place where they had a good time in the past. We… Continue Reading »
February 14, 2015
A woman with a tiny Chihuahua passed by me when I was walking with my dogs one day. As the dogs said hello to each other, and it was a harness looped over her neck and the whole thing was about to come off. I did not want to scare the little dog because if she took… Continue Reading »
December 8, 2014
I watched a documentary film about a decade ago, in which an ex-rancher told his heart-wrenching story. He was taken to a farm animal sanctuary one day, and he signed up for “adopt a cow” program, which designated a calf for him to sponsor. He did that out of the goodness of his heart. Nonetheless,… Continue Reading »
May 29, 2014
Your dog is your mirror. That’s why dog trainers say you need to be in a calm state in order to keep your dog calm. Dogs respond to a fraction of our mood, not even a thought, but just our energy. I was stressed out to the max one day but was calm on the outside. No… Continue Reading »
May 29, 2014
One of the supporters of my charity, , emailed me: his beloved German Shepherd passed, and he and his wife wanted to adopt one in honor of her passing, rather than buying a puppy from a breeder. I was delighted about their decision to adopt, but the criteria was not easy to meet. They wanted… Continue Reading »
February 15, 2014
If you have been involved in animal rescue in Los Angeles over the past decades, you must have encountered one of the most selfless rescuers, Jean Burke. She was well respected by the rescue community, and an inspiration to those who crossed her path. Jean was all about animals and never looked the other way… Continue Reading »
January 12, 2014
My car died. Since it was totaled by a malfunction, it felt like losing a loved one for a stroke. As you cannot survive without a car in this city, I was forced to shop for a new car. When I was finalizing the purchase with the sales manager, he explained that I was going… Continue Reading »
December 25, 2013
The holiday season can be very difficult for those who have lost their loved ones — whether they were family members or pets. I lost my soulmate dog over a year ago. He was a rescued dog, so the holiday season used to be also a celebration of his birthday. This year I’m going through the second holiday… Continue Reading »
December 14, 2013
There have been many lives that were saved by no other explanation but a miracle. Some were saved at the very last minute as a fluke and others by a chain of events that made their rescues possible. Several years ago, from the pound. Mirabelle was old and as a large breed, we thought she would… Continue Reading »
November 23, 2013
When we decide to adopt a dog, how do we choose the right one for us? Many people who come to my rescue organization’s adoption events look for a dog that instantly clicks with them because they are seeking that type of “special bond.” The instant connection makes them feel like they were meant for each other. Here’s… Continue Reading »
November 14, 2013
At one of the adoption events my nonprofit, a volunteer became upset when someone declined a dog we had for adoption because “he called my dog ugly!” I looked at her, and she was indeed offended — as if it was really about her dog. That was the moment I decided that every dog needs a designated person who would be… Continue Reading »
October 17, 2013
Loving our dog is like loving our child with a fatal disease because we know they will die in a limited number of years, and love them more for that limitation. Photo by Andy Pearlman Yes, it’s been heartbreaking to me, too, especially when my soulmate dogs died. When one of them, Forte died, I thought that… Continue Reading »
September 24, 2013
We love our dogs like our children, but very few become our soulmate. For a variety of reasons, his death was a very difficult one for me, and even a year later, it still is. When a very close friend lost his battle against cancer several years ago, I went to attend a support group meeting, but… Continue Reading »
July 17, 2013
The dog did not have a name when Nicky Wicks spotted her in Sri Lanka. She called her Hope because “there were so many street dogs but I looked at Hope and my heart broke,” she wrote in an email to share this amazing story. A native of Australia, Nicky has grown up with animals from an early… Continue Reading »
April 17, 2013
Two years ago, , and needed our help to find him a permanent home. She was very fond of him and wanted to keep him, but she was happy when we found an adopter for him. Then last year, she came back with Ginger whom she saved from a high-kill pound. This time, she fostered Ginger herself…. Continue Reading »
January 24, 2013
When I read advice columns like Dear Abby or Ask Amy, so that your husband might change. One can modify his behavior to a degree, but he will never change to become a different person. Molding someone into something he was not cut out to be is not only unrealistic but also unfair and unhealthy. I had… Continue Reading »
December 20, 2012
Many people love a picture of a puppy coming out of a box wrapped in red and green with a big bow on it for their kids for Christmas. Don’t do it. Puppies are not toys, by March, unless you have properly trained the pup, you will end up with an unruly adolescent “dog.” By then,… Continue Reading »
September 18, 2012
When people see an injured animal on the street, they often will say, “Oh, poor little doggie, I wish I could do something, but it’s OK, someone will help him, I’m sure.” Wait, who is that someone? They are not even referring to animal control. They need “someone” to, at the very least, call animal… Continue Reading »© 2013-2024 Forte Animal Rescue - All Rights Reserved.