Hearts Alive Village: Providing Critical Assistance for Animals and Their Humans

The end of pandemic benefits has increased the need for assistance of all kinds, including help for pet owners to keep and care for their four-legged best friends.

Hearts Alive helps all kinds of critters
Photo courtesy of Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas

About a month ago, the federal government ended the additional unemployment benefits provided during the earlier phases of the pandemic. In July, the eviction moratorium was ended. Many people are now left without sufficient income, and the unfortunate result is that many people will have difficulty feeding and caring for their pets. Heartbreakingly, some people will decide they have no choice but to surrender their pets to a shelter.

In Las Vegas, the Hearts Alive Village is one of the rescues trying to help people keep their pets. This non-profit offers several resources for struggling pet owners, including a program to help veterans and their pets with training, financial aid for vet bills, boarding and other resources. They also offer a foster and adoption program, re-homing help, a pet pantry, low-cost vet clinics, and a retail location with new and gently used pet items like toys and beds. They recently announced the addition of a horse sanctuary this fall – an urgent need, considering the number of horse owners in Southern Nevada.

Hearts Alive is opening a horse sanctuary
Photo courtesy of Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas

Back in July, their location near Rainbow and Charleston was burglarized. Although none of the animals were hurt, the group had to deal with the theft of money and equipment – never an easy thing to deal with, and at a non-profit, any loss is particularly difficult.

Hearts Alive helps fill the need for animal assistance in Las Vegas. While the city’s official shelter, The Animal Foundation, does its best to keep up with pet-related needs, it’s consistently dealing with an average of 30,000 animals coming in each year. It’s one of the highest volume single-site animal shelters in America. According to the RJ, Las Vegas has as many animals brought into its shelter as Los Angeles County, which has six shelters. That means groups like Hearts Alive are critical to providing resources for animals in Southern Nevada.

If you’ve been keeping up with the local news, you know that rent increases are driving people out of their homes, compounding the financial difficulties people are facing from the end of pandemic aid. The Nevada SPCA says that moving is one of the biggest reasons people surrender their pets. Many rentals don’t allow pets, or if they do, they require large deposits or higher rent. These cruel policies force too many people to choose between having a place to live or keeping their pet family members – and approximately 72% of renters have pets. Put that together with stats from December of 2020, when the ASPCA estimated that 19.2 million pets were living in homes that weren’t current on rent, and you have a recipe for a terrible situation. 

I’m not ashamed to admit that I dearly love animals of all kinds. That’s why the current situation is so concerning to me. My pets have always been members of my family. I can’t imagine how people who are already going through catastrophic losses of homes and financial security must feel when faced with surrendering their best friends, or foregoing medical treatment for them, or being unable to feed them. 

I’m urging everyone who can to make a donation to Hearts Alive or another animal rescue. They’re doing all they can to help with a situation that will only grow, and they need our help.

How can you resist this face?
Photo courtesy of Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Farm: Eggs, Baked Goods & Rescued Critters

A visit to The Las Vegas Farm is a family-friendly, outdoor activity that benefits rescued animals and gives you the chance to buy fresh produce, eggs, and yummy baked goods.

If you’ve never been to The Las Vegas Farm, which is a stone’s throw from Gilcrease Orchard in northwest Las Vegas, then you’re missing out. Open only on weekends from 9 to 4, The Farm offers a farmers market (no charge to enter) and visitors can walk through the animal sanctuary ($8 for adults) to see and feed the animals.

The homemade dill pickles I bought there a couple of weekends ago were the best I’ve ever had, and my son was delighted with the apple pie and muffin he got. (I got one slice of the apple pie and can verify it was delicious. I got zero of the muffin, so I’ll have to take his word on that one.) We spent probably the better part of an hour visiting the cows, goats, horses, pigs, and other critters. Animals who don’t mind socializing with the humans are usually looking for those with food to offer, which visitors can buy for a nominal cost (I think it was $1 for a bag). 

They also currently have a large supply of pumpkins, suitable for all your Halloween needs. (Adorable kitties not included, FYI.)

Beginning October 10 and running through the end of the month, The Farm will host their annual Harvest Festival ($8 for adults, $4 for kids), which is currently slated to include rides and a maze. I think the festival might result in some larger crowds, a consideration that may matter to some visitors. It’s a big event for this true mom-and-pop operation, and my fingers are crossed it will be successful for them. As with almost every business in Las Vegas, the ‘rona has hurt them. Part of their business came from hosting events, and we all know how that’s going.

All visitors are required to wear a mask and wash their hands upon entry. Everyone I saw was obeying social distancing. I know I’m far from the only person being extra careful since I have a high-risk person in my home, and I felt fine about being there. 

If you’re looking for outside things to do, I suggest putting The Farm on your list. 

Barn Buddies is the non-profit group that manages the animal rescue, and they are always in need of donations and volunteers. Check their website for more information.

All photos by Terrisa Meeks

Don’t Be a Bunny Dumper

In February, about 50 dead rabbits were discovered on the grounds of a mental health facility where bunny dumping has been going on for years. Local rescue groups are still working to move any remaining rabbits off the grounds and are in need of animal carriers, water bottles, and donations.

 

With Easter coming up this weekend, it seems like the right time to talk about our rabbit problems.

Bunnies on the grounds of a local park

Bunny dumping has been a problem in Las Vegas for a long time. I’m not talking about the wild rabbits you see when you’re out hiking. The bunnies I’m talking about were once someone’s pet, right up until the point when their person decided to abandon them. These bunnies aren't able to fend for themselves. For some time now, volunteers have been feeding and caring for rabbits at dump sites throughout Las Vegas and doing their best to adopt them out when possible (a rigorous screening process is involved).

Volunteers with Bunnies Matter were shocked to discover the dead rabbits at the mental health facility last month. Poisoning initially was the suspected cause of death, but autopsies revealed it was brunt force trauma, enough to break ribs. Someone was unspeakably cruel to these bunnies, who were accustomed  to humans.

Two days before the dead rabbits were found on February 18, the mental health facility passed around notices that the Nevada Department of Health had declared the bunnies a health hazard. (During the autopsies, the bunnies tested negative for tularemia, one of the serious diseases the rabbits were alleged to have. Prior to this point, there were no concerns voiced about the rabbits carrying disease.) Further, the notice said people were barred from feeding the rabbits and that the state planned to relocate them. No one from Bunnies Matter had been told anything about these new developments.

Interestingly, the facility itself had originally released rabbits on the grounds, thinking it would be soothing for the residents. They neglected to spay or neuter the rabbits, and so they wound up with a rabbit problem, exacerbated by bunny dumpers. 

After the dead rabbits were found, bunny rescuers sprang into action, working diligently to move the remaining rabbits off the grounds. (At its peak population, this dumpsite had about 1,000 rabbits.) When I spoke to Stacey Taylor of Bunnies Matter a couple of weeks ago, her group was still working hard to get all of the rabbits moved from the area. She said that baby bunnies who had been in burrows waiting for their moms had started to come out, likely looking for food since Mom had not come back.

With Easter right around the corner, there are unfortunately a lot of bunnies who will wind up homeless after they become too big or too much of a bother. That’s when a bunch of them will wind up being dumped somewhere.

If you think a rabbit will make a fun Easter gift for the kids, please rethink. Bunnies requite a lot of attention and care. They like to chew on things. They get bored easily. If you’re thinking of getting a bunny, I urge you to do some research on what’s involved with caring for them. Better yet, I strongly urge you to reconsider and simply buy a stuffed animal instead.

Even better, visit some real bunnies at one of the adoption events Bunnies Matters hosts, and then make a donation. They're at the PetSmart on West Charleston every Saturday. Drop off a carrier and a water bottle. Click over to the Bunnies Matter Amazon Wish List, and send them something. Don't give bunnies as gifts this Easter--give the bunnies the gifts instead!

PETA is offering a$5,000 reward for the identification of the people responsible for the 50 rabbit deaths. The Nevada Capitol Police, a state agency, is also investigating the bunny killing.

Have you seen the dumped bunnies around Las Vegas? If you're not in Las Vegas, do you have a bunny dumping problem in your city? Unfortunately, many places do.

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All pictures by Terrisa Meeks

Las Vegas Urban Wildlife - Watch Out For The Mockingbirds

My backyard is a popular place for the local wildlife, in no small part because of the giant shrub-trees.

Mockingbirds particularly like our yard. They've nested in just about every suitable shrub-tree. As far as I know, they're the only type of bird that has nested in our backyard—unless you count the woodpeckers' unsuccessful attempts to peck holes in our house.

We haven't had any nests this year, but the season is young. Mockingbirds nest more than once each season, so we may yet have our aggressive avian friends raising their babies in our backyard. When they're nesting and raising their chicks, they will dive-bomb anyone who gets too close. If you have particularly ticked them off (like the time my husband climbed the fence to stick his head in the shrub-tree—bad, bad idea, by the way), they will remember you and attack you as soon as they see you.

We found this old mockingbird nest in our largest shrub-tree. The plum nuts and other food debris made us think that rats may have been using it. It's a marvel of construction, a masterpiece woven with twigs.

Las Vegas Urban Wildlife

You might think that bachelor party attendees are Las Vegas’ only wildlife, but I’m happy to tell you that actual animals—with four legs and/or wings—live in Las Vegas. In my neighborhood, we have woodpeckers (they keep trying to nest in our stucco), finches, sparrows, doves, grackles, robins, hummingbirds, and pigeons. I’ve seen hawks, a great horned owl, and a turkey vulture. Rats have moved in, much to our dismay. When I saw one running across the street recently, I initially thought it was a confused White-tailed Antelope Squirrel. But some of my favorite desert critters are lizards. We have a wealth of them in our backyard, some of them with identifiable characteristics—like the one I call Hook Tail. At my mom-in-law’s condo, they’re in the shrubs and rocks. My brother-in-law, whom I’m now calling “The Lizard Whisperer” caught this tiny little guy on Mom's patio. I think I saw its dad yesterday, but as soon as he saw me looking at him, he took off. If you want to see the wildlife in Las Vegas, you've got to pay attention. Unlike those bachelor party attendees, the real wildlife is a little bit shy.

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Photograph courtesy of Sandy Hoskins

Puppy Mills Are Bad News

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed protestors at Fort Apache and Charleston. They were protesting the pet shop that operates in Boca Park because the shop buys from puppy mills. What's wrong with puppy mills? Pretty much everything. Describing them as inhumane simply isn't enough. Read "Pup My Ride to the Rescue" by Las Vegas author Cathy Scott on the Best Friends Network (a publication of the Best Friends Animal Society) to learn more about puppy mills.

If you want a pet, check with local shelters; if you must have a purebreed, check with rescue groups. Scroll to the end of Cathy's article for links to groups that can help you find a pet.
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Picture by Sarah Ause, Best Friends photographer, from http://network.bestfriends.org/truth/news/34042.html

Puddles and Pet-A-Palooza

Animal lovers were appalled in January when the City of Las Vegas’ animal pound erroneously euthanized a pet (Puddles the cat) after it had been identified by its owner. You can read and watch KTNV’s coverage, or read the LV Sun article, “When owners bark or bite.” Read the article to find out why the management at Lied wants improved security features for its staff. In a nutshell, people get really pissed when they find out their pets have been killed after 72 hours (three days) at the pound.

Before I go any further, let me suggest that we re-name Lied to exclude the word "shelter" from its title. (It is actually operated by the Animal Foundation.) If you look up synonyms for “shelter,” you find “protection,” “refuge,” “cover,” “haven,” “sanctuary.” How about Lied Animal Center, or Lied Animal Processing Facility (LAPF)? Lied may be a lot of things, but “shelter” is stretching it. They're doing the best they can, I know, but let's be honest.

What happened after Puddles died? Has Lied made improvements? Has an outpouring of community interest changed the conditions at our dumping ground for the four-legged unwanted? Yeah, right. I’ve been waiting to hear any kind of follow-up, but the news is too busy with our economic apocalypse to have much time for the animals. If you think this recession/depression/etc. has been hard on the humans in Vegas, what do you think these animals are going through?

Support your local animal shelters, pounds, and rescue groups. If you’re looking for a pet, bypass the pet store and adopt one instead. It costs less and can save an animal's life. The Las Vegas SPCA operates a no-kill shelter, and several other worthwhile animal groups work in Clark County. Lied takes animals for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County and obviously needs people to give homes to them. If your pet is lost, begin checking with Lied immediately; if your pet is taken there, you must act promptly. Consider micro-chipping your pets.

You can also support animals by having a good time at Pet-a-Palooza this weekend, April 4, 2009. The fesitval is at Sam Boyd Stadium and features music (Gavin Rossdale, for one), food, and loads of stuff for critter lovers--admission is only $5.00 and a portion goes to support the animal organizations who will be at Pet-a-Palooza.
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Photo courtesy of Sande Hamilton at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/984684