Digital Commons Network^™

Quality Prevails Over Identity In The Sexually Selected Vocalisations Of An Ageing Mammal, Elodie F. Briefer, Elisabetta Vannoni, Alan G. Mcelligott

Ethology Collection

Background: Male sexually selected vocalisations generally contain both individuality and quality cues that are crucial in intra- as well as inter-sexual communication. As individuality is a fixed feature whereas male phenotypic quality changes with age, individuality and quality cues may be subjected to different selection pressures over time. Individuality (for example, morphology of the vocal apparatus) and quality (for example, body size and dominance status) can both affect the vocal production mechanism, inducing the same components of vocalisations to convey both kinds of information. In this case, do quality-related changes to the acoustic structure of calls induce a modification of …

Discourse And Wolves: Science, Society, And Ethics, William S. Lynn

Human and Animal Bonding Collection

Wolves have a special resonance in many human cultures. To appreciate fully the wide variety of views on wolves, we must attend to the scientific, social, and ethical discourses that frame our understanding of wolves themselves, as well as their relationships with people and the natural world. These discourses are a configuration of ideas, language, actions, and institutions that enable or constrain our individual and collective agency with respect to wolves.

Scientific discourse is frequently privileged when it comes to wolves, on the assumption that the primary knowledge requirements are matters of ecology, cognitive ethology, and allied disciplines. Social discourse …

Letterbox

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

No abstract provided.

Coffee Break

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

In your space, you told us about the most heartwarming experience you’ve ever had in the animal welfare field.

The Faces Behind The Numbers

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Books showcase the side of farm animals the public rarely sees

Kittens: Coming Now To A Shelter Near You

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Strategies for coping with kitten season

Bright Is The New Black

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Marti Houge’s bright bandanas give color-challenged pooches a better chance of catching someone’s eye.

Vetting Your Vets

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Finding an animal doctor for your shelter means asking all the right questions—of the potential hire, and your own organization

A Beginner’S Guide To Stress Across Species

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Recognizing, preventing, and reducing stress in birds and small mammals

Collars And Sense

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

It’s often said in the sheltering field that a collar and identification tag are a lost pet’s best chance of returning home. That’s especially true for felines: At a time when the homeless cat population is at crisis levels nationwide, only 2 to 5 percent of the millions entering shelters each year are reunited with their families. Shelters can help by modeling good cat identification practices to potential adopters.

All Roads Lead To Home

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Moved by the extremity of the pet overpopulation problem in their region, veterinary students at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine launched the Homeward Bound Project, a transport program taking adoptable dogs from overcrowded shelters in the South to shelters in the Northeast, where there’s often greater demand for them.

Letterbox

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

No abstract provided.

Emergency Planning After Katrina

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Thanks in part to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, the welfare of pets is now widely recognized as a critical aspect of any emergency preparedness plan. Animal shelters in nine jurisdictions in Northern Virginia have banded together to make sure that if a calamity ever strikes their region, pet owners and their furry best friends will be able to seek refuge together.

Coffee Break

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

In your space, you told us about a time when you decided to stop working in the animal sheltering and rescue field, the reasons you wanted to leave—and what brought you back.

The Purebred Paradox

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

The quest to create the “perfect” dog may be contributing to a genetic health crisis among purebreds. A lack of genetic testing, mating of closely related animals, and breed standards that encourage extreme features over health have been blamed for a host of health problems facing scores of breeds today.

One Cool Tool, Mark Johnson

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

The most common option for working with frightened dogs is the catch pole, the tool most ACOs and shelter staff resort to when a dog refuses to be handled. But the catch pole can be abused; as often as possible, shelter staff and ACOs should seek humane alternatives. One of these is the Y pole—a “Y”-shaped metal pole that functions as an extension of the human hand and, used properly, can help convince animals to relax.

Canine Distemper Virus: Anatomy Of An Outbreak

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Canine distemper virus can easily enter a shelter, is tricky to diagnose, and may wreak havoc on a shelter’s dog population. A veterinarian and a shelter official discuss the policies and procedures that helped a shelter in West Kennebunk, Maine, cope with an outbreak.

The Tracks Of My Volunteers

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Shelters need systems to track information related to their volunteers—everything from names and emergency contacts to education and the hidden talents and community connections that can benefit the organization. Problem is, volunteer managers are usually so busy they either can’t take time to develop the tracking systems they need, or don’t take the time to put onto paper what they know in their heads. Setting up a system anyone can use will save time and help you get the most out of your volunteers.

Blankets And Beyond

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Eileen Smulson’s nonprofit, Operation Blankets of Love, helps provide many of the little extras—everything from blankets and towels to cat scratchers and dog igloos—that Los Angeles area animal shelters couldn’t otherwise afford.

Force For Good

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

The major raids that result in the rescue of dogs from puppy mills begin not with dramatic stakeouts, but rather with a flurry of phone calls, e-mails, and paperwork. At The Humane Society of the United States, that hard work is the job of staff members on the Wilde Puppy Mill Task Force, part of the organization’s larger Stop Puppy Mills campaign. Task force members Justin Scally and Michelle Cascio discuss the challenges and successes of the group’s first year.

Letterbox

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

No abstract provided.

Coffee Break

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

In your space, you told us how your organization makes its facilities more appealing to the public. Do you decorate your lobby? Deodorize your kennels? Disguise ugly parts of the building?

Rescued From Squalor

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Even when faced with overwhelming evidence that the animals in their care are suffering, hoarders often cannot stop collecting more. Rooted in mental illness, hoarders’ behavior warrants compassion—but stopping them will often require prosecution. Through the lens of one hoarding seizure, we look at the phenomenon of hoarding, and explore ways that even smaller shelters can prepare to handle a major case.

Making Spay/Neuter An Inside Job

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

A program in Oklahoma provides a model for how subsidized spay/neuter can be made more widely available to low-income residents, through cooperative efforts with local veterinarians in private practice.

Rehab Project

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

If you were suddenly faced with caring for scores of filthy, frightened puppy mill dogs, what do you do? Where do you even begin? Some shelters would understandably freak out, but others around the country have years of experience dealing with this, and they’ve developed methods to rehabilitate and socialize these special pets, turning them into companion animals that people will line up to adopt.

Bringing The Holidays Home

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

Christmas can be the loneliest day of the year for chained dogs, but a small group of officers at the Washington Humane Society have a holiday tradition of making sure these canines know they’re not forgotten.

President's Note

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

No abstract provided.

Turning Fearful Cats Friendly

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

The more friendly shelter cats seem, the more likely it is that people will interact with them, which can lead to adoptions. But what about all the feral and fearful cats who don’t meet adoptability criteria and are less likely to find a home?

Letters

Serial - All Animals 2009-15

No abstract provided.

Amazing Gracie

Animal Sheltering 2010-12

In her book Saving Gracie, journalist Carol Bradley traces the journey of one dog— initially known only as “No. 132”—from her sad origins at a puppy mill, to her seizure by caring humane officers, and ultimately into the loving arms of an adopter.