In 2009, we created a group to help the state of the dogs in the local animal shelter here in Moscow, Russia. Our region is continuously overcrowded with stray animals, and the shelter simply could not provide more space for the abundance of animals in need, so a group of volunteers independently came together and began doing what we could for these helpless and defenseless animals. Fittingly, we named our group, “Let’s Help Together”.

Animals don’t understand borders. Compassion is a universal language. Members of the U.S. military are stationed on bases all over the world. That’s why our Operation Baghdad Pups program has expanded since its inception in 2008. To date, we have rescued over 540 animals from multiple countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

I’m delighted to introduce myself as SPCA International’s new Interim Executive Director. Our longtime Executive Director, JD Winston, has chosen a new path after serving SPCAI with passion and vision for over seven years. He will be dearly missed by our staff and supporters, but we are also energized by this opportunity for transformation at a time when SPCAI is poised to make a deeper and stronger impact on suffering animals around the world.

Welcome to my first blog post. I thought I’d take a stab at a topic that came up when I was pregnant that seems to have a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. Specifically, what is toxoplasmosis, who is at risk of contracting it, and how can I protect myself? Read on for answers to these questions, and more!

Those were the words being chanted on the weekend of June 9th, when our friends at SOS Galgos took to the streets of Barcelona for a 3-kilometer march in protest against the cruelty inflicted upon the Spanish Greyhounds.

Recently the daily Ted Talks email featured one of my favorite poets, Billy Collins, reciting two of his poems written from the viewpoint of dogs. They are entertaining, insightful and thought provoking. It's just a short 4 minute video. Well worth the time!

As we all know, animal shelters are overrun with pets at this time of year as many dogs and cats unfortunately continue to reproduce. We wanted to share some of the exciting and creative ideas we've seen recently to encourage and increase pet adoptions.

In Detroit, a poor automotive economy and a dwindling population have resulted in a rise in crime and dog fighting. Animals have no value in this harsh world and are tossed out without food, water, and shelter to fend for themselves on the brutal streets. Learn about the horrific realities through the eyes of Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) volunteers as they comb the desolate streets to help the thousands of homeless animals in need.

A dog and cat’s life is a short one in Iraq. If they manage to escape the horrible abuse, they are likely to starve to death or die painfully due to illness or heat exhaustion. These animals are rarely shown any mercy for they are seen as worthless rodents, a nuisance to society.

This month, we aim to deploy an OBP rescue mission in a new part of the world; a reminder that US servicemen and women everywhere need our help. There are many brave men and women serving around the world making connections with animals that help them through tough times.