Humane Society

Rambo sounds the warning as soon as the kennel door at Bolling Air Force Base creaks open -- a ferocious, thunderous bark as loud and persistent as a jackhammer. In nearby stalls, Rocky goes berserk, spinning in tight circles like a top, and Jess, ears perked, bounces excitedly up and down. Then there's Timi. He stays silent, his head bowed, ears bent. He stands motionless, averting his gaze. Timi has always been the oddball of the kennel, "the quirky one," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy Evans, his trainer.

Her inner alarm chimes before dawn, long before her dog Yoda emerges from his nightly nest amid the bed covers, before the proverbial rooster crows and the day begins for 19 million or so egg-laying chickens whose lives she worked to change. It's 5 a.m., and Jennifer Fearing is beginning another day as the rising star of California's animal protection movement.

Two animated productions -- the feature film "Bolt" and the Fox TV series "The Simpsons" -- have picked up top honors at the 23rd annual Genesis Awards, presented by the Humane Society of the United States to honor media presentations of animal protection issues. "Bolt," the story of a pampered, sheltered dog suddenly thrust into the outside world on its own, was cited in part for its depiction of "the sad truth about unwanted and abandoned cats and dogs," while "The Simpsons" won for its episode "Apocalypse Cow," which the Humane Society praised for "telling it like it really is about the fate of 4-H club animals and the bleak, inhumane nature of factory farming."

A Nebraska man who stuffed his girlfriend's kitten into a makeshift bong and filled it with marijuana smoke says that he had done it before and that it had calmed the kitten down. Acea Schomaker, 20, of Lincoln said Tuesday that he never intended to hurt the kitten, 6-month-old Shadow. He says the kitten would bite and scratch him and his girlfriend but he didn't want to discipline it by swatting it or squirting it with water.

The puggles, maltepoos and labradoodles scampering along city streets are bred to be cute and customizable, pet industry experts say. But these pricey "designer dogs" are also exploited by abusive breeders and unscrupulous sellers, leading to more sick puppies and unhappy owners, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Like puppy mills that produce non-hybrids, these operations are hurting the animals through neglect and poor care, the society says. Made fashionable by celebrities like Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Simpson, hybrid puppies -- the offspring of two purebred dogs -- often go for more money than purebreds, which can range from $200 to $2,000 per dog. Hybrid puppy breeding operations are cropping up in rural areas from Pennsylvania to Kansas, animal advocates say. But a big hot spot for hybrid owners, said pet industry insider Laura Bennett, is much closer to home.

Animal welfare activists don't usually invoke the National Rifle Assn. as a role model. After all, hunting animals for sport and protecting animals from sport hunters are mutually exclusive endeavors. But Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, finds something to admire about the gun rights group: its brute strength. "Our movement needs an NRA-type organization to get the job done," Pacelle said. "There are lots of gun rights groups, but the one that you hear about and the one that is feared is the NRA."

Re "Charities find gifts aren't a given," July 6 This article only concerns commercial fundraisers. These are consultants who focus on direct mail or events, collect money themselves and give their nonprofit clients a percentage of the receipts. Most fundraisers are not commercial fundraisers and do not work on a percentage basis. They are paid on an hourly or project basis, and they provide counsel to clients on how to run campaigns. The client organizations receive philanthropic gifts directly.

Re "With low-carbon diets, consumers step to the plate," April 22 It was terrific to finally read about how eating more greens is the best way to be more green. Eating your veggies and reducing your consumption of meat certainly is an easy way to save our planet for future generations. This is a choice that we can all easily make and is a lot cheaper than buying solar panels or a new hybrid car. There is another simple choice Californians can make that helps not only the environment but the animals that are raised for food.

U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman denied a request by the Humane Society of the United States to block the government from killing protected sea lions at Bonneville Dam. Indian tribes and fishermen say the sea lions are eating threatened salmon. The killing could start by the end of this week.