Imagine you are down on your luck, and you have a pet. It’s a heartbreaking situation: You barely have enough money to feed yourself, much less your companion animal. Do you go without food? Do you give up your beloved pet?
In an effort to help countless people who are now finding themselves in just this sort of situation, a no-kill shelter in Idaho, the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, has partnered with The Hunger Coalition to help feed the pets of those in need. The program, Paws for Hunger, provides pet food for those who might otherwise have a hard time affording it.
“These are pets that already have loving homes,” said the animal shelter’s director, Dr. Jo-Anne Dixon. “When a family needs help from the food bank, it’s usually a temporary and very stressful situation. Pets are very much a part of the family support system, particularly for the children. We want to make sure that this part of the support system isn’t broken.” About 30 families receive pet food each month, with about 10 also receiving food for themselves. More than 4,000 pounds of pet food were distributed by the animal shelter in 2009. In 2010, that number has nearly doubled.
On the New York City Council, a paid sick leave bill has support from 35 out of 51 council members. That’s not just a majority, it’s a veto-proof majority. Yet the bill still hasn’t passed. Why not? In order for council members to vote in favor of the legislation, there has to be, well, a vote. And Council Speaker Christine Quinn is standing in the way.
Stewie the beagle spent the last three years of his life in a cage at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, one of nearly 200 dogs and 54 cats who were the subjects of toxicity testing, abuse and neglect. An 
I’m a big fan of HBO’s True Blood, but I was a little worried last week when it became apparent that the show was going to take on dogfighting. (If you’re not caught up on the latest episodes, here’s the obligatory Spoiler Alert warning.)
Given a porcupine, some food coloring and 45 minutes, Valerie Brown Eyes’ impossibly deft fingers can create a masterpiece. She is one of the many professional artists specializing in quillwork on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The bracelet pictured above was crafted using the wrapping method — with just a thin strip of rawhide and a Tupperware container filled with brightly dyed porcupine quills, Valerie wraps and weaves each two-inch quill around and around. No glue, no staples, no shortcuts. She has been perfecting this ancient art for a lifetime, and still says she’s “far from done” with her artistic journey.
What happens to young girls in Afghanistan who run away from forced marriages in desperate search of freedom? They are whipped and hit with sticks, leather straps, and rods, over and over and over. And the men that beat them? Well, their actions are justified. After all, these girls should know better …