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Tag: ASPCA

  • Nikki Reed Talks Future and ‘Kiddos’ With Ian Somerhalder

    Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder share a deep love for animals. In fact, they refer to their pets as their kids. It’s that love of animals that initially brought the two together. Reed dished to People magazine recently about how that attraction turned to love. She started out, though, by crediting her mom for allowing her to develop her passion.

    “From the time I was a little kid, she let us bring in any and everything that needed a home. We had baby coyotes and raccoons and squirrels, anything that needed to be dropper-fed,” she said. “And this was before the Internet, so it was my mom and I at 10 p.m. going to an emergency vet when we didn’t have five dollars to our name, just to ask a vet tech what we should do.”

    Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder–just recently engaged–already have nine ‘kiddos’ together. Their brood includes four dogs, three cats and two horses–split between the east and west coasts. The two are presently living together in Atlanta.

    “I did a horse film about a year ago and I literally couldn’t separate myself from two of the horses. They became like my family and I couldn’t say goodbye,” Reed says. “I’m so lucky that Ian and I are on the same page with animals. We made [adopting the horses] happen together.”

    Nikki Reed is taking her love of animals one step further this weekend. She will host the Catdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday, where she hopes to find homes for litters of kittens right there on the red carpet. Presented by Fresh Step litter, the festival will debut six films starring shelter cats. Artist Ashley Berman has designed a custom 14-karat gold and diamond cat dome ring that Nikki Reed will wear. The ring will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting the ASPCA.

    “This is what I live for and it’s my passion, so I love any opportunity to collaborate in this way,” Reed says. “Nothing makes me happier than being a part of this.”

    She might want to retract just a bit of that statement, as it’s abundantly clear how happy her engagement and future wedding to Ian Somerhalder makes her. She and her Vampire Diaries star haven’t set a wedding date yet, but she has done nothing but gush about her happiness with her fiance since he proposed and she said yes.

    “Honestly just the endless possibilities, you know? We have such an amazing future ahead of us and anything we put our minds to will become a reality,” Reed said. “I’m just excited for all those possibilities.”

    Nikki Reed will next appear on the big screen in a thriller called Enter The Dangerous Mind. The film also stars Scott Bakula and Jason Priestley. Ian Somerhalder will no doubt walk the red carpet with his fiancee when the movie premieres in February. Will there be kittens on that red carpet, too, if Nikki Reed gets her way? If so, that could mean a few new ‘kiddos’ going home with them and joining their brood.

  • Nikki Reed Designs Dog Accessories For ASPCA

    Nikki Reed has designed a new line of dog accessories.

    Reed, one of the stars of Twilight , teamed up with Found My Animal to create a unique line of dog accessories to benefit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

    The limited-edition pieces were unveiled during an event in West Hollywood on Tuesday, September 30. The items, which include a leather collar ($56) and leash ($62), became available for purchase in early October, and are sold on the retail website Gilt.com.

    While at the event, Reed opened up about the cause that she cares deeply about to Us Weekly.

    “As long as I can remember, I’ve been donating and volunteering for the ASPCA or local shelters,’ Reed explained. “I couldn’t be more excited that Gilt wants to shine a light on animal adoption, and I love what Found My Animal stands for.”

    Reed is the proud owner of two German Shepherds, Enzo and Ira, and loves to foster adult dogs and cats while they wait for their forever loving homes.

    “I pick up dogs on the kill list, bring them to my house, and rehab them,” Reed said. “Puppies get adopted faster, so my priority is always adult dogs and cats.”

    Caring for animals has always been one of Reed’s passions, and she takes pride in being able to help them in any way possible. “Acting is my profession … my craft. It inspires me,” she said. “[Caring for animals] is like my second job. It’s my other passion.”

  • Nikki Reed Goes to the Dogs To Benefit Animal Cruelty Organization

    Nikki Reed has teamed up with Found My Animal to create a collection of dog accessories that will benefit The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

    The pieces, which are sold through online retailer Gilt and include a $65 leather collar and a $62 leash, were unveiled at an event in West Hollywood on Sept. 30.

    “As long as I can remember, I’ve been donating and volunteering for the ASPCA or local shelters. I couldn’t be more excited that Gilt wants to shine a light on animal adoption, and I love what Found My Animal stands for,” Reed, 26, told Us Weekly of the pet collection.

    “I pick up dogs on the kill list, bring them to my house, and rehab them,” Reed said. “Puppies get adopted faster, so my priority is always adult dogs and cats.”

    Reed is momma to her own fur babies — her mother’s two German shepherds, three dogs she adopted, two horses and a rat. The actress said she has a passion for saving animals on the kill list.

    “Puppies get adopted faster, so my priority is always adult dogs and cats,” said the Twilight star.

    Her passion for animals runs deep and it’s one she shares with boyfriend Ian Somerhalder. While filming The Sunday Horse in Atlanta, the actress fell in love with two of the horses that were used in the film, so she bought them. “I was so attached and couldn’t let go.”

    “Acting is my profession … my craft,” said Reed. “It inspires me. [Caring for animals] is like my second job. It’s my other passion.”

  • Canadian Man Convicted Of Bestiality Gives ‘Walk The Dog’ New Meaning

    When joining the SCPA, either as an employee or volunteer, you’re generally expected to prevent the abuse of animals. For one New Brunswick resident, he used his status as a volunteer to get close to the animals without raising suspicion.

    CBC reports that Anthony Volgmann, a 30-year volunteer with the Canadian SPCA, pled guilty to charges of bestiality and corrupting morals. Volgmann was found to have had performed sexual acts with dogs under his care during his time as a dog walker between January and September in 2013. He also posted pictures of his acts online which resulted in the corrupting morals charge.

    As it turns out, he was actually caught thanks to those pictures he was posting online. An America SPCA member spotted Volgmann’s pictures on a bestiality Web site and notified the authorities in Canada. Volgmann was identified, arrested and subjected to a psychiatric test before standing trial.

    At the sentencing, Volgmann avoided jail time on the grounds that his crimes were non-violent. Instead, he will face two years of probation and must attend psychological counseling. Obviously, he will not be allowed anywhere near dogs or places where dogs congregate. Finally, he is also banned from using any electronic device that’s connected to the Internet unless it’s related to work or if he’s under supervision.

    Volgmann should be glad that he wasn’t in Kenya. The average conviction there is six to 10 years. They even make you stand trial before the victim.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Operation Angry Birds Leads to Huge Cockfighting Bust

    New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman this week announced a huge cockfighting bust that has led to the arrests of nine people on felony cockfighting charges. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Angry Birds,” was led by the New York Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) in cooperation with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

    According to the Attorney General’s office Authorities were able to rescue around 3,000 birds during the bust. The animals are being held at a temporary shelter established by the ASPCA.

    “No animal should be forced to fight to the death for human entertainment and profit, and we are proud to play a leading role in removing and caring for these victimized birds, as well as offering expert legal assistance in this case,” said Matthew Bershadker, CEO and president of ASPCA. “This collaborative investigation, intervention and enforcement is a giant step toward our shared goal of wiping out cockfighting in America.”

    The cockfighting raid took place this past weekend at three separate locations. On Saturday night/Sunday morning the OCTF, Homeland Security, and New York State Police raided a cockfighting venue located in Queens. The venue was secured with security cameras and attendees were charged for both admission and seats. Inside participants were able to purchase alcohol sold without a permit or use drugs openly while watching cock fights overseen by a paid referee.

    Around 70 people at the cockfighting event were detained. Six people determined to be the owners of fighting birds have now been charged with felony prohibition of animal fighting.

    During the same time period the OCTF executed a search warrant on a Brooklyn pet store named Pet NV. Authorities recovered fifty fighting birds from the pet shop’s basement. The shop’s 74-year-old owner has been charted with prohibition of animal fighting.

    On Sunday State Police and local law enforcement also raided a farm in Plattekill, New York. The ASPCA recovered upwards of 3,000 birds that were being secretly kept on the property. A farm manager and a farm hand have both been arrested and charged in connection with the cockfighting operation.

  • Walmart And ASPCA Launch Facebook Campaign For Animals

    Walmart has teamed up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for a Facebook campaign aimed at saving and improving the lives of animals.

    The campaign encourages Facebook users to visit www.facebook.com/lendapaw to support the ASPCA. Facebook users can click on the "Create a ‘Lend A Paw’ post button, and Walmart’s pet suppliers, will donate $1 for each post (for a total donation of up to $100,000). All funds raised go to support the ASPCA’s mission dedicated to the humane treatment of animals.

    "Pet overpopulation, caused by far too many pets not being spayed or neutered — even by otherwise responsible pet parents — is a leading cause of unnecessary euthanasia," said Elysia Howard, Vice President of Marketing & Licensing for the ASPCA.

    Lend-A-Paw

    "In fact, half of all puppies and three-quarters of all kittens born are from unintended litters. Every dollar raised up to $100,000 through the ‘Lend A Paw’ campaign will help us get one step closer to our goal of helping pets in need. For example, $100,000 would help spay or neuter 1,000 animals."

    According to the ASPCA, approximately five to seven million adoptable dogs and cats enter animal shelters nationwide each year.  Of those 3-4 million are euthanized due to lack of space or resources to adequately care for them.