I finished a book on tape called the Happiness Advantage

I was so enthralled with it that I bought a dozen copies for our staff, and need to buy more, as it turned out not to be enough for all who were interested in it.

 

Part of the exercise is to write down three things that I’m grateful for each day.  I do it mentally, because I’m so busy, but I’m going to try and make a habit of daily posts here for things that I am grateful for.

 

I am grateful to Nest.com for creating Internet based camera feeds.  We have used them for a couple of years, back when they were called DropCam.com for keeping an eye on our cats in the recovery hospital, etc.  Last night I put one on The Great Pretender, a 24 year old bobcat who had to have 8 rotten molars removed.  I was able to go home, eat dinner and watch him on my iPhone 6 + which has a huge screen.  Pulling up the camera on my computer will be the very next thing I do.

 

The company is donating a bunch of cameras.  They think we are interesting and want to use us as an example of ways to use their products.

 

I am grateful for mapping technology.  I’m trying to install a 3000 square foot 48 x 72 modular building adjacent to our current gift shop to expand the shopping space.  I will be able to save tens of thousands of dollars, thanks to google maps, Kinko’s Printers and my ability to draw and measure a straight line.  Before, I’d have to hire a surveyor to meet the county’s demands.

 

I am grateful for being surrounded by the best and brightest.  I’ve said this before, in my head and in Facebook posts, but it’s such an over arching part of what makes me happy.  Of our 14 staff, 80 volunteers and 26 interns, only two of them give me any real pause, and yesterday both of them brought something good into my life by sharing their experiences about health and the benefits of a healthy vegan diet. One is a new vegan and the healthiest she’s ever been and the other is about the most unhealthy meat eater, who thinks she’s dying.

 

Here is the good news, I guess, from today.  We petitioned USDA in 2012 to stop cub petting schemes.  They got about 15,000 letters in support of our position, but seemed to think that AZA zoos didn’t have enough time to object, so they opened the comment period back up again in 2013.  Now, 4 years later, they still haven’t taken action, but rather seem to want to get more of the bad guys to object, so they are opening up the comment period again through August of this year.

 

We will continue to rally animal lovers to let USDA know that cub handling is cruel, dangerous and downright evil.

 

Here is USDA’s letter:

 

This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 06/24/2016 and available online at http://federalregister.gov/a/2016-14976, and on FDsys.gov

 

BILLING CODE: 3410-34-P

 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 2 and 3

[Docket No. APHIS-2012-0107]

 

Petition to Amend Animal Welfare Act Regulations to Prohibit Public Contact with Big Cats, Bears, and Nonhuman Primates

 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

 

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.

 

SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for a petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act regulations and standards pertaining to physical contact with dangerous animals. We are especially interested in receiving public comments on the additional questions included in this notice. We are providing information about upcoming virtual stakeholder listening sessions and other efforts intended to gather additional public comment. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments and further inform our thinking on the handling of dangerous animals.

 

DATES: The comment period for the notice published on August 5, 2013 (78 FR 47215) and reopened on October 24, 2013 (78 FR 63408) is reopened. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 31, 2016.