Vet Bills Tax Deductible? Maybe with the HAPPY Bill!

Hey! Look at the press release I just got from the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). In truth, a staff member gave me a head's up about this several days prior and I've just been too busy to research. But wanted to let you guys know about this. I know it would help me out! After years of joking about it perhaps it might become a reality. (Long way off, of course, and many auxillary issues attached such as the old 'pets as property or family' debate, but the fact it was even introduced is progress.)

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters Applauds Rep. McCotter's 'HAPPY' Bill
Date:
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 12:07 pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 25, 2009

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters Applauds Rep. McCotter’s ‘HAPPY’ Bill

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. – The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), the nation’s leading nonprofit professional pet sitting organization, applauds Congressman Thaddeus McCotter’s efforts to pass a bill to make pet care expenses tax-deductible.

Introduced on July 31, HR 3501, commonly referred to as the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years or HAPPY Act, would amend the IRS code to allow an individual to deduct up to $3500 in a taxable year for qualified pet care expenses. The bill defines qualified as “amounts paid in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a qualified pet expense other than any expense in connection with the acquisition of the qualified pet.”

The bill further defines a qualified pet as a “legally owned, domesticated, live animal” and does not include animals used for research or owned or used in conjunction with trade or business.

“This bill will provide pet owners the opportunity to deduct pet care expenses ensuring adequate veterinary care for their pets,” said NAPPS President Monica Leighton, owner of Professional Pet Sitting in Venice, Fla. “During these hard economic times, this legislation is essential because it encourages responsible pet ownership and will potentially reduce the number of pets that are abandoned due to the lack of resources. We encourage all animal lovers to contact their members of Congress and voice their support for HR 3501.”

The bill, which has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, can be viewed at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3501.IH.

NAPPS is dedicated to promoting the welfare of animals. The Association aims to help the pet owning public by fulfilling its vision statement, “To be the most respected authority in professional pet sitting.” It does so by providing the tools and support to foster the success of its members. Additionally, pet owners can benefit from NAPPS’ free resources including a disaster preparedness guide, tips on how to select a pet sitter, nationwide referral service, and quarterly teleconferences aimed to educate the pet owning public.

For more information about NAPPS, please visit www.petsitters.org.

okay, so I was a little off about Pennsylvania

the puppy-mill puppies came in today via North Shore and others. Says 'from the midwest.' All small-type breeds. Usually these get snatched up the quickest.

150 Dogs Begin New Lives Following Puppy Mill Rescue

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. (Monday, Aug. 24 , 2009)—Approximately 150 cast-off puppy mill dogs from a number of Midwest states are safe today after being delivered to local rescue groups in the New York area. After thorough medical evaluations, much-needed grooming, and a lot of TLC, they eventually will be available for adoption through local rescue groups.

After a long, cross-country journey, they were delivered this morning to waiting groups here at North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington by Best Friends Animal Society, which arranged for the release and provided transport of the dogs. In addition to North Shore Animal League, three other animal welfare organizations—Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Wainscott, N.Y.; Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, East Hanover, N.J.; and Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association, Ledgewood, N.J.—will provide homes for the dogs until they are adopted.
The rescued dogs included adults used for breeding, adolescents and puppies of various breeds, such as cocker spaniels, Yorkies, Maltese, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzus, shelties and Jack Russell terriers. Dogs such as these are typically killed or sold at mill dog auctions for as little as 25 cents because they are considered unsalable. Instead, they will get a new chance for happy lives.
Joanne Yohannan, senior vice president of operations for North Shore Animal League America, said the rescued animals would be given time to settle in, and will be fed and hydrated after their long journey.

“We first must get the dogs feeling safe and comfortable in their new environment,” Ms. Yohannan said. “Then our staff experts will begin the process of evaluating each animal. These dogs will experience the nurturing and warmth of human contact that they have been deprived of all their lives, which will prepare them for adoption into the loving homes they deserve.

“Rather than being needlessly killed because they were no longer wanted by their breeders, some beautiful dogs are about to begin a new and exciting phase of their lives,” said Kelli Ohrtman, campaign specialist for Best Friends Animal Society, which funded the rescue of the dogs to the New York area through its “Pup My Ride” transportation program.

The rescue and transport of the dogs are part of Best Friends Animal Society’s “Puppies Aren’t Products” national campaign (puppiesarentproducts.com), which also targets the retail end of the puppy mill industry through informational demonstrations at New York puppy emporiums. Since 2008, the peaceful pet store demonstrations have caused some stores to only offer for sale pets that come from rescue groups and shelters.

“Puppy mill dogs comprise a significant percentage of the 4-5 million pets that die in American shelters annually”, said Ohrtman. “The mission of Best Friends Animal Society is to bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets. It’s what the public wants and the pet trade industry must change dramatically or it will become a relic of the past.”

Ms. Yohannan said that the Animal League will announce later in the week when the animals will be available for adoption and advised interested individuals to visit the Animal League website, www.AnimalLeague.org for details.

“Once our staff experts have determined that the dogs are ready for adoption, we will be eager to find the perfect homes for each and every one of these wonderful dogs,” said Ms. Yohannan.

Okay, so I was a little off base re the Pennsylvania puppy mill rescue (I think)

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From:
John Polis
To:
newyorktails@aol.com
Subject:
Rescued Dogs Arrive in New York
Date:
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 4:15 pm
document.write(msg.body);

NEWS RELEASE

150 Dogs Begin New Lives Following Puppy Mill Rescue

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. (Monday, Aug. 24 , 2009)—Approximately 150 cast-off puppy mill dogs from a number of Midwest states are safe today after being delivered to local rescue groups in the New York area. After thorough medical evaluations, much-needed grooming, and a lot of TLC, they eventually will be available for adoption through local rescue groups.

After a long, cross-country journey, they were delivered this morning to waiting groups here at North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington by Best Friends Animal Society, which arranged for the release and provided transport of the dogs. In addition to North Shore Animal League, three other animal welfare organizations—Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Wainscott, N.Y.; Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, East Hanover, N.J.; and Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association, Ledgewood, N.J.—will provide homes for the dogs until they are adopted.
The rescued dogs included adults used for breeding, adolescents and puppies of various breeds, such as cocker spaniels, Yorkies, Maltese, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzus, shelties and Jack Russell terriers. Dogs such as these are typically killed or sold at mill dog auctions for as little as 25 cents because they are considered unsalable. Instead, they will get a new chance for happy lives.
Joanne Yohannan, senior vice president of operations for North Shore Animal League America, said the rescued animals would be given time to settle in, and will be fed and hydrated after their long journey.

“We first must get the dogs feeling safe and comfortable in their new environment,” Ms. Yohannan said. “Then our staff experts will begin the process of evaluating each animal. These dogs will experience the nurturing and warmth of human contact that they have been deprived of all their lives, which will prepare them for adoption into the loving homes they deserve.

“Rather than being needlessly killed because they were no longer wanted by their breeders, some beautiful dogs are about to begin a new and exciting phase of their lives,” said Kelli Ohrtman, campaign specialist for Best Friends Animal Society, which funded the rescue of the dogs to the New York area through its “Pup My Ride” transportation program.

The rescue and transport of the dogs are part of Best Friends Animal Society’s “Puppies Aren’t Products” national campaign (puppiesarentproducts.com), which also targets the retail end of the puppy mill industry through informational demonstrations at New York puppy emporiums. Since 2008, the peaceful pet store demonstrations have caused some stores to only offer for sale pets that come from rescue groups and shelters.

“Puppy mill dogs comprise a significant percentage of the 4-5 million pets that die in American shelters annually”, said Ohrtman. “The mission of Best Friends Animal Society is to bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets. It’s what the public wants and the pet trade industry must change dramatically or it will become a relic of the past.”

Ms. Yohannan said that the Animal League will announce later in the week when the animals will be available for adoption and advised interested individuals to visit the Animal League website, www.AnimalLeague.org for details.

“Once our staff experts have determined that the dogs are ready for adoption, we will be eager to find the perfect homes for each and every one of these wonderful dogs,” said Ms. Yohannan.

Big Batch O'Pups Coming In To North Shore on Monday August 24

[NOTE: THIS IS AN OPINION PIECE BY DIANE WEST, ER, I MEAN MISTRESS CHILLI, OKAY? THANKS IN ADVANCE-- DW.]

...or, at least it will hit the media by then.

This is interesting, because they've been sort-of 'building up a buzz' about it for the past week or so, sending out a call for volunteers, and even the National Association of Pet Professionals put out a press release saying they're ready to help.

I tried to ask NSAL directly what's up, where the dogs are coming from, background, etc., but no luck. But I wonder if they're going to come from Pennsylvania. Wouldn't bet my life on it, but thinking they might because the Times just wrote this for pretty much no 'immediate' reason, just kind of reiterating old news (important news, but still old)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/us/18dogs.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

Almost seems like a 'prep story' so that when the 'big' puppy mill rescue story breaks it will look like they (the Times) are at least on top of the issue. (On top of the the topic?).

In any case, I've put it at the bottom of my extended commentary. They need volunteers, especially those in the pet profession like groomers, vets and vet techs, as well as the usual. All relevant contact information is at the bottom of this post.

I have to say when it comes to the puppy mill thing, and knowing that Lancaster, Pennsylvania is one of the hot spots, I am very saddened. What is not emphasized too much--perhaps for very sensitive reasons--is that a number of these puppy mill purveyors are Amish. Remember, the Amish are one of the fantastic anomalies of this century. They live simply with little to no 'modern' conveniences and in many cases are the last of the true subsidence farmers in the United States. They pay no taxes nor get or receive Social Security. In essence, they are following to the best of their ability their faith which tells them to be 'not in the world.'

But when things like this happen crime and punishment and whether you're subject to the earthly laws can get a little murky. Crime happens in Amish country, both by and against the Amish, just like anywhere else. Don't hear about it as much, obviously. And even amongst themselves they have different versions of being 'in' the world. For example, I happen to love 'Amish Country.' (I'm a city girl who every once in a while needs to be surrounded by nature, and when I do so, I go all the way.) Few years back Bill and I were staying in a farmhouse adjacent to a working Amish farm and low and behold--we see an Amish farmer using an 18th century plow (oxen and all!) talking on a cell phone at the same time! Mind freak, indeed! So we asked our hosts whazzup wit dat? And they told us, well, cell phones are allowed because they are not connected to power lines, which are connected to 'the world', etc. Okay, so they found a loophole. To this day Bill still argues with me about that and how that is 'cheating.' Ehh...

Anyway...what was I talking about again? Oh yes, puppy mills in Amish country (and again, not all puppy mills in Amish country are run by the Amish, just happens to be a lot of open space there and a convenient location a few hours drive from a number of major cities.) But when they are run by the Amish, I get very sad. I'm not shy to say that I'm Christian (a very, VERY liberal, VERY poor excuse for one who cringes everytime I see wackozoid Fundies representing all of us--they don't.) I do identify with the basic tenants of the faith, so perhaps it is not for me to judge. But it would seem that one of our pillars of faith is to be 'Good Shepards' of the earth and all of creation; one of Jesus' most beloved parables is the shepherd who goes out of his way to retrieve the one lost sheep, and in other parables He speaks at length about reaping and sowing. Obviously these are not to be taken literally, but it shows that to the people He was speaking to at the time the good practice of these things was very important to living a prosperous and virtuous life.

So personally--and with respect--I just have to question when people who identify themselves as highly religious and pious, like Amish people who run puppy mills (and again, the vast majority of Amish DO NOT run puppy mills) exhibit such inhumane treatment of the living things we are charged with being 'Good Shepards of. The cell phone loophole, okay, it's a stretch, but I can see how you can reason yourself there. This one, not so much.

Here is the announcement NSAL has been circulating, so be prepared for the media blitz. Like I said, they're really building up the pre-event blitz:

Operation Puppy Mill Rescue -- NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
As the largest rescue and adoption organization in the world, North Shore Animal League America is often called upon to assist or conduct special rescue operations. Sadly, one of our most common rescue efforts is saving dogs from the horrors of puppy mills.Our next mill dog rescue is scheduled for August 24, 2009 and we're expecting MORE THAN 100 ANIMALS to arrive at our Port Washington, NY headquarters.
We are currently seeking qualified individuals who live in the NY, NJ, and CT tri-state area willing to donate their time and energy to the cause of helping these animals.We are looking for:
New York State Licensed Veterinarians
Experienced Veterinary Technicians (New York State license a plus)
Groomers
Foster Care Guardians
We are also in need of several items to help care for these dogs such as:
New or gently used towels
New or gently used washcloths
New appropriate bones and toys;a list of which can be found here:
To volunteer, please e-mail CassandraF@AnimalLeague.org and put "Puppy Mill" in the subject line.

Time's Up for Charlene Pedrolie, Head of New York City's Shelter System

Breaking News -- Head of New York City's Shelter System To Leave In October
By Diane West and Courtney Kistler
Exclusively for New York Tails Magazine
http://www.newyorktails.com/

Charlene Pedrolie, who headed the city’s public animal shelter system for almost two years, will officially be leaving her post this fall.

While rumors had been swirling for months about Ms. Pedrolie’s departure--voluntary and otherwise--sources close to the situation have confirmed her contract will not be renewed in October.

The AC&C is the largest animal shelter systems in the Northeast, taking in over 43,000 dogs, cats, and other animals each year. A not-for-profit organization since 1995, Animal Care & Control is responsible for the city’s municipal shelter system and operates in all five boroughs.

In 2008, AC&C took in over 40,000 abandoned, abused, or surrendered dogs and cats. About 21,000 were adopted and about 16,000 were euthanized. This is in stark contrast to 2002, when close to 31,000 of the 43,000 animals who arrived at the AC&C that year were destroyed.

Ms. Pedrolie, described as a ‘nationally recognized business consultant’, was appointed executive director of AC&C in October of 2007. She succeeded previous executive director Ed Boks, who was recruited from Maricopa County, Arizona in 2003. By 2005, however, Mr. Boks was head of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services. He resigned from that post four months ago.

Ms. Pedrolie ‘s tenure was often the target of much controversy, with former AC&C volunteers and other animal activists going so far as to circulate petitions calling for her removal because of her alleged lack of experience and a perception that she was out of touch with the severity of the intake and euthanasia problems of the shelter system.

A call to her office for comment was not returned.

Who's Money Is It Anyway? Helmsely Fortune Challenged By Animal Groups

Don't have time to write a full, flavorful commentary for you guys just this minute, guys, but I just got back from the press conference with the Big Three (Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA and Maddie's Fund) of the animal welfare/rescue/adoption universe vs. the Leona Helmsley estate. Let's just say it's on now, baby.
Here's what the Helmsley trustees say:
http://www.helmsleytrust.org/news/message-trustees/
Choice excerpts (again, this is what the Trustees say, you can look for yourself on the website)
Did Leona Helmsley intend for this charitable trust to focus on the care and help of dogs, rather than people? Absolutely not. Have the trustees of this vast fortune acted improperly and ignored Mrs. Helmsley's instructions? Again, absolutely not.
Later on...
One final thought. Mrs. Helmsley was not known for reticence. Here, her actions spoke as clearly as the words of the Trust documents. In the eight years between the formation of the Trust and her death, Mrs. Helmsley contributed (as the sole trustee of this Trust and otherwise) over $55 million to charitable causes; of that amount, she made only one gift to a dog-related charity, for one thousand dollars.
And:
Even more telling is this: The claim that the Trust was established for dog-related purposes relies on a document entitled "Mission Statement" signed by Mrs. Helmsley in 2004. Between her signing that document and her death – during which time she alone controlled the Trust – Mrs. Helmsley and the Trust gave over $29 million to charities; of that, the amount she and the Trust gave to dog-related charities was exactly zero.

In other words, what I think they're trying to say is they're doing as she did, not as she said--in her will, anyway.

ASPCA (100K); Canine Companions for Independence (100K); Canine Partners for Life ($100K); Dogs for the Deaf ($100K); Guide Dogs for the Blind (100K); Guiding Eyes for the Blind (Yorktown Heights, NY) 100K; Leader Dogs for the Blind (100K); National Education for Assistance Dog Services (100K); Puppied Behind Bars (100K, New York); The Seeing Eye (Morristown, NJ) 100K.

Below is the press release the Big Three issued, and in general it captures what was said at the press conference today. However--and again, I apologize for not having time right now to write a comprehensive story on the notes I took--they left out a lot of juicy bits. For example, the lawyers for the Big Three pretty much accused the Trustees, in part, as a type of 'sex discrimination' against the wishes of rich women like Ms. Helmsley who have asked for substantial amounts of money to be left to animals, and they cited several examples. (I have to admit this is the first time I've ever heard of someone trying to make an argument that rich, primarily white women are the victims of discrimination. Somehow I think that particular argument is going to be a tough row to hoe.) They also described the Trustees, several times, as having 'disdain' for animal welfare causes.

Anyway, take a look, let me know what YOU think. I stick to my original assessment, which was also echoed in the press conference today--that this has the potential to set precedents on how people's monies are distributed after they die, especially if they are left to 'unconventional' charities, like animal welfare causes.

LANDMARK HELMSLEY LEGAL TRUST CHALLENGE BY AMERICA'S THREE PRE-EMINENT ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS (press release issued by Maddie's Fund)

HSUS, ASPCA, and Maddie's Fund Charge That Helmsley Trustees Are Misdirecting Funds Despite Clear Direction from Late Heiress to Help Dogs

NEW YORK (Aug. 11, 2009) -- Three of the country's most prominent animal welfare organizations -- in what they are terming the most significant financial litigation in animal welfare history -- have filed suit in New York's Surrogate Court to intervene in the matter of Leona Helmsley's $5 billion estate.
The groups are seeking to force the Helmsley Trustees to follow Mrs. Helmsley's expressed intent to help dogs. According to the groups, less than $100,000 of the initial $136 million Helmsley grants have gone to dog welfare.
"Mrs. Helmsley's Trust Agreement was clear: Help dogs. And the Trustees have not done this, and instead pursued their own agendas with Mrs. Helmsley's money," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "Every person with a will or estate, and every charity that relies on bequest income, should be profoundly concerned about this misdirection of funds."
The three organizations believe that State Attorneys General have a responsibility to protect the wishes of any heir or heiress, and also to protect the entire charitable sector from the whims of trustees who wish to ignore detailed and unambiguous estate planning instructions. In this case, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo failed in his charge to protect these interests.
"Literally hundreds of millions of dollars that have been willed by people nationally, who cared about dogs, have not gone to provide for dogs as was intended," said Rich Avanzino, president of Maddie's Fund. "The ignoring of donor intent in this country has become an unspoken national shame.
With $5 billion at stake this is a game changer. We want to work with the Helmsley trustees to arrive at a figure that is consistent with Mrs. Helmsley's intentions and would change injustices in dog care and welfare overnight.
For instance, even a small fraction of this money makes it possible to virtually empty all animal shelters in America of dogs without homes."
"There has been a sea change in recent years in how we treat animals and the Helmsley trustees don't understand that change," said Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the ASPCA. "Mrs. Helmsley understood the importance of animal welfare and was determined to help. She had a vision for her worldly estate to make our society a better place for dogs and animals, and consequently, people. We want that noble cause to go forward. Dogs give us so much in our lives, and the least we can do is make sure they are not harmed, exploited, or neglected, and the Helmsley estate allows us to do so. It is not an overstatement to say that the fate of dogs in this country could very well rest on the decision of this lawsuit."
The trustees went to court last fall to invalidate Mrs. Helmsley's express wishes, asking the Court to declare that they "are not bound by the expression of Decedent's wishes...."
The Trustees disregarded Mrs. Helmsley's wishes and obtained court sanction for doing so. The process deprived the parties most affected by their decision -- dog welfare charities -- of any fair opportunity to have a say on the issue. Neither the Trustees nor the Attorney General contacted any of these three nonprofit organizations, which are widely recognized as the leading advocates for dog welfare in the country if not the world -- or any other organization that might speak up on behalf of the charitable community that Mrs. Helmsley had a right to expect would receive "special emphasis" in the Trustees' grant-making.
After a judicial ruling without hearing from the only charitable category of recipients specifically listed in Mrs. Helmsley's mission statement, the trustees distributed the initial round of grants from Mrs. Helmsley's trust, blatantly disregarding Mrs. Helmsley's express wishes. The trustees allocated less than .1 percent to dog welfare charities.
"These three leading organizations tried to reach an amicable solution with the trustees; unfortunately, the trustees were unwilling to discuss this with us. Now these organizations are forced to resort to litigation to correct this abuse," Pacelle said. They have filed a motion to intervene and vacate the initial order.

Leona Helmsely's Estate -- Dogs Fighting Over a Very Meaty Bone!

Hey, remember Trouble, the snippy little dog that causes a big stir because hotel and real estate queen Leona Helmsley (may she rest in peace) left a sizable portion of her zillions not only to the little white dog (whereabouts unknown) but to 'dogs' in general?

Quick recap: The self-described "Queen of Mean" left a substantial amount of her fortune (I don't remember precisely now, could have actually been 1 billion or even 5 billion) "to the welfare of dogs" (okay, not a direct quote, but it was about as nebulous.) Since then, her heirs (whom she didn't particularly seem to like) have been like, well, maybe we'll give some to the dogs, but not all of it.

As you can imagine, as soon as it was revealed how much money she left 'to the dogs" there was an immediate money-grab by a variety of animal welfare groups, large and small, who were already measuring the drapes for the new wings to their shelters with the money Ms. Helmsley left for the doggies; it was almost comical to see, really.

So here we are a few years later, still no cookies in the dog cookie jar, and apparently, three major humane associations are forcing the Helmsley hand: Check out the press release I just got. Interesting also is the timing they send these things out--I got this late Monday evening, and the press conference is Tuesday at 11am. This means either they're not expecting (or even wanting) a lot of media coverage or I'm just on the 'B' list of media outlets. I bet they'll get a sizable amount of coverage, however. Sadly, the big news in New York has been the helicopter/plane crash over the Hudson but that's winding down now, and in late August the news days get very, very slow. Take a look:


LANDMARK HELMSLEY LEGAL TRUST CHALLENGE BY AMERICA’S THREE PRE-EMINENT ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS

Three of the country’s most prominent animal welfare organizations – HSUS, ASPCA, and Maddie’s Fund – charge that the Trustees of the Helmsley estate are misdirecting funds despite clear direction from late heiress to help dogs.

In what they are terming the most significant financial litigation in animal welfare history, this coalition of animal welfare organizations just filed suit in New York’s Surrogate Court to intervene in the matter of Leona Helmsley’s $5 billion estate.

WHO: Marsha Perelman, Chair, Board of Directors, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Wayne Pacelle, Chief Executive Officer, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
Rich Avanzino, President, Maddie’s Fund

Legal team
Charles Berry, Arnold & Porter
Henry Christensen, McDermott, Will & Emery

WHEN: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
11:00 AM

WHERE: ASPCA Headquarters
424 E. 92nd StNew York, NY 10128

They even provided a call-in number for the media who can't attend.

I've actually been meaning to follow up on this, so they read my mind.

Here's my thought--no matter what you thought or felt about the woman, personally, she has a right to make her will and dispense with her money as she saw fit. If she wanted to give all of it 'to the dogs' then that was her choice. Bitchy, yes, especially when you have living heirs. But who knows, not all of us love our families (let's be honest.) But wrong? Legally, I don't think so. And I think this has the potential to be a precedent-setting case because more and more people are providing for their pets in their wills. There are also people who bequeath their money to various charities as well. Just because it happens to be to dogs, cats, or sea slugs doesn't mean their wishes are any less valid.

Well, let's see what happens. Should be interesting.

Speaking of Cats -- Much Lighter Subject

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, a smart-ass almost teenager sat cross legged in front of a television, her head-banging friends beside her. The room was filled with the nervous smoke of Marlboro's burning in the ashtrays and the tinny smell of empty beer cans that sometimes clattered to the floor like rocks in an hourglass.

It was 1989, and the Grammy board decided it was finally time that Heavy Metal be recognized as the passionate, serious form of music that it is. Among a handful of albums up for the Grammy was And Justice for All, one of Metallica's darkest and best albums and, for many of us, the gateway album into the world of Metal.

Alice Cooper and Lita Ford took the stage and opened the envelope.

Our stereo was cued up to play "And Justice for All" in an acoustic alleluia when the album was announced on television.

We held hands and looked at each other, nervously. The pink feather from the leather clip in my hair was caught in my eyelashes, but I dare not brush it away and lose this moment in time.

"And the winner is...."
"Crest of A Knave" by Jethro Tull.
Silence.
Did Alice just say Jethro Tull?

It was hard to tell, like one of those things you thought you heard but maybe you didn't. Alice said it so quickly and he and Lita exited the stage with such haste that you weren't quite just what had happened.

But it was true.

The silence among the group gathered 'round the television was followed by astonishment, then curses, the boasts and bursts of indignation and anger fueled by too much alcohol in bodies too young to handle it. Against whom or what this rage was aimed at wasn't clear.

It is not that we didn't love Jethro Tull. We did. Having a copy of Aqualung in your record collection (and yes, I do mean record collection) was just like having a dictionary on your bookshelf--you simply had to have it, because when you needed it, nothing else would do, and you found yourself coming back to it over and over again like an old friend who always had the right answer. It was among his many classics, and Ian Anderson was, and still is, a lyrical and musical genius, in his own right and at the helm of Jethro Tull, now for some 40-plus years.

But Heavy Metal he is not.

Between themselves, the two bands seemed to have a good laugh over it. Jethro Tull's record company took out an infamous ad in a famous rock magazine that proclaimed the flute a heavy metal instrument. Metallica would later go on to win and publicly 'thank' Jethro Tull for not putting out an album that year.

But among Metal Heads, Headbangers, and Old School Rockers, it would be yet another pull on the rack of an already strained relationship.

So, when I had the absolute luck to interview Ian Anderson today, 20 years later, I just had to ask about that night. I wasn't going to go there, but I did.

I've interviewed a few of what some would call 'celebrities' in my day, Russel Simmons, Bob Barker, Martha Stewart and other familiar faces, and I must say all have thus far been patient with my nanecent and sometimes fumbling attempts at interviewing them. I'm more of a research-and-write type of reporter. But I have to admit this was the first time that, while I was interviewing Ian, I was keenly aware of two very different people in my head.The woman in the front room was professional, polished, well-prepared, relaxed. The girl locked up in the back room, however, was jumping up and down, screaming "I'm interviewing Ian Anderson! I'm interviewing Ian Anderson! I can't believe I'm talking to Ian Anderson!"

Does such a dynamic go on in the heads of regular entertainment reporters, or, like working in the Godiva chocolate factory, is a candy bar just a candy bar after awhile?

Well, let me know how I did when you listen to it next week. It will be on "Pets in the City" on Pet Life Radio. In the meantime, you can listen to a great interview my colleague and friend Victoria Wells and I did with an up-and-coming new band, Mad Juana. You'll know Victoria's distinctive voice immediately from having seen and heard her on Animal Precinct, Dogs 101 and a number of other projects when her superb training skills and unique insights have been in order. She's also a very talented musician in her own right.

If you've gotten this far you're doubtless wondering what the hell any of this has to do with cats. Turns out Ian Anderson LOVES cats. He calls them by their proper Latin names. He knows their breeds, blood lines, and pivotal places in history. He knows which ones are on the endangered species list. He devotes large sections of his website to talking about them in great detail. And he and his wife have had many a fortunate feline reside at their farm in the United Kingdom over their many years together. The resident favorite right now is a Bengal called 'Rupi' who has her own song.