KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Arkansas offers a bevy of spring festivities, many of which benefit and some of which welcome the state’s furry friends.

Here are several:

SATURDAY: The 18th Annual Kite Festival, “Art with an Attitude,” will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, 7 miles outside Eureka Springs on Arkansas 23. Admission to fly kites is free, but regular rates apply for those wishing to tour the big-cat habitat. Kaleidokites has donated a Japanese fighting “Rokkaku” kite and a tiger kite to be raffled off. For help building kites, a donation to the rescue is suggested. Proceeds go to the nonprofit. For more information, please call (479) 253-6596 or (888) 836-6251, or visit the Turpentine Creek Events Page. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

A south Arkansas breeder surrendered 143 dogs to the Humane Society of Pulaski County on Saturday, leaving the shelter past capacity and low on supplies, said Director Kay Simpson.

All the dogs suffered from mange; many from eye infections, which in some cases will result in eye removal; and many had hair matted to the bone.

“One dog was so matted it was like concrete on both legs,” Simpson said. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Most shelters in central Arkansas do not offer black cats for adoption during October, fearing the animals will be used as Halloween props or injured in pranks or rituals.

“There are bad people out there,” said Jacksonville Animal Shelter Kennel Manager Kerrie Henderson. The shelter doesn’t allow adoptions of black cats in October. (more…)

CAROLYNE PARK
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The barn stall wasn’t the sterile, well-equipped hospital operating room Dr. Pamela Howard was used to, and the 680-pound patient on the floor was a long stretch from her usual patients in the burn center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

But the wounds were familiar. As a burn and trauma surgery specialist, she knows them well. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LITTLE ROCK — Authorities say a 3-year-old horse was critically injured when it was dragged down the road in Independence County.

The man driving the truck has been arrested for driving while intoxicated and Humane Society officials want him also charged with animal cruelty. (more…)

KRISTINA HANRY
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Two- and four-legged guests mingled Friday as they were served sangria, salsa and desserts at Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery in Little Rock where the painting for the 2010 Pulaski County Humane Society Planner was unveiled.

The painting by Stephano, who uses only one name, features his dog, Diego, and cat, Frida, both adoptees from the Humane Society. (more…)

BY NOEL E. OMAN

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute is working to ensure that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors are up to speed on the new animal cruelty law.

The institute has been meeting this summer with law enforcement officials and other parties in developing a protocol to prepare and prosecute abuse cases under the new law, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the state through Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who helped shepherd the bill through the Legislature this year. (more…)

Michael Johnson and his dog Sam walk down the trolley tracks along St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans on Monday during a lull in Hurricane Gustav. (ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE/Rick McFarland)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Shelters in Central Arkansas were busy Monday caring for animals from the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav barreled into Louisiana.

The humane societies of Pulaski and Saline counties and Little Rock Animal Services had taken in dozens of pets temporarily as their owners streamed into Arkansas over the past few days. (more…)