Silver Mountain Shepherds

The Marine Mammal Center Helps Abandoned Seal Pups along the Coast During Pupping Season

Theros, a young harbor seal pup, rests at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA.

Sausalito, CA (PRWEB) March 15, 2012

The arrival of the pupping season’s first harbor seal patient, nicknamed Theros, is a reminder to Leave Seals Be so they have a second chance at life. Leave Seals Be is The Marine Mammal Center’s public education campaign to remind people along the California coast not to pick up or disturb harbor or elephant seal pups they spot on the beach. Instead, the Center encourages the public to keep their distance when they see what might be a sick or abandoned seal pup, and to call its 24-hour response line at (415) 289-7325 or 289-SEAL. The Center can then monitor the pup to see if the mother returns and if needed, dispatch a trained team to rescue the animal should no mother return.

“We’ve already begun rescuing and helping elephant seals and harbor seals that have been found by members of the public, abandoned on beaches along the coast,” said Shelbi Stoudt, stranding manager at The Marine Mammal Center. “We depend upon the public to be our eyes and ears so that we can rescue these animals because in many cases they do become separated from their mothers as a result of human interference or worse, get entangled in ocean trash. Without our help, these animals very likely would not have a chance at survival.”

Why Leave Seals Be?

The first two months of a harbor seal’s life are the most critical and set the stage for his ability to survive. Mother will nurse the pup for approximately 28 days providing him with the nutrient-rich milk he’ll need in order to gain enough weight and strength to survive the following month when he begins to learn to forage on his own and mom is no longer around. It’s during this two month period that he runs into many obstacles such as human interference, predators, entanglements in ocean trash, and even stormy weather. Sometimes members of the public mistakenly remove what appears to them to be an abandoned pup, because they believe they are helping the animal.

The best way a beachgoer can help a sick, injured or an abandoned seal pup is to call the Center’s response hotline to alert trained rescue volunteers. Once on site, they can assess the situation to see if the pup needs to be rescued. In many cases, the pup may be put under observation on the beach for 24-48 hours to see if the mother will return. This observation period is critical as the mother may be nearby waiting for a chance to reunite with her pup. The Center never removes a pup from its mother during the critical nursing period unless it’s apparent the mother is no longer available and the animal is weak and ill.

In addition, it is illegal and punishable by law for unauthorized people to pick up, handle or disturb any marine mammal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Only trained, authorized responders, like volunteers and staff at the Center, are allowed to do so.

Theros is the first harbor seal pup rescued by The Marine Mammal Center in 2012. Theros still had his silky white lanugo coat or ‘birth coat” as well as his umbilical cord when volunteers rescued him from a beach in San Luis Obispo County on February 20. With no mother in site, for days, the little pinniped was transported to the Center and is currently receiving medical care by a team of veterinarians and volunteers. The hope is to get him healthy and strong enough to be returned to the ocean. Watch Theros play with a “fish-sicle” in his pool.

No matter where you are, a good rule of thumb to helping a sick or injured harbor or elephant seal pup is:

Stay at least 50 feet away from it. The pup’s mother may be nearby.
Do not handle it and keep other people and dogs away.
Call The Marine Mammal Center’s 24-hour response hotline at (415) 289-7325 or 289-SEAL.
In Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, call locally at (831) 633-6298.
In San Luis Obispo County, call locally at (805) 771-8300.

To learn more about the Leave Seals Be campaign and how you can help marine mammal pups like Theros, visit http://www.MarineMammalCenter.org.

About The Marine Mammal Center:

The Marine Mammal Center is a nonprofit veterinary hospital, research and educational center dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of ill and injured marine mammals – primarily elephant seals, harbor seals and California sea lions – and to the study of their health. Since 1975, the Center has been headquartered in the Marin Headlands, within the Golden Gate National Parks and has rescued and treated more than 17,000 marine mammals. The Center’s newly rebuilt headquarters in Sausalito gives visitors the unique opportunity to learn about marine mammals through viewing areas and educational exhibits. The hospital is open to the public daily 10 A.M.-5 P.M. except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information and to sign up for the Center’s eNewsletter, go to: http://www.MarineMammalCenter.org

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

ToolStream to Distribute Bench Dog Tools in the UK and Europe

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 14, 2012

Bench Dog Tools has announced that it has greatly expanded its distribution in the UK and Europe by partnering with Toolstream, a leading distributer of hand tools, power tools and accessories. Bench Dog Tools selected ToolStream to exclusively distribute the Bench Dog branded line of router tables and do-it-yourself/woodworking accessories in these markets.

“We’re excited to partner with Toolstream in the UK and Europe,” says John Otto, Vice President of Wholesale, at Bench Dog Tools. “Toolstream will distribute the Bench Dog line of products through home centers, hardware stores and through online retailers.” Toolstream currently distributes an extensive range of over 5000 hand and power tools including brands such as Silverline, Triton and GMC.

Bench Dog Tools offers a growing line of router tables, safety accessories, and tools for builders and do-it-yourselfers. Its award-winning tools are used by woodworking professionals, intermediate hobbyists, schools, and serious beginners who are looking for tools of uncompromising quality and value. Some of the Bench Dog products which Toolstream will initially distribute include:

Bench Cookie Work Grippers – Rout, sand, cut, assemble and carve without using clamps

Pock-It Hole Clamp – Unique design allows easy clamping and surface alignment of pocket hole joints

Universal Fence Clamp – secure a huge variety of shop-made auxiliary fences to existing fences without clamp interference

Feather-Loc – protects hands and helps prevent kickback, binding, and bent blades

Portable Saw Guide – Instantly aligns a circular saw to the cut line for perfect 90º crosscuts

Crown Moulding Cutting Jig – The safest and easiest way to cut crown and cove molding

Letter & Number Sign Kits – Easily create professional-looking signage

About Bench Dog Tools, Inc.

A specialty woodworking company in its 17th year of operation, Bench Dog Tools, Inc. has built a strong reputation for designing and producing innovative, high-quality, tools for woodworkers, contractors, hobbyists and schools. Today, Bench Dog offers a growing line of premium router tables, safety accessories, and tools to a wide variety of customers and organizations. For more information, visit them online at http://www.benchdog.com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Related Dog Press Releases

HEALTH WATCH: No Leash Needed Stresses Importance of Alert Dogs

St. Louis, Missouri (PRWEB) March 14, 2012

Service dogs have long been popular with individuals who have disabilities, as these dogs are able to guide them through everyday activities and help them maintain a higher degree of independence. Although seeing eye dogs and other service animals have become well known, alert dogs are far less recognized but equally important. In an article on ClarionLedger.com, Gary Pettus reports that alert dogs, like other service dogs, may soon be legally allowed in public buildings in the state of Mississippi. No Leash Needed, a dog training organization, supports this measure.

The bill was sparked by the efforts of Christina McCurdy, a teacher who has been kept from bringing her Diabetes Alert Dog to work with her. The dog, named Jinx, is trained to alert McCurdy when her blood sugar level changes. Because of this alert, McCurdy can take her insulin or glucose tablets before her blood sugar level causes an emergency. Jinx is trained to do this through her sense of smell. When she smells low blood sugar she warns McCurdy by putting a paw on her leg.

McCurdy is convinced that Jinx’s assistance is crucial to her health. According to Pettus, “McCurdy said she believes Jinx’s response time is quicker than meters or other mechanical monitoring devices. McCurdy said she suffered kidney damage before she became Jinx’s owner in July.”

No Leash Needed fully supports the use of alert dogs in public places, provided the dogs have been appropriately trained. Like other service dogs,

Diabetes Alert Dogs provide an invaluable degree of support to their owners. These dogs have been trained to save lives.

“In addition to being our best friends and family members,” commented Shannon Mayfield, Training Director at No Leash Needed, “dogs can be lifelines for many people suffering from devastating illnesses and disabilities. Properly trained and certified assistance animals provide a valuable service to people in need, and it is important to ensure that these people who are already dealing with a difficult situation have the ability to keep their service animals with them at all times.”

Although not all diabetics benefit from the services of an alert dog, McCurdy and her supporters are fighting for the rights of those who do.

ABOUT:

No Leash Needed is a dog training, day camp, and boarding facility that takes a personal approach to client care. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, No Leash Needed provides lifetime training and utilizes a diverse list of training techniques. Each dog’s training needs are evaluated before training begins, allowing expert dog trainers and owners to determine which training methods will prove most successful.

For more information about the services offered by No Leash Needed, visit http://www.noleashneeded.com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

More Dog Press Releases

New Release Profiles the Highly Successful Marriages of Well-Educated Couples and Tells How to Create, Maintain Marriage of Equals; Book by Shauna H. Springer, Ph.D.

Dog Ear Publishing releases “Marriage, for Equals: The Successful Joint (Ad)Ventures of Well-Educated Couples” by Shauna Howarth Springer, Ph.D.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Two life-changing events – the collapse of her parents’ marriage and meeting the love of her life – took place during the author’s senior year at Harvard University. The resulting emotional roller coaster inspired her to seek answers to questions about why half of marriages fail and whether lasting love is possible. She earned a doctorate in Counseling Psychology, specializing in relationship therapy, extensively researched the relationship literature, and has counseled distressed couples for thousands of hours. The author details her theories and findings in this new book.

The book is organized according to the author’s three-phase model that describes the life course of successful love relationships. The initial chapters highlight an array of psychological principles and biological forces in the “cocaine-rush” phase of new relationships that may compel people to fall in love with partners who are unlikely to sustain a healthy marriage to anyone. Through a humorous analysis of the factors that lead to false and unsustainable love in reality television programming, the book explores how people fall in love, how people test their love, and what decisions and behaviors lead to the creation of marriages with staying power. The author challenges typical notions of romance and urges people to take time to assess the actual potential of their attractions, instead of charging headlong into relationships that are often ticking time bombs.

As a counterpoint to false and unsustainable models of love, the author then examines the very successful marriages of some of the most highly-educated women in this generation. To profile these relationships, the author draws from the results of a survey of more than 1200 women, mostly Harvard graduates and their equally capable friends, who are working to create truly equal partnerships. She describes the inner workings of a marriage of equals, as contrasted with a more traditional model in which one spouse has a leadership position. Using humorous stories, clinical examples, literary and media sources, and relevant research findings, the author offers a clear and insightful analysis of what it really takes to create and sustain an exceptional and lasting equal partnership. A list of recommended readings offers more avenues of exploration for those seeking lifelong partnerships, those working through the early phase of a relationship, and those in a committed relationship who want to develop a deeper understanding of marriage’s struggles.

Author Shauna Howarth Springer earned a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida after receiving a degree in English literature from Harvard University. She works as a staff Psychologist at a Veterans hospital and runs a clinic to help couples explore relationship problems that develop after combat deployments. Springer, who earned the McLaughlin Dissertation Research Fellowship, has also worked in academic teaching hospitals, college counseling centers and private practice. She and her husband, Utaka, have been partners for over 15 years.

For additional information, please visit http://www.marriageforequals.com.

Marriage, for Equals: The Successful Joint (Ad)Ventures of Well-Educated Couples

Shauna Howarth Springer

Dog Ear Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-4575-0906-3            252 pages                 .95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

About Dog Ear Publishing, LLC

Dog Ear Publishing offers completely customized self-publishing services for independent authors. We provide cost-effective, fast, and highly profitable services to publish and distribute independently published books. Our book publishing and distribution services reach worldwide. Dog Ear authors retain all rights and complete creative control throughout the entire self-publishing process. Self-publishing services are available globally at http://www.dogearpublishing.net

and from our offices in Indianapolis.

Dog Ear Publishing – self-publishing that actually makes sense.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Fair Trade Designs’ New Website Launch Brings Fashion-Forward, Eco-Friendly Products Handcrafted by Fairly-Paid Artisans from Around the World

Livermore, CA (PRWEB) March 12, 2012

FairTradeDesigns.com was officially launched by its founder Stephanie King today after she studied the poverty, unsafe working conditions and low wages common among workers in developing nations. With her new site, she hopes to show the public that they can help balance the scale for others and look beautiful doing it.

Ms. King said, “I am passionate about spreading the word regarding Fair Trade. When people understand that we only sell products from fair trade organizations, they are assured their purchases do not involve child labor, unsafe working conditions, sub-minimum wages or environmentally harmful practices.”

FairTradeDesigns.com carries a wide variety of goods from contemporary, handcrafted jewelry to fashionable purses, tree-free paper products and housewares. FairTradeDesigns.com also offers gift certificates for the people in your life who seem to have everything.

“I’ve researched over 100 suppliers of fair trade products to present what I believe are the most stylish and well-made pieces available. Your purchases are a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. Make your vote count and buy fair trade.”

Here are some of the countries where FairTradeDesigns.com gets its distinctive product line:

    Afghanistan
    Armenia
    Bolivia
    Cambodia
    Columbia
    Ecuador
    Ethiopia
    Ghana
    Guatemala
    Haiti
    India
    Indonesia
    Kenya
    Morocco
    Nepal
    Peru
    Philippines
    Rwanda
    South Africa
    Thailand
    Turkey
    Uganda
    West Africa

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ABOUT STEPHANIE KING

Ms. King is an accomplished business professional with 12 years of experience as a finance manager for AMD & Lucent Technologies. As an independent management consultant for 15 years, she has had numerous clients including Guidant Corporation, Mattel, The City of Sunnyvale, CA, Christian Science Church Publishing & Broadcasting, Union Bank of CA, Wells Fargo Bank, RealNetworks and many more. Ms. King is also an internationally recognized expert on credit card purchasing. She has been published in The San Jose Mercury News, National Association of Purchasing Management Journal, CFO Magazine, and other industry trades. She is a graduate of University of Michigan and earned her MBA at UCLA in 1981. Ms. King is married, has one child, one dog, four cats and one rabbit.

Twitter – http://www.Twitter.com/FairDesigns

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/FairTradeDesigns

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.