"Franklin and Bellingham residents are invited to bring their pets to our Rabies Clinic hosted by the Franklin/Bellingham Animal Control on April 29th, 2023.
The clinic will run from 9 AM - 12 PM at 15 Public Works Way in Franklin, MA." https://t.co/rLvaHAC2z3
Shared from -> https://t.co/sLJEsng3DH
Additional info found in the flyer -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/events/rabies_clinic_poster.pdf
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| Town of Franklin, MA: Rabis Clinic scheduled for April 29, 2023 at DPW |
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| Franklin Newcomers & Friends Club scheduled to meet Weds, Oct 12 and listen to Stacy Cobb |
Senate passes bills to prevent inhumane treatment of puppies and kittens, encourage adoption of research animals, and enforce hunting regulations for endangered and threatened species
The Massachusetts State Senate on Monday passed three bills which promote animal welfare. S.2994 An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns ensures the safety of puppies and kittens during breeding, sale, and boarding. S.2992 An Act Protecting Research Animals, previously passed by the Senate in 2018 and commonly known as the 'Beagle Bill', encourages research facilities that use dogs and cats to offer these animals up for adoption after finishing research, rather than automatically euthanizing them. Finally, S.2993 An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices takes measures to discourage the illegal hunting and sale of game animals, including endangered species.
"As a lifelong animal lover and owner, I am acutely aware of the importance of protecting the Commonwealth's animals, whether in our homes, in kennels and shared facilities, or in nature," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "I am also grateful for the advocates and Senators who worked to get these bills to the Senate floor. Thank you to Senators Chandler and Rodrigues for working to protect the puppies and kittens of the Commonwealth, to Senators Lovely and Tarr for continuing to lead on pushing for the Beagle Bill, and Senator Moore for your work to strengthen poaching regulations."
"The passage of these bills today is reflective of our commitment to ensuring animal welfare, protecting dogs, cats and consumers, and further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices that threaten the welfare and conservation of native species important to our ecosystems and economy," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "I want to thank the Senate President for prioritizing these bills, along with Senators Chandler, Moore, Tarr and others for their strong advocacy in support of protecting our animals and wildlife native to our Commonwealth."
"I am proud the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation prioritizing the protection of animals across our Commonwealth," said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem), Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee. "The Beagle Bill will give research dogs and cats a second chance at life and bring Massachusetts in line with other states across our nation. We owe so much of human advancement to the service and sacrifice of these animals, and they deserve to be loved and cherished after a job well done. I am also pleased that the Senate passed bills that will protect local wildlife by preventing poachers from hunting, as well as to safeguard the health and safety of puppies and kittens in kennels and boarding facilities. Thank you, Senate President Karen Spilka, Chair Michael Rodrigues, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, and President Emerita Harriette Chandler for taking a stand to protect and advance the well-being of beloved animals and pets throughout Massachusetts."
"This bill has the potential to truly protect the wellbeing puppies and kittens in the Commonwealth, who will otherwise suffer without clear, mandatory regulations on their purchase, storage, and caretaking. I am proud that the Senate passed this legislation," said Senate President Emerita Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester), lead sponsor of the bill on safeguards for puppies and kittens.
"The 'Beagle Bill' will facilitate new relationships between research laboratories and non-profit animal rescue organizations which in turn will give these creatures a chance of life after the lab with a Massachusetts family," said Senator Bruce E. Tarr (D-Gloucester), Senate Minority Leader and lead sponsor of the Beagle Bill. "The Senate has taken the humane and right actions on these animal welfare bills and I look forward to the Governor signing them."
"As a former Environmental Police Officer, protecting animals has been one of my life's missions. The passage of these three bills is great news for pets and wildlife in our state," said Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury), lead sponsor of the bill on illegal hunting. "The strong language of my anti-poaching legislation will go a long way toward protecting the Commonwealth's wildlife, marine life, and ecological systems, while ensuring those who wish to do harm to these fragile populations face consequences regardless of their home state. The protections provided by the other two bills passed today will ensure cats and dogs are treated humanely at every stage of their lives here in Massachusetts. I want to thank my colleagues, Massachusetts Senate Leadership, and the countless dedicated activists and volunteers who made this huge step forward in animal welfare in the state of Massachusetts possible."
Protecting Puppies and Kittens
An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns addresses inhumane practices relating to the transfer of pets. As separating puppies and kittens from their mother and litter prior to completion of their eight-week developmental socialization stage prevents them from learning important behaviors such as bite inhibition and the development of proper social relations with other members of their species, this bill prohibits the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age. To promote continued wellbeing of puppies and kittens in group settings, this legislation tasks the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) with creating Massachusetts' first state-wide oversight regulations and licensure requirements of breeders, doggie daycare, and boarding facilities. The bill also ends the sale of animals on roadsides, parking lots, flea markets, or in other public spaces.
Beagle Bill
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nationally more than 60,000 dogs, almost all beagles, and nearly 20,000 cats are used each year to advance scientific research and to test cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other household products. Currently, many research labs choose to automatically euthanize these cats and dogs once their experiments are over. An Act Protecting Research Animals, commonly known as the 'Beagle Bill', facilitates a relationship between animal research laboratories and registered non-profit animal rescue organizations and requires that when these animals are no longer needed, the research facilities make every effort to place animals up for public adoption.
Illegal Hunting
Massachusetts is currently experiencing historically unprecedented losses of species diversity, with much of the state's wildlife increasingly vulnerable to human activities like climate change and illegal hunting. An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices aligns Massachusetts poaching regulations with other states, to better protect fish, birds, mammals, and endangered or threatened species. This bill also brings Massachusetts into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which helps states to work together to prevent illegal hunting across state lines.
Having passed the Senate, An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns now goes on to the House of Representatives for further consideration. As An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices and An Act Protecting Research Animals have passed both branches of the legislature, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve differences between the bill's two versions, if any.
S.2994 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2994
S.2992 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2992
S.2993 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2993
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| MA Senate Passes Animal Welfare Legislation |
From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:
Some are fearful of their beady eyes and sharp claws, but any danger opossums pose is usually outweighed by a human’s reaction to them, says Franklin wildlife rehabilitator Stacey Cobb.
On Sept. 14, she met “Hope,” a juvenile opossum who was shot repeatedly with a pellet gun, she said.
“He was in rough shape,” said Cobb, of Nature’s Nurse Wildlife Rehabilitation, when she met the injured marsupial at about 5 that morning. A North Attleborough woman and her niece, who Cobb noted were both “pretty badly beaten up” themselves, brought the animal over after he was shot by a neighbor a few hours earlier.
“It was bad,” said Cobb. “He was shot in the eye, and the bullet had gone into his eye and was trying to come out his cheek/jaw area.” He was also shot in the abdomen, she added.
"Nature's Nurse Wildlife Rehabilitation is a registered 501c3 in Franklin, Massachusetts. We nurse sick, orphaned and injured wildlife back to health and back into their natural environment within the state of Massachusetts."
Visit their webpage http://naturesnursewildliferehabilitation.org/
Or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/naturesnursewildliferehabilitation/
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| screen capture during the SAFE Coalition presentation |
"Stacey Cobb doesn’t need a calendar, or blooming flowers and emerging buds, to tell her when spring has arrived. That’s because it’s the time of year when her household swells with new arrivals - many of them newborns - in need of some compassion and tender loving care.
They aren’t of the human kind, but rather are babies of the forest: Squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, foxes. When they are orphaned and too young to care for themselves, or they need some non-veterinary care for a while, Cobb is there with open heart to help.
A wildlife rehabilitator, Cobb is finding herself quite busy lately with the first babies of the season. A litter of five squirrel kits - so young they are still blind and hairless - came into her care just days ago, joining two other baby squirrels she’d already been caring for, in addition to other critters making a temporary home with her until they are ready to be returned to the wild."Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
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| You can help by buying items off Stacy's Amazon Wish List |
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| Franklin Library - "Creature Teachers" |
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| Franklin Library - "Minute to Win It" |
Make some new furry or feathered friends when the Animal Affair Traveling Petting Zoo visits the Franklin Public Library! Everyone is welcome to pet, brush, feed, hold, and play with the animals! Participants are taught the proper way to hold and handle the animals.
Animal Affair will be bringing ducks, chickens, goats, pigs and rabbits! No registration is required.
Mr. Vinny from the Toe Jam Puppet Band presents a dynamic and hilarious family show! Mr. Vinny specializes in storytelling with unique puppets! Get ready for lots of jokes and audience participation, and a few fun surprises!
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| Temporary location of Franklin Public Library - 25 Kenwood Circle |
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| Animal Affair, a traveling petting zoo |
"Our petting zoo is perfect for any occasion or event, in any season, and for any age group!For more about Animal Affair, visit their webpage http://www.animalaffair.net/
We believe having animals at your event shouldn't be just an activity, but an experience that creates a lasting memory! All of our PETS are deeply loved and receive the best of care, which is evident by their sweet nature and love of affection."
"A rare white fox was captured Thursday in Franklin after spending the last few weeks visiting the yards of various homes near the state forest.
The gregarious vixen, with soft streaks of red and black in her fur and black-tipped ears, was taken in by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife after she was caught in cooperation with the Franklin animal control department. The capture followed a sighting reported to the agency Thursday morning.
Dave Wattles, a black bear and furbearer biologist with the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, said the fox showed no indications of being rabid, though she has been vaccinated."Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
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| https://www.facebook.com/animaladventures.waycoolerthanazoo/videos/1374168705940101/ |
"Since hitting a peak in 2013, enrollment at Massachusetts public colleges and universities has decreased for the third consecutive year, posing challenges that education leaders are working to address.
"This was predictable. All you had to do was go back 17, 18, 19 years ago and look at birth rates," state Higher Education Commissioner Carlos Santiago said. "We knew it was coming … But we don't want to just sit back and let those demographic trends take shape."
After more than a decade of growth, public undergraduate enrollment in Massachusetts has declined by 10,744, or 5.5 percent, since 2013. There are an estimated 186,103 undergraduate students on public campuses in Massachusetts for the fall 2016 semester."
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| Petty Zoo to appear at Franklin LIbrary today |
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| The traveling petting zoo brings barn babies to the Franklin Library |
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| Animal World Experience - Aug 5 |
The opioid problem and town finances prominently featured in the conversation among candidates for Town Council in the November election during a Tuesday evening forum.
Fourteen candidates for the council - along with those running for School Committee, the Board of Health and Town Clerk - took part in a candidates night, giving their perspectives to prospective town voters. The candidates are seeking nine seats on the council in the Nov. 3 election.
Several candidates, when asked to name a pressing problem facing Franklin, mentioned the opioid abuse crisis in Massachusetts.Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
The annual Franklin Preschool Fair is planned on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 5-7 p.m., at the Franklin Public Library, 118 Main St., Franklin.
Representatives from local preschools in Franklin, Bellingham, Medway, Millis, Norfolk and Wrentham will be on hand to answer questions and provide information to parents seeking preschools for the 2015-2016 school year.
This year, the Franklin Lions is sponsoring a youth speech competition open to all students in grades 9-12.
The topic is "In What Ways Has Social Media Changed Society?" The speech must be 5-8 minutes in length, begins at the club level and progresses through to state level, where the winner gets $1,500.
Tri‐County Regional Vocational Technical High School senior Nicholas Wotton was named a commended student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Wotton, a Franklin resident, received a letter of commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for placing among the top five percent of U.S. students who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in 2014. About 34,000 students from across the nation received the commendation.
Officials are advising Franklin pet owners to be vigilant after a coyote killed a local dog.
Animal Control Officer Cindy Souza said the attack took place on the Norfolk side of town - near Chestnut and Pleasant streets - around the end of September."We've had a couple of (attacks) over the past two to three weeks," she said. "One dog was killed, while another was just bitten - that was a larger dog."
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| Barn babies, Aug 25 1;00 PM |
Rabbits, frogs and turtles are among the animals that could be making an appearance at the Franklin Public Library this afternoon.
The library is set to host a "Wild Heroes" program by Animal World Experience at 4 p.m. today, looking to educate children about the creatures that inhabit the natural world.
The event, said library Director Felicia Oti, is part of a slate of programs that has been running throughout the summer.Continue reading the article in Milford Daily News (subscription may be required)
Several lightning strikes were reported during a Tuesday afternoon storm.
The Franklin Fire Department reported via its Twitter account that it had been dispatched to a house struck by lightning on Hunters Run at approximately 5:10 p.m.
About a half-hour later - at 5:42 p.m. - the department reported, again through Twitter, that it had responded to a house fire at Royal Court.
Both situations were dealt with, though an estimate of the damage done was not immediately available.
Rosemary Driscoll, one of several organizers of the event, said organizers are planning for the event and looking for ideas for speakers. The group is also happy to have more people help out.
Natick Education Foundation sponsored a simulcast viewing of a TED youth conference last year. Driscoll, president of the foundation, said TEDxNatick is much broader and not a specific Natick Education Foundation event, though the foundation expects to be a sponsor.
“This is much more about a community event than it is a straight public education event,” Driscoll said. “The whole idea is it’s ideas that inspire.”
Acorn Animal Hospital will be hosting a yard sale TOMORROW (Sunday) from 8-2!
If you have any unused items that you are looking to get rid of, we will be accepting donations TODAY (Saturday) from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
All proceeds from the yard sale will go directly to the Maggie Fund to support pets in need. unfortunately we cannot accept the following items: sofa beds, clothing, mattresses, paints, tires, chemicals, textbooks, computers, televisions, air conditioners or other large appliances.
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| Acorn Animal Hospital |
