National program can help save animals' lives

Dear Heloise: Nothing is easier than making a phone call; nothing is more rewarding than saving a life.
With inspiration from its president, Maryann Chernovsky, Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center has come up with a new, nationwide lifesaving program for animals. Because shelter pets are often in imminent danger of death, One Call Saves One Life aims to increase adoptions from shelters everywhere.
"One Call Saves One Life is free and it's easy, and everyone can do it," says Maryann. "We are imploring people across the country to simply make one phone call to encourage one friend or relative to save one animal's life by adopting a shelter pet and by relaying the adoption message to someone else. Before you know it, a national network of phone calls will mean the difference between life and death to countless shelter pets."
And entire shelters can get involved, too. Directors can just go to the Little Shelter Web site -- www.littleshelter.com -- register their shelter and download eye-catching posters and fliers proclaiming to all visitors the uncomplicated truth: One Call Saves One Life. Who can refuse such a straightforward request?
"All my dogs and cats have been shelter rescues," says Maryann, "and every single one of them has been a most lovable and loyal companion. My little Lily is such a sweetheart. Every time she snuggles up to me, I know she is thanking me for saving her life -- and I thank her for being a part of mine."
There is nothing more rewarding than saving a life. And Little Shelter wants everyone to know it is as easy as making one call. Marge Stein, Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center, Huntington, N.Y.
One phone call can save an animal's life as well as brighten the heart of the human who opens his or her home. Heloise
Dear Readers: Ezekiel Victor of Bakersfield, Calif., sent a photo of his Saint Bernard and English mastiff mix, Buster, playing with a visiting Chihuahua. Ezekiel says: "Recently, an unknown Chihuahua has been making its way into my backyard to play with my dog. Hopefully, you'll have as much fun seeing the two of them together as we did!"
Go to www.Heloise.com and click on Pet of the Week to see the photo of Buster and his buddy. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My son got an aquarium, and he was so excited, he wanted to set it up. We bought different varieties of fish. The next morning, we only had a couple of fish left! I called the pet store, which said you have to get all the same-behavior fish (example: all nonaggressive). Apparently, we had gotten aggressive and nonaggressive, and nature took its course! Betsy Lynn of Florida
King Features Syndicate