A New Member, Animal Abuse Awareness Week, and a BNS!

A lot of exciting things going on this week. First, I'd like to introduce our newest member, Nicole Chen, and her shop The Stardust Studio. Nicole's shop donations will support the Toronto Humane Society and the Ontario SPCA (Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals). Check out her incredible selection of companion animal portraits. I love the tiny canvases and easels. She also has the most adorable little dog sweaters. My dog is jealous that they aren't available in his size. Yet. (Hint Hint...he's 12lbs. :))

Please stop by and give Nicole a warm welcome by hearting her shop, adding her to your circles, etc.

BNS and Other Treasuries

We also have a couple of treasuries to check out. There's a brand-new BNS treasury beginning tomorrow at noon. This is a great way to get some exposure if you're an Etsy seller, while picking up some rocking good...uh...goods, no matter who you are. :) Stop by and take a look. Coupons are already being posted by the featured sellers. Come take advantage of these excellent deals.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjI3OTM2MTl8MjcyMzAwNTc4NA/will-open-july-1st-artists-for-animals

We also have a regular treasury featuring many team shops. Take a look, leave a note and share!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTY4MzEzOXwyNzIwNDQ5MDEz/am-i-blue

Anyone can make an Etsy treasury to show off their favorite shops and items. I'd love to feature your treasury featuring Artists for Animals Team Members. There's a place to post them on the message board so I won't miss it.

Animal Abuse Awareness Week
This week has been Animal Abuse Awareness Week, a time to stop and consider what we can do to end the abuse/neglect/exploitation of animals. If you're like most animal people, you've likely seen an animal being mistreated at one time or another, yet felt helpless to actually do anything about it. Don't let that feeling stop you from making a difference. Please take a moment to click the following link that leads to the Animal Legal Defense Fund's suggestions on how to handle these situations effectively: http://www.aldf.org/section.php?id=93
Read it now, before an issue arises, since how you react and either help save that animal from further harm, or can put that animal (and/or yourself) in danger. There are different ways to help, depending on whether you're dealing with an individual abusing their pet, if you're encountering a pet store that's neglecting the animals in their care, or a case of institutionalized mistreatment. Animal Legal Defense Fund is a well organized group of legal experts who devote themselves to animal protection. If anyone knows how to handle this type of problem, they do.