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Recovering heroin addict Daniel Dockery raised his kitten Scruffy from birth, hand-feeding him and letting him sleep on his pillow. Their relationship was symbiotic; as Dockery nurtured his pet, he found a sense of purpose that helped him overcome his drug addiction.

On December 8, 2011, Scruffy cut himself on a barbed-wire fence and sustained easily treatable, non-life-threatening lacerations. Concerned for the kitten's comfort and health, Dockery brought his pet to the Arizona Humane Society. Unable to pay the $400 vet bill, he signed his ownership rights away to ensure prompt treatment.

Two days after Christmas, Humane society officials confirmed that Scuffy was put down due to Dockery's inability to immediately pay the vet bill. Dockery's mother offered to pay the bill over the phone with a credit card or wire the money in so that Dockery could pay cash, but the clinic manager refused her offers. Dockery had also been receiving donations from sympathizers, but the clinic didn't want to wait.

The decision to euthanize Scruffy was completely unnecessary and cruel, especially in light of his role as a therapy pet. Please sign the petition to make Arizona a no-kill state to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.

The cactus ferruginous pygmy owl is a tiny owl that nests in tree and cactus cavities throughout the southwestern United States. Despite their small size, the native birds benefit the ecosystem by hunting and catching rats, mice, lizards and other prey up to twice their size.

Today, fewer than 50 cactus ferruginous pygmy owls remain in the U.S. The factors leading to the owl's decline include invasive species, fires and drought. Unfortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service renewed their 2006 decision to keep the owls off the endangered species list, reasoning that larger populations exist in Mexico. According to Defenders of Wildlife President Jamie Rappaport Clark, the same reasoning would have prevented protections for the gray wolf and bald eagle.

Declining protection for this rare, interesting bird sets a precedent for future decisions regarding declining species. Please sign the petition to restore endangered species protections for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl.