They were clipped while she was under anesthesia.
No more dew claws of death.
Inspectors with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were investigating a possible animal cruelty case at a home in the southern city of Melbourne (Australia) two weeks ago when they found the fluffy white mutt sleeping outside on a scrap of cardboard, Victoria state RSPCA spokesman Tim Pilgrim said.The owners of the house were the dog was found said Muffy was wandering around when they took her in almost a decade ago.A microchip in Muffy's neck identified her owners, and, after a few days of searching for a current phone number, officials tracked down Natalie Lampard, who hadn't seen Muffy since the pooch disappeared from her backyard in the eastern city of Brisbane nine years ago.
As more veterans return from Iraq, service dogs are emerging as an innovative way to provide vets with both mental and physical support. The animals, which undergo intensive training, help their owners retrieve items, remind them to take medication and ... help them keep their balance. Canine companionship also lessens the effects of post traumatic stress disorder, a growing problem for returning veterans.Franken's bill — an amendment to a 2010 military funding bill — would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a pilot program training at least 200 service dogs and give them to veterans with physical and mental disabilities. The training would be done through nonprofit organizations.
Susan Frechette, the head of the [state Department of Environmental Protection] wildlife conservation, said the steady stream of people who brought exotic pets in by crate, cage, cooler and cardboard box underscored the need citizens have for a safe and humane way to get rid of once-cute pets that became a burden or even dangerous.Kind of makes you wonder who's living next door, doesn't it?
Publicity about the near-fatal chimpanzee attack on a friend of the chimp's owner sparked awareness that keeping exotic pets could be dangerous — and in some cases illegal under Connecticut law.
Pet owners should not see the program as a place to drop off their pets when evacuating. Animal companions are part of our lives. Where we go, they go -- especially during a mandatory evacuation.Dauphin said she and her partner were in the process of putting the last of their pets' emergency items in air-tight containers which will be at the ready if and when the alarms are sounded.
• Arrange for a safe evacuation location.• Have a portable pet carrier or wire kennel.
• Make certain that pet collars have up-to-date rabies and identification tags.
• Have a supply of food and water.
• Pack prescriptions and medical records, including proof of immunization, and veterinarian's contact information.
• Include a phone number where you can be reached outside the disaster zone.
• Is your pet a good traveler? Sick, young, old — could make a difference.Have a good time traveling with your pet.
• Where are pet-friendly rooms available? Advance research is necessary.
• Check hotel rooms for hidden hazards, and keep the toilet seat down (chemical bowl cleaners are probably used)
• For your pet, pack food, water, first aid kit and its favorite toys and treats.
• Never, never, never leave your pet inside the car unattended. Hot or cold days could send your companion into life-threatening situations.
Pets (about 50 per flight) will be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the five airports it serves, the company has created a "Pet Lounge" for future furry fliers to hang out before flights.
Chief Executive Pet ZoeThe only objection we have to Pet Airways, the new airline devoted just to pets, is the fact that we can't book space on it ourselves.
On November 7, 2008 the 32 year old Guam Greyhound Park, with approximately 250 greyhounds at the racetrack, abruptly closed. A couple of weeks later the Guam Greyhound Park started a public giveaway of 150 of the racetrack's greyhounds. Dogs were given away free to anyone who came to the track. None of the greyhounds were spayed or neutered. No record was kept of who got the greyhounds or how many each person took. Obviously, no standard adoption process was in place: no home check and no information about greyhound behavior or care.Many of the dogs were simply turned loose in the jungle to fend for themselves. The whole story is on the group's Web site.
[After the first half of 2008] the economy collapsed with the woes of Wall Street. However, the resulting impact on the pet industry reveals a promising resiliency even through the toughest of times. With the final spending figures for 2008 released and early indicators for 2009 interpreted, the pet industry has fared better than most. While no industry is truly recession-proof, the pet industry seems recession-resistant. One popular newspaper referred to the industry as “the antidote to the recession.”Greater than anticipated growth, Vetere said, was in routine veterinary services and pet-sitting and boarding, growing at 10 and 6.7 percent over 2007, respectively.
Photo by Karl Rabe/Poughkeepsie Journal
Photo: Sarah Bradshaw/Poughkeepsie Journal"There's a lot of pain," said Nikki Walker, development director at Operation Kindness, a North Texas shelter that has seen owner surrenders increase dramatically. "People are having to make tough decisions about feeding their pets or feeding their children."
In March, the American Veterinary Medical Association reported statistics showed how the recession was affecting vet care.
The study found clinic visits were down and pet owners were choosing less expensive treatments and refusing nonessential and diagnostic procedures.
Locally, there is a shelter that takes in cats and kittens — Mid Hudson Animal Aid, Inc., in Beacon — that may have to stop taking in cats until its donations increase. Their capacity is 180 felines; they know have well over 200.
I couldn't safely get a picture of it, but as soon as I got home I hit the Enterwebs."I went up and sat with them for a while and let them know that Michael was gone," Hedren told AFP. "You don't know what mental telepathy exists from the human to the animal. But I hope they understood."Oooohkay.
Bubbles was born in Texas in 1983, and it's thought he was born in a biomedical facility before being sold. When he lived with a supercelebrity such as Jackson, Bubbles could be seen in videos, posing for fan pictures, attending a news conference, his likeness appearing in a Michael Jackson video game.Those days of appearing before the camera were long gone, until today. Bubbles still likes making faces for the camera, faces that Jackson might have recognized, had he visited the sanctuary. Bubbles might have recognized Jackson, too.
And then totally not pet-related but Jackson-related and funny, comes this story from the Iowa State Fair.
Officials announced they will have a statue of Jackson at the fair made out of butter.
I can think of no better tribute. (I resisted writing "no butter" tribute.)
• Practice for long trips by taking your dog on short ones.The article also has some tips on flying with your pet, also from the AKC.
• Collar + cell phone number = Smart thing. Also take a picture of your dog with you.
• Secure your dog in a crate, carrier or harness that attaches to the seat belt. .
• Do not let your dog stick his head out the car window. Eye and ear injuries are possible.
• Stop regularly to allow your dog to relieve himself and take a drink.
• Do not ever leave your pet unattended in the car on hot days.
• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area.
• Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain.
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.
According to the agencies Web site, the investigation mainly includes spot-on pesticide products, which are generally sold in tubes or vials and are usually applied between a pet’s shoulders.While the EPA said these products can be useful for treating and protecting people and their pets from fleas and ticks that can transmit disease, the agency now recommends precaution. People should watch their pets closely for any adverse reactions.
Here's the entire article from the Fox television station's Web site.
The list of more than 200 brands of pesticides the EPA has been investigating include Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea & Tick Drops for Dogs & Puppies, Hartz Ultraguard Plus Drops for Cats, Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control for Dogs and Advantage and Frontline products.
The EPA said pet owners reported side effects including skin irritation, seizures and death. The agency expects to complete its investigation in October.
The New York Times said the majority of the topical products are for dogs only. But more than 25 are labeled for cats and at least two can be used on cats and ferrets.
Cats are particularly sensitive to an insecticide called permethrin, the active ingredient in some spot-on flea and tick treatments. According to a study published online in The Veterinary Journal, cats overdosed with permethrin insecticides can suffer tremors, seizures, excess salivation, vomiting, loss of appetite and death. Steven R. Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, said there have been cases in which a cat has been poisoned by grooming a dog that had been treated with a permethrin pesticide, but such events, he said, are "extremely rare."
Here is a pdf document of the pesticides included in the investigation. The EPA said it will post the results of the study on its Web site.
