Archive for the ‘Pets News’ Category

What did these dogs suffer?

It is really hard to even know what went on behind the closed doors of the laboratory that was using these precious beagles for testing. What were they testing on them? Did they cry out for fear, loneliness or in pain. For 7 years these beagles had lived in the laboratory. Grass became a foreign place to roam for these 10 dogs. Dogs rescued before them at another laboratory, were so weak from never being released from their cages that one could not stand when it tried to get out of its cage into the welcoming grass. It took them quite a while to even try to go out the open door of their cages. We don’t know what fears they had upon seeing wide open space. How long had it been since they were permitted to roam freely?

Vet checks them over

First thing that had to be done with the newly released dogs was to check them over. They had to be sure to be update on their shots and actually able to be around people. The 10 released are considered senior dogs. When a beagle reaches the age of 7, they are seniors. It seems to young to already be a senior. The personalities of the dogs have to also be checked out. They need to find out if the dogs are social dogs or afraid of humans. There was one of the 10 that was so scared of people, and who can blame him, that he wouldn’t let anyone near him. Many are already having a good time with the new freedoms they are experiencing. The fearful dog will take longer to find a foster home for while the ones who are already out there frolicking and enjoying life, may well be on their way to being adopted. Many spend time in foster homes before being released for adoption. This is a way to be sure the animal will fit into the new home.

Arrived from San Diego

The dogs are in Los Angeles having arrived from San Diego. They need homes to spend their last years in. No one knows just what these dogs went through at the lab, all we all know is that they didn’t deserve it. Now they deserve good homes with people who will love them for the rest of their days. If you live in the area of Los Angeles where the dogs have been rescued, you may have a chance of giving these dogs a second chance in life.

Government Crack Down

In England, there is talk about making owners microchip their dogs. Many are unhappy about it because the reason that the government is wanting to enforce it is to be able to connect a dangerous dog with it’s owner. If a dog bites a person, they can know right away who the dog lives with and is responsible for it’s actions. It sounds like a good idea, so you can right away know if the dog is up to date on it’s shots. Maybe they should also include a medical history being available where the microchip directs them to. Sometimes owners may move and the pet could have become lost in the move. When an animal bites you, there is a need for fast complete information.

What is a Microchip?

A microchip is a very tiny chip that is inserted under the animals skin. After your pet gets one, you won’t be able to feel it. The chip causes no discomfort for the pet after it has been inserted. We were offered a pain killer when my dog got one, he was such a tiny pup we figured he would not be bothered by it, and he wasn’t. Just kept being his playful self through the whole ordeal.

Advantages of a Microchip

If a dog or any animal with a microchip becomes lost, instead of grieving forever and wondering what happened, the animal shelter could scan the chip and get a hold of you. No more worrying about them sitting in a shelter and getting euthanized because you never find them. Ours directs the finder to our veterinarian. He will then take our dog and if any needed measures are required, such as if he is ill, they will take care of him. Then they will notify us that they have him. If they are unable to locate us, they try and find him a safe home. For me, this was worth the microchip. If my dog does get out and bites someone, I want to let them know he is up to date on his shots and please return dog to me. I know I would have to pay their medical bills, but my dog is a great friend. I would never want to envision my special pet out there lost looking for me. His chip will bring him home again to me.

Don’t Cats Eat Birds

A chicken is a bird, cats kill and eat birds, how did it so happen that Gladys a chicken is best friends with Snowy, the farm cat? This is really an unusual friendship. Gladys was hatched by a farmhouse hen. She was amongst 13 other chicks. A fox got into the chicken area and killed 11 of the chicks, then 2 others died later leaving Gladys as the only survivor. The farmer seeing that Gladys was lonely, and I would think traumatized, took her into the farmhouse to care for her.

An Unlikely Friendship

It was in the farmhouse where Gladys met snowy. Snowy is a 10 year old beautiful white cat. While Gladys was very fragile at first, still so young, Snowy took very good care of her. As Snowy would clean and care for himself, he would tend to keeping Gladys clean. He would rub up against Gladys how cats seem to love to do to show their affection.

Gladys Gets Stronger

Gladys would have not lived if she had not been brought into the house. They fed her bread crumbs at first to help her get stronger. Along with the care of the farm owners, Jane Etheridge, her husband Albert, and Snowy, Gladys grew up into a fine chicken and a pet. Even though she now goes outside, she still likes to come back in the house to visit with Snowy and the owners. Snowy really proved himself to be different from other cats. He was a stray cat when he was taken into the family. A bit strange according to Jane and a bit on the wild side. This would be normal since he was possibly fending for himself for some time before being adopted by them. To have taken this little chicken in and cared so lovingly for her, is just amazing.

Living Alone in a Walmart Parking Lot

A young dog was found abandoned in a Walmart parking lot. She was living under cars, moving from one to another, as cars came and went from the store. Locals began to realize that she was alone. No one was returning to get her or looking for her. She was scared. Neighbors tried to catch her, to get her to a safer spot than a parking lot where she could get run over by a car. It’s hard to imagine the fear she felt. Possibly having gone from what she felt was her home. Maybe a family had been caring for her. To being all alone wondering why.

Seasons Greetings

That is a sign over head you see as you are approaching the Walmart where the puppy was found. It was Christmas time. My only thoughts are that the person felt someone would take her in. People feeling the Christmas spirit. The problem with their idea was, how would people that didn’t live right in the area, realize she was homeless? When the puppy should have been enjoying a wonderful home life at Christmas with a loving family, she was homeless, abandoned by people she loved, and she was scared.

The Capture

Many people had tried to capture her. Word got out about her predicament. A couple of days went by. She so mistrusted people after what had happened, she would not let anyone approach her. The good news was that I.C.A.R.E a dog rescue was ready to take her in once she was caught. Eldad and Lisa Marie work together to capture the puppy. Her name is now Cora. Eldad had to coax her, trying to bribe her with food. Letting her get his scent off a leash so she could feel safer as he approached. It seemed each time he was gaining her confidence a little, she would run off and hide beneath another car. Lisa kept cars from the area to protect Cora from being hit during her bouts of running with fear. It took 2 hours to finally get close enough to Cora to grasp her leg. I was concerned she was going to get hurt, but if he had let go with her pulling, he may have never gotten a second chance. Cora was tense and shaking, but she began to feel the comfort that Eldad was trying to give her. It was later found that Cora was pregnant. That is most likely the reason for her abandonment. She got a home and so did her son, Comet. She is happy now due to new friends and family. If only her original owners had gotten her fixed, this may have never happened. Animals have feelings. I hope this video stops someone that may plan on doing the same thing to their pet. If you need to find a new home, taking them to the shelter is better than leaving them out alone like Cora was.

  Aqua Goes Crazy

Aqua, went absolutely berserk and attacked his owner, Marta Hevia. Marta, 52 years of age, was exiting her bathroom when Aqua suddenly started attacking her. He started biting her knee and clawing her arm. Marta has no idea what made the 2 year old tuxedo colored cat go off its rocker. Marta called the police for help. She feared her pet was trying to kill her. He kept coming at her over and over again.

 The Police Arrive

When the police got there, they tried to catch Aqua. Cats as we all know are not easy to catch. They are use to running and jumping from spot to spot and are very good at avoiding capture. When the police were getting close to where Aqua likes to hide, a location under a bedroom nightstand, he jumped through a glass window to get away. The police officers were stunned. One mentioned he had never before seen a cat do that.

Aqua is Very Quick

Aqua is just like any other 2 year old cat. He is fast and if doesn’t want to get caught, he most likely won’t. It’s really hard to trick a cat. As I said, he most likely won’t get caught, but a cat just like a crook running from the law can make a mistake. They may not see the person standing off in the distance as another person is coming at them. Moving in the wrong direction or making a mistake can lead to their capture. That it did with Aqua. He did get caught and was placed in a cage in the end. What got into Aqua, no one knows. Marta mentioned that her female cat is in heat, but Aqua is fixed, so it shouldn’t be male hormones going crazy. She finally said that maybe it was her perfume. I don’t know if she has changed type or not, but if she did, don’t wear that kind around men. If it does that to a cat, what would it do to a man?

Dogs typically hate bathes

My dog, a West Highland Terrier, hates his bathes. If he even thinks he is going to get a bath, he takes off running the opposite way. I use a laundry tub. It’s not a bad way to get a bath. Not as nice as this dog in the video who is taking a shower. I put him into nice warm water. I would love to have a shower head like that to use on my dog. I did have a small dog when I was younger that always hopped in the shower with me. Some dogs do like water.

They run away as soon as you mention the word, “bath”

Most dogs do not like bathes. They will do anything they can to get out of getting one. When I carry mine downstairs and put him on the floor for a bit while I get the big laundry tub ready. He keeps his distance thinking he can get away from me when it’s time. Once the tub is ready and I turn off the water, he heads back to the furnace area. Then it becomes a game of catch me if you can. I did once leave the water running in the tub and had an over flow while I tried to catch him. He knows he is going to get caught and get his bath. I don’t know why he doesn’t just sit there and let me pick him up when it’s time.

This dog seems to be enjoying it

The dog in the video only discomfort is when the shower is up above his head and he is trying to look up. No one, dog or human likes to look straight up into down falling rain or shower water. The dog is very well behaved. Just sits there and lets his owner scrub him down and then do a close up rinse. I think the dog actually likes taking a shower. They called it a depressing one, but if it was, I think he would have been howling

Cats found in condemned Indiana home

This almost sounds like a case of hoarding. Where we see people are so obsessed with items that they just cannot throw anything away. This is different. These are lives that the people were taking responsibility for. Did they honor their commitment to these cats that they took in? Maybe they gave them a warm dry place to live. I hope they fed them. We haven’t heard any horror stories about them starving, but they don’t always tell every thing. What we are concerned with, is were the cats happy?

House was full of feces

From the sounds of the situation, the cats were most likely not happy. Cats like loose dirt or litter boxes to do their needs in. Animal Control people who entered the home found feces everywhere. Fire fighters who entered the home had to wear air tanks and protective clothing because of the mess and the horrible odor. The residents had moved out of the home a year ago. They did continue to pay rent and utilities. I don’t know if this included heat or only electric. They did provide housing for these cats but not the love and cleanliness that cats need.

Close to 70 cats rescued

To some this may not seem the cats were rescued. The residents already thought they had done that. The cats were found running around the neighborhood and the people just took them in. Took them out of the cold and into a home. I do find it strange to be able to find that many cats running stray in the area. I know we have stray cats, live in a neighborhood, but not nearly that many. I wonder how many were kittens that were born in the house and had never been outside. The prior residents of the house are possibly going to be fined or face charges. The ones hurt in all of this are the cats. What is to happen to them. It’s hard to find homes for cats. There are so many and most people want a kitten.

A Hero

The dog is a hero, there is no doubt about that. She is a small dog but took on a big job when she saw the young girls were in danger. Kabang, the dogs name, put herself in a life and death situation. She dove into the path of the on coming motorcycle as it was close to running into the two girls. The log lives with her family in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It happened in December. The two girls are cousins. Dina Bunggal who is 11 and Princess Diansign who is only 3 years old.

They were out walking.

The two girls were out walking along the Nunez Extension. They did not see the motorcycle that was coming right at them. Kabang, did see it. A dog is very devoted to its family and typically will let them come to no harm. That is what Kabang did that day in December. She risked her own life to save the lives of these two girls. The girls fell but weren’t harmed. The rider did get a few bruises but nothing serious.

Kabang lands in front of motorcycle

Kabang must have been trying to stop the motorcycle. Or at least trying to get the rider to see what was about to happen. She threw herself in front of the bike to keep it from hitting the two girls. Kaband landed right on the front wheel of the bike. She did manage to stop the bike, but in the process her nose got caught in the wheel. As a result, little Kabang no longer has a good deal of her snout left. She lost the top piece of her jaw and face. She is under the care of a veterinarian. Kabang has learned to use her paws to help her eat. She has not let the accident stop her from doing what she loves to do. She is already back up on her feet and playing with Dina and Princess. I do hope that maybe there will be some kind of help offered to rebuild this dogs jaw and let her return to a normal life. She deserves it.

Guinness Book of World Records

I am sure most like me never knew there was even a section in the Guinness Book of World Records that listed the smallest dog that has a job. It’s not just a make believe job either, it’s a real job that she in this case has to report to as needed. When I read this short article and saw the sweet picture of ‘Lucy,’ I could not think of what job she could possibly perform.

Lucy’s job

Lucy has a very important job. She lives in New Jersey and her job is a therapy dog. She visits and helps people through the Cherry Hill program that is called, ‘Leashes of Love.’ Leases of love is an animal assisted therapy. The animals that work there are friends to the participants. They keep them busy, give them something to think about and care for. They exercise the animals if they are able to. The animals give them something to love and warm to touch. Plus the animal provides love back. The dogs that participate in the program have to be up to date on their shots, both distemper and rabies. The dogs also have to be tested and certified before being able to work with people in the program. It also requires the owner of the dog to participate. It’s all volunteer and dogs with their owners visit hospitals, schools, libraries, prisons and homes for people who need assistance in their daily lives.

Meet Lucy

Lucy is a mini Yorkshire terrier. She resides in New Jersey with her owner. Lucy only weighs 2.5 pounds and is 5.7 inches tall. She is very tiny but for this job, size doesn’t matter. She is only 3 years old and now has a certificate to hang in her home recognizing her as the worlds smallest working dog. The dog she replaced that was previously known as the smallest was a 6.6 pound police dog that worked in Japan.

Concerned citizens

A group of concerned people had been keeping a watchful eye on the cat all during the day. Some worked at a nearby Tesco garage. It seemed there wasn’t any real easy way for the cat to leave it’s perch on the roadway sign. It was 50 feet high and even if cats do have 9 lives, it must not have wanted to risk loosing one. I am sure it would have not lived through the fall. To try and return to the roadway above may have also been difficult along with being risky. There was a lot of traffic on the roadway and chances are, it would have been struck by a car had it tried.

24 hours

The cat had been stuck on the platform for close to 24 hours. It was becoming quite neccessary to get the cat rescued as it had no food or water supply up there. She was most likely also very frightened by all the noise on M4 the roadway right above her. They had looked into the fire department helping out, but it was unable to be done at the time safely.

The rescue

A man, known as Hugh Norville, who was a scaffolder, tried rescuing her but couldn’t reach her. Hugh made a call to a friend of his who has a crane and requested him to bring it over. Once the crane was there, Hugh was lifted up in the cherry picker to the cat. He enticed her to come to him using some tidbits of food. The hungry feline most likely gave him very little trouble. The cat was brought down safely. I can imagine the cheering as Hugh rode back down in the cherry picker with the cat. Hugh and his friend were thanked for their help with the rescue. The cat has been reunited with its owner.