Large Study Finds Pet Owners Are Different

You’ve seen headlines like “Puppy Love: Pet Owners Are Happier, Healthier” and "How Pets Save Us Billions Every Year In Health Care Costs!" And it is true that a lot of studies have reported that pet owners have better physical and mental health than people who do not live with companion animals. But as I have pointed out in previous posts, the results of this body of research have been mixed (here and here). Further, we do not know whether getting a pet causes better health, or whether the causal arrow points in the other direction. In other words, pet owners might be different to begin with. If so, non-pet-related differences such as socioeconomic status might be the real cause of better health for companion animal owners. For example, people who are married, white, female, and wealthy have lower death rates. If individuals with these characteristics are also more likely to live with pets, we could wrongly conclude that it is dog or cat ownership that makes them live longer.

If we really want to understand the effects of companion animals on human health, we also need to know how pet owners and non-pet owners differ in terms of demographics. Investigators from the Rand Corporation and UCLA used a large data set to address this question. Recently published in the journal PLOS One, their research report offers important insights into the differences between pet owners and non-pet owners and the impact of pets on our health.

To read more on this story, click here: Large Study Finds Pet Owners Are Different

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A Callous Exotic Pet Keeper Dumped His Chameleon in a Garden Bin on One of the Coldest Nights this Year

A callous exotic pet keeper deserves bad karma for dumping a chameleon on one of the coldest nights of the year.

Throwing the strikingly beautiful reptiles away inside a bag was effectively a death sentence for the cold-blooded creature.

RSPCA inspector Zoe Ballard took the veiled chameleon to a specialist vets for treatment but there was nothing they could do and it had to be put to sleep.

The animal welfare charity is now appealing for information to track down the cruel reptile owner who left the animal in garden rubbish in Hastings at the weekend.

“The poor little chap was clearly very unwell and to be dumped in a bag in this cold weather is completely unreasonable and inhumane,” said Inspector Ballard.

“Like many other reptiles, chameleons cannot regulate their own body temperature so rely on the environment they are in to keep at the correct body temperature.

"They are also very susceptible to infection and they are more at risk when placed into a dank environment.”

The RSPCA is witnessing a rapid rise in the number exotic creatures such as snakes and lizards being neglected and abandoned.

Last year, it received 4,990 calls about reptiles, a 37 per cent increase over the last decade and a result of more flamboyant and fascinating creatures being offered for sale, particularly over the internet.

Sadly, for the animals, naïve owners quickly find out caring for snakes, lizards and other unusual animals is both expensive and requires thorough research and expertise.

“It is a possibility that the owners took on this animal but were unable to provide the care he needs and decided to dump him,” added Inspector Ballard.

“This poor chameleon was dumped outside in freezing temperatures and left for dead.

"This is a terrible thing to do to any animal but it is particularly harmful for a chameleon as they are very sensitive and will suffer when placed in an incorrect environment.

The fact that he could not be saved is evidence of that.”

Anyone with information about this chameleon or how he came to be dumped in the garden is urged to contact the RSPCA Inspectorate Appeal Line in confidence on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for inspector Ballard.

                      The beautiful reptile was thrown into a garden bin.

      The chameleon was dumped on one of the coldest nights of the year.

               Chameleons cannot regulate their own body temperature.

There was nothing vets could do and the chameleon had to be put to sleep.

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'She's The Daughter I Never Had': Meet Bella Mia The Trust Fund Dog Who Has A $100,000 A Year Allowance for Paw-dicures And Designer Shopping Sprees

Forget give the dog a bone, this pampered pooch would likely dine on filet mignon and lobster given half the chance.

Bella Mia, a three-year-old full-breed Maltese from Great Neck, New York, is said to be one of the richest dogs in the world with a six-figure trust fund under her collar.

Last year, her owner Rose Ann Bolasny gave her a $100,000-a-year allowance to play with towards weekly paw-dicures, haircuts and designer shopping sprees.

The 60-year-old accountant, who has two adult sons, says Bella Mia is the 'daughter she never had' and likes to refer to her as a child instead of an animal.

To read more on this story, click here: 'She's The Daughter I Never Had': Meet Bella Mia The Trust Fund Dog

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Your Pet Says More About Your Personality Than You Might Think

Cat people and dog people really do have different personality traits, new research suggests. People who own cats tend to be more creative, adventurous, and anxious. Dog owners, on the other hand, tend to be more extroverted, secure, and risk-averse.

Those differences were seen in a fascinating new study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and California State University, East Bay.

To read more on this story, click here: Your Pet Says More About Your Personality Than You Might Think FOLLOW US!

Pets Allowed - Why Are So Many Animals Now in Places Where They Shouldn’t Be?

What a wonderful time it is for the scammer, the conniver, and the cheat: the underage drinkers who flash fake I.D.s, the able-bodied adults who drive cars with handicapped license plates, the parents who use a phony address so that their child can attend a more desirable public school, the customers with eleven items who stand in the express lane. The latest group to bend the law is pet owners.

To read more on this story, click here: Pets Allowed - Why Are So Many Animals Now in Places Where They Shouldn’t Be?

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House Votes To Hold Dog Owners Liable For Bites

Annapolis, Maryland - The Maryland House has joined the Senate in passing a compromise measure on dog bite liability.

The House passed Del. Luiz Simmons' bill unanimously on Wednesday. The Senate passed a parallel bill from Sen. Brian Frosh last month. Now one chamber must adopt the other's bill before it can go to Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley for a signature.

The measure would hold dog owners liable for biting "innocent victims" unless they could prove they had no way to know their dogs were dangerous. It also overturns a 2012 court decision that designated pit bulls as "inherently dangerous."

Both chambers passed an amendment to hold the owner liable anytime a dog bites someone while it's running at large, unless the person was trespassing or provoking the dog.

Simmons told WBAL News that with passage of this bill, "the issue is done," in the Maryland General Assembly.

In a special session in 2012, and during last year's session lawmakers could not come to an agreement on the issue.

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