The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Granddaughter Shares Photos of Her 90-year-old Grandfather and His Brand New Fluffy Friend, Penny on Twitter: Brings Users to Tears


Three weeks after viral photos of 'sad pawpaw' being 'neglected' by his grandkids broke the web's heart, a different senior is getting the exact opposite reaction out of internet users.

Twitter user Jessica Amante shared photos of her 90-year-old grandfather and his brand new fluffy friend, Penny, on March 6, Mashable reported Sunday. Her mom also posted images on Facebook.

And over the past month the pics showing the adorable couple have gone viral, literally bringing tears to the eyes of web users around the world.

Amante's grandfather is in an assisted living facility, and had pictures of his new dog sent to her at the start of the month.

“My grandfather just got a new dog and had his caregiver take pictures of him to send to me,” she Tweeted, along with three crying emojis.

And those thoughts were echoed by the thousands - 81,374 at last count - of web users who 'liked' the Tweet and the 40,771 who shared it.

Twitter user @phunkfina was one of many who responded positively to the idyllic scenes of the grandfather walking his new pal, writing “Why is this one of the most heartwarming things ever?”

But a large number of the users were even more moved than that, with several saying that they had been moved to tears.

'OMG,' gasped @lgbtleeds, saying that the grandpa bore an uncanny resemblance to 'the cute little old guy' from the Pixar movie 'Up.' “I'm crying this is too cute,” she wrote.

And @jewishuncle wrote “That's so adorable I'm gonna get emotional.”

“It makes me so happy I'm teary,” echoed @explicitstiles.

But some fans of the sweet story went even further.

Those crying emojis in Amante's original post proved prophetic for @nAAAYEomi, @kissingjohnson and @valerieamazing.

They were among the users so touched by the story that they couldn't even put it into words.

Instead, they simply send selfies showing their tearful faces, with long lines of mascara running down each cheek.


Pawpaw and paw-paw-paw-paw: Images of the 90-year-old man and his new dog, Penny, went viral after they were posted on Twitter this month by his granddaughter, Jessica Amante.



New dog, old tricks: The sweet photos brought tears to the eyes of many Twitter users. He has been likened to 'saw Pawpaw,' the elderly man whose grandkids 'abandoned' him after he made them burgers this month.




Sweet Tweet: The crying emojis in Jessica's Tweet were prophetic, as many who saw the adorable pictures were moved to tears.







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Saturday, March 26, 2016

Fairfax County, VA - Police Received Two Reports of Black Bear Sightings in the Vienna/Oakton Area


Fairfax County, Virginia - Police received two reports of black bear sightings in the Vienna/Oakton area between Wednesday and Thursday morning, the Fairfax County Police Department said. This follows an earlier sighting of a black bear and a cub in Vienna on Sunday, March 20. 

According to police, a black bear and a cub (possibly a yearling) were spotted in the 2700 block of Bowling Green Dr., Vienna Thursday morning. Police say a residence in the area reported the spotting. In a press release sent out Thursday police said, "The bears were reported to have taken down a bird-feeder and plastic cabinet on the resident's patio. The bears also took a bag of birdseed from the cabinet before heading into the wooded easement along Interstate-66."

On Wednesday morning police also received reports of two small black bears seen crossing Oakton Road. Police say the bears were spotted near Waples Mill Meadow, Difficult Run Stream Valley Park and Tattersall Park.

Police said in the release, "Bears typically avoid humans, but in their search for food it is not uncommon to see one. Residents should not panic or feel alarmed when they see one. Bears are attracted by bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, fruit trees, and berry-producing shrubs. If addressed quickly, situations can be resolved almost immediately by removing the food source. Sometimes, the bear may return searching for food, but after a few failed attempts to find it, will leave the property. Most often, bears will keep moving through an area once they fail in their attempts to find food."

The Fairfax County Wildlife management Specialist and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries give the following suggestions as precautions if encountered by a black bear:

  • Keep a respectful distance! In most cases, the bear will move on quickly.
  • If a bear is up a tree on or near your property, give it space. Do not approach, and bring your pets inside to provide the bear a clear path to leave your property.
  • If you see a very small cub, do not try to remove it from the area or "save it."
  • The best way to encourage the bear not to return is to remove food sources.
  • Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks.
  • Keep your full or empty trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement.
  • Take your garbage to the dump frequently.
  • If you have a trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before.
  • Take down your birdfeeder for 3-4 weeks after the bear visits.
  • Encourage your neighbors to take similar precautions.
  • Unless the animal is sick or injured, or poses a threat to public safety, Animal Control Officers do not take actions to attempt to remove bears from a neighborhood.

Police say bear sightings should be reported to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003.

For more information on bear sightings and how to respond safely click HERE. 




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Friday, March 25, 2016

Heartbreaking Photo of a Stray Dog Hugging a Teddy Bear Has Gone Viral: Triggering a Bit of Controversy


Houston, Texas - This heartbreaking of a stray dog hugging a teddy bear on socialmedia -- and triggered a bit of controversy.

This is the picture. A sadder-than-sad stray dog who has found a tiny bit of comfort...by snuggling up to a forsaken teddy bear.

The picture was taken by a Houston woman named Yvette Holzbach with the group 'Forgotten Dogs of The Fifth Ward'.

When she posted it on her Facebook page, there was criticism.
Why didn't you rescue the dog?"

This is her explanation: "We can feed up to 50 stray dogs [daily]. Of those 50 dogs we are lucky if we are able to save one because...there are not enough foster homes."

"[To] understand what we are faced with we welcome you to do a ride along with us. You will be astounded at how many homeless dogs there are."

That is as true in Southern California - as it is in Houston.






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Thursday, March 24, 2016

First Responders Called to a Sushi Restaurant After a Man Allegedly Threw a Giant Python on the Floor and Walked Out


Just when you think you’ve seen it all, L.A. first responders say they were called to a sushi restaurant on Sunday after a man allegedly threw a giant python on the floor and walked out.

“Probably one of the weirdest calls that I’ve ever heard us respond to,” LAPD Lt. John Gavin told Fox 11.

Police say the man had already showed up at the restaurant with a smaller snake earlier that night. When he started arguing with another diner, he was asked to leave.

So the man did – but then he came back, this time with a 13-foot python.

“Customers are yelling, ‘Get this thing out! Are you crazy,’” Jessie Davaadorj, a server, told KCAL 9.

Lt. Gavin said the suspect, who was later arrested, didn’t deny his involvement.

He said that “he was mad, and that he felt that was the only way he could get even,” said the lieutenant.

Thankfully, the fire department and animal control were able to safely corner the snake into a box.

Police say the man, who is homeless, has been charged with criminal threats from “using the snake as a weapon and threatening the patrons.”


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Former Ravens Defensive Tackle Terrence Cody: Sentenced to Nine Months in County Jail, After He Was Convicted on Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty Charges


Former Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody was sentenced to nine months in county jail, after he was convicted on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

According to Alison Knezevich of the Baltimore Sun, Cody faced more than two years in jail. He was convicted in November of two misdemeanor drug charges and multiple misdemanors regarding the death of his dog Taz.

Prosecutors said the dog was starved to death. He was also convicted of illegally possessing an alligator (of course).

The Ravens drafted Cody in the second round in 2010. He only played one game in 2014, and was released last February.

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Cat Parasite Linked to Mental Illness, Schizophrenia


Everyone loves cuddling with kittens. But there can be a little-known danger lurking behind that furry little face and that innocent-sounding meow: a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii).

T. gondii is the most common parasite in developed nations, according to Schizophrenia Bulletin. The cat-carried parasite can infect any warm-blooded species, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 60 million people in the U.S. may have it.

Most people never suffer any symptoms at all. But in those with weaker immune systems, infection with T. gondii can cause an illness called toxoplasmosis, which can result in miscarriages, fetal development disorders, weeks of flu-like illness, blindness and even death. It has also been associated with mental disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Now two more studies explore the mental health issues in greater detail.

E. Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Dr. Robert H. Yolken of Stanley Laboratory of Developmental Neurovirology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have been studying the link between infection with T. gondii and schizophrenia for close to three decades.

Their most recent study, published in Schizophrenia Research, along with researcher Wendy Simmons, compared two previous studies that found a link between childhood cat ownership and the development of schizophrenia later in life with an unpublished survey on mental health from 1982, 10 years before any data on cat ownership and mental illness had been published. Results of the analysis indicated that cat exposure in childhood may be a risk factor for developing mental disorders.

To read more on this story, click here: Cat Parasite Linked to Mental Illness, Schizophrenia












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A Pennsylvania Goldfish Might Be the 1st of His Species to Get Braces


A Pennsylvania goldfish named Mr. Hot Wing might be the 1st orthodontic patient of his species

Just weeks after photos of a Michigan dog with braces went viral, veterinary orthodontics are in the news once again.

This time, however, the patient is a goldfish. A standard orange goldfish. The kind who lives in a bowl, retails for roughly 27 cents, and sort of resembles a Buffalo chicken wing when you squint and really think about it.

His name is Mr. Hot Wing, and he's the first-ever pet of his kind to make headlines with a corrective dental appliance.

Philadelphia's 6abc Action News reports that Mr. Hot Wing, who lives in Allentown, Pa., was born without a lower jaw bone, which makes it impossible for him to hold his mouth open.

Because of this, the fish suffers from breathing and eating difficulties. Rather, he did before his owner brought him to Dr. Brian Palmeiro at Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology.

Palmeiro, described by Action News as "the fish doctor," reportedly performed surgery on Mr. Hot Wing to open his mouth.

Then, after conducting "a lot of research" on the topic, he fashioned some custom braces out of a plastic credit card to correct Mr. Hot Wing's bite … or lack thereof.

"Fish Braces!!??" wrote the veterinary clinic on Facebook last week under a post-op photo of its little patient. "Mr. Hot Wing came in today for trouble breathing and inability to eat. He was born without a lower jaw bone and his mouth could not stay open. Brian Palmeiro did surgery to open his mouth and created this brace to help his mouth stay open."

Mr. Hot Wing may be the first fish to get braces, in a matter of speaking, but he's not the first to benefit from Palmeiro's plastic card veterinary devices.

The Lehigh Valley clinic shared a photo of a larger fish, who appears to have a makeshift splint on his fin, in November.

All in all, Mr. Hot Wing's braces were said to have cost about $150.

That may sound like an expensive vet bill for a fish that likely cost less than a dollar, but you can't put a price on family. And hey — it's still way cheaper than human braces.

Or dog braces, for that matter.





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Mr. Hot Wing, who lives in Allentown, Pa., was born without a lower jaw bone, which made it hard for him to breathe or eat before his 'braces' were put on. (Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology/Facebook)


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(Left: Matt Elsberry/Flickr, Right: Ernesto Andrade/Flickr)


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Tags;

Goldfish, Fish, Pet, Pet Health, Goldfish Gets Braces, Braces, Veterinary Orthodontics, Lehigh Valley Clinic,








Mr. Hot Wing, who lives in Allentown, Pa., was born without a lower jaw bone, which made it hard for him to breathe or eat before his 'braces' were put on. (Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology/Facebook)



                   (Left: Matt Elsberry/Flickr, Right: Ernesto Andrade/Flickr)






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