The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : May 2019 The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : May 2019

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Passenger Sues Delta And Pet Owner After Emotional Support Dog Attacked Him


A passenger traveling on a 2017 Delta flight is suing the airline and a pet owner, claiming that an emotional support dog bit him in an attack that left permanent damage to his face.

Marlin Jackson of Alabama filed the lawsuit over the June 2017 incident on Friday. He’s accusing the airline and the dog owner, a U.S. Marine, of negligence and demanding an unspecified amount of damages.

The lawsuit states Jackson was in a window seat when the dog sitting on the lap of the passenger next to him lunged for his face and pinned him against the wall of the aircraft, biting his face. The dog was identified on the police report as a mix of chocolate Labrador retriever and pointer. The attack occurred during boarding on a flight scheduled to travel from Atlanta and San Diego. Jackson said he asked the pet owner if the dog would bite before taking his seat.

To read more on this story, click here: Passenger Sues Delta And Pet Owner After Emotional Support Dog Attacked Him

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Can Cats Be Allergic to Dogs?


If your cat is itchy, he could have an allergy to something in his environment. Molds, pollen and dust mites are common allergens, but can cats be allergic to dogs? While it’s not something you hear about very often, it’s possible.

Can Cats Be Allergic to Dogs?

Although veterinarians say it’s not well-documented or very common, cats can be allergic to dogs. “When we perform intradermal allergy testing in cats, ‘dog epithelia’ is one of the allergens that we test cats for out of a panel of about 60 environmental allergens, including pollens, molds and house dust mites,” says Dr. Elizabeth Falk, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists in Stamford, Connecticut. “We can include that in the cat's allergy vaccine.”

Generally speaking, cat allergies are not very well-studied, so knowing whether certain dog breeds are more allergenic than others is tough. It’s not much of a stretch, however, to suspect that certain breeds can potentially present more of a risk, veterinarians say.

To read more on this story, click here: Can Cats Be Allergic to Dogs?


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Can Dogs Be Allergic To Cats? Signs & Treatment


Dogs and cats have historically never been the best of friends when it comes to getting along with each other.

The majority of dogs and cats keep a distance from each other. However, there are a few exceptions in some households, especially when the dogs and cats have grown up together from a very young age. 

Dog Allergic to Cat

But can dogs be allergic to cats and develop allergic reactions?

It may surprise you to know that in the rarest of cases, this is actually true! How is it possible you might be thinking.

It is extremely unlikely, but there is a slight chance that you may end up in a situation where your dog is allergic to cats and develops itches, red eyes and keeps sneezing as soon as a cat is near him or her.

To read more on this story, click here: Can Dogs Be Allergic To Cats? Signs & Treatment

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Deformed Front Legs of Puppy Saved Him from Becoming Fighting Dog


An adorable two-month-old puppy was surrendered to the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter in Newark, New Jersey recently; the dog's front legs grossly deformed. Perhaps his birth defect or being locked in a too small kennel as he developed saved his life; his past owner decided the little one's deformity made him unsuitable to be a fighting dog.

Named Hulk by his rescuers, the staff at the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter stated the eight-week-old little bundle of cuteness was the meanest, nastiest little critter anyone would have wanted to meet. From the moment he entered the shelter, Hulk would bite, growl and snap at everyone. It was evident he hadn't been socialized; chances are he was already being taught to fight and be aggressive.

According to the AHPPS, however the very young life of Hulk is making a positive turn:

"...the rough edges have smoothed down with loving hands that hold him. There are two matronly female dogs who play with him so he can perceive that affection and dominance are taught in a favorable and rewarding manner."

Hulk will be examined by a specialist this week in hopes of correcting his deformity. If you would like to help, please click here.

Follow Hulk's progress on Facebook by clicking HERE



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When Dad Pushes The Dog in a Swing - She Gives a Big Smile


Dad asked their dog Sara if she wanted to get in the swing for a push. When they put the dog in she gets a big smile on her face and wants to be pushed more. The owner says she's done this for four years and goes wild with happiness when they tell her she gets to go swinging.

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How to Treat Ear Mites in Rabbits


Rabbits are susceptible to infection by a small oval shaped mite called Psoroptes cuniculi, which has a preference for ears. Rabbits can pick up infection when they contact eggs in hay, straw, or wood chip bedding.[1] Although the mites live in the ear, if the infection is not treated, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the paws, head, neck, abdomen, or around the anus.[2] Learn how to treat ear mites so you can keep your rabbit healthy.


1- Clean everything the rabbit has touched. Ear mites are very contagious. Because of this, everything the rabbit comes into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected in case they harbor mites or mite eggs.[3]

Dispose of all bedding materials and provide fresh bedding every day until the mites have been gotten rid of completely.

Scrub and disinfect the hutch and run. Make sure to clean it often while your rabbit has the infection.

Ear mites are highly infectious to other rabbits and can spread by direct contact. Therefore, all the rabbits in the household should be treated, too.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Treat Ear Mites in Rabbits

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Horses Keep Dying At Santa Anita Racetrack. Here's What We Know


(CNN)Animal rights activists are again calling for races to be suspended at Santa Anita Park amid a string of horse deaths that forced the park to temporarily shut down earlier this year.

The famed Arcadia, California, racecourse, which will play host to this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships in November, recorded its 26th death since December when Kochees was injured during a race Saturday. The 9-year-old gelding had to be put down Sunday.

Track spokesman Stefan Friedman told CNN the track is safe and there will be consequences in Kochees' death.

He would not go into detail but said the rules at Santa Anita require that every horse who races be seen by a trainer's veterinarian and by the track's vet. He said two trainers also got the boot last week, again declining to provide details.

"Everybody's got to be pointed at the fact that the horse comes first," he said. "If you do not put the safety of the horse first at this track, you will not be welcome here."

To read more on this story, click here: Horses Keep Dying At Santa Anita Racetrack. Here's What We Know

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Woman Imprisoned Dog and Cat in Storage Unit


Unfortunately, there have been many cases in which animals have been kept in terrible conditions by humans. Cala, a pit bull mix was kept on a leash so short, she choked whenever she sat down. Liam, was abused, neglected, and kept on a chain for years. Another beautiful dog was kept chained to a wall for 15 years and was never even given a name. A dog and cat in Calgary, Canada were discovered in a storage unit where they were being kept by their owner.

To read more on this story, click here: Woman Imprisoned Dog and Cat in Storage Unit



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Famous Cat Lovers In History


People have loved–and even worshipped cats–since the beginning of time. We know Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt and her love affair with cats. In fact, the term “cat eyeliner” was another thing she was famous for. But there are a number of cat lovers throughout history that you may not know. Here we will take a look at some of the most famous cat lovers throughout history. Let’s see how many you already knew!

Many of us know the 16th President of the United States for his untimely death and Gettysburg Address. But what you don’t know is that this impressive man was also a crazy cat lover! And better yet, Lincoln was the first president to bring cats to the White House.

To read more on this story, click here; Famous Cat Lovers In History


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Nearly Extinct Pink Dolphin Gives Birth To Pink Calf


Rare pink dolphin mom gave birth to a cute baby dolphin. People call her Pinky, and the animal has been spotted in the Calcasiey river in Louisiana. The pink calf was there, too.

The pink mammal became popular 12 years ago. Captain Erik Rue was the first to spot her.  The video of Pinky and her baby was posted on Pinky’s Facebook page. The dolphins were swimming in front of a big boat in the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

According to experts, Pinky is a Rare River Dolphin who got the pink color from a rare genetic mutation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed river dolphins as endangered. It’s population is decreasing.


The birth of the calf gives us hope that calves have inherited their mother’s genetic mutation which would help in the effort of increasing the population of rare species.

To read more on this story, click here: Nearly Extinct Pink Dolphin Gives Birth To Pink Calf

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Is Your Dog Depressed?


A once perky pooch may now be listless and withdrawn. Or a dog who previously had the tolerance and patience of Job might have turned aggressive, snapping at the kids or destroying furniture.

Could these be signs of depression?

“It’s hard to know for sure because we can’t ask what they’re feeling, and have no tests to specifically gauge depression in dogs,” says Bonnie Beaver, DVM, of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “That’s why it’s important to see a vet whenever your dog experiences any sudden change in behavior — to rule out a possible medical condition ranging from GI upset to cancer. But certainly, there are situations where depression seems to be the only explanation.”

Leading the list, perhaps to no surprise, is loss of a family member. “We definitely can say we see depression in dogs when there’s a death of a person or another pet in that household, or someone moves out,” notes John Ciribassi, DVM, of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and co-editor of the book Decoding Your Dog.

To read more on this story, click here: Is Your Dog Depressed?

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Man Caught Smuggling Nearly 5,000 Leeches In Luggage


A Niagara Falls, Ont., man has been fined $15,000 after he was caught flying into Canada with a suitcase full of leeches.

Ippolit Bodounov tried to smuggle 4,788 live, medicinal leeches in his carry-on luggage on Oct. 17, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). He'd just flown from Russia to Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Bodounov carried the leeches in a large reusable grocery bag, said Gerry Brunet, operations manager of ECCC's wildlife enforcement directorate, based in Burlington, Ont. Within that bag were 10 smaller, dampened cloth bags.

A dog working with border agents smelled the leeches, Brunet said. 

"This is our first large-scale illegal leech import," he said, though the ministry sees a lot of illegally imported reptiles, turtles, tortoises and snakes. 

The ministry sent the leeches to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where Sebastian Kvist, curator of invertebrate zoology, identified them as Hirudo verbana, a threatened medicinal leech.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Caught Smuggling Nearly 5,000 Leeches In Luggage


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Teach Your Dog To Be Home Alone


Number one canine problem behavior is “home alone.” Don’t panic if someone tells you that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. It’s probably not the case. Anxiety is a serious disorder and most dogs don’t have any anxiety when left alone. They are either under-stimulated and burn their surplus energy by wrecking the furniture, they’re having fun and don’t know that it is wrong to destroy human possessions, or the owners have not taught them the desired routines when left home alone.





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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Feral Cat Colony Crisis Pits Environmentalists Against Humane Groups


'This is unacceptable behavior for dog owners. Why is it OK for cats?' asks Grant Sizemore, a conservation biologist with the American Bird Conservancy.


UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Marian Parker pulled her small Hyundai into the parking lot of an Upper Marlboro, Md. strip mall and started her daily mission.

In the cluttered back seat, rested an empty cat cage, several bags of dry pet food, and cases of 22-ounce 'Paws and Claws Turkey and Giblets' dinner cans.

Parker comes daily to feed a colony of about 20 feral cats.

The animals live in a trash-filled, muddy, no-man’s land in the forest behind the shopping center along the banks of the Western Branch near the busy intersection of Routes 301 and 4.

Parker and others have set out overturned plastic storage tubs filled with flea-infested straw in the muddy woods to shelter the cats. Holes are cut in the plastic for the cats to enter.

To read more on this story, click here: Feral Cat Colony Crisis Pits Environmentalists Against Humane Groups


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Octopus Sucked Onto Woman's Face And Wouldn't Let Go As She Tried To Eat It Alive


A young Chinese video blogger known as 'seaside girl Little Seven' recently announced plans to eat a live octopus on her live-stream. However when she lifted the squirming animal up to her mouth, it fought back, planting slimy tentacles against her cheeks. With the creature's suckers stuck to her skin, the woman squealed in pain, and struggled to free herself from its grip.

A 50-second clip from the livestream was published on Kuaishou, China's popular short video platform. The footage begins with the octopus stuck to the girl's face. "Look how hard it's sucking," she remarks, according to The Daily Mail's translation. When the pain sharply increases, she freaks out and cries, squealing "Painful!" and "I can't remove it!"

To read more on this story, click here: Octopus Sucked Onto Woman's Face And Wouldn't Let Go As She Tried To Eat It Alive

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Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Why Do Dogs Sniff Each Other’s Butts?


Every dog owner knows that dogs sniff each other’s butts.  It probably isn’t the most pleasant sight to witness, but it’s just a dog’s way of life.  There are a few reasons why dogs sniff each other’s butts and it really boils down to their sense of smell and communication.

Dogs smell each other when they first meet

When two people meet, they evaluate body language, facial expressions and tone of voice to quickly assess each other.  When two dogs meet, they don’t say hello or shake hands like we do, but they will gather lots of information from each other’s body language. When two dogs meet, they usually walk in circles while scrutinizing each other’s demeanor and posture. Are their ears back? Is their tail wagging?

Dogs use their acute sense of smell to get a an assessment of the dog they’re meeting

Dogs use their keen sense of smell, along with a visual assessment, to get vital information about a new canine acquaintance. The chemical aromas identify gender and mood, and can even communicate what a dog likes to eat. By simply smelling, a dog can determine if a new friend is male or female, happy or aggressive, healthy or ill. Dogs get a general idea about each other with a quick sniff, but get more detailed information by getting up close and personal and that’s where the butts play a part.

The video below, from the “American Chemical Society’s Reactions series” explains this whole butt smelling communication!

To read more on this story, click here: Why Do Dogs Sniff Each Other’s Butts?

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Why Do Cats Put Their Butts in Your Face?


Cat lovers know all the quirky traits of our favorite felines.  One of the more perplexing behaviors is when you are sitting down, waiting for your kitty to curl down next to you, but instead your cat puts her butt in your face!  And while we humans would never do this to each other, there are a few reasons why cats might put their butts in your face.

Cats put their butt in your face as their way of saying hello!

Cats raise their tails as a sign of friendliness and trust, allowing us full access to all of the intimate, olfactory details about them found in their scent. Turning around makes that invitation even clearer.  Smell is so much more important to cats so inviting us to check them out is just a friendly hello!  The butt in the face is their way of trying to be nice, not naughty!

When cats greet each other, they usually sniff each other’s faces

When greeting each other for the first time, cats sniff each other’s face and neck as an initial greeting. This is pretty similar to nodding a greeting to a stranger at first meeting. Cats produce cheek pheromones that signal friendship, so sniffing this area can actually help calm feelings of aggression or fear.

To read more on this story, click here: Why Do Cats Put Their Butts in Your Face?


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This Man Makes Everyone Smile When He Walks With His Pack of German Shepherds Unleashed (Video)


Augusto Deoliveira shared this video of him walking his pack of German Shepherds in public. All five dogs are unleashed and walk in a group, close beside him. What the video doesn’t tell is the story behind the dogs he’s walking with.

He wrote, “This video features Savannah on the left (not quite a year old at the time). Griffin next to her (almost 2). The one behind me was a rescue dog (3 years old) who came to me with no training or socialization of any kind, she was very sweet but not confident She had numerous health problems and to me this is amazing of how she was doing after only a couple of months of training, given the fact that she never left her small kennel ever!”

“Then Hannah (she came to me at 2). I did all the training with her. She is very confident. The one on the far right is another rescue who was tied on a leash outside day and night, even in the winter. She had just a tiny dogs house. She was in very poor shape when I got her. She had no training and again was not confident. Although those 2 [rescue] dogs will never to be 100% they are way better in this video than when I rescued them. They both have found great pet homes since then.”

“The other 3 still live with me. This video is 2-years-old and was filmed in the winter in a very cold day if you didn’t notice.”

Since the video went viral, Augusto has received many comments from people claiming the dogs were trained by shock collars or abuse because the dogs were not wagging their tails. But Augusto said this is simply not the case. “I know how much training and energy I put into these dogs to train them, and whether you use shock collars or not its not that easy to do this. I use my body language to let the dogs know I want them to walk close to me.”




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Meet Bindi, The Cat Who Detected Breast Cancer In Her Owner


Bindi's story was one of the Most Incredible Story category finalists in the National Cat Awards sponsored by Verdo Cat Litter.

Bindi had always been a laid-back, gentle and sweet-natured cat, so when she started acting strangely one day, owner Valerie Lubbock knew something was wrong. Asleep on Valerie's lap, little Bindi, who was adopted from Crawley, Reigate & District Cats Protection, reached up, pushed her paws into her owner's chest and stared at her directly in her face.

It was so out of character it was the incentive Valerie needed to go for that check-up.

Within three weeks, Valerie had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a life-saving mastectomy.




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This Adorable Looking Animal is a "Slow Loris": But It Can Kill Humans


YouTube sensation the slow loris might look adorable, but it can kill humans... and we are killing them out in return.

It’s was the latest YouTube sensation in 2012: a small, furry creature with huge eyes and arms raised above its head is being tickled.  More than 12 million people have watched this and another film of a similar animal holding a cocktail umbrella. Many of those probably thought ‘What a lovely creature, how cute’.

Professor Anna Nekaris is a Professor in Anthropology and Primate Conservation studying the unique group of evolutionary distinct primates known as the Asian lorises. You can read more about her HERE.

Professor Anna Nekaris: It breaks my heart. The animal in the films is a ‘slow loris’, a nocturnal primate from Asia, a close cousin to monkeys. I’ve spent almost 20 years studying them and I know just how cruel those films are.


Sad tale: Primatologist Anna Nekaris with a slow loris which is illegally on sale in the market in Indonesia.




Misleading: The YouTube video of a loris 'being tickled' (left) has been seen by 12 million people - but it is endangering the lives of lorises in the wild (right)

Yes, they are beautiful animals but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they’re not even suitable as pets.

They are venomous, the only primate to be so, and are known as the ‘jungle gremlins’ because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.

Although evolution has given the slow loris some unique attributes, like so many other species, nature alone cannot protect it from all the 21st century threats.

Their natural forest habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate, the use of them in traditional Asian medicine continues to decimate the population and now, thanks to YouTube and other internet sites, exacerbates their demand as exotic pets, putting them at huge risk.

I went undercover with a BBC film crew in Jakarta, Indonesia, to find out the extent of the shocking trade in these wonderful but shy animals. What I saw reduced me to tears.

The loris first emerged as a distinct lineage more than 40 million years ago. Unlike similar primates it can’t leap at all – its tail is reduced to a stub but instead has an extraordinary vice-like grip by which it manouevres Ninja-like through the trees.

In its natural habitat, high above the ground and shrouded by the darkness of night, it makes rapid and elegant progress from branch to branch.


Wide-eyed wonder: The slow loris is a beautiful animal, but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they're not even suitable as pets.

But on the ground it feels ill at ease, and under bright daytime light is insecure, unsure of itself and vulnerable. Its movements become unsteady and, well, slow. Hence, the less than flattering name.

Apart from its extraordinary grip it also has a powerful bite, able to chisel through the bark of trees and even bamboo.  It sounds not unlike a woodpecker when it’s feeding, using its two tongues to extract gum, syrup and nectar from the vegetation.

It also consumes insect larvae and even small bats and lizards.

In turn, the slow loris can fall victim to pythons and orang-utans but the biggest threat is, of course, mankind. And that threat comes in several forms.

The slow loris lives in the trees – it needs forests to survive. Yet in the parts of the Asian world that is its natural habitat the forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. On Java, the main island of Indonesia, there is only 10 per cent of the forest left and here the slow loris population is falling at a terrifying rate. In one of Java’s best-protected forests, we came across only six wild animals in a whole year.

One of the great misfortunes of the slow loris is that it is much sought after in traditional Asian medicine. Known as the ‘animal that cures 100 diseases’ it’s widely used in traditional healing remedies in China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Add to that its popularity as a pet in Asia and it’s new fame in the west and you have the elements of a major onslaught on the loris population which could drive it to extinction.

But that is no concern of the people who work in the live animal markets in Java.


Danger: Slow lorises are venomous - the only primate to be so - and are known as the 'jungle gremlins' because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.





Heart-breaking: Nekaris with a box full of slow lorises - when she was searching for the animal in the wide they only saw six of them in a whole year.

They were healthy and had their teeth, they were good candidates for release back into the wild - it broke my heart to leave them there when it would have been in my power to set them free. But buying them would be wrong on so many fronts. I would never buy an animal in a market because it just promotes the sale of them. The second any foreigner buys an animal the traders think: ‘Oh, we can sell them to foreigners’ and the trade escalates.

If I had bought them, he would have just got four more. The moment he sells one he just replaces it. The whole trade is just so sick. The ‘catchers’ make around 25 pence for a slow loris, the traders then sell them for £25. But international trade can see a single slow loris being sold for between £900-£1,800.

Everyone who has seen the film we took in the market has cried. But this trade is made even more heartless by the fact that the slow loris is not even a suitable pet – far from it. It sleeps all day, it smells worse than a whole box of rotten eggs and on top of that it can seriously harm you.

It is the only primate in the world that is poisonous thanks to a dark fluid released from a gland above its elbow which, when mixed with its own saliva, becomes toxic.

We are studying the reasons why they may have this - the classic explanation is that it is predator defense - although this is now in dispute with other theories being that it makes them unpalatable and so protects themselves and their young.


In the wild: One of the primates in its natural habitat.




Not pets: The animal only has a stump of a tail but has an extremely strong grip.

The effect of the poison is to cause wounds to fester – it works as an anti-coagulant. The necrotic effect means that the tissue dies and the flesh rots. Another theory suggests they may have venomous glands as a way of destroying rivals over territory - they do attack other slow lorises who then die a slow death.

The danger to humans is generally an allergic reaction, in some cases their bites have triggered anaphylactic shock and death.

Even if the reaction is not that severe the bite alone from the razor sharp fangs of a slow loris is excruciating, and I should know I have suffered a few bites myself – always on my fingers.

That’s why the slow lorises sold as domestic pets have their teeth ripped out first. It’s cruel and unnecessary because they shouldn’t be kept as pets at all.

Yet, the new interest in the animals generated by the internet and the films on YouTube produce a stream of inquiries on forums asking if people can get one as a pet.

The correct answer is: you can’t. Or at least, you shouldn’t be able to, because the trade in them is illegal.

The YouTube films create the impression that the slow loris is a cute domestic animal.

So let’s demand YouTube take these cruel movies down from the internet and allow the slow loris to return to the darkness of the forest.



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Farmer Thinks Cow Is Pregnant With One Calf But During Labor The Babies Keep Dropping To Ground


On May 24, 2018, Chuck and Deb Beldo welcomed a truly rare phenomenon on their farm in.

So rare, in fact, that it only ever happens in one in 11.2 million cases!

“I’ve been around cows my whole life, and I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Deb told CBS Local.

One of the cows on their farm got pregnant for a third time. Her previous two births were to single healthy calves.

To read more on this story, click here: Farmer Thinks Cow Is Pregnant With One Calf But During Labor The Babies Keep Dropping To Ground

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Pittsburgh Police Has a New Comfort Dog for the Bureau and of Course There Are Adorable Photos of Him


The newest member of the Pittsburgh police bureau is a very good boy.

He is not an officer but maybe an arf-icer, and, yes, that will be the last bad pun you’ll have to read here.


Meet Zane, who the bureau said is its first “comfort dog for peer support, critical incidents and community outreach.”


Pittsburgh police Officer Victoria Butch showed off the pup Thursday on the North Shore, posing next to the Police Memorial on North Shore Drive near Heinz Field. The statue, dedicated in 2015, honors fallen K-9 officers.


To read more on this story, click here: Pittsburgh Police Has a New Comfort Dog for the Bureau and of Course There Are Adorable Photos of Him



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Sunday, May 5, 2019

Inside The Most Controversial And Surreal Kentucky Derby Ever


LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Everyone was standing around on the muddy ooze of the Churchill Downs racetrack, and nothing was happening. The adrenaline rush of the Kentucky Derby had given way to a surreal limbo.

The trainers, jockeys and owners connected to two racehorses had nothing to do. Stable hands cooled down the colts, walking them in circles, waiting for news. A grandstand packed with boozed and confused fans buzzed with uncertainty.

These were the longest, strangest minutes in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby. The first-ever racing disqualification of a Derby winner was being deliberated in a room seven floors above the track.

Maximum Security had generated maximum controversy.

The aftermath of this race usually unfolds like clockwork, and the mechanisms were all in place. The winner’s circle beckoned, the gold trophy was sitting there, the governor of Kentucky was standing by to award it, and the blanket of roses was prepared to be draped across the shoulders of the champion.

To read more on this story, click here: Inside The Most Controversial And Surreal Kentucky Derby Ever

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7 Vets Help Great Dane Deliver 19 Puppies: ‘All Live and Healthy’


With gargantuan effort (and a little help  from a crack team of Arizona veterinarians), a Great Dane gave birth to an unbelievable 19 healthy puppies on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.

The Kingman Animal Hospital in Arizona successfully delivered the litter by cesarean section.

It took many hands to get these puppies into the world!

“It was a shocking number,” said the Fox 10 news report. “You should hear what they all sound like together!” And, most importantly, they added: “every single one is looking to be in good health so far.” The surgical procedure to birth the puppies necessitated seven vet technicians, including the dog’s owner, led by Dr. Erika Angone. “Think 101 Dalmations? Try 19 Great Danes!” the news report concluded.

To read more on this story, click here: 7 Vets Help Great Dane Deliver 19 Puppies: ‘All Live and Healthy’

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Humane Rescue Alliance: Join Us Tomorrow At Cantina Bambina To Meet, Adopt, And Go Home With Your New Best Friend


Join us tomorrow at Cantina Bambina from 5-8PM to meet, adopt, and go home with your new best friend and have a drink or two to celebrate! Ten percent of proceeds will benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance. Hope to see you there!


To sign up on facebook, click here: Cantina Bambina



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Derby Officials Say Maximum Security Broke Interference Rule


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Officials cited Maximum Security for interference and the colt became the first Kentucky Derby winner to be disqualified for violating a state regulation that penalizes horses for impeding the path of another in a race.

Stewards, who supervise the outcome of horse races, referenced Section 12 of rule 810 KAR1:016. The rule calls for disqualification if "a leading horse or any other horse in a race swerves or is ridden to either side so as to interfere with, intimidate, or impede any other horse or jockey." Stewards determined that Maximum Security interfered with the path of several horses as the field of 19 rounded the final turn in Saturday's race.

To read more on this story, click here: Derby Officials Say Maximum Security Broke Interference Rule 

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Friday, May 3, 2019

People Can Now Adopt Dogs Who Failed Government Training For Being Too Friendly


For people who’d like to adopt a German Shorthaired Pointer, a German Shepherd, a Labrador Retriever, or a Belgian Malinois, they can now choose from beautiful puppies who are just too nice and carefree to pass the training for government work. The Transportation Security Administration has organized an adoption program to find lovely homes for the energetic and adorable training ‘dropouts’.

The complete list of minimum requirements that are needed for submitting an adoption application can be viewed on the TSA website. Some of the requirements are having no plans of moving within the next six months, having a yard that’s completely fenced, and being able to provide the dog training, exercise, proper medical care, and love. Approved applicants will be asked to travel to San Antonio, Texas twice. The first purpose of the first visit is to meet the dogs while the second one is to take the pet home.

To read more on this story, click here: People Can Now Adopt Dogs Who Failed Government Training For Being Too Friendly

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So Many Animals Are Going Extinct That It Could Take Earth 10 Million Years To Recover


Some 65 million years ago, an asteroid just six miles wide struck the planet. The resulting cloud of dust and debris that funneled into the atmosphere blocked sunlight for several weeks, while earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis wreaked havoc on what is now the Americas.

When all was said and done, the Tyrannosaurus rex and its Saurichian compatriots had all died out, along with 75% of the planet's species.

Today, another force is driving Earth towards its next extinction event. Human-driven changes to the planet are hitting global species on multiple fronts, as hotter oceans, deforestation, and climate change drive floral and faunal populations to extinction in unprecedented numbers. As much as half of the total number of animal individuals that once shared the Earth with humans are already gone, a clear sign that we're on the brink, if not in the midst of, a sixth mass extinction.

To read more on this story, click here: So Many Animals Are Going Extinct That It Could Take Earth 10 Million Years To Recover

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People Need To Be Taken Seriously When They Grieve The Death Of A Pet – Here’s Why


One of the most difficult days for any pet owner is the day their pet passes away. That’s because pets are more than just furry creatures that live in our homes — they’re part of our families.

If we take a moment and think deeply about our relationships with our pets, it’s easy to see why they’re so beloved. If we’re upset or depressed for any reason at all, our pets can often cheer us up. Their loyalty and devotion are unmet by most humans, and they each have their own personality.

Because pets play such a pivotal role in our lives, our grief when we lose them is genuine and devastating. For most pet owners, our emotional ties to our pets are powerful.

But there are some people who don’t understand that grief, often because they have no pets of their own and simply don’t quite understand the pull they have on our lives. In turn, they don’t understand the empty spot in our hearts that immediately appears when they pass away.

When someone you know is grieving the loss of their fur baby — which is bound to happen, as their lives are impactful but far too short — here are a few tips to keep in mind:

To read more on this story, click here: People Need To Be Taken Seriously When They Grieve The Death Of A Pet – Here’s Why

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