San Francisco, California - Amid the pumps and IV machines, ventilators, and monitors at in the intensive care unit at UCSF Medical Center, a “purrfectly” trained professional is making the rounds: a 7-year-old tuxedo cat. His name is Duke Ellington Morris “When he first mentioned it, I was, like, ‘Is it a dog?’ Nope – a kitty!” chuckled patient Susan Wuann. “Oh, this cat’s phenomenal!” exclaimed patient Marcy Harrison. “It’s pretty exciting to meet him and see a cat in the hospital.” said nurse David Goldberger. For both the patients and staff, Duke is one cool cat. “I was skeptical of the idea until I met Duke and was, like, this works for us,” said Steven Koster, who facilitates the animal-assisted therapy program at UCSF with the San Francisco SPCA. All the pets who participate in the program are vetted and healthy. “The staff who has been involved with the animal assisted therapy program are very careful to make sure the animals are very safe to be in the ICU,” said UCSF Adult Critical Care Director Dr. Matt Aldrich The goal is to facilitate healing, promote wellbeing, and share a little love. Studies show pet therapy can reduce blood pressure, pain, stress, anxiety, and depression. And Duke is a pretty mellow cat. “When you have this animal that comes in here like Duke … you can pet him, you can stroke him. He gives you a sense of being connected as a human again. So it’s really a wonderful thing,” explained patient Andre Ross. These days, Duke – a rescue cat – pretty much rules this ICU and his owners are happy to share him. “I think he rescued us. there’s no doubt in my mind,” said owner Jennifer Morris. “He’s just a sweetheart.” “It really does make you feel good,” added Harrison. “This is the cream on the top,” exclaimed Wuan. As for Duke? He just lapped it up.
This is Samson, the largest cat in New York City. Dr. Lisa Lippman, a Manhattan veterinarian, said he is by far the biggest cat she has ever heard of! Samson, a Maine coon, is four feet long and weighs 28 pounds! For perspective, an average cat weighs between 8-10 lbs and is about 2 feet long! It is not unusual, however, for Maine Coon cats to weigh between 15 to 20 lbs. According to his dad, Splurt Zillionz, Samson is a tender, sweet, but tough guy. Samson likes to wrestle and loves to cuddle – only when no one is watching! Samson is now 4 years old and has been living with his dad in New York since November 2013. Even though the apartment in NYC are small, Samson always finds a place to hang out. Samson also loves to go for rides in his green cat stroller. Every few months, Samson gets a $120 grooming session to keep himself looking lush and fluffy! Samson eats six cans of wet food a day and uses four pounds of litter a week. Samson’s groomer, Carolyn Ayala said he is long, broad, strong, and heavy – he is not fat. He is well-proportioned. She called him a gentle giant. Because of his size, Samson has been getting a lot of attention. He is big news in New York and all around the world! Samson has over 34,000 followers on Instagram, his account is called @catstradamus. But, in typical cat fashion, Samson pretends he doesn’t care at all!
A tiny male deer fawn weighing just 1lb (450g) and measuring 6 by 6 in (15.24 x 15.24cm) was born on May 12 at Queens Zoo, NYC. Pudu are the world’s smallest deer species and the Zoo now has 3 on display. The tiny creature is still nursing but will soon be eating leaves, grain, kale, carrots, and hay. Pudu are a subspecies of the South American deer and are generally solitary animals. They bark when frightened, shiver when angered, and do not interact socially other than to mate. Pudu are so small that they count the horned owl as one of their predators, and there is a popular rumor that the deer can die from fear-induced cardiac complications.
Even the biggest animal lovers are somewhat disconnected from the rampant abuse happening to animals around the world. Powerful images and videos allow us a glimpse into some of the heartbreaking situations animals have to deal with around the world, but activists, conservationists, photojournalists, and videographers get a first-hand look and have the chance to interact with those affected. These people are in sub-Saharan Africa witnessing poachers sneak onto parks to kill African lions. They are there to see baby orangutans stand on the ashes of their formerly lush forest home that has been cleared out for palm oil. And in Sumatra, they are watching elephants in the area dwindle as more and more of these animals are pushed off their lands, killed when they step back onto it, and kidnapped in the flurry of it all. To read more on this story, click here:The Promise This Photographer Made to Endangered Elephants Will Give You Chills
Pit Bulls have such a bad reputation that some communities and cities (like Montreal) are banning their breed all together. Protect Pit Bulls from BSL online (BSL stands for Breed Selection Legislation) is working to stop the ban and change the way people think about Pit Bulls. Police departments like the Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia Police Department, and the Poughkeepsie Police Department in New York are helping in a big way. Instead of spending $10,000 to $15,000 on pure breed German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, they are going to their local shelters and finding abandoned Pit Bulls. Without their intervention, these dogs would have been euthanized. Police departments all over the country are now working with programs like Animal Farm Foundation, Austin Pets Alive! and Universal K9 to train Pit Bulls to be official police canines. They are finding that rescued Pit Bulls can be obedient and hard-working police and military assets. They can learn everything from narcotics, explosives, cadaver and arson detection and criminal apprehension. “Any dog that has the drive, confidence, and desire to work can do it! Breed does not dictate a dog’s ability to work,” explained Universal K9 founder Brad Croft. If this trend continues, Pit Bulls may no longer be the villains of the dog world but a great help in catching villains in the real world!
With the holidays quickly approaching, the Humane Rescue Alliance would like to share with you a great opportunity to help two charities at the same time! Friendship Animal Hospital will be matching the funds we raise up to $15,000 worth of medial services to support HRA animals in need! HRA relies on Friendship Hospital to provide critical 24-hour care for many of our animals. So, when you buy a pie, you are helping both Food & Friends and the Humane Rescue Alliance! To see the pie choices, and buy, click here:
Visit Food and Friends Website:FOOD/FRIENDS PIE SALE ENDS NOVEMBER 17 Sign up for the event on Facebook, HERE!
It’s Halloween time, and black cats have always been associated with this spooky time of year. Ancient folklore depicts black cats as the familiars of witches, or even shape-shifting demons! (We have a black cat and we associate him with a cuddly bed, but I digress.) Black cats are considered unlucky in many cultures, as the harbingers of misfortune. In some magic circles black cats are used IN spells, wah!! So when the time of trickery comes around, it’s important to keep black cats safe from harm! I’m not suggesting there is definitely a satanic cult in your neighborhood, but there is always mischief afoot on Halloween, whether it’s young people, drunk people, or young drunk people. Some revelers might even want a black cat as a prop for their costume, or party. Get the word out: Cats are not decorations! To read more on this story, click here:Protect Black Cats This Halloween Please Share!
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Forget about witches and zombies; a seemingly innocuous bag of candy can be one of the scariest things that enters a dog owner’s home on Halloween. Calls to the Pet Poison Hotline increase twelve percent during the week of Halloween, making it the center’s busiest time of the year. We all know that chocolate can be deadly to dogs and other ingredients in candy – such as high amounts of sugar and fat – can also cause severe issues for our pup’s system. If a candy is sugar free, it may contain Xylitol which is extremely toxic and deadly to dogs, even in small amounts. To read more on this story, click here:What To Do If Your Dog Eats Halloween Candy Please share!
