A man from southern Israel divorced his wife this week because she had brought 550 cats into their home. The husband, apparently not a cat lover, told the Rabbinical Court in Beersheba that he was unable to sleep in his bedroom because the surface of the marital bed was constantly covered with cats who refused to lie on the floor. The man, in his divorce request, complained that the cats also blocked his access to the bathroom and did not allow him to prepare meals in the kitchen, the Hebrew daily Maariv reported Wednesday. When he sat to eat, cats jumped onto the table and stole his food. The couple attempted reconciliation at the behest of the rabbinical court. The wife, however, was unable to part from her cats… and preferred to part from her husband.
First let me congratulate you for adopting a pet, and saving a life! The animal shelters are full of homeless animals that need forever homes...and you chose to give one a forever home! Congratulations!
There is nothing more exciting then bringing home your new dog or puppy. Here are a few simple tips you can use in order to make the transition smooth:
Ask the shelter what type of dog food they were using so you can retain a little bit of consistency for him. keeping the food the same, it gives him something familiar to sink his teeth into.
If you decide to change his brand of food, introduce it to him gradually after the initial week, so his digestive system can get used to it.
If you already have other dogs in the home, feed your dogs at different locations so they are not fighting over their food.
Be sure to set up your new dog’s safe retreat area prior to bringing him home. Put his toys, bowls, and blanket there too.
When you bring him home, show him his special new area and let him get used to it at his own pace. Consider setting up this special place for him in the family room or kitchen so he’s near where the action is versus the garage or basement.
Dogs are social and so it’s important for him to know that people are around!
Introduce him to the entire family by letting everyone hold and gently play with him. Keep a watchful eye on younger children as their excitement could be overwhelming to some dogs.
Your dog may be especially lonely at night when the house is quite and dark. Consider putting his crate into your bedroom so he knows you’re nearby.
Keep a leash nearby as your dog will most likely need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. You don’t want to be scurrying around in the dark looking for the leash!
If you’re bringing home a dog where there are already two resident dogs, you may notice them exhibiting pack behavior where they may begin ganging up on the newcomer. If this happens, assert yourself and immediately stop this behavior.
If you have a resident dog and introduce a newcomer, don’t forget to shower love and affection upon the resident dog too. If you don’t, it could produce an anxiety and jealous ridden dog who will then exhibit aggressive behavior toward the newcomer.
Introduce a newcomer to resident dog in a neutral location, such as a fenced in area. Supervise the dogs’ interactions with each other. When the dogs are interacting, give a lot of praise for your dog’s good behavior and make sure you’re stern when he isn’t good.
Make sure you have different spots for your dogs to retreat to when they are tired and need to relax. You don’t want your resident dog fighting over his territory when he’s already trying to adjust to a newcomer!
At the end of the day, it’s important to stick with a routine so he knows what to expect and when.
And the best advice of all is to shower your new dog, and any resident dogs with plenty of love and attention as he’s now a part of your family!
Most states and the District of Columbia impose liability on a dog owner for all dog bites even if the dog previously was a "good dog." The victim is compensated through the dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance. A minority of states observe the "one bite rule" which shields a dog owner from liability unless he knew that it tended to bite, or caused the bite negligently or intentionally, or violated a leash law or other animal control law.
Just six months after issuing its latest warning about chicken jerky dog treats made in China, the Food and Drug Administration confirms it has logged more than 900 complaints from pet owners who say their dogs either were sickened or died after eating the treats.
The number of complaints has nearly doubled since the story was first reported by ABC News in March. The FDA says its investigation is ongoing and that it continues to test samples of the popular treats, which dog owners across the country say have caused kidney failure in their pets, resulting in severe illness or death.
Consumers have largely blamed two brands for the reported illnesses. Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, both produced by Nestle Purina and made in China, are reportedly included in the samples being tested by the FDA. The agency told ABC News it has solicited samples of treats from the owners of the pets allegedly affected, but will not say whether it is tested those samples. To date, the FDA has not been able to determine a cause for the reported illnesses.
The FDA issued its first warning about chicken jerky treats from China in 2007 and again in 2008, both times based on consumer complaints. But it wasn't until a third warning -- in late 2011 -- that the momentum of complaints accelerated as an angry population of pet owners demanded to know what in the Chinese treats might be sickening their dogs.
"It's hard to believe that we're still fighting the same battle," said Terry Safranek, whose 9-year old Fox Terrier named Sampson died of kidney failure in January.
"The last thing that he ate and then threw up was the chicken jerky," said Safranek. "It kills me that the treats I fed him killed him."
Safranek is a member of a Facebook group called "Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made In China," which has grown to 4,500 members and includes hundreds of photos of dogs whose owners claim were sickened or died from chicken jerky treats.
"We're just the ones who are online. There literally could be tens of thousands of people whose dogs were affected," said Safranek.
The group also keeps its own spreadsheet of victims, ranging from a 1-year old, five-pound Chihuahua named Kiarra to a 111-pound German Shepherd named Floyd.
"The problem with the issue is getting the word out," said Dr. Richard Goldstein, Chief of Medicine at The Animal Medical Center in New York City. Goldstein has been studying the connection between pet illnesses and chicken jerky treats made in China since 2007 and says although deaths have been rare in his experience, it's still crucial to seek veterinary care if a dog shows symptoms such as vomiting or lethargy.
"These are still on the shelves and cases are still popping up," said Goldstein, urging pet owners to be vigilant.
The issue has gained attention in Washington, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D.-Ohio, who has been urging Congress to look closely at products coming from China, recently blasted the head of the FDA over the issue. At a Senate Appropriations hearing in April, Brown told Dr. Margaret Hamburg he was concerned that pet owners were still buying the treats, unaware they may possibly be tainted. "The FDA must be as aggressive as possible to find the source of this contamination," he said later in a press release.
A spokesperson for Nestle Purina told ABC News in March that the safety of pets is the company's utmost priority and that production of the treats in China is held to the highest quality and safety standards. Nestle Purina has not been named in any of the FDA warnings and the company points out that reported illnesses may be the result of eating things other than the chicken treats. "We've looked at this, and we continue to look at this," Keith Schopp told ABC News.
Every pet owner wants their pet's coat to be shiny, soft and full. With proper diet, nutrition and grooming, the dullest of fur can be brought back to life. Making a pet's coat shiny can be achieved within a few weeks of maintenance. To preserve the shiny coat, a new lifestyle of high protein foods and regular grooming must be maintained.
Regular grooming with a brush or comb will help keep your pet’s hair in good condition by removing dirt, spreading natural oils throughout her coat, preventing tangles and keeping her skin clean and irritant-free. And grooming time’s a great time to check for fleas and flea dirt, those little black specks that indicate your pet is playing host to a flea family.
Dog bites cost insurance companies about $479 million in 2011, accounting for an increasingly large chunk of payouts under homeowner’s liability policies, according to a recent study.
While there was a slight decline in the number of dog bite claims, the price tag per case has risen 54 percent since 2003 — to an average of $29,400 in 2011 — making up more than one-third of total liability claims paid out by homeowners, according to the Insurance Information Institute, which conducted the study.
"These increases can be attributed to increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which have risen well above the rate of inflation in recent years," the institute said in a release.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year and about 800,000 of them seek medical attention. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency room and 16 die, according to the CDC.
Kevin M. Phillips, a Beverly Hills based attorney who specializes in representing dog bite victims around the country, told msnbc.com that studies suggest that the popularity of pit bulls in the United States are likely a contributing factor in the rising cost of claims paid out by insurance companies.
"Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs," concluded a study published in the Annals of Surgery in April 2011 .
In some places, the law now provides different consideration for dog breeds like pit bulls, said Phillips. For instance, in Maryland, pit bulls are now deemed inherently dangerous, unlike most other breeds, said Phillips.
"If you own a pit bull and the pit bull hurts someone, no one has to prove it’s dangerous. It is presumed to be so," he said.
Traditionally, a homeowner liability policy covers dog bites, but some insurance companies are modifying how they write policies.
A CDC report on dogs involved in fatal human attacks between 1979 and 1998 — which the center specifies is not intended for policy making decisions — is nevertheless used as a guide for some insurers, according to a report in the Des Moines Register . At the top of that list are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers and chow chows.
"Insurance companies started experimenting with cutting out the coverage for dog bites. Homeowners have got to confirm they have the coverage," said Phillips.
For some breeds of dogs associated with attacks, you may actually need a special canine liability insurance, he said. Without it, a serious dog attack can run up medical bills and compensation worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to the pet owner.
"If your dog bites a child on the face, which is where a dog bites a child, it can wipe you out," he added.
There's nothing as exciting as preparing for the birth of a baby. While you're planning the color of the nursery and picking out items for your baby registry, don't overlook one very important step in getting ready for your new baby - preparing the family pet.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, shelters are still visited by tearful mothers-to-be with cats in tow, having made their appointments after well-meaning relatives or old-school obstetricians have convinced them that keeping a cat risks the health and well-being of their unborn child. Don't succumb to these old wives' tales. Knowing the facts will help provide ways to safeguard both fetus and feline.
You never, ever want to leave any animal alone with a baby. Your cat should never sleep with your baby, because a cat can accidentally smother an infant. There can also be severe allergic reactions at that age. Other people will think, ‘My dog loves people, so it’s okay to leave him in the room with the baby for just a minute,’ but it’s not true. Dogs don’t recognize babies as human beings for the first few months of their lives. For some reason, the baby’s smell is different than an adult’s and a newborn also sounds like an injured rabbit. This can spark an animal’s prey drive, even in an otherwise calm dog.
When you are in the room with the dog and the baby, make sure that the baby is always higher, physically, than the dog. You want the dog to know that the baby is dominant over him. Having pets and kids together can be a great experience. You just always want to err on the side of caution with how you handle it.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, So, you’ve found a tick on your pet...how do you deal with it? While it’s important to get these little suckers off quickly, (ASPCA) veterinarians advise that you stay calm and don’t rush it. Moving too fast when removing a tick could potentially create more problems, both for your pet and for you.
There are some very good products on the market designed specifically for safe tick removal. If you live in a tick-heavy area or are taking your pets to a place where they are likely to get ticks, it’s a good idea to buy one of these tools and have it on hand. They generally work better than tweezers at getting out the whole tick, and are relatively inexpensive.
Parents of teens know that at that certain age they can't avoid having the dreaded "sex talk" with their kids, but what about with their pets? What if pet owners started thinking of their pets as their teens when it comes to avoiding pregnancy?
That's the dramatic, but humorous, approach taken in a new series of public service announcements and advertisements produced by the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation's largest sanctuary for homeless animals.
In the spots, voiced by "NCIS: LA" actress Linda Hunt and "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet, parents appear to be reacting to their kids' promiscuity, only to have the kids replaced by their pets. In other words, once you start thinking of your pets as your kids, it's a lot easier to think of what needs to be done to keep them from delivering offspring.
Called "Prevent more. Fix at month four," the campaign is the first national effort to educate pet owners on when, not just why, they should spay and neuter, according to the Society.
"We felt it was important to present the messaging in an attention getting way that didn't make people feel guilty or sad," Amber Ayers, the society's senior marketing and creative manager, told ABCNews.com. "When we looked at the research, most people planned on spaying or neutering their pets, but there was just a lot of confusion about when to do so and this leads to the 'oops' litter. "
The Utah-based non-profit says it hopes the ads will grow into a "cultural movement."
"We are hoping to maintain long-term traction by shifting the mindset of our country," said Ayers. "It will become commonplace to fix your pet at four months, reducing the number of pets that enter, and ultimately never leave our shelters. "
We love sleeping with our pets, but some veterinary scientists don’t agree. They say that sleeping with and “kissing” your animals on their little pet lips puts you at risk for some serious medical problems, even when those pusses and pooches are seemingly healthy.
According to “Zoonoses in the Bedroom,” a study published in the February issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases:
“The risk of contracting something is rare, but if you’re that person who gets a disease from a pet, rare doesn’t matter that much,” says the paper’s co-author Bruno Chomel, a professor at the University of California-Davis school of veterinary medicine and an expert in zoonoses, the transmission of disease from animal to human. “I know this will make me unpopular, but pets really don’t belong in your bed.”
Embroiled in a legal battle over the custody of his dog, a Brooklyn man is offering everything from a $250 game of fetch with his beloved puggle to limited edition art pieces to raise money for his depleted legal fund.
Manhattan art gallery employee Craig Dershowitz, 34, has already burned through $60,000 of his own savings in the cross-country court battle for the return of Knuckles, who is one-quarter pug and three-quarters beagle.
Dershowitz’s ex-girlfriend, wardrobe stylist Sarah Brega, currently has the dog in her home in California.
"He snores like an old man. His whole butt wiggles when he wags his tail. He is so loving and sweet and warm. He's incredible," Dershowitz says in a video that he's posted on a site he created to shed light on his case and raise money.
The couple dated for four years and broke up in March, 2011, but were sharing custody of "Knux" until November when Dershowitz claimed in court papers that she “kidnapped’’ the dog.
Dershowitz said he purchased the dog when the couple was together two years ago and grew very attached to him. While searching for a new place to live after the couple broke up, Dershowitz claims that Brega kept the dog when she was supposed to return to him after Dershowitz settled in a new spot.
Brega has retained a lawyer to fight for custody of the dog in court in California and New York.
“Knuckles lives a happy and healthy life in California with me, where he has ample room to play, and lives in close proximity to a beach for off-leash dog-park outings,” Brega said in court documents.
Dershowitz claims that his former girlfriend is deliberately forcing him to exhaust his limited resources.
“Obviously we dated many years and she knew my finances intimately, so she knew all the money I had was from savings and years of working two jobs,’’ Dershowitz told TODAY.com.
He appeared on TODAY Tuesday to dispel claims that he's doing this for revenge, saying "this is an expensive revenge; not something I want to do."
"Knuckles has been with me his whole life," Sarah Brega told TODAY in a statement. "It is unfortunate that Craig is using the courts and a fraudulent fundraiser to continue to harrass me. He is taking advantage of unsuspecting donors.
"Craig thrives on media attention and he is seeking it out in order to further his career while exacting revenge."
Dershowitz admitted that when Brega first kept the dog he contemplated stealing it back from her family’s home in Massachusetts but did not want to create any legal trouble and decided to take the high road.
“I don't mean to insult people who have had terrible things happen to their human children, but Knuckles is very much, in my mind, my son,’’ Dershowitz said. “We are connected on a very serious level.’’
'Free Knux'
To raise money for his legal bills, on his web site Dershowitz offers everything from “Free Knux’’ T-shirts to a $200 professional portrait of Knuckles to big-ticket items like a $3,500 wardrobe styling by a stylist friend of Dershowitz’s.
“I have a ton of friends who are artists, so I wanted to provide something in every media of art that I could,’’ Dershowitz told TODAY.com. “Knuckles grew up with them. Some of them have crashed on my couch and he slept alongside them, or they have played fetch with them, so when I set up the website overnight, they all were willing to help out to get him back.’’
As of Monday afternoon he'd only raised $140, but believes at least one of every item will be sold as his story, which was first reported by The New York Post, gains exposure. His goal is $20,000 in order to defray his anticipated legal fees over the next two to three months.
Cross-country court battle
The legal battle over Knuckles began four months ago when Dershowitz filed papers on Jan. 31. Dershowitz said that a Manhattan court has already ruled that Knux should be in his custody but the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department will not retrieve him from Brega’s home until a ruling is made in a Los Angeles court. Dershowitz said a hearing is coming Wednesday in Los Angeles where he is hoping the judge will sign a document that would allow the sheriff’s department to enforce the ruling from the New York court.
“Best-case scenario, I get the [document] and I’m on an airplane before the end of this week,’’ he said. “The sheriff’s department would retrieve Knux, hopefully that day, and I would have him stay with a friend of mine out there until I fly out to take him back.’’
If that comes to fruition, Dershowitz will be happy to complete the transaction for anyone who has put in a payment on his webpage for a game of fetch or a smooch from Knuckles.
“It goes without saying that they can only play with Knux once he comes back,’’ Dershowitz said. “I have full faith that it will happen.’’
The Washington Humane Society unveiled it's new pet transport vehicle on May 12, 2012. This new mobile adoption center, an accessible animal transport van that will help the organization bring more adoptable pets into the Washington metro community. The vehicle was acquired thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation, a New York based foundation created by Dr. Frank Stanton, a media pioneer and lifelong dog owner and admirer.
The mobile adoption center will allow DC animals to meet members of our community in the neighborhoods where they live and work, providing tremendous opportunity to build hundreds, and eventually thousands more families.
When people have the opportunity to meet dogs outside the shelter environment it is much easier for them to make a connection and visualize them in their own homes.
To celebrate the arrival of its new mobile adoption center, the Washington Humane Society hosted an unveiling in conjunction with its 8th Annual Doga event on May 12, 2012.
Take a look at the pictures of this event! You may have missed this year's, but you will have time to attend the 9th Annual Doga Event, next year!
If roadside bombs and other hazards of war don't kill military dogs, senseless government regulations and red tape might.
The United States is breeding 100 puppies a year to train for bomb sniffing and other soldierly duties, but many aren't making it back to happy homes because an obscure federal law classifies them as "equipment" rather than personnel, and makes adopting them a financial and bureaucratic nightmare. A bill to require that the military ship the heroic dogs home and ease potential veterinarian costs for adopting families is currently bogged down in Congress, as dogs continue to be euthanized.
Yes, it’s disgusting. Yes, it’s potentially unhealthy. And, yes, it’s fairly common in the animal world.
Only one of my dogs did this, and at the most inappropriate time...when we were eating or had company!
My little Sugar, who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2008, would eat her poop.
One day I noticed Sugar eating her poop. My first reaction was to run over and make her stop.
The next time that I noticed it was when my husband let them in, and she came running pass me with it hanging out of her mouth.
Finally, I found some in her bed and decided that she need to go to the vet.
Their visit to the vet was in a couple of days, so I waited and asked him when I got there.
He told me, that a dog will eat their own poop for a number of reasons:
They think it smells and tastes good. Dogs are notoriously poor arbiters of taste.
They are hungry.
They may be missing key nutrients in their diet or suffer malabsorption.
They like to keep their territory or bedding clean.
They have fun playing with it. This is especially true for dogs that are mouthy.
They are bored.
They know that removing the evidence means no punishment for inappropriate elimination.
They know that fewer predators will give him grief if there is no physical evidence of his having been around.
In Sugar's case, she was lacking nutrients. She was put on medication and finally stopped.
There may be other reasons for routine coprophagy, as the condition is known. It can be hard to figure out why a dog chooses to eat poop, but if the problem persists, ask your veterinarian about a remedy for this habit. What veterinarians do know is that it is normal behavior for a wide variety of species, even if humans are revolted by the very idea.
The American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, The act of dogs consuming their own or other animals’ feces is known as coprophagia . Although it’s not known exactly why it occurs, coprophagia is a normal behavior in many species, including dogs. Ingesting one’s own or other dogs’ feces is particularly prevalent in puppies.
