Bichon Frise Dancing to Their Favorite Chinese Song

Take a look at this cute video!

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Ebola: The Wildlife Connection

Ebola, stemming from the depths of West Africa, spanning the oceans, now creeping into the U.S. What does Ebola have to do with wildlife? Everything. 75 percent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin.

It is contracted through contact with infected wildlife, i.e. through handling of or ingesting of infected animals. Chimpanzees and bats are the animals most often cited as carriers, but they are not the only animals.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola: The Wildlife Connection

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One Cat Brightens The Tough Days For This Little Girl With Autism

Five-year-old Iris Grace Halmshaw of Market Harborough, Leicestershire was diagnosed with autism in December 2011. Since that time, her parents, Arabella Carter-Johnson and Peter-Jon Halmshaw, have been navigating the process of helping their daughter flourish and live her life to the fullest. One of the more remarkable discoveries in this journey has been the blossoming friendship between Iris and her cat, Thula.


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Baby Chicken Finally Nods Off After Surviving Horrible Highway Accident

When a young baby chicken fell off a livestock truck on her way to New York, she fell out of the frying pan and into the fire. Once destined for a slaughterhouse, she was now left to die by the side of the highway.

But luckily, things took a welcome turn for her and dozens of other chickens who fell off the truck. Officers from NYC Animal Care & Control rescued them from the Staten Island Expressway and quickly brought them to the New York Shelter of the organization Farm Sanctuary.

According to staff, when this chicken in particular arrived, she was traumatized and unable to sleep. Now, the bird, named Jane, is so relaxed that she can fit in a snooze anytime. And in case you were unaware, the sound of a chicken snoring — snuckling? — is real and absolutely perfect:



It’s important to note that tens of thousands of animals are killed or injured in U.S. highway accidents each year while being transported by the meat industry. At the same time, some 9 billion chickens are slaughtered each year in the U.S. for food.

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Top 10 Dog Breeds with the Shortest Lifespan

Some dog breeds are known for short lifespans — especially those who grow to be large size. Here are the dog breeds who live the fewest number of years, according to the Life Span data in the DogTime Breed Center.

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The Least Expensive Purebred Dogs To Own

Pets can be A delightful addition to your household, but they aren't cheap, and dogs can be especially tough on families looking to save.

If you're looking to bring A canine into your life, there's a lot to consider from a financial perspective. There's the cost to buy the dog, of course. But then it's important to factor in the cost of ownership during the dog's lifetime. There's food, visits to the veterinarian, grooming sessions, and insurance, as well as dog walking, daycare, and other services you may need. This can add up to more than $1,000 annually, and can truly skyrocket if your dog has serious health problems.

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Ebola and Pets

A Spanish Ebola patient's dog was euthanized by the Spanish government due to fears that the dog could also be carrying the virus. Bentley, a dog owned by a Dallas, Texas nurse who contracted the virus, will not be euthanized, but kept in a safe location to await a reunion with its owner. The dog will be quarantined for 21 days, according to the Dallas Office of Emergency Management. A veterinarian will be checking Bentley daily.

With these cases in the news, pet owners may be wondering if there is a risk to their pets from the Ebola virus, or to themselves or the public from contact with their pets.

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5 Ways You Might Be Unknowingly Crushing Your Dog's Spirit

We all love our dogs and want to do what’s best for them, which also means keeping them as happy as possible! But what if we’re doing something that’s unknowingly making them unhappy or crushing their spirit? It’s likely you’re not, but just in case you’re unsure or want to help someone who might be stressing their dog, be sure to check out this list below!

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Finally, the Federal Government is Treating Animal Abuse as a Serious Crime: FBI Will Crack Animal Cruelty Cases

Last month the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly changed its policy by agreeing to add animal cruelty as a distinct offense in the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The new policy followed proposals from the National Sheriff’s Association and the Animal Welfare Institute.

Until now, the FBI classified animal abuse under the "other" category, with a group of less serious offenses. That made it difficult for law enforcement agencies and animal welfare groups to monitor, and fight, the unlawful harming of animals across the country. Now the crime will have its own felony classification similar to other violent crimes such as murder, assault and rape. "It will be a Group A offense and a Crime against Society," the FBI said in a statement provided to The Dodo. "Criminal activity and gang information will be expanded to include four types of abuses."

The four categories are: simple/gross neglect; intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (ie, dog and cock fighting); and animal sexual abuse.

What constitutes cruelty? "Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment," the FBI statement said.

Examples of such abuse include failure to provide food, water, shelter or needed veterinarian care, confining an animal in a way that is likely to cause injury or death, and inflicting excessive or repeated pain and suffering.

"This definition does not include proper maintenance of animals for show or sport; use of animals for food, lawful hunting, fishing or trapping," the FBI statement added.

While disappointed that the new policy will not cover industrial animal production and does nothing to reverse so-called "Ag-Gag" laws — which ban the taking of photos or video inside a factory farm without permission — animal welfare advocates applauded the move.

"It's an excellent thing and it has two immediate effects," said John Goodwin, director of animal abuse policy at the Humane Society of America (HSUS). "First, the fact that the FBI is taking animal cruelty crimes seriously enough to track them sends a message to all law enforcement agencies that this is a serious concern and they need to take it very seriously." The second result will be real-time tracking of animal abuse in all 50 states, as compiled in monthly crime reports by local law enforcement. Data reporting will begin in January 2016.

"Accurate data will give people information on what needs to be done about the problem," Goodwin said. "It can tell us the geographical range of the crimes and which individuals are committing them." That information could help alleviate the problem. "There are different ways to tackle different types of cruelty," Goodwin said. The answer to neglect, for example, may be better education, acts of torture will require stronger penalties and serious psychological counseling, while animal fighting data will show where gambling profits need to be addressed. The new classification could also put more teeth into the enforcement of animal cruelty laws on the state level, according to Madeline Bernstein, president and CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. "It will help get better sentences, sway juries and make for better plea bargains," she told the Associated Press. The new classification will also help identify juvenile offenders, who sometimes go on to harm or kill people. “We’re very, very pleased. A lot of good things are happening in law enforcement now, and we can continue to make the world a better place for animals,” said HSUS’s Goodwin. “But a lot of policy making still needs to be done before we reach the point of referring to ourselves as a completely humane nation.”

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Feral Cats Are Not Stray Cats

Dear Joan: In reference to your column about a woman who was injured by a cat, feral cats get enough of a bad rap without being blamed for behavior of nonferal cats.

A feral cat will not approach a human and will not let a human pet it. I fed a colony of feral cats in Mountain View for a few years. They would come running when the heard my car enter the parking lot, and would come close to me, but would never let me touch them.

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How To Identify Stray And Feral Cats, And How To Help Them Survive

As winter fast approaches, there is a greater need for generosity and kindness toward the stray animals that populate almost every neighborhood in the country.  This month we are helping to raise awareness of both stray and feral cats. The most important part is to share information on how to tell the difference between the two, and how you can help protect them over the coming months.

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Violence Against Pets Must Be Taken Seriously

In response to the editorial "Man's best friend" (Oct. 13), I am disappointed that The Baltimore Sun turned people's reactions to reported abuse into a competition as to which victims of violent crimes are more worthy of sympathy or outrage. Violence is violence, and none of it is good for our communities.


To read more on this story, click here: Violence Against Pets Must Be Taken Seriously


Man's best friend [Commentary]

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Man's Best Friend [Commentary]

Montgomery County Judge Richard E. Jordan was so appalled by the actions of former Baltimore Police Officer Alec Taylor that he went outside sentencing guidelines to order the man committed to jail for a year — four times the maximum recommendation of three months.

Mr. Taylor's crime? Beating a dog to death.

The facts of the case are pretty horrific. The officer pummeled "Rocko," a tiny Jack Russell terrier, with a mop, choked him and left him lying on the floor all because the pup had soiled a rug. Mr. Taylor then sent a girlfriend a series of unemotional text messages about the beating, including this one: "Yeah I think he's pretty much dead. Imma throw him out now."

We certainly don't question the judge's outrage over the incident. But we do wonder why similar outrage is so often lacking when the victim is a person.

Witness the string of costly settlements Baltimore City has paid out to people who say they were beaten up by police — charges that drew so little interest from those in authority that for years no one bothered to track which officers faced such civil suits. And it took a public shaming, in the form of a video release, to get the city police department to suspend (with pay) Officer Victor Cosom recently, two months after he was recorded on duty raining punches on a man near a city bus stop.

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Are You a Dog or Cat Person?

Everybody loves the companionship of pets. But are you better suited for changing a litter box or taking a pooch on an early morning walk every day? Take the quiz and find out!

To take the quiz, click here: Are You a Dog or Cat Person?

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