Meet Missy and Midnight, Two Adorable Senior Griffon Brussels/Shih Tzu Mixed: Looking for Their Forever Home Together - Do You Have Room in Your Heart and in Your Home for Missy and Midnight? - Washington Humane Society

We've got TWO Pets of the Week for you today - Missy and Midnight! Missy and Midnight are two peas in a pod. They have been together for all ten years of their lives and find comfort in being with each other. Like all besties, they share everything and are very similar – sometimes it is hard to tell them apart! Even though they’re older dogs Missy and Midnight have tons of pep in their step! Since they are bonded, you can take both of them home for a single adoption fee.

Missy
Animal ID: 25194793 
Species: Dog 
Breed: Griffon Brussels/Shih Tzu 
Age: 10 years 22 days 
Sex: Female 
Size: Medium 
Color: Black/Grey 
Spayed/Neutered  
Declawed: No 
Site: WHS Georgia Ave 
Location: Front Office 

To learn more about Missy, click HERE.

Midnight
Animal ID: 25194794 
Species: Dog 
Breed: Griffon Brussels/Shih Tzu 
Age:10 years 22 days 
Sex: Male 
Size: Small 
Color: Black/Grey 
Spayed/Neutered  
Declawed: No 
Site: WHS Georgia Ave 
Location: Front Office 

To learn more about Midnight, click HERE:




Hi there, we are Missy and Midnight and we are bonded buds! We're like two peas and pod :) We have been together for all 10 years of our lives and we find comfort in being with each other. We are so close that sometimes it's hard for even us to tell each other apart! Don't be fooled by our age, we have a lot of pep in our step. We love treats too! We are very friendly and would love to have a forever home together. Since we are so special, Our adoption fee is two for one. Check out our cute video too! Adopt us today at the Georgia Avenue Adoption Center!

Take a look at our video below!

Website:Washington Humane Society


Georgia Avenue Adoption Center
7319 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20012
202-723-5730

Adoption Center Hours:
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily
Closed for adoptions on Wednesdays

To report animal cruelty/ neglect, call 202-723-5730
Cruelty reports are accepted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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Prairie Dog Deaths at Picture Canyon in Arizona Alerted Officials to the Possibility of a Plague Outbreak

Fleas in Arizona have tested positive for the plague and could spread the deadly disease to humans, according to officials.

The plague, which famously killed millions of Europeans during the Black Death, is most commonly carried by fleas and rodents.

Prairie dog deaths at Picture Canyon in Arizona alerted officials to the possibility of an outbreak.

Parasitic insects from the preserve near a water treatment plant in Flagstaff were found to carry the illness.

Human cases have developed from close contact with cats who have preyed on infected vermin and residents in the Southwest have been warned about dangers of the disease while camping.

The Southwestern US is similar to the plains of Central Asia where plague began, Professor David Wagner of Northern Arizona University told the Arizona Daily Sun. 

Plague is still contracted by as many as 2,000 people a year, according to the World Health Organization, though the vast majority of cases are in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

Prairie dogs are particularly susceptible to illness because they live in social burrows, and 90 per cent of the furry creatures' colony can eventually be wiped out if plague infects one member.

The disease's rodent host dies, when fleas will look for more blood to drink, including from people.

Insecticide has been sprayed in prairie dog burrows in Picture Canyon to halt the plague's spread. 

The discovery of the disease at Picture Canyon (pictured above) has prompted a warning from authorities about the dangers posed by dead rodents

Symptoms of pain in humans include fever, chills and muscle pain.

The plague, which killed millions of Europeans in the 1300s, causes pustules on the skin and is still contracted by 2,000 people a year (file photo)

At later stages it causes gangrene and a large amount of pustules, or buboes, on the skin. 
The incubation period could be up to seven days. 

Modern medications are effective in fighting the plague, also known by its bacterial name Yersinia pestis,  though it can be deadly if left untreated. 

The last plague epidemic in the United States was in Los Angeles between 1924 and 1925, according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

The vast majority of human plague cases reported in the US are in the arid climate of the Southwest, which scientists say is similar to the disease's homeland of Central Asia

Plague originally came to North America via rodents on steamships from Asia. 

The bacteria Yersinia pestis originally came to North America on steamship rodents from Asia, and the last outbreak was in Los Angeles in 1924

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Homeless Dog and Her Puppy, Who Were Rescued Off of the Freeway, Now Available for Adoption [Video]

There are over 70 million homeless dogs and cats living in the U.S. While these animals may be homeless for a variety of reasons, they all share the same need for a warm, loving home. Finding a home for all these needy animals is no small task, but, thankfully, there are many amazing organizations working to help.

Hope for Paws, for example, specializes in rescuing homeless dogs in the Los Angeles area.

In this video, the Hope for Paws rescue team sets out to save a mother dog and her puppy who have been living next to the freeway. Living in an area so close to heavy traffic is extremely dangerous for any animal, especially so for a new little pup.

While the mom was reluctant to trust the rescuers, she came around thanks to the help of the kind people who had been feeding her. These Good Samaritans had named the mother “Oreo,” so it only seemed fitting for the Hope for Paws team to name her pup “Cookie Monster.”

With a little coaxing and a lot of kisses, Oreo and Cookie Monster made it safely to the Hope for Paws headquarters where they were given all the grooming and care they needed. Now that they’re sparkly and clean, Oreo and Cookie Monster are ready to be adopted into a forever home!

To learn more about adopting this adorable pair, click HERE.

To learn more about Mom, Oreo, click HERE.

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Join Us for an Adoption Event at Sheehy Ford, Marlow Heights, MD, Sunday, April 12, Meet Some of the Prince George's County Animal Shelter's Furry Friends Who Are Looking for New Homes and Families

Join us for an adoption event at Sheehy Ford in Marlow Heights, Maryland and meet so of the Prince George's County Animal Shelter's furry friends who are looking for new homes and families!

Please check out all the Shelter's dogs and cats for adoption at: Available Animals 

Note: Dogs participating in adoption event may be different from those shown in photo.

WHAT:  Prince George's County Animal Management Adoption Event

WHERE: Sheehy Ford

WHEN: Sunday, April 12, 2015

TIME: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
Sheehy Ford
5000 Auth Road
Marlow Heights, Maryland

Website: Prince George's County Animal Management Division

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The FBI Has Now Named Animal Cruelty as a Top Tier Crime Along with Arson, Burglary, Kidnapping, and Homicide

Memphis, TN - The FBI has now named animal cruelty as a top tier crime along with arson, burglary, kidnapping, and homicide.

The new federal category for animal cruelty crimes is expected to root out pet abusers and give a boost to prosecutions.

Animal advocate Cindy Sanders, who co-founded the Community Action for Animals organization, is happy about the changes.

"Animal cruelty is a huge problem," said Sanders. "Honestly, it's big everywhere but the Mid-South and the Deep South show some of the highest concentrations.

When the changes go into effect, federal law will regard animal cruelty as a crime against society.

"If it's a dog fighting case where it's taking part in a couple of states, that's a federal law," Sanders explained. "If it is an animal abuse case of a puppy mill that is shipping across the country that makes it a federal type thing."

For years, the FBI has filed animal abuse charges under the label "other," along with a variety of lesser crimes. This categorization made cruelty hard to find, count, and track.

Since animal cruelty is considered a more serious crime under the new rules, reports will now be documented in the National Incident-Based Reporting System. This action will advance how law enforcement officials understand how to prevent these often violent crimes.

Sanders says the collected information could be used as an early warning sign to help identify people who start out abusing animals and end up abusing humans.

"We see almost every defendant accused of a level of animal cruelty has had child abuse, spouse abuse, violent assault arrests," Sanders explained. "They have a history."

Sanders says cities and states will still have their own criteria for animal cruelty charges, but she sees the new laws as a level of enforcement regarding people who hurt animals. She hopes the federal changes will motivate state legislatures to put more laws on the books to protect animals.


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The Pet Food Swindle: Popular Brands Contain High Quantities of Meat that is Not on the Label Including Cans of 'Beef' that Are Really Up to 63 Per Cent Chicken

Whether it is tasty beef or succulent chicken, only the best will do for our beloved pets. But many dog and cat foods are not all they seem.

Research by vets has shown many popular canned foods contain high quantities of meat not on the label.

One beef stew dog food was found to be predominantly chicken.

Of the 17 pet foods subjected to DNA testing at Nottingham University, 14 contained meats that were not spelled out on the can.

Researcher Kin-Chow Chang, a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said misleading labeling could put dogs and cats at risk of serious allergic reactions.

Latest figures show Britons spend 1billion a year on more than 400,000 tons of canned pet food. More than three quarters of the nation’s eight million cats and almost half of the nine million dogs eat canned food.

Professor Chang tested ten popular dog foods and seven types of cat food for DNA of cows, pigs, chickens and horses. 

None of the cans had horsemeat in them, but most contained beef, pork or chicken despite it not being mentioned on the label. Some of the ‘beef’ foods actually contained more pork or chicken.

For instance, 63 per cent of meat detected in Bakers As Good As It Looks Succulent Stew ‘with beef’ was chicken and 22 per cent was pork. Only 15 per cent was beef.

Pedigree dog food labeled as being ‘with beef’ had far more chicken and pork than beef, and 81 per cent of the meat detected in Felix Complete cat food was chicken or pork – despite it being the ‘beef’ version.

But not all brands were criticized – all of Encore’s chicken breast cat food was determined to be the meat labeled. 

Professor Chang said the research suggested ‘a considerable mismatch in the labeling standard of the pet food industry and what the purchaser would reasonably expect’.

He added: ‘In a human situation, this would be completely unacceptable. If I was to buy a tin of ham, I wouldn’t want to be eating rabbit as well.’

The foods complied with the law, which allows the phrase ‘with beef’, even if beef is not the main meat.

But writing in journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, Professor Chang called on manufacturers to make labels clearer, allowing ‘more informed choices … particularly important for pets with food allergies, reduce the risk of product misinterpretation … and avoid potential religious concerns’.

Cats Protection’s Maggie Roberts said pet food makers follow guidance laid down by the EU, adding: ‘It may be beneficial for these guidelines to be amended so the information is clearer … to allow people to make a more informed choice.’

The Pet Food Manufacturers Association said makers may use meat from different animals as supply levels fluctuate but the nutritional quality does not vary.

As good as it looks? 63 per cent of meat detected in Bakers As Good As It Looks Succulent Stew ‘with beef’ was chicken and 22 per cent was pork. Only 15 per cent was beef. FOLLOW US!

Kids Helping Animals: A Big 'Thank You' To Vincent and Ekuba MacDonnell-Monahan, Who Raised Money Selling Lemonade to Help the Animals at The Prince George's County Animal Shelter

 Prince George's County, Maryland - A big 'thank you' to Vincent and Ekuba MacDonnell-Monahan, who raised money for the homeless animals by selling lemonade. 

Their parents matched their donation and wrote the check. What fantastic kids, whose Grandma Joan volunteers at the Prince George's County Animal Shelter every Wednesday!

Here they are posing with Chief Rodney Taylor, of the Prince George's County Animal Shelter.

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Peacock Spiders: Noted for Their Spectacular Courtship Display, Are Extremely Tiny – 4 to 6mm in Length

Members of the genus, commonly referred to as peacock spiders, belong to the jumping spider family Salticidae.

These spiders are extremely tiny – 4 to 6 mm in length, and are most noted for their spectacular courtship display.

The magnificent color on the males’ abdomens is from iridescent scales (which reflect light in both the visible and/or UV range), much like those found on moths and butterflies. By contrast, females are cryptically colored.

The genus contains around 30 recognized species, all of which – except Maratus furvus from China – are endemic to Australia.


The two new species, scientifically named Maratus jactatus and Maratus sceletus, were found in the Wondul Range National Park, southern Queensland, Australia.

Maratus jactatus, nicknamed Sparklemuffin, is a tiny spider: males are barely 4.5 mm long, though females are a bit bigger, up to 5.3 mm long.

The species name jactatus means ‘rocking (jolting)’ in Latin, a reference to the very rapid lateral rocking that punctuates the courtship display of males of this species.

“Male Maratus jactatus display by tilting the expanded fan to one side or the other, and then moving the extended ipsilateral leg III, mostly behind the fan,” the scientists wrote in a paper published in the journal Peckhamia.

“At cycles of 1-3Hz, the extended leg that is positioned behind the fan is first lowered over 0.2-0.4 s, then rapidly raised (or returned to its position behind the fan) to trigger a very rapid jolting or rocking movement of the whole body that lasts for only 20-30 msec. This rocking involves rapid ipsilateral (in the direction of the extended leg and tilted fan) rotation, followed by a return to the original position.”

Nicknamed Skeletorus, Maratus sceletus resembles other members of the genus in their general pattern, but has little colouration and is mostly black and white.

“The species group name (sceletus, noun, Latin) means skeleton, a reference to the bold, skeleton-like appearance of the male spider,” Dr Otto and Dr Hill wrote in the paper.

Males are 3.7 to 4.2 mm in body length, while females are 5.0 to 5.3 mm.

“Male Maratus sceletus generally approach the female from the opposite sideof a stem or blade of grass. If the female is on top, the male approaches from below, in a hanging position,” the scientists wrote.

“If the female is positioned belly-up beneath a stem, the male approaches from above. The fan dance of the male rapidly alternates from one side of a stem to the opposite side. Positions may be switched 10 times in a 20 s interval, with only 1 s or less of display in a single position.”

“The fan is prominently elevated and often waggled from side to side during this display, but the greatest and most rapid movement is that of the extended spinnerets, separately twitched from side to side. During display, the pedipalps are often moved up and down in front of the clypeus and chelicerae. One leg III is elevated but also flexed, displaying a prominent black stripe with little significant movement.”

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World Vets: Volunteer Training Opportunity for Students

Looking to gain some veterinary experience while traveling abroad and helping animals in need? Then this is the opportunity for you! Join World Vets for our International Veterinary Medicine program in Granada, Nicaragua this summer. 

This is our student program that offers an exciting opportunity for pre-vet students, technician students or those planning for a career in veterinary medicine. Openings available in June and July 2015. Spots are filling fast! If you are veterinarian or LVT/RVT, we are also looking for a few volunteers to help out on the program too. Please share with anyone who may be interested!

For more information, click here: Volunteer Training Opportunity for Students

Website: World Vets

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Heartwarming Story: Tiny Kitten Adopted by the Firefighter That Rescued Him from Inside a Wall

A Florida firefighter has taken in a kitten she rescued from inside a home’s walls, and it is not the first time she has taken home a pet she saved.

Tara Holcomb, 30, a seven-year veteran of the Mount Dora Fire Department, responded to a call March 30 from homeowners who thought there was a cat in their home’s chimney.

“We got there and the homeowners had tried to get the cat out because they heard it crying but couldn’t find it,” Holcomb told ABC News. “They had cut a little inspection hole in the wall of an upstairs bedroom next to the chimney and used a flashlight to look in but couldn’t see anything.”

Holcomb says she could not see anything inside the hole either so she stuck her hand in and originally thought she had found something much worse: a rat.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Holcomb recalled.

Instead, Holcomb had found the newborn kitten that had fallen into a void space in the wall.

“I pulled it out and it was just a tiny kitten that didn’t have its eyes open or anything,” she said.

How the kitten got into the home’s structure remains a mystery because the homeowners do not have any pets.

“We’re not positive, of course, but we’re thinking the mom was in the attic and the baby was in between the drywall and just couldn’t get out,” said Holcomb, who said she and her colleagues searched and found no evidence of more kittens or the mom cat in the home's attic or walls.

Holcomb says animal control officers instructed the homeowners to put the cat on their back porch – with a heating pad and some milk – to see if its mother would return. When the mother did not return, the homeowners, who are allergic to cats, searched for a home for the kitten.

“Originally they thought they found a home with a friend but as I was leaving work the next day, they called and told me it fell through and asked if I would want the cat,” said Holcomb. “I said, ‘Yes,’ and turned around and got him.”

Holcomb, appropriately, named the kitten, a boy, Wall-E.

Wall-E is now being taken care of by Holcomb along with another cat the firefighter rescued nearly two years ago.

“We had a cat that was stuck in a tree and when we were trying to get it out it fell and was limping,” Holcomb said. “I took that one home and adopted it.”

“So they’re all laughing at me that whenever we go on a pet rescue you’re going to adopt it,” Holcomb said of her fellow firefighters.

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Cookbook With Delicious Doggy Treat Recipes: Raising Money to Assist Senior Dogs

Life in the Dog House’s Chris and  Mariesa give some recipes from Mr. Mo’s Cookbook.  This is a special cookbook where not only are there many healthy options for your furry family members, but with each one sold, the proceeds goes to helping out senior dogs.

All of the delicious doggy treats in the cookbook were gathered from fellow dog lovers via Facebook.  People were encouraged to submit a recipe along with a photo of their dog.  Many entries were received, and even though they all sounded great, they had to narrow things down until a useful cookbook was born.

The recipes had to also be relative simple to do.  They had to consist of things that most people already have in their kitchen or pantry.  This way you can make something tasty and healthy, without a ton of extra shopping necessary.

Some of the recipes look and sound so good, some of them might be tasty to us humans, as well as our dogs!

It would also seem that dogs are actually very handy to have around in the kitchen.  They are always ready, willing and able to assist with cleaning up.  Especially if when you cleaning up, you mean eating any leftovers or scraps of food you didn’t use!

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of the cookbook, and help keep some senior dogs out of shelters, you can go to www.blurb.com and searching for the Mr. Mo Cookbook, or you can click HERE. 

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Remarkable Wildlife Encounter: Bobcat Emerges from Surf with Shark in its Jaws

Fort Pierce, Florida- A man said he captured a remarkable wildlife encounter Monday: a bobcat emerging from the surf near Sebastian Inlet with a shark in its jaws.

But the photo that made the evening news before spiraling onto the Internet inevitably raised questions over its authenticity.

“I can appreciate that,” said John Bailey, a Fort Pierce sales rep who said he initially thought he’d walked up on a dog in the surf as he was strolling down the beach between 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Monday. Bailey said he watched the bobcat wade through the water, then pounce and stride out of the water with the shark in its mouth.

Using his iPhone, he said he was able to snap one quick picture before the bobcat dropped the shark and took off for nearby brush. The entire encounter lasted just seconds, he said.

Florida wildlife officials who looked at the picture said they had no reason to suspect it was fake. But in several Internet postings, people asked: Real or Photoshop? And long shadows also raise questions.

Bailey, in a phone interview with the Miami Herald, said he couldn’t remember exactly where he was in Sebastian Inlet State Park, an area just north of Vero Beach with a long ocean-side sandy beach. The angle of the strong shadows suggest that for the picture to have been shot in the evening at sunset, the bobcat would have to have been on the western, Indian River side of the park. But that inland area has only a few patches of sandy beach along the inlet and the river. Bailey said he couldn’t recall if he was walking north or south, just that the beach was on his left.

“Had I realized I was going to stumble onto something like that, I probably would have been aware of my surroundings,’’ he said. Bailey said he had gone to the beach “just to clear my head.”

Bobcats, the closest relative of the Florida panther but far smaller and with a namesake bobbed tail, have been spotted near area beaches in the past. But the normally shy felines typically move about at night and are notoriously elusive. They don’t fear water, unlike some wild cats, and have been known to take a dip in search of food. They typically eat small mammals like rats and rabbits, but wildlife biologist Robert King said increasing development in the area may have driven out prey, forcing the cats to expand their menu.

“Would they go into the surf and pull out a shark? Darn right they would,” said King, who studied bobcats in the Everglades in the 1980s. “Unless it’s been photo-shopped, I believe it.”

Bailey said he never imagined the shot would turn into Internet fodder.

“It’s kind of been a shock,” he said. “I didn’t think it was that rare, but I guess it is.”

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New Reward Amount: $15,000 Cat Found in the 1400 Block of G Street, NE with Eye Injury: $15,000 Reward For Information Leading to the Arrest/Conviction of the Person(s) Responsible for this Horrific Act of Animal Cruelty - Washington Humane Society

Washington, DC - $15,000 REWARD: On March 15, a young cat was found on the 1400 Block of G St, NE with an eye injury. Upon treatment it became apparent that a BB gun pellet was lodged in his eye. Based on the condition of the eye upon treatment, it is suspected that the cat was shot not much earlier before he was found.

Thanks to our friends at Alley Cat Allies and a generous anonymous donor, the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for this horrific act of animal cruelty has tripled and is now $15,000.

WHS is seeking the help of the community for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this horrific act of animal cruelty. The Washington Humane Society, Alley Cat Allies and a generous anonymous donor are offering a $15,000 reward that will be given to any person who provides such information.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the 
Washington Humane Society Humane Law Enforcement Department:

Officer D’Eramo
dderamo@washhumane.org
(202) 723-5730
Information will be kept confidential upon request.

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Montgomery County Humane Society Paws in the Park Adds New Activities for the 2015 Event on April 26

Rockville, Maryland - The Montgomery County Humane Society, in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg, is gearing up for the 17th Annual Paws in the Park Dog Walk & Festival, one of the largest dog walks in the DC area.  As a signature event of the Montgomery County Humane Society, it raises funds to help rescue, care for and adopt out homeless animals from several overcrowded shelters in the region.

Paws in the Park will take place on Sunday, April 26, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave. , Gaithersburg , MD , next to Gaithersburg High School. The fun-filled afternoon includes a 1-mile dog walk, pet contests and games, demonstrations, children’s activities, a pet-oriented market featuring dozens of vendors, food, music and more.

Several new activities are being added to this year’s event, including:

• Dog Kisses Kissing Booth
• Pet & Owner Look-alike Contest
• Best Wag Contest
• Best Dressed Dog Contest
• Photos with Your Dog
• New games for kids in the new Kids’ Activities Area

Advance registration is $20 for individuals or $45 for families in advance (up to 5 p.m. on April 25).  Admission at the door is $25 for individuals and $55 for families.  Dogs attend for free.

Registered attendees can also help MCHS by encouraging their friends and family to contribute through online fundraising.

To register, visit our online registration site: Register

Paws in the Park supports the Montgomery County Humane Society’s work to rescue, care for and adopt homeless animals that it pulls from overcrowded public shelters, as well a host of animal enrichment, humane education and community outreach programs to help the community care for pets and keep them in their homes and out of shelters. Programs also include medical care, spay/neuter, and other initiatives.

Website: Montgomery County Humane Society



About the Montgomery County Humane Society:

The Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville , MD , is an independent, non-profit animal welfare organization that has provided animal welfare services for residents of Montgomery County since 1958. It operates a private rescue for cats and dogs, located at 601 S. Stonestreet Ave. in Rockville , in which homeless animals are housed, provided medical, preventive treatments, and enrichment activities, and adopted into permanent loving homes. Other
programs include post-adoption assistance, humane education for all ages and community outreach. MCHS is funded 100% with program revenues and private donations. Visit our website to learn more, or call 240-252-2555. Hours are 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. every day except holidays.

About the City of Gaithersburg :

Located in the heart of Montgomery County , Gaithersburg became an incorporated City in 1878.  With a population of just over 60,000, it is now one of the largest cities in Maryland .  Gaithersburg is an international center of biotechnology, and it boasts award winning schools, neighborhoods and commercial developments.  Its respect for its heritage, demonstrated by the revitalization efforts in the Olde Towne residential and commercial district, coupled with thoughtful planning for new communities, and a commitment to cultural, recreational and leisure time activities, makes Gaithersburg the ideal place to live, work, learn, and play.  For more information, please visit their website.

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