An IHG Spokesperson contacted us once more to let us know that they are now requiring all their hotel brands in the areas affected by Harvey to allow pets free of charge. They made the following statement: “Many of IHG’s brands, including Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and many individual Holiday Inn Express® hotels, already are pet friendly. As IHG hotels continue to shelter individuals and families displaced by Hurricane Harvey, IHG has mandated that all its branded hotels in impacted and surrounding areas welcome pets free of charge during disasters. We have and continue to communicate this requirement to all hotels.” At a time when hundreds of thousands of families are without homes and struggling to survive in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, one Holiday Inn franchise isn’t budging on their “no-pets” policy, refusing to offer shelter to a family’s three dogs.
The Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida is proud to be a pet-friendly hotel, but they took hospitality to a whole new level in the wake of Hurricane Irma. With thousands of displaced families seeking shelter from the damage and catastrophic flooding this past weekend, Hyatt opened their doors to nearly 900 four-legged friends! Their typical pet policy involves a $150 cleaning fee and restricted access to the property. In order to make the 4,500 human guests and their canine companions feel at home, Hyatt reduced their fees to just $50 per room and offered free reign of the entire hotel. They even opened up a large media room equipped with a pool table, movies and games to help keep the families entertained. One guest, Mia Gallow, who stayed at the hotel with her Golden Retriever Scout, told the Orlando Sentinel: “I’m actually from California, so I’m used to earthquakes and fires. This is my first hurricane. It reminds me of that book ‘Go, Dog. Go!’ because there are so many dogs here.” Several guests took to social media to express their gratitude to the Hyatt chain and the Orlando staff. “Thanks to the @hyattregencyorlando for your hospitality towards people and the 900 pets during #hurricaneirma,” one Instagrammer wrote. The post included a photo of her pup cradled in the arms of a hotel employee. The Hyatt isn’t the only hotel to extend heroic acts of hospitality to weary travelers. Stories of businesses going above and beyond to accommodate displaced Irma victims have been widely shared across social media.
When our beloved pets pass on, this is often a very sad moment for the family involved. There are no words that can be said that will bring the pet back and there is no magic wand to be waved to make the pain go away. All we can do in these instances is keep the animal’s memory alive in our hearts and minds and do our best to carry on in this world without them. One couple decided that this was not enough and they spent a great deal of money to ensure that their pet would not become a mere memory. Nina and Edgar Otto were not willing to accept the loss of their Labrador without a fight and they made a decision that some would call crazy and others would call downright adorable. They decided to spend a boatload of money to clone the animal. If you were considering cloning a fallen pet, be sure to remember that this couple was willing to shell out a sum of $150,000 in order to make their dream come true. Once they became aware of the fact that animal cloning would become a viable option, they decided to set aside some of Sir Lancelot’s DNA in order to provide themselves with the ability to do so. BioArts, a firm in San Francisco, is responsible for this amazing story and they worked in conjunction with a South Korean team at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. The new dog was named Lancelot Encore (because of course it was) and the animal was created by injecting DNA into the eggs of a surrogate pup. This all sounds so high tech, we find ourselves wondering how it is even feasible. There are many who are vehemently opposed to what this family has done and they believe that the family should have spent this significant sum of money to assist other dogs who are in need or provide a home to those who cannot find one of their own. However, these opinions are all moot and this family is certainly free to spend their money in any way that they see fit. It is not up to any of us in any way.
West Palm Beach, Florida -- Officials are calling it animal cruelty like they've never seen before. As Hurricane Irma’s outer bands inch closer to Florida, animal control officers said they are hustling to rescue abandoned animals. And these aren't pets who are just being left inside, Director of Animal Care Diane Suave said. “They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles,” she said. Palm Beach County Animal Care reports animal control officers have rescued 49 dogs and two cats in the last 48 hours. “Even a tiny bit of sand can hurt an animal when it’s traveling through 100-plus mph winds,” Sauve said. Animal control officers were slowly pulled off the road at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Sauve said once winds reach a sustained 35 mph, no officers will be permitted to rescue animals. “We are asking the public, if it is safe, consider sheltering any animals you see left outside,” she said. Both Sauve and State Attorney Dave Aronberg said they promise to prosecute anyone who left their animals outside to fend for themselves during Hurricane Irma. “This is a prime example of animal cruelty,” Aronberg said. “We will find you, and we will prosecute you.” Sauve said officials will use every paper trail imaginable to track down animal cruelty offenders. “It’s unconscionable,” she said. “We will not stand for it here in Palm Beach County.”
There’s nothing more enjoyable than having your dog run free in a field of grass. They love being able to explore areas without being attached to a leash and you, the owner, love watching your best friend being in their happy place. Especially those fields that have patches of nice, tall grass. They can’t help but explore and sniff out those areas. But I’m sad to say that those grass areas could actually be hiding a silent killer that is pretty common. According to Goodfullness, there are certain types of grass that could actually be not only harmful to your dog but also lethal. It’s so dangerous that Veterinarians recommend to not allow your dog run freely, at least until you investigate the area completely. So what kind of grass specifically should you watch out for? It’s called the foxtail grass. It can cause a ton of painful wounds. Goodfullness notes that the dog’s skin will not only be pierced, but their eyes, feet, stomach are also left in serious danger. The seed awns are incredibly sharp, almost like a needle that can seriously dig into your pet and leave them with painful wounds. If you own a poodle or any other dog with long fur, they are the most vulnerable to this type of grass. Avoiding this kind of grass can be pretty difficult because it can be found just about anywhere. Places like vacant lots and disturbed sites are places that pet owners should beware of. So how does a pet owner know that their dog has been exposed to the foxtail grass? One symptom is constant sneezing or violent head shakes. Goodfullness also notes that new skin lumps or the animal pawing at its eyes in an excessive way are another signal. If you’re planning to take your dog to a field, do a thorough check prior and check for symptoms regularly if they are always playing in the tall grass. If you notice the signs, go to the vet immediately.
Australia lost a very beloved, very old soul today. Maggie, the Australian Kelpie, passed away after having lived for 30 years, according to owner Brian McLaren. She spent her life with him, roaming around their spacious dairy farm. While most dogs live between 11-15 years of age (and for some lucky ones, a few years more), this amazing pup more than doubled the average life expectancy. Unfortunately, McLaren lost documentation that specified Maggie’s birth date, so the official world record for the oldest living dog still belongs to Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog that lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and 5 months, back in 1939. To read more on this story, click here:Maggie May Be The Oldest Dog To Ever Live, Dying At Age 30
Meteorologists warned of 100-mile-per-hour winds and severe flooding, but when Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida last weekend, long-gone owners had left dozens of dogs tied up outside to weather the storm frightened and alone. Now, Palm Beach County Animal Care and the State Attorney's Office are hunting down the people who abandoned their pets during the dangerous hurricane, leaving them not even indoors but chained to trees and even cars. "They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles," Diane Sauve, head of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, told WPTV. Leaving a dog tied up alone is already illegal in the region, but the added danger of the storm qualifies the act as a felony, officials say. "This is a prime example of animal cruelty," said Dave Aronberg, the state prosecutor for Palm Beach County. "We will find you, and we will prosecute you." While finding these negligent owners will prove a challenge, authorities are working on gathering as much evidence as possible. Sauve stated that they will use every paper trail imaginable to track them down. PBC animal control officers saved at least 49 dogs and two cats in the lead-up to Irma's arrival, ABC Action News reported, with many more possibly inaccessible to rescuers. In addition to the abandoned pets, the shelter is also working on finding homes for the surrendered dogs and cats relinquished by their owners. With their facility full with over 100 animals, Palm Beach County Animal Care is currently waiving adoption fees and making fostering even easier. The group is also sending dozens of dogs and cats up north to other shelters to make room for the influx of pets impacted by Irma. If you'd like to help, the shelter is currently requesting people donate crates, animal carriers and collars, which can be purchased and sent through Amazon. Better yet, consider registering as a foster home. You'll gain a new animal friend and free up space in a shelter for another pet to take its place.
Meet Melanie Barboni, an assistant researcher in the UCLA Earth, Planetary and Space Science program, who is also known as the ‘hummingbird whisperer’. She built a community of 200 hummingbirds who live outside her office and come to complain if she’s late to serve their dinner. Barboni has always been a bit obsessed with hummingbirds – even when she was a child in Switzerland, a country with an almost non-existant population of this species. “My dearest dream as a child was to see hummingbirds. Imagine my joy when I found out that my next job assignment would bring me to Los Angeles, where hummingbirds live year-round,” says Barboni. The woman adds: “I cannot go to a place where they are not there… This is cheesy, but I have seen them help people. They make my life happy. Having a crappy day? Who cares — there are hummingbirds around… Having a good day? Hummingbirds make it better…” To read more on this story, click here:Woman Develops Bond With Over 200 Hummingbirds, Now They Complain If She’s Late To Feed Them
A pet groomer in Thailand posted a video to YouTube of a cat shaved to look like a dinosaur, claiming that this is currently their most popular kitty hair-do. This isn’t the first cat on the internet groomed to look like a prehistoric beast. In fact, it’s become a bit of a trend. Dinosaur cats can be found all over Instagram and social media. It may look a bit silly and cute, but there are some problems that can arise from grooming a cat this way. Before you pull out the clippers and start giving your cat the stegosaurus treatment, here are a few things to consider. A cat’s fur coat serves as an insulator that helps them regulate their body temperature, keeping them warm in cold environments, but also protecting them from heat and sunburns. Removing that fur reduces their protection from the elements. Clipping can also be stressful for cats, so doing it without a need might unnecessarily cause anxiety. Also, the skin underneath a cat’s fur can be delicate and tear more easily without a protective coat, leaving kitties open to injury. The lack of fur can cause dryness and irritation, and the itchiness as the fur grows back can lead to excessive licking and scratching, causing abrasions. It looks like most of the dino-cats in pictures and videos online aren’t shaved all the way to the skin, so at least they are left with some fur to protect them. Still, it probably feels unusual for the cats that can feel odd patches in their fur that weren’t there before, and it’s really only for the humans’ benefit to see a cat groomed in a silly way. While having a dino-cat may look cute and sound like fun, it’s best to avoid unnecessary shaving and grooming. There are certain medical needs that require a cat to be shaved, but your vet should be able to advise you on when it is appropriate. Some long-haired breeds also require more grooming to remove matted fur and so they can stay a bit cooler. Again, these are grooming needs, not something that should be done for no good reason.
Humane Rescue Alliance President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine announced today that the organization has named Dr. Joshua Woolsey to the position of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Woolsey will oversee the Humane Rescue Alliance Medical Center, HRA’s Spay Neuter Center, the shelter medicine program at the two shelter locations and the care of the companion animals of public clients. He begins his duties immediately.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Joshua Woolsey to the Humane Rescue Alliance,” said LaFontaine. “Dr. Woolsey has deep experience in shelter medicine, animal control, and in wildlife care and his leadership skills will be an integral part of our future success caring for the animals in our region.”
Yes, you read it correctly! Nationals’ Max Scherzer and His Wife Pitching in to Help Animals Affected by Harvey Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer and his wife, Erica, are pitching in to help D.C. animal shelters make room for animals affected by Harvey. Max and Erica are covering adoption fees at both Humane Rescue Alliance adoption centers in D.C. Thursday through Sunday, a spokesman for HRA said. The fee waiver only covers animals currently at the shelters, the spokesman said. The HRA is among many organizations across the country that are volunteering to accept animals from Texas who became separated from their owners or were homeless strays before the storm. To read more on this story, click here:Source: Nationals' Max Scherzer and Wife Erica Pitching in to Help Animals Affected by Harvey - NBC4 Washington
Washington, DC – With animals being relocated this week to Washington, DC from Texas due to Hurricane Harvey, the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) is appealing to animal lovers throughout the region who may be considering adopting a new pet to visit adoptions centers today. Dogs and cats adopted this week will clear room for arriving animals from Texas. All pets available for adoption at HRA have been spayed/neutered and microchipped. HRA is joining other shelters around the country who have volunteered to help clear shelter space in Texas for the animals who have become separated from their owners or were homeless strays prior to the storm coming ashore. HRA expects to receive dogs and cats from Texas this week, although an exact time of arrival is yet to be determined. “The Humane Rescue Alliance is proud to assist our fellow shelters in Texas as that region deals with the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey,” said Stephanie Shain, Chief Operating Officer for HRA. “The shelters in Texas are facing large numbers of incoming animals made homeless by this storm and need to move them to safety. HRA stands ready to take in animals, regardless of breed, with open arms and we look forward to finding forever homes for them in our nation’s capital.” To adopt current HRA animals, visit organization has two Adoption Centers: 71 Oglethorpe St., NW 1201 New York Ave., NE Washington, DC 20011 Washington, DC 20002
About the Humane Rescue Alliance: The Humane Rescue Alliance (formerly the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League) has protected and served the animals of the community for more than 145 years and serves more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care and control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. The organization is dedicated to ensuring the safety and welfare of all animals, bringing people and animals together, and working with all communities to support these relationships. HRA is based in Washington, DC, the only major urban area in the country that has all of its animal protection programs and services unified in one organization, making the Humane Rescue Alliance a model for the nation. Please Share!
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If you have noticed mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or blood in your dog’s urine, you may be wondering if it is a cause for concern. Bloody diarrhea can be especially worrying. While these are symptoms of other conditions, they don’t identify the exact cause of the underlying problem. Usually observing any other unusual symptoms can help narrow down the reason for mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or blood in your dog’s urine, but your veterinarian is the one who will be able to confirm a diagnosis and give you the right advice for treatment. You should inform them of any other symptoms that are out of the ordinary, especially bloody diarrhea, and you may be asked to provide a sample from your dog for analysis. You should definitely consult your veterinarian as soon as possible if you see these symptoms. Leaving it up to chance can have dire consequences for your dog. Here is what you should know about mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or urine. To read more on this story, click here:Mucus or Blood in Dog’s Stool or Blood in Urine: What Does It Mean?
If you want to run in the sold-out Marine Corps Marathon, you're in luck! HRA still has entries available. Join team HRA to run 26.2 and you'll not only get a spot in the race, you'll also get the chance to save lives. For more information, click here:Marine Corps Marathon
Registration Deadline August 31st - Don’t Miss Out!
