Dogs live forever, right? Right!? Unfortunately, like humans, dogs are mortals. Anyone who has lost a pet knows how heartbreaking it is to say goodbye. They are truly family members. If you’re someone who hates goodbyes or simply wants a companion for as long as possible, look into the longest-living dog breeds. On average, domesticated dogs live about ten years, but the dogs on our list have been known to live well into their teens. You’ll notice most of these pups are on the smaller side. While breed alone isn’t going to tell you how long your dog will live, it can give you a pretty good idea.
Wild birds, such as finches, robins, and cardinals, are a fascinating part of many gardens and landscapes. They're so much fun to watch, especially when you draw them to your yard with feeders so you can get a closer look. The cast of birds you'll see gathering at feeders changes with the seasons, but their lively antics will be a constant delight. Attracting wild birds is usually quite easy. There are, however, a few common mistakes that can repel, injure, or even kill birds, spoiling your well-intended efforts. Make sure to avoid the following bird-feeding pitfall so you can keep your winged visitors healthy and happy year-round.
Every week during the summer of 2018, a woman bought 10 cases of apples, 50 pounds of carrots and dozens of eggs.
The food was for bears, Canada authorities said.
A woman from Whistler was ordered to pay $60,000 after officials said she violated the Wildlife Act in British Columbia.
In July 2018, the Conservation Officer Service, a public safety agency that focuses on human-wildlife conflict prevention, received a complaint that someone was feeding black bears in the neighborhood.
Popular Capitals’ team dog, Captain, officially graduated from training earlier in the year and was matched with retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Mark Gwathmey to be a service dog. Selfishly, that made us sad because that meant there’d be no more pups around the rink.
(Meredith) – A bittersweet photo from an Alabama veterinary hospital has gone viral amongst animal lovers on Facebook.
The photo from Smiths Station Animal Hospital in Smiths Station, Alabama shows a jar of Hershey’s kisses with the words "goodbye kisses" labeled on the jar. The photo's caption reads, "This jar is reserved for our euthanasia appointments...because no dog should go to Heaven without tasting chocolate."
Benjamin Franklin even wrote an ode to a fallen one.
IN 1722, A PET SQUIRREL named Mungo passed away. It was a tragedy: Mungo escaped its confines and met its fate at the teeth of a dog. Benjamin Franklin, friend of the owner, immortalized the squirrel with a tribute.
“Few squirrels were better accomplished, for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world.” Franklin wrote, adding, “Thou art fallen by the fangs of wanton, cruel Ranger!”
Dogs and cats have many cues to help them recognize us. Learn about all the different ways our pets know who we are.
When you watch your dog bounding across the dog park, or when you see your cat perched atop her scratching post, you recognize your pet by her shape, the color of her coat, and the way she moves. You may find yourself wondering, “Does my cat know me?” or, “Can my dog tell me apart from everyone else?” Our pets certainly know who we are, but they often know us in ways that humans, with our different set of senses, can only imagine: scent, sound, and subtle cues of movement and touch.
The Arabian horse breed goes back thousands of years. Its striking beauty and even temperament have made it a popular breeding horse throughout the ages. Arabians have contributed their elegance, spirit, and intelligence to almost every light horse breed that exists. Many pony and warmblood breeds also count the athletic Arabian among their ancestors.
A pair of barn owls have been snapped sharing a kiss before snuggling together in the fork of a tree. The birds stayed close to each other as they preened, 'kissed' and flew together in woodland in Lea Marston, Warwickshire.
The barn owls, who found a spot in the trees where they began showing their affections to each other, are not a mating pair but sisters. The moment was captured by Leslie Arnott. 'They are quite hard conditions in the dark woodland and the pair flew for a while before sharing their special moment.' said Leslie. 'They started rubbing heads and getting quite affectionate. Then came the moment they appeared to kiss each other.
'They 'kissed' twice. 'They certainly looked like they tried to kiss but I guess we will never know for sure. 'These owls are very affectionate towards each other and work well together however they are not a breeding pair they are actually sisters. 'They continued their tender behaviour towards one another for around three minutes but the kissing happened twice within that period. 'It was luck as much as skill to catch the split second moment and I'm very glad I did.' said photographer.
Ghostly pale and normally strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening for their eerie, raspy calls, quite unlike the hoots of other owls. Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss.
Barn Owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing all that material through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, and scientists study them to learn more about the owls and the ecosystems they live in. Up to 46 different races of the Barn Owl have been described worldwide. The North American form is the largest, weighing more than twice as much as the smallest race from the Galapagos Islands.
Barn Owl females are somewhat showier than males. She has a more reddish and more heavily spotted chest. The spots may indicate the quality of the female. Heavily spotted females get fewer parasitic flies and may be more resistant to parasites and diseases. The spots may also stimulate the male to help more at the nest. In an experiment where some females' spots were removed, their mates fed their nestlings less often than for females whose spots were left alone. The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. It can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab, or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the real world. The oldest known North American Barn Owl lived in Ohio and was at least 15 years, 5 months old.
CONCORD, Calif. (KRON) — Pet Food Express is removing a certain brand of dog toys from their shelves after a couple in the East Bay says they found a needle in their pets brand new toy.
Isreal Saucedo says he found the needle as he was playing with his dog Oliver at their Concord home.
“I started to squeeze it to get the squeaky noise because Oliver goes crazy over it,” Saucedo said. “And then I pinch myself really hard on my fingers and I was like ‘ouch it really hurt.'”
When the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001, nearly 10,000 emergency rescue workers joined in the efforts to help. More than 300 of those heroes were dogs.
We remember and honor the Hero Dogs of 9/11 along with the countless people who had their lives irrevocably changed by man’s best friend. From search and rescue dogs to comfort dogs to bomb detection dogs, these canines’ stories of courage and healing are a long-lasting legacy that must never be forgotten.
Gorillas at Zoo Atlanta are being treated after initial tests showed they were positive for the coronavirus — and the zoo plans to vaccinate them once they recover.
A care team recently noticed telltale signs: Several members of the zoo’s western lowland gorilla population were coughing, had runny noses and showed minor changes in their appetites.
After nasal, oral and fecal samples were sent for testing, the zoo received presumptive positive results indicating that several gorillas had been infected by the virus that causes covid-19, the zoo said in a statement Friday.