The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too

Monday, January 3, 2022

One of Betty White’s greatest legacies is helping animals

Animal advocates sing the praises of the Golden Girl’s devotion to animals.

Though Betty White was a charming actor with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her lifelong love of animals was no act.

In the introduction to her 2011 book “Betty & Friends,” she wrote that both her mother and father “were genuine animal nuts, and I am eternally grateful that they have passed much of that passion on to me.”

Fueled by that passion, White helped countless animals in myriad ways throughout her life.

To read more on this story, click here: One of Betty White’s greatest legacies is helping animals

Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021

Three bear cubs, a bobcat and a pig rescued from Northern California fires in 2021 went safely home or will soon be released.

In October, the Redding Record Searchlight published stories about animals who were victims of the state's raging wildfires, including the 1,500-square-mile Dixie Fire.

They and other animals were rescued by wildlife experts and caring neighbors. Injured wildlife received medical attention, then bunked at animal refuges where volunteers fed them and helped them keep their specialized skills and wild ways.

As 2021 wrapped up, we circled back with people who care for five of the animals we featured to see how they were doing.

To read more on this story, click here: Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021

The danger of ‘Petfishing’ - and how to stop it happening this Christmas

Wannabe pet owners hoping to bring a new puppy or kitten home this Christmas are being urged to research the seller behind the pet to avoid being 'petfished'.

A recent survey of UK cat and dog owners by the' British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), found over a quarter (27%) had come across a seller or advert that made them feel suspicious of the welfare of the pet, while purchasing their last cat or dog.

It seems soon-to-be pet owners aren't taking appropriate care in checking out the person selling a prospective pet, with less than half (43%) of UK dog or cat owners saying they visited the seller in-person in the animal’s home when researching their recent pet purchase.

To read more on this story, click here: The danger of ‘Petfishing’ - and how to stop it happening this Christmas

Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99

Among the many highlights of a career that began in 1949 were star turns on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and “Saturday Night Live” in 2010.

Betty White, who created two of the most memorable characters in sitcom history, the nymphomaniacal Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the sweet but dim Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” — and who capped her long career with a comeback that included a triumphant appearance as the host of “Saturday Night Live” at the age of 88 — died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99.

To read more on this story, click here: Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99

Friday, October 29, 2021

The owner of three escaped zebras in Maryland has been charged with animal cruelty

The owner of three escaped zebras in Maryland has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty after one of the zebras was reported last week to have been discovered dead in a snare trap.

Jerry Holly, the owner of an exotic animal breeding business in Upper Marlboro, Md., about 20 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., is accused of inflicting and authorizing "unnecessary suffering or pain on a Zebra," according to court documents obtained by NPR. Holly was also charged with not providing adequate shelter or food.

To read more on this story, click here: The owner of three escaped zebras in Maryland has been charged with animal cruelty

Woman Cuddles Large Ostrich in Incredible Viral Video

The best friendships are the ones that transcend our differences, and no pairing could illustrate this more than the closeness between one woman and her ostrich.

Posting to TikTok, Wendy Adriaens, known on the app as wendy_adriaens shared a clip of herself and one of her pet ostich's locked in an embrace.

The video begins with the Adriaens, who calls herself "The Ostrich Whisperer" standing in a muddy enclosure, holding aloft a large white blanket.

To see the video, click here: Woman Cuddles Large Ostrich in Incredible Viral Video

Maryland couple taking care of escaped zebras starts foundation aiming to help

The zebras that escaped from an Upper Marlboro farm have evaded capture for nearly two months, but a couple tells 7News they have been caring for the large mammals.

“All of a sudden I’m in the middle of trying to save zebras. I would never in a million years think I’d be here," Theodore McKenzie stated.

McKenzie is a groundskeeper on a large, private property that backs to the zebra farm.

"We reached out to the farm owner and that didn’t really go anywhere.”

In fact, McKenzie is the person who found one of the three zebras caught in a snare trap, dead from dehydration.

To read more on this story, click here: Maryland couple taking care of escaped zebras starts foundation aiming to help

Hansel the Pit Bull Barely Escaped Euthanasia. Now, He's Investigating Arson Cases With His Partner

The fact Hansel the pit bull is still alive is a minor miracle, but the hero dog is doing more than just living—he's working to help his local fire department save lives all while chipping away at the stereotype surrounding his breed.

Hansel was rescued from an alleged Canadian dog fighting ring when he was just 7 weeks old. He'd never fought, but he was still scheduled to be euthanized. Thankfully, a shelter in Florida took him in before he was plucked by the Throw Away Dogs Project, which trains dogs to become K-9 officers in the Philadelphia area.

To read more on this story, click here: Hansel the Pit Bull Barely Escaped Euthanasia. Now, He's Investigating Arson Cases With His Partner

Escaped Zebra in Prince George's County found dead in illegal snare trap

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (7News) — One of the zebras that escaped from a farm in Prince George's County was found dead Thursday in a snare trap. The Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to private property in Upper Marlboro in Prince George's County and found the deceased zebra in a snare trap near a field.

The animal is believed to be among the zebras that previously escaped from a farm in Prince George's County.

Police say it is illegal to set snare traps in Maryland. At this time, the police do not have any information on who placed the trap.

To read more on this story, click here: Escaped Zebra in Prince George's County found dead in illegal snare trap

National Cat Day – October 29, 2021

National Cat Day is celebrated on October 29. It was created by Colleen Paige to bring awareness to the number of cats that need to be rescued each year. Cats remind us that just when you think they’ve lost interest in you, they’ll turn around and melt your hearts. When it appears they’re too busy staring out at passing cars, chasing nylon mice, and sending tiny multi-colored balls to their under-the-refrigerator graves, they’ll somehow let you know that their very world revolves around you. Just wait. It’ll happen when you least expect it. Cats have their own timetable.

To read more on this story, click here: National Cat Day – October 29, 2021

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Narwhals inspired many a seafaring legend and their tusks were once sold as unicorn horns

With an enormous spiralled tusk protruding from their head you’re not going to mistake a male narwhal if you see one, and you won’t be surprised to learn that they’re known as the unicorns of the sea.

What doe a narwhal look like?

The most obvious thing to say is that males have a massive tusk which can grow up to 10 feet long. Most females don’t have a tusk and they look a bit like mottled grey beluga whales. Narwhals have a blotchy sausage-shaped body, a rounded head with no beak, a ridge on their backs rather than a fin and short blunt flippers with upcurled edges. They have odd-shaped tail flukes that look as though they have been put on backwards.

To read more on this story, click here: Narwhals inspired many a seafaring legend and their tusks were once sold as unicorn horns

Farewell old friend: Mountain gorilla who became a worldwide sensation after appearing in a selfie with a ranger dies cradled in the arms of man who rescued her as an infant

Orphaned mountain gorilla Ndakasi died at the age of 14 in the arms of park ranger Andre Bauma at the Virunga National Park in eastern Congo

She was saved by Virunga park rangers when she was two-months-old after she was found clinging to her lifeless mother

Ndakasi was cared for by Bauma who held her as an infant after her mother was gunned down by armed militia

The gorilla rose to fame after she was pictured with fellow orphan Ndeze in a selfie with park ranger Mathieu Shamavu in

Bi-partisan bill introduced to change animal testing mandates

WASHINGTON – U.S. senators Rand Paul and Cory Booker introduced the FDA Modernization Act on Thursday to end animal testing mandates.

The bill would end an outdated FDA mandate that experimental drugs must be tested on animals before they are tested on humans in clinical trials. The bill would not ban animal testing outright, but would allow the option for drug sponsors to use alternative methods.

Current mandates were passed in 1938, but since then, research has proven that animal testing is highly inconsistent at predicting toxic responses in humans. Senator Rand Paul says he believes the bill can pass both the House and the Senate without being challenged.

To read more on this story, click here: Bi-partisan bill introduced to change animal testing mandates

Feline okay? The app that tells you if your cat's happy

July 27 (Reuters) - Cat owners who love to take pictures of their furry friends now have a new excuse to pull out their smartphones and take a snapshot: it may actually help the cat.

A Calgary, Alberta, animal health technology company, Sylvester.ai, has developed an app called Tably that uses the phone's camera to tell whether a feline is feeling pain.

The app looks at ear and head position, eye-narrowing, muzzle tension, and how whiskers change, to detect distress. A 2019 study published in peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports found that the so-called 'feline grimace scale,' or FGS, is a valid and reliable tool for acute pain assessment in cats.

To read more on this story, click here: Feline okay? The app that tells you if your cat's happy

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Monday, January 3, 2022

Friday, October 29, 2021

Thursday, October 14, 2021