Man in China Kicks Stray Dog for Lying in His Parking Space: Dog Returns with Friends and Proceeds to Exact Revenge by Chewing the Bodywork Including the Windshield Wipers

Chongqing, China - A man drove up to find a stray dog in his favorite parking space. When the dog wouldn't move…he kicked him.

Later that day, the dog returned with some friends and proceeded to exact revenge by chewing the bodywork including the windshield wipers!

The vandalism was photographed by a startled neighbor, who showed the driver the photos the next morning.

Stray dogs in China are sometimes grabbed off the street and thrown into dog fights.

China has no animal cruelty laws, and a person who damages a dog or another animal can only be prosecuted for damaging property if the animal belongs to somebody.

China is home to roughly 130million dogs, many of them pampered pets. As the middle class expands, rising numbers of pet owners has resulted in increased opposition to animal cruelty.

Despite this, many stray dogs are still killed and there is scant legislation protecting animals’ rights.

He apparently never heard the saying…Let sleeping dogs lie.

Five Most Common Hamster Breeds: Which is Right for Me?

There are many different kinds of hamsters, but the five most common are Syrians, Dwarf Campbell Russians, Dwarf Winter White Russians, Roborovski Dwarfs, and Chinese. Each breed has its own distinctive characteristics that distinguish it from the other breeds.

Syrian Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)
Syrian hamsters, also known as Goldens or Teddy Bear hamsters, are the most popular hamsters kept as pets. They are very easy to handle and make wonderful pets for children. They are not social with other hamsters however, and should be kept alone after 10 weeks of age. If caged together, Syrian hamsters can actually fight until they kill each other. Syrian hamsters are nocturnal, and are rarely active during the day.

Syrian hamsters come in a variety of colors, and they are one of the largest hamsters at a length of 4" - 7" when full grown, depending on the sex. Females can grow larger than the males, which reach only about 6" long. They have a very short tail, large cheek pouches, and small eyes. The average life span of a Syrian hamster is approximately 2 to 2-1/2 years, though they have been known to live as long as 4 years.

Dwarf Campbell Russian Hamsters (Phodopus campbelli)
Dwarf Campbell Russian hamsters are more social than Syrian hamsters, and they can be kept in same sex pairs or groups of their breed as long as they are introduced at a young age. They aren't quite as responsive to handling as Syrians and may nip if they feel nervous or threatened. They still make good pets; they just require supervision of both child and pet during interactions. Though they are nocturnal, they are often awake for short periods during the day.

Dwarf Campbell Russians are very small, reaching a maximum size of only 4" as adults. The natural coat color is grayish brown fur on the back with a darker strip of color down the spine, a creamier color on the sides, and a white stomach. Dwarf Campbell Russians can be found in a variety of colors however, due to selective breeding. The average life span of a Dwarf Campbell Russian is about 2 years.

Dwarf Winter White Russian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)
Dwarf Winter White Russian hamsters are similar in behavior to Dwarf Campbell Russians in that they are active during the day and can be kept in same sex pairs or groups. However, they do not have the reputation for biting when nervous, and they are generally very sweet and personable. They are very small and quick though, so they can be a challenge for young children to handle safely.

Dwarf Winter White Russians come in three colors: Sapphire, Pearl, and a combination of the two called Sapphire-Pearl. Pearl is a white pattern where white hairs are sprinkled throughout the coat, and Sapphire is a purple-gray color. Sapphire Winter White Russians have a gray undercoat, a thick gray stripe along their spines, and an ivory colored stomach.

Dwarf Winter White Russians are very small and compact, measuring only 3-1/2" to 4" as full grown adults. Because they are so tiny, an aquarium is generally a safer housing choice than a wire cage. The average life span of a Dwarf Winter White Russian hamster is about 2 years.

Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters (Phodopus roborovski)
Roborovski Dwarfs are another social breed of hamster, and they do well in small same sex pairs or groups if they are introduced at a young age. They are sweet hamsters that do not usually nip. Though they have good temperaments, they are generally better for observation than for handling because of their size and agility. They should only be handled where they will be easy to catch if they jump down from your hands. They are nocturnal.

Roborovski hamsters are sandy brown with a white stomach, white marks over their eyes, and occasionally a white face. They are the smallest of the most popular hamster breeds, reaching an adult size of only 1-1/2" to 2". The average life span of a Roborovski is longer than any of the other common hamster breeds at 3 to 3-1/2 years.

Chinese Hamsters (Cricetulus griseus)
Chinese hamsters, also known as Striped hamsters or Chinese Striped hamsters, are not generally social hamsters, but there have been some owners who have been able to successfully house them together. However, it's best to be safe and house them individually. Though they can be aggressive towards each other, they are good-natured towards people and slightly timid, and they rarely bite. They are active during short periods throughout the day, but their most active period is at night.

Chinese hamsters are often mistakenly referred to as dwarf hamsters. Though at about 4" full grown they are similar in size to other dwarf hamsters, they are actually not true dwarfs. Chinese hamsters have a body type that is similar to a rat or mouse - long and slender. There are two colors of Chinese hamsters. The first, and most common, is an agouti coat with a dark brown back, a black line of fur along the spine, and an ivory colored stomach. The other color is called a "dominant spot," and it is a white coat with spots of color. The average life span of Chinese hamsters is about 1-1/2 to 2 years.

Hermit Crab Association Statement on The Blue Crabs Giveaway at The Team's Opening Game on April 24

The Hermit Crab Association and its members are extremely saddened to hear of the planned promotional event for the opening day game of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The decision to keep hermit crabs should warrant the same amount of consideration as owning any other type of pet and we believe they should never be given away as prizes because of this. Hermit crabs require specialized care and when given the proper environment should live for decades in captivity - they are not in any way a short lived pet.

Lacking the proper care, these hermit crabs will not live for more than a few weeks or months, which will lead to heartache for the small children of hundreds of fans. The plastic terrarium they will be sent home in is only a temporary transport container, and the initial set-up costs of a proper enclosure with new items will generally start at $100 for anyone receiving one of these "free" hermit crabs. This will place a financial burden on the fans of the Blue Crabs, or on the local animal rescues that will be asked to take them in once the details of their needs are learned.

The Hermit Crab Association is an online international community of hermit crab enthusiasts and owners, and we are not opposed to the captive ownership of hermit crabs. However, we are concerned about the lack of proper information that is provided by pet shops, and from the distributors that import the crabs into the United States.

The fact is that millions of hermit crabs are collected from the wild every year, as there has only been a handful of people in the world who have been successful with breeding them in captivity. Smaller crabs are already 5 years old, and the biggest are well over 40 years old. Many do not make it through the collection process and the transport to stores, and others will succumb from the stress of adapting to life in captivity. Many more will die slow deaths in the following weeks and months in tiny plastic cages from a lack of basic care.

Their needs include an enclosure that is large enough for the crabs to move around comfortably while providing enough space for all of their requirements. They dig underground and stay there without surfacing for months at a time to molt, which is how they repair injuries and grow larger. This requires six or more inches of moist cocofiber or silica-based sand, based on the size of the hermit crab. They need to be provided with dechlorinated freshwater and marine grade saltwater deep that is enough to completely submerge. Their temperature requirements are higher than room temperature at 78-85 degrees, and because of having modified gills for breathing they require humidity that is constantly above 70%, or they will slowly suffocate. They are omnivorous scavengers and their diet consists of fruits, vegetables and plant matter, seafood, insects, meat and poultry. While they are a communal species and should always be kept with others of their kind, they do need to be provided enough individual space that they can retreat from disputes, and so they are not discovered and dug up by other crabs while vulnerable from molting.

We are very much hoping that the team will reconsider the giving away of living animals as thank you gifts at this event. There are many other options available, such as plastic figurines or plushies that can become a permanent reminder of what is sure to be an amazing opening game.

Americans Spent $58 Billion on Their Pets in 2014

Pets are a member of our family these days. They protect us, love us, make us happy, and love spending time with us. Not only this, but our pets love us unconditionally when it seems no one else does. This is why, according to a report by the Columbus Dispatch on March 6, Americans spent $58 billion on their pets in 2014. This not only includes buying pets but pampering their pets as well as making sure they are healthy and happy.

The $58 billion was spent on 397 million pets in this country alone.

So where did the money go? The money went on many different things to make peoples pets healthier and happier. Here is a rundown of what the money was actually spent on according to the American Pet Products Association.

The American Pet Products Association measured the money spent on five different areas for pets. These five different areas included $22 billion on food, $15 billion on vet care, $14 billion on supplies for pets which includes beds, bowls, collars, and over-the-counter medications to help prevent fleas, ticks, and colds. Also, $4.8 billion on other things for their pets and $2 billion on buying pets themselves.

Although vet care is included in this equation, according to the Mansfield News Journal, vet care was either unchanged from the year before or down just a little bit from the previous year. However, these expenses range from lifesaving to the exotic which means plastic surgery.

The ‘other’ category included grooming, walking, boarding, day care, training, not to mention trips to the spa. Yes, trips to the spa! People are spending more and more money on these things since the ‘other’ category is the one that increased the most since last year when it comes to spending money on pets.

People are spending more and more money on exotic things for their pets. However, there is another thing that people are spending more money on for their pets and that includes new types of food. This new type of food that people are now spending on their pets is as high grade as human food.

As well as people spending more on better tasting and more high quality food for their pets making this category increase in sales from the previous year but pet sales itself was down last year. This is actually a good thing because it means that people are no longer buying from puppy mills or at least not as many people are buying from puppy mills and the like. This is also good because it means the cracking down the Humane Society and other animal services did on these puppy mills is actually working.

How much money did you spend on your pet in 2014? How much money have you spent on your pet or pets this year already? Sound off with your comments in the comment section below and let everyone know how much you love your pets.