A cow in Northeast Texas has apparently defied great odds and given birth to four calves that have been named Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo. "DNA tests will be done on tissue samples from the three bull calves and the one heifer calf to satisfy those who may question the births from one mother." said Jimmy Barling. "We knew she was pregnant, but we didn't know she was going to do this," the 76-year-old Barling said. "This was a shock." Barling's wife, Dora Rumsey-Barling, owns the couple's 20 cattle outside of DeKalb, near the Arkansas and Oklahoma borders. Rumsey-Barling's granddaughter named the four black calves Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo, Barling said. A local veterinarian, Mike Baird, called the March 16 births "extremely rare." He said the odds of four live births from one cow are 1 in 11.2 million. Baird knows the couple well and is nearly certain the four came from one mother, rather than a nearby cow perhaps birthing one or two and then moving along so that it appeared the four came from the Barling's cow. "In the interest of science and the animal world, it's one of those things that need to be verified beyond a shadow of a doubt," he said. The couple watched the birth of the fourth calf after going to check on her when they saw buzzards circling above a field. Because the mother cow is unable to nurse all four calves, the couple are relying on neighbors to help. Moo has stayed with her mother, while Eeny, Meeny and Miny are with two different caretakers. Meeny is the smallest of the calves, weighing in at about 25 pounds. A typical healthy birth weight for a calf is 75 pounds. Standing has also been difficult for some of the quadruplets.
Delta Air Lines Inc. will offer what it says is the first pet-tracking device to reassure passengers who are separated from their beloved furry companions during flights. Delta customers will be able to monitor their pets in real time, with data on the surrounding temperature and whether the animal is right-side up or sitting askew. The gadget was developed by Sendum Wireless Corp. and will be available for $50 per flight from 10 U.S. airports. “When things go wrong with a pet, it often goes horribly wrong,” said Neel Jones Shah, an airline adviser to Burnaby, British Columbia-based Sendum and former Delta cargo executive. The new GPS gadget wasn’t specifically meant to address the airline’s past trouble with animal shipments, Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said. United Continental Holdings Inc. said it’s also testing a pet tracking device. Sendum’s PT300 has uses beyond monitoring live animals, including temperature-sensitive organ transplants, Durrant said. It’s the furry friends that make the headlines, however, and transporting animals can be a tricky business. The Humane Society of the United States urges people not to ship their pets by air “unless absolutely necessary,” according to its website. English bulldogs, Pekingese and other dogs with short snouts have may have trouble breathing during flights, so much so that some airlines ban the breeds, said Walter Woolf, a veterinarian and owner of pet mover Air Animal Inc. in Tampa, Florida. The number of animals that die while in an airline’s care has been dropping in recent years. Delta has had the most animal deaths among U.S. carriers in the past five years, with 51, though it has had only 6 since 2013, Transportation Department data show. In 2014, U.S. airlines reported 17 animal deaths, including some that were out of the airline’s control. That’s down from 39 in 2010. Delta, based in Atlanta, will offer the new GPS-based device to owners who bring animals to the Delta Cargo facility at New York’s LaGuardia and nine other airports in Atlanta; Cincinnati; Detroit; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Seattle; Salt Lake City; and Tampa. The service is not available for pets sent by checked baggage at the passenger terminal. Placed on the animal’s crate, the device notes location, ambient temperature and other factors, including how the crate is positioned. If the temperature rises above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius), for example, it will shoot an an alert to Delta’s call center, Shah said. The pet owners also can check on their animal’s stats by visiting a website, he said. A caveat is that the system only sends alerts before and after a flight because restrictions on cellular communications prevent it from sending notices while airborne, Shah said. Still, many of the accidents that cause an animal to go missing or die occur at the airport and not in the air, he said. Woolf, the animal shipper, regularly plots round-the-world flights for pets, recently shipping a dog from Sydney to London and another animal from San Francisco to Zurich. He’s not convinced people will pay extra for real-time following of pets, since all animals already get a tracking code called an airway bill. Sendum is hoping pets offer a new venue for its monitors, which more often are used to keep tabs on alcohol and tobacco and to make sure seafood is kept cold, founder Wayne Chester said.
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a helicopter survey Thursday along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, although it had to be cut short due to wind. All three of the nests sighted were active, with an adult either brooding (caring for young) or incubating, said the agencies. At the National Arboretum, an adult female was spotted sitting on a nest. Experts said it was difficult to confirm whether she was incubating or brooding, but they believe there is a recent hatchling or hatchlings in the nest due to the way the female positioned her shoulders and a slight "blanketing" of her breast feathers. There were two fish in the nest. During a ground survey the same day, a male bald eagle was seen delivering a fish to the nest. The female stood and began breaking the fish into small pieces, appearing to demonstrate feeding behavior. The agencies will make another check of the National Arboretum in mid-April.
If you have ever adopted a pet, you may not know it…but you saved a life! Adopting is also know as 'rescuing' an animal. Some people adopt animals but never realize that they are saving the animals life. When you adopted your pet, you gave them a home, love and a second chance at life, a chance to be part of a family. There is an animal shelter, called, Animal Allies, Inc., located in Fairfax County, Virginia. They are a non-profit organization that relies solely on donations and volunteers to operate. They are dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals. They could use your help to care for the animals. Please help by purchasing this great T-shirt for $17. All funds will go directly to Animal Allies of Fairfax, Virginia. Thank you. I have setup a fundraiser to help Animal Allies, Inc. My fundraiser is called, Animal Allies of Fairfax Fundraiser, and I am selling T-shirts that I designed. The T-shirts are in both men and women's sizes. On the top left front of the T-shirt is a dog and cat logo, with the words, "I rescued my best friend." On the center back is the same logo, with the words, "Visit your local animal shelter…and save a life, 'Adopt Don't Shop'. They are made of Gildan Ultra Cotton, and come is sizes: YXS - XXXXL This fundraiser ends on April 18, 2015. You have 2 weeks left to order yours! Your shirt will be delivered about 2 weeks after closing. The fundraiser also has a section on the form if you would like to make an additional donation. Ready to Order? click here:Adopt Don't Shop T-Shirt About Animal Allies: Animal Allies, a nonprofit, all-volunteer no kill organization dedicated to the rescue of homeless and abandoned animals. We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of VA. Founded in 1984, Animal Allies is devoted to curbing the irresponsible breeding of pets in an effort to end the overpopulation of homeless animals. Animal Allies volunteers work to rescue lost, abandoned, or stray animals and find loving homes for them if possible. All animals in our system are vetted to check for disease and spayed and neutered to stop the cycle of unwanted animals. Through a detailed process, we do our best to make sure each animal goes to a suitable home where they can enjoy love and shelter and the necessities for the rest of their lives, and provide their human companions with love in return. Our organization is funded solely through the generosity of the public and countless hours put in by our volunteers. Visit their website at:Animal Allies, Inc. Order your shirt today! After April 18, 2015, they will no longer be available! Please share with family, friends and co-workers who have adopted/rescued an animal. Thank you for adopting your pet and saving a life! Administrator, The Pet Tree House
