These are the amazing scenes when a woman opens up her front door to discover a baby owl standing on her porch. The young bird is not afraid of the woman and looks up towards her. The owl gently rocks from side to side during the minute-long video in an undetermined location in the United States. In the video clip, the two women are clearly captivated by the sight of the owl. One gushes: 'I just can't believe it. I thought it was a puppy dog, bug it's got claws.' She adds: 'I have never been this close to an owl before', to which her equally excited friend replies: 'Me neither'.
The sale of baby red-eared sliders in small plastic aquariums in Los Angeles' Chinatown and Fashion District continues unabated even though the sale of turtles with carapace lengths of four inches or less has been illegal for decades. According to Los Angeles Downtown News, the baby turtles can be found in many stores in the city's business districts with price tags ranging from $5 to $9 depending on the size of the housing in which the turtles are placed. California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman, Andrew Hughan told the paper that it is illegal for the stores to be selling the turtles and that the DFW conducts inspections sporadically in Chinatown and other business districts in the city and if they find stores that are not licensed to sell animals, or are selling turtles with carapace lengths of less than found inches, those animals will be confiscated. Store owners could also be fined up to $1,000 for illegally selling animals. The DFW, however, like most state departments in California, has had its budgets cut and doesn't have the resources to continuously police the business districts looking turtle vendors who violate the law. Before the FDA amended the 1975-era turtle ban law (enacted to reduce the spread of Salmonella) last month, turtles found for sale with carapace lengths of less than four inches were euthanized. The FDA said that alternatives to destruction should be pursued, including raising the animals until the carapace lengths exceed four inches, and donating the animals for scientific and educational purposes. The reality, Hughan said, is that other than a handful of surprise inspections a year, Fish and Wildlife lacks the resources to stay on top of the turtle vendors. However, should a violation be determined, Hughan said a fine of up to $1,000 can be imposed on the seller. Red-eared sliders are one of the most popular pet turtles in the reptile hobby. They grow to about 8-10 inches in length and are native to the Mississippi River drainages and can be found in most areas of the United States, including the state of Hawaii. They are also found in many countries in Asia and Europe. For more information on Red-Eared Slider Turtles, visit the websites below: Red-Eared Slider Care Sheet Turtles in Chinatown
From: Maryland SPCA Waking up looking at these beautiful eyes is just one benefit of becoming a Maryland SPCA foster parent. Kitten season is quickly approaching and the SPCA needs fosters for young kittens including bottle babies! Last kitten season, 382 kittens went to foster and this year, we want to help even more young kittens, but we need volunteers. The SPCA will provide all supplies, medical care and 24/7 support. All new fosters will receive one-on-one training and material to take home and share with the family. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent please contact Kaitlyn Thomas our Foster Coordinator at kthomas@mdspca.org.
A puppy missing a paw was found on the streets of Chicago. Now, that puppy has a new home and a prosthetic paw on the way. The new paw was donated all because of the puppy's name and a story on FOX 32's website. The Chicago puppy is named ‘Betty Boop.' In January, FOX 32 posted photos of Betty from the no kill shelter, PAWS Chicago. She was found on the city streets during the bitter cold winter and her back paw was missing. Fleischer Studios, the creators of the cartoon Betty Boop, saw the story on FOX 32's website and contacted PAWS. The company wanted to donate the money needed for the puppy's prosthesis. "We're so grateful that we named her Betty Boop," said PAWS communications manager Sarah Ahlberg. PAWS volunteer Arianna Rudawski and her boyfriend officially adopted Betty Boop. "We're really excited to have the prosthetic fit for her because we know she is going to be much more mobile with it," Rudawski said. When Betty is fully grown, Dr. Barbara Royal will fit her with the prosthesis. She explained to FOX 32 what it could look like. "You can have something that is like a fabricy bottom that gives some good grip and then something that has a good fabric over the top, so this is more like a rubberized bottom that can manage going and going and going," said Dr. Royal. Currently, Betty is progressing very well with her make shift prosthesis. She's on track to shine once the real deal arrives. Fleischer Studios donated all the money needed for the prosthetic paw, which was $2,000 dollars.
