Ernie the dog wasn't able to move his back legs when he first arrived at the Colorado Animal Rescue, but he miraculously regained mobility after he was adopted. The medical mystery has Ernie's veterinarians scratching their heads. When Ernie was evaluated upon his arrival to the rescue by veterinarians who were having trouble figuring out why he couldn't move his back legs. "It was kind of a big puzzle," Tracey Yajko of the Colorado Animal Rescue,told Life With Dogs. "We had X-rays done and it didn't look like any slipped discs." Perhaps the cure for Ernie's mysterious condition was the unconditional love from a human. Just a few days after Susi Cooley called the rescue and said she was interested in adopting Ernie after seeing his story on the rescue's Facebook page, the pup amazingly started walking on his back legs. "It was literally a miracle," Yajko told Life With Dogs. Cooley went on to finish the application process and was happy to hear of Ernie's improvement, although she was ready to give him a forever home even if he had to have a wheelchair. "It was amazing because we were prepared to always have a dog that was in a wheelchair," Cooley told Life With Dogs. "We were OK with that."
Canyon County, Idaho - Firefighters thought they were looking for people who were yelling “help” and “fire” from inside a burning house Friday night. But, according to news reports, what the firefighters were actually hearing were two parrots who the firefighters found and removed from the home. Once they got the flames contained, though, they discovered that the noises were actually coming from two parrots that were “talking”. Firefighters say the birds were actually saying “Help!” and “Fire!” Crews removed the birds from the home and gave them oxygen. They are expected to be all right.
San Bernardino, California - Hundreds of spectators watched the fight break out when workers allegedly tried to stop the activists from forcing their way inside after the Ramos Bros. Circus show began. Two protestors were arrested following the melee, while two circus employees were injured when the fight broke out at 8:08 p.m., according to a San Bernardino Police Department spokesman. Ringmaster, Oliver Ramos claimed his lip was split after he was hit on the face with his megaphone in trying to keep protestors outside. "All of a sudden when I turned around one of them jumped on top of my uncle - he's over 68-years-old - and they started beating on him and I reacted," Ramos said. "When I pulled them off they hit me with a megaphone in the face and all these ladies started scratching me on the face." However protester Nicholas Shaw-McMinn claimed they were protesting non-violently, and that protesters were the ones attacked by the circus workers. LA Kings' Jarret Stoll Arrested for Possession of Cocaine and Ecstasy "Employees locked us on the property and wouldn't let us leave. They assaulted... multiple protestors, some with weapons," Shaw-McMinn said. He also claimed one of the workers placed him in a choke hold during the clash. The activists, who said they are members of the Direct Action Everywhere group, provided video which showed them protesting outside the big top before the melee. The Ramos Bros. Circus website boasts that the show features "animals from all over the world," showing images of lamas, camels and horses. Ramos said he does not mind activists protesting on the street but wants them to stay off the property where the circus is performing. He also believes something has to be done to prevent further clashes occurring. "These people are just crazy fanatics… it has to stop. These people are getting out of hand," Ramos said. However it seems they will not be staying away, as more than 100 protesters are expected to show up for more demonstrations taking place Saturday. The "Protest Ramos Bros. Circus" Facebook page says: "Traveling animal acts perpetuate animal cruelty, inhumane care, public safety hazards and distorted images of wildlife. "As compassionate animal lovers we must stop animal entertainment and extend our love to all animals. Animals are not our (sic) to use, they are not our property; they are beings that desire the same freedoms as us." It also claims circus animals are trained using methods such as whipping, hitting, poking, and shocking with electrical prods.
Akron, Ohio - Police pulled over a man after they received multiple 911 calls from concerned drivers about caged puppies tied to the roof of a minivan. The Nova, Ohio man told Akron police that he was taking the 3-month-old puppies to his wife’s family in Pennsylvania after his father couldn’t take care of them any longer. A trip that would have had the young dogs on the van’s roof for over 300 miles. The man, who had his wife and four children with him, told police he didn’t understand that he was doing anything wrong by leaving the caged pups on the roof of the car. “We had more important things to put inside the vehicle. We have four children,” he said, "If I had known, I’d never agree to it. I would have kept them in Nova.” The Mennonite family wasn’t charged but was educated on the proper transportation of animals. “He had absolutely no idea what he was doing was wrong,” Sgt. Kris Beitze stated, “In this case, the cultural issues, he now knows that this is absolutely not the way to transport puppies." The mixed-breed puppies, who were shaken but okay, were handed over to the Humane Society of Greater Akron. "The puppies are traumatized," Beitze comments, "but I think they’ll come around with a little love and attention."
