Washington Humane Society Offers $15 Cat Adoption Fees to Kick off Adopt a Shelter Cat Month - June 1 to June 7

Washington, DC – The Washington Humane Society (WHS) is lowering cat adoption fees in honor of Adopt a Shelter Cat Month! From Monday, June 1, through Sunday, June 7, cat adoption fees will be reduced to $15 (normally $85).

As we head into summer, the kittens who were born in spring have come of age and are ready to be adopted. Summer is also the time of year when lots of animals are surrendered. Over 300 cats in need of a home come to the Washington Humane Society every month.

All pets adopted from WHS go home spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped at no additional cost to adopters. WHS also offers a voucher for a free wellness checkup for new pets at any of our partner veterinary clinics. Adopters benefit from hundreds of dollars in savings.

WHAT: Cat World Adoption Special

WHEN: Monday, June 1, 2015 to Sunday, June 7, 2015

                12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Washington Humane Society Adoption Centers

                1201 New York Avenue, NE

                7319 Georgia Avenue, NW

                SPECIAL: $15 cat adoption fees

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Washington, DC - Washington Humane Society’s 28th Annual Bark Ball – June 20, 2015 – Tickets Available Now!

DC’s Premiere Black-Tie Gala that all the Dogs are Barking About Washington, DC – Shake out that tux and brush off your “tails”, the Washington Humane Society’s Bark Ball returns for the 28th year on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Guests are invited to celebrate in style at DC’s original black-tie gala for canines and their human companions.

This year we welcome back as Master of Ceremonies, Washington Redskins Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of Media, Larry Michael. Co-Chairs for the event are Terri Fariello, Beth Viola, and Michael Wascom.

The benefit kicks off with a reception, an extensive silent auction and Bark Bar at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner, a formal program, live auction, and dancing from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Leashed dogs are encouraged to attend (no retractable leashes please).

General tickets are $250 each and tables are $2,500. Once again, we are offering a limited number of Young Professionals tickets for those 35 and under at just $150. Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception and 3-course meal, along with a special Bark Bar for the pups.

Tickets and tables are available online at www.barkball.org. This event will sell out! Last year’s event brought together 500 dogs and upwards of 1,000 animal advocates, raising over $620,000 to benefit the critical programs and services of the Washington Humane Society. All proceeds from the event will support the more than 51,000 animals WHS provides comfort and care to annually.

To purchase tickets and for more information, including sponsorship information, visit us online at www.barkball.org, call 202-735-0324, or email events@washhumane.org.

A limited number of Bark Ball Press Passes are available. Please contact Rachel Thaler at rthaler@washhumane.org or 202-735-0323 for information.

  

Website: Washington Humane Society

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A Woman Was Killed by a Lion at a Tourist Attraction in South Africa

An American woman killed by a lion Monday at a tourist attraction in South Africa was taking pictures through an open car window when the beast leaped through and fatally bit her, park officials said.

The dead tourist ignored more than 40 signs and verbal warnings about keeping windows closed while visiting the Gauteng Lion Park in Johannesburg, a popular 17-acre attraction visitors drive through in their personal vehicles while the massive animals roam freely.

The unnamed woman, described as in her 30s, was a passenger Monday afternoon when the lioness attacked. The driver, a tour guide, was hospitalized for scratches suffered after he tried to punch the animal once it entered the vehicle.

“They had their windows all the way down, which is strictly against policy,” assistant operations manager Scott Simpson said. “The lion bit the lady through the window.”

The U.S. Embassy in South Africa confirmed an American had been killed, but had yet to identify her.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased in this sad incident,” the embassy tweeted.

The lioness will not be euthanized, though the area where the attack occurred will be closed off to the public during an investigation. The rest of the parking will be open and “operating as usual,” Simpson said Tuesday. The 9-year-old lioness will moved to a different property owned by the park that is not open to tourists.

“The park is not closed and it is not closing,” Simpson said. “We have closed off where the incident happened, so those lions won’t be seeing the public until we have had an investigation and we know what exactly happened.”

Celebrity sightings at the park over the years include singers Shakira and John Legend, who visited with his model wife, Chrissy Teigen.

The attack is the third in the park in just four months. An Australian tourist, who admitted to having his window down, was bitten on his legs after a lion jumped in and bit him. He posted graphic photos of the injuries on Facebook.

  

Just two days later, a 13-year-old boy riding a bicycle used the park as a shortcut and was attacked by a cheetah, eNCA reported.

A man walks past warning signs at the Lion Park near Johannesburg where a lion killed an American woman and injured a man driving through a private wildlife park, a park official said.

The attack occurred when a lioness approached the passenger side of the vehicle as the woman took photos through an open window, then lunged, said Scott Simpson, assistant operations manager at the Lion Park.

The signs explicitly read, and show, that windows must be closed at all times.

In March 2014, a woman posted on YouTube a clip showing a lion at a park in South Africa opening a car door with its mouth. The terrifying, minute-long video has since been viewed some 13.6 million times.

Colorado is One of 23 States Where Medical Marijuana is Legal: Can it Really Help Ailing Pets?

Denver, Colorado is one of 23 states where medical marijuana is legal. Some human patients swear by it, but is pot OK for your ailing pets?

CBS Denver station KCNC reports there are some cannabis-containing products now on the market specially designed for cats and dogs.

Chiara Subhas of Denver decided to try it when her 14-year-old rescue dog, Leo, started having seizures. The little Pomeranian was "just violently shaking, his mouth is open, his eyes are rolling back, he's drooling," she told KCNC reporter Kathy Walsh.

Subhas tried changing his diet. Then she went to pot. "We were suggested by our veterinarian in Boulder that we try a medical marijuana product for our dog," she said.

The product is called Canna Companion. Leo started on two capsules a day.

"Shortly after, his seizures definitely decreased," said Subhas.

On the company website, cannaforpets.com, Canna Companion is described as a hemp supplement for cats and dogs. The company calls it a unique blend of cannabis sativa strains with low levels of THC, the ingredient that gets people high.

There are more than a dozen testimonials posted on the site. One cat owner writes that cancer-stricken Harley's "happy purrsonality came back immediately!" And Subhas' own veterinarian writes that the capsules helped Titus, her 13-year-old Great Dane, be "comfy and mobile."

"It's not going to cure cancer. It's not going to stop seizures from happening. But it can help," said veterinarian Dr. Sarah Brandon.

Brandon is co-founder of the supplement company out of Washington state. She stops short of making medical claims. In February, the Food and Drug Administration warned Canna Companion and similar companies to remove unproven health benefits from their marketing.

Brandon told CBS Denver, "It's one more tool in our tool belt and we firmly believe that veterinarians and pet parents should have it available to them if they should choose to use it."

But the FDA warned "consumers should beware purchasing and using any such products."

"I personally am not a big fan of the FDA," said Subhas. "I would not worry so much. I don't worry about that at all."

But some veterinarians are more wary. Dr. Debbie Van Pelt says she isn't ready to recommend cannabis for cats or hemp for hounds.

"I just think that we don't have the evidence right now to document what is safe and what is effective," said Van Pelt.

Van Pelt believes there may be potential in medical pot for pets and she understands why owners try it: "Because people love their animals and they are looking for ways to give them better quality of life," she said.

Subhas sees the change in Leo, and thinks the $75 a month she's spending on medical marijuana for him is worth it. "He's more alert overall. He seems just more comfortable," she said.

Chiara Subhas of Denver says a medical marijuana product helped her 14-year-old Pomeranian, Leo, when he started having seizures.