Remember the Video of Hulk the Worlds Largest Pit Bull? Dynasty K9’s, is Now Charging $20,000 for His Stud Services

If You missed it, you can view it here:

This Pit Bull is 17-Months-Old, and Already Weighs Over 173 Pounds: Appropriately, His Named is Hulk

The public debut of Hulk, the worlds largest Pit Bull, caused a great deal of controversy last month. The 174 pound dog sparked debate over backyard breeding, the safety of Pit Bulls as a breed, and the ethics of breeding dogs (in any capacity) for size and aggression. Well, Hulk is making more waves, this time over the price tag of studding him out. Dark Dynasty K9’s, who are responsible for Hulk, are charging $20,000 for impregnation services. Yes, for about half of the average household income, you can contribute to this heinous practice. What a sweet deal.

The Animal Rescue Site has written about the dangers of breeding, especially when done in puppy mills or for specific traits, like Hulk. What makes his story so tragic is not just the considerable damage he may have, or may pass down, from linear breeding, but the way Dark Dynasty is advertising him.

Their website also features a video section, every single one highlighting how dangerous and deadly these dogs are. There is much to be said about the kind of clientele they are cultivating, and the fuel they are giving anti-Pit Bull advocates, but they are also contributing to the “designer dog” field. Well over a million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, nearly 800,000 being Pit Bulls.

Overpopulation is a major concern among Pit breeds (some states consider American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any breed with similar “characteristics” to be Pit Bulls), and the fact that there is a market for $20,000 semen is only adding to the list of dogs that don’t “make the cut.”

Another concern about this now-famous pup is how his breeders encourage dog fighting, unintentionally or not. Dark Dynasty uses shock collars, choke chains, heavy restraints, and antagonizes them with violence in order to make them “the best security dogs” that they can. These practices are disturbingly close to how dog fighting rings are ran, and these animals are the exact target of underground rings.

Animal lovers are well aware of these issues. However, Hulk’s viral debut was met with a great deal of awe, and his newly priced services are keeping him in the public eye, a public that doesn’t know about how terrible the world surrounding him really is. To them he’s huge, adorable (or scary), and apparently worth $20,000.

There must be a reason right? The takeaway is that Hulk is worth it, encouraging people to look at purebred animals and bypassing shelters. This glorification is why shelters are overcrowded, why states are banning Pit Bulls, and why the breed is among the most contentious and misunderstood.

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Are You Leaving Dog Poop in The Yard?: The Dangers of Not Cleaning Up After Your Dog

Is dog poop dangerous?
Cleaning up after your dog can be a stinky job, but somebody's got to do it!
Constant clean up is necessary for a healthy environment for you and your family.

Love, food, and shelter were all things you actively agreed to
providing for your new pet when you purchased or adopted them.
Sanitation and cleanup are also important facets of pet ownership
that are critical to the health and well-being of your entire
family.

Dog feces is as high as 3rd on the list of contributors to
contaminated water. Cleaning up after your dog is one guarantee in
the life of every pet owner. Left un-checked, your yard can quickly
turn into a mine field of feces in a week or less. On average, dogs
do a number two twice per day which adds up to about 14 piles of
poo in just one week, per dog. Contrary to popular belief, dog
feces is not fertilizer and does not provide any benefit to the
soil.

So, what's in it?
Dog feces may contain parvovirus, whipworms, hookworms, roundworms,
threadworms, campylobacteriosis, giardia, and coccidia. If left
unattended, these parasites will contaminate the water, soil, and
can even cause infection in both pets and humans (especially
children). The microscopic Hookworm larvae can be passed to another
pet or person directly through the skin or by accidental ingestion
as can other bacteria.

What bacterias can cause infections in both pets and humans?
Yes, humans are capable of contracting hookworms, tapeworms,
threadworms and campylobacteriosis. This is the most significant
reason to avoid allowing dogs (especially puppies) to like your
face and mouth - affectionately known as "puppy kisses". If a dog
has recently eaten feces or attempted to groom their hind quarters
and come into contact with this infectious material, there is a
chance the parasites will be passed directly into your mouth.
Children are especially venerable to infection because they tend to
enjoy playing in the dirt, where parasites such as hookworm larvae
lay dormant waiting for a new host. Young children may also put
dirty hands or toys in their mouth, further increasing the chance
for infectious material consumption.

What can you do to prevent the spread of infections/bacteria?
Pet feces can be catastrophic to the local water table,
contaminating nearby ponds, lakes, rivers and drinking water. When
feces is allowed to remain on the soil for long periods, rainstorms
will begin to dilute and break apart the feces and slowly spread
the bacteria on other contaminants into local water sources. If
your yard happens to hold water for extended periods of time, the
problem may be amplified.

To avoid potential infection, dog feces should be removed from the
yard every 1 - 7 days, depending on the size of the dog and number
of dogs in the household. Larger dogs will need more frequent
cleanup, as will households with more than 1 dog. A family with one
Pomeranian will have a much lower environmental impact than the
family with 2 Great Danes.

If you are too busy to clean up after your dog, or the thought of
it just makes you gag, there are many services available today,
that will gladly do the dirty work for you.

A sanitation expert will locate and remove any feces found on
premises 1 or more times per week for a fee. Some
areas do have legal statutes that regulate the cleanup and disposal
of pet waste, so be sure to contact your local health board for
more information.

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A Man Rescued and Raised a Lion Cub in a Wildlife Park: Each Time They Meet the Lion Holds Him in an Affectionate Embrace

Valentin Gruener, rescued a young lion cub In 2012.  He raised him at a wildlife park in Botswana. Little did he know that this would be the start of an extraordinary relationship. Now an astonishing scene is repeated each time they meet - the young lion leaps on Gruener, and holds him in an affectionate embrace.

The lion cub, Sirga, was rescued from a holding pen established by a farmer, who was tired of shooting animals that preyed on his cattle.

"The lions had already killed two of the three cubs inside the cage. And the mother abandoned the remaining cub. She was very tiny, maybe about 10 days old," said Gruener.

The farmer, Willy de Graaf, asked Gruener to try to save her.  He agreed and took her to a wildlife park, financed by de Graaf and became her adoptive mother, "feeding her and taking care of her".

"You have this tiny cute animal sitting there and it's already quite feisty," he says. "It will become about 10 times that size and you will have to deal with it."

She's much bigger now, and when Gruener opens her cage, she still rushes to greet him,- ecstatically throwing her paws around his neck.

"This happens every time I open the door. It is an amazing, and happens every time we meet.  It's such a passionate thing for this animal to jump and give me a hug," says Gruener.

"But I guess it makes sense. At the moment she has no other lions with her in the cage and I guess for her I'm like her species. So I'm the only friend she's got. Lions are social cats so she's always happy to see me."

They spend their time hanging out in the Botswana bush, doing the kind of things that cats enjoy, such as lying around under trees, play-fighting, and hunting.

"I don't believe we have to teach the lion to hunt. They have this instinct like a domestic cat or even a dog that will try to hunt. Any cat will catch a bird or a mouse. The lion will catch an antelope when it gets big enough," said Gruener.

"I'm definitely giving her that opportunity to hunt, about three times a week at the moment. Each walk takes five hours - sometimes up to nine. We sort of hunt together and I'm helping to show her how to kill something rather than catch it."

After Sirga's first kill, Gruener wasn't sure if it would still be safe for him to get close to the lion. But "she let me come in", he says.

"It's a bit cruel because she will catch an antelope and hold it down, and when it gets tired she could simply go and bite it in the throat and kill it. But because it's so exciting she's like a cat that keeps on playing with the mouse.

"It's not so lovely to watch when a lion has an antelope in front of her and she's having fun playing with this antelope."

Willy de Graaf has given Gruener two miles or land to create a "miniature park" where Sirga can roam freely, but she will not be released into the wild. Not because she could not survive, Gruener says, but because she has lost her fear of humans.

Under those circumstances she is likely to get too close to humans, and if there is an accident she will end up getting shot. "And that's not really the whole point of raising a lion," said Gruener.

In the park Sirga can live like a wild lion, but remain safe, he says. "That's the plan for her future."

And what of his own future? Gruener has put aside work on a PhD while he has been raising Sirga, and has hardly ever left her alone.

"If she gets into a bigger enclosure with gets more space, then maybe I can get another lion to give her companionship. Then I would be able to leave her for longer periods of time, and I can finish my studies.

"But as long as she needs me, and as long as I feel I want to be there, she I will be my priority.

"I doubt anything will change much between me and her."

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The Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in Burlingame, CA - Giving Free DNA Tests Under the Slogan "Who's Your Daddy?"

Burlingame, CA - A quarter of the dogs taken in by one California animal shelter look like Chihuahuas. So how do you make a pet stand out when it's similar to so many other dogs at the shelter? Check the DNA.

The Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in Burlingame, a 30-minute drive south of San Francisco, began free DNA tests under the slogan "Who's Your Daddy?" Scott Delucchi, the shelter's senior vice president, came up with the idea to speed up adoptions of Chihuahua-centric dogs.

Because pets become part of the family, the $50 tests allow owners to find out the background of their pooches and certain traits they could exhibit. The tests also allow the shelter to get creative by coming up with clever breed names that can boost adoption odds.

For example, the Chihuahua-Australian shepherd-Jack Russell terrier-collie became a "Kiwi collier"; a Yorkshire terrier and beagle mix became a "Yorkle"; and a golden retriever-miniature pinscher-Chihuahua was proclaimed a "golden Chinscher."

In February, the shelter tested 12 lookalike dogs. One of the results was inconclusive, but 11 showed mutt combinations that the facility had never seen before. The tested dogs were all placed within two weeks — twice as fast as any 11 untested small, brown dogs in the previous months.

Twelve more dogs were tested, and once the last few in that group are placed, 24 more dogs will find out their breed backgrounds, Delucchi said.

In the two batches of tests, only 10 of 23 dogs had no Chihuahua in them. Chihuahuas took over from the glut of pit bull mixes that dominated the shelter until five or six years ago, Delucchi said.

There are a lot of reasons Chihuahuas became so popular, he said, citing Hollywood stars toting them in purses and the "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" movies.

Seeing one of the tiny dogs at the shelter changed Lynn Mazzola's mind about what kind of pet she wanted.

Mazzola of San Carlos, California, wanted a big dog, but 2-year-old, 6-pound Lily stole her heart. DNA results showed her that her new dog was part miniature pinscher, part Yorkie terrier and part Chihuahua, which the shelter dubbed a "Chorkie."

Knowing Lily's DNA gives you clues to her behavior, Mazzola said. For example, "it explains why she goes after birds and mice and she's not nervous like a Chihuahua," she said.

Mazzola's husband was about to undergo surgery and she wanted the dog to keep him company while he recovered.

After his operation, "he walked in the door, she ran up to him and hasn't been out of his lap since," Mazzola said of the dog that had been at the shelter for seven months.

The adoption promotion helped Lily, but it's going to take more than a gimmick to reduce the "alarming" number of Chihuahua mixes coming in, Delucchi said.

"Another part is making spay-neuter low-cost or free to the community," he said. "If you have a lot of one breed, you target that breed and those owners and make it easy for them to do the right thing and get them fixed."

He said facilities also work with states that need small dogs, such as Florida and New York, by flying in as many as they can handle.

Despite the promotion's tagline, the question that never gets answered is "Who's Your Daddy?" The DNA tests describe two parents, but they don't reveal which one is dad.

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Washington, DC - Meet Tali, A Gorgeous Siamese Mix, Who is Looking For Her Forever Home With Someone 50 Years or Older - Adoption Fee Waived at the Washington Animal Rescue League

From: Washington Animal Rescue League

Meet Tali, a gorgeous long-hair Siamese mix. She found herself at WARL because she is—wait for it, wait for it—too affectionate! Apparently, that was a big turn-off for her human companion. So now Tali is looking for someone who longs for a quintessential lap cat...a cat that wants to be with you, interact with you, and have a strong relationship with you. At 8 years old, Tali qualifies as a “Boomers’ Buddy,” which means her adoption fee will be waived for adopters 50 years or older. ‪

Tali
Animal ID: 23578090
Species: Cat
Breed: Siamese/Mix
Age: 8 years 6 months 21 days
Sex: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Cream/White
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed: Yes
Housetrained: Unknown
Site: Washington Animal Rescue League
Location: Main Cat Room
Intake Date: 3/14/2015

To learn more about Tali, click HERE


If you are interested in adopting Tali, please read: How to Adopt 

Website: http://www.warl.org/



To learn more about the About the Washington Animal Rescue League, HERE.

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Man Drowns While Trying to Save His Dog From Falling Through a Frozen Pond

Old Forge, NY  - The Ontario County Sheriff's Office says Garvin Anthony Brown and his fiancee were renting a home in the Finger Lakes town of Naples, 40 miles southeast of Rochester.

Deputies say Brown was walking his dog around 1:00 a.m. Sunday when the dog went onto the ice of a pond and fell into the water.

Police say Brown ventured out onto the frozen pond to save his pet, but the thin ice cracked and the 34-year-old fell through.

Investigators say Brown was unable to get out of the frigid water and drowned. His dog survived the harrowing ordeal.

The couple were staying at Jim's Adirondack House during their weekend getaway when tragedy struck.

When the dog fell through the ice, Brown ran inside the cabin to alert his fiancée and then returned to the pond to try and rescue the animal.

The woman immediately called 911 to get help, and first responders arrived on the scene along Route 21 in Naples a short time later, but by that time Brown had already drowned.
Responding officers were able to locate the man's body at the bottom of the pond and recover it within an hour.

Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deceased pet owner's body was taken to a nearby hospital for an autopsy to confirm his cause of death.

Brown, a Brooklyn DJ who went by the stage name Tony Trixx, leaves behind a large extended family.

'To all who knew him. My nephew, Anthony Garvin Brown gone to soon. Died being a hero,' his uncle Alfie Blackman wrote on his Facebook page.

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Opossum, the American Marsupial That Dines on Ticks: Where Lyme Disease Goes to Die

They come out at night, they have scary teeth, they have a weird name with an extra vowel most people don't pronounce…and they are where Lyme disease goes to die.

Say hello to the opossum, the American marsupial with a pointy nose and prehensile tail that dines on ticks like a vacuum dines on dust.

Most people drop the first vowel when speaking of 'possums, but possums actually belong to a different species native to Australia.

Tiny adolescent ticks that carry Lyme disease bacteria are most active during the late spring months, typically May and even as early as April during warmer years.

But whereas these ticks can be found in large numbers on mice, shrews and chipmunks, they are eaten in large numbers by opossum.

Research led by scientists based at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook placed different species into cages, covered them with ticks and waited for the biting arachnids to jump off.

The scientists then counted how many survived.

Opossums can eat or remove as much as 96 percent of the ticks that land on them.

Research also suggests the immune system of opossums is fairly effective at fighting off the disease.

So even the ticks that do survive a visit to an opossum are less likely to acquire the disease.

Cary scientists are continuing to examine the correlation between the frequency of different types of mammals, and the infection rates of ticks found in the same area.

The initial thought? Where foxes thrive, Lyme doesn't.

That's because foxes are good hunters of the small mammals that serve as the most effective reservoirs of the Lyme pathogen.

Ongoing research is also looking at the role opossums play.

All of this points to why Lyme is a particularly inscrutable disease.

There are so many complex interactions that govern its prevalence — from human land-use development, to shifting climate patterns, to the abundance (or lack) of certain mammals.

And that doesn't even address how the disease behaves once it is in the body. The Lyme bacterium is apparently one of the only things on earth that doesn't need iron to survive.

Opossums are your friend in the fight against Lyme.

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The Carroll County Sheriff's Office Needs Your Help in Naming Their Adorable New K9, A Four-Month-Old Female Bloodhound Puppy - Contest Ends March 29

Westminster, MD - An adorable new K9 puppy at the Carroll County Sheriff's Office needs your help: She doesn't have a name yet!

The four-month-old bloodhound puppy is set to be much more than merely adorable, of course. She's slated to undergo 10 weeks of training with the Maryland State Police, after which she'll also be highly skilled.

The puppy will learn how to search for missing people, criminals who have tried to evade police, and escaped inmates. She'll also be able to help investigators develop leads in criminal cases.

But she still doesn't have a name, and that's where you come in. The Sheriff's Office is asking people to send their suggestions to ccsopuppycontest@gmail.com. In your message, include a history of the name or the reason why you're suggesting it.

The Sheriff's Office is accepting ideas through email only, so hold off on any social media submissions.

You have through March 29 to submit name suggestions. A decision on the name will be made no later than April 2nd, and will be announced via social media.

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Louis, a Ginger Tom Cat, Accused of Pouncing on to Unsuspecting Pet Dogs Heads in Wells, Somerset

Louis, a 17-year-old Ginger Tom Cat, accused of pouncing on to unsuspecting pet dogs heads in Wells, Somerset.

Whether he’s running through the magnificent nave, warming himself next to a cosy radiator, or curling up in his favorite basket in the gift shop, Louis the cat has become a beloved feature of Wells Cathedral.

But Louis has gotten himself into trouble after a Ginger Tom answering his description was accused of a series of rather nasty attacks on dogs in the peaceful Somerset city.

The owner of one alleged victims was, Mandie Stone-Outten, who said her Springer Spaniel, Millie was targeted in Market Place close to the Cathedral. “This dangerous, semi-feral cat pounced like a wild lion in the jungle on to my dog Millie’s head,” she said.

“It happened so quickly. I pulled the leash backwards and Millie went flying down the curb, into the gutter, and ended up in a heap of muddy rainwater.

Beware, this ball of fluff is not as cute and cuddly as he looks. I’ve got a battered elbow, battered knee and a sore wrist,” she said.

Louis began living at the great 12th Century Church about ten years ago to keep the mice away.

He has become so popular he has even starred in a children’s book, called 'Louis the Cathedral Cat', and is featured in a range of merchandise including clocks, coasters and wine-stoppers available in the gift shop.

Debbie Sheppard, who works at the Present Company in Market Place, saw the aftermath of the Millie incident – and spotted Louis running off.”

“Louis likes to sleep in here, and he was in here on the day in question. It was nearing the end of the day, so I put Louis outside. The next thing I heard was this hissing, and when I looked outside Louis was walking up the street looking very sad.” She said.

Sheppard, insisted Louis was a very nice, gentle animal. “He’s a very sweet cat and I certainly don’t think he’s suddenly turned nasty." The last time she saw Louis he was being petted by children on their way to school, and was definitely not lashing out.

"There have been at least two other attacks involving a Ginger Tom around the Cathedral, but there is a chance that it could all be a case of mistaken identify.

I’ve heard there was another Ginger Cat around here at the same time, and it’s possible that it’s him attacking the dogs. We don’t know for sure whether or not Louis was involved. He had definitely been in the shop just before the incident happened outside, but it could have been a different cat.” She added.

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Feline Panleukopenia, Often Referred to as Feline Distemper, is an Extremely Contagious and Often Fatal Disease of Cats

Feline Panleukopenia often referred to as feline distemper, is an extremely contagious and often fatal disease of cats. It can also infect non-domestic felidae and other animals such as raccoons and certain members of the weasel family such as mink. It does not affect dogs.

What are the causes of panleukopenia?
Feline panleukopenia is caused by a virus closely related to canine parvovirus infection (some strains of canine parvovirus can infect cats) and like parvovirus of dogs the virus can persist in the environment for a year or more. Once a commonly seen disease, parvovirus is now relatively uncommon in large part because most domestic cats are vaccinated and the vaccine is very effective. Nonetheless, the disease persists among unvaccinated cats. As is the case with parvovirus in dogs, the feline form of the disease is transmitted in bodily fluids and can persist in the environment. Transmission (on shoes and clothing) and environmental contamination can be greatly reduced with simple hygiene1.

What are the signs of feline panleukopenia?
The disease occurs primarily in young cats and kittens and causes severe depression and lethargy as well as high fever and severe vomiting and diarrhea. Affected cats have a very low white blood cell count (hence the name panleukopenia). Many cats undergo a subclinical infection and do not show signs at all. Not all exposed cats become clinically ill but exposed cats as well as cats that survive the full-blown disease have long-term immunity after their infection.

How can cats become infected by feline panleukopenia?
The route of infection is primarily oral and nasal. The virus quickly enters the blood stream and spreads to all parts of the body. The clinical disease is frequently fatal with a mortality rate as high as 75 percent. Complete recovery can take several weeks2.

How is feline panleukopenia diagnosed?
A presumptive diagnosis can be made based on clinical history and clinical signs as well as a very low white blood count. More sophisticated tests may be employed in large outbreaks but are not generally needed.

What are the treatments for feline panleukopenia?
Because this is a viral disease, treatment is largely based on the symptoms until the patient begins to recover. The most severe symptoms occur in the first 5-7 days.

What is the prognosis with feline panleukopenia?
Unfortunately, as many as 75 percent of patients may not survive feline panleukopenia and the virus can increase the potential of secondary infections including chronic respiratory viruses.

How can feline panleukopenia be prevented?
There is a very effective and very safe vaccine available that has significantly reduced the incidence of panleukopenia. All cats should be vaccinated in accordance with the recommendations of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and your veterinarian.

As with many diseases the answer lies in early and complete prevention by means of effective vaccination procedures. Be sure to discuss this and other vaccine recommendations as part of your cats overall wellness program.

Source: Pet Health Network FOLLOW US!

Heartwarming Story: The Rescue of Two Stray Dogs as They Get Separated During the Rescue, and Are Adopted Together

Sharing from: Hope For Paws and PAL Rescue

Hope For Paws and PAL Rescue teamed up to save three dogs who have been living on the streets for a long time. When Lisa Chiarelli and I arrived on the rescue location, we found Anna & Aurora, and we also found their friend... dead on the road.

We were able to save them in this challenging rescue, and a couple of days ago, our friend Diana Lundin Pet Photography volunteered to take some beautiful pictures of them in their new amazing home.

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