As we enter the height of the tax season, it's natural to think about getting some relief related to the countless dollars we spend each year on our pups. Getting a tax break on pet care has been proposed before, without success, but recently there has been new energy around getting a law passed. This time the relief would be specific to rescue pups. Deductions related to fostering is already allowed, but does not include expenses related to adoption. Since January, four bills have been drafted in New York State that would offer a tax credit to residents who adopt a pet. City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras says that the tax credit would encourage more people to adopt, bringing relief to the state's shelters. She estimates that 3 million animals in New York shelters are euthanized each year due to overcrowding. Click on links below: S4576-2015, sponsored by Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Nassau County, would offer $100 per dog or cat, with a maximum of 3 adopted pets covered per household S2894A-2015, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, would offer $100 per dog, cat, or other animal, with a maximum of 3 pets A5182-2015, sponsored by Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny, D-Brooklyn, would offer a single $350 credit for a dog or cat S3670-2015, sponsored by Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, would offer $500 per household pet, with a maximum of 3 pets — which means a credit of up to $1,500 If one of these bills is approved and signed by the governor, it would make New York the first state in the nation to offer a tax credit like this. I certainly welcome anything that will get adoption numbers up, but I'm also sensitive to the fact that state budgets are already stretched thin. In 2012, a similar bill was defeated in Pennsylvania by a tiny margin--97-96, so it's clearly a divided issue. Are you for the adoption tax credit?
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Snakes are fascinating, and with regular handling can be quite tame. However, snakes are obviously not the right pets for everyone. They have unique requirements and should only be kept by those with the commitment to understand and meet their needs. If you are new to pet snakes, find out what you should consider before deciding on a pet snake, and what species are the best snakes for beginners. Choosing a Snake as a Pet - First Things First When choosing a snake, you are making a long term commitment - many can be expected to live longer than 20 years. You must be willing to feed prey animals to your snake (though frozen, pre-killed prey is the best choice), and you will probably have to devote some freezer space to frozen prey items (i.e. rodents). Snakes are very adept escape artists, so make sure you have an escape-proof tank, keeping in mind that snakes are persistent about finding and squeezing through any small gaps. Finally, as beautiful as they are, I strongly recommend against anyone keeping large constricting snakes or venomous snakes. About Choosing Your Snake Get a captive bred snake from a reputable breeder, if at all possible. Wild caught snakes tend to be more stressed and prone to parasites and disease, and more difficult to tame. For more about the advantages of captive bred reptiles, see Should I Get a Wild Caught or Captive Bred Reptile? You will also want to do a cursory exam of your snake to check for any signs of illness: see Choosing a Healthy Reptile for areas and signs to look at. It also doesn't hurt to ask for a feeding demonstration, to make sure your new snake is readily taking pre-killed prey and feeding well. Ball pythons are somewhat notorious for having feeding problems, so this is especially a good idea with ball pythons (though if you get a captive breed ball python it seems less likely that feeding problems will crop up). Recommended Beginner Snakes These are all reasonably sized, fairly easy to care for, and tend to be quite docile: Corn Snakes King and Milk Snakes Ball Pythons Snakes to Avoid Beginners should avoid large constricting snakes, venomous snakes, and snakes with more difficult care requirements, including such snakes as: Boa constrictors / red-tailed boas (not as large as some constricting snakes, but still a handful, especially for beginners) Burmese pythons Tree boas or pythons Water snakes Green snakes Snakes Not Recommended as Pets at All Snakes that are potentially very dangerous (to their owners or others around them) are best avoided as pets, including: Reticulated pythons Anacondas Any venomous snakes General Pet Snake Information for Beginners
Feeding Snakes: Pre-Killed vs Live Prey - feeding pre-killed prey is recommended, since a live rodent can inflict some serious wounds on a snake in self defence (bonus: it is more convenient to keep a supply of frozen prey in your freezer than raising or buying live animals for feeding).
How to Provide a Thermal Gradient - snakes need to be able to regulate their body temperature by moving between cooler and warmer areas. Providing a gradient and making sure the warm side of the tank is warm enough are essential to your snake's health and ability to digest its meals.
Signs a Snake is About to Shed- there are some fairly common signs in a snake about to shed that might seem a bit alarming to a new snake owner.
How to Find and Escaped Pet - just in case your new snake turns out to be an escape artist, this general information on finding lost pets might help you track down your pet (keep in mind, a snake will most likely head for a warm, enclosed space).
Constricting Snakes - some cautions about larger constricting snakes and handling guidelines, along with information specific to boas and pythons.
Whatever snake is chosen, new owners should be familiar with the proper care and feeding, the behavioral characteristics, and the commitment required to keep the snake.
It’s not much of a conundrum, really. The bottom line is that most of the time, dogs will lick their people as a sign of affection. “You are the sun and the moon,” their silky tongue would have you know. “And guess what? You taste good, too!” But much as barking can be, licking is also a multi-faceted tool that seems to play many roles in canine behavior and, consequently, tends towards many different interpretations. Here’s a list of the many ways in which we humans have come to understand this culturally alien mode of communication: Licking is a natural instinct in dogs. When a mother licks her pups and her pups lick each other during the course of grooming and other social interactions, we’re observing quintessential licking behavior in dogs. Indeed, this behavior is held up as one that may serve as the basis for all other licking decisions a dog makes. Licking can play a role in the solicitation of resources, as when pups lick their mothers as a precursor to feeding or when lower-ranking pack members lick their superiors in the hopes of an invitation to dine on communal prey. It’s just another sensory tool, say some researchers. Licking (and tasting) is like reaching out and touching something –– a sort of slobbery exploration. Canine attention-seeking behavior often incorporates the tongue. Dogs often lick you to get your attention or as a simple greeting. As in, “Hey, I’m here. I’m cute. Pet me.” Licking may be a way of playing. Many dogs who’s owners report as engaging in excessive licking behavior may be substituting their tongue for their teeth in the reserved dog’s version of a raucous play-fight. In many cases, licking is a learned behavior. Dogs learn that when they lick their owners they get more attention, so they come to incorporate licking into more and more of their daily behaviors. But what happens when extreme licking happens? Extreme licking tends to be defined not so much by the dog as it is by the human beholder of the behavior. As such, any unwanted display of lingual attention –– even just a couple of polite laps every so often –– could be construed as excessive. In these cases it’s considered more of a human problem than an animal problem. After all, dogs will lick. It’s in their nature. Nevertheless, dogs can be trained to turn the tap off, so to speak. Finding a veterinary behaviorist or certified dog trainer to aid in this process is strongly recommended. Of course there are those times when licking may take on abnormal tones. Dogs who suffer certain types of obsessive-compulsive behaviors may manifest these as excessive licking. Typically, however, dogs affected by these behavioral disorders will turn to objects, or more often, themselves, by way of displaying their outsized penchant for licking. All dog owners observing this behavior are encouraged to seek out the assistance of a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist for assistance. Many of these patients can be treated successfully so that their life might include more than what they might find at the end of their tongue.
A zoo in the Netherlands posted a YouTube video that showed how a chimpanzee -- annoyed at the drone zipping by her -- used a tree branch to knock it to the ground. Once the intelligent apes discovered the spying plane ... they immediately armed themselves with long sticks.. In the video, a female chimp sitting on a tree limb lunges forward as the drone files by. Her first swing, a powerful downward stroke, misses. But she nails the copter with a backstroke. The drone spins out of control and comes crashing down. Then an ape, maybe the same one, runs over and inspects the GoPro camera underneath the drone. The zoo said the drone was destroyed.
Sharing from, Dr. Karen Becker, DVM Dr. Becker's Comments: Today I want to give you my skunk rinse recipe, and here's hoping you never have to use it! If, heaven forbid, your dog or cat is ever sprayed by a skunk, you should have this recipe on hand. The sooner you apply the solution to your pet's fur, the sooner he'll get relief and smell better. Skunk Rinse Recipe Tomato juice isn't nearly as effective as this recipe, and it's easy to follow. In a pail mix: 1 quart hydrogen peroxide (the 3 percent hydrogen peroxide variety) ¼ cup baking soda 2 teaspoons dishwashing liquid If you have a large breed dog, you may need to double, triple or even quadruple the mixture. Wear dishwashing or other household gloves if you like during the whole de-skunking process. Don't wet down your pet. Apply the mixture to your pet's dry coat from the collar back toward the tail. Don't pour it near the eyes because the hydrogen peroxide solution can burn them. Lather the mixture into your pet's coat and skin. Rub the solution around for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate. If the front of your pet is as stinky as the back, use a sponge to apply the solution to your pet's chin, cheeks, forehead and ears, being very careful not to go near the eyes. When you rinse the head area, tilt your pet's chin upward so the solution does not run down into the eyes, instead allow the water to run back off his neck. Do a complete rinse once the smell starts to decrease, then repeat the entire process again. You may need to repeat the lather and rinse process up to three times, but it's a very effective method for removing the skunk smell from your pet. Make sure to completely rinse the solution off your pet. Your final rinse should be very thorough. You can't prepare this solution ahead of time and store it – it won't be effective when you need it. It must be made fresh, right before you apply it to your pet. So it pays to make sure you have all the ingredients ahead of time! Good luck … and I hope you never have to use my skunk rinse recipe! In this short video, Dr. Karen Becker shares the very effective method she uses to get rid of skunk smell on pets.
As tragic as it may be to watch Bubbles roam around the tank with nothing but a plastic treasure chest for entertainment, the truth is he wasn't meant to be in a bigger pond. According to researchers at Australia's Murdoch University, giving in to your temptation to set him free in a local lake won't just leave you without a pet — it'll kick start some serious ecological sabotage. As revealed in a study published by their Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, "introduced freshwater fishes are one of the major global threats to aquatic biodiversity." And this isn't just some fish story. When dumped into a larger environment, those innocent little koi or goldfish grow at an exponential rate, introduce parasites that harm other species, and have the potential to decimate an ecosystem. "They are eating up the food resources and using up the habitat that our native fish would otherwise be using,"research fellow Jeff Cosgrove told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Even worse? They can be "extremely difficult to eradicate," says Cosgrove. In other words, they're not going belly-up anytime soon.
