A Detroit Animal Shelter Will Soon be Offering a Fairly Unusual Pet for Adoption: A Rare Hermaphrodite Dog

Detroit, Michigan, - A dog shelter will soon be offering a fairly unusual pet for adoption: a hermaphrodite dog, which the shelter’s director hopes might provide therapy for transgender residents.

“In my experience I’ve never seen it before,” said Kristina Rinaldi, the executive director of the shelter, Detroit Dog Rescue.

The dog is a silvery-gray pit bull mix named Cody, who arrived at the Detroit-based rescue shelter Tuesday. The dog was listed as a male, but upon inspection Cody turned out to have both sex organs.

Cody also arrived from the city’s animal control facility with a serious case of pneumonia, and was soon moved to an animal hospital for treatment.

The name “Cody” was already assigned to the dog upon arrival. Rinaldi has asked Detroit Animal Control to ask about the dog’s history but hasn’t heard back yet.

Cody is not yet available for adoption, and will have to pass a behavioral test to see whether more training is needed before finding an owner.

And while the dog has both sex organs for now, the adoption process usually involves spaying or neutering a pet beforehand. In Cody’s case both may happen, but Rinaldi said that staff is checking with specialists at Michigan State University to seek further advice.

According to WWJ-TV in Detroit, Rinaldi didn't know of any statistics involving the incidences of hermaphrodite dogs.

The TV station said another case of a hermaphrodite dog was reported in 2013. A Florida woman paid $1,000 for a cockapoo. After buying the dog, she learned that it had both male and female genitalia.

Prior to spaying or neutering, Rinaldi said she would be willing to use Cody at events or in speeches for transgender residents in the hope that the dog could provide any kind of support.

“Cody is still going to live  ... life out like a completely normal dog,” Rinaldi said. “Cody’s going to be a great pet for somebody.”

Secret Service: Man Who Claimed He Was Jesus Arrested…Had Plans on Kidnapping the Obama’s Family Dog, Bo

A North Dakota man was arrested in D.C. this week after a report that he planned to kidnap one of the Obama family's pets, authorities said.

Scott Stockert was arrested Wednesday night at a Hampton Inn near the Washington Convention Center after Secret Service agents found unregistered firearms in his truck, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to authorities.

He allegedly told agents, "You picked the wrong person to mess with. I will (expletive) your world up."

Agents went to the hotel after getting a "be on the lookout" alert from the Secret Service's Minnesota field office about the alleged kidnapping plan.

It's not clear from a court document why Stockert allegedly planned to take one of the dogs, or whether either of the family's dogs were specifically mentioned. The Obama family has two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny.

While being questioned by Secret Service agents, Stockert allegedly said he'd planned to go to the Capitol to advocate for $99-per-month healthcare and to announce he was running for president.

He also told the agents his parents were John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, the court document said.

Agents found an unloaded 12-gauge pump shotgun and a bolt-action rifle in Stockert's truck, which was parked in a lot around the corner at 5th and K streets NW, according to the document.

They also discovered 289 rounds of .22-caliber long-rifle bullets, 71 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and two rounds of .223 rifle ammunition, plus a machete with a 12-inch blade and an 18-inch bully club, the court document said.

Stockert was then arrested.

As he was being transported, he told authorities that he was Jesus Christ, according to a court document. He claimed they could verify his identity on his driver's license, the document said. A North Dakota driver's license identified him as Scott Stockert.

Stockert was set to appear Friday morning in D.C. Superior Court to be formally charged.

Did You Know That Your Dog’s Nose Can Smell Things That Cannot Be Seen?

Did you know that dogs breathe in and out through a different part of their nose? This allows them to experience and process more smells than we could ever even imagine. In fact, their sense of smell can pick up things that can’t even be seen at all. How awesome is that?

Snowy Owl Caught on Traffic Camera

A Montreal traffic camera captured stunning images of a snowy owl in flight over a highway earlier this week.

A series of images were taken on Jan. 3 by a traffic camera over Montreal’s Highway 40, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

The owl appears in the corner of the frame, flies toward the camera and past it.

American Airlines Introducing the First-Of-Its-Kind "Pet Cabin"

It looks like some dogs will be traveling with a little bit more style thanks to American Airlines introducing the first-of-its-kind "pet cabin".

The airline has just announced the offering of their "pet cabins", which has been nicknamed "Cuddle Class" and will allow pet owners to keep their pets in a larger, private space versus being kept in a carry-on under the seat.

The pet cabins have vented doors and will be able to fit a pet carrier to a maximum of 19 by 13 by nine inches if hard-sided, or a little larger if soft-sided. It will be available on select flights between New York and Los Angeles and JFK and San Francisco. The pets will be seated adjacent to their owner's seat and can sit with their owners during the flight or in the cabin.

AA's outside PR firm said, "Each of the two bulkhead First Class suites on the American Airlines A321T at the front of the cabin has an attached pet compartment with vented door where a passenger traveling with his/her pet can place the pet, in its carrying case, for taxi, take-off, and landing. During other phases of the flight, the pet, in its carrying case, can be kept on the floor space of the passenger’s First Class suite. The two berths at the front bulkhead each have a space with a vented door to hold a kennel or carrying case for takeoff and landing."

The same rules the airline has for carry-on pets will apply, along with their usual carry-on pet fee. There's no word on whether the dogs will be treated to free beverages and biscuits.

Washington, DC - Smithsonian National Zoo Has Announced That the Red Pandas Are Back on Exhibit in the Nation’s Capital

Smithsonian National Zoo has announced that red pandas are once again on exhibit in the nation’s capital, after a two-year absence.

For now, male Tusa and female Asa, both 1 year old, will be on display at the zoo’s small mammal house. The ginger cuties will move at a later date into swanky new digs -- boasting indoor heat, air conditioning, new perches, and plenty of quiet -- now under construction for them on the larger "Asia Trail" red panda exhibit.

The zoo’s previous pair of red pandas, Shama and Rusty, were transferred to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) two years ago this month, so they could breed. The couple did produce three cubs in June 2014, but, sadly, Shama died soon after they were born.

Rusty, however, is “thriving” at the SCBI, according to zoo staff. The clever male made a name for himself in June 2013 when he staged a very public, and Internet-viral, escape to the streets of D.C.

While Tusa and Asa will call D.C. home, their species — listed as endangered on the IUCN’s “red list” of threatened species, with fewer than 10,000 thought to remain in the wild — is native to Nepal, China, Bhutan and India. SCBI has long studied the adorable animals.

“We’ve made a commitment to study red pandas,” said curator Steve Sarro in a release, “and we hope that they inspire the public to help us conserve this endangered species and their habitat for many generations to come.”