Fairfax County, Virginia: More Coyotes Spotted in Your Area

Residents in Fairfax County are seeing an increase in the number of coyotes in their neighborhoods in recent months.

A wildlife official for the county said the canines are well established and widespread, so residents should know and understand how to deal with any interactions. January to June is considered mating season for coyotes, and lone male coyotes are on the move, looking for a mate, or females may be looking to create dens in small, enclosed areas.

Small pets may be considered prey due to their similar size to the animal’s natural prey. Larger dogs may be viewed as potential competitors since coyotes are territorial.

“The best way to safeguard pets in areas where coyotes are active is to keep them indoors and do not leave them outside without supervision,” said Dr. Katherine Edwards, Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist, in a release.

Officials said coyotes have been sighted in most county parks and residental areas. Recently, a coyote was found after it was hit by a car in the Riverside Park area of Alexandria, Virginia.

In 2012, a dog was attacked by coyotes in Daniel Run Park, located in the area between Old Lee Highway and Main Street. Officials believe the dog, which was off its leash, probably wandered too close to a coyote den.

Preventive practices, such as reduction and removal of food attractants, habitat modification and responding appropriately when interacting with wildlife, are keys to minimizing the likelihood of conflicts with coyotes. People that are approached by a coyote should make noise to scare it off.

If coyotes are behaving aggressively or appear sick or injured, contact the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.

Tips on dealing with coyotes

Prince William County, Virginia: Coyotes Spotted in the Manassas Area

Coyotes have been spotted in the western part of Prince William County in the Manassas area.

Police said two separate coyotes were spotted in two areas recently. They said many coyotes have been seen in the county in the past few years, and the next two months are the breeding season for coyotes.

Single coyotes are likely seeking a mate. They are nocturnal animals, venturing out mostly at night.

Police said they can be seen during the day in urban and suburban areas if there is a food source or an easily accessed area to make a den. They said the best way to prevent them from becoming a problem is to not give them a reason to take up residence in the community.

Some tips to keep coyotes away:

• Keep trash inside until the morning of trash pick-up or place trash in an animal proof container, such as a metal or plastic trashcan with latches on the lids.

• Do not leave pet food outside; keep pet feeding areas clean.

• Close up all openings under and into your buildings. Animals look for places to den and raise their young - don't give them that opportunity.

• Clear fallen fruit from around trees.

•  Keep brushy areas in your yard cut down to prevent cover for coyotes.

•  Keep small pets inside, and on a leash when outside. They may be viewed by a coyote as prey. Larger dogs are viewed as a threat particularly from January to June while mating and birthing coyote pups.

• Install coyote proof fencing to protect unsupervised pets.

Anyone experiencing a problem with coyotes or other wildlife, please dial the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries toll-free wildlife conflict helpline at 1-855-571-9003.

Researchers Believe That They Have Found a Link Between a Lower Risk of Asthma and Children’s Early Exposure to Pets

Researchers believe that they have found a link between a lower risk of asthma and children’s early exposure to pets. The hypothesis is that kids in animal environments breathe air that contains more bacterial fragments…and that can be a good thing, as it may actually lower their risk of asthma. Parents in busy animal-and-baby households understand that it’s nearly impossible to keep everything clean all of the time and the study suggests that this may be beneficial for the baby’s future health.

We already know that dog ownership comes with some important health benefits. Dogs help reduce stress and stave off depression. They even lower the risk of heart disease in their owners since generally dog owners lead a more active and social lifestyle.

More than 230 million people worldwide have asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease whose causes are unclear. Both genetics and external allergens are suspected to play a role. In the United States, 8.5% of children have asthma.

For this new research, Swedish scientists studied more than one million

children, combing through individual records and comparing people’s histories of family dog ownership against diagnosis of childhood asthma. Access to this data was possible because Sweden tracks medical records of all of its citizens through unique ID numbers, and the country also requires everyone to register dog ownership. Data analyzed for the study covered a time period from January 2007 through September 2012. The results of the research were published in the journal JAMA on November 2.

Among the children in the study, those who had been exposed to dogs during the first year of their life were 13% less likely to have asthma by age 6, compared to kids who had no exposure. The research also showed that school-aged kids who were exposed to farm animals in their first year of life were 52% less likely to have developed asthma by age 6 than those with no exposure. Among the preschool set of younger children, kids exposed to farm animals in their first year had 31% lower incidents of asthma between 1-5 years old compared to non-exposed toddlers.

Study author Tove Fall is an associate professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. Dr. Fall told Live Science that the lower asthma rate among children exposed to both dogs and farm animals might be due to a single factor, but is more likely a combination of factors related to a dog owners’ lifestyle and attitudes such as the kids “early exposure to household dirt and pet dust, time spent outdoors or being physically active.”

One positive takeaway message from the study is that parents fearful of childhood asthma don’t need to worry about keeping their dog or getting a puppy when they’re expecting a baby. This conclusion falls right in line with other previous hygiene studies that say being exposed to bacteria early in life can be critical for shaping a healthy and strong immune system.

Beginning Today, the FBI Will Initiate a New Program Targeting Animal Abusers

Beginning today, the FBI will initiate a new program targeting animal abusers.  Cruelty cases will be categorized and tracked, with the aim of cracking down on abusers.

Back in 2014, we told you about the FBI’s plan to make it harder for animal abusers to continue committing such crimes with minimal punishment.  Animal abuse has previously been considered a lesser crime, but now it will be a Group A felony with its own category, the same way homicide and arson are listed.

“It will help get better sentences, sway juries and make for better plea bargains,” said Madeline Bernstein, president and CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles and a former New York prosecutor.

The FBI will now be better able to keep statistics on where cruelty is occurring, how frequently, and if incidents are on the rise.  Youthful offenders will be identified to help them curb their behavior.

The FBI says law enforcement agencies will have to make reports of incidents under four categories:  simple or gross neglect; intentional abuse and torture; organized abuse, including dogfighting and cockfighting; and animal sexual abuse.“

The immediate benefit is it will be in front of law enforcement every month when they have to do their crime reports,” said John Thompson, interim executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association who helped establish the new animal cruelty category. “That’s something we have never seen.

”Crimes will be tracked nationwide, and will hopefully ensure tougher sentences for abusers.“

Regardless of whether [or not] people care about how animals are treated, people — like legislators and judges — care about humans, and they can’t deny the data,” said Natasha Dolezal, director of the animal law program in the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Police agencies must now report all incidents and arrests.  The FBI will levy federal charges according to the offense – anything from fines to lengthy stays in prison.

If You Thought ‘Snakes on a Plane’ Was Bad: Thief Caught on Surveillance Video in Pet Store Putting Python Snake in His Pants

Portland, Oregon - Police in Portland are investigating an unusual theft after surveillance video shows a man at a pet shop stick a 2-foot python down his pants.

In the video, a man can be seen walking into 'A to Z' Pets on Friday and over to the python's tank.

  The man reaches into the tank and takes out the snake then quickly drops it into his pants.

The man then waddles out of the store.

"He's lucky it wasn't feeding day, feeding days are on Mondays. And they're very hungry," said owner Christin Bjugan. "Anytime anything like this happens, it's very frustrating. We work very hard to make a living and run the business."

Family with a 2-Year-Old Girl, Scarlette, Who is an Amputee, Adopts a 3-Legged Kitten

A three-legged kitten was adopted by a family with a 2-year-old girl, Scarlette, who is also an amputee herself. When they first met, they connected as if they understood each other.

Scarlette is a very brave little girl who has beat a rare form of cancer though her left arm was left amputated. She absolutely adores cats.

“We wanted a little kitten to have her grow up with, so she has something that’s just like her,” Simone Tipton told Love Meow.

They spent half a year looking for a three-legged kitty to join their family and just before Christmas they found her!

More info on Smiles For Scarlette 

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That night, the family saw a story about a little three month old kitten that just had an amputation on the local news, KTLA, and started calling to find out how they could adopt the kitten. When they weren’t getting the info they needed over the phone, they made a trip to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus.

“Scarlette was really excited, she absolutely loves cats. She did notice that Doc had staples on her side and said ‘owies’. I let her know that she had owies just like her, and she placed her hand on her side and just nodded,” Tipton told Love Meow.

That was the moment when they knew this kitten was the one. “She recognizes that the cat has similar struggles as she does.”

The perfect home!

“Doc has adjusted to living here so well, she jumps on everything, despite her limitation. She is extremely snuggly and loves to plop in your lap,” Tipton told Love Meow.