Florida Boy Who Fought Alligator Demands Animal’s Tooth on a Necklace

As Florida Fish and Wildlife officers work to trap an alligator that they believe bit a 9-year-old boy Thursday near St. Cloud's Lakefront Park, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office has released audio from a 911 call made after the attack.

Wildlife officials say they believe they've located the area on East Lake Tohopekaliga where the gator is.

Investigators said James Barney, Jr. was riding his bicycle Thursday afternoon, when he stopped to take a dip in a no-swimming section of the lake.

"I thought someone was playing with me, and I don't know what happened," Barney recalled at a news conference Friday. "I reached down to feel it. I felt its jaw and its teeth. I didn't know what to do. So I immediately reacted and started hitting it. And I had enough strength to pry its jaw open."

Barney said he got the mouth open enough to slide out and then swim away.

Barney was airlifted to the hospital, where he was listed in good condition Friday.

"He's got about 30 different teeth marks of varying different degrees," said James Barney Sr., the boy's father.

Doctors found a tooth in one of the boy's wounds. Barney said he wanted to keep the tooth, but Florida Fish and Wildlife took the tooth to help find the gator.

Fish and Wildlife officials said there have been about two dozen unprovoked alligator attacks across Florida since 2011.

The surrounding area where the boy was bitten has been closed as wildlife officers work to capture the gator believed to be responsible for attacking the 9-year-old, as well as a second gator that also believed to be a threat.

Barney's father said his son swam in the lake often. But asked if he would consider swimming in that lake again, Barney said, "negative."


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Must Watch Video - A Toucan Landed on a Highway Traffic Camera, and Took a Video Selfie!

São Paulo, Brazil -A curious bird is ready for his close-up shot. A Toucan was taking a video selfie in Brazil.
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The Bird Landed on a highway traffic camera and couldn’t keep his beak out of the shot.

After his few seconds of fame the bird became restless and decided to fly away.






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Tips on Dog Park Etiquette

Most of these etiquette tips are no-brainers, but you’d be surprised at how often basic dog park rules are violated — if not ignored. Here they are for your consideration:

• No aggressive dogs! Don’t bring an aggressive, dominant dog to the park. Dogs who continually challenge everyone, hackles and all, don’t need to be there. Please.

• No toys! Toys can be a big trigger for fights. Leave them for more solo play or when you absolutely know none of the dogs interacting is a toy freak. And keep the treats to yourself until after the park. You don’t want your dog running with a rawhide in his mouth, anyway.

• No kids! Keep children out of the enclosure. Not all dogs respond well to high-pitched kid squeals and others fight over their attention. Dog parks are for dogs. Children should stay on the sidelines.

• Pay attention! Don’t hang on the cell phone, for example. It’s important to be able to correct your dog or respond in an emergency.

• Room to maneuver! Make sure the dogs aren’t packed in like sardines — especially if you have a little one. It only leads to the potential for adverse interactions and small dog tramplings.

• Pick up after your own! No one should have to remind you of that.

• Train and socialize before you go! The dog park is a place to refine skills, not to expose dogs to discipline and social encounters for the first time. Respect others and do your basic socializing and training before you expose others to your dogs’ not-quite-existent skills.

• Bring a dog...not a pack! If you’re bringing a dog or two, that’s cool. If you’ve got more than that, you should really be seeking help with them, just in case the unthinkable happens and a pack brawl breaks out.

• For the love of dog...don’t bring one that’s in heat! That should be obvious. Even neutered males and spayed females will react — many times adversely — to bitches in heat.

• Healthy dogs only, please! Yes, I’ve seen snifflers and coughers at dog parks. I’ve also seen just-purchased pups or just-adopted shelter dogs — a bad idea due to their recent exposure to high volumes of other potentially ill animals. Even if your dog has just been at the boarding kennel for a week, it’s only commonsensical — not to mention courteous — to keep your dog home for a few days (to make sure he didn’t pick something up) before exposing him to the world.

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Global March for Elephants and Rhinos - Please Join the Global March on October 4, 2014 to Call for an End to the Killing and a Ban on Ivory and Rhino Horn Before it's Too Late

On October 4th people in cities throughout the world will march as one voice to save Elephants and Rhinos. The countdown to their extinction has begun - unless action is taken now, we will lose these majestic, highly intelligent, and emotionally sentient creatures FOREVER.

Up to 50,000 Elephants are being killed every year so their tusks can be carved into ivory trinkets. A Rhino is slaughtered once every 9-11 hours for Rhino Horn. Their only hope for survival lies in an immediate end to the ivory and rhino horn trade (both "legal" and "illegal") and a meaningful opportunity to recover from decades of mass slaughter.

Please join the global march on Oct 4th to call for an end to the killing and a ban on ivory and rhino horn before it's too late.

To TAKE ACTION, click HERE!

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Tune In To The Pet Show With Dr. Katy at 11:00 a.m., Tomorrow, August 9th, on NewsChannel 8 to Catch WHS President and CEO, Lisa LaFontaine, Talk About Her Response To The "Why I'd Never Adopt a Shelter Dog Again" Piece By Erin Auerbach

Tune in to The Pet Show with Dr. Katy  TOMORROW at 11 a.m. on NewsChannel 8 to catch Washington Humane Society , President and CEO, Lisa LaFontaine, talk about her response to the "Why I'd never adopt a shelter dog again" piece by Erin Auerbach.

To read Lisa's response, click here: http://huff.to/1sMXxZy.

To read the original article, click here: http://wapo.st/UecEfQ.



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Believing an Owl is a Witch Superstitious Mexican Villagers Set It On Fire - The Owl Amazingly Survived

This shocking video uploaded onto social media in Mexico shows how superstitious villagers caught an owl and set it on fire believing it to be a witch.

And when the owl amazingly survived being burned alive, it is then interrogated by women who demanded to know what it's human name is, and that it turns itself back into a woman if it wants to be freed.

The images show that despite its feathers being burnt and the ground around the cage it is imprisoned in is scorched, the terrified owl is still alive and screeching at its captors.

But they take this as proof that the bird is really a witch, and its shrieks as the sound that it does not like the fact that its true identity has been discovered.

The incident happened at in the town of Durango, in the north-central Mexican state of the same name, a rural area which like many places in the country includes the superstition that some women are witches that have the power to turn into animals.

During the inquisition of the burnt owl, the women repeatedly ask the owl to identify itself and one stage they are heard reading sections of the Bible in the belief that this will force the owl to turn back to a woman. They also recount stories of how the owl had been seen looking through the window at the home of one, and how another claimed that the owl had tried to curse her.

The women apparently decided to upload the video to show how they had captured the witch but it was widely condemned by online commentators who urged authorities to track them down and punish them as a warning to other superstitious people to avoid such foolish beliefs.

One user wrote: "This is just an animal inside a cage and anything would scream if it was threatened by these women in this way." Another added: "This is just superstitious nonsense and I really wish that authorities could finally do something treat these people like the criminals they are."

The horrific scene was captured on video and later uploaded to social media by the villagers.

Footage shows the burnt owl screeching at its captors as it flaps around inside the cage - just seconds after being set alight by the women.

WARNING: Graphic Content

Shocking: This owl was interrogated by superstitious Mexican villagers after being set alight for 'being a witch.'

Under interrogation: The terrified animal was filmed being questioned by its captors from inside a scorched cage in the city of Durango, north-west Mexico, with its feathers badly charred and its legs bound with rope.

Frightened: Believing it to be a witch, the female villagers can be heard ordering the owl to reveal its human name and turn itself back into a woman if it wants to be freed. Above, the owl looks at its captors from the cage.

Burnt alive: The horrific scene was captured on video and later uploaded by the women to social media.

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What Should Be on The Answering Machine of Every Rescue and Shelter

Hello: You have reached… (713) 281-0000.

Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to the following options and choose the one that best describes you or your situation:

Press 1: If you have a 10-year-old dog and your 15-year-old son has suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home right away.

Press 2:  If you are moving today and need to immediately place your 150 pound, 8-year-old dog.

Press 3:  If you have three dogs, had a baby and want to get rid of your dogs because you are the only person in the world to have a baby and dogs at the same time.

Press 4:  If you just got a brand new puppy and your old dog is having problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away.

Press 5:  If your little puppy has grown up and is no longer small and cute and you want to trade it in for a new model.

Press 6:  If you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home  TODAY and pick up the dog you no longer want.

Press 7:  If you have been feeding and caring for a “stray” for the last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it’s not your dog.

Press 8:  If your dog is sick and needs a vet but you need the money for your vacation.

Press 9:  If you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy who is not active and is going to outlive you.

Press 10: If your relative has died and you don’t want to care for their elderly dog because it no longer fits your lifestyle.

Press 11: If your cat is biting and not using the litter box because it is declawed, but you are not willing to accept the responsibility that the cat’s behavior is altered because of your nice furniture.

Press 12: If your two-year old male dog is marking all over your house but you just haven’t gotten around to having him neutered.

Press 13: If you previously had an outdoor only dog and are calling because she is suddenly pregnant.

Press 14: If you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog off on your way to work.

Press 15: To leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know you have left a dog in our yard in the middle of January, which is in fact, better than just leaving the dog with no message.

Press 16: If you are going to get angry because we are not going to take your dog that you have had for fifteen years, because it is not our responsibility.

Press 17: If you are going to threaten to take your ten-year old dog to be euthanized because I won’t take it.

Press 18:  If you’re going to get angry because the volunteers had the audacity to go on vacation and leave the dogs in care of a trusted
volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet.

Press 19:  If you want one of our PERFECTLY trained, housebroken, kid and cat friendly purebred dogs that we have an abundance of.

Press 20:  If you want us to take your dog that has a slight aggression problem, i.e. has only bitten a few people and killed your neighbor’s cats.

Press 21:  If you have already called once and been told we don’t take personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this time with a different answer.

Press 22:  If you want us to use space that would go to a stray to board your personal dog while you are on vacation, free of charge, of course.

Press 23:  If it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to deliver an eight week old puppy to your house by 6:30 am before your kids wake up.

Press 24:  If you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute.

Press 25:  If you want us to take your female dog who has already had ten litters, but we can’t spay her because she is pregnant again and it is against your religion.

Press 26:  If you’re lying to make one of our younger volunteers feel bad and take your personal pet off your hands.

Press 27:  If you have done “everything” to housebreak your dog and have had no success but you don’t want to crate the dog because it is cruel.

Press 28:  If you didn’t listen to the message asking for an evening phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are also working and you are angry because no one called you back.

Press 29:  If you need a puppy immediately and cannot wait because today is your daughter’s birthday and you forgot when she was born.

Press 30:  If your dog’s coat doesn’t match your new furniture and you need a different color or breed.

Press 31:  If your new love doesn’t like your dog and you are too stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next month anyway) instead of the dog.

Press 32:  If you went through all these ‘options’ and didn’t hear enough. This press will connect you to the sounds of tears being shed by one of our volunteers who is holding a discarded old dog while the vet mercifully frees him from the grief of missing his family.

Author Unknown, but much appreciated!

Please remember that if you can not commit to fur-always or at least the next 13-17 years, DON’T BUY A PET!   It is not a shelter’s or rescue’s obligation to take on your commitments.  They do so out of fear that you will kill them if they don’t, and dumping them anywhere, even alone on the side of a road is abuse!

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All Dogs Deserve a Second Chance, No Matter How Old They Are - Meet Bear, a 16-Year-Old Homeless Dog Who No One Wanted - A Family Took a Chance on This Sweet Dog, and The Results Were Amazing!

"Bear" was abandoned, 16 years-old and on the brink of death. No one in their right mind would adopt him from a shelter. However, one family did. The results were amazing.

His fur was either matted or missing and he was just a skeleton of a dog. But thanks to a little food, grooming and (most importantly) love... Norman transformed into an entirely different dog. Dog adoption not only saves lives, it makes them so much better.

Bear's information page at the shelter; a 16 year-old dog needing help.

Life is far from easy for older dogs at animal shelters.  Most people come in looking for a puppy and pass right by the senior dogs, who are usually more susceptible to health problems in the shelter environment.  Most people don’t realize that there are many advantages to owning a senior dog, like all the love and appreciation they have for their new parents who saved them.

Meet Bear, a 16-year-old homeless dog who no one wanted.  Bear was not always a stray, he was abandoned and found all alone with no identification.  This German Shepherd mix was dirty, and had matted fur or chunks of his coat missing.  He was malnourished.  He had no meat on his bones and was a skeleton of a dog.

One day, a family came in and walked past all the yapping puppies to the quiet, sad looking soul in the corner.  They decided to take a chance on this sweet dog who no one else paid any attention to.  This story proves that Bear, who is now known as Norman in his new life, only needed a little love to turn around his tragic past.

All dogs deserve a second chance, no matter how old they are.

His ride to freedom.

The first day home.

Norman (his new name) found a cozy spot for naps.

Lots of naps.

He started living the good life.

Eating and napping were his favorite past times.

Also, he loved to be loved.

After being rescued, he had an entirely different outlook on life... and look.

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