Finding an eight-stone rodent on the couch would see most people racing for the phone to dial pest control. But it's a daily occurrence for Melanie Typaldos, 57 and her husband Richard Loveman, 54, who share their home in Buda, Texas, with a giant capybara named Gary. Ms Typaldos adopted Gary after falling in love with the semi-aquatic mammals - the world's largest rodent - during a holiday in Venezuela. They love their pet they even let him sleep in their bed. "Athough some people might find it strange, it's really no different than having a dog or a cat," said Ms. Typaldos. "Gary is really very smart and he's very affectionate. He comes when he's called and he likes to sleep with me," she added. Ms. Typaldos adopted the capybara from an owner who was no longer able to care for him, and said the cuddly eight-stone creature quickly became a part of the family. The 57-year-old even claims to have taught Gary to perform tricks. "He learns tricks very quickly, faster than your typical dog would," she said. "He knows how to shake, turn in a circle, and stand up on his hind legs. He even jumps up on things on command." In their natural habitat, capybaras spend most of their time in the water - so Melanie installed a giant pool in her garden to make Gary feel at home. He was also introduced to the animal lover's menagerie of other pets; including a horse, rabbits tortoises, dogs and a cat. She said: "He gets on well with the other animals, although he likes to chase the rabbits for fun. He does sometimes get angry with the tortoises because he thinks they invade his space and there is nothing he can do about it." Ms. Typaldos takes Gary, who lives on a diet of grass, to visit pupils at schools around Buda to help educate the children about different animals. She said: "Most people don't know what a capybara is but as soon as they see him, they want to come pet him and feed him treats. He loves the attention," she added. Despite her affection for her pet, Ms. Typaldos warned that capybaras were not your standard domestic pet. "Capybaras can be quite aggressive sometimes and their teeth are very, very sharp," she said. "Gary is not at all aggressive, but a capybara bite can be pretty serious." "He gives you that same sort of companionship and affection that other animals do, I can't imagine life without him." She said.
While they are extraordinary animals and are very tame, there are many drawbacks to keep a capybara as a pet. First and foremost, in some places, it is illegal to keep them as pets. In Texas and Pennsylvania you are allowed to keep them, and in many other places, you would need to consult your local legislation to see if you need any special permit. But legal formalities aside, make sure you understand what keeping a capybara as a pet involves. Capybaras live in groups, thus adopting one animal only will not be good. You would need to adopt at least two capybaras, but preferably more. Secondly, consider their size. They are huge. They are more than twice the size of a jackrabbit, they are the biggest rodents. Keeping at least two big rodents in good condition may be challenging and costly in itself, but besides that, they have special needs as well. Because they are semi-aquatic creatures, you would have to provide them with plenty of water at all times. And they need plenty of space. It is not a wise idea to keep them indoors, as they will chew on everything they find. Your carpet and furniture won’t be safe with a capybara nearby. If you still decide to get a capybara as a pet and provide them everything they need, make sure you have a nearby vet who can take care of the pet if needed. And make sure to fence the place where you keep them, as otherwise they will run away, as they are very fast animals. Finally, if everything that was written here didn’t deter you from trying to keep one as a pet, reward yourself with watching this video of Garibaldi Rous, a pet capybara.
Ollie was recently adopted from the Washington Animal Rescue League. He is missing. On March 30th he was being walked, and pulled loose, and ran off. This happened around 2:00 p.m. in the area near Howard University on Georgia Avenue (811 Euclid Street, NW). Ollie is 40 pounds, and is wearing a pick collar that says 'WARL' and a light blue harness with a grey leash attached. He will likely have his tail between his legs because he is scared. DO NOT CHASE! Just note the location and call Roger at 914-844-7692 or AnneMarie at 801-971-2836. Reward offered.
Brookfield, IL - In a small but state-of-the-art medical room at Brookfield Zoo, this 450-pound lion is about as dangerous as a sleeping house cat. Doctors put Zenda under to give him a good once-over and give people a chance to learn about the animal and conservation. “We look at everything,” said Dr. Michael Adkesson with the Brookfield Zoo. “So we look at him from head to toe on a physical exam, we draw blood for various testing, to look at his organ function. We do a full set of X-rays on him, ultrasound, really everything we can do we take care of him while we got him here. In addition to making sure the 8-year-old is in good physical shape, the Brookfield Zoo invited a few people over from the Misercordia Heart of Mercy House. It’s a facility that helps people with mental and physical disabilities, and on this day, they are learning about the lion and conservation. Before they got comfortable shaking hands with the sleeping giant, they admit they were more than just a little nervous.
But within minutes and a few reassuring words from the zoo’s staff, their fear quickly transformed into just plain fun. “For us to able to share that and showcase the care we provide the animals, as well as the conservation messages behind that, with some really amazing people today, a very neat opportunity,” Adkesson said. While they may not remember everything they learned about the lion this day, you can bet no one will forget the time they got to try and make the “king of the jungle” purr. The Brookfield Zoo medical staff says they put Zenda and the other lion under every two years for their checkup and they say he’s in really great shape.
Washington, DC – Shake out that suit and brush off your tails, the Washington Humane Society Bark Ball returns for the 28th year on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Guests are invited to celebrate in style at DC’s original black-tie gala for humans and their canine companions. This year we welcome back Larry Michael, the Washington Redskin’s Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of Media, as our Master of Ceremonies. The gala will also feature stage design by Design Foundry. The benefit kicks off with a reception, an extensive silent auction, and Bark Bar at 6:00.p.m, followed by dinner, a formal program, live auction, and special surprises from 7:00.p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Leashed dogs are encouraged to attend (no retractable leashes please). General tickets are $250 each and tables are $2,500. Once again, we are offering a limited number of Young Professionals tickets for those 35 and under at just $150. Tickets and tables are available online at www.barkball.org. Last year’s event brought together 1,000 animal advocates and 500 dogs, raising over $620,000 to benefit the critical programs and services of the Washington Humane Society.
This event will sell out!
To purchase tickets and for more information, including sponsorship information, visit us online at www.barkball.org, call 202-735-0324, or email events@washhumane.org.
A limited number of Bark Ball Press Passes are available. Please contact Zenit Chughtai at ZChughtai@washhumane.org or 202-735-0321 for information.
Take a look at some of the photos from last year's Bark Ball 27th Annual Bark Ball To Benefit The Washington Humane Society
Redskin Cheerleaders Teleza, Madison, Monique and Adriana with Scrappy. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Rachael Hesling of the Garrison Breck Group (Sotheby’s) holding Henri, pictured with Jessica Van Buskirk of Rob and Brent (Sotheby’s) holding Sam. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Dr. Leanne Kalinsky of Suburban Animal Hospital (Arlginton, VA) holding Monty donning a top hat! (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
DC London’s Sean Nobel pictured with Frank Luntz and Renee Hudson with husband Congressman Richard Hudson (North Carolina). (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
WHS Ambassador of the evening, WUSA’s Howard Bernstein pictured with his very own pup, Ahsoka. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
WHS volunteers Laura Gabatino and Meg Milroy pictured with Andi and Tigger. These dogs are available for adoption through the Washington Humane Society! (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
WHS Board Member Louie Dweck pictured with dedicated WHS volunteer Susan Wedlan. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Rebecca Oliver (Director, Chairman’s Program at U.S. Chamber of Commerce) pictured with Judah. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Group photo of Ryan Ward, Kathleen Goudling, Scott and Jill Openshaw with Boone. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Guests Jessica Lemos and Rodger with Mary Ann and Cassie. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Tickeled pink (and purple): Joy the Poodle and mascot of Doggie Washerette. (Photo Credit: Sarah MacLellan)
Two clouded leopard kittens were born this month at the Miami Zoo, a treat for the doting keepers and a victory in the fight to preserve a vulnerable species. The medium-sized cat, which is not closely related to the African leopard, lives in forests of South East Asia and fewer than 10,000 are thought to exist in the wild. The zoon said the kittens, both females born on March 9, are in an enclosure with their mother to "avoid any external stress and allow the mother to properly bond with them." Their mother Serai and father Rajasi were born in 2011 in other American zoos. The kittens are the parents' second successful litter. "Both offspring are doing well and the mother continues to be attentive and nurse them on a regular basis," the zoo said. They already sport the clouded leopard's characteristic large, dark and cloud-like spots on a light background. Visitors should be able to view them in the coming weeks. Found in the wild in southern China, Myanmar and Malaysia, adult clouded leopards usually weigh between 30 and 50 pounds (14 to 23 kilograms) and have a very long tail with relatively short legs and large paws. They eat birds and mammals such as monkeys, deer and porcupines, and are turn prey to human hunters who prize them for their pelts.
On March 23, 2015, the Love family, from Banks County, Ga., was traveling on Interstate 85 with Georgia, their son’s 14-month-old German Shepherd. A drunk driver hit their forcing it to roll over multiple times. Fortunately Mr. and Mrs. Love walked away from the accident unharmed, but Georgia got spooked and ran away from the scene. Five days after the accident, and after dozens of volunteers stepped up to help search for Georgia, the pup was found and reunited with her owner. As soon as the accident happened, Eric Love, Georgia’s owner, took to social media to ask for help finding his dog. He posted pictures of the pet and asked everyone in the area to keep and eye open for his dog. Many volunteered to drive around and search, but no one had any luck spotting or finding the dog. On Saturday, March 28th, Georgia was finally spotted off exit 160. Love rushed to the area to find and reunite with his dog. Many expected a long chase. Usually when a dog gets lost the pet goes into survival mode, and even though a strong bond exists between the pet and the owner, it takes a lot of coaxing for the dog to come around, trust those trying to help and recognize his or her owner. However, this was not the case with Georgia and Eric. “She walked right up out of the woods and into my arms,” Love told Fox 5 News. Five days apart seemed like an eternity for Eric, but in just one second that Saturday morning, Eric’s life and heart became whole again when Georgia walked into her owner’s arms. Georgia was unharmed and Eric said that “after three cheeseburgers, eight pieces of bacon, and a bag of treats, this little girl is trying not to fall asleep!”
