Colorado wildlife officials say they believe someone dumped four or five pet goldfish in a Boulder lake about two years ago, and they have now multiplied to over 3,000 to 4,000 fish. Because the goldfish are a non-native species, they threaten Teller Lake #5's entire aquatic ecosystem, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told ABC News today. "Dumping your pets into a lake could bring diseases to native animals and plants as well as out-compete them for resources," Churchill said. "Everything can be affected. Non-native species can potentially wipe out the fishery as we've put it together." Wildlife officials are seeking information on anyone who may have released the goldfish into the lake, she said. CPW is currently considering two solutions -- electroshocking the fish or draining the lake. "With electroshocking, you go in the boat and stun the fish to paralyze and collect them," Churchill said, adding that the shock doesn't kill the fish. "The fish could also be collected if the lake is drained." Either way, wildlife officials will likely take them to a raptor rehabilitation center, where the fish will be used for feeding, Churchill said. Although a few residents have expressed interest in collecting the goldfish to keep them as pets, Churchill said she doesn't want to encourage the practice. "I'm going to talk to Boulder County, who owns the lake to see what they think, but I don't want to send the message that collecting fish for personal fun is okay," Churchill said.
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Police in Prince William County are warning residents that they might see some unexpected neighbors this spring. Coyotes have been spotted in the county often in recent years, and the number of sightings is only expected to increase as the human population grows, authorities said in a release Monday. Coyotes are mostly nocturnal, but have been seen during the day in urban and suburban areas. Authorities say that it's usually because they've been attracted to a food source or to areas under porches, decks and crawlspaces that would be ideal dens for their spring litters. Police offer the following tips to keep coyotes away:
Don't feed wildlife directly or indirectly, which can cause animals to lose their fear of humans.
Keep trash inside until it's about to be picked up, or keep it in an animal-proof bid.
Don't leave pet food outside, and keep any outdoor pet feeding areas clean.
Remove bird feeders when if you've seen problem species around them.
Close up all openings under and into your home and garage.
Clear fallen fruit from around trees.
Keep brushy areas in your yard cut down.
Keep small pets inside and on a leash when outside. Larger dogs are viewed as a threat, especially from January to June when coyotes are breeding.
Install coyote-proof fencing to protect unsupervised pets.
Remember that it's illegal in Virginia to trap and relocate an animal.
If a coyote or another animal is showing signs of rabies (stumbling, foaming at the mouth or aggression), call 703-792-6500 for an animal control officer and the police. For more information, click here:Prince William County Animal Control Bureau .
Dogs are truly loyal to their owners. It doesn’t matter if the pet owner is a law-abiding citizen or not, the pet will stand by his or her owner no matter what. In Florianópolis, Brazil, police officers raided a home and apprehended a group of drug traffickers. When the arrest was made, a pet was found in the residence and when the four-legged friend saw his owners lying on the floor, he too surrendered himself and lay next to his owners. One of the officers found the action of the canine endearing and snapped a photograph of the dog next to his owners. The officer posted the image on Twitter and the image went viral. The dog’s name and breed are unknown, an even though we don’t know what happened to the dog after his owners were taken away, one thing is for sure, the pet was not arrested and thrown to jail.
From, World Vets: Attention veterinarians. We are looking for a few good vets to help out with our student program in Nicaragua this summer. Must be experienced with spay/neuter and enjoy working with vet students. Requires a one week commitment and we have openings during select weeks during June and July. Its an incredible experience! Check out all the details below and email us if you are interested. Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program is a student program where licensed veterinarians with at least one year of clinical experience can provide surgical instruction to veterinary students. DVM instructors will work one-on-one with students to teach spay and neuter surgery. You will be teaching students your real world techniques along with a few guidelines from World Vets. There are typically 5-6 veterinarians and 10-12 veterinary students per session. Volunteer vets will work one on one with 1-2 students at a time (similar to mentoring students on a preceptorship). Our lead veterinarians (Nicaraguan and North American) will provide orientation and be there throughout the program. No prior teaching experience is required however you must be comfortable and competent in performing and teaching basic spay and neuter surgery. Veterinarians are not expected to provide lectures or large group instruction. During community outreach, vets will work alongside students and Nicaraguan vets to do basic health consults and administer preventive healthcare treatments while sharing knowledge and basic techniques with students. We strive to create a low stress environment for teaching and learning while taking great care of our patients! More >>>
Bailey is an absolutely adorable, almost 9-year-old Yorkie, whose brave little heart was in big trouble. She had developed a condition called Third Degree AV (atrioventricular) Block. The heart is a muscular pump whose regular beating is controlled by electrical impulses that travel along the nerve pathways of the heart. In Bailey's case, there was a problem with this pathway that caused her to have an abnormally slow heart rhythm. The normal heart rate of a dog ranges from 80-160 beats per minute depending on the size of the dog, their athletic fitness, and their activity level. Little Bailey's heart was only beating at 40 beats per minute. This caused her heart to pump inefficiently and because of this she was developing congestive heart failure. Her family veterinarian, Dr. Wilson of Cedar Grove Animal Hospital, identified the problem and referred Bailey for an evaluation by our AERA board-certified Cardiologist, Dr. Gordon Peddle. Dr. Peddle performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram. Based on his findings he recommended that the solution to this problem was to implant a pacemaker to simulate the normal electrical pulses and improve the pumping efficiency of Bailey's heart. Dr. Peddle and the AERA-AEC Anesthesiologist, Dr. Lydia Love, worked side by side to perform the pacemaker implantation. Thanks to fluoroscopy there was no need to open Bailey's chest for this procedure. Instead, the pacemaker lead or wire, was threaded down her jugular vein and the generator (battery) was then buried within the muscles of her neck. Bailey recovered well post-surgically and has continued to do well. She was doing so well that it was even possible to discontinue some of her medications. You can view actual video of this procedure below.
Pittsburg, California - The Well-Pet Vet Clinic in Pittsburg was packed with patients on Friday afternoon. One of them had the name, Fireman. The little gray, tan, and white puppy was curled up in a wicker basket, he was sedated. "The dog is in an extreme amount of pain," said clinic nurse Beth Allen-Garland. "Someone did something really awful, it's either a severe chemical burn or somebody tried to light his ears on fire." Fireman was found on Wednesday in the play area at Antioch Animal Services. The area is surrounded by a six foot tall fence and volunteers say they don't know who may have dropped him off, or how they were able to. Kristy Keusch, one of the volunteers, decided to foster Fireman. Keusch says she can't figure out what caused the dog's injuries. "If he were to fall or stand in a chemical it would affect his paws, but his paws are not affected. I feel someone tortured him." Keusch has teamed up with Umbrella of Hope, an organization that says it saved more than 500 cats and dogs from Contra Costa County shelters last year, to help in Fireman's recovery. The Chihuahua mix will have to have his ears amputated due to the extent of his injuries. Beth Allen-Garland says Fireman should be able to live out a great life despite his injuries. She also says a thousand dollar reward is being offered by Fido Alert for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. "You kind of wonder about the people walking among us willing to harm an animal, let alone a baby animal." Fireman is hoping someday to find a loving full-time home. Umbrella of Hope says he could be up for adoption in four to six weeks. Adoption Information
Message from Umbrella of Hope: 'We have had over 100 inquiries about him as of 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd, 2015. Due to the sheer volume on inquiries we have received already, we will be unable to respond to inquires asking questions on adoption inquiries until he is made available for adoption. We will post updates on Fireman (just like all of our animals) on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Umbrellaofhope - please like our page https://www.facebook.com/Umbrellaofhopeand follow us to ensure that you receive updates.'
Donation Information Umbrella of Hope says monetary donations can be made to their Paypal at beourpet@gmail.com. Their tax ID number (tax-exempt) is 45-4103375.
Fido Alert - East Contra Costa County (Facebook post) ** $1000 reward offered for information leading to the arrest/prosecution of person or persons responsible for the chemical burns & abandonment of 8 week old puppy outside of Antioch Animal Services between March 30th & March 31st ** This is Fireman, he is barely 2lbs of Chihuahua mix. He was found outside of Antioch Animal Services on Tuesday whining & wincing in pain. His body hurts when he moves. His nose hurts when he presses it to anything. His ears are flaking apart. He longs to be picked up, but it hurts. Someone brought him to the shelter whilst it was closed. Someone found him or someone didn't want him, but surely someone will recognize him or know of his litter mates. He was immediately pulled by a rescue & will be treated for his injuries, for his pain, his ears will have to be amputated, he will need a lot of emotional support too as he fears being touched in light of his pain, but we are confident he will pull through as he already has won over many hearts in a matter of days who are all hoping for justice for this little guy. Please share Fireman, someone knows something or someone, whether this was an act of cruelty, neglect or an accident, this little guy should not have been left alone in the middle of the night even if it was within feet of the shelter. Our thanks to the staff & volunteers at Antioch Animal Services & to the care provided by Umbrella of Hope that will see Fireman healthy, healed & eventually in a home that will love him.
Niš (Serbia) - There are hundreds of dogs, wagging their tails and running free on fenced-off land in a Serbian town, and one man knows each of them by name. Sasa Pesic, out of work like around 17 percent of Serbians, came upon four abandoned puppies in woods near his home. The discovery changed his life dramatically, setting him on a path to becoming an advocate for stray dogs and opening a shelter in Nis in southern Serbia. Today it is home for more than 450 animals, but Pesic may soon have to move his canine horde as the city wants him to find a new location. "I know exactly how each dog arrived at my shelter, I know their names, personalities," says Pesic as he patted one of his charges. When the 45-year-old walks into the shelter, set on a piece of land near the center of town, hundreds of dogs of all sizes and colors run to him barking happily in greeting. The refuge is located at a former equestrian club stable that Pesic got rent-free from the owner back in 2010, where the dogs can be outside all day long. "It is only when night falls that we put them in their cages. They are happy this way," he says, adding that all the dogs have been vaccinated, sterilized and have microchips. There are 280,000 registered dogs in the Balkan country, but veterinary authorities say it is practically impossible to determine the exact number of stray canines, many being pets abandoned by their owners in hard economic times. An endless fight The sheer size of the problem makes the work of advocates like Pesic even more important, says Jovan Stojkovic, who is in charge of animal issues in the municipality of Nis. But recently the city, claiming the shelter's land belongs to it, told Pesic that he would have to leave with his dogs. That immediately sparked protests by animal rights groups. Tens of thousands of people signed a petition to prevent closing down the shelter, forcing the city authorities to back down and pledge to find a solution. "The city supports what Sasa is doing," Stojkovic tells AFP. "We are certainly not going to allow these dogs to end up back on the streets, that would be a disaster." For Pesic and his six volunteers, working with the animals is a non-stop business. "This is an endless fight. I don't have time to eat properly and even less to think about a private life," Pesic said. "You have to fight every day to provide food and care for all these animals." When starting out, Pesic was getting food for the dogs from local bakers and slaughterhouses. But supplies soon outstripped demand and he had to push for donations, especially through social networks. "People, especially from abroad, were rather open and backed our project. We need some $5,400 to $6,400, for our 400 to 500 dogs every month," he says. The battle to rescue stray dogs, which began in 2008, grew as people began bringing him abandoned pets that they found and the number of those ill-fated animals rose to 60, leading Pesic to move them to the current shelter. Ana Mitrovic, a shelter volunteer, believes the city will stick to its promise to help find a new home for the hundreds of canines. "I am confident that the city will help us to find, by the end of the year, a suitable location, a lasting solution to continue our activities," the 35-year-old woman tells AFP. And especially since the shelter is also trying to have its residents adopted. "Since opening, we managed to find homes for 250 dogs," Pesic says proudly.
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