Have You Adopted a Pet? Only 4 Days Left to Order Your ‘I Rescued My Best Friend’ Unisex T-Shirt: Only 50 Being Made – Order Yours Today!

Help raise $850 for Animal Allies. Your purchase will help care for homeless and abandoned animals.

Animal Allies is dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals. They could use your help to care for the animals. Please help by purchasing this great t-shirt for $17. Only 50 being made, so order yours today!

All funds will go directly to Animal Allies of Fairfax, Virginia. 

More about this campaign

Animal Allies, a nonprofit, all-volunteer no kill organization dedicated to the rescue of homeless and abandoned animals. We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of VA. Founded in 1984, Animal Allies is devoted to curbing the irresponsible breeding of pets in an effort to end the overpopulation of homeless animals.

Animal Allies volunteers work to rescue lost, abandoned, or stray animals and find loving homes for them if possible. All animals in our system are vetted to check for disease and spayed and neutered to stop the cycle of unwanted animals.

Through a detailed process, we do our best to make sure each animal goes to a suitable home where they can enjoy love and shelter and the necessities for the rest of their lives, and provide their human companions with love in return. Our organization is funded solely through the generosity of the public and countless hours put in by our volunteers.

Ready to order your shirt?

Order here: http://www.booster.com/animalalliesoffairfaxfundraiser

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Texas Tornado: How to Help Animal Victims

(EMERGENCY ANIMAL RESCUE) TEXAS — On Sunday, a tornado struck Van, a town in eastern Texas, killing two people and injuring 43. This disaster not only resulted in human casualties, but it also destroyed a large percentage of the land, flattened homes, and led to flooding.

Efforts to recover the tornado victims have been ongoing. Texas Game Wardens from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, along with their K-9s are actively searching the Van area for people and pets who may be stuck under debris or in need of care.

Game Warden John Thorne recently stated:

“It’s very deliberate work in the sense that we’re trying to clear each and every one of these brush piles. There could be a victim in here that we wouldn’t be able to detect without the use of one of these dogs.”

Although search-and-rescue dogs are critical in helping people affected by the tornado, efforts have also been made to rescue animals who were tornado victims. While some families evacuated the area with their beloved pets, other pets were separated from their guardians in the midst of the disaster.

To read more on this story, click here: Texas Tornado:How to Help Animal Victims

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Adopt a Golden Organization: Now Accepting Adoption Applications for 36 Golden Retrievers from Turkey Rescue

Dozens of abandoned golden retrievers are adjusting to their new lives in metro Atlanta after a rescue took place in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Adopt a Golden organization helped bring 36 purebred golden retrievers to Alpharetta, Georgia last weekend. This is being called the largest international golden rescue ever.

The dogs arrived at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport late Saturday night. They were taken to Pet Lodge pet resort.

According to Adopt a Golden, the dogs range from 6 months to 10-years-old.

“Our guiding motto is that we never say no to a Golden Retriever in need. These dogs are in need because the novelty of having a Golden Retriever in Istanbul, Turkey, as a status symbol wore off, they were abandoned and are now living in crowded shelters, in the forests or in the streets,” explained Lauren Genkinger, founder and president of Adopt a Golden Atlanta, Adopt a Golden is calling these dogs “Freedom Goldens.” Each dog has been given a patriotic name, such as “Liberty” and “Glory.”

“I want these Golden Retrievers to be happy and have a better life,” explained Yasemin Baban, the lead shelter volunteer in Istanbul who was instrumental in helping Adopt a Golden Atlanta rescue the dogs. “I want them to find love and affection, a home to live in, and a cushion to sleep on,” she added.

The dogs have never heard English and have their own interpreter in Fulton County. The only commands they know, if any, are in Turkish.

"From a behavior standpoint, we didn't really know what we were getting in to," Genkinger told FOX 5 Atlanta. "They're very social though, since they're used to begging for food on the streets."

The dogs will be medically screened, taught to walk on a leash, be housebroken and of course will receive lots of TLC.

Adopt a Golden is now accepting applications for adoption.

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Facing the Threat of Imminent Death: Johnny Depp's Dogs Were Being Prepared to be Taken from Australia to the United States

Facing the threat of imminent death, Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, were being prepared to be taken from Australia to the United States after Australia's agriculture minister angrily accused the Hollywood actor of sneaking the pups into the country.

Barnaby Joyce said he was told the Yorkshire terriers were expected to return to the U.S. Friday aboard a private jet, after the government ordered the actor to get his dogs out of Australia by Saturday, saying they would be euthanized if Depp didn't comply.

The canine chaos erupted after Joyce accused Depp of smuggling the dogs in aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia on April 21 to resume filming of the fifth installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series at Gold Coast studios.

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to keep diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and a quarantine period on arrival of at least 10 days.

The department is investigating how the pets were brought through Brisbane Airport without an import permit.

The Agriculture Department told Depp, 51, and his 29-year-old wife Amber Heard on Wednesday they had to send Pistol and Boo back to the United States within 72 hours.

In Australia, Joyce's tough stance attracted both commendation and criticism, with some praising the minister for defending the nation's laws, and others cringing over what they viewed as his crass response.

The agriculture department discovered that Depp snuck the dogs into Australia after hearing that a handler had taken the terriers to a Gold Coast dog groomer on Saturday, Joyce said. A biosecurity officer found the dogs at a Gold Coast house on Wednesday.

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10 Foot Alligator Spotted in Goose Creek South Carolina Still on the Loose

Two young kids in are captivated by their unusual new neighbor, a 10-foot alligator.

The alligator first took up residence in Sonya Gilreath's bushes Thursday morning.

"It didn't look very big to me," she said, adding that it seemed like it could have been a baby alligator.

Police responded, Gilreath said, and as the gator laid still, she and her 2-year-old and 3-year-old sat on the front porch "just watching it."

"All of a sudden, it stood up, and I realized how gigantic it was," she said. "I've never seen one this size before. Not loose."

That's when Gilreath took her excited kids inside and snapped the adorable photos from her kids' perspective.

"They thought it was really cool," she said.

The gator was 10 feet long, according to ABC affiliate WCIV, and taken by local police back into the water. The Department of Natural Resources was notified but did not intervene, WCIV said.

"There's a pond in front of our house and I watched the alligator escort himself into that pond," Gilreath said. "And the animal control and policemen left."

She said she called the Department of Natural Resources, which told her it wouldn't remove the gator from a residential area, instead calling it the homeowner association's responsibility.

"It's still in the pond and I really want it gone," Gilreath said, adding that the homeowner association is looking into the issue. "It is really scary having an animal that size... We probably have about 10 kids on the street that walk to the school bus."

Even though the gator is still on the loose, Gilreath's children are still talking about it today, she said, adding that they definitely seemed more excited than afraid.

"I was trying to keep them from being scared," she said. "I don't want to put fear in them where they're afraid to go outside."

The Goose Creek Police Department wrote on Facebook, "If you see an alligator in your neighborhood, don't approach or attempt to handle them on your own. Our animal control officers will respond and determine the best course of action in these situations."

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Many Common Plants, Both in the House and the Yard, Can be Toxic to Our Pets

Many common plants, both in the house and the yard, can be toxic to our pets, including some that can still be found this time of year, either because they are being brought in from outside or because they are popular in holiday displays or decorations. Some toxic plants only cause mild stomach upset, while others can be poisonous. To make things even more confusing, some plants are safe for some species while deadly for others. As a pet owner, it is important that you be familiar with the most dangerous of the toxic plants.

  

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Reduce Dog Bites: How To Approach Dogs

Last year, 5,767 postal carriers were bitten by dogs, up from 5,581 in 2013, and the most attacks happened in warm and sunny Los Angeles, Houston and San Diego, said Linda DeCarlo, manager of safety for the U.S. Postal Service. None of the bites caused deaths.

The cities' weather draws pets and people outside and doors and windows get left open, DeCarlo said. The slight rise in bites also stems from the popularity of online shopping because postal workers must bring packages to front doors instead of street-side mailboxes, DeCarlo said.

But the biggest victims are children and senior citizens, who can be overpowered by dogs. Of the 4.5 million people bitten every year, more than half are kids, said Dr. Jose Arce, an American Veterinary Medical Association board member.

Bites kill about 16 people a year. Besides the postal-worker totals, specific numbers on dog bites are lacking because few people seek treatment. And no one tracks bites by breed.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week starts Sunday, and this year's programs launched Thursday. Because children are the most vulnerable and easily injured, the American Veterinary Medical Association will focus on teaching kids how to deal with dogs.

What NOT To Do

• Stare into a dog's eyes.
• Tease a dog.
• Approach one that's chained up or injured.
• Touch a dog you don't know that's off a leash.
• Run or scream if one charges.
• Play with a dog while it's eating.
• Touch one while it's sleeping.
• Get close to one that's nursing puppies.
• Leave a small child alone with a dog, even if it's the family pet.

What TO Do

• Ask an owner before petting a dog you don't know.
• Let the dog sniff your closed fist before touching it.
• Freeze if a dog runs toward you.
• Socialize puppies so they are comfortable around people and other animals.
• Use a leash in public.

How Parents Can Help

• When the mail arrives, place your pet in a closed room so it can't go through a window or screen door to possibly attack the carrier. Tell children not to take mail from the carrier in front of the dog because the animal could see it as threatening.

• Also, teach children to treat dogs with respect and avoid rough or aggressive play.

What Kids Can Watch

The veterinary group made YouTube videos describing miscommunication between dogs and kids. A new short will be released each day through the week. One gap is that most pooches don't like to be hugged. That helps explain why two-thirds of young victims get bites on the head or neck, according to the American Humane Association.

Where Bites Happened

Last year, 74 postal-carrier bites were reported in Los Angeles, followed by Houston with 62 and San Diego with 47, DeCarlo said.

The LA tally rose from 61 bites in 2013, when Houston was No. 1 with 63. San Diego moved up a notch from two years ago, when 53 postal workers were bitten.

The Postal Service didn't break down the severity of injuries, but 1,540 bites kept employees from work for at least a day after the attack, DeCarlo said.

Insurance Payouts

Bites and other dog-related injuries cost insurers $530 million last year, about a third of their paid claims, the Insurance Information Institute said.

The number of dog-bite claims decreased 4.7 percent from 2013, but the average cost per claim rose by 15 percent because of higher medical costs and settlements. The average claim in 2014 was $32,072, up from $27,862.

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Australian Quarantine Authorities Have Given Johnny Depp Two Days to Get His Little Dogs Out of the Country

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce on Thursday accused Depp of smuggling his beloved Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce into Canberra aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia on April 21 (after cutting his hand) to resume filming of the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.

The Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave Depp, 51, and wife Amber Heard, 29, 72-hour notice to send the pets packing back to the states or they will be put down.

"If you start letting movie stars — even though they've been the sexiest man alive twice — to come into our nation (with pets), then why don't we just break laws for everybody?" Joyce said. "It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States."

Heard posted a photo of the dogs being held by Depp's daughter, Lily Rose, two months ago.

A petition has gone up at Change.org to save the dogs.

Australia has quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies spreading to its shores. To bring a pet in, owners must apply for a permit and submit to a 10-day quarantine period upon arrival.

Depp's pups were discovered when a handler had taken the terriers in a handbag to a Gold Coast dog groomer on Saturday, Joyce said. "Now Mr. Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we're going to have to euthanize them," Joyce said.

Depp's reps have not responded.

Joyce's spokesman Brett Chant said the dogs were in "home quarantine" at the moment, but would not say where, reports AP. And Joyce said the Agriculture Department would be responsible for putting the dogs down if they do not leave Australia.

"After that, I don't expect to be invited to the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean," he said.

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