A Customer is Suing the Denver Cat Company After She Says a Cat Bit Her Hand, and the Bite Got Infected

Denver, Colorado -  Amanda Jamrogiewicz filed the lawsuit on behalf of her mother, Sue Hodges. The two claim they visited the cat cafe back in February and a cat named "Morpheus" bit Hodges.

"[Morpheus] flipped onto his back when my mom still had her hand out," Jamrogiewicz told 9NEWS. "When she was going down to continue petting him, he bit her on her hand rather aggressively and wouldn't let go for at least 15-20 seconds."

"When she finally got her hand away it was bleeding in about 7 or 8 different spots," she said.

Jamrogiewicz said her mother was treated for the bite at the counter. But after she got home, she realized it was infected.

She went to an urgent care clinic for treatment and was charged $305. She asked the café to pay the medical bill, but the owner, Sana Hamelin, wouldn't agree to it.

The suit demands $5,920 for the $305 in medical bills plus missed work and the emotional toll for the entire endeavor.

"We wouldn't be able to survive as a business model if we were opening ourselves up to taking responsibility for a cat's behavior, because we can't guarantee that a cat won't bite or scratch," Hamelin said.

Hamelin said she did offer to pay part of the bill, but admits people get adequate warning about how unpredictable cats are with signs warning people to "pet at their own risk."

"We just let everyone know [petting] is a risk. If they're not willing to take that risk, then they shouldn't pet cats that don't belong to them," she said. "I don't think there's a cat in existence that hasn't bitten or scratched."

Jamrogiewicz said her mother missed a week of work because of the infected bite and complications from an antibiotic she was prescribed. She said her mother is the sole provider for the household after her father went on disability because of a brain tumor.

"They're under a lot of financial stress," Jamrogiewicz said. She claims the missed work hurt her parents' finances even more.

She said the day of the bite, Hamelin asked if it was Morpheus who bit her mother. Jamrogiewicz claims Hamelin knew he was a dangerous cat and should have been removed from the café.

However, Hamelin told 9NEWS Morpheus was one of the most popular cats in her shop.

"He was here for a long time and was very popular with our customers and managed to interact with a lot of people," Hamelin said.

Hamelin says after Jamrogiewicz and her mother started asking for compensation for the bite, she told the rescue that provided the cats for the café. That rescue then decided to pull all of their felines from the café for risk.

"Because of your claim, the shelter has terminated its relationship with the café," Hamelin wrote in an email to Hodges on March 11.

Jamrogiewicz said Hamelin is blaming her mother for losing that rescue, and the accusation is causing emotional stress.

Hamelin said she agreed to pay more than half of Hodges' medical bills in the beginning, but the family refused to agree to that settlement demanding the entire total.

Jamrogiewicz offered another settlement to Hamelin: if the shop paid her mother's medical bills, Jamrogiewicz would make a donation to a cat rescue for the same amount.

Hamelin turned that settlement down and instead offered to make the donation herself in lieu of paying the medical bills.

Jamrogiewicz and her mother refused and filed the $6,000 lawsuit in early April. Hamelin was served last week.

"I guess a lot of people think this is frivolous, and to us, to be honest, it is too," Jamrogiewicz said. "She should have just paid the $300."

Hamelin said she could have just submitted the claim to her insurance, but it was already close enough to the deductible. Also, she worried about her insurance rates going up.

She also said she didn't want to create a precedent for others to sue over an issue she clearly warns people about before they walk in.

"I'm just a solitary person trying to do this by myself so it's tough to be sued when you're not a big corporation," she said "We're not rolling in money here."

The case is due for a hearing in early June.

With the Introduction of a Unique Line of Peanut and Other Nut Butters onto the Market: Nuts ’N More, Contains Xylitol, and Extremely Dangerous for Dogs

If you're like many people, you might want to give your dog some peanut butter as an occasional treat. Or you might want to use peanut butter as a trick or reward to get your dog to take their medications? In many cases this is perfectly fine (so long as it's not in excess — as too much can cause pancreatitis and/or contribute to obesity).

However, with the introduction of a unique line of peanut and other nut butters onto the market — Nuts ’N More —  the answer to the question of whether or not it’s safe to give, even a small quantity of, peanut butter to your dogs is no longer a straightforward one. Why? Because of the sweetener that’s been used to replace the sugar in this line of peanut and other nut butters. That sugar substitute is called xylitol.

Is Xylitol Safe For Dogs?

Xylitol is a sweetener that's gaining in popularity because of its dental beInefits for people as well as its suitability as a sugar substitute for people with diabetes. Because of its ability to help prevent cavities and tooth decay and its low glycemic index, xylitol is proving to have some good dental and other health benefits for people. Unfortunately, while xylitol appears to be perfectly safe for people, it is extremely dangerous for dogs — even in small quantities.

 Ingestion of as little as 0.1 gram (g) of xylitol per kilogram (kg) of body weight (0.1 g/kg) can cause a rapid and dangerous drop in a dog’s blood sugar (a condition called “hypoglycemia”). Hypoglycemia can show as staggering, appearing disoriented, collapse, weakness, and seizures.

Just slightly more than that, approx. 0.5 g/kg xylitol ingestion, can lead to debilitating, and sadly often deadly, destruction of a dog’s liver cells.

These quantities, or toxic doses, are based on the data that the animal-specific poison control hotlines have collected from reported cases. To highlight that these are reported cases is important, because not every case of toxicity makes it to the vet, and not everyone that does go to the vet is called into the animal poison control hotlines. So the actual toxic doses could be even lower, and dogs with certain pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, hepatitis, and others) are likely to be even more sensitive to the toxic effects of xylitol.

  

The gaining popularity of xylitol as an ingredient in a growing number of products (incl. gums, mints, chewable vitamins, and many others) highlights the importance of reading ingredient labels, as well as the danger of assuming that what's safe for you, or even your kids, is also safe for your pets.

Below are their current packaging label (from their website) and their website FAQ on xylitol.

Product Description

In the meantime, please learn more about the danger xylitol poses to dogs and the range of products xylitol is commonly found in. And since awareness is truly crucial to helping people avoid xylitol toxicity in dogs, please share what you’ve learned here with your dog-owning and dog-loving friends and family.

If you think your dog has eaten xylitol. Please contact a pet poison control hotline away and they'll be able to guide you as to what to do next.

Two People Are Recovering from Recent Raccoon Attacks in Fairfax County

Springfield, Virginia  - Authorities are warning residents of possible rabid raccoons after two people are recovering from recent attacks in Fairfax County.

Raccoon tracks are still visible along a creek nearby South Run Rec Center where a 75-year-old woman was attacked during her morning walk. Officials said she stopped to take a photo of the animal and it charged at her.

“It bit her severely on her right leg and it attacked both of her hands and her forearms,” said Fairfax County Animal Control Sgt. Mary Zambrano.

Her bloody handprints mark the railing along the footbridge. The raccoon eventually ran off and two joggers came to her aide. An ambulance took the victim to the hospital to be treated for rabies exposure.

“If there is an animal that is vocalizing, whether it is whimpering, crying, that is wet or heavily matted, that might have an obvious injury or bite wound, a lot of times they will act like they are drunk and disoriented and they will stagger around -- those are classic symptoms of an animal that might have rabies,” said Sgt. Zambrano.

The attack happened on the trail not far from the Lee Chapel Road overpass between Burke Lake and South Run parks where children play just steps from the woods.

The trail has been closed to the public, but we saw some bike riders and joggers ignoring the signs notifying people of the closure.

“I've been running on this trail for about ten years and this is the first time I have ever seen this happen,” a resident told us. “I have never seen the trail closed.”

Just a few miles away in the Kings Park area, a man out gardening on Sunday was viciously attacked by a raccoon which later tested positive for rabies.

While it is not uncommon to spot raccoons, even during the daytime, residents are asked to look for signs that any area wildlife may be sick.

“They are attracted to movement and to noise,” said Zambrano. “If you have the ability to take a big step back and turn and run, you definitely want to get away from the animal. But if it is right there at your feet … you can use your shoes to protect yourself and kick it away from you and leave as quickly as possible.”

Falls Church has also issued a rabies alert after a spike in raccoon attacks in the city. Police say a rabid raccoon was euthanized after an attack on two dogs on June 4 in the 100 block of E. Jefferson Street.

For more information about rabies and what to do if an animal bites you, go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/rabies.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Second Chances Program is Pairing Inmates with Horses at Correctional Facilities in Nine States

More and more, animal therapy is proving an incredible outlet for the psychological and physiological betterment of people from diverse walks of life.

For instance, we recently reported a story about a documentary called Castaways that chronicles the rehabilitation program of unwanted dogs who are paired with prison inmates. There’s no question of the lasting effect that that two have on each other by the end of their program — but similar programs with different animals are also successful. The ranch below is one such example.

Much like the dogs of the aforementioned program, the horses at Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation are castaways of their own — former racing horses from many different backgrounds who, for any number of reasons, were no longer of use to their breeders. ABC News reports that a program called The TRF Second Chances Program is pairing inmates with horses at correctional facilities in nine states. Equine therapy has long been proven effective for victims of trauma and PTSD, as well as for people with unique physical therapy needs. But it’s benefits at Second Chances yield something else entirely. “While TRF Second Chances began as a vocational program,” says its website, “it wasn’t long before other benefits of the program were realized; inmates not only learned a viable skill but also gained confidence and a sense of empathy. Studies have shown a reduction in recidivism rates at facilities that host the program.”

“It taught me patience,” says Jose Sotomayor from the Bronx, NY. “Now I look at things differently. I’m more calm. I think things through. It keeps me out of trouble.”

Peregrines Are Nesting in Cities from Coast to Coast in the United States

Peregrines nest in towns and cities from coast to coast in the United States. The urban locations make the birds easier to watch, which leads to an abundant supply of photos and videos as the puffy progeny come out of their shells each spring.

Peregrines, like bald eagles, nearly went extinct during the mid-20th century because of exposure to the pesticide DDT. By the time the species was given federal endangered species protection in the 1970s, there were just 324 known nesting pairs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Today there are 2,000 to 3,000 pairs, according to the agency, which took the species off the federal endangered species list in 1999.

Wildlife officials around the country continue to monitor the birds, however. Many cities make special efforts to manage local peregrine nesting sites, providing special structures and banding baby birds for future tracking. Partly this is good public relations, but with peregrine numbers still relatively low, the extra attention also helps biologists keep tabs on the health of individual birds as they grow up and find mates of their own.

This new peregrine family includes one baby male and three baby females. They live in a special nesting box set 215 feet up a tower of the Marine Parkway Bridge in New York City. City and state wildlife officials recently banded the chicks so they can be tracked as they mate and raise their own families.

Peregrine falcons have endangered species status in New York state.

In Lowell, Massachusetts, last week, a peregrine named Merri flew over the head of a staffer from the Massachusetts fish and wildlife agency, who had just returned her newly banded chicks to their nest.

This falcon family’s home is a rooftop nesting box atop the 18 story tall Fox Hall, a dormitory on the University of Massachusetts–Lowell campus.

One of Merri’s chicks, newly banded and ready for its close-up. UMass regularly posts video streams and status updates on this falcon family.

Merri has been raising chicks at Fox Hall for 10 years, according to the university.

These downy peregrine babies—two males and two females—are nesting 693 feet above sea level atop New York City’s Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which manages the city’s river crossings, 12 peregrine babies are in residence this season on three of the city’s bridges.

Foxtail Grass Dangerous for Your Pets

You know to keep your dog away from chocolate, onions, and skunks. But there are a number of threats to your dog that you may not even know about. One of these looks totally innocuous and innocent, but it can actually cause terrible problems, even death. Foxtail grass.

Foxtail grass flourishes in all but 7 states (Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia), and can be found just about anywhere you find grass. It looks innocent, even pretty in a lot of ways, but it is one of the worst things your dog can get into. Why is it so terrible? The seeds of the foxtail are easily disturbed and can be inhaled by your pup, or work its way into their ears, feet, and mouth. The seeds don’t look like much, but their barbs make them deadly.

Foxtail seeds are barbed, allowing them to burrow, and trying to remove them is near impossible. If you run your finger against the grain on a seed, you will feel how vicious and effective the hooks are. When a seed begins to burrow, it does not stop unless it hits something it can’t move through, such as bone, or until it works its way out of the skin. This leave a hollow trail from entry to exit that is unbelievably difficult to repair. Seeds have been known to burrow into a dogs brain through the nasal passages, and to puncture organs in their ceaseless journey.

If your dog begins to sneeze constantly and violently, it can be a sign that your pup inhaled some seeds. Vomiting or painful coughing can be an indication that they swallowed seeds and are trying to dislodge them. Seeds can also make their way into ears, genitalia, and eyes. If you see your dog constantly licking or scratching any of those areas, or see redness and discharge from their eyes, be sure to take them to you vet immediately! The seeds can be impossible to remove if they burrow too far in, so the faster you get them to your vet, the better chances they have to remove the offending fauna.

Make sure to keep an eye out for Foxtail grass when you’re out walking this summer, and make sure to keep your loved one out of it at all costs! Help others protect their pets by sharing this information as much as possible. You never know when it could save a dog.

New York Service Dog is Now Being Hailed a Hero: Jumps In Front of Bus for Blind Owner

A New York service dog is now being hailed a hero after saving his blind owner from an oncoming mini school bus.

The Brewster, New York, school bus was carrying two kindergartners to St. Lawrence O’Toole Childhood Learning Center when the service dog, Bigo, became alert. The driver reportedly didn’t see Bigo and his owner, Audrey Stone, crossing the road on Monday morning, so Bigo leapt into action.

“I don’t know if [the driver] thought [Stone] was going to move faster, but it looks like the dog tried to take most of the hit for her,” Paul Schwartz, a manager at the Xtra Mart gas station near the intersection where Stone was hit, said.

When Schwartz reached the scene of the crash, Stone’s head was bleeding and she was complaining about pain from her hip. In photos, the driver’s side wheel and intersection of the accident are covered in dog fur.

“There were 15 EMTs and people all around her and the dog didn’t want to leave her side,” Shwartz said. “He was flopping over to her and she didn’t want him to get away from her, either. She kept screaming, ‘Where’s Bigo? Where’s Bigo? Where’s Bigo?’ We kept telling her he was fine.”

Schwartz added that Bigo was a good sport as EMTs bandaged his right leg. He never barked or yelped, but simply allowed the EMTs to work without complaint. However, Bigo appeared lost once Stone was pulled away in the ambulance, Schwartz noted.

Bigo was taken to the vet in a fire truck, where he underwent surgery on his leg. Stone is also currently being treated.

The driver of the bus has since been given a summons for failing to yield to a pedestrian.

  

Plumber Pulls Live Iguana from Toilet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Home

A Florida woman says she was having trouble flushing the toilet in her Fort Lauderdale home this past weekend. After failing to plunge the problem out, she called for professional help.

"I've never seen anything like this before," plumber Alisa Scott told ABC affiliate WPLG-TV. "This is the first time I pulled something like that out of a toilet."

Scott says she used her tools to reach far down into the toilet. What she began to pull out was still alive.

"To my surprise, I pulled out that large iguana," Scott said. "At first I thought it was a toy, and then it started moving around."

Iguanas are common in that part of Florida, but they aren't commonly found inside your plumbing.

Homeowner Lily Lindquist was sad when the iguana later died, she told WPLG-TV, but that's not the only reason she doesn't want something like this to happen again. She believes the iguana got into her home through a vent on her roof. She's now making it a priority to close off those vents to prevent another toilet surprise.

"I don't want to be there when an iguana flies out of the toilet or an iguana bites me when I'm trying to go to the bathroom," Lindquist told WPLG-TV.