Did You Know That Kirk Cousins and His Wife Regularly Foster Dogs Whose Lives Would Have Been in Jeopardy Had They Been Left in Shelters?

Washington, DC - We know Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has plenty of skills when it comes to football. But did you know he's also pretty big into playing fetch?

Millions of people will be watching as Cousins leads the Redskins in their playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Among the adoring fans who will be tuning in will be a three ½-year-old wheaten terrier mix.

The dog named Gracie by her new adoptive parents was one of many pets cared for as a foster animal by Cousins and his wife, Julie. She stayed with them for the entire 2014 NFL season.

The Cousins regularly foster dogs whose lives would have been in jeopardy had they been left in shelters. Cousins often posts about the pets on social media and his wife sent FOX 5 photos of Gracie, saying in particular that she was a very tough pup to part with.

Did You Know That Freckles Develop Only on Certain Cats?

Freckles develop only on certain cats, and they don't follow the same rules as human freckles.

Does your cat have freckles on his nose? Some actually get them running down the middle of their nose.

If you have a cat with freckles, it’s good to know a little more about the phenomenon, so here are things you should know about your cat’s freckles:

They’re called lentigo

Lentigo is a genetic condition in your cat that results in dark, freckle-like spots. The spots are either black or brown, and if your kitty will let you touch them, you’ll find that they are either flat or slightly raised. The freckles have clearly defined edges. Each one is as small as 1 millimeter and as big as 10 millimeter. The skin around them is the normal color.

If your cat just has a few freckles, the condition is called lentigo simplex. If he has lots of freckles that crowd together so much that they merge together into larger patches of big freckles, it is called lentignosis profusa (multiple lentigines syndrome). It’s a lot easier to just call it lentigo … or, easier yet, just freckles.

Your cat is probably a redhead

Because lentigo is a genetic condition, it appears to be linked to the genes that make cats have red or orange colors. Freckles can be found on orange, calico, tortoiseshell, or flame point cats, possibly because these varieties all have the orange coloration. Cream and silver colored cats also occasionally have lentigo, though it’s less common in those colors.

Your cat probably has freckles elsewhere

Lentigines (the fancy word for multiple lentigo freckles) usually don’t start on your cat’s nose, but rather on his lips and gums. If you don’t have to give your cat pills or don’t brush his teeth, you might not notice them when the melanocytes started to produce additional pigment on his lips, even though it often starts as early as one year of age.

As your cat ages, the freckles become more widespread, often getting more numerous and larger on his lips and gums. You might even see freckles on the roof of your cat’s mouth. Freckles also spread to other parts of the body, including the nose, where you are most likely to notice them because they’re literally front and center.

As they spread, lentigo freckles might also appear around the edges of your cat’s eyes or on his eyelids. Sometimes you will find them inside his ears and even on the pads of his feet

Newton, now seven years old, has only a handful of very small freckles on his lips in addition to the one on his philtrum. At his age, he probably won’t develop a lot more.

These freckles don’t grow with sun exposure

Redheaded humans quickly learn that their freckles will grow and spread when they spend time in the sun. Lentigo doesn’t work that way, and the freckles don’t appear or grow because of your cat’s exposure to the sunshine. That’s a good thing, because how would you explain to your sunbeam-loving cat that sunbathing is going to give him freckles?

This doesn’t mean you should hand your cat a beach towel and some coconut oil and tell him to go lounge poolside. While sun exposure doesn’t make lentigo any worse, cats can suffer from sunburn. If your cat has freckles on his ears, don’t let him get sunburned ears that can lead to melanoma, because the freckles might prevent your spotting the melanoma lesion immediately.

The freckles don’t hurt

You might wonder whether those spots itch, but unless your cat spends time looking in the mirror admiring himself, he will never know they’re there. As any redheaded human can tell you, freckles don’t itch or hurt. Lentigo is just a cosmetic condition, and it doesn’t require any treatment from your vet.

Lentigo freckles don’t later become melanoma, so you don’t have to worry about it being an early warning sign of anything. If you’re ever concerned about a spot on your cat, especially if it changes in size or becomes raised or tender, see your vet to be safe. To differentiate between lentigo and other conditions such as melanoma, the vet takes a biopsy with a small needle and then sends the sample to a laboratory for analysis.

A Detroit Animal Shelter Will Soon be Offering a Fairly Unusual Pet for Adoption: A Rare Hermaphrodite Dog

Detroit, Michigan, - A dog shelter will soon be offering a fairly unusual pet for adoption: a hermaphrodite dog, which the shelter’s director hopes might provide therapy for transgender residents.

“In my experience I’ve never seen it before,” said Kristina Rinaldi, the executive director of the shelter, Detroit Dog Rescue.

The dog is a silvery-gray pit bull mix named Cody, who arrived at the Detroit-based rescue shelter Tuesday. The dog was listed as a male, but upon inspection Cody turned out to have both sex organs.

Cody also arrived from the city’s animal control facility with a serious case of pneumonia, and was soon moved to an animal hospital for treatment.

The name “Cody” was already assigned to the dog upon arrival. Rinaldi has asked Detroit Animal Control to ask about the dog’s history but hasn’t heard back yet.

Cody is not yet available for adoption, and will have to pass a behavioral test to see whether more training is needed before finding an owner.

And while the dog has both sex organs for now, the adoption process usually involves spaying or neutering a pet beforehand. In Cody’s case both may happen, but Rinaldi said that staff is checking with specialists at Michigan State University to seek further advice.

According to WWJ-TV in Detroit, Rinaldi didn't know of any statistics involving the incidences of hermaphrodite dogs.

The TV station said another case of a hermaphrodite dog was reported in 2013. A Florida woman paid $1,000 for a cockapoo. After buying the dog, she learned that it had both male and female genitalia.

Prior to spaying or neutering, Rinaldi said she would be willing to use Cody at events or in speeches for transgender residents in the hope that the dog could provide any kind of support.

“Cody is still going to live  ... life out like a completely normal dog,” Rinaldi said. “Cody’s going to be a great pet for somebody.”

Secret Service: Man Who Claimed He Was Jesus Arrested…Had Plans on Kidnapping the Obama’s Family Dog, Bo

A North Dakota man was arrested in D.C. this week after a report that he planned to kidnap one of the Obama family's pets, authorities said.

Scott Stockert was arrested Wednesday night at a Hampton Inn near the Washington Convention Center after Secret Service agents found unregistered firearms in his truck, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to authorities.

He allegedly told agents, "You picked the wrong person to mess with. I will (expletive) your world up."

Agents went to the hotel after getting a "be on the lookout" alert from the Secret Service's Minnesota field office about the alleged kidnapping plan.

It's not clear from a court document why Stockert allegedly planned to take one of the dogs, or whether either of the family's dogs were specifically mentioned. The Obama family has two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny.

While being questioned by Secret Service agents, Stockert allegedly said he'd planned to go to the Capitol to advocate for $99-per-month healthcare and to announce he was running for president.

He also told the agents his parents were John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, the court document said.

Agents found an unloaded 12-gauge pump shotgun and a bolt-action rifle in Stockert's truck, which was parked in a lot around the corner at 5th and K streets NW, according to the document.

They also discovered 289 rounds of .22-caliber long-rifle bullets, 71 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and two rounds of .223 rifle ammunition, plus a machete with a 12-inch blade and an 18-inch bully club, the court document said.

Stockert was then arrested.

As he was being transported, he told authorities that he was Jesus Christ, according to a court document. He claimed they could verify his identity on his driver's license, the document said. A North Dakota driver's license identified him as Scott Stockert.

Stockert was set to appear Friday morning in D.C. Superior Court to be formally charged.

Did You Know That Your Dog’s Nose Can Smell Things That Cannot Be Seen?

Did you know that dogs breathe in and out through a different part of their nose? This allows them to experience and process more smells than we could ever even imagine. In fact, their sense of smell can pick up things that can’t even be seen at all. How awesome is that?

Snowy Owl Caught on Traffic Camera

A Montreal traffic camera captured stunning images of a snowy owl in flight over a highway earlier this week.

A series of images were taken on Jan. 3 by a traffic camera over Montreal’s Highway 40, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

The owl appears in the corner of the frame, flies toward the camera and past it.

American Airlines Introducing the First-Of-Its-Kind "Pet Cabin"

It looks like some dogs will be traveling with a little bit more style thanks to American Airlines introducing the first-of-its-kind "pet cabin".

The airline has just announced the offering of their "pet cabins", which has been nicknamed "Cuddle Class" and will allow pet owners to keep their pets in a larger, private space versus being kept in a carry-on under the seat.

The pet cabins have vented doors and will be able to fit a pet carrier to a maximum of 19 by 13 by nine inches if hard-sided, or a little larger if soft-sided. It will be available on select flights between New York and Los Angeles and JFK and San Francisco. The pets will be seated adjacent to their owner's seat and can sit with their owners during the flight or in the cabin.

AA's outside PR firm said, "Each of the two bulkhead First Class suites on the American Airlines A321T at the front of the cabin has an attached pet compartment with vented door where a passenger traveling with his/her pet can place the pet, in its carrying case, for taxi, take-off, and landing. During other phases of the flight, the pet, in its carrying case, can be kept on the floor space of the passenger’s First Class suite. The two berths at the front bulkhead each have a space with a vented door to hold a kennel or carrying case for takeoff and landing."

The same rules the airline has for carry-on pets will apply, along with their usual carry-on pet fee. There's no word on whether the dogs will be treated to free beverages and biscuits.

Washington, DC - Smithsonian National Zoo Has Announced That the Red Pandas Are Back on Exhibit in the Nation’s Capital

Smithsonian National Zoo has announced that red pandas are once again on exhibit in the nation’s capital, after a two-year absence.

For now, male Tusa and female Asa, both 1 year old, will be on display at the zoo’s small mammal house. The ginger cuties will move at a later date into swanky new digs -- boasting indoor heat, air conditioning, new perches, and plenty of quiet -- now under construction for them on the larger "Asia Trail" red panda exhibit.

The zoo’s previous pair of red pandas, Shama and Rusty, were transferred to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) two years ago this month, so they could breed. The couple did produce three cubs in June 2014, but, sadly, Shama died soon after they were born.

Rusty, however, is “thriving” at the SCBI, according to zoo staff. The clever male made a name for himself in June 2013 when he staged a very public, and Internet-viral, escape to the streets of D.C.

While Tusa and Asa will call D.C. home, their species — listed as endangered on the IUCN’s “red list” of threatened species, with fewer than 10,000 thought to remain in the wild — is native to Nepal, China, Bhutan and India. SCBI has long studied the adorable animals.

“We’ve made a commitment to study red pandas,” said curator Steve Sarro in a release, “and we hope that they inspire the public to help us conserve this endangered species and their habitat for many generations to come.”