Good Samaritans Bust Dogs Out Of Hot Cars: House Bill 131 Unanimously Passed Both Florida’s House and Senate

Three woofs for Florida, which just became the second state in the country to make it legal for good samaritans to bust unattended pets out of hot cars. 

Tennessee was the first state with such a law. It went into effect last summer.

House Bill 131 unanimously passed both Florida’s House and Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott last week.

The law, which is now in effect, makes folks who rescue pets immune from civil liability for damage the vehicle endures in the course of the rescue. (This immunity also now applies to the rescue of “vulnerable persons,” like kids and adults with mental or physical impairments.)

You can’t go around swinging a hammer willy nilly, though. To comply with the law, a would-be rescuer has to first alert the authorities, and stay with the rescued pet (or person) until law enforcement or first responders arrive. You also have to check and make sure the car isn’t unlocked before breaking windows.

We have no solid data on how many pets die every year after being left in cars. The American Veterinary Medical Association puts the figure at “hundreds” — and gives a stark warning about how quickly a car can get perilously hot:

The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, it can rise almost 30º F…and the longer you wait, the higher it goes. At 60 minutes, the temperature in your vehicle can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that’s 110 degrees inside your vehicle!

Your vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness and even death, even on a day that doesn’t seem hot to you. And cracking the windows makes no difference.

Lora Dunn, an attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, tells BarkPost that she hopes other states in this pet-loving country will follow Florida and Tennessee’s lead.

“The Animal Legal Defense Fund applauds Florida for empowering citizens to help animals trapped in a hot car from this immediate danger if law enforcement has also been notified of the situation We encourage other states to follow the example of Florida and Tennessee and help save animals’ lives.”

For those outside of Tennessee or Florida: If you’re concerned about a pet — or person — you see left in a vehicle, and want to stay within the bounds of the law, call 911.

And be sure to bark loudly at your state lawmakers if you want to see a law like this one enacted in your state.

Here’s a frightening (but not graphic) video to bring those points home:

Your Dog Can Read Your Mind and Knows Who You Hate

New research shows your dog can actually read your mind. 

It goes beyond them knowing it's time to eat or go on a walk before giving a verbal command. They know how you feel about others. Buzz60s Sean Dowling has details.

To read more on this story, click here: Your Dog Can Read Your Mind and Knows Who You Hate

After Losing His Beloved Dog: Man Devotes His Life to Adopting Senior Dogs Who Can’t Find Forever Homes

Months kept passing after Steve Greig’s beloved dog died, but he still felt crushed. That’s when he decided he should give another dog a good life. But not just any dog. He went to his local shelter in Denver, Colorado to adopt the “least adoptable” senior dog, as these are the ones too often overlooked. Now, Greig is a super busy human dad to his 10 elder shelter dogs and his Instagram is overloaded with cuteness approved by 478k followers.

Each day Greig wakes up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning to make breakfast for his big family. Most of the dogs have different diets. His schedule is filled with walks in the park, vet appointments…and lots of love and cuddles. “Whenever I sit or lie down at a dog-friendly level, there are always at least three or four of [dogs] attached,” Greig writes on Instagram.

“They’re just wiser animals,” Greig told The Dodo. “You kind of know what you want out of life once you become a certain age. These dogs know who they are and it’s easy to develop a relationship with a person or pet who knows who they are. It’s just fulfilling knowing that these guys are happy and loved and well-taken care of. It makes my days worthwhile.”

Greig also has a pig named Bikini, as well as two ducks, pigeons, cats and a few chickens. He has no more room for pets at the moment but he intends to adopt more senior dogs in the future. Because after all, love sees no age.

Bald Eagle Update: Second Eaglet, Fully Emerged This Morning at 3:00 a.m.

The first eaglet, which fully emerged Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., took nearly 36 hours to come out of its shell.

Julia Cecere, the publicity, marketing and social media manager for the American Eagle Foundation, said they believe DC3, the initial name of the second eaglet, fully emerged at 3 a.m. Sunday. She said they were able to get some video of all four in the nest Sunday morning.

Photos on Saturday showed the second egg started the pipping process. Pipping is when the outer shell begins to crack due to activity inside the shell.

To view the eagles, click here: Bald Eagle Nest Cam

This is a wild eagle nest and anything can happen. While we hope that two healthy juvenile eagles will end up fledging from the nest this summer, things like sibling rivalry, predators, and natural disaster can affect this eagle family and may be difficult to watch.

WATCH: These might be the CUTEST siblings we have ever seen! Can you believe these little fur-balls will one day be majestic bald eagles? READ MORE ABOUT EAGLET #2 HERE --> http://bit.ly/1WAjDKQ
Posted by Fox 5 DC on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Bald Eagle Update: Pictures of the First Baby Eaglet Emerging from Its Shell

Washington, DC  - We've been watching...and waiting... and today it happened! At around 7:35 a.m., the American Eagle Foundation Bald Eagle Cam at the U.S. National Arboretum showed us the first pictures of a fuzzy baby eaglet emerging from its shell!

WATCH THE LIVE CAMS HERE

The two bald eagles, affectionately named "Mr. President" and "The First Lady, have been nesting high up in a Tulip Poplar tree amongst the Azalea Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum since 2014.

After first seeing the eggs in the nest last month - a 'pip' or small crack was spotted developing earlier this week which let us know that one of the eaglets was on the way.

The crack turned into a hole yesterday and we could even see the eaglet's beak poking out of the shell.

Officials at the American Eagle Foundation told us that the egg would hatch within 48 hours of the ‘pipping' beginning - and they were right on time.

Still no names for the eaglets (the one who hatched or the one who hasn't yet).

At around 7:35 a.m., the American Eagle Foundation Bald Eagle Cam at the U.S. National Arboretum showed us the first pictures of a fuzzy baby eaglet emerging from its shell! (Video: © American Eagle Foundation)

You may be interested in reading:

Eagle Update: Signs of Egg Cracking – Watch Now!

Today Could be the Day! Eagle Eggs Could Hatch – Watch LiveCam!

Eagle Eggs Could Hatch Soon at National Arboretum

Washington, DC – Bald Eagle Nest Cam: Mr. President and TheFirst Lady – Watch Live!

Eagle Update: Signs of Egg Cracking – Watch Now!

Washington, DC -  High in a tree at the National Arboretum, there's a crack in a shell. We know the bald eagles as the First Lady and Mr. President. The couple is waiting to meet one of their babies.

It's not exactly the White House, but they built their home of sticks. The first lady laid the eggs in February. They are the first nesting pair of bald eagles in D.C. since 1947.

The Eagle cam showed us the cracked egg just before midnight on Wednesday, March 16, and it will soon reveal an eaglet.

"Over the next up to 12, 24, or 48 hours, the eaglet is going to be doing everything it can to force its way through that hole, make it bigger, and when it steps out, when it splits out, you're going to see a wet chick, wet eaglet, that's going to take a few days to dry off," said Dr. Richard Olsen, the director of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Unlike labor and delivery, mom and dad don't help the eaglet break free. It's the first step in the survival of the fittest.

A field trip here is like an open text book for kids.

"They are all learning about birds at school. So it's exciting for them to see, you know when they see things in the sky, that we can tell them there's an actual eagle's nest," said Jen, a mom who only wished to reveal her first name.

The public is held back 330 feet from the tree that holds the nest. We learned the eaglets will eat fish from the Anacostia River, brought back by mom and dad.

WATCH LIVE NOW!

You may be interested in reading:

Today Could be the Day! Eagle Eggs Could Hatch – Watch LiveCam!

Eagle Eggs Could Hatch Soon at National Arboretum

Washington, DC – Bald Eagle Nest Cam: Mr. President and TheFirst Lady – Watch Live!

Resources To Turn To If You Are Having Trouble Affording Veterinary Care For Your Dog

If you have a pet there may come a time when you will need to pay for veterinary medical bills, which, depending on the medical emergency or condition, can be astronomical. Pet insurance can certainly help cover some of the costs, if you have it. But there are times when a pet's medical emergency or illness will exceed your resources. In cases such as these, pet owners may face an agonizing choice.

With this in mind, here are some financial resources and options you can look to for help.

RedRover.org

The RedRover Relief program provides financial and emotional support to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations and resources to help victims of domestic violence escape abusive environments with their pets. They also have a program that helps with disaster relief, criminal seizures and hoarding cases.

The Pet Fund

The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care.

The AAHA Foundation

The benevolent arm of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the AAHA Foundation offers the AAHA Helping Pets Fund which works with AAHA-accredited veterinary practices to identify pets in need. Accredited practices may then apply for assistance from the Fund for emergency and non-elective treatment of abandoned pets and pets whose owners are facing financial hardship.

To read more on this story, click here: Resources To Turn To If You Are Having Trouble Affording Veterinary Care For Your Dog

Today Could be the Day! Eagle Eggs Could Hatch – Watch Live Cam!

Washington, DC - The first of the two eagle eggs in D.C. is expected to hatch as early as today.

The American Eagle Foundation said they're "officially on egg-watch alert."

The two eggs were laid in February and it typically takes 35 days for the eggs to hatch.

The parents, named 'Mr. President' and 'First Lady,' are incubating the eggs in a nest on the grounds of the National Arboretum.

The American Eagle Foundation is encouraging people to guess the day and time that the eggs will hatch using the hashtag #dceaglecam.

  

WATCH LIVE NOW!