Please reach out if you can help. I don't want them to go to a shelter. I only have until tomorrow September 14 at 5 pm.
Craigslist ad link: Someone to help and keep my dogs (Washington)
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Wednesday, September 14, 2016
URGENT! Homeless Veteran – Served His County Now Needs Your Help – Someone to Adopt His Lab Mix Dogs Before They Go to Shelter Today
Please reach out if you can help. I don't want them to go to a shelter. I only have until tomorrow September 14 at 5 pm.
Craigslist ad link: Someone to help and keep my dogs (Washington)
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Last Chance Animal Rescue: Join Us This Saturday, September 17 at Our Puppypalooza – Petsmart, Columbia, Maryland
WHAT: Puppypalooza
WHEN: Saturday, September 17, 2016
TIME: 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Petsmart
9041 Snowden Square Drive
Columbia, MD 21045
Check out our adoptable dog album: Adoptable Dogs
Puppies, kittens, dogs and cats available. Same day adoption. All pets spayed/Neutered. Up-to-date on age appropriate vaccines. Volunteer at the event: volunteer@lastchanceanimalrescue.org or 301-885-8538.
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Orangutan Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Animal care staff believe that Batang had successfully conceived Feb. 2, based on a human pregnancy test. They confirmed pregnancy with a subsequent ultrasound. The Zoo announced Batang’s pregnancy June 14 through a Facebook Live broadcast of one of her ultrasounds. Over the past 12 weeks, the Zoo has provided weekly updates on Batang on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #OrangutanStory and will continue to share behind-the-scenes photos and videos as news breaks.
“Each and every birth of a critically endangered species is significant, but it is all the more exciting and this is a historic moment for our Smithsonian’s National Zoo,” said Meredith Bastian, curator of primates and member of the Orangutan SSP Steering Committee. “I am very proud of Batang and my team. Ever since we received the breeding recommendation, they have dedicated themselves to preparing Batang for motherhood. I look forward to watching the infant experience everything for the first time—especially meeting the other orangutans and going outside for the first time with Batang.”
For the past three years, keepers have been acclimating Batang to the experiences of motherhood and training her to care for an infant. Building upon behaviors Batang has learned through routine training sessions, keepers have trained Batang to hold a baby upright, present it to keepers for bottle feedings and place the baby in a specially designed box when asked. This training enables staff to retrieve the infant if medically necessary and evaluate its health in a way that is safe and not stressful for the animals.
To read more on this story, click here: Orangutan Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
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Tuesday, September 13, 2016
A Rare Case of Cooperation in Washington
In February, animal control officers in Washington, D.C., visited a home that had more than 20 dogs—from adults to newborns to 3-month-old puppies—who had all been exposed to parvo. The officers brought them to an animal welfare organization’s veterinary clinic in Northeast D.C.
It wasn’t an unusual protocol, but this time, the process moved exceptionally quickly. Officers didn’t have to wait and figure out if the clinic could take the animals. They brought them right in, and staff were treating the dogs within 45 minutes.
To read more on this story, click here: A Rare Case of Cooperation in Washington
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Many Strays Are Lost Pets Who Were Not Kept Properly Indoors or Provided with Identification
We hope it never happens to you, but every year, many dogs get away from even the most attentive and loving owners. Prevention is key to avoiding this heartbreaking scenario. Read on to learn the most common reasons dogs run away, and how to keep your own beloved pet safe.
Easy Dog Escape Routes
“As a species, the majority of dogs are curious and want to be active and explore and discover.”
Of course, on a lovely spring day, it’s nice to fling open the windows and doors and let in the cross-breeze. Just make sure those windows have secure screens or security bars, and put up a baby gate or barrier to keep your dog from springing out the open door.
It’s also a good idea to supervise your dog in the yard, and periodically check the fence for holes or weak spots.
On the Chase
Nature Call
Of course, supervision and secure fencing can prevent a runaway hound. But the easiest “fix” of all is to have your dog spayed or neutered ASAP! According to the Dumb Friends League, “Studies show that neutering will decrease sexual roaming in about 90 percent of the cases.” Once your dog’s hormones chill out, they’ll be far less likely to go chasing neighborhood tail.
“Studies show that neutering will decrease sexual roaming in about 90 percent of the cases.”
The timeline for having your dog fixed is somewhat flexible; most vets agree that dogs can be spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks, but some recommend waiting until a dog is six months or older to allow for full development. Learn more here, and if you make the decision to hold off on having your puppy fixed, you’ll want to be extra-careful about letting them roam unsupervised.
Boredom
Exercise. At least one good walk during the day (the duration and intensity of a “good walk” will vary depending on your dog’s age and activity level) can help calm your dog and set them up to relax while you’re out of the house.
Enrichment. Give your dog’s brain a workout with puzzle toys and games.
Entertainment. A lonely dog is more likely to become bored and seek greener pastures. Keep your dog active and engaged with lots of socialization. For some dogs, this may simply mean spending some quality couch time together at the end of the day. If you have a higher-energy pup, consider doggy playdates or trips to the park to burn off the blahs.
A note of caution about yard time: of course, a yard can be a great tool for exercising, enriching, and entertaining your dog! Just remember to limit yard time to when you’re home and can supervise your dog (and double-check those gate latches).
Scary Sights and Sounds
The main culprit? Fireworks!
Loud noises, bright lights, and big crowds can frighten even the happiest dog. Of course, you should go ahead and celebrate holidays with family and friends. But for your dog’s safety, consider keeping them securely indoors at home while the party rages elsewhere.
Scary sounds and sights aren’t limited to holidays. Thunder, gunfire, and car accidents can all send a scared dog running. If your dog spooks easily, there are several simple things you can do to keep them secure throughout the year:
When outdoors, secure your dog with a well-fitted collar and leash (you may even want to use a back-up collar or harness if you anticipate being in an environment with potential fear triggers). Scared dogs can back out of loose collars, which explains why so many strays are found without collars.
Work on recall training every chance you get! A panicked dog may not respond to her name, but the more you can make her recall reaction instinctual, the easier it will be to call her back.
Create a “safe space” or den for your dog at home (a crate or room with a closing door is perfect). Keep your dog indoors during thunderstorms and loud celebrations, and be sure doors and windows are secure and locked.
Try a ThunderShirt or other calming device to help soothe your dog in stressful times.
As curious as dogs can be, they’re also social animals who love to stick by their people. With a little foresight and prevention, you can keep your dog safe at home.
If the unimaginable happens and your dog does run away, don’t panic. As the ASPCA notes, over 500,000 lost dogs are reunited with their families each year. Keep your dog’s ID tags and microchip information up-to-date, and consider investing in new technology to track missing pets.
A little preparation can go a long way towards a happy ending for you and your four-legged best friend.
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Monday, September 12, 2016
Humane Society of the United States Offering $5K Reward In Gruesome Killing of Cat in Elkton, Maryland
On September 7, 2016, authorities say a cat was found burned to death in an apartment complex in Hollingsworth Manor in Elkton, Maryland.
Investigators believe it was severely tortured and then set on fire.
“It is absolutely horrific to imagine someone intentionally and viciously harming an innocent cat in this way,” said Emily Hovermale, The HSUS’ Maryland state director. “Whoever would commit such a crime is clearly a dangerous person, and we are hopeful that this reward will bring forward anyone with information about this heinous crime.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Cecil County Animal Services at 410-441-2040.
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Feds Want to Shrink the Range of Endangered Red Wolves in N.C.
An estimated 45 to 60 wolves – down from more than 100 in recent years – now roam five counties of northeastern North Carolina, much of it private land. Under the proposal, they would be limited to federal land in Dare County, in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Dare County Bombing Range.
The change would take effect by the end of 2017 after further studies and public comment. Conservation groups quickly condemned the proposal Monday.
Wolves on private property would be removed and made part of a captive wolf population, which now numbers about 200 animals. The captive wolves include only 29 breeding pairs, which is not enough to sustain the population, the agency says.
The service will identify potential new sites to release wolves into the wild by October 2017. Coastal North Carolina is now the only place where they run wild.
The wolf recovery program has been hailed as ground-breaking for saving animals that were declared extinct in the wild in 1980. But wolves in recent years have faced a backlash, including growing numbers shot to death and mounting pressure from landowners to keep them off private property.
To read more on this story, click here: Feds Want to Shrink the Range of Endangered Red Wolves in N.C.
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Shanthi, a 41-Year-Old Asian Elephant at the National Zoo Gets a New Pair of Boots
That’s the situation that Shanthi, a 41-year-old Asian elephant at the National Zoo, finds herself in. Shanthi suffers from arthritis, which can make getting around painful. It’s also led to problems in her front feet, including cracks in her toenails and lesions on her skin.
Actually, they’re more like boots, custom made for Shanthi in about a size 20, with an EEEEEEEEEEEE width. Sitting on a table in a staff room in the zoo’s Elephant Community Center recently, a single boot resembled a rubberized birdbath.
When Shanthi wears the boots, said elephant keeper Deborah Flinkman, “She looks like she’s going off-road.”
Elephants have five toenails on their front feet and four (usually) on their back feet. An elephant foot can be close to 20 inches across when it’s resting on the ground, six inches smaller when it’s lifted up and the weight is off it.
“We put a lot of attention into elephant feet,” said Tony Barthel, curator of the zoo’s Elephant Trails and Cheetah Conservation Station exhibits. “It’s one of the things we can do to help ensure that they’re healthy.”
That foot care includes regular inspections, pedicures and occasional X-rays.
Shanthi’s arthritis has caused her to lean forward on her feet, stressing them. Zoo veterinarians needed to treat the arthritis with injections and apply topical treatments to Shanthi’s troubled nails and skin. They also needed to keep debris out of the fissures in her feet.
This all posed a challenge, especially keeping the medication on long enough to work. Elephants are intelligent and curious, with dexterous trunks well-suited for unwrapping bandages. Boots had been used successfully at other zoos, so the National Zoo decided to give them a try.
There is no Brannock device for elephants, that metal contraption humans step in to measure the length and width of their footsies. Instead, the Smithsonian’s 3-D Digitization Program produced scans of her feet that were sent to Teva in California.
The footwear company already had experience with interesting custom jobs. It made a pair of elephant shoes in 2004 and in 2011 created a tiny sandal for the Santa Barbara Zoo, where a Humboldt penguin named Lucky had an impaired foot.
“There’s not a tremendous amount of feedback that comes back from the animals,” said Chris Hillyer, director of innovation for Deckers Brands, which owns Teva. “But the reality is, all the principles we use in making good footwear for humans is absolutely applicable, from the standpoint of traction, durability, drainage and fit.”
Chris flew to China to oversee construction of the shoes, which Teva donated to the zoo gratis.
(A local outfit also made some custom boots for Shanthi before the zoo settled on the Tevas. Joe Stern, of Cobbler’s Bench in Landover, Md., fabricated a pair that was hardened with the spray-on lining used for truck beds. Joe finished them off with red soles to make them resemble high-end Christian Louboutin pumps. Shanthi seems to prefer the more casual Tevas.)
What does Shanthi think of wearing shoes?
At first, Tony said, it was like when you “put a sock on a dog and they don’t know how to walk. She did a little bit of that. . . . She was very careful about how she walked. That was an important part of the learning process.”
Now Shanthi takes the boots in stride.
The arthritis treatment seems to be working. The swelling in her left foot has eased. Keepers have to stuff some foam in the boot to make it fit — elephant orthotics — and Shanthi is more mobile and unafraid to amble down the steep incline into the pools, where she plays and rolls around.
“We’ve given her a good quality of life and improved her level of comfort,” said Don Neiffer, the National Zoo’s chief veterinarian.
On a recent afternoon, Deborah the elephant keeper knelt at Shanthi’s feet, separated from the elephant by widely-spaced bars. The world’s largest land mammal can be dangerous, after all.
“If she stood a foot away, I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Deborah said.
But Shanthi was standing up close, encouraged by Deborah’s calm patter and light touch — and by the apple-flavored fiber biscuits Deborah offered.
At just the tap of Deborah’s finger on a gnarled gray toe, Shanthi lifted her left foot. Deborah slid a boot under it, and Shanthi stepped down.
“Perfect,” Deborah said. “What a good girl.”
She sealed the Velcro closure, cinched the webbing at Shanthi’s ankle and then said “Over,” asking the elephant to rotate 180 degrees and present her right foot. This Shanthi did, pausing only to lazily grab some hay with her trunk.
Shanthi lifted her right foot, then, like Cinderella after the ball, gingerly stepped into the boot.
I’ve seen parents have more trouble getting their squirming toddler into a pair of sneakers.
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