Adorable Looking Bunnies Are Attacking Cars at Denver's International Airport

Denver, Colorado  - Bunnies are usually pretty docile creatures, so when you see a news story that begins with “Bunnies Are Attacking”, it either brings to mind cheesy horror movies or a terrifying image of cute animals rising up to take over.

But the bunnies at Denver International Airport are just trying to stay warm, apparently, and keep their teeth sharp while they’re at it. Officials say they’re dealing with a massive rabbit problem in the parking lot there now that the animals have discovered warm spots beneath the vehicles. Extended stays in their little hideouts lead to them chewing on the wiring beneath the cars, causing anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of damage.

“I see at least dozens every morning. They go hide under the cars and the cars are warm,” said airport shuttle driver Michelle Anderson.

Airport authorities have taken to some unconventional means to get rid of the bunnies, including sending motorists to local mechanics to have the wiring coated in coyote urine. They say the smell of a predator will keep the little furry guys away. For those keeping their cars in the lot, it’s on their own heads if a rabbit destroys the wiring in their car; most insurance companies won’t cover it, and officials at the airport say that parking permits clearly state they aren’t responsible for damage done to the cars while they’re parked there.




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The HSUS Names the Washington Animal Rescue League one of the Top Ten Emergency Placement Partners of 2012

WARL Commended for Outstanding Dedication to Rescued Animals

Washington, DC - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has named Washington Animal Rescue League as one of its top ten Emergency Placement Partners of 2012. Emergency Placement Partners are local animal agencies that work with The HSUS to provide ongoing care and find permanent homes for animals saved during large-scale rescue missions. There are more than 200 Placement Partners nationwide.

“We are thrilled to recognize Washington Animal Rescue League for its enthusiasm and dedication to helping when animals are in need,” said Michelle Cascio, manager of the emergency Placement Program for The HSUS. “Emergency Placement Partners play a critical role in our important mission to end animal cruelty, and we are thankful to Washington Animal Rescue League for being involved in this life-saving program.”

Twice in 2012, Washington Animal Rescue League deployed their mobile adoption vehicle hundreds of miles to assist The HSUS’ Animal Rescue Team with the transport and placement of puppy mill survivors. In August, they responded to a Shelby, Ohio, property where the breeder surrendered more than 250 dogs. They returned to Washington, D.C., with dozens of Chihuahuas and a few Shar Peis and worked tirelessly to find them all good homes. In September, they deployed to an Edgefield County, S.C., puppy mill and took a number of dogs back with them to recover and find new families.

“We are extremely honored to be named to this remarkable list,” said Bob Ramin, CEO of the Washington Animal Rescue League.  “Being named as a top ten emergency placement partner of the Humane Society of the United States puts the Washington Animal Rescue League in elite company, and we’re very proud that we have earned this distinction.  Our partners at HSUS do absolutely outstanding work and our partnership has resulted in hundreds of  animals rescued from desperate situations and eventually placed in permanent, forever homes here in the Washington, D.C. area.  We sincerely appreciate this recognition.”

After The HSUS removes animals from cruelty situations or natural disasters and provides them the veterinary and other care they need to recover, the organization works with Emergency Placement Partners to help in their long-term placement. As local groups with access to local resources, these organizations provide the animals with continued veterinary care, rehabilitation, and ultimately, placement in new homes. The HSUS has donated equipment for the shelters as a thank you for their dedication to helping rescued animals recover and find their forever homes.

The 2012 Top Ten Emergency Placement Partners include:

• Second Chance Animal Shelter, East Brookfield, Mass.
• Humane Society of Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C.
• Virginia Beach SPCA, Virginia Beach, Va.
• Dane County Humane Society, Madison, Wis.
• Montgomery Humane Society, Montgomery, Ala.
• Southern Pines Animal Shelter, Hattiesburg, Miss.
• SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, Aiken, S.C.
• SPCA of Wake County, Garner, N.C.
• Humane Society of Berks County, Reading, Pa.
• Washington Animal Rescue League, Washington, D.C.

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Do You Know How to Tell if Your Dog is Sick? - Top 10 Warning Signs

Overview
As is the case with people, a dog’s health changes with age. Unfortunately, our pets age much faster than we do.

Symptoms
Regardless of your dog’s age, you play a key role in helping her combat illness and remain as healthy as possible. Remember, your dog cannot describe symptoms to you, but she can show you signs of disease. Awareness of the signs of the most common diseases is one way to help reduce your pet’s risk of being affected by them. It’s a little scary to consider that 10% of pets that appear healthy to their owners and their veterinarians during annual checkups have underlying diseases.1

The top 10 signs that your dog may be ill are:

• Bad breath or drooling
• Excessive drinking or urination
• Appetite change associated with weight loss or gain
• Change in activity level (e.g., lack of interest in doing things they once did)
• Stiffness or difficulty in rising or climbing stairs
• Sleeping more than normal, or other behavior or attitude changes 
• Coughing, sneezing, excessive panting, or labored breathing
• Dry or itchy skin, sores, lumps, or shaking of the head
• Frequent digestive upsets or change in bowel movements
• Dry, red, or cloudy eyes

If your best friend shows symptoms of being ill, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

Unfortunately, you may not always recognize that your dog is sick. Often, even the most well-intentioned dog owners attribute the subtle signs of disease to aging.

Diagnosis/Treatment
Because signs of disease are not always obvious, your veterinarian may recommend preventive care testing as part of your dog’s annual exam.

Preventive care testing often includes the following:

• Chemistry tests to evaluate kidney, liver, and pancreatic function, as well as sugar levels
• Antibody tests to identify if your pet has been exposed to tick-borne or other infectious diseases
• A complete blood count to rule out blood-related conditions
• Electrolyte tests to ensure your dog isn’t dehydrated or suffering from an electrolyte imbalance
• Urine tests to screen for urinary tract infection and other disease and to evaluate the ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine
• A thyroid test to determine if the thyroid gland is producing too little thyroid hormone
• An ECG to screen for an abnormal heart rhythm, which may indicate underlying heart disease

Additional tests may be added on an individual basis. Your veterinarian will recommend the right course for your best friend.

Prevention
Preventive care screening not only helps to detect disease in its earlier stages, when it is most likely to respond to treatment, it also can help you avoid significant medical expense and risk to your dog’s health if an illness goes undetected. In addition, by establishing your pet’s normal baseline laboratory values during health, your veterinarian—and you—can more easily see when something is wrong with your pet. Annual screening is the best preventive medicine!

For more information about preventive testing, contact your veterinarian—your best resource for information about the health and well-being of your pet.

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Dog With Human Face - Looking for a Forever Home

“Dog with human face” isn’t something you hear everyday (unless it’s a photoshopped meme), but when a photo of a dog with soulful eyes hit Buzzfeed recently, it went viral.

Turns out the pup’s name is Tonik and he hails from a kill shelter in Kentucky, where he was rescued by the Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group in Indiana. Authorities there say he’s a sweet-natured boy who gets along well with other dogs, and they’re hoping to find someone to adopt him.

For info on how to meet or adopt Tonik, contact Homeward Bound.

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The World's Longest Cat Dies

RENO, Nevada -  Stewie the Cat, the longest domestic cat in the world at more than 4 feet long from nose to tail, has died.

Stewie was surrounded by family when he succumbed to a yearlong battle with cancer Monday evening at his Reno home, owner Robin Hendrickson said Tuesday. He was 8.

Guinness World Records declared Stewie the record-holder in August 2010, measuring 48.5 inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

Hundreds of fans flooded Stewie's Facebook site with memories and condolences Tuesday. The Maine Coon cat was a certified therapy animal that frequently visited a Reno senior center and helped promote animal welfare awareness with the Nevada Humane Society.

"Stewie was always very social and loved meeting new people," Hendrickson said. "He has touched many lives, and for that I am grateful."

Stewie's full name was Mymains Stewart Gilligan. Hendrickson bought him from a breeder in Hermiston, Ore., in 2005. Last month, he attended the International Cat Show in Portland, Ore.

"He did really well at the show, even though he wasn't feeling totally perfect," said Valerie Horton, the show's entry clerk. "He loved being there because he loved the public. He always did."

Officials for Guinness World Records did not immediately respond to inquiries about a successor to Stewie's record. The previous record-holder, Leo, a 48-inch-long Maine Coon owned by Frieda Ireland of Chicago, died several years ago.

Stewie was diagnosed in early 2012 with Lymphosarcoma, a malignant disease of the lymphoid tissues. He responded successfully to chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free, but the remission period was brief and a vet recently found another, more aggressive tumor on his kidneys, Hendrickson said.

"I knew that although we could fight it, the end was near and so I wanted to simply make him comfortable and let him enjoy the time he did have," she said.

Pictures of Stewie

                                                                                    Stewie as a baby kitten.

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Sharing Thanksgiving with Your Dog

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches many of you are wondering if you can give your dog turkey ...Yes, you can!  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, offering your dog a small piece of boneless, thoroughly cooked turkey, plain mashed potatoes and a smidge of pumpkin pie are not likely to be harmful treats for your dog. Just be sure to avoid giving foods with large amounts of onion or garlic, or any treats sweetened with xylitol, a sweetener that can lower the blood sugar of dogs.

When placing the meat in your dog's bowl, be sure to remove all pieces of bone, and the skin! Just like chicken bones, turkey bones splinter and can cause blockage or perforation of the intestine. Rich, fatty foods such as turkey skin and dark turkey meat are difficult to digest and can cause vomiting and diarrhea in your dog, and in extreme cases, pancreatitis. Dogs and turkey bones aren't a good combination.

If you plan on serving Thanksgiving dinner in your home, it’s probably a good idea to give your dog a special chew toy and put him in a secure room. With so many people coming into and out of your house, your dog may become agitated. Dogs don’t like changes in their routine and may not find mingling with strangers to be enjoyable. There’s also a higher risk of your dog escaping to the outside when there’s so much confusion.

Dogs enjoy the revelry at least as much as humans, with bits of this and that dropping on the floor, and delectable smells wafting around the house. But Thanksgiving mustn't be a free-for-all. Just because we try to pack away all we can doesn't mean our dogs should. And there are certain items your dog really needs to avoid.

Cooked turkey bones can be a danger to your dog. They're sharp, and potentially very dangerous. You may not know a dog has a turkey bone lodged in your dog's digestive system for days. Don't leave plates with bones lying around. Ditto for the turkey carcass. Hungry dogs have been known to run off with the remains of a carved turkey. It can happen in the blink of an eye. You notice the turkey is gone. You notice the dog is gone. With luck, you find their hiding place before anything happens. Put plates in an unreachable area if you can't dispose of everything properly right away.

Onions are toxic to dogs. They can lead to a dangerous form of anemia that may not be detected for days. Make sure your dog stays away from the pearly whites, and yellows, and reds.

keep your pup away from the uncooked dough for bread or rolls. What helps make dough rise? Heat. If a dog eats raw dough, what's it like for the dough in the dog's stomach? Warm. The dough rises in the dog's stomach, and if the dog has eaten enough, the swollen dough can cause pain, vomiting, and bloating -- conditions that can send you to the doggy ER on Thanksgiving.

Remember your dog may become agitated with strangers in your home.

Tips:

• Try to keep all foods pushed toward the back of the counter, prepared and uncooked.

• Feed your dog in their dog bowl.

• Keep trash cans either secured with a tight fitting lid, or under a cabinet.

• Caution your guest on arrival about giving turkey and other table foods to your dog.

• Once the meal is over, place turkey bones in the garbage and remove the garbage bag from the room. It should immediately be placed in a garbage bin where it can't be accessed by your dog.

• If you have guests coming into the home around the holidays this poses many dangers to pets.  A child who does not know how to properly interact with your dog may end up the victim of a dog bite incident.

• As guests enter and exit your home for Thanksgiving dinner this provides an opportunity for your dog to escape.

• If you think someone gave your dog too much turkey or table food, contact your vet immediately. The same is true if your dog got into the trash and ate something he shouldn't have.

Since most vet offices are closed on holidays including Thanksgiving, you should have an emergency contact number on hand. Most likely, this will be the nearest Pet Emergency Center.

Please take a look at the video below:





Please Share, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
The Pet Tree House

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Sharing Thanksgiving with Your Cat

As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches many of you are  wondering if you can give your cat turkey….Yes, you can!  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, offering  your cat little nibbles of a small piece of boneless, thoroughly cooked turkey. Don’t give your cat any thing sweetened with xylitol, While xylitol is toxic and even potentially fatal when ingested by dogs, its effects on cats is unknown.

If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer them raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella  bacteria.

Tips:

• Do not leave food crumbs on plates and make sure all food items are sealed in containers with lids.

• Also place candles where cats cannot knock them over. Never leave a cat unattended in a room with lit candles. He will gravitate to them like moths to a porch light.

• Keep stoves and countertops off-limits to cats. Electric stovetops can be very hot without changing color, and present a serious burn hazard to curious noses and tender feet.

• You may be tempted to put your cats in the garage to keep them out of the way when your Thanksgiving visitors arrive. This is not a good idea for several reasons. Anti-freeze is both attractive and deadly to cats. Anti-freeze and caustic chemicals stored in the garage spell certain disaster if a cat comes in contact with them. Although it may seem like an attractive idea to keep a normally indoor-outdoor cat in the garage over the winter, please keep them in the house. If you need to keep your indoor-only cats away from the festivities, consider a Safe Room.

• Keep trash cans either secured with a tight fitting lid, or under a cabinet. Caution your guest on arrival about giving turkey and other table foods to your cat.

• Once the meal is over, place turkey bones in the garbage and remove the garbage bag from the room. It should immediately be placed in a garbage bin where it can't be accessed by your cat.

• If you have guests coming into the home around the holidays this poses many dangers to pets.  A child who does not know how to properly interact with your cat, may end up getting scratched.

• Sage (Salvia species) is considered to be edible in small amounts. However, it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and even central nervous system depression if eaten in large quantities.

• Cats are sensitive to the effects of essential oils. Keep your cat away from the sage, if  you are cooking with this while preparing your Thanksgiving dinner.

• As guests enter and exit your home for Thanksgiving dinner this provides an opportunity for your cat to escape. Your cat may become agitated with strangers in your home. To your pet the holidays are a confusing mix of noise, people, strange sights, sounds and smells. Make sure your cat or dog has his own space, either a crate or a separate room, to retreat to when it all becomes overwhelming. You and your pet will be happier for it.

• If you think someone gave your cat too much turkey or table food, contact your vet immediately. The same is true if your cat got into the trash and ate something he shouldn't have.

Since most vet offices are closed on holidays including Thanksgiving, you should have an emergency contact number on hand. Most likely, this will be the nearest Pet Emergency Center.

Please take a look at the video below:




Please Share, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
The Pet Tree House

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Paperboy Terrorized and Trapped in a Tree by a Goat

Smithfield, Cache County, Utah – It started as a report for a missing child, but he was found after police got a report of a goat that had chased a teenage boy up a tree.

He may have a villainous name, but 1 ½-year-old Voldemort is a nice goat, his owner said.

“He’s really happy and plays with the kids,” Marissa Benson said. “I’ve never had him chase my kids.”

She and her two kids have owned Voldemort since he was two days old. He is a fainting goat, which means he’s narcoleptic and will fall asleep when scared. But Tuesday morning he put the fear in someone else.

Fourteen-year-old Jaxon Gessel was on his early morning paper route when the chain holding Voldemort broke. The goat made its way across Smithfield's Main Street under cover of darkness.

Gessel said the early morning dark made it difficult to make out the creature as it approached him near 300 South and Main Street. He didn’t think much of it, figuring it was a dog because he sees dogs all the time on his route.

“Then it made a weird noise, kind of like a grunting noise,” he said. The shadowy figure started coming at him. “I’m like, ‘What the heck is that?’”

He said Voldemort head-butted him off his bike. He tried to get away by jumping back on his bike, but the goat tackled him.

“It just freaked me out when it stood up on its hind legs and just wrapped its front legs around me and pulled me off,” he said.

The teenager took shelter in a tree. Whenever someone would walk by, the goat would chase after them.

“It had like a collar on, so I grabbed it by the collar to keep it off of the other people because I didn’t want anybody else getting hurt,” he said.

The boy was able to get out of the tree, but was chased right back up. He was up in the tree for about an hour when two little girls walked by and were freaked out by Voldemort, he said.

Jaxon said that brought new urgency to get down out of the tree. He grabbed the goat and chased it down for a block or two.

Meantime, Smithfield police officer Brandon Muir was working a missing child case called in by Gessel’s parents. He hadn’t come home from his paper route and was about 90 minutes overdue. That’s when Muir got a call about a boy and a goat.

Video

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