Special Needs Rescue Dog Sent to Boarding After Guardian Injured in Fire

On September 23, a rescued pit bull was saved by his guardian, who managed to keep her wits about her and save his life, despite devastating injuries from a fire in her New York area apartment.

Today, the dog, named "Otto," is in boarding and Cara Handtmann, the devoted owner who saved his life, remains hospitalized for treatment of serious burns to her face, arm, chest, abdomen, flank and thigh. Handtmann and her family are struggling to pay for the high boarding costs and a long-time family friend is hoping that she can help.

Handtmann's friend, Kim, emailed the National Dog News Examiner and stated:

A dear family friend was burnt in an apartment fire in New York a couple of weeks ago. She has been in the ICU/Burn unit ever since and the doctor's won't even discuss a release date because her burns have to heal and she still might have to have skin graft surgery.

She rescued her dog Otto from inhumane conditions a year ago, and now poor Otto has been in boarding since the accident and is costing Cara $60 per day.

Otto has special needs - and because of those issues, he requires boarding that keeps him away from other dogs. Kim described Otto's issues:

When she rescued him he was 20 pounds under weight, he was stained yellow from sitting in his own waste, and he had severe environmental and food allergies along with gastrointestinal issues related to his allergies. He also had severe anxiety and fear, and he was severely leash-reactive to other dogs.

Handtmann has a long road to recovery ahead of her and it is unknown how long Otto will remain at the boarding facility. Handtmann's disabled mother, and her sister, have flown from Oregon to be with Cara as she recuperates - during their stay, their own dogs have been placed into boarding and they are incurring their own daily hotel charges.

Anyone who is interested in helping this family can read more about the situation, and make a donation, at this fundraising site, or, by phoning Petsmart at 212-534-2590 (ask for the front desk and they will put money on a gift card that can be used to help pay down the balance). Cara's mother's dogs, Hank and Lucy, are at Mini Paws in Oregon. Donations can be phoned to 503-681-9393.

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Pit Bull Protects Animal Shelter Workers From Aggressive Dogs

Texarkana, AR - A Texarkana pit bull is being hailed a hero after protecting shelter workers from two aggressive dogs.

The attack happened on Monday when the owner of two female pit bulls surrendered the dogs to the Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Shelter officials say two workers were securing the dogs in a fenced area, when they got out and attacked the men leaving bite marks and bruises on one of them.

That's when another male pit bull named "Hank" got out of his kennel and rushed the dogs.

Hank received injuries to his throat and had to have stitches.

"He has been taken in by the Faithful Friend's Rescue Group. They're looking for support on getting him vetted and looking for a foster home and eventually a permanent home," said Jennifer Jones, Interim Director, Animal Care and Adoption Center.
-Julie Parr KTBS.COM

Hank is six years old and had been abused before coming to the shelter.

He was actually on the list to be euthanized.

Hank will now face six months of rehab before he can be adopted.

The two female pit bulls were put down to be tested for rabies.

The test was negative.

For more information on fostering to adopt Hank contact Sara Caller with the Faithful Friend's Rescue Inc. https://www.facebook.com/PetSitterTXK/

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Touching Photos of Dogs Shared on Social Media Leads to Multiple Rescues from Animal Control

With the help of social media, and thanks to a poignant photo taken by a volunteer photographer, an entire "album" of dogs who were slated to be put down on October 7 in Brighton, Tennessee, have been saved.

The non-profit organization, Paws and Claws Photography for Tipton County Animal Shelter, posted a photo of a young, female German shepherd mix hugging a volunteer, to their Facebook page and the response from those who viewed the image was immediate - shares and comments began to pour in.

The emotional photo was captioned with the following words:

Kennel D2-female-This girl just sits by her kennel door with her face pressed against the door like she is waiting for her owner

Before the dreaded "E-Day" arrived, the page was updated with amazing news for the Facebook page followers:

It is absolutely amazing what all of you have done tonight! Thanks to your shares and generous donations every single one of these dogs will get their freedom ride in the morning! THANK YOU!!!

On Tuesday, an update about the dog who sparked the initial wave of compassion and good will, was shared with those individuals who were clamoring for updates about her fate:

This girl has been taken into the PAWS New England rescue. Anyone interested in adopting her will need to do so through PAWS New England. She is not going to another shelter, but she is going to a foster home.

Paws and Claws Photography for Tipton County Animal Shelter created the Facebook page, which is managed by a group of volunteers, with the intent of increasing adoptions at the Tipton County Animal Shelter through photography - based on this week's amazing accomplishment, their efforts seem to be working.

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Man Convicted of Setting Dog on Fire Found Shot in Buffalo

A man who was convicted of animal cruelty in a well-known case involving a Jack Russell Terrier puppy being set on fire was shot on Monday morning on Humboldt Parkway in Buffalo, New York, October 6, 2014, according to the Buffalo News.

Adell Ziegler, 21, had gunshot wounds to his groin and buttocks, and is in stable condition. Ziegler served a short sentence for the October 29, 2012 animal cruelty incident. A dog, who became known as Phoenix, was set on fire by Ziegler and another man, Diondre Brown, 19, and was severely burned. Ziegler and Brown were arrested in November 2012.

Phoenix recovered and was adopted by one of the Buffalo Small Animal Hospital staff that treated the dog. The puppy was completely covered in burns, with third-degree burns on 30 percent of his body. He required skin grafts. He was reportedly abused in the weeks leading up to the burning.

Ziegler had pleaded guilty and got one year in prison, with another year in prison on a parole violation. Brown, who only got six months and a five year probation was arrested in September 2013 for alleged assault on a female.

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Letting Go of 'Perfect' For a Puppy

I have spent the past three years saying no to my boyfriend, then fiancé and now husband's "Can we please get a dog?" I said it so many times that I just stopped saying it and created a look that communicated the same message. It was not a pleasant look. When I had the energy, I would follow up with "We don't have time for a dog" or "I can't handle any distractions right now" or "Should we really get a dog if we're supposed to be saving for a house?"

To read more on this story, click here: Letting Go of 'Perfect' For a Puppy

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Simon The Pit Bull Has Amazing Eyebrows And An Important Message

It isn't unusual for perfect strangers to ask if Simon the pit bull-boxer mix came by his amazing eyebrows by unnatural means.

"During a visit to the vet with him, I was waiting to be brought back to the exam room with him. A lady walked in from outside, looked at him, stopped in her tracks, looked at me, back at him and said, 'Did you put those on him?,'" says Simon's owner, Stephanie Williams. "I felt like saying, 'That's why we're here; they won't come off.'"

To read more on this story, click here: Simon The Pit Bull

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Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

The husband of the Spanish nurse who was diagnosed with Ebola is denouncing health officials who told him their dog would have to be killed as a precaution.

To read more on this story, click here: Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

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Unlike Dogs, Are Not Small Furry Humans And Do Not Like To Be Petted

“Being held or stroked for too long can be very stressful for some cats,” Cats Protection behavior manager Nicky Trevorrow said. "Space and peace is often what they need. They are not small furry humans."

Those results echoed findings published last year by British researchers that found that cats in homes with multiple felines will often arrange their behavior so as to avoid each other.

However, that study also suggested that cats who live in multi-cat homes are probably more tolerant of petting.

Also, if you die alone in your house, your cat might eat you.

Just get a dog already.

Not convinced? Here a few more reasons why your cat is evil.

More >>>

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Exposed! Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration: Celebrating Cruelty?

For those of us who are familiar with equestrian shows or may even have a knack for equestrian sports, we are accustomed to the posh appearance of fancily clad riders on top of perfectly clipped, athletically built horses.

While there are many different kinds of equine events that can capture the attention of even the least horse-savvy people, one popular sporting event is that of the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration.

To read more on this story, click here: Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration

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Shark Vs Shark: Giant Great White Attacks Another Great White

A vicious great white shark bursts from the water to rip into another shark.

The sensational moment was caught on camera by Adam Malski, 33, as the fish proved why it has the reputation of the ocean’s most fearsome predator.

The 4.8m shark, named ‘Gilbert’attacked the rival fish 50 miles from Australia’s shore. The larger animal survived the encounter but the smaller shark has not been sighted since.  Isn’t this incredible?

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Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog

Some foods which are edible for humans, and even other species of animals, can pose hazards for dogs because of their different metabolism. Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas, others can cause severe illness, and even death. The following common food items should not be fed (intentionally or unintentionally) to dogs. This list is, of course, incomplete because we can not possibly list everything your dog should not eat.


To read more on this story, click here: Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog

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Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Cat

Some foods which are edible for humans, and even dogs, can pose hazards for cats because of their different metabolism. Some may cause only mild digestive upsets, whereas, others can cause severe illness, and even death. The following common food items should not be fed (intentionally or unintentionally) to cats. This list is, of course, incomplete because we can not possibly list everything your cat should not eat.


To read more on this story, click here: Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Cat

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Florida Cat Receives Life-Saving Blood Transfusion From Dog

Who says cats and dogs don't mix?

A Florida Keys cat is back on its paws after receiving a life-saving blood transfusion from a dog.

Buttercup underwent the risky operation at Marathon Veterinary Hospital after vets warned it would take too long to ship cat blood over from the mainland.

The anemic orange tabby, found to have a 7% rather than the usual 35% red blood cell-count, received the so-called xenotransfusion on Sept. 16.

The 4-hour procedure, which has been carried out on just 62 cats in the U.S., saw blood from a West Palm Beach dog blood bank infused into the pained cat.

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Dog's Touching Love Letter To Owners Who Abandoned Him Will Change How You See Strays

If a homeless dog could write a letter to the people who left him on the side of the road, what would he say?

"Never Say Goodbye," a poignant Purina-sponsored short film, imagines the answer. It follows an abandoned shiba inu as he tries to find his way back to the family he loved so dearly and struggles to come to terms with the fact that they might not want him anymore.

To read more on this story, click here: Dog's Touching Love Letter To Owners

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