A Veterinarian Who Saves Ferrets He’s Never Met

When I decided to write a profile about this veterinarian who lives in the Northwest, I knew I’d be writing about someone special due to his reputation among ferret shelters. What I did not know, however, was how incredibly special his unique contribution has been to ferrets — and it still is. He has given the ferret community something vital and something that has probably been integral in helping to contain a disease we all fear in our ferrets: Aleutian disease virus (ADV).

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Making The Medicine Go Down: Giving A Dog A Pill

Can you give your dog a pill? More to the point, can you give your dog a pill three times a day without any stress on you or your pooch? A recent online discussion reminded me how difficult it can be to get some dogs to take their medicine, and I thought it might be helpful to go through some strategies that make medicating your dog relatively easy and stress-free. I’ll list techniques in order of easiest to most involved:

To read more on this story, click here: Making the Medicine Go Down: Giving a Dog a Pill
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Five Things To Do If You Witness Animal Abuse

I assume that most Whole Dog Journal readers are as upset as I am when I see someone treating a dog badly. What should you do when you see someone being rough with their dog? Hard as it may be, I urge you to be calm and take several deep breaths before you act. Then . . .

To read more on this story, click here: Five Things To Do If You Witness Animal Abuse
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The 3 Surprising Ways 'Pet Parents' Are Treating Their Pets Like Humans

Could today's children experience "sibling rivalry" -- with the family dog?

As an increasing number of Americans consider their pets to be like children -- and themselves to be "pet parents" -- the concept of sibling rivalry is taking on a whole new dimension.

According to a 2011 survey by Harris Interactive, over 9 in 10 pet owners (91 percent) say they consider their pet to be a member of their families. It turns out the tendency to perceive pets as family members may even have a biological basis -- a recent study by the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital found mothers' brains showed similar responses to their babies and their dogs.

To read more on this story, click here: The 3 Surprising Ways 'Pet Parents' Are Treating Their Pets Like Humans
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One Scottish Dog Serves to Remind All of Online Sales Dangers

This cautionary tale has a name: Kai. A Shar Pei mix, Kai the dog was recently abandoned at a Scottish railway station. As adoption offers poured in from around the world, authorities began to piece together Kai’s past. Unfortunately, the dog’s original family, who’d rehomed him via a website in 2013, possessed no information concerning Kai’s second owner.

To read more on this story, click here: One Scottish Dog Serves to Remind All of Online Sales Dangers
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Mind Your Moods, Cat Owners

Babies "social reference" by checking out their parents' facial expressions and voice tones when they encounter a new or strange object or event in their environment — then base their own reactions on mom's or dad's. They look to their parents as they wonder: Is it OK to stay calm, or is it time to worry?

Animal behavior research shows that dogs do this, too. It's not surprising, given how closely dogs are attuned to us — as they have been for many millennia. New research posted this month on the website of the journal Animal Cognition shows that cats may participate in social referencing also.

To read more on this story, click here: Mind Your Moods, Cat Owners
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This Sweet Dog Was Finally Adopted After Spending 6 Years in Shelter - Such A Happy Ending

This is the story of Rufo, a dog who — though loving and sweet — just could not get adopted. He was deposited at a muncipal shelter at the age of one. For the next six years he lived in a cage 22 hours a day…but worry not, this story ends well!

Hear more about his sweet story in the video.



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Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim

Grand Island, Neb. (AP) - A Florida woman is suspected of drowning a 2-week-old puppy in a Nebraska airport bathroom so she could board a plane.

Grand Island Police Sgt. Stan Steele says 56-year-old Cynthia V. Anderson of Edgewater, Florida, was denied access to a flight Friday at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport because the puppy was so young and not properly contained. Steele says she tried to conceal the Doberman in her carry-on bag.

To read more on this story, click here: Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim
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Dogs Have 'Inner Compass' When Pooping, Study Suggests

Berlin - German and Czech researchers studying squatting dogs doing their business have found the pooches have an "inner compass" that may help explain how they find their way home over great distances.

When the four-legged friends stop during a walk to defecate or urinate, they tend to do so along a north-south axis, provided the earth's magnetic field is stable at the time, the scientists said Friday.

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They Put Prison Inmates In Charge Of Caring For Shelter Dogs

An inspiring documentary titled Dogs on the Inside shares the journey of prison inmates and neglected and abused shelter dogs at a Massachusetts correctional facility. Together, they build trust and respect as they work towards a second chance at life. As their relationship deepens, the inmates discover parts of themselves that they thought were lost forever.



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Pacific Marine Mammal Center Receives $10K Donation to Help Sick Sea Lions

Laguna Beach, Calif. (KABC) -- Staff at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach released a sea lion, named Holly, back into the ocean after taking care of her for more than a month.

Holly was found in December on a beach in Corona Del Mar. She was dehydrated, emaciated and had parasitic infestations.

But now she is 81 pounds heavier and was able to go back home. Now the focus is on 25 other sick sea lions at the center. The staff said this time last year there were only four sick sea lions needing care.

To read more on this story, click here: Pacific Marine Mammal Center Receives $10K Donation to Help Sick Sea Lions 
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Nearly Two Dozen Cats Seized from a Maryland Home, Then Euthanized Touches Off a Furor

Renetta DeBlase always let her 28 cats roam her old red-brick house in Maryland. The 76-year-old retired book editor didn’t mind the smell of cat urine or the expense of caring for so many animals.

Then one cold night this month, her radiator broke and water gushed, flooding the Hyattsville home. She called the fire department for help. When firefighters rushed in to turn off the water, they saw the cats and reported the house to Prince George’s County animal control.

To read more on this story, click here: Nearly Two Dozen Cats Seized from a Maryland Home
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GoDaddy Pulls Super Bowl Ad After Complaints About 'Puppy Mill' Humor

On the same day it released its 2015 Super Bowl ad online, GoDaddy quickly responded to a wave of criticism from dog advocates and said it would not air the spot on the game. The 30-second ad featured a yellow lab puppy finding its way back home after falling out of a truck, only to find that its owner has used

GoDaddy to set up a website that lets her promptly sell the dog to a new owner. The ad seemed to be an attempt at satirizing Budweiser's highly anticipated "Lost Dog," a follow-up to 2014 Super Bowl favorite "Puppy Love."

But many in the animal rescue community swiftly pointed out that dogs purchased online often come from "puppy mills," and the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy became a rallying point for critics.

GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving responded to the ad's critics on Twitter this afternoon, vowing "we will not air it."
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Meet The Chickens Who Broke Up A Fight Between Two Rabbits (Video)

Rabbits might be incredibly docile and gentle creatures, but as this video shows, when pushed to the limits, even rabbits can be antagonized into a fight. In this video, what might have started as a minor squabble over the last clover flower snack, escalates into a full out fight! In the human world, a battle of this proportion would likely be broken up by the cops, however, we don’t know that human officers would respond to a bunny brawl.

Don’t fear though, two brave chicken cops, who witness this spectacle, are willing to step up and restore the peace. Jumping on the scene, these courageous chickens are able to get the rabbits apart in no time at all. Then, like any good enforcer would, the chickens give the rabbits a stern talking to and a few seconds to cool off. Once the chickens feel the rabbits have truly learned their lesson, they leave them be.

Hopefully the rabbits really try to work out their issues peaceably in the future, otherwise next time the chicken cops will have to use the paw-cuffs!

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