These pit bull owners have something to say: stop
stereotyping us and stop stereotyping our dogs. A new video released by Animal
Farm Foundation shows the real truth about pitties and their families — that
they're just like any other beloved pet.
The video is part of "The Majority Project," an
Animal Farm Foundation campaign showcasing pit bull-loving families who are
tired of hearing negative stereotypes about the breed ... and the types of
people who have pitties.
The following is a script of "The Smartest Dog in the
World" which aired on October 5, 2014, and was rebroadcast on June 14,
2015. Anderson Cooper is the correspondent. Denise Schrier Cetta, producer.
Human beings have lived with dogs for thousands of years.
You'd think that after all that time we'd have discovered all there is to know
about them. But, as we first reported last fall, it turns out that until
recently scientists didn't pay much attention to dogs. Dolphins have been
studied for decades, apes and chimps as well, but dogs, with whom we share our
lives, were never thought to be worthy of serious study. As a result, we know
very little about what actually goes on inside dogs' brains. Do they really
love us, or are dogs just licking us so they can get fed? How much of our
language can they understand? Before you answer, we want you to meet Chaser,
who's been called "the smartest dog in the world."
Eighty-six-year-old retired psychology professor John
Pilley and his border collie Chaser are inseparable.
Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have
escaped from the zoo in Georgia's capital after heavy flooding destroyed their
enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside
Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three
zoo workers, and 10 are missing.
An escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city's main
squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, the zoo said. Some other animals
also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Bears
and wolves are also among the animals who fled from their enclosures amid the
flooding from heavy rains and high winds.
"Most of the escaped animals are believed to have died
in the flood last night or were killed by special forces," Mzia
Sharashidze, spokeswoman for Tbilisi Zoo, told NBC News. "Not many animals
are still on the loose but it is difficult to say how many are still out
there."
It wasn't immediately clear if the eight people were killed
from the flooding or animal attacks. The zoo said one of the dead was Guliko
Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month.
Heavy rains and wind hit Tbilisi during the night, turning
a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river.
The flooding also damaged dozens of houses.
City mayor David Narmania told journalists that eight
people were known to have died and 10 others were missing.
Helicopters are circling the city and residents have been
told to stay indoors except in an emergency. About 1.1 million people live in
the former Soviet republic's capital.
A group of pit bulls will get a fighting chance after cops
rescued them from a Harlem owner who was conditioning them to do bloody battle,
police said Sunday.
A series of 311 calls reporting the dog-fighting den on W.
112 St. at Manhattan Ave. led investigators to 11 malnourished pooches kept in
“terrible conditions” in a cramped basement, cops said.
Authorities executed a search warrant Thursday and also
discovered equipment often used in the brutal dog fights, police said.
“I was very happy to get them out,” said Sgt. Maria Sexton,
an animal-cruelty liaison officer. “There were tails wagging all over the
place.”
Brandon Baez, 41, was nabbed during the sting and hit with
a slew of charges including 11 counts of animal cruelty and weapons possession.
Last year, 5,767 postal carriers were bitten by dogs, up
from 5,581 in 2013, and the most attacks happened in warm and sunny Los
Angeles, Houston and San Diego, said Linda DeCarlo, manager of safety for the
U.S. Postal Service. None of the bites caused deaths.
The cities’ weather draws pets and people outside and doors
and windows get left open, DeCarlo said. The slight rise in bites also stems
from the popularity of online shopping because postal workers must bring
packages to front doors instead of street-side mailboxes, DeCarlo said.
But the biggest victims are children and senior citizens,
who can be overpowered by dogs. Of the 4.5 million people bitten every year,
more than half are kids, said Dr. Jose Arce, an American Veterinary Medical
Association board member.
Bites kill about 16 people a year. Besides the
postal-worker totals, specific numbers on dog bites are lacking because few
people seek treatment. And no one tracks bites by breed.
What Not to Do
Stare into a dog’s eyes.
Tease a dog.
Approach one that’s chained up or injured.
Touch a dog you don’t know that’s off a leash.
Run or scream if one charges.
Play with a dog while it’s eating.
Touch one while it’s sleeping.
Get close to one that’s nursing puppies.
Leave a small child alone with a dog, even if it’s the
family pet.
What to Do
Ask an owner before petting a dog you don’t know.
Let the dog sniff your closed fist before touching it.
Freeze if a dog runs toward you.
Socialize puppies so they are comfortable around people and
other animals.
Use a leash in public.
How Parents Can Help
When the mail arrives, place your pet in a closed room so
it can’t go through a window or screen door to possibly attack the carrier.
Tell children not to take mail from the carrier in front of the dog because the
animal could see it as threatening.
Also, teach children to treat dogs with respect and avoid
rough or aggressive play.
Where Bites Happened
Last year, 74 postal-carrier bites were reported in Los
Angeles, followed by Houston with 62 and San Diego with 47, DeCarlo said.
The LA tally rose from 61 bites in 2013, when Houston was
No. 1 with 63. San Diego moved up a notch from two years ago, when 53 postal
workers were bitten.
The Postal Service didn’t break down the severity of
injuries, but 1,540 bites kept employees from work for at least a day after the
attack, DeCarlo said.
Insurance Payouts
Bites and other dog-related injuries cost insurers $530
million last year, about a third of their paid claims, the Insurance
Information Institute said.
The number of dog-bite claims decreased 4.7 percent from
2013, but the average cost per claim rose by 15 percent because of higher
medical costs and settlements. The average claim in 2014 was $32,072, up from
$27,862.
Oregon City, Oregon - They dove into the cold waters,
emerging with writhing, eel-like fish in hand and thrusting them into nets.
Thus began Northwest Native American tribes' annual lampreyharvest at a rushing, 40-foot waterfall about
15 miles south of Portland.
The jawless, gray fish are a traditional food source for
tribal members in the Columbia River Basin, which stretches from the Oregon
coast to Canada and into Idaho, Montana and Washington. Lampreys grow to about
2 feet long and are prized for their rich, fatty meat.
On Friday, adults, teens and children from the Umatilla and
Warm Springs reservations in Oregon and the Yakama reservation in Washington
crawled over slippery rocks and waded through icy pools to reach the lampreys'
hiding spots. The fish latch onto rocks in Willamette Falls with their round,
toothy mouths.
"Our people have always come here, generation after
generation," said Bobby Begay, a Warm Springs tribal member who drove more
than a 100 miles to the falls from his village of Celilo.
Begay, 46, has attended the harvest for more than 40 years.
He is teaching his children and nephews how to navigate the rocks and where to
find the biggest catch.
"The same fishing holes my grandfather showed me, his
father and grandfather showed him, and I showed my kids," he said.
Lampreys taste best when roasted over an open fire, Begay
said. They also can be dried or frozen for later use. The fish harvested this
month will be distributed to tribal elders and used for ceremonial purposes, he
said.
In previous generations, lampreys were abundant up and down
the Columbia River and its tributaries. Biologists have estimated at least a
million once were crossing Bonneville Dam on the Columbia east of Portland.
But their numbers have dwindled over the past 30 years
because of the dams and toxins such as pesticides. About 20,000 remain, said
Brian McIlraith with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
Willamette Falls is the last place where the fish can be
caught by the hundreds.
Tribes have been instrumental in advocating for lamprey
restoration, and the government has started paying attention. That's because
lampreys also offer an alternate food source for sea lions and other predators
that otherwise would be munching on threatened salmon.
Tribes have received funding and run research and recovery
projects. They truck lampreys past dams and have pushed for construction of
ramps to help the fish navigate the structures.
They're also looking at breeding lampreys in a hatchery,
but that's not the preferred method, said tribal elder Donnie Winishut Sr., who
observed the harvest to assure safety.
"We would rather see them grow in a natural way,"
Winishut said. "It's good to see the young people coming to the falls and
learning our tradition, and I hope they can continue coming here to catch the
fish."
The thumb-sized crustaceans started washing ashore further
up the California coast earlier this year, but turned up this week in San Diego
in unusually larger numbers, officials said.
They’ve washed ashore periodically over the years because
of any number of natural effects, but research scientist Michael Shane of the
Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego cited El Nino as the phenomenon
that might have pushed the crabs up from their normal habitat far offshore.
The result is certain death and nothing can be done to save
the crabs.
“The crabs start to die because the local waters are much
cooler,” Shane told ABC News today. “Local animals have begun to eat the crabs
and they have been found in the gut contents of sea lions, fish, and birds.”
The remaining carcasses will remain on the shore until they
decompose or are swept back into the water.
A fast-rising number of people in the Washington, D.C. area
are suffering dog bites or encountering illegally owned pit bulls, according to
a yearlong investigation by the News4 I-Team.
The increases, which are sharp and sudden, are partly the
result of neglectful owners or people who fail to follow local animal control
laws, the I-Team learned in a series of reviews of animal control reports and
interviews with animal control officers.
D.C. Department of Health reports, obtained and reviewed by
the I-Team, show the number of dog bite incidents in the city has jumped more
than 100 percent since 2007. That increase, from 214 bites in 2007 to 457 bites
in 2013, is raising alarm among some city residents.
The city’s animal and human populations have increased
during the same time span. Field investigators with the Washington Humane
Society, which responds to animal complaints in D.C., report some of the increase
can also be attributed to owners who neglect to follow leash laws or prevent
dogs from straying.
John Fenner, a resident of northeast D.C., said a pair of
stray pit bulls attacked him on a sidewalk in his neighborhood in 2013. He
suffered a pair of bites to his groin. “If you have an animal not on a leash,
not monitored, you cannot actually predict how they behave,” he said.
Prince George’s County Animal Control officials said the
number of stray dogs has plateaued in the county. But the I-Team’s review of
county animal shelter reports shows a 150 percent increase in the number of pit
bull seizures since 2009. Pit bulls are an unlawful breed of dog to own in the
county. Those seizures, up from 192 five years ago to 427 last year, are also
an indication of pet owners who neglect to follow local animal control laws,
officials said.
Rodney Taylor, associate director of the county’s Animal
Management Division, said his shelter in Upper Marlboro houses 30 to 35 pit
bulls each day. “They’re illegal,” Taylor said. “You cannot have them. (This
problem) goes back to the owner.”
In a series of reviews of D.C. and Prince George’s County
animal control operations, conducted over 12 months, the I-Team witnessed a
long series of animal control officer responses to stray dogs and pit bull
calls. In several instances, stray dogs ran free on busy D.C. and Maryland
streets.
A spokesman for the Washington Humane Society said the
increase in reported bites is at least partly attributable to his
organization’s role investigating dog complaints, which began in 2011, he said.
“We’ve heightened the community’s awareness about animal problems,” he said.
“People recognized that we have a structured reporting program.”
During cold winter mornings and hot summer afternoons, the
I-Team spotted animals placed outdoors in yards for extended periods of time.
Those issues of neglect can lead to biting incidents, animal control officers
reported.
The I-Team’s review found the number of animal control
calls has sharply increased in D.C. Animal control officers responded to more
than 18,000 calls in the city last year, a 3,000 call increase since 2010.
The cosmic kitty has garnered a lot of attention on
Instagram, where her human companions, who identify themselves only as
"The Bearded Man" and "The Lady," share photos and videos
of the special feline.
Matilda has a genetic eye disorder that's caused her
enlarged eyes, and she's now blind, her owners wrote on Instagram, but she
didn't always have her alien-like eyes, it turns out.
The celestial cat arrived on Earth on Valentine's Day in
2013 in a hoarder house in a small town, her owners said, adding that they
adopted her from a rescue society that picked her up.
Matilda landed in their home when she was only 12 weeks old
and that she "showed no fear when she met Dog, who was about 10 times her
size," said her owners, who also call themselves her servants.
Matilda was born with seemingly normal eyes, but as she
grew older and bigger, she started having "one squinty eye from time to
time, which earned her the nickname of Quasimodo," her servants said.
After multiple veterinary visits, The Lady said she
contacted the rescue society that Matilda came from to try and solve the
mystery.
"When she heard back from the rescue society there was
a surprise -- they had moved offices and had lost the contact information for
Matilda's servants, and had been trying to reach them for months!" her
owners wrote. "As it turned out, two of Matilda's littermates had developed
a mysterious eye condition, and they had been trying to re-find Matilda."
A veterinary ophthalmologist soon confirmed that Matilda
displayed signs of spontaneous lens luxation, just like her siblings, her
servants said. The specialist explained to them that Matilda's lenses had
spontaneously detached and that she also had a collagen deficiency, which makes
it difficult to heal from injuries and surgery.
The Lady and The Bearded Man wrote they initially decided,
with the veterinary ophthalmologist's support, that they would let Matilda's
eyes "do what they naturally would, and would not intervene with a
traumatic surgery that did not appear to be helpful."
"Lens luxations in cats are real and are usually the
result of other diseases going on inside the eye," veterinary
ophthalmologist Dr. Matthew Fife told ABC News today. Fife, who did not treat
Matilda, works at the Veterinary Ophthalmology Center in Orlando, Florida.
"From looking at her pictures, the main problem, in
addition to the detached lenses, is her glaucoma, which means the pressure in
her eyes is very high, causing the eyeballs to enlarge and stretch," he
said. "It's actually pretty painful."
Matilda's "progressive genetic eye problem"
requires her to take medicine to stay pain-free, but she will
"inevitably" need surgery in the future, according to the GoFundMe page
that has been set up for the starry-eyed kitty. "No matter what happens,
her servants think she's perfect and beautiful," they said, "and will
love and care for her the absolute best way that they can for however long this
little alien is here."
As with people, it’s not unusual for older pets to develop
behavioral problems. While it’s easy to blame these behavior changes on age
alone, they can also indicate underlying medical problems. Make sure your elder
pet visits her veterinarian as recommended, and that you call the veterinarian
to discuss any noticeable changes in her behavior! These can be key indicators
of underlying medical issues that should be addressed.
Causes of Behavior Changes in Senior Pets
Behavior problems can result from changes in your pet’s
routine, illness, disease, senility, or cognitive dysfunction. Any change in
lifestyle for a pet can be stressful, regardless of age, and as your pet gets
older, she is less equipped to adapt to changes in her environment. Sometimes,
simple life changes such as the introduction of a baby to the house, a new
family member, or the absence of an individual can drive behavior change.
Medical and degenerative problems can also cause a behavior
change in your pet, since changes within the major organ systems can influence
behavior in many ways. Diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and endocrine
disorders all influence your pet’s behavior and personality. As your pet ages,
her hearing and sight are affected. Often, this influences their ability to
react, sometimes causing him to become fearful. Additionally, pets, like
people, can become arthritic, which causes discomfort and can lead to
irritability and a change in attitude.
Your pet’s brain is also susceptible to age-related
changes. Degenerative processes in the brain can impact your pet’s personality,
memory, behavior and even her ability to learn. Your pet may show varying
degrees of cognitive function, from minor changes to significant senility.
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Senior Pet
Remember, sometimes small changes in behavior can be an
early indicator that your friend is in pain, is ill, or has a degenerative
disease. These subtle signs should be reported to your veterinarian right away!
In addition, keep an eye out for the following symptoms,
which could be an indication that something is not right for your pet:
Increased drinking/urination
Loss of bladder control (dribbling urine or bedwetting)
Changes in bowel movements or frequent digestive upsets
Dry or itchy skin
Sores, lumps, or shaking of the head
Bad breath or drooling
Dry, red, or cloudy eyes
Coughing, excessive panting, or labored breathing
Lack of enthusiasm for normal activities
Stiffness or soreness
Changes in weightDisorientation
Tremors or shaking
Determining the Cause of Your Pet’s Behavioral Changes
If your pet is showing signs of age-related behavioral
changes, your veterinarian will take a complete history of her behavior and
thoroughly examine her. In addition, your veterinarian may recommend the
following tests to rule out organ disease and other age-related conditions that
could be the cause of the behavioral change.
These may include:
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 vector-borne or other infectious
diseases
A complete blood
count (CBC) to rule out blood-related conditions
Electrolyte tests
to ensure your pet isn’t dehydrated or suffering from an electrolyte imbalance
Urine tests to
screen for urinary tract infections and other diseases, and to evaluate the
kidney’s ability to concentrate urine
A thyroid test to
determine if the thyroid gland is producing too little (in the case of dogs) or
too much (in the case of cats) thyroid hormone
An ECG to screen
for an abnormal heart rhythm, which may indicate underlying heart disease
Preventing Behavioral Problems in Your Aging Pet
Many behavioral issues our older friends have can be
resolved or controlled. Vigilant attention and early detection, as well as
other treatments including medication, supplements, and diets, can help treat
or greatly slow the progression of many disease conditions and help our furry
friends live longer and happier lives.
Nettie Blanco is sporting some fresh battle wounds this
week after a chance encounter with a coyote that attempted to make a meal of
her small 9-year-old shih tzu, Sammy, reports CBS News. Nettie claims that she
had just let Sammy out into the yard when she looked up from the window and
realized the coyote was headed for her dog. She sprinted outside and did the
first thing that occurred to her, which was to hit the coyote square in the
face. The coyote got spooked and Nettie raced Sammy to the vet, where the dog
was treated for bite wounds.
“That coyote had him in his mouth and looked up, because
Sam was laying … and he looked up at me and I just hit him with all my force
right in the face,” she told CBS. “And then he looked at me … and then just
jumped over the fence and took off.”
Any pet owner would like to think they’d do anything to
protect his or her animal in a time of crisis. But Nettie has elevated herself
to a league for which only one other person immediately comes to mind: Carl
Moore, the man who punched a bear in the face. Moore also had defended his
small four legged companion when a bear wandered into his backyard and was
headed for his small chihuahua. But based on his recollection of the events,
that bear won’t be back anytime soon. It’s probably safe to assume the same
applies to Nettie.
“If I could save one dog, that would be my gift to
everything,” she says.
With the competition for jobs fiercer than ever, the
director of communications position at a new start up was always going to be
popular job advert.
700 people reportedly applied for the top position, enticed
by its salary and bonus package.
Yet applicants might have been a little surprised to learn
that they were beaten to the top job by a surprise candidate, a nine-month old
cat.
Bossy the cat put paw to paper, accepting a contract for
the top job as Director of communications at a Romanian company.
Based in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, the start-up
company appointed Bossy, reportedly after a thorough application process.
With a salary of £110 per month (170.46 US Dollar) plus a
healthy bonus of cat food, the nine-month old cat will earn more than some
Romanians working in rural areas.
Catbox.ro is an online store, selling original presents
that can be delivered in less than 24 hours.
Bossy appears to be a blue Scottish Fold cat, known for
their striking orange eyes, lilac colored fur and folded down ears.
It is believed the breed originated from the Scottish
highlands with the cat breed being known as lop-eared.
As demonstrated by Bossy, some Scottish Folds also have a
unique party trick; they can stand up on their hind legs.
Photographed wearing a fetching cream tie and a smart white
collar shirt and black suit jacket, Bossy certainly looks the part.
He appears to be very at home sitting in his new swivel
chair, all ready to make all the tough decisions required as a company's
communications director.
However it would appear employees will have to tread
carefully as with his fierce orange stare, it doesn't appear Bossy will be too
happy with slackers.
Bossy is set for a busy schedule as he will reportedly be
promoting the brand by doing a series of voice-overs for company videos, posing
for brand photo shoots as well as giving his own paw print seal of approval to
over 20 presents a day before they are delivered.
So proud of their latest recruitment coup, Catbox.ro
reportedly collected Bossy for his first day at work in a silver limousine.
Accompanied in the limo by four impressed secretaries,
Bossy looked sharp in his suit, peering confidently out of the window.
Company spokesperson Alexandra Cozac said: 'He came dressed
in a suit like a corporate manager and had an impressive attitude.
'He checked the computer and seemed quite intimidating
particularly because nobody really knew what message he was trying to convey. I
guess it's the first demo and he needs time to settle in.'
As well as his monthly salary, the gorgeous feline will
also enjoy bonuses of cat food worth £37 (57.42 US Dollar) and other unspecified perks.
This cat certainly did get the cream.
Bossy beat off the competition of 700 other applicants for
the top job of Director of Communications at a new Romanian startup.
The Romanian start-up company appointed Bossy reportedly
after a thorough application process.
Bossy appears to be a blue Scottish Fold cat, known for
their striking orange eyes, lilac coloured fur and folded down ears.
Catbox.ro reportedly hired a limousine to take Bossy to
work for his first day of his first ever job.
Never shy with the ladies, Bossy laps up the attention as
he rides to work with four company secretaries.
Putting paw to paper, Bossy the cat appeared only to happy
to sign his first contract at the age of nine-months.
Looking slick in his suit and tie, two female members of
staff attend to Bossy's knees as he gets at home in his new office.
A very pregnant Northern California mom is getting
attention for her quick instincts after her 4-year-old son was bitten by a
rattlesnake. But state wildlife officials say what she did was dangerous.
Jaclyn Caramazza and her family were walking on a bike
trail in Folsom over the weekend when her son Vinny stepped on a baby
rattlesnake, KTXL-TV reported. The snake quickly coiled up.
Minutes later, Vinny’s foot turned purple and began to
swell. Caramazza removed her son’s shoes and found two puncture marks.
Nine months pregnant, this mother sprang into action.
“Mama Bear instinct in me decided to suck the venom because
that’s what Bonanza does,” she told KTXL.
Vinny was taken to an area hospital and is doing well.
But trying to suck out venom with your mouth is a bad idea,
state wildlife officials say.
"That's an absolute 'do not do,'" said Warden
Chris Stoots of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, because of the
risk for the person sucking out the poison of becoming ill.
There are venom-suction devices that help remove the
poison, Stoots said, but few people carry them when hiking.
According to Fish and Wildlife, if possible, a rattlesnake
bite should be washed gently with soap and water. Rinsing with water alone also
will do.
The bite victim should be kept calm and rushed to the
hospital and the wound site should be kept below heart level.
Most snake bites occur when people accidently step on or
try to touch a snake, Stoots said.
Attempt to move or kill a snake, Stoots said, and in most
cases "you'll lose."
Crumbs & Whiskers, Washington DC’s first cat cafe, will
open its Georgetown doors to the public June 20 after a successful Kickstarter
campaign raised twice as much as the owner expected.
Owner Kanchan Singh plans several pre-grand opening parties
to thank those Kickstarter supporters.
Crumbs & Whiskers, at 3211 O St. NW, will have about
two dozen felines in residence at a time, all vetted and vaccinated by the
cafe’s partner, the Washington Humane Society.
Why would you go to a cat cafe?
A boyfriend who’s allergic to cats, stress relief or just
the desire to enjoy a cat’s company without the responsibility of owning one,
Singh’s Kickstarter pitch suggests.
She also says the cats have a much better chance of being
adopted in an environment like this than they would in cages at the Humane
Society.
Singh signed a lease for the O Street space in April and
spent the last two months going through the permit and building process.
The Crumbs & Whiskers Kickstarter campaign had an
original goal of $15,000, and raised almost $36,000 from more than 700 backers.
You can watch Singh’s Kickstarter pitch video here:
