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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Three Bald Eagles Found Sick in a Field in Delaware: Five Other Eagles Have Died


Dagsboro, Del. - Three bald eagles are being treated by wildlife officials after they were found sick in a field in Delaware. But at least five other eagles have died.

Now investigators are trying to figure out who or what is responsible.

The eagles are being treated at The Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, where they are currently in stable condition.

State fish and wildlife officials say a resident reported finding one of the dead eagles on Saturday in Dagsboro, Sussex County - about two hours south of Wilmington.

Not far away, officials say a group of eight eagles was spotted acting erratically.

Sgt. John McDerby of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife explains, "Some of them weren't able to fly, thus seemed to be kind of stumbling and disoriented."

Five of the eagles were captured in a field. Three died on the way to the rescue.

On Sunday, two more eagles were found in Dagsboro. One was dead and the other was taken to the rescue for treatment.

Lisa Smith from the Tri-State Bird Rescue tells us, "This would be unusual. We get about fifty bald eagles a year here for treatment, but we don't normally see cases like this."

Tests have been performed on the birds and the results should be back in a few days. Until then, officials say they'll be trying to figure out what's causing the illness before it affects more birds.

Sgt. McDerby says, "If there's something environmentally out there we want to make sure we can figure out what it is, narrow it down, get it cleaned up and taken care of so we don't have additional eagles that are affected."

If you see any dead or injured bald eagles, officials say to not touch or try to capture them yourself. Instead, contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife. If you have any information about the dead eagles, call the Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources 24 hour hotline at 1-800-292-3030.





                   

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Michael Earl Hill, The Man Who Taped Dog’s Snout: Gets Two Years in Federal Prison


Michael Earl Hill was supposed to drop a family’s dog off at a shelter, but instead, he bound his muzzle and legs with tape, and left him to die in a field.  But the dog, Justice, was rescued (thanks to two other dogs) and is now thriving.  Hill has been sentenced to two years in a federal penitentiary and is banned from even living with animals for 25 years.

Jessica Hems and Adam Esipu gave Hill the $60 surrender fee to take their seven-year-old Patterdale terrier, Nos, to the humane society because their newborn daughter was allergic to him.  But for reasons unknown, he chose to make him suffer and die slowly and painfully.

Thankfully, he was found in a field next to a Canadian Tire in Windsor, Ontario.  On December 17th, Dean Cresswell was walking his dogs when they discovered him.

“I had gone shopping at the Canadian Tire, came out and the dogs were in my vehicle, so I thought I’d give them a little walk,” said Cresswell, referring to his huskies, Bandit and Phoenix.

“For some reason they went down further than they normally do … so I went to see where they were at and I saw the little head poke up. That’s when I saw the little dog.  I don’t want to say too much because I’m going to get all upset again,” he explained to the Windsor Star.

The poor thing had electrical tape bound so tightly around his snout that the swelling almost stopped him from breathing.  Cresswell didn’t have a knife or scissors with him, so he got him to the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society, where he was renamed Justice.

It’s definitely disturbing to see it,” said Melanie Coulter, executive director of the WECHS. “This is just such incredible cruelty for absolutely no reason. This dog suffered a lot and almost didn’t survive.

”Had it been much longer before someone found him, he certainly would have died.  He appeared to have not been well cared for, as he was found to have heartworm and a growth in his mouth.  But WECHS has been working to get him the medical and behavioral treatment he needs.

After Cresswell got Justice to safety, he took to Facebook to find the dog’s abuser.  Within a few days, former owner Adam Esipu was at WECHS to turn in Hill. The man was arrested and charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.  He was denied bail, and was placed in solitary confinement at South West Detention to protect him from potential retribution from other inmates.

Cresswell also started a petition, asking for Hill to be sentenced to the maximum 25 years in prison and given a lifetime ban on pet ownership.  It was presented to the court with over 65,000 signatures.

On Monday, February 1st, Hill entered a surprise guilty plea.  Ontario Court Justice, Micheline Rawlins, who owns a dog given away because of allergies, sentenced him to two years in federal prison, with an additional three years of probation.  He is not allowed to own, or even live with, animals for the next 25 years after his release.

Hill has a long record, including convictions for robberies, assault with a weapon, and domestic assault.  He was last released from jail in 2011.  A few months ago, he found work with Esipu’s father.  Co-worker Fred Doughty said he and the Esipus helped Hill settle into the area.

He had legged it out of the courtroom just moments before.  In spite of the judge’s warning to the teeming courtroom, Doughty lost control and swore at Hill.  He undoubtedly was not alone in his feelings.

“There is no other way to describe this act; it’s a despicable act of depravity,” assistant Crown attorney Craig Houle told the court. As for Justice, he is slowly recuperating.  Because of all the hubbub, hundreds of people have flocked to adopt him.
  
“The earliest would be summer,” said Coulter. “He hasn’t even started his heartworm treatment and that’s a three-month process. We’re not even taking applications at this point because we would end up with this huge list and probably half the people in four months would not be able to take him, or the home might not work.

”He doesn’t get along with cats right now, and he is not “reliably house-broken.”

“We hope that will be resolved by the time he’s ready for adoption,” Coulter said. “But if he’s not, that’s going to eliminate potential adopters. Once we’re at the point where he’s medically ready for a home, we’ll basically look at what issues he may have and what homes will be able to meet his needs.”


                          Jessica Hems and Adam Esipu exiting the courthouse.



                                  Justice in the field where he was found.



He needed treatment for the lacerations caused by the tape becoming embedded in his skin.



                Dean Cresswell outside the courthouse with Phoenix and Bandit.



“It’s a family business. We’re all family. We treated him like family. For him to do this…” Doughty said outside the courtroom, trailing off as tears of rage filled his eyed.



Hopefully some of the hundreds of people who want to adopt this survivor will adopt another dog in need.



                             Justice, anticipating a treat in his foster home.



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Monday, March 21, 2016

Good Samaritans Bust Dogs Out Of Hot Cars: House Bill 131 Unanimously Passed Both Florida’s House and Senate


Three woofs for Florida, which just became the second state in the country to make it legal for good samaritans to bust unattended pets out of hot cars. 

Tennessee was the first state with such a law. It went into effect last summer.

House Bill 131 unanimously passed both Florida’s House and Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott last week.

The law, which is now in effect, makes folks who rescue pets immune from civil liability for damage the vehicle endures in the course of the rescue. (This immunity also now applies to the rescue of “vulnerable persons,” like kids and adults with mental or physical impairments.)

You can’t go around swinging a hammer willy nilly, though. To comply with the law, a would-be rescuer has to first alert the authorities, and stay with the rescued pet (or person) until law enforcement or first responders arrive. You also have to check and make sure the car isn’t unlocked before breaking windows.

We have no solid data on how many pets die every year after being left in cars. The American Veterinary Medical Association puts the figure at “hundreds” — and gives a stark warning about how quickly a car can get perilously hot:

The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, it can rise almost 30º F…and the longer you wait, the higher it goes. At 60 minutes, the temperature in your vehicle can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that’s 110 degrees inside your vehicle!
Your vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness and even death, even on a day that doesn’t seem hot to you. And cracking the windows makes no difference.

Lora Dunn, an attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, tells BarkPost that she hopes other states in this pet-loving country will follow Florida and Tennessee’s lead.
“The Animal Legal Defense Fund applauds Florida for empowering citizens to help animals trapped in a hot car from this immediate danger if law enforcement has also been notified of the situation We encourage other states to follow the example of Florida and Tennessee and help save animals’ lives.”

For those outside of Tennessee or Florida: If you’re concerned about a pet — or person — you see left in a vehicle, and want to stay within the bounds of the law, call 911.

And be sure to bark loudly at your state lawmakers if you want to see a law like this one enacted in your state.

Here’s a frightening (but not graphic) video to bring those points home:





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Your Dog Can Read Your Mind and Knows Who You Hate


New research shows your dog can actually read your mind. 

It goes beyond them knowing it's time to eat or go on a walk before giving a verbal command. They know how you feel about others. Buzz60s Sean Dowling has details.

To read more on this story, click here: Your Dog Can Read Your Mind and Knows Who You Hate


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After Losing His Beloved Dog: Man Devotes His Life to Adopting Senior Dogs Who Can’t Find Forever Homes


Months kept passing after Steve Greig’s beloved dog died, but he still felt crushed. That’s when he decided he should give another dog a good life. But not just any dog. He went to his local shelter in Denver, Colorado to adopt the “least adoptable” senior dog, as these are the ones too often overlooked. Now, Greig is a super busy human dad to his 10 elder shelter dogs and his Instagram is overloaded with cuteness approved by 478k followers.

Each day Greig wakes up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning to make breakfast for his big family. Most of the dogs have different diets. His schedule is filled with walks in the park, vet appointments…and lots of love and cuddles. “Whenever I sit or lie down at a dog-friendly level, there are always at least three or four of [dogs] attached,” Greig writes on Instagram.

“They’re just wiser animals,” Greig told The Dodo. “You kind of know what you want out of life once you become a certain age. These dogs know who they are and it’s easy to develop a relationship with a person or pet who knows who they are. It’s just fulfilling knowing that these guys are happy and loved and well-taken care of. It makes my days worthwhile.”

Greig also has a pig named Bikini, as well as two ducks, pigeons, cats and a few chickens. He has no more room for pets at the moment but he intends to adopt more senior dogs in the future. Because after all, love sees no age.

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Sunday, March 20, 2016

Bald Eagle Update: Second Eaglet, Fully Emerged This Morning at 3:00 a.m.


The first eaglet, which fully emerged Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., took nearly 36 hours to come out of its shell.

Julia Cecere, the publicity, marketing and social media manager for the American Eagle Foundation, said they believe DC3, the initial name of the second eaglet, fully emerged at 3 a.m. Sunday. She said they were able to get some video of all four in the nest Sunday morning.

Photos on Saturday showed the second egg started the pipping process. Pipping is when the outer shell begins to crack due to activity inside the shell.

To view the eagles, click here: Bald Eagle Nest Cam

This is a wild eagle nest and anything can happen. While we hope that two healthy juvenile eagles will end up fledging from the nest this summer, things like sibling rivalry, predators, and natural disaster can affect this eagle family and may be difficult to watch.




WATCH: These might be the CUTEST siblings we have ever seen! Can you believe these little fur-balls will one day be majestic bald eagles? READ MORE ABOUT EAGLET #2 HERE --> http://bit.ly/1WAjDKQ
Posted by Fox 5 DC on Sunday, March 20, 2016

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Friday, March 18, 2016

Bald Eagle Update: Pictures of the First Baby Eaglet Emerging from Its Shell


Washington, DC  - We've been watching...and waiting... and today it happened! At around 7:35 a.m., the American Eagle Foundation Bald Eagle Cam at the U.S. National Arboretum showed us the first pictures of a fuzzy baby eaglet emerging from its shell!

The two bald eagles, affectionately named "Mr. President" and "The First Lady, have been nesting high up in a Tulip Poplar tree amongst the Azalea Collection at the U.S. National Arboretum since 2014.

After first seeing the eggs in the nest last month - a 'pip' or small crack was spotted developing earlier this week which let us know that one of the eaglets was on the way.

The crack turned into a hole yesterday and we could even see the eaglet's beak poking out of the shell.

Officials at the American Eagle Foundation told us that the egg would hatch within 48 hours of the ‘pipping' beginning - and they were right on time.

Still no names for the eaglets (the one who hatched or the one who hasn't yet).


At around 7:35 a.m., the American Eagle Foundation Bald Eagle Cam at the U.S. National Arboretum showed us the first pictures of a fuzzy baby eaglet emerging from its shell! (Video: © American Eagle Foundation)


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Thursday, March 17, 2016

Eagle Update: Signs of Egg Cracking – Watch Now!


Washington, DC -  High in a tree at the National Arboretum, there's a crack in a shell. We know the bald eagles as the First Lady and Mr. President. The couple is waiting to meet one of their babies.

It's not exactly the White House, but they built their home of sticks. The first lady laid the eggs in February. They are the first nesting pair of bald eagles in D.C. since 1947.

The Eagle cam showed us the cracked egg just before midnight on Wednesday, March 16, and it will soon reveal an eaglet.

"Over the next up to 12, 24, or 48 hours, the eaglet is going to be doing everything it can to force its way through that hole, make it bigger, and when it steps out, when it splits out, you're going to see a wet chick, wet eaglet, that's going to take a few days to dry off," said Dr. Richard Olsen, the director of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Unlike labor and delivery, mom and dad don't help the eaglet break free. It's the first step in the survival of the fittest.

A field trip here is like an open text book for kids.

"They are all learning about birds at school. So it's exciting for them to see, you know when they see things in the sky, that we can tell them there's an actual eagle's nest," said Jen, a mom who only wished to reveal her first name.

The public is held back 330 feet from the tree that holds the nest. We learned the eaglets will eat fish from the Anacostia River, brought back by mom and dad.




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