Coconut Grove, Florida - A South Florida man is fighting to keep his male pet alligator, "Gwendolyn," that he has had for the past 47 years. David Van Buren says he has kept the gator as a pet, and even took his pet to college. "Once he was in the house, he didn't want to leave. I think it took us like three weeks to get him to go back outside. He was on the couch all the time, or in the bathtub," said Van Buren. Now that he's gotten too large to roam around his backyard in Coconut Grove, Florida Fish & Wildlife officials are stepping in to take the 13-foot-long reptile. Authorities received a complaint about the alligator and began to investigate. "Unfortunately, Gwendolyn the alligator is not in the proper caging it is supposed to be," FWC's Lorenzo Veloz offered. Van Buren feeds the alligator pizza and chocolate chip cookies -- Chips Ahoy are apparently his favorite -- and says he'll do whatever he can to keep him. There's no word yet on how long FWC will take to come to a decision, or where they would take Gwendolyn if they removed him from the home.
Take home a new family member on July 23rd during the ‘Clear the Shelters’ event. Adoption fees will be waived at participating shelters. For more information visit NBCWashington. Prince George's County Animal Management 3750 Brown Station Rd, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
A central Vermont company is having some fun with a serious topic: the 2016 race for the White House. The toys are available in caricatures of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Fuzzu, based in Waterbury, is selling pet toys lampooning the presidential candidates. "I think it's a natural stress reliever," said Anne Lika of Fuzzu. "We look at ourselves as an entertainment company. We love the humor." Lika said sales are skyrocketing, with customers as far away as Japan. The toys are made in China, using heavy, reinforced canvas, and are available in caricatures of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.l The Clinton toy, clad in a pantsuit, has a "smile switch" on its back, while the Trump doll has wild hair and is carrying directions on how to build a wall. The Sanders toy, meanwhile, wears a watch that says "time for a change." "It's lightening it up," explained Fuzzu designer Sarah-Lee Terrat, describing the company's goal to inject some humor into the election cycle. "It's time to have fun with it." When asked if buyers are likely to pick products based on the party they love — or the one they love to hate — Terrat said "people are buying them for both reasons." "I think the Hillary camp is buying Hillary, and the Donald camp is buying Hillary, for completely different reasons," she explained. Trump toys are the top sellers right now, she noted. Also available from Fuzzu: cat toys with catnip inside and jumbo versions of the political dolls for decoration. Styles retail for between $10 and $35. The company said it will stay in business after the election and has many more design ideas in the works.
Tarpon Springs, Florida - The Tarpon Springs Police Department has just released a four-legged fugitive from custody that it picked up while on the lam. Police say "Willow" had wandered away from her home, so police picked her up and took her to the police station where she was "booked and photographed." "She was very cooperative with officers and probably one of the most friendly prisoners we've ever had in custody," police said on the department's Facebook page. Willow is seen in photos the department posted being held up for her "mug shot" (because she was too short) and her paw prints were taken (digitally.) Fortunately, Willow's owners were located and they "bonded her out." She is now home safe, police said.
The "I CHOOSE YOU!" Adoption Event is this weekend at the Maryland SPCA. In addition to having multiple Poke-stops on our campus, we also have an abundance of adoptable pets! This weekend we will be waiving adoption fees for adult pets when you say the code-word "Pokemon". Our hours for adoption on Saturday and Sunday are from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Pet visiting hours end 15 minutes prior to close. Standard adoption procedures apply including the $20 pet ID Package. The package includes a microchip, engraved name tag, Baltimore City License, and collar.
Baltimore, Maryland - The Maryland Zoo is trying to “catch ’em all.” Not Pokémon, but Pokémon GO players. Between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, the zoo will have “lures” activated within the park to attract the digital monsters, and the real-life people who are hunting them. Pokémon GO is a new augmented reality phone app that uses GPS to guide users to real-world landmarks for the purpose of collecting the digital cartoon creatures. It’s been downloaded by millions of people, causing Nintendo’s stock to soar. At “Pokéstops,” players can collect gear to help them catch new monsters and heal injured ones, and they can fight their Pokémon at “gyms” to advance in the game. The zoo says there are 26 Pokéstops and two gyms within its gates, and is encouraging Pokémon chasers who visit to share the fun by tagging Pokémon screenshots on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #marylandzoo or @marylandzoo. Adult admission to the zoo is $18.
"They told me I better not get in my car," said car owner Katie Hauer Two men pulled an 8-foot-long boa constrictor from beneath a car parked outside of a northeastern Pennsylvania medical building. The Citizens' Voice in Wilkes-Barre reports the men pried the snake from a Mercury Mountaineer's undercarriage Thursday afternoon after one saw it wriggle underneath. One of the men, herpetologist Cameron English, identified the snake as a red-tailed boa constrictor. "They told me I better not get in my car," said owner Katie Hauer, who had been inside the Geisinger Kingston medical center in Kingston borough. Hauer said she was told she may have transported the snake from where she lives to the medical building. "I'm going to be checking under my car and around my car every single day now," Hauer said. Rescuers said the snake appeared to be a well-fed pet. It was placed in a plastic container. No one was injured and it wasn't immediately known who owns the snake.
Washington, DC - Families of ducks living in the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. are being put in harm’s way due to people feeding the ducks and ducklings. The Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League is encouraging people frequenting the Capitol Reflecting Pool to stop feeding the ducks, as the ducklings are becoming separated from their mother and are unable to return to water. The ducks are also being fed a dangerous diet of bread and crackers. “This is a potentially dangerous situation that could be avoided,” said Lisa LaFontaine, WHS-WARL President and CEO. “While we understand the public’s fascination with these ducklings, feeding them causes the ducklings to leave the water in an area in which they cannot return to the pool without assistance. In addition, the public is feeding the ducks bread, which is harmful to their digestive systems. We call on all members of the public to refrain from feeding waterfowl for both of these important reasons.” The families of ducks call the Capitol Reflecting Pool home. With thousands of visitors to the Capitol Reflecting Pool daily, people are tempted to lure the ducklings closer with food, so that they can get a better view of these charming birds. However as the ducklings move closer to the edge of the pool to find the food, they inadvertently step off of the pool and over the retaining wall. At that point, they may not find their way back into the pool without assistance. Feeding the ducks bread is another dangerous issue. Ducks that are fed bread can develop health issues, including “Angel Wing,” a condition that causes their wings to twist outward and prevents them from flying. Ducks that cannot fly cannot escape predators and are often hit by automobiles and other vehicles. City Wildlife, an organization based in Washington, DC, works with Architect of the Capitol and, along with WHS-WARL, monitors the ducks and ducklings and returns them to the water each day.
About (WHS-WARL) The Washington Humane Society -Washington Animal Rescue League combined organization cares for more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care & control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. Operating four animal-care facilities in Washington, D.C., the organization occupies a significant footprint in the District, and serves as a resource to current pet guardians and prospective adopters across the region. Together, the organizations offer one, dynamic, industry-leading animal welfare organization in the Nation’s Capital; creating a unified vision for a model urban community for all animals – pets and wildlife alike – and the people who love them.
