The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Rare Fish Called the ‘Nutcracker’ Eats Mens Testicles with Human Like Teeth, Caught in New Jersey Lake


A father and son fishing at a New Jersey lake may be lucky their bodies still have all their pieces after catching a fish called 'the Nutcracker' that is more commonly seen in the Amazon.

Ron Rossi, from the Philadelphia suburb of Delran, was out with his son Frank at a man-made body of water when they hooked what they thought was a piranha.

However, the rare species in Swedes Lake was actually a pacu, an omnivorous fish native to Brazil that has human-like teeth and has been reported to eat the testicles of swimmers and fishermen.

The Rossis realized the bizarre find when they went home and researched the animal after being confused at its lack of sharp, piranha chompers, they told WPVI.

Department of Environmental Protection officials said the South American fish are sometimes kept as pets, who may have dumped the pacu into the lake.

The species can grow up to four feet long and uses its molar-like teeth to crush food that falls into the Amazon River.

Many pet owners mistakenly think they are piranhas when they purchase the more famous species's cousin, which can grow up to 55lbs.

Given the fish's worldwide popularity, it turns out that the Rossis did not make the surprise catch of the century, or even of the last couple years.

A 10-inch pacu was caught in northern New Jersey in September 2013, followed by 17-incher in Washington state, a 20-inch specimen in southern Illinois two months later and a 14-inch pacu in Michigan's Lake St Clair last summer.

The fish's worldwide popularity has seen them spread far from their Brazilian homeland, with the fish being found in Paris, Scandinavia and Oceania.

In Papua New Guinea, where the fish is known as the 'Ball Cutter', a member of the species is thought to have contributed to two men's death from blood loss after it castrated them.

Scientists in Denmark said that reports of pacu eating genitalia were 'overblown' after they issued a joking warning to male swimmers to beware following a sighting of the fish, according to National Geographic.

Some wildlife experts worry that the introduction of pacu into lakes such as the one in New Jersey may endanger local fauna.

However, pacu cannot survive in colder water and the DEP urged owners of the fish to 'humanely destroy' it rather than throwing it into nearby waters.

A New Jersey man was surprised when he thought he caught a piranha, but the fish turned out to be a pacu, an Amazonian fish famous for eating men's private parts.




The Swedes Lake catch was the latest in an increasing number of pacu being found outside of their native habitat.




Fisherman Ron Rossi (pictured) researched the animal with his son, and environmental officials said that it most likely came from a pet owner who dumped it in the man-made lake



Pacu have spread around the world from their tropical home and been captured in places in northern Europe such as Scandinavia. Above left, a fish captured in Paris was about a foot long







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Man’s Roomba Vacuum Cleaner, Ran Over Dog Poop, Spreading a 25-Foot Trail of Feces Throughout His House


One man describes the events that unfolded when his Roomba ran over dog poop, spreading a 25-foot trail of feces throughout his house.

In a Facebook post, Jesse Newton said his dog, Evie, defecated in the living room at some point between midnight and when his vacuum cleaning robot was set to run at 1:30 a.m. When Newton‘s 4-year-old son awoke at 3 a.m. to crawl into bed with his parents, Newton smelled a strong odor. He got out of bed and walked into a “war zone of poop” in his living room.

Newton documented the dramatic saga that unfolded as a cautionary tail to others. The post, complete with a hand drawn map of the poop trail, has since gone viral with more than 140,000 reactions and more than 200,000 shares.

“Do not, under any circumstances, let your Roomba run over dog poop,” Newton said. “If the unthinkable does happen, and your Roomba runs over dog poop, stop it immediately and do not let it continue the cleaning cycle.”

Newton was not so lucky. He recounts his attempts to clean the copious amounts of dried poop from his living room and a failed effort at using a rug shampooer to remove poop from the rug where it all started.

“Some folks would shrug their shoulders and get back in bed to deal with it in the morning. But you're not one of those people,” Newton writes of himself.

Instead, in the early hours of the morning, he attempted to clean the Roomba but forgot to take the batteries out before soaking it. As the waterlogged Roomba sputtered to its death, Newton had some harsh words.

“You're not just using profanity - you're inventing new types of profanity,” Newton said of his reaction. “You're saying things that would make Satan shudder in revulsion. You hope your kid stayed in bed, because if he hears you talking like this, there's no way he's not ending up in prison.”

But the tale has a happy ending. After a week of trying to fix the costly device, he called the store where he purchased the Roomba and told them the story. The purchase came with a lifetime warranty.

"They are replacing the Roomba that ran over dog poop and then died a poopy, watery death in the bathtub - by no fault of their own, of course," Newton wrote on Facebook.

This is one experience that won't soon be flushed away.
See the full Facebook post below:

Jesse Newton with Kelly McQueen Newton.
August 9 at 7:23pm · Little Rock, AR · 

So, last week, something pretty tragic happened in our household. It's taken me until now to wrap my head around it and find the words to describe the horror. It started off simple enough - something that's probably happened to most of you.

Sometime between midnight and 1:30am, our puppy Evie pooped on our rug in the living room. This is the only time she's done this, so it's probably just because we forgot to let her out before we went to bed that night. Now, if you have a detective's mind, you may be wondering how we know the poop occurred between midnight and 1:30am. We were asleep, so how do I know that time frame?

Why, friends, that's because our Roomba runs at 1:30am every night, while we sleep. And it found the poop. And so begins the Pooptastrophe. The poohpocalypse. The pooppening.

If you have a Roomba, please rid yourself of all distractions and absorb everything I'm about to tell you.

Do not, under any circumstances, let your Roomba run over dog poop. If the unthinkable does happen, and your Roomba runs over dog poop, stop it immediately and do not let it continue the cleaning cycle. Because if that happens, it will spread the dog poop over every conceivable surface within its reach, resulting in a home that closely resembles a Jackson Pollock poop painting.

It will be on your floorboards. It will be on your furniture legs. It will be on your carpets. It will be on your rugs. It will be on your kids' toy boxes. If it's near the floor, it will have poop on it. Those awesome wheels, which have a checkered surface for better traction, left 25-foot poop trails all over the house. Our lovable Roomba, who gets a careful cleaning every night, looked like it had been mudding. Yes, mudding - like what you do with a Jeep on a pipeline road. But in poop.

Then, when your four-year-old gets up at 3am to crawl into your bed, you'll wonder why he smells like dog poop. And you'll walk into the living room. And you'll wonder why the floor feels slightly gritty. And you'll see a brown-encrusted, vaguely Roomba-shaped thing sitting in the middle of the floor with a glowing green light, like everything's okay. Like it's proud of itself. You were still half-asleep until this point, but now you wake up pretty damn quickly.

And then the horror. Oh the horror. So, first you clean the child. You scrub the poop off his feet and put him back in bed. But you don't bother cleaning your own feet, because you know what's coming. It's inevitable, and it's coming at you like a freight train. Some folks would shrug their shoulders and get back in bed to deal with it in the morning. But you're not one of those people - you can't go to sleep with that war zone of poop in the living room.

So you clean the Roomba. You toss it in the bathtub to let it soak. You pull it apart, piece-by-piece, wondering at what point you became an adult and assumed responsibility for 3:30am-Roomba-disassembly-poop-cleanups. By this point, the poop isn't just on your hands - it's smeared up to your elbows. You already heard the Roomba make that "whirlllllllllllllllll-boop-hisssssssss" noise that sounds like electronics dying, and you realize you forgot to pull the battery before getting it wet. More on that later.

Oh, and you're not just using profanity - you're inventing new types of profanity. You're saying things that would make Satan shudder in revulsion. You hope your kid stayed in bed, because if he hears you talking like this, there's no way he's not ending up in prison.

Then you get out the carpet shampooer. When you push it up to the rug - the rug that started it all - the shampooer just laughs at you. Because that rug is going in the trash, folks. But you shampoo it anyway, because your wife loved that damn rug, and you know she'll ask if you tried to clean it first.

Then you get out the paper towel rolls, idly wondering if you should invest in paper towel stock, and you blow through three or four rolls wiping up poop. Then you get the spray bottle with bleach water and hose down the floor boards to let them soak, because the poop has already dried. Then out comes the steam mop, and you take care of those 25-ft poop trails.

And then, because it's 6am, you go to bed. Let's finish this tomorrow, right?

The next day, you finish taking the Roomba apart, scraping out all the tiny flecks of poop, and after watching a few Youtube instructional videos, you remove the motherboard to wash it with a toothbrush. Then you bake it in the oven to dry. You put it all back together, and of course it doesn't work. Because you heard the "whirlllllllllllllll-boop-hissssssss" noise when it died its poopy death in the bathtub. But you hoped that maybe the Roomba gods would have mercy on you.

But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. After spending a week researching how to fix this damn $400 Roomba without spending $400 again - including refurb units, new motherboards, and new batteries - you finally decide to call the place where you bought it. That place called Hammacher Schlemmer. They have a funny name, but they have an awesome warranty. They claim it's for life, and it's for any reason.
So I called them and told the truth. My Roomba found dog poop and almost precipitated World War III.

And you know what they did? They offered to replace it. Yes, folks. They are replacing the Roomba that ran over dog poop and then died a poopy, watery death in the bathtub - by no fault of their own, of course.

So, mad props to Hammacher Schlemmer. If you're buying anything expensive, and they sell it, I recommend buying it from them. And remember - don't let your Roomba run over dog poop.



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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Two Major DC Animal Shelters Merged to Create the Biggest Shelter in the Country


The Washington Humane Society shelter, a District-owned building on New York Avenue, Northeast, looks every bit the old-school pound—concrete floors, chain-link cages, lots of barking dogs. Washington Animal Rescue League, near Manor Park in Northwest DC, feels like a pet spa—soothing music pipes in, a miniature waterfall gurgles, quiet dogs relax in frosted-glass enclosures.

If that’s all you know of the two groups, the decision they made in February to merge—into an organization whose scope is unmatched by any other humane society in a major US city—might seem odd. But the outward differences don’t indicate philosophical ones. Both were longtime local institutions: The Washington Humane Society was founded in 1870, the Washington Animal Rescue League in 1914. Both boasted low euthanasia rates, with each saving roughly 90 percent of its animals. And they worked together for years, with WHS often sending dogs and cats to WARL when it was over capacity.


To read more on this story, click here: Two Major DC Animal Shelters Merged to Create the Biggest Shelter in the Country



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Monday, August 8, 2016

URGENT! Missing Dog From Riverdale, Maryland – Please Share!


From the owner:

MISSING**** Riverdale Missing since June 22
Male

Hi everyone , the past June 22 on a wenedsday my dog escaped when I opened the door to take out the trash it was around 7:30 am My address is 6305 Patterson st Riverdale md 20737 my dogs name is oso he's white curly haired and his tail is is very short like a snow cone , As you can imagine I'm very sad and he's extremely missed there's not one day I don't go out and still look for him after 48 days of him being lost, there not one moment I can't stop the tears coming from my face and I still have my faith and hope that one day I will have him return home please that's why I'm on here I hope that some one will help me find him if you have seen him pleas contact me ASAP at 2407012433.or 2402804485 

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/pet/5722373742.html
Prince George's County Animal Shelter Riverdale Park Animal Hospital Riverdale Park-University Park Patch City of College Park Animal Control City of Greenbelt Animal Shelter Volunteers for the Greenbelt Animal Shelter Brentwood Animal Hospital


Please Share!





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Friday, August 5, 2016

Christopher Walken Supports Best Friends Animal Society: Advocates Adopting Shelter Cats


Christopher Walken, one of the most noteworthy and versatile actors, supports Best Friends Animal Society’s efforts to bring awareness to the plight of millions of cats who die in our nation’s shelters every year.

Walken earned worldwide acclaim and the Academy Award for his role in the searing Vietnam war drama, The Deer Hunter. Through his career on screen, stage and television, Walken has shown a breathtaking range of skills portraying everything from violent villains to quirky characters in comedies. 

On August 5th, he can be seen starring in his latest role in the upcoming family comedy Nine Lives. Walken plays a mysterious shopkeeper with a fondness for felines and a few tricks up his sleeve. The film is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and also stars Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Garner. It’s actually a role he’s somewhat familiar with. At home he and his wife share their life with a shy, stray cat who showed up on their doorstep pregnant. After finding homes for her kittens, “Girl” is now a member of the Walken household.

But not every stray cat is as lucky as “Girl.” It is estimated that as much as three-quarters of cats who enter shelters, most of which are community cats (stray and free-roaming), never make it out alive. Walken supports Best Friends’ efforts to increase adoption and save rates for cats.

According to national statistics, each day more than 9,000 dogs and cats die in the nation’s shelters. Best Friends has brought increased awareness to how people can get involved in the solution by adopting, and spaying/neutering their pets, donating, volunteering and sharing this message with their friends.

About Best Friends Animal Society® 
Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, adoption centers and spay and neuter facilities in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with more than 1,500 rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to an estimated 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.

To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook click here: 





Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends

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Have You Ever Wondered Why Some Dog Owners Treat Their Dogs Like Their Babies?


While this might seem ridiculous to some, a study in Science proves the bond between dogs and their owners can be as emotionally strong as the connection between mothers and their children.

It's the latest in a growing body of science that explains how dogs have gained such an important place in human society.

"Owner-dog bonding is comparable to parent-infant bonding," writes Takefumi Kikusui, from Azabu University in Japan, via email. "And this is surprising to us … because there is not a reproductive relationship between humans and dogs."

But any dog lover who has gazed into the big eyes of a pleading pup is not surprised.

Previously, the researchers had shown the eye connection between dogs and humans increases the levels of oxytocin in people. Oxytocin, aka the "cuddle chemical," is a hormone mammals produce in the brain that encourages bonding between mothers and their offspring. It's also involved in partner and social bonding.

Most evidence shows this kind of connection works within a species — humans produce oxytocin because of other humans, and dogs produce it because of other dogs.

But this study is the first to show the hormonal bonding between dog and human.

That is, the feeling is mutual.

In the first experiment, the researchers measured oxytocin levels in 28 pairs of dogs and their humans before watching them interact for 30 minutes. People talked, petted and looked at their canines. Afterward, the researchers screened oxytocin levels again.

The owners and pups that gazed at one another more showed increased oxytocin.

Humans "use eye gaze for affiliative communications and [are] very much sensitive to eye contact," said Kikusui. "Gaze, in particular, (over touch, for example) led to the release of oxytocin."

For the second experiment, the researchers dosed 54 dogs with either a spray of saline or oxytocin in the nose. The female dogs treated with oxytocin spent more time gazing at their owners, which after 30 minutes boosted the levels of their owners' oxytocin.

"[This] suggests that this gaze behavior is really critical in oxytocin release," said Evan MacLean, senior research scientist and co-director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center, who wrote an article about the findings. "When they receive oxytocin, this causes dogs to look more at people and the more they look, it boosts [oxytocin levels] more."

What's more: Wolves, which dogs descended from about 30,000 years ago, do not experience an increase in oxytocin from gaze.

"This means that dogs have acquired this superior ability during [the] evolutional/domestic process living with humans," says Kikusui.

This provides more evidence of how deeply dogs are attuned to humans.

"We make the claim that dogs might have hijacked [the oxytocin] pathway. It is in place in humans and we use this in our romantic relations and with children. And we know it is important," says MacLean. "This is sort of an accidental thing that happens over … time."

"This special bonding relationship with dogs is fairly unique," he says.



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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

This Summer Has Been So Hot and Dry in Upstate New York That Horse Manure is Bursting Into Flames


The owners of a horse stable had been storing the manure in large piles that frequently spontaneously combusted in the excessive heat and dry conditions.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says one of its enforcement officers responded on July 5 to multiple calls complaining of smell and smoke coming from a burning pile of horse manure at a property in the town of Throop, in the Finger Lakes region 20 miles west of Syracuse. 

The officer learned that the owners of a horse stable had been storing the manure in large piles that frequently spontaneously combusted in the excessive heat and dry conditions. 

DEC officials say a shift in the prevailing winds carried the odor of burning manure it into the neighbors' windows. 

It took three local fire departments two hours to douse the burning horse manure.



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Meet Eve an Adorable 4-Month Old Shepherd Mix Looking for Her Forever Home: Please Read and Share Her Story – WHS-WARL


Washington, DC - They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, everyone at the Washington Humane Society  - Washington Animal Rescue League who has met little Eve agrees she is indeed beautiful…despite her mangled ears. 

At only four months old, this little shepherd mix was the victim of the cruel practice of home ear cropping, often performed without anesthesia in an unsterile environment. Not surprisingly, Eve’s ears were infected when she arrived at an Alabama shelter. But thanks to good medical care, she has recovered and faces a bright future. 

Eve is a bit timid—who can blame her—but very, very sweet! She’ll wiggle right over and climb in your lap for cuddles and even give gentle little kisses in return. She’d love nothing better than a loving home with patient people who will show her that the world truly can be her Garden of Eden. 

Eve will be available for adoption later this week at the WHS-WARL Oglethorpe Adoption Center.

Animal ID: 33067087 
Species:zDog 
Agez: 4 months 3 days 
Sex: Female 
Color: Brown 
Declawed: No 
Site: Oglethorpe Street 

To learn more about Eve, Click HERE.





Please Share Eve!

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