Aleppo, Syria - Abandoned and stray cats in Aleppo, Syria, have found a friend in Mohammad Alaa Jaleel. The ‘cat man,’ as the BBC is calling him, cares for more than a hundred felines without homes in the city destroyed by civil war. In a video shot by the BBC, the animal lover says his cat sanctuary will “protect” any cat that needs it. The sanctuary began with about 30 cats, but a year later that number expanded to more than a hundred. “Some people just left them with me knowing that I love cats,” he said. Other stories of pets left behind are much more heartbreaking. “One time a little girl brought me a cat. Her parents wanted to go abroad. So they came here — they knew there was a cat sanctuary here. The girl had brought the cat up since she was a kitten,” he said. “She cried as she handed her over to me and they left the country. I’ve been taking photos of the cat and sending them to her in Turkey. She begs me, ‘Send me photos of her. I miss her. Please promise to return my cat back to me when we come back.’ ” With so many of his human friends leaving the war torn city, Alaa Jaleel told the BBC the kitties are his newfound friends. “I’ll stay with them,” he said, “no matter what happens.”
Sunday, November 6 will be “Pay What You Want Day” at the National Aquarium. The day is a continuing effort to provide access to the Aquarium for Maryland residents. The day allows visitors to name their own price for aquarium admission. “We are committed to connecting our local residents to the aquatic world and our conservation mission,” said John Racanelli, National Aquarium CEO in a statement. “’Pay What You Want Day’ is part of a series of programs that ensure our communities have the opportunity to visit the Aquarium and be inspired by their 20,000 aquatic neighbors,” he said. In the past, the National Aquarium welcomed more than 7,500 guests to each of the previous Pay What You Want Days. The day is supported by T. Rowe Price, who is the Aquarium’s official community engagement partner. “’Pay What You Want Day’ enables families across Maryland with any budget size to visit and engage with the variety of species living in the National Aquarium,” said Renee Christoff, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at T. Rowe Price. To further help with the cost of a visit to the Aquarium, their official partner parking facilities are pleased to offer $10 parking to those attending “Pay What You Want Day” 2016. Guests can bring proof of their Aquarium visit to the LAZ Inner Harbor Garage at 100 S. Gay Street or Lockwood Parking at 124 Market Place for the discounted parking. For anyone who can’t make “Pay What You Want Day,” the Aquarium also has other opportunities for discounted admission. There are year-round Half-Price Friday Nights (Friday nights after 5 p.m.) and discounted Maryland Mornings for Maryland state residents visiting before noon Sundays through Fridays now through February 28. There are also Dollar Days coming in December. For more information about The National Aquarium and “Pay What You Want Day,” visit their website.
Two weeks ago, Kimberley Pearce of North Carolina had to have her 12-year-old cocker spaniel, Sadie, put to sleep. While getting some video of her new dog, a strange figure appears to walk across the screen. Is it a camera glitch, a hoax, or do you think it’s really Sadie’s spirit? This is Pearce’s account of the scenario: It was only a few days after when I was showing the video to a friend that I saw her appear. I just knew it was her. That was my dog. I was in shock – I went outside and started to cry. But then I started to smile. I had been begging for her to give me a sign. You can see it’s a white and caramel color, and so was my little girl. The video had been taken around lunchtime and no cars go past my house to make a reflection, and no birds for a shadow or anything. We live quite far out in the country. There was nothing else it could have been. Before I kind of did and didn’t believe in ghosts. Now I really do believe. It might sound strange, but a couple of days after Sadie died I finally went and sat out on the porch and had a half hour conversation with her. I felt so guilty because I was the one who made that decision to have her put down. I signed the papers. I was shaking even just writing my name on them. And I just wanted to tell her, ‘Sadie, I’m so, so sorry and please forgive me for what I’ve done.’ In that conversation I just begged and begged for her or God to send me a sign so that I knew she was okay. To read more on this story, click here: Woman Apparently Captures Video of Her Dog’s Ghost
The federal government said this week that it will not consider a suggestion to euthanize the animals or sell them to slaughter. The pronouncement, issued by the Bureau of Land Management, followed a public outcry over an advisory board’s recommendation on Friday that the agency kill or sell all of the 45,000 horses and donkeys in its custody that cannot be adopted. In a statement and blog post in response, the Humane Society of the United States described the recommendation as “unhinged advice,” “a complete abdication of responsibility,” and “a sort of ‘Final Solution.’ ” An online petition has collected more than 118,000 signatures so far. But a spokesman for the bureau made clear in an interview that it had no plans to act on the advice. “We’re making no change in our current policy,” the spokesman, Tom Gorey, said on Thursday. “We’re not going to sell to slaughter or put down healthy horses.” The bureau will reinforce its contention at the next meeting of the group that made the recommendation, the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The recommendation was adopted by seven of its members, with one dissenting and another absent. It meets again in the spring. The advice, however, puts into focus what some have described as a crisis for the program: The bureau takes in more and more animals as the population in the wild swells, using money that could be spent on dealing with population growth in the first place. The federal agency houses more than 45,000 horses and burros in corrals, pastures or sanctuaries at a cost of more than $49 million annually. In addition to the animals in captivity, there are more than 67,000 wild horses and burros roaming on federal land in the West, about 2.5 times the level the agency deems ideal for them to “thrive in balance with other public land resources and uses.” The imbalance is most severe in California, where the current population is 3.8 times the sustainable level, according to the bureau’s estimates.
The agency takes more in each year, but it can’t keep up with explosive growth: The wild population expanded by 15 percent last year and 18 percent the year before. While the agency adopts out thousands of animals each year and administers birth control to hundreds more, neither of these methods makes for a viable long-term solution to the population problem, Mr. Gorey said. The best hope is to improve birth control. “What we need is a deus ex machina; we need a longer-lasting fertility-control agent and right now that’s not to be seen,” Mr. Gorey said. Current methods last about a year. In the meantime, he said, the agency will just have to do the best it can to keep the booming population down.
A Missouri State football star was suspended indefinitely after allegedly punching a dog three times and breaking its jaw, according to reports Sunday. Bears quarterback Breck Ruddick, 20, hit the 42-pound Australian shepherd so hard, the pooch, Luca, lost teeth and was rushed to a vet with a shattered jaw, the Daily Mail reported. The player was suspended Friday for “conduct detrimental to the team” just hours after a Facebook post detailing the attack emerged, the paper reported. The player lost his cool, punched the dog and let him “run off, all alone and bleeding profusely,” Shelby Filbeck, a friend of the dog’s owner, Katie Riggs, wrote in a Facebook post Friday afternoon. Riggs “spent the whole night looking for her dog,” Filbeck said, according to the Daily Mail. On Saturday, the college said the suspension was linked to the animal abuse allegations. Reddick won’t play again “until the situation is resolved,” said athletic director Kyle Moats. To read more on this story, click here:College Football Star ‘Suspended Indefinitely’ Over Animal Abuse Investigation
Kelontre Barefield, 23, received the sentence after pleading guilty to charges related to the police dog's death and other charges in an unrelated robbery case, a spokeswoman for the Stark County Clerk of Courts told ABC News today. Barefield's attorney, Steven Reisch, didn't immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment. Jethro was killed in January after suffering multiple gunshot wounds while responding to a burglary at a grocery store, according to Officer Eric Stanbro, head trainer of Canton PD's K-9 unit. The death of the 3-year-old German shepherd devastated Canton PD Officer Ryan Davis, who had been Jethro's partner since he was an 8-week-old puppy.
In March, an 11-year-old girl donated all of her allowance money to help get bulletproof vests for all of the department's dogs. "Officer Davis has received 2,000 letters since Jethro's death, and he was catching up with them over the weekend," Stanbro previously told ABC News. "He came across this girl's letter and donation, and it really touched him." In the letter, an 11-year-old girl named Allison tells Davis, "I sorry about Jethro. So here is my allowance for the bulletproof vests. God bless you and the dogs."
An 11-year-old girl named Allison donated her allowance money to the Canton Police Department to help get bulletproof vests for dogs in the department's K-9 unit. On Wednesday, the Canton PD's K-9 Unit shared a video of some its dogs and handlers on Facebook "[i]n honor of Jethro's killer being sentenced to 45 years in prison." To video video, click HERE.
We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t do it: inviting your dog into your bed. People believe it’s dirty, and it’s just not good for you. People have been saying it for years. But, what if we told you that maybe that isn’t entirely true. There are actual health benefits to letting your four-legged best friend spend the night, and it isn’t just you who’s better for all that cuddle time. It’s better for your dog, too! And who doesn’t want to do everything they can to make sure their little one is as happy as possible? So to all you dog lovers who love snuggling up with their warm, fluffy buddy at the end of the day, keep doing what you’re doing. Chances are, you’ll sleep better at night and we all know that better sleep leads to a better day. It really is a win-win situation for everyone involved! They Give You Comfort
Whether it’s their warm body or rhythmic breathing, there’s just something so comforting about a dog. They make your bed feel even cozier! They Fight Insomnia
Their presence promotes calm, stress relief, and a feeling of safety. So, basically, they take away all of the things that keep you up at night! Snuggling With Them Relieves Stress And Anxiety
As therapy dogs have shown, a pooch’s presence is a great stress reliever. Their positive outlook seems to be contagious, and their attentive nature can be very reassuring. They Provide Warmth
Their warm bodies and tendency to curl up as close to their humans as possible work as a little radiator in the bed. While this can be tough in the summer, who doesn’t love a little bit of natural warmth on a chilly night? They Help Fight Depression
One thing that dogs offer without question is unconditional love. For someone battling depression, this type of connection can feel hard to come by. To receive it, with no questions asked, can work wonders during a particularly tough time. They Make You Feel Safe
Knowing that there is another presence watching over you when you’re at your most vulnerable is such a comforting feeling. Their super hearing and tendency to bark at strangers are all factors in this. It's Good For Your Dog, Too
There’s nothing in the world that your dog loves more than you, so allowing them to spend that extra snuggle time will make their day. They receive comfort from you in the same way that you do from them, so this sleep arrangement is good for everyone!
Sacramento, California - Californians who see an animal trapped in a hot car can now break a window to set them free without fear of prosecution under a bill signed over the weekend by Gov. Jerry Brown. Rescuers can break into the car as long as there is no other way to free the animal, for instance if the animal appears to be in peril, the car is locked and law enforcement is not arriving quickly enough. The rescuer must stay at the scene until law enforcement respond to the situation. The bill was introduced after a series of incidents in which dogs died after being left in closed cars on hot days. Many of those cases have led to criminal charges. CBS San Francisco reports Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang co-sponsored the so-called “hot dog” bill. To see how a dog would feel, Chang and the other politicians behind the bill locked themselves in a car without air conditioning on a hot day. After just eight minutes, the politicians couldn’t take the heat. “We need to highlight the point that we are cooling down by sweating and dogs can’t sweat. A dog would be dead by now,” Chang said.
Pugs, bulldogs, French bulldogs and shih-tzus have become sought-after in the UK, despite wide-ranging health problems. Their appeal is attributed to having "squashed" faces and wrinkled noses. The British Veterinary Association said the surge in popularity of these dogs had "increased animal suffering". Sean Wensley, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said: "Prospective owners need to consider that these dogs can suffer from a range of health problems, from eye ulcers to severe breathing difficulties. "We strongly encourage people to choose a healthier breed or a crossbreed instead." The warning has been echoed by the PDSA, the Royal Veterinary College, the RSPCA and the Kennel Club. Meanwhile, evidence suggests that an increasing number of the dogs - more correctly known as brachycephalic or short-muzzled dogs - are being abandoned by their owners. Six dog rescue companies told the BBC that the breeds were being given up in greater numbers. To read more on this story, click here:Vets Warn People Against Buying 'Flat-Faced' Dogs
Borysew, Poland - Four rare white lion cubs have been born in a private zoo in central Poland.
The lion cubs were born on Sunday at the Zoo Safari in Borysew and are doing well under the care of their mother, 5-year-old Azira. They are the fourth litter for Azira and 7-year-old Sahim. There are at most only a few hundred white lions in the world. Head of the zoo Andrzej Pabich said the genders of the cubs was unknown because keepers have not touched them yet. On Thursday, a white tiger also gave birth at the zoo, and Pabich believes there are three cubs.
The old saying goes even a broken clock is right twice a day. If you're going by the premise that one dog year equals seven human years, the broken clock is right more than you are. Once in Pal's life that might be right, but exactly when depends on his size and breed. Canine Aging Dogs age at a faster rate than their human friends. Think about Pal during his puppy months: he packed a load of growing in during that formative first year. On the average, a dog will age to the level of a 15-year-old human during his first year. At 1 year old, you might have been standing and taking your first tentative steps. By Pal's first birthday he should have an understanding of basic commands, is sexually mature and may be transitioning from puppy food to adult food, depending on his breed. Size and Age If Pal's a Chihuahua, he's more apt to live well into his teens; if he's a large dog, such as an Irish wolfhound, his life expectancy is about half as long. Smaller dogs not only live longer as a rule, they also mature quicker in their first few years of life. Large dogs mature slower, yet reach senior status at a younger age, often around 5. Small and toy dog breeds aren't considered geriatric until they're around 10 years old. Medium-sized breeds are usually around 7 or 8 before they're considered seniors. Age Calculation Whether Pal's small, medium or large, you can figure by the time he celebrates his second birthday, you're living with a 24-year-old guy. After his second birthday, his growth rate will vary according to size. Small dogs age four years per year after two; medium dogs generally gain five years for every birthday beyond two; large dogs age six years for every human year. If Pal's a 6-year-old Chihuahua, he's about 40 in human years; if he's a golden retriever, he's closer to 45 in human years. All age calculations and charts are guidelines; Pal's health and "age" depend on his diet, exercise and general physical condition. Estimating Age If you don't know Pal's birthday and want to get an idea of his age, a good exam can provide clues. Teeth are a great indicator of age. Puppies have their permanent teeth by the time they're 7 months old. If Pal has a full set of beautiful white chompers, he's probably about a year old. Slight yellowing on the back teeth begins around age 1 or 2, and tartar starts building up around 3 to 5 years of age. If Pal's teeth are worn or missing, he's probably in his senior years, when teeth show the effects of age. Cloudy eyes, graying hair around the muzzle, face, head and body, and stiffness also indicate senior status. Younger dogs have more muscle definition than older dogs, who tend to be either bony or chubby, depending on their activity level. To figure out your dog’s age, click here:How to Figure Out Your Dog’s Age
All dog owners will know that once a pet finds the perfect spot on your bed, they’re not willing to give it up. Nope, not even if you drop a load of cash on the fanciest dog bed you can find. They’re not budging. After months of struggle to sleep comfortably with all eight of their dogs in one bed, one couple came up with a creative solution. Chris and Mariesa Hughes are the couple behind The Mr. Mo Project, a senior dog rescue that places senior and sick dogs in foster homes. They have eight dogs of their own, and were struggling to get a proper night’s sleep with all of the dogs trying to fit in one bed. So they had a local craftsman build them a giant mega-bed, with plenty of space for themselves and all eight dogs. Chris told metro.co.uk: “When we go to bed, all of the dogs try to beat us there and take up all the space on the bed. We didn’t want to allow one dog and not the other so we would manage and often times wake up needing a hip replacement. Having this bed allows all of the dogs to not only sleep on the bed with us but to also allow us to sleep comfortably.” The couple hired Michael, who runs Michael’s Custom Interiors, to create the bed, which is fourteen feet long and seven feet wide. The bed takes two mattresses and is twice the size of your average king-size. It also features under-bed storage, plus a little set of stairs for the dogs who have trouble jumping up on to the bed. “We are sleeping very well,’ said Chris. “Each one of the dogs has his or her spot and it makes it easy now. Gremlin will sleep up at the top of the bed with us and often use one of our pillows. Stig will wait until the light goes off and then jump up with Mariesa and lay under the covers next to her. Sammy likes to sleep at the bottom of the bed under the covers until he gets too hot and then he moves on top of the covers. Money sleeps on the bottom of the bed with his paws in the air, Quinn sleeps wherever he can find a spot, Meatball sleeps as close to Chris as possible.” “Tejas is the only dog that likes his space so he usually sleeps on one of the many decorative dog beds on the floor. Mabel will start out sleeping next to Chris under the covers but because she only weighs 3 pounds we move her to a pack and play next to the bed so she doesn’t get stepped on. They love it, they love the space. They always want to close to us, and each other. They respect our space now, and we’re all able to get a good night’s sleep.”
This is great news. They really need a good night’s sleep to be able take care of the dogs. The bed is now big enough to accommodate a few new pups, if Chris and Mariesa end up adopting more.
When planning a wedding, there's a lot that has to be arranged. The flowers, the venue, the dress, the food — and for one wedding that took place recently, the puppies. Sarah Mallouk Crain works for Pitties Love Peace, a rescue organization in central Pennsylvania. She and her now husband, Matt Crain, are huge animal lovers and have three rescue dogs of their own, and often foster dogs waiting for their forever homes as well. When they decided to get married, it seemed only fitting that they should include their shared love of dogs on their big day. And so, in place of bouquets of flowers, the wedding party posed with adorable puppies. Photographer Caroline Logan photographed the wedding party with six tiny rescue puppies, each with their own unique story. "Having the puppies involved in the wedding brought so much additional joy to Matt and Sarah's day," Logan told The Dodo. "Though they weren't a part of the ceremony, they were involved in their portrait time." Martha, Abigail, Dolley, Elizabeth and Louisa (named after the first few first ladies), are a litter of boxer-coonhound puppies who were rescued when they were just under a week old. They are now 8 weeks old and thriving in their loving foster homes, and absolutely loved posing with Crain's bridesmaids. Biggie Smalls is a 9-week-old pit bull mix puppy rescued from the streets of Brooklyn, New York, and he was the lucky pup chosen to pose with the bride herself. "The puppies of course caused the photos to be extra natural, candid, and carefree — exactly what I strive for in my work," Logan said. "The wedding party was loving all the puppy snuggles."
Even the groom and his groomsmen got to get in on the fun, and there was no shortage of smiles with the puppies around.
The puppies were all on their very best behavior for the wedding, and proved without a doubt that they were definitely a better choice than flowers. If you're interested in adopting one of the wedding puppies, you can fill out an application with Pitties Love Peace to get started.
Houston, Texas - Houston Zoo guests may catch a glimpse of something odd on the back of one of the giant anteaters, but it's supposed to be there - it's a new baby. Rio, a two-week-old giant anteater pup, can be seen riding atop mom at the zoo. The anteater was born on September 3 to parents Olive and Pablo. The zoo explains giant anteaters spend the first few weeks of life clinging to their mothers and will typically hitch a ride on mom's back for almost 12 months. The zoo says Olive has been very attentive to Rio, carefully nursing and transporting the pup around their habitat. Zookeepers are waiting for Rio to grow a bit and bond with its mom before determining the baby anteater's gender.
