Australia lost a very beloved, very old soul today. Maggie, the Australian Kelpie, passed away after having lived for 30 years, according to owner Brian McLaren. She spent her life with him, roaming around their spacious dairy farm. While most dogs live between 11-15 years of age (and for some lucky ones, a few years more), this amazing pup more than doubled the average life expectancy. Unfortunately, McLaren lost documentation that specified Maggie’s birth date, so the official world record for the oldest living dog still belongs to Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog that lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and 5 months, back in 1939. To read more on this story, click here:Maggie May Be The Oldest Dog To Ever Live, Dying At Age 30
Meteorologists warned of 100-mile-per-hour winds and severe flooding, but when Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida last weekend, long-gone owners had left dozens of dogs tied up outside to weather the storm frightened and alone. Now, Palm Beach County Animal Care and the State Attorney's Office are hunting down the people who abandoned their pets during the dangerous hurricane, leaving them not even indoors but chained to trees and even cars. "They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles," Diane Sauve, head of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, told WPTV. Leaving a dog tied up alone is already illegal in the region, but the added danger of the storm qualifies the act as a felony, officials say. "This is a prime example of animal cruelty," said Dave Aronberg, the state prosecutor for Palm Beach County. "We will find you, and we will prosecute you." While finding these negligent owners will prove a challenge, authorities are working on gathering as much evidence as possible. Sauve stated that they will use every paper trail imaginable to track them down. PBC animal control officers saved at least 49 dogs and two cats in the lead-up to Irma's arrival, ABC Action News reported, with many more possibly inaccessible to rescuers. In addition to the abandoned pets, the shelter is also working on finding homes for the surrendered dogs and cats relinquished by their owners. With their facility full with over 100 animals, Palm Beach County Animal Care is currently waiving adoption fees and making fostering even easier. The group is also sending dozens of dogs and cats up north to other shelters to make room for the influx of pets impacted by Irma. If you'd like to help, the shelter is currently requesting people donate crates, animal carriers and collars, which can be purchased and sent through Amazon. Better yet, consider registering as a foster home. You'll gain a new animal friend and free up space in a shelter for another pet to take its place.
Meet Melanie Barboni, an assistant researcher in the UCLA Earth, Planetary and Space Science program, who is also known as the ‘hummingbird whisperer’. She built a community of 200 hummingbirds who live outside her office and come to complain if she’s late to serve their dinner. Barboni has always been a bit obsessed with hummingbirds – even when she was a child in Switzerland, a country with an almost non-existant population of this species. “My dearest dream as a child was to see hummingbirds. Imagine my joy when I found out that my next job assignment would bring me to Los Angeles, where hummingbirds live year-round,” says Barboni. The woman adds: “I cannot go to a place where they are not there… This is cheesy, but I have seen them help people. They make my life happy. Having a crappy day? Who cares — there are hummingbirds around… Having a good day? Hummingbirds make it better…” To read more on this story, click here:Woman Develops Bond With Over 200 Hummingbirds, Now They Complain If She’s Late To Feed Them
A pet groomer in Thailand posted a video to YouTube of a cat shaved to look like a dinosaur, claiming that this is currently their most popular kitty hair-do. This isn’t the first cat on the internet groomed to look like a prehistoric beast. In fact, it’s become a bit of a trend. Dinosaur cats can be found all over Instagram and social media. It may look a bit silly and cute, but there are some problems that can arise from grooming a cat this way. Before you pull out the clippers and start giving your cat the stegosaurus treatment, here are a few things to consider. A cat’s fur coat serves as an insulator that helps them regulate their body temperature, keeping them warm in cold environments, but also protecting them from heat and sunburns. Removing that fur reduces their protection from the elements. Clipping can also be stressful for cats, so doing it without a need might unnecessarily cause anxiety. Also, the skin underneath a cat’s fur can be delicate and tear more easily without a protective coat, leaving kitties open to injury. The lack of fur can cause dryness and irritation, and the itchiness as the fur grows back can lead to excessive licking and scratching, causing abrasions. It looks like most of the dino-cats in pictures and videos online aren’t shaved all the way to the skin, so at least they are left with some fur to protect them. Still, it probably feels unusual for the cats that can feel odd patches in their fur that weren’t there before, and it’s really only for the humans’ benefit to see a cat groomed in a silly way. While having a dino-cat may look cute and sound like fun, it’s best to avoid unnecessary shaving and grooming. There are certain medical needs that require a cat to be shaved, but your vet should be able to advise you on when it is appropriate. Some long-haired breeds also require more grooming to remove matted fur and so they can stay a bit cooler. Again, these are grooming needs, not something that should be done for no good reason.
Humane Rescue Alliance President and CEO Lisa LaFontaine announced today that the organization has named Dr. Joshua Woolsey to the position of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Woolsey will oversee the Humane Rescue Alliance Medical Center, HRA’s Spay Neuter Center, the shelter medicine program at the two shelter locations and the care of the companion animals of public clients. He begins his duties immediately.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Joshua Woolsey to the Humane Rescue Alliance,” said LaFontaine. “Dr. Woolsey has deep experience in shelter medicine, animal control, and in wildlife care and his leadership skills will be an integral part of our future success caring for the animals in our region.”
Yes, you read it correctly! Nationals’ Max Scherzer and His Wife Pitching in to Help Animals Affected by Harvey Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer and his wife, Erica, are pitching in to help D.C. animal shelters make room for animals affected by Harvey. Max and Erica are covering adoption fees at both Humane Rescue Alliance adoption centers in D.C. Thursday through Sunday, a spokesman for HRA said. The fee waiver only covers animals currently at the shelters, the spokesman said. The HRA is among many organizations across the country that are volunteering to accept animals from Texas who became separated from their owners or were homeless strays before the storm. To read more on this story, click here:Source: Nationals' Max Scherzer and Wife Erica Pitching in to Help Animals Affected by Harvey - NBC4 Washington
Washington, DC – With animals being relocated this week to Washington, DC from Texas due to Hurricane Harvey, the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) is appealing to animal lovers throughout the region who may be considering adopting a new pet to visit adoptions centers today. Dogs and cats adopted this week will clear room for arriving animals from Texas. All pets available for adoption at HRA have been spayed/neutered and microchipped. HRA is joining other shelters around the country who have volunteered to help clear shelter space in Texas for the animals who have become separated from their owners or were homeless strays prior to the storm coming ashore. HRA expects to receive dogs and cats from Texas this week, although an exact time of arrival is yet to be determined. “The Humane Rescue Alliance is proud to assist our fellow shelters in Texas as that region deals with the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey,” said Stephanie Shain, Chief Operating Officer for HRA. “The shelters in Texas are facing large numbers of incoming animals made homeless by this storm and need to move them to safety. HRA stands ready to take in animals, regardless of breed, with open arms and we look forward to finding forever homes for them in our nation’s capital.” To adopt current HRA animals, visit organization has two Adoption Centers: 71 Oglethorpe St., NW 1201 New York Ave., NE Washington, DC 20011 Washington, DC 20002
About the Humane Rescue Alliance: The Humane Rescue Alliance (formerly the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League) has protected and served the animals of the community for more than 145 years and serves 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 and control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. The organization is dedicated to ensuring the safety and welfare of all animals, bringing people and animals together, and working with all communities to support these relationships. HRA is based in Washington, DC, the only major urban area in the country that has all of its animal protection programs and services unified in one organization, making the Humane Rescue Alliance a model for the nation. Please Share!
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If you have noticed mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or blood in your dog’s urine, you may be wondering if it is a cause for concern. Bloody diarrhea can be especially worrying. While these are symptoms of other conditions, they don’t identify the exact cause of the underlying problem. Usually observing any other unusual symptoms can help narrow down the reason for mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or blood in your dog’s urine, but your veterinarian is the one who will be able to confirm a diagnosis and give you the right advice for treatment. You should inform them of any other symptoms that are out of the ordinary, especially bloody diarrhea, and you may be asked to provide a sample from your dog for analysis. You should definitely consult your veterinarian as soon as possible if you see these symptoms. Leaving it up to chance can have dire consequences for your dog. Here is what you should know about mucus or blood in your dog’s stool or urine. To read more on this story, click here:Mucus or Blood in Dog’s Stool or Blood in Urine: What Does It Mean?
