West Palm Beach, Florida -- Officials are calling it animal cruelty like they've never seen before. As Hurricane Irma’s outer bands inch closer to Florida, animal control officers said they are hustling to rescue abandoned animals. And these aren't pets who are just being left inside, Director of Animal Care Diane Suave said. “They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles,” she said. Palm Beach County Animal Care reports animal control officers have rescued 49 dogs and two cats in the last 48 hours. “Even a tiny bit of sand can hurt an animal when it’s traveling through 100-plus mph winds,” Sauve said. Animal control officers were slowly pulled off the road at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Sauve said once winds reach a sustained 35 mph, no officers will be permitted to rescue animals. “We are asking the public, if it is safe, consider sheltering any animals you see left outside,” she said. Both Sauve and State Attorney Dave Aronberg said they promise to prosecute anyone who left their animals outside to fend for themselves during Hurricane Irma. “This is a prime example of animal cruelty,” Aronberg said. “We will find you, and we will prosecute you.” Sauve said officials will use every paper trail imaginable to track down animal cruelty offenders. “It’s unconscionable,” she said. “We will not stand for it here in Palm Beach County.”
There’s nothing more enjoyable than having your dog run free in a field of grass. They love being able to explore areas without being attached to a leash and you, the owner, love watching your best friend being in their happy place. Especially those fields that have patches of nice, tall grass. They can’t help but explore and sniff out those areas. But I’m sad to say that those grass areas could actually be hiding a silent killer that is pretty common. According to Goodfullness, there are certain types of grass that could actually be not only harmful to your dog but also lethal. It’s so dangerous that Veterinarians recommend to not allow your dog run freely, at least until you investigate the area completely. So what kind of grass specifically should you watch out for? It’s called the foxtail grass. It can cause a ton of painful wounds. Goodfullness notes that the dog’s skin will not only be pierced, but their eyes, feet, stomach are also left in serious danger. The seed awns are incredibly sharp, almost like a needle that can seriously dig into your pet and leave them with painful wounds. If you own a poodle or any other dog with long fur, they are the most vulnerable to this type of grass. Avoiding this kind of grass can be pretty difficult because it can be found just about anywhere. Places like vacant lots and disturbed sites are places that pet owners should beware of. So how does a pet owner know that their dog has been exposed to the foxtail grass? One symptom is constant sneezing or violent head shakes. Goodfullness also notes that new skin lumps or the animal pawing at its eyes in an excessive way are another signal. If you’re planning to take your dog to a field, do a thorough check prior and check for symptoms regularly if they are always playing in the tall grass. If you notice the signs, go to the vet immediately.
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
