In 1987, a mutant kitten was born in Montana with hair like a poodle. Named Miss DePesto, this kitten grew up and birthed curly kittens of her own. As the curly cat family tree grew, Miss DePesto's descendants eventually became recognized as a new breed: the Selkirk Rex. Now, 25 years and about nine kitty generations later, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria, have confirmed that these felines are genetically distinct from previously known breeds, making Selkirk Rex the fourth curly-haired cat breed known. The genetic quirk that makes a Selkirk Rex's hair kink is a dominant trait. This makes the trait easy for breeders to retain even while crossing breeding to maintain genetic diversity. Selkirk Rex is usually crossed with Persians or British Shorthairs, making it a particularly laid back cat. And while the Selkirk Rex is one of four curly-haired cat breeds, it easily has the best hair. Devon Rex and Cornish Rex are breeds with curly, downy, super-short hair, prone to balding, while the unimaginatively named LaPerm breed has curly hair of average length hair -- but not nearly as plush and thick as Selkirk Rex. Miss DePesto would be proud. Check out some of these good looking mutant kitties below.
Now, her lawsuit over the demise of the 4.5-pound teacup Yorkie, attacked by a Labrador mix puppy seeks to prove that animals are far more than property. Falen LaPonzina filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court last week against Wagtime Too, which operates doggy day care and boarding facilities in Washington. She alleges that the business was negligent in allowing her dog, Dax, to be kept alongside another canine four times its weight. She is seeking $150,000 in damages. But LaPonzina said she wants more than money. She wants the courts to recognize the role pets play in the lives of their owners. She said the 12-year-old Dax, with a giant underbite, was a friendly and loyal companion who had been a constant through her transient twenties and thirties. “I had no idea when I dropped my dog off there I would never see him again,” LaPonzina said. “Yorkies live to be 18 to 20 years old. He had many good years left.” Wagtime Too has denied that the business was negligent in its care of the dog. Lisa Schreiber, a co-owner, said the dog’s death was a “freak accident.” She said that an employee had been watching all the dogs and that by the time he saw the lab mix attacking Dax, it was too late. LaPonzina said she traveled to Alaska in July, dropping off Dax at Wagtime Too, which advertises itself as a cage-free facility. There are two locations in the District, where owners can board their pets for $55 a night. LaPonzina, a 36-year-old lawyer, and Dax had been regulars at the company’s facilities, first in Shaw and later in Navy Yard, since 2010. LaPonzina said she did not check her phone during her week-long cruise. But when she got off the ship in Canada, she found missed calls and messages from Wagtime Too indicating there had been an emergency. Dax was dead. An 18-pound Labrador mix puppy had picked up the teacup Yorkie with its mouth, and moments later the miniature dog was no longer breathing, Schreiber said in an interview. The Labrador, a rescue, was screened before it came to Wagtime and never displayed aggressive behavior, she said. After the incident, the dog was evaluated by a canine-behavior specialist who also found no signs of violence in the rescue dog. The Labrador has since been adopted by a woman with no children and no other dogs. “This is not anything that anyone who works for me could have prevented,” Schreiber said. “I do want people to understand this is a cage-free facility, and there are inherent risks here. We are not negligent here, but it is horrible that it happened.” Bruce Wagman, a partner at Schiff Hardin in San Francisco who specializes in animal law, said that a six-figure settlement awarded to LaPonzina would be an unprecedented amount in the death of an animal. That seems an unlikely outcome, however, Wagman said. If someone intentionally kills a pet, it occasionally might yield a significant penalty. But for LaPonzina to receive a sizable settlement, Wagman said, she would have to prove that Wagtime was not just negligent but had intentionally killed Dax. When owners do receive significant cash settlements for the death of a pet, such as when a police officer kills a dog during a home raid, Wagman said, it is typically because the officer violated the civil rights of the homeowners, not because their pet is dead. “Every state, in every court everywhere, animals are considered property,” Wagman said. “That said, there is no question that courts are more and more appreciating that animals are not like computers. They are not vases, and they’re not books.” This is not the first time Wagtime has faced complaints about its care of animals or how it operates its facilities. In 2015, a dog walker dropped the leash of a 9-month-old puppy being boarded overnight, and the dog was struck by a car. Its owner sued, but the case was settled out of court. Wagtime ran into trouble in 2003 for moving into a now-closed location near Logan Circle without a certificate of occupancy. It also squabbled with neighbors over noise and cleanliness complaints. LaPonzina’s lawsuit also accuses Wagtime Too of not having the correct license to operate its Navy Yard location. Dog-care facilities operate under a D.C. basic business license, and the District’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs said the Navy Yard location has not been issued one. On Nov. 3 the owners applied for a certificate of occupancy, which is not the same as a business license. Schreiber said that she has been in touch with city agencies and that the absence of a license is the result of a paperwork error. Matt Orlins, a spokesman for the DCRA, said there is no evidence of a clerical error. Wagtime see hundreds of dogs a day, and until Dax, none had ever died in its facilities, Schreiber said. Last week she sent a letter to customers informing them of the July death of Dax and ensuring them that their canines are safe in Wagtime’s care. “This incident was not in any way caused by negligence,” the notice stated. LaPonzina said she will be going beyond the courts and pushing for regulatory reform in the D.C. government to tighten operating standards for dog-boarding facilities. “Dax was just so adorable, you couldn’t ever be mad at him — you couldn’t not love him,” LaPonzina said. “This dog has been through it all with me.”
Polar bears are an enduring symbol of the wild arctic, a mighty beast that has made its home in punishing terrains. But in recent years, the polar bear has come to embody something else: A creature caught in a world that’s disappearing under its feet. Each fall, the bears descend in hordes on the tiny Alaskan village of Kaktovik, located on Barter Island, hugging the state’s northern coast. And the bears are hungry. Polar bears wandering into the town, with its population of just 239 people, proved to be such a problem there that a polar bear patrol now sweeps the streets looking for the animals. To read more on this story, click here:Alaskan Town's Polar Bear Problem Leads to Tourism Boom
These aren’t your typical dog beds. Behold the “Sheltie shacks.” Kaylee Robertson, an emergency medical technician from Shetland, Scotland, makes custom, personalized dog beds out of old dressers. She said she likes to “provide pets with their own little ‘safe haven’ that they can sleep happy in.” “Let’s be honest, your typical dog bed is pretty ugly!” Robertson, 27, wrote to ABC News in an email. “They're normally these limp, dull, lifeless, smelly things that just lie in the corner. My hope is that by providing a bed which is also a piece of furniture, the dog is introduced more into the living area.” To read more on this story, click here:Woman Turns Old Dressers Into Cozy Personalized Dog Beds
FOLLOW US!
Dogs and runners have a love/hate relationship. As a runner, we are invading their turf, putting their owners in danger, moving fast enough to look interesting and tasty, or just have some bright colors on that makes the dog think that we are a toy. There are a lot of reasons for a dog to chase us, and for the most part they are valid reasons. Sometimes the dog just wants to play with us, or to come over and say hi, and sometimes the dog wants to hunt and maim us. Whether you run in the park or around town, chances are you've come across a dog or two during your miles. And while some are friendly, leashed, and only want to play with you, others can cause panic as you wonder if you're going to be attacked. Unfortunately stories of runners being confronted by dogs are becoming more common as irresponsible owners dump their unwanted pets or improperly restrain them. But you don't need to stop your workout to stay safe. Roo Yori, a dog trainer who specializes in pit bull rehabilitation and the proud owner of the famous and beloved therapy pit bulls Wallace and Hector, offers advice on how to deal with an unknown or aggressive dog. Don't Run: Tough advice for a runner, but Roo explains that while your natural instinct may be to flee, you need to fight that. "Unless you know for sure you can get behind a barrier of some sort that will separate you from the dog, running away or screaming is most likely going to make the situation worse. Chances are, you're not going to out-run a dog, and the act of running will probably activate the chase instinct present in all dogs." Freeze: Most of the time, the best thing is become motionless, Roo says. So think of making your body like a post and fold your arms across your chest. "If you're boring and don't engage the dog, it will most likely sniff your leg and move on," Roo says. "Wait until the dog is a good distance from you, and move quietly to a safe area." Be a Rock: If the dog still attacks you and manages to knock you over, Roo says to curl up and cover your head, like the tornado drills you did in school, pulling your face down into your chest and covering your neck with your hands. He reiterates that if you're boring, the dog is much more likely to simply leave you alone. Take Precautions: If you're particularly concerned, you can carry a canister of pepper spray or mace with you, and Roo adds that there are citronella versions that also work well. But the best prevention is to know your route. Avoid any areas where owners allow their dogs to roam, and if you're trying a new path, drive it a few times first to see if you notice anything unsafe, canine-related or otherwise. Then simply stay aware while running. "If you notice an unknown dog ahead of you that you're not comfortable with, the sooner you stop and keep your distance-without running away-the better chance you'll have at avoiding an encounter," Roo says. For more information on dog attacks, visit the website below: How to Handle a Dog Attack
FOLLOW US!
Trump’s overturning of the Obama administration ban on elephant trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia being imported into America sparked outrage from animal rights activists. Ellen used her talk show yesterday to proclaim her love for elephants and detail her shock at the Trump’s administration’s decision. She said: ‘I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love them too.’ To read more on this story, click here:Ellen DeGeneres Launches Campaign to Save Elephants After Trump Ends Trophy Ban
FOLLOW US!
WASHINGTON — In the face of widespread public backlash, President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he has suspended his decision to reverse an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts,” he posted to Twitter. He adding that the issue has been “under study for years” but that he would soon provide an update. As HuffPost reported Wednesday, the administration decided to lift the ban after determining that sport hunting in those African countries will help conserve the species, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed. To read more on this story, click here:Facing Public Outrage, Trump Puts Elephant Trophy Decision ‘On Hold’
WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - The Trump Administration plans to remove an Obama-era ban on importing elephant head trophies. That means big game hunters could soon bring their elephant head trophies into the U.S. if they were killed on legal hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia. For decades, African countries have struggled to save elephants. An estimated 30,000 are slaughtered by poachers every year for their ivory tusks. In the 1970s, Africa had an estimated 1.3 million wild elephants. Now only a half a million remain. But a statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says legal, well-regulated sport hunting of elephants can help save the animals by giving local communities a financial incentive to protect them. To read more on this story, click here:Hunters Will Soon Bring Elephant Head Trophies Into U.S.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will reverse an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia after determining that sport hunting in those countries will help conserve the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed Wednesday. The decision was made public not by the federal agency but via a celebratory news release early Tuesday from Safari Club International, a trophy hunting advocacy group that, along with the National Rifle Association, sued to block the 2014 ban. Greg Sheehan, principal deputy director of the FWS, broke the news to the hunting organization during the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Tanzania, an agency spokesperson told HuffPost. The forum, which runs through Friday, is being hosted by the Safari Club International Foundation and the United Republic of Tanzania. African elephants have been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1978. A provision of the law, however, allows for sport-hunted trophies to be imported if the government determines that hunting will help safeguard the population. To read more on this story, click here:Trump To Lift Ban On Import Of Elephant Trophies From 2 African Nations
FOLLOW US!
If your cat is ditching the litter box and peeing just about everywhere else in the house, it can easily become a problem for pet parents. Between the constant cleaning and the strong smell, a cat that is not using the litter box properly can be a source of frustration. But why do cats pee outside of the box and what can you do about it? Here are some common causes of litter box problems. Addressing Inappropriate Urination While it’s understandably upsetting to find cat pee around the house, owners need to recognize that cats aren’t being bad when they “go” outside the box. They are simply behaving in a way that addresses their needs at the time. There are numerous reasons why a cat might pee outside the box, but with a little investigation (and possibly a trip to the vet’s office), you should be able to determine what needs to be done to stop your cat’s inappropriate urination. Here are the top 10 ways to stop your cat from peeing outside the litter box. Thoroughly Clean Up the Mess Be sure to thoroughly clean all areas where your cat has peed outside the box. You want to be sure you’ve eliminated the odor, not just for your own sake, but also so the smell doesn’t draw your cat back to that same spot. Use a black light and your nose to identify all the problem areas. If you are dealing with fresh urine, first blot up as much as possible with paper or cloth towels. Next (and for older spots), pick the best cleaning method based on what has been soiled. Hard surfaces can be thoroughly cleaned with your favorite household cleaning solution. Use your washing machine for bedding, towels, etc. Rugs and upholstery are best cleaned with an enzymatic or bacterial cleaner, but make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to maximize their effectiveness. Define the Problem When you discover pee where it doesn’t belong, you need to determine whether it is the result of spraying or urination. Cats urinate outside the litter box and spray for different reasons, and they require different types of treatment. When cats spray, they usually stand in front of a vertical surface and squirt a relatively small amount of urine on it. If you are finding a splatter of urine on the wall, your cat is probably spraying. When cats urinate, they usually squat and leave behind a larger amount of urine on a horizontal surface. Tackle the Problem Quickly You want to address spraying or urination outside of the litter box quickly, before it becomes normal behavior for your cat. When it comes to spraying, intact male cats are the most notorious offenders. All cats who are not going to be part of a breeding program should be neutered, ideally before puberty. If your neutered cat is spraying, try making him feel more secure in his territory. In a multi-cat household, it may help to provide separate living areas for each cat. If this is not feasible, provide elevated perches, hiding places, and covered escape routes so cats can easily avoid each other. Over-the counter anxiety-relieving products may also help cats who are spraying. If all else fails, your veterinarian can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication like fluoxetine. Add Additional Litter Boxes If you’ve determined that your cat is urinating inappropriately rather than spraying, it’s time to take a close look at your litter box. First, how many do you have? One litter box is often just not enough. The general rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus an extra one. Cats can be very picky about using a box that already contains urine or feces, particularly if that urine or feces is not their own. The more litter boxes you have, the more likely your cat is to find one that suits his fancy. Address Litter Box Location Think about where you have the litter boxes located. If you have multiple stories in your home, you'll want at least one on each floor. Think about it: if you were on the second floor of your house, would you want to run all the way downstairs to use the bathroom? Neither does your cat. And when litter boxes are too tucked away, say inside cabinets or in the corner of a basement laundry room, cats may not bother to go find them. Making it convenient for your cat to use the litter box will often alleviate problems. Finally, if your cat keeps peeing in the same spot, try placing a litter box over that area, and then slowly moving it to a more appropriate location. Try a Different Box An enclosed litter box may fit nicely within your decorating standards and help contain the mess and odor, but your cat may not agree. Enclosed boxes can be small, dark, smelly and difficult to turn around in—not conducive to cats doing their business. You also want to make sure the sides of your litter box are low enough for your cat to easily step over—especially as he reaches old age.
The ideal litter box is large, open, and has low sides or at least one low spot to ease access. It can be difficult to find litter boxes that have these characteristics in pet supply stores, but they are easy to make using plastic under-bed storage boxes. Clean Your Litter Box Regularly A filthy litter box is almost guaranteed to send a cat elsewhere to pee. Cats are very clean creatures by nature. Would you want to go walking barefoot through your cat's litter box? Well, if it’s dirty, neither does he. At a minimum, litter boxes should be scooped out once a day and dumped, washed, and refilled every month. Check the Type of Litter Heavily perfumed litter may seem the better choice (who wouldn’t want to smell perfume rather than a dirty litter box?), but cats tend to disagree. Their noses are more sensitive than ours, so what seems pleasant to us can be overpowering to them. They also like to stick with the familiar, so a cat may urinate outside the litter box if you suddenly switch to a new type of litter. Studies have shown that among cats, the all-around favorite litter type is an unscented, clumping clay litter containing activated charcoal. If you want to try this (or any) type of litter for the first time, make sure you have at least one box in the house that contains the old type of litter…just in case. Observe Social Dynamics Conflicts between multiple cats, or the introduction of a new cat, may cause inappropriate urination. If your cats got into an altercation in or near the litter box, he may choose to avoid the box rather than suffer through a repeat occurrence. Separate the cats for a while to let the tensions fade, and then try gradually reintroducing them. Make sure you have several litter boxes spaced out throughout the house so one cat can’t prevent access to all the boxes at the same time. Consult Your Veterinarian If inappropriate urination has become an issue with your cat, the most important thing you can do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your cat's doctor will take a complete history and perform a physical exam, urinalysis, and perhaps some other diagnostic tests to determine if the problem is medical rather than behavioral in origin. Urinary tract inflammation, diabetes, and kidney disease are just three of the common health issues that can make cats urinate outside of the litter box. If your cat is given a clean bill of health, your veterinarian can then help you move on to addressing environmental or behavioral issues that may be playing a role.
MOROGORO, Tanzania — The grass is still damp with dew as the sun begins to glint over the Uluguru Mountains. It’s only 7 a.m. in Morogoro, Tanzania, but Oprah and Malala and Taylor Swift and the others are already hard at work. They are heroes in the region, literal saviors to thousands of Tanzanians and those in the international community as well. It is on this large swath of land that giant African pouched rats, often named by their handlers after celebrities or loved ones, are meticulously trained for nine months to sniff out land mines. Down the dusty red dirt road, you’ll find others just like them — but there the rats are training in a laboratory, learning how to detect tuberculosis amid thousands of samples. It is here in the field that APOPO, a nonprofit organization that trains African giant pouched rats to undertake such endeavors, works its magic. The humans are patient, methodical, while the rats seem eager to learn — an interaction reminiscent of a new owner training a puppy. After each rat undergoes its daily weigh-in — they are generally between two and three pounds — it is put in a harness to walk one of the areas marked off on the field. It paces the ground, scratching feverishly when it detects a dismantled land mine beneath the surface. An APOPO worker uses a clicker to notify the rat that it is correct. The rat then scrambles to receive its treat of bananas or peanuts. After nine months of training, they are shipped out to APOPO’s partner organizations in various countries, where they will detect and help dismantle thousands of land mines that have been left over from decades of prior conflicts. To read more on this story, click here:The Hero Rats of Africa Sniff Out Land Mines — and TB Infections
FOLLOW US!
We love sleeping with our pets, but some veterinary scientists don’t agree. They say that sleeping with and “kissing” your animals on their little pet lips puts you at risk for some serious medical problems, even when those pusses and pooches are seemingly healthy. According to “Zoonoses in the Bedroom,” a study published in the February issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases: “The risk of contracting something is rare, but if you’re that person who gets a disease from a pet, rare doesn’t matter that much,” says the paper’s co-author Bruno Chomel, a professor at the University of California-Davis school of veterinary medicine and an expert in zoonoses, the transmission of disease from animal to human. “I know this will make me unpopular, but pets really don’t belong in your bed.”
FOLLOW US!
The photo of this Albino Burmese Python looks so real, Francesca Pitcher of North Star Cakes in Kent, U.K., was prompted to add this tagline: "****I DO NOT SELL SNAKES****. This photo is of a snake CAKE made to look like an Amelanistic Burmese Python for a birthday party." Yes, the snake is a fake. It's a fake snake cake. And it truly is awesome, as many of the commenters on North Star Cakes' Facebook page have stated emphatically. "The detail is absolutely spot-on!! As a long-time reptile keeper I know you would do well to advertise this in local pet shops and reptile specialists." Indeed. Just take a look at this real Albino Burmese Python for comparison sake. The fake snake cake has an incredible resemblance to the real Albino Burmese Python, which is one of the six largest snakes in the world with most averaging 12-feet long. But it can grow up to 19 feet, and, if not handled properly, can be quite dangerous. The only danger with Pitcher's snake, however, is to the waistline. According to the UK Daily Mail, Pitcher's now-6-year-old daughter Claudia, who loves reptiles, wanted a spooky-themed birthday party. She wanted something that would scare her friends. Pitcher suggested a snake cake. She regretted that idea immediately and for good reason. Pitcher has a snake phobia. From the UK Daily Mail: 'At first I couldn't even look at the images of them online but as I kept researching them I realised they weren't so bad and had quite beautiful patterns. 'Once I had got over my phobia I just cracked on with it...' Over the course of three days, Pitcher spent 12 hours baking and shaping sponge layers, using "a white chocolate fondant with special dye to make the skin and replicate the distinctive markings of the dangerous snake," according to the Daily Mail. As it turned out, none of the kids at the birthday party were afraid of the snake. Instead, they fought over who was going to eat the head. Would you eat this cake?
