His policy was always about getting even. He knew from the moment he met them he needed to make these criminals pay, but what the courtroom never expected was the original and humiliating sentencings the judge actually offered. One case, in particular, had the judge so furious, he had no other choice but to take his proceedings to the next level. Michael Cicconetti is a well known municipal court judge from Painesville, Ohio. His unusual sentencings started in the mid 90's when he had had enough of first-time criminals getting away with almost no reprimand and not learning their lesson. He had to do something. The judge presides over more than 40 cases daily, and sadly, sees a lot of animal abuse and neglect cases. Being an animal advocate himself he is no stranger to giving out 'personal sentencings' when it comes to these types of crimes. Nonetheless, his creativity doesn't just stop there. Judge Cicconetti had grown up surrounded by animals, his family pet was his loving childhood companion; “He was the best pet a kid could ever ask for,” the judge said in an interview. He had always been an animal lover from very young and now, is the proud dad to a 10-year-old Bernese Mountain dog named Kasey. After years of seeing different criminals come and go from his courtroom, he decided he had had enough. He needed to teach them a lesson. To read more on this story, click here: Judge Sick Of Seeing Animals Get Hurt, So He Decides To Take Drastic Measures
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At the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Australia, caretakers noticed that two male gentoo penguins, Sphen and Magic, had become inseparable. During breeding season, the pair were constantly seen swimming together and waddling around together. Then they began presenting each other with pebbles, a clear sign of romantic interest. (For penguins, pebbles are like diamonds, demonstrating they wish to become a couple.) The aquarium quickly noticed Sphen and Magic had formed a serious bond. "They recognized each other’s signature calls and songs," said Penguin Department Supervisor Tish Hannan. "Only bonded penguins will be able to successfully find their partner using their calls when they are separated." When the couple constructed a nest out of stones, caretakers provided them with a dummy egg to practice incubating. To read more on this story, click here:'Gay' Penguins Manage to Successfully Hatch Baby Chick and Are Taking Turns to Look After It
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The internet is obsessed with cats. Literally. Cat memes are littered across the internet with a populace that's quite astounding. It's no wonder why this Maine Coon kitten has drawn so much attention. Tatiana Rastorgueva, the owner of a 2 month old Maine Coon kitten (whom she named Valkyrie) merely had to upload a picture on Instagram of her new fur ball before she went viral. Valkyrie, as it turns out, doesn't quite look like your everyday, average Maine Coon kitten. Tatiana took notice of her kitten's minor abnormalities and wanted all her friends to see. She didn't expect that her kitten's human-like face would be an internet sensation. Now, "human-like" can mean so many different things. Usually, when animals are personified as human, they have some specific attributes. Sometimes animals make noises that sound like us talking, or they "smile" like us, or protect us. So, even though Valkyrie undoubtedly looks human, it's a toss up for what makes her so human-like to so many people. In the pictures, which you can check out here, people have noted that the look in her eyes as she puts on a comforting, surreal expression is what makes her so human like. Others have pointed out that the structure of her bones along her face are truly resembling that of a human face.
Valkyrie, it seems, just has the "it" or "wow" factor that draws so many different people in!
Couch or gigantic plush toy? If you love cats and have ample space in your apartment, then you’ll love this giant cat couch. It was created back in 2010 by Unfold, a design studio based in Antwerp, Belgium, as part of a five-piece feline-centric art installation. It’s actually described as a sculpture and it’s called Felix Domesticus It’s awesome for so many reasons, I don’t know where to start. For one, it looks mighty cushy and comfortable. Because of its size and how it’s built, I’m sure up to a dozen people can lounge on it comfortably. The legs add a modular feel in the sense that you can use them as a pillow or as a hand rest of sorts.
Growing up on the family farm, Anthony Eddy learned early on not to get too attached to animals, including household pets. His devoted customers are a different story. Pet lovers across the country count on the Saline County, Missouri, taxidermist to faithfully preserve Brutus, Fluffy and other beloved companions for posterity. Even if it means shelling out thousands of dollars and waiting more than a year for the pets' return. "They're very distraught, because their child has died. For most people, this animal is their life," said Lessie 'Les' Thurman Calvert, Eddy's office manager. "Some are kind of eccentric. But most of them are just like you and me. They don't want to bury or cremate them. They can't stand the thought. ... It helps them feel better about the loss." The front showroom of Eddy's Wildlife Studio in downtown Slater is a testament to pet owners' perseverance. Lifelike dogs and cats of all sizes are scattered along the floor, from a perky-looking Brittany spaniel to a regal Persian cat, a lone iguana and the stray cockatiel or two. Departed pets of all persuasions spend up to one year in hulking, freeze-dry metal drums before they are painstakingly preserved and returned to their owners. Eddy said his business is one of the few in the country to specialize in pet taxidermy and has a two-month waiting list. A former high school chemistry and biology teacher, hog farmer and Air Force veteran, Eddy started out in traditional taxidermy, stuffing great horned owls and pheasants with the help of a local veterinarian. He originally used the freeze-dry technique to preserve mounted turkey heads for hunters before realizing in the mid-1990s it could also work with pets. Eddy, 64, compares his line of work to the mortician's trade. He'll share broad details about the process with customers but likes to keep some mystery to the process and steer clear of the gross-out factor. He's quick to embrace the artistry of his craft, especially when it comes to the primping and prepping required once the internal organs and body fat are removed and the carcass is fully dry. Depending on the customer's preference, pets can be posed with a skyward gaze, an extended paw or with eyes closed, seemingly asleep. "You just have a knack for it," he said. "It's like an artist painting a picture". The degree of difficulty - and the scrutiny of demanding pet owners who can immediately detect flaws or imperfections in their loved ones - keep many traditional taxidermists from the domestic animal sector, said Steve Wolk, president of the National Taxidermists Association. "No matter how perfect your pet comes out, there can still be something wrong," said Wolk, who owns Little Creek Taxidermy in Festus, Mo. "When you go deer hunting, you don't know what that deer looks like. Everybody knows exactly what their pets look like". Debbie Rosa, a 59-year-old teacher who splits her time between southern Maine and Port Charlotte, Fla., had her 17-year-old fox terrier, Lexi, preserved by Eddy when the dog died just before Christmas 2005. She said the choice was an easy one. "I could stare at an urn, or I could stare at the ground in the cemetery, or I could hold and pet her," Rosa said. "Her spirit is in heaven, but her body is here on Earth". Eddy and Calvert estimate they receive two to three pets each week, every week. The studio charges $850 for pets under 10 pounds and $40 for each additional pound. Allen McConnell, a psychology professor at Miami University in Ohio who studies pet owners' behavior, said those who opt for animal preservation can be motivated by grief, a need for belonging and anthropomorphism - the act of ascribing human attributes to animals or even inanimate objects. "It's very common for people to memorialize important members of their family," he said. "We often visit relatives in family gravesites on birthdays. ... It's part of an extended connection that people have". Eddy said he is no longer surprised by unusual requests from customers. It seems that as long as humans embrace animals as four-legged friends, those bonds will continue past the pet's expiration date. "It runs the whole gamut," he said, mentioning turtles, guinea pigs, snakes and more. "If you've got a pet of some kind, somebody's going to want you to preserve it".
Preserving: Joe Pycke prepares a deceased cat before placing it in a freeze dryer at Anthony Eddy's Wildlife Studio
Posterity: Animal lovers from across the country call on Anthony Eddy and his team to faithfully preserve their beloved departed pets
Full house: Receptionist Lessie Calvert sits behind her desk surrounded by freeze-dried animals
Frozen: Pycke pulls a cat out of a freeze dryer, an essential step in the preservation process
Resting: A freeze-dried squirrel and dog wait for their loved ones to take them home
A freeze-dried dog is displayed on a table at Anthony Eddy's Wildlife Studio in Slater.
Epiphysitis, also known as equine rickets, is a condition of the bones that occurs in horses and is recognized by a slight lameness in the animal. It usually affects the longer bones, occurring when joints, such as the knee joint, become enlarged. While there are several theories as to where this comes from, the most respected one is that it is caused by the overfeeding of young horses. When a young horse is fed on a high plane of nutrition, or a high caloric diet, its metabolism becomes unbalanced, sometimes causing growth issues like rickets on the small body. In short, their bones grow too large or too quickly for the rest of their body. It is most commonly seen in Welsh Cobs and fillies that are preparing for an exhibition or show, and generally doesn’t affect every type of horse. Symptoms and Types
Pain in the joints
Swelling in the joints
Knee joint problems (e.g., knuckling of the knee joint, slight lameness)
Knuckling of the fetlock (or the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints)
Abnormal contraction of flexor tendon (allowing the flexing of the joints)
Abnormal contraction of cannon tendon (between the fetlock and the knee joints)
Causes Horses on a high plane of nutrition, whether they be preparing for an athletic event or show, are more susceptible to rickets. Mineral and hormonal imbalances, especially brought on by overfeeding, can also lead to this condition. Diagnosis In order to diagnose epiphysitis, your veterinarian will probably need a great deal of information about your horse, including its medical history and nutritional information. What your horse has been fed is vital in determining the diagnosis. Treatment Most cases of rickets are treated with ease. Since the condition is based almost entirely on dietary imbalance, it is important to establish a nutritional plan with your veterinarian that will allow the horse's body to heal and grow in proportionately. This new diet should balance minerals and vitamins respectively, while lowering the caloric intake of the animal. Prevention Proper nutrition and a well-balanced diet recommended by your veterinarian should prevent rickets in your young foals.
Sheep, being multi-purpose animals, have always been a part of many cultures. Recently a breed of sheep dubbed the “world’s cutest sheep” has been taking the world by storm, and it’s not hard to see why. The Valais Blacknose sheep are unbelievably cute. Their snow-white shaggy fleece is soft and incredibly fluffy. Their faces and hocks are black and their eyes are hidden under stringy wool. The breed is native to the Valais region in Switzerland, hence the name. The animals live high up in the snow-capped mountains and graze in the alpine meadows on wild herbs. Due to their physiology, the breed is not suited for every country. Within the past decade, the Valais Blacknose has been imported into the United Kingdom and Scotland, where its popularity began to soar. Sally and Lindsay Strathdee, breeders from New Zealand, fell instantly in love with the animals after seeing a picture of them on the internet, according to Newshub. The couple wanted to import the animal into the country but stringent laws forbade it. However, their business partner, Christine Reed, found a loophole in the law that allowed for embryos and sperm to be imported, so that’s what they did. “We implanted in June 2017 and later in October had the most gorgeous 16 lambs on the ground—9 girls and 7 boys,” Reed told the MailOnline. Today, the Valais Blacknose sheep is growing in demand by breeders and has a burgeoning fanbase. “We have visitors willing to jump off cruise ships and rent cars just so they can see the sheep,” Reed shared. “Some visitors are also wanting to come to New Zealand just to see them and one photo quickly taken on a cell phone in January 2018 has now had 2.3 million views.” The sheep’s appearance is definitely unique, capturing the hearts of anyone who sees it. Not only are they lovely to look at, but the animals have a pleasant nature too. “One of the most wonderful surprises for us though, was that not only were these the cutest sheep in the world, but they had friendly inquisitive natures unlike any other sheep breed, more like your family dog following you around the fields,” Reed said. The breed will be showcased at the New Zealand Cup and Show Week held in Christchurch in November.
Uroplatus phantasticus are one of the smallest species within the genus Uroplatus. Being in the Genus Uroplatus, Phantasticus have evolved to mimic leaves. Their tails have the shape, coloration, veins, notching, and lichen commonly found in their natural environment. Uroplatus phantasticus have evolved to mimic dead or dying plant matter instead of branches and living vegetation. Their unique appearance and size have made them one of the most desired gecko species available. Scientific name : Uroplatus phantasticus Distribution : Madagascar Average Size : 0.12 m (0.4 ft) Life Span : 8 years or more Difficulty : Advanced Housing There is more than one correct way to house your Phantasticus, but there are a few requirements to ensure your geckos’ needs are met. Like other species in the Genus, Phantasticus are predominantly an arboreal species. We suggest using vertical enclosures that still provide adequate substrate exposure. We have had the best success with 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.45 meters (0.9 x 0.9 x 1.5 feet) or 0.45 x 0.45 x 0.6 meters (1.5 x 1.5 x 2 feet) glass enclosures (depending on age/size of the pairs being housed with most being housed in the 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.45 meters). Unlike most others in the Genus, Phantasticus have evolved to mimic dead or dropped leaves instead of branches and live plant matter. For this reason I cannot stress enough how important the development and enrichment in the bottom 1/3 of the enclosure is for this species. There are 3 ways of planting a U. phantasticus enclosure: real, artificial, or a combination of both. Although there isn’t a wrong way, the least preferred is the exclusive use of artificial plants. Artificial plants provide cover and enrichment but they do not help with humidity or air quality within the enclosure. When selecting plants for the enclosure, you have to first determine what is safe and best for the Phantasticus. I have found a combination of Pothos and Ficus to be the best options. These plants are hardy, strong enough to support movement, safe for the geckos, help retain humidity, and are easily obtained. To read more on this story, click here:Meet The Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko
