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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Gigantic Cow Called ‘Knickers’ Weighs More Than a Car, Is as Tall as Michael Jordan


A gigantic steer that some consider the largest in Australia has become a viral sensation.

The cow is named “Knickers” and stands at 76 inches at the shoulder, towering over other cows, its owner said, adding that the cow almost as tall as Michael Jordan. It weighs about 3,086 pounds and lives on a farm in Myalup, located 85 miles south of Perth, Australia.

Knickers is a Holstein-Friesian, a dairy breed known for being quite tall, according to an industry website about the animals. “Holsteins are most quickly recognized by their distinctive color markings and outstanding milk production. Holsteins are large cattle with color patterns of black and white or red and white,” it says.

On average, Holsteins weigh about 1,500 pounds and are 58 inches tall at the shoulder.

Geoff Pearson, the owner, said he tried to auction Knickers in October, but meat processors said they couldn’t handle the size.

“Knickers lives on,” Pearson told the BBC.

To read more on this story, click here: Gigantic Cow Called ‘Knickers’ Weighs More Than a Car, Is as Tall as Michael Jordan

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Sunday, November 25, 2018

Horse Rescued From Northern Colorado Feedlot Turns Out To Be Descendant Of Triple Crown Winner


FORT COLLINS — His name was Champ, but he was no champion.

Severely underweight and riddled with ulcers, the brown horse had been rescued from a Northern Colorado feedlot when Kassidy Webber first met him in 2014.

Then a high school sophomore living in Arvada, Webber responded to an ad for Champ at a Colorado horse rescue. The first time she saw him, three months after he had been rescued, she knew immediately that he was the horse for her — it was in his eyes.

“That’s what I tell everyone when they ask me (why him),” Webber said. “Everything about him was pretty rough looking, but he had a really kind eye. It’s just in his face.”

Taking a chance, she purchased him for an insanely cheap $750 and took him home. Fittingly enough, she renamed him Chance.

She spent the following year restoring Chance’s health and trust. Slowly, he gained weight and got used to being cared for and doted on. Over the years, Webber always wondered about Chance’s backstory and lineage. Like all former race horses, he had an ID number tattoo on the inner side of his inner lip, but it was too worn to read or track.

To read more on this story, click here: Horse Rescued From Northern Colorado Feedlot Turns Out To Be Descendant Of Triple Crown Winner FOLLOW US!
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The Evil Giraffe Hunter Who Went Viral Isn't Sorry At All After Massive Social Media Backlash


A few weeks ago, news of a rare black giraffe that was shot and killed by a trophy hunter went viral after images of the slain animal were posted on social media. The hunter was identified as Tess Thompson Talley, a 37-year-old American woman who has achieved a level of notoriety on the internet for killing wild animals.

"Prayers for my once in a lifetime dream hunt came true today! Spotted this rare black giraffe bull and stalked him for quite awhile," Talley wrote in a Facebook post, which was later shared by an organisation called Africa Digest.

Though she later deleted the post, along with the pictures, they had already been shared by hundreds of people, and Talley has been receiving a huge amount of backlash as a result. However, despite all the criticism she's receiving, the hunter says she has no regrets about killing the giraffe - nor any other animal, for that matter.

"It is something I believe in," Talley told the Daily Mail. "This is more than a hobby for me, it's a passion."

The Texas-based hunter, who has garnered media attention a few times before on account of her controversial hobby, also tried to argue that she didn't do anything wrong by shooting the animal, and - much to the contrary - was actually helping the giraffe population, as well as the local community.

To read more on this story, click here: The Evil Giraffe Hunter Who Went Viral Isn't Sorry At All After Massive Social Media Backlash


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Saturday, November 24, 2018

Pet Peacock Runs Away From Home And Takes Up With Wild Turkeys


A Vermont couple says that their peacock has been on the loose for six weeks, and has apparently started hanging out with a flock of wild turkeys.

The case of the fugitive bird went viral earlier this week, when the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department shared an email on its Facebook page that it had received from one of the peacock’s distraught owners.

“My peacock has run off with the turkeys,” the email read. “Do you have any suggestions on how to catch the little twerp?? I do not believe they can breed……concerned. I know where he is most days. Any information would be appreciated!”

Local news station WCAX 3 tracked down the owners, Rene and Brian Johnson of Springfield, and got the full story. The couple believes that the peacock ― who goes by Pea, Forest or Walter ― took up with the turkeys because he was lonely after his companion, a sibling peacock, died.

To read more on this story, click here: Pet Peacock Runs Away From Home And Takes Up With Wild Turkeys


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Does Your Puppy Have Swimming Puppy Syndrome?


Does your puppy have swimming puppy syndrome? Do you know the signs? Swimmer puppies are puppies that cannot walk and stand upright. Instead, they paddle their legs like a turtle.

Meet Harper, she was rescued by Erica Daniel, 26, who fosters dogs that need serious help. On Aug. 31, a woman in Sanford, Fla., first encountered the little dog when she spotted it squirming garbage bag.

“There was a man outside of a store selling pit-bull puppies for $50,” Daniel explained. “This woman approached him and noticed a noise coming from a garbage bag he was holding. She asked him, ‘What’s in the bag?” He wouldn’t answer her, so pressed the issue and the man opened the bag and gave her the puppy. Harper, was so deformed that she could not walk or hold up her head. Veterinarians advised that the puppy should be euthanized.

Daniel, a regular at the local animal shelter, decided to take the puppy home for one full and final day of affection. “I had to show her what it was like to be loved,” Daniel said. “I’d planned on taking her home that night, letting her sleep in bed with us, and having her humanely euthanized in the morning.”

The puppy had been born with a condition commonly called “swimmer puppy disorder,” and most dogs afflicted with it don’t survive. The formal name of Harper’s disorder, pectus excavatum, causes puppies to lie flat on their chests with their legs perpetually splayed out, as if they were humans or frogs swimming through water.

Daniel kept massaging Harper’s tight muscles, hoping to alleviate at least some of her stiffness and pain. Within just a few hours, Harper started lifting her head and looking around. Her front legs became more limber as well, so much so that she tried using them to walk and pull herself around.

Symptoms of Swimming Puppy Syndrome

If you notice a puppy that is always on its belly or beginning to show signs of a flat chest. Lay mom down and put this pup on a good nipple. Turn it on its side, holding its entire body and making sure it stays on its side. If the pup lets loose start over. Do this several times a day until the pup returns to normal and lays on its side; when that happens you have just cured swimmer puppy syndrome. There's no way to prevent Swimming Puppy Syndrome.



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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Two South Dakota Turkeys Get Pampered Before Trump's Turkey Pardon


South Dakota's most famous turkeys will strut their stuff on the national stage Tuesday as they receive clemency by President Donald Trump in the 2018 Turkey Pardon. 

Peas and Carrots, both weighing about 40 pounds, stood out from the flock and were raised specifically for this moment — being treated almost as well as any human. 

The "presidential flock" was presented to the public for the first time Nov. 14 during their press tour around their hometown of Huron. South Dakota's stars traveled to Washington D.C. on Saturday in the back of an SUV. 

More: With turkey pardon, Trump spares Drumstick and Wishbone from Thanksgiving dinner

Jeff Sveen, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and Chairman of the Board of Dakota Provisions, is in charge of Peas and Carrots as they meet the public and national media this week. He joked that the VIP turkeys enjoyed a more comfortable road trip than their drivers.

To read more on this story, click here: Two South Dakota Turkeys Get Pampered Before Trump's Turkey Pardon

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Six Reasons Why You Should Not Swim with Wild Spinner Dolphins


Would you swim with wild spinner dolphins if you knew that they were trying to sleep?

Swimmers and boats that come to visit wild spinner dolphins close to shore during the day could be disturbing their rest and potentially harming them. Wild spinner dolphins feed off-shore at night and return to sheltered bays and coastlines during the day to rest, socialize, tend to their young, and avoid predators. Any energy used towards responding to human activity--even if they appear to just be curious and enjoy the interaction--is energy not being used for these behaviors that are critical for survival. When their rest is interrupted, especially if it happens many times in a day, it can affect their health and well-being.

Swimming with resting spinner dolphins may constitute "harassment" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to disrupt a marine mammal's behavior is "harassment" under this Act and is, therefore, against the law.

To read more on this story, click here: Six Reasons Why You Should Not Swim with Wild Spinner Dolphins

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Saturday, November 17, 2018

War Horse, Sergeant Reckless, Statue Dedicated at Marine Corps Museum


A plaque and photo were dedicated in her honor at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton stables and a statue of her was dedicated on July 26, 2013 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.

The war horse, “Sergeant Reckless,” was used by U.S. Marines fighting in the conflict to carry ammunition to the front lines of battle. The horse also carried wounded Marines from the front lines to safety — a task the horse did on her own even after being wounded.

 “Reckless” was eventually brought to the U.S. to live out the remainder of her life following the end of the war.

          Staff Sergeant Reckless, the greatest war hero horse in U.S. history, according to Marines.



Sgt. Harold Wadley USMC spoke of serving with "Reckless" at the dedication ceremony held at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.




Commandant of the Marine Corps General James F. Amos and sculptor Jocelyn Russell talk at the unveiling of her bronze statue of "Reckless".



Commandant of the Marine Corps General James F. Amos, Robin L. Hutton, Mike Mason, and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Michael P. Barrett.









Hundreds of visitors gathered at the National Museum of the Marine Corps for the unveiling of the bronze statue of "Staff Sargent Reckless" the greatest war hero horse in American history.



Hundreds of visitors gathered at the National Museum of the Marine Corps for the unveiling of the bronze statue of "Staff Sergeant Reckless."




                  Artist Jocelyn Russell bids a final farewell to her creation of Reckless, a bronze statue.


Take a look at videos of Sgt. Reckless below:






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Former Vice President Joe Biden, And His Wife, Dr. Jill Biden, Adopted A 10-Month-Old German Shepherd From The Delaware Humane Association


Former Vice President, Joe Biden, and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, adopted a 10-month-old German Shepherd from the Delaware Humane Association (DHA) on Saturday, after fostering him for several months. The pup’s name is Major.

DHA posted about the lucky dog on their Facebook page  as the Bidens took him to his new “forever home.”

“Today is Major’s lucky day! Not only did Major find his forever home, but he got adopted by Vice President Joe Biden & Dr. Jill Biden!” the post said. “The Bidens have gotten to know Major while fostering him and are now ready to make the adoption official. Best of luck and thank you for being one of our Friends for life!”

According to DHA, Major is from a litter of German Shepherd pups that were given up for adoption and are currently “not doing well at all.”

“Once we posted about them… Joe Biden caught wind of them and reached out immediately. The rest is history!” DHA said.

The Bidens are proud owners of another German Shepherd named Champ.

In a statement, the Bidens thanked the shelter for their help finding dogs permanent homes.

“We are so happy to welcome Major to the Biden family, and we are grateful to the Delaware Humane Association for their work in finding forever homes for Major and countless other animals,” the statement read.




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Friday, November 16, 2018

Did You Know that Apes Get Mid-Life Crisis?


Across many cultures, people report a dip in happiness during their late-40s, a time when they generally feel less satisfied with their lives than they do in their younger and older years.

Apes, too, experience a kind of midlife crisis, found a new study. The surprising result suggests that the middle-aged blues may be a result of biology, not culture, and its evolutionary roots run deep.

"It was an astounding thing for us to find this pattern, to be honest," said Andrew Oswald, an economist and behavioral scientist at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. "It may be that the midlife crisis is driven by primate biology in a way we don 't understand, and if that 's the case, we all have to learn how to deal with it."

"I think it 's helpful for people to understand this dip," he added. "With luck, this could people them see that this is completely normal and that could help them get through it."

Studies in more than 50 countries over the past 20 years have revealed a near-universal pattern. Over the course of life, happiness tends to follow a U-shaped curve, with people ranking their sense of well-being higher in the first and last decades of life than in the middle.

The low point generally strikes between age 45 and 50 for both men and women, and the pattern crosses economic and demographic lines.

For each animal, zookeepers, researchers or caretakers answered four questions about the well-being of their primate friends, including whether the apes seemed to be in good or bad moods. The humans also ranked how happy they thought they 'd be if they were to become the animal for a week. They had spent time with the animals for at least two years and knew them well.

Apes live to be about 50 or 55 years old and, just like in people, results showed a drop in happiness that reached its lowest point about halfway through the animals ' lives, the researchers report today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The magnitude of the dip was on par with the dips in happiness that people experience in their middle age, Oswald said. He compared the difference between the apes ' highs and lows to the loss in well-being that people report with marital separation.

The new findings help rule out some theories for midlife slumps in humans, said Arthur Stone, a psychologist in the psychiatry department at Stony Brook University in New York. For example, a whole generation of people can end up feeling less happy at a certain time in their lives simply because of some external historical situation. But that is unlikely to happen in societies of apes.

Instead, it might be chemical or physical changes in our bodies that influence how our feelings morph throughout our lifetimes.

"What this really starts to point to is that maybe there are biological things that we just don 't know about," Stone said. "Maybe there are changes in the brain, changes in how neurotransmitters work or changes in how hormones work that relate to how people view their lives and how animals feel. People will be looking at this more seriously, I think."

Apes Giggle Like Humans





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Why Is My Dog's Third Eyelid Showing?


Also known as the nictitating membrane or haw, the dog's third eyelid is something most owners aren't aware of until they see it for the first time.

All dogs have this membrane found in the inner corner of the eye but it is typically noticed only when it is drawn horizontally across part of the eye. Its color varies depending on the dog's breed and can range from clear to cloudy.

Also known as the nictitating membrane or haw, the dog's third eyelid is something most owners aren't aware of until they see it for the first time.

All dogs have this membrane found in the inner corner of the eye but it is typically noticed only when it is drawn horizontally across part of the eye. Its color varies depending on the dog's breed and can range from clear to cloudy.

What Does the Third Eyelid Do?
Deborah S. Friedman, D.V.M. and diplomate with the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists has several explanations.

The third eyelid acts as the dog's "windshield-wiper" for the cornea, effectively removing debris or mucus off of it.

This membrane is responsible for producing about one-third of the dog's tears, since it has one of the most important tear glands attached at its base, and its lymphoid tissue acts like a lymph node producing antibodies to fight off infections.

It also helps prevent injuries to the dog's cornea.

In dogs and cats, this membrane is not normally visible other than when the animal is sleeping or suddenly awakens from sleep. Indeed, if you lift the eyelid of a sleeping dog you'll likely see the whole eye covered by the third eyelid.

The dog in my pictures awakened suddenly after resting on my legs, and once she was fully awake, her third eyelid re-positioned normally.

However, the prolonged presence of the third eyelid, even when the dog is bright and alert, often denotes some sort of medical problem.

In the next paragraphs, we will see some common and not-so-common medical issues associated with the abnormal appearance of the dog's third eyelid.

To read more this story, click here: Why Is My Dog's Third Eyelid Showing?

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Why Does My Cat Pee on My Bed?


Inappropriate Urination
Cats typically want to urinate in their litter boxes! Naturally, a cat wants to bury its excrement so that predators cannot find it (or them!). It's instinctual and it makes the cat feel safe.

If a cat urinates inappropriately, especially in its owner's bed, there has to be a problem. The main culprits usually involve:

Medical conditions such as Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or kidney infection
Stress or anxiety
Problems with the litter box itself

Medical Concerns: Consider These First!
The first issue to consider if a cat has begun to urinate inappropriately and/or on the bed, is the possibility of illness or injury. Cats usually want to use their litter boxes and feel most comfortable using them, so it is not a good sign if a cat stops using theirs.

A complete check-up with a veterinarian is the best first step. Oftentimes a cat with a urinary tract infection (UTI) or kidney infection will urinate while sleeping, and our beds are a common place for cats to sleep.

Elderly cats may have difficulty getting in and out of the litter box, and may need some adjustments to help with this.

Medical issues can be complicated, so it is best to check for these first in order to be sure that the problem is not a physical one.

To read more on this story, click here: Why Does My Cat Pee on My Bed?

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10 Reasons Why Dogs Howl


Are you curious to know why dog howl and why they howl mostly at nights? Actually, dogs howl is their natural mode of communication. Also, there are some other reasons, about dog howl, but the most accepted belief is, "dogs are successor of wolves and they carry a couple of wolves’ characters and howling is one of them". There are some other concepts also, regarding dog howls like,

1. Vocal Communication
Wolf howl in the wild is their natural way of vocal communication. They howl to send a message to their separated pack members to inform about their presence and current location. This method helps them to find each other. And the dogs had inherited this behavior from their ancestors. Though this way of communication can be the one reason, but there are a couple of other reasons also when a dog can trigger howl.

To read more on this story, click here: 10 Reasons Why Dogs Howl


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November is National Adopt a Senior Month: Donatello Has A Message For You


November is National Adopt a Senior Month. Donatello has a message...please adopt or foster a senior dog or cat. Let’s save more lives together. Donatello would like you all to follow him on FB & Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/donatellothedog/

https://instagram.com/donatellos world



                       (Click twice on arrow to start video)


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