Racehorses running down the streets at iconic global locations such as Sydney Harbour Bridge or Fifth Avenue in New York... It might sound implausible, but the man spearheading the project has told BBC Sport he hopes agreements for the first such race meetings, on a special artificial surface, will be in place by the end of next month. He is Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandson, and here he outlines details of racing, safety, crowd and betting plans for the 'City Racing' project and how racing's best-known supporter is following the idea... What is this all about? Phillips, who is 14th in line to the throne, has been working on the proposals for five years since staging an equestrian event on a similar surface on Horse Guards Parade in London. He says that leg of the Global Champions Tour demonstrated how safe 'pop-up' conditions for horses in a competitive environment could be installed and removed within three days. To read more on this story, click here:Horse Racing: Plans For Racing On City Streets 'Could Be The Sport's Twenty20'
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Now that animal abuse is being taken far more seriously than ever before; more and more jurisdictions are altering their laws to reflect this new reality. A number of United States jurisdictions have now made laws that require the names of animal abusers to be displayed in a registry that is similar to the ones that are used for sex offenders. These registries are designed with the objective of keeping people who have harmed animals in the past from ever having the chance to do so again. They are a welcome addition to the lawmaking policies of places as disparate as New York City and Tampa. To read more on this story, click here:Animal Abusers Will Now Be Registered In A Database Like Sex Offenders
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Julia Heckathorn, 28, adopted two-year-old Boomeroo from a farm in Texas when she was just 3 weeks old. The pair have been inseparable ever since. Boomeroo, wears human clothing, lets out an excited squeak every time Julia walks into a room. She will stretch out her arms for cuddles, and follows her around the house. Julia is a children's author and takes Boomeroo with her whenever she visits a school in the hope of teaching them more about nature. She says Boomeroo loves to wear human clothes and even has her own wardrobe full of tops and dresses that have been specifically purchased from baby stores for her. When she was a joey, she slept in the house with her Julia and her husband, Jason. She eventually grew too big to spend time indoors, so the couple built a temperature controlled barn in their garden where she can sleep alongside the couple's other animals, an anteater, named Noche, four sugar glider possums, and a cat called named Larry. Although she sleeps in the barn each night, she spends her days hopping around the house and garden with Larry, staring out the window, and sleeping at Julia's feet while she writes. "When she was younger I used to carry her around in a bag with me to the supermarket so she could get used to seeing people," she said. She thinks I'm her mother, and she follows me everywhere. When I come near her, she makes this little sound, like an excited chortle, just as kangaroos would do in the wild to locate their mom," she said." Describing the kangaroo's love of human attire, she said: "When we first got her, she was wearing a little shirt and she's worn clothes ever since. The clothes give her comfort as a thunder shirt would give comfort to a dog." "She loves her tops, and when I have to take her top off to clean it, she puts her arms out and waits for me to dress her again," said Julia. Kangaroos are social animals, living in groups called mobs, so when she was a joey, Julia and her husband adopted Larry the cat to give her 24-hour companionship. Talking about the animals' unorthodox friendship, she said: "Boomeroo and Larry get on really well, and the two are now the best of friends, doing everything together. They eat grass together, lay together, and watch the birds together. It's adorable." Julia says that when she visits a school with one of her unusual animals, the childrens eyes 'light up with excitement" and they become really interested in learning about conservation. She has put plans on hold for another animal, since the couple are expecting their first child. "We are so excited to be expecting our first child, and I'm sure that she and the animals will be the best of friends. She will be a very lucky girl with wonderful experiences." said Julia. Click twice on arrow to start video
King is a 12-year-old dog who’s had a rougher life than most dogs — he has spent most of it living on the streets. After being struck by a car, King lost one of his front legs. He was given the surgery he needed, and then a rescue group called Marley’s Mutts swooped in to help find the senior sweetie a forever home. They knew they were going into it with the cards stacked against them. King was not only a senior dog, but one that was missing a leg. Months passed with no one willing and able to take in the pooch… Until Rocky Kanaka, TV host of the show Dog’s Day Out, heard King’s story and decided King deserved a really special day.
Can there really be a living creature that’s over five centuries old? It may seem impossible, but scientists have discovered one such beast living in the Northern Atlantic Ocean: a Greenland Shark. It’s long been known that this particular shark is older than most, but scientists had no idea just how old he was until recently. Now that they’ve pinpointed his age to be 512 years old, he’s claimed the title of world’s oldest living vertebrate. To read more on this story, click here:Scientists Discover 512 Y.O. Shark, Which Makes It The Oldest Living Vertebrate On The Planet
The 2-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever on Wednesday joined Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's dog program to help wounded veterans. BETHESDA, Md. — Sully, the service dog who symbolized devotion lying by former President George H.W. Bush's flag-draped casket, has a new mission. The 2-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever on Wednesday joined Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's dog program to help wounded veterans. Sully offered his paw as he was administered an oath streamed on Facebook to "support, comfort and cheer warriors and their families." To read more on this story, click here:Sully The Service Dog Has New Role Helping Wounded Vets
Cats love to chew on many things, especially plants and flowers. Our little explorers will jump to great heights if something looks enticing to them. Therefore, if you like to have plants or flowers at home either inside or outside, it’s important to know which plants or flowers are poisonous to cats. If a plant or flower is poisonous, than parts of the plant are poisonous even if some parts of the plant have higher concentrations of the toxic source than others. Many toxic plant and flowers are irritants: they cause inflammation of the skin, mouth, stomach, and some might affect a particular organ like the kidney or heart. To read more on this story, click here: Watch Out for These Poisonous Plants and Flowers for Cats
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People aren't the only ones that get depressed. Pets can suffer from depression too. Depression in pets can be caused by a variety of factors such as grief over the death of a human member of the household or another pet. It can also be the result of a move or other break from regular routine. If you work long hours and your pet is left alone for long periods of time, he can become depressed. There are usually several signs that may indicate your pet is suffering from depression. Many times a pet will get depressed if someone new comes around and they feel replaced, whether it's another pet or a person. So be sure to include your pet in activities with the new person or pet in your life. Don't leave them out. You can also help your pet get use to the new person or pet by allowing them time to get to know each other without you around. Be sure to continue your regular activities with your pet that you engaged in before the new person or pet arrived. Take walks and play at the same time and for the same length of time. If there will be a new baby in the house, get your pet use to the sounds and smells of a new baby as best you can. Some signs of depression in pets may be:
Eating and drinking less often - A depressed pet will begin eating less and sometimes stop eating entirely.
Chewing and destroying things - When pets are depressed, they take up destructive behavior as a cry for help.
Going to the bathroom inside the house or outside of the litter box. This doesn’t just indicate bad behavior in mad or angry pets - bathroom “accidents” may not be accidents at all - your pet may be too sad to get up.
Loss of interest in Activities - Lethargy and lack of interest are telltale signs of depression in humans and animals alike.
Dog is wagging its tail less - Happy dogs wag their tails.
Hiding - When your pet starts making a home out of the dark corners and spaces in your house (closets, under your bed), and takes up residence in an area they don’t usually frequent, this could be a sign that they’re depressed.
Not wanting to be left alone - Like their human counterparts, when feeling particularly sad, some pets do not want to be left alone. Separation anxiety is signaled by excessive crying and whining when you attempt to leave the house. This is often accompanied by #2, chewing or destroying things.
Too little or too much grooming - Cats have a tendency to under-groom when they are depressed, but once in a while, you’ll get a pet that does quite the opposite. Watch out for skin irritation and shedding.
Increased vocalization - If your pet is crying, whining, or barking more than usual it’s possible there is something wrong and they are trying to communicate with you the only way they know how.
