Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: The return of Maddie’s Insights, Open Arms Challenge 2024 and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Maddie’s® Insights returns next month featuring the social behavior of cats in group housing at sheltersThe wait is almost over! Maddie’s® Insights returns this September with the latest research in animal well-being (welfare) and how you can use the findings in your shelter and community. The first webcast will be Social Behavior and Implications for Bonded Pairs in Group-housed Shelter Cats on Thursday, September 14th at 12p PT/ 3p ET....
Nutritional Support for Your Dog or Cat’s Gut-Brain Axis
An imbalance in the gut microbiome can affect your dog or cat’s brain and cause changes in their mood and behavior. Learn more about the gut-brain axis and how to support it with diet and supplements. This is the age of communication. Sometimes, though, communications can turn from good to ugly. The same concept applies to the systems in our bodies, and those of our companion animals. For example, did you know that your dog or cat’s gut and brain have been communicating with each other since they evolved into their present forms?...
7 Things Dogs Need to Be Happy and Healthy
Dogs are beloved companions and family members. Their unwavering loyalty, unconditional love, and playful nature have brought us great joy and happiness. However, being a pet parent comes with the responsibility of giving them proper care and attention. In this post, we’ll look at seven things dogs need for health and happiness and provide tips on how to meet them. 1. Social Time with the Family Dogs are pack animals and love the company of people. Whether surrounded by human family or animal companions, dogs have an innate desire to be...
Majestic And Steadiness: The Siberian Tiger’s Two Major Personality Characteristics
Nonhuman species all have personalities. But since humankind is more focused on human psychology, research in this area isn’t exactly a priority. “Animal personality refers to consistency in the types of behavior that individuals exhibit. Behavioral biologists, psychologists, endocrinologists, and evolutionary and developmental biologists are now studying animal personality,” according to researchers. “Only over the last decade has the study of animal personality gained momentum… But animal personality was not...
Offering Hearts and Home to Better Dogs Lives
Aug 05, 2023 We love getting to know the pets while they are at the shelter, but when you take the dog out of the shelter environment, you get to see their personality really blossom! Jessie and Chris Montoya have had a front row seat witnessing many fosters bloom since 2017. When APA! jumped into action to support the dogs and cats who needed help during hurricane Harvey, many individuals and families joined in, including the Montoyas. This couple knew they could offer their hearts and homes to pets in need and quickly found their niche form...
Cat Comforts Her Human As She Deals with Breast Cancer and Her Husband’s Death
The following story was submitted in the Pawsitively Picture Perfect photo contest. The top three finishers received $500 in cash, as well as $2,000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. To read more stories, click here! Lola is amazing and so loving. PHOTO: JUDITH TAYLOR In 2019 when I was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer, Lola did not leave my side; she was especially close to me after my chemotherapy treatments and after my mastectomy. SHARE YOUR OWN RESCUE STORY She was close to my husband, too. He passed away...
Troublemaker Rescue Cat Leads Family to Install Child Locks, Remove All Their Plants
The following story was submitted in the Pawsitively Picture Perfect photo contest. The top three finishers received $500 in cash, as well as $2,000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. To read more stories, click here! Artemis is a rescue. He walked into someone’s apartment like he owned the place and ended up at the shelter. PHOTO: MICHELLE NELSON He is not afraid of anything, except our female cat. SHARE YOUR OWN RESCUE STORY We had to put child locks on every cabinet. We could no longer plastic the windows in the winter....
‘Curious, Fun, Loving’ Hen Rescued From Factory Farm is Now Living Peaceful Life at Refuge
Battery cages, cramped spaces, no sunlight, and incessant egg production. That’s all Lolly the hen knew in her early years. She was born into the factory farm life, where if she’d been a male, she’d have been killed immediately, possibly sent through a grinder. Instead, she was debeaked and had her toes clipped to keep her from pecking herself or others in her tight, roughly 8”-by-11” space within her battery cage. Her life would have come to an end when her egg production started decreasing, around two years of...
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: New Delhi Issues Order to Hide Street Dogs Ahead of G20 Summit
“There are approximately 6.2 crore stray dogs and 91 lakh street cats in India, with 77 percent of the country’s population reporting seeing a stray dog at least once a week. The problem of stray animals in India is not only a humanitarian issue but also a public health concern.” In case you’re wondering, a crore equals 10 million, and a lakh equals one hundred thousand. If that doesn’t blow you away, we’re not sure what will, but those statistics were reported in January of 2023 by The Times of India,...
Do You Live in a Certified “Better City for Pets”? You Could!
Some towns and cities are pet-friendlier than others, but that’s not always apparent from the outset. Sure, places get a reputation for having more dog-friendly dining establishments, or for working hard to reduce feral cat populations with TNR programs, or ensuring that animals within their community are fixed before they’re available for adoption. Recently, the city of Santa Monica qualified for a “Better City For Pets” certification. These are awarded after conducting assessments regarding the pet-friendliness of a...
