Venomous snakes and dog safety
When hiking with your dog, knowing what kind of venomous snakes you may encounter might make all the difference. Despite the joy we find on a vigorous trail hike, a slithering surprise underfoot will send many of us straight back to the trailhead. Even the most experienced trail runner can be scared stiff by an encounter with a potentially venomous snake. Your dog, on the other hand, may be curious and decide it’s time to play, and that’s when the slithering creatures become dangerous. Snakes are generally as afraid of us as we...
Your pet’s microbiome
A dive into the mechanics of your dog or cat’s microbiome, and why it’s so important to his health and well-being. A few years ago, many people had never heard the term “microbiome”. It has since become an important topic in both human and animal health, and we’re learning more about it all the time. This article takes a deeper dive into what the microbiome is, how it works, and why it’s so important to your dog or cat’s health – and your own. Defining the microbiome Discovered less than 20...
7 tips for going live on social media during shelter and rescue emergencies
Live streaming on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can help you create connections with supporters and get the word out quickly during shelter and rescue emergencies, but the prospect of live video can feel daunting. However, creating a successful live stream doesn’t need to be complicated. Jennifer Held, Operations Manager for Norfolk Animal Care & Adoption Center in Norfolk, VA, has been using Facebook Live regularly, to communicate urgent needs and introduce pets who need fosters and adopters. “We...
This Animal Shelter Hired a Veterinary Social Worker!
Human Animal Support Services (HASS) just put out a brand new resource: Integrating Veterinary Social Work Into Animal Shelters. It gets into what veterinary social workers do, ways they can support people and pets in the community and support shelter staff—and how shelters can hire a veterinary social worker full time, or access their services for community and staff. This gives us the perfect opportunity to talk with Kelly Bremken, who became a veterinary social worker after working in animal welfare for over 15 years. Kelly came on...
Gay Couple Adopt Dog That Was Abandoned For Being ‘Gay’
Some animals are abandoned for the strangest and most selfish reasons. Take Fezco, for example. Earlier this month, Fezco was dumped at the shelter for being gay. The dog’s owners claimed he had been humping another male dog, so he must be gay. Despite Fezco’s behavior being completely normal and healthy as per the ASPCA, his owners said they didn’t want him anymore and abandoned him. Photo: PXHERE The poor pooch was left at the Stanly County Animal Protective Services in Albemarle, North Carolina. When they shared...
Cat with Limited Mobility Finds Forever Family Willing to Help
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog! Timmy came from a small, cluttered, unclean apartment with way too many people and way too many animals. He was 9-months-old, unneutered, and cowering behind a water heater. His ears were back in confusion and his eyes were slits of fear and distrust. A young teenager in the home asked me to make sure that “no one ever hits or kicks or calls him bad names.” She told me he was...
Clay in pet food?
A look at how montmorillonite clay adds benefits to dog and cat diets. Adding clay to pet food may seem odd. But did you know that some types of clay, like montmorillonite clay, actually add a variety of functional and nutritional benefits to our pets’ mealtimes? A brief history of clay in food The practice of eating clay is called geophagia (geo meaning ‘earth’, and phagia meaning ‘to eat’). Scientists have found over 200 species of animals who regularly eat specific types of clay, and records show that...
Woman Sets Her Horses Free In Ukraine To Give Them A Fighting Chance At Surviving The Bombings
Putin continues to attack Ukraine putting the lives of people and animals at risk. The bombings and airstrikes are destroying buildings, homes, and horse stables. One woman did the only thing she could to give her beloved horses a fighting chance at surviving the war. Julia Molokova, who owns a horse farm near Kyiv, made the tough decision to set her horses free after a nearby stable was hit by a bomb. She did her best to mark her horses and then led all five to the nearby forest and set them free. They all took off running due to nearby...
Years After Cecil’s Death, Trophy Hunting Permits Are Still Being Issued In Zimbabwe
In July 2015, a wealthy American hunter and his local guides lured Cecil, a well-known and beloved lion, off his nature preserve so that the lion could be killed for sport. The brutality and heartlessness of this act has thrown into light the disgusting reality of trophy hunting and the devastating impact it has on animals and conservation efforts. So long as the world’s wealthy can pay to kill wildlife, whom conservationists work so hard to protect, there will continue to be more cases like Cecil. Some hunters will always spend more...
If Dogs Celebrated April Fool’s Day
Sweaters, birthday parties, fake throws, dog shaming, pranks involving blankets and disappearing … the rigmarole we put our canine companions through is never ending. What if the tables could be turned and they could prank us? What if dogs could celebrate April Fool’s Day? I shudder at the thought. The payback would be harsh. ©Julia August | Getty Images “I’ll trick my human into thinking I haven’t already been fed once.” We certainly would be fools if we didn’t think that every single dog on...
