It’s A Make-Or-Break Moment For Florida’s Manatees. Here’s How You Can Help Save Them
2021 was rough, but it was especially deadly for manatees, which saw 15 percent of their population die off in a single year alone. Most of the 1,110 manatees who perished in 2021 died from starvation, which is a growing threat in the waters where they live. In the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) one-third of Florida’s manatees call home, poor water quality and harmful algae has decimated 60% of the seagrass they once fed on. Photo: Greater Good Charities Florida’s Fish & Wildlife Foundation is racing to replant the seagrass, but...
Dog Left To Die In Heap Of Trash Defies All Odds And Pulls Through
‘Love conquers all’ is proven in the following rescue story. A dog on the brink of death in China was rescued just in time and thanks to an outpouring of love and amazing care he is on the road to recovery. Humane Society International shared the incredible rescue story on Facebook and thanked their partner VShine, an animal protection agency in China, who rescued and helped care for the dog. Screenshot: YouTube/ The Humane Society of the United States Rescuers were heartbroken when they found the large dog dumped on a pile of...
Nationwide Shelter Crisis: Over 100,000 Additional Shelter Dogs & Cats At Risk Over Last Year
The country is still trying to get back to “normal” but, just like many other businesses, animal shelters are struggling. The shortage of staff, increase in animal intake, and a drop in adoptions pushed many shelters to their limits. They are operating in crisis mode and need help. Best Friends Animal Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Julie Castle, urged supporters and animal lovers across the country to help by adopting, fostering, volunteering, and spreading the word to friends and family. Photo: Unsplash/Thomas Park...
How to Get and Maintain Attention
Getting our dogs’ attention is truly a foundation skill. It’s a signal for your dog to look toward you and to be mindful of what will follow. This can be a verbal signal, such as their name, or an audible signal like a “kissy” noise. Get attention I personally have two ways of getting my dogs’ attention. Both of my dogs were conditioned in this exact same manner. Each has a different schedule of reinforcement connected to them. Saying their names The kissy sound So what’s the difference? By saying their...
Florida Animal Shelter At Max Capacity Waives Adoption Fee For Large Dogs
Large dogs spend more time at a shelter compared to small dogs, so shelters have to come up with ways to encourage people to adopt the bigger dogs. A Florida animal shelter hopes to find homes for many of their large dogs by making them “free” for three days. Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) is at max capacity with dozens of big dogs patiently waiting for someone to choose them. The shelter decided to waive the $50 adoption fee for their adult dogs over 30 pounds to encourage people to adopt. “We like big mutts and we...
What’s new in dog research?
Over the next two years, studies funded by Morris Animal Foundation will offer dog parents new insights on how to best care for their canine companions. Morris Animal Foundation has funded canine health studies for more than 70 years to improve the health and well-being of dogs everywhere. We’ve contributed to early research that yielded the parvovirus vaccine, and supported the development of genetic tests for heart diseases, eye diseases and seizure disorders. We also are at the forefront of funding cancer studies in dogs, including...
13 questions that will help you write great pet adoption bios
This is a guest post by Arin Greenwood. Arin writes for the Human Animal Support Services project. She was previously the animal welfare editor for The Huffington Post, and is author of the novel Your Robot Dog Will Die. Fido is an 8-year-old brown female dog who needs a home. But is that how you want to describe her in an adoption ad or social media post, when your aim is to get potential adopters imagining how great Fido would be as a member of their family? Humans understand and engage with the world through narrative—through details...
Dog Drags Chair Over To Sit Closer To Owner
There is a reason that dogs have been called “man’s best friend” since as far back as any of us can remember. They have proved themselves to be loving, loyal companions who want to spend all their time with their favorite humans. But as much as our dogs love spending time with us, the feeling is definitely mutual. I remember growing up having a dog in the family. She was the most gentle animal ever – and she was definitely my best friend as a kid. I’m sure many dog owners feel that way towards their beloved dogs....
Girl Befriends Family Of Horses In Adorable Viral Video
I think I’ve talked enough about the awesomeness of cats for everyone to know that I’m a total cat lady. But there is another animal that I am very much fond of: The horse. I find horses to be incredibly beautiful and gentle animals despite their large sizes. They’re gentle giants for sure. The first time that I ever saw or rode a horse was when I was a little kid. I was four, and my mom and grandparents had taken me to a local petting zoo that also had a pony corral for the kids. I got to take a turn on the back of a brown...
Dog Rings The Doorbell To Tell His Family He’s Ready To Come Inside
Growing up, my family had a dog. She was the sweetest pooch ever. In her younger years, she divided her time 50/50 between staying outside in the yard and spending time inside with us. When she got older, she was indoors a majority of the time. As she got older and less energetic, whenever she had to go outside to use the facilities, we’d often have to stand in the doorway to wait for her to finish doing her business. Unfortunately, our door wasn’t capable of getting fitted with a doggie door so we just had to wait for her to be...
