The September Weekly Community Conversations grant giveaway winners are…
Another $10,000 in grants was just given away! On Monday, Maddie’s Fund® gave two organizations a $5,000 grant for attending the September Weekly Community Conversations. The winners were picked at random. These two people won a grant for their organization: Elise Blue, Northeast Missouri Humane Society (Hannibal, MO) Annette Montminy, Lakeshore Animal Friends (Ludington, MI) Want a chance to win a grant for your organization? All you have to do is register for the weekly Monday 11AM PT/2PM ET call for animal...
Elephant Friend Swiftly Rescued Her Caregiver Amidst an Attack
It’s nice to have a friend that you can rely on, especially in difficult situations. Being surrounded by your loved ones can truly make you feel safe and free of worries. People can connect with each other through the ability to empathize, which helps a human understand more of the person’s situation and act according to it. Photo: Pixabay/Anemone123 Amazingly, some animals are also capable of having such skills. For instance, elephants can certainly determine emotions, primarily if a herd member is in pain or distress. The...
Sleepy Little Creature Found Sleeping Among The Books In A Public Library
Oh. What’s this? A librarian just had the cutest happenstance when she was just shelving books during work. Looks like this library’s got quite a batty situation going on. PHOTO: Pixabay/jochemy Pun fully intended, a librarian in Camas Public Library reported that she saw a sleeping bat in one of their nonfiction bookshelves. Thankfully, she didn’t panic or scream upon seeing the little bat. “She didn’t want to disturb it and, aiming to confirm it was indeed a bat sleeping on the bookshelf, she left to get the...
Cat Gets Himself Into A Predicament Trying To Climb On The Roof Of Two Cars
On May 1, a fluffy cat in the Kyiv Region of Ukraine got himself into an unusual predicament. While the Russian invasion was going on its third month causing many animals to lose their homes, the cat’s predicament came about from his own doing. Photo: YouTube/ViralHog As a bystander captured on video, the “fat cat” was attempting to climb onto the roof of a car. However, the way he attempted to get to the top of the car proved to be challenging. Cats can be clever and sure-footed, but this feline almost fell trying to get to...
Woman Refuses to Give Up on Cat After Being Told Twice to Euthanize Him
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! Keds is my miracle cat. He’s 12-years-old. I rescued him at 10-months-old when I found him outside my apartment door almost dead. He couldn’t even hold his head up. I got him into the vet and was told twice to euthanize him, but I refused. CAT. PHOTO: PIXABAY / ERIN He had two critical diseases: FIV (Feline Aids) and Hemobartonella. FIV compromises the immune system, and...
The Endangered Basking Shark is Getting More Help, As Ireland Adds Protections
Basking sharks are the world’s second largest fish. These filter feeders are often seen swimming with their massive mouths open to get their share of zooplankton. Though these giants, which can grow to nearly 40 feet in length, are not generally dangerous to humans, humans are dangerous to them. Due to demand for their oil, fins, and livers, their numbers have dwindled as a result of overfishing. IUCN has listed them as endangered on its Red List of globally endangered species, and the sharks are getting a bit more help from a new ally....
Petco Announces Release of “More & Merrier” Holiday Collection for Dogs and Cats
It may not be Halloween yet, but Petco just announced their Holiday Collection for shoppers everywhere. The collection includes items for dogs and cats centering on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve. Unveiling its new “More & Merrier” collection this week, the pet merchandizer is featuring over 500 items dog and cat owners and pet lovers everywhere will be down with. Among the goodies available are holiday-themed toys, festive pet apparel, fun home décor pieces, and treats for animals of all...
New Research Suggests Humans Tamed Wild Donkeys Roughly 7,000 Years Ago in East Africa
New research suggests that human beings tamed wild donkeys roughly 7,000 years ago in East Africa — that’s approximately 3,000 years earlier than horses were domesticated. This is according to a new study recently published in the journal Science by researchers who took part in the work. Why does it matter? Because each piece of the puzzle helps us better understand where we came from and how to better move forward. “Donkeys are extraordinary working animals that are essential to the livelihoods of millions of people around...
90 Shelter Dogs And Cats Flown Out Of Hurricane-Ravaged Florida Thanks to Your Support
Greater Good Charities’ Good Flights made an emergency flight to help homeless pets in Florida after Hurricane Ian tore across the state. Over 2 million people were left without power and countless homes were destroyed by the Category 4 hurricane. Search and rescue teams are still searching for survivors as the death toll reaches 100. Early Sunday morning, the Good Flights team battled heavy rain as they loaded 56 cats and 34 dogs from shelters in the hardest hit areas and flew them to New Jersey. Volunteers and staff from St....
Getting to know HASS’s new director, Vincent Medley: Transforming animal sheltering with hope, joy, and data
[embedded content] We are so pleased to introduce you to Vincent Medley, who’s joined our organization as Maddie’s® Director of Human Animal Support Services. Vincent comes to the Human Animal Support Services project with over two decades leading government animal services agencies, and field services departments—and, through this experience, a deep commitment to lifesaving and preserving families. In this video interview with Arin Greenwood, a writer for the HASS project, Vincent talks about how his background...
Sonic Drive-In Now Offering Cool Merch Available at its Online Wag Shop, Including Halloween Costumes for Dogs
Sonic Drive-In is known for its throwback image of 1950’s-style service, complete with carhops delivering your food straight to your car. Despite their nostalgic theme, now they’ve opened an online store known as the Wag Shop where fans of the restaurant chain can purchase merch for their pups. The new Wag Shop line focuses on the bonding pet owners forge on drives with their pets where Fluffy gets to come along for the ride, head hanging out the window as the miles tick by. Photo: The Sonic Wag Shop Go for a ride?! Predominantly...
Animal Shelters Are Struggling To Find Homes For Big Dogs And Ask People To “Love Large”
Big dogs have larger-than-life personalities, think they are lap dogs, and have the biggest hearts. Sadly, many have a hard time finding a forever home due to their size and misconceptions about their needs and care. Animal shelters across the country are full of large dogs that just want someone to love. Many are in crisis mode as they are at or over capacity and desperately need adopters and fosters. Best Friends Animal Society, who has the goal of making the entire country no-kill by 2025, wants to help shed light on how amazing big dogs...
Dog Photography Tips for Your Holiday Cards
The dreaded annual holiday card photo shoot. The stakes are high and the pressure is on. It’s hard enough to get your spouse and kids to clean up, dress up and smile for photos, but your dog, too? Dogster interviewed a range of pet picture experts, from dog trainers to photographers, to get the top dog photography tips. Pet holiday cards start with a solid plan Before snapping away, think about what your vision is for the most touching, hilarious or memorable photo. Decide where your shoot will be, what your dog will be doing and what...
Dental Disease Could Be the Biggest Threat to Your Cat’s Health
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Tackling the Shortage of Veterinarians in America
As the number of pet parents increases, so does the strain on the veterinary workforce. According to a Mars Veterinary Health Report, the United States is experiencing a veterinarian shortage that, if not addressed, could leave 75 million pets without care by 2030. Why are we having a shortage of veterinarians? Experts agree that the increase in families bringing pets into their homes during the COVID pandemic put a strain on the services required from the veterinarian community. Aside from there not being enough physical space to care for...
A Stray Dog’s Healthy Transformation is Evident After Two Weeks of Receiving Proper Treatment
A dog can be the happiest creature in the room even when it looks sickly, and its fur is badly shedding. Dogs have an irresistible charm that will make you feel that everything will be fine. Sometimes having a friendly and happy-go-lucky personality can lead them to the right person. A goodhearted human will rescue them and nurture their health back —someone who acknowledges their actual situation despite trying to look less vulnerable on the outside. Photo: Youtube/The Dodo You’ll learn a thing or two from the life of a dog who...
Young Kid Gets Caught Making An Unusual Detour On His Way To School
We got a criminal on our hands! Criminally cute, that is. PHOTO: Unsplash/S&B Vonlanthen A boy was caught on video doing something typically seen as unusual and everyone’s losing it over the video. People usually don’t pay attention to stray animals, or when they do notice a stray animal along their path, they usually move away from them in fear or disgust. Both reactions are typically because stray animals are associated with diseases or they simply fear being bit. But this little boy didn’t think of any of that. He...
Woman Baffled After Finding Horse Stuck In A Puzzling Predicament
Horses are typically shy and gentle creatures, but when they want to, they can be quite bold. In DeFuniak Springs, Florida, one horse owner found herself immersed in a perplexing mystery. Ann McQueen had come outside only to discover that one of her horses, Pixie, had gotten herself stuck in one of the hay racks! Photo: flickr/Mary B It was quite the surprise, but it also had Ann asking a lot of questions. As Ann explained in an interview with The Dodo about the situation, “Well, there stood Pixie in the hay rack, just looking at me....
Butcher Welcomes Hungry Stray Cat Into His Shop And She Returns With Friends
Ikram Korkmazer runs a butcher shop in Turkey. The 51-year-old man has 41 years of experience running his shop, and he’s seen all kinds of customers over the years. But, he seems to really enjoy the patronage of his four-legged customers best. In fact, it all started with one little stray cat, Yeşim, who came in one day, begging for food. The poor cat was so hungry, it broke Ikram’s heart and he happily fed her for free. Photo: TikTok/@ikram_korkmazer The cat continued to come back, making herself rather comfortable at his...
Give a Shelter Animal a Break By Checking Them Out for an Afternoon, Overnight, or the Weekend
Did you know that with many rescues and shelters you can check a pet out for a day, night, or even a weekend? If you’ve ever thought about fostering but recognize that you can’t make the commitment, yet you’d still like to give an animal a break, this could be the answer. So, consider being a temporary foster. Animal shelters are overfilled and frequently don’t have enough staff or volunteers to take dogs out for walks and other activities that are good for the animals. They count on community members to come in and...
