“Trust but verify” when selecting supplements for your dog or cat
Finding answers to some simple questions can make product selection much easier. Supplements can play a key role in helping your dog or cat live a long, healthy, happy life. This is particularly true when they’re incorporated as an element of whole animal care that also includes a high quality diet, regular exercise, routine veterinary checkups, and a stimulating environment with training and socialization. Many consumers believe that if a product has made its way to the store shelf, it must come from a reputable and responsible...
Driver Rescues Kitten Swimming Along Flooded Street
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! We live in the northeast of Brazil, and the raining season this year brought terrible inundations. By the end of May, the water stood a foot high and more in all of the streets. So one morning, I tried to reach the supermarket with the car, and I saw this little kitten paddling in the stream that our avenida had become. KITTEN. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK/VIMART She was swimming for her life, her...
How to Make Your Fosters Know They Are Appreciated
Have foster caregivers made a big difference in your organization? Yes of course they have! During the pandemic, we’ve discovered that foster networks are larger and more enthusiastic than ever before. To retain this incredible resource, how do we make it easy and rewarding to be a foster? And how do we say thank you to the incredible fosters who are essential to saving animals’ lives? Make the Work Easy For required appointments, make scheduling as easy as possible. Learn from your favorite online booking experience...
APA! Joins Mars Petcare to End Pet Homelessness
Today marks an important milestone in the fight against pet homelessness. [embedded content] Austin Pets Alive! is proud to join forces with Mars Petcare and leading animal welfare organizations to launch the State of Pet Homelessness Index. This first-of-its-kind tool pulls together credible, consistent data from 200+ sources to measure the scale of the pet homelessness issue at a country level and uncover its possible root causes. We hope this data will be used by animal welfare organizations, policymakers, pet professionals, academics,...
6 key takeaways about DEI in animal welfare
Earlier this summer, the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement conducted research on the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in animal welfare. More than 2,600 respondents took the survey. The results are in, revealing six key takeaways. Lack of cohesive vision and commitment to DEI in animal welfare Lack of adequate diversity at all levels Animal welfare organizations face barriers to increasing and sustaining diversity in theworkforce Exclusionary and discriminatory behaviors are a problem Lack of inclusive services...
Strays Known As the ‘Do Nothing Kittens’ Blossom After Being Rescued
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! “I hope those kittens haven’t escaped,” I said to my mother as we drove home. “They don’t have it in them,” Mom said. “They are the do-nothing kittens.” It was true. Tiny Jordan – aka “Baby” – and his even tinier sister, Jamie – aka “Fetus” – were not bursting with energy. While most kittens...
Senior Cat Found 6 Months After Going Missing During Cross-Country Move
If you haven’t microchipped your pet, the heartwarming story of a lost senior cat reunited with his family after 6 months might make you change your mind. According to Newsweek, a Wisconsin cat named Berkley was moving to Washington State with his family when disaster struck. The 12-year-old cat’s owner, Amy O’Shea, had stopped at a campground to rest when the cat slipped out of the family’s RV and disappeared. Photo: Pixabay But while Berkley’s family frantically searched the campground, cats–especially...
Happy Rescue Dog Digs Massive Hole In Backyard
Most dogs like to dig holes when they get the chance. It’s a stereotype for a dog to bury his bone in a hole for a reason, though many dogs aren’t that into digging. Growing up, I had multiple dogs and a big yard. Some of the dogs would leave several gopher-sized mounds of dirty alongside nice holes and others didn’t so much as scratch the surface of the grass. For the dogs who do enjoy digging, I think few would come close to being quite as enthusiastic about it as a rescue dog living in Capim Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil....
Puppy Enjoys Breakfast In “Bed” While Other Pups Try To Join In
When most people think of breakfast in bed, they imagine food being brought to someone whose laying in bed. It’s usually thought of as a luxury and is something we might do for our mothers on Mother’s Day or for people we love on their birthdays. It’s typically something shared with fellow humans, but it seems some dogs may enjoy getting in on the experience as well. Pet dogs might sleep in a dog bed, kennel, or share a bed with their humans. When it’s time to eat in the morning, they generally hop up and walk to their...
Scared Mama Dog Doesn’t Want Help Until Rescuers Show Her It’s Ok
Life for a stray dog in a city is hard. They usually have to fend for themselves and do whatever they can to find food, water, and shelter. Beyond that, they have to avoid humans, cars, and other animals that might hurt them. For stray mama dogs, life is even more challenging. Not only do they have to protect themselves, but they have to look after their puppies as well. That was the situation a stray dog living in St. Louis, Missouri found herself in. She’d had a litter of 8 puppies and was trying to hide from the world – while...
Sheep Take Over Streets In Madrid During Annual Winter Migration
When walking through the busy streets of Madrid, most would expect to see bustling people, heavy traffic, and perhaps a few bicycles or motorcycles in the mix. Most of us wouldn’t expect to see thousands of farm animals traversing through the middle of the city, but that’s exactly what happens every year. In adhering to tradition, shepherds guide their flocks to their winter grounds following ancient migration routes. Photo: Wikimedia Commons When the route was first established, the landscape didn’t look the same as it does...
Talented Labrador Shows Off His “Booty Balance” Skills
A chocolate Labrador from Berkshire is making a name for himself by showing off his “booty balance” skills on social media. The six-year-old dog, Ollie, has been dubbed the “Booty Balance King,” and once you see his talent, you’ll understand why. In now-viral videos, the pup can be seen balancing an array of items on his backside, from toilet paper rolls to laptops and even a glass of wine. Check out some photos of his impressive balancing skills below: Photo: Instagram/good.boy.ollie Photo:...
Petition Urges President To Release Pardoned Turkeys To Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary, the first farm animal sanctuary in the U.S., asks people every year to forgo eating turkey during the holidays and instead sponsor the care of a rescued turkey. They believe the intelligent and social birds deserve to live their lives as nature intended, not crammed into production facilities and slaughtered before they reach their first birthday. A flock of rescued turkeys already call both the California and New York sanctuaries home, but they are hoping to add a few more. Sponsor a Rescued Turkey for the Holidays! At Farm...
Overcoming Legal Barriers Around Community Cats: Live Q&A
[embedded content] The laws surrounding community cats are ending their lives. Legal language and obstacles around community cats creates barriers to keep kitties alive and thriving. In this interactive webinar, Monica Frenden-Tarant, Maddie’s® Director of Feline Lifesaving at American Pets Alive! and Richard Angelo, Jr., Esq., Legislative Attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, worked through the legal barriers to community cat programming. Source: Human Animal Support...
Firefighters Save Missing Dog Who Spent Terrifying Week Stuck In Storm Drain
People of all ages love Halloween, which gives both kids and adults the perfect excuse to dress up and eat candy. But dogs–no matter how cute they look in their costumes–aren’t always as enthused about the holiday. That goes double for the missing dog who spent a terrifying week lost, cold, hungry, and trapped underground after getting stuck in a storm drain over Halloween. Photo: Facebook/Oklahoma City Fire Department Thankfully, the small dog was finally rescued by Oklahoma firefighters, who rushed out to help after...
Dozens Of Shelter Dogs Are Waiting To Go On “Doggie Dates” In Florida
A great partner is loyal, a good listener, and will love you unconditionally. While these traits may be hard to find in another person, dogs check all the boxes. Anyone looking for a perfect date in Lakeside, Florida, is in luck because the SPCA Florida just relaunched Doggie Dates. The program allows people to take a pre-selected shelter dog on a date that can last anywhere from one to four hours. The shelter provides everything you will need to have a great time including a list of suggested places to visit and things to do, a harness and...
Eyes on Peas in Grain-Free Diets
Jackie Brown Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet...
Which breeds make the best service dogs?
Service dogs play a valuable role in the lives of those with long-term physical, mental, and emotional illnesses and disorders. Here’s a look at the breeds that make the best service dogs. You already know what a positive impact your dog has on your happiness and well-being. But for people dealing with certain chronic illnesses or conditions, a canine companion in the form of a service dog can improve their quality of life beyond reckoning, and in many cases may even be life-saving. Are there certain breeds that are better suited for...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Dr. Michael Blackwell, rehoming infographic and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Join us for Maddie’s® Candid Conversation with Dr. Michael BlackwellJoin us on Wednesday, November 10 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET for a 60 minute conversation with the first veterinarian to be appointed chief of staff for the Office of the Surgeon General. Dr. Blackwell also chairs the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition. Register now Upcoming conferenceThe Association for Animal Welfare Advancement: The Future of Animal WelfareDates: Tuesday, December 7...
Thousands Of Species Face An Existential Crisis Due To Burning Of Amazon Rainforest
According to WWF, the Amazon rainforest is home to at least 40,000 plant species, 427 mammals, 1,300 birds, 378 reptiles, more than 400 amphibians, and nearly 3,000 freshwater fishes. Sadly, mass burnings and deforestation are threatening thousands of these species, forcing them to now face an existential crisis. Photo: Unsplash/Jeffrey Su A new study by University of Arizona researchers has assessed exactly how environmental policies on deforestation, as well as forest fires and drought, have impacted these plants and animals. Researchers...
