Black Bear Steals Amazon Package Off Front Porch Of Connecticut Home
A Connecticut woman witnessed a porch thief making off with her Amazon package and all she could do was laugh. Kristin Levine received an alert that an Amazon package was delivered to her home in Bristol, but a few minutes later she received another alert that someone was at her door. She was a “little taken aback” since she wasn’t expecting any more deliveries or visitors. Photo: Unsplash/Wicked Monday The trespasser was captured on her home security camera. A brazen black bear was seen sauntering away from the home...
Training your dog with toys vs. treats
Not all dogs are food-motivated, which can make treat training ineffective. Here’s how to use toys as training rewards instead. This may be hard to believe, but not all dogs are motivated by food — and that’s okay. Food is not the only reward in the world. This article is aimed at dogs who are unmotivated by treat-free training, but the tips that follow can be a good change of routine for any dog – including those that find food too exciting and can’t focus on learning when there’s the slightest possibility...
Rescue Pit Bull Becomes BFFs With Adopted Donkey
When Jennifer adopted a donkey who was described as being “wary of people and dogs,” she wasn’t sure how he’d do at her home. She wanted to give him a chance anyway, but she thought it’d be challenging since the donkey would have to be around both people and her dog, Oakley. She never would’ve guessed that in just a few months’ time, the donkey, who they named Wendell, would become best friends with Oakley the dog. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Speaking with The Dodo, Jennifer explained that her pit bull,...
Mom Fights Off Attacker Who Was Trying To Steal Her Puppy At The Park
23-year-old Leah Walker was enjoying a walk with her Irish Bullterrier puppy and her 18-month-old baby when she was attacked by a woman who was trying to steal her puppy. According to the YorkshireLive, the incident happened at the Oakwell Hall Country Park. The young mom was walking her 12-week-old puppy with her baby in tow when a woman approached them at the Birstall, West Yorkshire park. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Speaking with the YorkshireLive, Leah explained that the woman told her her dog was “nice looking” and she replied,...
Research Shows Dog Coat Patterns Date Back 2 Million Years
A new study has found dog coat patterns date back as far as 2 million years, much further than previously believed. According to the study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine determined that there are five distinguished coat patterns: dominant yellow, shaded yellow, agouti, black saddle, and black back. The patterns were produced by structural variants, or mutations, of a specific protein found in dogs. Hundreds of breeds share the five...
Beaches In Italy Employ Lifeguard Dogs To Patrol The Waters
Dogs have been known to work alongside humans for years. We employ them as service dogs, search and rescue aids, and military troopers. In Italy, there’s a new way that dogs finding a place in society and that’s at the beach. Thanks to the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs, dogs are being trained as lifeguards and can patrol the waters along the coast. Photo: Max Pixel The school has trained 350 dogs to work as lifeguards. Each dog has a trainer and the teams are tasked with watching 30 of the country’s most popular...
Cat’s Strange Morning Routine Baffles Redditor
It’s always interesting to catch glimpses of our neighbors’ lives as we go about our own. For one redditor in the UK, this glimpse has turned into something of a staring match, with a neighbor’s black-and-white cat keeping eyes on him every morning! Logging on to the r/Cats subreddit, where users share “Pictures, videos, articles, and questions featuring and about cats,” Radu Cristian (u/Mafeotul on reddit) shared a photo from his porch of a neighborhood cat perched on a strange vehicle. PHOTO: REDDIT / MAFEOTUL...
Pet Thefts Are On The Rise In UK And US
Many of us had a difficult year in 2020, thanks to any combination of personal and professional challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. But, the silver lining was that many of us also found a canine companion to help us through those challenging times. That rise in popularity has had a positive impact on the lives of animal lovers everywhere, but it’s also been accompanied by a rise in pet theft as well. Authorities in the UK are cautioning dog owners to be on the lookout for thieves luring dogs from front porches, gardens,...
Hairballs and cat gut health: what you need to know
A look at the connection between hairballs and gut health in cats, and what you can do to prevent these regurgitated clumps of fur! Cat’s tongues are covered in hundreds of tiny scoop-shaped spines, called papillae, that function like a built-in comb when they groom themselves. It’s normal for cats to ingest their fur while cleaning themselves. The fur typically passes through their digestive system and is eliminated in their stool. Sometimes, however, ingested fur accumulates in the stomach and is regurgitated as one big clump...
6,000 Additional Wild Horses Will Be Rounded Up As Officials Blame Drought Conditions
America’s wild horses are not only struggling to find food and water across the drought-stricken western plains, but are now running for their lives. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), one of the agencies responsible for protecting and managing the wild horses, announced they are conducting “emergency roundups” and plan to remove an additional 6,000 wild horses due to severe drought conditions in the West. A total of 18,000 horses and burros will be captured across 10 western states, which is a 50% increase over last year....
Family Abandons Cat in the Middle of Colorado Winter
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! Angel Eyes was brought into the shelter in Colorado. A kindly neighbor had trapped her when her people had left her outside in the February snow and moved away. They took her in and she had her babies adopted out, but nobody wanted her. That May, I went to look at the cats on a whim (had one already). On my third visit to her, I took her home. She was such a handful that it was tempting...
Future of APA!: A Letter to Our Stakeholders
Aug 24, 2021 Friends, In 2017, the Austin City Council passed a resolution that APA! could stay on the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) property for three 25-year agreements (75 years!). City staff and APA! were directed to negotiate and execute an agreement over the next three years. [embedded content] Since then, APA!, with the amazing help of our pro-bono attorneys at Drenner Group, and the City has been in intense negotiations, resulting in two emergency extensions to allow both sides more time to come to a consensus. This has proven very...
Horse Fighting Continues In The Philippines Despite Decades-Old Ban
Horse fighting in the Philippines is banned under the Republic Act No 8485 (also known as the Animal Welfare Act of 1998). Yet, horse fights and abuse have become commonplace in the Philippines, particularly in the islands of Mindanao. According to the Daily Mail, a mare in heat is introduced to two stallions who then fight for the right to breed with her in a public exhibition. The battle continues until one of the stallions retreats or dies. Many mares end up as collateral damage during the fight while hundreds of “winning”...
How to start a supported self-rehoming program at your animal shelter
Did you know that approximately 36% of animals entering animal shelters come in under the intake type called “owner surrender?” This presents a huge opportunity for animal shelters to avoid animals coming into the shelter, by helping pet owners rehome their pets without having to surrender them. According to the Human Animal Support Services Toolkit on Supported Self-Rehoming, many pet owners are willing to rehome their pets directly to another home but are unaware of the resources and tools available to rehome safely...
Scared Cat That Was Abandoned at Apartment Complex Gains a Home and Loses His Fear
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! My roommate and I were living in an apartment complex that allowed pets. Unfortunately, many people moved away and left their cats behind to fend for themselves. I began feeding the strays. CAT. PHOTO: PIXABAY/LIUKSENA My little boy kitten so wanted to make friends with the strays but most were not friendly towards him. One day I heard this black and white cat just meowing and crying....
Fostering in Austin
Aug 23, 2021 Recently we were lucky to have an amazing group from the UT Austin McCombs School of Business study what the capacity for people to foster animals in Austin really looks like, by comparing current census data to common trends among our [hundreds] of amazing volunteers currently fostering APA! animals. What many people don’t know is that there is an entire machine of coordination and support behind any shelters with robust foster programs for homeless pets. The good news is that this machine is completely possible to build...
You Helped Us ‘Clear The Shelters’ And Fly 160+ Pets To Safety!
On August 23, NBCUniversal Local, Greater Good Charities, The Animal Rescue Site, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition flew 167 at-risk shelter pets to safety and adoption–and we couldn’t have done it without your help! With your support, we airlifted 68 dogs and 99 cats from Louisiana–-where overcrowded shelters leave animals at risk of euthanasia–-to safety in East Coast shelters, where demand for adoption is high. Photo: Greater Good Charities These life-saving flights marked the beginning of NBC Universal Local’s...
Majestic Lion ‘Mopane’ Brutally Killed By American Trophy Hunter
Another majestic and beloved lion was killed for “fun” by an American trophy hunter. Six years ago, the beloved Cecil was shot and killed by a U.S. trophy hunter outside the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Even after all the outrage over his death, the tragedy has occurred again. The 12-year-old male lion was known as Mopane and dominant over two prides. He roamed the Hwange National Park and would sometimes cross its borders. On August 5, 2021, he entered an unfenced hunting concession called Antoinette that borders the park....
The First ‘Murder Hornet’ Nest of the Year Spotted In Washington
Asian giant hornets, also known as “murder hornets,” have put people in the Pacific northwest on high alert over the last few years. That concern has reignited with the first sighting of an Asian giant hornet nest near Blaine, Washington. As the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) maintains, the nest was found around the same area where a live “murder hornet” was reported in August 2021. In mid-August, officers from the WSDA captured, tagged and released three hornets. A statement from the department...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Register now for the Open Arms Challenge, Dr. Lila Miller and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Register NOW for the Open Arms Challenge!This Challenge is all about opening our hearts and minds to more accessible and inclusive practices. With $200,000 in grant prizes available and the support of 15 organizations, we’d say this Challenge may be the best one yet! Registration closes on August 30th. Register Now Brainstorm Open Arms Challenge ideas with these resourcesWith the Open Arms Challenge registration just around the corner (August 23!), we want to...
