Austin Pets Alive! Aims to Move 1,000 At-Risk Texas Pets to Safety
Feb 22, 2021 AUSTIN, TX — In the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri, thousands of Texas pets entered shelters. Many of these pets are now at risk of euthanasia in shelters that are already full or lack the resources to help them. Austin Pets Alive! is urgently working with dozens of shelter partners, with the goal of transporting 1,000 or more animals to safe shelters throughout the United States in the next two weeks. “We are receiving urgent pleas for help from shelters throughout Texas,” said Maddie’s® Director of...
Cat Caught Taking A Nap In The Middle Of A Japanese Zen Garden
Sometimes we all need to take some time out of our day to just relax and chill. And no one knows the benefits of self-care quite like cats. Some people might see them as lazy, but in reality, they just know when to relax and unwind. Perhaps the best example of this is the cat who decided to nap right in the middle of a Japanese zen garden. Japanese zen gardens are traditionally known to be quiet places where people can take a moment to meditate and center themselves. They often feature gravel gardens that have been raked into unique patterns...
Pregnant Rescue Dog Got Her Own Maternity Photoshoot And The Pictures Are Adorable
What would you do if you saw a dog roaming the streets without a collar? Most of us would probably try to catch it and bring it home with us in order to try and locate its owner. And that is exactly what Ryan Fant did when he encountered a collarless golden retriever in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fant was out for a walk in his local park when he spotted the pooch. The dog allowed him to approach and pet him. She even began to follow him, and that is when he decided to take the dog home with him. He cared for the lost dog, naming her Lily Mae. He...
Dog’s Incredible Nose Can Detect Scents 98 Feet Under Water
We all know that a dog’s nose is a powerful thing. That is why many law enforcement agencies will use them to sniff out a variety of things such as drugs, missing people, explosives, cadavers, etc. While most of these dogs work on land, it is possible for them to sniff out scents in water. In fact, some dogs like Fern, can detect a canister of meat that is out in a lake roughly 23 feet deep in mud and water. Fern and her handler, Neil, made a demonstration video that shows off just how accurate her sense of smell can be. Photo: YouTube...
A German Shepherd, A Bunny, And Guinea Pig Are Best Buddies That Do Everything Together
I’ll give you a minute to think of an iconic trio. Now, whatever trio you have in mind will not compare to this dog, guinea pig, and bunny group. They are seriously the cutest! The black shepherd dog featured is the stunning Marley. He is a service dog who works with special needs children. However, his off time he spends with his besties: a fuzzy bunny and an adorable guinea pig. Photo: Instagarm/worldmeetmarley Photo: Instagram /worldmeetmarley Article continues below Our Featured Programs See how we’re making a difference for...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Enter your shelter data, catch up on Huddles and more!
Below is a brief round-up of new blog posts and resources we’ve added over the past week. Today is a great day to enter your data on Shelter Animals CountWith January behind us, what better time to enter your January 2021 Shelter Animals Count (SAC) data? If you haven’t completed your 2020 data, it’s not too late to add that either! After you have entered all your organization’s data, be sure to explore the data on the Data Dashboards. There, you can study data… Learn More Catch-up with the No Place Like...
10-Year-Old Boy Builds A ‘Stick Library’ At The Park For The Neighborhood Dogs
10-year-old Jeremiah and his dad, Dave Carter, were stuck in lockdown with the rest of the world. They wanted to stay busy and find ways to entertain themselves, so they decided to take on a new craft every week. One week, Jeremiah heard of someone creating a “stick library” in New Zealand. The concept was simple enough: Create a library full of sticks for dogs at the local park. It was the perfect project to take on! The Carter men got to work at their Saskatoon, Canada park. They built the wood library from scratch, and even...
Bomb Squad Called To Investigate A Suspicious Bag And Finds A Little Of Kittens
A bomb unit was called to investigate a suspicious duffle bag, but what they found inside was far from threatening. They found a mother cat and her six newborn kittens! The Butler County Bomb Unit responded to a call about a suspicious duffle bag left outside a church in New Miami. Not knowing what to expect, they approached the call like any other. However, what they discovered inside was quite a surprise. The duffle bag held a mother cat, six newborn kittens, and a note. According to a Facebook post by the Animal Friends Humane Society, the...
A Look Back At The First Year With A New Director At OC Animal Care: A Short Story From A Former Volunteer
Milo (left) and long-term shelter resident Fenway 2-19-2020 At the time of taking the photo above one year ago today (shortly after Andi Bernard took over as Shelter Director at OC Animal Care), it was enjoyable ‘in the moment’ but disheartening in afterthought considering it appeared to be an omen of ‘things to come’ at OC Animal Care. Here I was back at the shelter hanging out with Milo, a 10 year old staff favorite and true Ambassador to bully breeds previously scheduled for euthanasia due to mediocre medical...
Austin Pets Alive! Coordinates Lifesaving Transport of 30+ Animals to Safety in Chicago
Feb 21, 2021 AUSTIN, TX — Austin Pets Alive! coordinated a massive transport rescue Saturday, getting more than 30 pets out of harm’s way from Texas shelters left without power, heat, and water due to Winter Storm Uri. The 30+ cats and dogs were at risk of freezing to death or being euthanized at their original shelters in the Dallas area. Austin Pets Alive! had contacted every shelter in Texas over a week ago before the first wave of the storm hit to gauge emergency levels and begin lifesaving transport coordination. These dogs...
Austin Pets Alive! is the Lifeline for People and Pets Left in the Cold
Feb 20, 2021 Over the past decade, we at Austin Pets Alive! have served as a lifeline to pets in crisis, saving the lives of thousands of animals during floods, hurricanes, fires, and a variety of other weather-related events. Last weekend, as we watched the weather reports, our team knew from experience that Winter Storm Uri was going to be potentially devastating for people and animals. Earlier in the week, we proactively reached out to our rural shelter partners who operate year-round without heat and outdoor kennels, to get their pets to...
These Tiny Eggs And Nests In Your Yard Belong To Hummingbirds And They Are Protected By The Law
When doing yardwork this year, take a closer look at your shrubs and trees before doing any trimming — there may be tiny hummingbird nests tucked away in the branches. Everyone knows hummingbirds are small creatures — but their nest and eggs are really, really small. For example, a typical hummingbird nest weighs about one tenth of an ounce. The Ruby-throated hummingbird’s nest is roughly the size of a thimble. And the eggs? They’re about the size of jelly beans or navy beans. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Scheihing Edgardo...
“Missing” Cat Found Sitting Next To His Own Poster In Viral Photo
Some internet mysteries are quickly solved, while others persist in our collective imagination and uncertainty for years after the fact. Unsurprisingly, one of the most subtly strange internet tales involves a black cat and conspiracy theories of teleportation, time loops, twins, and more! PHOTO: PIXABAY / AREK SOCHA It all started with a photo posted to Reddit on May 4th, 2014 by user kodibramble. It shows a black-and-white cat sitting next to what appears to be his own missing poster! Users were quick to laugh at the cat’s obviously...
Why Do Raccoons “Douse” Their Food in Water?
Animals and their quirks have long been a mystery to us humans. Every pet owner, myself included, can rattle off a list of strange behaviors from their pet that they’ve given up on solving. Why does my dog stand by the porch door when he wants to go for a walk, and the front door when he wants to sit on the porch? The world may never know. Aside from these individual idiosyncrasies, however, the animal kingdom is full of species that consistently puzzle the average person, even as the experts piece the clues together. One animal whose...
Trainer And Her Staffie Perform An Adorable Dance Routine
Dogs, as science will tell you, are capable of so many spectacular things! Their sense of smell could be up to 100,000 times as acute as our own, and they prove their wide variety of skills every day in diverse fields such as law enforcement, medicine, and companionship. However, science may also tell you there are some things dogs can’t do: rhythm, especially, seems to be hard for canines and most non-human animals to keep up with. While they may enjoy the pleasant sounds of music, or the excitement of a live performance, dogs just...
Stray Dogs Allegedly Turned Bright Blue After Coming Into Contact With Chemicals
The ‘butterfly effect’ is one of the most fascinating, unpredictable ways to trace actions and their consequences. Like the proverbial butterfly that flaps its wings and causes a hurricane, some truly bizarre stories have spiralled out of simple, mundane beginnings. This was the case in Dzerzhinsk, Russia when unexplainable photos started cropping up on Russian social media site VK. Jokingly described as a “bug” or glitch in the world, the photos purport to show stray dogs whose coats are an unnatural shade of bright...
Yellow Lab Loves Destroying Snowmen With Her Baby Sister
As winter storms continue to batter the U.S., we all have a few reasons to dislike the cold and everything that comes with it. And, as it turns out, we’re in good company! Stella, the yellow lab, shares our feelings about snow — but only when it’s in the shape of snowmen. On her Instagram page, which has gathered over 400K followers, Stella shows off her talent by toppling a wide variety of snowy figures. Her family knows all about her hobby and has fully embraced it, setting up showdown after showdown with her...
Adorable Dog Always Makes Sure To Pet Each Of His Friends At Doggie Daycare
Everyone loves dogs. They’re impossible not to like. That is why we are constantly wanting to stop and pet them whenever possible. It also might explain why one friendly little pooch loves to cuddle all the fellow dogs that she meets. Ruby is a sweet little pup from Canada. She attends the Den Doggy Daycare in Burlington, Ontario, alongside her sibling, Miles. The two of them love to play with the other dogs. But there is one thing that sets her apart from her brother: her endless love of petting every dog she meets. Photo: TikTok /...
Photos Of A Fox Curled Up And Napping On A Stump Go Viral
We all have our daily routines. If we look closely, we will notice that even animals have their own versions of daily routines. Granted, theirs are much more laidback. If you look at your pets at home, the majority of their daily routine includes naps in the sun. And for one Canadian couple, glancing out their window proved to be a special sight. Just out in their backyard on a large tree stump was a little fox. The furry red animal was fast asleep, curled up into a cute little furball. Photo: Twitter/ SaraReneeRyan The couple took a picture...
Therapy Dogs Paid The National Guard A Visit For Valentine’s Day
Last month, we witnessed a storming of our nation’s capitol. As a result, thousands of National Guard troops were brought into the DC area. And more than 250 of these Guardsmen have been living at the Hamilton Hotel in downtown DC. These men and women have been unable to go home, so in honor of Valentine’s Day, they received a little love from some happy doggies. The non-profit People Animals Love was founded way back in 1982 in order to provide a network of comfort animals. They have 500 individually-owned dogs, as well as a few...
