Moving house is as stressful for your dog as it is for you, but careful planning will help to soften the trauma. Involve your dog in the packing-up as much as possible. Don’t lock him away, but keep him among the family so he can see what’s going on. Keep to his normal routine as much as possible, maintaining his …
199 Plants Poisonous to Your Pets
Courtesy of ProFlowers.com. Explanation of toxicity levels Keep in mind toxicity levels can vary based on your level of contact with a plant. For example, a plant like black henbane is fatal even in low doses, whereas some plants you need to consume a large amount to experience side effects. Here is a breakdown of the four levels: Major …
Hot Weather – Cool Pets
With the hot weather we’ll all be enjoying outside activities, and there are special safety concerns when it comes to your four-footed friends. Pet expert Warren Eckstein has some advice on how to keep your pets cool in hot weather. HEATSTROKE This is the most serious and dangerous thing to worry about with your pet in the …
Help the Hundreds of Sick Sea Lions Along Our Shores
UPDATE: The California Wildlife Center has begun construction of an emergency seal rehabilitation facility in the Santa Monica Mountains. Read more. For the last couple of weeks, Heal the Bay staff have fielded questions about the hundreds of sea lion pups washing up on our local beaches. We love these animals too, so we’re very concerned. We’ve contacted our partners and compiled …
Questions and answers on dogs and Ebola risk
Monkeys, bats and a menagerie of animals can spread Ebola. Now there’s worry that dogs – or one dog in particular – might spread it, too. Officials in Madrid got a court order to euthanize the pet of a Spanish nursing assistant who has the deadly virus. No case of Ebola spreading to people from dogs has ever been documented, …
Make Dog Tail Docking Illegal in Washington
Tail docking – chopping off most of a dog’s tail at birth – was once a procedure with purpose. However, as the years progressed the procedure that was originally done to aid in work tasks became a procedure done for aesthetic purposes. Tail docking is no longer necessary for household pets. Nevertheless, many breeds are trademarked by their docked tail. Tail docking is illegal in many countries; if Washington were to ban tail docking many states would follow suit.
Tail docking is common in the history of many breeds. The miniature schnauzer originally had a docked tail because it was thought to increase agility, protect from rabies and strengthen the back. The breed was created to hunt rats; a tail would have been a perfect grip for an angry and startled rat. Miniature schnauzers are now bred as companion animals, though tail docking is still commonplace. The procedure is currently done only to uphold a certain image.
Family’s missing dog found 10 YEARS after he first disappeared
The 13-year-old Staffordshire Bull terrier, who was found in a city underpass, was due to be put down the next day but was saved by a quick-thinking vet
A South Wales family’s missing pet dog has been found ten years after he disappeared – and was just a day from being put down.
The Staffordshire Bull terrier, called Chance, literally lived up to his name after owners – mother and son Sion and Julie Coombes – got the surprise phone call.
As an 11-year-old schoolboy Sion had been left heartbroken when his much-loved pet vanished from his home in Barry in 2004.
He and his mum Julie Coombes put posters on lamp posts hoping to find the loveable black and white terrier but gave up hope and bought another dog for Sion to play with.
Cold Snap Will Be a Killer for Birds, Group Warns
American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation’s leading bird conservation groups, is reminding people that we’re not the only ones suffering in the cold gripping much of the nation. This weather can be deadly to birds, some of which are being driven farther south than normal in search of open water and sources of food.
“Birds can survive the kind of severe weather we are seeing, but only if they get needed food and water,” said Dr. Daniel Lebbin, a conservation biologist at ABC. “Their ability to stay warm in frigid temperatures requires them to eat sufficient food.” Putting out extra food on bird feeders and on the ground, including suet and fruit for birds that don’t normally eat seeds, can make the difference between life and death for some birds.
Lebbin said that an ice-free water supply is also critical and often attracts birds that don’t visit feeders. “Water is just as important as food, if not more so. By providing warm water frequently, or installing a bird-bath heater, people can help the birds out substantially during severe weather events,” he noted.
Retiring police dogs ‘deserve pensions too’
Retiring police dogs in Nottinghamshire are to be given a £500-a-year pension.
The county’s police and crime commissioner announced plans for the three-year pension plan, saying the dogs had “worked hard all their lives” and deserved to be recognised.
Paddy Tipping said the money would be given on request to the dogs’ handlers to help them foot the cost of any vet bills.
“We give pensions to police officers and we look after (them) when they retire,” he said.
“The dogs have worked hard all their lives and we should make some provision for them as well.”
Around six police dogs retire in Nottinghamshire every year.
Jade, Hero German Shepherd, Saves Newborn Baby Abandoned In Birmingham Park In England
A keen-eared German Shepherd has been credited with saving a newborn’s life after the infant was abandoned in a park in Birmingham, England.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Roger Wilday, a 68-year-old grandfather, had been walking his 9-year-old German Shepherd, Jade, last week when the dog suddenly sprinted toward some bushes. Jade is said to have laid down next to what appeared to be a discarded carrier bag and refused to return to her owner’s side.
As Wilday approached his dog, he realized that the carrier wasn’t empty.
“I walked over and saw a carrier bag — then I saw it move,” Wilday told the Birmingham Mail. “I thought it was a bag of kittens, but then I saw her little arms and a head, and the baby started to cry.”