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IndianExpress.com
A dog in Long Island, New York, is sustaining its life on Viagra.
The 6-year-old pit bull, named Ingrid, is dependent on the sex boosting drugs for a life-threatening heart condition it suffers from.
The Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Huntington has been asking people to donate Viagra to save the dog, since the past two years.
A veterinarian had diagnosed the dog with heartworm disease and recommended Viagra.
“She's the first, and the only, dog that I've ever known that needs Viagra,” the New York Daily News quoted Jodi Record, a spokeswoman for the shelter, as saying.
She added: “If she didnt have it, she”d most likely go back into heart failure.” Many people have come forward to donate the pills. On many occasions the shelter has received anonymous letters with a single pill enclosed.
By SAMANTHA GOWEN - THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Trouble and Bettie Page both triumph over tough start on the street.
They made us laugh; they made us cry.
Mostly they lounged and were clueless to all of our emotions.
The felines of That Darn Cat inspired hundreds of pet lovers to participate in our annual photo contest. Friendships were formed and networks stretched from Huntington Beach all the way to the Netherlands.
In total, 1,450 cats participated, unwittingly, for sure.
They are special, our cats – aloof, playful, sneaky and affectionate. In the end, they all are winners because they are family.
Trouble and Bettie Page, the winners of That Darn Cat, both were rescued from the street and now live in the lap of cat luxury.
Trouble is a Maine coon "mutt," as described by his owner, Melissa Powers. He was found sick and scrawny outside a Bakersfield motel a year ago. Powers' sister-in-law brought the ailing kitten to Powers and her family in Huntington Beach.
During Trouble's sickest months – when infection threatened one blue eye and a virus wracked his tiny body – Powers created a forum thread at the James Randi Educational Foundation. Forum members from around the world read stories of Trouble's illnesses, offered support, and ultimately celebrated the cat's rebound.
When Powers decided to enter Trouble into The Register's photo contest, she again sought help from her forum.
Powers says she only wanted to get Trouble's photo in the newspaper, but her team had other ideas.
"They really took on Trouble as their own."
Team Trouble, as they are called, contributed the contest's most votes: 372,550. The team also shared votes with several other contestants, including Cookie, a vote finalist in fourth place.
Powers, her three teenage sons and her husband, all "live for the comfort of our cats," she says. Trouble and three feline companions enjoy an outdoor cat run and lots of lap time with their family.
Not far from Trouble's home is a curious cat that isn't afraid to get her feet wet – at the beach.
Bettie Page, who has no fear of water or sand in her paws, was chosen as the contest's second winner by a panel of judges at The Register.
The 3-year-old cat is the social feline in a family of three cats. Owner Dave
DeMaio, a video producer who lives in Costa Mesa, spends a lot of time at the beach, and one day decided to take along his curious cat. It was off-season and the beach was empty. Bettie never ventured far from her owner and didn't mind stepping through the salt water.
The setting and the cat all made for a picture perfect moment.
"Being a guy who works with images, the natural light and California lifestyle just said it all," DeMaio says of Bettie's beach photo.
DeMaio went about 30 years without a cat before Milton, Bettie Page and Dottie Von Valentine came to live with him, all strays found or abandoned by other owners. He says he can't imagine life without them now.
"It's nice to have that unconditional love," he says, "That's what I was missing."
Each winner claims a $100 cash card and both say they will buy food and treats for their cats.
To see all of the cats from That Darn Cat go to ocregister.com/pettales.
Contact the writer: 714-796-2310 or sgowen@ocregister.com
wsbtv.com
Eagle Was Suffering from Hypothermia, Wildlife Official Says
ASTORIA, Ore. -- A bald eagle drowning in the Columbia River was rescued by a fisherman in Astoria, Portland television KPTV reported.
David Myers said he noticed the bird floundering in the river on May 9. He called the Wildlife Center of the North Coast and a sheriff's office boat was sent.
Before deputies arrived, the fisherman scooped up the drowning eagle and rescued it. Myers captured photos of the rescue east of the Megler Bridge.
Sharnelle Fee, director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, examined the bird and found it was suffering from hypothermia from struggling in the water, but it had no other injuries.
Fee said the eagle had a brood patch that indicated it was helping incubate eggs. After recuperating overnight, the eagle was released back into the wild as soon as possible so it could return to the eggs.
It's unknown how the eagle ran into trouble on the river. Fee said eagles sometimes drown if they get a fish that is too large or if they get thrown in the water during a fight.
by Jamie Quinn - HypoAllergenicDogFood.net
Pets are great friends and companions for people of all ages. This is carried over into adulthood and, at one time or another in life, almost everyone has a dog or cat. Unfortunately, pet scammers take advantage of these feelings to cheat people.
A lot of these scam artists run puppy mills around the world. Brokers handle the shipment of the animals and distribute then to a variety of sellers. Internet ads are then put up by the sellers, attracting buyers who take their word for it.
On the Internet they will often show a picture of a very attractive animal. This animal is offered at a very high price as a purebred of championship quality. If you want to buy, money is always required up front. However, the animal you pay for is far from the animal that you get in the end.
Another problem with pet scanners is that they state that the animal has all its shots and is in good physical condition. Many of the buyers who fell for this game got a puppy that was sick and/or died soon after. Buying from any source that is not certified is not a good idea.
For the most part, a buyer of a pet is paying for a specific pet that has a picture on the website. However, the buyer receives no dog and they can’t get their money back. Due to the large amounts of money paid for what is claimed to be a championship dog, many people have lost small fortunes. Stay aware of this potential problem and always take the time to check with a service such as cheap-lookup.com/603/860/ to verify the person who calls you is truly who they say they are.
There is one variant of the pet scam that claims that the dog has to be shipped from out of the country, and asks for money to cover shipping. The scammer then keeps the money and never sends a pet. The buyer can do absolutely nothing to recover the money.
There are a lot of detailed stories told by pet scammers to engender sympathy. Sob stories abound about pets who were abandoned and are just looking for a good home, which you might provide. There are other stories about people who go overseas and have to abandon the pet they own. No matter the story, they ask for cash up front.
Being aware of who you are buying the pet from to start with is the best defense for not being scammed. As a buyer, you have the right to see what you’re buying ahead of time, and even the pet’s parents, if possible. The idea of buying any unknown animal, either overseas or here at home, is setting yourself up for trouble. It’s not hard at all to get in contact with perfectly legitimate breeders. Also, you should be seeing red flags anytime someone requests money be paid before you see what you’re buying.
Click on banner to visit the Only Natural Pet Store
by bugy220 - PetFoto.com
Calling them “man’s best friend” may be a cliché, but no description is more apt to describe the relationship of humans with these fascinating creatures. Loyal, smart, protective, fun and playful, dogs have served as man’s ultimate companion since time immemorial. What other “mosts” are there when it comes to these canines which man has considered to be his best friend since time immemorial? How about the world’s most expensive dog breed? Or the most dangerous? Or you probably are hoping to own a canine breed which is considered to be one of the most fascinating.
1. Dog Breed: Doberman pinscher
Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world
2. Dog Breed: German Shepherd
Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world
3. Dog Breed: Rottweiler
Distinction: One of the most dangerous dog breeds in the world
4. Dog Breed: Samoyed
Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world
5. Dog Breed: English Bulldog or British Bulldog
Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world
6. Dog Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Distinction: One of the most expensive dog breeds in the world
7. Dog Breed: Labrador Retriever
Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world.
8. Dog Breed: Golden Retriever
Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the worlds.
9. Dog Breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world
10. Dog Breed: Dachshunds
Distinction: One of the most popular dog breeds in the world
by Drs. Foster and Smith/By Marty R. Smith, DVM - dfs-pet-blog.com
One of the biggest challenges in raising a puppy is dealing with all of the chewing they do. It can be a bit less frustrating if you consider that for almost the first year of his life, your puppy is dealing with some big changes going on in his mouth.
Dogs have two sets of teeth: 28 deciduous (baby) teeth, which will eventually be replaced by 42 permanent (adult) teeth. When a puppy is two or three weeks old, the deciduous teeth begin to erupt through the gums, starting with the incisors, followed by the canine teeth, and finally the premolars. All of the deciduous teeth should be in place by about eight weeks of age. These first teeth are small, and painfully sharp, as owners of young puppies know. This is part of the reason most mother dogs begin to wean their pups at 5 or 6 weeks of age.
By eight to twelve weeks of age, the roots of the deciduous teeth are starting to resorb and the teeth begin to loosen and fall out. This makes room for the permanent teeth to erupt normally. As with the deciduous teeth, the permanent incisors are the first to come in, followed by the canine teeth, and the premolars. The last teeth to erupt in the adult set are the molars. Puppies do not have molars, which is why there are fewer deciduous teeth. In most breeds of dogs, all of the permanent teeth should be present by about 8 months of age.
Just as you should begin an at-home dental care program as soon as you get your new puppy, this is also the time we recommend you start observing his teeth to make sure they are coming in normally. Any baby teeth that don’t fall out to make way for the adult teeth are called retained deciduous teeth. Having two teeth crowded into a space meant for one can cause dental problems. Food can be caught between the teeth and cause periodontal disease. The pressure from the retained deciduous tooth can push the adult tooth into an abnormal position, where it may push against the lip or gum causing an ulcer, or prevent the upper and lower teeth from coming together properly, which may cause chewing problems. Retained deciduous teeth need to be removed surgically. Ideally, this should be done as soon as they are noticed, so that the adult tooth has the best chance of coming in normally. At the time the dog is neutered, typically around 4-6 months of age, any retained deciduous teeth should definitely be removed.
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By John Kelly - WashingtonPost.com
Mine is not the brightest dog in the world, but that's okay with me. After all, we humans don't praise our pooches by saying "smart dog" but "good dog." And Charlie is a good dog.
That doesn't mean he is completely without sin. Dogs, I've decided, are morally complex creatures, and although I don't think Charlie would ever launch a huge Ponzi scheme with the express intent of bilking investors, he does sometimes lie. For example:
The first thing we do every morning is let Charlie out for a pee. He finds this irritating, since the first thing he wants to do is eat. As soon as he hears us stirring upstairs, we hear the click of his nails on the floor downstairs and know that he's at the foot of the staircase, rigid with anticipation. When we descend, he starts doing that enthusiastic Labrador retriever tail wag that involves oscillating the entire rear half of his body as if he's unhinged his hips.
Oh, how he would love for us to go immediately to his kibble and scoop out some breakfast. Instead, we unlock the backdoor and order him out.
I didn't used to watch what he did out in the back yard, busy as I was getting his food and starting my coffee. But when I noticed that he was back at the door more and more quickly, I started peering out the window to see what he was up to. He was doing a quick trot around the back yard and then padding back to the door. In other words, faking it.
Sorry, Charlie.
He was lying -- I peed, honest! -- and the interesting thing is, when I caught him, he knew that I knew that he was lying. And he felt guilty. His shoulders went a little slack, and he wouldn't make eye contact. All I had to do was say, "Go on, Charlie," and he slunk off to relieve himself. Now, I stand at the door to watch him pee -- not every day, but often enough to let him know that he has to keep his end of the bargain.
The other time Charlie dissembles is when he finds something interesting to eat while I'm walking him. I wouldn't mind so much, except that what Charlie finds often came out of another animal. He knows I don't approve, but he can't help himself. I could keep him on a tight leash, literally, but I don't want to crimp his sniffing. Like all dogs, Charlie lives to sniff. But I have to be vigilant, lest a nasal inhalation turn into an oral one.
Charlie knows this, and he has started positioning his body so that it obscures whatever it is he's sniffing. He figures that if he can briefly block my line of sight, he might be able to get in a quick gulp. Sometimes he can.
Charlie has one other unpleasant trait: If he thinks we've wronged him in some way, he can be truculent. He does not dig up flowers. He does not steal food from countertops. He does not chew couch cushions. But if he thinks he's been ignored, he will destroy the one thing in our house that he knows we love more than any other: paper.
If we rush out of the house without giving him his afternoon walk, upon our return that evening we'll probably find something pulled from the paper recycling bin and reduced to moist confetti. He once chewed the corner off my W-2 and another time ate my daughter's allowance, a $20 bill she'd left on the stairs. She did not want it back. (I was curious whether he'd poop out a 10 and two fives.)
I hope I'm not making him sound like a bad dog. No, Charlie's a good dog. But in the end, he's a dog.
Not everybody likes dogs. Not everybody likes pets. I once heard someone ask what was the point of a pet: What can they do for you?
People probably have all sorts of answers to that question. Here's mine: Even the smartest dog can't speak English. But every dog can tell you something, if you're willing to listen.
I think of a dog as a human-training device. I might teach Charlie to sit or to shake, but he's teaching me, too: to be observant, to pay attention, to discern through the wag of a tail, the cock of an ear, the look in an eye the thoughts of a living being who shares time with me on this all-too-imperfect planet, in this all-too-finite life.
totspups.com
Pets fill very quickly their place in our hearts and families and we enjoy having their pictures framed on our desk or wall! However taking pictures of your best friend is not always easy. Pets, unlike humans, do not understand what we are trying to do and won’t just pose for the camera! Here are 9 tips that will help you help you get the most of your photo session
1. Use Natural Light
If possible always use natural light when taking your pet in picture. Avoid flash, as flash burst can, not only cause red-eye, but also frighten the animal. Instead try to go outside or, if it is not possible, in a room well lit by a large window.
2. Keep the Eyes Sharp
Having sharp eyes is important in any kind of portraits photography. As they say, “Eyes are the Window to the Soul” and pets eye can be very expressive. So make sure to focus on your pet’s eyes and keep the tack sharp
3. Go to Them
It is very important that you pet feels comfortable and at ease, so instead of forcing him to come to you go to him. Most important is to get down to his level; We all know how a dog looks when viewed from above, this is the way we always see them. Show us the way they see world! Sit on the floor or lie on your belly and remember to shoot from HIS eye level or below.
4. Give Value to their Character
You know your pet better than anyone else, and a successful picture is one that conveys the character of its subject. If you have a lazy cat show him yawning, if your animal is of a playful type show him in action performing his favorite trick.
5. Go Macro
Put on that long lens and fill the frame with your pet’s face and fur, close up shots often make beautiful animal portrait.
6. Surprise Them
One of the most difficult things is to let your pet hold still. An easy trick is to let him play quietly and, once you have everything ready, let someone call for him or whistle. This will surprise him and caught his attention and you will have a few seconds to capture him in a nice and alert posture
7. Schedule your Session
If you are longing for a formal pet portrait shot, try to schedule the photo session when you’re animal is somewhat sleepy or has just woke up it will be much easier to keep him still then. If you want a more dynamic shot then pick up a time when your pet is energetic. If he is sick it is better to just postpone it for another day.
8. Be Patient
Pet photography requires a lot of patience. No matter how excited your furry friend is, if you are patient enough, he will end up by relaxing and you will have the opportunity to get a decent shot.
9. Experiment
Take your time and enjoy the session, try different approaches, angles and compositions. Shoot a lot you will have time to worry about the results later.
Article by Digital-Photography-School.com
UrbanParrot.blogspot.com
Dedicated to the joys and frustrations of apartment living with pet birds.
Poop on the Floor, Part II
As we recently moved into our new apartment, Dan and I considered the floors. (Ok, I freaked out over the really old wooden floor with giant gaps between some of the planks. Images of fat mice waiting in the shadows beneath the floorboards for bird crumbs plagued my thoughts.)
We knew we wanted to make a bird room out of one of the two upstairs bedrooms. Since the neighbor with sensitive ears "suggested" though the wall that we move the birds to the other room, they have made their home in the slightly larger, carpeted room on the other side of the apartment.
Carpet + bird poop = big mess
Dan and I bought melamine-coated sheets of MDF and plywood, and 1"x2" strips of pine. The coating on the plywood is durable and water-proof, and kind of has the feel of formica counter top material. We constructed giant floor protectors beneath each grouping of cages. The pine was attached to the sides and acts as a lip to help contain all of the seeds, crumbs, and feathers. I plan on using silicon caulk to seal the inside edges, but haven't gotten around to this yet.
It's already been helpful with weekly bird cleanup! I can easily scrub away stray poop, and splashed water is contained within the area. It's much easier in my opinion to sweep away debris below the cages instead of getting out the vacuum several times a week.
Gabi Moore - GlobalShift.org
A recent poll shows that fifty-four percent of Americans said they would get their next dog or cat from an animal shelter, compared to twenty-three percent from a breeder and only eight percent from a pet store. The poll reported that almost fifty percent of people surveyed said that they thought store pets could have hidden medical or psychological problems. Generally, pets from pet stores come from puppy mills where they are mass bred and treated poorly, only for profit and not for quality. The difference between a puppy mill and a breeder is that a breeder will breed high quality dogs and carefully monitor their breeding practices. However, both of these practices involve creating new pets that need homes when there are already millions dying each year because they don’t have homes.
This trend, of understanding where pets in pet stores actually come from and choosing dogs that need homes over dogs that are bred to make money, seems assisted by the many campaigns to encourage adoptions. There’s the new Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps, and one of my favorite campaigns by Pedigree dog food, which has created an organization focused on helping shelter animals find loving homes. You may have seen some of the Pedigree commercials on TV. “Don’t pity a shelter pet, adopt one,” one of the commercials says.
A spokesperson for A Dog’s Life Rescue had this to say, “In the United States 4 million dogs and cats are killed every year merely because there are not enough homes for them. With the current economic struggles the number of pets being left behind in foreclosed homes, abandoned on the streets and left at shelters is growing which means the death toll is rising. Our fight to save their lives continues every day.
Puppies, kittens, dogs and cats of all breeds are abandoned in shelters by the thousands every day. There they sit in a cage awaiting death, not because they did anything wrong, BUT just simply because they were born and there are not enough homes for them. We strongly encourage people to help us stop this crisis and adopt an animal in need. Please carefully research what breed or breed mix would be best suited for your lifestyle and make sure you have the time and resources to bring a new addition into your household.
If you have specific needs it may be helpful to go directly to a rescue organization who can help you pick a pet who will match you and your family’s lifestyle. A pet is a lifelong responsibility, no excuses! And please, most importantly, spay and neuter your pets.”
If you live in Los Angeles, consider being a Foster Pet Parent through A Dog’s Life Rescue. If you’re outside of the area, check Petfinder.com for a shelter or rescue organization near you.
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