Geez...Rename This Poor Cat Already!

A fierce little feline is an unquestionable survivor, after falling victim to a petty, heartless prank. A female cat, who is between 9 months and one year old, was found helplessly abandoned, wrapped from neck to paws in duct tape in North Philadelphia, PA on September 22, 2009.

She was treated by the Pennsylvania SPCA who named the cat, "Sticky". After removing the outer shell of duct tape, the staff was shocked to find that not only had the abuser wrapped Sticky's body numerous times, they also started to wrap her two front legs and back legs together. Based on the amount of tape recovered, Messer estimates an entire roll of duct tape was used in this crime. The domestic short-haired cat was sedated as Messer and her team removed the tape as carefully as possible so that they could preserve and use it as evidence.

Thankfully, despite the pressure and restraints that kept Sticky captive, and being slightly underweight, no other permanent damage was done. Estimating she had been bound for just a few days, Sticky immediately returned to her calm, caring and peaceful personality once she was mobile again.

Sticky has already received several offers for adoption, but will remain with the PSPCA until the investigation to find her abusers is officially closed. The original $1,000 reward offered for information leading to the conviction of those involved jumped quickly up to $2,000 with additional donations from the public. To contribute toward the reward, visit www.pspca.com and make a donation.

Source: peoplepets.com

Finally! A Reason to Enjoy Football Again!

Remembering Daisy....

Jessica Simpson toted her new Malti-Poo puppy, Daisy, with her to a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman in New York City on Aug. 5, 2004. Daisy joined Simpson on many TV shows, including Good Morning America in 2005.

5 year old Daisy was snatched by a coyote during a walk earlier this month near Simpson's home in California.

Source: peoplepets.com; Photo: Brian Prahl/Splash News Online

Work It! ... Work It!

A one-year-old water dragon poses in a chair during training by her owner in Bangkok. Santisak Dulapitak has been training his animals to appear in advertisements and movies for more than two decades.

Source: reuters / Sukree Sukplang

Dog Saves Piglet's Bacon!

In Germany, an eight year old Rhodesian Ridgeback has taken on a tiny pot-bellied pig, Paulinchen, as her own offspring. The two week old piglet was born in the nearby forest and abandoned by her family. Although the piglet was alone and cold when found, Katjinga - who had just finished weening her own litter of puppies - started to nurse Paulinchen. The piglet is expected to be fine.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk; Photos: animal press / barcroft media

A Higher Use Than Just Housework!

Black-billed Whistling ducklings shelter beneath an Ostrich feather duster in a pen at Chester Zoo in Chester, England, on September 18, 2009. Keepers are using the feather dusters as a surrogate mother to help rear the birds after their eggs had been abandoned in the nest.

Source: reuters

Oops!

Source: ihasahotdog.com

More Dog Haiku

Look in my eyes and
Deny it. No human could
Love you as much I do.

Dig under fence - why?
Because it's there. Because it's
There. Because it's there.

I am your best friend,
Now, always, and especially
When you are eating.

You may call them fleas,
But they are far more - I call
Them a vocation.

My owners' mood is
Romantic - I lie near their
Feet. I blow a big one.

Credit; travelingdogs.com

What is Euthanasia?

Euthanasia is an overdose of barbiturates that stop a pet's heart. The fluids are administered through an intravenous catheter or an injection, and when it's your pet being euthanized you can choose whether or not you want to be present. Some veterinarians will come to your home for this--a good idea if your pet finds going to the clinic or pet hospital stressful.

Before the procedure, most vets will invite you to go into an examination room and then leave you alone for a few minutes to say what you want to say, or just hold your pet close. When the veterinarian and vet tech come in, let them know whether you'd like a snippet of your pet's fur to keep, or the collar.

What's the procedure?

Some clinics give the pet a sedative first because many pick up on what's going on, and get anxious. But it isn't standard practice everywhere so you may have to ask for it.

Certain pets, like some humans, are more reactive than others and will scream or whine in response to the injection, which can be disconcerting, to say the least, at a time when emotions are already fraught.

What most people are not prepared for is how quickly the euthanasia solution works; death occurs in just a few seconds. You'll probably feel your pet relax, and then it's over. Sometimes you may hear what sounds like a gasp coming from your pet after he has died; that's simply air being exhaled by the lungs. The nerves can twitch for a moment, too. Sometimes the pet urinates.

These are involuntary reflex actions after death and aren't painful, but they can be disturbing to watch. Unlike in the movies, your pet's eyes will not close automatically.

Should I be There?

The only right answer is the one that makes sense for you. Do you want to be? If so, be there, since your pet would probably prefer it. However, if you think you'll get upset in front of your pet, it's best if you're not there. If you can keep calm (hard as that is), your pet will be calmer, too.

Credit: dogtime.com

I Really Needed This!

The Best Date Ever!!

Source: ihasahotdog.com

Visit Your Dog's Ancestral Home - Cocker Spaniel

Origin: Rollinsford, N.H.

Story: A spaniel was one of two confirmed dogs to come to the New World on the Mayflower. (The other was a mastiff.) But the wavy-coated breed we officially call the cocker spaniel came later. In 1882, a dog brought from England while pregnant gave birth to a puppy given the unlikely name of Obo II. It was America's first cocker spaniel, according to the American Spaniel Club. Obo II lived and died near Salmon Falls River in the mill town of Rollinsford, N.H. His tombstone can be seen on the grounds of the elementary school at 487 Locust Street.

The trip: Rollinsford's 19th-century mills and mill housing have been redeveloped into an area called Salmon Falls Mills, where you'll find dozens of artists making jewelry, textiles, sculpture, pottery, and furniture. Starting here, take your canine companion on a scenic, five-mile loop. Head south to Foundry Park, a river inlet with a boat launch, and then cross Salmon Falls River on Route 4 to adorable South Berwick, Maine. On your way back to New Hampshire, take Main Street and you'll pass over a bridge that runs parallel to a historic railroad trestle. Then enter Scoutland, a woodsy spot with hiking trails. There are no accommodations in Rollinsford, so consider staying a half-hour's drive away in Durham, N.H., at Hickory Pond Inn (800/658-0065, hickorypondinn.com).

Hot tip: On Sundays during warm weather months, Front Street in Rollinsford becomes an open-air market. And twice a year, the artists of Salmon Falls Mills open their studios to the public. millartists.com

Credit: msnbc.com; Photo: dogbreeddigest.com

What a Sleepy Fellow!

"Altai", a three month old male snow leopard cub, yawns during his official presentation at the Berlin Zoo in Germany.

Source: ap

My Ode to the End of Summer

Source: ihasahotdog.com

World's Oldest Dog Dies

Chanel, a wire-haired dachshund that held the record as the world's oldest dog and celebrated its last birthday with a party at a dog hotel and spa has died on August 28, 2009 at age 21 — or 147 in dog years.

The dog, named Chanel, died of natural causes at home in Port Jefferson Station, Long Island, New York.

Chanel, as stylish as her legendary namesake, wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because she was sensitive to the cold, owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy said.

The playful dachshund was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy, then serving with the U.S. Army, adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va. Along with her owner, Chanel spent nine years on assignment in Germany, where she became adept at stealing sticks of butter from kitchen countertops and hiding them in sofa cushions in the living room, Shaughnessy said.

Karl Shaughnessy nominated Chanel for the title of world's oldest dog after noticing the Guinness World Records book had no record. Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world's oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May. Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.

Chanel exercised daily and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food, but good care wasn't entirely responsible for her long life, said her owners, who attributed God. "Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice Shaughnessy said.

A dog from New Iberia, La., named Max, is vying for the record of world's oldest dog. Owner Janelle Derouen said Max marked his 26th birthday on Aug. 9. She said Guinness World Records officials were reviewing documents to authenticate his age.

Source: ap

200,000,000 Male Chicks Ground Alive Yearly

Today, Chicago-based "Mercy for Animals" released an undercover video showing unwanted male chicks being tossed alive into a grinder at an Iowa plant and accused egg hatcheries of being "perhaps the cruelest industry" in the world. The undercover video was shot at a hatchery in Spencer, Iowa over a two-week period in May and June 2009.

The hatchery is owned by West Des Moines-based Hy-Line North America and is one of many operations in Iowa, the nation's leading egg producer.United Egg Producers, a trade group for U.S. egg farmers confirms that tossing male chicks, which have little value because they can't lay eggs or be raised quickly enough to be raised profitably for meat, into grinders is common industry practice.

The video, shot with a hidden camera and microphone by a Mercy for Animals employee who got a job at the plant, shows a Hy-Line worker sorting through a conveyor belt of chirping chicks, flipping some of them into a chute like a poker dealer flips cards. These chicks, which a narrator says are males, are then shown being dropped alive into a grinding machine.

In other parts of the video, a chick is shown dying on the factory floor amid a heap of egg shells after falling through a sorting machine. Another chick, also still alive, is seen lying on the floor after getting scalded by a wash cycle, according to the video narrator.

Hy-Line asserts that "instantaneous euthanasia" — a reference to killing of male chicks by the grinder — is a standard practice supported by the animal veterinary and scientific community.

Mercy for Animals sent letters to the nation's 50 largest grocery store chains, including Walmart, Whole Foods, Safeway, Harris Teeter and Trader Joe's, asking them to include a label on egg cartons that says, "Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry. Mercy for Animals estimated 200 million male chicks are killed a year, which the United Egg Producers also confirmed.

There is no federal law that ensures the humane euthanasia of animals on farms or hatcheries, according to Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel of the Humane Society of the United States. The Humane Society also says that virtually all egg farms, even those that sell cage-free eggs, get their hens from hatcheries that kill their male chicks.

Source: yahoo; Video: Mercy For Animals