21-pound lobster saved from dinner table

BOSTON -
A 21-pound lobster thought to be headed to a dinner table began adjusting to its new home Tuesday at the New England Aquarium.

he 35-inch crustacean was caught off Nauset Beach earlier this month and arrived to Capt'n Elmer's restaurant and fish market in Orleans on July 14.
Manager Elise Costa held a raffle for the lobster but the winner decided to anonymously donate it to the aquarium instead.
The lobster, thought to be between 20 and 30 years old, will go on display in the aquarium’s Cold Marine Gallery after a routine 30-day quarantine.

Source

We saved a life yesterday

Father's Day - Just relaxing in the backyard, when we heard a commotion coming from the next door neighbor's yard, and the sounds of birds chirping and cheeping.

My husband went to investigate and discovered that a baby robin had a very unsuccessful flying lesson. The baby bird's left leg was caught and pinched in one of our neighbor's lawn decorations. The poor little thing was hanging upside down - beak open, panting and trembling. Another neighbor's little black dog was barking and dancing around the victim. Several fully-grown robins were circling overhead and shrieking.

My brave husband risked getting bitten and pecked. He untangled the bird's leg and brought it over to our yard to get it away from the dog.

We tried to feed the birdie a little bread mushed up with water, but it wanted nothing to do with us. He just sat there trembling, with his eyes closed, wings half spread.

After an hour or so, my husband observed,

"Look, the mother bird is sitting in that tree, with a worm hanging from her beak."

And sure enough, she was. The mother bird circled many times, trying to see if it was safe to land or not. Eventually, she did land next to her baby. The adult bird dangled the worm in front of the baby, but the baby seemed to have no interest. She hopped away slowly, trying to get the baby to follow. No luck. Finally, the mother bird hopped up to the baby, whacked it several times on top of the head until the baby tipped its head up with an open beak. The mom then dropped the worm in the baby's mouth and flew away.

The mother bird returned in about a half hour with a fresh worm and repeated the feeding process. This time the baby was much more alert and interested. It even cheeped softly a few times.

I waited a few minutes to allow for the worm to be digested and decided to scoop up our little rescued birdie  and put it in a more open area just in case it wanted to try to fly again. As I picked the baby bird up, he started a horrendously loud panicked cheeping. That alerted not only the mom robin, but also what seemed to be every other robin in the neighborhood. I had about ten adult robins swooping at me, chirping and shrieking. What a family! How amazing that they were trying to protect one of their own!

I placed the baby bird in a shaded, grassy spot and walked away as quickly as possible. We checked the spot a few hours later - he was gone!

Photo: Julie Corsi

SF to pay panhandlers to foster problem dogs

Starting Aug. 1, San Francisco, - in a program believed to be the first of its kind in the country - will attempt to lure panhandlers to give up their cardboard signs and metal cups in exchange for a small stipend to foster problematic puppies at the city's Animal Care and Control.

The panhandlers will earn $50 to $75 a week for helping prepare rowdy, hyper or shy dogs for adoption.

Source

Facebook response rescues dog

 

A stray dog with its head stuck in a jug managed to get out of its predicament with a little help from Facebook friends.

Over a dozen volunteers began searching for the defenseless animal near Nashville after a would-be rescuer took a photo and posted it on her animal rescue Facebook page.

Volunteer Beth Gresham initially tried to rescue the dog when she saw it on the side of the road. After taking a picture, she approached it and the dog ran away.

She then posted the picture online asking for help in finding the dog so they could save its life.

Rescuers weren’t sure if the container was placed on the dog’s head or if it became trapped while searching for food. Volunteers named the dog Miracle after they trapped her and removed the plastic container from her head.

Source

Photo: Beth Gresham via Facebook

Awwww!

A male dolphin calf was discovered alone and stuck in shallow waters under a mangrove in   Three Sisters Island in Volusia County, Florida last week. The animal rescue team from SeaWorld Orlando rescued the young dolphin.

 The calf, weighing less than 35 pounds, is thought to be no more than five days old due to its small size and probably became separated from his mother before being stranded. Luckily the dolphin appears to have no major health issues but will be manually fed with a tube every two hours to ensure he receives essential nutrients.

Photo:  Jason Collier/SeaWorld Orlando

Source

Detroit Dog Rescue

This is a horrifying video about homeless dogs in Detroit. Please help with donations if you can & remember: i-pets.com will ship for FREE to any rescue or animal welfare organization.



Read Rolling Stone "City of Strays: Detroit's Epidemic of 50,000 Abandoned Dogs"

Detroit Dog Rescue Website
Detroit Dog Rescue Face Book

Somebody has been busy

We found this excellent photo at Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue. CCDR, was formed in August 2000 as a non-profit organization. They are dedicated to rescuing Dachshunds and Dachshund mixes all across the country and will help all Dachshunds regardless of health or age.

Please visit their website and help if you can.

Cat Silhouette Artisan Glass Necklace

Buy it at the animal rescue site every purchase funds food and care for rescue animals.

Turtle gets fiberglass shell

A box turtle who had a tough time crossing the road in Aurora, Colo., has a new lease on life thanks to a local police officer, a clever vet and a new fiberglass shell. By the time an Aurora police officer found "Scorch," the turtle had been hit by a car, and was badly chewed by dogs along the side of the road. The sympathetic officer turned the mangled turtle over to Kevin Fitzgerald, an Aurora veternarian. The vet fashioned a fiberglass shell for Scorch which, he says, will eventually be pushed off after he develops his own new shell. Source

What to do if your pet is missing

This is a great list of what to do if you've had a pet escape or wander off. Print yourself a copy and tuck it in a drawer. These tips for finding a lost cat or dog are from experts at the Anti-Cruelty of Chicago, PAWS Chicago, Feline Friends Chicago and the Citizens for Animal Protection: † Act immediately. The longer you wait, the farther your pet can travel. Plus, the chances of your pet getting injured increases. † Leave items with a familiar scent outside your home. A litter box, pet bed or a shirt or shoes recently worn by the pet owner can attract a pet who has strayed. † Search the neighborhood. Walk, ride a bicycle or drive slowly through your neighborhood several times each day. Whistle a few times, then call your pet’s name twice. Listen carefully and look around. † Your pet may be injured, frightened or trapped and unable to come to you. Hearing your voice may encourage your pet to answer you. After you call the pet’s name two or three times, remain in one place long enough to see if you can hear your pet. † A lost pet may hide during the day, so go out again at night through your neighborhood with a flashlight and call for your cat or dog. † Ask neighbors, letter carriers and delivery people, anyone you see, if they have seen your pet. † Post flyers at intersections within a two-mile radius of the area of where your pet was lost. Also, give flyers to local grocery stores, community centers, pet stores, veterinary offices, churches and laundromats. † The flyers should have a photograph of the pet and how to reach you as well as provide information such as fur color, breed and eye color. † Advertise in local and community newspapers. † Visit all local animal shelters and animal-control agencies as well as call or e-mail them. Your pet could show up at any time. † File a lost pet report with every shelter in the city and suburbs. Check with the shelters every few days. † If your pet was lost anywhere near a highway, contact the area’s department of transportation. † Call veterinary hospitals. † Do not send reward money or offer information to anyone claiming they have your pet. † File a lost pet report with the Police Department. Source via Leslie's Omnibus

Orphaned bat epidemic in Australia

Torrential rain has brought chaos to Australia, and not just to the humans who live there. Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre director Trish Wimberley and her carers have helped save 130 orphaned bats on the Gold Coast in past weeks. They saved 350 young bats during the 2008 storm season but this year think there's more going on than just wild weather. Carers have visited several bat 'camps' on the coast in recent weeks to find four-week-old babies on the ground covered in maggots and fly eggs. Trish said: 'They're coming down to feed on the ground. That makes them vulnerable. It's not a natural occurrence and shows there is trouble in the environment. 'Bats are a barometer to what is going on in the environment. They're our canaries down the coal mine'. Source

Stuck!

An 8-month-old German shepherd named Rebel somehow squeezed his head through a hole in an 18-inch block wall at his Desert Hot Springs home Monday. Then he got stuck. Rebel may have been chasing another animal or was just curious about the hole, said Sgt. James Huffman of Riverside County Animal Services. The dog cried and whimpered until a friend of the owner heard him and called authorities. The dog’s owner wasn’t home at the time. County Animal Services officers arrived about 12:30 p.m. and determined that the dog was not in serious danger. Huffman said they concluded that if the dog was able to get his head into the hole, they would be able to pull him out without damaging the wall, but their main concern was not to hurt Rebel while getting him out. An officer got on either side of the wall, tucked in the dog’s ears and nudged him back and forth for about 30 minutes before getting him out safely. Source

Rachael Ray Donates $775,000 to Pets in Need

Wouldn't it be great if more wealthy celebrities would do this? ... This holiday season, Ray is donating 100 percent of proceeds from her Nutrish and Just 6 pet food and treat lines to animal shelters nationwide, giving away a total of $775,000 before Dec. 31. Currently on the road to promote her newest cookbook, Look + Cook, Ray is also sponsoring pop-up adoption events for the shelters she's supporting in the hopes of raising awareness for her cause. "We only give to no-kill shelters," she says. "But we give to small and large; no one's excluded. We want to keep as many animals alive as possible." Source

Penguin Gets Prosthetic Beak

Five month-old Tungo was found on a beach in Rio de Janeiro with a shattered bill that had been damaged by a boat propeller. Discovering that he was unable to eat, vets at Rio de Janeiro zoo built him a brand-new acrylic beak, shaped from a broken piece of the original. This is the first operation of its type on a penguin in Latin America. Source via Neatorama

Show Your Local Animal Shelter Some Love

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week is Nov. 7-13, 2010 The Humane Society of the United States' National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week is a way to honor animal shelters and their dedicated staff across the country. There are approximately 4,000 animal shelters across the U.S., available to serve the estimated 6-8 million homeless animals who seek refuge each year. While 63 percent of American households include pets, only 10 percent of owned dogs and 18 percent of owned cats are adopted from animal shelters. Spread the word about animals waiting to be adopted, and celebrate the many services provided by your local animal shelter. If you'd like to SEND A DONATION to your local animal shelter, please remember that i-pets.com offers FREE SHIPPING on all orders benefiting an animal welfare agency or pet rescue group. That's our way of helping with their very worthy efforts. (e-mail me for the coupon code) link

Howlin' Good Music

What happens when a bunch of musicians who really listen to what their dogs are saying get together and produce music? Some dog loving Chicago-area musicians, under the direction of mastermind Bob Dorman, have created Dog Tracks -- Songs by Dogs. Songs include "Mama Was a Mutt," "I Gotta Go O-U-T," and "Please Come Home." My favorite is "Take Me Home" because Dog Tracks -- Songs by Dogs is a novel, entertaining idea, but it is also a great way to help animal rescue and adoption organizations - $1.00 from each CD sold is automatically donated to help pet shelters. The Dog Tracks -- Songs by Dogs website is a fun place to visit. You can listen to clips of all the songs, meet the musicians, and find rescue organizations in your area to volunteer at or donate to. According to an article by Sharon Peters in USA Today, only 141 CD's have been sold so far. But Bob Dorman is looking at this in a very positive way "I know it sounds crazy, but our goal is to sell 1 million copies. That would be 5,000 dogs saved. Well, we've only got 999,859 sales to go." Maybe we can help - let's all go to www.dogtrackscd.com and BUY A CD.

Jasmine

I received the following story in today's email ... (Thanks, Lois) In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished and had clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims..to restore the dog to full health and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. But Jasmine had other ideas.. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or any other lost or hurting animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick. Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier Cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman Cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them." "But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her, but to settle into their new surroundings. "She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs. She licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose." Jasmine - the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits. And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm and then went into the full 'foster mom' role. Jasmine, the greyhound, showers Bramble, the Roe deer, with affection and makes sure nothing is matted. "They are inseparable," says Geoff. "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them." Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse. From left - Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine, with a Mothers heart, doing best what a caring Mother would do.

Another hapless hairless animal

Vets at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Aylesbury are trying to establish how and why the male squirrel, who was found in Amersham, lost all his fur. Bald squirrels are not that uncommon but the hair loss is usually because the animal is suffering from mange, an illness caused by mites. But vets at St Tiggywinkles, who have nicknamed their new patient Smoothie, have no idea why he is bald, apart from few tufts of fur on his tail. He is undergoing tests and is being kept warm and dry while feasting on his favourite treat of pecan nuts. Source

Yikes! Is this ugly!

Poor Spud, the hedgehog, lost his spines! Spud was found wandering in a garden and taken to Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Aylesbury, Bucks, last August. Experts are baffled by his condition, which has caused his skin to dry and his spines to fall out. The hospital is asking practitioners of alternative medicine to suggest possible remedies. The bald animal was christened Spud by hospital staff because, when curled up into a ball, he resembles a potato. Source Photo: JEFF MOORE

Oprah's gets a new baby

Great news—Oprah has a new baby in her family! Meet Sadie, a blond cocker spaniel. "She's a beautiful little girl," Oprah says. It's been a year since Oprah lost her cocker spaniel Sophie, and Oprah decided to do an O magazine photo shoot at PAWS Chicago, a no-kill shelter. During the shoot, sweet Sadie and her brothers captured Oprah's heart. "The dog chose me," Oprah says. "There were like six or seven dogs, and she was on my shoulder, nuzzling."