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Labrador Retriever Becomes US Marine Hero

By
Bruce Eppinger
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Cole was special among black Labrador retrievers who died in battle to save others. His parents were black Labrador retrievers and both were champion field trials dogs, a sport in which the dogs need to make specific and complicated retrievals as directed by their owners. Cole spent his last days sniffing out IEDs (improvised explosive devises) in Afghanistan. Cole’s owners, Steve and Brittney Tull of Dover Delaware, bought him for $3,000 because Steve wanted to try and see what it was like to train a dog to compete in field trials. However, Steve’s training partner moved away while in the middle of training Cole and so Steve decided to contact Bob Agnor, a friend who works for K2 Solutions Inc., in North Carolina, a firm that trains dogs to sniff out IEDs. Cole was sent to North Carolina where he met Corporal Brian Holm, his new handler and combat engineer.  “We clicked ...

German Shepherd Gets Hired By City

By
Kurt Overlock
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0

Zira is a three and one-half year old female German shepherd working dog that was hired by the New Canaan Connecticut Police Department to re-institute their K-9 program.  As many as 50 residents and dignitaries were in attendance to see Zira sworn in and stamp the town’s employee register with the help of the dog’s handler, Officer Mike McFadden.  The event was held on Friday January 14, 2011 at the New Canaan High School. The entire town pulled together to help raise the $76,000 to purchase Zira. The money raise will also keep her feed and pay for her veterinarian bills. And after many months of fundraising the New Canaan Police Department was able to officially welcome its newest and most ferocious new member. Local dignitaries including Police Chief Edward Nadriczny and Captain Leon Krolikowski made remarks during the ceremony which included an official oath. After which, Zira then stamped the ...

Hoosiers Get Pet-Friendly To Raise Money For Spay/Neutering Services

By
Liza Frase
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Indianapolis, IN - So what do you do when pet populations continue to rise and pet adoptions decline? That's the problem that faces Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana (SNSI), an organization that provides financial assistance for low-income for dog and cat owners. With overwhelming requests and inadequate funds to meet those needs, SNSI needed a plan to make sure that families could afford to adopt pets after much of 2010 saw them suspend their assistance programs. For 2011, SNSI has launched a Pet-Friendly license plate for Indiana residents to fund the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP). For each $40 plate sold, $25 is donated directly to the SNAP fund. These funds will pay for spay and neuter surgeries for low-income Indiana residents. “We are giddy with excitement about the release of the Pet Friendly license plate," said SNSI president Juli Erhart-Graves. "It’s a great way to show off your love for dogs and cats, ...

First-Ever-of-its-Kind, Reno Cat Convention Results

By
Lori Thomas Dickert
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Reno, NV - The results are in!  An astounding number of homeless felines were placed into loving homes as a result of the first-ever-of-its-kind All Things Cat Convention, held at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada on January 22, 2011.  The Nevada Humane Society is responsible for this event, placing 17 cats into adoption within the first three hours, and an overall 57 homeless pets made their way into the homes of welcoming new parents. One such lucky cat is Bonnie, newest member of Casandra Burton's household.  "I needed a cat that would be a little bit chunky, and want to just lie around and be a loving little cat.  And that's exactly what I found here," said Burton. "I got little Bonnie, and I'm thinking she'll like it at home".  She goes on to say, "It feels great.  I enjoy being able to [adopt like this] because like I said I ...

Prolonged Cold Endangering Tropical Fish Farms

By
Emilia Prestidge
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Ruskin, FL - Even though the midwest and eastern United States have seen long stretches of brutally cold weather this year, southern states like Florida have not escaped the freeze either, and in a state where the economy depends on warm weather, it is starting to take it's toll. Nearly 80% of the tropical fish swimming in aquariums in the United States are grown in the Tampa Bay area. Many of these fish are produced by the University of Florida's Aquaculture Lab.  Craig Watson, director of the Aquaculture Lab, says when water temperatures drop below 55 degrees, the fish can't survive. "Below that, we start seeing massive losses and we're below 50 degrees Fahrenheit in our uncovered ponds today," he said. Covering ponds is an option, except that prolonged stretches, such as what is happening now, cause damage to the fish populations regardless. With increased competition from Asian sources, the results can be ...

Supporters Press to Remove Ferret Ban in California

By
Lilia Hillsman
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1

Sacramento, CA - The state of California is now the only state in the continental United States with an active ban on pet ferret ownership.  First prohibited in 1933, the ferret ban was put into place in an attempt to control environmental factors and safety concerns.  Past research by the Fish and Game Commission found ferrets presented a risk as predatory animals to the regions poultry farms and other small animals. The first attempt to pass a bill that would relieve the ban on ferrets as pets failed,  resulting in a veto by California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Supporters have added ammunition to their argument and are currently trying to prove their message to remove the ferret ban.  Pat Wright, founder of LegalizeFerrets.com said, "I think that there's very little doubt that the ferret ban is doing economic harm." The question remains though, how much economic harm? Supporters of the attempt to remove the ferret ban say ...

Black Labrador Retrievers Aid In Wildlife Preservation

By
Kurt Overlock
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Three Forks, MT - Wildlife biologists have found a new use for the talented detection dogs by using the very thing that makes them so helpful to law enforcement..their nose. Finding animal excrement or scat has become a vital resource to animal biologists and scat-sniffing black Labrador retrievers like Maggie as well as other types of dogs are really good at it. “Dogs like black Labrador retrievers have a phenomenal sense of smell,” said Sam Wasser, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. Wasser went on to say that scat contains a surprising wealth of genetic information. Scientists can now extract and analyze the DNA contained in animal excrement which has improved our understanding of many species of wild animals’ health, diet, reproduction status and even what toxins an animal may have been exposed to in its environment. Detection dogs were the perfect choice for this ...

“Secretive” Species of Lizard Found in the Philippines

By
Louisa Vandermeulen
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Philippines - While we don't expect to see any reptile enthusiasts bringing these into the United States (we hope), reptile watchers will be excited to learn a new species of lizard was found on the northern Philippines island of Siera Madre, according to a study partly conducted by a team from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. "Rumors of its existence and some clues have floated around among biologists for the past 10 years," co-author Rafe Brown told Discovery News.  But it wasn't until Brown and his colleagues were able to safely collect this brand new "secretive" reptile that DNA sequencing and anatomy studies could be done.  Both parts of the study confirmed that in fact a new species had been discovered. This newly discovered lizard now goes by the name, the Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor Lizard, and is in the same family as the Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard.  ...

Many Australians Find Pets Alive After Lockyer Valley Floods

By
Kathrine Haycock
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Grantham, Aus - After several days of gruesome finds left by the raging floodwaters of the Lockyer Valley there is good news as many of the area's pets are being found alive, leaving some rescuers scratching their heads and their owner's very thankful. Animal Control Officer Darryl Simpson has been part of a rescue team traveling through the stricken area, returning with over 100 live pets, including muddy dogs and cats as well as parrots, rats, siamese fighting fish, horses and chickens. "I know animals can survive extreme circumstances but some of these animals that have survived this incident, you just scratch your head and think 'how?'," he said. The animals are being treated at the University of Queensland small animal hospital, where owners have arrived daily to find out if their pet is among the survivors. While these owners have ...

Research Says Sleeping With Pets Carries Risks

By
Lori Thomas Dickert
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1

A report published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, concludes that sleeping with your pets and letting them lick your face can be dangerous.  The Center for Disease Control further indicates that dogs and cats can carry germs that cause diseases, spreading them to humans when they lick your face or open wounds. According to a recent survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association, 62% of them slept with their dogs.  The survey also found that 62% of cats sleep with their adult owners, and another 13% of cats sleep with children.  As much as you love your furry friend, letting them cuddle up with you gives them the perfect opportunity to lick your face, increasing the risk of spreading infectious diseases. The CDC study cited one case in which a husband and wife were repeatedly infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections.  Over a period of time it was determined that the ...

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