Pet Scoop: Dog Survives Heroin Overdose, 21 Tiny Turtles Hatch at Australian Zoo

March 10, 2017 at 08:59PM by
>br> March 10, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Puppy survives drug overdose

Lucky Texas Pup Adopted

In February, Lucky the puppy almost died after finding and eating his then-owner’s heroin and overdosing. Police found him inside a truck in a Home Depot parking lot and rescued him, and the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic saved his life. Now, Lucky has a little more to celebrate — he was adopted Wednesday morning by a little girl who calls him her “dream puppy.” — Read it at People Pets

Baltimore’s Bucket List Cat Dies

Tigger, a 22-year-old cat who was adopted by a former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader when he was abandoned at age 20, died last Friday night. Not long after Adriene Buisch and her boyfriend adopted Tigger two years ago, they discovered he had a large tumor and that his kidneys were failing. They began taking him on bucket list-style adventures, including trips to the beach and to Florida, and his story went viral. "I hope his journey helps cat and pet lovers know how wonderful it is to not only adopt but to adopt older pets," Buisch said in a Facebook post. "Witnessing the love and happiness of Tigger changed our lives." — Read it at The Baltimore Sun

3 New Spider Species Discovered

In what may be an arachnophobic’s worst nightmare, scientists have discovered three new large bird-eating spiders — and have reorganized the genus Avicularia, which covers hairy tarantula spiders, striking dozens more from the grouping. It was a “huge mess,” according to lead study author Caroline Sayuri Fukushima. The researchers sorted out the genus, which was first described in 1818, and named the three new species of spiders. The study is published in ZooKeys. — Read it at Live Science

Image: Bellinger River Turtle hatchlings

In Rescue Effort, Zoo Breeds Turtles

Twenty-one tiny turtles recently hatched at the Taronga Zoo in New South Wales as part of a first-ever breeding program to save the Bellinger River Snapping Turtle from extinction. “There could be as few as 200 Bellinger River Snapping Turtles remaining in the wild, so these hatchlings have a vital role to play in rebuilding this population,” Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said. The long-term aim of the breeding program is to raise and release hatchlings back into Bellinger River. — Read it at Zooborns

Woman Pampers Pet Gator for Good Cause

Like many people, Pennsylvania-based photographer Angela Lance’s Instagram is filled with posts of her beloved pet. But there's a twist: Lance’s pet is an alligator named Lilly. “I would have to say she is pretty close to being the most pampered gator in the world,” says Lance, who gives Lilly manicures and dresses her in stylish outfits. Lilly’s pampering is for a good cause though: Lance's photographs appear on postcards and merchandise, and the money raised goes to various alligator rescue facilities. And despite the outfits, Lance wants others to understand the seriousness of owning an alligator. “I am definitely very passionate about the fact that people shouldn’t buy them without the understanding and realization of the amount of work and money and time they take. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s a serious investment.” — Read it at People Pets

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Police Department Hires Comfort Puppy

March 09, 2017 at 11:02PM by
>br> The Sterling, Illinois, police department has one cute new recruit: Brinkley, a 2-month-old puppy who will serve the community as a comfort dog. The pup will help to calm crime victims, visit schools and be a goodwill ambassador for the department. Brinkley will also help combat stress and burnout among the officers on the force. “There's a lot of stress in our job,” said Officer Niki Diehl. "She'll be, you know, good for morale for us." — See photos at People Pets



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Pet Scoop: Friar Dog at Monastery Gets His Own Robe, Thrilled Dog Reunited With Airman

March 09, 2017 at 08:16PM by
>br> March 9, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Friar dog

Schnauzer Fits Right in With Monks

Carmelo, whose official name is Friar Bigoton (Friar Moustache), is an adorable Schnauzer who lives at a Roman Catholic monastery in Bolivia. The little guy has quickly gained fame this week, as photos of him dressed in the traditional brown robes like the monks he lives with have gone viral. Several news stories have reported Carmelo was adopted as a stray and wears the robes regularly, but the monk who shared his cute photos clarified the pup’s story this morning. In a new Facebook post, Kasper Mariusz Kapron Ofm (Order of Friars Minor) wrote that the dog wasn’t actually a stray and doesn’t always wear his robes. Instead, he was given to the monks as a Christmas gift when he was a puppy — and he sported his custom robe as a “prank” on their seminarians for Carnival this year. Still, it’s clear that the little guy is loved and adorable. — Read it from Kasper Mariusz Kapron Ofm via Facebook

Rare Whale Caught on Video for First Time

Two True’s beaked whales were caught on camera by students during an expedition in Portugal's Azores Islands. Live sightings of the elusive whale species is extremely rare, and the video is the first recording of them in the wild. A study published Tuesday in the journal PeerJ includes the video, rare photos of a whale calf and further data collected from strandings and sightings of the True’s beaked whales. — Read it at Yahoo

Study: Warming Climate Creates Risks for Songbirds

A new report finds that rising temperatures and heat waves with a greater duration and intensity are posing a grave danger to songbirds in the Southwest. Songbirds that are common in the region, including the lesser goldfinch, house finch, cactus wren, Abert's towhee and the curve-billed thrasher, are facing a greater risk for death by dehydration and mass die-offs under projected conditions where temperatures increase by 7 degrees Fahrenheit during summer by the end of the century. “When it's really hot, they simply can't evaporate enough water to stay cool, so they overheat and die of heat stroke,” said co-author Blair Wolf of the University of New Mexico. “In other cases, the high rates of evaporative water loss needed to stay cool deplete their body water pools to lethal levels.” The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. — Read it at Science Daily

Image: Military reunion airman

Excited Dog Greets Air Force Dad

A sweet new video captures the moment an airman with the U.S. Air Force was reunited with his ecstatic dog after a 6-month deployment. The pup doesn’t seem to know what to do first when his owner walks through the front door, racing around, whining and then jumping into his arms. She seems to only get more excited as the reality of her loved one’s return sinks in. With her tail wagging wildly, the airman picks the dog up and gets smothered in kisses. — Watch it at USA Today

Police Force Hires Comfort Pup

The Sterling, Illinois, police department has one cute new recruit: Brinkley, a 2-month-old puppy who will serve the community as a comfort dog. The pup will help to calm crime victims, visit schools and be a goodwill ambassador for the department. Brinkley will also help combat stress and burnout among the officers on the force. “There's a lot of stress in our job,” said Officer Niki Diehl. "She'll be, you know, good for morale for us." — See photos at People Pets



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Adoption Offers Pour in for Pablo and Picasso

March 08, 2017 at 10:30PM by
>br> Two brothers named Pablo and Picasso who were saved from a high-kill shelter in California have no idea how loved they’ve become. Photos of the pair, one with a twisted jaw and the other with a smile that could light up a room, have gone viral — and Luvable Dog Rescue is now considering thousands of adoption applications from people who want to give them a home together. In the meantime, they’re comfortable living in a cottage at the Oregon rescue with two other friendly pups. “I think they know that they're loved,” said the group’s executive director, Liesl Wilhardt. “And that's all that matters to them.” — Read it from Best Friends



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Pet Scoop: Blind Lab Survives a Week in Mountains, Shelter Dogs Play Tennis Ball Boys

March 08, 2017 at 08:36PM by
>br> March 8, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Sage rescued

Neighbor Rescues Lost Lab

A 12-year-old blind yellow Labrador Retriever is back home recovering after spending seven long nights lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains in northern California. Sage’s heartbroken family and their friends had been searching for her since she wandered away from her Boulder Creek home on Feb. 24. The Lab had lost both of her eyes due to health problems. The Coles’ neighbor, firefighter Dan Estrada, had helped in the search and was keeping an eye out for her while he took an out-of-town friend for a hike in the woods on Saturday. “I look over and see Sage laying on the ground right with her head in the stream,” Estrada said. He was afraid it was too late — but then she lifted her head. “I jumped in the stream, I was super happy,” he said. “I put my arms around her and hugged her and threw her over my shoulders and carried her up the mountain.” He then brought Sage home to her ecstatic and grateful family. Estrada refused the $1,000 reward the Coles had offered for help finding Sage, so it will be donated to charity. — Read it at San Francisco’s ABC 7 News

Beloved Polar Bear Cub Dies at German Zoo

Fritz, an adorable 4-month-old polar bear cub at Berlin’s Tierpark Zoo, had made international headlines and was seen as the next Knut, the polar bear who’d been abandoned by his mom and was hand-reared at the Berlin Zoo. But “stunned” zoo officials announced Tuesday that the cub who’d stolen their hearts had died from liver inflammation. The baby bear’s illness came on quickly. He was found lying next to his mom on Monday morning, and despite the team’s efforts to treat him with antibiotics and painkillers, he passed away that night. — Read it at Yahoo News

Brother and Sister Otters Born at Oregon Zoo

In much happier news, a North American river otter named Tilly is raising two tiny pups at the Oregon Zoo. The male and female weighed 4 ounces each when they were born on Feb. 26, and they’re already twice that thanks to their mom’s diligent care. “This will be the first time Tilly has raised more than one pup at a time,” said curator Amy Cutting. “It's exciting that they'll be growing up together and have the opportunity to play and wrestle with each other. Tilly's always been an extremely attentive mother, so it will be interesting to see what happens when her pups go in two different directions.” Tilly herself was taken in by the zoo when she was found orphaned and wounded in 2009. The pups haven’t yet been named, but they will likely be named after local rivers and waterways like the other otters at the zoo. — Read it from the Oregon Zoo and see photo on Facebook

Image: Brazil Open ball boys 2017

Dogs Steal Show at Tennis Open

Six dogs from two animal shelters in San Paulo stole the spotlight at the Brazil Open as they raced around the tennis court as ball boys on Saturday. Cindy, Nanda, Blackie, Mia, Arlete and Ovelha joined in an exhibition match to help raise awareness for pet adoption. “It was pretty fun, super cool with the dogs, really nice experience,” said Brazilian tennis player Marcelo Demoliner — although he did mention they may need to “improve a bit” to serve in a real match. This is the second year adoptable dogs have taken part in the open. All of last year’s pups were adopted, and hopefully this year’s six stars will be, too. — Read it at the Huffington Post

Thousands Want to Adopt Pablo and Picasso

Two brothers named Pablo and Picasso who were saved from a high-kill shelter in California have no idea how loved they’ve become. Photos of the pair, one with a twisted jaw and the other with a smile that could light up a room, have gone viral — and Luvable Dog Rescue is now considering thousands of adoption applications from people who want to give them a home together. In the meantime, they’re comfortable living in a cottage at the Oregon rescue with two other friendly pups. “I think they know that they're loved,” said the group’s executive director, Liesl Wilhardt. “And that's all that matters to them.” — Read it from Best Friends



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Soldier Drapes Flag Over Late K9’s Body

March 07, 2017 at 10:38PM by
>br> U.S. Air Force soldier Kyle Smith took his beloved retired military working dog, Bodza, to the veterinarian last week because the 11-year-old German Shepherd was struggling to walk. When he was told the dog was suffering from an incurable disease that affected his spinal cord, he knew he had to say goodbye. He tried to hide his heartbreak from his superiors, but they arrived at the clinic out of respect for Smith and Bodza — and his boss asked for an American flag to be placed over the dog’s body in recognition of his service. “I’ve never cried that much my entire life,” Smith said of the experience. “All of us have that dog that is so special to us … he was the nicest dog in the world.” — Read it from Inside Edition via Yahoo




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Pet Scoop: 12-Year-Old Amputee Adopts 3-Legged Dog, Cat Survives 400-Mile Ride

March 07, 2017 at 08:38PM by
>br> March 7, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Amputee adopts three legged dog

Cancer Survivor Finds Companion

Two years ago, Quinn Scharn lost his leg and hip to bone cancer. When he woke up from surgery, he had decided on one thing: he wanted a dog who had three legs. After a two year search, his mom, Teresa Howell, spotted the perfect companion for her son on the Front Street Animal Shelter’s Facebook page. She picked Scharn, who’s now 12 and cancer free, up early from school and drove to the Sacramento shelter. When they got there, they found out that Logan was on hold for another family. But after visiting with him, they learned that the family had just called and changed their mind — and Logan was available. The boy and dog had made a connection, and Scharn was thrilled to bring Logan home that day. A video of their sweet story posted on Facebook by the shelter on Thursday has already been viewed more than 1 million times. — Read it at People Pets

Surgeons Remove 915 Coins From Sea Turtle

A 25-year-old sea turtle named Bank had life-saving surgery Monday to remove 11 pounds of coins that she’d eaten. Many Thais believe that throwing coins on turtles brings longevity, but it wasn’t good luck for Bank. The 915 coins that she’d consumed after they’d been thrown into her pool had cracked her shell, causing a life-threatening infection. It took five surgeons more than four hours to safely remove the coins while the turtle was under general anesthesia. “I felt angry that humans, whether or not they meant to do it or if they did it without thinking, had caused harm to this turtle,” said surgery team leader Nantarika Chansue. — Read it at Fox News

Soldier Drapes Flag Over Late K9’s Body

U.S. Air Force soldier Kyle Smith took his beloved retired military working dog, Bodza, to the veterinarian last week because the 11-year-old German Shepherd was struggling to walk. When he was told the dog was suffering from an incurable disease that affected his spinal cord, he knew he had to say goodbye. He tried to hide his heartbreak from his superiors, but they arrived at the clinic out of respect for Smith and Bodza — and his boss asked for an American flag to be placed over the dog’s body in recognition of his service. “I’ve never cried that much my entire life,” Smith said of the experience. “All of us have that dog that is so special to us … he was the nicest dog in the world.” — Read it from Inside Edition via Yahoo

Image: Cat and truck driver

Cat Survives 400 Miles Under Semi

Truck driver Paul Robertson spends his long days and nights on the road with Percy, his beloved orange tabby cat. But when he was asleep at a rest area in Ohio last month, the cat stepped on a window power switch in the cab and escaped. Robertson turned to social media for help, and he and his friends spent 24 hours scouring the area. He was devastated when he had to leave without his pal to make his delivery on time, posting on Facebook, “I feel like the worst cat dad ever.” So, when he arrived at his destination 400 miles away, he was shocked to see his Percy crawl out from under his semi-truck. “If ever a moment felt like a gift from God, it was then,” he said. He brought his cat to a local vet and learned that the only thing he was suffering from was an eye infection, likely from the dust and salt he endured during the trip. Percy is now back in his copilot spot — and Robertson has rigged the window switches so he can’t accidentally use them again. — Read it at the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ivan the Special Needs Cat Gets a Home

There’s happy news for a special cat we told you about last week. After being overlooked for weeks at the MSPCA shelter in Boston, a 10-month-old kitten named Ivan who gets around using an “army crawl” had a change in fate. Once his story made headlines, the shelter got more than 2,000 adoption inquiries from 40 states and several countries around the world. The staff has chosen one lucky family for Ivan, and he’ll leave for his new home on Wednesday. Ivan also brought good luck for his fellow shelter cats — all of the kitties in the MSCPA’s adoption room found homes on Saturday, including two 15-year-old cats. — Read it at Boston’s WCVB



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