Tomorrow, we celebrate Maddie!
Tomorrow, April 26, we celebrate the little dog who started a revolution. She was bold, feisty and not afraid to take chances. Although she is no longer with us, we continue to give thanks to Maddie in the form of grants, resources and striving for inclusivity in everything we do. We know she’d be extremely proud of the work you all are doing and how far we’ve come as a field. Please join us in wishing her a happy birthday. We’d love to hear your favorite #ThanksToMaddie story on social or Maddie’s® Pet Forum!...
The World’s Oldest Living Gorilla Receives a Fruit Platter and a Lovely Vegetable Bouquet on Her 66th Birthday
These days birthdays aren’t only celebrated by humans but also by animals. Pet parents would plan out various ways to commemorate the day their babies were born. They’d organize photo shoots, parties with pets of friends and family, or present a personalized edible cake for animals. Celebrating their life is being grateful for their existence — to make them feel extra special for a whole day. You’ll see different animal birthdays on the internet shared by pet parents, sanctuaries, rescue centers, and zoos. Those social...
The Heartwarming Rescue and Fabulous Life of Insta-Famous Humphrey the Mule
Erica had always been an advocate for rescuing horses from the racetrack and giving them new homes, but she had never owned a mule until Humphrey came into her life. Humphrey, a Belgian draft mule, was rescued from the slaughter pipeline. Humphrey was bred by the Amish to plow the fields. Though he measures about 17.2 hands, with his back about six feet long, he he was considered small for the job. Instagram / humphreythemuleHumphrey is a draft mule who was rescued from slaughter. A woman working with Rancho Relaxo had asked Erica if she...
Family Cat Found Badly Injured and Near Death Makes Miraculous Recovery
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog! Our family adopted our 4-year-old tuxedo cat, named Maddox, in 2010 from a local shelter during their 4th of July adopt-a-thon. Maddox had been born into an animal rescue and lived in foster care until he was big enough to be altered and adopted out. We took him home at 12-weeks-old. He was so tiny, but he grew up to be a beautiful, regal cat with the biggest, fattest plume of a tail you...
Rescue Dog Does “Zoomies” Of Joy When She’s Adopted From The Shelter
When an Akbash dog in Texas was found on a road and in serious need of help, Texas-based animal rescuer Joy Bastow was there to help. Bastow rescues animals through Healing Heart Rehab and shares about the rescues on TikTok (@joybastow). Photo: TikTok/@joybastow In one adorable video, Bastow shared that the Akbash dog that had been rescued, Betty, had finally been adopted – and her reaction to going home was priceless! Bastow shared a video of Betty’s adoption zoomies with the caption: “Betty Got ADOPTED!!! She is living on...
Video Calls Between Parrots Help Form Friendships, Study Finds
Over the past few years, we’ve all gotten a little more comfortable with keeping in touch through video calls, whether it’s Zoom or something else. Birds may be on board with maintaining friendships in this way, too, according to a new study. Researchers at Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and MIT recently teamed up to see what would happen if parrots were taught how to use tablets and smartphones to call each other. The team found that these chats helped mirror communication in the wild and even appeared to...
Pitbull With Massive Lump On Her Head Gets Rescued From Euthanasia
A pitbull with a massive lump on her head was slated to be euthanized despite being just two-years-old. Thankfully, rescuers from the La Belle Foundation stepped up and rescued Strawberry. The La Belle Foundation shared on Instagram: “When we saw her shelter picture on @iloverescue’s page, her skin was bright pink with infection, she had two lumps on her head, and we knew we needed to help her.” They shared photos of the dog and she had a massive visible lump on her head. While things looked rough for the dog, the foundation...
Woman Helps Senior Pet Owners Rehome Their Cats Before Passing Away
A woman in Nova Scotia, Canada is making a huge difference for seniors in her community by helping them rehome their cats before they pass away or move to a retirement home. Angela Rafuse created the nonprofit My Grandfather’s Cat after adopting her late grandfather’s cat when he passed away. Photo: Pexels/Inge Wallumrød On the charity website, Rafuse explains that her grandfather put off going to a retirement home because he was caring for his late wife’s cat and he couldn’t bring the animal with him. After...
Redditors Gushed Over a Happy and Content Donkey Receiving Hugs from a Friend
Receiving affectionate gestures is often overlooked by people but is well-appreciated by animals. They’ll remind you that the simplest things can induce happiness — even if it’s a short hug, more so a tight embrace. Their reaction to cuddles, kisses, and pets will make you realize how it beautifully affects your loved ones. Do not forget to hug your friends and family because you’ll never know if they need one. It may seem like a small effort, but the happiness from that contact is indescribable. Apart from that,...
Golden Retriever Does Nighttime “Zoomies” In Her Ball Pit
An adorable golden retriever named Chloe can’t get enough of her custom doggy ball pit. Chloe’s owner shared a video of the dog enjoying her ball pit before bed on TikTok. After it was posted, it quickly went viral and amassed more than 3.5 million views. Photo: TikTok/@a.golden.named.chloe In the clip, you can see Chloe doing “zoomies” before blasting into her pink and purple ball pit. It’s too cute! Many dogs enjoy “zoomies” on occasion, but Chloe seems to enjoy them every day and to the fullest!...
Wolf Project in Minnesota Catches Black Wolf on Camera
The Voyageurs Wolf Project in Minnesota has been keeping track of the wolf population in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem for more than 10 years, and they recently came across a rare sight for them. On social media, the group – based at the University of Minnesota – recently shared video of a lone black wolf caught on one of their cameras. The post reads, “We rarely see black wolves in our area so seeing this black wolf with its seemingly shaggy coat, especially around its legs and feet, was pretty neat! BLACK WOLF. PHOTO:...
Top 10 Rare Dog Breeds in the U.S. for 2022
Have you ever thought about sharing your life with a rare breed of dog? There are 200 different breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club and each breed is unique. To determine how popular or rare a dog breed is, look at the American Kennel Club records for the number of a certain dog breed registered in the country. The fewer dogs who are registered, the rarer that breed is considered to be. The list is updated every year. The top 10 rare dog breeds in 2022 English Foxhound: A large hound developed to hunt in packs. These dogs...
Looking After Your Dog’s Joint Health
Active dogs can benefit from this unique, science-based approach. Nothing is more heart-warming than watching your healthy, mobile canine companion race around the park, or excitedly fetch his leash for an after-dinner walk. Of course, we want our canine companions to experience an active lifestyle for as long as they can, so maintaining their joint health is crucial. Timely care can save your dog from potential joint issues, including post-exercise inflammation. What is post-exercise inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s response to...
Why Feed Your Dog Vegan Treats
There are many reasons to choose vegan treats for your canine companion, including personal beliefs, allergies, or simply a desire to feed your dog something other than even more animal protein. Dogs are omnivores, after all! No matter why you choose a vegan option, you’ll find there are many accompanying benefits. This is especially true for PointPet’s targeted, specially formulated treats. CANINE ALLERGIES If your dog chews at her paws, or licks them excessively, it could well be an allergy. The most common allergies in dogs are...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Canine Science Symposium, Maddie’s Insights and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Customer service course for animal services now available in SpanishProviding excellent customer service at your animal shelter or rescue organization is a vital component of keeping pets and people together. The impact that customer service has on our communities is vast, and whether or not that service is great or poor, can affect your organization. “Customer Service for Animal Shelters” is now available in… Learn More The March Weekly...
“Chonky” 40lb Cat Seeks Forever Home That’ll Help Him Lose Weight
People around the world are enamored by cats of all kinds. Just like there are dog and cat people, it seems there’s a divide in the cat community too. Some cat people prefer cats who are sly, lean, cold-blooded killers who bounce around the house and cause chaos. Others, however, enjoy cats who are chunky, sun-seeking, box-loving felines who would prefer to lounge around and eat catnip all day. While most people can appreciate the cuteness that comes from a “chonky” cat, it’s reasonable to say that anything taken to an...
Tiny Dachshund Shows Mom His Massive Personality
Wilson the miniature dachshund may be tiny, but he has a massive personality and makes sure to show it! According to GeoBeats Animals, Wilson’s owner, Jules, explained that when she brought Wilson home, he was such a tiny little pup who didn’t weigh much at all. Photo: YouTube/GeoBeats Animals Despite that, he showed her right away that size doesn’t matter and that he could be big in spirit, despite being small in stature. In fact, Wilson was so loud and boistrious that he earned the nickname of Thunder Paws! Jules said,...
Heartless Criminal Throws Puppy From Moving Car While Being Chased By Police
It’s not uncommon to hear about a police car chase in Los Angeles. One that happened recently, however, took things to an entirely different level. According to a news release from the Lost Angeles Police Department, it started at noon on a Friday in South Los Angeles, and the chase continued for some two hours. During that time, the suspect was chased through Westchester and Inglewood. Photo: Flickr/Steven Miller License: CC BY 2.0 This wasn’t a simple and routine stop. One of the suspects in the vehicle was wanted for attempted...
Husky Goes Viral At The Groomers For Having The Loudest Reaction To Getting A Bath
Dogs are like humans in that they each have a personality. Some of them are quiet and meek, and others will instantly let you know what is on their mind. Sometimes, it has to do with the individual dog, but at other times, it can be traced to the breed. If you are somebody who is familiar with huskies, you realize that they have a certain trait that really makes them stand out apart from many others. Photo: YouTube/Girl With The Dogs That trait is their ability to voice their opinion. Many dogs will let you know what’s on their mind,...
Dog Years to Human Years Explained
Chances are you’ve heard the dog-years-to-human-years tall tale about dog aging: “One year in a dog’s life equals seven in human years.” Despite the continued efforts of veterinarians over decades, that fallacy persists. It’s unclear how the “1- equals-7” calculation was derived. My guess is that sometime during the past 100 years, folks observed that many dogs lived to be about 10 to 12 years of age. These were likely larger dogs living outdoors with little, if any, medical or preventive care. They...
