When Fins Fly — Face-Off in Salish Sea Between Humpback Whales and Orcas a Sight to Behold
It’s always intense when two apex predators go at it, but it’s seldom caught at sea. In this case, two humpback whales were confronted with a pesky pack of orcas. Now, humpbacks are by no means considered predators, but recent sightings confirm they have interfered with orca hunts. On the other hand, orcas are known for viciously ganging up on whales and taking them down. Regardless, a video captured two months ago in the Salish Sea depicts a tense standoff or confrontation between two humpback whales and about two dozen Biggs...
A Brief History Of Dog Food
It might be hard to imagine a world without pet food, but believe it or not, it’s a relatively modern concept. Let’s take a trip back in time and learn about the history of dog food, from the 1800s until today. Up until the mid-1800s: Working animals Before we started to consider dogs as members of our family, they were primarily used as working animals. When not working, they lived outside and survived off of a diet of table scraps such as potatoes, cabbage, and bread crusts. In short, whatever wasn’t eaten by the family...
How To Train the Boerboel Dog Breed
Boerboels were bred in South Africa to protect homes and farms from ferocious predators. The Boerboel dog breed is: Steadfast, affectionate, loyal and calm with family and those he knows well Territorial with inborn guarding instincts Naturally aloof with and wary of strangers Very strong and muscular, ranging from 150 to 200 pounds, and can easily knock someone over However, if not bred, socialized and trained properly, the Boerboel can be aggressive and a liability. Because of his size and strength, he can inflict a lot of damage to a...
Today’s Holistic Health And Behavioral Anxiety Tools For Dogs
Just like people, many dogs also suffer from mental illness throughout their lifetime. While we may be stressed by our email inbox, financial anxieties and keeping up with our social calendars, dogs are just as anxious by modern-day living. Dogs bred to be working on farms or facilitating search and rescues are now being asked to live in suburban settings with minimal amounts of exercise and mental stimulation. Many dogs have also had to face the trauma of being rehomed or subjected to negative forms of training. Have no fear though....
Woman Hears “Weird Noise” Coming From Wall And Out Pops A Hamster
A woman was startled when she was in her apartment alone and started hearing a “weird noise.” Makenna Buchanan (TikTok user @kennabuchanan3) immediately texted her roommate about the noise saying, “Help. There’s something digging into our apartment.” Photo: TikTok/@kennabuchanan3 She began to film where the noise was coming from and eventually posted the footage on TikTok where it received more than 2 million views! In the clip, you can see some movement coming from the wall, and it really does appear that...
Young Elk Trapped In Mud Up To His Neck Rescued By Wildlife Officers
As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That was exactly what Colorado Park and Wildlife- Southwest Region officers did when they encountered a young elk bull trapped in deep mud. The park tweeted, “Wildlife officer William Miedema took a call from the U.S. Forest Service about this small bull being stuck. Miedema and fellow wildlife officer Tyler Cerny responded to the area and found the young bull elk stuck up to its neck in mud and unable to get out.” Wildlife officer William Miedema took a call...
Here’s a Year’s Worth of Free Communications Kits, Plus a Communications Calendar
Seventy percent of the families in your community have pets, and those pets are family. By putting in place the programs, resources, and services that help those pets stay with their families through hard times, you are building a stronger and safer community. But this support only works if people know about it. That’s where this year’s worth of communications kits, and a model content calendar, come in. A year ago, Human Animal Support Services and HeARTs Speak joined up to create a series of communications kits to help you...
Arthritic Dogs Benefit from At-Home Physical Therapy
These simple at-home physical therapy exercises, when done under the guidance of a veterinarian well-versed in canine rehab, can help your arthritic dog move more easily and comfortably. If your dog is suffering from arthritis, or just doesn’t seem as spry as he once was, at-home physical therapy exercises can be a nice addition to his care. The goals of at-home physical therapy are to improve flexibility, movement, muscle mass, body awareness, and, as a bonus, your relationship with your dog. Before You Begin Before starting any home...
Amantadine for Dogs: How it Affects Pain and Movement Disorders
Better known by trade names such as Symmetrel, Gocovri and Osmolex ER, amantadine was initially used as an antiviral medication in people. Currently, it’s being prescribed “off label” to offer strong pain relief for dogs. Definition of “off-label” in veterinary medicine “The FDA allows veterinarians to prescribe approved human and animal drugs for extra-label uses in animals under specific conditions,” explains Dr. Chad Maki of Huntington Beach, California. “A particular drug that is not...
Racial, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion resources section now available on Maddie’s Pet Forum
Maddie’s Fund® invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. We are working towards the day when the animal well-being field more accurately represents the diversity of our country. With this in mind, we have gathered this collection of resources to provide you with opportunities to grow and learn with us. In the new Racial, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) resources section of...
Big Fluffy Dog Works Hard to Become Friends with His Cat Sibling, and Here’s How He Won Him Over
Dogs are definitely the epitome of friendliness. For this reason, humans who are great at making friends and exuding sunshine are often compared to dogs. They are sometimes associated with dog breeds such as golden retrievers. Samoyed is also the type of dog that can easily win your heart. They won’t stop befriending you with cuddles and their ability to make you smile every day. Photo: Youtube/The Dodo On the other hand, cats are the embodiment of most introverted people. Felines love their personal space and are often seen in their...
Talking Dog Gets Excited of Having a Kitten as a Sibling, but His Human Dad Can’t Stop Teasing Him with Delays
The more time you spend with your pet, the more you realize that they seem to understand every word you say. When they hear you say “outside” or “treats,” they react according to how they feel about that word. It’s amusing that although humans and animals don’t share a language, communication can still be present. But hearing them speak to you is still a wonder — would it be terribly chaotic or chaotic fun? Photo: Youtube/Talking Animals Due to animal intelligence, they still get to express their...
Dachshund Displays Amazing Table Manners In This Short Viral Video
It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that any dog is a good dog, and any evidence of this truth must be shared with the world. PHOTO: Unsplash/devn How do you know if a dog possesses good manners? One obvious way would be if they’re well-behaved. Another way would be to see how they treat their stuffed toy. Well… The last one isn’t really a reliable method to check a dog’s manners because that’s just anthropomorphism. But you get what I mean. I mean, we’re all probably guilty of treating our pets...
Sad Santa Paws Letters Written on Behalf of Shelter Pups Will Have You Reaching for a Tissue
Christmas is supposed to be a time of good cheer and merriment, but that doesn’t hold true for everyone — especially shelter pets. While dogs may not understand the concept of Christmas and all of the sentiments that go with it, shelter staff are fully aware of the hardships these animals face regardless of the time of year. Staff in the U.K. are writing on their behalf to “Santa Paws,” and the results will tug at your heartstrings. Photo: Pixabay/Seaq68 Animal Rescue U.K. shelters are having just as hard a time with...
Woman Finds Two Stray Tabby Kittens From Different Litters in the Same Month
This story is a finalist in the Fur-Ever Family Photo & Story Contest. Voting runs through December 31. Three grand prize winners will each receive $500 in cash and $2,000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. See all the entrants and finalists here! My kitties are my kids. One day, I was sitting at my PC and noticed that two of my outside cats were staring at something. I figured it was a mouse. As it turns out, it was a tiny tabby kitten on its back with its feet up in the air, frozen in fear! PHOTO: SHARON MORGAN He was...
Wombats the Size of Cars? Be Glad You Didn’t Live Back Then!
Taking a stroll down Mother Nature’s Memory Lane can be fascinating, but it’s also a reminder that humans today couldn’t cope with the everyday perils that lay in wait tens of thousands of years ago. Sharks the size of school buses, avians the size of Sesame Street’s Big Bird, lions that would all but dwarf modern-day kings of the jungle, and so many other creatures that would blow your mind. Add to the list wombats as big as cars. You read that right. The smallish creatures as we now know them were super-sized at one...
A Fervent Pet Parent in Alaska Trying to Protect His Dogs from Muskox Dies in the Line of Duty
It’s not unusual to hear stories of frantic pet parents wresting their pets from the mouths of alligators or exhibiting superhuman strength and courage when their animals’ lives are on the line. More often than not the hair-raising stories have a happy ending. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in Alaska recently when a pet owner and law enforcement officer had an encounter with a massive muskox threatening his dogs. Photo: Pixabay/zoosnow Muskox in Alaska According to state authorities, Curtis Worland, a court services...
My Dog is My Support During War in Ukraine
I would like to share with you my story, my love, the best friend in my life, and my family, a dog named Kira. My story started last July 18th, 2021. I saw online a picture of a dog, and without sleeping all night, I ran in the morning to the pet shelter to get her. I adopted the dog and brought her home the next day. She was already 5 months old. She came from a litter of four, and I renamed her Kira. I can’t tell you how happy I was to bring this shy and timid girl home. Photo: Iryna Caro War in Ukraine These days, since Russia...
Pets and People Need Help During A Disaster — Here’s What You Can Do
On September 28, Hurricane Ian tore up the western coast of Florida as a Category 4 storm. With destructive winds of up to 155 miles per hour and torrential rain, it caused life threatening storm surges and massive amounts of flooding, reported the National Environment Satellite Data and Information Service. The death toll for Florida is now reported to be over 100 people, ABC News reports. Photo: Adobe Stock / burnstuff2003Natural disasters can leave communities in ruins for months, or even years. There are currently 42,000 workers...
Ukrainian Dog Frightened By Nearby Missile Attack Takes Refuge In Pizza Truck With Volunteers
In November, Kherson was liberated from Russian forces. Celebrations took place in the city center, but it wasn’t long before Russia started to attack the city with missiles from across the Dnipro River. The terrifying sound sends people and animals running for cover. Tom Hughes, Field Operations Manager for Siobhan’s Trust, is traveling across Ukraine with a team of volunteers to feed people in liberated villages and boost morale with pizza parties. The Scottish charity serves thousands of pizzas a day to hungry displaced...
