Venomous snakes and dog safety
When hiking with your dog, knowing what kind of venomous snakes you may encounter might make all the difference. Despite the joy we find on a vigorous trail hike, a slithering surprise underfoot will send many of us straight back to the trailhead. Even the most experienced trail runner can be scared stiff by an encounter with a potentially venomous snake. Your dog, on the other hand, may be curious and decide it’s time to play, and that’s when the slithering creatures become dangerous. Snakes are generally as afraid of us as we...
Your pet’s microbiome
A dive into the mechanics of your dog or cat’s microbiome, and why it’s so important to his health and well-being. A few years ago, many people had never heard the term “microbiome”. It has since become an important topic in both human and animal health, and we’re learning more about it all the time. This article takes a deeper dive into what the microbiome is, how it works, and why it’s so important to your dog or cat’s health – and your own. Defining the microbiome Discovered less than 20...
7 tips for going live on social media during shelter and rescue emergencies
Live streaming on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can help you create connections with supporters and get the word out quickly during shelter and rescue emergencies, but the prospect of live video can feel daunting. However, creating a successful live stream doesn’t need to be complicated. Jennifer Held, Operations Manager for Norfolk Animal Care & Adoption Center in Norfolk, VA, has been using Facebook Live regularly, to communicate urgent needs and introduce pets who need fosters and adopters. “We...
This Animal Shelter Hired a Veterinary Social Worker!
Human Animal Support Services (HASS) just put out a brand new resource: Integrating Veterinary Social Work Into Animal Shelters. It gets into what veterinary social workers do, ways they can support people and pets in the community and support shelter staff—and how shelters can hire a veterinary social worker full time, or access their services for community and staff. This gives us the perfect opportunity to talk with Kelly Bremken, who became a veterinary social worker after working in animal welfare for over 15 years. Kelly came on...
Gay Couple Adopt Dog That Was Abandoned For Being ‘Gay’
Some animals are abandoned for the strangest and most selfish reasons. Take Fezco, for example. Earlier this month, Fezco was dumped at the shelter for being gay. The dog’s owners claimed he had been humping another male dog, so he must be gay. Despite Fezco’s behavior being completely normal and healthy as per the ASPCA, his owners said they didn’t want him anymore and abandoned him. Photo: PXHERE The poor pooch was left at the Stanly County Animal Protective Services in Albemarle, North Carolina. When they shared...
Cat with Limited Mobility Finds Forever Family Willing to Help
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! Timmy came from a small, cluttered, unclean apartment with way too many people and way too many animals. He was 9-months-old, unneutered, and cowering behind a water heater. His ears were back in confusion and his eyes were slits of fear and distrust. A young teenager in the home asked me to make sure that “no one ever hits or kicks or calls him bad names.” She told me he was...
Clay in pet food?
A look at how montmorillonite clay adds benefits to dog and cat diets. Adding clay to pet food may seem odd. But did you know that some types of clay, like montmorillonite clay, actually add a variety of functional and nutritional benefits to our pets’ mealtimes? A brief history of clay in food The practice of eating clay is called geophagia (geo meaning ‘earth’, and phagia meaning ‘to eat’). Scientists have found over 200 species of animals who regularly eat specific types of clay, and records show that...
Woman Sets Her Horses Free In Ukraine To Give Them A Fighting Chance At Surviving The Bombings
Putin continues to attack Ukraine putting the lives of people and animals at risk. The bombings and airstrikes are destroying buildings, homes, and horse stables. One woman did the only thing she could to give her beloved horses a fighting chance at surviving the war. Julia Molokova, who owns a horse farm near Kyiv, made the tough decision to set her horses free after a nearby stable was hit by a bomb. She did her best to mark her horses and then led all five to the nearby forest and set them free. They all took off running due to nearby...
Years After Cecil’s Death, Trophy Hunting Permits Are Still Being Issued In Zimbabwe
In July 2015, a wealthy American hunter and his local guides lured Cecil, a well-known and beloved lion, off his nature preserve so that the lion could be killed for sport. The brutality and heartlessness of this act has thrown into light the disgusting reality of trophy hunting and the devastating impact it has on animals and conservation efforts. So long as the world’s wealthy can pay to kill wildlife, whom conservationists work so hard to protect, there will continue to be more cases like Cecil. Some hunters will always spend more...
If Dogs Celebrated April Fool’s Day
Sweaters, birthday parties, fake throws, dog shaming, pranks involving blankets and disappearing … the rigmarole we put our canine companions through is never ending. What if the tables could be turned and they could prank us? What if dogs could celebrate April Fool’s Day? I shudder at the thought. The payback would be harsh. ©Julia August | Getty Images “I’ll trick my human into thinking I haven’t already been fed once.” We certainly would be fools if we didn’t think that every single dog on...
South Haven Firefighter Braves Icy Waters To Save 12-Year-Old Chihuahua
Firemen never know what they will encounter on each call but proceed with the same level of commitment and service. – Byron Pulsifer Firefighters come to the rescue of anything under the sun. Most of the time, it is people whom they save from fires and other dangers. They are also the heroes who brave wildfires and storms. Other times, they rescue birds stuck in trees, cats trapped in walls, and other animals in peril. What will the world do without these unsung heroes? South Haven Area Emergency Services Faces More and More Challenges...
Woman Gets An Unexpected Family Member After Saving A Kitten From A Tree
Ever since we were children, we probably heard stories about people coming out to rescue a kitten stuck in a tree. Although we’ve heard about it frequently, we rarely ever see it in action. Then again, there are times when it actually does happen and Ashley Pennington is all too aware of that fact. As Ashley explained on TikTok, she was out walking her dog when she heard some commotion in a nearby tree and after walking by the tree again, she decided to stop and take a look. Photo: TikTok/ashdelynnpen At first, she thought that a cat...
Stray Dogs Living In A Field Just Want To Be Loved
It is so sad to realize that not all dogs have a loving home to call their own. There are some who are abandoned by their owners to live on the street, and then there are others who are born into life as a stray. For one dog in Romania, Inna, she lived her whole entire life as a stray pooch. She was used to it – it’s the only life she’d known for seven long years. Inna was known to live in a nearby field, accompanied by another dog. The two pooches had drawn the attention of a local, who’d built them a little shelter...
Keys The Cat Throws Her Paws In The Air And No One Knows Why
The adorable black and white cat, who is named Keys, has become a popular fixture on social media thanks to her strange manner of posing. This little black and white kitty has a fondness for sticking her paws straight up in the air. It is not known at all why she does it, but she does. Given how bizarre a habit it seems to be, it is no wonder her owner felt the need to document it. It was Keys’ weird little ritual that ended up making her a “pet-fluencer,” with 110K followers on her Instagram. All of Keys’ pictures on...
Dog Escapes Daycare To Go Home While Family Is Away On Vacation
In recent years, the doorbell camera has gained a lot of popularity. There are many homeowners who are looking to the simple security measure for extra peace of mind. But it’s not just humans who are finding doorbell cameras a useful tool. Our animals seemingly have adapted to the new technology as well, with some cleverly figuring out that it is a means for them to get their owners’ attention. Luckily for Sarah and Jeremy Henson, this proved to be lifesaving for their pooch, Dexter. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Like many families...
Loyal Dog Sits On The Beach And Waits For His Deceased Owner To Return Home
Nothing quite compares to the loyalty of a dog. Through thick and thin, you can always count on your furry friend to be there by your side – even long after you’ve gone. It is quite heartbreaking to see dogs who’ve lost their owners because oftentimes, they are still unable to comprehend that their owners aren’t coming back. This is something that we often see online, when people share sad photos or videos of dogs at their owners’ funerals, cemeteries, etc. But there was one dog that was caught mourning his owner...
Letter from Dr. Jefferson: Tornado Help
Mar 22, 2022 I hope this finds you and yours safe after last night’s scary weather event. With multiple tornado touchdowns in Central Texas and morning reports today of damage, we wanted to reach out to let you know how we fared and what we’re doing to support response efforts. Firstly, our animals and facilities were unharmed. Our Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) shelter, which as you probably know faces challenges, weathered the storm well! With our recent equipment upgrades and overnight staff additions, the teams were able to...
How dehydration can lead to kidney problems in cats
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Grieving the loss of a pet
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Biologically-appropriate raw diets are the cornerstone of Northwest Naturals
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
