Critically Endangered Crocodile Photographed With Dozens Of Babies On His Back
If you’re lucky enough, sometimes you can witness some truly incredible moments in nature. And wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in order to photograph a very rare moment in the National Chambal Sanctuary, in India. His show stopping photo is that of a freshwater gharial, which is a type of fish-eating crocodile, that is swimming through the murky waters with a bunch of its offspring along for the ride on its back. And it’s not just one or two little baby...
Toothless Chihuahua Helps Nervous Patients Relax While Getting Their Teeth Cleaned
There is only one thing worse than going to see the doctor, and that is going to see the dentist. Everyone hates the dentist. No matter how great your dental hygiene routine is, or how nice your dentist is, no one likes going to see the dentist. But some patients in California are getting the ultimate incentive to go for their six-month check-up. 13-year-old Kismet, a toothless little Chihuahua, has been brightening the lives of the patients who visit the Corte Madera Family Dentistry. According to CNN, the little senior pup brings plenty of...
Cat Raised By Shiba Inu Siblings Thinks He’s A Dog
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so perhaps that is what Kiki the cat is going for as she pretends to be just like her three Shiba Inu buddies: Saki, Ibuki, and Hazuki. The adorable little feline is an American Shorthair cat who lives in Japan alongside her family which includes the three canine siblings. While most cats will get along well with a dog and somewhat enjoy the company, Kiki takes it a step further. She doesn’t just hang out with the dogs, she also tries to be one! It is just too cute. In fact, the...
Learn about access to veterinary care from the expert himself, Dr. Blackwell
Now, more than ever, low income families are struggling to find access to veterinary care due to COVID-19. Learn more about this important topic from Access to Care expert and the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award recipient, Dr. Michael J. Blackwell, in the recorded webcast, Access to Care: A National Family Crisis. In the webcast, Dr. Michael Blackwell, Director of the program at Pet Health Equity, and Dr. Susan Krebsbach, Assistant Director, discuss barriers to vet care that pet owners face. “The overwhelming barrier for all...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Dr. Michael Blackwell receives the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award, using technology to reunite lost pets with their families and more!
Below is a brief round-up of new blog posts and resources we’ve added over the past week. Meet the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award recipient!We’re thrilled to announce that the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award goes to Dr. Michael J. Blackwell for his outstanding leadership and purposeful dedication to honor the human-animal bond. The award is named after Rich Avanzino, the father of the no-kill movement and Maddie’s Fund President from 1999 – 2015. This award recognizes significant achievement and… Learn...
Conservationists Help ‘Smiling’ Turtles Once Thought To Be Extinct Make A Comeback
It doesn’t matter how much we study nature, it has a way of surprising us on occasion. It happened recently when the Burmese roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata) did something totally unexpected. These turtles are one of the world’s most endangered and at one time, they were thought to be extinct. Eventually, they were rediscovered in the early 2000’s, and now they are making a comeback, thanks to a breeding program. Burmese roofed turtles were once plentiful in the rivers of Miramar but the exploitation of their eggs and...
Video Of A Chimpanzee Trying A Popsicle For The First Time Goes Viral
There are many things that we may take for granted but it is only because we can’t remember the first time that we tried them. If we were able to look back on those moments, we would have an even greater appreciation for the things that we have on a day-to-day basis. At times, we can enjoy this by living vicariously through others. That is exactly what we do when we see this 2018 video of Limbani the chimpanzee enjoying a strawberry popsicle. He was at home at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami when the video was captured. Max...
A Rescue Goat And A Duck That Has Trouble Walking Become The Unlikeliest Of Friends
We hear about a number of different types of animal rescues but Goats of Anarchy (GOA) is dedicated to rehabilitating and rescuing goats with special needs. They own 30 acres of animal sanctuary in Hampton, New Jersey. That is where you will find a 7-month-old goat with a big heart, named Gigi. Gigi is well known for mothering some of the other goats on the property. She also happens to be close friends with Merlin, a duck that is not able to walk. When they rescued Merlin, they tried to help with splinting, a wheelchair, and prosthesis....
Only In Florida: A Turtle And An Alligator High Five Each Other
I think by now, most of us have become accustomed to seeing videos online. Watching videos is one of the most popular things that people do, and sometimes, they just tend to blend in. Every once in awhile, however, we see a video that really stands out. I think that is how most people feel about a video that has been making the rounds on Twitter recently. It was posted on the “Gator Daily” account and the simple video has gone viral. After all, it shows a gator and turtle passing each other and giving a “high-five.”...
Rescued Baby Piglet Befriends Dog And Sleeps On His Back Every Night
We often don’t give animals enough credit for being emotionally intelligent. But they are more than capable of forming strong bonds amongst one another, just like humans. One might even make the argument that animals are more caring and compassionate towards each other than some humans. And of all the animals, dogs seem to be some of the friendliest around. Dogs love to make friends with anyone and everyone. And we love to see the unique little friendships that blossom between animals of different species. It’s such a wholesome...
Meet the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award recipient!
We’re thrilled to announce that the 2020 Avanzino Leadership Award goes to Dr. Michael J. Blackwell for his outstanding leadership and purposeful dedication to honor the human-animal bond. The award is named after Rich Avanzino, the father of the no-kill movement and Maddie’s Fund President from 1999 – 2015. This award recognizes significant achievement and courage to look beyond the status quo and make bold decisions to improve the lives of pets and their people. The award is presented with a $25,000 grant to be...
Jennifer Garner Dressed Her Dog As The Characters From Her Most Popular Roles
Over the course the pandemic this year we’ve all found our different methods of coping. Most of us have gone more mainstream routes, like trying to become our own sourdough bread bakers, while others have gotten very into Marie Kondo-ing their spaces with all the extra organization time that there’s been. For celebrity Jennifer Garner, lockdown has meant making videos staring her golden retriever, Birdie. The precious pup is often featured wearing costumes that draw inspiration from her many films and TV shows. Jennifer’s...
How animal welfare organizations can use technology to reunite lost pets with their families
Animal welfare organizations have been transitioning to a more community-centric model of animal sheltering, including how animal shelters and rescue organizations can support their community reunite with their lost pets. Does your organization offer services to your community that increases return to owner rates AND decreases your intake? Do you know the biggest obstacles someone trying to pick up their lost pet faces? Return-to-owner (RTO) expert, Gina Knepp, states that the two barriers blocking reunification are lack of...
Underwater Footage Shows The Weird Feeding Habits Of Flamingos
Flamingos are a funny breed of bird. They’re pink. They stand on one leg. They’re so quirky, you can’t help but wonder what their other habits look like, like when they eat. But because flamingos dip their heads underwater when they chow down, it’s difficult to tell exactly what is happening under the surface. But there is no need to wonder anymore. Thanks to the San Diego Zoo, the feeding habits of the flamingos are now public knowledge. The zoo inserted an underwater camera into the flamingos’ feeding pool,...
Magpie Always Comes Back To See The Family That Rescued Him
When it comes to magpies, there’s an old rhyme that goes something like “one for sorrow, two for joy.” But there is nothing sorrowful about the adorable little magpie named Penguin. The magpie has become a standard fixture in the backyard of the Bloom family who lives in Newport, Australia after they rescued him and nursed him back to health. Though released back into the wild, the magpie makes frequent trips back home just to hang out and say hi, or to seek shelter whenever it rains. The Bloom family first found Penguin...
Giant Crocodile Swims Like A Dolphin As It Races A Boat
We all know that Australia is a vast landscape full of natural beauty. But it also has a lot of dangerous animals – saltwater crocodiles being amongst the list of scary predators that dot the Australian wild. These crocs are quite a common sight around the tropical areas of North Queensland, where they can grow up to 22 feet in length! Needless to say, these large reptiles are something to be feared. These massive beasts date back centuries and have actually outlived the dinosaurs by something like 65 million years. One fisherman,...
There’s A Group Of Women In Zimbabwe Who Risk Their Lives To Fight Poachers
No matter what some might say, women are more than capable of doing the same jobs as men – no matter how dangerous the task might be. And one group of women in Africa are doing just that. These brave women have formed the Akashinga unit, which is working to protect African wildlife against poaching. In recent years the number of poaching cases has increased. Now, it’s the women of Zimbabwe who are standing up and saying enough is enough. This Akashinga team are working as Zimbabwe’s Phundundu Wildlife Area, a 115-square-mile...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: HASS empowering animal welfare organizations to think outside of the box to keep people and pets together, Best Friends Professional Development Symposium and more!
Below is a brief round-up of new blog posts and resources we’ve added over the past week. #HassInAction: LifeLine Animal Project thinks outside of the box to keep person and pup togetherWith the animal welfare movement constantly evolving and transitioning to meet the needs of people and their pets, animal shelter and rescue organizations are realizing they may need to think outside of the box to find ways to best serve their communities. One organization in particular, LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta, GA, had a pup and...
Only In Australia Would Two Snakes Fall Through Someone’s Ceiling
I don’t think that any of us enjoy having critters in the house. It doesn’t matter if it is a spider, ants, or anything else that is a creepy-crawly, they are better on the outside of the home. If you think that you have a reason for complaint, you might want to look to the home in Brisbane, Australia. After all, they had 2 huge snakes fall through their kitchen ceiling recently. Steve Brown works for Brisbane North Snake Catchers and Relocation as a snake catcher. He was recently on a call in which he was supposed to remove...
Extremely Rare Bird Photographed For The First Time In 130 Years
You’d have to look back quite a few decades to find a time when pioneers were roaming through areas that were vastly unknown. Those individuals would often draw pictures of what they found and amaze people when they got back to civilization. These days, we may not be pioneers in that sense, but we do have opportunities to make discoveries. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you might just be surprised by what you are able to find or hear about others’ findings. The South Philippine dwarf kingfisher was discovered in 1890. Most...
