Man Feeds Three Week Old Puppy To Snake

Man jailed and ordered to undergo psychological testing.

Phoenix, Az. -- An Arizona man is in jail after admitting that he fed a three week old puppy to a pet boa constrictor as two teenage boys watched.

Joseph Beadle has been ordered to undergo drug and psychological testing before he's sentenced for felony animal cruelty.




Police say he poured cooking oil on the pup so it would be easier for the snake to swallow it. Investigators also found the snake to be a victim of neglect and put it in the care of animal handlers.

Beadle pleaded guilty to the animal cruelty charge last month, but was jailed after failing to show up for sentencing. The hearing has been rescheduled for next month. Beadle could get up to a year in jail and be fined 150-thousand dollars.

Reference:wfmynews2

Rabid cat bites people, police have to shoot it

Bellingham, MA - Local residents are in disbelief after a rabid cat attacked two residents and a family cat before being put down by animal control.
At one point, Dave Alexander got a call during dinner to bring his three children inside because a stray cat was attacking people, he said.

"I come outside and there he was fighting with my cat," said Alexander. "They were rolling around in the bushes."

When animal control and the police showed up, the stray had moved to the backyard.

"They had a crate and the cat just wouldn't go in the box. The officer had to shoot it like five times before it stopped struggling," said Alexander.

"It's certainly something you don't expect to happen in your own backyard," said Winona Chamberlin, the neighbor of the man attacked on Rose Avenue Extension.

The large orange short-haired domestic stray cat with yellow eyes was wreaking havoc earlier this week in Bellingham.

The first attack happened Monday at 6 Northeast Drive where a woman was bit on her ankles before the cat scurried away, said Cindy Souza, the animal control department head.

A woman at 6 Northeast Drive, who did not want to be identified, reported the incident Monday evening and animal control put a trap in her backyard to catch the cat, Souza said.

While Souza said the woman had been feeding the cat, the woman said she hadn't and that she had never seen the cat before.

"It came over the stone wall and I didn't know where it was coming from," said the woman.

The next day (Tuesday) the stray cat showed up in the Rose Avenue Extension neighborhood where it grabbed onto Colin Osborne's leg and wrestled with the Alexander family's cat.

Neighbor Gail Wiebers had called the police after seeing a strange cat in the community, she said.

"It was running between the houses and even chased a little girl into her house before going under the (Osbornes') porch," said Wiebers.

"We just came back from vacation in Ireland and my son lost his shoe, so he and my husband went out in the backyard to look for it," said Siobhan Osborne, who's husband, Colin, was attacked.

"The next thing I know I hear my husband shouting, 'Get the kids,' " said Osborne.

The cat locked onto Colin Osborne's lower left leg and he had to strike it several times before it ran away, said Osborne.

Four-year-old Caragh was outside with her father and her brother Aodhgan, 3, when he was attacked. She is still terrified from the incident, said Osborne.

"She thinks all cats are out to kill her daddy," said Osborne.

The cat tested positive for rabies at the Department of Public Health lab, said Souza.

The two residents have already started a series of post-rabies shots.

The Alexander family cat, Ellwod, was up to date on his shots, but is on antibiotics and being quarantined inside for 45 days, said Alexander.

Animal control officers and the Board of Health want to get the word out in case any other animals or people were scratched or bitten by the stray.

Step one was putting a notice in everyone's mailbox on North East Drive and Rose Avenue Extension, said Chamberlin.



"The rabid animal that infected the cat could still be out there, so everybody should be aware that pets, a child or anyone outside can be bitten," said Chamberlin.

If any pets could have come in contact with a this or any rabid animal they should be taken to a veterinarian. Residents concerned about contact should visit their physician, said Souza.

"They had a sighting of the cat half-a-mile away toward the Mendon line," said Health Agent Michael Graft. "It could have happened anywhere."

Rabies is transmitted through saliva from a scratch or bite and is 100 percent treatable, said Souza.

"If untreated it's always fatal, so it's important to treat it as promptly as possible," said Graf.

In the end, health agents and officials hope this serves as a reminder to not play with or feed strays.

"We want to advise people not to approach strays. Even though it may resemble the neighbor's cat, don't approach any animal you're not familiar with," said Graf.

Reference:milforddailynews

St. Paul dog ordinance goes after bad owners

Associated Press

ST. PAUL -- After several recent vicious dog attacks in the Twin Cities, including one this week in St. Paul, the city is going after what many experts say is the real problem: bad owners.

Under the measure the St. Paul City Council passed Wednesday, owners who have a dog taken away because of abuse or neglect more than once in five years would lose the right to own a dog.

And one council member wants to take it even further. Dan Bostrom is calling for a state law that would allow the city to prohibit entire breeds of dog, singling out pit bulls.

"There are dog bites all the time where you get a nip here and a nip there," Bostrom said. "But if you research this thing I think you'll probably find that the major bites are from pit bulls. There's a feeling that we've got to protect our citizens."

Council Member Dave Thune objected to singling out particular dogs.

"There's absolutely no reason to single out American Staffordshire terriers as more dangerous than other breeds," he said of the dogs more commonly known as pit bulls. "... It's the owners. It's not the breed of dog."

The St. Paul ordinance was in the works before Monday's attack on 59-year-old Joann Jungmann. It's meant to address complaints from some that when the city removes an abused dog, or one that's been trained to fight, the owner simply buys a new one.



The two pit bulls involved in Monday's attack were euthanized Wednesday and will be tested for rabies. Jungmann was up and walking Wednesday, but still has several skin grafts ahead of her.

St. Paul animal control chief Bill Stephenson said the dogs' owner, Jerry Lorenzo Morgan, would likely get a citation. Morgan had been cited for a previous dog-bite incident.

Morgan said Wednesday his "deepest sympathy" goes to Jungmann.

"We really, really feel bad for the woman," Morgan said. "It's just a sad, sad thing."

Jungmann was just the latest victim in a string of Twin Cities dog attacks. The first three were in Minneapolis, some involving pit bulls and some other breeds.

Linda Peterson, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club, was wary of St. Paul's new ordinance. She said they take away a pet owner's property rights.

But Mike Fry, executive director of the Animal Ark No-Kill Shelter in Hastings, said it was the right move.

"Pet ownership is a privilege, not a right," Fry said. "The way we handle them and care for them has impacts throughout our culture."

Patrick Bettendorf, a local radio host and owner of a 3-year-old pit bull, said it was fair to go after the owners but not the dogs. "If you chain them out in the backyard, you are absolutely going to have an antisocial dog," he said.

Reference:postbulletin

Wheat Gluten Company In Pet Food Recall Raided

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration conducted a search of the Las Vegas offices of ChemNutra, supplier of the ingredient suspected in the contamination of millions of cans of recalled dog and cat food, the company said Friday.
ChemNutra said it had been informed the company could be held accountable because it imported the melamine-adulterated wheat gluten used in the tainted pet food even though the company had no knowledge its supplier in China had introduced melamine into the product.

"We have cooperated and complied fully with FDA investigators both prior to and since being served with today's search warrant, and will continue to do so," Steve Miller, chief executive officer of ChemNutra Inc., said in a statement. "We keep very good records, which has made it relatively easy for the investigators to retrieve what they needed."

A spokeswoman for the FDA, Julie Zawisza, would neither confirm nor deny a search warrant was executed.



A ChemNutra spokesman said he would be available later Friday to answer questions about this latest development in the ongoing case.

Menu Foods Midwest, an affiliate of Menu Foods Ltd., the company that recalled 60 million cans of pet food, earlier this week filed a lawsuit that seeks to have ChemNutra pay the costs of the recall plus damages.

ChemNutra maintains Menu Foods waited several weeks before notifying it about the problem. ChemNutra also says Menu Foods had other suppliers of wheat gluten.

Menu Foods Ltd., based in Streetsville, Ontario, recalled its products after 16 pets, mostly cats, died from eating contaminated food. Other manufacturers also recalled animal food.

The lawsuit, which lists Menu Foods Midwest, Menu Foods Ltd., Menu Foods Holdings Inc. and Menu Foods Inc. as plaintiffs, accuses ChemNutra of breach of contract and breach of implied warranties about the safety of the wheat gluten and its fitness for use in pet food. It said each shipment of wheat gluten came with a certificate saying it met Menu Foods' requirements.

"ChemNutra knew that Menu Foods was relying on ChemNutra's skill and judgment to supply high-quality wheat gluten," the lawsuit said.

Menu Foods said it faces more than 50 lawsuits.

Reference:myfoxny

Dog Attack Bill Could Mean Felony For Owners

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

A bill before legislators in Austin could put more bite in the penalties assessed on pet owners whose dogs attack humans.

Natalie Smith, animal control officer under Smith County Constable Frank Creath, said the new bill would "shore up" current laws if made into law.

"I think these bills give us more teeth," she said. "I really do. And I believe it shores up the criminal law making it a serious crime for pet owners who fail to prevent their dogs from attacking."

The proposed laws could land a person in jail for 20 years under legislation tentatively adopted Tuesday by the House.

The measure, passed on a voice vote, is one of several dog-control measures being considered by the Legislature this year.

The bill by Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, would make it a third degree felony - punishable by two to 10 years in prison and an optional $10,000 fine - if the owner failed to secure a dog that makes an unprovoked attack.

If the victim dies, the crime would be a second degree felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

For a dog owner to be charged with a crime under current law, the dog must have been classified as dangerous from a previous incident - a provision critics call "one free bite."

The Gattis bill eliminates the dangerous dog requirement.

Rep. Tony Goolsby, R-Dallas, questioned whether the measure would make it too easy to penalize less serious dog attacks.

Gattis said the law would only apply to "ripping the flesh, tearing the muscle" and the type of injury that could cause death.

"We don't want to criminalize every dog ... just the most serious," Gattis said.

Current law classifies an unprovoked attack by a dangerous dog as a class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to $500. The penalty increases if the attack causes serious bodily injury or death.

Officer Smith said the dog attacks in Smith County are on the rise because of the population explosion in the southern portion of the county.

"We had 14 complaints this past weekend of dog attacks, and five of those were on people," she said.

One of those people was a man riding his bicycle, who Smith said was able to outrun the dog.

Earlier this month, a Flint girl was attacked by a 170-pound Bullmastiff everyone in the neighborhood considered docile.

The young girl required multiple stitches and survived the attack because her friend fought the dog off.

Two Flint women were attacked by pit bulls last April, and one woman underwent major surgery to repair several broken bones in her leg.

"We see this on a daily basis and it is dangerous for people and other animals," Officer Smith said. "The other attacks this weekend left other animals dead."

The recent flurry of legislation related to dog attacks largely stems from the 2005 death of an elderly woman who was mauled by a neighbor's six dogs while she mowed her front lawn.



Jose Hernandez, the dogs' owner, last month was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the November 2005 death of 76-year-old Lillian Stiles.

The legislation has become known as "Lillian's Law."

Investigators have said Stiles was walking back to her house after getting off her riding lawn mower when the dogs attacked.

The legislation is House Bill 1355. Similar bills still pending in the Senate are Senate Bill 411 and Senate Bill 405.

While Officer Smith said she wanted the bill to pass, she questioned how it would be enforced.

"Where are they going to find the people to enforce all of these complaints? I mean if we are getting 14 calls a day, then that's more than one person can handle," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Reference:tylerpaper

Ban on Ivory Proposed in Africa

African states have called for a 20-year ban on trade in ivory to protect the continent's elephants from poachers and possible extinction in the wild.
Kenya and Mali, which spearheaded the moratorium along with Togo and Ghana, are seeking to have the measure adopted at the June meeting of the 169-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), their representatives said at a meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

A delegation representing some 20 African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger, will tour Europe this week to secure backing from the European Union for the ban, they said.

"The elephants are dramatically becoming depleted," said Patrick Omondi, head of species conservation and management at the Kenya Wildlife Service. "A 20-year moratorium is necessary to allow the population to recover, and to refine the mechanisms of law enforcement."



The African representatives lashed out at partial bans and quotas that have been implemented in the past.

"Every time CITES authorizes the sale of limited quantities of ivory, we witness an increase in poaching and illegal trade," said Bourama Niagate, head of the delegation and of nature conservation in Mali.

"We are confronted with men who are very organized and better armed than our standing armies, and at the same time we are in charge of protecting hundreds of thousands of hectares (acres) of parks and preserves without even basic communication tools," he said.

Threatened by Poachers
According to a report submitted by the African nations, the continent's elephant population has plummeted approximately ten-fold from up to five million in the 1940s to 400,000 to 600,000 today. The decline is largely due to poaching for the animals' tusks.


According to a report submitted by the African nations to CITES, the continent's elephant population has plummeted approximately ten-fold from up to five million in the 1940s to 400,000 to 600,000 today.

Some 20,000 elephants are killed by poachers every year, according to the document.

Illegal hunting has devastated elephant populations in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, the DRC, as well as in Niger, Mali, Malawi and Chad, where poachers recently killed three park officials.

"At 850 dollars a kilo for ivory in Japan, a poacher will go to any lengths to obtain 10 or 20 kilos," said the DRC's representative, Cosma Wilungula Balongelwa. "We have already lost our rhinoceros because of the trade in their horns."

In Sub-Saharan Africa, only a handful of countries — South Africa, Namibia and Botswana — do not support the moratorium. These nations are authorised by CITES to export limited quantities of ivory on the condition that they maintain elephant populations at certain levels through conservation.


Reference:discovery

Pet gerbil found dumped in hedge

By Richard Hartley-Parkinson
A SHOCKED Bucks Herald reader contacted the newspaper to tell of her disgust at the person who dumped a gerbil at the side of the road on Sunday.
Carla Parish's partner Bradley Tickner was turning the car in which they were travelling around in a gateway on a road into Dinton when she spotted a cage dumped in a ditch with the creature inside.



The animal's cage had no food, an empty water bottle and there was a label on it with children's writing which said 'Blake' and is presumed to be the previous owner's name for the gerbil.

Miss Parish decided to take him home and Mr Tickner has called him Maverick named after the character played by Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

She said: "I said we can't just leave it there so we decided to take it home and I'm going to look after it now.

"It looks fairly young and it's very tame so I guess it wasn't there for all that long.

"I've been keeping an eye on it, but it seems very healthy and it's got no marks on it."

Maverick is now said to be enjoying his new home with Miss Parish and is looking forward to taking delivery of a brand new gerbil tank that has been ordered.

Anyone who thinks they may know who the gerbil belonged to is asked to contact The Bucks Herald on 01296 619767.

Reference:aylesburytoday

Teenager forces his ferret to rip apart a baby guinea pig

A teenager reportedly forced his ferret to rip apart a baby guinea pig as its screaming owners looked on in horror.

John Brennan then urged a pal to film the sickening attack on his mobile phone as he encouraged the ferret to eat the guinea pig.

The 19-year-old has now been warned he faces jail after being found guilty of animal cruelty charges by South Tyneside magistrates. Friend Andrew Wyness, 18, has already been jailed for three months for his part in the attack and banned from keeping animals for 10 years after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

During his trial, magistrates heard how Brennan, 19, and Wyness called at the house of Kevin Knowles and his girlfriend Michelle Bannister in Dock Street in the early hours of the morning on Friday, October 13.

Brennan, of Beattie Street, went straight over to their eight-week-old guinea pig, pulled out the ferret, which was hidden in his coat sleeve, dropped it in the cage and closed the lid.

The court heard that the two visitors laughed as the female guinea pig squealed in agony.

Its injuries were so severe that a vet who examined its body found its skull was missing.

The pet's right leg had been ripped off, its back and ribs were broken and it had several puncture wounds.

Giving evidence, Mr Knowles, 24, said: "The ferret ripped it to bits.

"I was trying to comfort my girlfriend, who was screaming and hysterical."

"John Brennan said, 'Look it is killing it', then John said to Andy, 'Pull your phone out and take pictures of it and record it'."

When Brennan pulled out the ferret, it was still holding the guinea pig by its neck.



He then subjected the defenceless animal to more torture by putting them both back in the cage and encouraged the ferret to attack again.

When Brennan left the house, he took the cage with him for the ferret.

Police later found the ferret and the cage still containing the dead guinea pig at Brennan's former Dock Street home, and he was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and theft of the cage.

Mr Knowles and his girlfriend had just bought the guinea pig the day before for Miss Bannister's daughter.

Reading from the vet's statement, Stan Sudworth, prosecuting, said: "The guinea pig has been caused unnecessary suffering, ending in a painful death."

Pictures of the mauled guinea pig shown to the court were so gruesome, local news was unable to print them.

Brennan denied animal cruelty but was found guilty on Feb 26.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing, but warned him they were considering jail due to factors including the death of a defenceless animal in a vicious act of cruelty, and that the offence was committed intentionally.

Speaking after the case, an RSPCA spokeswoman said: "We are pleased that the police, the CPS and the courts took this matter seriously and that it was investigated and it led to a prosecution.

"This sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Reference:southtynesidetoday

Jury awards man $122,400 for bite from sister's cat

FLUSHING, Mich. (AP) - A nasty bite on the hand from his sister's Siamese cat is worth $122,400 for one man.

A Genesee County jury on Friday awarded Michael Sabo, 57, of Flushing the money for an injury he sustained when the cat named Randy bit in March 2004. The bite had brought more than $20,000 in medical bills.

Sabo's fingers swelled so much that his fingers looked like "plump hot dogs," Sabo's attorney, Tom Pabst, told The Flint Journal, and an infection from the bite put Sabo in a hospital for three weeks.




Pabst said Sabo's sister, Jean Toney, had warned people not to pick up Randy because he had bitten people before. But the newspaper said the cat leapt into Sabo's lap before biting his right hand.


Sabo initially tried to get his sister's homeowner's insurance policy to cover the cost of the bite, but when that request was refused, Pabst said his client had no choice but to take the matter to court.

There was no answer Sunday at a telephone listing for Toney.

Reference:southbendtribune

Massive pet foods being recalled Update

The Food and Drug Administration March 17 issued a statement to warn consumers not to use any of "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food produced by Menu Foods Inc at the facility in Emporia, Kansas between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007.



Menu Foods Inc, a private-label pet food manufacturer based out of Statesville, Ontario Canada issued a voluntary recall on March 16 of the noted pet food after a small number of instances have been reported indicating that the potentially affected pet food may be linked to kidney failure in some cats and dogs.



According to the company, "following feedings of the product, some cats and dogs refused further feedings." Some pets showed signs of renal failure and died from the condition.



The FDA said at least ten cats and dogs have died after eating the affected pet food. The agency urges consumers not to feed the affected product to cats and dogs.



The product under a variety of brands are distributed by many pet food retailers in the United States, Canada and Mexico including Ahold USA inc., Kroger Company, Safeyway, Wal_Mart Stores Inc., PetSmart In and Pet Value, Inc.



It remains unknown what in the pet food might have caused the problem. But the company urged consumers whose dogs and cats consumed the suspect feed and showed signs of kidney failure such a loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting to consult with their veterinarian.



Meanwhile, Nestle Purina PetCare Company recalled on March 16 its 5.3 ounce Mighty Dog® brand pouch products that were produced by Menu Foods, Inc. from December 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007, but emphasized that no Might Dog canned products or any other Purina products are affected by Menu's recall.



According to Purina, the affected Might Dog products in multi-pack cartons carry code dates of 6337 through 7073, followed by the plant code 1798.



On the same day, in response to Menu’s recall, Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. also announced its own voluntary precautionary recall in the U.S. and Canada of canned cat products that are co-manufactured by Menu.




Recalled Dog Product Information
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Publix
Roche Bros
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Bros
Total Pet
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet


Recalled Cat Product Information
Recall Information 1-866-895-2708
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Best Choice
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Paws
Pet Pride
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority
Save-A-Lot
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Total Pet
Wegmans
Western Family
White Rose
Winn Dixie

Police Dog Goes Missing

GLOUCESTER CITY, N.J. - March 18, 2007 - Police in Camden County are warning people to be on the look out for one of their police dogs, which is missing and could pose a danger if not handled correctly.

The dog, named "Scotty," escaped from his Gloucester City Police kennel Sunday morning between 3:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
The 3-year-old German Shephard is black, with some brown on his tail, is wearing a silver choke chain.
Picture: ABC




The dog is friendly with people, however police warn that if you put him in your car, then try to take him out, he could become aggressive because he thinks that he's working.



If you spot Scotty, you're asked to call Gloucester City dispatchers at (856)456-0900.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Reference:abc

San Diego Dog Wash Raises More Than $800

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Animal Support Foundation cleaned up Saturday by raising over $800 during a dog wash an oranizer said.


Most of the money raised will go toward 24 spay and neutering programs in the San Diego area, said Darlene White, SDASF spokeswoman.



"We raised the money free and clear," White said. "I'm excited about it."

Some 44 pooches got the royal treatment, courtesy of volunteers from Dogs On The Run, a volunteer pet adoption group that supplied the elbow grease.


The event took place at the Dunk 'N Dogs Self-Serve Dog Wash, 3056 Clairemont Drive, on Clairemont Mesa.




The group may also use some of the money to help pay for surgery on a paralyzed dog, whose 19-year-old owner cannot afford the $3,800 operation, White said.


"She called, offering to scrub floors for us," to help her dog, said White. "We're hope to raise the money for the surgery."


In addition, volunteers at Saturday's event found new homes for 17 dogs.

Reference:10news

Fascinating seahorses a reflection of many animals

By AMANDA STRINDBERG
It was the nod that changed his life.

Crawling on all fours, Bruce Watts made his more-than-hourly check on his baby. This time was different.

With his face nearly pressed against the aquarium glass, the yellow seahorse drifted closer. Their eyes met. Barbie reared his head in recognition of his keeper.


"That sealed the deal," said the Idyllwild resident. "I knew I was going to pursue this. Typically fish aren't that interactive of pets. But that was a special thing. It was as if he was saying, 'Hey dude.' "

The hours of nursing the sick and finicky creature instantly became worth it.

And from that simple gesture a passion was born that would later lead to a life of breeding and raising hundreds of the enchanting marine fish.

"I'm a parent to seahorses," said Watts, 57, sitting in his Idyllwild home rimmed with seahorse-filled aquariums, his own little sea world in the midst of mountains and pines.

Spending a portion of his childhood growing up on Oahu, Watts was fascinated by marine life at an early age. At 8 years old, he was collecting guppies and swordtails on family outings to a nearby stream.

A few fish bowls quickly ballooned into multiple tanks. Free time was spent watching colorful creatures at a local fish store or taking care of his aquatic pets. A tank here. A fish there. Watts began to breed the fish and sell them to local stores.

The money, of course, was put back into his tanks.

The hobby stuck.

As an adult, Watts had a room dedicated to his fish. But a breakup led him to put the tanks in storage when he downsized to a smaller pad.

But it wasn't long before Watts was back at it. Life just wasn't the same without his swimming companions. But the fish enthusiast wanted a new challenge. He began to focus on saltwater fish.

Seahorse Fanatic

Then he met Barbie and everything changed.

It was April 2003 and Watts was paying a regular visit to Zen Aquatics in Palm Desert, an aquarium store. On the counter in a small aquarium was a sickly seahorse that hadn't eaten in more than a week.

The owner begged Watts to adopt him, confident he could give him a chance at survival. Watts couldn't resist the animal's cute white-striped snout and yellowish coloring. But this wasn't a typical first seahorse. Barbie was a wild-caught barbouri seahorse. Wild-caught seahorses are more difficult to raise than captive-bred seahorses because they only eat live food and have been exposed to numerous diseases.

But Watts poured his heart and money into the creature, spending $100 a month on live shrimp imported from a Nevada shrimp farm, the only food he could get the picky seahorse to slurp into his snout.

"It was a challenge," Watts said. "But I loved it. These fish were exotic, beautiful and interesting."

Their monkeylike prehensile tail, horselike head, anteaterlike snout, kangaroolike pouch, flirty personalities and chameleon color changes made for endless hours of seahorse gazing.

The fascination only grew. Watts purchased more and more of the marine animals, joined chat rooms dedicated to raising seahorses, and read up on endless books and articles published about the vertical fish.

Raising the babies quickly crescendoed into a full-time job in addition to his day job an adventure-store manager. But Watts was good at it. Few can say that, said Dan Underwood, president of Seahorse Source, a Florida-based aquaculture facility that breeds seahorses.

"There's a lot of people out there trying to do it, but not many people succeed," Underwood said. "It's very time-consuming and laborious. Only a handful of hobbyists nationally are as successful as Bruce is."

Watts sells his marine horses for about $50 each, sending about 100 fish across the country each year. But not to just anyone.

"I'm not a businessman -- I'm a hobbyist," he said. "These are my babies and I want to make sure they have good homes."

High-Maintenance Fish

Jennifer Setterstrom, owner of Coral Sea Tropical Fish in Riverside, said interest is high in the seahorses until people find out how much work they entail.

"Raising the babies can be harder than taking care of a newborn," she said.

But for some the animal's fascinating features are worth it.



"They are magical," said Perry Hampton, director of animal husbandry at Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific, where the seahorses are one of the most popular exhibits. "They are cute and appealing and you won't find anything else like them."

For one, the fish is the only vertebrate animal to have a true male pregnancy. The fathers carry the developing young in a bulging pouch. When the seahorse is ready to give birth, he pumps up and down, releasing squirts of the babies, which can range from 25 to hundreds of the fish, perfect miniature replicas of an adult seahorse.

Almost immediately they need to eat live food. Watts sucks them up with a turkey baster and then squeezes the infants into a nursery tank filled with brine shrimp, which he hatches for the youngsters.

Then there's the constant water changes and the weekly trips down the twisting mountain road to Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla for fresh seawater -- five hours round trip.

"My babies do better in all-natural sea water," Watts said. "It's their natural environment."

Oh and there's the burping. As the seahorses mature, the males can get air bubbles stuck in their pouch, causing them to rise to the surface. When this happens Watts has to coax their pouch open with a bobby pin and massage the air bubbles out.

Watts also weans the young onto frozen food and must constantly observe the fish. The little ones are sensitive, with about a 30 percent survival rate, Watts said.

"You have to be tough-skinned to do this," he said. "If anything goes wrong you can lose the whole brood. It's a full-time job to raise them. My social life is the seahorse chat room."

But the rewards are great. The hours spent staring at the fish as they play, tangling their tails like pretzels, watching the animals pirouette through the water in a flirtatious morning dance, part of the courtship process, and knowing that you helped raise an animal that is considered threatened in some areas, collected for both the aquarium trade and Chinese medicine purposes.

"I feel privileged to have them in my house," Watts said, gazing at six of his fish wrapped around a fake coral plant.

But of the hundreds of seahorses that Watts has cared for, none will replace Barbie, his first seahorse. He may have only lived four months, plagued with various diseases, but he ignited a lifelong passion. Occasionally, Watts will stare at photos of the animal that changed his life.

"He'll always be special to me," he said. "He got me started. It was a crushing blow when he died, but he made me want to breed them so that other seahorses wouldn't have to be taken from the ocean to have as pets."

Reference:pe

Ohio Woman Confessed To Killing 650 Animals

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Police in Columbus, Ohio, are getting calls from all over the country about a woman who is being described as a serial animal killer.

Investigators said Maureen McLaughlin admitted to killing 650 animals because she had lost faith in the animal adoption system.

In a written confession, McLaughlin said that during the past five years, she killed 650 animals from Central Ohio that were given to her.



She was charged on Wednesday with one count of animal cruelty.

McLaughlin said she would put the animal in a crate. Using a huge trash barrel completely filled with water, she would lower the crate into the water and hold it under until the animal drowned, NBC affiliate WCMH reported.

People have called police and said they gave McLaughlin animals because they thought she was going to find a good place for them.

"There was no need for them to be killed. I mean, it's just really sad," said Angela Bennington, who said she gave an animal to McLaughlin.

Reference:nbc11

Racing 'strain' on animal welfare

By James Lynn

The sheer number of sick or injured racing dogs is putting a strain on animal welfare organisations, according to a greyhound protection group.
Greyhound Action said most are forced to retire by the age of three and about 15,000 dogs disappear each year.

Less than one tenth of greyhounds which retire from racing are found a home, according to the group.



The welfare of greyhounds has been placed in the spotlight by the case of David Smith who killed racing dogs with a bolt gun and buried them at his home.

The builders' merchant was fined £2,000 by a court on Friday after he admitted disposing of the greyhounds without a permit.

Spokeswoman Jan Lakey said the case was a "terrible way" to bring the problem to public attention.

She said: "Some trainers have up to 100 dogs and if lots of them fall ill or become injured that puts a lot of strain on organisations dedicated to looking after sick animals.

"For those that are ignoring the problem, ask yourself how many greyhounds you've met. How many old greyhounds do you see?"

The RSPCA is also calling on the government to reduce the number of greyhounds bred for racing.




The charity hopes that the new Animal Welfare Act, which comes into effect in England on 6 April, will lead to tighter regulation of the industry.

Spokeswoman Becky Hawkes said: "There is simply no justification for killing racing greyhounds just because they can't do their job anymore - it is shocking and unnecessary.

"An animal should be the owner's responsibility for life, not just until they are no longer useful."

The British Greyhound Racing Board (BGRB) disputed that 15,000 animals disappear each year and said it spent £4m annually on dog welfare.

Welfare officer Peter Laurie said: "We were disgusted by what happened at Seaham and there is no evidence that this is happening anywhere else in the country.

"10,000 racing greyhounds were registered with the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) in 2006 and in the same year the Retired Greyhound Trust re-housed almost 4,000.

"Other organisations, like the Battersea Dogs Home, take them in and some are looked after by owners and trainers.

'Safer tracks'

"People who dispose of dogs in the way that David Smith did are not welcome in the sport."

He added that the board was working hard to make tracks safer and was training vets in specialist treatment methods to ensure that dogs can race for longer and live healthier lives.

An NGRC spokesman confirmed that approximately 4,000 greyhounds were retired and re-homed in 2006.

But the spokesman said that some dogs go on to race at tracks unregistered by the NGRC, which the club has no control over.

Reference:bbc

Pet food manufacutrer recalls product causing kidney failure in pets

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food is recalling 60 million containers of wet food.


Menu Foods says it's received report of dogs and cats suffering kidney failure after eating the food. About ten animals died. Menu Foods supplies store brands to Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger, PetSmart and other retailers. The recall covers its "cuts and gravy" style food sold between early December and March. The food comes in cans and small foil pouches. It consists of chunks of meat in gravy.




The company says it's not sure what happened, and product testing hasn't revealed a link that would explain the illnesses and deaths.


Menu Foods didn't immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, but says the information will be on the company's Web site tomorrow morning.

Reference:49abcnews

March Mammal Madness breaks out March 24

In an effort to increase awareness of small mammals as family pets, the Dumb Friends League is holding March Mammal Madness on Saturday, March 24. This event is from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at both shelter locations - 2080 S. Quebec St. in Denver and the Buddy Center, 4556 Castleton Court in Castle Rock.

March Mammal Madness will feature fun activities and demonstrations for the whole family, including:
· Guinea pig races
· Hamster and gerbil races
· Rat maze demonstration
· Rabbit agility demonstration
· Informational booths on small mammal care

People may bring their own small mammal or borrow an adoptable one to participate in any of the activities. There will also be crafts, face painting, a beanbag toss and lots food and fun.
People are encouraged to bring their own small pets if they are thinking of adopting another one, and stop by the "XY Identify" station to verify if their pet is male or female. "One of the reasons that shelters receive so many small pets is that people unknowingly put opposite-sex pairs together," says Theresa Geary, vice president of shelter operations. "If we can help people adopt same sex pairs, we can decrease the number of unwanted small pets in our community."
Dozens of small pets will be available for adoption. The adoption fee for rabbits is $30 each and guinea pigs are $10 each. Other small pets, such as hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice, may be adopted for $5 each.

"Many people think to adopt dogs and cats at animal shelters but don't realize that there are also rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other small pets in need of good homes," Geary says. "Small pets make wonderful family pets as they're very social and help to teach children lessons of kindness and responsibility; however, it's important to be aware of each pet's unique characteristics and care requirements. Ultimately, adults need to be prepared to take on the responsibility of caring for the animal."

The League's Sit, Stay, Shop will be selling small pet food and supply packages. For more information on March Mammal Madness, including adoption procedures and activity and demonstration times, visit www.ddfl.org, or call 303- 751-5772, Ext. 1378.

Table Mountain Animal Center is also hosting March Mammal Madness at their location at 4105 Youngfield Service Road in Golden . For more information on event times and activities at the Table Mountain Animal Center, visit www.tablemountainanimals.org.

About the Dumb Friends League
As the leading animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region, the Dumb Friends League has been helping pets and people in the Denver metro area and beyond for more than 95 years. The Dumb Friends League has two shelter locations: its main shelter at 2080 S. Quebec St. in Denver and the Buddy Center at 4556 Castleton Court in Castle Rock. For more information about the Dumb Friends League, visit www.ddfl.org, or call (303) 751-5772.

Reference:denver

Rescued Cat Dies After Four-Story Fal

SHERWOOD, Ore. - A cat that was rescued by a good samaritan after falling four stories from an apartment building has died.

Daredevil was brought to the Cat Adoption Team by Paul Hart who says he found the cat in an empty apartment when he arrived to do some construction work. Hart says when he tried to approach the cat, it panicked and ran out to the balcony where it lost its balance and fell four stories. Hart scooped Daredevil into a cardboard box and took him to the shelter in Sherwood where there is a veterinarian on site.
It first appeared that Daredevil was suffering minor injuries such as broken teeth and trapped air in his chest from the impact of the fall. A veterinarian from CAT says that Daredevil was extremely malnourished and was suffering from severe dehydration.

CAT and its veterinary staff provided critical care to stabilize him and as of Thursday night his condition had improved but by Friday morning Daredevil's condition worsened and he passed away peacefully.
"I am so glad that during his final hours he was in our hospital. He was so malnourished and in such poor condition when he came in, that the last 24 hours of his life were probably the ones were he was the most loved and supported," says Britta Bavaresco of CAT.




Bavaresco says that any money donated towards his care will now be used in his honor to help other cats in distress If you want to make a donation in honor of Daredevil and support the care of the community's abandoned and injured cats and kittens, please go to CAT's Web site, visit the shelter in Sherwood, or call (503) 925-8903.

Reference:koin

West Virginia Man Accused of Decapitating Cat as Part of Satanic Ritual

SPENCER, West Virginia — A West Virginia man is in jail, accused of decapitating a black cat in a public park in December as part of a satanic ritual.

Kenneth Leroy McCoy, 22, was arrested last week after a witness linked him to the crime, Roane County Chief Deputy J.S. Smith said Friday.

Two women walking around Charles Fork Lake near Spencer in early December found the cat's body in the middle of a pentagram painted on the floor of a picnic shelter, Smith said.

Not only was the cat's head cut off, but its stomach was cut open and its feet were bound with string. Nearby bathroom walls also were spray-painted with skulls, inverted crosses and other strange symbols.





Smith said McCoy has been a suspect since the investigation began. Two days before the cat was found, deputies patrolling the lake area stopped him for questioning and found him carrying pocket knives and rope.

McCoy was being held in jail on a felony charge of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property and an unrelated charge.

Reference:foxnews

Search for person who shot dog in the head

PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) — Hillsborough County authorities are searching for the person who they say shot a dog in the head. An animal services spokeswoman says a postal worker found the German shepherd mix dog still alive yesterday morning near Keysville Road in Plant City. The dog was then rushed to the hospital where it was later euthanized. The dog is described as large male German Shepherd mix, mostly tan with a white chest. Anyone with information is asked to call animal services 813-744-5660 ext. 241.




Reference:tampabays10