Category: News

Sir Patrick Stewart Wants You to Get Tough on National Dog Fighting Awareness Day

Even though it’s illegal in every U.S. state, thousands of dogs are injured or killed each year in cruel dog-fighting operations. To promote National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (NDFAD) on April 8, the ASPCA launched the “Get Tough” campaign in 2015, asking animal lovers to advocate for stronger laws and harsher sentences for creeps who fight dogs.

This year, actor, Pit Bull advocate and all-around cool guy Sir Patrick Stewart and Ginger, the pibble he’s fostering, have joined the campaign.

“The want to please is an absolute characteristic of pit bulls,” Stewart, who believed the negative stereotypes about these dogs until he met Ginger, told PEOPLE. “It means that these dogs can be used trained and tampered with in a way that, in order to please their masters, makes them angry and violent, and makes them become fighting dogs.”

To join Stewart in bringing attention to the critical issue of dog fighting, you can share a muscle-flexing selfie either alone or with your pets on social media. Use the hashtag #GetTough and tag @ASPCA.

Along with the selfie, you can participate in the Get Tough campaign by doing the following:

  1. Sign the ASPCA’s pledge promising you’ll get tough on dog fighting by being aware of and reporting these operations, and supporting tougher penalties. As of the morning of NDFAD, over 19,200 people have signed the pledge.
  2. Find out more about how the ASPCA is working to end dog fighting.
  3. Make a donation to help the ASPCA with this cause.

“I am very happy to be part of the campaign that is speaking out against this and the urgent need for the law and organizations to intervene whenever they can,” Stewart told PEOPLE.

R.I.P. ‘Vicktory Dog’ Little Red

Just six days shy of National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, Little Red, one of over 50 dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation in 2007, crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Her loving dog mom, Susan, hopes Little’s legacy will be raising awareness of animal cruelty.

“We hope you will remember Little’s life,” she wrote, “and keep alive the fight to save animals who have been abused, abandoned and who have suffered, no matter what the circumstances.”

Photo credit: Laura Goldman (that’s Ella and Leroy, who gets very sad at the thought of dog fighting)

Luc(k)y the Welsh Terrier Survives 30-foot Fall into Well

A 13-year-old Welsh Terrier named Lucy (her owners might want to consider adding a “k” to her name) should be the poster dog for why you should always keep your dog on a leash when you’re hiking together.

Lucy was not leashed on a hike with her owners yesterday morning in the hills of Malibu, Calif. She wandered off the trail and fell into a dirt well that’s 30 feet deep and only 2 feet wide at the bottom.

Amazingly, Lucky — er, Lucy — was not injured in the fall. The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR) was dispatched to the scene, but it took them two hours to get there due to traffic. (Hey, it’s L.A., after all.)

When they finally made their way to the well, the rescue took another two hours.

“We set up an Arizona Vortex, which is a three-legged artificial high point,” Matt Walmsley, who was lowered by rope into the well to rescue Lucy, told KABC. “And that allows me to come out of the hole clean. We put on a safety rope and a main rope, and I went down with a strap that I have in my pocket here. I got it around the dog, and stood her up and got her in my arms, and up we came.”

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority also helped with Lucy’s rescue, which was recorded on video.

Lucy is now safely back home with her owners, who, I bet, will never, ever let her roam off leash again.

Photo via Twitter

Labrador Retrievers Yet Again Break AKC Top 10 Breed Record

Do you love Labs? You’re certainly not alone. Just as it has for the past 25 years, the Labrador Retriever once again topped the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) 2016 list of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Its 26-year run at No. 1 is the longest of any breed in the AKC’s 123-year history.

“The Lab is such a versatile dog that it’s no wonder it makes a great companion for a variety of lifestyles,” said AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo. “Keep your eye on the Rottweiler, though. It’s been quietly winning hearts over the past decade.”

The Rottweiler was the eighth most popular breed in 2016, moving up one notch from 2015. This was its highest ranking on the list since 1997, when it was the second most popular dog breed.

The Poodle also rose one spot in the top 10, from No. 8 to No. 7.

Other breeds growing in popularity are various terriers, especially the Russell Terrier, which climbed from 104th place in 2015 to 90th place in 2016. The Rat Terrier jumped from 101st to 96th place, the Parson Russell Terrier from 111th to 109th place, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier from 172nd to 167th place.

The only top 10 breed to drop a couple of notches was the Yorkshire Terrier, which fell from No. 7 to No. 9.

Here’s the top 10 list, with the 2015 rankings in parentheses. I’ve also included helpful links to national rescue organizations for these breeds. Adopt, don’t shop!

  1. Labrador Retriever (1)
  2. German Shepherd (2)
  3. Golden Retriever (3)
  4. Bulldog (4)
  5. Beagle (5)
  6. French Bulldog (6)
  7. Poodle (8)
  8. Rottweiler (9)
  9. Yorkshire Terrier (7)
  10. Boxer (10)

Here’s the complete 2016 AKC breed popularity list.

Photo credit: Jonathan Jordan

RECALL ALERT: Four Pig Ears Brands Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

EuroCan Manufacturing announced that it’s voluntarily recalling one lot of pig ears sold under four different brand names — Barnsdale Farms, Barnsdale Farms Select, HoundsTooth and Mac’s Choice — because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recalled pig ears were distributed throughout the United States and Canada, according to the announcement.

Routine testing revealed the presence of Salmonella in the products. EuroCan Manufacturing, based in Ontario, Canada, has suspended distribution of the product while it and the FDA investigate the source of the problem.

No illnesses have been reported to date. Salmonella can affect animals as well as people who handle the contaminated products. The symptoms for both people and animals include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Contact your doctor or veterinarian if you or your dog are experiencing any of these symptoms after handling or eating the recalled pig’s ears.

The following products are included in this voluntary recall:

Barnsdale Farms, Barnsdale FarmsSelect, HoundsTooth and Mac’s Choice Pig’s Ears

  • Shrink-wrapped six-pack, 12-pack and 25-pack bags
  • Lot 84

If you purchased the recalled pig ears, return them to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information about the recall, call 888-290-7606 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Photos via FDA

Will It Pass Go? Dog Eats Monopoly Dog Token

A dog — could it have been a Scottish Terrier? — was pretty choosy about the Monopoly game token he or she decided to swallow. The car, hat, boot, wheelbarrow, thimble, cat or battleship apparently just wouldn’t do.

Nope, the dog ate Scottie, the dog token.

“Dog came to the vet today for swallowing a Monopoly piece,” wrote brainyblond on Reddit. An X-ray clearly shows the little metal dog inside the real dog.

If the X-ray is real and not Photoshopped, here’s hoping the token will “pass Go,” if you catch my drift, and both dogs will be fine.

Coincidentally, Hasbro announced last week that it’s replacing three Monopoly tokens. Getting the boot are the boot and thimble (which have been around since 1935) and the wheelbarrow (around since the 1950s).

The decision was made by 4.3 million Monopoly fans who voted online for their favorite existing and possible new tokens. “I imagine that the thimble, boot, and wheelbarrow tokens don’t resonate as much with today’s fans,” Jonathan Berkowitz, senior vice president of marketing for Hasbro Gaming, told CNN.

But the Scottie dog sure does, and is safe for now! The new tokens will be a T-Rex, rubber ducky and penguin.

Is the Dog Pregnant?

As Mashable noted, there were some pretty amusing reactions to the dog’s X-ray.

Photo via Imgur.com

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