Harvey, a Pit Bull with an irresistible smile, has spent too long a time in long-term sanctuary care at Faithful Friends Animal Society, a no-kill shelter in Delaware. Hopefully, thanks to his recent heroic efforts, Harvey will soon find himself in a forever home.
As he was being taken for a walk, Harvey ran up to a storm drain and started barking. Checking to see what Harvey was barking about, his handler discovered a kitten trapped inside the drain.
That kitten was rescued thanks to Harvey, and within two weeks the Faithful Friends team was able to save two other kittens that were stuck in the same drain. The three kittens — Beta, Brie, and Brewster — are now in foster homes and will be ready for adoption soon.
In the meantime, the hero dog whose barking saved the kittens’ lives is also more than ready for adoption. Harvey enjoys outdoor activities like running and hiking, as well as indoor activities like cuddling and watching TV, so it seems like it won’t be too difficult for him to find the perfect home. While he does have some dog pals at the shelter, Faithful Friends says Harvey would do best as the only pet.
According to Laura Elizabeth in a comment on the Faithful Friends Animal Society’s Facebook page, Harvey had been adopted but was returned to the shelter in 2014 when his owners broke up or divorced and couldn’t keep him. “He takes some time to get used to new people, but he is such a love bug and oh so goofy!” she wrote.
The Faithful Friends Sanctuary Care Program “provides a place for animals who are harder to adopt due to terminal illness, medical conditions or behavior challenges,” according to a post on its Facebook page.
If you’re interested in adopting Harvey the hero dog (yay, you!), email taylor@faithfulfriends.us. And please visit the Faithful Friends Animal Society website to make a donation to help them rescue more awesome dogs.
Firefighters and dozens of good Samaritans showed plenty of love for puppies this week by forming a human chain to rescue 86 of them that were trapped inside the Puppy Love pet store as a fire burned behind it in Danbury, Conn.
When they heard someone yell about a fire around 9 p.m. Thursday night, Danbury residents Eric Walsh and Jonathan Jimenez, who were having dinner at the pizzeria next door, were the first heroes to break in and start saving lives. Other customers, employees and passersby quickly joined them, including people driving by who stopped their cars in the middle of the street and ran in to help. Firefighters arrived on the scene within just a couple of minutes.
The puppies were quickly wheeled out of the store in crates that were attached to pallets. Amazingly, none of them were injured, thanks to the quick action of all those heroes, who were also unharmed.
“All the restaurants emptied. People worked together to save these dogs,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told WABC. “It was an amazing sight to see.”
A veterinarian called it a miracle. “All the puppies were out on the street, every one of them safe,” Jeffery Hubshur told WABC. “It gives you faith in people. What a place Danbury is.”
The fire started in a storage shed connected to the back of the store that’s owned by a utility company, Puppy Love owner Sean Silverman told the News-Times.
“All of our puppies are safe, warm and happily ate an extra dinner tonight!” Puppy Love later posted on its Facebook page.
According to the Puppy Love Facebook page, the store is family owned and has been in business since 1996. The puppies it sells are “from very reputable breeders located all over the country. Many of which have dogs in their breeding programs that are OFA [Orthopedic Foundation for Animals] certified,” meaning they have been checked for hip dysplasia and other health issues.
Across the country in California, a new law went into effect Jan. 1 that allows pet stores to only sell dogs (as well as cats and rabbits) from animal shelters or nonprofit animal rescue organizations. Unfortunately, many pet stores sell animals obtained from puppy mills, breeding facilities in which the dogs are usually kept in horrible conditions. California is the first state to enact a law like this, and it hopefully won’t be the last.
Imagine Claire Reader’s horror when, after hearing a commotion outside her house in Bonita Springs, Calif., she saw a coyote approaching her little Corgi, Arlo, in her fenced front yard.
“I was in the kitchen at 6:56 a.m. when I looked out at Arlo barking and saw the coyote right there, so I yelled for my husband, who was getting ready to leave for work,” Reader told KSAT.
She told CBS8 that she wasn’t proud of Arlo at the time, or thinking he could handle the larger coyote. “No, it was more like, ‘You dummy!'” she said.
So Reader did what any pet owner would do. She ran outside to try to save her dog. “I set up a defensive posture trying to corral my dog, who’s not very obedient,” she told CBS8.
A doorbell video captured the coyote chasing Arlo and then the amazing thing that happened next — which really looks like a scene from a Looney Tunes cartoon.
After the coyote chases Arlo off camera, it’s next seen running for its life in the opposite direction as it’s chased away by the little dog.
The coyote got away without harming Arlo, who was brought inside the house by Reader’s husband.
Protecting Your Dog from Coyotes
Coyotes are becoming a familiar sight in urban and suburban areas across the country. Where I live in the Los Angeles area, dozens of pets, mostly cats, have been killed by coyotes who now make their home here.
“As we increase human populations and develop formerly green space, wild areas, we are coming face to face with more wildlife, like coyotes,” Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Project Coyote, told petMD.com.
Because of their genetic similarity, dogs and coyotes can be attracted to each other, Fox said, “and it’s often the dog that starts the chase behavior. But if an incident occurs, then the coyote gets blamed.”
Here are some tips for keeping your dog safe if you live in an area with coyotes.
Don’t leave your dog unattended outside. Check your yard before you let your dog out, and if possible, take your dog out on a (non-retractable) leash.
Avoid walking your dog during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk, when coyotes are the most active.
Don’t feed your dog outside, and be sure to keep pet food and other edible items inside where coyotes can’t reach them.
Keep your yard free of items that attract coyotes, such as birdseed, fallen fruit and dirty barbecue grills. Trim trees and shrubbery so coyotes can’t hide in them.
Install coyote-proof fences that are at least 6 feet high, and/or motion-detection lights or sprinkler systems.
Be aware that anti-coyote collars and jackets with sharp spikes may not necessarily protect your dog. Where I live, a small dog left unattended while wearing a spiky jacket was killed by coyotes.
Several brands of dry dog food are being recalled because they contain potentially toxic levels of vitamin D, according to a warning this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Results of tests performed by the FDA showed that the food contained as much as 70 times (!) the intended amount of vitamin D, which can kill dogs that eat it. Dogs have already been sickened after eating the food, although the FDA says its scientists are still determining whether the illnesses are connected to the dogs’ diets.
Among the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity are vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst and urination, excessive drooling and weight loss. Too much vitamin D can lead to kidney failure and death. If your dog has been eating any of the recalled brands listed below and shows these symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian immediately.
All of the recalled dog food was made by the same manufacturer, but it was sold nationwide under various brand names.
The following brands have been recalled as of Dec. 7. This list may grow, according to the FDA. Retailers have been asked to stop selling these products and, if possible, to notify consumers who bought them.
Ahold Delhaize:
Nature’s Promise Chicken & Brown Rice Dog Food
UPC 068826718472 – 14 lb. bag (all lot codes)
UPC 068826718471 – 28 lb. bag (all lot codes)
UPC 068826718473 – 4 lb. bag (all lot codes)
Nature’s Place Real Country Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food
UPC 72543998959 – 5 lb. bag (all lot codes)
UPC 72543998960 – 15 lb. bag (all lot codes)
Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
UPC 11110-83556 – 4 lb. bag (all lot codes)
UPC 11110-83573 – 14 lb. bag (all lot codes)
UPC 11110-89076 – 24 lb. bag (all lot codes)
Orlando Grain-Free Chicken & Chickpea Superfood Recipe Dog Food
Lidl product number 215662
Lot codes:
TI1 3 Mar 2019
TB2 21 Mar 2019
TB3 21 Mar 2019
TA2 19 Apr 2019
TB1 15 May 2019
TB2 15 May 2019
Chicken and Chickpea Dry Dog Food
UPC 8-84244-12495-7 – 4 lb. bag
UPC 8-84244-12795-8 – 15 lb. bag
UPC 8-84244-12895-5 – 28 lb. bag
Best by date range: February 25, 2020 through September 13, 2020
Again, if your dog has eaten any of the above products and shows the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, contact your vet right away. It will be helpful to provide your vet with your dog’s full diet history and to take a photo of the pet food label, including the lot number. Contact the company listed on the pet food package for more information or throw the products away in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them.
You can report your dog’s illness to the FDA online via the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA consumer complaint coordinator. The FDA says it’s most helpful if you can work with your veterinarian to submit your pet’s medical records as part of your report. For more information about submitting a report, see the FDA’s How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.
Devastating wildfires continue to burn in Northern and Southern California, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people and their pets. Hundreds of homes have been lost, and animal shelters are overwhelmed with displaced pets. Here are some of the ways you can help them during this disaster.
Northern California
As of today, the Camp Fire — the deadliest of wildfires in California history — has burned 140,000 acres and is only 40 percent contained. At least 56 people have been killed while nearly 300 are still missing. Over 8,700 residences have been destroyed.
Butte Humane Society:
Pet supplies that are needed can be ordered through its Amazon wish list.
The Woolsey fire has currently burned over 98,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. More than 500 structures have been destroyed while thousands are still threatened. The wildfire is 57 percent contained and expected to be fully contained by Nov. 19.
Humane Society of Ventura County:
Pet supplies needed can be ordered through its Amazon wish list.
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