Free Republic

Bear attacks and nuisance complaints could result in Florida bringing back a hunting season for the animal, as the state's wildlife agency says they're running out of options. Leah Reeder was out walking her dog in the Florida Panhandle last month when she was brutally attacked by a bear. She was one of four bear attack victims in the past year throughout the state. Add the attacks to thousands of nuisance complaints throughout Florida. "We're at a point where bear populations are strong and expanding, and we're having more and more conflicts, more and more killed on the highways," FWC...

Grizzly bears were the leading category among the 385 total conflicts between humans and large carnivores in Wyoming last year. Black bears were second with 134 conflicts, followed by wolves (64) and mountain lions (23). ... grizzly bears continue to expand their range. "They've far exceeded the expected geographic recovery distribution ... The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide this year whether it will lift protections for some 1,000 grizzlies that scientists say live in the Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Removal of the protections would transfer jurisdiction over grizzlies to states

When this dog found himself trapped on an island in the middle of a river, one brave soul climbed down a bridge to rescue the dog and help him up the bridge to safety.

MASON CITY, Iowa —Authorities said a man charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced Wednesday. Bill Douglas Thorne, 58, of Mason City, received a prison sentence of 21 years in federal prison. Thorne was convicted by a jury on the charge in April. Federal authorities said Thorne traded his dog for a .22 caliber rifle that he intended to use to shoot his son on July 24, 2012.

We had a serious cat issue tonight, and I'd like to post this so that others can avoid it. As some of you know, we acquired two young cats over the past couple of weeks. They've adjusted really well - they are male siblings; but something happened tonight. A friend of ours, another Cat person, gave us a bag of toys for the cats. There were lots of nice toys in there, but one of them was a very small, very silky mouse - small enough to fit into a cat's mouth (about an inch long). "They" make cat toys...

Paddle boarder Rich German, of Laguna Beach, Calif., heard tell of a pod of orcas in the area earlier this month and took to the waters himself in hopes of an encounter. He got his wish, along with some incredible footage of a pod of five killer whales interacting with him. "I always had this dream, and that was to see orcas," German said. The video below documents his dream come true.

A Vietnamese pot-bellied pig who has moved to Derby is apparently a music-loving pet. He can play a small toy piano and is even named after a musician.

Loxley, who says he “began Storming around Australia for the Monash Children’s Hospital in Melbourne in a full Sandtrooper Star Wars costume” two years back, is crediting the armour for saving his life. ... He said the suit is often criticized by Star Wars fans as ineffective against attacks ranging from laser blasts to rocks thrown by Ewoks. "So all those people that rag on the old stormtrooper because you know, the armor doesn't do this, it doesn't do that ... it stopped a snake bite and probably saved my life today," he said. Loxley said the snake appeared to...

In December, Pope Francis got the attention of pet owners everywhere when he was quoted as saying, “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.” Alas, media outlets, including The New York Times, confused the remarks and the circumstances under which they were made. The pope had actually made a broader comment about heaven during an event in November. The quotation itself was reportedly taken from remarks made years ago by Pope Paul VI.Still, the attention led to renewed interest in a longstanding theological discussion about pets and the afterlife. Questions about the religious status of animals have always been...

So why are Labrador retrievers, Jack Russell terriers, and Staffordshire bull terriers the leading breeds? The popularity of these dogs is down to the fact they are "wonderfully loyal, easily-trained breeds, suitable for single owners, couples or families", said Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko. But the dog map shows while Labradors are more popular in rural areas, it is Staffies that are favoured in big cities. "Labradors are very popular working dogs and are equally as happy spending a day out in the field or in the woods as they are curled up on the sofa with their family," said...

Hi all! I have a 5 month old puppy. He is (I was told) 1/2 German Shepard + 1/2 Rottweiler. He is also astonishingly intelligent, very easy to train, great memory. Anyway, he already knows sit, stay, come, lay, play dead, and fetch. On his 5 month birthday he weighed exactly 40 pounds. Here are my questions:If he is 40 pounds at exactly five months, what will likely be his weight when fully grown?I would like recommendations on what other commands would be useful? I am already planning to teach him to heel. He learns so quickly that I think...

Mango the cat who made a local supermarket his second home four years ago, has now many fans and admirers. He came to a Tesco store in Tiverton, Devon one day and decided to make it his second home.

A rug has been removed from a sheriff's office in Florida after it was noticed that it read "in dog we trust" instead of "in God we trust". The $500 (£329) mat lay at the entrance to the office in Pinellas County for two months before someone noticed, a spokeswoman said. The error was made by the rug's manufacturer and it is being replaced. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said they were looking at auctioning it for charity, the Tampa Bay Times reports. There have been several offers to buy the misprinted rug . "I'd buy or donate to a charity...

Eat your heart out, Lassie! Masha, a long-haired tabby cat, saved the life of a baby abandoned in the streets of Russia — after she climbed into the box he was discarded in and kept him warm, health officials said. “The baby had only been outside for a few hours and thanks to Masha … he was not damaged by the experience,” a hospital spokesman told Central European News. The whiskered hero even meowed to get the attention of a passerby.

The dog, who had been battling cancer and had a heart condition, awakened Kelt when the apartment building caught fire on Friday. Granata called for the dog to follow as they fled.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has gone to the dogs. Well, at least its rugs have. [snip]

An 8-foot alligator found in a Van Nuys backyard earlier this week may have been killing and eating neighborhood pets for decades, a Los Angeles Department of Animal Services officer told the Daily News. The residents at the home in the 13200 block of Sylvan Street said they got the alligator when it was a baby and have had it ever since, Ani­mal Services Commander Mark Salazar said.

Kat Blanchett: Say nothing. They'll blame it on the dog. Bird feeding dog: The Most Beautiful Horse in the World: Mare-lyn Monroe: Adorable Slow Loris: Tiny deer: Something good about 'ol Harry Truman you didn't know (even though he was a Demorat: Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was...

Kat Blanchett: Say nothing. They'll blame it on the dog. Bird feeding dog: The Most Beautiful Horse in the World: Mare-lyn Monroe: Adorable Slow Loris: Tiny deer: Something good about 'ol Harry Truman you didn't know (even though he was a Demorat: Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was...

Hi; I just joined the Kitty-Ping list. I have what is kind of an urgent question about CATS, and our FRiend 'Slings and Arrows' suggested that I post it to the larger group. We adopted a little cat, Leroy, a week ago; he’s about 8 months old and still very kittenish. He's adapted to us and our household very well; but we think he needs a cat companion. We have the choice of adopting one of his brothers, from the same litter; or adopting a female cat who is about 1-1/2 years old, who has already had a litter. I...

SEATTLE -- Commuters in Belltown report seeing a Black Labrador riding the bus alone in recent weeks. The 2-year old has been spotted roaming the aisles, hopping onto seats next to strangers, and even doing her part to clean the bus -- by licking her surroundings. "All the bus drivers know her. She sits here just like a person does," said commuter Tiona Rainwater, as she rode the bus through downtown Monday. "She makes everybody happy. How could you not love this thing?" When the dog got off the bus - without an owner - at a dog park last...

Video at source.

Cat on fire starts Bronx apartment blaze, leaving two people critical and five felines believed dead Angel Alcazar was cooking pork chops inside his apartment on Gouverneur Ave. in Riverdale on Friday when a grease fire broke out, neighbors said. One of his cats caught fire and then ran around the home, setting everything it touched ablaze. Eleven residents were hospitalized and about a dozen were displaced. Angel Alcazar -- the owner of six cats -- was cooking pork chops inside his apartment on Gouverneur Ave. in Riverdale at about 5 p.m. when a grease fire broke out, neighbors said....

Good Morning!This Pic was sent to Me from My Bestest Friend in Denton, TX yesterday. He took it at the Water Plant. Two Bald Eagles by the Basins. There are Bald Eagles that live on Lake Buchanan, 230 (+/-) miles South & West and there are Guided Bald Eagle Boat Tours there I have been on 25+ years ago and saw 15+ of them in a few hours.But I would never expect to see any by Denton- just North of DFW.Anyway I figured this was too Awesome and Cool to not share. Hey George?What Mable?Did you know that the Turkey...

Honey Bee is a cat, born in Fiji, who just so happens to be blind. Nevertheless, her lack of functioning eyesight hasn't stopped this inquisitive feline from hitting the hiking trails in her new forever home in Seattle -- an appropriate story to tell in January, which is National Walk Your Pet Month.Now rolling with the motto "Bravery, adventure, cuteness," she has also become a YouTube sensation after a video of one of her jaunts escalated to viral heights. The story of Honey Bee begins in Fiji, where she was living in the care of the Animals Fiji organization.

Peggye Mcnair, of Wichita Falls, Texas, was crushed to death by her pet camel on Saturday morning. According to the Daily Mail, 73-year old Peggye McNair and her companion, 53-year old Mark Mere, were trampled to death at Camel Kisses Farm after the exotic animal became enraged. It was alleged that the camel was in heat or wanted to mate at the time of the tragic deaths. Law enforcement officials say that once the animal became angry, he charged at ranch hands McNair and Mere. The farm owner apparently tried to close the gate, but the camel was able to...

Eric Holder was eaten by tourists today in France as they had mistaken him for snails. "The restaurant owner told us to look for something slimy, and there's nothing slimier than Eric Holder", said tourist Nils Gagongen. "We thought he was kind of tall for a snail, but there was no mistaking the slimy trail he left behind him." President Obama expressed regret at the loss of his Attorney General. "Eric was a fine toady and evidently quite tasty" remarked Obama.

One of the two lemurs attacked by another primate earlier this week at the Albuquerque zoo died Saturday. The ABQ Bio Park said a 26-year-old siamang named Brian pried open some heavy-duty mesh that was separating its enclosure from the lemurs on Tuesday. Brian climbed in and attacked the two lemurs. "Both received injuries to their tails and also bite wounds that required some suturing," said Debbie Wiese, the zoo’s primate supervisor. ... The BioPark is now keeping the siamangs and lemurs in separate exhibits to avoid any future problems.

Zoo Won’t Let de Blasio Hold Groundhog After He Killed One Last Year The NYPD isn't the only city organization that has lost complete confidence in the esteemed Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio. After he dropped the groundhog during last year's Groundhog Day celebrations, the Staten Island Zoo has unequivocally banned De Blasio from holding or handling any more of their animals in a celebratory setting. - Mayor de Blasio won’t be killing any more groundhogs — zoo handlers are forbidding the butter-fingered mayor from holding the critter at the annual shadow-sighting ceremony on Feb. 2, The...

AP Story so click URL toread HEHEHEHEHEHEHE.....

Burlington police aren’t saying anything, but one of their officers shot and killed a local woman late yesterday(Tues) morning in front of her house, after responding to a report of a domestic disturbance. The victim has been identified as 34-year old Autumn Steele of 104 South Garfield. The officer who shot her has not been named by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, which is now in charge of the case. A story in today’s(Wed) Hawk Eye says Steele had just been released from the county jail, after being arrested Monday afternoon for allegedly attacking her husband Gabriel. The newspaper...

The spay and neuter clinic just called and told us one of our kitties we took in this morning died. Would you please find it in your hearts to send up a little prayer for Cuddles. She was such a sweet little thing.

'Mysterious Beasts' Spotted by Arizona Highway Cameras A suspicious pack of what appeared to be a group of large animals has sparked a viral debate about a possible sasquatch sighting in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Transportation was behind the latest announcement -- and conspiracy theories began to grow after they posted a photo from a highway patrol camera. It wasn't Big Foot enthusiasts reading too deeply into a suspicious photo; the government officials were the ones to suggest that something sinister -- and mysterious -- was going on. "We might have spotted a family of sasquatches on SR 260...

Petco said Monday it has removed all remaining Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores nationwide because of concerns they have sickened thousands of pets and killed 1,000 dogs in the U.S. since 2007. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says initial tests have not connected the Chinese jerky and rawhide treats to the illnesses, but the San Diego-based company and its rival PetSmart vowed in May to ban the snacks. Petco is the first national pet retailer to pull the treats from its 1,300 stores. Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc. said Monday that it plans to have them...

arah Palin is under fire again, and not for her Naughty Monkey shoes. This time it’s because of a post on Facebook showing her six-year-old son Trig, a child diagnosed with Down syndrome, to reach an otherwise out-of-reach countertop, “step, baby, step[ping]” on the back of Jill Hadassa, the family’s black Labrador retriever. Besides the fact that the dog appears totally at ease with the situation and not at all perturbed about providing the elevation barefoot Trig needed to reach the kitchen counter, once again hypocrisy is revealed in feigned outrage when it comes to what’s acceptable and what’s despicable....

A rescued yellow Labrador retriever mix was popularly named Reagan by Rick Scott Facebook fans as the now Florida governor campaigned in the 2010 close election against Democrat Alex Sink. Unfortunately, Reagan's photos disappeared shortly after Scott was sworn in on January 2011, reports the Tampa Bay Times. So what happened to Reagan the rescue pooch? Introduced as the newest addition to the Scott family back then, all sorts of dog friendly and Rick Scott photos were plastered everywhere. Of course, animal advocates love that kind of compassion; statistics reveal that 39% of Americans have at least one dog in...

Sarah Palin added 9 new photos. 24 mins · Dear PETA, Chill. At least Trig didn’t eat the dog. Hey, by the way, remember your “Woman of the Year”, Ellen DeGeneres? Did you get all wee-wee’d up when she posted this sweet picture? http://conservatives4palin.com/…/peta-woman-year-posts-phot… Hypocritical, much? See More

A moose caught in an avalanche in Hatcher Pass may have three passing snowmachiners to thank for making it into the new year. The men dug the moose -- a young cow, they think -- out of the snow, apparently unharmed, after it was caught in an avalanche Dec. 28. One of the men, Marty Mobley, 44, said the moose probably caused the slide that swallowed it and that without the group's help, it would not have survived. "There was just enough of its snout sticking above the snow that it could breathe," Mobley said. Mobley said he and friends...

LEIZHOU, China, - A Chinese court upheld a 13-year jail sentence for a man convicted of purchasing and eating three endangered tigers in separate incidents. Authorities told Qinzhou City Intermediate People's Court the man, identified by the surname Xu, organized three trips to Leizhou, Guangdong province, in 2013 for himself and 14 other people. During each trip, Xu purchased a tiger which was then killed via electric shock, dismembered and served to the group as food. One of the incidents was recorded on a cellphone camera and the video was handed over to police. Investigators said they searched Xu's home...

Last weekend in Saanich, B.C., a 16-day old baby was mauled by her family’s pit bull-Rottweiler mix on the same day as an elderly man was attacked by two pit bull dogs outside a Langley, B.C. dollar store ... there are about three million pit bull type dogs in North America today, representing 6% of all breeds. But about 26 people die from pit bull type dogs in the U.S. every year (out of about 40 from all 400 breeds combined). Pit bull type dogs maul, maim, disfigure or dismember hundreds more. By no coincidence, when pit bulls were few...

What is a dog handler? It is someone who is delusional enough to think that taking instructions from a professional (or amateur) dog musher might seem like good fun. Reality typically intervenes quickly and jarringly. Handling dogs actually has less to do with the dog than the various things the dog leaves behind. The first thing a new handler is handed is the poop scooper. Summer or winter it is the same. There is less volume during the summer months, but it’s messier.

“My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes” is performed by Howard Godfrey's Waldorfians with vocal by Al Bowlly issued in 1931.

We had to put our best friend to sleep yesterday after a loosing battle with Feline Renal Failure

The driver waited for police and was tested for alcohol. He was found to be intoxicated and arrested for driving while intoxicated. He will not be charged in the accident.

Heather was out that night collecting Christmas ornaments for a tree to donate to a needy family. On Ritter, near Brookville Road, she stopped her car to let Orion out. "I let him off his leash," she said. "He walked up into the trees. Then a guy came around the corner. "From there, he pulled a gun out from the front of his shirt, with his right hand, and pointed it at me." That's when Orion, still hidden in the bushes took action. "He knew something was wrong," Frisbie said. "He knew this guy wasn't ok." Orion bit the thief...

At this hotel, guests get welcomed with a wagging tail or a warm lick to the face. A dog will bound out from behind the registration desk, clad in an "Adopt Me" vest, as visitors arrive at the Aloft hotel in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, believed to be the only hotel in the U.S. where guests can adopt the dog that greets them when they check in. But the hotel doesn't overwhelm road-weary travelers to this mountain tourist mecca, where people come to tour the nation's largest home, the Biltmore estate; cast a fly-fishing rod; or hoist a beer in...

BEIJING – A Chinese businessman was sentenced to 13 years in prison for eating three tigers, one of the most endangered species on earth, reported the official news agency Xinhua. The ruling was made Monday by the Qinzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Guangxi. The condemned, a real estate magnate, known only as Xu, bought the three tigers that were killed in the months of March, April and May in 2013, at a price of around $70,900 each. The first tiger was killed by electric shocks on March 13 last year after which he prepared a banquet in a hotel where...

These good Samaritans help save some baby cubs stuck in a dumpster by giving them a ladder as the mother bear waits outside.

You know how that guy at the karaoke bar singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin' " sounds a little off after he's had a few drinks? The same goes for buzzed birds, according to a team led by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University. For a study published in PLoS ONE, scientists found that when they got some unsuspecting zebra finches drunk, the birds slurred their songs. The findings could help scientists study the neural processes underlying birdsong - and shed light on human speech. While many scientists want to understand alcohol's effects on such a complex system as speech,...

Credit: Brian D. Peer (Phys.org)—Ornithologists Brian Peer and Robert Motz, with Western Illinois University, found themselves with a unique opportunity a couple of years ago—to study a gynandromorphy in its native environment for an extended period of time. They have written a paper describing what they observed and have had it published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. The observations made by the pair of researchers represent the most extensive study of a bilateral gynandromorph bird in the wild to date. Gynandromorphy is a condition where an organism unnaturally possesses both male and female traits. Examples have been observed in...