Free Republic

Not so long ago, there was a fun party at Zoo Atlanta: their gorilla Anaka celebrated her 6th birthday. To commemorate the joyous occasion, the employees at the facility snapped a couple of pics of the big girl and shared them on Facebook. People started sending their best wishes. However, while congratulating Anaka, those who were more observant noticed an interesting detail

Christmas is the time of year for giving and staff at Dogs Trust Ireland’s Rehoming Center in Dublin made sure that the homeless dogs were not forgotten. Tons of toys were donated to the shelter and instead of the staff choosing which one they thought each dog would like – they let the dogs pick. “This year we combined toy donations from our staff and amazing supporters, lined them up and let the dogs in our Rehoming Centre pick their own Christmas present,” wrote the shelter. The staff arranged all the toys on the floor and then one by one...

Nickolas B. Monroe, a 26-year-old resident of Walnut Avenue in Bunnell’s Mondex neighborhood, shot and killed a dog Thursday (Dec. 5), firing at the animal in front of its owners, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. The teens had just asked permission from Monroe to look for their dog, a Great Pyrenees, who’d strayed onto Monroe’s property. The dog, according to Monroe, had previously gone onto his property many times and killed more than a dozen of his chickens, and his owners had been warned. The incident took place Thursday evening. James Smith, 59, a resident of Walnut Avenue...

Fido and Sylvester could be in big trouble, according to Emma Thompson. The actress issued a strong warning on Thursday of an impending "climate crisis" so dire that people will have no choice but to eat their own pets. The actress, 60, attended an Extinction Rebellion protest outside of the BBC Broadcasting House in London on Thursday, where she claimed there is "extreme weather" ahead. **SNIP** "Better wrap up warm, stockpile food and remember there is a surprising amount of protein in the average household pet."

We’ve reached a barking point in American history. (Yeah, I’m sorry for that one.) A few years ago, for the first time ever, the number of dogs in this country surpassed the number of children under eighteen. According to Statista, there are 90 million dogs in America today, up from just 68 million in 2000. And a higher percentage of American households own dogs than ever before. By contrast, there are just over 73 million children. That still sounds like a lot, but as a percentage of the population, children have never been rarer. In 1960, for instance, over one-in-three...

Internet-famous cat Lil Bub has died, as BrooklynVegan notes. “On the morning of Sunday, December 1 2019 we lost the purest, kindest, and most magical living force on our planet,” Bub’s “dude” Mike Bridavsky announced. “Bub was cheerful and full of love laying in our bed with us Saturday night, but unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep.” Lil Bub was 8 years old.

Turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, all the scents of Thanksgiving food will have your family rushing to the table, even your pets. Per owners may be feel tempted to treat their pets to some of the leftover but Dr. Michael Mongue with Pace Veterinary Clinic said you really will do more harm than good if you feed them human food. "Their physiology is different, a dog is not a small human or a regular size human and the way they digest food and their whole system is different than humans," said Dr. Mongue. Many of the foods we enjoy can...

A former Australian energy and resources minister has proposed a carbon tax for pets—an idea that is as rational as it will no doubt be controversial. “They might be furry and they might be cute, but they do have a carbon footprint and an environmental cost,” former minister Theo Theophanus told Australian 3AW693. “Everybody wants us to address the climate issue, but they don’t want to address it personally and in their own use of resources on the planet,” he added, saying a carbon tax on pets could raise between US$68 and US$103 million (A$100-150 million). While Theophanus’s proposal would...

(Reuters/REUTERS - An orangutan named Sandra, covered with a blanket, gestures inside its cage at Buenos Aires' Zoo, in this December 8, 2010 file photo. An orangutan held in an Argentine zoo can be freed) BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An orangutan held in an Argentine zoo can be freed and transferred to a sanctuary after a court recognized the ape as a "non-human person" unlawfully deprived of its freedom, local media reported on Sunday. Animal rights campaigners filed a habeas corpus petition - a document more typically used to challenge the legality of a person's detention or imprisonment - in...

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has made several revisions to the Canine Vaccination Guidelines since they were first published in 2003. The latest guidelines include a full series of core vaccines for puppies followed by boosters one year later. After that the AAHA recommends healthy, adult dogs get boosters for core vaccines like distemper and canine parvovirus "at intervals of three years or longer." "That was big going from annually to every three years, but the reality is maybe they can go longer than that," said Dr. Judi Keller with Sunflower Holistic Veterinary Care. "The research is showing that...

Joe Biden went after President Trump for being the first president in more than a century not to own any pets while in office. The Democratic front-runner pointed out that it was “National Cat Day” on Twitter and wrote, “Some Americans celebrate #NationalCatDay, some celebrate #NationalDogDay — President Trump celebrates neither. It says a lot. It’s time we put a pet back in the White House.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden is using National Cat Day to gin up support for putting a pet back in the White House. The 2020 presidential candidate on Tuesday called on his Instagram followers to pitch in to his campaign, saying in a post that "it’s time we put a pet back in the White House." "Some Americans celebrate #NationalCatDay, some celebrate #NationalDogDay - President Trump celebrates neither. It says a lot," Biden wrote in a post. The message accompanied a photo of Biden and the German shepherd he and his wife, Jill Biden, adopted from the Delaware Humane Association...

An online retailer that opened a massive fulfillment center near the Dayton International Airport this summer is doubling its initial hiring projections. Chewy Inc., a Dania Beach, Florida-based retailer that provides pet food and supplies, has already hired 1,000 people and is looking to fill another 200 positions by year's end. That will bring its total employment to 1,200. Chewy initially projected the new center would create 600 jobs, so the actual employee count will be twice as many as originally reported. Additionally, the company has already promoted 30 people to leadership roles at the site, Chewy Vice President of...

VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – The president of the Van Zandt County Humane Society has been arrested for stealing dogs. Cynthia Diane Durham, 61, was arrested Wednesday by Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Constable Jesse Ison and charged with theft of property. She is in the Van Zandt County Jail on a bond of $250,000. She is accused of participating in a process known as “pet flipping,” or stealing pets to be transported elsewhere for resale as a “rescue.” According to a press release from Ison, the victim, Jeremy Housden, contacted his office on July 15 to report the...

Dog owners live longer than people without a canine pet, two new studies suggest. And older people who live alone are a third less likely to die after a heart attack if they have a furry friend at home, according to the Swedish researchers. Loneliness plays a well known role to the detriment of older people in the US, not only hindering them from living happy lives, but often actually increasing their risks of death and chronic illnesses. The American Heart Association (AHA), which released an accompanying statement, noted that it's not exactly proof that dogs will keep you healthier,...

A Veterinary Practice has released the most shocking x-rays they have seen this year, showing what animals get up to when their owner's backs are turned. From whole light bulbs to seven rubber ducks in one sitting, the scans picture what troublesome pets digest when they are left alone. The incredible x-rays are vets' entries in Veterinary Practice News' annual 'They Ate What?' competition, which offers a prize of $500 (£405) for the most shocking item to be removed successfully in the US.

“That’s my car!” shouted Ross Hunt as he sprinted toward a policeman standing near his Tesla Model S. Mr. Hunt had left his toy poodle, Loki, in the car on a hot day. A small crowd had gathered. But he wasn’t worried about his dog: He thought they were about to smash the car window, reported the Independent. Endangering the health of a pet by locking it in the car on a hot, or cold, day in the U.S. is illegal in at least 28 states. Even so, last year, 58 pets died in cars, reports People for the Ethical...

Emotional support animals come in all shapes and sizes—as large and ostentatious as a miniature horse or full-sized peacock, or as unobtrusive as a well-trained guinea pig. Some offer support via timely yaps, others by quiet companionship. Some are friends to all, others take their work too seriously to bother with strangers. In the US, most public places are under no obligation to make any allowance for these animals, whatever their demeanor or size. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals in terms of their extensive training—think guide dogs or medical-emergency animals that receive months of specialized instruction....

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A West Bloomfield couple that was facing four years in prison in the largest hoarding case in Oakland County history was given probation Wednesday. Between April 24 and May 17, animal control officers removed 178 cats from a home in deplorable condition in the 1700 block of Elsie Drive in West Bloomfield. As of May 20, officials had to humanely euthanized 60 cats due to severe illness or aggression. According to the Oakland County Animal Shelter & Pet Adoption Center, the cats were found when an officer conducted a welfare check on cats that...

We truly don't deserve them. Very sweet pictures & videos at the link...