pets
Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Animal shelter appreciation week

Though your desktop calendar might not know it, the first week in November is designated as National Animal Shelter Appreciation week. The idea came from a shelter in Lincoln, Nebraska and has been adopted nationally by the HSUS to "acknowledge and promote the invaluable role shelters play in their communities and to increase public awareness of animal welfare issues and shelter services."

For this year's "Shelter's Rock" campaign, they've invite artists from the music industry to help spread the word about the important work shelters do, to express why they care about animals.

Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood, Hillary Duff and John McLaughlin are just a few of the artist who've chosen to participate. Visit this page to hear what they have to say.

(image © 2009 Patrick McDonnell)

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Posted By: Digger
Friday, October 30, 2009

Cat ladies

Today's Friday video is a little less whimsical than usual.

Every year here at Gadzoo we run at least 3-4 stories about animal hoarding incidents and the stereotype of the "Crazy Cat Lady" is so much a part of pop-culture that its got its own Simpson's character. Now there's a new documentary attempting to understand these women on a deeper level.

From the film's website:

CAT LADIES is a one hour verité documentary that unravels the real story behind the oft-ridiculed 'cat lady' - a cultural stereotype and figure of ridicule for women of a certain age with too many furry companions. Through the intimate portrait of four unique 'cat ladies' we create a sensitive and emotionally honest portrait of women whose lives and self-worth have become intractably linked to cats.

Here's a peek.



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Posted By: Digger
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pigs in the news

Its been awhile since I've had any porcine related news, but today I dug up not one but TWO piggy items for your pleasure.

First, found an older item from Australia about an abandoned pig who had been terrorizing a small community in South Wales. Dubbed Bruce, the wayward pig had a ravenous appetite and was making one unlucky farmer a virtual prisoner in her own home, getting aggressive when she refused to feed him upwards of 300 avocados a day. The pig was eventually captured -- if you go read the full story, be sure to click the "Pigzilla on the Loose" link to see photos of this monstrous porker.

In related news, Paris Hilton just bought a potbellied pig, and PETA is angry with her. They even call her skeevy, proving once again that they're a serious, tactful organization more concerned with quietly affecting change than using celebrities to get their name in the press.

(image via flickr creative commons / woodleywonderworks)

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Posted By: Digger
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Halloween safety

My favorite time of year is now nearly upon us. What am I gonna be for Halloween, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, friend-o.

But in case you missed it, elsewhere on Gadzoo our pal Steve Dale has some good advice on how to have a safe Halloween with your pets. Some of his tips include:

1. Jack O'Lanterns: Aromas from lit candles can cause respiratory distress and even death in pet birds. Also, cats jumping on tables might knock over a candle or a lighted pumpkin, causing a fire.

2. Goodie Bags: While a mountain of candy isn't the best thing for kids, some of those treats can be hazardous to pets. Ingesting only a small amount of the artificial sweetener Xylitol (mostly used in sugarless gum) is dangerous. A simple box of raisins may be good for kids, but raisins are hazardous to dogs. Dogs who enjoy candy seldom stop after a few pieces, and too much candy -- and candy wrappers, which may also be scarfed down -- can trigger an upset tummy. Chocolate is toxic for dogs and cats (particularly dark chocolate). Keep candy in a secure place, away from Fido.

3. Buy Pet Friendly Decorations: Last year, a reader wrote about a mummy decoration his cat unraveled and swallowed. The pet was rushed into emergency surgery for an obstruction. Luckily, he survived...

You can read more tips here.

Happy haunting....



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Posted By: Digger
Friday, October 23, 2009

Nora wins ASPCA Cat of the Year award...

OK, we've all seen the video, but I'm posting it again because the ASPCA just announced that Nora the piano playing cat has been chosen this year's winner of the Cat of the Year Award!

Did you know that Nora was a shelter cat? Did you know she was named after a surrealist painter? Did you know her videos have been seen over 20 million times on YouTube? Did you know a Lithuanian composer has arranged a symphony in her honor?

You can learn more from this ASPCA article.

The award will officially be given next week in New York. No word on whether Nora will be there to give a recital.



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Posted By: Digger
About this blog
Digger sniffs out the latest and greatest pet news, trends and information for you. About Digger
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