want to try a hippo for a household pet?

michael vick - dog fighting - two supporters who need some re-education:

These two might not have heard about the new law against animal fighting, nor do they seem to care about it but do you really need to have heard about it? Isn't it just obvious that forcing animals to fight is a cowardly thing to do? Unfortunately they speak more to the continuing acceptance, in some areas, of animal fighting as a sport. The reason the michael vick story is so big to me is that it signals the beginning of the end of this practice - as slow a process as it might be to get rid of animal fighting everywhere, it's nice to know the first steps have been taken.



Please click the following link to view a full page of posts about dog fighting.

michael vick's dog fighting ring - russell simmons comments on:

image source: UnchainYourDog.org

Rap mogul and strong animal rights supporter, Russell Simmons, is urging those around Michael Vick to stop supporting the star quarterback. The embattled quarterback was recently indicted on charges of housing a dog fighting ring on his property.

According to the indictment, dogs that didn't show enough fighting spirit, or that lost matches, were put to death by a variety of methods, including shooting, drowning, hanging and electrocution. Prosecutors allege that on one occasion earlier this year, Vick participated in killing eight dogs. You can click the following link to read more about Mr. Simmons' comments regarding Michael Vick and this link to view a letter from al sharpton regarding michael vick.

And by the way, I don't need to hear anymore facts in the case - Vick owns the property and is tight with the people living on the property. If he actually didn't know what was going on he should be sent to prison for twice as long as he might already be for being so naive. So if I was you I'd really just close my ears when it comes to any commentators looking to make a name for themselves by sticking up for Vick or anyone on his team too - he's great guy, blah, blah, blah and everyone makes mistakes, right? True, everyone does make mistakes but when the mistakes are this pathetic you need to pay dearly for them.....and possibly for the rest of your life.

Please click the following link to support the humane society against animal fighting.

Please click the following link to view a full page of posts about dog fighting.

michael vick - dog fighting - slammed by senator robert byrd of west virginia:

Senator robert byrd of west virginia reacts to the michael vick dog ring accusation. The senator is emotional and speaks slowly but it is a wonderful homage to his love of dogs and to the responsibility humans carry in treating animals with respect.

Please click the following link if you'd like to read more about michael vick and his dog fighting ring accusation.



Please click the following link to view a full page of posts about dog fighting.

animals in the news:

A crippled dog comes from the desert of kuwait to colorado state university.

Turtles help test a wireless network.

Domestic cats traced back to ancient times.

michael vick indicted on dog fighting ring:

image source: NFL Minute
Fame and fortune did not seem to be enough stimulation for NFL quarterback Michael Vick. No, he needed the added amusement of having one of the most loyal animals in the world, the pit bull, forced into barbaric blood sports to the death, on his property. Vick has been accused of operating a dog fighting ring on his property and if convicted he could face up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines.

According to the indictment, dogs that didn't show enough fighting spirit, or that lost matches, were put to death by a variety of methods, including shooting, drowning, hanging and electrocution. Prosecutors allege that on one occasion earlier this year, Vick participated in killing eight dogs.

Vick of course has denied knowledge of the dogfighting and says he rarely visits the property - the property he owns...uhh, yeah, uh-huh, that's a good one my friend, ahahahahahahhahahah. Luckily both houses and the president took action recently against animal fighting in america, by signing the animal fighting bill. But animal fighting for sport is still ingrained in certain cultures around the world and as with most animal issues it will take more education to stop this cycle.

Please click the following link to support the humane society against animal fighting.

Please click the following link to view a full page of posts about dog fighting.

can dogs be racist?

Different species of animals can be territorial and shun anyone that looks different from their inner circle and dogs can be of that type. Some dogs are bred to specifically dislike people of certain races and other dogs simply develop a distrust of certain people on their own. But does this make them racist? I've worked with dogs whose owners have warned me about their dogs and people of color and it made me wonder how they got that way? After doing some research it appears that dogs develop their strongest opinions on people and their "world" between the ages of 3 weeks through 12. So if they are not exposed to certain people during this stage or worse if they have a bad experience with a certain type of person, it can have a lifelong effect on the dog. Of course there is the unfortunate situations where a dog is specifically trained to dislike or even attack a person of a different race. But at the end of the day the consensus appears to be that no, dogs are not racist and they simply fear (as humans do) what they are not familiar with. A dog might also be afraid of a man in uniform, or a man with a beard and so on. If you have a puppy try and expose them to a wide array of people and stimulus and if you think your dog has issues with skin tone or any issues with physical features you should consult an animal behaviorist.

dogs trained to sniff out bedbugs:

Many dogs have an amazing sense of smell and to this point dogs have been trained to detect anything from bombs to drugs and humans. You can now add bedbugs to that list according to researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Properly trained dogs can assist an inspector by locating the odor of live bedbugs or viable eggs and ignoring evidence of past infestations", handler Jose "Pepe" Peruyero told Discovery News. Please click the following link to read more about this discovery news report.

Missing dog turns up 430 miles from home:

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz (AP) — A basset hound that disappeared from its California home in December has been found 430 miles away in Arizona. The dog, named Fred, was found by an employee Wednesday in the parking lot of the Second Chance Center for Animals in Flagstaff. The next morning, staff members with the shelter found a microchip in Fred that let them figure out he was registered at Riverside County Animal Control. No one has any idea how this dog got so far from home but luckily the dog had a microchip so they could trace him back to his very happy owner.

preparing your animals for an emergency -

Some of the most harrowing images of Hurricane Katrina for me were of the animals left behind to fend for themselves. It's a good reminder to include your pets when it comes to preparing for a disaster. Please click the following link to view the aspca's tips for preparing your pets for an emergency.

a dog helps save a baby horse who'd fallen into a well:

BANGOR, Maine (AP) -- It could have been a scene straight out of ''Lassie.'' Kurt Smith was working in the yard at his horse boarding and breeding facility Monday when Molly, his border collie, came running and barking, signaling that something was amiss.

Smith, the owner of Essex Stud Arabians, discovered that the 2-month-old foal Mati -- short for Matinicus Rock -- had fallen into a 12-foot-deep abandoned well.

''(Molly) baby-sits the baby horse and looks right after her,'' Smith said.

Smith called the Bangor Fire Department, which dispatched firefighters and a ladder. He descended into the well, slid ropes around Mati's front legs and hindquarters and was able to pull her out of the well, ''no worse for the wear,'' he said.

The 250-pound foal, owned by Lisa Kelly, was small enough to fall down the well that was about 5 feet wide. The artesian well had been covered with boards, but the wood had begun to deteriorate. The well shaft was filled in with gravel Tuesday to prevent any future incidents.

The story of a horse falling into a well gets odder still. Earlier that morning, Smith and his wife, Denise Mitchell, had watched a television news report about ''Baby Jessica,'' whose rescue after she fell into a well in Texas nearly 20 years ago engrossed the nation.

''Then two hours later we had baby Mati,'' Smith said. ''It was deja vu.''

top 10 hazards for pets in 2006:

The following is the aspca's list of the top ten hazards encountered by pets in 2006.

1. human medications - This has actually been number one on their list for years and they recommend storing your pills in a secure area.

2. insecticides - The highest percentage of cases were due to products that kill fleas, ticks, and other insects.

3. veterinary medications - Sometimes the right medication can be prescribed but it can be used wrong and they recommend following the label directions very closely.

4. plants - Some toxic plants families include lilies, azalea, rhododendron, sago palm, kalanchoe and schefflera. Whatever the plant though they recommend discouraging your dog from chewing on any plants.

5. rodenticides - This includes rat and mouse poisons.

6. household cleaners - These quite simply need to be stored in a secure place.

7. chocolate - This is always on the list and the caffeine in chocolate can be dangerous for dogs.

8. chemical hazards - This is a new one to their list and includes products such as antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals.

9. physical hazards - These include things that can be choked on. They recommend taking extra care for items that can be broken, chewed up or swallowed.

10. home improvement products - This includes products such as paint, glue and other home construction materials.

animal fighting bill approved by both houses:

In wonderful news the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act, following the House of Representatives who passed the same bill 368 to 39 last month. This will create a great president that should help to curb barbaric animal fighting as a sport. The legislation is now headed to President Bush's desk to give the final approval and he is expected to sign it. There was a very strong cockfighting "lobby" if you can believe it, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars to derail the legislation but due to the Humane Society among others they were defeated (: I really must just say, oh hell yeah!

nyc dog news - nyc dogs to be allowed off leash "legally"

How quickly things change. In mere months we have gone from possibly having the unwritten off leash law ended to now having it extended. In just 30 days from now dogs will be allowed to roam free in many city parks from 9am to 9pm. All you will need is a proof of a current rabies vaccination and license information.

animal news - a dog's size is determined by their genes:

In a fascinating study, it has been determined that the size of a dog is actually a result of their genes. Why is this important? Dogs have 200 to 300 diseases in common with humans ranging from high blood pressure to cancer. The study is saying that if you can understand how genes effect a dog both positively and negatively, you can possibly carry that over to human diseases. Please click the following link to read more about this "ap" news story on how a dog's genes determines their size.

in a first - new york dog is awarded restraining order "against" human

A New York Judge has awarded a dog the first restraining order against a human who had abused it. The man faces up to a year in jail and must stay at least 90 feet away from the dog. This could be a great sign of things to come for protection to domestic animals.