Pet Scoop: Boisterous Dog Interrupts Weather Forecast, Bentley the Dog Tested for Ebola
Published on October 20, 2014
Oct. 20, 2014: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Shelter Pup’s TV Spot Goes Viral
There have been more than 2 million views of one of Mike Sobel’s recent TV weather reports for Global Edmonton’s Morning News. But it’s not because of the weather. It’s because guest star Ripple, a 1-year-old Shepherd and Mastiff mix who’s up for adoption at the Edmonton Humane Society, stole the show. Each week, Sobel features a dog from the shelter on his weather report for the Canadian broadcast. And Ripple made sure his turn was memorable. He wasn’t interested in reporting the weather Wednesday morning — he decided he’d much rather play with the weatherman, who struggled to hold on to him while the pooch chewed right through his leash. The display made for a hilarious video, which quickly went viral. The best part? The shelter has heard from many people who are interested in adopting the playful pup. — Watch it on YouTube and read it at Canada’s Global News
Bentley Tested for Ebola
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who belongs to Dallas nurse Nina Pham will be tested for Ebola Monday. The dog is being held in quarantine and is being cared for by Dallas Animal Services. The staff, who wear protective hazmat suits while taking care of Bentley, will test his urine and feces for the deadly disease. Bentley has seemed happy and healthy since starting a 21-day quarantine a week ago. Dallas Animal Services said he loves a ball given to him by his new veterinarian friends from Texas A&M University’s Veterinary Emergency Team, who arrived Saturday to help with his care. — Read it at USA Today and get the facts on Ebola and pets
Scientist Finds Puppy-Sized Spider in Rainforest
Piotr Naskrecki of Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology thought he heard a small mammal underfoot during a nighttime walk in a rainforest in Guyana. But when he turned on his flashlight, he saw a furry, brown spider. It turned out to be a Goliath birdeater, which holds the Guinness World Record as the largest spider. When he approached it, he saw it rubbing its hind legs against his abdomen. At first he thought this was “cute,” but then he realized the spider was sending out hairs with microscopic barbs on them that were painful and itchy. Naskrecki has only encountered the rare spider three times during his last 10 to 15 years in South America. — Read it at Live Science

Beth Stern Helps Get Kitten Adopted
Both Howard Stern and his wife, Beth, helped New York’s North Shore Animal League find a home for a one-eyed kitten, thanks to an unconventional photo shoot. The 4-month-old kitten, who lost an eye to an infection, kept getting passed over at the shelter. Beth Stern, an animal advocate, posed in one photo with her husband and little Ace, and then in another photo where she’s wearing only a bra. The photos brought lots of attention to the kitten Beth Stern called “extra special and perfectly imperfect.” She quickly got hundreds of emails from people interested in adopting Ace and delivered him to his lucky new owners Friday. Stern has a new book starring one of her rescue cats due out next month. — Read it at the New York Daily News
White Lion Cubs Debut at Serbian Zoo
Two rare 3-week-old white lion cubs are being bottle fed by the staff at the Belgrade Zoo in Serbia after being rejected by their mother when they were born. The adorable pair romped and played together for the media last week. There are only about 200 of them in the wild, reports The Week. Some cultures consider white lions to be divine. — Watch it at Yahoo