Pet Scoop: Man Finds Homes for 7,000 Dogs, Killer Whales Trapped in Ice Break Free
Published on January 11, 2013
Jan. 11, 2013: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.
Non-profit Matches Greyhounds With Families
In 1991, when Dennis Tyler adopted a former racing Greyhound named Clara Voyant, he had no idea how much she would change his life. But when he learned how many Greyhounds face the risk of injury and euthanization, he knew he had to do something. So he and his wife started Florida Greyhounds, a non-profit that provides medical care for the racing dogs as well as matching them with compatible families. The organization has since found homes for more than 7,400 greyhounds. "These dogs can be the most wonderful pets," Tyler told People magazine. — Read it at People
Sheep Dogs Protect Penguins on Middle Island
When the population of Little Penguins on Australia’s Middle Island dropped to fewer than 10 birds — down from 700 in the ’90s — the city council wasn’t sure what to do. That’s when David Williams, an environmental science student working part-time at a free-range egg farm, suggested placing Maremma sheepdogs — the same dogs his employer used to guard the chickens — on Middle Island to protect the birds from their greatest predator, the red fox. And it worked. Seven years later, the penguin numbers are back in the hundreds, and two sheepdogs continue to keep watch over their “flock.” — Read it at Huffington Post
130 Cats in Daytona Need Homes
The clock is ticking for more than 130 cats in a wooded area next to Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Fla. Contractors are planning to clear the land in a month, leaving the animals homeless. Kym Bass, from the animal non-profit organization Rescue a Life, spends around $700 every month in cat food, feeding felines across Daytona Beach — and she knows these animals well. “These cats are fixed, they have their shots, and they all have names,” she said. “[And they] are basically going to be plowed over.” Bass and others are trying to catch the cats and find them homes before time runs out, but so far they’ve only been able to capture a dozen. — Read it at WFTV News
Orcas Free Themselves From Icy Waters
A dozen distressed killer whales in the frozen waters of Canada’s Hudson Bay appear to have finally broken free on Thursday, to the relief of the thousands that had been keeping tabs on their plight. The orcas had been stuck underneath the ice and had only a 10-foot opening to surface and breathe. They took turns bobbing up through the hole in the ice and caught the notice of locals, who ramped up rescue efforts for the whales. Experts say climate change is to blame for the cracked sea ice that trapped the animals. — Read it at NPR
SeaWorld Saves Snared Dolphin
On Wednesday morning a Cape Canaveral, Fla., resident noticed a dolphin in the Banana River who appeared to be having trouble swimming. Animal experts from SeaWorld and other wildlife organizations were able to locate the bottlenose dolphin and free him from the fishing line he was tangled in. After evaluating him and giving him antibiotics, the dolphin was returned to the water.
Look, Ma — A Diving Dog!
Tune in to NBC tomorrow, Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. EST to watch the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals, a one-of-a-kind canine competition showcasing the world’s most athletic dogs and their trainers. The pooches compete in “Olympic-style” events such as agility, freestyle flying disc, Jack Russell hurdle races, 30-weave pole racing and of course, the crowd favorite — dog diving.