Pet Scoop: Panda Gets Chipped Tooth Fixed, Paris Hilton Pays $13,000 for Tiny Dog
Published on September 15, 2014
Sept. 15, 2014: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Panda Gets Dental Surgery
Bai Yun, a 23-year-old giant panda who’s mom to six offspring, made a trip to the dentist last week after her keepers noticed a chip in one of her lower canines. She was anesthetized for the procedure, where veterinarians used a composite to fill her damaged tooth. “What we attempted to do was a restorative procedure to cover up the part of the tooth that was chipped to, hopefully, prevent any further chipping or deterioration,” said Dr. Meg Sutherland-Smith, associate director of veterinary services at the San Diego Zoo. Pandas’ teeth can become damaged over time because they spend about 12 hours a day chewing and breaking down bamboo. — Read it at NBC Bay Area
Extinct Snail Found Alive in Seychelles
In 2007, a report published in the journal Biology Letters concluded that the colorful Aldabra banded snail was likely extinct. No one had seen one alive since 1997. Experts blamed a lack of rainfall due to climate change for their disappearance. But in August, a research team that ventured into an inaccessible part of the Seychelles Islands came across seven of the pink snails. Some of them were juveniles. “Although the population of the snail around the atoll crashed after the 1970s, it seems that a small number did survive and continued to breed successfully,” said Justin Gerlach, scientific coordinator for the Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles and author of the 2007 paper. “So I was wrong — it is not quite extinct; it is extremely close but fortunately still around.” — Read it at National Geographic
Famed Cat Hamish McHamish Dies
Five months after the small Scottish town of St. Andrews revealed an $8,000 statue in his honor, the fluffy orange cat Hamish McHamish died last week at age 15. The local celebrity was suffering from a chest infection and passed away peacefully Thursday with his owner, Marianne Baird, at his side. “Thank you Hamish for the years of joy you’ve given us and for letting us all be part of your life. May your remarkable spirit live on forever in the town you loved … and ruled!” read a post about his passing on his Facebook page. — Read it from the U.K.’s Courier

Paris Hilton Gets $13,000 Puppy
The celebrity heiress Paris Hilton arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday with a tiny white Pomeranian wrapped in a blanket, proclaiming him “the cutest dog ever.” When asked if she really paid $13,000 for the puppy, who’s projected to weigh less than 2 pounds when he’s full grown, she said he was worth it. In a TMZ video of her arrival at the airport, she calls him Prince Hilton. He will join her 13-year-old Chihuahua Tinkerbell at home. Hilton gushed about the dog on social media, but there were many responses from those who were outraged that she’d pay that much for a dog when there are so many dogs in need of homes. — Read it at E!Online
Joan Rivers Leaves Part of Fortune to Her Dogs
When the legendary comedian died earlier this month at age 81, she left $150 million to her daughter, her grandson and her dogs. Rivers had four dogs. Rescue dogs Samantha and Teegan lived in New York City while she had a Border Collie and a Jack Russell Terrier in Los Angeles. Her New York dogs were reportedly by her side during her final days at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her longtime assistant Jocelyn is likely to take care of the dogs. “She loved her dogs dearly, and they meant so much to her because with her hectic lifestyle of travel and performances, her pooches were her touchstone to normalcy and genuine affection — just as they are for the rest of us!” said Rivers’ goddaughter, Tracie Hotchner. — Read it at AOL