Pet Scoop: Rescued Chihuahua Mom Adopts Kittens, Girl Wins Right to Keep Pet Bunny
Published on August 20, 2012
August 20, 2012: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Rescued Dog Nurses Two Pups — and Two Kittens
Just a day after the Grace Foundation saved her from being put down, a 10-month-old Chihuahua was ready to pay it forward. The aptly named Harmony, who was already nursing two puppies, added two more newborns to her litter — a pair of kittens. “They were crying, hungry, Harmony really started to panic so I put them with her puppies and she took them right away,” said Grace Foundation founder Beth DeCaprio. Harmony and all of her babies will be up for adoption in a few weeks. — Watch it at CBS Sacramento
Plus: The Grace Foundation also made headlines earlier this year when it was caring for a tiny Dachshund mix named Beyoncé, who weighed a mere 4 ounces when she was born. Well, the 5 month old now tips the scales at 3 pounds — and enjoys hanging out with a Mastiff buddy, Buster. — See a photo at People Pets
Cats Who Pester for Food May Have a Psychological Condition
Research just published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior suggests that felines who show too much eagerness to be fed come dinnertime — doing things like meowing, ankle rubbing and taking food from another pet's bowl — could be suffering from a newly-diagnosed condition known as “psychogenic abnormal feeding behavior.” However, in most cases, the attention-seeking behavior likely isn't something to be too concerned over. “Unless the cat is really obnoxious, most owners probably won’t complain,” said study leader Paolo Mongillo of the University of Padua in Italy. — Read it at the Telegraph
Connecticut Town Settles Dispute Over Pet Bunny
There’s a happy ending to the story of a young girl who was fighting for her bunny. After receiving phone calls and emails from across the country, Michael Freda, the first selectman for the town of North Haven, Conn., said that 7-year-old Kayden Lidsky and her family will be allowed to keep their 20-pound rabbit, Sandy. The Lidskys had been told that they could no longer have the bunny due to a zoning rule, but Freda said the ordinance was “ridiculous,” and that it will be changed. — Read it at the AP via Yahoo
D.C. Zoo Cares for a Flamingo Baby
Keepers at the National Zoo’s Bird House had to step in and begin hand-rearing a flamingo chick who hatched late last month after the zoo’s flock produced fewer eggs than normal, and didn’t construct sufficient nests. This chick gets a special formula, as well as “flamingo pellets" that will enable its feathers to turn pink. The baby will join the rest of the flock in the coming months. — Read it at the National Zoo
Humpback Whale Is Rescued Off Cape Cod . . . Again
The young whale was spotted by tuna fisherman, who found him entangled in rope. It’s the second time this summer that the Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team has come to the aid of the whale, who they’ve named Hiatus. — Read it at CBS Boston
New Owl Species Found in the Philippines
It took researchers years to confirm the discovery of the new species, but two owls originally thought to be subspecies were determined to be new classifications because of their unique vocalizations. Camiguin Hawk-owls sing a long solo at night, and are the only owls to have blue-gray eyes. The second species, the Cebu Hawk-owl, was believed to be extinct due to deforestation. — Read it at Science Daily