Lightning Medicine Cloud, a white buffalo, was born onto Arby Little Soldier’s Lakota Ranch with great ceremony.

Now, at just under one-year-old, the sacred and rare calf is dead. Authorities believe the animal and his mother were intentionally killed.

A mama bear and her two cubs have been sleeping and hanging out in a tree above a neighborhood near Altadena, Calif. Thursday, and they show no signs of tiring of their new home.

Kinneloa Mesa homeowners first spotted the bears in their driveway early Thursday morning, reports Altadena Patch, and by 9:30 a.m. the black bear trio had climbed up into a nearby tree. They have been napping and relaxing there ever since.

Arizona - Meet Cactus Jack, the scared little puppy who got mercilessly pricked after becoming trapped  in a cactus in Arizona. Fortunately for Jack, one Good Samaritan was walking down a road last Sunday when he heard the 8-week-old’s frantic cries for help and called the Arizona Humane...

A tiny puppy named Beyonce, not much bigger than a business card, has defied odds by surviving.  At a day old, Beyonce could fit in a tablespoon. Now, at a little more than 2 weeks old, she is almost as big as an iPhone. Beyonce’s mother, Casey,...

Hat tip: Perrie

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Noah, an orange and white tabby, began obsessing over his owner’s head last year.  

Hide your dogs, hide your cats, the discovery of monstrous “Jurassic fleas” in Northern China is enough to make even Twilight’s vampires quiver. A team of researchers has unearthed the fossilized remains of blood-sucking mini-beasts dating back at least 65 million years. They found them...

TEMPE, AZ (CBS5) - With several surveillance cameras perched around the shop, he knew he was being watched. That didn't stop a man from allegedly slipping two tarantulas into his pants

(FOX News) - Just two weeks before Valentine's Day, hundreds of skunks have flooded Sacramento, Calif., in search of the perfect mate -- bringing with them a pungent smell and creating a nuisance for many homeowners

(CBS) - Sometimes there are so many cute videos of animal antics that we like to put two of them in one post and double your adorable overload. First up on our list: a snoring dormouse

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Note: IMO this video is much better with the sound turned OFF!

ATLANTA (AP) - Imagine having the feeling that tiny bugs are crawling on your body, that you have oozing sores and mysterious fibers sprouting from your skin. Sound like a horror movie? Well, at one point several years ago, government doctors were getting up to 20 calls a day from people saying they had such symptoms

Remember back when a "cougar" was just an animal, and NOT a 43-year-old woman with fake titties and a ENTER HERE tattoo on her upper inner thigh? Well, that era is OVER..

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No, this is not a Shaggy Dog Story. This beer is real!

Article:

If ever there was an achievement that deserved a toast, a beer for dogs would certainly be it.

And the makers of Bowser Beer, a brand brewed specifically for pooches, have double the cause to enjoy a little hair of the dog: Their achievement has been officially as honored as the first beer for dogs by World Records Academy, an online database of offbeat achievements. (Cont'd)

When Maj. Brian Dennis first spotted a scruffy German Shepard-Border collie mix at a fort in Iraq, the dog wasn’t interested in making friends. The dog, who lived in the wild with a pack of canine companions, had already been through a lifetime’s worth of pain and neglect. His ears had been cut off as a puppy, and he had been trained as a fighting dog. Now that he was finally free of his tormentors, the dog just wanted to be left alone

A police officer saved a live deer by removing it from the road--because it couldn't move itself.
This scared deer is giving new meaning to the expression "like a deer in headlights.”

A Texas appeals court reinstated a couple's lawsuit against animal shelter that accidentally euthanized their 8-year-old dog, ruling that they can sue to recover the sentimental value of their pet.
Randy Turner, the attorney for plaintiffs Jeremy and Katherine Medlen, said this would be the first time in Texas that someone could sue for a pet's sentimental value.

They say dogs being walked by men are four times more likely to threaten and bite other dogs

"She had nothing but an airline ticket and $30 in her pocket," Finney notes. She also hadn't traveled by air in the last five years--meaning that when she stepped to the ticket counter to check her bags, she was in for a serious case of sticker shock. The U.S. Airways agent checking her in told her that it was cost $60 to check both her bags. Weissinger offered to pay the fee when she arrived in Idaho, but the agent declined. She also offered to leave one bag there at the San Francisco Airport. That, the agent explained, would be in violation of security regulations.

PHOENIX (KPHO) - They're called "crazy hairy ants" or "Rasberry crazy ants" and they have infested parts of the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, and especially areas in and around Houston

This is so sad!  I remember first reading about Heidi on Newsvine - what a cute little critter!  Too bad they don't have longer lifespans!  R.I.P. Heidi!

AP)  WORCESTER, Mass. - Frank and Louie the cat was born with two faces, two mouths, three eyes, and lots of doubts about his future

Some of these are pretty funny.

The grizzly was zeroed in on Scout and the boy – the isolated prey in the woods.Adding to the drama, the boy’s father, an experienced rider, could not convince his horse that it was a good plan to ride to his son’s rescue.

My neighbors moved away recently and had been feeding around a dozen feral/abandon cats. The new owners moved in and did not wish to take over the task so I volunteered. These guys are hilarious and quickly figured out that I'm the food dispenser. In the morning they are all crowded around the corner of the house waiting for me. They have this routine that makes me wonder if they are thinking, "I'm not afraid of her, yes I am, but she's nice and has food. I'm not afraid of her, oh, wait yes I am" dialogue going through their little baseball heads. They are very affectionate with one another which is very sweet. They know which ones get first and preferential setting at the food trays. Those that go first are not piggies and leave plenty for the others. As you can see by the photos they are very comfortable in my yard. It will take a bit of time but eventually the Advocat Society will trap them and try to give them homes elsewhere. In the meantime I am completely blissed out with my new friends. Tucker likes them too and after their meal they will sit below the lanai and Tucker will talk to them.

Foto Friday is a Feature of Newsvine Photography

Rodents rock!  Wouldn't mind running across one of these critters here!  This one is in California.  I wonder if they know how lucky they are!  Capybaras are really quite docile and laid-back for being so huge.

NEW YORK (MainStreet) – No longer content to demean our dogs and cats by dressing them up in costumes, America is now giving them the dumbest names possible

Pocatello, ID - It doesn't matter the size nor type of animal that needs to be rescued, "Shooter" will come to your rescue.....

New research recently revealed that women, in general, tend to bond more with cats than men do. Many men, however, enjoy equally rewarding relationships with cats. What might explain our puzzling human-cat dynamics?

Article by:  Jennifer Viegas, Managing Editor -

The Daily Cat

A central Ohio animal shelter with an abundance of chubby cats is having a sale on its fattest felines, hoping a discount entices potential owners to take one home.

The Capital Area Humane Society says the fat cats are on sale this summer for $15 each or two for $20, instead of the usual $70 adoption price.

Development manager Mary Hiser says the cats packed on the pounds before arriving at the shelter, and the extra weight can cause them health problems.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that nine of the shelter's 55 cats are overweight. Volunteers keep them in an area that offers extra room to run and burn off calories.

The largest cat is a 6-year-old black-and brown shorthair named Zebe, who weighs 23 pounds.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

Horse herpes forces kids to ride stick ponies. CNN's Jeanne Moos ponies up

Here's the play-by-play: a baby kitten is dreaming while asleep next to its mother. Said baby kitten starts twitching its tiny, adorable paws. Mother cat squeezes baby kitten into a warm, nurturing, fuzzy hug. Everyone in the world collectively loses their minds with joy.

Are these the cutest kittens ever?

This adorable sight is one that could have easily been a tale of tragedy. Four kittens were found abandoned in a concrete factory in Redruth, Cornwall, weak and malnourished. But they are now being nursed back to health and are very much in the pink - in more ways than one.

Anyone ever have "chicken on a tree", or squirrel pie?

___________
Article Written by: Kat Kinsman, Eatocracy Managing Editor - CNN

When judgment day comes -- which some US Christian fundamentalists insist will happen on Saturday -- have you thought about what you're going to do with the family dog and cat?

A tornado picked up a family dog and blew him away, but his will to live was so strong he crawled home on two broken legs and survived for two weeks before his family found him.

Your dog may be able to catch a ball in his mouth, but check out what this adorable beagle can do!

It's official: Smokey the cat has roared her way into Guinness World Records having achieved the loudest purr by a domestic cat.

Guinness said Thursday the gray-and-white tabby earned her place with record-setting 67.7 decibels. In a video on the cat's website, the 12-year-old, ordinary-size feline purrs with a sound akin to the cooing of an angry dove.

Smokey first rose to prominence in February, when her owner, Ruth Adams, ran a local competition for the most powerful purr. A community college recorded the purr and submitted it to Guinness.

Guinness says the loudest animal sounds are the low-frequency pulses made by blue whales and fin whales when they communicate with each other — sounds that reach 188 decibels. By comparison, a lawnmower is 90 decibels.

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Online:

Smokey's website:

http://www.smokeythepurringcat.com

I have had the privilege of the love of many animals during my lifetime, all of which have long passed on. No matter my day, good or not; they always were there for me with all the love and loyalty every day.

________________
Cover Story by: Jim Axelrod

Poor Denver the Lab knew he shouldn't steal the kitty treats, but darn it! Sometimes a dog just can't help himself. The faces he makes when caught tell it all. And who says dogs don't feel guilty?

What a beautiful blonde capuchin money. There are only about 180 of these primates left in the world.

The bond between cats and their owners turns out to be far more intense than imagined, especially for cat aficionado women and their affection reciprocating felines, suggests a new study.

He was drafted into Downing Street to catch rats but Larry the No.10 cat claimed his first victim when he took a swipe at a leading political reporter.
The white-and-tabby tom slashed at ITV correspondent Lucy Manning as she tried to hold onto him while filming a piece inside the Prime Minister's residence yesterday.
He had been drafted in to catch the rats which had appeared in her reports - but instead of targeting the rodents he went for the journalist.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357213/Downing-Street-cat-Larry-attacks-ITV-reporter-Lucy-Manning.html#ixzz1E8hniHbc

In a gaffe that will surely cost him the groundhog vote, Mayor Michael Bloomberg made nice to celebrity groundhog Staten Island Chuck in a photo op Wednesday, only to call the little fella a son of a (bleep!) a few seconds later.

Tsk! Tsk! And Chuck always speaks so highly of you, Mike.

COH, folks. Unless you happen to be a groundhog, hamster, squirrel, or other rodent, this is a humorous news story, not a political one. Please comment accordingly.

These smart raccoons knew who had a stocked pantry for the picking. They were the silent intruders night after night, until......................

"An Arizona restaurant has decided to scrap plans to offer African lion meat in its tacos.

About Dog Fort:
These are comics about a recon team of dog lobsters, led by team leader Red Lobster. and a communications officer named Dog Fort. They battle other beings lead by Cat Fort.

Even tried to tell the Court that it was a cat and couldn't speak English..........

This just about renders the word "cute" obsolete. After I said, "Awwwww" I said, "I want one!"

"The 2-1/2-year-old opossum has a growing Facebook following pushing 80,000 fans, sparked a popular song on YouTube and will soon star as a plush toy."

Maybe I can have one, after all!

Even the furry critters want to get out of town!

Calling all dog lovers that adopted a pooch in 2010..........

If that is a bald racoon, then I have a diamondback rattlesnake with four legs with feet!!

It's Christmas and the Indiana toll road is full of truckers, shoppers, business travelers and families trying to get home for the holidays. But it's a Thanksgiving weekend toll road miracle that's having a happy ending now.

In Elkhart County, the toll road became the scene of a serious accident. Bt from this near-tragedy emerged an unbelievable story -- of strangers connected by a simple act of kindness. NBC's Tricia Sloma has the story.

On the Saturday after...

Please check that live tree for a hidden squirrel, rodent, or such. Your cat just got fried by chewing through the Christmas lights! Anybody got a flashlight? Ooops, no batteries............

Now I know the scientists have gone bonkers, a singing mouse?

Ten weeks after giving birth to 17 puppies, the Rhodesian Ridgeback mother is to be spayed while her cute offspring leave for new homes, the dog's owner said Thursday.

Ramona Wegemann said the 26-hour labor was very tiresome for the mother, Etana, and she does not want to endanger the dog's health with another pregnancy.

Wegemann said she had to personally feed the eight female and nine male puppies with a bottle filled with special milk for several weeks, because Etana's nine nipples couldn't cope with the demand.

Caring for the puppies has "turned out to be a full-time job," she said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press that was at times interrupted by the din of puppies joyfully barking in the background.

Etana gave birth to the puppies on Sept. 28 in Wegemann's house in Ebereschenhof near Berlin.

Wegemann, a 32-year-old freelance animal psychiatrist, said she has been feeding the dogs at least five times a day. And when the puppies are not hungry they constantly want to be entertained inside their giant box in the family's living room.

"Now they sometimes also play with each other. But we still play with them. We also make them listen to CDs with noises from traffic, construction work or yelling kids to prepare them for real life," she said.

"All the puppies are well," she said. "We play with them in the snow and have started teaching them how to sit still."

The dog family, however, has started to shrink as one by one the puppies have left for new homes. Wegemann and her husband plan to give most of the puppies away.

"We usually have only three dogs, Etana and two others. But now our living room is full of them," she said.

Two of the puppies — which are now about 16 inches (42 centimeter) big — were given to friends and five others have been sold for about euro800 ($1,050) each, Wegemann said. The price only covers vets fees, and expenses for vaccinations, food and mandatory paperwork, she added.

"Ten of them are still up for grabs," she said, but adds they will only be given to families with children, not to breeders.

"We've already turned down families where it didn't feel right, where the puppies were just regarded as objects."

Wegemann said even with so many dogs at home, it's still difficult to let one go.

"It's really hard. Every time one of them leaves the house we're close to crying then."

The litter was Etana's second — she gave birth to just eight puppies in her first pregnancy, all of which were given names starting with 'A.'

Now it's onto 'B,' for the second litter, said Wegemann.

The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa, and the male Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus — all of them African names because the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog, said their owner.

___

Online:

http://tinyurl.com/3x2bfea

A Canadian beaver joins the ranks of other "talking" animals. This little fellow made it safely off a busy Canadian highway, slowing up traffic and providing a few chuckles after the fact.

"A family have adopted a wild 'agoraphobic' hare who is too scared to join her friends outside and instead stays inside watching TV with them and sleeping in their beds."

Roo is believed to have been born without any front legs. He arrived at the Riverside County Animal Shelter last week and once his story aired, the shelter was inundated with hundreds of calls from potential adopters.

More than 50 people sent in adoption applications but it was Bocz, who included a handwritten, heartfelt letter that won over shelter folks.

Roo, which is short for kangaroo, appeared to be happy with his new owner who cried and kissed the little pup upon their initial meeting.

Now we know why cats have 9 lives, they are all physicists and have it all figured out.

Have you ever looked relentlessly for something and didn't find it? Do your car keys ever just disappear? Are you missing jewelry out of the blue or money out of your wallet? Is that special ornament from your grandmother missing from the Christmas tree? You check everywhere.......frantically going through the garbage, your dressers, under the couch. Well, you're not going crazy. But before you go accusing your friends or family of stealing, you might want to try checking the inside of your dog's stomach!!

While Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, seem to have fallen on hard times (they were just in jail for squatting in a home they no longer owned and skipped out on their tab at a restaurant!) they allowed their dog, Doji to be placed in an animal shelter. Doji was possibly heading to euthanasia, however, a representative said there was a call from someone on the Quaids' behalf and they said that someone will be coming to pick up the dog in the next couple of days. Let's hope so. If they want to behave poorly, that's their choice. But they should at least fulfill their obligation to this poor dog and find a home for it and not let Doji get euthanized. Doji has already been at the shelter for a few days and dogs that go unclaimed for more than several days get put to sleep. Let's hope someone steps up and helps this dog.

An elderly Hydro man landed in jail after springing his prized pooch from the town kennel. Instead of paying a $100 fine for not having his poodle on a leash, 73-year-old Edwin Fry decided to bust Buddy Tough out, driving his lawnmower to the city pound Oct. 13 and breaking into the cage with bolt cutters.

As the pair escaped, police officer Chris Chancellor intercepted them.

Chancellor told The Oklahoman officers had received numerous complaints about Buddy Tough, who had been in the pound before. He said Fry had been told he could retrieve the dog and sort out the fine in court.

"I've been in law enforcement 20 years, and this is the first time I've known of anyone that has busted a dog out of jail," Chancellor told The Oklahoman.

Fry spent several days in jail, and faces a municipal charge of allowing an animal to run at-large.

Fry didn't deny the charges. He told The Oklahoman that he warned police to stay away from his dog unless they wanted to face his shotgun.

As for Buddy Tough, he was euthanized while Fry was in jail.

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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com

"Flipper" Rudolf makes his performance. The kids like it very much. ;-)

Spiegel -(quote):"They thought they were just getting sand and sea. But vacationers on the Belgian North Sea coast have been wowed by a dolphin who has shown a penchant for putting on a show close to shore."-(unquote)

Someone told me that all the nuts are now in politics. Geeeez, now what am I going to store for the winter? It looks like all they left me was a chewing gum wrapper. They at least could have left me the stick of gum. It would have been something a bit tasty, even if it stuck to my buck teeth!

I know, I will just have to wait a little while for some new nuts to fall from the trees. I hope these will be better than the old ones. I sure hope they are more generous than the last ones. You can get awfully hungry waiting for that little scrap to come your way.

I guess I had better move onto the next scavenging area to see what I can find to feed my family. I have enough scrounged to hold my family until the new crop of nuts arrive in a few weeks.

Hi there friend, got any acorns to spare??

The red, white, and blue truck, dubbed 'K99,' will dish (and cone) up a variety of pup-friendly flavors like "Dog Eat Hog World," a concoction of cured leg of pork and chicken. Then there's the classic "Canine Cookie Crunch," which is vanilla ice cream topped off with dog biscuits.

Hi friends and buddies! My name is Sheba and I am a lovely Sheltie dog. I was so glad to get taken out of that bad place that the people call "puppy mill". These people seem nice, I wonder if they have any others like me. This sure is taking a long time to get to their place, and I have to pee!! Okay, the car stopped, door opened. Gotta get outa here fast, ahhhhh. Now that I peed, I can do some exploring.

The lady picks me up, and praises me. Hey, I might like it here. I hear a familiar sound coming from that house. Ah, others like me, Yea!!! In we go to be greeted by dogs that are bigger than me! Ut oh!! I might be in trouble, but I will introduce myself and make friends with them. The man & lady both called me "Sheba", I like that for a name.

My name is Playgirl Penny, and I am a lady of distinction here, I am a Wired Fox Terrier, and I don't shed like you will. I will teach you the ropes, so that you don't look like a dope. I might get to like you after I get to know you.

Okay, my turn!! My name is Wahoo and Playgirl Penny is my mama. I don't look like her, but I had a great daddy that fell in love with my mama. His name was Romeo, and he was a Chihuahua. So, I have airplane wings for ears like my daddy's. I will beat you out the door to pee, I can run faster than you.

This is such a nice home and I have such great buddies now, I am going to love being part of this family. What was that squawk? Oh, that looks like a bird! My name is Satchmo, and I am a Chinese Crested Mynah Bird. My favorite word is Hi! I am not your lunch!!

I lived to be 7 years old, and I'm romping with all of my friends and buddies.

Okay now friends and buddies out there, what are your names and where do you live?

Late last month I ran outside to investigate this horrific
squealing I heard through my window . It turned out to
be a baby squirrel that Knievel was preparing to
dispatch . Knievel is the daredevil and mighty hunter
of a cat who shares my roof . I got there in time to
prevent the hunter from finishing off his prey .

I separated Knievel from the little squirrel and checked
on his condition . He stood up and walked without any
obvious signs of injury . Thus assured about his well
being I turned to go back inside , but then the odd
thing happened . The little guy actually started to follow
me ! After some trepidation about his intentions and
worries about possible rabies , I put my palm down in
front of him . He walked onto it and sat down .
Of course , I just had to bring him inside .

I tried feeding him some pieces of nut but no go .
Since squirrels are in the mammal family I figured it
couldn't hurt to try some condensed milk . Sure
enough , the little guy lapped it up almost like a kitten
would . And boy , was he hungry !

It looked like I had that major problem solved but I still
hadn't figured out how to keep Knievel from taking up
where he left off . It was tricky for a while since this cat
is very persistent . You should see how he has torn up
my window screens trying to get at lizards . Eventually ,
I put the little guy , who I had by now given the moniker
"Tree Hugger" , into a large plastic file box with some
air holes drilled . He really liked the cloth bottom I put
in there and would snuggle into it before dozing off .

OK , I hear you saying , this is getting just too cute .
Where's the catch ? Just as I was starting to get used
to the frisky little guy something unforseen happened .
I came upon him [ TH ] munching on some solid food
of some kind . I couldn't tell what it was . All I know is ,
shortly after that he began to act shy and withdrawn .
He started to sleep quite a lot . Later that same day ,
when I tried to give him his midnight snack , he
wouldn't eat . And the next morning , when I opened his
enclosure he was already cold and stiff . There wasn't
even time to get him to a vet .

After the initial shock and grief , I started to worry about
my own exposure . What could have killed him that fast ?
Was it rabies ? I preserved his little body in a plastic
bag in the freezer to verify if that was the case . At the
urging of a friend I called the county dept. of health .
They indicated that there hadn't been a case of rabies
documented in a squirrel for over 90 years . The CDC
website was similarly reassuring .

OK , I hear some of you saying " Fuhgahdsakes nSZ , It
was just a squirrel . Get over it ! " Yeah , but he was
my squirrel . He followed me . He walked into the palm
of my hand and into my life . Now he's gone .
Do I miss him ? Hell yeah !

Anyway , I still haven't taken his little body out and buried him .
But I did add a notation on my calendar "TH RIF" .

The headline says it all!

Today has been a challenging day. As some of you may know, I have Fibromyalgia, so every morning when I wake up, I am greeted with pain. That's how I start off my day, every day. Well, today was like no other. I got up, took my "breakfast" of medications and went to go feed the cats. (Yes, I'm also a cat lady) Well, I went into the garage like I always do, to get some cat food out of the container and I saw a cat on my washing machine. First of all, it's not my cat and second of all, I have seen this cat around the neighborhood and it seems to be a stray. On one particular hot, sunny day, I saw this cat under a car and thought it must be very hot and uncomfortable, so I brought ice water and canned and dry cat food to it and set it by the cat. It was a mean, old, male cat and didn't seem happy, but as I walked away, he came out and ate and drank. When he was done, I removed the dishes and he went back under the car with his belly full. Well, fast forward to today. I see this cat on my washing machine and he looks very old and I smell a horrible smell. If someone asked what kind of smell it was, it was the smell of death. Concerned, I walked over to the cat cautiously and saw that it was bleeding all over one side of his head and had a big, gaping wound on his neck, which was also bloody and looked pretty bad. As I got near him, he growled and hissed. I knew he was hurting and I didn't want to bother him, so I brought over a dish with some dry and canned food. He did eat it and then he layed back down. The problem I was having internally though, was that I was upset to see an animal in distress, he smelled horrible and the wounds were bad and I saw a big raccoon in my neighbor's yard the night before, so now I am wondering if the raccoon attacked him and could he possibly have rabies? All these thoughts were running through my mind and I was getting upset because I am a big animal lover and can't stand to see animals in distress or injured, let alone the fact that this cat could be dying or have rabies. Since I now live in Florida, it is not odd to find raccoons, opossums, even alligators in your back yard. I have trapped and released many opossums by myself, because any time I call an organization for help, they tell me it will cost me $200.00 just to come out and try to catch it. So, I've trapped opossums and brought them to the woods near my house and then released them. For raccoons, I make a lot of noise, wait until they are leaving my fenced yard and then I let out my big Yellow Lab, Simba, who is quite intimidating and we stand there with me making noise and her barking and we watch them go somewhere else. I can't afford to pay $200.00 to catch every raccoon or opossum that shows up in our yard or the neighbor's.These are the fun perks you get from living in Florida. But I digress. This cat is angry and injured and my pets like to go and play in the garage sometimes and now I'm worried about their safety, the cat's safety and possibly my own, if it was attacked by the raccoon. So, I make the choice to call the SPCA because this is something I can't fix and I'm not equipped to help this cat medically. I call the SPCA and they are closed and their message says that if you find any animal who is injured, aggressive, possibly dying or a potential threat to other animals or people, call the following numbers, which they give you. I remembered one and dialed. A man picks up and asks what I am calling about. I start to explain that I found a very injured cat in my garage that doesn't belong to me and he asks me to hold, because there are real emergencies he has to deal with and then he puts me on hold for awhile. While waiting, I nudge the cat out of the garage door (which was not easy and upset me to move him) and now he goes underneath the neighbor's car. The man gets back on the phone and I start to explain why I'm calling and he interrupts me and asked where I live and what my name is. I tell him my name, but try to explain that the cat is now next door, but the man interrupts again and asks for my name and my address. I tell him I already told him my name and if he would just let me finish what I'm trying to say, he would know it's not my address he needs, but rather my neighbor's address. He then says that this is the Fire Department I'm talking to and there are other emergencies. I told him I did not dial 911, but dialed a number given to me on the SPCA answering machine and based on their message, this fits the emergency criteria. He then gets even louder and starts shouting "What is your name and address?" I said my name again and said "What is your name?" He said even louder "What is your last name?" To which I replied "what's your name?" He would not give me his name, but did give me his operator number. I said to him that I did not intend to be an inconvenience, however, I was told to call the number provided by SPCA and did not deserve to get shouted and screamed at, at which point he interrupted me again and started shouting. I told him I did not appreciate his aggressive behavior and could he just talk to me kindly and again, he started yelling about something, although I was so upset that I gave him the name and address and then asked what his name was, and again he would not give me his name, only his operator number and started yelling again that I was calling the Fire Department about a cat. I again asked him to treat me with some respect and kindness and he got even louder and aggressive. This was upsetting me and I tried to tell him I just wanted help and that I deserve to be treated like a human being and should be spoken to with kindness and I didn't know I was calling a Fire Department in the first place, but he kept interrupting me, so I hung up. About an hour later, an Animal Control officer showed up at my door and asked if I was Laura?He said although he did not hear the phone call, the Operator was talking about me and acted as though I did something wrong and said that the Operator put me on hold for awhile, so maybe that made me mad?Isaid it didn't make me mad, I get put on hold a lot. What made me mad was his arrogance and he seemed to be on some power trip and would not let me talk and explain anything and kept interrupting me. At this point, I got emotional because it bothers me when people are unkind and I was so upset about the cat being injured and the argument was unnecessary. By the time Animal Control showed up, we could no longer find the cat. Because of the operator's actions and words, I was busy dealing with that instead of keeping an eye on the cat, which made me feel even worse. The Animal Control man said I seemed like a nice girl and I did the right thing by calling. We looked for the cat together and couldn't find it. He left saying that I did the right thing, but as he left I felt even worse. Now, the cat is out there somewhere, injured and needing medical assistance. And because of the Operator yelling at me, I lost sight of what was important...the cat. I can only hope it is a resiliant cat and perhaps the injuries look worse than they are, or maybe someone else will find it and help it. But, if they call that same number...?

"Yes, you read that right. If you think cats only like strings, feathers and sparkly things, then boy do you have another thing coming. Cats love cardio like cats love attention.

Check out the call of this horse race which comes down to 'My Wife Knows Everything' vs. 'My Wife Doesn't Know'

These males are now dancing their way to the female's dinner plate, here in the Sonoran Desert.

Many New Zealand women agree their loved pooches are better listeners than their partners, while some men believe their dogs show them more affection, a pet care company survey shows.

Police said a traffic stop led to animal cruelty charges after they found a live cat "marinating" in oil and peppers in the trunk of a car. Buffalo police say officers heard the cat meowing when they stopped 51-year-old Gary Korkuc of Cheektowaga to ticket him for running a stop sign Sunday night.

They said they checked the trunk and found 4-year-old Navarro in a cage, his fur covered with oil, crushed red peppers and chili peppers.

Police said Korkuc told them he did it because Navarro was ill-tempered. Korkuc was charged with cruelty and released; his phone number isn't listed.

Police said he told them he was going to cook Navarro. But they say Korkuc also complained that the neutered male cat got pregnant after he was spayed.

Animal advocates have cleaned Navarro and put him up for adoption.

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Information from: The Buffalo News, http://www.buffalonews.com

Cute!

So much for the four wheels, try 4 feet that will work cheaper than hiring a human to do the job. Getting back to nature are we?

Previously after our hike up the waterfall poor Reina was limping and beat down. When we went to Petsmart (she has dog medical insurance there, hopefully nobody reforms it) we bought her a squeeky dog toy as a get well present. It was a squeeky carrot for an injured doggy. Well before she got better Sophie was playing with the carrot and began to believe it was hers. This created an imbalance in the land of the short ones and soon enough a confrontation was brewing over who was the rightfull owner of the carrot. So tonight in the 14 pound Chihuahua style dog division we have our two opponents.

In the bad dog corner wearing the brown fur, half chihuahua, and half dachshund is Sophie employing her weeny style.

In the "illegal alien dog" corner wearing the black fur with doby trim, half ankle pincher, and half chihuahua is Reina employing her angry pinscher style.

Let's get ready to rrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmbbbbbbblllllllllleeeee!!!

Disclaimer: This is Dog wrestling and as such causes no injury to the doggies whatsoever, they just get tired, thirsty, and probably eat more. As it was all their idea, I can take no responsibility for anything but safety which because I was hanging around was assured.

I live in a small condo community where the majority of the residents are the elderly and retired, me included.

About a month ago we all had the pleasure of a furry little visitor in the form of the cutest little tabby with light brown medium length hair and tufts of fur branching out from each tiny cheek. The little girl could not have been one year old yet and loved to be loved by all. She would come around every few days or so and just walk up to any one outside and walk back and forth against our ankles until we sat down so she could sit in our lap and soak up the attention. Once, while I was just relaxing on my patio, she just strutted right over, up in my lap, layed down and just purred herself to sleep. With in minutes she was dreaming about chasing bunnies. I tell could she was dreaming by the way she twitched her tiny paws and rolled over on her back with her tiny paws curled in purrfect relaxation. Now, I'm not the only one that she would go to, she would be like this with everyone of us in the complex. Well, with the exceptionof the lady next door to me. She felt sorry for her and began to feed her on a daily basis. Every morning she would set out a little dish of food and water for our community kitten. Since that was where she found food it became her home base. She could always be found on her food patio. Community cat, I think that's the way we all felt about the little girl. When ever we stopped to talk or visit each other, the kitten was always part of the conversation.

Last week, during a friendly poker game among some of us old gamblers, (nichol and dime stuff) one of the guys noticed that our little girl was pregnant. That put me in a state of worry. I just couldn't see her out in the rain and heat that we're having and deliver kittens by her self with nobody there if needed. For the next week I would keep an extra eye out for her just to see how she was doing. One night I stepped out on my deck, which is over my patio and there she was being chased by raccoons. She managed to stay out of their way while they ate all of her food. This put me over the top in the worry department. The next day I called the pet adoption center and asked if there was anything that could be done. After some back and forth on the type of cat and if I would like to adopt her. If not for the big old jealous tom that I already have I would have jumped at it. I already tried to see if Buddy, my big tomcat, would go for a little friend and in no uncertain terms, NO.

I slept on it one more night and watched her through the next day to see how she was doing. She still had that playfulness of a kitten and a huge want for attention. After diner I went to make one more check on her and, to my horror, she was being chased by a possum. Again, she managed to keep her distance but lost her food a second time. Then I started thinking about her kittens and what would happen to them with all the other wild life out there.

I made up my mind. I checked with all those who knew our little girl and we all agreed, the adoption center was the best hope for our little girl. I got my pet carrier out of the garage the next day and with a little food for coaxing, I got her in and off to the adoption center. I don't know why, but she slept all the way there. At the center she was checked for a chip and there was none so she was an official stray. No, not a stray in the communities mind. I asked if it would be alright if I could check on her later in the week and they said that she would probably go to a foster home to have her kittens. Then she and her kittens would come back to the shelter and be put up for adoption.

Now she is out of the rain and heat and on her way to a loving home. It is my sincerest hope that she finds the home of her dreams and garners all the attention she deserves. For the month that she was here, she was the communities kitten. No one single family claimed her and she claimed no one person as her favorite. We all called her CP. Those are the initials of our complex here so that was her name. Cp, have a wonderful life and who knows, maybe we'll see each other again.

Just an added note; please people, take care of your pets. Get them spade and neutered. If you could see all the furry little eyes just begging for a home. Almost every cat, adult and kitten, at the shelter would come to the front of the cage and, in their way, asked for a home to go to. If you've got space in your heart and home, check the nearest adoption center. I promise you wont be sorry.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A Colorado woman convicted of taping her boyfriend's dog to a refrigerator has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years' probation.

This was the pitiful result when a pet dog trapped without food and water made a desperate attempt to free herself.

Nikita, a rottweiler cross, tried to crawl through a six-inch vent used for a tumble dryer and was left with her head sticking through the outside wall of her owner's flat.

This sure doesn't sound good for all the little critters and such..........

They are still out to lunch as to whether this can be applied to.............

How many pet owners have gotten a chuckle out of watching their dog sleep while its paws race frenetically in place?

Many figured that Rover was romping somewhere in dreamland, and scientists say they were right: Pets do dream while sleeping.

Caught in an unlikely showdown with a giant bison, this plucky prairie dog might be best advised to pick on someone his own size.

The cheeky rodent was pictured taking part in an apparent staring battle with the beast in a prairie dog colony – known as a 'town' – in the Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, in Oklahoma.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are just 12-16 inches long and weigh between one and three pounds.

American bison, also called American buffalo, can tower at six feet six inches high, 10 feet long, and can weigh a staggering 2,500 pounds.

As they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.........

That brave hero Tucker declared, "not my sister, mister coyote."

A man was reportedly run over by his own truck after his dog put it into gear. The sheriff's office reported that 43-year-old Christopher Bishop was checking under his Ford F-150 for oil leaks Sunday evening. He had put the running truck into neutral and left the driver's door open. While he was under the truck, Bishop's bulldog, Tassey, jumped into the truck and knocked the vehicle into gear. The truck rolled over the left side of Bishop's body.

Bishop managed to get up, stop the vehicle and go into his house. After several hours of pain, Bishop finally called for help.

He was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

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Information from: St. Petersburg Times, http://tampabay.com

Her dogs and staff were probably more loyal than her family, good news always is welcome nowadays...........

The kitten born with two faces in Charleston was given a 50 percent chance of survival by an area veterinarian. The kitten known as Two Face brought the animal to the vet shortly after it was born on Wednesday because its mother refused to nurse the kitten. Dr. Erica Drake said the kitten was born with a rare condition called diprosopus, which means the kitten literally has two faces. Two Face has four eyes, two noses and two mouths.

Drake said the kitten's two mouths act independently and she believes each mouth has a separate esophagus leading to one stomach. It'll take a closer look at the kitten's internal anatomy before known about how the kitten will be able to function.

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Information from: The Charleston Gazette, http://www.wvgazette.com