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Bolt

krae85 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:58:42 -0800

I was thinking that movies making money from the cuteness of the animals they feature (BOLT, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) would really earn my respect if they donated a certain percentage of profits to animals shelters. Wouldn't that be great? Why don't they do that already? John Travolta should get 15 million, but the cgi puppy that he voices earns nothing for animals in shelters? It's practically a crime! Cute puppies (or the likeness of a cute puppy) sells tickets, real pets should get some of that dough!

The Bizarre History of White House Pets

NurseKimberly — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:57:01 -0800

In his victory speech on Tuesday night, Barack Obama promised his daughters Sasha and Malia that they’d get to bring a new puppy with them to the White House in January. It’s a good thing Obama said “Yes, we can” to the girls’ request to go the pet store; for all of his charm, ability, and oratorical flair, he could never be our nation’s chief executive without a White House pet. Counting Obama, the country has had 44 Presidents, and only two of them—Chester A. Arthur and Franklin Pierce—left no record of having pets. Like Obama himself, the family pooch will have some big shoes to fill. Previous White House pets have set the bar pretty high. Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Billy: Calvin Coolidge’s Pygmy Hippopotamus
Calvin Coolidge may have been known for his reticence, but he showed little of his trademark reserve when it came to acquiring pets. After taking over the presidency upon the death of Warren G. Harding, Coolidge assembled a menagerie that would rival most zoos’ collections. He had six dogs, a bobcat, a goose, a donkey, a cat, two lion cubs, an antelope, and a wallaby. The main attraction in his personal zoo, though, was Billy, a pygmy hippopotamus.
Billy was born in Liberia, but was captured at a young age. He came into the possession of tire mogul Harvey Firestone, who gave Billy to President Coolidge as a gift, possibly because Firestone didn’t want to feed the critter. (Even a pygmy hippo is still quite rotund; Billy was six feet long and weighed upwards of 600 pounds.)
Coolidge donated Billy to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Since there were only a handful of pygmy hippos in the U.S. at the time, Billy quickly went to work as a stud, an endeavor at which he found some success. He sired 23 little hippos, and many of the pygmy hippos you see in American zoos today are his offspring.
2. The White House Gators
Herbert Hoover wanted to put a chicken in every pot, a car in every garage, and…a gator in the Oval Office? It’s true. Hoover owned a slew of dogs, but those weren’t his only pets. His second son, Allan Henry Hoover, owned a pair of gators that were occasionally allowed to wander around the White House grounds. Sound crazy? Blame John Quincy Adams for setting the precedent. The sixth president also had a pet gator. His was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette; it lived in a bathroom in the East Room of the White House. According to some reports, he enjoyed using the gator to scare his guests.
3. Fala: FDR’s Traveling Companion
What do you get the Depression-conquering president who has everything? A lapdog. In 1940 Franklin Roosevelt received a Scottish Terrier puppy named Big Boy as an early Christmas gift from a family friend. FDR immediately realized that Big Boy was no name for a presidential companion and rechristened the pooch Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, after a Scottish ancestor. For the sake of simplicity, though, he called his new pal Fala.
After that, Fala became FDR’s inseparable companion and traveled everywhere the President went. The dog “gave” $1 a day to the war effort, generosity that earned him the rank of honorary private in the Army. Each morning when FDR’s breakfast tray came in, it included a bone for Fala. Fala also made a famous appearance in one of his master’s speeches. When FDR was decrying personal attacks from his political opponents, he jokingly said that it was okay to mock him, but leave Fala alone. “You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I had left him behind on the Aleutian Islands and had sent a destroyer back to find him — at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or 20 million dollars — his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since!” Fala stayed with FDR until the President’s death in 1945 and lived in the care of Eleanor Roosevelt until his death in 1952.
4. Millie: Literary Sensation
When George H.W. Bush took office in 1989, he brought his pet springer spaniel Millie to the White House. The bubbly canine won over the nation’s heart so completely that she even collaborated with the First Lady on Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush. Millie brought further joy to the Bush family when she gave birth to a litter of six presidential puppies in 1989. Just as her master helped slip one of his boys into the White House, so did Millie: when George W. Bush moved into the Oval Office, so did his dog, Millie’s son Spot Fetcher.
5. Barney, Miss Beazley & India: The Current Residents
Sadly, Spot Fetcher had to be put down in 2004, but the Bushes aren’t pet-deprived now. They have a pair of Scottish Terriers named Barney and Miss Beazley, both of whom have websites and appear in White House-produced web videos. (Your tax dollars adorably at work!) The Bushes also have a black cat named India, who also goes by “Willie.” The name India rankled some citizens of the country of the same name to the point that many Indians supposedly named their dogs “Bush.” The name wasn’t meant to be controversial, though; the Bushes merely named their cat after Ruben “El Indio” Sierra, who played for the Texas Rangers while George W. owned the team. Spot Fetcher was similarly named after former Rangers middle infielder Scott Fletcher.
Other First Pets of Note:
Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection – Benjamin Harrison’s two opossums. Harrison’s son Russell also had a pet goat named Old Whiskers.
Pauline – The last cow to live at the White House. She made milk for President Taft’s consumption.
Old Ike – To save cash during World War I, Woodrow Wilson brought in a flock of sheep to take care of the White House’s groundskeeping duties. Old Ike, a ram, supposedly chewed tobacco.
Laddie Boy – Warren G. Harding’s beloved Airedale who had his own seat at Cabinet meetings and gave a 1921 “interview” with The Washington Post in which he talked about Prohibition and shortening the workday for guard dogs.

Liberty – Gerald Ford’s golden retriever hung out in the Oval Office and could supposedly read a sign from Ford that she should go be affectionate to guests—a cute and cuddly way to gracefully end the President’s conversations.

Socks and Buddy – President Clinton’s faithful cat and the chocolate lab he acquired while in office. Socks didn’t like Buddy’s youthful friendliness, so the two pets had to be kept separated at all times. The tensions were so bad that the family couldn’t keep both pets at the end of Bill’s second term, so Socks went to live with Clinton’s secretary, Betty Currie.
Gamecocks – Ulysses S. Grant supposedly kept some gamecocks at the White House.
Two tiger cubs – Martin Van Buren received the cats as a gift from the Sultan of Oman. Congress supposedly made him give the gift to a zoo.
Satan – One of Abigail Adams’ unfortunately named dogs. She called the other one Juno.
Jonathan Edwards – Theodore Roosevelt received this black bear cub as a gift from supporters in West Virginia who gave the bear the name, he wrote to a friend, “partly because they thought they detected Calvinistic traits in the bear’s character.”
Dr. Johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans, and Father O’Grady – Teddy Roosevelt’s kids also had these tremendously named guinea pigs.
Josiah – Roosevelt also had a pet badger, of course.
Bonus Trivia: Checkers Nixon’s dog was immortalized in the “Checkers speech,” which Nixon gave while facing allegations of illegal campaign contributions. He said the only gift he’d accepted was a cocker spaniel named Checkers for his daughters. Checkers, however, was never the White House dog. This scandal bubbled up while Nixon was Eisenhower’s running mate in the 1952 election, and Nixon gave the Checkers speech to convince Republicans to keep him on the ticket. Although the speech was a success and Nixon later made it to the White House, Checkers never got to be First Dog; he passed away in 1964.

OMG - cuteness overload!!

bluesuze — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:10:59 -0800

Click here to watch a live feed of these cute little guys rolling around, playing with each other and sleeping.

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

I saw this on Dlisted, it's just so stinkin' adorable!

Aussie Pet Dog Saves 4 Kittens from House Fire

Shadowdamage — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:34:19 -0800

Its always amazing to me when an animal will protect another species like this, showing such bravery in the face of all odds.

However I find it kind of sad that the family got out with one dog and just left the others inside. I am hoping its simply because they were unable to get to them.

Glad the firefighters made it in time, and that the little pooch is okay - the video is touching, showing them giving Leo oxygen treatment and bringing him back around.

************************************

When the fire broke out inside the house, the family of four plus their other dog managed to escape.

A 37-year-old woman, her 18-year-old son, two daughters aged five and 11 and their pet dog Barney all got out of the house in the western suburb of Seddon.

Left inside was Leo and four kittens. While everyone else had rushed out of the burning house, Leo refused to leave the tiny kittens trapped inside.

When firefighters arrived they found Leo inside a bedroom, guarding the kittens in a cardboard box.

However Leo paid the price for his bravery. He suffered from the smoke and heat.

Firefighters rushed the dog to safety and revive the unconscious Leo with a heart massage and oxygen.

Leo was recovering from his ordeal and firefighters had given him a clean bill of health.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Sources:

Video:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081026/video/vwl-dog-risks-life-to-save-fou...

Story:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081026/twl-dog-risks-life-to-save-four-kitt...

Only in Texas

Great Sommelier — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:50:35 -0700

I love this. Herd Pig. I have known several people to keep pigs as pets, but never a feral hog. This is great. And we had the same dinner Friday night! $5 hot-n-ready pepperoni from Little Caesar's and a Dr. Pepper.

TOO CUTE!

Mykie7 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:51:06 -0700

BLIND CAT SAVES WOMAN FROM BURGLAR!!!

SoBeLinda — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:04:34 -0700

Hey, guys! I just had to share this AMAZING story about a tiny blind kitty who saved the woman he lives with (I can never say "owner") from a burglar. It is the most incredible story about a cat you will ever read. As a single girl living alone, like the woman who wrote the story!, I like to think my own fuzzy guys would jump in and save me if I needed them to.

You can find the story here: http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=24775

Go read it! Go now!

3 Lifesavers for the pet owner

Paxtonita — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:24:48 -0700

I've had dogs for a long time, and these three products have made life Much easier

1. Dogswell treats (www.dogswell.com)-- I have 2 small very picky dogs. Forget about giving them normal cookie type treats, they turn their noses up.

But... Dogswell treats are like crack cocaine for dogs--- all natural dried meet. I can get my dogs to do anything for a dogswell treat and I guarantee that even the pickiest dog will love these them.

2. Comfy Cone- forget about those old cones you put on your dog's head so they won't lick a wound. There's a better option! Check out the new Comfy Cones. Same concept, but these cones are made out of a soft foam, so your dog can sleep and eat comfortably. check them out here: http://www.funstufffordogs.com/comfyconepetcollar.html

3. Tired of that doggie odor? Company coming over and no time to wash your dog? Check out Dry Dog Instant Clean-- it's a spray on bath replacement-- think dry shampoo for fido. Find it at http://www.happytailsspa.com/Dry-Dog-Instant-Clean?sc=21&category=13

It's like doggie Prozac!

Paxtonita — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:57:55 -0700

Okay, so it's NOT doggie prozac but an all natural herbal remedy called Sleepytime Tonic.

Just put a few drops in your dogs mouth or on a treat and it calms down your dog. I give it to my dogs before they go to the groomer, during thunderstorms, travel etc.

It contains good stuff like passion flower, vervain, flower essenses and more.

Find it here http://www.happytailsspa.com/site/Doggie-Prozac.html
Sleepytime Tonic

The Perfect Birthday Card for Paris Hilton :: Clever Greeting Cards by She's SO Creative

shesocreative — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:47:20 -0700

She's SO Creative is chock full of outrageously clever and devilishly adorable greeting cards established by San Francisco Bay Area artist and graphic designer, Stephanie Orma (the SO in She's SO Creative). http://www.shesocreative.com
"I'm A Dog, I'm A Dog But My Mom Won't Admit It" Greeting Card by She's SO Creative

She's SO Creative :: Clever Greeting Cards

shesocreative — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:34:58 -0700

Check out these adorable greeting cards from cheeky wordsmith Stephanie Orma's fresh new card line, She's SO Creative! http://www.shesocreative.com

PupCakes Note Cards by She's SO Creative

Jack

Trixie6 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:30:32 -0700

My little guy is four weeks old now. He's so fat!

Sleepyhead!

A full tummy and a mommy hug.

Mr Fat Pink Belly

Cracking and breaking nails

jstoughtenger — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:32:36 -0700

My weimaraner puppy, 8 mnths, keeps breaking nails. She has had one split and parts half break off 3 times and now she has another doing it. Anyone have any suggestions?

For all of you Satorialist lovers, I give you 'The Catorialist'

LuciLu — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:44:26 -0700

Quite possibly the greatest site of ALL TIME ---

The Catorialist

LOVE IT!

Loss

g1amourpuss — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:38:34 -0700

Our alpha cat died today. I'm pretty sad about it.

DO YOU HAVE A PET?

HETHER LYN — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:29:42 -0700

PETS

Responsible Pit Bull (hell, DOG) owners

baltimoregal — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:30:21 -0700

1. DO NOT alter their animal's appearance for unnecessary reasons. This includes ear and tail docking.
2. Crate-train their animals. Veterinarians and trainers agree this is the easiest way to potty-train an animal, as well as prevent separation anxiety and destruction caused by teething and a puppy's natural chewing impulses, which often don't begin until a puppy is older.
3. DO NOT strike or otherwise physically punish a puppy. This is counterproductive and will eventually come back to make the puppy aggressive.
4. Socialize their animals early, and often- so they do not fear things. Before your puppy is 12 weeks old, make sure it has met other adults, children, and babies, as well as people of other races. Also make sure it has met dogs (that you know have had ALL VACCINATIONS) and cats, if possible. Take your pup for car rides and walks so they experience different sounds and smells.
5. DO NOT take their puppy to a dog park or dog "common area" before they've had all their vaccines (3 mos.). This exposes them to parvo, a devastating virus that is often deadly.
6. Exercise their puppy regularly- one hour of walking/heavy play per day is important once the puppy is past three months of age unless there are health problems.
7. DO NOT give their puppy adult food before 6 months of age. Puppies need the extra vitamins and fats in puppy food. Make sure the puppy only eats the amount recommended. Do not feed dogs people food!
7. Spay/neuter their dog when their vet recommends. Breeding dogs should be left to licensed breeders, and fixing your pup means they will live longer and be less aggressive.

A happy dog is hard work but well worth it!

Inconsiderate Roommate

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:32:12 -0700

I live with one of my friends from High School. We're really close in age; she's 19 and I'm 20. We get along well in most circumstances, but there are a few things that are absolutely driving me insane.

She started seeing her current boyfriend about six months ago. When she's actually in town (more on that later...), he's here most nights of the week. It's like he doesn't have his own apartment! When they're together, he's nice and tries to include others in conversation, but she completely shuts down and ignores all but him. They aren't a fun couple to hang out with, and when I wake up every single morning to them eating my cereal, eggs, or other foodstuffs, needless to say, it grates on me a bit. Granted, my boyfriend stays over sometimes, but there's a balance: he's overnight at our apartment maybe twice a week. I sometimes stay at his, and sometimes **GASP** I sleep alone. Even then, several of my friends have commented on how we're much easier to be around than my roomie and her beau. I've told her before to tone it down, but after a couple of weeks, they're back in their old ways.

Secondly, she absolutely had to get a cat. No ifs, ands or buts about it. The SPCA was having a 50% off sale because they had too many kitties. I was only OK with the idea. When we went to the shelter to look at cats, I immediately started sneezing and developed itchy, watery eyes. I'm slightly allergic to cats and dogs, but not enough to break out in hives, I guess. "Oh! Just don't touch your eyes!" she offered. Begrudgingly, I agreed to get this cat with the understanding that it was her cat. About a week after she got this cat, she had to go to a memorial service in Colorado for a week. About two weeks later, she left for Canada for a month. 5 days after she gets back from Canada, she's off to Washington state for another 8! I was left with a cat that I'm slightly allergic to, don't really care for, and wakes me up by meowing at my door at 6 am regardless of the day. I had to take this cat to a vet follow up visit that required me to get up at 5 in the morning, drive 20 miles and pay $20 more than the roommate left me for her cat's vet visit. The precious little feline even elected to poo on the bathroom floor earlier in the week, so I got to power-bleach the floor, litter-pad and bath mat. I don't understand why we had to get a cat IMMEDIATELY if: a) I was visually and audibly reacting badly to all the dander; b) she knew she'd be gone for 6 weeks of a 9-week period and; c) I'm fairly certain cats will still be around when she gets back. I get to vacuum every other day and so far, I've spent about $40 on OTC allergy pills and still wake up with a stuffy nose every morning.
She comes back in a few days, only to leave for Washington for 8. Would it be totally wrong of me to ask her to board it or have it stay at her boyfriend's place?

Other than those two huge things, she's a perfectly fine roommate. Yeah, she teaches music lessons at weird times of day (IE, when I'm coming home from work/school, mornings that happen to fall on my day off) but she's consolidating all her lessons to my work hours on Sunday. (Oh, and she's using my violin to do this. I don't charge rent on it, but I'm not using it because of injury... it's kinda weird when I think about it. She has her own viola, though.) And we all have our annoying foibles. I just don't know how to deal with those two things. I don't want to provide an ultimatum, because I don't want to lose our friendship and I don't want her to choose a cat over me, but I am starting to resent her a bit.

Dear carnival goldfish, please don't kick the bucket

bluesuze — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:12:50 -0700

We had just a grand ole' time at the county fair this weekend. My son decided to take a stab at winning a goldfish. They gave you the option of taking home a live goldfish, or winning some little plastic toy, and he jumped at the chance to win the fish.

So, with plastic ziploc bag sloshing around in hand, we left and headed to the petstore to pick up a bowl along with a few other items. My 3 year old looked fondly at his new pet, and said he wanted to name him Grey. Out of the hundreds of "gold" goldfish, he won the only silver goldfish.

Last night Grey was frolicking around his new home, doing just fine. This morning when we went to feed Grey breakfast, he was just sort of languishing at the bottom. Gosh darnit. I was not ready to be having the death discussion already with this thing. I knew carnival fish don't last all that long, but one day?? And why in the heck couldn't my son have won a regular gold goldfish? I could have just snuck out and replaced him with a dupe.

Well, Grey, here's to hoping you decide to stick around just a little longer!

no pets for guys

gabitzgabitz — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:15:36 -0700

What is going on in the middle east!!!!!! In an attempt to keep the sexes apart, the extremely religious Islamic country of Saudi Arabia has made a new law: all sales of dogs and cats as pets have been banned in the capital of Riyadh. Walking your previously purchased pets in public is also banned.

Othman al-Othman, from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, said the ban was ordered because of "the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families." Not to mention they are apparently "violating proper behavior in public squares and malls."
Anyone found outside with their pets violating the law will have their pets confiscated by the agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (aka religious police!! wtf!!)

and this is happening in 2008.... i don't want to sound rude or anything, but i wonder what century they live in.....

regally bored

bebleuamieba — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:29:36 -0700

this is my dog, the super super sweet shiba inu mix he absolutely looooves being petted on his head, he will nudge you doggedly (no pun intended ) until you pet him!!

this is him being bored of me taking an insane amount of pictures of him...but he's still smiling (or at least looks like he is!!)!!

Nicole Kidman Appears In Hot New YouTube Video Stroking Her Pussy

scotlandrulz — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:51:41 -0700

A sensational video of Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman stroking her pussy has appeared on the YouTube web site.

Miss Kidman, an avid pet fan, can be seen stroking Tiddles her 3 year old Siamese cat, in a new video posted yesterday.

In the video she reveals how Tiddles enjoys playing with balls of wool, ping pong balls and comically chases moths around her multi-million dollar home.

She also gives an insight in to Tiddles' love of dried-biscuit cat food, and how he enjoys the occaisional tin of tuna.

Sensationally, she also lifted the lid on how her husband, Keith Urban, will often let out a sneaky fart whilst watching TV and blame poor Tiddles.

Microchipping your pet - is it worth it?

PinkShoes21 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:12:27 -0700

Does microchipping really has its advantages?

In this week's issue of NY Post, they reported about a beagle that has been found after missing for five years. Yeah, 5 years! Even the family who owns the dog couldn't believe that they were ever going to found him again. Apparently, a microchip on the dog played an instrumental role for this amazing lost-and-found story. Read more about microchip on pets on:

http://outoftheshelter.blogspot.com/2008/07/let-your-pets-be-found-throu...

Holly's First Experience with Water!

NdHebert — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:03:54 -0700

My boyfriend and I got Holly two weeks ago. She is a mini Australian Shepherd. I recued her from a woman who had her locked in a pen in the sun all day, which is why she looks like she has freckles (its actually sunburns).

She is a GREAT dog, and being an Aussie she is learning new things everyday. I think I have even learned a new trick or two!

Here are pics from a hike we took with a few other pet owners in my area. She did great with the other dogs, and great in the water!

And lastly, our family portrait!

Christian the Lion

Bettyesque — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:44:14 -0700

I cried lol.

Ok Sugars ... UM Dont Kill Me ...but I gotta have one!!!!!

Bettyesque — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:49:27 -0700

Look there are no miniature elephants ok ... whats a girl to do. We dont have enough land for a Horse right now, so I was looking at mini horses not to long ago but then I saw this and good grief..I just need one...its a mini donkey!!!!!

I want it I want it want it!!!!!!

Whatcha think? Other then the fact that Im nuts.... Brody needs a friend so ... well lets hear your thoughts....

Inexpensive Pet Care

Beachwalker — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:22:47 -0700

Here's a great hint for cat owners....

To prevent troublesome hairballs, apply a dollop of vaseline
petroleum jelly to your cat's nose. The cat will lick off
the jelly, lubricating any hair in its stomach so it can
pass easily through the digestive system.

What is the silliest or oddest thing your pet has ever done?

momTO1kitty — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:13:56 -0700

If you have a pet, you know they can do some funny or crazy things, lol. What has your pet done? LOL...there should be some good stories, hope you share them with us!!

Dashez

ShePirate2008 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:21:18 -0700

Beauty and the Beak

desertbanshee — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:52:20 -0700

Eagle wounded by poacher gets new beak, new look
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS,
AP
Posted: 2008-06-06 07:41:01
ST. MARIES, Idaho (AP) - More than three years after a poacher shot off her upper beak, a bald eagle named Beauty can finally live up to her name - with the help of volunteers.

A team attached an artificial beak to the 15-pound eagle in mid-May, improving her appearance and, more importantly, helping her grasp food.

"She's got a grill," joked Nate Calvin, the Boise engineer who spent 200 hours designing the complex beak.

The "grill" was exposed when a bit of the synthetic beak broke off during application. But the new beak is only a temporary fix, designed to nail down precise measurements.

A final beak made of tougher material will be created and attached later, though her saviors don't plan to release her back into the wild. They say that she has spent too much time with humans that the final beak will still not be strong enough to tear flesh from prey.

But getting this artificial beak now was key to Beauty's survival. A wild eagle that must be hand-fed by humans would eventually have to be euthanized, especially since her life span could run four more decades, said Jane Fink Cantwell, who took Beauty to her raptor recovery center in Idaho two years ago.

The bird was found in 2005 scrounging for food and slowly starving at a landfill in Alaska. A bullet had taken from her curved upper beak, leaving her tongue and sinuses exposed, with a stump useless for grasping food. Cantwell said eating with her beak was like using one chopstick.

She also had trouble drinking and couldn't preen her feathers.

Beauty was taken to a bird recovery center in Anchorage, where she was hand-fed while her caretakers waited in vain for a new beak to grow. Cantwell in 2007 agreed to take the eagle to her Birds of Prey Northwest ranch. Every day she used tongs to feed Beauty food, such as strips of salmon.

During a speaking engagement in Boise, she met Calvin, who offered to design an artificial beak.

"As an engineer, as a human being first, I was interested in helping it out," Calvin said.

Molds were made of the remaining beak and scanned into a computer so the artificial beak could be created accurately.

The nylon-composite beak will help the bird drink and grip food.

Some critics question such an extraordinary effort to save one bird that is no longer on the endangered species list. But Cantwell pointed out that Beauty has the potential to breed or be a foster mother to orphaned eagles.

Cantwell also plans to use the bird at lectures around the country to teach people not to shoot at raptors.

The procedure took place in the garage of Cantwell's neighbor, in front of reporters and guests.

Beauty was laid on her back, fully conscious, with a ribbon of veterinary wrap around her wings. Her talons were wrapped in a leather strap.

"Everybody better be still and quiet," Cantwell told visitors. "Let's be mindful she's a nervous, wild animal."

A gold and titanium pin was glued to the remnant of her upper beak to serve as the guide for sliding the artificial beak into place.

The volunteers moved slowly and talked softly as they slipped the beak on and off, making minor adjustments. A grinder, sander and scissors were used to trim both the artificial beak and the existing remnant of upper beak. The bird sometimes nipped harmlessly at their hands.

About an hour and a half into the procedure, Beauty lurched upright and spread her wings, snapping the wrap. She hovered above the table, screeching, with Cantwell and the other handler holding the leather straps.

After a couple of minutes, they calmed the eagle and got her back onto the table, then completed the procedure.

The Boeing Co. and a maker of synthetic skin in California have volunteered to help make the permanent beak.

After the surgery, Cantwell cradled the eagle and prepared to return Beauty to her aviary, saying: "The eagle has landed, and she has a beak."

On the Net:

Birds of Prey Northwest: http://birdsofpreynorthwest.org

Shooting a bald eagle, though they are no longer on the endangered species list, remains a violation of federal law.

Hooray for Beauty!

http://birdsofpreynorthwest.org/BeautySummary.html

My Rocky

cinadanni24 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:28:18 -0700

I have the most adorable dog ever...no he's not a cut little Yorkie or Shih Tzu, he's a Pit. He is such the companion. My boyfriend and i had a huge fight last night and he left. Rocky followed me every where in the house and just looked at me with those little concerned eyes, and I just know he was wondering "Mommy are you OK"? that's the look I got from him, and I assured him that i was and he went along to play with his toys while i cleaned up the house. then i went to lay down and look at a movie and I heard his tags jingling, which means he was running around the house looking for me, so when he found me he stopped in front of the door as to say oh there you are and then he jumped up on the bed and watched "I think I Love My Wife" with me as if he really understood what was going on. sometimes I look at Rocky and I say who are u? he's my first pet so some of the things he does surprises me so

If you don't mind...

audreystar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:19:46 -0700

Please show some love. I added my pets. I had Steeler up before but took him down because I didn't like the "which pet is cuter" game. I have gotten over it.

http://teamsugar.com/pet/1679146

http://teamsugar.com/pet/1679136

Thankee.

Lucy's Advice Page

KrisSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:24:01 -0700

Hello all you pet luvers,

Lucy is making a new foray into the advice blog business. If you or your dog, cat, horse, milk cow, hamster, snake or fish have a question you need answered, PM us, and a picture of your pet, and she’ll do her best to answer your query. Lucy loves to give advice, be it about relationships, finance, pet questions, home improvement, mother-in-laws, fashion, sports, etc!

Here is a link to her page, if you lost it.

http://bigprettyyellowpage.blogspot.com/

I made it through the storm

sexylibrarian — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:07:08 -0700

I am Max the GSD and I was such a good boy during the storm last night. When there is thunder and lighting I usually get very upset and bark very loudly (my mommy says). Last night I slept on the floor next to mommy and I made it through with out barking once. Mommy says that she is very proud of me. I am on my way to being the perfect dog she says. Mommy and daddy are really happy that I was such a good boy!!

We Need Names...

ColorMeCute1990 — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:59:39 -0700

We are new to this world and our owner has been looking for names for us. Her mother insists on calling us Goldie and Nala, but our owner doesn't exactly like those names. Can anyone come up with something better?

Spinach, anyone?

desertbanshee — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:34:19 -0700

Expanded Undercover Investigation Shows Mistreatment of Downer Cows Is Commonplace at Livestock Auctions
May 7, 2008

The shocking abuse of "downer" cows occurs not just at slaughter plants but may be an everyday happening at livestock auctions and stockyards around the country—the midpoints between farm and slaughter—as shown in an expanding undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States.

"Downer" cows are those too frail to stand on their own—dragged and prodded with inhumane handling methods, and increasing the threat of carrying and passing disease.

During April and May, HSUS investigators visited auctions in Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas and videotaped downer cows at each stop—animals left to suffer for hours and in one instance overnight.

Executives of The HSUS brought preliminary evidence of the abuse to the attention of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer last week at a face-to-face meeting, and Secretary Schafer has promised to examine the issue. The HSUS looks forward to working with USDA to address the problem.

Systemic Problems

"This has to stop immediately," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "Our earlier investigation into the callous and abusive treatment of live animals at a slaughter plant in California appalled the nation and led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history.

These new video images show that the rot in the factory farming system of raising animals goes much deeper. The problems are systemic, the laws and regulations are inadequate, and the industry's resolve insufficient."

The HSUS urged Secretary Schafer to expedite regulations that would require more humane treatment of animals destined for the food supply, at every step from producer to slaughter.

The HSUS particularly urges USDA to close the risky loophole that allows some downer cows to be slaughtered for consumption.

©The HSUS
Many cows suffer at auction or on stockyards without treatment or humane euthanasia. See undercover video of our investigation.

Desperate Need for Tougher Policies

Until this loophole is closed, producers and middlemen in the supply chain have a financial incentive to push sick and injured animals to the brink—and in many cases to torture them beyond the brink—in attempts to turn them into profitable beef.

Until the federal government steps in to assume firm jurisdiction, the food supply will be subject to the patchwork vagaries of local and state regulation, which can mean no oversight at all.

Details of the new undercover HSUS investigation include:

• At the Livestock Exchange (LSX) in Hereford, Texas, HSUS investigators videotaped two downed cows left in the parking lot for four hours. Neither cow could lift her head. They were still alive in the parking lot at closing time. HSUS had received a complaint from a passing motorist about live, downed cows at LSX hanging from their legs by chains attached to a front-end loader.

• At the Westminster auction in Maryland, HSUS investigators documented a downed cow abandoned outside of the auction barn, left to suffer through the night. HSUS investigators contacted agents with the Carroll County Humane Society. An officer expertly ended the cow’s suffering.

• At the Clovis Livestock Auction in New Mexico, two downed cows were filmed over a period of five hours. One was suffering from obvious pain, flailing her legs as she expelled watery feces into the pen where other cows were held for auction.

• At the Greencastle Livestock Auction in Pennsylvania, HSUS investigators documented a calf only days old who was unable to stand and left to die.

In 2002, Congress directed the USDA to investigate the question of downed animals at livestock auctions and markets—including the scope of problems, the causes, and the resulting cruel treatment of animals. Further, Congress ordered the USDA to follow up with "regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by stockyards, market agencies, and dealers."

The video evidence produced by this investigation clearly demonstrates that dairy farmers and auction houses have not solved the problems on their own—far from it.

Release of this phase of The HSUS investigation into downer cows follows January’s undercover video of animals being tortured at the Westland/Hallmark slaughter plant in Chino, Calif., a major supplier to the National School Lunch Program.

The investigation resulted in the recall of 143 million pounds of meat, the shuttering of the plant, and widespread loss of confidence in the U.S. food production system and regulatory safeguards.

What YOU can do to enjoy a kinder plate of food:

Ask the USDA to close the loophole allowing some downers to be slaughtered for food, and to require immediate euthanasia of downers.

For more information, click on this link! http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/downer_investigation_050708.html

Great Pet Bed

sexylibrarian — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:08:27 -0700

I am always on the look out for attractive aesthetically pleasing pet beds. I found a gusseted chenille bed at Sam's Club this weekend. It is blue and brown with a gold trim. Very cute!

Unwanted Dogs

sexylibrarian — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:57:42 -0700

Over the past year my partner and I rescued four dogs from shelters and the street. Four is the maximum limit for animals in our city. I am so happy with our family and love our dogs very much. I am now obsessed with helping other dogs in our area. I look at Petfinder every day to see what dogs are at our local pound. I look at a website called dogsindanger.com to see what local dogs are up for euthanasia. I am not able to adopt these animals but I want to know what happens to them. I am very sad when I found out what dogs have been euthanized at the pound. I am not sure this is healthy behavior. I have to do something to help the unwanted doggies in my area. I have thought about fostering over the summer or volunteering at a local rescue group. I think my time would best be served at my local pound since those dogs are in danger of dying. I am asking for suggestions and advice on this topic. Is there anyone out there like me? Has anyone fostered, volunteered, or helped animals in their area. Please let me hear your thoughts on htis topic.

Funny Movie Trailer!

iBrenna — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:28:31 -0700

Ok so my dad showed me this trailer & I thought it was really funny! Soo tell me what you think! I think it looks cute!
Its Called Beverly Hills Chihuahua! I thought it was cute, bc I have a chihuahua named Capri! & I Love the song Chihuahua I used to have it as a ringtone its by DJ Bobo sooo look it up!

Most common mistakes pet owners make

kymmeisme — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:17:52 -0700

From the "Today Show": Most common mistakes pet owners make:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24366592/

Work on the house, a happy discovery and Moonlight

thorswitch — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:36:27 -0700

Well, the guys came out to start the work on our house today. I'm still stunned by the scope of the work they're doing. Today they tore most of the siding off the house - unfortunately, they discovered a lot of termite damage, and they're going to see how much of that they can repair, and then they'll be putting new siding on the house and replacing all of our windows.

The hardest part for me, though, has been that they didn't run all of the work past us before doing some things. When we first moved into the house 13 1/2 years ago, one of the first things I did was add trees to our backyard. I wanted to make the yard a kind of sacred grove, so I chose trees that were closely associated (or as close as I could find) with the various Gods/Goddesses and other beings of my faith. I got a silver maple, as a gift to Thor (only because I couldn't find an oak and maple seemed to be the closest substitute I could find,) an apple tree for Iduna, a birch for Freya and an elm for Embla ("Ask and Embla" are basically the Norse "Adam and Eve" except rather than being made from the earth and a man's rib, Ask was made from an Ash tree and Embla from an Elm - I wanted to plant an ash for Ask, but we couldn't find one.) During the first winter, all of the trees appeared to die, and then in the spring came back to life with new shoots and trunks. We just let them grow however they wanted, trimming branches when necessary, but otherwise, just letting them be what they wanted to be.

Interestingly, somehow, an elm trunk decided to grow right up with the birch, so that from a distance it looked like one tree with three trunks, but when you got closer, 2 trunks were white and one was brown and there was a mixture of leaves for the canopy. The elm also had two other trunks about 5 feet away, off by themselves. Well, these guys thought that those trees were leaning toward the house and that some of the branches were a bit too far over the roof, and that others were hanging over the fence and might cause damage to our neighbour's property leaving us open to potential legal liability. Rather than asking what we wanted them to do (I would have suggested cutting back the parts hanging over the house and the fence and leave the rest to grow out in the other directions) they just cut them down. They also cut down the apple tree, but I understood that one better. It had a hard time getting sunlight and was growing more horizontal down near the ground that vertical, and we'd been having a lot of problems trying to keep on top of the dropping fruit and keeping Xander from eating all the green apples. But the birch and elm tree was one of my favourites - the way that they just wanted to be together. When Matt told me they'd cut it down - without even TELLING us they were going to, I was really distraught.

The guys said that they were going to replace the trees - that was part of their plan, and that they had thought the extra elm trunk was a deformation that we probably didn't want. When Matt explained to them that the trees had very significant spiritual meaning to me and that I'd made a conscious decision to let the elm and birch grow up together like they did, they were VERY apologetic - it had never occurred to them that these were anything more than, you know, just trees. So they asked me what I'd want them to replace them with - I asked for an ash and elm planted close together (for Ask and Embla), and if that wasn't possible, then a birch with either an oak (for Thor, natch), an ash, an elm or "a tree that has bright golden leaves in the fall (for Holda), and to replace the apple tree with an oak, ash, elm, birch or "dark green fir tree." If anyone would be willing to put in a good word with the Gods of Tree Shopping for me that they can get me an Ash and Elm to grow together and an Oak for Thor, I'd be mighty appreciative!

But, as I said, overall I'm just really just very grateful for all the work they're doing - we would never have been able to afford anywhere NEAR what they're doing (which is part of why its not been done sooner) and I know their hearts are in the right place, even if their communications skills could use a bit of work, eh?

As for my happy discovery, we'd had two polaroid shots of Sabaka from the first day we brought him home almost 14 years ago, and I'd been looking for them for the last two years, since he went to the Bridge. I thought they were gone forever. Well, in the process of moving furnture around so the workers will be able to have room to get at the windows, guess what I found! I was SO thrilled!! They brought back a flood of tears and I just sat there for a bit, holding them over my heart, and then quickly put them into the picture album I have that I've kept all my concert ticket stubs in Hey, at least I know where they, and I keep that book in a special place so I can always be sure to find it. So that was really, really cool!

Tonight's "Moonlight", all I can say is WOW! It was an EXTREMELY well done episode. I'd read some of the previews and spoilers about it, and it certainly didn't disappoint. If you've not been following this show, you can catch up with full episodes available to view free at the link above. It's been really well done all season, and for it's first post-writer's-strike episode it's come back running at full tilt. I don't want to give anything away, but it involves Mick and Beth trying to determine which of two leads into a murder is the correct one, Mick having to face a couple of big questions and decisions, one of the best multi-vamp fight scenes I've seen in a while and more. Part of what I love about the show is that it does a great job of blending humour, drama, romance and good old-fashioned murder mysteries. Whether it gets a second season or not will largely be determined by how well these last 4 (including tonight's) episodes do in the ratings, so I'm really hoping they'll be able to do well. This is one show I've REALLY missed over the strike hiatus and I don't want to have to be missing it all next season

Today and a bit of humour

thorswitch — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:58:48 -0700

Today's an absolutely CRAZY day at my house. A few months ago, someone associated with a local charity that helps disabled people with home repairs and such was driving to another job on our street (or something like that - I'm not entirely sure what) and noticed that we had an old wooden ramp from our front door to the driveway. We'd built it about 4 years ago when some friends of mine from a Rush fansite decided that come hell or high water, I was going to get to see the band on their 30th Anniversary tour.

At that point, I hadn't left the house in about 6 years because of my disability, and they raised enough money to not only get us tickets, but to build the ramp, rent a wheelchair and rend a wheelchair-accessible van for the night of the show. Even though it's virtually impossible for me to be disappointed in a Rush show, and even though they always sound better to me each time I see them, that is one concert that will FOREVER be my favourite for no other reason than because a group of people I knew only from an online message board were so incredibly generous that I was able to do something I had thought would be virtually impossible.

Anyway, the guy saw our ramp and came to our door asking if we had a disabled person here. He then offered the services of his group to take care of some things around the house. We thought it'd be nice if they could reinstall the gutter on the back of the house since it's been falling off after getting hit by tree branches for a few years, patch up a hole in our siding where Xander decided to try eating the house, patch up a hole in our garage door and maybe repaint the outside.

Well, after talking to the construction workers and companies that work with the charity, we're going to be getting new siding on the entire house, a new concrete ramp, fresh paving on our driveway, a completely new garage door, new windows, the guttering fixed, some wiring fixed and an electrician will be going through our attic to make sure all the connections up there are properly covered so they won't spark and catch the house on fire, an new smoke detector installed, putting some kind of wire or fencing or something to keep animals from getting into our crawl space and adding a hatch so that we can get under there if we need to and, I think, a few other things.

They also said that tomorrow, we'll need to have the dogs boarded away from the house, since they'll be coming in and out and the various windows will be being changed and we don't want the dogs to get out. They said they might have a kennel that would board them for free, but I'm probably a bit overprotective of my babies and would prefer to have them stay at my vets office - so one of their volunteers called up my vet, asked if they'd be willing to donate the boarding for a day, and even got one of the nurses to come in Saturday night, long after they've closed for the day, so that Nyght can bring them home that same day and they won't have to be away from us overnight (which would likely freak Xander out a bit because he's never been away from us - especially not me.) Our vets rates for boarding are quite reasonable and I was perfectly willing to pay for it if we needed to, even if it meant they would be there a little longer than strictly necessary (since they're not open on Sundays,) but when this group asked, the vet was really happy to offer to help out.

We've always had a good relationship with our vet, though. My parents first started taking our pets to him, Gods, when I was in junior high school, making it about 20-25 years ago? After I moved out, I had him take care of my kitty Acyl during my apartment years, and when Nyght and I adopted Sabaka not long after we got married, we took him there, too. A few months later, my mom - who was really worried that Sabaka, a lab mix, was going to grow up to be too big for our house (though I don't know what she thought we were going to do - we were so completely attached by that time that we wouldn't have been able to send him elsewhere) - mentioned that there was a lab mix at the vets office that was in need of a home. She suggested I go take a look at her to get an idea of how big Sabaka might grow. As far as she was concerned, it was supposed to be just a quick peek for information and that was it, but during that quick peek, Tasha just melted my heart and when I was telling Nyght about her later, he suggested we see if we could adopter her. When we called the office, they told us they were really happy that we were interested, but that there was another family that had already expressed interest so we'd have to see if they were going to be able to take her or not. That family decided they couldn't adopt her, and when we went in to pick her up, the nurses told us that they were really hoping that we'd be the family that got Tasha, because they knew she'd have a really good home and that we'd take good care of her. She's 14 now, and still a happy girl, if a bit slower than she used to be, so I'd like to think we've lived up to their expectations!

Anyway, it's just all craziness around here right now - there's pounding and banging and scraping sounds everywhere and I'm still not entirely sure what all is being done, how or when. If I have any complaint at all, its that they've sort of just scheduled all of this without telling us much of what they're plans are - in fact, when I called our vet to reserve space for the kids, they were confused because they'd already talked to the girl from the charity and she'd told them something different. I was like, well, she knows more of what they're doing to the house and when than I am, so lets just go with what she said. It's a weird feeling, especially since I'm not one who's really comfortable not having a fair amount of control of what all is going on around me. (Yes, I can admit it, I'm something of a control freak. Thankfully, Nyght knew that about me even before we started dating, just as I knew he can be as stubborn as a mule!) But aside from that, which is really a quibble, I am so overwhelmed with their generosity and so very grateful for all they're doing for us! It's just amazing!

Anyway, here's a bit of a chuckle for those of you needing a bit of a pick-me-up

Simple Instructions for Cleaning the Toilet (Funny!)

amh678 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:22:09 -0700

From an email I got from my aunt...

SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLEANING THE TOILET

1. Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl.

2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. You may need to stand on the lid.

4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a 'power-wash' and 'rinse'.

6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry himself off.

9. Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.

SINCERELY,

THE DOG

Let's see how long this lasts...

beegril — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:11:26 -0700

So my dear friend and I decided to "improve our eating habits" and see if we can at least lose 10lbs. Today was the first day and clearly this has not gone well on my end. I started with the sugar free small iced mocha latte in the AM. That was followed by the cheeseburger and fries. I did have water but I don't think that counts as my good thing. Got home and had a pear and a cup of spaghetti. How do I know it was a cup? Well, I put in a measuring cup and put it in my kids lil bowl. I was thinking of doing pilates since that darn video is staring at me in the face but maybe tomorrow AM. Maybe I can use my cat as a weight. I just realized my cat is still outside. Must find him, it's late.

I`m Ready for my Close-up Mr. Demille

lanne — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:44:27 -0700

The cutest dog alive. And she knows it!
http://www.picable.com/Nature/Dogs/Im-Ready-for-my-Close-up-Mr-Demille.1...

Help! My Cocker Spaniel won't stop scratching!!!

rushka313 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:12:16 -0700

I have a 3 1/2 year old American Cocker Spaniel. Because I live in Arizona, I keep her coat short, in more of a puppy-cut. She is constantly scratching, to the point that she has made her skin raw! Typically she is scratching the back of her front legs, her neck/ear area, and then she "bites/chews" her leg area. She doesn't have fleas, I've bathed her in both an oatmeal bath (for dogs) and a sensitive skin shampoo. I have her on Science Diet's Sensitive Skin formula food, and give her an Omega-3 fatty acid vitamin daily. It has slightly subsided, but she is still scratching quite a bit. The vets recommendation is steroids, but I am really not comfortable with putting my little pup on them... Has anyone else had similiar problems? Any suggestions? It's just breaking my heart to see my little princess with raw skin Bella

Pet or Baby?

y25bbles — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:09:26 -0700

Many people will treat their lovely pets as their child. Many of them even do not give birth to a baby because of their pets. But do you think a pet can really replace a baby?

What is your choice when facing Pet and Baby? Of course, you can always choose all or none...

Dog Training 911

Aphrosette — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:40:58 -0700

Today I came to the gross realization of the long term effects of leash correction and punishment on a dog. My older dog Auggie was trained at a local dog training club that uses this as a means of training. Yes, he learned all his commands, but he is terrified of other dogs and most people. My younger dog Sammy, trains at a different site that uses positive reinforcement as a means of training. The difference between my two dogs is absolutely amazing. Auggie is shy, scared, easily startled, and doesn't play well with others. Sammy is friendly, outgoing, social, easy to get along with, and just an overall great dog. Not that Auggie isn't great, he's just more timid. Well, after much thought and effort Auggie is starting back at stage one with his training at Sammy's school. He is in a class for "confidence" reasons and this was made embarrassingly clear to me and to the class when the trainer, made sure everyone was aware of his "problems." Making sure everyone knew to "stay back" especially if he was "cowering at Mommy's feet." I was so embarrassed. The other people in the class genuinely felt bad for me, and I think a few of them saw that I was on the verge of tears. I really never thought that I would be the one with a misbehaved dog, and I never intentioned for that to happen. I do have hope though, it worked for Sammy (who is now in agility classes), I am sure it will work for Auggie too.

Seal Hunters not Following New Licensing Conditions

desertbanshee — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:21:14 -0700

Canadian Seal Hunt Update:
http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/marine_mammals_news/seals_suffer_0329...

The Canadian government claims sealers are now required to implement a 3-step killing process involving stunning, checking for unconsciousness and bleeding. Yet none of the sealers observed by The HSUS adhered to the conditions.

"Not one hunter bothered to follow the new licensing conditions," said Aldworth. "I also saw repeated regulatory violations, including sealers failing to ensure seals were dead before impaling them on metal hooks and dragging them across the ice."

"I witnessed with my own eyes, my own camera and my own video crew blatant violations of the rules and regulations by sealers," Nigel Barker, world-renowned photographer and judge on "America's Next Top Model," commented. "Several weeks ago, I documented the birth of the seal pups or 'white coats,' and—earlier this week—photographed the beautiful silver, speckled, two-week-olds and finally today the mass killing of every young seal in sight in the most brutal and barbaric fashion. I will never forget what I have seen and will never stop until it ends."

HSUS/Milani
Sealers drag seals onto a vessel March 29.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has once again decided to prevent journalists and animal welfare experts from observing opening day of the seal hunt. Nova Scotia's begins at dawn Sunday, and DFO officials informed The HSUS that it would not issue observation permits until after holding a 10 a.m. Sunday conference call—four hours after hunting commences.

There is no guarantee observers will receive permits at that time. On the opening day of the Magdalene Islands hunt, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans refused to issue permits for the first half of the day.

"The DFO desperately wants to keep these images out of the public eye," said Aldworth. "The Canadian government knows if the European Commission is allowed to see what is actually happening on the ice this year, it will realize there is no humane way to conduct this hunt," she concluded. "This hunt is inhumane and unsustainable, and it must stop now."

Aldworth, journalists and other HSUS and HSI staff plan to continue observing the hunt.

Also see: http://teamsugar.com/user/desertbanshee/blog/1511227

An Elephant Paints a Painting (for real ????)

Beachwalker — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:42:31 -0700

This is the most amazing animal video clip I have ever
seen. What it shows is that animals and Man are much
closer to each other than we ever thought. They are
sentient beings with feelings and a sense of beauty.
You will be amazed. source: evtv1

WATCH IT NOW: http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=11299