I've heard that when necessity strikes ordinary people can suddenly perform superhuman strengths. Such is the case with an Islamorada, FL man who decided to take on a shark, beating its head to get the animal to release his prized pooch, Jake, from the jaws of death. The five-foot-long creature already had almost the entire 14-pound Rat Terrier in its mouth . . . but thankfully, there's a happy ending.
Each evening at dusk, you'll find people walking along Palm Beach Shores in Florida. It's not just because the ocean is pretty enough to warrant a daily visit, but they're looking for movement in sea turtle nests there. When volunteers locate an active nest, they lend helping hands to the leatherbacks and dig channels to create a clear pathway to water for the babies.
Umm, I'm definitely adding baby turtles to my growing list of cute animals . . . look at those lil feet scramble! Thanks runnergeek for alerting me to this cool video!
I love animals, but I have to be honest and say, if I was placed in a situation like one that Adam Warwick faced last week, I'm not sure how I would respond!
Warwick, a Wildlife Officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission made a quick (and dangerous) decision to save a drowning bear who was shot with a tranquilizer dart after wandering into a Florida beachfront neighborhood. The 364-pound black bear was stunned after being tagged with the dart and ran straight for the nearby ocean. Warwick, acting fast on his instincts, dove in to help after seeing the bear struggle in the water:
He was losing function in his arms and legs, and was obviously in distress. I knew I had to keep him from drowning.
Although at one point the bear looked as if he was going to climb on top of Warwick to keep his head above water, he walked away with only a few scratches to show for his efforts, and the black bear was safely released into Florida’s Osceola National Forest.
If you were in Warwick's position, would you have jumped in the water to help?
Saying goodbye to a pet is a difficult experience for any family, and the number of unique ways to commemorate a pet continues to astound me as the pet-loss industry grows as well. Even if you're not interested in a LifeGem or Perpetual Pet, it's not uncommon to honor the loss of a cherished furry family member in your own special way. Pet Angel Memorial Center offers memorial and burial services for pets from dogs to iguanas and everything in between at one of their three US locations (Carmel, IN, Wichita, KS, and Pinellas Park, FL). Learn a little bit more when you read more
It's such a bummer when you consider a four legged animal a member of your family, but yet there are some places that still don't allow them to roam around with you. Disneyland and Disney World are two of the "happiest places on earth" but unfortunately, the happiness doesn't apply to your furry friends. At least the happiness inside the park anyway! Although I'm not sure how appropriate it would be to take a pet on a ride, it does make me feel slightly guilty about leaving my poor pup in one of the kennels while I'm slurping up shaved ice!
However, if you're planning a trip to Disney World in mid 2009, things just got a little easier on your heart. Your pampered pooches still won't be lucky enough to join you in the park, but now they'll have a resort they can call their own! Word is, Disney World is building a pet resort that will boast such amenities as hiking trails, doggie day camp, cat lounges, grooming services, ice cream socials, and bedtime stories for your pets to enjoy while you're frolicking with Mickey and Minnie. I'm excited to hear more news about this since I'm definitely wanting to head back over to Florida after my awesome adventures at Aquatica, so it would be cool to check this out as well. Plus, it will give me a good excuse to go see Disney's Animal Kingdom!
