PetSugar

Have You Ever Been Attacked By a Bird?

PopSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:00:31 -0700

Look out below! This mockingbird is on the attack at the University of Florida and, according to a recent study, she remembers the person in the pic as someone who came too close to her nest a few days before. The study, which had test subjects touching and getting up-close-and-personal to the mockingbird nest, proved that the birds can recall faces since they only attacked the people who actually touched the nest and ignored other passersby! Who knew birds had such good memories!?

I usually have a daily run-in with a pigeon (or two) that come a little too close to my noggin (and one blackbird continues to make news), but I've never been directly attacked by a bird like the poor girl in this pic. Well, unless you count the time I was pooped on by a seagull, but I doubt that was intentional.

Breaking News: 2008 World's Ugliest Dog Loses Cancer Battle

PetSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:58:25 -0800

When I met Gus up close and personal moments after he won the title of 2008 World's Ugliest Dog back in June, it was clear he had gone through a lot. This 9-year-old rescued pooch endured radiation, surgery on a malignant tumor, and a leg amputation from his skin cancer – and what I remember most from my chat with his super-sweet owners was that the pup had a fondness for pizza . . . yum!

Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sadly he just passed away. RIP, Gus!

I wanted to honor this pooch's big win in a gallery of photos so check them out when you read more.

View 7 Photos ›

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The Scoop: Brave Man Saves Little Dog From Big Shark!

PetSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:10:08 -0700

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.

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Sand Saviors Help Baby Turtles Find Their Way!

PetSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:15:38 -0700

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!

The Case of the Missing Dog and the Kitty Held Hostage

PetSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:59 -0700

There must be something in the water down there in Florida to cause a woman to hold a cat as ransom! This story is a bit tricky, so stay with me here:

Linda Urioste's black lab Scobby went missing several weeks ago, but instead of searching for him right away, she assumed he was stolen and gone for good. In the meantime, Scobby had turned up at the animal shelter and was adopted by Jutta Hollar and her husband after being unclaimed for weeks.

Eventually Urioste did check the animal shelter, and the couple learned that the rightful owner was looking for the pup. Upon meeting Urioste, the Hollars decided not to give back Scobby (now renamed Buddy), since Urioste was "extremely rude and threatened to sue."

Here's where things get interesting: Mizy, the Hollar's cat went missing a few days after meeting Urioste, and they received a message from her stating she had Mizy, and wouldn't give her back until they returned Scobby!

To find out what happened next in this tension-filled story, just read more.

After confessing, police arrested Linda Urioste for holding lil Mizy ransom in exchange for the dog. Charges included theft and extortion! Yeesh! What's the lesson here? Always look for your missing dogs, and don't use other pets as ransom!

The Scoop: Swimming For Bears

PetSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

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?

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My Exclusive Interview with Gus, the 2008 World's Ugliest Dog!

PetSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:45 -0700

All the way from St. Petersburg, Florida, Gus captured the title – and my heart – when he won the 20th Annual World's Ugliest Dog Competition. The three-legged, one-eyed pup with cancer has a true tale of triumph – Jeanenne Teed and daughter Janey plan to use his award money of $1,600 (that's $100 for being a finalist for the purebred category, $500 for winning the Ugliest Dog of 2008 at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, and $1,000 for being the "2008 World's Ugliest Dog") towards his radiation treatments.In addition to the money, he got two trophies, one taller than his owners – I've got no clue how they'll get those back to the Sunshine state! I already mentioned it was hot, hot, hot up in Petaluma, but that didn't stop me from catching up with the trio after they won and asking them a few questions about their precious pooch.

PS: How long ago did Gus join your family?
JT: Gus is nine years old and came to us when he was one year old. He came to us word of mouth . . . he was being kept inside a crate inside a garage by an owner who really just couldn't deal with him. She did the right thing and she gave him up to a better home . . . we'd like to think. And he's been with us ever since, through thick and thin, and he's hanging in there. He's a tough cookie.

PS: You mentioned that he has cancer – what kind of cancer does he have?
JT: He has skin cancer. He was diagnosed in December of '06 and, at that time, the cancer was quite advanced and he needed to have his leg amputated. The other leg was debulked and the tumor was removed. After chemotherapy and then treatment with another medication, he had a great year – we had a great year – we took him on vacation for the first time.

Find out where they went – and what happened to his eye! – when you read more.

PS: Where did you go?
JT: We went to the Panhandle to an area that we always go to, Walton Beach, and it was just a great experience. Over Christmas, and over the holidays, we had that and now we have this great experience, too, which is unbelievable . . . absolutely unbelievable.

PS: So when you got Gus, did he have only one eye?
JT: Well, that's a sad . . . (laughs) . . . Gus got into a cat fight last December and obviously the cat won. So he lost his eye, too, to the cat. And he hasn't forgotten about it either.

PS: Hmm, they're not pals now I'm guessing?
JT: No, they're one for one. Gus had caught the kitten when he was a tiny, itty bitty kitten. And was trying to tear the kitten up with our other dog, Buttons, and they were playing tug-of-war. I rescued the little kitten who turned out to be a great, big tomcat.

PS: What's Gus's favorite treat?
JT: French fries. Unfortunately. We don't feed him this often but he loves McDonald's french fries. And when he was undergoing chemotherapy and his stomach was upset, the only thing he would eat was pepperoni pizza. Fortunately Janey works at a pizza place so it was easy to come by but that's what kept him going when nothing else tasted good to him.

PS: And are you gonna get him a special meal before you go back to the hotel tonight? A pampering snack at the fair, funnel cake perhaps?
JT: Him or us (laughs). We will get Gus whatever he wants to eat. It's been a great experience.

The Scoop: Pets Only Funeral Home Expands to Florida

PetSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:07 -0700

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.

They've got many packages available but, what sets them apart is that they offer actual memorial services for your friends and family in addition to remembrance burial and cremation packages.

"We started the business because I don't have two-legged children," owner Colleen Ellis said. "All I have is four-legged children and I wanted her treated in the same way as the human-funeral business, which is the business I come from."

I wouldn't be surprised if this concept spreads to other cities – what's your take?

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The Scoop: Walt Disney World to Open Pet Resort in 2009

PetSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:30:26 -0700

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!

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What's Your Take: Cat Lover Kristy Grant vs. Volusia County?

PetSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:00:39 -0700

A Central Florida woman has been fined $150 a day since March for having 134 cats in her home! Kitty lover, Kristy Grant, was in court Wednesday fighting to keep the animals in her self-described "animal sanctuary." Although I was first reminded of the couple with 800 dogs, the clip mentions her "front five acres" . . . so I'm thinking it's a large area where the cats reside. Watch the whole video, vote, and share your thought in the comments below.

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