http://www.petsugar.com/ Girl's Best Friend. en http://www.petsugar.com/2608287 <p>While we've been anxiously waiting for any announcement about the <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2468686" >TBD Obama puppy</a>, the "second dog" was just introduced over the weekend. Vice President-elect Joe Biden picked out a three-month-old German Shepherd from a kennel in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday. The lil boy won't join the family quite yet and still remains nameless. Turns out Biden <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28221617/" target="_blank">told the breeder that honor will go to his grandkids</a> . . . but, with five of them, how will everyone agree on just one name?!<br /> <center> <div style='width:455px' id="spi_tabs_container"> <div id="spi_tabs_top"> <div id="spi_tabs_topL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_topR"></div> </div> <div class="panel chatter_chatter fbceleb " > <center> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/static/js/swfobject.js"></script> <p style=margin:0px;padding:0px id="player_2608383"><a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get Flash</a> to see this player.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var so2608383 = new SWFObject('/static/flash/mediaplayer.swf','mpl','400','300','7'); so2608383.addParam('allowfullscreen','true'); so2608383.addVariable("file",'2608383.flv'); so2608383.addVariable('height', 328); so2608383.addVariable('image','/media/cooked/thumbs/2608383.jpg'); so2608383.addVariable('width','400'); so2608383.addVariable('logo','/static/imgs/watermark/petsugar.png'); so2608383.write('player_2608383'); </script> </center> </div> <div id="spi_tabs_bot"> <div id="spi_tabs_botL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_botR"></div> </div> </div></center> Do you have any name suggestions for the cutie pie? Let's hear them below!<br clear=all></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2608287#comment German Shepherd Dogs german shepherds Joe Biden new puppy alert news scoop the scoop Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:05:42 -0800 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2608287 http://www.petsugar.com/2540955 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/1bacb410f1659418_ntombi2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarger" width="306" height="381"></span>I love <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/tags/giraffes" >giraffes</a> but even <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1000728" >with all the things I <i>do</i> know</a> about these guys, I never gave much thought about how you'd get the world's tallest animal from point A to point B . . . if walking was not an option! Now I've got my answer as this animal recently relocated from the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand to Taronga's Western Plains Zoo in Australia. How did Ntombi make the big trip? Why by a huuuuge boat of course, followed by a hitching a lift from this crane as he arrives at Sydney's Port Botany today. </p> <p><br clear=all><p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-34213 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#ff3399'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2540921?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/83824302_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-25159 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#ff3399'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2540921?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/83824303_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-27225 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#ff3399'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2540921?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/83824304_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-34368 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#ff3399'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2540921?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/83824305_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-69748 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#ff3399'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2540921?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/48_2008/83824306_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"></p> <p>Check out more piccys of big Ntombi's big trip when you </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2540955">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2540955#comment Australia cute giraffes news the scoop Western Plains Zoo zoos Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2540955 http://www.petsugar.com/2510129 <p>Glenn Close hosted an event last night to honor pups that have served in combat, and with returning veterans, for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The benefit celebrated the brave men and women (and dogs!) and raised awareness for the organization that makes it all possible, <a href="http://www.puppiesbehindbars.com/" target="_blank">Puppies Behind Bars</a>.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/257622438305b270_puppiesbehindbarsglennclose.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="341"></span><br /> The prison-based nonprofit trains dogs to be explosive detection canines and service dogs for the disabled with their newest initiative, titled “Dog Tags: Service Dogs For Those Who’ve Served Us”, <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1658862" >offering these inmate-trained canines to help soldiers readjust to civilian life</a>. See members of the first New York "Dog Tags" graduating class and their new families in the gallery below.</p> <p><p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-72804 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2512285?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/83731429_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-26947 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2512285?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/83731679_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-98396 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2512285?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/83731669_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-4 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2512285?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/83731408_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-86172 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2512285?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/47_2008/83731668_10.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"><br /> <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2510129#comment Glenn Close military news Puppies Behind Bars scoop the scoop Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:15:40 -0800 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2510129 http://www.petsugar.com/2473630 <p>I have a good friend that will travel to great lengths to get the best sushi. Her favorite restaurant is here in SF (she lives about 25 miles outside of town), and she swears by their salmon and yellowtail. Little does she know that her raw fish obsession is one she shares with killer whales! </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/45_2008/4efdc7c8902ddfe7_KillerWhales.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" width="400" height="267"></span>A recent study finds that <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/07/killer-whales-salmon.html" target="_blank">salmon is killer whales' favorite food</a>, and they will travel large distances to nosh on the best. Using their Ecolocators (creating an echoing sound), they can scan areas up to a half mile away to find their favorite King Salmon, which provides the high concentration of fats and lipids that these whales seem to prefer. I can see traveling 25 miles to a favorite sushi bar a couple of times a month, but scanning hundreds of miles of ocean for a particular fish? Now that's a dedication that my pal <a href="http://www.yumsugar.com" >Yum</a> could appreciate! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2473630#comment fish in the wild killer whales news the scoop Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:30:42 -0800 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2473630 http://www.petsugar.com/2448427 <p>Like I said before, <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/slideshow/2444915" >spiders give me the creepy-crawlies</a>, but I have to give them some respect – <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/31/spider-scorpion-genetic.html" target="_blank">they're among the oldest creatures around</a>, with recently found fossils dating back at least 130 million years! </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/44_2008/3eb8f1a43240d573_spiderfossil.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" width="320" height="203"></span>If you think that's old, wait 'til you get a load of this number: 450 million years. That's when the first arachnid was said to have appeared on Earth, based on genetic research recently published in the latest issue of <strong>Experimental and Applied Acarology</strong>. </p> <p>I can't even fathom what the earth looked like back then, but seriously, spiders are pretty well equipped for almost any condition. Highly developed senses, self-constructing materials, protective outer armor, and (some) even have a pretty dangerous venom defense system. These guys can live almost anywhere. . . but I try not to think about that when I open my dark closet! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2448427#comment in the wild news scoop spiders the scoop Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:00:14 -0800 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2448427 http://www.petsugar.com/2419439 <p>Just like <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2394277" >that cute vicuña</a>, I had no clue what creature to expect when I opened these images of endangered Chacoan Peccaries. Turns out the pig-like animals feature similar snouts, but belong to a different taxonomic group, than "true pigs."<span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/e3440ada35fa62cb_Chacoan-Peccary-three-pigle.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="395" width="550"></span>Native to Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay, the animal was thought to be extinct until 1972 when the species was discovered to still exist in the Chaco region of Paraguay.</p> <p>There are only 11 zoos in the US exhibiting these creatures – including the <a href="http://lazoo.org/" target="_blank">Los Angeles Zoo</a> where four new babes live. Have you ever seen one? I sure haven't but in the spirit of the season, peek at the photo of a peccary piglet picking at pumpkin (phew!) when you </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2419439">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2419439#comment baby animals Chacoan Peccaries cute LA Los Angeles los angeles zoo news out and about Peccaries scoop the scoop travel zoos Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:00:12 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2419439 http://www.petsugar.com/2426281 <p>Nearly one year after Hayden Panettiere <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/756367" >joined animal activists in the rescue mission to stop a dolphin slaughter</a> in Taiji, Japan, the actress has a new tactic to save the whales — she's joining forces with <a href="http://www.socialvibe.com/" target="_blank">SocialVibe</a> to petition this annual event. Watch the video below to learn how you can get involved:<center><object width="425" height="344"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HL1wYZFMVB8&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HL1wYZFMVB8&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center>Hayden also spoke about her efforts (<a href="http://www.petsugar.com/993939" >and continued commitment</a>) at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday in partnership with <a href="http://www.savethewhalesagain.com/" target="_blank">Save the Whales Again!</a>, a conservation campaign of the Whaleman Foundation. <p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-43220 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2426316?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/56051115.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-94132 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2426316?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/56051080.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-69090 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2426316?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/56051167.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-74726 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2426316?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/56051039.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-58571 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/2426316?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/44_2008/56051027.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"> Check out pictures of her speech and rally when you </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2426281">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2426281#comment activism dolphins Hayden Panettiere news save the whales again scoop the scoop Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:40:50 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2426281 http://www.petsugar.com/2397797 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/43_2008/e4d7f6daf99a0bab_militaryhospitaltx.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="219" width="292"></span>There are over 2,500 dogs working with military units around the world . . . but what happens when a dog gets hurt on the job? Up until recently, pooches severely injured in the field were flown for treatment to a cramped building that opened 40 years ago during the Vietnam War! No longer. A $15 million veterinary hospital opened Tuesday (in its place) at Texas's Lackland Air Force Base, which also houses the working dogs' training facilities. </p> <p>Housing all the best technology, features include everything from canine CT scanning equipment to rehab like this underwater treadmill. Lackland currently trains 750 dogs – the pups usually enter between one-and-a-half and three years of age and most work until about 10. </p> <blockquote><p>With demand outstripping the number of dogs available, hospital and veterinary workers were trying to keep them healthy and working as long as possible, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/21/war.dogs.hospital.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories" target="_blank">said Army Col. Bob Vogelsang</a>, hospital director. Then, they're adopted out and stationed at "Fort Living Room."</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/21/war.dogs.hospital.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2397797#comment Lackland news texas the scoop tx Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:21 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2397797 http://www.petsugar.com/2381108 <p>Obviously, I love animals! And I believe that they contain a special ability to help us heal – whether it's dogs, cats, or even horses! This time, our pony pals are taking the spotlight by helping disabled children, especially one boy stricken with extremely rare disease in the UK. The disease is called Chromosome 8 deletion (no super scientific name since there are only five cases in the world) that hinders a patient's ability to walk and talk. So far, a program offering "Hippotherapy" <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7675167.stm" target="_blank">has been able to help 3-year-old Dyfan Wynne learn how to do just that</a>! </p> <p><center> <div style='width:455px' id="spi_tabs_container"> <div id="spi_tabs_top"> <div id="spi_tabs_topL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_topR"></div> </div> <div class="panel chatter_chatter fbceleb " > <center> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/static/js/swfobject.js"></script> <p style=margin:0px;padding:0px id="player_2381470"><a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get Flash</a> to see this player.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var so2381470 = new SWFObject('/static/flash/mediaplayer.swf','mpl','400','300','7'); so2381470.addParam('allowfullscreen','true'); so2381470.addVariable("file",'2381470.flv'); so2381470.addVariable('height', 328); so2381470.addVariable('image','/media/cooked/thumbs/2381470.jpg'); so2381470.addVariable('width','400'); so2381470.addVariable('logo','/static/imgs/watermark/petsugar.png'); so2381470.write('player_2381470'); </script> </center> </div> <div id="spi_tabs_bot"> <div id="spi_tabs_botL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_botR"></div> </div> </div></center></p> <p>Being offered at the Clwyd Special Riding Centre for the Disabled in the UK, Hippotherapy is a form of therapeutic horseback riding that allows special-needs children to learn how to use their limbs to sit, kneel, stand, and walk. Dyfan arrived at the center unable to perform these basic tasks, but after six months, he is joining in on vaulting competitions, and is even considering <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1881222" >training for Dressage</a>! </p> http://www.petsugar.com/2381108#comment horses news pet therapy scoop the scoop Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2381108 http://www.petsugar.com/2358034 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/1_australianewspecies_461.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left xlarge" width="320" height="229"></span>I think this guy looks like he belongs on a Christmas tree, but this sea crab is just one of the hundreds of new sea creatures <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/photogalleries/Australia-new-species-photos/index.html" target="_blank">discovered off the coast of Tasmania</a>. From crabs to starfish to octopus, these new species were recorded in two separate mile-deep voyages in 2006 and 2007. </p> <p>Not only did voyagers find new species of animals under the sea, they also discovered miles of coral that is thought to be about 2,000 years old, providing life and food to many creatures. Lead scientist Nic Bax, a marine biologist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081009-new-marine-life.html" target="_blank">talks about the discovery in a recent interview</a> saying,"We know very little about the deep sea. Finding out how much live coral is down there, and how large those communities are, is very exciting." </p> <p><p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-93864 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#34b3d1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2357982?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/2_australianewspecies_461.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-34422 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#34b3d1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2357982?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/3_australianewspecies_461.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-66424 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#34b3d1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2357982?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/4_australianewspecies_461.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-16148 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#34b3d1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2357982?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/5_australianewspecies_461.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-77356 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#34b3d1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2357982?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/42_2008/6_australianewspecies_461.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"></p> <p><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2358034#comment crabs fish in the wild news scoop starfish the scoop Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:00:46 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2358034 http://www.petsugar.com/2338930 <p>The fourth of November isn't just the day <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/tags/2008+Presidential+Election" >that we elect a new President</a>, but it's also a day when we get to voice our opinions on a batch of new bills, propositions, and laws in our respective states. For those of us in California, there is one in particular that had a group of pooches and their owners barking. . . err, talking to folks on the streets recently. As a fan of all animals, this particular law hits close to home and made me want to get more information. Thankfully, there were a number of people on the street willing to talk me through it.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.4.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="413"></span><br /> It's called Prop 2, and its goal is to help fight cruelty and inhumane treatment to farm animals. How?<br /> <p><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-26671 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#cc0066'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 active" href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2338919?page=0,0,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.1.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-65681 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#cc0066'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2338919?page=0,1,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.2.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-22757 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#cc0066'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2338919?page=0,2,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.3.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-28575 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#cc0066'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2338919?page=0,3,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.5.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div><div style="float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:9px"><div id=mask-52039 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#cc0066'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}><div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'><a target="gallery4" class="thumb2 " href="http://petsugar.com/gallery/view/2338919?page=0,4,0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/prop2.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" height="100" width="100" /></a></div></div></div></p><br clear="all"></p> <p>To find out the details of Prop 2, </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2338930">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2338930#comment dogs news Prop 2 scoop the scoop voting Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:00:26 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2338930 http://www.petsugar.com/2322789 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/41_2008/CrystalJellyfish.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" width="340" height="400"></span>If you've ever wondered how some jellyfish glow green, you're not alone. Three researchers from across the country – Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Tsien – teamed up to discover ways to produce the protein unique to Crystal Jellyfish – called GFP – to help aid in medical research. The discovery was so important that <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/08/nobel.chemistry/index.html" target="_blank">it earned them the Nobel Prize for Chemistry</a>. </p> <p>How would this glowing protein aid the medical community? Formally, certain things have been invisible to the eye – like how cancer cells form and spread – but with this fluorescent protein, we can now see those cells and watch how they develop. What's more, researchers can also see how nerve cells deteriorate as they do in patients with Alzheimer's, which means that a deeper understanding of the disease is possible! Hopefully, this will help form a cure for both cases, and open up a whole new understanding for other medical related issues. Way to go jellyfish! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2322789#comment in the wild Jellyfish news Nobel Prize scoop the scoop Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:20 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2322789 http://www.petsugar.com/2135250 <p>I never thought I'd actually see a pig fly, but I guess anything's possible! Fairgoers in Melbourne, Australia have been seeing pigs fly for the past nine years during the annual Royal Melbourne Show that takes place in September. During the exhibition, pigs compete in races and diving contests to see who is top pig.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/40_2008/porky-pig.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="339"></span><br /> The lovely porker shown here is Miss Porky Pig, and has been competing for the title against other favorites like Ham Bone, Bacon Bone, and Porky Chop. Unfortunately, each pig only competes for one season, so this is definitely her time to shine! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2135250#comment Australia flying pigs news pigs the scoop Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:00:36 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2135250 http://www.petsugar.com/2097140 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/39_2008/glowingfishies.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="280" height="400"></span>I have to admit that a lot of my sea fish knowledge came from <strong>Finding Nemo</strong>. Like who knew that the <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1579022" >ugly, glowing (and kinda scary) fish from the animation was real</a>?! So when I read about other fish that glow down there in the deep, dark sea I was intrigued. And, come to find out, there are even some that glow in one of my favorite colors.</p> <p>Although scientists thought that fish only saw short wave colors — like blue and green, which are pretty common glowing colors for fish — <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/photogalleries/fish-red-fluorescence-photos/index.html" target="_blank">a new discovery finds that some fish want the spotlight all to themselves: they glow in shades of red</a>! The finding shows that at least 32 species of reef fish communicate by glowing red instead of the typical blue and green to cut through all the other "communication" that's going on. Just like if you were in a library where everyone was whispering, these fish would be shouting! There's a bit of useless knowledge for you — pass it along. </p> <p><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2097140#comment fish news Red Glow Fish the scoop Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:00:29 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2097140 http://www.petsugar.com/2070952 <p>Not only does the ice help regulate the earth's temperature, but it also sustains life by giving access to food to many Arctic creatures. Unfortunately, with the ice shelf melting at an alarming rate (about 10 percent per decade), <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/23/arctic.ice/index.html" target="_blank">it's having a deadly effect on the Polar Bears native to the region</a>. Kassie Siegel, staff attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity explains:<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/39_2008/polarbear.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="343"></span></p> <blockquote><p>The Arctic sea ice melt is a disaster for the polar bears. They are dependent on the Arctic sea ice for all of their essential behaviors, and as the ice melts and global warming transforms the Arctic, polar bears are starving, drowning, even resorting to cannibalism because they don't have access to their usual food sources.</p></blockquote> <p>But the Arctic ice melt doesn't just affect residents of the north. See how this will affect us here in the US, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2070952">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2070952#comment arctic ice climate change global warming news polar bears the scoop Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:00:35 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2070952 http://www.petsugar.com/slideshow/2071887 <a href="/slideshow/2071887?page=0"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/39_2008/tomknut.xlarge.jpg" alt="The Scoop: Knut&#039;s Caretaker Dies" title="The Scoop: Knut&#039;s Caretaker Dies" class="image xlarge inline left" height="320" width="319" /></a>You remember <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/tags/knut">Knut the cute</a>, right? Sadly this Polar Bear will have to celebrate his next birthday (come December) without his famous caretaker, Thomas Doerflein. The selfless German zookeeper that cared for one of the world's most recognizable creatures passed away this week – I've taken the time to honor his life with the bear in this slideshow.<div id='pager' style='margin:25px auto;text-align:center;margin:8px; '><a href="/slideshow/2071887?page=0">Start Slideshow</a></div> http://www.petsugar.com/slideshow/2071887#comment Berlin knut news Polar Bear RIP the scoop Thomas Doerflein Zoo Berlin zoos Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:38 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2071887 http://www.petsugar.com/2039606 <p>You know that feeling of anticipation you get during a full moon that makes you want to go out and party? Well, maybe that's just me, but studies show that the "Full Moon Effect" touches other species, too. Not only are those werewolves on the hunt during full moons, <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/09/18/full-moon-birds.html" target="_blank">but so are sharks, seals, and sea birds</a>.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/38_2008/birdswatermoon.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="504" height="339"></span><br /> Since sea birds — like the streaked shearwater — rest on the water's surface, they are especially noticeable on a night with a full moon, where the light penetrating the water is brighter, and the birds cast a shadow below. So the sharks and seals that prey on the birds have a better chance of catching a midnight snack on those evenings. How did researchers first discover this activity? To find out, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2039606">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2039606#comment birds full moons in the wild news scoop sharks the scoop wild animals Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:00:58 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2039606 http://www.petsugar.com/2022309 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/38_2008/petfoodrecall1_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="350" height="350"></span>I'm kind of a stickler about pet food. North eats pretty well, and I personally wouldn't have it any other way. So if <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1692275" >the last pet food scare had you up in arms</a>, then you should take notice to this news. Fourteen brands of pet food were <a href="http://consumerist.com/5048263/14-brands-of-pet-food-recalled/" target="_blank">placed on a voluntary recall list</a> after two people may have contracted salmonella poisoning since coming in contact with food that was made between January and July of this year. </p> <p>One of these is a top seller — Pedigree! I know a lot of you stick to all natural pet foods (and some of you even serve vegetarian or raw foods to your pampered pets), but I know there will be tons of you that are affected by this recall, so listen up! To find out which brands are being pulled from the shelves, and how to determine if you have one of them, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/2022309">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/2022309#comment food products news pedigree Pet food recalls scoop the news the scoop Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:00:45 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/2022309 http://www.petsugar.com/1982452 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/37_2008/rats.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="263" height="400"></span>For four decades, Columbia has been wrought with war between its government and extremist rebels, leaving dangerous land mines sprinkled over the countryside. But instead of using people or bomb sniffing dogs to locate the mines, <a href="http://www.cavyrescue.co.uk/cgi-bin/news.pl?record=50" target="_blank">Columbia is turning to a much smaller soldier for the job</a>: rats. </p> <p>For the past few years, rats have been trained in mazes to sniff out dangerous C-4 explosives. Their tiny stature and weight won't trigger the mines so there's a better chance of diffusing the bombs safely. Surprisingly, the rats come with an 84 percent success rate, and are also being trained to work alongside Columbia's trusty German Shepherds for even more explosive detecting jobs. I am sure we can agree it gives the term "lab rat" a whole new meaning, but what do you think of the practice?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1982452#comment bomb sniffing rats news rats scoop the scoop Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:00:53 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1982452 http://www.petsugar.com/1934080 <p>Although there have been fossils discovered in South America over the years – mostly those of panthers, wolves, horses, and condors – the biggest discovery in recent decades was found recently at a dig site in Venezuela. A pack of six Scimitar Cats, from the saber-tooth cat family, was unearthed after an oil drilling expedition exposed their fossilized remains. The big haul however, was the one whole, and intact skull from one of the larger cats.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/36_2008/sabertooth.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="391"></span><br /> The Simitars have been extinct for over 500,000 years, and since the saber-toothed family has never before been discovered in South America, it's quite the find – expanding the previously known habitats of the ancient cats. I don't know about you, but I'd hate to run into <i>that</i> tooth in a dark alley way! The fossils are <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/12/saber-tooth-cat.html" target="_blank">now on display</a> at the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research in Caracas. </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1934080#comment Fossils news Saber-Tooth Cats scoop the scoop Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:00:32 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1934080 http://www.petsugar.com/1885759 <p>If your dog has a <a href="http://www.fourpaws.com/products/pimple-ball-with-bell.htm" target="_blank">Four Paws Pimple Ball</a> in his possession, you might want to take note: the product has been recalled after news of a severe injury was caused from playing with the toy. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/34_2008/pimpleball.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="400"></span>I came across <a href="http://consumerist.com/5040194/owner-calls-for-chew-toy-recall-after-dogs-injury-results-in-tongue-amputation" target="_blank">the cringe worthy story the other day</a> and haven't been able to get it out of my head! Chai, a 10 year-old Lab mix, was chewing on the toy when his tongue got stuck in the hole of the ball, leading to the amputation of his tongue! How did this happen? Chai's owner, who had been pleading for a recall, wrote a letter to Four Paws explaining the details: </p> <blockquote><p>While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball<br /> preventing the vacuum effect from happening.</p></blockquote> <p>Poor Chai! To find out what happened next, </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1885759">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1885759#comment dangers Four Paws Pimple Ball news recalls scoop the scoop Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:00:19 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1885759 http://www.petsugar.com/1810473 <p>You usually hear heroic tales of dogs rushing to the rescue of their owners from seizures, accidents, and fires, but this is one story you don't hear everyday, and one that <a href="http://teamsugar.com/user/CoralAmber" >CoralAmber</a> just had to share with me. A Melbourne family was <a href="http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24070028-921,00.html" target="_blank">rescued from a house fire by their pet bunny named "Rabbit"</a>, who alerted them of the trouble. How the heck did a rabbit do that, you ask?<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/30_2008/rabbit.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="505" height="338"></span><br /> The Finn family lets their six-month-old rabbit roam freely around the house, only locking him up when guests arrive. So when Rabbit was heard frantically scratching at Gary and Michelle's bedroom door, they knew something was up. A fire had been spreading throughout their newly renovated home, and was quickly approaching their bedroom. Rabbit's scratches got them all out of the house safely with only mild smoke inhalation. I <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1115307" >know first hand how smart rabbits are</a>, so I'm not completely surprised that these little creatures can be lifesavers! Thanks CoralAmber for the tip! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1810473#comment news rabbit saves family rabbits scoop the scoop Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:00:28 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1810473 http://www.petsugar.com/1807119 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/2/22911/30_2008/Picture-16.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right outline preview"width="200"></span>A seven-year-old in Tel-Aviv, Israel has created a bright yellow camel vest with the help of his father in an effort to prevent the many car crashes that happen when camels cross the road. </p> <p>The boy came up with the idea for the vest as part of a school project after hearing about a driver who was killed in a collision with a camel in the desert. Israeli police say 10 motorists have been killed in the last 10 years after colliding with stray camels in Israel, according to <a href="http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL03543500.html" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. Apparently, similar accidents have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. </p> <p>The father-son design team doesn't have any plans to market the vests, but they hope others will adopt the idea and help save lives. </p> <p><center> <div style='width:455px' id="spi_tabs_container"> <div id="spi_tabs_top"> <div id="spi_tabs_topL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_topR"></div> </div> <div class="panel chatter_chatter fbceleb " > <center> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/static/js/swfobject.js"></script> <p style=margin:0px;padding:0px id="player_1807136"><a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get Flash</a> to see this player.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var so1807136 = new SWFObject('http://images.teamsugar.com/static/flash/mediaplayer.swf','mpl','425','350','7'); so1807136.addParam('allowfullscreen','true'); so1807136.addVariable("file",'1807136.flv'); so1807136.addVariable('height','350'); so1807136.addVariable('image','http://images.teamsugar.com/media/cooked/thumbs/1807136.jpg'); so1807136.addVariable('width','425'); so1807136.addVariable('logo','http://images.teamsugar.com/static/imgs/watermark/petsugar.png'); so1807136.write('player_1807136'); </script> </center> </div> <div id="spi_tabs_bot"> <div id="spi_tabs_botL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_botR"></div> </div> </div> </center></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1807119#comment camels news scoop the scoop videos Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:30:57 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1807119 http://www.petsugar.com/1797433 <p>Adoro overload! Arnie the house cat and Zara the lion cub are totally in love! Zara was recently <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1032537/Zara-lion-cub-Arnie-house-cat-make-purrfect-couple.html" target="_blank">rescued from the Linton Zoo by zoo director Kim Simmons</a>, after finding the young mother lioness was having trouble taking care of her. But after six short weeks with Kim, Zara is now healthy, happy, and has experienced her first case of puppy love . . . err, I mean kitty love!<span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/29_2008/cubcat.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="330"></span>It was love at first sight for Arnie when Zara was brought home, and they've been joined at the hip ever since! With daily naps and playtime, Zara and Arnie must make the most of their time together since Zara is healthy enough to be sent to her new life in an African wildlife park. I'm sure the cat will miss her, and will have to mend a broken heart after she leaves, but I gotta warn him – long distance relationships rarely work out! </p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1797433#comment baby animals bff cats friends lions news the scoop Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:00:02 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1797433 http://www.petsugar.com/1769985 <p>Not only do <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1763181" >your pets have a dominant hand</a>, but researchers think that octopuses do too! In a month-long observational project, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1032700/Octopuses-given-Rubiks-Cubes-favourite-tentacle.html" target="_blank">UK scientists are testing their theory that intelligent creatures have a dominant arm (in this case, tentacle) used to feed and investigate</a>. Researchers will record which tentacle the Octopuses use to pick up objects, hoping to reduce stress levels in captivity. Huh – what does picking up things have to do with stress levels, you ask? Claire Little, a marine life expert at the <a href="http://www.sealifeeurope.co.uk/handcrafted2.asp" target="_blank">Sea Life Center</a> in the UK explains:<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/28_2008/article-1032700-01DD271900000578-286_468x334_popup.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="550" height="403"></span></p> <blockquote><p>We hope the study will help the overall well-being of octopuses. They are very susceptible to stress so if they do have a favorite side to be fed on, it could reduce risk to them.</p></blockquote> <p>The fun part is that visitors to the Center will get to participate in the study by jotting down on a diagram which arm was used to pick up objects such as balls and Lego bricks, while staff will continue the observation at feeding time and overnight. Who knew that cleaning up could be therapeutic? Now if I could just get North to pick up his toys . . . </p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1769985#comment news octopus octopuses research science scoop the scoop Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:00:01 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1769985 http://www.petsugar.com/1754465 <p>There must be something in the water down there in <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1748767" >Florida</a> to cause a woman to hold a cat as ransom! This story is a bit tricky, so stay with me here: </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/27_2008/Original.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="400"></span>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. </p> <p>Eventually Urioste did check the animal shelter, and the couple learned that the rightful owner was looking for the pup. <a href="http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=6d20649f-884b-4b3a-b17b-d017d39e5259" target="_blank">Upon meeting Urioste, the Hollars decided not to give back Scobby (now renamed Buddy), since Urioste was "extremely rude and threatened to sue."</a></p> <p>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! </p> <p>To find out what happened next in this tension-filled story, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1754465">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1754465#comment adoption florida news ransom scoop the scoop Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:59 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1754465 http://www.petsugar.com/1748767 <p>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! </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/27_2008/article-0-01C9CF6E00000578-452_468x511.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="375"></span>Warwick, a Wildlife Officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1030279/Pictured-The-moment-wildlife-officer-risked-life-save-drowning-bear.html" target="_blank">made a quick (and dangerous) decision to save a drowning bear who was shot with a tranquilizer dart</a> 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: </p> <blockquote><p>He was losing function in his arms and legs, and was obviously in distress. I knew I had to keep him from drowning.</p></blockquote> <p>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. </p> <p>If you were in Warwick's position, would you have jumped in the water to help? </p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1748767#comment Black bears fl florida news scoop the scoop Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1748767 http://www.petsugar.com/1737123 <p>An amateur photographer from New Jersey received an unexpected treat on a shark expedition last July off the coast of Holbox Island, Mexico <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1029013/The-great-ocean-migration--thousands-majestic-stingrays-swim-new-seas.html" target="_blank">when a school of Cownose Stingrays crossed her path while migrating for the Summer</a>. Cownose stingrays have a twice yearly migration, starting both in the late Spring and Winter, and can be seen traveling in schools of up to 10,000 rays <i>right now</i> in the areas from Western Florida to the Yucatan.<br /> <span class="inline left"><a href="http://teamsugar.com/user/LilPeaPod/album/1737118" ><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/26_2008/article-0-01B8EF8900000578-909_468x314_popup.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="368"></a></span><br /> Sandra Critelli who snapped the amazing pics, says she's never seen anything like it before, calling it an "unreal image, very difficult to describe," and estimates this school to be in the thousands. And, although stingrays are poisonous, they are known to be calm and non-threatening when in large schools like this - I suppose there's confidence in numbers!<br /> <p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-46782 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/1737118?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/26_2008/article-0-01B8EF7500000578-336_468x700.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-80115 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#07A7E1'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.petsugar.com/gallery/view/1737118?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/26_2008/article-0-01B8EF8900000578-909_468x314_popup_0.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> </div></p><br clear=all></p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1737123#comment fish migration news scoop sting rays the scoop Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:00:24 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1737123 http://www.petsugar.com/1735354 <p>Hope, a tiny puppy born with only two hind legs has a new way of getting around . . . model airplane wheels! The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028681/Pictured-The-puppy-born-legs-uses-toy-wheels-around.html" target="_blank">adoro Maltese was used to getting around by hopping on her two legs</a>, until doctors said that this movement would eventually cause injury to her bones and spine.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/26_2008/article-1028681-01B6266000000578-531_468x301.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="468" height="301"></span>Coming to the rescue was Dr. David Turnbill, who built her new prosthetic legs free of charge out of model airplane wheels so that she can "walk" around like any other dog could, and in her natural position. Hope's rehabilitation specialist Cassy Englert says that at first Hope was having some issues adjusting to the new way of walking: </p> <blockquote><p>She never knew anything other than hopping like she did. The hardest thing is teaching her a new way to get around that's going to actually be better for her.</p></blockquote> <p>Thankfully, Hope is taking to her new legs and is even jetting around at some pretty quick speeds. Good to see she's not letting anything stop her! </p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028681/Pictured-The-puppy-born-legs-uses-toy-wheels-around.html" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1735354#comment dogs Maltese malteses news scoop the scoop two legged puppy Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:00:44 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1735354 http://www.petsugar.com/1722621 <p>Knut, <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1536529" >your (second) favorite polar bear</a> was checked out by a psychic and says it's not all good news - the cuddly white one's <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1102101" >quick rise to the top</a>, and all that <a href="http://popsugar.com/196678" > media attention</a> has left him with a heavy heart! Anna Katinka Witte, a well known German pet psychic who analyzed Knut's photo for a German newspaper last week, <a href="http://www.thelocal.de/12453/" target="_blank">says that Knut isn't exactly feeling his best</a>:<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/25_2008/80560045.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" width="550" height="367"></span></p> <blockquote><p>"He has a lot on his mind. Right now he's not doing particularly well. Knut somehow knows that he is special, but he's not exactly sure what that means."</p></blockquote> <p>Additionally, Witte says that Knut not only has a busy mind but could also be suffering from digestive problems and a bum right leg! Poor Knut! Although <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1002969" >a majority of you says you don't believe in pet psychics</a>, I still hope Knut's handlers make sure his tummy and leg are a-okay! </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1722621#comment germany knut news Nuremberg Zoo pet psychic polar bears the scoop Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:00:52 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1722621 http://www.petsugar.com/1704265 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/24_2008/goldfish404_674987c.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="325"></span>Hold on to your fins, 'cause this story may have you seeing red! Waterfront vendors in Qingdao, China, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2053527/Beijing-Olympics-unofficial-live-goldfish-keyrings-are-cruel,-say-RSPCA.html#continue" target="_blank">are selling sealed plastic keychains filled with goldfish as souvenirs!</a> The keychains are being printed with a picture of Huanhuan, one of the five Olympic mascots for the 2008 games, and being pawned off as unofficial merchandise for this year's sailing events. Not surprisingly, a representative from the UK's <a href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/" target="_blank">RSPCA</a> says the little goldies aren't expected to survive in their confined space for long: </p> <blockquote><p> “The fish would survive just a few hours, and would be lucky to make it from the manufacturers to the point of sale. This product shows a shocking lack of respect for a living thing and should be withdrawn from sale. We can’t understand why anyone would want to buy such a thing."</p></blockquote> <p>Poor fishies! I'm surprised that these were ever allowed to be made! </p> <p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1704265#comment 2008 Olympics fish goldfish news scoop the scoop Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:00:09 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1704265 http://www.petsugar.com/1697424 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/24_2008/200544192-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="503" height="339"></span>Usually when I think of animal conservation, I think of <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/slideshow/1570600" >protecting the animals' natural habitat</a>, educating the masses on <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1090652" >the need for conservation</a>, and maybe even helping nature along with breeding, but I've never heard of putting them on ice! </p> <p>In Moscow, a research team is trying to <a href="http://www.russiatoday.ru/scitech/news/25971" target="_blank">save the rarest of toad and frog species from extinction by freezing their sperm and eggs</a> at minus 200 degrees for later use. With over 3,000 species on the endangered list, Natalia Sheshova from the Institute of Biophysics in Moscow says they are learning other ways to use science to their advantage as well: </p> <blockquote><p>“We’re learning to freeze embryo cells too, to give us a complete genetic picture. We hope that if a certain species does become extinct, we can retrieve the frozen cells and reproduce it.”</p></blockquote> <p>I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures! </p> <p><a href="http:www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1697424#comment conservation frogs in the wild news scoop the scoop Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1697424 http://www.petsugar.com/1692275 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/23_2008/Timberwolf.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="296" height="250"></span>If your pup dines on Timberwolf Organics brand dog food, then sit up and take note! Timberwolf has <a href="http://timberwolforganics.com/News-and-Events;jsessionid=0a01054f1f43f6673da2d9594b79b493b9853359266b.e3eTaxiNaN0Te34Pa38Ta38Lb3r0" target="_blank">voluntarily recalled two formulas from their line of pet food</a> due to customers reporting instances of dogs vomiting, diarrhea, and refusing to eat. Affected formulas include the Dakota Bison and Ocean Blue lines with the following "best by" dates printed on the bag: </p> <p>Dakota Bison: best by date of February 12, 2009<br /> Ocean Blue: best by date of February 20, 2009<br /> Ocean Blue: best by date of March 8, 2009</p> <p>If you have either of these affected formulas with the dates noted as above, you can simply take the bags back to the retailer you purchased them from for a refund or a store credit. If you're an online shopper, you'll want to <a href="http://timberwolforganics.com/News-and-Events;jsessionid=0a01054f1f43f6673da2d9594b79b493b9853359266b.e3eTaxiNaN0Te34Pa38Ta38Lb3r0" target="_blank">contact Timberwolf Organics directly for your refund</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://timberwolforganics.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1692275#comment news Pet food recalls the scoop Timberwolf Organics Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:30:00 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1692275 http://www.petsugar.com/1690324 <p>My heart is aching from all the cuteness! Not only have we seen some big hearted pups like Hei Zi, Echo, and Lilly taking to <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1649393" >piggies</a> and <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/tags/Dog+nursing+kittens" >sets of "pittens"</a> like their own, now Ellie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in Sussex, England has given new life to a set of baby rabbits after their mother was found dead in her owner's garden. It really has me wondering what other animals dogs have adopted right under our noses – do we have any dogs befriending ducks out there? Gerbils, perhaps? </p> <p>Check out <a href="http://jezebel.com/5011617/adorable-dog-adopts-orphaned-baby-bunnies" target="_blank">this clip</a> from the National Geographic series <a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dogs-with-jobs/all/Overview" target="_blank">Dogs with Jobs</a> featuring Ellie, the attentive and loving foster mom to three adorable baby rabbits. </p> <p><center> <div style='width:455px' id="spi_tabs_container"> <div id="spi_tabs_top"> <div id="spi_tabs_topL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_topR"></div> </div> <div class="panel chatter_chatter fbceleb " > <center> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/static/js/swfobject.js"></script> <p style=margin:0px;padding:0px id="player_1690313"><a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get Flash</a> to see this player.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var so1690313 = new SWFObject('http://images.teamsugar.com/static/flash/mediaplayer.swf','mpl','425','350','7'); so1690313.addParam('allowfullscreen','true'); so1690313.addVariable("file",'1690313.flv'); so1690313.addVariable('height','350'); so1690313.addVariable('image','http://images.teamsugar.com/media/cooked/thumbs/1690313.jpg'); so1690313.addVariable('width','425'); so1690313.write('player_1690313'); </script> </center> </div> <div id="spi_tabs_bot"> <div id="spi_tabs_botL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_botR"></div> </div> </div> </center></p> <p><a href="http://jezebel.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1690324#comment cavalier king charles spaniels cute dog nursing rabbits dogs news rabbits scoop the scoop Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:00:11 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1690324 http://www.petsugar.com/1665072 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-1665072"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/1665072',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-1665072');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/22_2008/2501_DW_eppie_lady_snoopy-3_04700300.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="470" height="300"></span>Not only does Cesar Millan <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1139510" rel="nofollow">help train Oprah to be the pack leader of her pampered pups</a> (including helping beloved Sophie socialize with other dogs <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1526912" rel="nofollow">before she passed away</a>), but he can help train you to do the same . . . online! </p> <p>Cesar's new <a href="http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/newsletter/sessions.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interactive training course is hitting his website in June</a> to help you get calm and assertive with your pets, but you can sign up now for email alerts to get a head's up before it hits the web. I've watched almost every episode of the hit <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Geographic</a> show, so this course is a welcome distraction for me while I patiently wait until I can get in on one of his super popular seminars. I've personally seen the results with his methods since an old roomie of mine used them since day one with her puppy, but I know they aren't for everyone. Will you take Cesar's online training course? </p> <p><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/1665072" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Will You Get Online With Cesar Millan? </label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> Sure! I'd love to learn Cesar's methods.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> Nah. I'm not really into it. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> Maybe. See my comments below. </label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="1665072" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.petsugar.com/1665072#comment Cesar Millan National Geographic online pet training poll the scoop training Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:01 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1665072 http://www.petsugar.com/1656518 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104166/21_2008/wendy-and-lucy-still-01-433.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="550" width="366"></span>Four paws up to the super cute canine, Lucy, this year's lucky <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1646909" >Palm Dog</a> winner at <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/tags/2008+cannes+film+festival" >Cannes</a>! This mixed-breed pooch is part hunting dog and part retriever and was lucky enough to star alongside <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/tag/michelle+williams" >Michelle Williams</a> in <a href="http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/10802470/year/2008.html" target="_blank">Wendy and Lucy</a>. From what I can tell, the pup plays a major role in the film that follows their journey to Alaska, where Wendy hopes for a Summer of lucrative work at the fish cannery . . . until her car breaks down in Oregon, that is. Learn who accepted this award on her behalf when you </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1656518">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1656518#comment 2008 Cannes Film Festival Lucy Michelle Williams movies Palm Dog scoop the scoop Wendy and Lucy Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:23 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1656518 http://www.petsugar.com/1646909 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/21_2008/palmdogbeach.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="450" height="304"></span>With all the excitement of the <a href="http://petsugar.com/tag/2008+Cannes+Film+Festival" >2008 Cannes Film Festival hitting the Sugar Network</a>, we don't want to forget about our furry, four-legged actors and actresses out there in showbiz! Not only are animals key players in film, but they deserve an award all their own: <a href="http://www.palmdog.com/home.html" target="_blank">The Palm Dog</a>. </p> <p>An event that began in 2001, The Palm Dog is taking place this year right along side heavy hitters like <a href="http://popsugar.com/1637867" >Angelina and Brad</a> at the UK Film Pavilion at Cannes this Friday. Past Palm Dog winners include "Mops" from <b>Marie Antoinette</b> (2006), "Moses" from <b>Dogville</b> (2003), and "Otis" in <b>The Anniversary Party</b> (2001) which starred Jennifer Jason Leigh and her own pup, Otis! </p> <p>Remember how excited we got about the <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/744363" >Corgi-licious winners of The Fidos last fall?</a> I've heard the pooch starring alongside Julianne Moore in <a href="http://buzzsugar.com/1526155" >Blindness</a> is the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/1996088/Cannes-Film-Festival-canines-battle-it-out-for-top-Palm-Dog.html" target="_blank">early favorite</a> this year! It's hard for me to say – 'cause I couldn't be with <a href="http://uk.popsugar.com/1630623" >those lucky guests to see that opening premiere at Cannes</a>. Sigh. Stay tuned – I'll bring you the winner list as soon as the ceremony wraps up.</p> <p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200605/r87910_259871.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1648892.htm&amp;h=270&amp;w=400&amp;sz=39&amp;hl=en&amp;start=2&amp;um=1&amp;tbnid=jZJBK_g7zlD70M:&amp;tbnh=84&amp;tbnw=124&amp;prev=/images%3Fq%3DPalm%2BDog%2BCannes%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DtoE%26sa%3DN" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1646909#comment 2008 Cannes Film Festival movies Palm Dog the scoop Wed, 21 May 2008 00:30:48 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1646909 http://www.petsugar.com/1634640 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/20_2008/feedingducks.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="546" height="312"></span>I remember going to ponds and lakes near my hometown with a bag of bread in one hand and my mom gripping the other. We were going to feed the ducks our leftover stale bread, a common practice back in the day. But a new study suggests that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1954210/%27Ban-bread-as-bird-food%27.html" target="_blank">feeding the birds your bread may not be helping them stay as healthy</a> as we once thought. </p> <p>While white bread does its job of filling up the tummies of the ducks, geese, swans, and other birds seen around lakes, it doesn't do a good job of giving them any nutritional assistance. Birds quickly get full from the bread, so they can't eat anything else that may contain the nutritional value they need to breed and raise their young. Val Osborne, head of wildlife inquiries at the <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Society for the Protection of Birds</a> in the UK, said: “There are many other household foods that would be much better for them." </p> <p>To see what kind of foods, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1634640">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1634640#comment birds feed the birds health in the wild the scoop Mon, 19 May 2008 00:30:16 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1634640 http://www.petsugar.com/1631692 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/20_2008/dailymailcats.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="466" height="329"></span>I could never ever imagine giving up my four-legged baby and I know that all of you feel the same about your precious pets, which makes this news even more infuriating. I caught <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=564027&amp;in_page_id=1879" target="_blank">a recent UK Daily Mail story about some shocking reasons cats are being dumped into the local animal shelters</a>. </p> <p>The RSPCA in West London bares all when trying to find forever homes for the unwanted felines, including listing why the now homeless kitties were brought to them. Reasons for giving up some of these beautiful cats range from having too long of a coat, not matching the owner's new carpet, and not wanting to pay a $10 a day cat sitter fee while they hit the beach for a vacay. I can't imagine how anyone could give up an animal because of these reasons, but apparently some people just don't have a heart. What's more, the number of animals left abandoned in the RSPCA's care rose 23 percent last year to leave 7,347 pets without homes which makes it even more important to extend your love to a shelter animal, but to first make absolutely sure you are ready for the responsibilities of a pet! </p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1631692#comment animal shelters cats England news scoop shelter the scoop Fri, 16 May 2008 07:00:04 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1631692 http://www.petsugar.com/1618022 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/19_2008/ElephantAndGolf2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="550" height="434"></span>We've had a few elephant experiences of our own recently here on PetSugar, from going gaga over <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1614317" >hours-old babies</a> to learning that the <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1553437" >pachyderms' ancestors were water dwelling creatures</a>! So, to add another entry into the elephant file, I'll share with you this cool story. The other day, a friend of mine sent me this pic of an elephant giving two tourists visiting the Kruger National Park in South Africa a good rattle. His pal – who actually lives in the park – had an up close and personal experience with an elephant of his own just a few months before. Strangely enough, their cars were the same color! So he asked me: </p> <blockquote><p>"Some months ago we were in the Park with friends in their Kombi (van), and got approached by an elephant cow who gave us a nerve-rattlingly close inspection, so we sympathize with these two. Interestingly, the Kombi was the same color as this car! Do elephants like "Jazz blue"!?"</p></blockquote> <p>Well, you know I just had to find out the answer! To see what I dug up, just </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1618022">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1618022#comment colorblind elephants science the scoop Mon, 12 May 2008 03:00:15 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1618022 http://www.petsugar.com/1614403 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/19_2008/hedge2APEX0705_468x293.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" width="468" height="293"></span><br /> How appropriate that we are seeing so many baby animals this week with Mother's Day just around the corner! First a <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1612345" >day-old rhino</a>, then an <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1614317" >hours-old baby elephant</a> . . . now we can throw these hedgehogs into the mix! Although these little guys were born last month, they do have an interesting story. In Europe, birthing time for hedgehogs is usually in late May to early June, with hibernation and cold weather keeping them safe inside their burrows. But this litter, born April 26th, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=564675&amp;in_page_id=1770" target="_blank">is one of the earliest litters of hedgehogs ever seen in Europe, and oh-so tiny</a> – each little one weighs less than an ounce! Elizabeth Dyas, founder of Prickly Ball Farm in Devon (which looks after these animals) is speculating that unseasonably warm weather is what's bringing the hedgehogs out of hibernation early: </p> <blockquote><p>"When we first started taking them in about 20 years ago there were harsher winters and they hibernated for much longer periods than they do now. Normally we would start to get small numbers being born at the end of May and beginning of June"</p></blockquote> <p>To read more about these adoro hedgehogs, and to see just how tiny they really are, </p> <p><a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1614403">read more</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1614403#comment cute Hedgehogs in the wild the scoop Fri, 09 May 2008 07:00:52 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/1614403 http://www.petsugar.com/1596308 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/1/15300/18_2008/15966598_240X180.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" width="240" height="180"></span>Who says <a href="http://www.petsugar.com/1035389" >cats and dogs can't get along</a>? An Iowa shelter dog dubbed Lilly Lou has been <a href="http://www.local6.com/spotlight/15972844/detail.html" target="_blank">nursing nine kittens from three different litters back to health</a> after they all lost their mothers. Initially, the shelter workers gave Lilly three kittens – called "pittens," or puppy kittens by shelter staffers – to help watch over while others were being bottle fed. But, to their surprise, Lilly Lou started acting as a loving mother to the kittens, herding them together if they started wandering off. Soon, Lilly began feeding and grooming them, so workers gave her more kittens to care for, since their chances of survival were better with Lilly taking them as her own.</p> <p>"She does everything momma cat would do," said Angie Beard, a worker at the Des Moines County Humane Society. "She's excellent." With Lilly Lou having recently given birth to her own set of pups, it seems she was perfect for the job! Lilly Lou will keep the kittens under her care for another three weeks until they are healthy and ready to be adopted. </p> <p><a href="http://www.local6.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.petsugar.com/1596308#comment cats Dog nursing kittens dogs news scoop the scoop Fri, 02 May 2008 00:30:23 -0700 PetSugar http://www.petsugar.com/