from socialtimes.com Dogs with hands are freakin’ hilarious, which is why it’s no surprise that they’ve taken YouTube by storm this year. It all started with a sudden influx of videos of dogs with hands in February and March of this year and now, just in time for the holidays, another holly jolly video featuring dogs with hands is going viral. ‘It’s a Jolly Holi-dog Celebration!’ hit YouTube a couple of weeks ago and is approaching 300,000 views so far. It features a bunch of different dogs with hands wrapping Christmas presents, sending out cards, making paper snowflakes, baking Christmas cookies and more. Read on to learn more about this trend, and to see some of the best dogs with hands videos on YouTube.
from statesman.com Homer burst onto the local political scene in May 1988 when advocates decided they needed a flashy gimmick to draw the public’s attention to homelessness. After taking up a collection of $17, several homeless men and community activist Lori Cervenak-Renteria purchased the then-gosling from Callahan’s General Store. After toying with a few names, they decided to call the snowy fowl Homer. “They wanted the word 'home’ in there,” Cervenak-Renteria recalled. But Homer was not to serve as their pet. Instead, several homeless men — backed by a slew of supporters — threatened to kill the bird unless city officials met with them to discuss solutions to homelessness, such as affordable housing and job training. Animal lovers were outraged.
source: prnewswire.com When it comes to who you spend the most money on during the holidays, according to a recent American Kennel Club® (AKC®) holiday survey, 38% of respondents said their dog, beating out kids (36%) and spouse (26%), and if holiday expenses had to be cut back on this year, 55% of people would spend less on their spouse than their pooch. In fact, 78% plan on buying for other family members' dogs, 66% plan on buying for friends' dogs, and 15% plan on buying for their dog's friends at the dog park. In years past, some of the more extravagant gifts owners purchased for their dog have included memory foam beds, as well as fancy collars. One person bought "a red alligator skin collar with his [the dog's] name in crystals, and a matching red skin leash." Additional survey findings include: 91% include their dog in the family holiday card 60% have taken Fido to see Santa and get his picture taken 61% take the time to make their pup a special holiday meal 42% said actually getting a seat at the dinner table would be on their dog's wish list to Santa
from humanesociety.org: The ordinance makes Austin the first city in Texas to ban the sale of all dogs and cats at retail establishments and one of only a handful of cities in the nation to close off a primary channel for the sale of dogs and cats produced in cruel puppy and kitten mills. Puppy mill dogs are primarily sold through commercial pet stores or directly to consumers over the Internet. “We commend the humane leaders of Austin for recognizing the direct link between inhumane puppy mills and commercial pet store sales of dogs and cats," said The HSUS' Texas senior state director Nicole Paquette. “By drying up the demand for puppy mill dogs, the ordinance will boost adoptions for area animal shelters and rescue groups and increase opportunities for responsible dog breeders." Legislation to regulate large scale commercial dog breeding facilities and protect dogs at puppy mills will be considered by the Texas legislature in 2011. Texas is one of only two states in the top ten puppy mill producing states with no oversight of this industry.
By Chris Sadeghi The Austin City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that would ban the retail sale of puppies and kittens while placing new requirements on local breeders. Anyone selling a puppy or kitten will have to have the proper registration documents and also spay or neuter the animal before selling. Breeders can sell dog and cats that are not spayed or neutered only if they pay a $50 fee per animal.The new ordinance will be enforced on a complaint basis.
For the rest of story click here. Scroll down to end to read more than 85 comments posted in less than 24 hours.
The Austin City Council could vote today to ban the retail sale of dogs, cats and small animals, which would make Austin the largest city in the country to pass such a definitive ordinance, according to a report in the Statesman. The proposal is making headlines nationally. Austin and San Francisco are pioneers in this area. Last July, each respective city considered proposals on banning the retail sale of pets. Critics of the ban include The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.
Landlord Arrested for Throwing Dog Poop into Tenant’s Home from Maria Goodavage with for the love of dog blog
An Ohio landlord is chilling out in jail after getting hot under the collar about poop left on the flat rooftop porch of a tenant with six dogs. Apparently the tenant “walks” his dogs on the rooftop. For more click here.
from: Retired lecturer Howard Moss (of Brynmill, Swansea, South Wales) was the unsuspecting victim of a prank call staged by his orange tabby, Ginger. Purrhaps Ginger wanted to shake things up a bit. Or maybe he wanted to get back at Moss for an unintended slight. Whatever his motivation, he was astute enough to feign a sound sleep when the police investigated. “The police insisted that it was not a spook call because it had originated from inside the house,” said Moss. Read the rest of the story here.
No matter how cute, no matter how well-intentioned, a pet is not a present. It is a life time commitment. More on this topic from the new blog by those outstanding locals at PetRelocation.com
from: The holiday season is upon us, and that likely means you’re busier than ever – out and about attending parties, shopping, and perhaps you’re traveling or will soon have guests in town. And what does that mean for your dog? His or her daily routine will probably change along with yours. That being said, it’s the perfect time for a reminder that dogs love routine. When your dog's routine changes, he or she can feel stressed. Stress in dogs takes all forms, and it’s often misjudged as bad behavior. Your dog may nibble on your new winter boots, or perhaps she’ll whine and bark when you’re away (and only the neighbors know it), or maybe your dog will leave you ‘special’ present, a gift you certainly will not be re-gifting! There are still other behaviors, such as irritability, excessive self-licking and loss of appetite.
Read about a few ideas to help alleviate stress your dog may experience during the holiday season here.
On Thursday, December 9, at a ceremony at the White House, President Barack Obama signed the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010 into law. The new law prohibits the creation and distribution of “crush videos” and establishes a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
In April 2010, the United States Supreme Court struck down the original “Crush Act” (the Depictions of Animal Cruelty Act), a federal law passed in 1999, finding its language to be overbroad and unconstitutional. The law was meant to stop the creation and sale of crush videos and other depictions of illegal acts of animal cruelty. The animal welfare and law enforcement communities have been concerned that lack of a federal law to prohibit crush videos would lead to resurgence in their trade—done mostly via the Internet—which was suppressed effectively by the 1999 law.
The Court’s ruling did leave the door open for the Act to be rewritten—and to their credit, several members of Congress wasted no time in drafting and introducing amendments that would 1) withstand test of constitutionality, and 2) address one of the Court’s main problems with the original Act by including exemptions for visual depictions of hunting, trapping, and fishing. The Senate version of the legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Burr (R-NC); the House version was introduced by Representatives Elton Gallegly (R-CA) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
“The ASPCA has long recognized the dangerous potential for animal cruelty to lead to more serious crimes,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects. “By banning crush videos, our federal government is potentially helping to protect the community from other serious crimes and sending a clear message to individuals seeking to profit from the suffering of helpless animals. This law protects both animals and free speech by focusing specifically on crush videos, which clearly have no place in our society.”
The Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act has a narrower focus than the 1999 law, but still prohibits creating or distributing depictions of non-human animals being intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.
When: November 14th, 1 – 5pm Where: L Style G Style Office Parking Lot, 1412 Collier St. 78704 Featuring: Holiday pet photo booth with Annie Ray, nutritional talks with Nulo.com, massages with milk+honey spa, training tips, learn about medicinal compounds from Live Oak Pharmacy, toe nail clipping with West End Grooming, Subaru car display, retail items from MetroDog, raffle items, giveaways and much, much more!
The fine fine print:Pets must remain leashed during entire event. Water for pets will be provided. There is a lawn rest area for pets within the event area. Pet waste services are provided by Dog Duty.
I can't vouch for the quality of the wine -- haven't gotten a taste yet -- but the artwork looks fetching (no pun intended) and the cause worthy, and will benefit the Animal Trustees of Austin. The Wines That Benefit program offered through wines.com donates 20%* of wine sales to a designated charity and features signature wines paired with hand-picked original artwork. The program offers a no-fuss way to raise funds, give great wine gifts and support a wonderful cause. Reasonably priced: The Domaine Savoreaux Bien Nacido Pinot Noir 2008 ($), Domaine Savoureaux Bien Nacido Pinot Noir 2008 ($39) and the Gruet Blanc de Noir Reserve NV ($30).
At $10 increments -- the price of two ristretto tall non-fat extra-hot no-whip half-sweet sugar-free gingerbread lattes at Starbucks -- locals chipped in to save a baby face like the one pictured above. Look at what small donations did for these cuties. All of the pets in that Austin Pets Alive face book photo album were scheduled to be euthanized, but were saved, thanks to everyone who participated. It added up! More than 249 pets saved and $23,200 raised during the austin pets alive 2010 Save A Life Drive, which ended Sunday.
Found female dog last night in neighborhood off Manchaca and Stassney. Black and Tan mixed breed. No collar. Very sweet and well trained. We kept in our yard overnight, but can't keep here with our dogs. Will take to my moms farm in Kyle. If this is your dog call Brittani at 512-228-0008.
The Coffee Bean is once again partnering with Blue Dog Rescue in their efforts to rescue abandoned dogs and find them suitable homes with our upcoming wristband promotion. You can help support the cause by donating as little as one dollar beginning October 29th through November 10th at any Austin CBTL. In return for your donation you will receive a wristband good for 10% off all of your prepared beverages during the entire month of November.
Since its inception in 2005, Barkitecture has become an Austin favorite! Hosted by Animal Lovers of Austin, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, and the 2nd Street District, this architectural dog-centric fundraiser showcases doghouses created by some of Austin’s best and brightest architects, designers and builders.
SCHEDULE OF BARKITECTURE 2010 EVENTS Noon-4:00pm Dog House Silent Auction 1:00pm-2:00pm PhotoBooth by Annie Ray 2:30pm Fashound Show 4:30pm Awards ceremony at Design Within Reach 4:00pm -6:00pm Barkitecture after-party at Design Within Reach
Michael Landa, CEO of Austin-based pet food company, Nulo.
Photo and Story by Kate Weidaw for kxan.com
Pet owners, do you really know what is in the food you feed your cat or dog?
A new pet food company has opened up in Austin and its owner hopes to educate pet owners about the importance of good nutrition.
"I think if consumers would turn their bag of food over and read even the first three to four ingredients you could tell a lot about the food," said Michael Landa, CEO of Nulo .
Ingredients like wheat, corn and gluten led Landa to start an Austin-based pet food company called Nulo.
"We discovered the food being served to our cats and dogs is the nutritional equivalent of fast food," said Landa.
His goal was to create a wholesome pet food where the top ingredients were meats and rice -- something he wasn't finding in a lot of store-bought food.
Ingredients like wheat, corn and gluten led Landa to start an Austin-based pet food company called Nulo.
"We discovered the food being served to our cats and dogs is the nutritional equivalent of fast food," said Landa.
His goal was to create a wholesome pet food where the top ingredients were meats and rice -- something he wasn't finding in a lot of store-bought food.
"If we just look for things like corn, by-products, glutens, these never should be the first three ingredients you see in a pet food," said Landa.
Landa showed several examples of top-selling dog and cat foods that lists these items as top ingredients.
"Just like people you want to make sure the first several ingredients are some sort of good protein source and good starch," said Dr. Erin Homberg, Austin veterinarian .
However, she said owners don't need to throw out current pet food if it has wheat, corn, or gluten because they aren't necessarily bad for pets unless they are allergic to those items.
"There are a lot of foods focusing on more natural organic, wheat-free, gluten-free, that's great for some pets. I just don't think it's necessary for every pet," said Homberg.
Homberg agreed with the philosophy of Nulo -- look at the packaging and know what your pet is eating.
"Is it chicken, is it beef, is it fish?" said Homberg. "When you start seeing the by-products and meals they are not as good as the plain chicken, beef or fish."
And now Austin-based Nulo is a new option as a healthy pet food.
Nulo isn't sold in stores. Instead the company delivers the food to your door. They said that's important so the food stays fresh.
By 8:30 a.m., animal control officer Mabel Lopez sets off on her day with a fittingly-dogged attitude. She leaves armed with dog treats, cat food and plenty of leashes which she needs it in order to tackle her department's morning workload of more than 50 calls.
Nineteen animal control officers cover the county. That's about one officer per every 50,000 dogs and cats. There are also countless bats, raccoons and other wild critters that sometimes find themselves in need of human assistance.
An article I wrote about the Michael Vick dogs appeared on the cover of the December 29th, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated. In the weeks after, the magazine received almost 488 letters and emails about the story and the dog pictured on the cover, the most we got in response to any issue for that entire year. By an overwhelming majority the letters were supportive, but there were some detractors.
My greatest fear was a flood of complaints from people with friends or loved ones that had been injured or lost to pit bull attacks, but there were remarkably few of those.
Shep (pictured above) endured an eight-mile, crosstown journey during the remnants of flooding from Tropical Storm Hermine. Photo by Kelly West
Every dog I've ever loved had another family before he became a part of mine. I could imagine that regardless of how much love I had to give this new creature in my life, he missed his former companions so much that if ever the front door were left open -- just a crack for even a minute -- he'd dart out and make a run for it, back to the people he considered his true family. His extraordinary sense of smell might make it possible for him to find his way back to the place he considered "home." But the power of love would keep him going.
This story in the Austin American-Statesman last Thursday is a sweet tale about the power of the love bond between us and the animals we bring into our homes. The pets that become family.
One dog is undergoing treatment and another is on the run after being attacked by a pack of pit bulls that chewed through their owner's fence earlier today.
It happened near the intersection of Marble Ridge Drive and Springtime Trail in southeast Austin.
A witness said the pit bulls got away from their owner's yard, chewed through a neighbor's fence, and attacked their two dogs.
"My male blue heeler , they went for his throat, they tried to kill him and his head and his ears are tore up," explained Pastor James Cunningham, who came home from church to find a note from police describing how 5 pit bulls had attacked both his two-year-old dogs, Michael and Ruthie. "He is chewed up bad and we just hope he is going to come out okay."
Cunnigham's said he is shocked this happened and is in awe of the damage five dogs did to his fence.
"The dogs ate their way through the gate going after my two blue heelers ," Cunningham added.
His neighbor saw the dogs and called police.
When they arrived, they had to taser one dog and shoot two others.
Cunningham said the dogs which belong to a neighbor down the block have always been a problem.
He even called police on them yesterday.
"This is the fourth time these pit bulls have gotten out, the neighbor, they get out, you can hear them coming, it's like cattle," Cunningham said. "We talked to the police about it beforehand and they never did anything about it."
That neighbor declined to speak on camera, but he did surrender the two pit bulls that ran back home following the attack.
They were euthanized.
Now, Cunningham's dog Michael is at an emergency vet, and his other dog Ruthie, also hurt in the attack, is missing.
"Our dogs our like our family and one of them is chewed up and the other one, we can't find her," Cunningham explained. "She is passive, real real passive. She is like, if someone comes up to her, she will just roll over on her back. It must have scared her to the point where she ran like crazy."
Cunningham hopes Michael will be healthy enough to come back from the vet Monday morning.
He now faces a $700 bill and that does not include damage done to his fence.
"I hope he [Michael] is going to be okay with other animals, but you never know when they get attacked like that, " Cunningham added.
Cunningham told KXAN he wants his neighbor to apologize and pay up for what his pets did.
"I really do think my neighbor thinks this is funny. He needs to be responsible for it. I am a pastor and we love him and stuff, but he needs to responsible," Cunningham said.
Neighbor Kevin Dawson said they also feared these dogs.
"This is the third time I heard about these dogs," said Dawson. "They ran up on my wife. They just sniffed her, but I won't let my kids out because of them."
Police did not immediately return our calls for comment.
from Austin American-Statesman Michele Mendoza, (pictured above) opened the Austin Zoom Room in July. She's shown working with a rat terrier/dachshund mix named Roscoe. Photo by Julia Robinson
Story by Marques G. Harper
Studley, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, spends most days at his downtown condominium. On his evening walks, his appearance often gets attention from female passersby because he looks like a dog from the "Sex and the City" franchise.
Recently, the 8-year-old long-eared dog, who is owned by Maureen and Dean Greenwood, ran into a weighty problem that plagues man and his feline and canines friend alike.
"He just got chubby," said Maureen Greenwood, 60.
Studley tipped the scale at 31 pounds, which kept him from jumping onto his owners' bed without help.
by STEVE ALBERTS KVUE News Posted on September 19, 2010 at 5:56 PM Updated today at 9:21 PM
Pastor James Cunningham and his wife Emily came home from church Sunday morning to a terrifying situation.
“I walk in my backyard; my two dogs are gone,” said Pastor Cunningham. “I'm scared because I know it's those pit bulls.”
Cunningham says a pack of pit bulls has been running loose through his Southeast Austin neighborhood on a regular occurrence.
“They run in a pack and that's the dangerous part,” he said. “This is the fourth time that they’ve gotten out.”
Sunday morning just before 10:30 the dogs chewed their way out of their fenced yard and ran up the street to Cunningham's house, where they ripped up the cable and chewed through his gate. The pack then started attacking his two dogs. “These are blue heelers,” said Cunningham. ”These are frisbee dogs. They [pit bulls] just chomped on the wood until they tore the gate off.”
A neighbor sitting on her porch saw the dogs and called 911. When police arrived, they say they found one pit bull outside the gate. It turned and ran toward the officers.
They used a Taser, and the dog ran away. The officers then headed to the backyard, where they saw the four pit bulls mauling one of Cunningham's dogs.
“When my officers entered the yard, the dogs stopped the attack on the blue heeler dog and came at the two officers,” said Sgt. Phil Linsalata with the Austin Police Department.
They opened fire, killing two and injuring two.
“They were very lucky,” said Linsalata. “They were fast enough to take care of animals before they themselves were attacked.”
The owner of the pit bulls would not talk to KVUE, but we did notice his fence had already been repaired.
Cunningham’s two dogs were injured in the attack. Animal Control Officers had to use a net to catch one of the dogs named Michael. He was attacked on his face, neck and head and had to undergo surgery for his injuries. Ruth, a second dog, is still missing.
“I pray for my dogs,” said Cunningham.
Now Pastor Cunningham hopes his prayers will be answered.
If you have any information about Ruth's whereabouts, give Pastor Cunningham a call at 512-922-0576.
Oscar is the creamy-dreamy colored cat pictured above in the cage, far right. The Austin Humane Society rescue could make it to the top in the household division at Cats and Bats: An Austin Tradition, the Austin Cat Fanciers' annual show running Oct 2-3 at the Palmer Events Center.
Oscar has led in the regional standings throughout this season's competitions. At least four other local felines rescues will be competing against Oscar.
The event -- the title is a mouthful -- The Austin Cat Fanciers' 41st Annual Championship and Household Pet Cat Show & Benefit for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, is recognized by The International Cat Show Association and features purebred and household pets.
A can food drive benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. Cat adoptions from Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary and Bat Outreach and Education from Conservation International.
A silent auction and raffle will feature items from local Austin businesses including The Driskill, Chuy's, Kerbey Lane, Mighty Fine Burgers, Franzetti Jewelers, Austin Java and Avant Salon.
Learn more about this highly recommended site by colleagues Paris Permenter and John Bigley, a husband-wife team of professional writers, the authors of 26 books, and, most importantly, longtime dog lovers. dogtipper.com
from Pat Valls-Trelles of www.animalissuesforum.org
The next Animal Issues Forum will be held on Tuesday, August 31 at City Hall during the lunch break, from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm.
The forum will start with the showing of the film "Shelter", a short (17 minutes), locally-produced documentary about the City of Austin's efforts to become "No Kill" city. "Shelter" was filmed for a class at the University of Texas by Kelly Sloan (radio-television-film student) and Lauren Dooley (public policy student). The producers will be present at the screening and will participate in a discussion with Q&A after the film. Rob Graham, a member of Austin's Animal Advisory Commission, will talk about what the AAC has already done and what it has planned to reach No Kill.
Della Lindquist, an Emancipet volunteer, will talk about outreach efforts in Montopolis and other neighborhoods that have high numbers of homeless animals and her work with the City of Austin's Spay Street Program and that program's "neighborhood captains" including an effort to recruit Spanish speaking volunteers.
Monica Hardy, the new Executive Director of the Texas Humane Legislative Network, will also be speaking about THLN's conference, September 24-26 in Austin, and her new duties as ED of THLN during the legislative session that starts in January 2011.
The forum is free and open to the public. Parking in Austin City Hall's underground garage is free as well. (Bring parking ticket inside to be validated.)
Please forward to anyone who might be interested in attending. Thanks.
Whether a pet is a family member or “just an animal” is highly dependent on where the pet lives, according to new research out of Indiana University.
David Blouin, the cultural sociologist behind the research, said he found that attitudes about dogs usually fell in one of three distinct categories: “Humanist, where dogs were highly valued and considered close companions, like pseudo people; protectionists might be vegetarians and they greatly valued animals in general, not just as pets; dominionists saw animals as separate and less important than people, often using the dogs for hunting and pest control and requiring them to live outdoors,” he described in a university press release.
Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, TX is recalling all lots of its 10 oz “Beef Filet Squares” for Dogs and “Texas Hold’ems” pet treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. Click here for more info.
Pet Lovers Unite! Learn about Twitter, Facebook, blogging and other social media trends involving pets at the only conference and expo focused on pet social media
Atlantic Station August 20-22, 2010 in Atlanta, GA
Spanning a weekend full of activities, the 2010 BarkWorld Expo is a social media event for pet owners and businesses that utilize social media applications.
BW Session Titles include: Creating a Distinctive Social Media Voice All Dog Parks Are Not Created Equal: Finding the Best Social Media Platform for You Using Social Media to Market Your Pet Business It’s A Dog Eat Dog World: How Blogging Can DistiInguish Your Brand
Keynote speaker: Carie Lewis, The Humane Society of the United States
Shannon Wolfson AUSTIN (KXAN) - One type of dog takes up more space at the Town Lake Animal Center in Austin than any other. Pit bulls have a bad reputation, but there is a renewed effort to get more of them adopted.
Nearly one in three of the cages at Town Lake is occupied by a dog classified as a pit bull.
"They make up an overly large proportion of the dogs that end up homeless." said TLAC Program Development Manager Amber Rowland. "There is a stigma about pit bulls- a lot of people are afraid of them."
Last year, 48 percent of the dogs euthanized at Town Lake were classified as pit bulls. From October 2009 to July of this year, the number is already up to 44 percent.
Dozens of people gathered Tuesday night at a meeting of the Pit Bull Task Force to determine why these dogs make up such a high number of animals left and then euthanized at the shelter.
A smaller group has been meeting for years, but the moratorium placed on euthanasia at TLAC has drawn renewed interest.
"The Task Force is tasked to try to figure out why is it that we're seeing so many of this particular type of animal and why is it so difficult for them to get out of here alive," said Rowland. "We want to try to get more of them adopted. We want to get out the idea that they are adoptable and can be wonderful family companions."
The Task Force is not a rescue group and does not receive city or state funding, although several of the members are city employees. Their purpose is to educate people about pit bulls and try to improve the way the dogs are treated in the community.
AUSTIN (KXAN) - Bronx, a 2-year-old boxer-mix, is doing much better today than he was on Monday.
“He’s real sore, real tender, but the swelling is actually less pronounced today,” said Dr. Matt Schuessler of the Pale Face Veterinary Clinic.
Stuck inside Bronx’s head is shrapnel from a bullet fired by a Travis County Park Ranger .
“I was kind of shocked that, that kind of action was taken,” said Schuessler.
Before Bronx was brought to Schuessler’s, he was with his owner, Stacey Hines, at Pace Bend Park in Western Travis County.
“The dogs were taking a break from swimming,” said Hines.
Hines admitted the dogs weren’t wearing their leashes, which is the law at all Travis County Parks, when a Travis County Park Ranger pulled up.
“As I’m trying to get out of the water to go talk to him, the dogs run up and start barking at him,” Hines said.
What happened next left Hines and her friend in shock.
“He [the park ranger] immediately freaked out and ran directly into the lake. I was like, 'What is he doing?' All the dogs are barking at him, and he turned around and opened fire,” said Kenna Bobinger, who was at the park with Hines.
Both Hines and Bobinger said a 4-year-old child was nearby when the ranger pulled the trigger.
The chief of the Travis County Park Rangers, Dan Chapman, said while a child might have been in the area, at no time was that child in danger.
In a report yet to be filed, the chief said his ranger was afraid for his life and said the dogs were in “attack mode.”
Lexi disappeared July 31st from Lake Travis, Geronimo Street near the Rivera Marina in Leander.
Lexi is a female miniature schnauzer. Silver in color. She has cancer (lymphoma) and must continue her chemotherapy to survive. Her hair, beard and eyebrows are thin because of her treatment. She has shaved spots on her front legs and a black spot on her right front leg.
A LARGE CASH REWARD WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED WILL BE PAID FOR LEXI’S RETURN.
Our new building by austinpetsalive • Posted in: Fundraising
Yes, you read it right. After 2.5 years of looking, we have finally found a building. (Actually, it’s 2 buildings on a few acres.)
This building will allow us to save more dogs and cats – at least 1,000 more this year, and of course, we’ll be working hard to grow that number quickly.
We will house pets there and it will be open to the public for adoptions. (We will continue to operate many off-site adoption events because we believe it’s an important piece to getting as many pets as possible into their new homes.)
The building gives us room to do things like care for more bottle babies and parvo puppies, who are usually euthanized immediately at TLAC if a rescue partner can’t pick them up, because TLAC doesn’t have the staff to give them the round the clock care they need.
We will also be able to save more pets for whom we didn’t have space in the past, like high energy dogs (wait until you see the yards!) and shy cats.
We plan to start moving in animals as soon as possible. This will not be a long term fixer upper project. Our plan is to move in the animals as soon as it is sanitary and safe and then continue fundraising and building out catteries and dog runs, etc. We figured we should start with saving lives and then build what we need, not the other way around.
Of course, we need the community’s help. In the short term, we need help with services (like plumbing and electricity), dog runs, and cat condos. We’ll be publishing a full list of what we’ll need and sponsorship opportunities soon. Contact donate@austinpetsalive.org if you would like to get involved.
The building is located at 2805 Manchaca Road, just off S. Lamar. Stay tuned for an invitation to our Open House in a couple weeks.
AUSTIN (KXAN) - A puppy was rescued Friday afternoon from what could have turned into a deadly situation in the intense Texas heat at a Whole Foods parking lot .
The three-week-old dog, found locked in a hot pickup just one day after its owners got it, was taken to the Town Lake Animal Shelter while police decide whether to return it to its owners or press charges.
Austin police officers rescued the little black puppy from underneath a seat inside the black Ford pickup, which was parked at the Downtown Austin grocery store, after someone heard yelping coming from inside the truck.
Unable to find the source of the yelping after several minutes, the passerby called police.
Authorities broke into the truck with a slim jim after they couldn't find the owner and removed the puppy, which witnesses said seemed dehydrated, from the hot vehicle. Witnesses said they couldn't believe a puppy so young and vulnerable was left in a dangerous situation. Dogs usually aren't weaned from their mothers until they're at least six weeks old.
A bystander said the truck had been in the parking lot for at least 20 minutes, and some witnesses said they'd seen it there for longer.
Bonney Brown, Executive Director of the Nevada Humane Society Susanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Charlottesville SPCA Mike Fry, Executive Director of Animal Ark of Minnesota Nathan Winograd, Executive Director of the No Kill Advocacy Center Dr. Ellen Jefferson, Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! Michael Mountain, Co-Founder and Past President of Best Friends Animal Society Dr. Linda Wolf, Veterinarian and Expert Behaviorist Mitch Schneider, Director of the Washoe County Animal Services
Bubba wakes up every morning at 5:39. Meow. He pads around the bed while I snore, puts one paw to my face. Meoooow. He slinks over to the nightstand, starts shoving stuff off the side -- a magazine I've been reading, a rubber band woolly with hair, the doorstop of a novel that falls to the ground with a bah-thunk-thunk.
Lately, Bubba has been a real dick.
He wasn’t always this way. Ours has been a breezy courtship forged by a mutual love of long naps and inertia; there was no mewling misery in him that wet food or cardboard couldn’t fix. But a few months ago, I moved to a Manhattan studio perfect in every way except for one: its size. Everyone knows New York apartments are tiny, but you never quite realize how tiny until your closet looks like a game of Jenga and you start eyeing your stove for storage. Downsized to a yuppie shoebox, my good-natured 13-year-old tabby has turned insatiable at dawn. I stumble out of bed at 5:50 to scoop out his breakfast, but he will not be satisfied. He pouts by the front door, crying his despair to the heavens. He hops up on the windowsill and stares longingly out into the courtyard below. Meow, he despairs. Meoooooow.
