Choosing safe Valentine’s flowers, plants for pet parents
February 7, 2023 GMTIf you're sending your sweetheart cut flowers or a potted plant for Valentine's Day, choose ones that are safe for their pets.
One lick of a pollen-covered lily stamen can be life-threatening to cats, as my daughter Julia learned when her cat, Nyah, found her way to a beautiful and well-intentioned gift bouquet displayed in a vase on the table.
Bringing a dog along for a holiday stay? Make sure to plan
December 19, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Traveling with dogs can be stressful. Throw in holiday home stays at one of the most chaotic times of the year and double that stress for humans and animals alike — especially when hosts have pets of their own.
Pack of coyotes surrounds dog walker in Massachusetts
October 17, 2022 GMTSWAMPSCOTT, Mass. (AP) — Coyotes surrounded a person walking their dog north of Boston over the weekend but were apparently scared off by police cruisers that arrived to help, authorities said.
Police in Swampscott received a call around 9:30 p.m.
Humane Society cat shelter in Reno dealing with outbreak
October 16, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada Humane Society facility in Reno is temporarily not taking any cats and kittens in the midst of a deadly virus outbreak.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported Friday that 11 cats have died in the past three weeks of panleukopenia.
What spiking US veterinary prices reveal about inflation
October 12, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Most pets hate visiting the vet. Now it's becoming a lot more unpleasant for their owners, too.
America's worst bout of inflation in four decades has swollen the cost of your dog or cat's visit to the animal doctor.
Animal blessing rule: Venomous critters stay home
September 29, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rule No. 1 for next week’s animal blessing at a Catholic university in New Orleans: “Please leave venomous animals at home.”
A queen and her corgis: Elizabeth loved breed from childhood
September 11, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — For many people around the world, the word corgi is forever linked to Queen Elizabeth II.
Princess Diana once called them a “moving carpet" always by her mother-in-law's side. Stubby, fluffy little dogs with a high-pitched bark, corgis were the late queen's constant companions since she was a child.
An exotic bird lures trappers to Gaza’s tense frontier
August 24, 2022 GMTKHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — They fan out along the tense frontier with Israel in the pre-dawn darkness, setting traps and training their eyes on the other side of the separation fence — where the parakeets are.
Students -- and pets -- move into dorms at Nicholls State
August 16, 2022 GMTTHIBODAUX, La. (AP) — A south Louisiana college is welcoming students back to campus and some, for the first time, are bringing their pets.
Taylor Lafleur moved into a dorm at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux last week with her dog, Moa — a 7-month-old Great Pyrenees and hound mix.
Ukrainian risks her life to rescue wild animals from war
August 7, 2022 GMTCHUBYNSKE, Ukraine (AP) — Natalia Popova has found a new purpose in life: Rescuing wild animals and pets from the devastation wrought by the war in Ukraine.
How canine heart disease was tied to grain-free dog food
July 23, 2022 GMTIn 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, acting on input from a group of veterinary researchers, began investigating whether the increasing popularity of grain-free dog foods had led to a sudden rise in a potentially fatal heart disease in dogs, dilated cardiomyopathy.
Shelter in Ukraine’s capital takes in animals haunted by war
July 20, 2022 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Shell-shocked family pets started roaming around Ukraine's capital with nowhere to go in the opening stages of Russia's war.
Volunteers opened a shelter to take them in and try to find them new homes or at least some human companionship.
Dog show 101: What’s what at the Westminster Kennel Club
June 21, 2022 GMTTARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Thousands of dogs started competing Monday toward the best in show prize at the illustrious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. To the casual viewer, the annual exhibition of dressed-up handlers leading well-mannered dogs around a ring might seem like a somewhat stilted walk in the park, but there's more than that to choosing a champion.
Bloody toll of Mexican criminals’ fixation on exotic pets
June 17, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican narcos’ fascination with exotic animals was on display this week after a spider monkey dressed up as a drug gang mascot was killed in a shootout, a 450-pound (200 kilogram) tiger wandered the streets in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, and a man died after trying to pet a captive tiger in a cartel-dominated area of western Michoacan state.
Bad Kitty: German town grounds cats to save rare birds
May 18, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — What a cat-astrophe!
Authorities in the southwest German town of Walldorf have ordered some cat owners to keep their pets indoors until the end of August, to protect a rare bird during its breeding season.
Homeless shelters begin to see value in making room for pets
May 1, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Being homeless in Los Angeles and struggling with addiction is hard enough, but Rachel Niebur couldn't imagine enduring it without her dog Petey.
Niebur credits her constant companion, an energetic black and white chihuahua mix, with helping her keep off drugs and giving her a reason to get up in the morning.
50 dogs and cats rescued from fire at Westport pet kennel
April 21, 2022 GMTWESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — Emergency responders rescued 50 dogs and cats from a fire at a pet boarding facility in Westport after three people had escaped the flames by jumping from a second-floor window, authorities said Thursday.
Company settles dog-leasing allegations for more than $900K
April 14, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — A California-based finance company has agreed to pay more than $900,000 to settle allegations that it was illegally leasing dogs in Massachusetts, the state attorney general's office said.
MetLife Pet Insurance Launches MyPets Rewards Program With LifeBalance
March 16, 2022 GMTDelaware lawmakers eye ban on cat declawing
March 10, 2022 GMTDOVER, Del. (AP) — Some Delaware lawmakers are itching to ensure that cats can keep scratching.
A bill introduced in the state House on Thursday would prohibit cat owners from declawing their pets except for “therapeutic purposes.” That definition means addressing a physical or medical condition that compromises the health or well-being of a cat.
North Carolina dog owner reunited with pet after 1 year
March 5, 2022 GMTWILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman whose dog disappeared more than a year ago has celebrated an emotional reunion after her pet was found 200 miles away at an animal shelter.
Emerald Tinae described her dog, Mochi, as an escape artist and thought someone might have taken him, news outlets reported.
Injured Olympian gets big air in big-cat costume for kicks
February 14, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — There were no tail grabs for this tiger.
French snowboarder Lucile Lefevre was a crowd pleaser at Big Air Shougang all the same.
The 26-year-old helped Beijing ring in the Year of the Tiger by putting on an orange-and-black big-cat costume during qualifying Monday in women's big air and miming a pair of claws while some 20 feet off the ground.
Emotional support or hogwash? Man fights to keep his pet pig
February 11, 2022 GMTCANAJOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — Ellie the potbellied pig snuggles up to Wyverne Flatt when he watches TV and sometimes rolls over to let him pet her belly. The 110-pound pig is “family,” Flatt says, an emotional support animal who helped him through a divorce and the death of his mother.
#BettyWhiteChallenge raising money and awareness for animals
January 14, 2022 GMTThe late Betty White was a tireless lifetime advocate for animals, from caring for those without homes to launching her own weekly TV show, “The Pet Set,” dedicated to her celebrity friends and their pets.
Special rescues help ailing owners find pets’ next home
January 11, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Who will take your pet when you die?
The question often doesn't have an easy answer, especially for ill or older people headed to residential nursing care or assisted living. During the pandemic, specialized rescue, advocacy and adoption services run by volunteers are trying to fill the void, one pet at a time.
Some still don’t know fate of pets after Colorado wildfire
January 6, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — When Lisa Young evacuated her home as a fast-moving Colorado wildfire burned, it looked like firefighters were going to be able to stop what appeared then to just be a grass fire in a field behind her home.
Kentucky shelter working to locate pet owners post-tornado
January 1, 2022 GMTDAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky animal shelter has been doing its part to help with recovery from last month's tornadoes by reuniting pets lost in the storm with their owners.
The Hopkins County Animal shelter has taken in about 90 dogs and about 120 cats from the hard-hit community of Dawson Springs since Dec.
Detroit Animal Care offering free adoptions, waived fees
January 1, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — A New Year's program from Detroit Animal Care will allow free adoptions, waived license fees and free rides home for stray pets that have microchips.
The program started Friday and runs through Tuesday.
Virus postpones Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show
December 30, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The Westminster Kennel Club's annual dog show has become the latest event to be postponed or canceled in New York as the number of coronavirus cases surges.
The club's board of governors announced Wednesday it was postponing its 2022 event, scheduled for late January, to later in the year.
Louisiana parish to require spaying or neutering of pets
December 11, 2021 GMTSHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Beginning in July, pet owners in a north Louisiana parish could see their dogs or cats impounded if they don’t get them spayed or neutered.
The Shreveport Times reports that the Caddo Parish Commission approved a spay and neuter mandate Thursday.
Pet insurance can help keep costs for your furbaby in check
December 9, 2021 GMTYou might be thinking of adding a furry friend to the family during the holidays. And you’ll be in good company: 70% of U.S. households have a pet, according to the 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey.
Reviving Ojibwe spiritual traditions, one pet at a time
November 27, 2021 GMTCASS LAKE, Minnesota (AP) — Animal neglect used to be such a problem on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota, with basic services like sterilization out of reach for many due to poverty and remoteness, that packs of stray dogs would sometimes bring traffic to a halt on the main highway.
Woman pulled from burning home while trying to rescue pets
November 26, 2021 GMTHIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A woman was rescued from her burning southeastern Michigan home after she refused to leave while trying to save some of her exotic animals, birds, ferrets and other pets.
Hawaiian monk seal dies after battle with parasitic disease
November 22, 2021 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — A male Hawaiian monk seal has died at a Big Island marine mammal hospital after a five-week battle with toxoplasmosis, which is a parasitic disease spread by cat feces, officials said Monday.
New outbreak prompts China to lock down university campus
November 15, 2021 GMTBEIJING (AP) — China has confined nearly 1,500 university students to their dormitories and hotels following an outbreak of COVID-19 in the northeastern city of Dalian.
The order was issued Sunday after several dozen cases were reported at Zhuanghe University City and hundreds of students were transferred to hotels for observation.
Humans back at work? Gifts that help dogs handle anxiety
November 9, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A lot of that human-pet bonding during the pandemic is slowly coming to an end as more offices reopen, so what's a lonely dog to do?
Turns out, a lot — and we don't mean an all-day whine, a messy rug delivery or doubling down on destroying the furniture.
LSU vet school lab testing pet cats and dogs for COVID-19
November 3, 2021 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana State University veterinary school’s diagnostic lab is providing free COVID-19 testing for dogs and cats in Louisiana through the end of the year, the school said Wednesday.
Pet Parade opens new flagship store Reddy, by Petco
October 31, 2021 GMTPet hospital to pay $43K to settle sex harassment suit
October 21, 2021 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland veterinary services provider Hannah Pet Hospital will pay over $43,000 to a former pet nurse to settle a federal sexual harassment lawsuit.
A more comfortable goodbye? Vets bring pet euthanasia home
October 14, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Clarence the giant schnauzer came into Penny Wagner's life as a puppy nearly eight years ago, at a traumatic time for her family.
She and her husband, Steve, had recently lost their 21-year-old daughter in a car accident.
California to allow more canine blood banks, walk-in donors
October 10, 2021 GMTCalifornia on Saturday enacted a law aimed at phasing out one of the nation's large canine blood banks and the practice of keeping dogs in facilities while their blood is drawn.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to let veterinarians run community blood banks where residents can take their pets to donate blood and that can sell and transfer the blood supplies to clinics that need it.
South Carolina officials report 2 positive rabies tests
October 1, 2021 GMTTRAVELERS REST, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina health officials are urging residents to keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccination after a fox and a bat tested positive for the disease.
A rabid fox in Travelers Rest north of Greenville exposed one person and two dogs to the virus, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday.
China kills 3 housecats that tested positive for COVID-19
September 29, 2021 GMTBEIJING (AP) — A city in northern China has killed three housecats after they tested positive for COVID-19, according to a local media report Wednesday, as the country takes increasingly strict measures to contain new outbreaks.
USDA: Ferret tests positive for COVID-19 in Florida
September 24, 2021 GMTMIAMI (AP) — A ferret has tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida, federal officials announced Friday.
This is the first ferret to test positive for COVID-19 in the United States, according to a U.S.
Pet resort caught on fire, city asks fire code to be updated
September 23, 2021 GMTGEORGETOWN, Texas (AP) — The city of Georgetown is recommending updates to the city's fire code after a pet boarding facility caught fire, killing all 75 dogs that were inside.
Recommended updates include requiring smoke alarms and sprinklers systems in kennels and pet boarding facilities, regardless of their size, a city official said Tuesday.
Rabid bats found in Portland and Beaverton
September 15, 2021 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officials say a rabid bat has been discovered in Northeast Portland. This is the first animal to test positive for rabies in Multnomah County since 2014, according to the county.
Cougar that was kept as illegal pet removed from NYC home
August 30, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — An 80-pound cougar was removed from a New York City apartment where she was being kept illegally as a pet, animal welfare officials said Monday.
The owner of the 11-month-old female cougar surrendered the animal on Thursday, Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a news release.
Animal welfare groups to help disadvantaged pet owners
August 14, 2021 GMTELLSWORTH, Maine (AP) — More than 20 organizations around Maine are set to receive grants in support of animal welfare work.
The money is from the Maine Community Foundation, which is awarding $282,000 to support the work.
Vermont’s annual rabies bait drop to begin Thursday
August 2, 2021 GMTBURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The 25th annual rabies bait drop is getting underway across much of Vermont, officials said Monday.
Beginning on Thursday, technicians will begin distributing 450,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing rabies vaccine that will be distributed in nearly 100 Vermont communities across nine counties.
Unwanted pets: Giant goldfish turn up in Minnesota waterways
July 13, 2021 GMTBURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP) — Officials in Minnesota said they’re finding more giant goldfish in waterways, prompting a plea to citizens to stop illegally dumping their unwanted fish into ponds and lakes.
Millennial Money: ‘Back to normal’ boosts pandemic pup costs
July 13, 2021 GMTLast summer, like millions of Americans, I brought home a 7-pound ball of fluff. Over the past year, my mini-goldendoodle has turned into 23 pounds of pure joy.
Close to 1 in 5 households have acquired a dog or cat since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey from the ASPCA.
Roaming exotic cat caught, but owner won’t get it back
July 9, 2021 GMTATLANTA (AP) — An exotic cat that was roaming parts of Atlanta has been captured, but the owner is being forced to give up her pet because it's illegal to keep such cats as pets in Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Thursday that a serval, a species native to Africa, had been taken to a holding facility until it could be relocated to a wildlife sanctuary.
Pandemic pets are a ‘furry annuity,’ says Petco CEO
June 24, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Yummy, a 12-year-old Labrador retriever, is in Petco's San Diego offices so much he has his own title.
“We call him the chief dog officer,” says CEO Ron Coughlin, the real top dog at Petco, who brings Yummy to work every day.
Rabid dog imported into US sparks multi-state investigation
June 18, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A rabid dog imported into the United States this month has sparked a public health investigation across several states.
Health officials say a dog brought to the U.S. from Azerbaijan that ended up with a family in Chester County, Pennsylvania began acting strangely.
US bans dogs brought in from 100 countries with rabies risk
June 14, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Monday announced a one-year ban on bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still a problem.
Dogs coming in from those countries already needed proof of rabies vaccination.
Greek dog owners protest mandatory sterilization of pets
May 23, 2021 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — Several hundred dog owners and their pets gathered Sunday outside Greece’s Parliament in protest against a draft law that will make sterilization of household pets — especially cats and dogs — mandatory.
Return of pets to Juneau shelter raises concern for managers
May 19, 2021 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A recent increase of people giving up pets to an animal shelter in Juneau has shelter managers concerned that people going back to work as coronavirus pandemic restrictions ease can no longer care for the pets they had.