Video: Family Dog Found Safe After Being Lost in California Wildfire

There have been so many sad stories of loss coming out of the areas of California currently experiencing devastating wildfires.  The owners of a Bernese Mountain Dog named Izzy expected the worst when they hiked through their neighborhood, destroyed by fire, searching for the body of their dog after she went missing in the firestorm.

They got to their family property, expecting a grim discovery, but still called for Izzy.  To their surprise, Izzy came running towards them, out of the still-smoldering rubble.  Watch the heartwarming video here:

 

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Humane Society of Utah Says “No Thank You” to Food Donation from Pet Store

A recent news story from the Salt Lake Tribune will have animal advocates cheering for the Humane Society of Utah!   Like many animal welfare organizations, Utah Humane is opposed to pet stores selling puppy mill-bred animals for profit.  So, when they found out that a donated pallet of dog food came from a pet store called the Puppy Barn, they said “Thanks, but no thanks.”

According to the article, the Humane Society discovered that the donation came from a pet store after the owners of the Puppy Barn posted a self-congratulatory video of the food purchase and donation on their social media accounts.

Administrators at HSU promptly sent the pet store a check for $900 (the estimated cost of the food) and informed them that they do not accept donations from companies that don’t share their mission.  They also asked the Puppy Barn to take the video down.  A Humane Society employee accepted the donation, not realizing the donors were pet store owners.  After finding out, she was “upset” to have been shown in the video, thanking them for the food.

HSU notes that many animals sold as babies via pet stores often end up in animal shelters as they grow into adults, lose their cuteness, and become harder to handle for inexperienced owners.  As officials at HSU say, “We don’t want to promote buying puppies when we deal every day with trying to find them homes.”

 

Video: Meet “The Dogist” – Instagram’s Most Popular Pet Photographer

Who doesn’t love browsing cute pet photos on the Internet?  If you love a good dog portrait, then chances are Elias Weiss Friedman, aka The Dogist, is your favorite pet photographer.  Elias has nearly 3 million followers on Instagram, as well as a website called The Dogist.  Elias has been traveling all over the world for the past several years, taking beautiful photographs of the dogs that he meets in cities on his travels.

Check out this video to learn more about the man who just might have the world’s best job!

 

Efforts Underway to Help the Pets of Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

The citizens of Puerto Rico are facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.  Damage from the hurricane as well as shortages of clean drinking water, food, and fuel are creating huge challenges for both residents and aid workers.  What about the animals of Puerto Rico?  The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently posted an update on the situation via their blog, A Humane Nation.

HSUS and the Humane Society International (HSI) have been working in Puerto Rico for the past 3 years on the Humane Puerto Rico program, which is designed to support animal welfare on the islands of Puerto Rico and Vieques.  HSUS reports that Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares will be signing an executive order that facilitates collaboration between Puerto Rico, HSUS, and HSI on the care, transport, placement, and veterinary health of the island’s at-risk animals.

HSUS is preparing to transport homeless pets from Puerto Rico to the mainland U.S., where they will be placed with approximately 400 Emergency Placement Partners and prepared for adoption.  In addition to working with U.S. shelters, they’ll also be partnering with other organizations like Wings of Rescue to coordinate the transfer of animals.

While assessment of the situation for Puerto Rico’s pets and shelter animals is still in its earliest stages because of damage to communications and roads, preliminary reports suggest that the wild horse population of Vieques has suffered major casualties, and hundreds of race horses on the main island are also facing challenges.

As HSUS notes, “Puerto Rico is part of the United States. We will double down on our work there to help them through this great crisis, with our full focus, energy, and resolve. This was a 100-year storm, and there’s been so much loss. And to be sure, there is hardship ahead. If there’s ever been a time for the nation to rush in to help Puerto Rico, that time is now.”

 

How Your Pet’s Health Can Affect Your Own Well-Being

If you are living with a seriously (or terminally) ill dog, cat, or other companion animal, then you know how stressful that can be.  A recent study published in the Veterinary Record has found that your pet’s health problems have a very real impact on your emotional health.  Caregivers for sick pets are much more likely to suffer from stress, depression, and anxiety than the owners of healthy animals.

Research conducted by Kent State University scientists surveyed 119 owners of dogs and cats with a chronic or terminal illness and 119 owners of healthy pets.  Not surprisingly, the “caregiver burden” was much greater in the owners of the sick pets, who showed more symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression—as well as an overall lower quality of life and poorer psycho-social functioning—than the people who lived with healthy pets.

The researchers note that the concept of caregiver burden in pet owners needs to be better understood by veterinarians, so that they can recognize and help clients who show signs of stress and depression.  They suggest that vets can even partner with mental health professionals to support their clients.

In an editorial that accompanies the article, the authors note that the stress of caring for a seriously or terminally ill pet can be as substantial as that of caring for a very sick human family member.  But caregivers for ill humans have a significant support network (nurses, home health aides, hospice, etc.) that pet owners do not have.  The authors argue that this is why it’s so important for veterinarians to be well-trained in how to handle client distress in difficult situations.