Minding Manners at the Dog Park |
October 6, 2008
Just for fun, say “park” and watch what your dog does. If there’s that happy dance and mad dash for the door, read on. Keeping the dog park welcome and safe for pups requires manners and a few rules to remember. Here are some basics:
Know thy Pup. Some pups just can’t hang at the dog park. Be honest if this is your guy. Super territorial dogs would probably rather play alone anyway. So make sure your dog plays well with others or pick another spot. There are plenty of great places to play solo in the area.
Follow the Rules. Make the Bay Area even more dog-friendly by obeying the park rules. We want more parks that welcome dogs in the area, not fewer.
Scoop Every Time. Come prepared with extra bags for your dog or others in need. It’s the least we can do to keep the park clean. Your dog may not mind, but no one likes to bring proof of the park home with them.
Squelch the Squeak. Since dogs sometimes have a hard time sharing, especially squeaky balls, consider bringing along a squeak-free toy when lots of others will be sharing the space.
Watch your Dog. Tempting as it is to chat on your cell phone or catch up with friends, make sure you keep an eye on your dog so you’ll be ready to intervene if necessary.
Unleash Your Dog. Dogs on-leash in off-leash areas can cause aggressive interactions with other pups at the park. Make sure to turn him loose in off-leash areas, or pick an on-leash only spot if you need to keep control.
Mind Your Manners. The dog park is a great way to make friends, but be sensitive to other dog people who come to relax quietly with their pets. Many like to enjoy the simplicity of park time and may not want to hear everything about your day. Be sensitive to the body language of those around you and follow cue.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Proper care of your dog's nose
Caring for Your Dog’s Nose | September 29, 2008
We know what you’re thinking. Nose care? What could I possibly need to do for my dog’s nose? Well, aside from the fact that it’s arguably the cutest feature on a pup, it’s also one of his most important ones too. Not only is his nose the canine equivalent of a fingerprint (note to pups considering a life of crime), it’s the first way dogs experience their world. From their very first puppy days, smell comes before their sight or hearing.
So since he’s following his nose from day one, it’s best to keep that little snout healthy. Here’s what to watch for:
Changes in Texture. Contrary to popular belief, a dry dog nose isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. But it’s smart to talk to your vet if you notice changes in texture such as a crusty or flaky skin, loss of color, sores or scabs of any kind.
Runny Nose. Pups don’t get colds like people do. So if your dog has a runny nose, it’s most likely an illness, allergy or even something stuck in his nasal passage. It’s definitely time for a trip to the vet.
Sneezing a lot. Occasional snorts and sneezes are normal for dogs, in fact – some dogs sneeze from excitement or nervousness that stimulates the nerves in the nasal passages. But if he’s at it a lot, it’s best to get him to the vet. It’s not too hard for an industrious pup to get a foreign body lodged in his nose. But getting it out is not a job for you since the skin on his sweet nose is super sensitive and likely to bleed heavily with the slightest nick.
Sunburn. Dogs, especially light-skinned ones, are at risk for sunburn and skin cancer just like us. That’s why it’s recommended to layer his little nose with doggie SPF before a sunny day outdoors. Read more about doggie sunscreen in our past tip.
Color changes. Believe it or not, the food or water bowls your dog eats and drinks from may affect the color of his nose. Plastic bowls can react with the skin, causing a color change. For this reason, and because they’re less likely to harbor bacteria, it’s highly recommended that you serve your dog’s food and water in stainless steel, glass or ceramic bowls.
The Scoop:
We all know dog's noses and snouts are just adorable – right up there with the paws. Take a quick look and you’ll agree:
www.dogsnoses.com
We know what you’re thinking. Nose care? What could I possibly need to do for my dog’s nose? Well, aside from the fact that it’s arguably the cutest feature on a pup, it’s also one of his most important ones too. Not only is his nose the canine equivalent of a fingerprint (note to pups considering a life of crime), it’s the first way dogs experience their world. From their very first puppy days, smell comes before their sight or hearing.
So since he’s following his nose from day one, it’s best to keep that little snout healthy. Here’s what to watch for:
Changes in Texture. Contrary to popular belief, a dry dog nose isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. But it’s smart to talk to your vet if you notice changes in texture such as a crusty or flaky skin, loss of color, sores or scabs of any kind.
Runny Nose. Pups don’t get colds like people do. So if your dog has a runny nose, it’s most likely an illness, allergy or even something stuck in his nasal passage. It’s definitely time for a trip to the vet.
Sneezing a lot. Occasional snorts and sneezes are normal for dogs, in fact – some dogs sneeze from excitement or nervousness that stimulates the nerves in the nasal passages. But if he’s at it a lot, it’s best to get him to the vet. It’s not too hard for an industrious pup to get a foreign body lodged in his nose. But getting it out is not a job for you since the skin on his sweet nose is super sensitive and likely to bleed heavily with the slightest nick.
Sunburn. Dogs, especially light-skinned ones, are at risk for sunburn and skin cancer just like us. That’s why it’s recommended to layer his little nose with doggie SPF before a sunny day outdoors. Read more about doggie sunscreen in our past tip.
Color changes. Believe it or not, the food or water bowls your dog eats and drinks from may affect the color of his nose. Plastic bowls can react with the skin, causing a color change. For this reason, and because they’re less likely to harbor bacteria, it’s highly recommended that you serve your dog’s food and water in stainless steel, glass or ceramic bowls.
The Scoop:
We all know dog's noses and snouts are just adorable – right up there with the paws. Take a quick look and you’ll agree:
www.dogsnoses.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Baby, it's cold outside! Keep your pets warm!
Brrrr....
The forecast is for cold -- maybe even snow. While it's fun to frolic in the snow with our dogs, it's a time of year that can put pets' lives in danger. Here are tips to keep your four-legged family members safe in cold weather:
* Hypothermia kills pets in cold weather. Your pet needs to be kept someplace warm and safe from drafts. Bring all pets indoors when temperature reaches 30 degrees.
* Dogs and cats can get frost-bitten ears, nose, and feet if left outside.
* Dehydration is also common and deadly this time of year. Make sure your animals have access to plenty of water.
* Very young, very old, and sick animals need special attention and warmth in the cold weather; their systems can't handle the low temperatures as well as other animals.
* For most animals, it's OK to leave them inside your home with the heat off while you're at work. However, make sure they have plenty of beds and blankets, since the floor becomes much colder in cold weather.
* Don't let your pet play in water. It can drop your pet's body temperature severely. If your pet runs through a puddle or jumps into a pond, get him out as soon as you can and dry him off immediately. Wrap him in a blanket and get him indoors immediately.
* Make sure a cat hasn't crawled under your car seeking shelter and warmth near the engine. Open the car hood or slap it noisily before starting the engine to startle any animal sleeping there.
* Wipe your pet's paws when he comes back into the house because he can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws. His paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
* Keep your dog on a leash and under your control during walks in the winter weather, especially during a snowstorm. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
.
* Try using "pet friendly" antifreeze products and thoroughly cleaning up any spills. Even a teaspoon of traditional antifreeze can kill an animal.
* Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death. Even if you're leaving your dog in the car for a just short period of time, make sure your small or short-haired dog is wearing a warm coat or is wrapped in a warm blanket.
* Keep the local emergency veterinarian's and family veterinarian's telephone number handy.
I NEVER recommend that pets live outside. However, if that's what you feel you must do, at least:
* Give your outdoor dog a dry, elevated house with clean, dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out.
* Consider adding a dog door to the garage with a soft cushion in the warmest corner.
* Make sure water bowls are not frozen. Check them periodically throughout the day.
* Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.
* Give outdoor pets more food. Outdoor dogs and cats need more calories in the winter to produce body heat, so increase the amount fed to these pets.
Thanks to the good people at the Oregon Humane Society and the DoveLewis emergency animal hospital for these tips!
The forecast is for cold -- maybe even snow. While it's fun to frolic in the snow with our dogs, it's a time of year that can put pets' lives in danger. Here are tips to keep your four-legged family members safe in cold weather:
* Hypothermia kills pets in cold weather. Your pet needs to be kept someplace warm and safe from drafts. Bring all pets indoors when temperature reaches 30 degrees.
* Dogs and cats can get frost-bitten ears, nose, and feet if left outside.
* Dehydration is also common and deadly this time of year. Make sure your animals have access to plenty of water.
* Very young, very old, and sick animals need special attention and warmth in the cold weather; their systems can't handle the low temperatures as well as other animals.
* For most animals, it's OK to leave them inside your home with the heat off while you're at work. However, make sure they have plenty of beds and blankets, since the floor becomes much colder in cold weather.
* Don't let your pet play in water. It can drop your pet's body temperature severely. If your pet runs through a puddle or jumps into a pond, get him out as soon as you can and dry him off immediately. Wrap him in a blanket and get him indoors immediately.
* Make sure a cat hasn't crawled under your car seeking shelter and warmth near the engine. Open the car hood or slap it noisily before starting the engine to startle any animal sleeping there.
* Wipe your pet's paws when he comes back into the house because he can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws. His paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
* Keep your dog on a leash and under your control during walks in the winter weather, especially during a snowstorm. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
.
* Try using "pet friendly" antifreeze products and thoroughly cleaning up any spills. Even a teaspoon of traditional antifreeze can kill an animal.
* Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death. Even if you're leaving your dog in the car for a just short period of time, make sure your small or short-haired dog is wearing a warm coat or is wrapped in a warm blanket.
* Keep the local emergency veterinarian's and family veterinarian's telephone number handy.
I NEVER recommend that pets live outside. However, if that's what you feel you must do, at least:
* Give your outdoor dog a dry, elevated house with clean, dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out.
* Consider adding a dog door to the garage with a soft cushion in the warmest corner.
* Make sure water bowls are not frozen. Check them periodically throughout the day.
* Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.
* Give outdoor pets more food. Outdoor dogs and cats need more calories in the winter to produce body heat, so increase the amount fed to these pets.
Thanks to the good people at the Oregon Humane Society and the DoveLewis emergency animal hospital for these tips!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Winter grooming helps horses shine!
From myhorse.com
Winter Grooming Helps Horses Shine
A good daily grooming is essential for healthy horses—especially in winter. Daily grooming helps a horse build a healthy coat, fight off fungus and makes weight loss and wounds easier to spot. It also builds a strong bond between humans and horses.
As the weather cools and in some climates dampens, you’ll need to pay particular attention to your horse’s hooves. Horses that stand in damp paddocks develop thrush and scratches, both of which can be easily prevented with a little daily maintenance.
If you want to give your horse a bath when the weather is cool, you still can—provided you have a few of the right tools. Following is a brief guide to cool weather grooming and bathing techniques.
1) Curry (using a circular motion to lift the dirt) and brush your horse every day. Use a rubber curry comb and a longer bristled brush to lift off the dirt. Use a soft brush around his face. After you’ve given him a good rubdown, you can spray him with a non-silicone grooming solution to keep further dirt at bay and rub him down with a clean towel.
2) Pick his hooves daily. Apply a dilution of Lysol disinfectant (2 oz. to 1 gallon of water), dilution of bleach, or a commercial thrush product, every week.
3) To give a horse a winter bath, work in sections and with the hottest water available that your horse can stand. A stock tank heater and a bucket work well for this purpose. As you finish each section of the horse, rub off the excess water and cover with a towel. When you’re totally finished, cover the horse (and the towels) with a fleece cooler and walk him in a warm place until he’s dry. A good rule of thumb is not to bathe a horse if it’s colder than 55 degrees.
Winter Grooming Helps Horses Shine
A good daily grooming is essential for healthy horses—especially in winter. Daily grooming helps a horse build a healthy coat, fight off fungus and makes weight loss and wounds easier to spot. It also builds a strong bond between humans and horses.
As the weather cools and in some climates dampens, you’ll need to pay particular attention to your horse’s hooves. Horses that stand in damp paddocks develop thrush and scratches, both of which can be easily prevented with a little daily maintenance.
If you want to give your horse a bath when the weather is cool, you still can—provided you have a few of the right tools. Following is a brief guide to cool weather grooming and bathing techniques.
1) Curry (using a circular motion to lift the dirt) and brush your horse every day. Use a rubber curry comb and a longer bristled brush to lift off the dirt. Use a soft brush around his face. After you’ve given him a good rubdown, you can spray him with a non-silicone grooming solution to keep further dirt at bay and rub him down with a clean towel.
2) Pick his hooves daily. Apply a dilution of Lysol disinfectant (2 oz. to 1 gallon of water), dilution of bleach, or a commercial thrush product, every week.
3) To give a horse a winter bath, work in sections and with the hottest water available that your horse can stand. A stock tank heater and a bucket work well for this purpose. As you finish each section of the horse, rub off the excess water and cover with a towel. When you’re totally finished, cover the horse (and the towels) with a fleece cooler and walk him in a warm place until he’s dry. A good rule of thumb is not to bathe a horse if it’s colder than 55 degrees.
Justice is served in case involving Princess cruises that killed a pregnant humpback whale
Princess Cruise Lines pay $750,000 over the death of a Humpback whale in Alaska.
06/05/2007 00:00:00 news/Dead-Whale-Cruise-Ship
January 2007.
United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen has announced that Princess Cruise Lines pled guilty to a charge of knowingly failing to operate its vessel, the Dawn Princess, at a slow, safe speed while near two humpback whales in the area of Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Princess was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage, Alaska, to pay a $200,000 fine and to pay $550,000 to the National Park Foundation as a form of community service. In addition, Princess was sentenced to serve a term of one-year probation which will expire when the required payments are made.
The following facts were established: On the afternoon of July 12, 2001, Princess Cruise Lines cruise ship, the Dawn Princess, was in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Park) ending a day in Park waters. At approximately 2:40 p.m., at the mouth of Bartlett Cove several miles inside the Park, the vessel slowed to five knots so that two Park rangers could be transferred from the Dawn Princess to a Park Service boat.
After dropping off the rangers, the vessel remained within Park waters for twenty-five more minutes until, at 3:05 p.m., it crossed the Park boundary and turned north into Icy Strait. During the vessel's transit of Glacier Bay, two licensed Southeast Alaska pilots were aboard, as required by Alaska law. During this transit, the vessel’s bridge was occupied by one of the pilots, a naturalist, the ship's captain and the usual complement of crew. The weather was clear, the winds were light and the vessel was moving against an incoming tide.
Humpback whale facts
* The humpback whale (Magaptera novaeangliae) is a warm-blooded baleen (filter feeding) marine mammal that can live 45-50 years in the wild, grows to about 50 feet long and can weigh 30-50 tons. Females reach sexual maturity at 4-7 years and give birth to a single calf every 1.3 years that remains with its mother for a year or longer. Humpbacks are well known for their ‘songs’, which are considered the most complex vocalizations in the animal kingdom.
* Commercial whaling, which continued through the mid-20th century, reduced the worldwide population of humpback whales from an estimated population of 125,000 animals to fewer than 5,000. The current worldwide population is estimated to be approximately 20,000. Of these, approximately 6,000 humpback whales make up the North Pacific population, most of which summer and feed in Alaskan waters and migrate in the fall to Hawaiian waters where they bear their young. In 2001, only 100 humpback whales were observed in the Glacier Bay/Icy Strait area. The North Pacific population will have to grow to over 9,000 animals before it is likely to be considered for removal from the list of endangered species.
According to passengers and bridge crew, two humpback whales were spotted from the bridge a short time after the rangers were dropped off. When first spotted, the whales were approximately 700 yards (between 1/4 and ½ mile) off the vessel's port (left) bow, headed to the right on a course that could intersect the ship's route. The whales dove and surfaced at least twice as they drew near the Dawn Princess, but did not change course. The Dawn Princess continued accelerating and did not change course. Within 100 yards of the Dawn Princess, one whale ‘dived deep’, but the other did not.
Just before passing out of sight under the vessel's prow, the second whale appeared to begin a terminal dive. Some persons aboard the ship reported feeling the ship shudder, others reported no shudder or any other indication that the vessel struck the whale. The naturalist and captain ran to the starboard bridge wing to look for the whales. The captain noticed that the vessel was traveling at 14 knots. The whales were not seen again. The vessel made no report of a possible collision to the National Park Service or any other government agency. The close encounter was not mentioned in the vessel's log
The next day, on July 13, the naturalist e-mailed a colleague, saying she thought the Dawn Princess may have struck a humpback whale the day before. The naturalist related the essential events and added that she thought the ship was traveling at 15-18 knots and was outside the Park boundary when the whale was struck. She wrote that the whales seemed to be unaware of the vessel and that ‘as the ship passed by there was no sign on the bridge that we might have made contact.’ She reported that she was told later by friends below decks that they heard a ‘resounding thud.’
On July 14, the Dawn Princess captain, in response to a question, told another pilot aboard the vessel that he was uncertain whether the Dawn Princess hit a whale the day before.
On July 16, a Park naturalist discovered a dead, bloated humpback whale floating in Glacier Bay within Park waters, near the area through which the Dawn Princess had transited four days earlier. The carcass appeared to have recently surfaced. The Park Service towed the carcass to Pt. Gustavus, where it was beached pending a necropsy.
On July 22, a marine mammal expert from California examined the whale carcass, finding massive blunt trauma injuries to the right side of the animal's head, including a fractured skull, eye socket and cervical vertebrae, consistent with a vessel collision. A fetal skeleton was found in the whale. That is, the whale was carrying a calf. The whale was identified from fluke markings as ‘Whale #68,’ which had been sighted many times in the past and was known to frequent the area.
On August 6, a vice-president for Princess Cruise Lines called the Park Superintendent and said that the Dawn Princess had a close encounter with two whales on July 12, 2001 and the company was investigating the matter. On the same day, Princess Cruise Lines imposed a fleet-wide speed limit of 10 knots for vessels transiting Icy Strait.
The unlawful taking (killing) of humpback whales is prohibited by both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The ‘slow, safe speed’ regulation, under which this case was charged, was implemented in 2001 to support the ‘anti-taking’ provisions of the two laws. Thus, a knowing failure to maintain a ‘slow, safe speed’ when near humpback whales constitutes a violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act and carries the identical penalties of the taking violation. Such conduct is a federal Class A misdemeanour violation of law, punishable (for a corporation) by a fine of up to $200,000, restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court, and up to five years probation.
‘The specific purpose of the regulation under which this case was charged is to require vessels to reduce speed when they are near humpback whales in order to avoid collisions that could kill these endangered leviathans. In this first-of-its-kind prosecution, prosecutors from this office and the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice, along with special agents and investigators from the Park Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration engaged in a thorough and detailed investigation, often with the assistance and cooperation of Princess.’ said Mr. Cohen.
Tomie Lee, Superintendent of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the case. ‘It’s been a long time coming,’ she said, ‘but we support both the outcome and the diligence shown by the prosecutors and investigators in this landmark case. As well as being a majestic and endangered species, the humpback whale is also a public symbol of Glacier Bay,’ she added. ‘Protection of these resources is of paramount importance to us. So when we began to hear witness reports of a cruise-ship colliding with a whale and then learned that this particular whale, whom researchers had first identified in 1975 and nicknamed ‘Snow’ because of her fluke markings, died of injuries consistent with a ship-strike, we began a dialoge with Princess and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and proceeded diligently with our investigation, so we could be sure to get things right. While these kinds of criminal convictions can result in a loss of federal contracts to service visitors in a national park, in this case we feel Princess has stepped up and made significant, voluntary operational changes that protect whales and the marine environment..’
06/05/2007 00:00:00 news/Dead-Whale-Cruise-Ship
January 2007.
United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen has announced that Princess Cruise Lines pled guilty to a charge of knowingly failing to operate its vessel, the Dawn Princess, at a slow, safe speed while near two humpback whales in the area of Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Princess was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage, Alaska, to pay a $200,000 fine and to pay $550,000 to the National Park Foundation as a form of community service. In addition, Princess was sentenced to serve a term of one-year probation which will expire when the required payments are made.
The following facts were established: On the afternoon of July 12, 2001, Princess Cruise Lines cruise ship, the Dawn Princess, was in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Park) ending a day in Park waters. At approximately 2:40 p.m., at the mouth of Bartlett Cove several miles inside the Park, the vessel slowed to five knots so that two Park rangers could be transferred from the Dawn Princess to a Park Service boat.
After dropping off the rangers, the vessel remained within Park waters for twenty-five more minutes until, at 3:05 p.m., it crossed the Park boundary and turned north into Icy Strait. During the vessel's transit of Glacier Bay, two licensed Southeast Alaska pilots were aboard, as required by Alaska law. During this transit, the vessel’s bridge was occupied by one of the pilots, a naturalist, the ship's captain and the usual complement of crew. The weather was clear, the winds were light and the vessel was moving against an incoming tide.
Humpback whale facts
* The humpback whale (Magaptera novaeangliae) is a warm-blooded baleen (filter feeding) marine mammal that can live 45-50 years in the wild, grows to about 50 feet long and can weigh 30-50 tons. Females reach sexual maturity at 4-7 years and give birth to a single calf every 1.3 years that remains with its mother for a year or longer. Humpbacks are well known for their ‘songs’, which are considered the most complex vocalizations in the animal kingdom.
* Commercial whaling, which continued through the mid-20th century, reduced the worldwide population of humpback whales from an estimated population of 125,000 animals to fewer than 5,000. The current worldwide population is estimated to be approximately 20,000. Of these, approximately 6,000 humpback whales make up the North Pacific population, most of which summer and feed in Alaskan waters and migrate in the fall to Hawaiian waters where they bear their young. In 2001, only 100 humpback whales were observed in the Glacier Bay/Icy Strait area. The North Pacific population will have to grow to over 9,000 animals before it is likely to be considered for removal from the list of endangered species.
According to passengers and bridge crew, two humpback whales were spotted from the bridge a short time after the rangers were dropped off. When first spotted, the whales were approximately 700 yards (between 1/4 and ½ mile) off the vessel's port (left) bow, headed to the right on a course that could intersect the ship's route. The whales dove and surfaced at least twice as they drew near the Dawn Princess, but did not change course. The Dawn Princess continued accelerating and did not change course. Within 100 yards of the Dawn Princess, one whale ‘dived deep’, but the other did not.
Just before passing out of sight under the vessel's prow, the second whale appeared to begin a terminal dive. Some persons aboard the ship reported feeling the ship shudder, others reported no shudder or any other indication that the vessel struck the whale. The naturalist and captain ran to the starboard bridge wing to look for the whales. The captain noticed that the vessel was traveling at 14 knots. The whales were not seen again. The vessel made no report of a possible collision to the National Park Service or any other government agency. The close encounter was not mentioned in the vessel's log
The next day, on July 13, the naturalist e-mailed a colleague, saying she thought the Dawn Princess may have struck a humpback whale the day before. The naturalist related the essential events and added that she thought the ship was traveling at 15-18 knots and was outside the Park boundary when the whale was struck. She wrote that the whales seemed to be unaware of the vessel and that ‘as the ship passed by there was no sign on the bridge that we might have made contact.’ She reported that she was told later by friends below decks that they heard a ‘resounding thud.’
On July 14, the Dawn Princess captain, in response to a question, told another pilot aboard the vessel that he was uncertain whether the Dawn Princess hit a whale the day before.
On July 16, a Park naturalist discovered a dead, bloated humpback whale floating in Glacier Bay within Park waters, near the area through which the Dawn Princess had transited four days earlier. The carcass appeared to have recently surfaced. The Park Service towed the carcass to Pt. Gustavus, where it was beached pending a necropsy.
On July 22, a marine mammal expert from California examined the whale carcass, finding massive blunt trauma injuries to the right side of the animal's head, including a fractured skull, eye socket and cervical vertebrae, consistent with a vessel collision. A fetal skeleton was found in the whale. That is, the whale was carrying a calf. The whale was identified from fluke markings as ‘Whale #68,’ which had been sighted many times in the past and was known to frequent the area.
On August 6, a vice-president for Princess Cruise Lines called the Park Superintendent and said that the Dawn Princess had a close encounter with two whales on July 12, 2001 and the company was investigating the matter. On the same day, Princess Cruise Lines imposed a fleet-wide speed limit of 10 knots for vessels transiting Icy Strait.
The unlawful taking (killing) of humpback whales is prohibited by both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The ‘slow, safe speed’ regulation, under which this case was charged, was implemented in 2001 to support the ‘anti-taking’ provisions of the two laws. Thus, a knowing failure to maintain a ‘slow, safe speed’ when near humpback whales constitutes a violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act and carries the identical penalties of the taking violation. Such conduct is a federal Class A misdemeanour violation of law, punishable (for a corporation) by a fine of up to $200,000, restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court, and up to five years probation.
‘The specific purpose of the regulation under which this case was charged is to require vessels to reduce speed when they are near humpback whales in order to avoid collisions that could kill these endangered leviathans. In this first-of-its-kind prosecution, prosecutors from this office and the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice, along with special agents and investigators from the Park Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration engaged in a thorough and detailed investigation, often with the assistance and cooperation of Princess.’ said Mr. Cohen.
Tomie Lee, Superintendent of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the case. ‘It’s been a long time coming,’ she said, ‘but we support both the outcome and the diligence shown by the prosecutors and investigators in this landmark case. As well as being a majestic and endangered species, the humpback whale is also a public symbol of Glacier Bay,’ she added. ‘Protection of these resources is of paramount importance to us. So when we began to hear witness reports of a cruise-ship colliding with a whale and then learned that this particular whale, whom researchers had first identified in 1975 and nicknamed ‘Snow’ because of her fluke markings, died of injuries consistent with a ship-strike, we began a dialoge with Princess and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and proceeded diligently with our investigation, so we could be sure to get things right. While these kinds of criminal convictions can result in a loss of federal contracts to service visitors in a national park, in this case we feel Princess has stepped up and made significant, voluntary operational changes that protect whales and the marine environment..’
What is Oregon doing to help with the stunted population growth of frogs?
Oregon spotted frog released into the wild to halt population crash
23/09/2008 12:06:50
news/sept_2008/oregon_spotted_frog_wdfw
Oregon spotted frog. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
In an effort to re-establish their populations in Washington State, approximately 500 Oregon spotted frogs were released into the wild after spending the first seven months of their lives in a captive rearing program.
September 2008. Biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the U.S. Army released the frogs into Dailman Lake on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation in Pierce County in a collaborative effort to return the state-endangered frog to a portion of its historic habitat.
Tiny frogs
The frogs, which weigh less than an ounce and are marked with a nontoxic dye, were collected as eggs in March and nurtured in captivity at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park to improve their chance of survival once they return to the wild.
"This is the first-ever captive rearing and release program for the Oregon spotted frog in Washington and represents a significant first step in our joint effort to help recover this fragile species," said Harriet Allen, WDFW endangered species program manager.
The captive-rearing strategy, called "head starting" is based on the premise that juvenile frogs are thought to be less vulnerable and better able to survive when released back into nature, Allen said. "Also, previous studies in British Columbia show that releasing large numbers at the same time has been the most successful approach," she said.
The Oregon spotted frog - devastated by habitat loss, predation and disease
The Oregon spotted frog historically ranged from south-western British Columbia to north-eastern California. The frog is now believed to have disappeared from California and Oregon's Willamette Valley and has suffered significant declines elsewhere in its historic range. Loss of habitat, predation by non-native species such as the American bullfrog, and disease have decimated its numbers, which prompted listing it as a Washington state-endangered species in 1997.
Dailman Lake
Through a partnership with the Fort Lewis Fish and Wildlife Program, the Dailman Lake area was chosen for reintroduction because it contains diverse wetlands connected to a stream system capable of supporting and sustaining a frog population, said Jim Lynch, wildlife biologist at Fort Lewis.
As a first step in the project, biologists collected fertilized eggs last spring from breeding areas in Klickitat and Thurston counties, which are the only known areas with existing populations within the frog's historic range in Washington. They were then transported to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo for rearing and monitoring. Frogs reared at the Oregon Zoo will be released at the site at a later date.
The goal of the reintroduction program is to establish a self-sustaining population of Oregon spotted frogs at Fort Lewis and set the stage for a structured recovery effort that will continue for several years, Lynch said.
The reintroduction program was first developed in 2007 through a collaborative effort by WDFW, Fort Lewis, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Washington State Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Woodland Park Zoo, Port Blakely Tree Farms, Washington Department of Natural Resources, NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, U.S Geological Survey, Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre and The Nature Conservancy.
The project's start-up coincides with efforts by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, which is highlighting 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address global amphibian extinction, Lynch said.
"Frogs are found in all parts of the world and are known as sentinel animals by alerting us to serious environmental and climate changes that can affect all species," Lynch said. "They also play an important role in balancing ecosystems and when they disappear from their habitat, that ecosystem is disrupted."
Activities related to the reintroduction program are being funded through grants from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the Association of Zoo & Aquarium's amphibian fund.
23/09/2008 12:06:50
news/sept_2008/oregon_spotted_frog_wdfw
Oregon spotted frog. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
In an effort to re-establish their populations in Washington State, approximately 500 Oregon spotted frogs were released into the wild after spending the first seven months of their lives in a captive rearing program.
September 2008. Biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the U.S. Army released the frogs into Dailman Lake on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation in Pierce County in a collaborative effort to return the state-endangered frog to a portion of its historic habitat.
Tiny frogs
The frogs, which weigh less than an ounce and are marked with a nontoxic dye, were collected as eggs in March and nurtured in captivity at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park to improve their chance of survival once they return to the wild.
"This is the first-ever captive rearing and release program for the Oregon spotted frog in Washington and represents a significant first step in our joint effort to help recover this fragile species," said Harriet Allen, WDFW endangered species program manager.
The captive-rearing strategy, called "head starting" is based on the premise that juvenile frogs are thought to be less vulnerable and better able to survive when released back into nature, Allen said. "Also, previous studies in British Columbia show that releasing large numbers at the same time has been the most successful approach," she said.
The Oregon spotted frog - devastated by habitat loss, predation and disease
The Oregon spotted frog historically ranged from south-western British Columbia to north-eastern California. The frog is now believed to have disappeared from California and Oregon's Willamette Valley and has suffered significant declines elsewhere in its historic range. Loss of habitat, predation by non-native species such as the American bullfrog, and disease have decimated its numbers, which prompted listing it as a Washington state-endangered species in 1997.
Dailman Lake
Through a partnership with the Fort Lewis Fish and Wildlife Program, the Dailman Lake area was chosen for reintroduction because it contains diverse wetlands connected to a stream system capable of supporting and sustaining a frog population, said Jim Lynch, wildlife biologist at Fort Lewis.
As a first step in the project, biologists collected fertilized eggs last spring from breeding areas in Klickitat and Thurston counties, which are the only known areas with existing populations within the frog's historic range in Washington. They were then transported to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo for rearing and monitoring. Frogs reared at the Oregon Zoo will be released at the site at a later date.
The goal of the reintroduction program is to establish a self-sustaining population of Oregon spotted frogs at Fort Lewis and set the stage for a structured recovery effort that will continue for several years, Lynch said.
The reintroduction program was first developed in 2007 through a collaborative effort by WDFW, Fort Lewis, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Oregon Zoo, Washington State Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Woodland Park Zoo, Port Blakely Tree Farms, Washington Department of Natural Resources, NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, U.S Geological Survey, Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre and The Nature Conservancy.
The project's start-up coincides with efforts by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, which is highlighting 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address global amphibian extinction, Lynch said.
"Frogs are found in all parts of the world and are known as sentinel animals by alerting us to serious environmental and climate changes that can affect all species," Lynch said. "They also play an important role in balancing ecosystems and when they disappear from their habitat, that ecosystem is disrupted."
Activities related to the reintroduction program are being funded through grants from the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the Association of Zoo & Aquarium's amphibian fund.
How important are sea otters really?
Orca killing Sea otters means Bald eagles kill more birds
04/10/2008 15:15:06
birds/birds_september_2008/bald_eagle_smith
Sea otters are a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even further reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the diet and behaviour of another top predator: the bald eagle.
September 2008. In near-shore marine communities, kelp can reach heights of 250 feet and functions similarly to trees in a forest, providing food, homes and protection for fish and invertebrates. The most important enemies of these giant algae are tiny sea urchins, only inches in diameter, which live on the kelp and eat its tissue. When urchin populations become too large, they can defoliate entire kelp forests, leaving only barren remains.
Otters are major urchin predator
Enter the sea otter. Otters can eat the spiky urchins whole, making them the major urchin predator. The otters' presence keeps urchin populations in check and maintains the balance of the ecosystem.
Bald eagles
Scientists have known about these kelp forest community interactions since the 1970s. But in the October issue of the journal Ecology, Robert Anthony and colleagues report that the presence or absence of otters can also affect the diet of bald eagles, a neighbouring terrestrial predator. Anthony is an ecologist with the Oregon Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit of the U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon State University.
Bald eagles live in high densities along the Aleutian archipelago off the coast of Alaska and place their nests on islets, coastal cliffs and shoreline sea stacks. Historically, more than 90 percent of the eagles' food comes from the ocean. Sea otters once also occupied a large range of coastal marine environments near these islands, but in recent years, otter populations have declined in response to their own main predator.
Killer whales killing otters
"All of the available data point to increased numbers of killer whales as the direct cause of the sea otter decline in southwest Alaska," says co-author Jim Estes of the U.S.G.S. and the University of California at Santa Cruz. "The otter decline has caused a phase shift in the coastal ecosystem from a kelp dominated phase state to a deforested phase state."
Eagles switch diet to birds
This shift means many fewer kelp forest fish for the eagles to eat. In response, the eagles have adjusted their foraging tactics. Anthony and his colleagues surveyed remains of bald eagle prey in their nests during 1993 and 1994, when otters were abundant and the kelp forests were healthy, and in 2000, 2001 and 2002, when otters were scarce and the kelp forests had collapsed. They found that when otters were abundant, eagle prey consisted of predominantly kelp-forest fish and sea otter pups. When the otters were rare, however, the proportion of marine birds in the eagles' diet was much higher.
Anthony explains that because the eagles defend territories in dense patches along the coastline and there are few terrestrial animals to eat, they must be flexible in what they hunt.
"These bald eagles are opportunistic foragers as a consequence of their evolutionary history," he says. "They've developed foraging territories they defend against members of the same species along these coastlines, and the terrestrial environment provides very little for them. So they forage over the open water."
Anthony and his colleagues also found that the eagles had more young on average during 2000-2002, a fact that Anthony believes might be a result of a high caloric content in the eagles' increasingly seabird-dominated diet.
"Across the range of this species, their diet can be quite varied, but here it appears as though the change in diet had either a neutral or positive effect," he says. The propensity of the eagles to adapt quickly to a changing environment may have allowed them to flourish, but Anthony also cautions that adapting to this scenario might be difficult for more specialized predators.
The results are the first to show that the presence or absence of otters influences a terrestrial animal, and that the complex food web linkages can reach as far as five different food chain levels: from sea otters to sea urchins, kelp, marine fish and finally bald eagles.
"Top-down linkages can be very distant from their origin," says Anthony. "The effects of top predators can ripple throughout the ecosystem in ways we're just beginning to understand."
04/10/2008 15:15:06
birds/birds_september_2008/bald_eagle_smith
Sea otters are a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even further reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the diet and behaviour of another top predator: the bald eagle.
September 2008. In near-shore marine communities, kelp can reach heights of 250 feet and functions similarly to trees in a forest, providing food, homes and protection for fish and invertebrates. The most important enemies of these giant algae are tiny sea urchins, only inches in diameter, which live on the kelp and eat its tissue. When urchin populations become too large, they can defoliate entire kelp forests, leaving only barren remains.
Otters are major urchin predator
Enter the sea otter. Otters can eat the spiky urchins whole, making them the major urchin predator. The otters' presence keeps urchin populations in check and maintains the balance of the ecosystem.
Bald eagles
Scientists have known about these kelp forest community interactions since the 1970s. But in the October issue of the journal Ecology, Robert Anthony and colleagues report that the presence or absence of otters can also affect the diet of bald eagles, a neighbouring terrestrial predator. Anthony is an ecologist with the Oregon Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit of the U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon State University.
Bald eagles live in high densities along the Aleutian archipelago off the coast of Alaska and place their nests on islets, coastal cliffs and shoreline sea stacks. Historically, more than 90 percent of the eagles' food comes from the ocean. Sea otters once also occupied a large range of coastal marine environments near these islands, but in recent years, otter populations have declined in response to their own main predator.
Killer whales killing otters
"All of the available data point to increased numbers of killer whales as the direct cause of the sea otter decline in southwest Alaska," says co-author Jim Estes of the U.S.G.S. and the University of California at Santa Cruz. "The otter decline has caused a phase shift in the coastal ecosystem from a kelp dominated phase state to a deforested phase state."
Eagles switch diet to birds
This shift means many fewer kelp forest fish for the eagles to eat. In response, the eagles have adjusted their foraging tactics. Anthony and his colleagues surveyed remains of bald eagle prey in their nests during 1993 and 1994, when otters were abundant and the kelp forests were healthy, and in 2000, 2001 and 2002, when otters were scarce and the kelp forests had collapsed. They found that when otters were abundant, eagle prey consisted of predominantly kelp-forest fish and sea otter pups. When the otters were rare, however, the proportion of marine birds in the eagles' diet was much higher.
Anthony explains that because the eagles defend territories in dense patches along the coastline and there are few terrestrial animals to eat, they must be flexible in what they hunt.
"These bald eagles are opportunistic foragers as a consequence of their evolutionary history," he says. "They've developed foraging territories they defend against members of the same species along these coastlines, and the terrestrial environment provides very little for them. So they forage over the open water."
Anthony and his colleagues also found that the eagles had more young on average during 2000-2002, a fact that Anthony believes might be a result of a high caloric content in the eagles' increasingly seabird-dominated diet.
"Across the range of this species, their diet can be quite varied, but here it appears as though the change in diet had either a neutral or positive effect," he says. The propensity of the eagles to adapt quickly to a changing environment may have allowed them to flourish, but Anthony also cautions that adapting to this scenario might be difficult for more specialized predators.
The results are the first to show that the presence or absence of otters influences a terrestrial animal, and that the complex food web linkages can reach as far as five different food chain levels: from sea otters to sea urchins, kelp, marine fish and finally bald eagles.
"Top-down linkages can be very distant from their origin," says Anthony. "The effects of top predators can ripple throughout the ecosystem in ways we're just beginning to understand."
2nd-ever virgin birth of a shark confirmed!!!
This is pretty cool!!
Virgin birth of a shark confirmed
10/10/2008 06:46:44 Virgin birth in sharks
October 2008. Scientists have confirmed the second-ever case of a "virgin birth" in a shark, indicating once again that female sharks can reproduce without mating and raising the possibility that many female sharks have this incredible capacity.
Lead author Dr. Demian Chapman, shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Beth Firchau, Curator of Fishes for the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, and Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, have proved with DNA testing that the offspring of a female blacktip shark named "Tidbit" contained no genetic material from a father. Tidbit had lived at the Virginia Aquarium in the Norfolk Canyon Aquarium for eight years since shortly after her birth in the wild.
In 2007 Chapman and Shivji were part of a team that made the groundbreaking scientific discovery that confirmed for the first time a virgin birth in a female shark. That shark was a hammerhead residing at a zoo and had not been in contact with male sharks for at least three years. The DNA-fingerprinting techniques used to prove both cases of virgin birth (scientifically known as "parthenogenesis") are identical to those used in human paternity testing.
More virgin births in sharks
"It is now clear that parthenogenesis occurs in sharks other than just hammerheads," Chapman said. "The first case was no fluke. It is quite possible that this is something female sharks of many species can do on occasion." There have been nearly a dozen reports of suspected virgin births in sharks in recent years, but scientists largely assumed these cases were the result of long-term sperm storage by females after mating with males. Virgin birth is now the more probable explanation, and DNA testing is underway to confirm it in additional sharks. Chapman is currently analyzing the DNA of yet another shark species with Dr. Kevin Feldheim of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Single offspring
Sharks' ability to reproduce alone should not be viewed as an adequate replacement for normal sexual reproduction, Chapman cautioned. For one, the blacktip and hammerhead sharks that reproduced without mating both only produced one pup, rather than an entire litter. Shark litters can contain anywhere from a few to more than a hundred shark pups, depending upon the species. "The revelation that female sharks can reproduce alone shouldn't stop us from worrying about driving shark populations to very low levels through overfishing," said Chapman. "It is very unlikely that a small number of female survivors could build their numbers up very quickly by undergoing virgin birth."
The new paper is entitled "Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus." Tidbit was an Atlantic blacktip shark whom Virginia Aquarium biologists believe had only just reached sexual maturity.
Surprise pregnancy
"We have never observed her in reproductive behaviour or showing typical signs of having been bred," said Firchau. Scientists did not even know that Tidbit was pregnant until after she unfortunately died and an autopsy (called a necropsy for animals) was performed. "Sadness turned to surprise during the necropsy when we found that she was pregnant," Firchau said. "There were no male blacktips in the tank for the past eight years!"
Virgin births - fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds
The phenomenon of "virgin birth" occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm having first fertilized the female's eggs, and has been proven in some bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in these sharks, known as automictic parthenogenesis, the newly forming pup acquires one set of chromosomes when the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. But instead of uniting with similarly split chromosomes from sperm, as occurs in sexual reproduction, the mother's set is paired with a copy of itself. This results in offspring of reduced genetic diversity who may be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild.
"The finding of parthenogenesis in blacktip sharks, which are close relatives of some of the larger predatory sharks in the ocean including the tiger, bull and dusky sharks, raises intriguing questions about how frequently parthenogenesis may occur in the wild in this group of heavily fished sharks," said Shivji. "It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates." Populations of all of these sharks have declined in the past twenty years due to overexploitation, mainly to supply the shark fin markets.
This study has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading international journal.
Virgin birth of a shark confirmed
10/10/2008 06:46:44 Virgin birth in sharks
October 2008. Scientists have confirmed the second-ever case of a "virgin birth" in a shark, indicating once again that female sharks can reproduce without mating and raising the possibility that many female sharks have this incredible capacity.
Lead author Dr. Demian Chapman, shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, Beth Firchau, Curator of Fishes for the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, and Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, have proved with DNA testing that the offspring of a female blacktip shark named "Tidbit" contained no genetic material from a father. Tidbit had lived at the Virginia Aquarium in the Norfolk Canyon Aquarium for eight years since shortly after her birth in the wild.
In 2007 Chapman and Shivji were part of a team that made the groundbreaking scientific discovery that confirmed for the first time a virgin birth in a female shark. That shark was a hammerhead residing at a zoo and had not been in contact with male sharks for at least three years. The DNA-fingerprinting techniques used to prove both cases of virgin birth (scientifically known as "parthenogenesis") are identical to those used in human paternity testing.
More virgin births in sharks
"It is now clear that parthenogenesis occurs in sharks other than just hammerheads," Chapman said. "The first case was no fluke. It is quite possible that this is something female sharks of many species can do on occasion." There have been nearly a dozen reports of suspected virgin births in sharks in recent years, but scientists largely assumed these cases were the result of long-term sperm storage by females after mating with males. Virgin birth is now the more probable explanation, and DNA testing is underway to confirm it in additional sharks. Chapman is currently analyzing the DNA of yet another shark species with Dr. Kevin Feldheim of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Single offspring
Sharks' ability to reproduce alone should not be viewed as an adequate replacement for normal sexual reproduction, Chapman cautioned. For one, the blacktip and hammerhead sharks that reproduced without mating both only produced one pup, rather than an entire litter. Shark litters can contain anywhere from a few to more than a hundred shark pups, depending upon the species. "The revelation that female sharks can reproduce alone shouldn't stop us from worrying about driving shark populations to very low levels through overfishing," said Chapman. "It is very unlikely that a small number of female survivors could build their numbers up very quickly by undergoing virgin birth."
The new paper is entitled "Parthenogenesis in a large-bodied requiem shark, the blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus." Tidbit was an Atlantic blacktip shark whom Virginia Aquarium biologists believe had only just reached sexual maturity.
Surprise pregnancy
"We have never observed her in reproductive behaviour or showing typical signs of having been bred," said Firchau. Scientists did not even know that Tidbit was pregnant until after she unfortunately died and an autopsy (called a necropsy for animals) was performed. "Sadness turned to surprise during the necropsy when we found that she was pregnant," Firchau said. "There were no male blacktips in the tank for the past eight years!"
Virgin births - fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds
The phenomenon of "virgin birth" occurs when a baby is conceived without male sperm having first fertilized the female's eggs, and has been proven in some bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In the type of parthenogenesis seen in these sharks, known as automictic parthenogenesis, the newly forming pup acquires one set of chromosomes when the mother's chromosomes split during egg development. But instead of uniting with similarly split chromosomes from sperm, as occurs in sexual reproduction, the mother's set is paired with a copy of itself. This results in offspring of reduced genetic diversity who may be at a disadvantage for surviving in the wild.
"The finding of parthenogenesis in blacktip sharks, which are close relatives of some of the larger predatory sharks in the ocean including the tiger, bull and dusky sharks, raises intriguing questions about how frequently parthenogenesis may occur in the wild in this group of heavily fished sharks," said Shivji. "It is possible that parthenogenesis could become more common in these sharks if population densities become so low that females have trouble finding mates." Populations of all of these sharks have declined in the past twenty years due to overexploitation, mainly to supply the shark fin markets.
This study has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading international journal.
North Atlantic right whale getting some protection at last
Taken from: www.wildlifeextra.com
December 2008. As the first North Atlantic right whales are making their seasonal migration from New England waters to their calving grounds off Florida and Georgia, these critically endangered animals are finally getting protection from fast moving ships that accidentally kill or injure the majestic animals along the East Coast of America.
From December 9th, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will order that ships slow down to 10 knots within 20 miles of east coast ports during the whales migration season.
Fewer than 400 remain
With fewer than 400 remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is considered among the most endangered whale species in the world. Since 2001, 12 right whales have been struck and killed by vessels along the Atlantic coast. Right whales are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes as they are slow swimming and spend much time near the water's surface. This regulation will impose seasonal speed restrictions throughout the right whale's range from the Gulf of Maine to Florida.
Resistance to whale protection
For the last 10 years, the New England Aquarium's North Atlantic right whale team and other protection groups have been working with the federal government to pass this mandatory speed limit despite concerns from the shipping industry and resistance from the Bush administration.
"At long last, the ocean is going to be a little bit safer for right whales - cause for celebration amongst the many of us who have worked for the past decade to see this rule enacted," said Amy Knowlton of the Aquarium's right whale research team.
"The passage of the ship strike reduction rule is the culmination of years of dedicated work by a variety of groups - scientists, policy experts, conservationists, state and federal governments, and the shipping industry itself and is based on solid scientific data," Knowlton said.
Huge increase in safety
Researchers have found that the probability of right whales dying after being struck drops from over 80% when a vessel is traveling at 15 knots or more to just above 20% when a vessel is traveling at 10 knots or less. Average vessel speeds in critical right whale habitats have been around 15 knots.
"We're really excited about this," said Kerry Lagueux, an associate scientist for the Aquarium's research department and a geographer who uses mapping technology to help identify potential conflicts between right whales, ships, and fishing gear entanglements.
Aquarium researchers are using Automatic Identification System technology, a transmitter system that sends data from vessels to a receiver they carry on their survey plane. This system has enabled researchers in the Southeast to collect data on ship speeds, vessel types, and port destinations in order to evaluate how vessels have responded to right whale information in the past. It will now be used to monitor their actions in response to this new regulation.
Right whales' primary calving grounds are in the near shore waters of Georgia and northern Florida from December to March each year.
"North Atlantic right whale with calf. Credit NOAA" Whale ID
New England Aquarium and participating Right Whale Consortium scientists have created the world's most extensive data base of all of known right whales. Accessible to the public at www.neaq.org, the catalog of over 45,000 photographed sightings allows scientists to identify whales by their callosities - or roughened skin patches on top of their head and to also monitor the level of vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements. Scientists can then track their whereabouts, births, death, and other information.
The catalogue includes photos from three aerial survey teams which sweep calving grounds in coastal waters along Florida and Georgia from December to March. The Aquarium scientists work closely with NOAA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and Georgia and Florida state environmental officials to protect and monitor whales along the Southeast coast.
In August and September, Aquarium scientists conduct vessel surveys in the feeding and nursing area of Canada's Bay of Fundy to take photos and collect skin samples from the whales which give them genetic identification such as genotype, sex, potential paternity, and genetic ability to respond to disease.
With changes made to shipping lanes in Canada, Aquarium scientists are also seeing progress in protecting whales. This new vessel strike rule takes it one step further.
"To think that right whales will be able to migrate along the coast and avoid the now slow moving, oncoming ships that they come across routinely gives me tremendous hope that we are one step closer to giving this species a chance of avoiding extinction," Knowlton said.
**If you haven't seen it yet, check out Animal Planet for 'Whale Wars', a show about what the US is doing about illegal whale hunting that is still going on by Japanese whale fishermen.**
December 2008. As the first North Atlantic right whales are making their seasonal migration from New England waters to their calving grounds off Florida and Georgia, these critically endangered animals are finally getting protection from fast moving ships that accidentally kill or injure the majestic animals along the East Coast of America.
From December 9th, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will order that ships slow down to 10 knots within 20 miles of east coast ports during the whales migration season.
Fewer than 400 remain
With fewer than 400 remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is considered among the most endangered whale species in the world. Since 2001, 12 right whales have been struck and killed by vessels along the Atlantic coast. Right whales are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes as they are slow swimming and spend much time near the water's surface. This regulation will impose seasonal speed restrictions throughout the right whale's range from the Gulf of Maine to Florida.
Resistance to whale protection
For the last 10 years, the New England Aquarium's North Atlantic right whale team and other protection groups have been working with the federal government to pass this mandatory speed limit despite concerns from the shipping industry and resistance from the Bush administration.
"At long last, the ocean is going to be a little bit safer for right whales - cause for celebration amongst the many of us who have worked for the past decade to see this rule enacted," said Amy Knowlton of the Aquarium's right whale research team.
"The passage of the ship strike reduction rule is the culmination of years of dedicated work by a variety of groups - scientists, policy experts, conservationists, state and federal governments, and the shipping industry itself and is based on solid scientific data," Knowlton said.
Huge increase in safety
Researchers have found that the probability of right whales dying after being struck drops from over 80% when a vessel is traveling at 15 knots or more to just above 20% when a vessel is traveling at 10 knots or less. Average vessel speeds in critical right whale habitats have been around 15 knots.
"We're really excited about this," said Kerry Lagueux, an associate scientist for the Aquarium's research department and a geographer who uses mapping technology to help identify potential conflicts between right whales, ships, and fishing gear entanglements.
Aquarium researchers are using Automatic Identification System technology, a transmitter system that sends data from vessels to a receiver they carry on their survey plane. This system has enabled researchers in the Southeast to collect data on ship speeds, vessel types, and port destinations in order to evaluate how vessels have responded to right whale information in the past. It will now be used to monitor their actions in response to this new regulation.
Right whales' primary calving grounds are in the near shore waters of Georgia and northern Florida from December to March each year.
"North Atlantic right whale with calf. Credit NOAA" Whale ID
New England Aquarium and participating Right Whale Consortium scientists have created the world's most extensive data base of all of known right whales. Accessible to the public at www.neaq.org, the catalog of over 45,000 photographed sightings allows scientists to identify whales by their callosities - or roughened skin patches on top of their head and to also monitor the level of vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements. Scientists can then track their whereabouts, births, death, and other information.
The catalogue includes photos from three aerial survey teams which sweep calving grounds in coastal waters along Florida and Georgia from December to March. The Aquarium scientists work closely with NOAA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and Georgia and Florida state environmental officials to protect and monitor whales along the Southeast coast.
In August and September, Aquarium scientists conduct vessel surveys in the feeding and nursing area of Canada's Bay of Fundy to take photos and collect skin samples from the whales which give them genetic identification such as genotype, sex, potential paternity, and genetic ability to respond to disease.
With changes made to shipping lanes in Canada, Aquarium scientists are also seeing progress in protecting whales. This new vessel strike rule takes it one step further.
"To think that right whales will be able to migrate along the coast and avoid the now slow moving, oncoming ships that they come across routinely gives me tremendous hope that we are one step closer to giving this species a chance of avoiding extinction," Knowlton said.
**If you haven't seen it yet, check out Animal Planet for 'Whale Wars', a show about what the US is doing about illegal whale hunting that is still going on by Japanese whale fishermen.**
Article: What's Causing White Bats to Drop Like Flies?
People near Albany, N.Y., began noticing the strange bat behavior at least two years ago: Droves of the normally nocturnal mammals were seen flying around on brisk winter days when they should have been hibernating in caves for the season. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) teamed up with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to investigate and made an alarming discovery: Bat populations throughout northeastern New York State, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont had thinned by as much as 97 percent in area bat caves and emaciated survivors were found hanging near cave entrances where it is typically too cold for them to stay the entire winter. The only clue to the mysterious phenom was a white, powdery organism on the muzzles, ears and wings of the dead and dying bats.
Scientists have since linked the deaths of more than 100,000 of the smaller species of brown bats, northern bats, tricolored bats, Indiana bats and small-footed Myotis, along with larger brown bats in the U.S. Northeast to a condition they dubbed "white-nose syndrome." These researchers suspect that, since the winter of 2006, the ailment may have contributed to a steep decline in the bat populations at many caves in the affected states; in the most extreme case, about 1,750 of 1,800 of the flying mammals were found dead. Bat declines at many surveyed hibernation caves exceeded 75 percent.
"If you apply this across [the northeastern U.S.] there could be 200,000 dead bats and possibly even more," says David Blehert, a USGS microbiologist and lead author of a paper on the syndrome published today in Science.
USGS scientists are working with New York State environmental and health officials to pinpoint the exact cause and consequences of the fatalities. A breakthrough came in April when Blehert identified the white organism on the critters' noses as a type of geomyces fungus, one of a group of organisms that live in soil, water and air and reproduce at refrigerator temperatures of 39 degrees Fahrenheit (four degrees Celsius), the temp in most bat caves.
"When bats are torpid [in a hibernating state], they drop their temperatures down to the ambient temperatures of the caves," Blehert says. This makes the dormant bats susceptible to infection by this fungus.
But researchers are in the dark about the source of geomyces. They don't know if its spores were carried to the bat caves by animals or the wind or if it was in these caves all along and recently spread to spots where the bats hibernate.
It is also unclear whether the fungus is killing the bats or is a contributing factor in their deaths. Most of the victims were also rail-thin and some were found outside of their caves, indicating they may have starved to death after an apparently futile attempt to find food (insects, primarily) in the winter.
"Fungi are opportunistic pathogens," Blehert says, "they don't usually attack and kill otherwise healthy animals."
One thing is certain, Blehert says, "Before the identification of white-nose syndrome, mass mortality events in bats as a result of disease were very rare."
Blehert and his colleagues are now attempting to determine whether the dead bats went into hibernation emaciated or filled with enough food to sustain them throughout the winter. "If they're entering with less than a full tank of gas," he notes, "we have to consider whether the insect populations that they feed on are down." Bats are meant to remain in a torpid state throughout the hibernation period, rousing only every two weeks or so to groom or drink water.
Another possibility, he says, is that the fungus killed them indirectly by causing so much skin irritation it prevented them from getting enough sleep. The longer they are awake during hibernation, the more fat they burn, which gives them less time to sustain their bodies without refueling.
Thomas Kunz, a biology professor and director Boston University's Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, is also studying the mysterious bat deaths. "The mortality is unprecedented in my experience," he says, "and I've been working with bats for 40 years."
Blehert's work is groundbreaking, Kunz says, in that it has provided researchers with an understanding of the fungus, although the syndrome is most likely a secondary effect of some other underlying cause for the deaths. "This is serious in the sense that we're dealing with an unknown," he says, but he does not believe that the fungus itself is the pathogen.
Kunz and his team are approaching the mystery from three different angles: The first is to study the body weights of hibernating bats in different geographic areas by collecting samples of the creatures from three caves in the affected areas and from three caves in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where white-nose syndrome does not appear to have struck. Similar to Blehert's approach, this will inform Kunz and his team of whether the bats in the areas hit by the syndrome are beginning hibernation with the right amount of stored fat. If not, this might signal that pesticides are diminishing local insect populations, possibly choking off a primary food source for the bats.
The second angle is to determine whether the animals are storing the right type of fat (unsaturated fatty acids obtained by eating insects) for their dormancy, Kunz says. A lack of unsaturated fatty acids could again lead the scientists back to suspect declining local insect populations from insecticide use. A third area to investigate is whether the bats' immune systems are being suppressed for some reason, making them more susceptible to fungal infection. "There's no smoking gun at this point," Kunz says, but he and his colleagues are collecting bat samples at this time and hope to have some results by December.
In addition to the role bats play in vampire lore, these creatures of the night are indispensable to insect control, plant pollination and seed dissemination. White-nose syndrome's impact on the bat community is difficult to determine, Blehert says, because of the difficulty of keeping accurate population counts. (They tend to spend a good portion of their lives tucked away in caves inaccessible to people.)
Researchers have been able to count as many as 500,000 hibernating bats throughout the states were white-nose syndrome has been found, but Blehert says there are probably more than that. He likens the demise of the bats to the disappearance of amphibians worldwide over the past three decades that was ultimately traced to a lethal fungal skin infection—chytridiomycosis—which has wiped out entire populations
One possible bright spot is that some of the lesions on dead bats that Blehert and his colleagues examined had begun to heal before the bats died, which indicates that the bats are capable of fighting the infection to some extent. The researchers plan to spend this winter studying the effect of this fungus on healthy bats in the lab. Blehert says he will be surprised if the fungus alone was the sole culprit behind the plummeting bat population. "I'm not sure a fungus," he says, "can kill an otherwise healthy animal."
Scientists have since linked the deaths of more than 100,000 of the smaller species of brown bats, northern bats, tricolored bats, Indiana bats and small-footed Myotis, along with larger brown bats in the U.S. Northeast to a condition they dubbed "white-nose syndrome." These researchers suspect that, since the winter of 2006, the ailment may have contributed to a steep decline in the bat populations at many caves in the affected states; in the most extreme case, about 1,750 of 1,800 of the flying mammals were found dead. Bat declines at many surveyed hibernation caves exceeded 75 percent.
"If you apply this across [the northeastern U.S.] there could be 200,000 dead bats and possibly even more," says David Blehert, a USGS microbiologist and lead author of a paper on the syndrome published today in Science.
USGS scientists are working with New York State environmental and health officials to pinpoint the exact cause and consequences of the fatalities. A breakthrough came in April when Blehert identified the white organism on the critters' noses as a type of geomyces fungus, one of a group of organisms that live in soil, water and air and reproduce at refrigerator temperatures of 39 degrees Fahrenheit (four degrees Celsius), the temp in most bat caves.
"When bats are torpid [in a hibernating state], they drop their temperatures down to the ambient temperatures of the caves," Blehert says. This makes the dormant bats susceptible to infection by this fungus.
But researchers are in the dark about the source of geomyces. They don't know if its spores were carried to the bat caves by animals or the wind or if it was in these caves all along and recently spread to spots where the bats hibernate.
It is also unclear whether the fungus is killing the bats or is a contributing factor in their deaths. Most of the victims were also rail-thin and some were found outside of their caves, indicating they may have starved to death after an apparently futile attempt to find food (insects, primarily) in the winter.
"Fungi are opportunistic pathogens," Blehert says, "they don't usually attack and kill otherwise healthy animals."
One thing is certain, Blehert says, "Before the identification of white-nose syndrome, mass mortality events in bats as a result of disease were very rare."
Blehert and his colleagues are now attempting to determine whether the dead bats went into hibernation emaciated or filled with enough food to sustain them throughout the winter. "If they're entering with less than a full tank of gas," he notes, "we have to consider whether the insect populations that they feed on are down." Bats are meant to remain in a torpid state throughout the hibernation period, rousing only every two weeks or so to groom or drink water.
Another possibility, he says, is that the fungus killed them indirectly by causing so much skin irritation it prevented them from getting enough sleep. The longer they are awake during hibernation, the more fat they burn, which gives them less time to sustain their bodies without refueling.
Thomas Kunz, a biology professor and director Boston University's Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, is also studying the mysterious bat deaths. "The mortality is unprecedented in my experience," he says, "and I've been working with bats for 40 years."
Blehert's work is groundbreaking, Kunz says, in that it has provided researchers with an understanding of the fungus, although the syndrome is most likely a secondary effect of some other underlying cause for the deaths. "This is serious in the sense that we're dealing with an unknown," he says, but he does not believe that the fungus itself is the pathogen.
Kunz and his team are approaching the mystery from three different angles: The first is to study the body weights of hibernating bats in different geographic areas by collecting samples of the creatures from three caves in the affected areas and from three caves in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where white-nose syndrome does not appear to have struck. Similar to Blehert's approach, this will inform Kunz and his team of whether the bats in the areas hit by the syndrome are beginning hibernation with the right amount of stored fat. If not, this might signal that pesticides are diminishing local insect populations, possibly choking off a primary food source for the bats.
The second angle is to determine whether the animals are storing the right type of fat (unsaturated fatty acids obtained by eating insects) for their dormancy, Kunz says. A lack of unsaturated fatty acids could again lead the scientists back to suspect declining local insect populations from insecticide use. A third area to investigate is whether the bats' immune systems are being suppressed for some reason, making them more susceptible to fungal infection. "There's no smoking gun at this point," Kunz says, but he and his colleagues are collecting bat samples at this time and hope to have some results by December.
In addition to the role bats play in vampire lore, these creatures of the night are indispensable to insect control, plant pollination and seed dissemination. White-nose syndrome's impact on the bat community is difficult to determine, Blehert says, because of the difficulty of keeping accurate population counts. (They tend to spend a good portion of their lives tucked away in caves inaccessible to people.)
Researchers have been able to count as many as 500,000 hibernating bats throughout the states were white-nose syndrome has been found, but Blehert says there are probably more than that. He likens the demise of the bats to the disappearance of amphibians worldwide over the past three decades that was ultimately traced to a lethal fungal skin infection—chytridiomycosis—which has wiped out entire populations
One possible bright spot is that some of the lesions on dead bats that Blehert and his colleagues examined had begun to heal before the bats died, which indicates that the bats are capable of fighting the infection to some extent. The researchers plan to spend this winter studying the effect of this fungus on healthy bats in the lab. Blehert says he will be surprised if the fungus alone was the sole culprit behind the plummeting bat population. "I'm not sure a fungus," he says, "can kill an otherwise healthy animal."
Tourists Helps Save Guadalupe's Great White Sharks
A windless dawn rises over Isla Guadalupe, 150 miles west of the Baja California coast. Rolling slightly in a gentle Pacific swell, our 80-foot trawler Horizon motors toward the island’s north end. The skipper, Greg Grivetto, is standing the final watch of a 20-hour passage from San Diego. He glances down through the bridge windows at the dozen or so passengers gathered on Horizon’s foredeck. We’re shaking off sleep, gabbing, sipping coffee, eager to catch sight of our first landfall on this remote volcanic rock. In the distance, sunlight outlines the arc of Guadalupe’s northeast inlet. There, deep in flat, dark water, something is also stirring, and everyone onboard is thinking about it.
The inshore waters of Guadalupe make up one of the few known habitats for this formidable migrating creature. It is the world’s largest predatory fish, typically 13 to 16 feet long, weighing 1,500 to 2,500 pounds. The great white is the undisputed king of the cartilage-skeletoned vertebrates that have been swimming through the seas for 400 million years and the supreme iteration of an “apex predator”—top dog—in its watery world. To scientists and shark devotees, great whites are a feast of complex behaviors—maddeningly coy in their breeding habits and wary but stunningly accomplished killers. Remarkably, they also are now listed as endangered, and when an apex species is in trouble the threat can cascade down through the entire food chain.
For years close encounters were pretty much out of the question. Swimmers and scuba divers ardently avoid the sharks, and useful observation in study tanks or aquariums is impossible because the animals do not survive prolonged captivity. But recent growth in the popularity of shark-cage diving has opened new opportunities. On this August morning Horizon’s crew, scientists and ecotourists are arriving under the aegis of Shark Diver, a leading operator of “sharking” excursions to Guadalupe. The mission, as always: to watch at close hand this impressive animal in its natural surroundings.
Shark Diver, in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Science Institute, has identified, recorded and named more than 85 individual great whites that regularly return to the area, now a reserve protected by the Mexican government. A compilation of photographs (including contributions from amateur cage divers) plus tagging and satellite tracking is steadily producing a detailed profile of the Guadalupe community of great whites. A thick ring binder, the “family album,” circulates in Horizon’s wood-paneled saloon. Among the pictured sharks are Fat Tony (the charter member of Shark Diver’s roster), Nacho, Belt Strap, Bruce, Captain Hook, Harvey, the Russian. And the truly massive 18-foot females that migrate here late in the fall—Tlazolteotl (named for an Aztec goddess), Chicka, Dorri, Snow White, Lady Notch—many of them pregnant and voraciously hungry.
Even though the great whites are a protected species, relentless poaching has put them on the international “threatened” list. Shark Diver CEO Patric Douglas reports that one set of jaws alone can fetch $5,000 in Ensenada. His Guadalupe Island Conservation Fund (www.guadalupefund.org) has documented the sale of whole carcasses of the great white for $20,000 on the black market. Mexico’s national park service lacks the resources to station patrol boats at Guadalupe during the great whites’ season. But Shark Diver expedition vessels, along with those from several other adventure operators, have become an unofficial police presence against illegal sport fishing.
The great white shark will always be the subject of controversy, in large part because of Peter Benchley’s best-selling thriller Jaws and the movies it spawned. Two years before his death in 2004, Benchley boarded Horizon for his own Guadalupe visit. He wanted to see firsthand the creatures he had demonized. By that time Benchley was already an advocate for white shark conservation, having seen the senseless, bloody orgy of shark hunting touched off by his success. He was profoundly moved by the majesty of these animals, and his campaign to save them soon took hold in the media. Ecotourism now helps to fund great white conservation.
Sympathy for the great white shark should never obscure its important role as a predator, however. Luke Tipple, a respected shark biologist and Shark Diver’s director of operations, is outspoken on this subject. “Occasionally,” he muses, “you’ll hear the phrase that great whites are ‘misunderstood.’ They may have been mistreated, but they are definitely not misunderstood. Many millions of years of evolution went into producing this animal, and he is, first and foremost, an astonishingly efficient killer. Let’s not take that away from him.”
Watch a shark slide show here: http://www.sciam.com/slideshow.cfm?id=sharking-guadelupe
Article taken from Scientific American
The inshore waters of Guadalupe make up one of the few known habitats for this formidable migrating creature. It is the world’s largest predatory fish, typically 13 to 16 feet long, weighing 1,500 to 2,500 pounds. The great white is the undisputed king of the cartilage-skeletoned vertebrates that have been swimming through the seas for 400 million years and the supreme iteration of an “apex predator”—top dog—in its watery world. To scientists and shark devotees, great whites are a feast of complex behaviors—maddeningly coy in their breeding habits and wary but stunningly accomplished killers. Remarkably, they also are now listed as endangered, and when an apex species is in trouble the threat can cascade down through the entire food chain.
For years close encounters were pretty much out of the question. Swimmers and scuba divers ardently avoid the sharks, and useful observation in study tanks or aquariums is impossible because the animals do not survive prolonged captivity. But recent growth in the popularity of shark-cage diving has opened new opportunities. On this August morning Horizon’s crew, scientists and ecotourists are arriving under the aegis of Shark Diver, a leading operator of “sharking” excursions to Guadalupe. The mission, as always: to watch at close hand this impressive animal in its natural surroundings.
Shark Diver, in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Science Institute, has identified, recorded and named more than 85 individual great whites that regularly return to the area, now a reserve protected by the Mexican government. A compilation of photographs (including contributions from amateur cage divers) plus tagging and satellite tracking is steadily producing a detailed profile of the Guadalupe community of great whites. A thick ring binder, the “family album,” circulates in Horizon’s wood-paneled saloon. Among the pictured sharks are Fat Tony (the charter member of Shark Diver’s roster), Nacho, Belt Strap, Bruce, Captain Hook, Harvey, the Russian. And the truly massive 18-foot females that migrate here late in the fall—Tlazolteotl (named for an Aztec goddess), Chicka, Dorri, Snow White, Lady Notch—many of them pregnant and voraciously hungry.
Even though the great whites are a protected species, relentless poaching has put them on the international “threatened” list. Shark Diver CEO Patric Douglas reports that one set of jaws alone can fetch $5,000 in Ensenada. His Guadalupe Island Conservation Fund (www.guadalupefund.org) has documented the sale of whole carcasses of the great white for $20,000 on the black market. Mexico’s national park service lacks the resources to station patrol boats at Guadalupe during the great whites’ season. But Shark Diver expedition vessels, along with those from several other adventure operators, have become an unofficial police presence against illegal sport fishing.
The great white shark will always be the subject of controversy, in large part because of Peter Benchley’s best-selling thriller Jaws and the movies it spawned. Two years before his death in 2004, Benchley boarded Horizon for his own Guadalupe visit. He wanted to see firsthand the creatures he had demonized. By that time Benchley was already an advocate for white shark conservation, having seen the senseless, bloody orgy of shark hunting touched off by his success. He was profoundly moved by the majesty of these animals, and his campaign to save them soon took hold in the media. Ecotourism now helps to fund great white conservation.
Sympathy for the great white shark should never obscure its important role as a predator, however. Luke Tipple, a respected shark biologist and Shark Diver’s director of operations, is outspoken on this subject. “Occasionally,” he muses, “you’ll hear the phrase that great whites are ‘misunderstood.’ They may have been mistreated, but they are definitely not misunderstood. Many millions of years of evolution went into producing this animal, and he is, first and foremost, an astonishingly efficient killer. Let’s not take that away from him.”
Watch a shark slide show here: http://www.sciam.com/slideshow.cfm?id=sharking-guadelupe
Article taken from Scientific American
Wonder Cat!
De cat came back—thought she were a goner,
But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away.
—Lyrics from "The Cat Came Back," a song written by Harry S. Miller in 1893.
It's a story that tugs at the heartstrings of all pet devotees: A cat given up for lost in 1995 has come home. As first reported by The Press Democrat, a gray and brown-tinged kitty with round, golden eyes named George was reunited with his Santa Rosa, Calif., owners last week after animal control officers tracked them down by scanning a microchip with identifying info implanted under the animal's skin. (See slideshow of George.)
Frank Walburg says his boy, George, now nearly 17, was but a shadow of his former self when found—weighing a paltry 6.3 pounds (2.9 kilograms), less than half the nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) he weighed the day he vanished over 13 years ago. He was also sick, suffering from a respiratory infection as well as toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease characterized by lethargy and weight loss, which can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
"He used to be like a heater on wheels," Walburg chuckles about his beloved feline friend, "like a lion in both appearance and walk," his wife, Melinda Merman, wrote on her Web site. Still, Walburg told the San Francisco Chronicle "there was no ambiguity that he was the same dude, no doubt about it."
George disappeared on June 23, 1995, back when Bill Clinton was president and Whitewater was in the headlines. Walburg says that he and Merman spent weeks scouring the neighborhood for him. They visited Sonoma County's five animal shelters every other day for six months, posted missing cat signs, sent flyers to and called every veterinary clinic in the area and offered a hefty $500 reward for his return. Alas, as days turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years, Walburg says their hopes of finding George faded, "but we never stopped thinking about him."
"It was hard not knowing what might have happened to him," Walburg told ScientificAmerican.com, pausing to control his emotions. "We would imagine that he was just around the corner or trapped somewhere—and we would go and check."
And so one can only imagine how he and Merman felt last week when they received a call from Sonoma County Animal Care and Control: George was there, the message said. "We didn't know what to expect, we didn't know if he was dead or alive, because they also pick up animals on the road that have been killed," Walburg says, noting that he and Merman cried the entire 20-minute trip to claim him.
When they arrived at the county shelter, George was in medical isolation. "The routine practice is to scan for a chip and, if there isn't one, to make a determination on the spot" about an animal's fate, he says. "George was grossly sick, way underweight, he had watery eyes, was lethargic, not eating; there is zero doubt that since his health was so bad, they would not have been able to adopt him out to anyone and he would have been euthanized if it weren't for the microchip."
"He's home because of his microchip,'' Walburg says, noting that his wife, then a volunteer at the Humane Society (and now at Forgotten Felines, which spays and neuters feral cats and provides food for them until their natural deaths), insisted that George and his three littermates be micro-chipped when they adopted them in 1992. At that time, the technology was new and mostly used on dogs.
U.S. animal microchip manufacturer AVID Identification Systems, Inc., based in southern California, filed for a patent on the technology in 1985; the first chips were implanted into companion animals in 1989, according to Mary Metzner, AVID's shelter operations representative (who trains animal control officers and shelter personnel on how to properly implant and use the system). She says the rice-size radio-frequency identification (RFID) device is activated with a handheld scanner; the radio frequency used is 125 kilohertz.
Microchips are generally implanted under the skin over the shoulder blades in dogs and cats. Each one contains an identification number unique to that animal; every microchip sold is automatically registered (to the vet who purchases it) in PETtrac, AVID's national recovery data base, according to Metzner.
She says private veterinary clinics on average charge from $60 to $100, and shelters from $20 to $30 (and often much less) to implant a microchip and register a pet for its lifetime. The chip is encapsulated in biocompatible glass (the type used in pacemakers, stents and other medical devices) and has been tested to last for at least 75 years, according to Metzner, who adds that AVID has sold more than 25 million microchips. Among other brands distributed in the U.S.: resQ, HomeAgain and 24PetWatch.
Some studies in the 1990s found that tumors formed in mice and rats in tissue around where the microchips were placed. But Metzner said further testing has produced no evidence of a link between cancer risk and the devices, which are only activated when scanned—and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 found the process safe enough to be used in animals and humans.
AVID, when contacted by Sonoma County Animal Care and Control, traced the device in George to Northtown Animal Hospital in Santa Rosa. Walburg says they were lucky their vet had their number, which had been changed since the chip was implanted and registered. In some cases, there is a more direct relationship with pet owners, who can change chip ID registration contact info online.
"Our sole purpose is to bring animals home. So it's a wonderful feeling to know that the system works," Metzner says about George's long-awaited homecoming. "It's a miracle. We get over 1,000 calls a day of people finding pets and reuniting them with families."
She says this is one of—if not the—longest period between a pet's loss and recovery ever recorded. Among other success stories: a cat that had been missing from Los Angeles for a decade, found in Texas several years ago, and a dog missing from Panama, Fla., who was found six years later in Ohio.
"There's no way this reunion after 13 and a half years would have happened without the microchip," Walburg stresses, urging all pet owners to chip their charges and anyone who finds a stray to take it to the nearest shelter or animal hospital to have it scanned for one. He also believes that vets should routinely scan their animal patients to make sure the humans bringing them in are their rightful owners, noting that they might have found George sooner had that been done.
"It's a very reasonable amount of money for something that potentially can help bring your pets home if they lose their collar. But even if your pet is micro-chipped, it's still important to have a visible collar and tag on that animal with the owner's name on it to get it home immediately," says Stephanie Shain, director of outreach at The Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C.
"It's pretty amazing," she adds about the George's homecoming. "If you're on the fence of whether you should or shouldn't get [a microchip], this would probably put a lot of people in the 'yes' column who weren't there before."
Walburg says that George was found at a mobile home park about 3.5 miles (5.5 kilometers) from their home, where he was turned over to animal control by the manager.
George was one of four kittens born to a feral cat that the Walburgs adopted. (They also took in their mom, who they had spayed.) Sadly, George's two brothers (twin Ira and Klaus) died two years ago from an intestinal disorder. But sister Grace is still alive (though Walburg reports she was more interested in George's special kibble than in seeing her long-lost brother when they were reunited) and George now has three new foster siblings—Foxy, Sam and Spook.
Walburg, a computer consultant and amateur winemaker who names some varieties after his cats (each bottle is labeled with a photo of its namesake; George will grace the next one), says that he and Merman are nursing George back to health, feeding him dabs of baby food mixed with chicken broth that he initially licked from a spoon and their fingers (but is now eating from a dish) and giving him antibiotics to clear up the toxoplasmosis. (See video.)
He says the cat spends most of his time in the guest room—which has been set aside for him—and that he's slowly but surely regaining his old vim and vigor – and has gained 3.5 ounces (99 grams) since he came home. (See video of George on the mend.)
About a year after George went missing, Melinda Merman wrote a "Letter to George" on her Web site in which she waxed poetic about his personality quirks, how he loved peanut butter and to bat at towels—and hated the rain. And how he always waited at the foot of their bed for them to wake up in the morning.
"There are so many things I miss now that you're gone," she wrote. "In fact, do you remember where you slept at night? On top of the bathroom towel cupboard. Remember your towel up there? Well it's still there. I have cleaned the top of the cupboard, but your towel is just as you left it. We will always wonder what happened to you. And we'll always hope you come home."
On November 5, 2008, she updated her blog: "George was found and returned to us. We are so thrilled to have him back in the family."
But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away.
—Lyrics from "The Cat Came Back," a song written by Harry S. Miller in 1893.
It's a story that tugs at the heartstrings of all pet devotees: A cat given up for lost in 1995 has come home. As first reported by The Press Democrat, a gray and brown-tinged kitty with round, golden eyes named George was reunited with his Santa Rosa, Calif., owners last week after animal control officers tracked them down by scanning a microchip with identifying info implanted under the animal's skin. (See slideshow of George.)
Frank Walburg says his boy, George, now nearly 17, was but a shadow of his former self when found—weighing a paltry 6.3 pounds (2.9 kilograms), less than half the nearly 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) he weighed the day he vanished over 13 years ago. He was also sick, suffering from a respiratory infection as well as toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease characterized by lethargy and weight loss, which can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
"He used to be like a heater on wheels," Walburg chuckles about his beloved feline friend, "like a lion in both appearance and walk," his wife, Melinda Merman, wrote on her Web site. Still, Walburg told the San Francisco Chronicle "there was no ambiguity that he was the same dude, no doubt about it."
George disappeared on June 23, 1995, back when Bill Clinton was president and Whitewater was in the headlines. Walburg says that he and Merman spent weeks scouring the neighborhood for him. They visited Sonoma County's five animal shelters every other day for six months, posted missing cat signs, sent flyers to and called every veterinary clinic in the area and offered a hefty $500 reward for his return. Alas, as days turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years, Walburg says their hopes of finding George faded, "but we never stopped thinking about him."
"It was hard not knowing what might have happened to him," Walburg told ScientificAmerican.com, pausing to control his emotions. "We would imagine that he was just around the corner or trapped somewhere—and we would go and check."
And so one can only imagine how he and Merman felt last week when they received a call from Sonoma County Animal Care and Control: George was there, the message said. "We didn't know what to expect, we didn't know if he was dead or alive, because they also pick up animals on the road that have been killed," Walburg says, noting that he and Merman cried the entire 20-minute trip to claim him.
When they arrived at the county shelter, George was in medical isolation. "The routine practice is to scan for a chip and, if there isn't one, to make a determination on the spot" about an animal's fate, he says. "George was grossly sick, way underweight, he had watery eyes, was lethargic, not eating; there is zero doubt that since his health was so bad, they would not have been able to adopt him out to anyone and he would have been euthanized if it weren't for the microchip."
"He's home because of his microchip,'' Walburg says, noting that his wife, then a volunteer at the Humane Society (and now at Forgotten Felines, which spays and neuters feral cats and provides food for them until their natural deaths), insisted that George and his three littermates be micro-chipped when they adopted them in 1992. At that time, the technology was new and mostly used on dogs.
U.S. animal microchip manufacturer AVID Identification Systems, Inc., based in southern California, filed for a patent on the technology in 1985; the first chips were implanted into companion animals in 1989, according to Mary Metzner, AVID's shelter operations representative (who trains animal control officers and shelter personnel on how to properly implant and use the system). She says the rice-size radio-frequency identification (RFID) device is activated with a handheld scanner; the radio frequency used is 125 kilohertz.
Microchips are generally implanted under the skin over the shoulder blades in dogs and cats. Each one contains an identification number unique to that animal; every microchip sold is automatically registered (to the vet who purchases it) in PETtrac, AVID's national recovery data base, according to Metzner.
She says private veterinary clinics on average charge from $60 to $100, and shelters from $20 to $30 (and often much less) to implant a microchip and register a pet for its lifetime. The chip is encapsulated in biocompatible glass (the type used in pacemakers, stents and other medical devices) and has been tested to last for at least 75 years, according to Metzner, who adds that AVID has sold more than 25 million microchips. Among other brands distributed in the U.S.: resQ, HomeAgain and 24PetWatch.
Some studies in the 1990s found that tumors formed in mice and rats in tissue around where the microchips were placed. But Metzner said further testing has produced no evidence of a link between cancer risk and the devices, which are only activated when scanned—and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 found the process safe enough to be used in animals and humans.
AVID, when contacted by Sonoma County Animal Care and Control, traced the device in George to Northtown Animal Hospital in Santa Rosa. Walburg says they were lucky their vet had their number, which had been changed since the chip was implanted and registered. In some cases, there is a more direct relationship with pet owners, who can change chip ID registration contact info online.
"Our sole purpose is to bring animals home. So it's a wonderful feeling to know that the system works," Metzner says about George's long-awaited homecoming. "It's a miracle. We get over 1,000 calls a day of people finding pets and reuniting them with families."
She says this is one of—if not the—longest period between a pet's loss and recovery ever recorded. Among other success stories: a cat that had been missing from Los Angeles for a decade, found in Texas several years ago, and a dog missing from Panama, Fla., who was found six years later in Ohio.
"There's no way this reunion after 13 and a half years would have happened without the microchip," Walburg stresses, urging all pet owners to chip their charges and anyone who finds a stray to take it to the nearest shelter or animal hospital to have it scanned for one. He also believes that vets should routinely scan their animal patients to make sure the humans bringing them in are their rightful owners, noting that they might have found George sooner had that been done.
"It's a very reasonable amount of money for something that potentially can help bring your pets home if they lose their collar. But even if your pet is micro-chipped, it's still important to have a visible collar and tag on that animal with the owner's name on it to get it home immediately," says Stephanie Shain, director of outreach at The Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C.
"It's pretty amazing," she adds about the George's homecoming. "If you're on the fence of whether you should or shouldn't get [a microchip], this would probably put a lot of people in the 'yes' column who weren't there before."
Walburg says that George was found at a mobile home park about 3.5 miles (5.5 kilometers) from their home, where he was turned over to animal control by the manager.
George was one of four kittens born to a feral cat that the Walburgs adopted. (They also took in their mom, who they had spayed.) Sadly, George's two brothers (twin Ira and Klaus) died two years ago from an intestinal disorder. But sister Grace is still alive (though Walburg reports she was more interested in George's special kibble than in seeing her long-lost brother when they were reunited) and George now has three new foster siblings—Foxy, Sam and Spook.
Walburg, a computer consultant and amateur winemaker who names some varieties after his cats (each bottle is labeled with a photo of its namesake; George will grace the next one), says that he and Merman are nursing George back to health, feeding him dabs of baby food mixed with chicken broth that he initially licked from a spoon and their fingers (but is now eating from a dish) and giving him antibiotics to clear up the toxoplasmosis. (See video.)
He says the cat spends most of his time in the guest room—which has been set aside for him—and that he's slowly but surely regaining his old vim and vigor – and has gained 3.5 ounces (99 grams) since he came home. (See video of George on the mend.)
About a year after George went missing, Melinda Merman wrote a "Letter to George" on her Web site in which she waxed poetic about his personality quirks, how he loved peanut butter and to bat at towels—and hated the rain. And how he always waited at the foot of their bed for them to wake up in the morning.
"There are so many things I miss now that you're gone," she wrote. "In fact, do you remember where you slept at night? On top of the bathroom towel cupboard. Remember your towel up there? Well it's still there. I have cleaned the top of the cupboard, but your towel is just as you left it. We will always wonder what happened to you. And we'll always hope you come home."
On November 5, 2008, she updated her blog: "George was found and returned to us. We are so thrilled to have him back in the family."
Friday, December 12, 2008
***URGENT HELP DOGS IN OAKLAND SHELTERS***
2 Urgent Actions
ONE We need to convince the City of Oakland that closing the shelter for ten days is not an option for saving money
.
Please send an urgent email to Dan Lindheim, Budget Director at the Mayor's Office at dlindheim@oaklandnet.com, and/or call at (510) 238-6840 to let them know the shelter is different from other city agencies, in caring for HUNDREDS of animals each day, and needs special accommodation during the mandated Oakland shut-down days!
Talking points for your email/phone calls as to why the shelter needs special exemption for closure from 12/26 thru 1/2: Talking Points
TWO
We need to protect Point Isabel from developers who want to put a shopping center there. The final chance for public input is this Tuesday December 16 at the City Council meeting, at 1401 Marina Way South in Richmond Annex or Richmond. For more information see the Point Isabel Newsletter or contact PIDO via email at m22257m@yahoo.com or 5150-559-8362.
URGENT San Leandro Dog Parks In Trouble
By Karen Holzmeister - The Daily Review
12/10/2008
SAN LEANDRO — The City Council is backing offfrom its consideration of San Leandro'sfirst dog park, a decision that has canine lovers yapping mad and determined togather more support.
General park dedication fees paid by developers,which might have been a potential funding source for the dog park, couldinstead be used for projects at other parks, or even for upgrading policeheadquarters on East 14th Street,council members suggested Tuesday.
"This economy is in desperate straits, if you don't know it,"Mayor Tony Santos told six dog-park backers Tuesday during the council'sFacilities and Transportation Committee meeting. He suggested the city use thefees — the park dedication fund currently has $700,000 — for "desperatelyneeded" equipment and structural improvements in the police building.
Dog lovers pledged to fight for a dog park at the San Leandro Marina. AndPeggy Combs, vice chairwoman of the Recreation and Park Commission, said theconcept of a dog park has been "unanimously embraced by thecommunity."
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," park advocate SabrinaAlmazan said after Santos complained he is fielding 10 to 25 e-mails a day —and four phone calls on Monday alone — from dog owners.
"We represent a huge population of dog owners," added Almazan, amember of the Four Paws Society, which has gathered 1,100 signatures on apetition for a dog park at the San Leandro Marina.
"We will gather more support, and (demonstrate the) need for a dogpark," Almazan told Santosand the two other committee members, councilwomen Diana Souza and JoyceStarosciak. "You are our elected officials; they are yourconstituents."
Four Paws and the Recreation and Park Commission, the latter acouncil-appointed advisory group, have spent 18 months studying the dog parkissue. In September, commissioners asked the council to spend $491,000 for a1.3-acre linear park on the shoreline.
It had been assumed that the money would come from park dedication fees,paid by builders in lieu of land dedication, and traditionally used for newpark or recreation developments.
On Tuesday, council members and city administrators said the city attorneyis reviewing the park dedication fee ordinance to see if the money can be usedfor existing facilities.
The attorney's opinion will be available at the committee's next meeting inJanuary. Starosciak also asked that a list of citywide capital projects beavailable by that meeting so that the committee — and, eventually, the entirecouncil — can prioritize projects for all sources of funding.
©2008 Bay Area News Group
spacer (1K)
For more information on the Dog Park Recommendation, Plans, Facts and Articles...
And, to Volunteer...
visit: www.FourPawsSociety.org
or contact:
Sabrina@FourPawsSociety.org or (510) 909-2163
ONE We need to convince the City of Oakland that closing the shelter for ten days is not an option for saving money
.
Please send an urgent email to Dan Lindheim, Budget Director at the Mayor's Office at dlindheim@oaklandnet.com, and/or call at (510) 238-6840 to let them know the shelter is different from other city agencies, in caring for HUNDREDS of animals each day, and needs special accommodation during the mandated Oakland shut-down days!
Talking points for your email/phone calls as to why the shelter needs special exemption for closure from 12/26 thru 1/2: Talking Points
TWO
We need to protect Point Isabel from developers who want to put a shopping center there. The final chance for public input is this Tuesday December 16 at the City Council meeting, at 1401 Marina Way South in Richmond Annex or Richmond. For more information see the Point Isabel Newsletter or contact PIDO via email at m22257m@yahoo.com or 5150-559-8362.
URGENT San Leandro Dog Parks In Trouble
By Karen Holzmeister - The Daily Review
12/10/2008
SAN LEANDRO — The City Council is backing offfrom its consideration of San Leandro'sfirst dog park, a decision that has canine lovers yapping mad and determined togather more support.
General park dedication fees paid by developers,which might have been a potential funding source for the dog park, couldinstead be used for projects at other parks, or even for upgrading policeheadquarters on East 14th Street,council members suggested Tuesday.
"This economy is in desperate straits, if you don't know it,"Mayor Tony Santos told six dog-park backers Tuesday during the council'sFacilities and Transportation Committee meeting. He suggested the city use thefees — the park dedication fund currently has $700,000 — for "desperatelyneeded" equipment and structural improvements in the police building.
Dog lovers pledged to fight for a dog park at the San Leandro Marina. AndPeggy Combs, vice chairwoman of the Recreation and Park Commission, said theconcept of a dog park has been "unanimously embraced by thecommunity."
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," park advocate SabrinaAlmazan said after Santos complained he is fielding 10 to 25 e-mails a day —and four phone calls on Monday alone — from dog owners.
"We represent a huge population of dog owners," added Almazan, amember of the Four Paws Society, which has gathered 1,100 signatures on apetition for a dog park at the San Leandro Marina.
"We will gather more support, and (demonstrate the) need for a dogpark," Almazan told Santosand the two other committee members, councilwomen Diana Souza and JoyceStarosciak. "You are our elected officials; they are yourconstituents."
Four Paws and the Recreation and Park Commission, the latter acouncil-appointed advisory group, have spent 18 months studying the dog parkissue. In September, commissioners asked the council to spend $491,000 for a1.3-acre linear park on the shoreline.
It had been assumed that the money would come from park dedication fees,paid by builders in lieu of land dedication, and traditionally used for newpark or recreation developments.
On Tuesday, council members and city administrators said the city attorneyis reviewing the park dedication fee ordinance to see if the money can be usedfor existing facilities.
The attorney's opinion will be available at the committee's next meeting inJanuary. Starosciak also asked that a list of citywide capital projects beavailable by that meeting so that the committee — and, eventually, the entirecouncil — can prioritize projects for all sources of funding.
©2008 Bay Area News Group
spacer (1K)
For more information on the Dog Park Recommendation, Plans, Facts and Articles...
And, to Volunteer...
visit: www.FourPawsSociety.org
or contact:
Sabrina@FourPawsSociety.org or (510) 909-2163
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Video: Two kitties on a treadmill
This is so cute and funny - I think I laughed through the entire thing! :)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ezit_deux-chats-sur-un-tapis-roulant_animals
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5ezit_deux-chats-sur-un-tapis-roulant_animals
Monday, December 8, 2008
Watch video 'The Foaling Process' online Dec 15th
December 15
FREE Web cast Online with Dr. Kathy Anderson on "The Foaling Process," Tuesday, Dec. 15; 7:00 p.m.
So your mare is going to have a foal this spring! Mare owners can be very anxious as foaling time approaches and the more prepared they are, the less stressful having a foal can be. It is important to understand and recognize the signs of a mare getting close to foaling. Decisions also need to be made on where she will foal. This presentation will help owners recognize the signs of a mare preparing for parturition, suggestions on foaling locations and what to expect during a normal foaling plus caution signs to watch for. Furthermore, how to care for the mare after foaling will also be addressed.
For more information, e-mail My Horse University at info@myhorseuniversity.com or call (517) 353-3123.
FREE Web cast Online with Dr. Kathy Anderson on "The Foaling Process," Tuesday, Dec. 15; 7:00 p.m.
So your mare is going to have a foal this spring! Mare owners can be very anxious as foaling time approaches and the more prepared they are, the less stressful having a foal can be. It is important to understand and recognize the signs of a mare getting close to foaling. Decisions also need to be made on where she will foal. This presentation will help owners recognize the signs of a mare preparing for parturition, suggestions on foaling locations and what to expect during a normal foaling plus caution signs to watch for. Furthermore, how to care for the mare after foaling will also be addressed.
For more information, e-mail My Horse University at info@myhorseuniversity.com or call (517) 353-3123.
*If you love horses, please take this survey! Huge problem of UNWANTED horses :(
Unwanted Horse Coalition Survey
You are likely aware of the problem of thousands of unwanted and abandoned horses in the United States. Some say the problem is an epidemic, however, much remains unknown. The first step toward a solution is to gather and examine the facts.
Your help is needed.The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is launching a nationwide survey of the problem and is asking for participation from horse owners, equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, state and local law enforcement and rescue groups. The goal is to hear from everyone interested in the welfare of horses, which is why your support is needed.
What you can do personally. Please take the UHC national online survey by going online at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/. Your answers will be confidential.
You are likely aware of the problem of thousands of unwanted and abandoned horses in the United States. Some say the problem is an epidemic, however, much remains unknown. The first step toward a solution is to gather and examine the facts.
Your help is needed.The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is launching a nationwide survey of the problem and is asking for participation from horse owners, equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, state and local law enforcement and rescue groups. The goal is to hear from everyone interested in the welfare of horses, which is why your support is needed.
What you can do personally. Please take the UHC national online survey by going online at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/. Your answers will be confidential.
Tip: Traveling with your Horse(s)
*This article is taken from USRider online - link in title.
Lexington, Ky. (Nov. 18, 2008) – With the change of seasons, USRider, the national provider of roadside emergency assistance for equestrians, reminds those who travel with horse to be careful when traveling and to invest time doing routine preventive trailer maintenance to enhance their travel safety
“While trailering horses in the winter is not all that different from trailering any time of the year, you do need to make a few adjustments for hauling in cold weather,” said equine travel expert Neva Kittrell Scheve.
She added that during anytime of the year – regardless of temperatures – the basic rules apply:
* Make sure your trailer is safe.
* Drive carefully.
* Make sure the horse’s inoculations are up-to-date.
* Carry a current health certificate and certificate of negative EIA if crossing state lines.
* Wrap all four legs with shipping wraps or boots.
* Carry an emergency first aid kit and know how to use it.
* Learn to monitor vital signs of the horse.
* Carry backup supplies appropriate to the length of the trip.
* Carry emergency contact numbers for yourself and your horses and keep in a visible place.
* Carry a truck/car emergency kit. During the winter months, be sure the kit includes a shovel, sand, red flag, horse blankets, human blankets, candle, matches or lighter, and tire chains.
It’s also prudent to have a first-rate roadside assistance program to help in the event of an emergency.
“A good roadside assistance program is something all horse owners should have but hope they will never have to use,” says Mark Cole, managing member for USRider. “To that end, our mission is to continually educate horse owners about trailering safety.”
It is very important to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter driving. Be sure to maintain your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s service schedule. It’s also important to take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic.
“When it comes to vehicle maintenance, especially heavy-duty vehicles towing precious cargo, it is better to be proactive that reactive when it comes to vehicle maintenance,” said Cole. “If you have not already done so, the time to establish a relationship with a trusted ASE (www.ase.com) mechanic is before your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway while towing your horse trailer.”
USRider recommends that you check tire pressure before each trip. This is especially important with temperature changes. If you are traveling from a warm climate to a cold climate, air pressure in your tires will drop. On the other hand, when traveling from a cold climate into a warm climate, the air pressure will rise.
The main reason for disablements is early tire failure (blowout) from temperature build-up from tires that are under inflated. So, be sure to invest in a high-quality pressure gauge and learn how to use it. Check the owner’s manual for the proper tire pressure for your passenger or tow vehicle. The proper tire pressure for your trailer should be stamped on the trailer tire, or contact the trailer manufacturer for that information.
A weak battery will usually reveal itself during cold weather. So, if your battery is more than a couple of years old, be sure to check it prior to cold weather setting in. Otherwise, you will most likely be inconvenienced on some cold morning when the battery fails to start your vehicle.
When driving, a good rule of thumb to follow on the road is “Rain, ice & snow – take it slow.” Before setting out on a trip, be sure to check weather reports and plan accordingly. Be sure to allow extra time for inclement weather. Mother Nature doesn’t care that you need to be somewhere at a certain time.
Keep in mind that weather and driving conditions can change rapidly, so be aware of changing conditions, and drive for the conditions.
It’s important to look ahead to keep track of the driving conditions in front of you. Actions by other drivers can alert you to problems and give you time to react. Always be on the lookout for black ice, as ice that forms on highways that may not always be visible.
“Don’t be susceptible to the false security of four-wheel drive, cautions Cole. “While four-wheel drive may help you go, it won’t help you stop.”
Always drive with your headlights on during inclement weather -– even if it is not dark. USRider recommends that horse owners drive with headlights on anytime when trailering horses, regardless of weather, because of increased visibility afforded by using headlights.
Also during inclement weather, be sure to increase distance between vehicles to allow more stopping room. USRider recommends that you double the normal distance between vehicles when towing a horse trailer.
“Stopping on snow or ice without skidding and/or jackknifing takes extra distance. Use brakes very gently to avoid skidding,” added Cole. “If you begin to skid or jackknife, ease up on the brake and steer into the skid to regain control.”
To help maintain control when roads could be slick, slow down when approaching curves, ramps, bridges and interchanges and avoid abrupt actions, such as quick lane changes, braking and accelerating. Another important way to help maintain control over your vehicle is to avoid using cruise control on wet roads.
During winter months, traction tires are recommended. In order to qualify as a traction tire, tires must have at least an eighth of an inch of tread and be labeled Mud and Snow, M+S, All-Season, or have a Mountain/Snowflake symbol. Since tire performance can vary, a trusted area dealer may be able to advise you on the best tires for your vehicle.
In some states, vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), including some passenger trucks, SUVs, RVs, and vehicles towing trailers, must carry chains November 1 through March 31, on certain highways. Check with the Department of Transportation or Department of Motor Vehicles for information on the states you will be traveling.
One of the most confusing decisions when trailering in the cold weather is whether to blanket your horse, said Scheve. Horses are very comfortable in cold conditions, and most will travel very well during the winter. Two important factors should be considered when deciding making this decision, according to the equine travel expert:
1. The trailer should be well ventilated because horses are prone to respiratory illness. A trailer that is not properly ventilated becomes filled with toxic air from the hay dust, shavings and any gases from urine and manure. The body heat produced by the horses also builds up inside the trailer.
2. Be sure to keep the horse hydrated in the summer as well as during the winter. Dehydration is the most common cause of colic. Horses can become dehydrated even during the winter if they do not drink or they lose water through perspiration. If a horse is dressed too warmly, it will tend to lose more fluids than it should.
Be sure to dress the horse according to the situation. If the horse has a full winter coat and does well in daily life, it will not need a blanket for the trailer trip. In this case, open the roof vents and a few windows in the back so the air does not blow directly on the horse. If you have a stock trailer that does not have windows that close, a light sheet can protect the horse from the wind. If the horse is body clipped or does not have a heavy coat, it should wear the same weight blanket that it would normally wear, and vents and windows should be open.
Long-distance trips require a little more preparation. Be ready for driving through different temperatures. Pack blankets of different weights so you can change them as the weather changes during travel. Be sure the horse does not sweat too much. It could get wet and get chilled. Also, the horse can lose water through sweat and become dehydrated.
Take extra precaution when snow removal equipment is being used on the roads. In some cases, the snowplow operator’s vision may be reduced. Give them plenty of room. Stay at least 200 feet behind. While snow and ice removal differ from state-to-state, most will clear roads as follows:
1. Initial areas at most risk – hills, curves, ramps, bridges and interchanges
2. When clearing roads, crews will clear far right lanes first
Since it’s difficult to know what road conditions you may encounter during the winter, make it a practice to re-fuel when your vehicle when your fuel gauge drops below the halfway mark. In many states, you can dial 5-1-1 for travel conditions and road closures.
To provide a reliable and accessible source of information about trailering safety, USRider maintains an Equine Trailer Safety Area on its website, www.usrider.org. The safety information is developed with input from Neva Kittrell Scheve.
“We have carefully developed this area to be a resource with helpful and practical topics – all free and available to members and non-members alike,” added Cole. “Our website is designed so visitors can print out information as a handy reference. We also post safety bulletins as new information is developed.”
Examples of the information available at www.usrider.org include a list of items every horse trailer should have on board, short trip and long trip precautions, and trailer inspection procedures.
USRider provides roadside assistance and towing services along with other travel-related benefits to its members through the Equestrian Motor Plan. It includes standard features such as flat-tire repair, battery assistance and lockout services, plus towing up to 100 miles and roadside repairs for tow vehicles and trailers with horses, emergency stabling, veterinary referrals and more. For more information about the USRider Equestrian Motor Plan, visit www.usrider.org online or call 1-800-844-1409.
For additional safety tips, visit the Equine Travel Safety Area on the USRider website at www.usrider.org.
Lexington, Ky. (Nov. 18, 2008) – With the change of seasons, USRider, the national provider of roadside emergency assistance for equestrians, reminds those who travel with horse to be careful when traveling and to invest time doing routine preventive trailer maintenance to enhance their travel safety
“While trailering horses in the winter is not all that different from trailering any time of the year, you do need to make a few adjustments for hauling in cold weather,” said equine travel expert Neva Kittrell Scheve.
She added that during anytime of the year – regardless of temperatures – the basic rules apply:
* Make sure your trailer is safe.
* Drive carefully.
* Make sure the horse’s inoculations are up-to-date.
* Carry a current health certificate and certificate of negative EIA if crossing state lines.
* Wrap all four legs with shipping wraps or boots.
* Carry an emergency first aid kit and know how to use it.
* Learn to monitor vital signs of the horse.
* Carry backup supplies appropriate to the length of the trip.
* Carry emergency contact numbers for yourself and your horses and keep in a visible place.
* Carry a truck/car emergency kit. During the winter months, be sure the kit includes a shovel, sand, red flag, horse blankets, human blankets, candle, matches or lighter, and tire chains.
It’s also prudent to have a first-rate roadside assistance program to help in the event of an emergency.
“A good roadside assistance program is something all horse owners should have but hope they will never have to use,” says Mark Cole, managing member for USRider. “To that end, our mission is to continually educate horse owners about trailering safety.”
It is very important to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter driving. Be sure to maintain your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s service schedule. It’s also important to take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic.
“When it comes to vehicle maintenance, especially heavy-duty vehicles towing precious cargo, it is better to be proactive that reactive when it comes to vehicle maintenance,” said Cole. “If you have not already done so, the time to establish a relationship with a trusted ASE (www.ase.com) mechanic is before your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway while towing your horse trailer.”
USRider recommends that you check tire pressure before each trip. This is especially important with temperature changes. If you are traveling from a warm climate to a cold climate, air pressure in your tires will drop. On the other hand, when traveling from a cold climate into a warm climate, the air pressure will rise.
The main reason for disablements is early tire failure (blowout) from temperature build-up from tires that are under inflated. So, be sure to invest in a high-quality pressure gauge and learn how to use it. Check the owner’s manual for the proper tire pressure for your passenger or tow vehicle. The proper tire pressure for your trailer should be stamped on the trailer tire, or contact the trailer manufacturer for that information.
A weak battery will usually reveal itself during cold weather. So, if your battery is more than a couple of years old, be sure to check it prior to cold weather setting in. Otherwise, you will most likely be inconvenienced on some cold morning when the battery fails to start your vehicle.
When driving, a good rule of thumb to follow on the road is “Rain, ice & snow – take it slow.” Before setting out on a trip, be sure to check weather reports and plan accordingly. Be sure to allow extra time for inclement weather. Mother Nature doesn’t care that you need to be somewhere at a certain time.
Keep in mind that weather and driving conditions can change rapidly, so be aware of changing conditions, and drive for the conditions.
It’s important to look ahead to keep track of the driving conditions in front of you. Actions by other drivers can alert you to problems and give you time to react. Always be on the lookout for black ice, as ice that forms on highways that may not always be visible.
“Don’t be susceptible to the false security of four-wheel drive, cautions Cole. “While four-wheel drive may help you go, it won’t help you stop.”
Always drive with your headlights on during inclement weather -– even if it is not dark. USRider recommends that horse owners drive with headlights on anytime when trailering horses, regardless of weather, because of increased visibility afforded by using headlights.
Also during inclement weather, be sure to increase distance between vehicles to allow more stopping room. USRider recommends that you double the normal distance between vehicles when towing a horse trailer.
“Stopping on snow or ice without skidding and/or jackknifing takes extra distance. Use brakes very gently to avoid skidding,” added Cole. “If you begin to skid or jackknife, ease up on the brake and steer into the skid to regain control.”
To help maintain control when roads could be slick, slow down when approaching curves, ramps, bridges and interchanges and avoid abrupt actions, such as quick lane changes, braking and accelerating. Another important way to help maintain control over your vehicle is to avoid using cruise control on wet roads.
During winter months, traction tires are recommended. In order to qualify as a traction tire, tires must have at least an eighth of an inch of tread and be labeled Mud and Snow, M+S, All-Season, or have a Mountain/Snowflake symbol. Since tire performance can vary, a trusted area dealer may be able to advise you on the best tires for your vehicle.
In some states, vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), including some passenger trucks, SUVs, RVs, and vehicles towing trailers, must carry chains November 1 through March 31, on certain highways. Check with the Department of Transportation or Department of Motor Vehicles for information on the states you will be traveling.
One of the most confusing decisions when trailering in the cold weather is whether to blanket your horse, said Scheve. Horses are very comfortable in cold conditions, and most will travel very well during the winter. Two important factors should be considered when deciding making this decision, according to the equine travel expert:
1. The trailer should be well ventilated because horses are prone to respiratory illness. A trailer that is not properly ventilated becomes filled with toxic air from the hay dust, shavings and any gases from urine and manure. The body heat produced by the horses also builds up inside the trailer.
2. Be sure to keep the horse hydrated in the summer as well as during the winter. Dehydration is the most common cause of colic. Horses can become dehydrated even during the winter if they do not drink or they lose water through perspiration. If a horse is dressed too warmly, it will tend to lose more fluids than it should.
Be sure to dress the horse according to the situation. If the horse has a full winter coat and does well in daily life, it will not need a blanket for the trailer trip. In this case, open the roof vents and a few windows in the back so the air does not blow directly on the horse. If you have a stock trailer that does not have windows that close, a light sheet can protect the horse from the wind. If the horse is body clipped or does not have a heavy coat, it should wear the same weight blanket that it would normally wear, and vents and windows should be open.
Long-distance trips require a little more preparation. Be ready for driving through different temperatures. Pack blankets of different weights so you can change them as the weather changes during travel. Be sure the horse does not sweat too much. It could get wet and get chilled. Also, the horse can lose water through sweat and become dehydrated.
Take extra precaution when snow removal equipment is being used on the roads. In some cases, the snowplow operator’s vision may be reduced. Give them plenty of room. Stay at least 200 feet behind. While snow and ice removal differ from state-to-state, most will clear roads as follows:
1. Initial areas at most risk – hills, curves, ramps, bridges and interchanges
2. When clearing roads, crews will clear far right lanes first
Since it’s difficult to know what road conditions you may encounter during the winter, make it a practice to re-fuel when your vehicle when your fuel gauge drops below the halfway mark. In many states, you can dial 5-1-1 for travel conditions and road closures.
To provide a reliable and accessible source of information about trailering safety, USRider maintains an Equine Trailer Safety Area on its website, www.usrider.org. The safety information is developed with input from Neva Kittrell Scheve.
“We have carefully developed this area to be a resource with helpful and practical topics – all free and available to members and non-members alike,” added Cole. “Our website is designed so visitors can print out information as a handy reference. We also post safety bulletins as new information is developed.”
Examples of the information available at www.usrider.org include a list of items every horse trailer should have on board, short trip and long trip precautions, and trailer inspection procedures.
USRider provides roadside assistance and towing services along with other travel-related benefits to its members through the Equestrian Motor Plan. It includes standard features such as flat-tire repair, battery assistance and lockout services, plus towing up to 100 miles and roadside repairs for tow vehicles and trailers with horses, emergency stabling, veterinary referrals and more. For more information about the USRider Equestrian Motor Plan, visit www.usrider.org online or call 1-800-844-1409.
For additional safety tips, visit the Equine Travel Safety Area on the USRider website at www.usrider.org.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Event: Candy Canes for Horses - Kids event in St Helens
Sunrise Stables and Sunrise Horse Rescue offer a free special event in December. The public is invited to Say Happy Holidays To The Animal Kingdom at Sunrise’s fourth annual Candy Canes For Ponies event from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. on December 24 at 1098 Lodi Lane (a cross road between Hwy. 29 and the Silverado Trail just north of St. Helena).
Want a non-commercial activity for the family? Come feed the rescued horses and share some love! There is no charge and no RSVPs needed. Parents are encouraged to come ready to take photos; the horses will be wearing holiday attire. Each horse will have a display with the story of how he or she was rescued. Please note: if it’s raining, this event will not take place.
Bordered by vineyards and blackberry hedges, Sunrise Stables is a unique riding school in a picturesque country setting and is home to Sunrise Horse Rescue, Napa County’s only non-profit rescue organization for horses.
Sunrise Stables will be offering holiday day camps for children this winter: call Tracee Beebe at 337-5582 for dates and times.
Sunrise Stables celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. Locals Tracee and Mark Beebe teach students of all ages and ability with an assortment of horses of different breeds. Sunrise can also customize experiences for children.
To get more information about Sunrise Stables and its programs, contact Tracee at 707/337-5582 or visit the website at www.srshorsesnapavalley.com. To learn more about Sunrise Horse Rescue, visit www.sunrisehorserescue.org. Volunteers and donations are always welcome; currently Sunrise Horse Rescue shelters 9 rescued horses: Pippin (Welsh mountain pony), Big Guy (Belgian warmblood), Mo (walkaloosa), Captain (Icelandic pony), Bella (thoroughbred), Apricot (quarter-pony), Rain (Polish-Arabian), Aragon (Morgan) and Wall-E (Morgan).
Want a non-commercial activity for the family? Come feed the rescued horses and share some love! There is no charge and no RSVPs needed. Parents are encouraged to come ready to take photos; the horses will be wearing holiday attire. Each horse will have a display with the story of how he or she was rescued. Please note: if it’s raining, this event will not take place.
Bordered by vineyards and blackberry hedges, Sunrise Stables is a unique riding school in a picturesque country setting and is home to Sunrise Horse Rescue, Napa County’s only non-profit rescue organization for horses.
Sunrise Stables will be offering holiday day camps for children this winter: call Tracee Beebe at 337-5582 for dates and times.
Sunrise Stables celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. Locals Tracee and Mark Beebe teach students of all ages and ability with an assortment of horses of different breeds. Sunrise can also customize experiences for children.
To get more information about Sunrise Stables and its programs, contact Tracee at 707/337-5582 or visit the website at www.srshorsesnapavalley.com. To learn more about Sunrise Horse Rescue, visit www.sunrisehorserescue.org. Volunteers and donations are always welcome; currently Sunrise Horse Rescue shelters 9 rescued horses: Pippin (Welsh mountain pony), Big Guy (Belgian warmblood), Mo (walkaloosa), Captain (Icelandic pony), Bella (thoroughbred), Apricot (quarter-pony), Rain (Polish-Arabian), Aragon (Morgan) and Wall-E (Morgan).
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Video: Tigers, Leopards and Pumpkins!
This is extremely cute! Enjoy!
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2098676/tigers_leopards_vs_pumpkins/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2098676/tigers_leopards_vs_pumpkins/
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Advice: Rescued Pets are more than today's hottest trend!
Kate Woodviolet of the Los Angeles Pet Rescue Examiner’s article about an emerging fad, “The Rescue Pet” is worth reading for prospective pet owners. She writes,
You’ll find them in the homes of your friends and coworkers, who no doubt love to tell their friends, “This is Ginny…she’s a rescue dog…” then a pause, presumably for the benefit of the Nobel nominating committee.
Animals rescued from shelters are certainly a nice way to adopt a pet for the home. It usually will be more a cost-effective alternative than going to a breeder or pet store. But make sure your heart is in the right place when making this decision.
Woodviolet notes,
Often, but not always, it means the animal was abused. More certainly it means the dog or cat was neglected…
That means that the care and affection required for these pets may be even more difficult. There could be behavioral and psychological challenges as well.
If you or someone you know is considering adopting a pet from a pet shelter, pay attention to the following:
* Be sure to understand the temperment, space/time requirements and other needs of the specific breed or mix of breeds.
* Understand the life expectancy of the animal. As an example, there are birds that can live 60+ years.
* Research and understand the costs associated with owning the animal. There’s more to owning a pet than just food and water; consider vaccines, spay/neuter and routine checkups or even emergencies.
* Make sure to identify a local veterinarian.
It’s not that rescuing a pet from a shelter would ever be a bad thing, but just remember the responsibilities and expectations of pet ownership never change. Pets don’t think that their adopted families are just today’s hot trend.
You’ll find them in the homes of your friends and coworkers, who no doubt love to tell their friends, “This is Ginny…she’s a rescue dog…” then a pause, presumably for the benefit of the Nobel nominating committee.
Animals rescued from shelters are certainly a nice way to adopt a pet for the home. It usually will be more a cost-effective alternative than going to a breeder or pet store. But make sure your heart is in the right place when making this decision.
Woodviolet notes,
Often, but not always, it means the animal was abused. More certainly it means the dog or cat was neglected…
That means that the care and affection required for these pets may be even more difficult. There could be behavioral and psychological challenges as well.
If you or someone you know is considering adopting a pet from a pet shelter, pay attention to the following:
* Be sure to understand the temperment, space/time requirements and other needs of the specific breed or mix of breeds.
* Understand the life expectancy of the animal. As an example, there are birds that can live 60+ years.
* Research and understand the costs associated with owning the animal. There’s more to owning a pet than just food and water; consider vaccines, spay/neuter and routine checkups or even emergencies.
* Make sure to identify a local veterinarian.
It’s not that rescuing a pet from a shelter would ever be a bad thing, but just remember the responsibilities and expectations of pet ownership never change. Pets don’t think that their adopted families are just today’s hot trend.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Need to find a great holiday gift for an animal lover?
Help support the animals!
Looking for a unique, customized gift for the animal lover on your holiday list? A donation to Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) that benefits a favorite animal--dog, cat, horse, or species of wildlife--makes for a special gift for anyone on your list. Making a donation as a holiday gift is fast and easy. Visit MorrisAnimalFoundation.org and click on Donate Now.
For 60 years, MAF has been at the forefront of research to prevent, treat, and cure diseases and health issues that afflict the animals we love. Along with research initiatives to cure diseases in dogs and cats, the MAF has a worldwide research team working on an Equine Consortium for Genetic Research.
MAF research has been the catalyst for many animal health breakthroughs, and virtually every veterinarian on earth has been positively affected by MAF's research and training programs. For more information, visit MorrisAnimalFoundation.org or call 800/243-2345.
Looking for a unique, customized gift for the animal lover on your holiday list? A donation to Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) that benefits a favorite animal--dog, cat, horse, or species of wildlife--makes for a special gift for anyone on your list. Making a donation as a holiday gift is fast and easy. Visit MorrisAnimalFoundation.org and click on Donate Now.
For 60 years, MAF has been at the forefront of research to prevent, treat, and cure diseases and health issues that afflict the animals we love. Along with research initiatives to cure diseases in dogs and cats, the MAF has a worldwide research team working on an Equine Consortium for Genetic Research.
MAF research has been the catalyst for many animal health breakthroughs, and virtually every veterinarian on earth has been positively affected by MAF's research and training programs. For more information, visit MorrisAnimalFoundation.org or call 800/243-2345.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Requested: Pictures of Kitty & the Spider!
So over Thanksgiving dinner tonight, some family members said that they never saw my series of Kitty & the Spider pics so I am posting them on here! Enjoy!
So sometime beginning of last summer or beginning of this year, a gigantic garden spider was found in my parent's bedroom - actually I should say that my mom found it and she let out a very loud scream upon finding it. It was the biggest garden spider I have ever found inside of a house! I've seen lots of big ones outside, in bushes and on beautiful webs, etc. I put it into a jar and noticed that Kineivel was aware of what was going on and really really wanted to know what I had in the jar. So I set it down on the ground and this is the series of pictures that came from this experience. They are very cute!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
So sometime beginning of last summer or beginning of this year, a gigantic garden spider was found in my parent's bedroom - actually I should say that my mom found it and she let out a very loud scream upon finding it. It was the biggest garden spider I have ever found inside of a house! I've seen lots of big ones outside, in bushes and on beautiful webs, etc. I put it into a jar and noticed that Kineivel was aware of what was going on and really really wanted to know what I had in the jar. So I set it down on the ground and this is the series of pictures that came from this experience. They are very cute!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
Advice: Surprising Dangers for Pets during the Holidays
(CNN) -- Our dog Tilly loves the holiday season. Turkey for Thanksgiving. Brisket for Hanukkah. Ham for Christmas and pot roast for New Year's. With so much food moving around the house and visitors who generously -- and covertly -- feed her under the table, Tilly has always been a happy dog during the season of giving.
Not anymore.
After we spent much of one holiday season at the animal emergency center trying to keep Tilly alive, our holiday celebration turned into a hunt for household toxics.
Tilly was diagnosed with severe anemia, which could have been caused by any one of numerous toxic items found in the refrigerators, cupboards and medicine cabinets of most homes.
Now, Tilly's kibble and treats practically need their own passport to reach her mouth; human food is out of reach; visitors are asked to put away any medications and shown where the "approved" treats are kept.
It may sound extreme, but veterinary medical experts say this type of preventative behavior can keep pets safe. This is especially true during the holidays, when family chaos increases and your pet's environment may change from day to day with the arrival of family and friends bearing gifts, holiday food items and exotic plants.
"Dogs and cats do not know what is bad for them," said Dr. Cynthia Gaskill, associate professor and veterinary clinical toxicologist at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "If there is medicine on the bathroom counter or food left on the table, that is irresistible to them."
Keep out of pets' reach
• Antifreeze
• Chocolate
• Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
• Prescription or illegal drugs
• Rodenticides
• Xylitol
• Grapes and raisins
• Onions and garlic
• Lilies
• Macadamia nuts
And unless your houseguests are conscientious pet owners themselves, chances are they aren't aware that they may be creating a toxic environment for your pet. Gaskill says it is important to let guests know not to leave their medications in an open suitcase or otherwise exposed.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications can kill small animals.
Because metabolic systems vary between species, a drug that may alleviate pain in humans can easily induce a toxic reaction in a dog or cat. For example, ibuprofen ingested by a dog can cause gastrointestinal damage and kidney dysfunction. Cats are especially susceptible to even small amounts of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol); ingestion of just one tablet can result in anemia and potential liver damage.
Dr. Robin Van Metre, a veterinarian at the Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Colorado, says that many of the emergency calls he receives involve pets that have accidentally ingested prescription medications or been given an over-the-counter medication by well-meaning owners who believe that their animal is in pain. Van Metre says these calls increase significantly over the holidays.
"Dogs will eat almost anything," Van Metre said, "and there is no such thing as a dog-proof cap."
Take care in the kitchen, too. Typical holiday staples such as grapes and raisins have been shown to cause renal failure when ingested by dogs.
Although small amounts of onions and garlic are often used in pet foods and treats to add flavor, ingestion of large amounts can cause severe red blood cell damage; cats are especially sensitive.
Macadamia nuts can cause a short-term hind-limb paralysis, and bread dough, if eaten before baking, can expand rapidly once ingested and cause ethanol poisoning.
Sweets, gum and hard candies are often problematic depending on ingredients. Chocolate contains a theobromine, a chemical that can affect the heart, kidneys and central nervous system. Dark chocolate and baker's chocolate contain higher concentrations of theobromine and are more toxic than similar amounts of milk chocolate.
Sugar-free gums and candies that contain the sugar-substitute xylitol can lead to quick onset of toxic clinical signs that may include a rapid decrease in blood sugar and possible seizures.
Think carefully before placing mistletoe or holly in low-lying areas, but put poinsettias anywhere you like. The effects of the poinsettia, long believed poisonous, are generally benign, says Dr. Anthony Knight, author of A Guide to Poisonous House and Garden Plants and professor of clinical sciences and toxicology at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences.
Exposed plant bulbs such as Amaryllis and all species of lilies should be placed out of reach of pets not only during the holidays but year-round, Knight says.
Lily toxicity in cats can reach critical levels almost immediately after ingestion and lead to acute kidney failure within 48 hours or less.
"Lilies are one of the most poisonous houseplants that exists," Knight said. "It's not just the flower but also the leaves. ... If a cat eats any part of the plant, it would need to be treated immediately."
What should you do if your pet ingests a toxic holiday treat?
"Do not wait," Van Metre said. "Most people wait too long to call us, and that reduces our options for treatment."
Van Metre recommends calling a local veterinarian or animal emergency hospital first, or the ASPCA national animal poison control center (888-426-4435). The ASPCA charges a $60 veterinary consultation fee, but information about toxins is free on the ASPCA Web site.
Gaskill does not advise calling human poison control centers or attempting to diagnose your pet on the Internet.
Human poison control "is often not aware of the species differences and could inadvertently give the wrong advice," Gaskill said. "When doing a general Internet search, make sure the site is backed by a recognized veterinary organization or veterinary medical school. If it is not referenced, it is just someone's opinion."
Van Metre and Gaskill both warn against inducing vomiting in your pet before speaking with a veterinarian. Getting appropriate background information about the animal is critical to preparing a treatment plan for a particular toxin, they say, and every case -- every animal -- is different.
Tilly never recovered from her anemia, but she has been in remission long enough to create another toxic scare.
After learning that Tilly had ingested an entire bag of Hershey's kisses, we called our local animal emergency hospital in Atlanta. They did a quick calculation using Tilly's weight to determine whether a one-pound bag of milk chocolate would reach toxic levels in a dog of her size. It would not, but we were forced to clean up the silver-streaked evidence for many days afterwards.
------------
Melissa Tarkington is a former journalist for MSNBC, CNN.com and The Moscow Times. She is a second-year student in the professional veterinary program at Colorado State University.
Not anymore.
After we spent much of one holiday season at the animal emergency center trying to keep Tilly alive, our holiday celebration turned into a hunt for household toxics.
Tilly was diagnosed with severe anemia, which could have been caused by any one of numerous toxic items found in the refrigerators, cupboards and medicine cabinets of most homes.
Now, Tilly's kibble and treats practically need their own passport to reach her mouth; human food is out of reach; visitors are asked to put away any medications and shown where the "approved" treats are kept.
It may sound extreme, but veterinary medical experts say this type of preventative behavior can keep pets safe. This is especially true during the holidays, when family chaos increases and your pet's environment may change from day to day with the arrival of family and friends bearing gifts, holiday food items and exotic plants.
"Dogs and cats do not know what is bad for them," said Dr. Cynthia Gaskill, associate professor and veterinary clinical toxicologist at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "If there is medicine on the bathroom counter or food left on the table, that is irresistible to them."
Keep out of pets' reach
• Antifreeze
• Chocolate
• Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
• Prescription or illegal drugs
• Rodenticides
• Xylitol
• Grapes and raisins
• Onions and garlic
• Lilies
• Macadamia nuts
And unless your houseguests are conscientious pet owners themselves, chances are they aren't aware that they may be creating a toxic environment for your pet. Gaskill says it is important to let guests know not to leave their medications in an open suitcase or otherwise exposed.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications can kill small animals.
Because metabolic systems vary between species, a drug that may alleviate pain in humans can easily induce a toxic reaction in a dog or cat. For example, ibuprofen ingested by a dog can cause gastrointestinal damage and kidney dysfunction. Cats are especially susceptible to even small amounts of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol); ingestion of just one tablet can result in anemia and potential liver damage.
Dr. Robin Van Metre, a veterinarian at the Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Colorado, says that many of the emergency calls he receives involve pets that have accidentally ingested prescription medications or been given an over-the-counter medication by well-meaning owners who believe that their animal is in pain. Van Metre says these calls increase significantly over the holidays.
"Dogs will eat almost anything," Van Metre said, "and there is no such thing as a dog-proof cap."
Take care in the kitchen, too. Typical holiday staples such as grapes and raisins have been shown to cause renal failure when ingested by dogs.
Although small amounts of onions and garlic are often used in pet foods and treats to add flavor, ingestion of large amounts can cause severe red blood cell damage; cats are especially sensitive.
Macadamia nuts can cause a short-term hind-limb paralysis, and bread dough, if eaten before baking, can expand rapidly once ingested and cause ethanol poisoning.
Sweets, gum and hard candies are often problematic depending on ingredients. Chocolate contains a theobromine, a chemical that can affect the heart, kidneys and central nervous system. Dark chocolate and baker's chocolate contain higher concentrations of theobromine and are more toxic than similar amounts of milk chocolate.
Sugar-free gums and candies that contain the sugar-substitute xylitol can lead to quick onset of toxic clinical signs that may include a rapid decrease in blood sugar and possible seizures.
Think carefully before placing mistletoe or holly in low-lying areas, but put poinsettias anywhere you like. The effects of the poinsettia, long believed poisonous, are generally benign, says Dr. Anthony Knight, author of A Guide to Poisonous House and Garden Plants and professor of clinical sciences and toxicology at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences.
Exposed plant bulbs such as Amaryllis and all species of lilies should be placed out of reach of pets not only during the holidays but year-round, Knight says.
Lily toxicity in cats can reach critical levels almost immediately after ingestion and lead to acute kidney failure within 48 hours or less.
"Lilies are one of the most poisonous houseplants that exists," Knight said. "It's not just the flower but also the leaves. ... If a cat eats any part of the plant, it would need to be treated immediately."
What should you do if your pet ingests a toxic holiday treat?
"Do not wait," Van Metre said. "Most people wait too long to call us, and that reduces our options for treatment."
Van Metre recommends calling a local veterinarian or animal emergency hospital first, or the ASPCA national animal poison control center (888-426-4435). The ASPCA charges a $60 veterinary consultation fee, but information about toxins is free on the ASPCA Web site.
Gaskill does not advise calling human poison control centers or attempting to diagnose your pet on the Internet.
Human poison control "is often not aware of the species differences and could inadvertently give the wrong advice," Gaskill said. "When doing a general Internet search, make sure the site is backed by a recognized veterinary organization or veterinary medical school. If it is not referenced, it is just someone's opinion."
Van Metre and Gaskill both warn against inducing vomiting in your pet before speaking with a veterinarian. Getting appropriate background information about the animal is critical to preparing a treatment plan for a particular toxin, they say, and every case -- every animal -- is different.
Tilly never recovered from her anemia, but she has been in remission long enough to create another toxic scare.
After learning that Tilly had ingested an entire bag of Hershey's kisses, we called our local animal emergency hospital in Atlanta. They did a quick calculation using Tilly's weight to determine whether a one-pound bag of milk chocolate would reach toxic levels in a dog of her size. It would not, but we were forced to clean up the silver-streaked evidence for many days afterwards.
------------
Melissa Tarkington is a former journalist for MSNBC, CNN.com and The Moscow Times. She is a second-year student in the professional veterinary program at Colorado State University.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Standardbred Breeding Farm to Receive AAEP Welfare Award
Hanover Shoe Farms, the world's most prolific Standardbred breeding farm, will be honored with the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) 2008 award for outstanding service in equine welfare, the Lavin Cup.
The Lavin Cup, named for former AAEP President A. Gary Lavin, VMD, will be presented to a representative of Hanover Shoe Farms Dec. 9 at the AAEP's 54th Annual Convention in San Diego. Each year the Lavin Cup is awarded to a non-veterinary individual or organization that has exemplified outstanding care and compassion for horses and upheld AAEP horse welfare guidelines.
Hanover Shoe Farms, located in Hanover, Pa., is owned by the partnership of Jim Simpson, Russell Williams, and the Paul Spears family. The farm sets an example for treatment of retired horses in an effort to reduce the population of unwanted horses. The operation adheres to a policy of retiring broodmares over the age of 15 deemed no longer fit for the breeding program. More than 100 are currently retired on the farm.
An estimated 1,000 retired broodmares have lived out their natural lives at Hanover Shoe Farms.
An estimated 1,000 retired broodmares have lived out their natural lives at Hanover Shoe Farms, as well as some retired stallions, racehorses, and grade horses used as lead ponies. They also care for the 1991 Hambletonian winner, 20-year-old Giant Victory, repatriated from an unsuccessful stud career in Italy this year with the help of his former owner, Ted Gewertz. Every retired horse receives the same level of routine health care, nutrition and hoof treatment afforded to horses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Nominators praised Hanover Shoe Farms for acting "ahead of the curve" in retired horse welfare by exercising compassion and generosity to its horses.
"At Hanover, we like to say, 'We set a standard for excellence,'" said Jim Simpson, Hanover Shoe Farms president. "In our view, no animal is unworthy of our high standard of care. These horses are here in our service; it is our responsibility to care for them for all of their lives, even when they are no longer commercially productive. We are delighted the AAEP has recognized our commitment to the horses under our care."
Hanover Shoe Farms was established in 1926 as a Standardbred breeding operation, boasting the production of eight Horses of the Year. It is the perennial leading breeder in North America, with the winners of $24.6 million in 2007 alone. The operation has grown from a single barn to a conglomerate of 27 farms comprised of 3,000 acres in two states, 100 employees, and about 1,200 horses at the peak of the season.
Past recipients of the Lavin Cup include the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Inc., and the American Quarter Horse Association.
The AAEP, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and welfare of horses through professional development of its members, educational resources for horse owners and research. The AAEP reaches more than five million horse owners through nearly 10,000 veterinary members worldwide.
The Lavin Cup, named for former AAEP President A. Gary Lavin, VMD, will be presented to a representative of Hanover Shoe Farms Dec. 9 at the AAEP's 54th Annual Convention in San Diego. Each year the Lavin Cup is awarded to a non-veterinary individual or organization that has exemplified outstanding care and compassion for horses and upheld AAEP horse welfare guidelines.
Hanover Shoe Farms, located in Hanover, Pa., is owned by the partnership of Jim Simpson, Russell Williams, and the Paul Spears family. The farm sets an example for treatment of retired horses in an effort to reduce the population of unwanted horses. The operation adheres to a policy of retiring broodmares over the age of 15 deemed no longer fit for the breeding program. More than 100 are currently retired on the farm.
An estimated 1,000 retired broodmares have lived out their natural lives at Hanover Shoe Farms.
An estimated 1,000 retired broodmares have lived out their natural lives at Hanover Shoe Farms, as well as some retired stallions, racehorses, and grade horses used as lead ponies. They also care for the 1991 Hambletonian winner, 20-year-old Giant Victory, repatriated from an unsuccessful stud career in Italy this year with the help of his former owner, Ted Gewertz. Every retired horse receives the same level of routine health care, nutrition and hoof treatment afforded to horses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Nominators praised Hanover Shoe Farms for acting "ahead of the curve" in retired horse welfare by exercising compassion and generosity to its horses.
"At Hanover, we like to say, 'We set a standard for excellence,'" said Jim Simpson, Hanover Shoe Farms president. "In our view, no animal is unworthy of our high standard of care. These horses are here in our service; it is our responsibility to care for them for all of their lives, even when they are no longer commercially productive. We are delighted the AAEP has recognized our commitment to the horses under our care."
Hanover Shoe Farms was established in 1926 as a Standardbred breeding operation, boasting the production of eight Horses of the Year. It is the perennial leading breeder in North America, with the winners of $24.6 million in 2007 alone. The operation has grown from a single barn to a conglomerate of 27 farms comprised of 3,000 acres in two states, 100 employees, and about 1,200 horses at the peak of the season.
Past recipients of the Lavin Cup include the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Inc., and the American Quarter Horse Association.
The AAEP, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and welfare of horses through professional development of its members, educational resources for horse owners and research. The AAEP reaches more than five million horse owners through nearly 10,000 veterinary members worldwide.
BREAKING NEWS!
Interesting about a popular pet store chain in Portland, Oregon. BEWARE!!
HSUS investigation reveals national chain Petland tied to puppy mill cruelty
Petland, Inc., the country’s largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores, has been linked to supporting puppy mills. The Humane Society of the United States revealed today the results of an 8-month-long investigation in which they found that Petland stores obtain their animals from puppy mills while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders. This marks the largest-ever puppy mill investigation; HSUS investigators visited 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders and brokers who sold puppies to Petland stores. Investigators also reviewed interstate import records of an additional 322 breeders, USDA reports, and more than 17,000 individual puppies linked to Petland stores. There are approximately 140 Petland stores in the U.S., selling tens of thousands of puppies each year.
According to the HSUS, the investigation revealed:
Despite assurances by Petland staff and on their corporate website that the company knows its breeders and deals only with those who have "the highest standards of pet care," many Petland puppies come from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other Midwestern states, where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, barren cages—often for their entire lives, with no socialization, exercise, or human interaction.
· When HSUS investigators visited 35 of the large-scale breeding operations linked to Petland stores, they witnessed puppy mills where puppies are factory farmed in large numbers. At many, investigators saw appalling conditions: puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization.
· Many of Petland’s puppies are not supplied directly by breeders, but are purchased from a “middle man”—large-scale “pet distributors,” otherwise known as brokers—showing that the company may not even know who the breeders are or what their standards of care may be like. The investigation revealed that some of Petland’s brokers are also buying from puppy mills.
· Some of Petland’s puppies are ordered online using a pet auction website called the Pet Board of Trade, demonstrating that many Petland stores are not screening breeders as its website claims. In fact, in some cases they may not even know the breeder’s name until after purchase.
· One of the most common sales pitches made by Petland staff is that they use “USDA licensed” breeders. However, investigators reviewed publicly available state and USDA inspection reports for more than 100 Petland breeders and found more than 60 percent of the reports listed serious violations of basic animal care regulations. Many USDA breeders exhibit a long history of substandard care and yet remained licensed. While USDA regulations are minimal, some of the Petland breeders are not even complying with these basic animal welfare standards.
· Documented USDA violations at some of Petland’s breeders and suppliers included dirty, unkempt enclosures; inadequate shelter from the cold; dogs kept in too-small cages; and inadequate veterinary care. Some of the breeders were found with sick or dead dogs in their cages.
HSUS investigation reveals national chain Petland tied to puppy mill cruelty
Petland, Inc., the country’s largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores, has been linked to supporting puppy mills. The Humane Society of the United States revealed today the results of an 8-month-long investigation in which they found that Petland stores obtain their animals from puppy mills while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders. This marks the largest-ever puppy mill investigation; HSUS investigators visited 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders and brokers who sold puppies to Petland stores. Investigators also reviewed interstate import records of an additional 322 breeders, USDA reports, and more than 17,000 individual puppies linked to Petland stores. There are approximately 140 Petland stores in the U.S., selling tens of thousands of puppies each year.
According to the HSUS, the investigation revealed:
Despite assurances by Petland staff and on their corporate website that the company knows its breeders and deals only with those who have "the highest standards of pet care," many Petland puppies come from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other Midwestern states, where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, barren cages—often for their entire lives, with no socialization, exercise, or human interaction.
· When HSUS investigators visited 35 of the large-scale breeding operations linked to Petland stores, they witnessed puppy mills where puppies are factory farmed in large numbers. At many, investigators saw appalling conditions: puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization.
· Many of Petland’s puppies are not supplied directly by breeders, but are purchased from a “middle man”—large-scale “pet distributors,” otherwise known as brokers—showing that the company may not even know who the breeders are or what their standards of care may be like. The investigation revealed that some of Petland’s brokers are also buying from puppy mills.
· Some of Petland’s puppies are ordered online using a pet auction website called the Pet Board of Trade, demonstrating that many Petland stores are not screening breeders as its website claims. In fact, in some cases they may not even know the breeder’s name until after purchase.
· One of the most common sales pitches made by Petland staff is that they use “USDA licensed” breeders. However, investigators reviewed publicly available state and USDA inspection reports for more than 100 Petland breeders and found more than 60 percent of the reports listed serious violations of basic animal care regulations. Many USDA breeders exhibit a long history of substandard care and yet remained licensed. While USDA regulations are minimal, some of the Petland breeders are not even complying with these basic animal welfare standards.
· Documented USDA violations at some of Petland’s breeders and suppliers included dirty, unkempt enclosures; inadequate shelter from the cold; dogs kept in too-small cages; and inadequate veterinary care. Some of the breeders were found with sick or dead dogs in their cages.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)