December 9th, 2011
As the year draws to a close, we remember some of the most adorable, moving and awe-inspiring animal pictures of 2011.
1. A macaque monkey got his hands on a wildlife photographer’s camera in an Indonesian forest and snapped these pictures of himself.
2. Keepers dressed in panda costumes transfer a panda cub to a new environment at the Hetaoping Research and Conservation Centre in Wolong, Sichuan province, China.
3. A black rhino is carried by helicopter to a less populated area in South Africa as part of a relocation plan for the highly endangered species.
4. Two year old chimp, Do Do, bottle feeds Aorn, a 60 day old tiger cub in Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand
5. Heidi, the world famous cross-eyed opossum, is seen here at the newly built tropical environment in Leipzig Zoo shortly before her death in September.
MORE INCREDIBLE ANIMAL PICTURES OF 2011…
By Sinéad. Posted in Animal Welfare, Cats, Dogs, Events, Funny, News, Random
December 8th, 2011
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The world’s oldest dog, Pusuke, has died at his home in Sakura, Japan at the age of 26 years and 8 months. His owner, Yumiko Shinohara, said that he passed away on Monday after suddenly taking ill and refusing to eat.
Shinohara, a 42 year old housewife, told reporters of her healthy dog’s daily routine – walks every morning and evening, two meals a day, daily vitamins and the occasional snack. It seems that a lot of love and attention also helped Pusuke to reach twice the average dog’s life expectancy. She added, “It was at least good for him to pass away at home, not at hospital…I’m so sad. I would like to tell him that I appreciate him for having a long, healthy life.”
Pusuke passed on just a few minutes after Ms. Shinohara arrived home from running a few errands. “I think he waited for me to come home,” she said.
The tan Shiba cross was recognised as the world’s oldest living dog last December by the Guinness Book of Records after vaccination records confirmed that he was born on April 1st, 1985. He now takes the place as the ninth oldest dog on record. According to Guinness, the oldest dog of all time was Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who died at the age of 29 in 1939.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
December 1st, 2011
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The town of Moelfre, Wales was the scene of a dramatic 12 hour operation to save a ‘cat’ trapped in a clothing recycling bin.
A passer-by heard meowing from inside the container and fearing that it was a missing cat she had heard of named Puss Puss, she rang the local fire brigade and the RSPCA. Fire fighters were unable to prise open the lock of the bin, so it was carried to an engineering firm 28km away.
Once several workers had carefully sliced through the bin and tirelessly searched through the plastic bags inside, they came across a battery operated stuffed toy cat (pictured right).
Kelvin Owen, the owner of the engineering company who were enlisted to help with the rescue said, “Once we got into the bin we heard the meow again. It sounded just like a cat and we all started to carefully search the bags. Then I found a bag of toys and picked out a toy cat. I said, ‘It couldn’t be this could it?’ It wasn’t making any noise and I asked if I could cut it open to investigate. As I held it, it went off meow, meow – mystery solved. The lads were in stitches, it was such a laugh.”
Local woman Jasmine Hazelhurst, who initiated the rescue, said of the debacle: “I did feel embarrassed when they pulled out the stuffed cat. But I am also proud at the way everyone rallied round to try to save the cat. Local people did so much to save the cat and it shows what community spirit there is. We feared finding a dead cat in the clothes bank, so to find a stuffed toy was a relief.”
By Sinéad. Posted in Cats, Lost & Found, News
November 29th, 2011
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Since his elderly master died earlier this month, this grieving dog has refused to leave his side.
Standing vigil by a grave in Panjiatun, Eastern China, the golden mixed-breed will not accept food and shelter from concerned onlookers. He is thought to have been the only companion of local bachelor Lao Pan, 68.
Villagers have been keeping an eye on the loyal dog and have plans to build a kennel for him near Pan’s resting place.
This story of steadfast canine devotion is reminiscent of the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier who supposedly took up a graveside position in an Edinburgh cemetary for 14 years following his owner’s death. Another notably faithful dog was Hachikō, a Japanese Akita who would wait at the train station every evening to greet his owner coming home from work. For ten years after his owner’s passing, he would still show up at the station every day, waiting for his beloved master to return. Both of these pets have been honoured with statues in their hometowns.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
November 28th, 2011
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By Jessica Thompson
On Tuesday 18 October, a dog, which had run from its home in Salthill was found on the NUI Galway campus.
The dog in question had been spotted by numerous students, but none of these attempted to find out where she had come from.
Fortunately, the phone number of her owner was engraved into the tag on her collar, and she was soon brought home.
“This isn’t the first time she’s run away, and it certainly won’t be the last,” said a very relieved owner, after being reunited with his pet, “she can run for miles.”
Lost dogs – or, indeed, lost pets in general – are common around Galway.
Margaret O’ Sullivan, a spokesperson for the Galway Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) said that there are, on average, ten lost pets reported every day, or 60 per week. It is very uncommon for these pets to be reunited with their owners.
According to the GSPCA, the number of lost pets has gone up in the past two or three years, and not all of them are genuine cases. These days, because of the recession, many people cannot afford to keep their pets.
“A lot of pets are discarded, not lost,” says Margaret, “People often come in to us with a dog and say it’s lost, but we can tell by the dog’s reaction to the person that the animal belongs to them.”
However, the GSPCA cannot turn away an animal in need. Lost or discarded pets are kept in the sanctuary, put into foster care, or re-homed. If they aren’t re-homed, the animals live in the sanctuary for the rest of their lives.
So what can you do to avoid losing your pet?
“The biggest problem with dogs,” Margaret continues, “is that they have no ID. They’re not micro-chipped, so it’s very hard to find the owner.
“Even if you write your phone number on the inside of the dog’s collar in felt tipped pen, it makes it easier for us to find their owners.
“We would recommend – with the amount of dogs being stolen and sold – to micro-chip them. There’s a fair good chance it will end up in a vet.”
The dog that was found wandering around the NUI Galway campus was lucky, as her owner had identification on her collar, but not all lost dogs have ID. So what should you do if you see a pet wandering around campus?
“If you see a dog wandering around, watch it,” Margaret advises, “It may not be lost. If it’s there 24 hours later, it’s probably a lost dog.
“People often let their dogs wander, so look at the dog’s body weight and condition. If it’s in good condition, it’s probably just out for a stroll. If it’s in bad condition, contact us with the details.”
There was also a marked increase in the number of lost dogs over Halloween because of fireworks, which proves that putting identification on your dog’s collar can be very beneficial not only to you, but to the dog, and to the GSPCA who have to raise €20,000 a month to run the sanctuary.
The GSPCA are looking for volunteers for their Church Gate Collection this December. The collection will take place on 11 and 12 December. So if you’re staying in Galway this Christmas, and would like to help raise money for a good cause, contact the GSPCA on 091563631
Thanks so much to Jessica, a student journalist from NUI Galway for the submission!
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