Posts Tagged ‘animals’
Forget bake sales! School booster club selling alpaca manure.
The music booster club at Central Community Unit School District 301 in St. Charles isn’t bothering with bake sales and car washes this year. Instead, it’s selling bags of something promoters call “paca poo.”
Minus the cute name, the product is alpaca manure.
Booster club secretary Gudrun Dorgan says it is a great garden fertilizer, and it comes in little pellets that are easy to work into the ground.
Parents, students and teachers will be scooping and selling droppings on Saturday at Inspiration Farm Alpacas. A 30-pound bag will cost $10.
Farm owner Jeff Koehl has been raising alpacas for four years and usually sells manure for profit. He says alpacas digest their food more efficiently than most farm animals, so their waste doesn’t smell too bad and doesn’t require lengthy composting.
Read more: School booster club selling alpaca manure.
Chihuahua blown away by 70-mph winds reunited with owners
Tinker Bell has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked up the six-pound Chihuahua and tossed her out of sight. Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK.
The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit. Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away.
Dorothy Utley tells The Detroit News that her cherished pet “just went wild” upon seeing her.
Read more: Blown-away Chihuahua reunited with owners
22 pound fat cat put on diet [Video]
This fat cat has been treating himself to too many kitty treats, weighing in at a whopping 10kg.
When it comes to bolting down all the nosh on offer, Lion has lived up to his name, taking the lion’s share of whatever is put in front of him — and then some, we suspect.
Lion has always enjoyed the finer foods on offer, preferring to dine on gourmet meals of chicken and rice.
As a result, he weighs about the same as a standard barbell, so no wonder this five-year-old cat is part of the growing obesity epidemic of fat cats waddling along the Gold Coast.
The weight problem for Coast felines has alarmed Cats on the Coast veterinarian Dr Kate Adams, who said Lion must lose weight in order to stay healthy.
She said the problem was more prevalent with indoor cats of people living in high-rise apartments.
“The overweight cats I’m seeing are much less active than cats with a healthy weight and face serious health risks simply because their owners may be giving them too much food,” she said.
“Obesity in cats increases the risk of a whole array of health problems such as diabetes and arthritis.
“However, we have an excellent weight control program available that will help cat owners to bring their cat back to its healthy weight.”
Depending on the animal’s size, the average weight for a healthy cat should be about four or 5kg.
Dr Adams said she had seen cats weighing as much as 11kg, putting them in the morbidly obese category.
“We have put Lion on a low-carb, low-fat eating program,” she said. “You can also incorporate exercise into a cat’s life by increasing their play, as well as putting their food on a shelf and making them jump for it.”
Lion’s owner Fiona Mattig said too many rich treats had seen her kitty put on the kilos.
“Lion has always loved his food,” she said.
“I used to feed him supermarket food but now we have him on obesity food for cats.
“We are hoping that Lion gets down to five kilos.
“At the moment he doesn’t have any major health problems but for him to live a healthy life, he has to lose the weight.”
Watch the video and see more fat pets: Lion’s share for this hefty feline
Tupperware parties but for pets: It’s ‘Pupperware’ time!
First there was Tupperware parties. Now there’s the “pupperware” party.
The concept is pretty much the same as Tupperware or almost any other product sold at home parties. Someone hosts a party and invites his or her friends and family to check out a product line. Only with these parties, the guest list doesn’t have to be limited to humans. Canine companions welcome!
The Pet Party is being offered by Shure Pets, a national pet product company based in Chicago.
Spending money on our household animals is at an all-time high. We may be in a recession, but we’re not cutting back on pampering our pets, according to figures from the American Pet Products Association. The group’s most recent statistics show that consumers in the United States spent $43.2 billion on their pets in 2008, up from $41.2 billion in 2007.
Laura Macklin, sales and training director for the Pet Party, recently held a pupperware party at her west suburban home.
“We even had a 10-week-old puppy come to visit, and we gave her a spa treatment. We put spritzer on her, brushed her all out, put paw balm on her paws and made her look really pretty,” Macklin said.
Guests at Macklin’s Pet Party were shown Shure Pets’ lineup of products including Paramount Paw Balm, the Ulti-Mutt Candy Bar, Devine Canine and Feline Breath Mints. There also were a variety of collars and leashes to choose from, as well as beds for cats and dogs. Other products being touted include organic catnip, a variety of shampoos and conditioners and dog treats.
Read more: Tupperware parties but for pets: It’s ‘Pupperware’ time!
Family finds the Easter Bunny’s nephew? [Video]
Doctor Carrie Sutor lives across the street from where the baby bunny debuted.
It was certainly the hours-old bunny’s misfortune to become separated from his mother who must have built her nest in the mulch pile, but the fact that Doctor Sutor is a veterinarian may have proven lucky for the little guy.
“He got into the right mulch delivery,” Dr. Sutor said.
Unfortunately, a second baby rabbit who rolled out of the mulch didn’t make it.
The Sutor children were thrilled with the unexpected arrival and have named the bunny Sweetie Pie, although Floppsie might be more appropriate.
“I thought it was the Easter Bunny’s nephew because it’s little,” Olivia Sutor said.
In 11 years of practice Dr. Sutor has never had a patient or pet this tiny. Giving Sweetie Pie some oxygen was a challenge. Instead of wearing a mask, the bunny sat inside the mask. He also got some fluids.
“He’s looking better than he did yesterday afternoon, so I think he’s going to do okay,” Dr. Sutor said.
In a couple of weeks, the Sutors will know if the bunny can be domesticated or must be set free. Of course, the children are hoping they can keep him.
Dr. Sutor will take Sweetie Pie home over the weekend so she can keep an eye on him, so the lucky bunny will spend Easter with his new, if not accidental, family.
Watch this story: Baby bunny surprise for doctor’s family
Snake venom as budget Botox?
A new cream claims to smooth wrinkles using a synthetic form of the poison produced by Asian temple viper snakes.
The tubes of Lacura Wrinkle Stop contain a compound called Syn-Ake, which mimics the snake’s paralysing venom. It promises to block the nerve signals which cause facial muscles to contract and can lead to lines.
Tests show that twice-daily application of the cream for four weeks may reduce the appearance of wrinkles by 52%.
Other products containing Syn-Ake are popular with Hollywood stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Hilary Swank.
The new moisturiser will be stocked in Aldi stores from April 20. A spokesman said: “It offers the perfect solution for wrinkle reduction without the need for spending an excessive amount of money on expensive products and painful procedures.”
Dogs help children learn to read [Video]
Burgh, a Bernese Mountain dog, is assisting in the Tailwaggin’ Tutors program.
“When it’s time for the kids to read, they sit down, she sits down next to them and she listens,” said Carol Vernon, a library employee.
It doesn’t even matter that all the stories sound the same to Burgh.
“(The children are) breaking out of their shell,” said Chris Bohrer, the dog’s owner. “They’re not so afraid to be around either a dog or an adult and they generally start reading louder and louder.”
The program has made for positive results.
“I just think because you’re training and reading to at least somebody before you read to an actual real person,” said Tommy Fanning of the Reading To Dogs program. “Whether it’s getting over shyness or just getting confidence in their ability to read aloud, or whether it’s actually improving their reading, I hear about it from the parents.”
The children are going from beginning readers to chapter books in a matter of weeks.
“However you can get them to love reading or enjoy reading, I think it’s a wonderful thing,” said Janel Fanning, the mother of one of the students in the program.
Read more and watch this story: Dogs Helping Children Learn To Read
Girl makes special greeting cards for sick Dad
This is a remarkable young girl who is shining in the face of a major tragedy. This story is heart-wrenching, but there is something strangely inspirational about it.
If you can… please take the time to buy a stack of cards or donate to the family. I know that I will!
Watch this story with some tissue near by.
It would be hard to say no to Reese Schroeder, a beautiful 5-year-old girl with a big smile and her father’s green eyes. But it would be impossible to turn her away from your doorstep once you hear why she wants to sell her cards.
“Because I wanted to raise money for my dad because he’s in the hospital. But now, he’s not in the hospital anymore because he died,” she said.
Jon Schroeder died early Tuesday morning months after he’d been admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. He was 29 years old.
While at the hospital, he suffered a collapsed lung and was diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a rare and almost fatal disease.
During her father’s long stay at the hospital, Reese’s kindergarten art teacher decided an art project might help. She kept Reese after kindergarten for two weeks and helped her draw pictures of animals that would be printed on cards.
Julie Bauman didn’t even know the Schroeders but knew she wanted to do something to help.
“Stacie (Reese’s mom) is now a single mom with little three kids and I just knew there would be a lot of possible expenses to keep the house going, I just figured anything we could do to help,” Bauman said.
Bauman got a local printer to donate the card printing and then recruited volunteers to put the packets of cards together. She also brought Reese to her Monticello neighborhood to sell the cards to her neighbors.
“I think it’s really sweet, really sweet of her teacher and it’s really sweet that she’s able to go out and do that for her dad,” said Stacie Schroeder. “He would have been so proud of her.”
Jon never saw all of the cards while he was in the hospital because he was too sick. But he’ll be buried with them with a special note from Reese.
“I feel kind of happy that he chose to go with Jesus, but I do feel kind of sad that he’s not with us,” she said.
You can make a donation to the Jon Schroeder Benefit Account at:
Wells Fargo Bank
12916 Main St
Rogers, MN 55374You can also buy Reese’s card from the Albertville Primary School, 763-497-2688. They are $10 for a pack of 6. The money will go to help Stacie Schroeder raise her three kids.
Watch this story: Girl Makes Special Greeting Cards For Sick Dad
The world’s smallest dog
He is a third of the size of an average guinea pig, and weighs in at just a few ounces – but this tiny puppy could be a big deal when it comes to world records.
The miniscule chihuahua-Jack Russell cross – appropriately named Tom Thumb by its owners – is a serious contender for the title of being the smallest dog on the planet.
Little Tom was born just three weeks ago as part of a surprise litter to mum Spice, a chihuahua.
And he is unlikely to get much bigger – with some previous experience of rearing puppies through their early weeks, the couple are convinced that Tom is almost fully grown now.
With his tan-and-black markings, Tom Thumb measures less than four inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail and only weighs about three ounces.
Read more and see more pictures: The adventures of Tom Thumb: The tiny puppy set to be the world’s smallest dog
Woman spends $23,000 to find lost dog [Video]
Ginny Davis went to extreme measures to find her lost dog, a $23,000 investment that she said paid off.
When Davis lost her 2-year-old shih tzu, Sam, money was no object.
With six furry friends, Davis considers her dogs family. When Sam wiggled out of his collar on the way to the groomer, Davis was devastated.
“He was just in panic mode at that point and so he just kept running,” she said.
As quickly as Sam made his escape, Davis drew up a game plan to find him. She hired search and rescue teams from Oklahoma and Ohio to trace his scent and plastered thousands of signs all over Indianapolis and Greenwood.
With every phone call she got, Davis had a little more hope that Sam would be found safe and sound.
One day last week, Davis got a phone call she had waited months for. A postal worker saw Sam sleeping in a nearby field. When Davis called Sam’s name, the dog came running to her.
“I thought, ‘My God, it is him,’ and I just sat down and cried,” Davis said.
Philip Borst, who has a veterinary practice near Davis’ home, said he was shocked when he heard that a pet owner spent $23,000 to find her dog.
“I’ve had stories over my 35 years of dogs that have been lost for 100 miles away and they found them … in another city or state,” Borst said. “The lengths that she went, that showed that she sure did love that little pooch.”
“I’m not a wealthy person. It’s just that I feel when you get an animal, you make a commitment,” Davis said.
Sam was extremely dirty and full of ticks when he was found, but after a good grooming and examination, he’s the same dog Davis loves.
Read more and watch this story: Woman Spends $23,000 To Find Lost Dog
