Snakebit man keeps cobras in apartment
A Japanese man nearly killed by a snake bite was arrested Wednesday by authorities after they discovered he was keeping 51 deadly snakes, including cobras and mambas, in his Tokyo apartment.
Nobukazu Kashiwagi called for help in July after one of the snakes bit him on the finger. The 41-year-old told police he was trying to feed one of the snakes when it bit him.
He was arrested after he was released from the hospital for keeping the dangerous reptiles in his apartment without permission from the government. The longest of the snakes was six feet.
Last year, before I adopted my dog, I did lots of research on what kinds of animals make good apartment pets. Let me assuure you that poisionous snakes are not on the list.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Panda pregnant
Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda Lun Lun is pregnant, according to zoo officials.
The zoo’s veterinarians have confirmed the panda is pregnant via ultrasound and that her cub could be born at any time. The Atlanta zoo is one of only four in the United States to exhibit a panda. The species, native to China, is extremely endangered, and Chinese officials rarely allow pandas to be exported to foreign zoos.
Lun Lun had her first cub, named Mei Lan, in 2006. Panda pregnancies are rare and difficult to detect.
Here is a photo of Lun Lun with Mei Lan:
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Look in the otter ice chest
Can’t find your drink? It’s not in THIS ice chest! It’s the “otter” one!
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
First Dog
I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of poodles.
My grandmother had a sweet
toy poodle when I was a kid, but I’ve always seen the breed as kind of snobby and elitist. Which is why I can’t understand the results of a survey recently announced by the American Kennel Club.
The group asked Americans to decide which breed of dog Barack Obama should choose for his family. The kennel club ran a poll at www.presidentialpup.com after reports that Obama promised his daughters he would get them a dog win or lose in the presdential race. About 42,000 people voted in the poll.
I just don’t see a poodle as a good choice for Obama. He’s already been accused of being elitist, and I don’t see a poodle helping that image. Certainly, a poodle is a dignified breed worthy of gracing the White House, but I’m not sure it reinforced Obama’s message of change.
He needs an energetic breed, the kind to match his candidacy and the youth movement that swept him to the Democratic nomination.
My pick would be a labrador retriever. I can see his daughter’s playing fetch with the first pup on the White House lawn, and I can envision a well-trained lab laying at Obama’s feet in the Oval Office. A first-lab wouldn’t be unprecendeted, either. The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, had a chocolate lab named Buddy.
I also agree with groups like Best Friends Network, which are advocating the Obamas adopt a rescue dog instead of buying a pure breed from a shelter. There are plenty of labs and lab mixes out there who need good homes, and I think the White House, or the Obama family home if McCain wins the election, would make a good home for one of these animals. It would also set an excellent example for Americans and bring attention to the issue of homeless pets.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Oklahoma City pet of the week
Lizzie, a 5-year-old cat
Lizzie loves to be picked up and held and petted. She likes to hide out sometimes too and wait for her favorite person to come and find her and give her lots of attention. Lizzie is 5 years old and has a short coat, and she enjoys being brushed. Her shelter number is 66282.
The Oklahoma City Animal Shelter is having a special event, Dog Days of Summer, during the month of August, and the adoption fee for both cats and dogs has been reduced to $25. This includes spay or neuter, shots and health check. Pictures of many of the adoption pets can be seen at www.okc.petfinder.com and www.okc.gov. The shelter, 2811 SE 29, is open from noon to 5:45 p.m. seven days a week for adoptions, and from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. seven days a week for receiving. For more information, call 297-3100.
Spanky survives Norman fire
A fire that claimed a car and a motorcycle wasn’t prepared for a tougher foe: Spanky the schnauzer.
The dog survived an explosion at a home in Norman on Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters put out the blaze and rescued Spanky unharmed.
That’s one tough pup.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pet Show – Back-to-school edition!
Listen to Pet Show! Our guest this week is Shirley Pritchett of the Central Oklahoma Golden Retriever Club. Are your kids in class? Your dogs should be too! Classes are kicking off soon and Shirley gives us all the inside info. (Surprisingly, the Golden Retriever Club classes AREN’T just for golden retrievers!)
Also, Dawn gives us some great back-to-school tips for helping your kids and your pets deal with separation anxiety from WebVet.com. Homework anxiety: you’re on your on for that one. (Maybe read our parenting blog, Hiccups.)
And Bryan shares some great news: lovey-dovey gibbons in England are causing a comotion and a Buenos Aires pup saved a newborn.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Chinese catbirds have more to love
So a Chinese catbird walks into a bar …
OK, maybe these animals aren’t walking into bars, but they are real. Male cats in the Sichuan province are growing wings. Thankfully, most house cats are too fat to fly. The flaps look fluffy but actually have bone inside. Experts say they’re probably related to the unusually hot weather.
Um, I’m not with them on that one. We’ve had a couple unusually hot summers since I’ve lived in Oklahoma and not once have I grown wings. (Except for that one summer in the late 80s, but that’s another issue.)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Rottweiler fights off other dog to save boy
A Rottweiler saved a 2-year-old boy from a pit bull terrier attack in South Africa. The boy was walking with his grandmother when the pit snatched the boy and started running. Neighbors tried to hit the dog and free the boy, but the dog wouldn’t let go. So one neighbor released his Rottweiler, who battled the attacker until the boy was free. The child is recovering in the hospital.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
“Bark” Obama, the Dems say
I have a confession: I bought my friend’s dog a political t-shirt. My pal is a yellow dog Democrat, so I bought his pup Sammy a “Democrats ’08″ t-shirt at Pet Smart a few weeks ago. A plethora of political pooch products are available this year because of the hotly contested presidential race. I mean there’s even this shirt from Cafe Press that’s a play of LOLCATS. It says, “Democrat. I votes it.”
Denver shop owners are loving it this week as the Democratic National Conventiontakes over their town. When the convention delegates run out of places to put their buttons, banners and ball caps, they must be turning to their dogs.
My dogs don’t much care to dress up, and they definitely aren’t registered to vote. So for now, they’ll have to miss out on the presidential pooch paraphernalia.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
