Pets in the paper – coats for pets with coats
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman -
- Pets need to find warmth when weather turns cold. (statewide)
- Nature center plans activities. (Norman)
- Nonprofit groups adopt former police horses. (Tulsa)
- Animal case gets new twist. (Texas)
- Parties vote back U.S. beef important ban. (Taiwan)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Dognappers run amok!
Apparently dog thefts are on the rise. Through last month, the American Kennel Club has tracked more than 115 stolen pet stories this year. The group only heard of 71 thefts all of last year. Here’s some more info from AKC:
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which tracks stolen property nationwide, currently lists 200 stolen dogs, according to Steve Fischer, FBI Spokesperson. According to Fischer, “Dogs listed in our database must have permanent owner-applied serial numbers, such as those from embedded microchips. Unfortunately not all dogs have permanent ID, so we know this is only a fraction of the number of missing dogs.”
Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in Texas which would have made it a state felony to steal a pet, including the family dog, with a possible two years in prison if convicted. California and Delaware have tried to regulate roadside pet sales as a way to combat the trafficking of stolen pets to unsuspecting consumers.
Keep your pet safe:
- Keep your dog leashed.
- Don’t leave your dog alone in the yard, in your car or tied up outside a store.
- Have your pet microchipped.
What to do in a worst-case scenario:
- Call the police.
- Search the neighborhood.
- Post fliers. (This is why it’s important to have a current photo of your pet!)
How can you curb pet theft:
- Don’t buy dogs from the Internet, flea markets or roadside vendors. (Better yet – ADOPT!)
- Use reputable breeders and adoption agencies.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – beaver biting
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman -
- Boy attacked by beaver. (Durant)
- Two men accused in cow deaths. (Enid)
- Dog recovering from swine flu. (New York)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
That will be $56,632, jerks
So apparently a Missouri pet supply dealer can’t tell the difference between cows and dogs. Or maybe he doesn’t want to. (This is a photo from the Web site on the About Us page. I bet he isn’t smiling today.) Here’s a press release the Environmental Protection Agency sent out today. Crazy.
A southwest Missouri pet supply dealer has agreed to pay a $56,632 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that it violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by repackaging, relabeling and selling an insecticide meant for use on cattle and hogs as a flea and tick treatment for dogs.
Hunte Kennel Systems and Animal Care, Inc., of Goodman, Mo., will pay the civil penalty under terms of an administrative consent agreement filed today by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan.
The allegations stem from findings made by the Missouri Department of Agriculture during October 2006 inspections of the company’s facilities in Goodman and Buffalo, Mo. The inspections found that the company had bottled the pesticide Prolate/Lintox-HD into different packaging and sold it as another pesticide, Paramite.
During the inspections, the company was ordered to immediately stop selling the repackaged pesticide.
Prolate/Lintox-HD is formulated for use in the control of flies, lice, mange and ticks on cattle, and for the control of lice and mange on swine. Paramite is no longer manufactured as a flea and tick treatment for dogs.
Kudos to the EPA for looking out for animals.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – invasion of the tree frogs!
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today, yesterday and Saturday -
- Giving a pet as a gift? Think twice, experts say. (Edmond)
- Living on the edge: Rancher tells of harrowing experience in Colorado mountains. (Crescent)
- Winter bird feeder survey. (statewide)
- Christmas tree frogs invading Alaska. (Anchorage, AK)
- Bullfighting bill advances. (Spain)
- Enviro-crime drama to air. (Oklahoma City, Monday, pages 1C)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – finding a home
Check out these stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Opinion: End all chimp research. (Stillwater)
- Activist wants home for seized dogs, cats. (Sand Springs)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – get a friend for free
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- City council votes to waive some adoption fees. (Oklahoma City)
- Men convicted in dogfighting. (Missouri)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – the eagles have landed
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today and yesterday -
- Eagles have landed at lake. (Edmond)
- Birds seized at border. (Texas)
- Bizarre calf mutilations found. (Colorado)
- Obama’s first pardon: a turkey named Courage. (Washington, D.C.)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – getchya a gator!
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Alligator sighting reported at park. (Oklahoma City)
- Shelter gets funds for pet tag study. (Oklahoma City)
- Horse, owner get super win at show. (Oklahoma City)
- Shelter seeks pet gifts. (Oklahoma City)
- Giraffe suffers from neck injury during move. (Tulsa)
- Delays continue in state’s poultry waste pollution trial. (Tulsa)
- Swooping in: Oklahoma hosting national event for handlers of eagles, hawks and falcons. (Woodward)
- Rare birds seen in state. (Woodward)
- Horse country tour. (Texas)
- 5,600 species found during ocean census. (Louisiana)
- Cruelty brings no contest plea. (New Mexico)
- Ducks in trouble, Ducks Unlimited says. (northwestern United States)
- New books for birders. (nationwide)
- Jaguar blamed in miner’s death. (Guyana)
- Bulls escape from movie set. (Spain)
- White tiger gets new home. (Serbia)
- “Fantastic Mr. Fox” full of fun. (movie review)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
OSU helps save 80 dogs
Check out this heart-warming story out of Stillwater from folks at OSU:
When the Payne County Sheriff’s office called the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences on Thursday, Sept. 17, and asked if they could help with approximately 80 dogs and cats rescued from a rural home, faculty, staff and students stepped up to help.
“The Sheriff’s Department alerted us that the animals were coming,” stated Dr. Michael Lorenz, professor and dean of the veterinary center. “We called in veterinary technicians, students and eight veterinarians who were not on call. The animals arrived in the late evening.”
“I was on the phone with one of the ICU technicians and when I heard what was going on, I came in to help,” said Dianne Hudson, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia).
Because the animals are the subject of legal action and serve as evidence, the intake process included identifying and photographing each animal. Detailed records were maintained for medical and legal purposes.
“We had eight teams each comprised of students/veterinary technicians and one faculty veterinarian,” added Hudson.
“The animals were abused, neglected and poorly nourished,” said Dr. Mark Neer, director of the veterinary center’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. “While they can’t be adopted until legally released, the plan was to put them in foster care.”
All animals were treated for internal and external parasites including sarcoptic mange, which is a type of mange caused by mites burrowing in the skin especially of the head and face. All adult dogs received Rabies vaccinations and puppies were vaccinated for distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and parainfluenza.
“It was absolutely amazing to see everyone swing into action,” stated Dr. Jill Brunker, Small Animal Internal Medicine. “People were assigned to a station and we rotated the animals through receiving, triage and treatment. Interns, residents, technicians and fourth year veterinary students worked with one common goal—help these mistreated animals.”
“We were able to do something on a large scale to help the animals and the community,” said Dr. Todd Yeagley, Small Animal Internal Medicine and Surgery Intern. “It was sad to see so many dogs that had suffered such horrible abuse.”
According to Hudson within two hours 80 animals had been examined.“We were careful to do everything right so that the Sheriff’s Department would have what they needed. Even after all the dogs had been processed, the students recognized that the dogs needed to be bathed to help make them more comfortable and then we still needed to clean up to get ready for the next day, so they stayed,” continued Hudson.
“The students and staff worked until the wee hours of the morning,” added Lorenz. “Oklahomans can be extremely proud of the veterinary team. Despite the horrific scene, the group performed at a high professional level. I am very proud of their dedication and competence.”
“Dr. Neer and everyone at the veterinary hospital could not have been any kinder to the animals or been more hospitable to the people who came to foster them,” stated Garry McKinnis, Payne County Undersheriff. “I have 18 of them at my house. My wife and I took four female Dachshunds and their puppies. We wanted to be sure they received the right care until they are able to be adopted.”
Some of the dogs had to be soaked to loosen the debris matted in their hair and eventually were clipped. According to Brunker, a single dose of medicine usually cures the sarcoptic mange. The parasites should be gone in a few weeks followed by treatments at regular intervals.
“I have seen dogs like that before but one at a time,” said Brandy Kastl, fourth year veterinary student from Sapulpa, Okla. “Never so many at once—it was overwhelming.”
“It was pretty sad, especially the high number of dogs involved,” continued Matt Stone of Springfield, Ill., also a fourth year veterinary student. “We were happy to help the animals.”
“That’s what we do,” added Kastl.
Authorities at the veterinary center report that all dogs and cats involved in the rescue have been placed in foster care as of Tuesday evening, Sept. 22, 2009.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
