Pets in the paper – the aftermath of Katrina
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Bones linked to animal. (Delaware County)
- Coming out of their shells. (Midwest City, page 1d)
- Katrina pet rescues led to tiffs. (Louisiana)
- Pet Tales: Dog has own “newspaper” route. (El Reno)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper
Check out these animal stories from The Oklahoman today, yesterday and Saturday:
- Make your pet a video star in NewsOK.com contest.
- Bug Fest has creepy-crawlie stars. (Norman)
- Mailed jailed in doe shooting. (Vermont)
- Equine dentist law has teeth. (statewide)
- State park just made horse sense. (Wagoner)
- Zoo welcomes baby elephant. (California)
- Condor suffers from gunshot. (California)
- Oil soaks pelican, Australian beach. (Saturday, page 7a)
- Don’t make impulse bunny buy. (statewide)
- Oklahoma City Zoo exhibit revives dinosaurs.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
And the Oscar goes to …
Slumdog Millionaire, which isn’t really about a dog at all, received eight Academy Awards this year for all the wonderful work done by people, but several other Hollywood films were recognized for their animal workers.
The American Humane Association - the group behind the famed “no animals were harmed in the making of this movie” line during the credits – has had a little awards ceremony of its own. Folk in the AHA’s Film and TV Unit gave out awards of their own:
- Best Movie Magic Featuring an Animal: The Dark Knight. Filmmakers used movie magic – like prop dogs and fancy angles – to illustrate a dramatic dog fight.
- Best Behind-the-Scenes Rescue Story: Beverly Hills Chihuahua. A trainer discovered one of the dogs who played Papi a day before the pup was set to be euthanized at a California animal shelter.
- Best Group Effort to Protect Horses: Appaloosa. One of the scenes includes horses crossing a stream. AHA employees pointed out this could be dangerous because the horses wouldn’t be able to see sharp rocks and debris, the crew jumped in and cleared the stream of any possible dangerous material.
- Best Rescue by a Snake: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. A “vine” turns out to be a snake at one point in the movie, and filmmakers used a real python for “establishing shots” and then used a prop for the rest of the show.
- Most Poignant Movie Illustrating the Human-Animal Bond: Marley & Me. See the movie. That’s all there is to it.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Free coupon for $20 off vet bill
These are tough economic times for everyone, including our pets. To help make sure our animals get the preventative care they need, Advantage and Bayer Health Care are kicking off the “Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet” campaign.
The companies are handing out $20 vouchers for pet owners beginning today and running through Feb. 28.
“In these challenging economic times, many pet owners are facing difficult choices about how to pay for and prioritize their pets’ care and wellness. And unfortunately, veterinary visits and preventive veterinary care are often cut due to financial struggles and concerns,” according to the campaign Web site.
They’re limiting the giveaway to about 83 vouchers every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST so that everybody has a shot at getting some help. After all is said and done, about $260,000 in free vet care will be handed out.
The way it works is simple. You print out the voucher, take your pet to the vet, have your vet fill out the form and you mail it in. The result: you get a $20 check in the mail.
The vouchers are open to any adult in the United States, with a few restrictions. For example, the voucher must be used on preventative care.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pet Show – our second anniversary!
Listen to Pet Show! Valentine’s Day marks our second anniversary of broadcasting important animal news and information to the WORLD! So what better way to celebrate (a little early) than by recapping our best shows? Here are our Top 10 favorites:
- Lucas Miller, the Singing Zoologist, and our amazing singalong
- Chris Burney of Bowling for Soup talking about traveling with animals
- The dog IQ tests
- Dr. Phil Mosca of Integris with his dog, Boz
- Halloween costumes with Steve Dale of gadzoo.com
- Turkey genetics and behavior with Dr. Don Skinner-Noble of OCU
- Oklahoma’s animal fighting fund with Attorney General Drew Edmondson
- Fish tattooing
- Horse racing with Joe Lucas of the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma
- Snake breeding
We also gave out some Pet Show awards: best advice, favorite celebrity, Young Pup of the Year, best head-wear, myth-buster and favorite expert. (You’ll have to listen to the show to find out who won, but I’ll tell you the winner of Best Show Title: “Happy Mew Year.” ha)
But Pet Show would not be complete without news or tips. For news, Bryan told us about a prehistoric monster snake. To make up for it, he also told us about comfort animals in Utah. Dawn also gave us some excellent tips for Valentine’s Day.
The modern gift for a second anniversary is China. So here is our gift to you, Pet Show fans:
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
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Your dog wants steak with that steak knife
What are some of the weirdest things your pet might swallow? Check out this slide show from the New York Daily News with some x-rays of animals who ate things other than food.
Here is my favorite.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Woman killed by her pet snake
Police believe a Virginia Beach, Va. woman was strangled to death recently by her pet python.
Amanda Ruth Black, 25, was found dead by her husband in a bedroom of their home. The 13-foot tiger python’s cage was open. Authorities believe she died from asphyxiation.
Police believe she was trying to give the snake medication when it attacked her. The snake was found in the bedroom. It took two animal control officers to catch and restrain it. It is now being held by the Virginia Beach Bureau of Animal Control.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
