An overweight cat recently caused a disruption during an airport security screening when it became stuck underneath a bomb detector during early morning rush hour.
A woman, her daughter and cat were headed to Florida out of Newark Airport in New Jersey when the 25-pound feline was removed from its carrying case to be scanned, according NJ.com. The cat became frightened and lodged itself under a bomb detecting device, causing the checkpoint to stop operation.
Travelers were escorted to another x-ray machine while the Port Authority police used a hydraulic device to lift the machinery. More than 20 minutes later, the cat was returned to its owners in good cat health, unfortunately, the travelers missed their flight because of the commotion.
The unidentified owner was said to be stressed out, according to witnesses, but she was grateful when authorities were able to recover the cat and return him safely.
As the cat was unharmed and in no need of additional pet care, and the family had plans to try to catch another flight later on in the day.
A couple from Stuart, Virginia, had feared the worst when they noticed their German shepherd, Deacon, had gone missing.
The canine had not been seen since December, and Pamela Holt said she had figured her dog must have died, according to Fox News. However, Deacon had wandered way past the neighborhood, ending up more than 600 miles away in DeLand, Florida.
It’s not known exactly how Deacon ended up in the Sunshine State. Animal control officers picked the dog up and saw that he had a microchip. After scanning the device, an officer called the Holt’s to tell them he had found their dog.
Holt believed that it was just someone playing a cruel joke on her.
"I said ‘What a mean trick,’" Holt told the Daytona Beach News-Journal."My husband and I had grieved and had moved on. We had decided we were not going to get any more dogs."
But once the officer convinced Holt that Deacon was alive and in good dog health, she and her husband drove to Florida to be reunited with their beloved pup.
For many individuals, owning a pet can provide a sense of comfort and companionship. However, there are some people out there who are not able to care for a pet because of a mental or physical illness.
One organization is looking to give those who desire a furry friend but cannot keep one on their own the chance to play with animals through a pet therapy program, according to AikenStandard.com.
The Aiken SPCA Pet Therapy program pairs shelter animals with individuals who are either too old to take care of a pet or have mental or physical impairments that do not allow them to care for other living things.
The participants get to visit with the animals and bestow affection and pet care. In return, the pets offer a sense of comfort for someone who may otherwise be lonely.
Pet therapy programs have become more common throughout the country. Several senior citizen homes and rehabilitation facilities offer a similar program to give companionship to patients who may not have many visitors.
The blood bank is a typically human facility where individuals go to donate blood to help save the lives of trauma victims through blood transfusions. Now, animals are starting to get in on the action too.
The Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank (EVBB) in Severna Park, Maryland, collects blood donations from animals that go to various creatures that are hit by cars, suffering from a disease or requiring an operation, according to CNN.
Despite a few popping up across the country, animal blood banks are still a rarity, and EVBB is the nation’s largest. Still, many vets believe that these kinds of establishments can help dog and cat health after an animal is injured or becomes ill.
"We see a lot of injured animals come into the clinic, especially dogs hit by cars," a vet technician told the news provider. "Dogs, when they are hit, can lose a lot of blood internally."
There are six different blood types in dogs, however 42 percent of all breeds are universal donors, according to The Dog Health Guide.
Who knew Amy Winehouse was such a cat lover? The troubled singer recently called the local animal shelter to relieve her of her nine cats before she took off on her vacation to Jamaica.
Winehouse gave another two cats to her goddaughter, singer Dionne Bromfield, according to The Sun. It is unclear exactly how long the singer will be vacationing in the Caribbean island, however, she plans on moving residences upon her return to the United Kingdom and 11 cats were just too much to bear.
Although some people may consider owning 11 felines hoarding and detrimental to cat health, a source told the news provider that Winehouse deeply cared for all of her animals and was sad to part with them.
"Amy was pretty upset about it because she loved them dearly, but she had to give them up," the source said. "They were climbing all over the place, breeding and generally getting out of control."
Many blogs have posted outrage over the fact that Winehouse, who is known for her train wreck behavior, was allowed to provide pet care to even one animal, let alone 11.
