Blog posts Categorized under ‘Pet News (General)’

One of the world’s most renowned dogsled races, the Iditarod, has been underway since March 6 in Alaska, as sledding teams travel more than 1,150 miles in 10 to 17 days.

One sled team lost a member when 3-year-old Whitey-Lance got loose from his harness and was nowhere in sight, according to the Boston Herald. Musher Justin Savidis was eager to find the canine, worried about the dog’s health in the subzero weather.

Whitey-Lance was missing for four days until residents of McGrath, Alaska, tracked him down by luring him with a salmon carcass. Although the pup was confused by his surroundings at first, he eventually recognized his owner.

"He was a little startled by my goggles," Savidis told the news provider. "I said, ‘Hey, Whitey’ and he was like, ‘Ah, I remember you.’"

Although the pup suffered from minor injuries and was noticeably thinner, local veterinarians deemed him in overall good dog health. Savidis told the news provider that he was happy that his dog was found safe and that they plan on racing again next year.

While it may be a dog eat dog world out there, one jeweler was not expecting his Golden Retriever to eat a three-carat diamond.

George Kaufman, the co-owner of Robert Bernard Jewelry, brought his pet Golden Retriever, Soli, to the store as usual one day in January, according to the New York Daily News. Kaufman was examining a three-carat stone that was brought in by a diamond dealer when he accidently dropped the jewel.

Kaufman and his partner, Robert Rosin, watched helplessly as Soli ran over to the gem and swallowed it. The jewelers quickly bought the dog to the local veterinarian to find out what they could do to retrieve the stone.

"The dealer saw him eat it," Rosin told Gazette.net. "We said, What do we do? Get an X-ray? Call the vet?"

The vet told the men to ensure that nothing would happen to jeopardize the dog’s health, they should just wait for the gem to pass naturally. Both Kaufman and Rosin breathed a sigh of relief when the gem reappeared three days later.

What many people may not realize is while the nation’s soldiers risk their lives for defending freedom overseas, animals are utilized in the battle as well.

Military canines are utilized to sniff out bombs and other traps, which can sometimes put them in harm’s way. While they have handlers to administer pet care and ensure the dogs are as safe as possible, sometimes things still go wrong.

Larry Chilcoat, who served in the Vietnam War with his dog, Geisha, is looking to honor all of the fallen military canines with a national monument, according to Caller.com. The news reporter reveals that 4,000 canines were used during the Vietnam War alone, and that more than 200 perished.

John Burnam is another Vietnam dog handler who is pushing to create the monument, saying that military canines saved his life on multiple occasions.

"If the dog’s body goes rigid, they cock their head, perk ears, fix their eyes, you know it’s dangerous," Burnam told the news provider. "You certainly don’t want to go where the dog doesn’t want to go. They saved my butt from enemy fire several times."

Sometimes, giving up an animal can be the hardest thing for a family to do. However, it could be in the pet’s best interest.

One family from Washington state surrendered their German Shepherd, Haley, to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County three years ago as a result of an undisclosed family crisis that prevented them from providing proper pet care, according to OhMiDog.com.

The dog was never far from the unidentified family’s thoughts, as they kept pictures and mementos of their beloved canine. Assuming that too much time had passed, the family decided to get a new dog once they were freed of their problematic predicament.

As luck would have it, a family had adopted Haley in 2007 but had returned her a few days ago because they were having problems with her running away. When her original family came to the shelter looking for a new pup, they were reunited with their old friend.

The family quickly adopted Haley and they now have regained the family member that they had lost years ago.

In an effort to ensure fewer animals are lost, Olar, South Carolina, is enacting a pet care rule that will require all pet owners to purchase a tag for their animal so they can be returned if they’re picked up by animal control officers.

Councilman Dickie Dickert, who also volunteers his time as the town’s dogcatcher, was in favor of the motion, as it would make it easier for animal control officials to differentiate strays from pets, according to The Times and Democrat.

"We have a lot of problems with dogs," Dickert said during the meeting. "One person has been bit, and several others can’t go in their yard without being chased."

Owners would be subjected to a fine if they had a pet without a tag, however, the amount is yet to be determined. The fee for tags would be $5 a year per pet.

Several organizations throughout the country have pushed for a law that mandates pets have a microchip implanted under their skin so it can be easier to track down the owners.