150 people require rabies shots after contact with infected puppy ND 'Officials say two pups in a litter of ten black and yellow labs have been found to have rabies after apparently being attacked by a skunk. Some of the puppies that were sold are still unaccounted for...' [WCCO]
Rabies is a fatal disease if it isn't treated in time. By the time a person or pet shows symptoms, the disease will most certainly kill them.
If your pet is bitten by ANY wild animal, you should take it to your vet and have a Rabies booster shot administered immediately. Biting animals should be tested for rabies. Without a rabies test on the biting animal, your pet, if bitten, may require a 45 day quarantine (if it's current on its rabies vaccinations); if it isn't current on its rabies vaccinations, a 6 month quarantine in strict isolation may be necessary.
(If you love your pet, have its rabies vaccinations current at all times. I know. This happened to our dogs this summer, but because we kept them current on their shots, we were inconvenienced, but our dogs were protected.)
Publish your dog's obituary for free! at the New York Dog: magazine publishes doggy obits NY 'They are actual obituaries: beautifully written, incredibly moving pieces, paying tribute to dogs that have died in the last month from all over America...'
'The dog obituaries are a free service and the magazine is already overwhelmed by the number of people who have submitted one for their deceased pet...' [Yahoo News: Washington Times]
Europe's first certified canine chiropractor enjoys the licks Germany A professional masseuse to the abandoned dogs of Berlin's animal shelter provides relief for abused animals' back pains...
Zoefel charges up to $50 a session for massage sessions at people's homes. But her work for the Berlin animal shelter is for free. She also has no pets of her own and regards her patients as 'mine, all of them - because they have nobody else'. [Independent Online]
(Berlin has a more caring attitude about its shelter dogs than we in the US do. Despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to get even a bath approved for an abandoned dog while he was at the shelter... but I did find him an adoptive home. )
The Wolf Files: Sleeping with the Dog: an American habit Demographics and statistics support the trend that pets have risen to family member status... [ABC News] (More strange tales from the Wolf Files)
Taking your pet to Europe? You now need a pet passport [USA Today]
Trouble, US Customs detection dog, digs up top honors DC Paws to Recognize, a international program to honor service dogs, awarded top honors to Trouble, a rescued shelter dog who works as a US Customs detection dog...
"Most recently, Trouble sniffed out a quince fruit which was infested with 20 Mediterranean fruit fly larvae. Trouble also intercepted Caribbean-fruit flies. Trouble's contributions help prevent foreign pests and diseases from entering our country which could damage agricultural crops or cost American taxpayers millions of dollars to control or eradicate..." [Press Release: US Customs Border Protection: cbp.gov]
Sniffer dogs trained to detect bladder cancer UK UK Researchers successfully trained dogs to sniff out bladder cancer...
"Meanwhile, other research teams, at institutions from Cambridge University to Florida State, are testing dogs' ability to detect lung, breast and liver cancer in breath; prostate cancer in urine; and melanoma on skin..." [Star News Online]
Famous dog trainer sentenced jail for falsifying cadavar-sniffing dog's evidence NY The trainer's excuse: 'I lost track of why I was offering my services..' Meanwhile, the Justice Department claims no real harm was done in any of the cases she worked in... [New York News]
Pets on Wheels!
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