Firefighters rescue 30 cats and dogs from burning Queens pet shop

Firefighters stormed into a burning Queens pet shop on Monday in time to rescue 30 cats and dogs, officials said.

U.S. Pet Discounts on Steinway St. in Astoria was closed for Memorial Day, which presented responding units with an obstacle - the store's metal "rolldown" doors were closed.

"We had to cut the gates, cut the locks and force our way in," said Lt. Jerome Farrell of Ladder 116.

Read the rest of the story at : nydailynews.com

The next story takes us to Tennessee, where Buelah the blind goat is saved by passing Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jehovah's Witnesses rescue pet goat

Sometime between 11:30 a.m. and noon, Beulah got out of her cage and ended up in the family swimming pool. The family is still not sure how she got out. Jacob was busy washing clothes and the noise kept himfrom hearing Beulah’s cries for help.

At around the same time, a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses was going from house to house, inviting people to a Bible conference in Johnson City, Tenn. Jacob could not hear them approaching the house either.

But the Jehovah’s Witnesses did hear Beulah’s cries. One of them was 17-year-old Autumn Stoddard of Marion.

“We were just doing our door-to-door work,” said Stoddard. “We just kept hearing this crying throughout the whole neighborhood. I didn’t even knock on the door because I could tell it was starting to go under.”

Stoddard, along with Joann Goodwin and Cindy Fletcher, went around and saw Beulah struggling in the water. Stoddard pulled Beulah out of the above-ground pool and Goodwin assisted her in putting the goat back in the cage.

The family found out what happened later because Rick’s aunt, Sylvia Vess, lives next door. She saw the women save Beulah.

“What are the odds of that happening?” said Tonia Hensley. “This is the second time Beulah has made it through.”

The is the second time Buelah's life has been saved... Read the rest of the story at: mcdowellnews.com

The heat of summer is upon us and it is time to remind everyone of the dangers of an animal being left in a car.

This happened to us a couple of summers ago as one of our dogs, Avery, just has to jump into the car any time any door opens. She jumped in the back unnoticed one day after we unloaded groceries and got shut in. It was a brutally hot day too. She was in there for well over an hour before we discovered her. Upon getting out, extremely dehydrated, she just couldn't drink enough water. We let her drink a bit then rushed her off to Gardner Animal Hospital, where they got her body temperature cooled down. That was a close call, and a very upsettingexperience ! Don't let this happen to you or your pet!

Don't leave unattended pets inside vehicle during the summer

When you go shopping this summer, leave your dogs at home, animal officials say.Arlington has already seen an increase in reports of dogs being left inside sweltering vehicles at shopping centers, said Mike Bass, community services assistant director. "I am not sure that animal owners recognize the hazard of animals left in vehicles, even during a short period of time," Bass said.

Chun Mezger, supervisor at the North Richland Hills Animal Adoption and Rescue Center, said she understands that people want to take pets with them when they go out. "But they don't sweat the way we do and respond to the heat the way we do," Mezger said. "Leave the pets at home."

When it's 85 degrees outside, temperatures inside a car can soar to 102 within 10 minutes and 120 within half an hour, even with the windows open, according to an Animal Protection Institute study. Dogs can withstand a body temperature of 107 or 108 for only a short time before experiencing heart problems, brain and nerve damage or death, the study says. Pet owners could face misdemeanor or even felony fines for leaving their animals inside a hot vehicle, Bass said.
-- by Susan Schrock - writing for: star-telegram.com

5 Things Pets Can Teach Us About Relationships

You can learn a heck of a lot by owning a pet: financial responsibility, time management, and how to dole out attention are just a few of the bonuses that come with owning a furry (or scaly) little friend. In this article published by Psych Central, researchers discuss the emotional benefits of owning a pet, which can teach you about relating with other people more than we often care to credit them for. Sure, cats and dogs can't talk, but their unique way of communication can teach owners to be more intuitive, which can in turn help humans adapt to the needs of their partners. Here are 5 more things pets can teach you about relationships:

1. Always say hello and goodbye. Ever stumble out of the house and off to work without saying goodbye to your partner? A dog wouldn't let you get away with disappearing for nine hours without a word, nor would he like it if you came home without petting him on the head. While it may seem trivial, simply acknowledging your partner and wishing him well goes a long way.

2. People require maintenance and attention. Many of us wish for a low-maintenance partner, but no matter how down-to-earth someone is when you first meet him, he typically ends up requiring more work and attention from you than you want to give. Would you skipcleaning your fish tank for a couple of weeks just because you're busy with taxes?

There's the first two on the list of 5 - visit yourtango.com to read the rest...