In this issue of Newshound, we visit Florida, where a wild bear cub with a jar stuck over his head is saved by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees . Also, a report on a new law affecting animals from Massachuchets, a dog named Belle calls 911 to save her owner, Sadie the Rottweiler gets a pacemaker, and in Denver, Willie the parrott saves a choking toddler.
In Florida, a wild bear cub earned the nickname "jarhead" after getting his head stuck in a jar and spending roughly 10 days that way.
Florida bear rescued after getting head stuck in jar
(CNN) -- It may seem like a story ripped from the pages of "Winnie the Pooh," but a little black bear is alive after Florida biologists removed a plastic bottle stuck on its head for at least 10 days.
The bear, his mother and two siblings regularly raided trash bins in Weirsdale, a small community in the vast Ocala National Forest.
But the situation turned into a jam when the little one, affectionately nicknamed Jarhead, was seen in late July wandering with his head trapped in a clear plastic container, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The 6-month-old cub couldn't eat or drink normally, and was days away from death when he was freed, biologists say.
Read the rest of the story at : CNN
Next: Massachusetts becomes first state to ban surgical removal of dogs and cats vocal chords.
Dogs and cats have a voice under new Massachusetts law
(Reuters) -- Massachusetts on Wednesday will become the first state to ban the surgery that devocalizes dogs and cats, which many animal rights advocates see as a cruel and unnecessary procedure.
Under the new law, anyone in the state who cuts or removes an animal's vocal chords for nonmedical reasons may be punished by fines and up to five years in prison.
The law, signed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in April, is dubbed Logan's Law after a dog that underwent the controversial surgery but was later abandoned.
"To take the voice of an animal would be the equivalent of taking a person's voice or a person's ability to communicate," Brian Adams, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), told Reuters.
Supporters of the new measure say it is more important for pet owners to understand the needs and motivations behind their pets' making noise.
The silencing surgery may suit the needs of the owner, but not the health and welfare of the animal.
Devocalization, known as "debarking" when performed on dogs, is largely done by commercial breeders for their own convenience, according to the Animal Law Coalition, an advocacy group based in New York.
Read the rest of the story from : Reuters
Next: Beagle receives award after dialing 911 when man suffered seizure.
Dog makes cell phone call to save owner's life
ORLANDO, Fla. — A 17-pound beagle named Belle is more than man’s best friend. She’s a lifesaver.
Belle was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to receive an award for biting onto owner Kevin Weaver’s cell phone to call 911 after the diabetic man had a seizure and collapsed.
“There is no doubt in my mind that I’d be dead if I didn’t have Belle,” said Weaver, 34, whose blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. Belle had been trained to summon help in just those circumstances. She had been taught to bite down on the number 9 on his cell phone contacting 911.
Read the rest of the story from : MSNBC
Next: A Rottweiler dog uses pet insurance to get a pacemaker to extend her life.
Bow-Wow! Pet Insurance Saves Dog’s Life with Human Pacemaker
Sadie, a 6-year-old Rottweiler-shepherd mix that required an emergency operation to install a pacemaker, is the most unusual 24PetWatch pet insurance claim this summer.
“She was walking over to her bed and just fell over,” says Eriny Scinto of Stratford, Connecticut,. “I thought she was having seizures but, basically, she was having heart attacks.”
The Scintos’ other dog had bone cancer at the time. “I couldn’t face losing both of them,” says Erin. “My husband, Robert, and I don’t have any children so our pets are like our kids.”
After rushing Sadie to the emergency vet clinic, the Scintos were told she had a third-degree heart blockage and was at risk of sudden death. Sadie needed a pacemaker to live.
The next challenge was finding one in time. There are no pacemakers made specifically for dogs, but manufacturers sometimes donate expired units to veterinary hospitals. Some people ask that their pacemakers be removed after their deaths and re-used for animals. Demand far exceeds supply, however. About 300 pacemakers are implanted in dogs each year, but at least 10 times that many dogs could use one.
Read the rest of the story from : Efiniancial
Next: Willie the parrott sounds the alarm when he sees a toddler choking....
Pet Parrot Saves Life of Choking Toddler
A Quaker parrot in the Denver, CO area saved the life of a choking toddler when it began screaming and repeated the words "mama baby" over and over. The toddler's caregiver was able to respond to the warning and save the the 2-year-old's life.
A babysitter's worst fear was brought to reality last week when 2-year-old Hannah, the little girl she was watching, began choking on her pop tart. However, the babysitter wasn't the one to notice the choking toddler. It was the family pet, Willie the Quaker parrot.
"While I was in the bathroom, Willie (the parrot) started screaming like I'd never heard him scream before and he started flapping his wings," said Meagan, the sitter who owns the bird. "Then he started saying 'mama baby' over and over and over again until I came out and looked at Hannah and Hannah's face was turning blue because she was choking on her pop tart."
Read the rest of the story from : digitaljournal.com
