These everyday people meds could kill your pet if you're not careful.
By Leah Zerbe, Rodale
A huge chunk of the calls that pour into the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA's) Animal Poison Control Center every year involve pets poisoned by people pills. About 40 percent of the animal poison control calls--25,000 cases--revolve around pets exposed to human medications.
"Pet exposures include pets eating dropped pills, owners giving the wrong medication to their pets, animals getting into pill cases or even breaking into cabinets," explains Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director at the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. "Just like with children, always store your medication where your pets cannot reach it because, unlike children, dogs will chew right through those bottles and eat whatever is inside."
Kid star leads fast-growing rescue effort.
After taking a director's suggestion to visit an animal shelter for a film role, teen actor Lou Wegner was shocked at the number of pets who are euthanized because they don’t have homes.
So, at age 14, the Ohio native started Kids Against Animal Cruelty. Two years later, the group is one of the fastest-growing animal rescues in the country, using social networking to help save the lives of 20,000 pets at high-kill shelters.
New England rehab facility welcomes pachyderms.
When you think of Maine, usually lobster or moose come to mind. Elephants are probably a little more unlikely.
But the New England state is now home to two retired and injured circus elephants, who are being cared for at Hope Elephants, a newly built rehab facility.
Say hello to Hannah Spears.
Britney Spears, mom of two boys, now has a “new little baby girl” — a tiny puppy named Hannah.
The X Factor judge took to Twitter to show off pictures of her new pup and announced that @HannahSpears is Tweeting now, too.
The adorable new addition was born on Halloween.
Born on Halloween, a Colobus monkey is finally on display at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri.
Kivuli, which means "ghost" in Swahili, is all white, but won't be for long. By the time the endangered monkeys turn 6 months old, they become primarily black with white hair around their faces.
"Geo the Hero” rescues 10-year-old.
At just 7 months old, a puppy is being hailed as a hero for pushing a 10-year-old boy out of the path of an oncoming truck in Essex, England, in the United Kingdom.
The boy, Charlie, was waiting with his brothers and mother to cross a street earlier this month when an out-of-control truck driver came up over the curb. Geo, a German shepherd-collie mix, jumped in front of Charlie and pushed him out of the way.
The win at the National Dog Show is one for the history books.
For the second year in a row, a Wire Fox Terrier won the coveted Best in Show title at the National Dog Show presented by Purina. The same breed hasn’t won two years in row in a major competition since an English Springer Spaniel won Westminster in 1971 and 1972.
The additions brings the number of breeds at the 2012 competition to 187.
By Shayna Meliker
As you watch the National Dog Show this Thursday, keep an eye out for two fresh faces making their competition debuts this year.
The addition of the Russell Terrier and the Treeing Walker Coonhound brings the number of breeds at the 2012 competition to 187. Fun fact: That's 28 more breeds than there were when the first National Dog Show aired on NBC a decade ago.
The Russell Terrier
The small and confident Russell Terrier excels at vermin hunting, much like many of her terrier relatives. You may know her by her more colloquial name: the Jack Russell Terrier.
Photo: Courtesy of the National Dog Show
