Woman desperately searching to find her lost pet bobcat

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In Arnold, Missouri, a Jefferson County family is desperately searching the area to find their pet bobcat named Artemis. The 35-pound treasured feline escaped a few weeks ago, and the woman posted an ad on Craigslist hoping someone has spotted her.

“I miss my girl terribly,” the owner told media News4, “If anyone spots her please call of text me. If she is seen, it will be easy to tell she is not a local, wild bobcat.”

Artemis has been a family pet for more than six years and was purchased from a breeder in Montana. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, it is legal to keep a bobcat as a pet with certain provisions. An owner must have a permission to have one; either with a breeding or a hobby permit. There are different requirements, but both require the animal to be kept in a confined area. According to Missouri code, a bobcat is not allowed to freely roam in a home.

The code also specifies the area where the wild animal is kept must be inspected once a year by the Department of Conservation. At this time, investigators are trying to determine if the owners have a permit.

“She is not a danger to people or pets, but she is very skittish,” the owner stated. “She has been raised around dogs and cats, but if she is cornered by an aggressive dog or person, she may try to bite.”

Artemis has been declawed, and investigators ask anyone who spots the animal just call the conservation agents at 314.954.5697 or the police department at 636.296.3204. Saving St. Louis Pets on Facebook is also trying to help out, and warns people there are many bobcats in the area and not to approach any of them – please call for assistance.

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Hikers stunned to see bear open a car door – watch the amazing video here.

 

Boat captain rescues kitten intentionally thrown off bridge

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In Destin, Florida a boat captain rescued a kitten thrown from a bridge. Captain Jordan Smith had been traveling near the Destin bridge on Thursday when he spotted an animal tumbling into the water; apparently it had been intentionally flung from the Marler Bridge.

According to the Panama City News Herald, Smith maneuvered his boat closer to where he saw the animal splash; suddenly he  saw the two orange saucer shaped eyes of a frightened kitten. Using a fishing net to pull the frantic kitty out of the water, the kitten was so grateful and so terrified from her awful experience, she grabbed hold of Smith’s arm for the entire return trip and had no intentions of letting go.

“I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff out there, but never had seen a living animal get thrown off the bridge,” Smith stated. “When I took it out of the net, it grabbed a hold of my arm. I held the cat all the way into the HarborWalk. It was pretty intense.”

Smith,  who operates a boat called “Profishional” for Let’s Fish Destin Charters, took the black kitten to the vet and has decided to adopt her and name her “Miracle.”

A police report has been filed, and we can only hope one day the heartless creep who tossed this adorable little one over the bridge is caught and punished.

Many thanks to the handsome boat captain and his big heart.

(Photo of Miracle and Smith via selfie)

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Beautiful transformation – see how an abandoned dog recovered from near death (click here for adoption story).

Heroic firefighter (hunky too!) saves an elderly dog from drowning – watch the video here!

Snapchat video shows kids using Taser on kitten

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In Nassau County, Florida, a video posted to Snapchat showing kids using a Taser on a kitten and sent in to the media is now being investigated as an animal cruelty case. On Thursday, the video was sent to Nassau County Animal Services and has authorities searching for the two children involved in the inhumane act.

According to WftvNews, the video shows the two children using the Taser on the kitten and laughing as the cat is zapped. Officials believe the video was recorded in the Timber Creek Plantation neighborhood in Yulee. Concerned citizens have been coming forward and allegedly have identified the kids shown in the video.

County Commissioner Justin Taylor, along with other community members are shocked to see any innocent pet being treated so cruelly.

“To see an animal who is harmless and has not done anything to be treated that way , it’s cruel,” stated Mr. Taylor.

“Who was standing  there videoing this? That’s the other question,” asked local resident Michele Higham.  “Who would allow children to do this and think it’s funny? The damage is done, not only physically, but mentally to that cat.”

Why do these children have a Taser? Where are their parents?

(Photo and video via CbsNews from Snapchat)

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Video: Warning … may not be suitable for all audiences

Staten Island man tortures neighbor’s cat and posted gruesome video on social media

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A Staten Island man videoed himself torturing his neighbor’s cat in his Arthur Avenue apartment, and then posted the gruesome video on Facebook. Tyrike Richardson, 21, is shown on the June 29 recording dropping a chair on a cat and waving a knife in front of the cat’s face while the defenseless animal swipes at the weapon in order to save its own life. Richardson is then seen jamming a long stick into the motionless cat’s belly and face.

According to SI Live, Richardson was arrested on Thursday and charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal and torturing and not feeding an animal. The cat, a two-year-old male named Chester who belongs to Richardson’s neighbor suffered multiple injuries including blunt force trauma, rib fractures, live and kidney injuries and injuries to his lungs.

Chester is currently in the care of the ASPCA.

Richardson’s criminal record dates back to when he was 14-years-old.

(Photos of Staten Island man arrested for torturing cat screenshots via SILive)

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WARNING: Extremely graphic video of an innocent cat being abused:

 

 

 

Miami hotel clerk arrested for killing popular stray cat

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Miami Beach detectives believe they have found the person responsible for fatally shooting a dart into the head of a popular stray cat adored by hotel employees as well as the former owner of the hotel. Arrested on Tuesday, was Georgios Lollias, 36, a night clerk at the Franklin Hotel, who allegedly killed the cat on April 26 because the current management believed stray cats were a nuisance.

The cat is one of four that lived behind the Franklin Hotel on Collins Avenue and had been taken care of  by the hotel’s former owner who  offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of  the responsible person(s).

After the cat was  found, he was rushed to Dr. Rachael Johnson, a veterinarian at VCA Alton Road Animal Hospital. Strushi suffered terribly as the arrow penetrated behind one of his eyes and came out his mouth. Rescue staff said the cat was non-responsive upon arrival. Sadly, Strushi had to be humanely euthanized.

Georgios was arrested after U.S. Secret Service helped the Miami Beach police review surveillance footage at the time of the incident. It is believed Georgios is in the United States illegally. A Facebook post by Mike Grieco for Miami Beach mayor issued the following statement:

“… Through a search warrant, detectives had previously obtained video evidence from the hotel’s security cameras. They suspected that images of the crime may have been deliberately deleted. They enlisted the assistance of computer forensic recovery specialists in the U.S. Secret Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force, and with their assistance, the perpetrator was identified.

Mr. Lollias is charged with Animal Cruelty, a 3rd Degree Felony, and Tampering with Physical Evidence, a 3rd Degree Felony. The investigation into this matter continues, and other arrests may be possible in the future… Needless to say, this arrest is a significant success for our criminal investigators. More needs to be done on the case, but we can all be proud of their effort and success to date.”

Rest in peace Strushie. We hope you find some justice.

Photos of cat impaled by arrow courtesy of Miami Beach Police

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Read the previous article here.

Katy Perry under fire for promoting animal cruelty in advertisement.

Doggy language: How to tell your dog ‘I love you’ so he understands

 

 

Florida rescue shelter trying to find homes for 25 kittens

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We’ve all heard the term “it’s kitten season;” however, do we ever stop to think about how many unwanted kittens are being born into this world and where they end up?

According to a post in the Animals Abused and Abandoned newsletter :

“Each day 10,000 humans are born in the US and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. That represents one human to 15 dogs/45 cats. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all these animals.

One cat has five kittens three times a year – these kittens reach maturity, have kittens of their own. From one pairing, 420,000 cats can be born in seven years.”

Unfortunately, so many people do not realize it is cheaper to spay or neuter a cat or dog than it is to raise a puppy or a kitten. That is why the number of animals entering shelters each year is 8-12 million per a Humane Society of the United States estimate. According to the ASPCA, 5-9 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters across the US simply because there is no one to adopt them.  Tragically, many of these animals are young and healthy.

Dawn Marie, founder of the rescue group Breezy’s Legacy located in Seminole County Florida is best known for rescuing and rehabilitating injured, orphaned or displaced wildlife and unwanted exotic pets.

Dawn Marie tries very hard to keep as many dogs and cats out of the county high kill shelters as possible.  She does not turn any animal away and no animal is too sick or too small to be taken in.

Because of her dedication to rescuing animals and her inability to turn any homeless animals away; Dawn Marie currently has twenty-five kittens in her care, all from various stray mama cats. These twenty-five kittens are all ready to be adopted.

Dawn Marie is looking for adopters for the kittens so she can be freed up to rescue other cats or kittens needing a safe haven to go to other than the county shelter.

To see all the kittens available for adoption please visit the Breezy’s Legacy website at or their Facebook page.

If you are unable to give a kitten a home but want to help Breezy’s Legacy you can donate via their website or by sending money through Paypal to breezyslegacy@gmail.com.

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
– Ernest Hemingway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday surrender day for unwanted pets at North Carolina shelter

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Most likely one of the saddest days for any pet is losing his home and the familu he has loved from the moment that special bond was formed. Wednesday was no different at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control near Monroe, North Carolina as animal advocate and shelter volunteer Teresa Tucker shares the heartbreaking influx of owner surrenders just days before one of the most celebrated summer holidays. As told to Teresa by a fellow rescuer, their story begins as shared on social media:

“THIS IS WHY ANIMAL RESCUERS HATE HOLIDAYS!  Today is a surrender day before a holiday. The line at the shelter has been steady all morning. The giant schnauzer you see  (pictured) is being surrendered for anal sac issues. I started talking to the lady after introducing myself and after the front desk explained how full they are:

Me: What’s going on, why are you surrendering?
Her: He has an anal sac issue
Me: Have you seen a vet?
Her: Once
Me: Have you tried putting him on an appropriate diet? High fiber?
Her: I tried switching him to Rachel Ray.
Me: That’s not going to fix it. Would you consider trying another diet?
Her: No. I had to buy a new couch when he shot out the nastiness during a seizure.
Me: Oh, he has seizures. How often?
Her: I don’t know because I’m not always home.
Me: Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?
Her: Quarterly. Are you going to take him or not?
Me: I don’t think I can find a foster very quickly with it being a holiday weekend.
Her: Well how much just to put him to sleep?
Me: Ma’am, that’s not necessary. These are fixable issues. Has he seen a vet?
Her: My sister works for the American Cancer Society
Me: I’m sure he’ll be okay here at the shelter
Her: Why? Can’t they just put him to sleep?
Me: Ma’am, I’m done here. ”

And the stories continued. Next came a woman who brought in two cats she told the shelter staff she “found” at the gym. Reluctant to show any identification and acting as if she had an important appointment she was missing, it only took a moment to spot both “stray” cats wore collars, and the woman happened to have a carrying crate at the gym. After doing some social media digging, a volunteer knew the cats were not strays.

Yet the morning continued with little compassion from other heartless owners. An owner surrendered his senior dog because his pet was “old and ill.” Although the shelter told the owner, the dog would most likely be euthanized, the man showed not a drop of emotion. And as the rescuer was preparing to leave after only an hour (two more hours left to surrender pets), a man holding a pit bull had grown tired of waiting in line, and as he walked out of the door of the shelter, he  stated he was just going to “let the dog go.” It was suggested the man return to the information desk and tell the staff what he planned to do, and maybe they would be able to assist him quicker.

Tragically, the majority of the pets surrendered were pit bull types, cats and senior dogs. Pet owners are urged to be responsible; spay and neuter. Commit to a life long relationship with your canine or feline friend, and don’t desert them in their most vulnerable time of their lives. Perhaps skip the lattes, skip a restaurant dinner or even one pair of shoes or a designer purse, and when it’s time to say goodbye, be there with your companion and reassure him that he is loved.

Finally, a personal message from this rescuer to all of the pet owners who treat their loyal four-legged companions as an inconvenience during the summer holidays. If not for the selfless volunteers who visit the shelters whenever they are able, the statistics of the Humane Society of the United States  citing about 2.4 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs—about one every 13 seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year would likely be much higher.  Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.

“I was only there for an hour today and there are still 2 more surrender hours to go,” the rescuer lamented. “Knowing we can’t help because we are also inundated with returns (aka surrenders) and those dogs are taking spots that could have allowed us to pull more, just plain sucks. Next time you pick up a foster or need to utilize animal control, please go out of your way to thank these folks, bring them cookies or snacks, etc. Most importantly, continue to educate your friends and family that animal control is not the enemy. They only exist because these people do, and we live in a disposable society where people get rid of pets because they have vacations coming up.”

Don’t shop for your next best friend, adopt from a shelter. Spay and neuter. Report suspicions of animal cruelty, and be kind; be the gentle hand that tells a frightened shelter dog it will be alright as they go gently into the night with a glimmer of hope and a wagging tail.  The rescue person at the shelter was there to try and save dogs and to offer possible solutions and alternatives.

The schnauzer has since been rescued and will be receiving appropriate medical help.

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(Photo via Teresa Tucker on Facebook)

Read about the husky who had his own version of the mess he made while his family was away from home.

 

 

 

Teen finds 14-week-old kitten with her feet bound: Three of her paws fell off

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In Spring, Texas a young teenage boy made a disturbing discovery near the mailboxes in an apartment complex at FM 2920 and T.C. Jester of a kitten after three of her paws fell off. In an interview with AbcNews, the youngster named Brady and his friend were shocked when they spotted the defenseless kitten huddled near a wall on Friday.

“We walked into a room that had mailboxes and we saw the cat laying down by a wall. We picked it up; called my mom. We sent her a picture and then she said she’d be there in two minutes,” stated 14-year-old Brady.

And when the teen’s mother arrived, Leith Gottula said she was just heartbroken and didn’t think the kitten even stood a chance at surviving, and rushed the kitten to Stuebner Airline Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Max Heimlich was shocked at the abuse and called it the worst case of animal cruelty he had ever seen in his 40 years as a veterinarian as he described what probably happened. Someone had wrapped elastic hair ties repeatedly around the kitten’s paws.

“These are the bones that are sticking out. It would probably take anywhere from three to four maybe five weeks for this to occur to strangulate it and actually have the feet fall off,” Dr. Heimlich explained on the hospital’s Facebook page. “The kitten was able to get one of the ties off the left front leg. The other 3 feet fell off. We will have to amputate the back legs from the knee down and the front from the elbow down. We pray that this kitten will be able to compensate and have an incredible life with us.
The doctors are concerned that someone who could do this to a kitten could also do this or worse to a child. This is in the vicinity around the hospital and the Spring area.”

After the kitten’s feet heal, her legs must be amputated.

Dr. Heimlich will be taking the kitten home, and his staff will be caring for the kitten, now named Pogo. Check out her video, and see for yourself how sweet and gentle this little kitten seems to be. How anyone can be so cruel is beyond anyone’s comprehension, Get well soon Pogo; we hope you can live a full life despite the cruelty you have had to endure in the first months of your life.

Photos of kitten after three paws fell off via the Stuebner Airline Veterinary Hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the HCSO at 713-755-6044.

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Video:

500 cats destined to be eaten at Chinese restaurants rescued

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In Beijing, China, 500 cats jammed mercilessly into tiny cages and intended to be part of the menu at Chinese restaurants were rescued this week. The man, identified only as Sun, was arrested on Sunday morning in the eastern Jiangsu province capturing stray cats and pets to sell to restaurants for 30 yuan ($4.40 each) reports the Strait Times.

Sun had been using sparrows and caged birds as bait to lure the cats. It was a journalist who supplied police with the information about a truck full of cats being sold. Many of the animals found were near death and faintly mewing in the heat. More cats and kittens were discovered in a makeshift hut near the highway. In the hut, different colored cats had been crowded into metal cages with a fan turned on to keep them from dying in the heat.

When a villager named Yang complained to police someone had been stealing his pets including his cat who had been nursing her five kittens, the authorities had launched an investigation and were led to where the cats were being held. It is not known if Yang ever found his cat and the kittens. Police stated if no one came forward to claim their pets, all of the cats would be treated and freed.

China statistics for killing dogs and cats for food are still extremely high; thousands and thousands are bludgeoned to death for the annual dog meat and lychee festival in Yulin. Claims that the cruel  practice has been stopped is still debatable. Every year more than ten million dogs and four-million cats are killed for their meat. Taiwan recently became the first Asian country to outlaw eating dogs and cats. Read more of that story here.

(Photo of 500 cats rescued via screenshot from Strait Times)

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Read about the Lab surrendered by her family and the child told to take a photo to remember her.

 

Animal advocates allege animal abuse in ‘cat vs scorpion’ video

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Animal advocates have taken exception to a YouTube video showing cats being attacked by a large scorpion; calling the potential deadly encounter animal abuse. A police complaint was filed in Bankok on Friday against Nate Bartling, who goes under the title of “My Mate Nate.” Bartling is a former Mormon missionary who rose in fame in Thailand for his tasteless “prank videos.” His online presence had been scarce after a video showing the cruel torture of a fish which made him one of the most disliked characters on social media. And then he’s back!

According to SinarOnline,  Nutch Prasopsin, the administrator of “Toon Hua Khong Bao,” a popular website (Kingdom of Tigers) with animal lovers, (especially cats) filed the complaint alleging animal abuse for exposing the cats to a venomous scorpion. Police official, Lt-Colonel Kampol Ratanaprateep agrees the video was an act of animal cruelty, even though Bartling has argued the scorpion was not poisonous; a medical specialist stated the venom could kill a cat.

On her website and Facebook page, Nutch called on animal lovers to show their force against acts of cruelty against animals. The controversial YouTube video “Cat vs scorpion: Who will win?”, was posted three days ago and has garnered over a million views. Most of the comments condemned his actions with Nutch posting an open letter to him stating:

“As a person who loves cats, I cannot tolerate or accept uncouth acts involving animals in these clips. I want you to take full responsibility as the owner of guardian of the cat(s) that you have used or may use in your clips.”

Bartling has lived in Thailand for three years, claiming he “never went to university. I only finished high school. It’s hard to believe his fame of “prank videos” that make fun and humiliate other people are so famous. If found guilty of animal cruelty, Bartling faces a maximum fine of $1,100 or up to two years in prison.

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(Photo via screenshot Thai PBS)

 

WARNING: The following video is disturbing and may not be suitable for all viewing audiences.