Animal Lovers

UPDATE: Lizzie and Phantom are currently recovering in an outdoor koala ward within the  Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital . They’re doing swimmingly; Phantom is both gaining weight and exploring his temporary habitat. And of course, mama and baby are sharing more adorable cuddles! For most species in the animal kingdom, the bond between mother and baby is incredibly strong. That's pretty much inarguable. But last week, two koalas in Australia further proved it. After they were hit by a car, Lizzie and her joey, Phantom were welcomed into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Six-month-old Phantom had escaped the accident unscathed. Lizzie, however, wasn’t looking so good, what with facial trauma and a collapsed lung. In order to survive, she needed to go under the surgeon’s knife. But this marsupial mama wasn’t alone during the life-saving procedure. Phantom accompanied her and clung to her as she received treatment. The vets let them be; Phantom was too y...

Smokey the Bear told us we were responsible for preventing forest fires. Crime dog McGruff helped us take a bite out of crime. Woodsy the Owl told us to “Give a hoot, don’t pollute.” It’s that last one humans seem to have a big problem with. Where a wizened old owl’s advice has fallen short, however, the tragic image of a dead Kemps Ridley sea turtle with a beach chair stuck to its back may prove more compelling. An eye-opening illustration of the damage human pollution has done to our oceans, images of this tangled turtle have been sweeping across the internet, first posted by  Fort Morgan Share the Beach , a local chapter of the Alabama sea turtle protection nonprofit Share the Beach. The story these pictures tell is a dark one which, wildlife advocate or not, is hard to ignore. Source:  Facebook/Fort Morgan Share The Beach The turtle was dead when it washed up onto the shore. “There was a heavy string around the chair that wrapped around the turtle’s neck,”...

Greyhounds have been forced to run their hearts out for so many years in Florida. On average, a greyhound dies on a Florida track every three days. It is home to 11 of the remaining 17 greyhound tracks in the United States. Celebrities and animal welfare groups are coming together to urge the public to vote Yes on Amendment 13. Amendment 13  is a proposed constitutional amendment that would phase out greyhound racing in the state by the year 2020. The cruel and inhumane dog racing industry needs to end and the first step starts with the Florida vote. Voters in Florida will have a historic opportunity to save thousands of greyhounds. Photos: Facebook/Protect Dogs – Yes on 13 Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson, Ellen DeGeneres and many more celebrities are coming together to end greyhound racing, by  signing a letter  to urge people to vote Yes on 13. Protect Dogs-Yes On 13, is a grassroots campaign working to end the cruelty of greyhound racing in Florida. Aside from...

>>> SIGN PETITION HERE <<< Dolphins, whales and other marine mammals are being mercilessly killed off the coast of California by a fishing practice intended to catch swordfish, but which indiscriminately scoops up other species. Rare sea turtles, sea lions, whales, and sharks are among the species that are ending up helplessly entangled in these huge driftnets. These non-target species are known as “bycatch” and some are even threatened or endangered. For instance, in 2017, two endangered sperm whales were entangled and killed in the California driftnet fishery. These driftnets are over a mile long, 100 feet deep, and designed to kill everything in their path. — Paul Nicklen, SeaLegacy co-founder Image Credit :  Brock Cahill photographing entangled swordfish // Photo by Paul Nicklen // Location: Near California’s Channel Islands, February 2018 Sadly, driftnet fishing has an astonishingly high bycatch rate, with estimates for some nets as high a...

>>> Sign the petition now to tell China to ban live animal keychains! <<< Turtles, fish and lizards are being stuffed and sealed into plastic bags and sold on the streets as keychains in China. The cost of these animals lives? About $1.50. Swimming in a small pool of colored water, the animals only last until the oxygen is used up. Then, they can theoretically be released and kept as pets – although it’s doubtful that the same people who think an animal makes a nifty trinket have the slightest clue about how to properly care for them. In an interview with CNN, David Neale, animal welfare director of Animals Asia said, “Lack of food and diminishing oxygen concentrations within both the water and the small amount of air in these plastic pouches will cause the animals to die in a relatively short period of time after the pouches are sealed.” 😠So Cruel😠 ACTUAL REAL LIVE ANIMALS are being sealed into tiny plastic pouches and sold as f**king ke...

Is there anything better than your favorite song? Beautiful is an amazing thing. The sweet melodies, meaningful lyrics, and the emotions stirred within are all things that make us fall in love with a tune. Music can help soothe and calm us, it can help us get through the times we thought we would never survive. If you’ve been paying attention to our cat news, you’ve likely seen a few stories about music-loving kitties. For example, this story about four kittens who showed up to support a street musician the rest of the world ignored. Or this one, about a foster kitten who sings lullabies with her sweet foster mom. Now, I’ll be the first to admit those stories are adorable— I mean, I am the one who wrote them. But when it comes to heartwarming stories about cats and music, this one definitely takes the cake. Last year, pianist Sarper Duman made international headlines after sharing a few heartwarming videos on his Instagram. The pianist had rescued nine stray cats from the stree...

There’s no specific answer to explain how or why any dog ends up living on the street. Without the ability to tell us their past—and without knowing what they’ve been through—rescuing them can pose a challenge, to say the least. This is something the team at Hope For Paws know all too well. When the Los Angeles-based rescue group recently received a call about two dogs living under an abandoned house, they knew they would have to handle the situation with caution. Yet, even with all their experience, nothing could prepare them for the startling truth about these dogs… It’s important for animal rescuers to approach each case with its own specific care. This is something the Los Angeles, California, rescue group Hope For Paws took into consideration when the team recently responded to a call concerning two stray dogs. The caller, who wished to remain anonymous, warned the rescuers of an abandoned home where two dogs had recently taken up shelter. Not knowing much about their ...

A rescue team from Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection saw the saddest sight in Kakata, Liberia. After receiving an anonymous tip, they went to a supply shop and found a little baby chimpanzee sitting inside a cardboard box, heartbreakingly clinging to an old, tattered piece of clothing. The 1-year-old chimp, named Chance, was being kept as a pet for the past few months. The rescuers didn’t know how the ‘owners’ acquired Chance, but they had an idea. “We know her mother was killed,” Jenny Desmond, founder of LCRP, told The Dodo. “One cannot acquire a baby chimpanzee without first killing his or her mother and other nearby adult family members. The adults are butchered and sold on the black market for bushmeat and the infants are kidnapped and sold into the live pet trade, both locally and internationally.” Since Chance was just a baby when her mother was killed, she had no one to properly take care of him and provide her the nutrition he needed. Sadly, her new owners didn’t...

Four white tigers living in Houston haven’t see the sun for 12 years. These same tigers haven’t been able to feel grass or earth under their feet either. In 2004, the four tigers, who were bred in captivity, sold to an indoor aquarium in Texas. The aquarium is called the Downtown Aquarium and has a second-floor restaurant, and the aquarium is on the first . Image Credit:  FACEBOOK / DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM HOUSTON The tigers are all between the ages of 12 and 13, their names are Marina, Coral, Reef, and Nero. They live in the “Maharaja’s Temple” attraction. Image Credit:  FACEBOOK / DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM HOUSTON Inside the exhibit are concrete floors, and their only view of the outside world is through the glass wall that separates them from the visitors. The indoor exhibit looks more like a movie set than a tiger habitat. When the tigers are not on the exhibit, they are kept in the holding areas in the back and are held in cells, with more concrete and still...