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Tag: dogs

  • North Korean ‘peace’ dogs cause political spat in South Korea | CNN

    North Korean ‘peace’ dogs cause political spat in South Korea | CNN

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    Seoul, South Korea
    CNN
     — 

    A pair of dogs gifted by North Korea are the center of a political dispute in South Korea after the country’s former President said he was giving them up over an apparent lack of legal and financial support from his successor to care for the animals.

    The two white Pungsan hunting dogs, Gomi and Songgang, were presented to then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at peace talks in 2018.

    The dogs have lived with Moon ever since, including after he was succeeded as President by Yoon Suk Yeol in May – even though they are legally owned by the state.

    On Monday, Moon’s office said in a statement that he was turning the dogs over to the Presidential Archives, accusing President Yoon of blocking a discussion to provide a legal basis for the former president to keep them.

    “Unlike the Presidential Archives and the Ministry of Interior, Presidential Office seems to be against leaving care of the Pungsan dogs to former President Moon,” the statement from Moon’s office said.

    “Looking at recent media reports the Presidential Office has no good will for a simple resolution of this issue. Are they hoping to leave the blame to Moon? Or because they feel responsible for these pet animals? We are flabbergasted to see malice of the current administration that is on display at a petty issue as this.”

    The Ministry of the Interior and Safety confirmed the government was in talks with Moon to provide monthly subsidies totaling 2.5 million won ($1,800) for the animals.

    President Yoon, who already has four dogs and three cats, denied blocking Moon from keeping the dogs in a statement from his office Monday, saying discussions between relevant ministries were ongoing.

    “It is not true that former President Moon Jae-in tried to come up with a basis for raising the Pungsan dogs but the presidential office objected,” the statement said.

    Dogs have historically been a symbol of thawing ties between the Koreas. In 2000, Kim Jong Il gave two Pungsan puppies – named Uri and Duri – to Kim Dae-jung. The South Korean leader returned the favor with two Jindo dogs named Peace and Reunification.

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  • Sheriff: Autopsy will determine if dogs killed Amazon driver

    Sheriff: Autopsy will determine if dogs killed Amazon driver

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    EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Investigators are trying to determine if two dogs caused the death of an Amazon driver whose body was found in the yard of a home in rural northwest Missouri.

    Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers said deputies went to a home in Excelsior Springs Monday evening after reports that an Amazon truck had been parked in the same spot for about two hours, with its lights on and motor running.

    The driver’s body was found in the yard in front of the home. His name has not been released.

    Childers said the man had injuries consistent with an animal attack and two aggressive dogs — a German Shepherd and English Mastiff — were at the home. However, an autopsy will be conducted to determine if the dogs caused the driver’s death, he said.

    A deputy shot and injured the mastiff because it was aggressive toward sheriff’s deputies and medical responders on the scene.

    The dogs went back into the house but the deputies could hear them barking and saw blood on the doggie door.

    Childers said he and deputies went into the home and shot and killed the dogs in order to protect deputies, medical personnel and detectives at the scene.

    The homeowners were out of town but the dogs were being cared for, the sheriff said.

    Amazon said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the driver’s death and is helping law enforcement with the investigation.

    Excelsior Springs is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City.

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  • Pet Names Might Have Gotten Too Human

    Pet Names Might Have Gotten Too Human

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    Long, long ago—five years, to be precise—Jeff Owens accepted that his calls to the vet would tax his fortitude. When the person on the other end asks his name, Owens, a test scorer in Albuquerque, says, “Jeff.” When they ask for his cat’s name, he has to tell them, “Baby Jeff.” The black exotic shorthair, a wheezy female with a squashed face and soulful orange eyes, is named for Owens, says his partner, Brittany Means, whose tweet about Jeff and Baby Jeff went viral this past spring. The whole thing started as a joke several years ago, when Means started calling every newcomer to their home—the car, the couch—“Baby Jeff.” Faced with blank adoption paperwork in 2017, the couple realized that only one name would do.

    Baby Jeff is a weird (albeit very good!) name, but it’s not as weird as it would have been a century or two ago. In the U.S., and much of the rest of the Western world, we’re officially living in an era of bequeathing unto our pets some rather human names. It’s one of the most prominent reminders that these animals have become “members of the family,” says Shelly Volsche, an anthropologist at Boise State University, to the point where they’re ascribed “agency and personhood.” The animals in our homes commonly receive so many of the acts of love people shower on the tiny humans under their care; pets share our beds, our diets, our clothes. So why not our names, too?

    The names and nature of the human-animal bond weren’t always this way. Kathleen Walker-Meikle, a medieval historian at the Science Museum Group and the author of Medieval Pets, has found records from the Middle Ages describing dogs with names that alluded to some part of their physical appearance (Sturdy or Whitefoot), or an object that appealed to their human (a 16th-century Swiss wagoner once owned a dog named Speichli, or “Little Spoke”). Details on cats are sparser, Walker-Meikle told me, but some Old Irish legal texts make mention of a few felines, among them Cruibne (“little paws”) and Bréone (“little flame”).

    Jeff (right) and Baby Jeff (Brittany Means)

    Even when people-ish names did appear during this era, and the few centuries following, they trended zany, cheeky, cutesy, even pop-cultural—nothing that would be easily mistaken for a child’s given name. The 18th-century English painter William Hogarth named his pug Trump—perhaps an anglicization of a Dutch admiral called Tromp, according to Stephanie Howard-Smith, a pet historian at King’s College London. Catherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIII’s six wives, had a dog called Gardiner, after the anti-Protestant Bishop of Winchester. “This was her enemy, who wanted to destroy her,” Walker-Meikle told me. The idea was “to take the piss out of” him.

    Then, as the Victorian era ushered in the rise of official dog breeds, people began to reconceptualize the roles that canines could play in their homes. Once largely relegated to working roles, dogs more often became status symbols, and items of luxury—and as their status grew, so did the list of names they could acceptably bear. People no longer considered it such “a slight, necessarily, to share your name with a dog,” Howard-Smith told me. Diminutive names for animals—Jack or Fanny rather than John or Frances—became more common, too, paving the path for even more overlap down the line.

    The big boom happened in the 20th century, and by its latter half, lists of the most popular dog and baby names were getting awfully hard to tell apart. Nowadays, you could probably “go to a playground and shout ‘Alice!,’ and perhaps both dogs and girls would come rushing to you,” says Katharina Leibring, an expert in language and dialect at Uppsala University, in Sweden. Cats, meanwhile, seem to “have been kind of behind the curve in getting human names,” or perhaps receiving any names at all, Volsche told me. Even in 19th-century texts, Howard-Smith has spotted accounts from families who named their dogs, but would refer to “the cat” as only that.

    Findings such as these have held true across several countries, but pet naming trends have never been universal. In Taiwan, for example, dogs and cats might get food names, onomatopoeic names, or even English human names, such as Jasper or Bill. They don’t, however, “get Chinese human names,” which hold particular significance, says Lindsey Chen, a linguist at National Taiwan Normal University. “We love them, but they’re not humans.” In Togo, the Kabre people sometimes name their dogs with pointed phrases—such as Paféifééri, or “they are shameless”—that, when spoken aloud, communicate their frustrations with other humans without confronting them directly.b

    American animals who lack human-esque names aren’t loved any less, but the degree of intimacy we have with modern companion animals may almost demand anthropomorphism. Joann Biondi, a photographer in Miami, does not view her Maine coon as a “pet”; a frequent model for her artwork, he is her travel companion, her roommate, her business partner—“a creature who shares my life,” she told me. When she adopted him 13 years ago, she wanted a name befitting of his dignified features. But he also “looked like a hairy Italian soccer player,” Biondi told me, so she chose Lorenzo, sometimes tacking “Il Magnifico” on to the end.

    a Maine coon in an orange shirt, staring off into the distance with cherries in front of him
    Lorenzo the Cat (Joann Biondi)

    Several experts told me they’d feel a bit uncomfortable if a close family member decided to name a new pet after them. “There is still a reluctance to call animals things that really make them sound indistinguishable from a human,” Walker-Meikle told me. But some pet owners are downright inspired by that uncanny valley, including Sean O’Brien, an enterprise-software salesperson in Iowa, who deliberately sought out a very human name for his cockapoo, Kyle. “It’s just funny to see people’s reactions, like, ‘Did you say Kyle?’” he told me.

    a pug staring into the camera
    Lucy the pug (Shelly Volsche)

    A smidge of the species barrier can still be found in the ways some owners play with their pets’ names. Howard-Smith’s family dogs, Winnie and Arabella, have been gifted some unhuman monikers: Babby Ween, the Weenerator; Bubs, Bubski, Ballubbers, Ballubber-lubbers. Volsche’s pug, Lucy, is frequently dubbed Pug Nugget, Chunky Monkey, and Lucy, Devourer of Snackies, Demander of Attention. My own cats, Calvin and Hobbes, enjoy titles such as Chumbowumbo, Chino Vatican, Fatticus Finch, Herbal Gerbil, and Classic Herbs. Children with nicknames this unhinged would suffer all kinds of public humiliation. But with pets, “I think we can be a bit freer,” Howard-Smith told me. It’s funny; it’s embarrassing; it’s “a snapshot into someone’s relationship with their pet.” These are the impromptu names that are offered up in private, and the animals can’t complain.

    Means and Owens, Baby Jeff’s people, plan to keep giving their animals starkly human names. In addition to the cat, their home is also shared by a quartet of chickens: Ludwing van Beaktoven; Johenn Sebastian Bawk; Brittany, Jr. (named for Means, of course—“it was my turn,” she told me); and Little Rachel (named for their human roommate). The next bird they adopt will be named Henjamin, in honor of Means’s brother Ben. But Means and Owens, too, have a sense for which names just don’t feel quite right. “I knew this guy with a cat named Michael,” Means said. “Every time I think of it, it blows me away.”

    ​​When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

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    Katherine J. Wu

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  • Washington wildlife agents kill black bear that hurt woman

    Washington wildlife agents kill black bear that hurt woman

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    LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Wildlife authorities in Washington state killed a black bear Saturday after it charged and injured a woman near a downtown park in the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth.

    The woman had let out her dog at around 7 a.m. when an adult female bear charged her, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a hospital.

    Wildlife officers using a Karelian bear dog found and killed a sow later that morning. They captured two cubs, about 9 months old, and brought them to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

    Leavenworth is on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in central Washington. The property where the woman was attacked is adjacent to Enchantment Park, a park near downtown Leavenworth with ball fields and walking trails.

    The state’s only recorded fatal black bear attack on a person was reported in 1974. Since 1970, state authorities have recorded 19 instances where black bears have injured people, the department said.

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  • What we know about the Raleigh shooting victims

    What we know about the Raleigh shooting victims

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — An avid runner and the mother of three boys. A woman who was the “rock” of her family and knew everyone in the neighborhood. A Navy veteran whose wedding was two weeks away.

    These were among the victims of Thursday’s shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, that claimed five lives and wounded two others.

    A 15-year-old boy opened fire, killing a total of five people in the city’s Hedingham neighborhood and along the nearby Neuse River Greenway, police said. One of those slain was an off-duty Raleigh police officer who was headed off to work. Another killed was a 16-year-old.

    A woman and another Raleigh police officer also were wounded.

    Among the dead were:

    NICOLE CONNORS

    Connors, 52, was the matriarch of her extended family, the one who “got things done,” her husband Tracey Howard told The Associated Press.

    When her father died, she was the one who went to Veterans Affairs to straighten things out — using “choice words” — to ensure he was buried in a veterans cemetery, Howard said. She also left her job in human resources to care for her mother after she had a stroke.

    “Anything that had to be done, she was going to do it,” Howard said. “And she was going to make sure it was done right.”

    Connors and her husband liked to get out of the house and explore Raleigh’s restaurant scene. They had tickets for the next Black Panther film, coming out in November, and planned to go to the North Carolina State Fair.

    Late Thursday afternoon, Howard left the house to get food for lunch — he works the third shift — and to buy a lightbulb for the porch. Connors had taken a friend to Red Lobster to celebrate her friend’s birthday before coming home.

    “She couldn’t have been home more than five or 10 minutes before this happened,” Howard said.

    Connors and a neighbor, who was listed among the wounded, were shot, Howard said.

    “Her friend was more or less by the driveway like she was about to go home or was on her way home, and my wife was on the porch,” Howard said.

    Howard is left to wonder what motivated the shooting.

    “It is just a senseless killing,” he said. “People outside enjoying the weather, talking. Next thing you know they’re gone. It’s just stupid. It’s senseless.”

    Connors’ neighbors said she was always friendly while walking her Jack Russell terrier, Sami.

    Marvin Judd said Connors was a “sweet person” with a “good heart.”

    “And she was always kind and gentle to everybody she met,” Judd said. “She didn’t meet strangers. Everybody was a friend to her.”

    SUSAN KARNATZ

    Her husband, Tom Karnatz, told the AP that she “was a very loving wife and amazing mother to our three sons. We’re absolutely heartbroken and miss her dearly.”

    Karnatz, 49, was an avid runner who frequented the greenway where some of the shootings occurred. Two cars parked in the driveway had matching 26.2 stickers — marking the mileage of a marathon. The license plate of a minivan said “RUNNR.”

    In a Facebook post, Tom Karnatz wrote that he and his wife had big — and little — plans together.

    “We had plans together for big adventures,” he wrote. “And plans together for the mundane days in between. We had plans together with the boys. And we had plans together as empty nesters. We had plans together for growing old. … Now those plans are laid to waste.”

    Karnatz had completed the Boston Marathon four times, according to an obituary. She was a school psychologist before pausing to homeschool her three sons, which “brought her joy, purpose and fulfillment.”

    “She was fun, often tickled by quirky humor, and if she got going, would laugh until she cried,” the obituary said. ”She listened without judgment, provided wise advice when asked, and offered kind words and gentle reassurance to those around her. Her absence is profound in the hearts of friends and family.”

    MARY MARSHALL

    Marshall, 34, was killed while walking her dog Scruff and was planning to get married on Oct. 29, her sister told NBC News.

    “Her fiancé Rob, he was just the love of her life,” Meaghan McCrickard told NBC. “I think we’re going to still do a celebration of life, that’s the plan, for the date of the wedding.”

    “She’s got a friend coming from Japan, somebody coming from Florida, from Texas,” McCrickard said. “As excited as she was to be married, I know she was more excited to have all the people she loved the most at the same place at the same time.”

    When the shooting started, Marshall was walking Scruff on the Neuse River Greenway, her sister told NBC.

    “She had called her fiancé Rob and said, ‘I’m walking the dog, I’m hearing these gunshots, can you come home?’ And that was the last conversation that they had,” McCrickard said.

    In another interview with NBC, Marshall’s fiancé recalled what she had said over the phone: “I need you to come home right now — immediately. Scruff (our dog) has slipped his collar, and I just heard gunshots.”

    Marshall went after Scruff. Robert Steele rushed home. When he got there, a detective was outside.

    “He started asking about tattoos that Mary has,” Steele said through tears, while holding the wedding band he planned to give her. “We knew she was gone.”

    Marshall’s step-grandmother, Donna Marshall, told the Raleigh News & Observer that Mary Marshall had served in the Navy and attended culinary school before moving back to the Raleigh area three years ago.

    “She loved to go to the beach, and she was an absolute fanatic about Disney World,” Donna Marshall told the newspaper.

    Scruff had effectively chosen Marshall as his owner when he sat on her lap at an animal shelter, her step-grandmother said.

    “It’s going to be extremely difficult for her mom and dad and her sister and her close family,” Donna Marshall said. “It’s just going to be awful.”

    GABRIEL TORRES

    Torres, 29, was on his way to work when he was fatally shot in the Hedingham neighborhood, police said. Raleigh Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said Torres was not in uniform or in his patrol car at the time of the shooting, according to the News & Observer.

    Torres leaves behind a wife and child, the chief said. Torres was on the job for 18 months. Before that, he served as a U.S. Marine at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville.

    “We ask all of you to please pray and keep in your thoughts Officer Torres and the other victims of this senseless act of evil,” the Raleigh Police Protective Association, an advocacy group for officers, said on Facebook.

    Back the Blue NC, a nonprofit that advocates for law enforcement officials, launched a fundraiser for Torres’ family through GoFundMe. It had raised $88,000 as of Monday morning.

    JAMES THOMPSON

    Thompson, 16, was a junior at Knightdale High School in Raleigh, according to a statement from Principal Keith Richardson.

    “It is an unexpected loss and we are saddened by it,” Richardson said. “Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to James’ family, the other victims, their families and all who have been impacted.”

    The school board chair and superintendent of the Wake County Public School System issued a statement that said they are “shocked, saddened and broken-hearted.”

    “Our hearts go out to the victims’ loved ones, and our community continues to seek answers around this tragedy and solutions to prevent such unspeakable events in the future,” the statement said.

    ———

    Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

    ———

    Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.

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  • Busch debuts non-alcoholic ‘Turkey Brew’ for dogs | CNN Business

    Busch debuts non-alcoholic ‘Turkey Brew’ for dogs | CNN Business

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    CNN
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    Crack open a cold one this Thanksgiving – for your dog.

    Just in time for the winter holidays, Busch Beer has debuted a limited-edition turkey-flavored “dog brew.”

    That’ll give Fido something to be thankful for!

    But don’t worry, it won’t make your furry friend suspiciously merry. The canine beverage is non-alcoholic, according to Busch, and consists of turkey, sweet potato, sweet basil, peppermint leaves, turmeric, ginger and water.

    Four-packs of the seasonal beverage are available for sale on Busch’s website for $15.

    This isn’t the first time Missouri-based Busch has experimented with suds for man’s best friend. In 2020, the company released its first-ever “dog brew,” which sold out within 24 hours, according to a statement.

    “Our fans’ reaction to Busch Dog Brew’s release in 2020 inspired us to keep the momentum going and release our newest flavor for pups to enjoy just in time for the holidays,” said Krystyn Stowe, Anheuser-Busch’s head of marketing, in the statement.

    No word yet on whether Busch is considering a pumpkin spice brew for doggos next Fall.

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  • Raleigh shooting rampage shatters quiet neighborhood’s peace

    Raleigh shooting rampage shatters quiet neighborhood’s peace

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — For Hedingham resident Marvin Judd, Nicole Connors and her beloved wire-haired dog, Sami, were as much a fixture of his routine as his daily drive to get an egg-and-cheese biscuit for breakfast.

    “I’d see her walking that dog,” said Judd, 76, who’s lived in the densely developed neighborhood in Raleigh’s eastern outskirts for 20 years. “And I’d stop and talk to her on my way out and on my way back in.”

    Judd would talk to the human resources specialist “about the Lord.” When she had microsurgery on her left shoulder, he offered the 52-year-old former Catholic schoolgirl spiritual comfort.

    “I would tell her that God is going to heal her,” he said.

    Connors recently told Judd she was almost finished with rehabilitation. And, then, she was gone — and the peace of Hedingham was shattered.

    Police say a 15-year-old boy — dressed in camouflage and armed with a shotgun, according to 911 callers — turned the gently curving streets of Hedingham and the riverside greenway beyond into a killing zone. When the shooting was over Thursday, five people, including Connors, were dead.

    Sami, short for Samantha, was found dead at Connors’ feet.

    Although police have not identified the shooter, who was captured hours after the attacks and was hospitalized in critical condition for unknown reasons, neighbors say they believe he lived in Hedingham.

    “It’s close to home,” said Joshua Phillips, who would often join Connors on walks with his pit bull, Buddy.

    Hedingham is much like most American neighborhoods. You may not know the name of every person on your block, but people greet each other across driveways and can always find something to chat about.

    But Phillips said Thursday’s slaughter was a “wake-up call.”

    “Letting you know how real it is, where everything’s at right now. And, I mean, you can’t let your guard down, that’s for sure,” Phillips said Friday, as police finished processing two crime scenes just around the corner. “I mean, now you walk with a bit of caution. You don’t know what’s going on, who’s into what.”

    The sprawling 18-hole course at Hedingham Golf Club serves as a grand gateway to the community along its southwest border. Now, the brick ledges lining its entrance — each read HEDINGHAM in gilded block letters — are piled high with flower bouquets and candles, the state flag flying at half-staff beside the makeshift memorial.

    Volunteers passed out free meals across the street from the golf club entrance Friday evening while counselors and a golden retriever in a blue therapy dog vest greeted the grieving community.

    With its golf course, lake and community swimming pool, the sprawling neighborhood of single-family and townhomes is a relatively affordable oasis in a booming real estate market. Banana trees, azaleas and rhododendron bushes adorn neat lawns, many dotted with pumpkins, ghosts and other Halloween decorations.

    The community had planned a fall festival, but gathered late Saturday afternoon instead for a vigil to remember those lost. A memorial adorned with flowers displayed photos of the five who were killed. Their names and the names of two others who were wounded were read aloud. The crowd prayed for healing, lit candles and a group from a nearby church sang “Amazing Grace.”

    Allison and Braden Greenawalt moved to Hedingham in 2019 shortly before the pandemic started. Even as COVID-19 forced people to stay closer to home, she found support from her new friends. It was that network of support she clung to on Thursday night.

    The couple’s townhouse is just a few doors down from the home of Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, one of those killed. As officers gathered evidence from Torres’ bullet-riddled car, Allison Greenawalt checked a community Facebook group for updates.

    “It’s been a very warm community for people who support each other,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks as blue and white police flashers lit the night. “We are a group of people who care about each other and stick together.”

    One of the neighborhood’s treasures is the Neuse River Greenway, a bicycle and walking trail that snakes along behind the Greenawalts’ home. At least two of the victims were found there, according to 911 calls.

    As she walked the greenway Friday afternoon, Sara Cutter, 31, said she sensed “a lingering sadness over Raleigh.”

    Nature walks are a regular component of her self-care routine, she said.

    “It’s one of the better places to feel like you’re in nature in the city,” Cutter, a salesperson, said as she walked the path with a friend. “It’s tucked away with trees in a lot of spots. Kind of makes you forget you’re in the city for a moment.”

    That atmosphere of quietude was all the more important as she processes this tragedy in her hometown.

    “I’ve seen some somber faces while I’ve been out walking today,” she said. “But it’s also been good to see people out. The community — that’s what will get us through.”

    Despite the tragedy, Cutter said she intends to keep using the trail. But, she added, “I’ll probably never go alone again.”

    Tracey Howard said he and Connors, his wife of five years, had always felt safe in Hedingham.

    The couple, who met on Facebook, have been renting their two-story home for about four years. But they were planning on looking for a new home after the New Year.

    “Something on the outskirts of Raleigh,” the truck driver said. “Something with more of a yard.”

    After what happened, he knows he can’t stay in Hedingham.

    “How can I?” he said.

    Judd said Connors’ death leaves a gaping hole in the community, and his heart.

    “She was a sweet person,” he said. “She had a good heart. And she was always kind and gentle to everybody she met. She didn’t meet strangers. Everybody was a friend.”

    But Allison Greenawalt still finds beauty in the place.

    “The calmness is a little broken,” she said. “And I know that while we might be a little shaken right now, we’ll grow back stronger than ever.”

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  • Seattle’s famous bus-riding dog Eclipse has died | CNN

    Seattle’s famous bus-riding dog Eclipse has died | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Eclipse, the dog who became famous in Seattle and worldwide for her solo bus rides to the dog park, has died, according to her owner.

    The black labrador-bull mastiff mix became well-known in Seattle after she learned to take the bus to the dog park even without her owner.

    She died in her sleep on Friday morning, according to a Facebook post on the account run by her owner, Jeff Young. A previous post told fans that Eclipse had been diagnosed with cancerous tumors. She was 10 years old, according to the Facebook account.

    King County Metro, which provides public transportation in Seattle, posted a heart-warming ode to Eclipse on Twitter on Friday.

    “Eclipse was a super sweet, world-famous, bus riding dog and true Seattle icon,” said the official metro Twitter account. “You brought joy and happiness to everyone and showed us all that good dogs belong on the bus.”

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  • NC shooting claims mom, veteran, matriarch, officer and teen

    NC shooting claims mom, veteran, matriarch, officer and teen

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    RALEIGH, North Carolina — An avid runner and the mother of three boys. A woman who was the “rock” of her family and knew everyone in the neighborhood. A Navy veteran whose wedding was two weeks away.

    These were among the victims of a shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, that claimed five lives and wounded two others.

    The calm order of the day was shattered around 5 p.m., police say, when a 15-year-old boy opened fire, killing a total of five people in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood and along the nearby Neuse River Greenway. Another of those slain was a police officer who was headed off to work in North Carolina’s capital.

    Another Raleigh police officer also was wounded as well as a woman who remained in critical condition on Friday.

    Among the dead were:

    NICOLE CONNORS

    Connors, 52, was the matriarch of her extended family, the one who “got things done,” her husband Tracey Howard told The Associated Press.

    When her father died, she was the one who went to Veterans Affairs to straighten things out — using “choice words” — to ensure he was buried in a veterans cemetery, Howard said. She also left her job in human resources to care for her mother after she had a stroke.

    “Anything that had to be done, she was going to do it,” Howard said. “And she was going to make sure it was done right.”

    Connors and her husband liked to get out of the house and explore Raleigh’s restaurant scene. They had tickets for the next Black Panther film, coming out in November, and planned to go to the North Carolina State Fair this weekend.

    Late Thursday afternoon, Howard left the house to get food for lunch — he works the third shift — and to buy a lightbulb for the porch. Connors had taken a friend to Red Lobster to celebrate her friend’s birthday before coming home.

    “She couldn’t have been home more than five or 10 minutes before this happened,” Howard said.

    Connors and a neighbor, who was still in critical condition on Friday, were shot, Howard said.

    “Her friend was more or less by the driveway like she was about to go home or was on her way home, and my wife was on the porch,” Howard said.

    Howard is left to wonder what motivated the shooting.

    “It is just a senseless killing,” he said. “People outside enjoying the weather, talking. Next thing you know they’re gone. It’s just stupid. It’s senseless.”

    Connors’ neighbors said she was always friendly while walking her Jack Russell terrier, Sami.

    “All these shootings right now are all coming from kids that are under 19 years old,” said neighbor Joshua Phillips. They “have no business owning a gun, period. And you can’t blame the law-abiding citizens on that.”

    Marvin Judd said Connors was a “sweet person” with a “good heart.”

    “And she was always kind and gentle to everybody she met,” Judd said. “She didn’t meet strangers. Everybody was a friend to her.”

    Judd added: “This didn’t have to happen. But people don’t realize. Satan is loose up on the Earth. And he’s taking out as many victims as he can.”

    SUSAN KARNATZ

    Her husband, Tom Karnatz, told the AP that she “was a very loving wife and amazing mother to our three sons. We’re absolutely heartbroken and miss her dearly.”

    Karnatz, 49, was an avid runner who frequented the greenway where some of the shootings occurred. Two cars parked in the driveway had matching 26.2 stickers – marking the mileage of a marathon. The license plate of a minivan said “RUNNR.”

    In a Facebook post, Tom Karnatz wrote that he and his wife had big — and little — plans together.

    “We had plans together for big adventures,” he wrote. “And plans together for the mundane days in between. We had plans together with the boys. And we had plans together as empty nesters. We had plans together for growing old … Now those plans are laid to waste.”

    MARY MARSHALL

    Marshall, 34, was killed while walking her dog Scruff and was supposed to get married on Oct. 29, her sister told NBC News.

    “Her fiancé Rob, he was just the love of her life,” Meaghan McCrickard told NBC. “I think we’re going to still do a celebration of life, that’s the plan, for the date of the wedding.”

    “She’s got a friend coming from Japan, somebody coming from Florida, from Texas,” McCrickard said. “As excited as she was to be married, I know she was more excited to have all the people she loved the most at the same place at the same time.”

    When the shooting started, Marshall was walking Scruff on the Neuse River Greenway, her sister told NBC.

    “She had called her fiancé Rob and said, ‘I’m walking the dog, I’m hearing these gunshots, can you come home?’ And that was the last conversation that they had,” McCrickard said.

    Marshall’s step-grandmother, Donna Marshall, told the Raleigh News & Observer that Mary had served in the Navy and attended culinary school before moving back to the Raleigh area three years ago.

    “She loved to go to the beach, and she was an absolute fanatic about Disney World,” Donna Marshall told the newspaper.

    Scruff had effectively chosen Marshall as his owner when he sat on her lap at an animal shelter, her step-grandmother said.

    “It’s going to be extremely difficult for her mom and dad and her sister and her close family,” Donna Marshall said. “It’s just going to be awful.”

    GABRIEL TORRES

    Torres, 29, was on his way to work when he was fatally shot in the Hedingham neighborhood, police said. Raleigh Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said Torres was not in uniform or in his patrol car at the time of the shooting, according to the News & Observer.

    Torres leaves behind a wife and child, the chief said. Torres was on the job for 18 months. Before that, he served as a U.S. Marine at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville.

    The Raleigh Police Protective Association, an advocacy group for officers, said in a statement on Friday that it’s “in the process of setting up fundraising efforts that are approved and authorized by the family.”

    “We ask all of you to please pray and keep in your thoughts Officer Torres and the other victims of this senseless act of evil,” the organization said on Facebook.

    JAMES THOMPSON

    Thompson, 16, was a junior at Knightdale High School in Raleigh, according to a statement from Principal Keith Richardson.

    “It is an unexpected loss and we are saddened by it,” Richardson said. “Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to James’ family, the other victims, their families and all who have been impacted by yesterday’s events.”

    The school board chair and superintendent of the Wake County Public School System issued a statement that said they are “shocked, saddened and broken-hearted.”

    “Our hearts go out to the victims’ loved ones, and our community continues to seek answers around this tragedy and solutions to prevent such unspeakable events in the future,” the statement said.

    ———

    Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

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  • Sheriff: Dogs attack family in Tennessee, 2 children killed

    Sheriff: Dogs attack family in Tennessee, 2 children killed

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    MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two young children were killed and their mother was hospitalized after two family dogs attacked them at their home in Tennessee, officials said.

    The dogs attacked a 2-year-old girl, a 5-month-old boy and their mother Wednesday afternoon in the home located north of Memphis near Shelby Forest State Park, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet.

    The children were pronounced dead at the scene and their mother was taken to a Memphis hospital in critical condition.

    The investigation remains active. No further information was immediately released.

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  • Amazon’s $999 dog-like robot is getting smarter | CNN Business

    Amazon’s $999 dog-like robot is getting smarter | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Amazon on Wednesday unveiled a collection of product updates that tie together its vast suite of services and help ensure it remains at the center of peoples’ lives and homes.

    Nearly a year after Amazon

    (AMZN)
    was met with criticism over its controversial vision for the future of home security, the company is doubling down on new features for Astro, its dog-like robot, to help it better patrol the household when the owners are away. Amazon

    (AMZN)
    also announced a new sleep-tracking device as well as an updated Alexa-powered Fire TV that knows when you’re in the room, among a number of other products.

    The new updates, announced at an invite-only press event, come a week after the company introduced four new Fire HD 8 tablet models and appear aimed at drumming up excitement for its products ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season.

    Amazon, like other tech companies, must convince customers to upgrade or buy new gadgets at a time when fears are mounting about a possible global recession. At the same time, Amazon must also confront shifting comfort levels with its growing reach into the lives of consumers and how closely its household products may be tracking them.

    Last month, Amazon agreed to buy iRobot, the company behind the popular automated Roomba vacuums, in a $1.7 billion deal that quickly raised concerns. The Federal Trade Commission is now probing the deal after more than two dozen groups wrote to the agency alleging the acquisition could help Amazon “entrench their monopoly power in the digital economy.”

    Amazon did not mention the Roomba at Wednesday’s event, but Amazon clearly remains committed to investing to make every home a little more of an Amazon home.

    Here’s a look at what the company announced:

    Amazon is rolling out its first major software update to Astro, an autonomous 20-pound dog-like robot with large, cartoon-y eyes on its tablet face, and a cup holder. The robot – not unlike an Alexa on wheels – uses voice-recognition software, cameras, artificial intelligence, mapping technology and voice- and face-recognition sensors as it zooms from room to room, capturing live video and learning your habits.

    Soon Astro will be able to detect cats and dogs in the home, take short video clips of what they’re up to when owners aren’t around and watch and talk to them in real time. Amazon is also adding the ability to monitor if windows or doors are left open, building on what the company said users have been already doing, such as checking to see if the stove was left on.

    Amazon is also opening Astro up to the developer community by offering tools that enable them to build software or specific commands for the robotic pup. And Astro will now work with a real-time subscription service from Amazon’s smart-doorbell company, Ring, to provide security monitoring to small and medium-sized businesses.

    The company emphasized that Astro was conceived with security and privacy as a priority, with data processed on the device itself and the ability to restrict where Astro can go in the home.

    Astro is currently available for $999, which includes a six-month free trial of Ring Protect Pro. (Pricing will later jump to $1,499.)

    Amazon unveiled a new series of Fire TV Omni QLED models – the first Fire TV to ship with Dolby Vision IQ.

    Through adaptive technology, the 4K TVs know when you walk into a room and leave, so it can save on power and turn off when needed. It also features a gallery of 1,500 curated pictures that can be displayed when not in use – a concept similar to Samsung’s existing Frame TVs.

    Its deeper integration with Alexa could be a true standout: with its built-in microphones, users can access widgets such as sticky notes, the calendar, the weather or dim the lights by talking directly to the TV. A 65-inch model costs $799 and 75-inch version costs $1,099.

    Amazon is also rolling out a premium remote, called Alexa Voice Remote Pro, that includes a feature to make it easier to find when the remote gets misplaced.

    Amazon is expanding its suite of Halo wellness products beyond wearables into sleep tracking. The new Halo Rise sits on the nightstand and monitors the sleeping and breathing patterns of the person closest. It also tracks humidity and light in the room, and presents a natural light to wake up to as an alternative to an alarm.

    The device, which uses sensor tech and machine learning to approach sleep, works even if the person is turned in the other direction, or covered in pillows and blankets, as it can detect micro-movements, according to the company.

    Amazon said it developed the product to offer consumers more choices around sleep tracking, noting many people don’t like sleeping with a wearable device and that batteries often turn off mid-sleep cycle.

    Halo Rise is $139.99 and includes a six-month Halo membership, which provides workouts, insights and tools for health tracking.

    Fifteen years after launching the Kindle, Amazon is introducing a higher-end version that also serves as a writing device.

    With a 10.2-inch HD display and its first-ever Kindle pen, the Kindle Scribe allows users to write to-do lists, journal entries and review documents imported from their phone. Amazon said it will partner with Microsoft to support its suite of products on the Kindle Scribe early next year.

    Kindle Scribe

    The new Kindle supports USB-C charging and has a battery designed to last for months. The device starts at $339 with a pen and 16 GB of storage and costs $369 for a premium pen and 32 GB. (The company did not go into specifics on the premium pen.) In comparison, a basic Kindle starts at $99, while its higher-end Kindle Oasis is $249.

    Amazon updated its Echo Dot speaker lineup. The new devices feature twice the bass, updated processors and can serve as a Wi-Fi extender for the company’s Eero mesh system. Amazon is also rolling out a software update to its high-end Echo Studio speaker to include new spatial audio processing and improve sound quality. The speaker, which is $199, now comes in white.

    The company is also taking another shot at getting Alexa into the car. Its Echo Auto device ($54.99) is now smaller, sleeker and can be more easily mounted in a vehicle. The gadget is intended to let users send hands-free messages, listen to music and podcasts, access navigation and seamlessly sift from the car to another device when you get home.

    Amazon also announced a number of software updates coming to its existing Echo Show 15, a device the company said is especially popular in the kitchen.

    The upgrade includes free access to Fire TV and a much more personal Alexa. The voice assistant can now rattle off a morning routine for each person in the home, including providing calendar updates, playing specific music and highlighting traffic reports for commuters.

    Other new features include receiving alerts for weather forecast changes; the ability to record video messages that can be displayed on the Echo Show screen or via the Alexa app; asking Alexa to dim the lights up to 24 hours in the future; and receiving updates about when a Whole Foods Market curbside pickup order is ready. The updates will roll out in the coming months.

    The Echo Show is also getting an interactive storytelling feature that lets kids pick from a handful of themes, such as an undersea or outer space adventure, and characters like an octopus or an astronaut, to create a story that is immediately animated on the gadget’s display and told by Alexa. The story is generated using a number of AI models that determine elements including the script and music, making it different each time.

    “Amazon has invested in embedding more intelligence in its Alexa devices for awhile now and the ability to extend that capability into greater system-wide intelligence is significant,” said Jonathan Collins, a research director at market research firm ABI Research. “New functionality, including its Routines feature, could help make Amazon smart home systems more intelligent, responsive and helpful, and more tightly integrated with other Amazon offerings from grocery shopping and beyond.”

    CNN Business’ Rachel Metz contributed to this report

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  • What They Aren’t Telling You About Hypoallergenic Dogs

    What They Aren’t Telling You About Hypoallergenic Dogs

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    As someone with dog allergies who nevertheless has been around many dogs as a trainer, a fosterer, and an owner, Candice has learned not to trust the promise of a “hypoallergenic” dog. She’s met low-shedding, hypoallergenic poodles and Portuguese water dogs that supposedly shouldn’t trigger her allergies yet very much did. But she has also met fluffy, longhaired breeds such as huskies and spitzes that set off nary a sneeze. “I’ve had more misery with short-haired dogs,” she told me. That includes her own Belgian Malinois, Fiore, with whom her symptoms got so bad that she started allergy shots. Fiore’s equally furry full sister Fernando, though? Totally fine. No reaction!

    Candice—whose last name I’m not using for medical-privacy reasons—is not alone in discerning no rhyme or reason to which dogs she’s allergic to. In studies, scientists have found no difference in how much of the dog allergen Can f 1 is present in homes with hypoallergenic versus non-hypoallergenic breeds. One study found no difference in the amount of allergen on the fur of different dogs either. Another actually found more allergen on the fur of hypoallergenic breeds. Hypoallergenic doesn’t seem to mean much at all.

    “There’s really, truly no completely, 100 percent hypoallergenic dog. Even hairless dogs can make the allergen,” says John James, a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. “It’s really a marketing term,” says David Stukus, an allergist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of AAFA’s Medical Scientific Council. When I asked several allergists around the country if perplexed owners ever come in allergic to their expensive, supposedly hypoallergenic dog, their answers were unequivocal: “All the time.” One of the biggest sources of misinformation on this topic is, in fact, a former U.S. president. “When President Obama was in office, they allegedly had a hypoallergenic dog because their daughter had allergies, and that didn’t help matters,” Stukus told me, referring to the Obamas’ first Portuguese water dog, Bo. “Everybody got Portuguese water dogs.”  And—surprise—they can still cause allergies.

    Technically, hypoallergenic means that a dog is less likely to cause allergies, not that it never causes allergies, though this distinction is often lost in colloquial use. But even then, there is no such thing as a consistently hypoallergenic breed. That’s because, although breeds that shed less fur or hair are commonly considered hypoallergenic, the fur or hair itself is not what causes allergies. Rather, it is proteins present in the dander, or small flakes of skin, or saliva. All dogs make these proteins, and all dogs have skin and saliva.

    It is true, though, that a person might find one dog less allergenic than another. The studies that couldn’t find a clear pattern of lower allergens in hypoallergenic breeds did find differences among individual dogs of the same breed. And a smaller dog is generally going to shed less dander than a big one. On size alone, “it does make sense that a chihuahua is less problematic than a Great Dane,” says Richard Lockey, an allergist at the University of South Florida. Dogs also make a whole suite of proteins that can cause allergies. The best known is Can f 1, although there are seven others. Some people might be more allergic to one of these proteins than another; some dogs might make more of one of these proteins than another. Whether a particular human actually ends up allergic to a particular dog depends on these details—and can’t be predicted from the breed alone. For this reason, doctors recommend that anyone with allergies spend time with a specific dog before taking it home. “I literally say, ‘Have your child hug them, rub their face on them.’ If nothing happens, that’s a good sign,” Stukus said.

    People who are allergic can also develop tolerance to a specific dog over time. Candice, for example, eventually developed a tolerance to her German-shepherd mix, Tesla, despite getting all watery-eyed and sneezy at first. In addition, allergy shots, also called immunotherapy, can help people build up tolerance by gradually increasing exposure to an allergen; Candice eventually resorted to them with Fiore. The inverse of this principle explains the Thanksgiving effect, where people who leave for college come home suddenly allergic to their childhood pet after not being exposed for a long time.

    Nasal steroid sprays and antihistamines such as Claritin and Allegra, which are available over the counter, can also be used to manage allergies these days. That wasn’t always the case, recalls Lockey, who began practicing medicine in the 1960s. Back then, there weren’t good medications for controlling allergies, and he would just tell patients to keep their pets outdoors. “That just doesn’t go anymore,” he told me. Now few dogs are kept exclusively outdoors, especially in cities. They sleep in our homes and even our beds. As dogs have become physically enmeshed in our lives, dog allergies can no longer be as easily ignored as when the animals lived outside.

    The myth of an allergy-free dog persists, though, and Stukus often sees this frustration play out in families with allergic kids. “This is the point that I hear all the time from families: It’s the grandparents,” he told me. Parents might quickly discover that their kids are allergic to “hypoallergenic” dogs. But grandparents, eager for their grandkids to visit, push back because their expensive pet is supposed to be hypoallergenic—“The Obamas had the same dog. It’s fine!”—only for the kids to end up coughing and miserable. He keeps hearing the same lament. “They just don’t understand,” the parents tell him, “that there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.”

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    Sarah Zhang

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  • Rescue Village Announces Top Sponsors and Entertainment for the 29th Annual Woofstock Event

    Rescue Village Announces Top Sponsors and Entertainment for the 29th Annual Woofstock Event

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    Press Release


    Aug 1, 2022

    Rescue Village’s sponsors have contributed more than $65,000 in support of Woofstock, to be held on Sept. 11, 2022, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field.

    Woofstock is a popular dog festival that features music, food, drinks, vendors, and contests for thousands of dogs and their people, all in support of Rescue Village’s lifesaving work. Woofstock also gives people a chance to help Rescue Village’s homeless animals by signing up for the Woofstock Ramble, a fundraising walk/dog parade, or purchasing the popular tie-dyed Woofstock T-shirt, designed every year by cartoonist Jenny Campbell.  

    AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management is the 2022 Woofstock Presenting Sponsor. In addition to providing exceptional maintenance for lakes, ponds, fountains, and more, Chardon, Ohio, based AQUA DOC, is focused on connecting with their community and giving back wherever they can.

    “We are thrilled that AQUA DOC is the 2022 Woofstock Presenting Sponsor,” said Kenneth Clarke, Rescue Village’s Executive Director. “AQUA DOC is an industry leader, and their support of Rescue Village means a great deal.” 

    “Top Dog” Woofstock sponsors include DogWatch Hidden Fences of Cleveland, Solon Manufacturing, and the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation. DogWatch provides premium hidden fence solutions for its customers.  Solon Manufacturing is the manufacturer of Belleville springs and washers that are used worldwide. The Wenk Family Charitable Foundation provides support for children and animals to promote education and emotional needs for their benefit and growth. 

    “Best in Show” Woofstock sponsors include CG Accounting and Terra Blue Title Agency. Onyx Creative is a “True Companion” sponsor. 

    “We are also grateful that FOX 8 is our Broadcast Media Sponsor this year, as well as the support of WKKY 104.7 FM to help get the word out,” said Clarke.

    Headlining the main stage is The Liverpool Lads, Northern Ohio’s favorite Beatles Tribute Band, who will capture the essence of Woofstock’s groovy vibe. Also on the main stage is Cleveland’s It’s Just Us! band. 

    Press Contact: Lisa Ishee: 440-338-4819; lishee@rescuevillage.org

    Get the latest Woofstock event information by visiting www.woofstock.fun

    About Rescue Village

    Founded in 1974, Rescue Village, also known as the Geauga County Humane Society, Inc., is an animal shelter for homeless cats, dogs, small creatures, and domesticated barn animals that includes a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic and a law enforcement unit dedicated to upholding Ohio’s animal anti-cruelty laws. Rescue Village operates out of a 19,000 sq. ft. facility and serves the Cleveland area’s eastern suburban and rural communities.  

    Source: Rescue Village

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Dog Behavior Training Program

    Austin Pets Alive! | Dog Behavior Training Program

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    Check out the amazing work our Dog Behavior Team does working with our dogs so they have the skills they need to thrive in a home! 

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Heat Help Needed Now

    Austin Pets Alive! | Heat Help Needed Now

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    Jul 11, 2022

    Emergency Fosters

    With temperatures soaring to ranges of 105-110 degrees and the possibility of rolling blackouts, our shelter is at great risk of losing power and we need your help! We’re calling on members of our community to foster a dog or cat for a minimum of 1 week starting now. Temperatures this high severely strain our facility making conditions dangerous for the most vulnerable animals in our care, even with our hot weather protocols in place. Willing to help?

    Come to our Town Lake Center location today or tomorrow between noon and 6 p.m. to let us know if you can foster a dog or cat. No need to fill out paperwork in advance. We are also facilitating adoptions at this time. Not able to foster or adopt at this time? Please help us get the word out to others by sharing this post or tagging a friend.

    Protection for Community Pets

    As we continue through the Texas summer, we want to help keep your dogs safe too. Temperatures this high are dangerous for you, and even more dangerous for your dogs because they are 10 times more likely to die of heatstroke than people.

    Limit outdoor activity for your dog and watch for the signs of heatstroke. We’ve put together some heat safety tips for you. Click here and share! 

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  • Rescue Village’s 29th Annual Woofstock Dog Festival to Be Held Sept. 11, 2022

    Rescue Village’s 29th Annual Woofstock Dog Festival to Be Held Sept. 11, 2022

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    Press Release


    Jul 7, 2022

    Rescue Village’s 29th annual Woofstock Dog Festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, from 10-4 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  

    Woofstock, a festival for animal lovers and their dogs, is a family-friendly day of music, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, and games and contests for people and their dogs, all for a good cause. A Woofstock favorite is the Lure Courses, donated and operated by SwiftPaws (as seen on Shark Tank), and includes a dog photo package. Adoptable dogs, activities for kids, and much more make Woofstock a one-of-a-kind, iconic annual event. More than 3,500 people and 2,500 dogs attended 2021 Woofstock, helping raise $120,000 towards Rescue Village’s mission, and the humane society hopes to grow even more in 2022.   

    Only one dog can be the alpha of Woofstock’s 2,000 dog pack, and this year’s inaugural Woofstock Alpha Dog is a Rescue Village Alumni named Cole.  Cole is a Boxer/Pitbull/Labrador mix who was adopted from Rescue Village in 2019 when he was 3 ½ years. Before his new family adopted Cole, he bounced around shelters because he feared other dogs and suffered much kennel stress. 

    Cole is now a cartoon celebrity thanks to Rescue Village’s cartoonist-in-residence Jenny Campbell. As befitting the alpha dog of northeast Ohio’s biggest dog festival, Cole has been drawn into the 2022 Woofstock logo. Other Cole cartoons will be used to promote the event and help represent the mission of Rescue Village. 

    In addition to a fun day spent outside with a canine best friend, Woofstock gives people a chance to help Rescue Village’s homeless animals get medical care and a loving family by participating in the Woofstock Ramble or by purchasing the popular annual Woofstock T-shirt.  

    The Ramble is a fundraising walk/parade that kicks off the festival at 10 a.m. Ramblers can fundraise as individuals or teams, with prizes going to the top fundraisers in several categories.  

    Learn more about Woofstock by visiting www.woofstock.fun

    About Rescue Village

    Founded in 1974, Rescue Village, also known as the Geauga County Humane Society, is an animal shelter for homeless cats, dogs, small creatures, and domesticated barn animals that includes a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic and a law enforcement unit dedicated to upholding Ohio’s animal anti-cruelty laws. Rescue Village operates out of a 19,000 sq. ft. facility and serves the Cleveland area’s eastern suburban and rural communities.  

    Press Contact: Lisa Ishee: 440-338-4819; lishee@rescuevillage.org

    Source: Rescue Village

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  • Brave Paws Offers Brand New Solution for Stressed-Out Dogs Suffering During Fireworks and Thunderstorms

    Brave Paws Offers Brand New Solution for Stressed-Out Dogs Suffering During Fireworks and Thunderstorms

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    Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables for Dogs: plant-based chewable offers calming support for everyday stress and anxiety in dogs, including noise phobia.

    Press Release


    Jun 23, 2022

    The team at Brave Paws™ knows that dogs are an important part of the family. Like any other member of the family, our furry friends experience nervousness and anxiety, especially during fireworks or thunderstorms. Since no one likes to see their pets in distress; this can be a stressful time for everyone.

    Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables for Dogs is a clinically studied and patented botanical that may help ease stress and anxiety in dogs. The plant-based chewables are made from a sustainably sourced blend containing naturally occurring compounds, including betulinic acid, which have been found to promote a sense of calm and relaxation in dogs. 

    Many things can cause anxiety in dogs, such as noise phobia, separation from their owner, or even the aging process. Noise phobia is one of the most common types of anxiety in dogs, affecting roughly 45% of canines. Loud random noises, such as thunderstorms and fireworks, can trigger dogs with noise phobia. For dog owners, the 4th of July celebrations come with more than just fun and games. Dogs with a fear of loud noises such as fireworks will spend the festivities in fear, with some in danger of harming themselves trying to escape the noise. 

    “Dogs suffer from anxiety just as much as we do, if not more. Our chewables offer a sustainably sourced, plant-based solution that may help ease anxiety from noise phobia, separation from their owner, and everyday stress,” says Mark Hill, CEO of AABEX Animal Health, the owner of the Brave Paws brand.

    “The active ingredients in Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables for Dogs, Souroubea Spp. and Platanus Spp., are supported by both clinical and safety studies,” says Dr. Shannon Gregoire, veterinarian, media personality, and editor of Pet Candy Magazine. “These chewables may help calm dogs through stressful events like fireworks shows and thunderstorms,” says Gregoire.

    Although both humans and dogs experience anxiety, dogs show it in different ways. These include panting, drooling, pacing, excessive barking, restlessness, and sometimes even aggressive or destructive behavior. Dogs can become anxious during thunderstorms, vet visits, road trips, loud noises, when the dog is separated from their owner, and—of course—during fireworks. That’s where Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables for Dogs comes in. For best results, the appropriate dose should be given to the dog 60 minutes before a stressful event, such as a storm or fireworks show. This product can be used daily, up to three times per day.

    Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables are formulated with a clinically-studied and patented blend. The active ingredients that make up the patented formula include: Souroubea, a genus of flowering plants used in Central American cultures for its calming properties; Platanus, used by Native Americans for its purifying properties; Betulinic acida pentacyclic triterpenoid with anxiolytic properties and Alpha- and beta-amyrin—triterpines with anxiolytic, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

    Brave Paws is also environmentally conscious and responsible with its sourcing and are made with plant-based ingredients that are sustainably sourced from the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica. Brave Paws partners with Coopecuna, a woman-led co-op in rural Costa Rica.

    Brave Paws Anxiety and Stress Support Chewables are available in bottles of 30 chewables for $29.99, and 3-packs with 90 chewables for $76.50 (a 15% discount off the list price). To order online, find more information on the brand and its story, or check out the science and behavior tips on their blog, visit www.mybravepaws.com, or on their Facebook or Instagram pages @mybravepaws.

    Press/Media Contact:

    Stacey Bender

    (973) 405-4600

    sbender@bendergrouppr.com

    Source: Brave Paws™

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Heat Safety Tips for Pets

    Austin Pets Alive! | Heat Safety Tips for Pets

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    May 14, 2022

    As we Austinites know, Texas summer heat is real – and sweltering hot.

    With most summer days reaching at least 90 degrees in Austin, Texas, Austin Pets Alive! is alerting pet owners to exercise caution on these brutally hot days. Temperatures like these can be very dangerous for pets, especially dogs, leading to dehydration and in some cases, death.

    As we ease into the summer months, be sure to follow these helpful pointers:

    • Check the pavement before going on a walk. Place your hand on it for 10 full seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them. Know the signs – lagging is the number one sign that your dog is too hot.
    • Water, water, water! Let your pet go for a swim in cool water and make sure they are staying hydrated. Getting your pet wet is the best way to speed up the cooling process.
    • Keep an eye on your pet’s tongue and eyes. Red eyes and a tongue hanging very far out of a dog’s mouth is an indication that they are overheating.
    • Limit outdoor activity. Take short walks in shaded areas or consider taking an evening stroll.
    • Do NOT leave your pet in the car, not even for a short period of time. Did you know that on a 95-degree day, your car is actually degrees?

    There are other summer heat tips that are less commonly heard about but are just as important such as supervising your pet in the pool. To avoid a dangerous situation, consider fencing off or covering your pool for when you aren’t home. Another tip to keep in mind is that when grooming your pet, avoid cutting their hair too short. Their fur helps combat sunburns and regulate body temperature. For these upcoming summer months, pet sunscreen is a great investment – we bet you didn’t know it was a thing!

    Dogs most susceptible to heatstroke are overweight dogs, dogs with long fur, short nose dogs, senior dogs, and those who have lung or breathing issues. It’s important to remember that dogs only sweat through their mouth, feet, and ears, which is why they suffer from heat exhaustion faster than humans. So, even though you may be tolerating the heat, your dog may be suffering.

    To help keep pet safety top of mind at a popular Austin-outdoor fave location, we’ve posted signage around the trail looping Lady Bird Lake. Thank you to Rocket Banners, a company that generously donated the print of these heat safety signs reminding trail-goers to keep their pets safe. Be on the lookout for those tips and warnings!

    Austin Pets Alive! wants to keep all pet lovers informed and our furry friends safe from the ravaging heat! Follow our friendly tips and refer back when needed for a fun, safe summer!

    We have an important PSA while we have your attention! While scooping the poop may not seem important, and at times pretty gross, it is crucial to the health and safety of our community. Just to put things into perspective, there are over 250,000 dogs in Austin, which in turn creates 150,000 pounds of poop per day. And now, more than ever before, we each have an obligation to care for, and look after, the health and safety of our neighbors and fellow Austinites. Click here to learn more!

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  • Wondercide Teams Up With Dog is My CoPilot, Austin Pets Alive! and Matt Beisner to Save 50+ At-Risk Pets, Flying Them to Safety

    Wondercide Teams Up With Dog is My CoPilot, Austin Pets Alive! and Matt Beisner to Save 50+ At-Risk Pets, Flying Them to Safety

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    Under-funded, over-crowded shelters rely on support from partners to avoid euthanasia

    Timed with National Pet Month, Austin-based Wondercide, the leader in safe and effective, plant-powered pest protection for pets, people, and homes, announces participation and funding of its second annual Texas-based pet rescue flight. Set to take off on May 10 from Austin, TX, brand partners Dog Is My CoPilot (DIMC), Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), Matt Beisner of “Dog: Impossible” on Disney+/NGW and rescue organizations in need have come together to save 50+ dogs and cats from euthanasia. 

    Dog Is My CoPilot is a national nonprofit that transports at-risk animals from overcrowded shelters to adoption centers in other geographic regions where loving fosters and adoptive families are waiting for them. DIMC was founded by Peter E. Rork, a retired orthopedic surgeon and lifelong pilot. To date, the organization has flown almost 22,000 pets to safety.

    According to the ASPCA, each year, approximately six million dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters, and about one million are euthanized due to overcrowded shelters, pet illness, and behavior issues such as aggression. Overcrowded and underfunded shelters turn to transport programs offered by organizations such as DIMC to get dogs and cats safely from kill shelters to no-kill rescue organizations that are dedicated to finding forever homes for these adoptable animals. The challenge is local funding for both transport to get the pets from rural rescues into a centralized location, as well as the cost of medical exams and certificates needed before pets can take flight, which most smaller shelters can’t afford. 

    Austin nonprofit Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), a nonprofit organization that pioneers comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save animals most at risk, offers neighboring rescues transportation assistance for adoptable pets as well as veterinarian services to provide the medical tests and vaccinations, such as rabies, required for pets to cross state lines. 

    “We estimate that approximately 150,000 pets are euthanized each year in Texas alone, but there is a national crisis,” said Clare Callison, Director of National Pet Supply & Demand at Austin Pets Alive! “Many organizations don’t even have the funding to pay for food for the animals, much less vet checks, tests, or flea-and-tick protection. No-kill rescue organizations have vet check requirements that must be met before receiving adoptable pets, so there’s a big need to find a way to make this care available. We saw the struggles our neighboring rescues were having and we knew we had to help to increase the rate of live outcomes for these pets who otherwise wouldn’t have much hope.”

    For the past two years, Wondercide pledged to donate a portion of sales from select promotions and holiday scent sampler boxes to Dog Is My CoPilot, and the non-profit is pleased to announce this year’s entire flight has again been made possible by Wondercide customers and this generous donation. 

    “We’ll continue to find ways to support the rescue community and the organizations that go to the end of the earth to save pets across the country,” said Stephanie Boone, Founder and CEO of Wondercide. “The volunteers at DIMC, APA!, and the underfunded shelters are shining examples of leading with Fierce Love®. These inspiring people are doing everything in their power and beyond to save pets and we couldn’t be more honored to be a small part of this big love.”

    In honor of the flight and National Pet Month, Wondercide is teaming up with certified professional dog trainer and star of the Disney+ show, “Dog: Impossible,” Matt Beisner (CPDT-KA), to provide helpful training tips for fosters and for new pet parents who adopt to ensure a happy outcome. Matt Beisner has spent his career dedicated to serving dogs like these whose behavioral issues are a typical response to the very environments they need to be rescued from.

    Beisner, an ambassador of the Texas Humane Network, is a supporter of the rescue community and has changed dangerous, fearful and confounding behaviors in dogs without relying on the use of fear, force, commands or control. “In each dog, as in each of us, there’s a possibility for transformation regardless of the life we’ve been given,” said Beisner. “It’s our duty to teach those once impossible dogs, scared dogs and dogs who have never been loved by humans, that we are here to protect them so they can thrive.”

    “We believe that collaboration is key to saving more lives and are humbled by the generosity of companies like Wondercide and APA! who share our mission to help protect as many pets as possible,” said Peter Rork, M.D., Chief Pilot and President of DIMC. “This rescue effort is a model for partnership and we hope it will inspire more people to work together for the greater good of our animal friends. These dogs think we’re saving them, but at the end of the day, they save us. They give us the chance to do good and help, to live with a greater purpose than ourselves.”

    The May 10 flight will save approximately 50 at-risk dogs and cats from all over West Texas. The flight departs Austin around 5:00 am CST and will make stops in Fort Collins, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, where rescue partners will usher the pets to their new, wonderful lives. 

    About Wondercide

    Founded in 2009 and as seen on Shark Tank in 2016, Wondercide is an Austin, TX, company on a mission to protect pets, people, and homes from pests like fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes with safe, plant-powered, proven-to-work solutions. The complete lineup of products is powered by natural essential oils. Wondercide is woman-founded, eco-conscious, and made in the USA. To date, they’ve protected 1.5 million families and counting! Wondercide is driven by Fierce Love® to help you Protect Your Pack® and is available for purchase on Wondercide.com, on Amazon.com, on Chewy.com, and at select pet-specialty retail stores nationwide. For more information, visit wondercide.com.

    About Dog Is My CoPilot

    Dog Is My CoPilot is a 501(c)3 that transports at-risk animals from overcrowded shelters to adoption centers in other geographic regions where loving families are waiting. Peter E. Rork, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and lifelong pilot, co-founded the organization in 2012 with the goal of saving as many animal lives as possible. Dog Is My CoPilot works collaboratively with city shelters, local animal welfare organizations and individuals in 15 western states to coordinate transports. The organization provides its air services at no cost to the shelters and adoption centers with whom they partner. Since its inception, Dog Is My CoPilot has helped save the lives of over 16,500 dogs and cats with our transport flights.

    About Austin Pets Alive!

    Austin Pets Alive! is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Austin Pets Alive! is focused on saving the healthy and treatable pets at risk of euthanasia at city shelters. Our mission is to promote and provide the resources, education and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. For more information, visit www.austinpetsalive.org.

    About Matt Beisner:

    Professional celebrity dog trainer, Matt Beisner (CPDT-KA) is the founder of THE ZEN DOG and star of the popular international show “Dog: Impossible” on Disney+ and National Geographic Wild. Matt has spent his career dedicated to serving dogs whose behavioral issues are a normal response to the very environments they need to be rescued from. Matt, an ambassador of the Texas Humane Network, is a supporter of the rescue community and has worked with dogs to help change their dangerous, fearful and confounding behaviors, without relying on fear, force, commands or control. Matt’s work deeply reflects his personal commitment to hope, something that every dog – and their human – deserve, no matter the mistakes they’ve made. He now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Brooklin, their son and daughter, and their four once “impossible” dogs.”

    Source: Wondercide

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Austin FC 2022 Mascots of the Match copy

    Austin Pets Alive! | Austin FC 2022 Mascots of the Match copy

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    Apr 13, 2022

    Since the inaugural season in 2021, Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! have partnered up to showcase eligible dogs as honorary Austin FC mascots at each regular-season home match.

    The first-of-its-kind partnership features APA! dogs through social media outreach and in-venue activations during each match at Q2 Stadium, all in support of Austin’s status as the country’s largest “no-kill” city and the promotion of APA!’s rescue, adoption, foster, and volunteerism efforts through this unique community platform. Last year, all 18 of the honorary mascots were adopted into loving homes, and many more will be adopted this year!

    February 26, 2022: Gavin – ADOPTED!

    Austin FC presented the first Honorary Mascot of the club’s second season: Gavin! Gavin is a sweet labrador retriever mix who arrived at Austin Pets Alive! after likely being hit by a car. Gavin’s jaw was reattached and his back legs were injured but that hasn’t stopped this friendly pup from now running around with his custom wheelchair.

    Gavin is one year old and loves other playful dogs just as much as he loves snuggling on the couch. Gavin is ready to be adopted from Austin Pets Alive! and go home with his new best friend.

    March 6, 2022: Kenneth – ADOPTED!

    We are thrilled to announce that the second Austin FC Honorary Mascot is Kenneth! Kenneth is a loveable three-year-old heartworm-positive dog who was looking for a loving home. If you are looking to meet the cuddliest couch potato, look no further than Kenneth (or Kenny as his fosters call him).

    Kenny is just one of the sweetest pups. Throughout the day, he’ll come up to his fosters, look up with his beautiful hazel eyes and quietly ask for petting. He loves attention from his humans but is also independent enough to wander off to somewhere on his own once he is satisfied.

    March 20, 2022: Rose – ADOPTED!

    Austin FC presents the latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Rose! This one-year-old playful and happy dog is ready to find her forever home. Rose was shot as a puppy and suffered a spinal injury. She doesn’t let that prevent her from running around any park or yard with her custom-built wheels.

    Rose gets along well with other dogs and cats. Her favorite thing to do is chase a tennis ball around and snuggle up with you!

    April 10, 2022: Lance – ADOPTED!

    Meet Austin FC’s latest Honorary Mascot from Austin Pets Alive!: Lance! Lance is a three-year-old lab mix who loves nothing more than to make himself comfortable in your lap. He is completely deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from playing just as well as the rest of the dogs!

    The Austin FC community really showed just how amazing and inclusive they are in their appreciation of Lance, with some of them even greeting him in sign language.

    April 23, 2022: RayRay – ADOPTED!

    The most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot, RayRay, was adopted!

    This sweet pup came to Austin Pets Alive! in 2019 after APD received a call that he was abandoned in a home (his previous family moved out and left him behind) – he was taken to Austin Animal Center and they called Austin Pets Alive!. RayRay went to an adoptive home but that owner returned RayRay when she had to move. In the past two months, RayRay has made appearances at SXSW and as the most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot. We are excited to announce that an Austinite named Amylynne met RayRay and adopted him! Amylynne says RayRay’s favorite things are “walks, sunbathing, napping, and cuddles!”

    This season, RayRay is the first Honorary Mascot to be adopted! Stay tuned to meet the next Austin FC Honorary Mascot on May 8th!

    May 8, 2022: Marla – ADOPTED!

    Marla is a major fan of people, and you’ll instantly become a major fan of hers! She enjoys her daily morning walks and loves to sniff everything she sees. But she especially wants to meet people. She’s curious about all the folks who walk by and wants to pull toward them to say hi. She’s excited to see one who’s already a friend, and she wants everyone to be her new buddy. She loves being near everyone and getting their attention – adults and children alike.

    May 22, 2022: Jaysus – ADOPTED!

    Jaysus is a smart, energetic pup who’s ready to please you. Jaysus is quite the gentleman. He is easygoing, fully house-trained, crate-trained and knows how to politely let you know what he needs.

    Jaysus is happy to stay quietly by his human’s side while they’re working from home or out in the yard. While his human is away, he is quite content to occupy himself with his toys or a nap and will patiently wait for them to return.

    He’s a true Austinite with a lot of enthusiasm and zest who loves his daily walks, playing hard at dog parks and going out on hiking trails. He falls head over heels in love with every human he meets. He just expects some praise and pets from everyone. In return, he smothers them with kisses and happy tail wags.

    June 25, 2022: Lunchbox- ADOPTED! TEST

    Introducing Lunchbox, a handsome 8-year-old Pit Bull Terrier mix who is ready to become your best friend! Lunchbox (nicknamed Boxy for his cute little tank-like body) is a sweet gentleman who has a playful side.

    Lunchbox is completely house-trained, does great on walks after his initial excitement, and if you give him a toy he will love to chew on it! After a few treats, he will go into his crate and sleep through the whole night like a baby.

    Lunchbox was in APAs! Canine Good citizen program and so far, he knows “sit,” “down,” “stay” and is making great progress on “crate” and “gentle.” He is very affectionate when new people visit and has the cutest “sploot” when he lies down! Lunchbox really loves his humans and loves to be around them as much as possible, so a family who is home
    more often, or willing to work with him to slowly get him familiar with being home alone, would be best!

    July 12, 2022: Banana Split – ADOPTED!

    If you’re looking for a devoted cuddle bunny, Banana Split is your girl! This very affectionate puppy will greet you by jumping up, hugging you and wrapping her paws around you. She loves to snuggle up with you, giving you kisses – and more hugs. In return, she hopes you’ll jiggle her paws, give her a little nose rub and lots of petting.

    Now in foster, Banana likes seeing other dogs on her walks, sniffing and wagging her tail excitedly. At home, she plays with her fosters’ two dogs. One is a grumpy old boy and she’s learning to respect his boundaries. This gentle girl also loves playing with her fosters’ 1- and 5-year-old kids and she’s gentle and polite to other kids she sees.
    Plus, she’s living with cats, interested in them but never aggressive.

    She’s improving her leash walks, strolling beside her foster mom and sometimes plopping down to sunbathe. At home, she loves to chew her toys and, being a puppy, she chews whatever she finds, including cords. Then she’s off to curl up for naps.

    This sweet, goofy girl already understands “sit and is learning about “down. She’s doing well in her crate, curling up for a nap and snoozing while her fosters are away. She’s very close to being house-trained. And she’s learning to fetch.

    This easy going girl will love a home with someone who’s there a lot and can curl up with her and give her those cuddles and pets she adores. And she’ll enjoy continuing her training. Come meet this adorable girl. She’s ready to warm your heart!

    July 24, 2022: Choppa – ADOPTED!

    This puppy was found in a laundry basket with his siblings – outside of an animal shelter. They tested positive for parvovirus and were sent to Austin Pets Alive! for lifesaving treatment in the Parvo Puppy ICU. Thanks to the love and care from the Parvo Puppy ICU, Choppa is now healthy and ready to spend many days with his new family!

    August 6, 2022: Effie – ADOPTED!

    Introducing Effie, a sweet, house-trained adorable young puppy. Effie
    is an absolute doll! She has a kind, sweet and gentle personality and
    loves belly rubs and snuggling. Every morning when her fosters go
    outside with her, she isn’t satisfied until she has said hello to her
    neighbors for scratches, belly rubs and a treat.

    Effie is smart and a quick learner who loves to please and show off
    her new skills. She loves running around with her friends but can be shy
    at first until she feels comfortable. Effie enjoys playing with a
    neighboring dog in the yard and dogs at the dog park. This means she can
    live in a house with other dogs.

    Her favorite activity is putting her paws around you and letting you
    know how much she loves you. She’s the total package: smart, funny,
    sweet and empathetic. A wonderful little puppy soul and personality who
    will make the best pet to her forever family.

    August 13, 2022: Isabelle – ADOPTED!

    Isabelle is a loving and playful girl who will give you kisses and
    snuggle with you on the couch. She will sit for treats if asked. All she
    wants to do is get love from her human.

    Isabelle loves meeting new people and will make sure they give her
    plenty of pets! Now in foster care, she behaves well when she’s home
    alone, just sitting on the couch and waiting for her foster parents to
    come back. She’s a house-trained girl who stands by the door to show she
    wants to go outside.

    This sweetie can be somewhat intimidated and aggressive with other
    dogs and cats, so she hopes to be the only pet in a home. Come meet this
    girl. Offer her a couch snuggle and she’ll follow you home!

    September 17, 2022: Dustin – ADOPTED!

    Dustin is a 3 and a half year old lab mix who has a hard time deciding what he wants to do most – go on long walks with you or give you all the kisses! This playful boy loves playing catch and running around for hours. Yet he’s also super content with taking naps! He’s wonderful with kids and he’s fully house-trained and can do well with roaming freely. Let’s get Dustin and all his friends out of the shelter and into homes!

    October 9, 2022: Sadie – ADOPTED!

    Sadie loves to play with her foster and the dogs, and also loves to chew bones and play tug-o-war with stuffed toys and ropes. Then she cuddles in her foster’s lap. She’s also living with cats and is super curious but doesn’t pay much attention to them. In a previous home, she also lived with kids and loved to play with them.

    Sadie is an active, adventurous and playful girl even though she’s in a wheelchair. She was hit by a car and now has little use of her back legs. In her wheelchair, she can run around outdoors and enjoys it. She doesn’t use a leash for her walks, but never leaves her person’s side. She’ll always want to be right next to you and your dogs on walks.

    At home, Sadie stays in her crate and does great when her foster is away, just excited to see her come back. She is almost house-trained and just needs to be carried outside and held up to potty. Back indoors, she loves being wrapped up in a soft blanket and cuddled in a lap.

    October 16, 2022 Listo and Verde – ADOPTED!

    Austin FC and Austin Pets Alive! Are excited to introduce you to not but one…but TWO HONORARY MASCOTS…Listo and Verde! These perfect sibling pups are one month old and had parvovirus when they arrived at Austin Pets Alive!…after being tested in the Parvo ICU. They are now healthy and ready to be adopted

    October 23, 2022: Alright Alright Alright & Wolffpack – ADOPTED!

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