Crazy about my labrador

21/12/2025

Dear doggy friends, Unfortunately our dear Nora has passed. Just before her 13th human-year birthday. Here are a few golden moments with her.

13/01/2025

Pets Who Are Exposed To Illegal Drugs In Their Own Homes Have Increased Since 2019, Study Finds
A new study finds that hundreds of pets in the US are being unintentionally poisoned by co***ne and m**hamphetamine by their owners in their own homes.

In the study, the researchers emphasized the crucial role that pets play in households, often providing comfort and emotional support, and how it is the humans’ responsibility to make sure they stay healthy.

“Considering the involvement of co***ne and m**hamphetamine in overdose deaths among humans in the US, this study examined trends in cat and dog exposures to these substances using data from a specialty animal poison control center,” the researchers wrote.

For this study, the researchers used secondary data from calls to the Pet Poison Helpline from 2019 to 2023.

New Africa / Shutterstock.com

According to the results, a total of 63 cats and 433 dogs were exposed to illegal drugs from 2019 to 2023.

And among those 63 cats, 65% (41 out of 63) were exposed to co***ne while 58% (250 out of 433) of the dogs were exposed to m**h.

While the study found no significant trends of m**h exposure for either cats or dogs from the data used, they saw a staggering increase in co***ne exposure.

“Animals are highly sensitive to the stimulatory and sympathomimetic effects of co***ne and m**hamphetamine,” the authors of the study wrote.

“Any degree of exposure should be considered concerning, as there is a high risk of toxicity and death, even with aggressive medical therapy.”

Furthermore, the researchers said that as this continue to “trend upward”, creating awareness and recognizing the potentially fatal effects on pets can help minimize the exposure to these drugs.

Symptoms of co***ne and m**h poisoning in dogs include hyperactivity, panting, vomiting, hypersalivation, dilated pupils, and seizures among many others.

Lort Smith Veterinary Hospital explains, “Cocaine causes stimulation of the central and sympathetic nervous systems, causing constriction of blood vessels, an increased heart rate (tachycardia), cardiac arrhythmias and high blood pressure.”


Nora's pics

09/01/2025

Longevity Drugs For Dogs Could Also Work For Humans, Researchers Say
Last year, a biotech company named Loyal revealed they were working on a drug that could extend our four-legged best friends’ lifespan, and today they’re planning to launch the medication early this year.

According to Loyal, they are confident that their anti-aging medicine, LOY-002, will be available on the market this year.

LOY-002 is one of the biotech’s company’s anti-aging medicine, which is a daily, beef-flavored pill specifically developed for dogs age 10 and older, weighing at least 14lb.

“We’re developing LOY-002 to support healthy aging in senior dogs of nearly every size,” Loyal reveals n their website. “The product is meant to target metabolic dysfunction, which may extend the number of healthy years your dog lives and support their quality of life as they age.”

The Guardian reports that Loyal has raised $125m in funding from companies who have held back from investing in human longevity projects due to the fact that trials would take decades.

However, founder and chief executive of Loyal, Celine Halioua, believes that their work on the anti-aging dog medication can also benefit humans in the future.

“Finding out how to prevent canine age-related decline is a really strong proxy for doing the same with humans because dogs get similar age-related diseases, and share our environments and habits in ways laboratory mice do not,” she said.

Halioua said that they’re not making immortal dogs. Instead, they are extending dog lifespan “by extending health and thus shortening the rate of ageing.”

Kazantseva Olga / Shutterstock.com

Similarly, a team of researchers for the Dog Aging Project are studying rapamycin at the University of Washington to slow down the ageing process of dogs, if given in low doses.

Rapamycin is a cheap and easily produced drug that is already commonly used as an immunosuppressant for humans after organ transplant operations.

The researchers believe that it can increase dogs’ lifespan by improving both their heart and cognitive functions by regulating cell growth and metabolism.

Daniel Promislow, a biogerontologist at the University of Washington and a co-director of the Dog Aging Project, said, “Our study is light years ahead of anything that’s been done on humans or can be done on humans. What we’re doing is the equivalent of a 40-year-long study on humans, testing the ability of a drug to increase healthy lifespan.”

While the drug is not officially approved for longevity use in humans, gerontologists believe that it has the potential to do so in the future.

Kate Creevy, co-founder and chief veterinary officer of the project, also tells The Guardian that studying spayed and unspayed dogs could also provide insights into pre- and post-menopausal women’s health.

Creezy explains, “We also have data on what age dogs have been spayed – which could cross over to the variation in age that women have their menopause – and data on why they were spayed, which could cross over to women who have had hysterectomies for medical reasons.”

Furthermore, Promislow hopes that when the project finally reports in four to five years’ time, rapamycin will have the power to give dogs an extra three years of healthy life in their lifespan.

Promislow said, “If we’re successful with dogs, it could be a turning point in informing us how to give human populations extra healthy lifespan too.”


Nora's pics

07/01/2025

Couple Banned From Owning Pets After Leaving A Dog To Suffer With A Large Burn On Body
A couple in the UK has been banned from owning and keeping pets after letting their dog suffer a large burn on its body caused by hot water.

BBC reports that when the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Somerset found the dog, named Missy, she was found to have a large untreated burn on the back of her body.

Jordan Allen and Paisley Farthing, Missy’s former owners, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering after Allen claimed that the pooch pulled over a cup of hot water while he was making a cup of tea.

RSPCA reveals that after the accident, the couple failed to seek veterinary care for Missy.

Instead, they took treatment advice from a friend, leaving the dog to suffer with “weeping, pus-filled wounds” covering not only her back, but also her shoulders and neck.

When vet saw Missy nine days later, her injuries were already well-established, having pus-like discharge, fur loss, and some dry scabbing.

According to the vet report, Missy’s scald pattern was “not consistent” with Allen’s explanation of the dog knocking over a mug of boiling hot water.

“In my opinion the needs of Missy were not met to the extent required by good practice due to the persons responsible for the welfare of this animal failing to seek prompt veterinary advice after becoming aware that the dog had been scalded by boiling water, thereby failing to protect this animal from pain and suffering,” the report explained.

Credit: RSPCA

Jordan Allen, 24, of no fixed abode, was given a 10-year ban from owning animals. Additionally, he was also sentenced to 16 weeks custody, suspended for 12 months, with a requirement to undertake 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days and 300 hours unpaid work.

Allen must also pay a £114 ($143 USD) victim surcharge and £500 ($627 USD) costs.

Meanwhile, Allen’s girlfriend, Paisley Farthing, 32, of Park Drive, Bruton, was disqualified from owning dogs for five years.

She was also sentenced to a 12 month community order with a requirement to undertake 20 RAR days. Furthermore, she must also pay £250 ($313 USD) costs and a £114 ($143 USD) victim surcharge.

RSPCA Inspector Daniel Hatfield, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said, “Animals feel pain and suffering just like we do and always deserve to be shown kindness and compassion.”

Hatfield made a plea with pet owners to make sure that their pets are receiving necessary care and treatment when they need it.

“Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them,” he said.


Nora's pics

31/12/2024

Missing Dog Turns Up Close To Home And Reunites With Family Ahead Of Christmas Day
A family truly has a lot to be thankful for during Christmas after reuniting with their missing dog, with special thanks to the family’s neighbor finding the pooch.

NBC Connecticut shared that the dog, an energetic Golden Retriever named Bronco was only a few months old.

On the afternoon of December 23, Bronco made his paw-rents, Justin and Anna Tralli, worried sick after he was outside and got spooked by some trash cans.

“He just took off and there was no stopping him. He wouldn’t come back to any of our commands,” Justin Tralli told NBC.

Tralli recounts the experience saying that the pooch sprinted down High Street from their Higganum home before they lost sight of him as he went into the woods.

He added that after initially looking for the pooch, he posted on social media about Bronco, and that’s when locals began helping, including the Trallis’ next door neighbor Tom Tomphson.

Thompson said, “I went this way. They went that way, calling the dog and we stayed out there until right around 5 o’clock when we couldn’t see anything anymore.”

Tralli, who was worried about the cold and possible coyote danger in the woods, searched for the pooch by himself in the middle of the night.

The worried owner explains, “I actually found some of his tracks, so I started following those up one of the trails and when I lost his tracks, I actually stopped and built a little fire on the woods just hoping maybe he would come to me.”

But there were no signs of Bronco until the morning of Christmas Eve. However, tables have turned when Thompson was picking up firewood and noticed som**hing by the wood pile.

“I kind of look forward, ‘Is that who I think? Bronco, is that you?’ And I wasn’t sure from the distance,” Thompson explained.

Thompson then realized that it was indeed Bronco and began calling him. When he got hold of the energetic pooch, he immediately called the Trallis, who were obviously overjoyed.

“That image will forever be etched in my brain of Tom holding Bronco. I thought I was hallucinating,” Anna Tralli said.

Now that Bronco is back home and didn’t miss Christmas with the family, the Trallis said they’re grateful to their community, especially Thompson, for all the help they did.

The family also said they’re taking steps to keep Bronco from running away again. “We’re going to be getting him a GPS collar and a very substantial electric fence,” Justin Tralli said.


Nora's pics

A Higganum family truly has a lot to be thankful for on Christmas after reuniting with their missing dog ahead of the holidays.

30/12/2024

Dog Left In An Animal Shelter’s Parking Lot Came With The Most Heart-wrenching Note
A dog was left in Arizona Humane Society’s parking lot with the most heart-wrenching note by his previous owners.

The Arizona Humane Society (AHS) revealed the dog, named Armando, along with the note he came with on their page.

The note read, “It is with heavy heart that we had to result to this but due to unforeseen circumstances we had no choice. This is Armando (Mando). He is four-years-old, Husky Labrodor Mix. He has had his shots but might need them soon. He’s very friendly with dogs and people. He is prone to ear infections. We pray he finds a good home. God bless.“

Fox 10 Phoenix reports that Armando was found by one staff member tied up in the shelter’s Sunnyslope campus parking lot.

Armando’s heart-wrenching story highlights the Maricopa County’s animal welfare crisis, which is at an all-time high, AHS reveals.

The animal shelter explains, “AHS cared for more than 22,000 sick, injured and abused pets in 2024, the most in a decade. With population growth, rising home prices, evictions and a shortage of affordable pet care, more pet owners in our community have been faced with the often gut-wrenching decision to rehome a pet.”

“Because shelters are full, healthy pets needing to be rehomed due to a change in housing or loss of a job have no place to go, which has led to an increase in pet abandonment,” AHS said.

True to his previous owners’ claims, Armando is healthy and has cleared all his medical checks and was recently treated for an ear infection.

Armando was immediately put up for adoption. And as of this article’s time of writing, it seems like Armando went to a good and loving home, like what his previous owners’ hoped for, just in time for Christmas, as his adoption profile is no longer available on AHS’ website.

The animal shelter also used this opportunity to urge potential pet owners to instead adopt from local shelters instead of purchasing a pet from a breeder or pet store.

“Shelters across the Valley are full of dogs and cats waiting for a second chance, including Armando,” AHS wrote.

AHS is currently running an adoption special called “Big Dog Love Now $0” for all of their dogs over 50 pounds. If you’re looking for a sign to adopt, then this is it!

You can check out AHS’ adoptable pets on their website, here.


Nora's pics

A dog was left in Arizona Humane Society's parking lot with the most heart-wrenching note by his previous owners.

27/12/2024

Dog Owner Banned From Keeping Animals For 20 Years Following Pet Dogs’ Death
A dog owner from the UK is banned from keeping any pets for 20 years after two of her eight dogs had to be put down, while four others needed leg amputation, BBC reports.

The dog owner, 60-year-old Margaret Porter reportedly pleaded guilty to five animal welfare offences following an RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) investigation and prosecution.

Porter failed to seek help despite the horrible condition that the dogs were in, and it being apparent that all eight were suffering, RSPCA said.

The issue began when Porter went to the RSPCA Solent Branch’s The Stubbington Ark with six dogs in carriers in June 2022.

She claimed that the dogs were her sister’s, “Theresa”, who left the dogs with her and ran away, and provided the RSPCA with fake details.

The six dogs were immediately taken to the vet where it was discovered that three of them had a disabled hind leg. On top of that, all six dogs had dirty, matted hair, missing and/or rotting teeth, and long nails.

The dogs were all terrier mix and are named – Dustin (male Terrier Poodle mix), Hopper (male Terrier Poodle mix), Max (female Terrier type), Ellie (female Terrier Poodle mix), Robin (female Terrier Poodle mix), and Nancy (female Terrier mix).

Days after bringing the six dogs to the RSPCA, concerns were raised by Gosport Borough Council about neglected dogs at Porter’s home.

Photo Credit: RSPCA

The borough council said that a stray dog had been taken to a vet with two broken legs. And then the following day, Porter had contacted the council claiming that she found a different stray dog.

The RSPCA deemed that the two broken legs on the first dog were not accidental.

Porter was then identified from CCTV footage and officers visited her home and rescued two more dogs from her.

Along with her string of lies concerning the first six dogs, Porter was also revealed to have been deceitful to keep her dogs in breach of her tenancy, and lied to authorities when she realized the dogs needed immediate care.

RSPCA Inspector Hannah Nixon, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, tells Portsmouth News, “Dogs feel pain and suffering just like we do and always deserve to be shown kindness and compassion.”

“Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them,” Nixon adds.

Along with the 20-year animal disqualification order, which she cannot appeal for 10 years, Porter was also sentenced to 52 weeks custody, suspended for 12 months at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court.

BBC reports that surviving dogs have now been placed into loving, forever homes.

Nixon pleas to all animal owners to be responsible saying, “Make sure they [pets] always receive care and treatment from veterinary experts when they need it.”

“If any pet owner is struggling to care for their animal we’d encourage them to reach out to a charity or organization who can help,” she adds.


Nora's pics

26/12/2024

Family Dog Gets Run Over By FedEx Truck, Family Demands Answers And An Apology
A family’s pet dog was injured after a FedEx driver delivering a package drove off, hitting the dog in the process. Now, the family is demanding answers and an apology from the driver.

WJHL reports that the dog was adopted by Jessica Burleson 14 years ago. The dog, named Bear, now belongs to Jessica’s parents, who lives right next door to her.

The incident reportedly happened on November 30, when the FedEx driver delivered a package to Burleson’s home and then drove away, hitting the pooch.

Burleson tells WJHL, “When he was leaving, he didn’t bother to stop or look to see. I mean, he clearly seen Bear. He looked over in the video and turned back.”

“And he just kept on going even after he hit him, he never stopped. And my aunt and uncle actually witnessed him flying up our driveway and almost hit their dog as well.” Burleson adds.

In the video, Bear can be seen going in front of the FedEx truck, so it was impossible that the driver didn’t see him at all.

After the truck drove off, Bear can be seen limping away from the driveway.

Burleson reveals that after the incident happened, the family couldn’t find Bear for a few hours. Her dad finally found the injured pooch in the underpin of her home.

“And that’s where he was. He was up under the underpin and he found him right there and got him. He had to remove the underpinning and get him out and he was terrified and brought him over here,” Burleson explains.

Burleson said that when they found Bear, he “wasn’t crying, barking, whining, or anything”.

Naturally, the family took Bear to the vet. And that’s where they found how severe the injuries he got from being hit.

“He didn’t have any broken bones, but there was a tumor that was inside of his belly that had ruptured when he got hit,” Burleson said.

“And so basically, there’s nothing they can do. Either, they could either bring him home or put him down. And my mom and dad decided to bring him home.”

Burleson added that the vet gave Bear some pain pills and said that the pooch only had a few days left to live.

Since the incident, Burleson and her family have been in contact with FedEx and that they’re trying to resolve the issue.

“They haven’t really talked about what they’re going to do with the driver or anything,” Burleson said. “They just kind of talked that they were willing to pay the vet bills.”

Burleson also said that her parents would like to have an apology from the FedEx driver himself.

“And they would love to just know why he didn’t try to swerve around him or instead just try to stop,” She said.

“I mean, in the videos, you can clearly see that he didn’t try to stop or anything. He just kept going and never let up. He just kept going on down the driveway. It just to me it didn’t seem like he had any remorse for what happened.”

She also believes that the driver should face some kind of consequence for what he has done – either termination or some form of reprimand.

“Definitely some kind of disciplinary action to where this won’t happen to somebody else’s animal or kid.”


Nora's pics

A family's pet dog got ran over by FedEx driver delivering a package. Now, the family is demanding answers and an apology from the driver.

25/12/2024

WATCH: Animal Shelter Lets Its Shelter Dogs Pick Out Their Own Christmas Toys
Santa came in early for the shelter dogs of Humane Educational Society (HES) as they picked out their Christmas gifts on the morning of Friday, December 20.

Each shelter dog let a bit of their personality shine during the toy-picking session.

“Some took their time to carefully select the perfect one, while others dove in headfirst and wanted to play with them all,” HES wrote in a Facebook post.

The animal shelter shared that each dog took their chosen gift back to their kennels to play or snuggle right after.

HES wrote, “We love to be able to provide this Christmas surprise to our shelter pets! Thank you to everyone who donated toys for this special occasion!”

In the video, the Christmas toys can be seen laid out on the floor in two lines. The shelter dogs then came in one by one, excitedly might we add, to sniff out the toys and choose one of their liking.

All tails were certainly wagging after the dogs find the toy of their Christmas dreams.

The video is a viral hit among Internet users — It gained over 600,000 reactions and 188,000 shares on Facebook and a whopping 5.4 million likes on TikTok.

The video has also been reposted on Reddit and now has over 61,000 upvotes.

One Reddit user wrote, “Moments like these remind us how much joy and personality each of these pets brings, even in a shelter setting.”

See the video for yourself below and watch tails wag at the Humane Educational Society:

Shelter dogs pick out their own Christmas toys! ♬ original sound – christmas sounds 🎄


Nora's pics

Santa came in early for the shelter dogs of Humane Educational Society (HES) as they picked out their Christmas gifts on Friday, December 20.

24/12/2024

Passenger ‘Livid’ After Being Forced To Give Up First Class Seat To Dog
A Delta Air Lines passenger is ‘livid’ after being allegedly forced by the airlines to give up his first class seat to a dog on a flight.

The passenger voiced his concerns on Reddit, on the r/delta subreddit, on Saturday, December 21, with the post title being “Just Got Downgraded for a Dog”.

“I got upgraded to first this morning, only to 15 mins later get downgraded (to a worst seat than I previously had). I asked the desk agent what was going on and she said “som**hing changed”,” the passenger reveals.

The passenger then explained how the decision only initially annoyed him. But when he boarded the plane, he saw a dog in his supposed first class seat, “And now I’m livid,” said the passenger.

He also shared a photo of the dog, in his supposed seat, revealing that it was a huge, white dog that appeared to be a service dog for the passenger next to them.

The furious passenger said that he immediately contacted Delta’s support to inquire about the downgrade, “and they say “you may be relocated for service animals” and there is nothing they can do.”

He then calls the airline’s decision an “absolute joke” and saying, “There is no way that dog has spent as much with this airline as I have.”

Photo from: Reddit

The passenger then proceeds to question why they’ve been loyal to the company all this time when they get treated this way.

“I’ve sat back when others complained about this airline mistreating customers lately and slipping in service levels, but I’m starting to question my allegiance as well.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Delta responded to the passenger’s experience saying, “Delta teams are aware of the customer complaint and are researching the details of what may have occurred.”

The airlines, in their statement, also said that they’re inviting the customer to contact them directly.

Meanwhile, Reddit users are divided, with some showing support for the passenger, but some telling him to get over it.

“Legally, passengers with certain conditions and service animals have priority on bulkhead seats,” a Reddit user and a supposed Delta employee left a comment on the post.

“When I was in reservations, anytime people wanted the blocked seats I had to advise them that Delta has the legal obligation to move them if a passenger with disabilities requires it. So, on this CRJ, rows 1 and 5 are considered bulkhead.”

While another Reddit user empathized with the passenger and said, “I thinks it’s more they upgraded him, then downgraded him to worse than his og seat.”

“If he got his og seat back, problem solved. He got the seat he paid for. In this case he was excited for 10mins, assuming he got upgraded, to immediately then learn he is being double downgraded.”


Nora's pics