Do you speak to your dog or cat as if it were a human being? If your answer is yes, take heart. You are not alone. A survey carried out in Australia among dog and cat owners found that more than 90% talk to their pets as if they were simply another member of the family. The poll of 1,000 Australians from pet insurer Budget Direct found that about 59% said they regularly talk to...
In a horrific, but not unusual, incident on November 18, a temple elephant in Tamil Nadu trampled her mahout and a relative of the attendant to death. It is unclear what triggered the elephant’s anger. But the India chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has offered to gift a robotic elephant to the Subramania Swamy temple in Tiruchendur town in return for Deivanai’s release from custody and rehabilitation at a sanctuary, “where...
Animal welfare organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has welcomed the decision of clothing retailers H&M and C&A, respectively, to ban the use of down and the use of leather and newly plucked down in their products. A report on PETA India’s website earlier this month said C&A announced its new animal welfare policy during the publication of its latest sustainability report on October 10, while H&M—the world’s second-largest clothing retailer—confirmed to PETA...
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania have approved House Bill 1210, groundbreaking legislation that allows pets to be included in ‘Protection from Abuse’ orders, according to a report on Fox43, a local Fox News affiliate. Animal rights advocates, domestic violence organizations, and law enforcement across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania celebrated passage of the measure by the state House of Representatives and Senate, Animal Wellness Action said on Friday in a press release, Fox43 reported. The bill was presented...
A new study of dog and cat owners across 20 countries, including India, carried out by global marketing research firm Ipsos, has found that more men than women are cat owners, and cat ownership has become more common than dog ownership. The results of the study, touted as the world’s largest pet ownership study and conducted on behalf of Mars, Inc., a global leader in pet care products and services and confectionery, snacking and food...
PetSmart LLC, a well-known retailer offering products, services, and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets, announced on Monday that J.K. Symancyk had stepped down as president, chief executive officer, and board member with immediate effect. Alan Schnaid, who has been the company’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer since 2017, has taken over as interim president and chief executive officer until a successor is in place. The company said in a release that the...
It may be a truism that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, though there will be exceptions. But can you at least help an old dog remember old tricks? Dr Evan MacLean and his team at the Arizona Cognition Center, part of the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, have been working on ways to address this aspect of old age in dogs. In a major advance for canine cognitive research, they...
Customs officers at Bombay’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport seized five caiman babies from two passengers who arrived on a Vistara flight from Bangkok, Thailand, late on Friday. The reptiles were found hidden in toothpaste boxes in the passengers’ cabin baggage. The reptiles, about 5-7 inches in length each, appeared to be dehydrated and distressed, according to a report from the Press Trust of India news agency. They were examined and treated by veterinarians from the...
Saturday was World Rhino Day. The rhinoceros, a powerful, majestic creature that is found in parts of southern Asia and Africa, is still threatened with extinction, impacting the stability of the five keystone species that play a crucial role in keeping our ecosystem and environment safe, according to a press release from luxury watchmaker Hublot, sponsor of Save Our Rhinos Africa and India, or SORAI, founded by former international cricketer Kevin Pietersen in 2018. According...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved Zenrelia, or ilunocitinib tablets, a new veterinary drug from Elanco Animal Health, Inc., based in Greenfield, Indiana, to control pruritus, or itching, associated with allergic dermatitis and to control atopic dermatitis, or environmental allergies, in dogs that are at least a year old. According to Elanco Animal Health, itching is one of the top reasons pet owners take their dogs to the veterinarian, and pet owners...
