Women who crammed 172 animals in home face jail term, lifetime ban

Two New Jersey women who were arrested in December 2022 after police found them to be keeping 129 dogs and 43 cats in the house where they lived with the teenage daughter of one have pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to animals, the website NJ.com reported. Two dead dogs were also found in the home on the day of the search. Michele Nycz, 60, of Brick, pleaded guilty to the two charges on...

Animal welfare group launches ‘Bring Love Home’ campaign to boost adoptions

Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization working to end by next year the killing of dogs and cats in American shelters, has unveiled its “most ambitious campaign”, ‘Bring Love Home’. The campaign aims to inspire pet lovers across the country to adopt pets by emphasizing all the positive contributions that rescued pets bring to homes, “at a time when Americans need love, comfort, fun, and zoomies more than ever”, the organization said in...

Royal Canin to serve smaller packs of pet food in India

France-based pet food manufacturer and supplier Royal Canin, which opened a high-end packaging plant at a cost of about Rs100 crore in Bhiwandi near Bombay in April, aims to deliver smaller packages targeted at Indian consumers, a report in The Hindu Businessline newspaper said. Satinder Singh, managing director of Royal Canin (India), told the paper that Indian consumers prefer to buy pet food in smaller packs. “About 85% of packs (sold here) are less than...

Wild Thang is sixth time lucky, crowned World’s Ugliest Dog

Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekinese, won this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog competition, the BBC reported. The dog from Coos Bay, Oregon, had entered five previous versions of the competition, but this is his first win. Wild Thang’s look stems from the attack of canine distemper he suffered when he was just 10 weeks old. While the pup survived the disease that can often be fatal, it prevented the growth of his teeth, because of which...

From neglect to hope: Giuseppe, Maddie, Pete show what it takes

This, in brief, is what the rescuers know of the back stories of the three dogs that topped the 13th annual Dirty Dogs Contest in the USA. Giuseppe Giuseppe arrived at Española Humane in Española, New Mexico, as a stray in a shocking state of neglect. He was covered in filthy mats of fur so thick he could not even walk, and his entire body was screaming in pain. Five pounds–that’s right, 5 lb or...

From shelter to stardom, Giuseppe’s story shines light on animal adoption

Imagine going to a job interview, or on a first date, smelly and covered in dirt. That’s what it is like for millions of shelter pets across the world that are waiting to get adopted. Giuseppe’s arrival at Española Humane in Espanola, New Mexico, USA, started out as a heartbreaking case of neglect, but ended as a testament to second chances. Five pounds of matted fur covered up a host of health issues and rendered...

5 tips to set up a safe, cozy home for your cats and dogs

As much as you love your pets and work hard to make them part of the family, they are also a big responsibility. Part of that responsibility includes setting up your home so that it’s equal parts stylish (for you) and functional (for Tara, Browny and Bittu). Show your furry friends a little love, beyond the walks and snuggles, by making your home more pet-friendly. Set Up Their Space Near an Entry: It’s common for...

AI & ML could be the saviours of lab rats, dogs, and monkeys

For a long time, the practice of testing new products, particularly pharmaceutical drugs, on certain species of animals to determine safety of use in humans has been opposed by animal lovers. Help may finally be at hand, with artificial intelligence and machine learning systems offering a way out, according to a BBC report. Testing of new products on animals is one of the dark realities of scientific research. The testing has continued though in some...

First California Adopt-a-Pet Day finds homes for 3,609 pets, 50% more than planned

The California Animal Welfare Association, the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals today announced the results of the first-ever California Adopt-a-Pet Day, with 3,609 pets adopted into loving homes on June 1. The day-long event included more than 170 animal welfare organizations across the state working collaboratively to exceed the original goal of finding homes for 2,024 pets. The ASPCA...

Hitesh Swali, straight-talking vet who believes in keeping it simple

There is no surprise when one meets a veterinarian who says he, or increasingly she, loves animals. Indeed, most people tend to think a veterinarian must necessarily love animals. But Hitesh Swali, well-known practitioner in Bombay’s western suburbs, is not that veterinarian. Dr Swali is a fan of Dr Asthana aka Maamu, the immensely popular character from Rajkumar Hirani’s superhit directorial debut film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003). Like Dr Asthana, he believes doctors must be...