The Laughing Pet

2013-08-21T16:43:00.002-04:00

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Dog shopping for candles

2012-08-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Looking for something that smells good!

Keeping cool in the pet pool

2012-06-09T15:26:00.001-04:00

Jimmie is keeping cool in his very own pool

This is just too cute!

Coping with the loss of a pet

2012-06-09T10:44:00.001-04:00

The loss of a pet can be a devastating experience in any pet owner's life, and the emptiness one can feel in their heart and home can become overwhelming.

Here are eight ways to honor your pet and help you to cope with the loss.

-- Hold a Memorial Service: Just like memorial services for our friends and family who have passed away, holding one for your pets can be a great way to say goodbye. By inviting family members, friends, and others who knew your pet, you can remember the good times you shared together and also realize that you are not going through this alone.
-- Create a Memorial Spot: Whether it's a gravestone or a tree you planted, creating a pet memorial spot where you can sit quietly and remember your pet can be a soothing means to honor the memory of your pet.
-- Utilize Online Memorials: Even if the people around you do not quite understand how you feel, there are millions of pet owners out there in the world who have suffered through the loss of a pet. Find an online site where you and others can share stories of your pets and help each other work through the grief you are experiencing.

-- Create a Scrapbook: Making a scrapbook is an excellent way to help remember your pet, as well as celebrate his or her life. Whether you incorporate pictures of your pet's greatest accomplishments, or just pictures of you and your pet on vacation, remembering the good times you had with him or her can help make you feel better.
-- Keep a Symbol: Whether it's your pet's collar or favorite toy, having an object that was his or hers is a little way of reminding you of the happiness they brought to your life. Whether you keep that object in your car, on a book shelf, or wherever else you feel is a nice reminder of his or her life, you can always remember the great times you shared together.
-- Donate: Making donations in your pet's name to a local shelter, a national organization, or the dog park you used to frequent is an excellent way to not only honor the memory of your pet, but also help support other animals in need.
-- Volunteer: If you do not feel ready to make the commitment to bring another pet into your life yet, volunteering at a local shelter or humane society is an excellent way to start the process and honor your pet. Volunteers are the people who take care of your pets before they are yours, and if you adopted your pet who has passed away, volunteering is a great way to pass the favor on to others.

"Revolving Pet Memorial Box in Mahogany"

-- Adopt Again: Once you feel ready, adopt another pet. Nothing can replace the loss of your pet, and adopting another will not be a disservice to your previous pet's memory. Through adoption, you will be offering another animal the same chance at the wonderful and happy life you were able to give your previous pet.
source petMD.com
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The best dog bed

2012-06-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sleeping in on the weekend is Oh So Comfy on this dog bed

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Little Mama may be oldest chimp in captivity

2012-04-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

Born in Africa, she came to the park in 1967 as one of the first residents at Lion Country Safari theme park in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Little Mama was part of the Ice Capades, a traveling variety show that performed on ice across the United States, before she was acquired by a pet dealer when babies at that time could go for 10 grand.

At that time birth records for chimpanzees were not kept so the park did the next best thing: They asked the world expert Jane Goodall to estimate Little Mama's age. Goodall determined that the chimpanzee was between 30 and 35 years old. Splitting the difference, the park decided to put her age at 32.

Little Mama's last physical showed her in good health with clean lungs and a strong heart. Wolf believes that excellent care in the pet industry may be the reason she is healthy at her advanced age.

The life span for chimpanzees is 40 to 50 years in the wild and for those in captivity it is 50 to 60 years, according to the Center for Great Apes.

Read the full story at http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/21/us/oldest-chimpanzee-in-captivity/index.html

11 most common poisonous plants to dogs and cats

2012-03-30T11:23:00.001-04:00

These beautiful plants are hazardous to our pets

Springs brings us many beautiful plants and flowers– but remember that some are very dangerous to our little furry friends

Easter Lily is beautiful but poisonous to pets

1. Lilies. Most lilies, not just Easter lilies, are toxic to cats. Any species of the Lilium family should not be used if cats are present.
2. Sago palms. All parts of this palm are poisonous, but the seeds are the most toxic. Ingestion of Cycas revoluta causes liver failure.
3.    Oleander. All parts of Nerium oleander are toxic. Ingestion causes heart arrythmias, hypothermia, and even death.
4.    Tulip and Narcissus bulbs. Ingestion can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, drooling, depression, loss of appetite, seizures, and heart abnormalities.
5.    Amaryllis. This is a common spring flower that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, and poor appetite if ingested.
6.    Azaleas and Rhododendron.    Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, coma, and death.
7.    Castor Bean. The highly toxic ricin, potentially used in bioterrorism, comes from the castor bean.   Ingestion causes vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tremors, seizures, coma , and death.
8.    Cyclamen.   The highest concentration of the poison is in the root of the plant. Symptoms are intense vomiting; death has been reported.
9. Pothos. This popular household plant can also cause oral irritation and gastrointestinal symptoms.
10. Yew. Ingestion of Taxus species causes tremors, incoordination, vomiting, diarrhea, heart failure, and difficulty breathing.
11. English Ivy.   Hedera helix, if ingested, can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Willie Nelson to take burned and staving horses

2012-03-29T09:46:00.001-04:00

Horses to retire to his ranch in Texas

The famous musician has agreed to take in Whisper the stallion along with mare Traveler from a man accused of neglecting them. Whisper was not only severely underweight, but suffering from kerosene burns from when his owner allegedly tried to cure a fungus along his back.

Both horses went into the care of Lowcountry nonprofit LEARN (Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network.

Earlier this month, Dwight Benjamin McCloud was charged with three counts of failure to provide care or treatment for a diseased or injured animal; three counts of failure to provide humane treatment to animals; and one count of failure to provide adequate food and water. He had four horses, but only two were seized.

According to Elkins, Nelson is using Whisper and Traveler's story to advocate for humane treatment of equines, something he has championed for years.

Read the full story http://summerville.patch.com/articles/willie-nelson-to-take-burned-starved-horse

Top 10 cat and dog medical conditions of 2011

2012-03-28T13:02:00.001-04:00

As listed by nations largest pet insurer

An ear infection, stomach ache or cough can prompt a visit to your doctor and the same holds true for our pets.

While the majority of these conditions are curable, they can become chronic and expensive to treat. Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) policyholders spent more than $46 million in 2011 treating the 10 most common medical conditions afflicting their pets. VPI, the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet insurance searched their database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the top 10 dog and cat medical conditions in 2011.

Below are the results

 Dogs                           Cats
        1.   Ear Infection             1.    Bladder Infection
        2.   Skin Allergies            2.    Chronic Kidney Disease
        3.   Skin Infection            3.    Overactive Thyroid
        4.   Non-cancerous Skin Growth 4.    Upset Stomach
        5.   Upset Stomach             5.    Periodontitis/Dental Disease
        6.   Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea 6.    Diabetes
        7.   Arthritis                 7.    Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea
        8.   Bladder Infection         8.    Ear Infection
        9.   Bruise or Contusion       9.    Skin Allergies
        10.  Underactive Thyroid       10.   Lymphosarcoma

See the full report here http://www.marketwatch.com/story/top-10-dog-and-cat-medical-conditions-of-2011-2012-03-28

Choking dog saves own life by dialing police

2012-03-28T09:53:00.001-04:00

He was so tangled in the phone cord that he started choking

After George, the two-year-old Basset Hound from West Yorkshire, England got so tangled in a phone cord that he began choking, the frantic pup somehow managed to alert authorities by dialing 999 -- the British equivalent to 911, the Sun reports.

Concerned by the heavy breathing on the other end, the emergency operator dispatched police to the home.

Since George's owners, Steve Brown and his daughter Lydia, weren't home, their neighbor let the police into the house, where George was choking on the living room floor.

"He was absolutely terrified and could not free himself," Walker told the Sun. "I knew I had to get him free quickly so I just ripped out the wire.

George's owner Lydia added that the dog's actions were not in keeping with his usual behavior, commenting: "He's not usually very smart. He's really dopey and just likes to chew socks."

Bob Barker flies three endangered elephants from Toronto to California

2012-03-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

The $880,000 flight will carry the elephants by private plane.

The last remaining elephants at Toronto Zoo; Thika, Iringa and Toka will soon be turned loose at the PAWS Sanctuary in San Andreas, California. The elephants are being relocated amidst concerns that the Toronto climate is unsuited for tropical animals.

At first the three elephants had been scheduled to make the long arduous journey by foot. The issue became one of them developed a foot issue which could have made the trek fatal.

That’s when Barker called and said he would personally pay for the air flight.

Barker said in a statement,

The elephants “have suffered so much for so long and now they have an opportunity to live the rest of their lives at what has been described as ‘elephant paradise.’ To think that one of them might not survive the trip in a truck touched my heart and purse strings.”
The Performing Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) elephant sanctuary has acres of land for the pachyderms to explore including lakes, hills and flatlands; plus there are other elephants are on hand to meet.

Mine sniffing dogs return to US for retirement

2012-03-27T11:10:00.001-04:00

Five retired Mine Detection Dogs from Iraq are getting new homes with American families

Mine sniffing dog in Iraq

These remarkable animals, which have spent the past six to eight years ‘sniffing out’ landmines and saving lives in Iraq, are being adopted by American families through an innovative partnership between SPCA International (www.spcai.org) and the Marshall Legacy Institute (www.marshall-legacy.org).

MDDs Blek, Malysh, Miso, Nero and Rocky were specially trained to detect the explosive odors found in landmines. Landmines continue to plague much of Iraq: the result of multiple conflicts spanning more than 30 years.

Because these weapons of war are buried and hard to find, they continue to kill and injure hundreds of Iraqi civilian men, women and children each year.

During their years of service with the Iraqi Mine and UXO Clearance Organization, Blek, Malysh, Miso, Nero and Rocky sniffed out over 90 acres of mine-contaminated land in and around Basra and Baghdad.

These dogs have truly helped to make Iraq a safer and better place.

Read the rest of the story here http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20120326006216&div=-1514484996

Facebook bans puppy mill ads from Marketplace

2012-03-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

Puppy Mill puppies no longer listed or sold on Facebook

In response to concerns brought by the ASPCA, actions are now being taken to ensure that puppy mill puppies will no longer be listed or sold through Facebook’s Marketplace.
Unfortunately, many of the ads placed online are from puppy mills, where dogs are kept at large-scale commercial facilities in filthy conditions without even the most basic care or socialization.

The partnership between the ASPCA, Facebook and Marketplace partner Oodle came about as part of the ASPCA’s No Pet Store Puppies campaign, which is intended to raise awareness of puppy mills and encourage people to adopt and avoid pet stores that sell animals.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/facebook-bans-puppy-mill-ads.html#ixzz1qKKmLS8C

Bunnies are cute but not for impulse Easter gift

2012-03-26T15:36:00.001-04:00

A rabbit can mean a 10-year commitment, and should not be a hastily-decided Easter gift

With Easter quickly approaching, what better way to celebrate than with a fluffy Easter Bunny of your very own?

Unfortunately, many times the decision to purchase a rabbit is done in haste and new owners realize quickly these animals (whose lifespan is generally six to ten years) take more care and attention than most new owners are willing to give.

It is estimated that the amount of rabbits abandoned at shelters greatly increases following the Easter holiday.

This ends up leading to an influx of rabbits being neglected, improperly cared for, left at animal shelters, or, worst of all — let out into the wild, an inevitable death sentence for domestic rabbits.

Rabbits, like any other pet, need proper care and love in order to remain healthy and happy. A proper diet includes fresh water and plenty of timothy hay and greens, with pellets and carrots to only be given sparingly.

Because they are prey animals, and sensitive to changes in temperature, it is best to keep rabbits inside at all times with a cage that comfortably accommodates their size.

Rabbits can easily be litter trained and spaying and neutering has been known to deter aggressive or instinctive behavior such as digging or biting.

Instead of visiting a pet store to purchase a rabbit, consider a shelter or rabbit rescue. There are several shelters across southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania that have rabbits available for adoption (being that rabbits are the third most commonly found animals in shelters), many of which are already spayed or neutered, and are waiting to meet their new owners!
Read more here

Cutest pet iphone cases on Sale

2012-03-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

These are really adorable

Choose from an existing design or you can upload your own pet or family photo

Customize your iphone case with pet photo

Just click on the link above for so many great choices at
50% Savings - WOW
Use code: FFHSCASEDEAL - HURRY Sale ends 4PM PT

Dog travels 300 miles in 7 weeks then back home

2012-02-24T19:06:00.001-05:00

Chassis the traveling dog

Chassis, the 1½-year-old Huskie dog broke loose from her chain late New Year’s Day. On Saturday, a family in Taopi, Minn., almost 300 miles south of Duluth, took in a dog matching Chassis’ description. On Tuesday, the dog was home in Lakewood Township.

Weeks into Chassis’ disappearance, Musel heard from a Cloquet woman, also missing a husky, who had seen a Craigslist post for a dog found in southern Minnesota. Musel contacted the poster, and the two exchanged photos and information about the dog, culminating in a Skype session that gave Musel enough certainty to make the five-hour drive to be sure.

“I prepared myself for it to not be her,” Musel said. “When I got out of the car she jumped up and put her paws on my chest and looked at me, and licked my face. I just knew it was her.”

Brenda Kiefer’s family took the husky in after she had been hanging around their property.
“I have no idea how she got that far,” Musel said, “but I really think her instincts probably kicked in as a husky, as far as hunting. You want to know the story, and I don’t think we ever will. But I am overjoyed.”

Read the full story here

Put your pet photo on canvas - Great Weekend Sale

2012-02-24T15:51:00.000-05:00

Use code CANVASDEAL60

A personalized photo of your pet, family, vacation etc. is a great way to personalize and decorate a room

Your pets on a wrapped picture by miss_ellvy
Make your own design canvas

Click on the photo or use this Your photo on canvas to go to Zazzle and be sure and add the code CANVASDEAL60 for a whopping 60% SAVINGS

You can upload your own photo or even choose from the many designs available
These also make great gifts - ENJOY

Rufo – A shelter dog’s dream come true

2012-02-24T14:09:00.001-05:00

Rufo finds a home after years at shelter

Rufo, a pit bull mix, spent over 7 years at the Yonkers, N.Y. Animal Shelter.

But this wonderful shelter and staff never gave up on this sweet boy or his chance to find his "hero."

Of course they loved him and kept him as happy as they could, with two hours of daily exercise and lots of games of fetch.

In reality, however, this poor boy spent almost all of his day, for more than half his expected life, inside a cage.
A woman, who had spent some time with Rufo at the shelter, started making calls about him to people she knew. One couple couldn't take him but couldn't get him off their minds either, and the woman remembered someone she had given a dog to years before.

This man and the dog lived happily together for many years until the dog died of old age. She thought it was worth a try to contact him about Rufo.

And after years of waiting, this is the result of that call. This video by Ainslie Sheridan Brennan shows it best.

Continue reading on Examiner.com After years of waiting, Rufo learned that dreams really do come true - Philadelphia Animal Welfare | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-philadelphia/a-happy-beginning-for-a-dog-named-ruff#ixzz1nKLpuabR

Scammers play on emotions of pet lovers

2012-02-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

Possibly the most heartless of all, conmen play on the emotions of pet owners, and the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning detailing some of the more common pet-related con-games perpetrated on animal lover.

"Having a pet go missing is a devastating experience," according to a statement released by the Better Business Bureau. "When conniving people find ways to capitalize on your lost pet situation in order to scam you out of money, the loss is even more heartbreaking."

Common cons run by the pet de-frauders

Pay-me-first scam: The pet owner receives a phone call from a person claiming they have the lost pet in their possession. This person asks that the reward money be sent to them before the pet is returned. If the pet owner refuses, they will often threaten to hurt the pet in order to pressure the owner into sending money. Once the scammer receives the money, they may never be heard from again.
Truck driver scam: Someone claiming to be a long-haul truck driver tells you that they came across your pet while on route. They then ask for money so that they can send your pet back to you, or may ask you to wire money to board your pet until they can send your pet back with another truck driver heading your way.
Tag team scam: An owner receives a call from someone who says they think they have your pet. After talking to you for a while and getting information about your pet, they apologize and say they're sorry, but it turns out it's not your pet after all. They then give all the information about your pet to a partner. The scammer uses the information received about your pet only to have a second person call and claim to have found your pet who will try collecting any reward money in advance.
Airline ticket scam: Someone calls and claims your pet ended up in another state or province. They ask you to send money for a kennel and an airline ticket to ship your pet back. Once the pet owner sends the money, the scammer walks away leaving the owner without their pet and less money in their bank account.

And here are some tips to protect yourself

If you must place an ad, include only essential information. Refrain from providing too much information about unique markings or physical attributes.
If you get a call from someone who claims to be out-of-state, ask them for a phone number where you can call them back. Scammers typically do not want you to know any of their personal information.
If a caller claims to have your pet in their possession, ask them to describe something about the pet that wouldn't be visible in pictures which may have been posted.
Never wire money to anyone you don't know. This is a common thread in many types of scams.

Stay tuned – New website coming for The Laughing Pet

2012-01-23T17:45:00.001-05:00

It’s been a little quiet on the blog right now as the site is being re-designed.

Our new web address will be the-laughing-pet.com and will feature news articles, cute photos and videos of our favorite animals. along with heartwarming stories. Features will include health issues, interesting facts and our store will show a variety of items for the pet lover.

Come visit us on facebook and see our cute photos and join in the conversation.

Endangered whooping cranes at risk

2012-01-09T15:09:00.001-05:00

Lack of rain threatens whooping crane survival

A high-protein diet is supposed to sustain North America's tallest bird through the winter and prepare it for the nesting season in Canada. But this year, the state's devastating drought has made food and water scarce, raising worries among scientists that the parched conditions could threaten the only remaining flock of cranes.

The lack of rain has made estuaries and marshlands too salty for blue crabs to thrive and destroyed a usually plentiful supply of wolf berries. In addition, a long-lasting "red tide" — a toxic algae that blooms in salty water — has made it dangerous for the birds to eat clams, which retain the algae's toxin and can pass it along the food chain.

Read the rest of the story here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45923504/ns/us_news/#.TwtHY9WyGS0

Monday Morning Smile–With a little help

2012-01-09T09:26:00.001-05:00

She felt doggie needed a little help with his smile

Have a great week

The courageous little mouse

2012-01-07T14:25:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just need to “Go for it”

Harrisburg Pa reconsiders shooting all stray animals

2012-01-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Original order was to shoot all strays due to budget cuts

So broke that it was considering having police officers shoot stray dogs, Pennsylvania's capital city Harrisburg is reconsidering the policy in the wake of public anger.

Harrisburg lacks the money to pay an animal shelter to take in strays, so its police department issued a memo last month giving officers the option of shooting dangerous dogs and dropping their carcasses at a state Department of Agriculture loading dock.

Police have yet to take that extreme measure and controversy generated by dog-lovers has led to a reconsideration of the policy, a city official said on Wednesday.

New guidelines could be in place by Thursday, but city officials declined to reveal exactly what they would say.

Read the rest of the story here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/harrisburg-pennsylvania-stray-dogs-policy_n_1185065.html

Bark MItzva celebrates a dogs coming of age

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

A Bark Mitzvah is a pseudo-traditional observance and celebration of a dog's coming of age, as in the Jewish traditional Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. The term has been in use since at least as early as 1997, and Bark Mitzvahs are sometimes held as an adjunct to the festival of Purim.

The Bark Mitzvah is a celebration not necessarily held in conjunction with a specific age but can occur when the dog turns 13 months or 13 years of age. This is equivalent to about 91 dog years. During some Bark Mitzvahs, dogs wear a tallit, a ritual prayer shawl worn during Jewish religious services and ceremonies. A male dog wears a specific yarmulke, a thin skullcap.