(POLICE DOGS) Kaiser, a two-year-old police dog, received a sendoff only worthy of a hero last Friday. Suffering from severe kidney disease, the German Shepherd made one last walk to the Court Street Animal Hospital in Plymouth, Mass., the city where he worked. Kaiser was accompanied to the facility by a number of Plymouth’s finest, where his colleagues stood in salute as the German Shepherd entered the hospital. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL WELFARE) Hibernating gray bats, native to cave systems in Alabama, have received a rude wake-up call. Already suffering from endangerment, these gray bats are just one of seven species, who have contracted a life-threatening fungus. The fungus, known as white-nose syndrome, specifically targets cave dwelling bats, and is thought to have derived from Europe. Precautions to prevent the further spread of the disease westward, includes the desired closing of caves around the Rocky Mountains. Continue reading to find out what people are doing in order to protect uninfected bat populations. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL SCIENCE) Time and time again, animal testing has led to flawed results. And now, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a scientific journal, has found that in the case of three diseases, sepsis, burns and trauma, animal testing has been not only useless, but also costly. Because animal DNA differs from human DNA, the results are often worthless. But unfortunately, the FDA still requires animal testing—meaning that even when there are more effective alternatives available like stem cell research, manufacturers will not use them because it won’t pass the FDA standards. Read on to find out why it’s important to change these outdated methods. — Global Animal
(WILDLIFE) A recent surge of fatal brain cancer in raccoons on the U.S. West Coast has prompted an investigation, given the frequent encounters between the animals and humans. A new virus is thought to be the cause for the outbreak and there are no current signs that it could be passed on to humans, but researchers are still nevertheless concerned. Seeing that raccoons thrive in neighborhood settings, this outbreak could be another sign that our environment is in trouble. Read on for more about the raccoons recent unusual behavior, and the risks it may pose for humans. — Global Animal
(LIFE WITH PETS) According to research, 53 percent of dog guardians consider their dog to be a member of the family, and 56 percent admitted to sleeping with their dog. And while some research has proven pets to be beneficial to their guardian’s health, studies over the past year have shown that bringing dogs or cats into the bedroom can actually be dangerous to one’s health. Read on to learn more and decide whether or not your pet should sleep in bed with you. — Global Animal
(PET CARE) No matter how healthy your dog may be, he or she could still be exposed to serious illnesses. It is important to remain attentive to your pets at all times to track and regulate their symptoms. Steve Manik at the Dog Help Network explains that though health problems such as diarrhea can be quite common in dogs, it can also be extremely dangerous at times. While changes in diet or an increase in stress can often lead to diarrhea in dogs, it can also be brought on by viral, bacterial, or parasitic diseases or infections. Read on for more advice from the Dog Help Network. — Global Animal
(FACTORY FARMING) Ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat?” What animals are fed greatly affects their well-being. An animal designed to eat grass, cows are nowadays predominantly fed grain, a substance that affects the natural, neutral pH of the cow’s stomach and leads to many health problems. Alongside these already observed repercussions, U.S. states are now asking the FDA for permission to blend animal feed with contaminated grain since much of their crop would otherwise be unusable. Read on for more on the contaminated corm being fed to farm animals. — Global Animal
(SERVICE ANIMALS) AFRICA — In Africa, giant rats are working side by side with humans to detect land mines in Mozambique, a country littered with explosives after decades of civil war. The Tanzanian based organization APOPO train Giant African pouched rats, a species indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, to use their exceptional sense of smell to find the mines and indicate the location by scratching the ground. In a society that typically views rats as pesky vermin, it’s refreshing to see them praised for their redeeming attributes. Due to their negative connotation it’s often forgotten that they’re an extremely intelligent species, often misused by humans as the subjects of medical testing. — Global Animal
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