Young Woman Throws Puppies in a River

Recent footage of a young woman throwing puppies in a river has infuriated the online community, according to The Huffington Post.

The video shows a young woman with blonde hair, wearing a red-hooded sweatshirt chucking six puppies into a river.   

Although the video’s location is unknown for sure, the girl in the video is believed to be in her late teens or early 20s.

However there have been reports indicating that the video may be a hoax.  

Nevertheless, a Facebook group called “Find the Girl Who Threw Puppies in River” has already gained over 3,000 followers.

Abandoned Alligators

Cats and dogs aren’t the only types of pets that owners throw away; abandoned alligators have been spotted in northern United States cities, according to BBC News.

“People buy [alligators] as pets, and then they get too big,” said Kent Vliet, a University of Florida alligator expert. “At some point they decide they just can’t deal with it.”

Four alligators have been seen in Massachusetts, New York City and Chicago.   

An off-duty firefighter found a three-foot alligator wearing a spiked collar, dragging its broken leash in Brockton, Massachusetts, August 22.

On that very same day a two-foot alligator was discovered under a parked car in New York City.

Also during the month of August, “Alligator Bob,” a volunteer animal rescuer, pulled two alligators out of the Chicago River.

“It’s physically exhausting but enjoyable,” said Alligator Bob.

Reptiles aren’t commonly found in northern U.S. states; instead, they are typically spotted in south-eastern states of the U.S., including Louisiana and Florida.

Maryland Charity Event

Help thrown-away dogs find homes by attending the charity event held at Steppingstone Museum located in Harford County, Maryland, September 18.  

Food, drinks and live music will guarantee fun for individuals of all ages. The four-hour event beginning at noon is sponsored by Best Friends Fur Ever.

Although there is fee of $15 for adults to attend this event and $8 for kids 12 to 21 years old, part of the proceeds will benefit Fallston Animal Rescue Movement. Kids under 12 years old and dogs are free to get in.  

So help a thrown-away dog or two, and be sure to RSVP to this charity event by September 15.

National Geographic’s Garbage Moguls

Tune in to watch the TV series Garbage Moguls airing on National Geographic Channel at 8 p.m. this Saturday, August 21.

The episode “Pet Project” will feature the TerraCycle team creating leashes, collars and other dog-related items entirely made from Pedigree bags. Yes, the team is making pet products made from dog food bags!

Visit National Geographic’s Web site to learn more about “Pet Project.”

Recycle Your Pets

With today’s tough economy, it can be difficult for some owners to care for their pets. Instead of throwing them away, why not recycle them?

Recycler.com is a Web site for users to post online classifieds including their pets.

“We have a free posting service that allows [people] to post their pets to the site,” said Jason Cooper, a worker for the Web site. “[This provides] a lot of exposure to potential new homes for the pet.”

And for potential owners who are searching for that one special buddy – this Web site may be certainly of some help.

“We have a special category for rescued pets to help our site users narrow in on those pets that need the most help,” Cooper said.

So just remember this: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Oldies But Goodies Cocker Spaniel Rescue

Oldies But Goodies Cocker Spaniel Rescue is a nonprofit animal rescue organization based in D.C. committed to the prevention of animal cruelty. 

“We find many people just don’t want their dog once it gets ‘older,’” said Linda Pfluger, a volunteer. “Although we take cockers of all ages, we rescue many older dogs that others just don’t want anymore.”

But it’s not just older dogs that pet owners throw away.

Madison, a young dog, arrived at the rescue organization in horrible condition.    

A before shot of Madison courtesy of OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

“We suspect she was dumped by a breeder because she appears to have had many, many litters,” Pfluger said.  

However, the pounds of fur that were removed from Madison’s body hid a remarkable surprise.

An after shot of Madison courtesy of OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

“We found a beauty underneath,” Pfluger said.  

Now Madison is back on track. Pfluger said that Madison is currently seeking treatment for a skin condition, but she is doing just fine.

OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue holds adoption shows for individuals to come out and look at the dogs, like Madison, and potentially take them home. Individuals can check out the rescue organization’s Web site for upcoming events.

Twitter Used to Help Abandoned Pets

Broward Animal County Animal Care in Florida is starting a Twitter feed to help Thrown-Away Pets find homes, according to SunSentinel.com.

Subscribers will receive news-related tweets including information on pet adoptions and special pet events.  

“We hope the Twitter site will encourage more residents to open their home and heart to a shelter pet,” said Lisa Mendheim, spokeswoman for Broward County Animal Care and Regulation.

Mendheim said that she encourages animal lovers to follow the adoption center’s Twitter page to receive up-to-date information regarding their animals.

To follow BrowardPetPals, click here.  

CNN Video: Oil Spill Victims

CNN exposes the furry, four-legged victims of the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Furry Victims of the Gulf Oil Spill

People aren’t the only ones struggling with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – thrown-away pets are too.  

The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals stated that many towns and communities reported an increase in abandoned pets following the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that occurred back in April, according to the Associated Press.  

Shelter Director Beth Brewster of the Animal Shelter of St. Bernard said that some owners blame their loss in jobs for their inabilities to care for their pets, while others say they don’t have the time.

Brewster said that she witnessed close to 120 owners relinquish their pets last month.  

“It’s the economy, the uncertainty of the future, for sure,” she said.

Brewster said that the month of May was even worse. The shelter took in close to 300 pets that month, while it took in 60 pets the year before.  

Now the shelter is not only filled with malnourished strays, but healthy and well-groomed pets.

FOUND: Ten Thrown-Away Dogs

Over a two-day period 10 dogs were thrown away at or around the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter in Oklahoma, according to an article reported by EnidNews.com.  

Vicki Fox, the shelter director, stated that seven small dogs were found around 8 a.m. in three tiny pet crates near a trash can June 8. Later around 10 a.m. another emaciated dog was discovered in a field located behind the shelter with its leash staked in the ground. Two other dogs were found tied to a fence post at the end of the shelter’s sidewalk.

“They were all flea-covered with skin infections and some mange issues,” Fox said.     

The abandoned dogs were malnourished with matted fur; and in some incidences, their fur ripped from their skin.

All of the dogs were found wearing collars with one of the dog’s fur embedded in its collar.

“In the worst cases we’re feeding them small amounts every hour,” Fox said.

Fox stated that the worst cases were being given a bland diet because the dogs’ digestive systems were unable to handle rich foods due to the long deprivation of nourishment.  

Volunteers and workers at the shelter spent nearly the whole day cleaning and caring for the thrown-away dogs.

“They’ve all been so patient,” Fox stated. “It’s like they know what [we’re] doing.”