Pets

Pets

Inside the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gerry Gregg, wearing an A's baseball cap and a U.S. Marine Corps shirt, leans down to give rubs and scratches to Murphy, a fluffy golden retriever who is part of a pet-therapy team from San Jose nonprofit Furry Friends. How are you doing? Gregg, 60, croons to Murphy, who looks adoringly into his eyes. Yeah, I know, Gregg tells the dog.

Whether you're moving to a small apartment in Santa Monica, CA , or a four-bedroom house in Buffalo, NY , moving is a big disruption for everyone in your household, especially pets. Dogs and cats thrive on routine, and a new home comes with unfamiliar smells, sounds, and layouts. With a little planning and patience, you can make the move safer and less stressful for your pets - and for you.

A package thief who stole Christmas gifts in Fontana almost was responsible for the death of Sparky - a bouncy and adorable dog who was hit by a car and lost for two days after the thief failed to close the gate behind him. Now, because of the severity of his injuries, Sparky must have a leg amputated. Luckily, the 2½-year-old Australian blue heeler, or cattle dog, the same breed as Bluey in the eponymous hit TV show, has not lost his signature sparkle.

I recently came across a discussion on social media about how people refer to pets and what this says about their ability to respect the animal's needs. The discussion shifted to how people define themselves in their relationship with their pets, and it became quite heated. While some saw no problem with using the term pet parent, others considered it problematic for imposing a human framework onto the animal.

Now there's a new tool to help would-be dog guardians choose a new puppy or dog who is more likely to be healthy and not suffer from health issues related to their looks. It's called the Innate Health Assessment, and it was created by the Royal Veterinary College's Dr. Dan O'Neill for the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare. It has the backing of more than 20 UK animal organizations.

Those mourning the loss of a pet can hang a commemorative item on a giant orb-shaped holly bush on the front lawn of lawyer Kelly Heitkamp's law office, located in Longview, Texas, according to coverage in the Longview News-Journal.

As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below* When it comes to holiday shopping, many people love to include their furry companions in the gift-giving fun. That's why we've rounded up some of the best pet gifts for dogs and cats (and the people who love them) this holiday season. From toys to functional gifts that will make pet care easy, consider splurging on your pet with one of the gift ideas, below.

Holiday Pawty in Oakland!@doghoodapp and @pawsitivelybayarea invite you to a festive Holiday Pawty! Join us for an ugly sweater contest, raffles and prizes, special swag for your pups, and lots of community fun - all while supporting @WrenYorkieRescue and @shauls.paws . RSVP through the @doghoodapp to secure your pup's spot, prizes, and swag. Limited spots - don't miss out! Thanks to @hunkyhouseco for their support in bringing this event together.

They don't need a lot of supplies. The basic setup is hay (choose a brand like Timothy hay, which helps their digestive system), pellets, a tunnel to hide in and a good-sized cage. They set a good example by eating their vegetables. Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C, so feeding them lots of high-quality greens and veggies high in vitamin C is critical for them to stay healthy.

A little dog named Choco has been reunited with his family in Sacramento nearly five years after he disappeared! Choco was found tied to a fence in Detroit, Michigan, more than 2,000 miles from his home. Thankfully he was microchipped. A rescue group flew him home after he was taken to a shelter. Choco's owners had nearly given up hope they'd ever see him again.

What they're doing is called 'caching', she explained - the act of storing food in hidden places for later use. This behaviour is widespread across the animal kingdom, from squirrels to crows and wolves. One approach, called larder hoarding, is when animals store food in just one or two places to help them get through a long winter - for example, how squirrels stash nuts.

Angel Paws Pet Cremation appeared to be a nondescript San Marcos business, where grieving clients brought in their dearly departed pets - until they stopped getting their calls returned, and the building began to smell. Angel Paws owner Christopher Settle was arrested Tuesday for alleged grand theft, in a scheme prosecutors say involved taking in pets for cremations, collecting the payment, and leaving them in freezers to rot as he distributed false ashes.

The ball slips out of Simba's mouth and drops on the floor. He looks down for a moment, then seeks his owner's attention using his paw. He tries harder with some whining, which increases when his human doesn't pay attention. It seems the requesting tone soon turns into a demanding one as an onscreen line expresses the dog's thoughts: "Hey! Pick my ball!"

Your pet dog or cat might soon be a chubby little munchkin no more. Welcome to the burgeoning era of - we swear we're not making this up - "ozempets," in which your servile critters might shed some extra pounds by taking animal-focused diabetes and weight loss drugs similar to Ozempic and Wegovy. It hasn't quite happened yet, but it's seemingly about to. As the New York Times reports, a San Francisco based biopharmaceutical firm called Okava Pharmaceuticals is expected to announce the first pilot study of using these drugs, which are known as GLP-1 agonists, on obese cats.

"We are holding a Grand Opening Day on Dec 21st from 11am-2pm (Bunny outfits encouraged ), the Bunny Cafe said in a Wednesday Instagram post. We will have tastings, Graffeo espresso with have a Ferrari serving espresso drink and a vintage gas tank that pours cold brew, music, jump house, photo ops, lots of vendors that will be held in the park across the street of the cafe.

Just over a month after a Waymo autonomous car hit and killed KitKat, the beloved Mission bodega cat, Randa's Market welcomed a new feline to its store late last week: Coco, a six-month-old white kitty with blue eyes, who is already winning over dozens of customers daily. "There won't be another KitKat, but she's bringing a spark back to the neighborhood," said a man named AJ as he left the 16th and Valencia store after petting Coco on his way out.