Tammy Bruce: Animal Issues Archives

Animal Issues Archives

Sydney Bruce's DNA Report Is In!

My dog Sydney is a rescue and I've always been curious about what breed combo made the Best Dog in the World. Well, I had my vet check out the What's My Dog? DNA test group and went for it, and now we have the results. Here are the four breeds that make a Sydney:

The most expected: German Shepherd

Next most expected: Collie

A little surprise, but this does explain Sydney's spotted tongue: Chinese Sharpei

And: Leonberger! I had never heard of this breed before, but here she is.

Pour all of these dogs together in one container, mix gently, add a big scoop of American, and you get the American Classic Rescue Mix--Sydney Bruce:

Sydney, with Dog Bedhead

Posted by Tammy · May 1, 2008 12:44 PM · Permalink · Comments (25)
Animal Issues | Science & Technology

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

You can learn from this even if you're a regular person and not an engineer. Enjoy. Oh, the "corporal cuddling" and "cat yodeling" parts are my favorite.

Posted by Tammy · April 30, 2008 10:57 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Humor | Science & Technology

The Sweet Seduction of Itchy Butt

You Monday furry respite from the freakish Chinese, condescending politicians, and self-important scientists. Don't say I never gave you anything.

Posted by Tammy · April 14, 2008 10:53 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Humor

Your Saturday Gigantic Cuddly

For Easter it was The Bunny. Today, it's a gigantic English cat. Just because. Enjoy. OOPS UPDATE: He's not English. He's Italian.

Posted by Tammy · April 12, 2008 05:56 PM · Permalink · Comments (13)
Animal Issues

Kittens Chase 200-Pound Bear Up Tree

All hail Fuzzy and Hardy!

Posted by Tammy · March 28, 2008 06:19 PM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Animal Issues

Every Now And Then...

I'm reminded why I still like the guy, no matter how mad he makes me. Yeah, it's sappy, but cute.

Obviously, from the White House Easter Egg Roll yesterday. If it wasn't we'd have reason to worry.

Posted by Tammy · March 25, 2008 08:46 AM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues

PETA Names "Sexiest Vegetarian"

Quick, someone throw her a steak!

Oh, she looks sort of healthy only because she "recently" became a vegetarian.

Posted by Tammy · March 18, 2008 11:44 AM · Permalink · Comments (11)
Animal Issues | Babes

Now to What Really Matters

**Bumped up just because I feel like it and because I added canoodling otters.**

Video of a dog playing with a dolphin. And the dolphin playing back. Just a reminder that God is hanging around expecting us to get things right. Make sure you notice how every now and then you can see the dog's tail wagging.

UPDATE:

Not enough for some of you? God has something else for the especially hard-to-convince humans. This one in the form of two paw-holding otters floating around at the Vancouver Aquarium. While the paw-holding is adorable, it's what happens after about :56 seconds in that proves how special, and intentional, the relationship really is.

Posted by Tammy · February 21, 2008 12:40 AM · Permalink · Comments (13)
Animal Issues

A Beagle Wins 'Best in Show'

Snoopy, er, Uno

Uno the Beagle made history today as he became the first Beagle to win the coveted "Best in Show" prize at the Westminster Dog Show. All Hail Uno!

Beagle named Best in Show at Westminster

Snoopy fans, rejoice.

At Madison Square Garden last night, Westminster Best in Show judge J. Donald Jones made history by giving the gargantuan purple-and-gold ribbon to a beagle called Uno (Champion K-Run's Park Me In First to you).

"We just knew he was going to be number one," said handler Aaron Wilkerson about Uno's prescient name, and as he remarked that the dog's favorite toy is a stuffed yellow duck.

The feisty hound's singular names are fitting, as this was the first time a beagle has won top honors in the Westminster show's 132-year history.

snoopy 01.jpg

Posted by Tammy · February 12, 2008 11:21 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Good News

Vote Tomorrow Because Joe Probably Will

Here is the best I can do when it comes to trying to scare some of you into a) voting and b) voting for Romney. My guess? Odds are quite high "Joe" is not a Romniac and will very probably vote. I'm just sayin. Oh, a lot of the language is not suitable for children. Of course.

UPDATE:

Because some of you are Smart Asses, let me rephrase: "If you have a primary or caucus tomorrow, please vote. And I will add, whenever your primary or caucus is vote and make that vote for Romney. :)"

A Lesson for Repubs: When Cats Attack

Republicans and Conservatives listen up! Approach Super Tuesday with the same attitude as this cat--determined, focused while delivering a surprise ending. (HT Patsy, Patsy Stone).

Translation: "Meow"="Vote Romney" ;)

Posted by Tammy · February 4, 2008 02:04 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues

Puppy Bowl IV: No Giants, No Patriots, Just Puppies

**Bumped Up**

Once again, here is your puppy alternative to the Super Bowl. Airing at the same time, Animal Planet will air Puppy Bowl IV from 3pm-6pm PT. All the Puppy Players are rescues and can be adopted. In addition to 3 hours of puppy play, the half-time show will be the domain of kittens. If you've never seen to the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet, here's the promo from last year's event to give you a taste of what's to come.

Posted by Tammy · February 3, 2008 01:23 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues

I Hate It When This Happens

Dinner is supposed to be in your tummy, not in your back seat!

After Accident Woman Finds Cow In Car

Tonya Coccia, 46, said the street was dark when she suddenly saw cows that had wandered out onto the road from a nearby farm. She swerved, but hit two of them. One was a massive Black Angus.

“I only saw it for a split second before it came up it into my windshield,” Coccia said.

One of the cows had gone airborne.

“There was airbags and smoke and me and my daughter was losing it. I thought that was it, but I felt my car start shaking.”

The cow had flipped over the roof of the car, gone through the back window and landed in the back seat.

“I didn’t really want to see what was there, but I saw a black cow head in my back window. My daughter turned this way and said ‘Mom there’s a cow in the back seat!’ And we just took off,” Coccia said.

Me, I would have looked for the baked potato and garlic bread that had to be in there somewhere.

Posted by Tammy · February 3, 2008 12:27 PM · Permalink · Comments (0)
Animal Issues | Food/Drink

It's Groundhog Day! But It's a Split Decision

Punxsutawney Phil and Woody the Woodchuck have each issued their winter/spring predictions, and it's a split decision. Phil saw his shadow today which means we'll have more winter, but Woody didn't and predicts an early Spring. I will choose Woody's prediction because I like it better. Also, Woody is a girl, so her female intuition probably gives her an edge. See, wasn't that easy? Time, of course, will prove one of them right. Whoever gets this year right, I will believe next year.

Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow, Predicts More Winter

The groundhog called Phil emerged from his burrow this morning in central Pennsylvania and saw his shadow, which according to legend signals there will be six more weeks of winter in the U.S.

Phil's handlers, John Griffiths and Ben Hughes, removed him from his stump-shaped shelter on a stage in Punxsutawney at 7:27 a.m. local time and proclaimed he saw his shadow. The forecast elicited some boos from the crowd of about 30,000 gathered to await the 122nd annual weather prediction... If he sees his shadow, there'll be six more weeks of winter weather, and if he doesn't, there will be an early spring, according to an old German superstition.

Woody of Howell, Michigan

Woody says prepare for an early spring

Woody the woodchuck, Livingston County's famous female weather prognosticator, proved Saturday that she's got a sense of humor.

The groundhog stayed out of her hutch through the count of 30 before heading back in on 31. She resurfaced again before the count of 35 - leading staff at the Howell Conference and Nature Center to assume Woody must be predicting an early spring.

"It was a photo finish," said Dana DeBenham, the center's wildlife director, who blamed noise on Woody's last-minute run for the hutch. "I don't think she saw her shadow. I think she was frightened by the crowd."

The process goes like this: Woody is coaxed out of her hutch and has 30 seconds to see her shadow. If she's frightened and returns to the hutch, that means six more weeks of winter. If Woody is still outside after 30 seconds, that means a prediction for an early spring.

"It's all very scientific," DeBenham joked to the Saturday morning crowd who witnessed the event and helped with the count. "She's been right seven out of nine times."

Posted by Tammy · February 2, 2008 10:50 AM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Science & Technology | Squirrels

Rudy Supporter Cat

Comments on the McCain endorsement.

In other news, Schwarzenegger decides it is now safe to endorse McCain, further indicating the sense of a McCain nomination being inevitable.

Posted by Tammy · January 30, 2008 09:00 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Politics

Pet Food Company Announces Settlement

Diamond Pet Foods has announced a $3.1 million settlement with pet owners whose pets dies or suffered as a result of contaminated food manufactured by Diamond.

Maker of tainted dog food to pay $3.1M

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A company that made contaminated pet food that killed dozens of dogs nationwide will pay $3.1 million in a settlement with pet owners, an attorney said Friday.

The pet food, which contained a mold called aflatoxin, was produced at Diamond Pet Foods' plant in South Carolina. The company will set up a fund to reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dog, veterinarian bills and the cost of any unreturned contaminated food, said attorney Jim Andrews, who represented a Knoxville, Tenn., family that sued the company.

Posted by Tammy · January 4, 2008 12:59 PM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Animal Issues | Justice/Judiciary | Recalls

Hollywood Calls for Knut!

Knut. Big and still cute.

It was inevitable. (HT Hot Air).

Polar Bear Knut to Become Hollywood Star

It was only a matter of time before Tinseltown came knocking. Cute Knut is about to star in an animated film that should earn Berlin Zoo millions of euros and establish the shaggy polar bear cub as an A-list celebrity alongside Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

The zoo has confirmed local media reports that it is in talks with a Hollywood producer. "We are delighted about the interest from Hollywood. It's unclear when we will sign the contracts. Some details have yet to be sorted out," zoo director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

It will, of course, be screwed up with Hollywood leftists involved.

The film will also address the fate of Knut's brethren living in the wild as global warming threatens their Arctic habitats, Berlin newspapers say.

The indoctrination continues.

Posted by Tammy · December 31, 2007 09:44 AM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Hollywood/Films

Did Anyone Ask the Dog?

I say Go Girl! I think it was time for that relationship to end. Now if only the dog could move out...

Woman doesn't want dog in bathroom during couple's shower

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) - A 25-year-old woman was arrested for investigation of second-degree assault for getting into an argument with her boyfriend over whether his dog should be in the bathroom while the couple were taking a shower together.

A police report said the 26-year-old man wanted his dog to join them in the bathroom, but the woman objected on Thursday night.

She told him if the dog wouldn't stay out, she didn't want to be his girlfriend anymore. He replied that maybe his next girlfriend would appreciate the dog more, and called her a name.

The police report said the woman punched him in the face several times and the man dislocated his shoulder when the naked couple grappled. He told police his girlfriend threw a picture frame, which broke and cut him.

The woman was taken to the Kitsap County Jail in Port Orchard. Bail has been set at $50,000.

That bail, IMHO, is ridiculously high. She was provoked. To say nothing of the boyfriend attempting to force pron on the puppy. Isn't that a crime?

Posted by Tammy · December 30, 2007 10:04 PM · Permalink · Comments (11)
Animal Issues | Nature | Relationships

A Soldier and His Dog

How a troop and a dog named Cinnamon in Afghanistan personify the meaning of Christmas, the joy of love, the power of loyalty and the gift of grace and compassion. Get your tissues ready for those happiness tears, you're going to need them. I did. (HT Duchess)

I love us.

Posted by Tammy · December 24, 2007 12:32 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Good News | Hero | Military

The Untold Christmas Story

I has it.

Want moar? Get buckit full heer.

Posted by Tammy · December 22, 2007 10:34 AM · Permalink · Comments (7)
Animal Issues | Faith/The Divine | History | Humor

Huckabee's Son Fired From Boy Scouts for Hanging a Dog

David Huckabee. Just don't let him near your pet.

This horrific event occurred supposedly because the dog had mange and was emaciated. Two things which can be cured by medical treatment and that thing called "food." Instead, Mike Huckabee's son decided it would be a good idea to torture the dog to death instead.

A Son’s Past Deeds Come Back To Bite Huckabee

As Mike Huckabee gains in the polls, the former Arkansas governor is finding that his record in office is getting more scrutiny. One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. The incident led to the dismissal of David Huckabee, then 17, from his job as a counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Ark. It also prompted the local prosecuting attorney— bombarded with complaints generated by a national animal-rights group—to write a letter to the Arkansas state police seeking help investigating whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws. The state police never granted the request, and no charges were ever filed. But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request. [...]

The details of the incident remain murky. The Animal Legal Defense Fund got an anonymous fax that summer alleging that David Huckabee and another youth had been involved in the hanging of a stray dog at the camp on July 11. A local animal-rights activist, Joyce Hillard, later contacted the camp director. Notes of Hillard's report to the defense fund read, "Boys confessed & were fired. Dir. is making excuses, saying dog was sic & boys were putting him out of his misery." (The director told NEWSWEEK only that a stray dog was "put down" and that the counselors were fired for violating the Scout credo to be "kind.") The father of the other counselor was quoted by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in August 1998 as saying that his son found the dog "hung over a limb and choking." David Huckabee did not respond to requests for comment. (In April of this year, he was arrested—and paid a fine—when he forgot to remove a loaded gun from his carry-on luggage at Little Rock airport.) His father told NEWSWEEK that his son did not engage in "intentional torture." "There was a dog that apparently had mange and was absolutely, I guess, emaciated." ...

Yeah, let's put these freaks in the White House.

UPDATE:

A Photographic Reality Check from Wonkette (HT Ashley in Comments). The Huckabee Christmas photo from his days as governor of Arkansas. Really, is this what we want as the First Family? At least Bill and Hill never wore matching suits. I will make no comment about what may be happening to the dog.

My friend Johnny does have one question--why did Louis Anderson crash the Huckabee Christmas card photo session?

Posted by Tammy · December 17, 2007 03:07 PM · Permalink · Comments (41)
Animal Issues | Hypocrisy | Politics

Babe News Anchor Punches Cop

Alycia Lane. Just watch out for the right hook.

Sends cop to hospital. Which may get babe sent to jail. Babe then wishes she watched more "Bad Girls" when she had the chance.

News anchor busted for punching cop

An Emmy-winning news anchor from Philadelphia is in hot water for punching a police officer here in New York, officials said.

Alycia Lane, a Long Island native who co-anchors the nightly news for a local station in the City of Brotherly Love, was arrested for hitting a female police officer in the face early this morning in Manhattan, and charged with assaulting a police officer...

Earlier this year, 35-year-old Lane made headlines when she e-mailed photos of herself clad in a revealing bikini to NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen. The images were discovered by Eisen's wife, but Lane insisted the pictures were only meant as a good-humored joke.

I don't think she'll be going where Martha went. But those pics might get her a few more smokes.

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: "Wow, two Babe posts in a row. It's good to move past Huckanut rage (for a moment) to things that are really important...like Babes."

UPDATE:

Apparently Alycia used a derogatory phrase against the woman cop that a) could also be used in prison, and b) get her sent to the hospital, just after she becomes everyone's wife. For at least an hour.

Philadelphia News Anchor Alycia Lane Calls Officer 'Dyke', Lands in Jail

Alycia Lane, the evening news anchor on CBS affiliate KYW-TV in Philadelphia, was arrested on early Sunday morning in Manhattan after an altercation with a female police officer, according to the New York Times. Lane and her boyfriend Chris Booker, and another unidentified couple were reportedly traveling in a taxi through Manhattan and became upset over a slow vehicle blocking their way. Philly.com reports Lane confronted the passengers of the slow vehicle, which happened to be a group of police officers in plainclothes. [Oops.]

When one of the officers asked Lane, who was taking photos with her iPhone, to step back, the news anchor reportedly began verbally assaulting the officer. According to Philadelphia Weekly, Lane screamed at the officer, saying "I don't give a f*ck who you are, I am a reporter you f*cking dyke." Lane then punched the female officer in the face, according to the Associated Press, resulting in several lacerations and swelling. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released.

Vick Sentenced to 23 Months for Dogfighting

He could have been sentenced to 5 years. This is for the federal conviction, and he still faces state charges. Hopefully someone at that level will see the torture and murder of helpless creatures as a matter more serious that the Feds consider it. The five years he could have received is nothing, and the less than two years is a joke. He will, of course, serve only a fraction of that. Disgusting.

Vick gets 23 months for dogfighting

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy that involved gambling and killing pit bulls.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick was dressed in a black-and-white striped prison suit and apologized to the court and his family...In a plea agreement, he admitted bankrolling the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural southeastern Virginia and helping kill pit bulls that did not perform well in test fights. He also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.

Beast.

Posted by Tammy · December 10, 2007 07:59 AM · Permalink · Comments (3)
Animal Issues | Crime | Justice/Judiciary

Save Congo, Sentenced to Die for Protecting Owner

Congo and friends.

Congo is an 85-pound German Shepherd who attacked an Honduran landscaper in Princeton. NJ after the illegal alien, fearing the dog, grabbed the wife and mother of the family to use her as a human shield. She understandably screamed, and Congo, appropriately, attacked. Congo has now been sentenced to death by a judge for the attack, and the illegal alien has received $250,000 in an insurance settlement. There is a growing "Save Congo" movement which focuses on pressuring New Jersey governor Corzine to pardon the dog. Here's the story.

Immigration debate ignited after gardener mauled by dog in N.J.

A dog scheduled to be put down after mauling a gardener from Honduras has ignited a debate over immigration and dog owners' rights in this university town.

The gardener, Giovanni Rivera, was attacked in June by a German shepherd named Congo and four other dogs at a Princeton home where he did landscaping. Charges were filed against the family who owned the dogs, and Rivera received an insurance settlement of $250,000...

James [the owner of Congo] contends the men showed up early when the dogs were eating, and disregarded his calls for them to stay in their vehicle. He said Congo attacked Rivera after the panicked gardener grabbed his wife from behind and pulled her down, causing her to scream.

Rivera's lawyer, Kevin S. Riechelson, said his client, who is still in New Jersey, did not want to speak about the incident because he was scared after the public outcry over the decision to put the dog down. But Riechelson and Kim Otis, the prosecutor who handled the case, described the attack as unprovoked, saying Rivera never pulled Elizabeth James down to the ground.

Notice the specificity of the never pulled her "down to the ground." The fact of the matter is, while they may not have ended up on the ground, Rivera has admitted to grabbing Mrs. James in an attempt to protect himself from the dog, who had not attacked him. Rivera was simply afraid of the dog so he decided to use Mrs. James as his personal Human Shield.

If you would like to support Congo, contact New Jersey Governor John Corzine's office at 609-292-6000 and encourage a pardon. There is also an email form at his official website.

Posted by Tammy · December 5, 2007 09:42 AM · Permalink · Comments (15)
Animal Issues | Just Wrong | Justice/Judiciary

Your Friday Cat Video, Just Because

No death, destruction, men with bombs or seething Islamists. Just a couple of regular cats having a discussion. You can thank me now, or you can thank me later. (HT my buddy Pete).

Posted by Tammy · November 30, 2007 01:09 PM · Permalink · Comments (5)
Animal Issues | Humor

The Litter Robot

News You Can Use (or Buy) by Maynard

Here's a gadget that may be of interest to cat people. Of the various self-cleaning litter boxes out there, this is the one that people seem to like best. It does the job in a straightforward, robust manner. The design is simple and clever. (As opposed to, for example, this complicated device, which looks good in theory, but user comments are more cautionary.)

For the record, I don't actually have one of these things. My cats are set in their ways, and I figure they'll hurt me if I try to change the system this late in the game. But a friend bought one and is very happy with it. That's how it came up on my radar.

Litter Robots can be found at Amazon (see more customer reviews there) and also directly from the manufacturer (which offers a 60-day money-back guarantee; the Amazon page only says 30-day unconditional money-back period; this is in addition to an 18-month warrantee). (The manufacturer also offers reconditioned units at a discount.)

The manufacturer's animation of how it works is here. I see someone has posted a YouTube video of the cleaning cycle.

Your cat will be delighted to wake up on ~~Christmas~~ the holiday morning and find a newfangled electronic litter box under the ~~Christmas~~ holiday tree.

Posted by Maynard · November 25, 2007 04:21 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Animal Issues | Gadgets/Toys | Maynard Post

Ellen DeGeneres: Slayer of Puppies!

A note by Maynard

The Ellen DeGeneres story has pretty much been beaten to death, but Tammy offered some insights on her show that bear repeating. The tension between Ellen and the puppy rescuer exemplifies a greater struggle in our culture (or, for that matter, in any culture): The individual versus the busybody.

I'm going to paraphrase the essence of Tammy's comments (and I hope she'll correct me if I misrepresent her), and carry on with my own editorializing:

A puppy rescuer must be an obsessed person. It's not a task to be picked up lightly. You've got to go to the shelters again and again, and you're going to see a lot of doomed dogs who you'll have to abandon to their fates. If you don't love dogs, you wouldn't do it. If you do love dogs, you'll be tearing your hair out and crying yourself to sleep.

So the people who embark upon these charitable missions are going to be a bit unusual. They're driven to do something that the rest of us wouldn't or couldn't do. And if we want to work with them, we need to start by understanding their needs. This is the tolerance thing that we hear so much of these days.

And then there are the Ellens of the world.

Ellen thinks she's being reasonable. Sure, she contracted with a puppy rescuer who insisted on placing dogs into families without young kids. But Ellen thought that was a silly stipulation, just a piece of paper she signed, so she didn't consider herself bound by it. Ellen thinks the puppy rescuer acted wrongfully in enforcing that provision. Ellen acknowledges the rash of death threats are "not okay", but she understands the passions that prompted those threats.

If the puppy rescuer were to throw up her hands and quit the business, Ellen would just shrug and figure the job will be picked up by somebody else. Somebody more reasonable.

What Ellen can't fathom is that a reasonable person would never take up the job in the first place. Only a special person would do this. So Ellen, who considers herself a reasonable person, uses her media power to neutralize the vital energy that saves puppies.

This is the sort of intrusiveness that brings us down. It manifests in, for example, the war against the Boy Scouts, which has been picked up by the ACLU and many municipal governments and the Clintons, among others. Oh, if only the Boy Scouts would be reasonable, and promote the approved attitude about God or homosexuality or whatever. If only firemen would be reasonable and stop pulling pranks on each other. If only the businesses would be reasonable and build transgender restrooms and janitors' closets big enough for wheelchairs. If only rich people would be reasonable and pay more taxes. If only everybody would be reasonable and do things my way!

I don't want to oversimplify the boundaries of this ongoing struggle. I'm not advocating anarchy, and I understand the need for taxes and regulations, when applied in moderation. Yes, we need some reasonable external restraints. But we sense that our modern cultural expectations are shifting the burden in the wrong direction. We bash our benefactors while enabling our miscreants.

The clearest example of institutionalized moral inversion is always provided by our favorite whipping boys and girls at the ACLU, who spearhead legal attacks against Boy Scouts, while at the same time working to thwart restrictions imposed upon criminal gangs or NAMBLA.

But the ACLU doesn't operate in a vacuum. Bill Clinton's Supreme Court appointee, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, was an ACLU in-house counsel before her canonization.

So our problem isn't a few kooks. There have always been kooks. The problem is the kooks have gone mainstream. Kookery has become respectable. The inmates have taken over the asylum.

Wow, I seem to have connected Ellen's mad rant to the decline of Western civilization. Do you think that's a bit of a stretch, perhaps? Well, I stand upon my assertion that Ellen, for all her self-proclaimed good intent, is a puppykiller. And I wish the confused busybodies of the world would start thinking about the practical effects of their misguided crusades.

« Close It

Is Ellen's IggyGate Really About Something Else?

Not Iggy, but a Brussels Griffon sort of just like him.

From the sobbing meltdown to the news that she completely canceled the taping of her show today, it just strikes me that this isn't about a little rat dog named Iggy. Really, none of this is normal. It just isn't.

All of my pets have been rescues, adopted from a rescue group--including Sadie who passed away earlier this year, to Sydney and now the new addition Snoopy--and I take the agreements with the rescue groups I deal with very seriously. After all, they rescue the babies and take care of them so we can then 'rescue' them ourselves by adopting them. But the truth of the matter is, the rescue group or person does all the hard, heartbreaking work saving the little creatures and making them available to us.

As far as I'm concerned they can have any rules they want and I'll follow them. Rescuing pets is what these people so, and they take it seriously. I respect that. I've never dealt with Mutts and Moms, the rescue group getting nailed by Ellen, but it's a shame that a celebrity with the power of 'J'accuse' would do so seriously impeding the work of the rescuers.

Ultimately, the sobbing breakdown on international television (her show is syndicated outside of the U.S.) and today's cancellation of and entire taping, seems just a bit much. Mark my words--I think we'll be hearing news of a serious relationship problem, health issues in the family or some other unrelated, but life changing, event for Ellen.

In the meantime, I also hope Mutts and Moms is able to continue its work at the pace it was before for the sake of the animals not involved in a national news story like Iggy, who still sit and wait to find their Forever Home.

Posted by Tammy · October 18, 2007 10:41 PM · Permalink · Comments (12)
Animal Issues | Celebrity

Knut Still Cute, Learns to Stand on Hind Legs

Knut. A little dirty from playing, but still screamingly cute.

I'm shocked. I expected Knut to grow older and become an average looking bear. Instead, while he's very different looking than when he was a baby, he's still amazingly cute. The news today is Knut has finally learned to stand on his hind legs. Also, mark your calendars--Knut turns one on December 5, and the zoo will be having a big birthday party, so if you're traveling try to fit the Berlin Zoo into your adventure.

UPDATE:

Just a reminder of the mind-numbing cuteness of the Baby Knut.

Baby Knut at 7-weeks.

Posted by Tammy · October 16, 2007 11:29 AM · Permalink · Comments (8)
Animal Issues | Good News

Celebrate Celebrate Celebrate!

A post by Maynard

October 16 serves a double-duty holiday as both Boss's Day and National Feral Cat Day. Mark the occasion by being particularly nice to your employer and to the wild cat that comes around at night to serenade your housecat and spray your shrubs.

Posted by Maynard · October 15, 2007 02:51 PM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Animal Issues | Maynard Post

Bobcats and Deer May Get their Own Traffic Lane

"Wait, do I stop on a blinking yellow and slow down for red, or was it stop for red and eat on green? Well, I better decide quick or I'll be condemned to disease, fire and the dreaded Sex with Cousins. Hey, don't laugh. My friends think I'm English. They have no idea why my ears are this big."

But can they follow traffic directions? I love the animals, but last time I checked, the reason for the phrase "Road Kill" was because our Furry Friends in the Wild didn't understand, and could really care less, about traffic rules. But that's not stopping the geniuses at the California Department of Transportation from considering a special traffic lane just for animal commuters. And I'm not talking about the occasional Golden Retriever who might jump behind the wheel.

The next commuter lane at the 405 may be for wildlife

SACRAMENTO -- Even in Los Angeles, where celebrities dress their pets in designer clothes, a proposal for a $455,000 animal path over the 405 Freeway has riled residents who say scarce transportation dollars should not be used to help deer and bobcats get around while humans remain stuck in endless traffic.

The cost could balloon to $1.4 million if environmentalists can persuade the city to extend the wildlife path, which would be part of an overpass for vehicles and pedestrians, beyond the freeway, officials said...Even some activists who have long supported green causes are ridiculing the idea of a special path on the Skirball Center Drive bridge so coyote and opossum can commute across the Sepulveda Pass.

"What are they going to do, have Doctor Dolittle standing there directing animals to use the bridge?" scoffed Ernest Frankel, a member of the Mountaingate Community Assn., a residents group...

A connection between the habitats adjacent to the 405 would help animals flee when disease or fire affects them on either side, Edelman said, and avoid isolating them in a way that leads to inbreeding.

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: "Inbreeding. Right. Next time I see a six-legged bobcat setting up home in a ratty trailer I'll let you know right away."

Posted by Tammy · October 10, 2007 11:43 PM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Animal Issues | Just Plain Stupid | Squirrels

Your Trick for the Day

Baby Sydney
A Message from Sydney Bruce:

Humans, this short and sweet trick is easier if you've had a beer or two. Otherwise, don't even try.

Posted by Tammy · September 29, 2007 12:59 PM · Permalink · Comments (3)
Animal Issues | Education | Health & Fitness | Inspiration

Craig's Stall Gets Extreme Makeover

Well, they had better not make it too interesting and hip because then it will look gay.

Larry Craig's Restroom to See Changes

MINNEAPOLIS — The infamous airport men's room where Sen. Larry Craig was arrested is getting new stall dividers that drop nearly to the floor to make it a less inviting spot for sexual liaisons.

Web sites had touted that restroom as a popular site for sex with strangers, and police reports over the summer described several cases of men ducking their heads under the dividers into adjoining stalls, allegedly in search of sex...

The Minneapolis airport has more than 80 restrooms, but only two are being targeted for the new dividers, including the one now known for Craig's arrest.

"These two have been the most problematic in terms of complaints from people and indications on Web sites that sexual activities are occurring in them," said airport spokesman Patrick Hogan. He said the dividers would be installed within the next two months...

One person arrested over the summer told police he had four sexual encounters in three hours, and it was only on his fifth approach that someone objected, Hogan said.

The new stall dividers will fall to just 2 to 3 inches above the floor, instead of leaving as much as a foot of open space as they do now. The airport expects to spend $25,000; installing them in every restroom there would cost about $1 million, Hogan said.

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: Uh, nothing. It appears he's in the restroom.

Posted by Tammy · September 28, 2007 04:36 PM · Permalink · Comments (3)
Animal Issues | Nature | Squirrels

Scientists Need to Get Out More Often

Obviously these scientists have never been to my part of town.

Bizarre Gender-Bender Bugs Baffle Scientists

Scientists have discovered a real gender-bender of a bug, a species in which most females impersonate males. Past research had already revealed the male bugs possessed fake female genitalia.

"We ended up uncovering a hotbed of deception," said evolutionary biologist Klaus Reinhardt at the University of Sheffield in England. "Nothing like this exists anywhere else in the animal kingdom." [...]

"We had to work in containment suits with full-faced respirators in sweltering temperatures for hours at end," Reinhardt said.

Sex among bat bugs (as with bed bugs) is violent. During copulation, males of these species pierce the abdomens of their mates with their genitals and ejaculate directly into their blood. The researchers originally set out to investigate bat bugs in the hopes of shedding light on "one of nature's strangest phenomena — why males had female genitalia," Reinhardt said.

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: "They already found out why females had fake male genitalia--it makes their girlfriends happy."

Posted by Tammy · September 22, 2007 01:30 PM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Animal Issues | Gadgets/Toys | Relationships | Science & Technology | Squirrels

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

My sister...My bride!

Maureen McCormick. Hmmm...yep.

Three words as uttered by Jan which will forever have a new meaning.

Brady Bunch Star Reveals All About Lesbian Fling With TV Sister

Wholesome former THE BRADY BUNCH star MAUREEN MCCORMICK is set to reveal the beloved 70s TV series' most shocking secret in a new book - she and her on-screen sister had a lesbian fling. MCCormick's tell-all, Here's The Story, won't hit bookstores until 2008, but publishers are already buzzing about the big reveal. As well as talking candidly about her well-documented eating disorder and drug problems in the book, TV's Marcia Brady will come clean about a romance she had with co-star Eve Plumb, who played her sister Jan on the hit show. A source tells America's National Enquirer, "The most explosive comments will be how the then-blonde, blue-eyed cutie developed a crush on Eve Plumb, which led to some sexual play. "This book will certainly come as a shocker. While Maureen is not a lesbian [of course not!--T], she reveals there were some sexual hijinks going on behind the scenes. "It's bizarre because she played such a virginal character on the show."

Jan, Jan, Jan!

The Tiny Gay Squirrel says: "And Hillary's not gay, either. She just likes Jan. A lot."

"Asphyxia-Balling." Hey! Get Your Minds Out of the Gutter

'Bee' afraid!

Yes, that's right. And we though it was just our mothers who had mastered the "smothering you to death" technique.

Not so.

Surprise Strategy: Bees Smother Enemies

Cyprian honeybees don't smother their enemies with kindness—they just smother them to death, research now reveals.

This novel strategy has never been seen before in insects, "and probably in all animal species," apidologist Gerard Arnold at the National Center of Scientific Research in France, told LiveScience.

Cyprian honeybees (Apis mellifera cypria) do possess stingers to defend themselves. However, their archenemy, the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), is protected from such attacks by their hard body armor. The predatory hornets tend to attack bee colonies en masse in the middle of the autumn, explained researcher Alexandros Papachristoforou of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Previous studies revealed Asian honeybees can kill hornets by completely engulfing them, making the predators die from the heat inside the ball of bees—a strategy dubbed "thermo-balling." [...]

Now scientists find Cyprian honeybees can kill hornets by suffocating them, a strategy the researchers have dubbed "asphyxia-balling."..."To kill the high-temperature-tolerant hornet, Cyprian honeybees have developed an alternate strategy to thermo-balling and stinging," Papachristoforou said. "They appear to have identified the hornets' 'Achilles heel' by asphyxiating the predator."

Yeah, so there.

Posted by Tammy · September 17, 2007 09:33 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Crime | Multiculturalism | Nature

VeriChip Animal ID Implants Linked to Cancer

Approved by the FDA, they are refusing press requests to find out if the FDA knew of the reports, dating back to the mid-90s, that linked malignant tumors in mice and rats. Gee, I wonder why. In the meantime, while the Feds and VeriChip were essentially ignoring the cancer information, the chip received approval for implantation in humans. That's just the beginning.

Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumors

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records almost instantly. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, and a sub-agency even called it one of 2005's top "innovative technologies."

But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors

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Scientists Need to Get Out More Often

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

"Asphyxia-Balling." Hey! Get Your Minds Out of the Gutter

VeriChip Animal ID Implants Linked to Cancer