Posts tagged "MichaelJackson"

The deaths of two of Michael Jackson's pet giraffes are creating a media circus of their own. PETA is accusing the creatures' caretakers of neglect and asking Arizona police to confiscate two remaining living giraffes that belonged to the late King of Pop, E! Online reports.

Jabbar and Rambo died on Nov. 20 and Jan. 2, respectively, while under the custody of Tom and Freddie Hancock, owners of the Banjoko Wildlife Preserve in Page, Ariz. where all four of Jackson's giraffes had been living since 2006.

PETA claimed on its Web site that Jabbar and Rambo "may have died as a result of improper feeding and/or exposure to cold temperatures." PETA is now asking the Page, Ariz. Chief of Police Charlie Dennis to remove the remaining animals from the Hancocks' care, citing a possible violation of the state's animal cruelty law.

PETA is also offering their services to help find permanent homes for the remaining two giraffes, Princess and Annie Sue, and to arrange wildlife professionals to transport them.

But Freddie Hancock, whose wildlife preserve also acquired Jackson's exotic birds, snakes and crocodile, insists that PETA's accusations of neglect aren't true.

"We've had them for three and a half years, and they are like our children," Freddie Hancock told Salt Lake City's KSL-TV. "We're just absolutely devastated by the death of these giraffes."

As of now, Police Chief Dennis told the Associated Press that there's no reason to remove the other giraffes until police receive conclusive necropsy (animal autopsy) results.

As they move on with their lives, Michael Jackson's children are trying to give back.

According to TMZ, Prince Michael and Paris Jackson saw a TV news story about Scooby-Roo, a two-legged puppy recently rescued from beneath a car in a rough L.A. neighborhood. The six-month-old Rottweiler needs a $2,000 mechanized cart to accommodate his birth defect of no front legs (similar to famed bipedal pup, Faith). The eldest Jackson kids decided to start raising money for the pup's new "legs" -- apparently unaware that they are multi-millionaires.

The children also seem unaware of their celeb status and how much good they're doing merely showing interest in the dog. Since the news hit about the kids' philanthropy, Scooby-Roo and the nonprofit organization that rescued him have received a lot of attention and help.

Sheila Choi, the executive director of Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue, Inc., a nonprofit, no-kill shelter in Santa Monica, tells Paw Nation, "We are ecstatic about the support we have been getting from animal lovers all over the world, including Paris and Prince Jackson. In fact, word has it that Demi Moore has been Tweeting about Scooby-Roo, too!"

Choi explains, "Scooby-Roo has been measured for his first set of wheels, but of course we are still raising the funds for his physical therapy and additional carts as he is a growing puppy. We hope that Scooby-Roo's message will encourage others to be a voice for these helpless, sentient beings. Scooby-Roo was part of an unwanted litter of puppies -- we want to stress the importance of spaying and neutering all pets to stop this pet overpopulation problem."

Once Scooby-Roo has completed his physical therapy and has his new wheels built, he'll be adopted out to a lucky family, and any additional money raised will be poured back into Fuzzy Rescue's important work. You can make a contribution to Fuzzy Rescue via their website.

Michael Jackson's death last week has left fans with questions regarding all aspects of the singer's life. Pet lovers in particular may wonder about the fate of Jackson's menagerie of exotic animals, especially the most famous of them all: Bubbles the chimp.

Bubbles, of all of Jackson's pets, was probably the closest to Jackson. His 1985 adoption of the chimp from a Texas research facility, and the subsequent bond between man and ape became a key part of the singer's eccentric persona. Bubbles often was seen at Jackson's side as a member of Jackson's entourage during the peak of the entertainer's fame in the 1980s. He attended concerts, album recording sessions, and tea parties at Elizabeth Taylor's house. That is, when he wasn't kicking it in high style at Jackson's Neverland ranch, practicing his moonwalk.

Now in his mid-twenties, Bubbles still lives a stylish life, although much less in the blinding spotlight of his glitzy early years. As he matured, Bubbles became too aggressive for domestic life with the Jackson family and was given to a California-based animal trainer who later entrusted the chimp's care to the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary for "retired" apes in Wauchula, Florida, where he resides today.