Posts tagged "SPCA"

Homeless Animals Showcased in Macy's Holiday Windows

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Dec 21st 2009 3:00PM Filed Under: Pet Adoption

Macy's

Some San Francisco shoppers are coming home with fuzzy packages. The shop windows of Macy's Union Square are filled with adorable, adoptable animals from the city's SPCA. Don't believe us? Check out the live Web cam!

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city's SPCA has done this for 22 years, sending shoppers home with more than 4,000 new pets from the Macy's windows (317 just last year!). Starting in late November and running through January 3, homeless pets fill six store windows from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with SPCA staff on hand at all times to answer questions and screen potential adopters.

While they tend to bring the same animals back each day until they're adopted, according to the Chronicle, the shelter has a 97 percent adoption rate, so most of these animals will find happy homes whether they're adopted from the store windows or not. Most of the animals in the windows are cats, though small dogs are brought in as well. Large dogs simply don't fit.

When the Chronicle went behind the scenes at one of the adoption days at Macy's, they found that adoptable animals are described in three ways: "Cherry Blossoms" are animals that are a bit too shy for the windows. "Class Clowns" are a little rough-and-tumble, but could work. "All-Stars" are just what they sound like -- perfect for opportunities like this.

Want to know how you can lend a paw? Check out the SF/SPCA's Web site for more information.

Obese Dog Confiscated from Owner

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Nov 10th 2009 9:00AM Filed Under: Dogs

Mike Thomas, Express Newspapers/Getty Images

Few would argue that it's cruel to starve a dog. But is it animal cruelty to feed your pet too much? A Scottish court said yes to that question when it convicted a man from Motherwell, Scotland, of causing his dog unnecessary suffering by letting him get too fat, the BBC reports.

Bob, a four-year-old black Lab, weighed 141 pounds when he was removed from his owner, Ralph Dryden, in January. Dryden claimed Bob was already hefty when he adopted him off the street, the BBC reports. But feeding the dog four tins of dog food each day, plus a fish dinner each night, certainly didn't help.

Dryden's sentence was deferred for good behavior, according to the BBC. Meanwhile, Bob is looking more svelte with every passing day. After moving into his new home and starting a strict diet-and-exercise plan, the portly pooch has already slimmed to 90 pounds.

"Bob had to be lifted into the car when we first got him. He couldn't even walk the distance from the car to the front door of the house," his new owner, Paul McShane, said in an interview with the BBC. Now, McShane added, Bob's a new dog. "The difference in him is amazing. He has got a spring back in his step," he told the BBC.

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Camouflage Animals

Madagascar Day Gecko
The green Madagascar Day Gecko lives in the dry regions of forests in Madagascar and neighboring islands. They usually grow to be between four to six inches long. Their tail makes up almost half of their length.

Getty Images

Camouflage Animals

Argentine Horned Frog Reptiles
The Argentine Horned Frog, also known as the Horned Frog or Pacman Frog, originated in South America. The green and black amphibian, which can grow up to six inches long, is a popular pets and can live for as long as 10 years.

Camouflage Animals

Walkingstick
The Walkingstick takes its camouflage abilities to the next level by creating the appearance of a stick or twig to hide from predators. While they normally stand still, these insects are able to walk around as though they were a twig caught in the wind. They can be found in tropical forests or woodlands all across the world.

Camouflage Animals

Dwarf Puff Adder
Found in Nambia, the venomous Dwarf Puff Adder hides from the hot desert sun by burying itself in the sand, where only its eyes show.

Camouflage Animals

Stonefish
Often resembling a rock, the brown colored Stonefish camouflages itself perfectly in the ocean. With 13 venomous dorsal spines on its back, the Stonefish can cause tissue damage and respiratory distress, which can lead to cardiovascular shock if left untreated.

Camouflage Animals

Chameleons
Chameleons, the quintessential color-changers, can transform their skin color when their mood, temperature or the amount of light around them is altered. Their hue, which can vary from yellow and pink to brown and black, is also altered when they communicate.

Camouflage Animals

Green Anole
Often confused with chameleons, Green Anoles turn brown when they're stressed or sick. Found in the trees and shrubs of the Southeastern United States, these lizards are popular pets.

Camouflage Animals

The Eastern Wood Frog
The Eastern Wood Frog tricks competitors by changing colors to match its surroundings. Found in North American woodlands, the frog also has a dark black patch from its eye to the base of its front limb that can change colors.

Camouflage Animals