Watch Brown's remarkable work below!
Posts tagged "rescue"
You might have a way with dogs or cats, but how about eagles? Raptor specialist Tim Brown put his bird-soothing skills to good use when a bald eagle became tangled in a rope in Sammamish, Wash. and nobody was able to get close enough to free it. With a soft whistle that he refers to as an "Eagle Song" (and, we like to think a gentle look in his eye), he quickly gained the eagle's trust and was able to calm him, hood him, and free him -- after which the frightened but mostly uninjured bird was transported to rehab facility.
Watch Brown's remarkable work below!
Watch Brown's remarkable work below!
gjeewaytee (off), Flickr
Firefighters in the U.K. rescued a pet bull from a pond in Essex last week, according to the BBC. No word on why in the world the 20-year-old bull fell into the pond, but it could not stand up after four fire crews freed it with rescue equipment, so they propped it up with bales of hay. The sickly animal was taken to a shelter overnight and examined by a vet.
Watch the amazing rescue video on the BBC.
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Recently, in Leawood, Kan., a horse got himself into a bit of a mess when he ended up falling through the ice of a frozen pond. Though rescuers weren't sure they had enough man power to lift the four-hoofed fella from the freezing water, the horse was, inevitably, brought to safety and has since returned to the farm for a little R&R.
Amanda May
Sgt. Lucas May of the Kansas Army National Guard has spent nine months stationed in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, where a tiny mutt wandered onto camp about a month ago. According to the Wichita Eagle, May was reluctant at first to feed or even pet the pup, since it is "against military rules to keep local animals as pets." After a few days, May decided to call home to his wife, Amanda, who happens to work as a fundraising director for the Sedgwick County Animal Response Team in Kansas.
"He loves dogs, and he knows how much I love dogs," Amanda May told the Eagle. "I told him, 'We'll do everything we can to bring her home.'"
Sgt. May wrote to his superiors requesting that he be allowed to do whatever he could to help get the pup -- whom he named Bella -- to Kansas. His request was granted, but the estimated $2,500 needed to ship Bella from Afghanistan had to be arranged privately. When the Wichita Eagle first reported May's story on Sunday, Amanda May had collected $500. Since then, local movie-theater magnate Bill Warren of Warren Theaters donated the rest of the needed amount.
"Thanks to a generous donation by Bill Warren and Warren Theaters, we have more than enough to bring Bella home!" May wrote on her Facebook page. "We are continuing our fundraising efforts to help all the other stray dogs in Afghanistan."
For now, Bella is being held at a shelter in Kabul. Sgt. May hopes to be able to bring her to Kansas around the same time he returns home in March.
Fame Pictures
Police discovered the threesome in the back of a car during a drug bust in Atlanta in 2001. The animals, then just fuzzy cubs around two months old, were apparently being kept as pets by drug kingpins. After their rescue, they were sent to Noah's Ark Animal Rehabilition Center, an animal refuge in Locust Grove, Georgia, Noah's Ark's assistant director Diane Smith told Paw Nation.
"They got along so well as babies, they decided to keep them together," Smith told Paw Nation. Eight years on, the unlikely trio remains inseparable, eating, sleeping and romping together around their new enclosure. "I guess no one's ever told them they're different species," Smith said.
Shere Khan and Baloo are particularly close, she said, and the 350-pound tiger can often be seen nuzzling the half-ton bear like an overgrown housecat. Shere Khan and Baloo often get up early to play while Leo, a typical lion, spends most of the day sleeping. Once Leo finally rolls out of bed, the three spend the afternoons together.
The animals are still adjusting to their new enclosure, where, for the first time, they are on display to the visiting public. It has taken Shere Khan a while to get used to the new space, Smith said, but he's coming around -- especially with his buddies Leo and Baloo around for support. The new digs includes a sturdy wooden clubhouse where all three animals sleep together.
Noah's Ark staff hope to eventually expand the habitat to include a creek that runs behind their current enclosure. (Baloo and Shere Khan particularly like to splash around in the water.)
"They really do enjoy each other's company," Smith added. "They interact just like brothers."
To feast your eyes on more Shere Khan-Leo-Baloo adorableness -- including painfully cute baby pictures -- visit their Facebook fan page.
Fashion photographer Brian Nice spent three years and a lot of nights on friends' couches to put together Rescue Tails: Portraits of Dogs and Their Celebrities, available in stores today. The book is filled with photos of stars and their pooches, all of whom posed in an effort to raise money for the New York Humane Society and Much Love Animal Rescue in Los Angeles.
We've all heard of firefighters rescuing cats from trees, but from drainage grates? According to the New York Post, a lucky kitten was saved from a drain in a Long Island parking lot after a passerby heard her crying and called a Humane Society Volunteer, who then contacted the Oceanside Fire Department's ladder company.
Firefighter Matt Martin, who carried the cat out of the storm drain, told Paw Nation that he was "confident we would get the cat out." He described the rescue: "One member [of the company] went down one side and was trying to coax the cat out, but the cat was just sitting there in the middle of the pipe, and on the other side was another pipe where it could escape. So one of us was on either end." When the cat wouldn't budge, they "took the water extinguisher to try to, not to scare it but, you know, cats don't like water. This wouldn't hurt the cat at all -- there's not very much pressure -- so we just sprayed behind it to scare it to the other side. It started walking towards me and when it was about two feet away, I reached in and grabbed it."
The cat, nicknamed Storm, was severely hypothermic, and spent the night at Hilton Animal Hospital in a warming cage. The next day, she was taken to the Long Beach Humane Society, where she was adopted two hours later. And who should the proud new cat parent be but the mother-in-law of the good Samaritan who originally heard the frightened feline. Now that's what we call a happy ending!
Photo: Kim Jack Riley
If you think caring for a dog or cat during a recession is financially challenging, try owning a horse. Home foreclosures and the escalating costs of equine veterinary care, transport, and feed have driven many horse owners to abandon their beloved animals, or even sell them for cash.
According to a recent survey published by the Unwanted Horses Coalition, over 100,000 horses -- unwanted because of age, injury, sickness or financial strain -- are being sent to processing facilities in the US, Canada, and Mexico each year. The horses are slaughtered and their meat is used in a variety of ways, including human consumption in countries like France, Italy, Belgium and Japan.
The study also found that financial burden is the most commonly cited reason for horse unloading. But selling a horse for meat isn't the only option for cash-strapped owners.
Karen Johnson, owner of One Horse Farm in Texas, tells Paw Nation that "maintenance of a family horse will average $200 a month if it's on your own property. If you have plentiful pasture, you save a ton, but you will still have veterinary maintenance, not to mention the emergencies, wear on the land, etc. If you board, expect it to average about $400 a month."
What is it with farm animals wandering around New York City lately? Just weeks after Evan the goat was found in the Bronx, three teenage ducklings were discovered in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Rina Deych, a registered nurse and member of the New York Bird Club, rescued the birds, took them home, and called the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, where they are now recovering from their ordeal.
Deych tells Paw Nation that she and her son were driving to the supermarket on a rainy Saturday morning. "As we approached the intersection, we saw a crowd of people in the middle of the street," she writes to Paw Nation. "As we got closer, we noticed [the ducks on the ground and] a crowd consisting of children of all ages (from toddler to twenty) stomping and flailing their arms as if they were trying to hit the ducks, and yelling. The ducks were huddled together and, visibly petrified. I screamed at the kids, 'What are you doing?' Then I grabbed the ducks and placed them one by one in the car."
Luckily for the ducks, Deych is a veteran animal rescuer, and always has cat food in her car. "I fed the ducks the cat food," Deych said. "I could tell they were young because, while their bodies were large, they were chirping like babies! I knew they had most likely fallen off a slaughterhouse truck since the feathers on their backs had rubbed off and left raw wounds. This usually happens when they are packed tightly in crates." There were three ducks in total, all male Moulards, a breed commonly used in the notoriously cruel production of foie gras.
Photo: Farm Sanctuary
In the case of an emaciated baby Nubian goat found wandering in New York City on September 1st, he was most likely saving his hide from being sold at a live meat market. The east Bronx area isn't new to goats on the lam (sorry!) as two others, Isabella and Duncan, were also found in bad shape walking through the borough in July, reports the New York Daily News. The lucky refugees were rescued by animal control and are now living at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY. Paw Nation spoke with Farm Sanctuary national shelter director Susie Coston about how this latest goat is doing and his chances for rehabilitation.
Does the goat have a name?
Not yet -- we usually wait to see their personalities come out. He's been so out of it we haven't really gotten to know him yet. Just today he started talking and making some normal little goat sounds. We'll name him when we know him a little better.
How is he doing?
The mobile vet is checking on him, because he's still dehydrated. He doesn't have a good appetite, and he's on antibiotics for pneumonia. He's definitely loaded with parasites. He's emaciated and very weak and tired. We've had much worse pull through so we're hoping he will too -- he just needs a week of really good care.
He's only about a month old. He's a Nubian, so he'll eventually be about 200 lbs. Baby goats usually aren't mortified by the presence of humans, but these city ones are mistreated -- we always find them diseased and full of parasites. It's mind-boggling to me that they are sold for meat.
Why do you think he was wandering in the Bronx?
Two maintenance workers from Spokane County, Washington saved a young kitten who had been zipped inside two duffel bags for nearly six days, according to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS).
After the workers heard a soft meow in the garage door of an apartment complex, they unzipped two duffel bags only to find a tiny kitten covered in urine and feces.
They quickly washed the kitten and called SCRAPS. The maintenance workers-turned-heroes named the the cat "Duff" and plan to adopt him from the protection service.
Donivan Crews, owner of the kitten, was criminally charged with confinement in an unsafe manner. He told SCRAPS he put his cat in the bags six days prior.
"We are thankful to those who rescued this kitten from what would have been a horrific death," Animal Protection Officer Nicole Montano told SCRAPS.
Talk about being in a tight spot.
A baby elephant became wedged in a manhole in Eastern Thailand after falling into a drainage ditch. News.com.au reports the poor pachyderm was awkwardly trapped with his head and two front feet pointing skyward. Try as he might, he couldn't wrestle himself out of the narrow opening.
Rescuers tried for three hours to free the baby elephant, eventually bringing in a bulldozer to widen the hole in order to pull the frightened animal to safety. He escaped from the ditch unharmed.
The elephant reportedly landed in the hole while out working with his trainer in Rayong province. Elephants are a common sight on Thai streets, where they haul heavy loads and are made to perform tricks for passers-by. Cruelty concerns have reportedly led to such elephant displays being outlawed in some areas of Thailand. Let's hope, for this little guy's sake, that more such laws will be passed throughout the country.
In the meantime, we expect this little tusker will take care to watch his step from now on. After all, an elephant never forgets.
Photo: Newspix / Rex Features
Sue Drummond, the owner of the tiny Maltese-shitzu mix, feared the worst as she watch the little dog paddle in the waves, afraid it was the last time she would see her beloved Bibi. "I thought he was going to sink and then maybe I wouldn't be able to find him," she told the Herald Sun.
Raden Soemawinata, who was on the same pier dispersing his grandmother's ashes at the time, proved Drummond wrong when he swiftly removed his pants and shoes, then jumped into the bay to save the dog.
Photo: Newspix / Rex Features
Drummond quickly embraced Soemawinata and Bibi when they came out of the water. Check out more photos of the rescue in the UK's Daily Mail.
Love rescue stories? Check out these heroic pets saving people.
Amazing Pet Rescues
Hoagie was rescued from a California animal shelter by his owner William Morse, and the 5-year-old black Lab mix returned the favor on Tuesday, May 5, by saving Morse and his wife from a mountain lion attack in California's Santa Ana Mountains. The couple was hiking in the Cleveland National Forest When the 120-pound lion appeared out of nowhere. Hoagie, who threw himself in front of the couple, was badly mauled, but after undergoing four hours of surgery, is expected to survive.
CBS 2 / KCAL 9
Nathaniel Teafatiller, a two-year-old from Onalaska, WA, survived a cold April night in the woods near his home thanks to his four-month old dog. When it was discovered that the toddler had wandered out of the house, his mother feared the worst. But at 11 p.m. that evening, Nathaniel was found near a creek about a mile from his home. Dressed in only socks and a t-shirt, he was curled up next to Stanley. Rescuers believe that warmth from the dog's body helped Nathaniel battle the cold and dampness.
KIRO-TV Seattle
Back in November 2008, two-year-old Hannah began to choke on a pop tart while her babysitter Megan Howard was in the bathroom,
CBS 4 Denver
In another case of survival by puppy, two young dogs created a body heat blanket for a young boy who was lost outdoors in freezing temperatures overnight in mid-December 2008. After three-year-old Jaylynn Thorpe wandered off from his babysitter, a search team combed the area for 21 hours before finding the toddler and puppies huddled under a tree. Jaylynn told his mother, "I got cold. I slept in the woods last night. The puppies kept me warm."
WSET-TV
As if this face wasn't enough, there's another reason to love Buddy. In September, 2008, the German shepherd saved his master's life by calling 911. Buddy had been trained to assist when his owner Joe Stalnaker exhibited seizure symptoms, but 911 dispatchers were amazed when they heard barking and whimpering at the other end of the line. This was actually old hat for Buddy, who'd done it twice before!
AP
Black Lab Jake dug through the still-smoldering debris at the World Trade Center looking for victims after 9/11, becoming a national hero. He also helped search for survivors in New Orleans after Katrina, and did therapy work with children, seniors, and burn victims, before dying of cancer at age 12. Now that's one hard-working dog.
Alan Diaz, AP
Cats are heroes, too! Brooklyn stray Scarlet became famous after she rescued her five kittens from a fire in 1996, getting badly burned in the process. But this survivor made it out alive, was adopted by a loving owner and lived a long happy life until she passed away in 2008.
Chris Kasson, AP
Call her mother of the year: an Argentinean dog named La China rescued a newborn baby abandoned outdoors in August, 2008. The brave dog managed to carry the babe to her den where she laid him among her own puppies. Some time later the dog's owner, farmer Fabio Anze, found the little guy, perfectly safe and cozy (and completely free of bite marks). The 'miracle baby' was born prematurely to a 14-year-old girl in a small town outside the capital, Buenos Aires.
Corbis
Winnie, an Indiana house cat, saved her family from carbon monoxide poisoning by meowing loudly to awaken them back in April 2007. Her owner Cathy Keesling (pictured here) reported that Winnie had also warned the family of approaching tornadoes the previous summer. We hope this intuitive kitty's getting a lot of catnip these days.
AP
Elizabeth Wilkinson, photographed in March, 2009, with her two-year-old Bedlington whippet Chushla. Chusla is one of just six registered diabetic hypo-alert dogs in Britain, meaning she can smell when her owner is about to have a diabetic attack. When this amazing pup detects a change in scent when Wilkinson's blood sugar levels drops, she lightly bites on her owner's hand to alert her.
Masons News Service
Corbin Maxey with Scooter the iguana. Photo: Robyn Glover.
Name: Corbin Maxey
Age: 20
Job: Reptile expert and rescuer; Cypress Hill Reptile Reserve
You call yourself a reptile expert and rescuer -- what exactly does that entail?
I consider myself a reptile expert because I live, breathe, and learn everything I can about reptiles. Whether it has been interning at various zoological parks across the country or just reading about them in a scientific paper, I soak up as much knowledge as I can. I consider myself a reptile rescuer because I run one of Idaho's leading reptile rescues/adoption programs. My reserve in conjunction with the Idaho Herpetological Society finds homes for hundreds of reptiles and amphibians on an annual basis.
How did you get into reptiles?
I've always had a passion for animals. We lived in a small community up in the mountains, about 45 minutes outside Boise, so I was always surrounded by animals, frogs, salamanders, snakes, and lizards. We didn't have any neighbors at all, so you could usually find me up a tree or exploring wildlife.
What drew you to reptiles in particular?
I've always been interested in dinosaurs and was always the kid sitting in front of the alligator exhibit at the zoo, watching a motionless reptile do nothing for an hour. I think it's because people don't always understand them. They're not cute and cuddly.
How did you start rescuing reptiles?
Something that really changed my life was when I was 12 years old and stumbled upon my first animal rescue. My dad and I were at a pet store in town and some guy came in and said, 'Hey, I have this python, will you guys take it?' I overheard the pet store manager say, 'Nope! We don't have any room for it.' It was just a small little python and he didn't have a home. I asked my dad, 'Please, please, can we take this snake?' Ten minutes later, we ended up picking him up. His name is Reggie and he's a ball python. What's so cool is that to this day, I still have Reggie.
Photo: Matthew Mirabelli, Times of Malta
The Times of Malta reports that the Civil Protections Department dispatched a team who soon found a young husky abandoned on the face of a nearby cliff with a 30-foot length of rope tied around his neck. It was clear that some ignominious person had attempted to do away with the poor puppy either via hanging or by leaving it to die from exposure to the elements. Fortunately, the dog was able to situate itself on a small ledge on the cliff's face where it remained for an estimated three days or more.
The team from the Civil Protections Department was able to save the imperiled pooch from a grisly fate, executing a 45-minute rescue operation during in which the rescuers rappelled two stories down the dangerous cliff face to the ledge below. The dog soon was on solid ground and safe, if bedraggled, dehydrated, and frightened.
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