When Sarah Barbosa moved from Massachusetts to Texas a couple of years ago, she planned on retiring from wildlife rehabbing to concentrate on her growing family.
But recently, Barbosa saw a post online. A construction worker had knocked a bird's nest with eggs inside off a man’s roof. The homeowner felt horrible and was trying to get help.
Click here to read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s story in The Dodo.
Two starving, scared dogs living in a Brownsville, Texas, fast food restaurant parking lot had nowhere to go — until 18-year-old Destiny Vasquez spotted one of them, whipped out her cell phone and took a video.
"I was in the drive-thru, I saw one of the dogs and said, 'Oh my gosh! This dog has no home," Vasquez told The Dodo. "I was crying and crying. I called my mom, and I said, 'Mom, I have to get this dog.' I didn't know there were two dogs at the time."
Click here to read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s story in The Dodo.
Stacee Jones has fostered more than 100 dogs and cats. She thought she had seen it all — until one day last month, when the group she fosters for, Jelly's Place in San Pablo, California, took in the survivors of two separate cases.
Click here to read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in The Dodo.
The COVID-19 pandemic set off an explosion of pet adoptions in the United States.
And from coast to coast, we found many rescues and shelters say they cannot keep up with the number of adoption applications they are receiving. Many are from people who started working at home and decided it was the perfect time to welcome a new family member.
When Kendal Benken saw a post online about three kittens who needed round-the-clock bottle feeding, she offered to help right away.
"The COVID-19 outbreak hit, and I was sheltering at home," Benken told The Dodo. "I was looking for something to do. Who doesn't enjoy cute little kittens? I saw it as a great opportunity."
Jelly's Place animal rescue in San Pablo, California, approved Benken to be the kittens' foster mom. But the moment Benken brought the kittens home, it became clear her 105-pound Lab mix, Truvy, wanted her job.
Murphy
“Come on!”
The voice said.
“Huh? Who said that?” My mother wondered as she struggled to hang curtains back in the late ‘70s.
Then it happened again.
“Come on!”
The little voice said. It seemed to come out of nowhere. It didn’t sound exactly like a person, but it clearly said, “Come on!”
A minute later, the voice said it again.
My mother looked around and confirmed no one was home. The radio was off. The TV was off. As she searched for the origin of the voice, she thought, “Could it be the parakeet? No, it couldn’t be? Well maybe?”
Just a few months before this bird was on death’s door.
My mother agreed to take the budgie in after he lived with some nutty kids who specialized in terrorizing the small pets they had.
When the bird first arrived, he barely had any feathers, and he didn’t want to eat; he just sat huddled on his perch trying to stay warm.
We named him Murphy. My mother knew what she was doing, she fed him good food, vitamins, put a blanket over his cage to keep out any drafts, and let him chill out.
In time he started to look a lot better, but he was still so terrified of people when you’d put your hand in his cage he’d try to bite.
So, we gave him more time, treated him with kindness, and slowly he started to come around. He stopped trying to bite, he seemed happier and would fly to the side of his cage to see us.
And on that frustrating curtain hanging day, as my mother searched for the voice saying, “come on,” she found it was coming right from his cage! Murphy turned the corner so much that he started to talk.
My mother was astonished. She wondered how Murphy learned the phrase. But there was no question how it happened.
She said it to me about a dozen times a day.
“Come on, Mary, you’ll be late.”
“Come on, Mary, do your homework.”
“Come on, Mary, turn off the video games.”
The “come ons” went on and on.
My mother didn’t limit “come on” to just me. She would also say it to the bird to get him out of his shell, “Come on Murphy, come get some food.”
She would try just plain ole happy sounding, “Come on!” To coax the bird to come to the side of his cage or onto her hand without biting.
During those months Murphy sat huddled in his cage healing, the poor beaten down parakeet absorbed what he heard most often and started to repeat it.
Murphy
Soon Murphy blossomed and amazingly developed a full vocabulary.
He’d say his name and, “Oh hi!”
Murphy was now so happy he made up a song about himself, it went something like, “The Merb, the Merb, the Merbie bird!”
He would ride on a small plastic toy train and make “choo choo choo” sounds like he was on a real engine.
We’d just leave his cage door open and he would come in and out as he wanted. He would fly around the kitchen and family room, sometimes landing on my dad’s knee as he read the paper. He would try to nibble on the paper and make noises to get his attention.
Sometimes he’d fly over, land on the kitchen table, look at what we were eating and say, “mmmmmm,” and we’d feed him.
In my opinion, his new talents were all sparked by love, care and continuously hearing, “come on.”
But the “come ons” Murphy heard were only the ones my mother said inside our home.
There were many he missed outside the house.
At my swim team meets she’d yell louder than anyone in the audience, “Come on, Mary, go!”
Every time I’d stick my head out of the water gasping for breath as I attempted to win a 100-yard breaststroke race, I’d hear her voice, “Come on … (gurgle, gurgle) M—y!”
Some days, if she picked me up and I was bummed about something she allowed no time spent on self-pity. “Oh, come on Mary, life isn’t always fair. Come on, let’s go shopping!”
On a cold winter day, after living a life span that far exceeded any budgie, Murphy passed away. I remember my mother waking me to tell me, and we both sobbed.
What an amazing spirit. If you didn’t see and hear everything he did, and all his performances with your own eyes, it was hard to believe a parakeet could pull it off.
He is still buried in the rose garden in my parent’s back yard.
And my mother’s “come ons” still continued. As I got older, they got more serious. If I was sad about some teenage crush she’d say, “Oh come on, get yourself up, put on some lipstick, and get back out there. Don’t ever let grass grow under your feet!”
One of her most monumental “come ons” was in college. I was a science major, and that math part of chemistry, yeah, it wasn’t working out so well.
As I tearfully dialed the phone to inform my mother I may be flunking out, her response was tough love, “Oh, come on. You better get your act together. Go over to the school of communications, see what classes they offer, you’ll be good at something there!”
Her “come on” that time changed my path in life and her “come ons” still continue today.
But it really wasn’t until recently that I began to really realize the significance of that phrase and that talented bird that came into my life when I was young.
My mother’s perseverance and determination inspired Murphy and me to be the best we could possibly be.
My mother and me
I was lucky enough to witness how love, care, and some motivational “come ons” can transform and breathe new life into the most broken down of animals, and the most confused teenager at a crossroads.
My mother taught me how to treasure, not only Murphy, but all animals. He was our first “rescue.” There have since been many that have come through our homes and hearts.
Gus and Lucy, two of many rescued dogs
She showed me that we’re all one big circle of life that works best when everyone respects one another. It’s from this I draw my passion for writing about animals and sticking up for consumers. And, oh yeah, that degree from the Marquette University College of Communications helped too.
Her “come ons” were precisely what Murphy and I needed. And oh, don’t get me wrong, when my mother would say, “come on,” you didn’t want to hear it. You wanted to stew in your insecurity, wallow in your sadness, or stick with what you were trying to get away with.
But her persistent words inspired a tiny featherless parakeet to bounce back from practically the grave.
And I’ve come to recognize her “come ons” have lasted and inspired me for a lifetime.
Mothers out there, keep pushing your kids to come on, get up, shake it off, get back in the game, and try harder. Not everyone has a bird reminding them, so they need their mom.
My mother and me
The second I heard my big, beautiful, black Lab, Solly, inhale that hot July day last summer, I knew it. There’s no mistaking that raspy sound; he had laryngeal paralysis.
My heart sunk. I couldn’t believe lightning struck twice. To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in Just Labs Magazine, click here.
Five years ago, Danielle Schafer spotted a stray kitten on a rural street in upstate New York. She took her home and named her Kitty. The beautiful, green-eyed feline, clearly smitten with her rescuer, made it pretty clear she wanted to stay. “She would run down the stairs meowing at me,” Danielle says. “She was a cuddle bug. So playful.” Danielle fell in love. She never intended to adopt Kitty, but it’s a good thing she did. Last fall, Kitty became the hero.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in Catster Magazine click here.
Credit: Dogster
Are you locked inside your house with your new puppy who is bouncing off the wall? Are you hunkered down with your adult dog, who needs training, but you never had the time?
It may seem like the middle of a coronavirus crisis is not the time to take your pup out to socialize or enroll in a group training class; staying 6 feet away from people would be tough.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in Dogster Magazine click here.
Credit Catster
The coronavirus outbreak means many of us are hunkering down with our cats. You might be working from home, self-isolating, or even ill with COVID-19. So what precautions should you take with your kitty?
Read Watchdog Mary’s article in Catster for what you need to know about the coronavirus and cats.
Credit Dogster
We’re living in a scary world right now. The coronavirus continues to spread along with it a lot of uncertainty. How do you and your dog cope if the global pandemic hits your household? Here’s what pet owners need to know about the coronavirus and dogs.
Read Watchdog Mary’s latest article in Dogster Magazine, including new information about if you can catch COVID-19 from your dog.
Dr. Deirdre Frey
Once a common practice, then relegated to the past, service providers coming to your house are making a comeback. For Sharon Festa of South Florida, bringing her two dogs to the veterinarian is nearly impossible. One pooch shakes uncontrollably the moment they walk into the animal hospital. The other yanks her around the waiting room, knocking over displays.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in Dogster Magazine click here.
:Lulu’s owners used Waggle to crowdfund her care. Credit: Waggle
Many pet owners know this awful moment: You’re sitting in the animal hospital and you’re hit with devastating news, your beloved pooch or kitty has a dreadful illness.
To top off your shock and worry, you’re hit with the bill for their treatment. Your head hurts. Your heart hurts. Your wallet hurts. And you’re completely panicked on how you’re going to pay. Can
Shortly after the couple adopted Lulu, they found out she suffered from horrible dental disease. Some of the beautiful poodle mix’s teeth were loose and their vet said the dangerous condition was getting worse by the day. Lulu needed about $1,500 worth of surgery, a bill Darka and Miri could not afford.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in Grit Daily click here.
Sometimes you need to take the initiative to change your circumstances in life. It worked for Max.
The pit bull mix was hanging out along a road near Dunn, North Carolina, in December when he spotted a group participating in a holiday charity run and decided to join them.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article in The Dodo, click here.
Coors for Canines Offer
If you want a valentine who will give you unconditional love forever, and you're ready for a full-time commitment, you may want to adopt a dog.
And if you do, Coors Light beer company will pay you $100. The brewing giant launched a new program today called the "Coors for Canines Offer."
You can use that money toward food, toys, a cool bed, your dog's first vet visit, or reimburse yourself the adoption fee.
Here's the scoop: You have to adopt a dog between February 4-21, 2020.
The fine print says, "the offer is only redeemable while supplies last," and the first 1,000 accepted entries will be eligible for the cash.
So get down to your local shelter, or contact your favorite rescue group, adopt a dog that suits you and your lifestyle, and get your paperwork in quickly.
You don't have to buy any beer. (But of course Coors Light would appreciate any sales or referrals.)
You do have to adopt a dog.
You have to be old enough to drink.
Once you've got your pooch, take a picture of your paperwork proving adoption, and text the photo(s) to 28130, and enter the keyword: "COORS4K9." You do need a Venmo account to get your $100.
Here's the proof Coors needs to be considered for the payout:
· Adoption receipt showing Adoption cost
· Name of Adoption shelter
· Adoption location/state
· Date of adoption (Adoption must occur between February 4, 2020, and February 21, 2020)
· Animal type (Offer only valid for dog Adoption)
For some reason, if you live in California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, you're not eligible. That's unfortunate because some of those states euthanize a whole lot of dogs in their shelters. But the legal eagles at Coors must have some reason for the exclusion.
There are more rules, terms, and conditions; you should check out on the Coors website.
Why the payout for a pooch?
Coors Light says, "Each Winter, we witness a cultural phenomenon where people couple up to stave off the weather-induced blues; better known as Cuffing Season. Valentine's Day is the pinnacle of Cuffing Season, and according to a new survey from Coors Light, a majority of young legal drinking age millennials (58%) find it overrated. That's why Coors Light encourages you to skip the cheesy Valentine's traditions and spend the Day with a fur-ever friend."
The headlines about the coronavirus outbreak are terrifying: thousands of people are sick. Face masks are out of stock. Quarantine orders are causing panic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency.
Then there’s chilling news the virus can spread from animals to humans.
If you’re panicking, pondering, “Is my dog at risk of getting it? Am I at risk of getting it from my pooch? Isn’t there a canine coronavirus?”
Take a deep breath. Here’s what you need to know, read Watchdog Mary’s article in Dogster magazine.
How many puppies do you count in this X-ray?
When Blackdog All Breed Dog Rescue saved a very pregnant pit bull this month they were worried. Sweet Bonnie was tiny, and her belly was so big. The pooch is a pup herself, at only one-year-old, this is her second litter.
The Chicago area rescue wanted to get an X-ray of Bonnie's belly to see what exactly was going on in there.
Bonnie
"We were worried," Megan Albright, from Blackdog All Breed Dog Rescue, told Watchdog Mary. "And then when we saw the X-ray, I was like, ‘Holy cow!' I was more worried about her making it through the pregnancy than anything else."
The group loved the X-ray so much they posted it on their Facebook page saying:
"How many of Bonnie’s puppies can you count? Even the veterinarian had a hard time! She has a mall frame, she’s a tiny thing, and there are a lot of puppies packed in there."
How many puppies do you count?
Days after the vet took the X-ray Bonnie gave birth to 10 perfect puppies. Everything worked out quite well. Albright was relieved to know what to expect ahead of time. "I wanted to make sure we knew exactly how many were in there, so we really knew when she was done."
Bonnie
This will be Bonnie's last litter, after she's all done nursing, and being an excellent mom to her pups, she will be up for adoption, and so will her puppies. "We can't wait to see her puppies grow. We are adopting out to local Chicagoland families only. We are definitely taking applications, and we would love to find the right family fo mama," Albright said.
Bonnie and her pups
If you'd like to help Bonnie and her puppies, the rescue has this Amazon wish list with the supplies the growing family needs. To donate or apply to adopt, head to their website. There’s also an upcoming baby shower for the pooch family too.
When Bryant Fritz first discovered the dog
As Bryant Fritz strolled along the shore of Kaufman Lake in Champaign, Illinois, one day last month, looking for the right fishing spot, he had no idea not only was his life about to change forever, but he was about to save a life heroically.
All of a sudden, the middle school teacher heard grunting noises and saw something in the water that caught his eye.
He looked closer, then closer, and closer, as his mind fought to process what he was seeing.
There was a dog locked in a crate sinking into the frigid lake. She kept swimming, trying to keep her head above the water to stay alive.
Picture Bryant Fritz took for police when he first discovered the pup
"The shock and reality of what I was looking at started to set in," Fritz told Watchdog Mary. "I remember feeling my heart pounding and a sense of urgency and panic. I was only able to see part of the crate and her head, as the water level was just below her ears. She could tell I was there but could barely open her eyes. I immediately knew she did not end up in the water by accident."
If this dog did not get out of the sinking crate, she would drown. She had no way of escaping.
"I looked around for someone to help, but there was nobody around the lake at that time," Fritz said. "It was a very cold and windy day. I thought about calling for help, but I didn't know how long she had been in the water at that point. I thought an extra five or ten minutes waiting for help might be too long, and I didn't want to leave her."
Fritz wasted no time leaping into action. He dropped his fishing rod and tackle box.
He snapped a picture of the pup in the water with his phone, so he had evidence to show the police, then tossed the phone, his wallet and keys on the ground.
He rushed into the lake and waded waist-high into the chilly water. He grabbed the crate and pulled it, with the pup still inside, to shore.
Pup in the crate after Fritz rescued her
As the water rushed out of the crate, the sad story of whatever happened to this dog became even more visible. She was missing fur, had sores all over her body, and the skin on her paws was missing.
“The reality of her condition was unnerving,” Fritz said. “It was another level of shock and panic when I saw her body. I'm not particularly squeamish, but the sight of the wounds and the blood on the grass and pavement really disturbed me. I could see dried feces on her crate, and the smell of urine was pretty strong on her. I knew she needed help very quickly, and her shivering kept getting more violent.”
Fritz quickly moved from a water rescuer to a dog emergency driver. He put her in his car, blasted the heat, stopped at his house to get her a blanket, and raced to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“On the drive to the hospital, I kept my hand on her shaking head,” Fritz said. “I kept saying things like, ‘It's OK, baby. We're going to get help.’ That was the first emotional connection I had after the chaos minutes before.”
Fritz burst through the doors of the animal ER begging for immediate help. A vet whisked her from his arms and into the back for medical care. She was in horrendous shape. Her body was stiff. Fritz was heartbroken.
“It was difficult for me to say goodbye when I handed her over to the emergency veterinarian, but I knew she was in the best hands possible,” he said. “I honestly didn't think she was going to make it. I was trying to prepare myself for that reality because I could see her body continuing to shut down in the short time, she was with me.”
Fritz, who was also shaking, chilled from the cold lake water, filled out paperwork at the animal hospital. He told the staff if she pulled through, he wanted to adopt her. “I knew then I would do anything I could to give her the loving home she deserved,” he said.
Soon after Fritz got home and warmed up, he called the hospital and asked for an update.
The pup's body temperature was so low it didn't initially register on a thermometer, but she started to improve and was in stable condition. The vet estimated she was about five-months-old.
Pup at University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital
“I didn't get much sleep that night thinking about it all and continuing to wonder if she would be OK,” Fritz said. “I still felt like I was in shock. The U of I released some photos a day or so after, and I cried about as hard as I ever have. It was the first time I had seen her eyes fully open, and I knew she was really going to be OK.”
Credit: University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital Facebook page
The pup miraculously recovered. When she was released from the animal hospital Fritz and his longtime girlfriend, Krystal went to visit the dog in her foster home. She totally remembered Fritz.
Fritz with pup
“When I first walked in the room, her tail wagged a little bit. I got down close, and she gave me the biggest puppy kisses. It was a moment I'll never forget,” Fritz said. “A few minutes later, we were officially told she could be ours. It was a very emotional day for us in a good way.”
The couple named her Dory and brought her home right before Thanksgiving.
Krystal and Dory
“Krystal and I just purchased our first house back in May,” he said. “We've been adding little pieces of things since then, but now it really feels like home with Dory. I cooked our first Thanksgiving meal, and we just enjoyed the time together as a new family. We have another rescue, named Finn, and he absolutely adores her. They got along right away.”
Dory with her new dog brother
And Fritz had quite a busy month expanding his family. He also appeared on The Ellen Show as a “dog rescue hero” and proposed to Krystal. (It's seriously a great moment.)
Fritz said there's only one word that describes this entire situation. “For several weeks, the word miracle kept resurfacing in my thoughts,” he said. “I don't think anyone else would have noticed her that day, and I know she didn't have much time left. We still have a long road of healing ahead of us, but her spirit is unbreakable. She really is a miracle, and she just kept swimming."
Police in Champaign, Illinois, told Watchdog Mary Dory’s case is an ongoing investigation, and no arrests have been made. “We encourage anyone who has information related to the incident to contact us at 217-351-4545. We continue to seek public support to help in the investigation,” Tom Yelich, the police department’s public information officer, said.
Fritz is looking forward to celebrating the rest of the holidays with his new family. He encourages anyone who has tips about Dory’s past to call the police. “I'm hopeful there will be some justice or explanation of how this happened to her. I'm just grateful that she's finally home, and no one can hurt her ever again,” Fritz said.
You can follow Dory’s recovery and her new family on Facebook at Dory Fritz and on Instagram @doryfritz.
Finally, something Congress and President Trump agree on: certain acts of animal cruelty should be a federal crime.
On Monday the president signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law.
There was bipartisan support for the legislation. In fact it passed both the house and the senate unanimously earlier this fall.
The new law, also called the PACT Act, prohibits extreme acts of cruelty when they occur in interstate commerce or on federal property.
The legislation strengthens and expands a law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010 which banned graphic videos showing animals being tortured.
Now the feds can prosecute animal cruelty, even if there’s no video of the crime. If convicted, animal abusers could face up to seven years in prison, plus additional fines.
“This should have happened a long time ago and it didn’t,” President Trump said at the bill’s signing ceremony. “It is important that we combat these heinous and sadistic acts of cruelty, which are totally unacceptable in a civilized society.”
All 50 states have the ability to charge those accused of animal cruelty with a felony, but until today there was no federal ban against the crime. Animal advocates said it was a gap in the law.
“After decades of work to protect animals and bearing witness to some of the worst cruelty, it’s so gratifying the Congress and president unanimously agreed that it was time to close the gap in the law and make malicious animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction a felony,” Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund said. “We cannot change the horrors of what animals have endured in the past, but we can crack down on these crimes moving forward. This is a day to celebrate.”
The new law goes into effect immediately. It does not apply to people who hunt, trap, fish or slaughter animals for food. It also does not apply to those who use animals for medial or scientific research.
“Kitty” Danielle Schafer’s cat
Danielle Schafer was asleep in her apartment one night last month when her cat, Kitty, suddenly pounced on her.
“She jumped on top of me and I woke up,” Schafer said.
Schafer and Kitty had just recently moved into the apartment in Lansing, New York, while Schafer attends her last year of veterinary school at Cornell University.
The pair have been inseparable since Schafer rescued Kitty five years ago, scooping her up as a feral kitten who was living on the side of the road.
“I wasn’t going to keep her,” Schafer said. “I was going to try to find a good home for her.”
But the kitten’s sweet eyes and kind expression won her heart.
To read the rest of Watchdog Mary’s article check it out in The Dodo.
