Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Woolly Mammoth DNA May Lead to Its Resurrection


The pioneering scientist who created Dolly the sheep has outlined how cells plucked from frozen woolly mammoth carcasses might one day help resurrect the ancient beasts.

http://tinyurl.com/ldytuuc

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Closer Look at ‘Nonhuman Personhood’ and Animal Welfare

Is it ethical to draw a line between animals we see as deserving “personhood” and those we see more as features of a landscape or the source of food on a plate? Is a dolphin more deserving of special consideration for its care than a pig?

http://tinyurl.com/m9b2pw3

Monday, July 29, 2013

Images: Cats Descended from Non-Domestic Animals


The first known Savannah cat was born April 7, 1986 when a female domestic cat gave birth to a kitten sired by an African Serval, according to the International Cat Association (TICA).

http://tinyurl.com/loqfxh9

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Rare Italian-Born Baby Zonkey in Good Health


One part zebra, one part donkey, all parts fuzzy and adorable. Ippo, the foal of a male zebra and a female donkey, was reported to be in good health, just a few days after it was born at an animal reserve in Florence, Italy.

http://tinyurl.com/mg6zzma

Hero Shrew Found, One of “Most Bizarre Animals on Earth”


Dubbed Thor’s hero shrew after the brawny god of strength in Norse mythology, Scutisorex thoriis one of the most bizarre animals on Earth thanks to its supertough, interlocking spine, according to Bill Stanley, the director of collections and a zoologist at Chicago’s Field Museum, who helped identify the creature.


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Igor Purlantov Says Animal Mugshot Campaigns Increase Adoptions



Animal Mugshot Leads to More Adoptions According to Igor Purlantov

Igor Purlantov has been closely following the recent trend of animal shelters using professional animal mugshot campaigns to help increase the rate of adoptions.  This has been very helpful especially for certain pets that are harder to adopt, including black cats and dogs.  According to animal rights advocate Igor Purlantov, animal shelter wоrkеrѕ even have a name for this problem and have coined the term "black dog syndrome"  This is based on the reality that blасk dogs and cats are unfortunately often the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized.  

Igor Purlantov says there are no complete statistics, although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and many possible explanations for the bias.  These explanations include silly superstitions such as the notion that black cats are associated with witches, superstition, and bad luck.  Igor Purlantov also notes that there are many negative portrayals of black pets in books and popular media, including the big, frightening black dog in the movies.  Finally there is also the simple logistical problem that animals in general are hard to photograph and blасk animals are sometimes even harder to photograph and therefore hard to publicize.  

Igor Purlantov says that to combat the problem, animal shelters have come up with a variety of creative measures including professional mugshot campaigns to improve the quality of pet photographs.  Along with professional mugshot campaigns, shelters have also reduced adoption fees to increase the adoption rate of hard to adopt animals.  Igor Purlantov believes that shelters have become more effective at trying to combat black dog syndrome by using animal mugshot campaigns which provide better quality pictures of the animals and also allow for the personality of each pet to stand out. 

Igor Purlantov notes that thanks to people such as photographer Seth Casteel of Little Friends Photo in Los Angeles, these animal mugshot campaigns are really making a difference.  Professional photographers and animal lovers such as Mr. Casteel hear about black dog syndrome all of the time and admit that any shelter pet can pose a photo challenge, especially black cats and dogs.  Igor Purlantov says that Mr. Casteel has spent at least a day a week volunteering at shelters across the country taking beautiful mugshot pictures of available cats and dogs of all colors.  

Igor Purlantov says that Mr. Casteel has even launched a free nationwide non-profit program called Second Chance Photos to teach volunteers how to take good mugshot photos of shelter pets.  According to Mr. Casteel, shelters should change lightening, use light colored blankets and even dress up animals to get the best mugshot photo.  He notes that the easiest way to make a black dog look friendlier is to put a bright yellow bandanna on them.  Igor Purlantov says that the best thing to do in these mugshot photos is showcase the unique and positive personality of each animal.  Each time a photographer takes a great mugshot photo, the chances of that animal being adopted increases dramatically.  At the end of the day, a good photographer for shelter pets is worth their weight in gold says Igor Purlantov.

Bottlenose Dolphins Use Learned Vocal Labels to Address Others

In animal communication research, vocal labeling refers to incidents in which an animal consistently uses a specific acoustic signal when presented with a specific object or class of objects. Labeling with learned signals is a foundation of human language but is notably rare in nonhuman communication systems.

http://tinyurl.com/mm9b3rz

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Video: Boy Donates Birthday to Shelter Animals

Brant Bitter, 3, brought his birthday haul to cheer up some cats and dogs waiting for their new home.  With a pile of toys of his own, Brant had no trouble asking his young friends to come to his birthday party with animal toys and food, instead. His dog, Ellie, eagerly sniffed through the box.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Igor Purlantov Says Elephants Communicate Just Like Humans





Larynx Is Key to Elephant Communication According to Igor Purlantov

Igor Purlantov has announced that recent research reveals exactly how elephants communicate.  Scientists have long believed that elephants communicate in a manner similar to cats who purr by twitching their vocal folds rhythmically because their folds are too short to make low pitched noises.  

According to animal rights advocate Igor Purlantov, a new study in the research journal Science reveals that elephants rumble the same way that humans talk or sing.  Elephants make their rumbling communication possible by blowing air past their long vocal folds and letting them vibrate. 

This new discovery runs counter to the original belief that elephant communication was the result of their vocal folds twitching says Igor Purlantov.  This research provides an illustration of the longest example of vocal folds being able to make such sounds in the animal kingdom.

Igor Purlantov says that researchers have long known that elephants rumble as means of communication that covers very long distances.  By rumbling, elephants are able to send vibrations across their environments which are picked up by the feet of other elephants.  

Igor Purlantov says that research into elephant communication has also shown that elephants are very intelligent, emotional and social creatures that are known to mourn the death of loved ones just as humans do.  Unfortunately, until now the exact means of how elephants communicate was unknown as some scientist speculated that these rumbling sounds were produced by the twitching of vocal folds.

Igor Purlantov says that despite the large size of elephant vocal folds, the core pitches of many elephant rumbles are too low for human ears to detect.  Humans are only able to hear the higher overtones.  Humans can however sometimes feel the lower vibration of powerful elephant rumbles in their chest if they stand close enough.  

This recent discovery shows that amazingly just as humans talk and sing and cow’s moo and bats echolocate, so are elephants able to rumble using a similar physiological process.  It is quiet a remarkable discovery as scientists now have a theory for explaining such a diverse range of sounds and communications between such a large variety of animals says Igor Purlantov.

Do Animals Smile?

Pavlov might have called that happy look on your dog's face a collection of conditioned reflexes, but now science is catching up with what animal lovers have always known.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Pose-A-Pet App Creates Better Pet Rescue Photos

Social media has become a lifesaver for homeless animals around the globe. A picture, a post and a share on various social media outlets has helped network countless pets to a rescue or forever home. Unfortunately, too many groups must resort to blurry photos that make it harder to help. Now, there’s a new app – Pose A Pet – that makes better pet rescue photos a snap.

http://tinyurl.com/kvdwwa6

Thursday, July 18, 2013

More Bite for Philippines Animal Rights Law

The Senate has passed for the third and final reading the amendments to the Animal Welfare Act. And the House of Representatives has adopted and concurred with the Senate version.


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Video: Impala Jumps Into Car to Elude Cheetahs

A frightened impala separated from its herd and trying desperately to elude two hungry cheetahs took evasive action nobody was expecting at Kruger National Park in South Africa. To the surprise and shock of tourists parked alongside a road, the panicked impala escaped by jumping into a car through a window of a Toyota Prado, taking advantage of what the U.K. Daily Express aptly called a window of opportunity.


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

List of Beasts Banned From NYC Apartments

Oliver Twist’s Mr. Bumble famously proclaimed that “the law is an ass.” But when it comes to New York City apartments, the law is also a panther, a mongoose, an aardwolf and hundreds of other exotic beasts, according to a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene list of forbidden pets reviewed by The Real Deal.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Google Glass For Dogs

Google Glass has gone to the dogs — literally.  The tech giant has teamed up with the Georgia Institute of Technology to develop a wearable computer system that could give bomb-sniffing and cadaver dogs an easier way to communicate with their handlers — or even let man see the world through an animal's eyes.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Dogs Get Their Own TV Network

TV programming is really going to the dogs.  Starting next month, Fido and Fifi can spend the day couched out in the family room munching Milk Bones and watching hour upon hour of shows produced exclusively for pampered pups.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Video: Prairie Dog Risks Life to Save Pups

Prairie dogs of the Great Plains of North America can detect predators from far away and when they do, they’re not shy about letting other prairie dogs know about the impending danger. Within a complex communication system, prairie dogs bark out distinct calls to identify different predators.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Video: Dogs Welcome Home Soldiers

HooplaHa - Life with a smile, shows us that returning home from a deployment is reason enough to be happy, but when your dog rushes you at the door, it's time to cry tears of joy.


Monday, July 8, 2013

Photos: 11 Rebellious Animals

Just like these 19 rebellious humans, these 11 animals prove that some rules are meant to be broken. But they do so a little more adorably.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Pets Part of Workday for Some

Bob loves to sit around the office all day and greet customers as they enter Precision Body Works in Crystal Lake.  During his downtime, he drinks water, eats snacks and plays an occasional game with some co-workers and customers. He also can be found napping every once in a while.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Video: Monkey Has Human Crush Leaves

It's always fun to make a new friend, especially if that friend is an adorable monkey. Enjoy this sweet video of one curious human playing along with one determined monkey.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Tips for Giving Your Pets a Safe July 4th

The Humane Society of the United States and its veterinary affiliate, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, encourage pet owners to take extra precautions to keep their pets safe this Independence Day and to be aware of two potential hazards: fireworks and heat.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Igor Purlantov Supports Animal Mugshot Charities



Animal Mugshot Charities Increase Pet Adoptions Says Igor Purlantov

Igor Purlantov is pleased to announce his support for animal mugshot charities across the country that are helping animals from local shelters get adopted.  The idea behind using mugshots to help animals get adopted came about from a professional photographer.  According to Igor Purlantov, the photographer wanted to try and find a way to better showcase the personalities of the pets that were up for adoption at her local animal shelters.  The idea has now become a huge success and has led to thousands of animals being successfully adopted.

Igor Purlantov says that the concept of creating a professional animal mugshot to help animals get adopted has only been around for a few years.  The concept as we know it today can be traced back to professional photographer and animal lover Sherry Stinson.  Through her amazing kindness and generosity, Ms. Stinson began donating her time, talent and photography to save the lives of animals in her local Tulsa, OK animal shelters says Igor Purlantov. Her initial idea was to take great photographs of dogs and help them find a home by allowing them to be themselves and thus showcasing their truly amazing and unique personalities.  The wonderful personalities of all of the dogs was clearly reflected in their mugshots and the rate of adoptions increased.

Igor Purlantov says that Ms. Stinson has already photographed more than 30,000 animals at various animal shelters that are in need of homes.  Her time and effort has created a tremendously positive impact on the lives of these wonderful animals. Igor Purlantov says that the animal mugshots created by Ms. Stinson have generated a huge amount of adoptions at shelters such as the Legacy of Hope Dog Rescue and continue to help animals across the country find loving homes.

Igor Purlantov believes that animal mugshot charities are a proven way to increase the chances of finding a loving home for dogs and cats at local animal shelters that are waiting to be adopted.  Thanks to professional photographers such as Ms. Stinson, animals are now mugging for the camera and are able to show their true unique personalities.  Igor Purlantov says that this in turn leads to a higher chance of these loving animals being adopted into loving homes.

Igor Purlantov is no stranger to animal charities. He supports the Spartacus Foundation through private family donations. The Spartacus Foundation also raises money from outside contributions through various activities and awareness campaigns. Igor Purlantov says that each campaign highlights animal rights and the continued need for awareness and support on animal rights issues.  The foundation is also involved with increasing support for both the protection and care of domesticate pets as well as various wild and endangered animals. The foundation was named in honor and memory of a one-time beloved cat named Spartacus.

Igor Purlantov says that there are currently seven organizations being supported by the Spartacus Foundation. These organizations include Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, Farm Sanctuary, Animal Care and Control of NYC, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Save the Elephants, Bideawee and the Humane Society of the United States.  Igor Purlantov is a long-time animal rights advocate and is determined to help raise awareness and make a difference in supporting and saving animals.




Igor Purlantov is an animal rights advocate that follows and writes about animal news and trends to help raise awareness of animal rights and protection. You can read and learn about his work on www.igor-purlantov.org or follow him on twitter @igorpurlantov



http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=176764#.UdHtQJyo_IU

 

India Bans Cosmetic Testing on Animals

The next time you powder your nose or dab some lipstick, you don’t need to wonder how many rabbits lost their lives when the products were tested.  India has become the first country in South Asia to end such tests.