Friday, May 28, 2010

“Anyone for a lion cub, snow leopard or red fox as a pet ... - Star” plus 3 more

“Anyone for a lion cub, snow leopard or red fox as a pet ... - Star” plus 3 more

Anyone for a lion cub, snow leopard or red fox as a pet ... - Star

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:10 AM PDT

Anyone for a lion cub, snow leopard or red fox as a pet?

It's all for sale at Baghdad's markets

May 28, 2010 Edition 1

DAVID RISING Baghdad

A dozen fluffy white kittens with piercing blue eyes frolic in a wire cage, perched perilously atop a pen containing two lion cubs. Neighbourhood schoolchildren stop to feed sunflower seeds to a chained monkey, while three red foxes cower in their kerbside enclosure from the street noise.

Iraqis can get just about whatever animals they want, whether as pets, novelties or status symbols or for a private zoo - and as violence subsides many are stocking up at Baghdad's several pet markets.

The lack of government regulation means that animals like lions and crocodiles are going home with people unequipped to take care of them.

"There is no wildlife legislation here in Iraq, and that is what encourages these kinds of dealers to export and import wild species," said Omar Fadil, of the conservation organisation Nature Iraq.

"Do people have the ability to raise a lion in their home, or a vulture or a pelican?" he said. "There is a big gap in understanding wildlife in Iraq. They take it as a cub but after it becomes big and starts to attack people I don't know where the animal goes, and the concern is that they're killing them."

Crowds flock to the exotic animal market in north-western Baghdad, which doubles as a zoo for neighbourhood families.

There is no fee to go in and look at the animals - pelicans, peacocks, wolves, cats, monkeys, a porcupine, an owl, bear cubs and a dizzying array of dogs - and for the right price, you can take any one of them home. For about $8 (about R60) you can have a duckling or a bunny; for $6 000 one of the lion cubs.

Another major open-air pet market about 5km away used to be targeted regularly by insurgents. But crowds there had grown from about 4 000 to double that every Friday when the market is held, Fadil said. Rich sheikhs who used to spend their time hunkered down in their fortified compounds now buy exotic pets to entertain themselves. More private zoos are sprouting up, too.

Many animals were probably being illegally imported into Iraq with forged papers or bribes to border officials, Fadil said.

The government acknowledged the problem but an immediate solution was unlikely, said Environment Ministry official Ziad Ameer Salman.

Laws governing wildlife date back to the 1970s or earlier, and under Saddam Hussein's regime many dealers were given permits to sell wild animals; they're still valid.

The Agriculture Ministry proposed a new conservation law this year, but it had taken a back seat to March's inconclusive elections, the transfer of security from US to Iraqi forces and other issues, Salman said.

"We need a strong legislation and a strong law," he said. "But we need time because the MPs are changing, the government... is changing."

These were common problems in any unstable country devastated by war where law enforcement authorities had a difficult enough time trying to protect people, let alone animals, said Leigh Henry, senior policy officer on species conservation for environmental group WWF.

She cited examples in Afghanistan, where the WWF found that snow leopard pelts were being exported, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where troops were killing hippos to eat and sell their teeth as ivory.

"Wildlife is often seen as a status symbol, and where wealth and opportunity exist, people will collect - whether it be reptiles, big cats, great apes or rare orchids," she said.

At the pet market, store owner Sabah al-Azawi said he got his animals from all around the country, primarily from northern Iraq. Some are brought in from outside - the lion cubs came from Turkey - but al-Azawi said he didn't ask questions about their provenance. "This is not my business."

Though the cages at his store are cramped, they are all are shaded and regularly cleaned, the animals are given a plentiful supply of water, and none of them appeared to be endangered species. He said a vet regularly checked the animals, and when he sold an exotic pet to someone he gave detailed instructions on how to care for it.

Scores of neighbourhood children come by daily to gawk.

"We come here every day when we have some extra time. My family got our dog here," said Mohammad Marwan, 13.

Al-Azawi said running the shop was not about getting rich. "This is my hobby, just to be among these animals I am happy."

Still, everything is for sale, including two 1.5m Nile crocodiles he keeps at home.

"I got them for myself, but to anyone who comes through, I say, 'I have a crocodile in my house', and I'll sell it to him if the deal is good," he said. - Sapa-AP

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Pet owners proudly carry photos of their little darlings - KABC

Posted: 27 May 2010 05:23 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The next time someone reaches for photos and offers: "Let me show you some pictures of my little darlings," you might be surprised who's mugging for the camera.

According to a recent Associated Press-Petside.com poll, nearly half (45 percent) of all pet owners say they carry around photos of their pets - in wallets, purses, cell phones, laptops, iPods, iPads and other mobile devices.

Dog owners (48 percent) are a bit more likely than cat owners (37 percent) to carry pet pictures with them, and women (52 percent) are more likely than men (36 percent).

Over half of those under age 50 say they carry pet pictures, but the number diminishes with age. Just under a quarter of those age 65 and up still carry such photos.

Tigger, a 6-year-old Persian cat, is such a fashion plate and so agreeable that Larry Beal of Newburyport, Mass., can't help but take photos. "Plus we love him," the 66-year-old former teacher said.

"He will do anything you ask him to. My wife dresses him in all kinds of doll clothing and stuff. He wears costumes for Easter and Thanksgiving and Halloween and Christmas and all sorts of things," Beal said.

Beal carries most of the photos in his cell phone because he doesn't use a wallet. But he does carry a portrait of Tigger in a plastic sleeve in his pocket secretary. Refrigerator magnets and framed photos of the cat are all around his house. He's only too happy to share pictures of Tigger with friends and acquaintances.

"Usually someone else starts it," he said. "Then after they tell me about theirs, I say, 'Well, look at what we have."'

But Tigger and his four-legged friends are still on the outside looking in, according to the poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media.

Almost all women - 90 percent - say they carry pictures of their children, as do 80 percent of men, including David Jeter, 51, of Los Angeles.

Jeter is married with two sons, ages 9 and 13, and a 6-year-old yellow Lab named Lucky. He has uploaded lots of photos from his digital camera to his global Blackberry, but Lucky didn't make the cut.

Because he travels all over the world and sometimes doesn't see people for six or 12 months at a time, he carries the boys' pictures so he can update them.

"The only people who have ever shown me pictures of their animals were people without kids. That recently happened in a business meeting. Everyone started showing pictures of their kids and there was one guy who didn't have kids but he was talking about his dogs," Jeter said.

There are family photos on Jeter's refrigerator, on his computer screensaver and in frames around the house. His favorite is one of everyone (except Lucky) on vacation in Bhutan in the Himalayas.

Jeter said he's not likely to take out his phone and start looking at pictures when he's traveling. "It makes me homesick. I try to avoid it because then I start remembering where I am not at."

Jamie Veitch, 42, of Oklahoma City, Okla., carries a few photos of her dogs, Sister, 16, and Pappy, 9, in her cell phone. She keeps lots more in her laptop.

"It's important because I don't have children and they are my babies," she said. Her favorite photo was taken about three years ago when she had five small dogs (three have since died) and she took them to a pet store for a photo with Santa Claus. That picture still holds a special place on her refrigerator.

About a year ago, she had a double organ transplant (kidney and pancreas) and was hospitalized out of state for six weeks. She didn't look at pictures.

"I had my phone but I was mostly on drugs," Veitch said. Thinking about her pets help more than pictures, and talking to the people who were taking care of them helped even more, she said. "They didn't like it when Mama was gone."

Marie Camenzind, 45, of San Carlos, Calif., carries iPhone photos of her daughters, 8 and 10, Blackjack Meow, the family's 16-year-old cat, the kids' guinea pigs and lots of fish.

"We're a picture family. That's how we are. My husband more than me, he's always pulling out the camera. We like to share them. When the kids are young, you want to capture everything," Camenzind said.

She said her daughters are always grabbing her phone to shoot pictures of the pets, so the animals are well represented, but she worries about losing her phone and all the photos in it.

Camenzind said she uses her photos for screensavers and, "I've always been a big refrigerator person." But her wallet doesn't have a plastic photo holder, so she doesn't have a collection of paper photos.

"The plastic picture holders are things of the past. I am going to start collecting them because they'll probably be worth money someday," she joked.

She's right about the plastic sleeves being so yesterday.

"With the digital age upon us, many of our customers do carry photos and pics of their kids or loved ones on their phones, BlackBerries, iPhones, etc., so the demand for specific 'picture holders' has dropped significantly over the past few years," said Francine Della Badia, North America senior vice president of merchandising, planning and allocations for Coach.

On the other hand, a picture frame keyfob sold so well around Mother's Day, Coach had to take it off their website because inventories got too low, she said.

The AP-Petside.com Poll was conducted April 7-12, 2010, and involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,112 pet owners nationwide. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.


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Use caution with yard products around pets - Dallas Morning News

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:59 AM PDT

If you have pets, your backyard can be deadly this time of year. Some of the more common hazards are garden and yard applications ranging from insecticides to treat fleas and ticks to fertilizers.

Whether you apply these chemicals yourself or hire a professional to do it, it is imperative that label instructions be followed exactly to ensure safety.

Apply only the suggested amounts and follow the time frames given regarding when it is safe for pets to return to the yard. Even if using organic methods, read labels carefully for possible pet reactions.

Alternate the areas that you treat, so that at any one time your pets will have a safe area for exercise, water and elimination.

Remember that your pets can be endangered by yard chemicals not only through oral ingestion, but also through skin contact. Pets have chemical risk either through direct contact with their paws or through oral ingestion after licking their paws. Label instructions vary from one product to another; don't assume you know how to use a product. Store these products out of animals' reach or contact when not in use.

Other commonly used products in the yard and home include baits aimed at everything from snails and slugs to moles and gophers. Rodenticides aimed at mice and rats also fall under this warning category. These are all potentially fatal if ingested by a pet. Extreme caution – better yet, avoidance – is advised. If you even think your pet has possibly ingested any of these types of products, seek veterinary attention immediately and bring along labels from the products in question.

Poisonous plants

Many pet owners fail to realize that ornamental plants can be dangerous to pets, if eaten. If you have added a puppy or kitten to your household, review the plant material in your landscape for toxicity. It is highly recommended that you choose plants, mulch and other ground covers that are nontoxic through either direct contact or consumption.

Obviously, some pets that are not in the eat-everything-in-sight stage may allow more flexibility in plant choices, but always inquire if a plant is toxic when making additions.

If you have questions, ask your veterinarian.

Azaleas, calla lilies, dumb canes and oleanders are plants to avoid or to use with caution. Again, the decision depends on the pet's personality and whether your pet chews on things.

Finally, keep pets far away from lawn equipment. Lawn mowers and weed eaters throw debris into their eyes, especially if your dog charges anything mechanical.

Dr. Tracy Acosta is a veterinarian at Biloxi, Miss. Animal Hospital.

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Pets on Parade on Stockton's Miracle Mile - Examiner

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:57 AM PDT

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The Animal Protection League in Stockton partnered with the Miracle Mile Improvement District this weekend to host a "Pets on Parade" fair that raised funds for pet adoption, education, and spay/neuter programs in the city.

"Pets on Parade" covered three blocks of Stockton's Miracle Mile and turned the busy street into an exciting pet walk for canines and their companions. Supported by area businesses in several ways, Miracle Mile merchants posted "Pets on Parade" signs in store windows, brought merchandise tables outside, and donated proceeds from sales to the Animal Protection League.

In between the rows of information booths, pooches found refreshing drinks at the nearest water bowl and enjoyed doggy treats offered by pet vendors. Other furry friends walking around in "Pets on Parade" was the minor league baseball mascot Splash from the Stockton Ports and McGruff the crime dog.

On the main stage, a series of light-hearted contests were held to find the dogs with the loudest barks and the longest tails.

The Animal Protection League, formerly known as the Stockton Animal Shelter Friends, offers vaccination clinics and pet behavior classes in addition to pet adoptions, education, and spay/neuter programs.

The Animal Protection League is located at 7475 Murray Drive, Suite 19 in Stockton, CA.

For more information about the Animal Protection League, please visit http://apl209.org

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