A 10-week-old golden retriever puppy named Shasta was just announced as the newest member to Mt. Bachelor’s avalanche rescue team.

Mt. Bachelor, located in central Oregon, is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S. with an elevation of 9,065 feet, 360-degree views from its summit, and a vertical drop of 3,365 feet.

The adorable puppy is getting familiar with the mountain and ski resort, while greeting skiers and snowboarders. She is currently traveling with her Ski Patrol handler, Drew Clendenen, by snowmobile but will soon learn to ride the chairlift.

Shasta is the 16th dog to join the Avalanche Dog Rescue Program, which was founded in 1991. She will join three other rescue dogs – Riggins, Mango, and Banyon.

The dogs are trained to work with their handlers to find and rescue people trapped under the snow after an avalanche by using their incredible sense … Read the rest

This week, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to ban the cruel use of electric prods, shocking devices, flanking straps, spurs, and other barbaric instruments from rodeos.

The motion, put forth by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and seconded by Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell in December of last year, now moves to the Los Angeles City Attorney to draft the ordinance.

WAN talked with Patty Shenker who, along with Heather Wilson, has been advocating for animal rights for decades. Both Shenker, who spoke at the council meeting, and Wilson, were among those working with Blumenfield to pass this critical measure.

“The writing of the ordinance is just the beginning,” Shenker told WAN, explaining the relevance of a similar law that passed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1992. While the law prohibiting the use of tools of torture on animals in rodeos did not categorically ban rodeos, it did effectively stop them from occurring

A family gave a pint-sized kitten a fighting chance and turned his life around.

Beth @the_kitten_guinness

Beth, a foster volunteer of Kitty Kottage, was notified about a 99-gram kitten needing help. When she saw the little ball of fur, she was surprised by how small he was.

Despite being three weeks old, the kitten was just the size of a newborn. He had been rejected by his mother due to his health, and was in desperate need of bottle feedings and someone to love.

“He was a fighter since he had survived three weeks in the condition he was in,” Beth shared with Love Meow. His eyes were crusted shut when they got him. “I didn’t know if he’d be able to see.”

Beth @the_kitten_guinness

The kitten whom they named Guinness, had trouble eating from a bottle or syringe, and had to be fed in drips for the first … Read the rest

A Tennessee woman didn’t think twice about jumping into a frozen pool to save her beloved pit bull.

A backyard surveillance video captured the terrifying incident and the heroic rescue.

Jennie Tatum let her two dogs, Olaf and Sid, out in the backyard to go to the bathroom and play in the freshly fallen snow. She kept a close eye on the dogs as they took off running and watched in horror as Sid slipped into the icy pool.

She rushed out of the home and jumped in the pool to save her sweet boy. She smashed through the thick ice with her hands trying to locate him. “It was pure adrenaline. I was not even thinking about being cold,” Tatum told WTVF.

When she couldn’t find him, she got out of the pool to get a better look. All of a sudden she spotted him … Read the rest

A cat wandered to the right home after roaming the streets. Now, he helps every foster kitten that comes through the door.

Jen @chaos.in.cat.shape

Jen, a foster volunteer of Jin’s Bottle Babies (a kitten rescue in Arizona), noticed an orange tabby in her backyard about three years ago. She began caring for him and later had him neutered and vetted.

The cat named Romeo showed up with ears that were flatten out to the side as a result of ear mite damage. Though his ears healed up, the scars left him with a permanent “airplane-eared” look.

Jen looked after him along with other community cats. “He wagged his tail more like a dog and his flat ears confused other cats to think that he was angry,” Jen told Love Meow.

Jen @chaos.in.cat.shape

Romeo didn’t have a mean bone in his body and just wanted to get along. When other cats … Read the rest

Sites like Craigslist may be affordable and easy to use, but every purchase comes with a caveat. Nowhere is this fact more worrisome than in the “free,” “wanted,” and “farm & garden” categories, where animals are bought and sold.

The Craigslist terms of use prohibit the sale of animals, but allows animals to be traded for a “rehoming fee.”

This loophole is exploited heavily, and rarely in the animals’ best interests.

According to Dogster,
buyers and sellers on Craigslist rarely conduct home visits or check personal or veterinary references. This corner of the internet in effect poses as an adoption agency with no standards or oversight.

“I have seen horrific stories of abuse by people who adopted a dog that was listed as ‘free to a good home’ on Craigslist. It’s probably one of the … Read the rest

Photos by: Yaniv Levi, Shlomi Amran, Shlomi Ben Shimol, and Nadi Kansky from Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center, Facebook

Israel is in an urgent race to save wildlife after an oil tanker leaked in the Mediterranean Sea. This is Israel’s most serious ecological disaster in recent years.

As per a statement from Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, sticky, black tar began washing up and contaminating the beaches last Wednesday, as a result of the stormy weather. It is feared that another storm with high waves will begin this week.

Thousands of trained volunteers across Israel are helping with beach restoration efforts, which include rescuing marine animals. Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center confirmed in a post on its Facebook page that it is treating multiple turtles covered in tar.

The organization, which is affiliated with Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Nature and Heritage Foundation (INHF), is urging the

A kitten won over the person who saved his life and blossomed into a beautiful tuxedo cat.

Alyssa Masten

Cloud the tuxedo was two weeks old when he was found in a window well along with his siblings. They were brought to Anderson Animal Shelter in Illinois, needing round-the-clock bottle feedings and a lot of TLC.

Alyssa Masten, a foster volunteer, received a call from the shelter and didn’t hesitate to take in the feline crew. Cloud was the most observant and quietest of the bunch.

“While his litter mates would fight to be the first ones to eat, he was patient and waited his turn,” Alyssa shared with Love Meow.

Alyssa Masten

A couple of weeks after arrival, Cloud started to show symptoms of having a host of health issues. He was put on subcutaneous fluids, probiotics, prescription foods, and medications twice a day.

While the vet worked … Read the rest

This story originally appeared at Shareably.

Baby animals have to make up 99% of all the content on the internet – who doesn’t love watching that stuff? Lots of us have these little animals in our homes (we call them pets) and still can’t get enough!

We could all learn a bit (as pet owners) from watching this hilarious video of a dog and kitten.

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A post shared by Bailey | The Golden Retriever (@funnydogbailey)

Bailey is a famous golden retriever whose YouTube channel is huge! She has close to a million subscribers over her different channels and is watched by people all around the world. She is absolutely hilarious and has special segments that people love to see her react in.

In one of the segments, Bailey meets all different sorts of animals. She has met ducklings, babies, bunnies, and more!

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