Every human year not equivalent to seven dog years, scientists find
02/07/2020 - Study of DNA changes in labradors suggests puppies age much faster than older dogsDogs do not Expand
02/07/2020 - Study of DNA changes in labradors suggests puppies age much faster than older dogsDogs do not simply age at seven times the rate of humans, scientists have found in a study that reveals young dogs might be “older” than previously thought.The findings suggest a one-year-old puppy is actually about 30 in “human years” – an age when humans, at least, might be expected to have stopped running riot with the toilet paper. Continue reading... Collapse
Winning by a nose: the dogs being trained to detect signs of Covid-19
21/06/2020 - In the battle against the virus, we have an unlikely ally. Already used to detect drugs and Expand
21/06/2020 - In the battle against the virus, we have an unlikely ally. Already used to detect drugs and weapons, dogs are now being trained to sniff out when humans have the virus. Tim Lewis meets the trainers and their houndsAsher was a problem dog. A hyperactive and unruly chocolate-brown cocker spaniel with ears like pittas and a Rudi Völler frizzy shag, he was shunted from owner to owner, maybe as many as seven by the age of three. He was taken on by the charity Medical Detection Dogs, which was looking for working dogs to train up, but even after being placed with a seasoned “socialiser”, Asher still wouldn’t sleep and kept trying to escape. He was set to be returned to a rescue centre until Medical Detection Dogs’s co-founder Dr Claire Guest gave him a final chance.“We work a lot with spaniels and labradors that people have bought as pets, but they end up in rescue because they’re just bouncing off the walls,” explains Guest on a video call from her home near Milton Keynes, before breaking Collapse
Four legs good: furniture fit for high-class hounds – in pictures
13/06/2020 - Why shouldn’t dogs enjoy minimalist furniture in natural shades? Continue reading...
Model behaviour: Luna the lockdown dog - in pictures
06/06/2020 - “The inspiration came from the toilet-roll stockpiling in this country,” says Alex Grace of her Expand
06/06/2020 - “The inspiration came from the toilet-roll stockpiling in this country,” says Alex Grace of her lockdown photography project involving Luna, the dog she fostered at the start of lockdown. As well as poking fun at loo roll hoarders, Grace uses cleaning cloths to dress Luna up as a nurse and captioned a picture of Luna wearing a rubber glove with the government’s “Stay alert” message. “That is as ridiculous as me putting Marigolds on a dog’s head,” she says, “but at least I know I’m ridiculous.” See more at alexgracephoto.com Continue reading... Collapse
The emotional rollercoaster of adolescent dogs – podcast
21/05/2020 - It’s an experience many dog owners have been through – their adolescent pooches appear to be more Expand
21/05/2020 - It’s an experience many dog owners have been through – their adolescent pooches appear to be more moody and rebellious. Now researchers have shown that dogs really do mimic human teenagers’ behaviour, becoming less responsive to instructions from their carer. To find out more about the difficult teenage doggy-years, Nicola Davis talks to Dr Lucy Asher about the study Continue reading... Collapse
Keep pet cats indoors, say researchers who found they kill 230m native Australian animals each year
15/05/2020 - Australia’s 3.7m domestic cats wreak environmental havoc and should be contained, authors of new Expand
15/05/2020 - Australia’s 3.7m domestic cats wreak environmental havoc and should be contained, authors of new study sayDomestic cats are killing an estimated 230m native Australian birds, reptiles and mammals every year, according to new research that quantifies the pet’s national toll on native animals for the first time.Researchers said owners of Australia’s 3.7m domestic cats needed to make sure their pets were indoors or contained to reduce their impact on native species. Related: Parasitic disease spread by feral cats likely to be killing native wildlife Related: Australian government stops listing major threats to species under environment laws Continue reading... Collapse
Stay four koalas apart': an animal hospital's response to coronavirus – in pictures
11/05/2020 - Telehealth appointments and delays in elective surgery aren’t just for people – veterinarians have Expand
11/05/2020 - Telehealth appointments and delays in elective surgery aren’t just for people – veterinarians have also changed how they work during the Covid-19 pandemicSign up for Guardian Australia’s daily coronavirus emailDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsJust as in a human hospital, the staff at the University of Sydney’s veterinary teaching hospital begin their shifts with rounds. In these meetings they hand over crucial information about their patients and discuss the day ahead.Only now, as the hospital practises physical distancing, these rounds are taking place in a National Trust-awarded building designed a century ago.To maintain social distancing, the morning handover for interns and doctors happens in the historic animal-inspection building at Sydney University’s veterinary teaching hospital.Skye Welsh hands over her cavoodle, Jessie, to Dr Phan Mponda for surgery. Related: How pets are helping us through the coronavirus crisis Mark Lawrie, the Collapse
I wish more people would read ... The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
23/04/2020 - You’ve seen the films, but the novel is far richer and funnier – and in these locked-down days Expand
23/04/2020 - You’ve seen the films, but the novel is far richer and funnier – and in these locked-down days it’s as comforting as hot buttered toastYou probably think you know the story of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. You’ve seen the film, whether that’s the charming 1961 animated version with one of the catchiest tunes ever (“Cruella de Vil, Cruella de Vil, if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will”), or the 1996 live-action version starring the goddess that is Glenn Close.But while the films should be an integral part of any childhood, they don’t really measure up to Dodie Smith’s book. For one thing, that’s not even the real title. The novel is called The Hundred and One Dalmatians, and, as you might expect from the author of I Capture the Castle, it’s far richer and funnier than the films. When I went back to it recently – favourites from my childhood seem to be what I need to read right now – I was entirely entranced by it, once again. Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus stars: BBC sports commentator Andrew Cotter's dogs Olive and Mabel go viral
10/04/2020 - Bereft of actual sports to preside over, Cotter turns to his two competitive petsSee all our Expand
10/04/2020 - Bereft of actual sports to preside over, Cotter turns to his two competitive petsSee all our coronavirus coverageRead more in The good place seriesIt is a common refrain among pet owners right now that dogs are the only ones whose lives have been improved by coronavirus. But the animals are making our isolation more enjoyable too.Exhibit A: the BBC sports commentator Andrew Cotter who, bereft of actual sports to commentate, has turned his attention to his two labradors: the older Olive and the younger Mabel. Related: The 100: sci-fi that somehow distracts you from the world's problems by focusing on them Some sports are slower. More about the strategy. pic.twitter.com/JMBaGJ1tSdI was bored. pic.twitter.com/bVoC0hyNzCCurrent lockdown situation. pic.twitter.com/I0CUvXVMjW Continue reading... Collapse
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TV tonight: Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick returns with a puppy special
02/07/2020 - Channel 4’s well-loved vet starts a new series looking back on six years of saving the nation’s Expand
02/07/2020 - Channel 4’s well-loved vet starts a new series looking back on six years of saving the nation’s pets. Plus: the last of The School That Tried to End Racism. Here’s what to watch this evening Continue reading... Collapse
Street Cat Named Bob: pet who inspired books and film dies aged 14
16/06/2020 - James Bowen, who met Bob during his battle with drug addiction, says pet ‘saved his life’The pet Expand
16/06/2020 - James Bowen, who met Bob during his battle with drug addiction, says pet ‘saved his life’The pet that inspired the book series and film A Street Cat Named Bob has died aged 14.James Bowen met Bob in 2007 during his battle with drug addiction when he found the cat abandoned and injured and decided to look after him. Related: James Bowen and Bob the cat: 'He's named after the killer in Twin Peaks' Continue reading... Collapse
Country diary: magpies are not to be seen in black and white terms
13/06/2020 - Harlech, Gwynedd: Green, bronze, purple, touches of azure, red, iridescence – all these colours Expand
13/06/2020 - Harlech, Gwynedd: Green, bronze, purple, touches of azure, red, iridescence – all these colours are there in their feathersThe ivy bush by my window affords endless pleasure. It’s huge. The outer reaches host an evening roost of house sparrows. In the league of creatures who make a racket entirely disproportionate to their size, house sparrows are up there with wrens and shrews. But they are more sociable and don’t sound so cross. For several years, the ivy’s inner reaches have been home to a pair of magpies, whose calls one eminent ornithologist unkindly compared to the sound of machine-gun fire. They have a greater range than that. Their chirrupings and chucklings are amiably tuneful.I’m at a loss to understand why magpies are so widely disliked. For me, they are among the most beautiful of birds. Whoever held the palette when creating their plumage was one of the great artists. If you think of them merely as noisy monochrome crows, look again. Green, bronze, purple, touches of Collapse
Rio animal shelter delivers pets to Brazilians in lockdown – in pictures
29/05/2020 - To meet rising demand for animal companions in lockdown, Public Animal Shelter in Rio de Janeiro Expand
29/05/2020 - To meet rising demand for animal companions in lockdown, Public Animal Shelter in Rio de Janeiro allows people to check the profiles of available cats and dogs via social media. It then delivers the chosen pet to their new homeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Continue reading... Collapse
Best friends: why is the love we have for our dogs so special?
16/05/2020 - Monty Don’s grief for the loss of his retriever, Nigel, was a reminder that in a time of Expand
16/05/2020 - Monty Don’s grief for the loss of his retriever, Nigel, was a reminder that in a time of uncertainty, people are drawn to simple innocenceAt the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown we were confronted with a painful decision. Our West Highland terrier, Ziggy, who had travelled the world with us, was rapidly declining.She’d beaten the odds three times following the discovery of a mass on her bladder which was finally confirmed as cancer. But in the space of a few months she’d gone from accompanying us on 10km runs to struggling to walk, unable to pee and poo easily, her quality of life rapidly declining.'Friendship’ appears to be the most suitable word to describe close human-pet relationships Continue reading... Collapse
Dogs endure emotional difficulties in puberty like humans, says study
12/05/2020 - Research finds animals are less responsive to instructions from their carer during Expand
12/05/2020 - Research finds animals are less responsive to instructions from their carer during adolescenceMoody, unpredictable and with an striking disregard for the rules, teenagers can be hard to handle. Now it turns out the same is true for adolescent dogs.Researchers say they have found that pooches become less responsive to instructions from their carer during adolescence. Continue reading... Collapse
Dogs are for life, not just coronavirus lockdown, says charity
03/05/2020 - Dogs Trust asks potential owners to consider life after lockdown amid surge in online Expand
03/05/2020 - Dogs Trust asks potential owners to consider life after lockdown amid surge in online searchesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA dog is for life and not just for the Covid-19 lockdown, a charity has warned after online searches about getting a puppy surged by 120%.The Dogs Trust says it is concerned that the increased interest in acquiring a dog may be followed by a rise in people giving up their new pets when some form of normality resumes. Continue reading... Collapse
Pets in prison: the rescue dogs teaching Californian inmates trust and responsibility
19/04/2020 - Bringing rescue dogs and prisoners together in a remarkable rehabilitation programme in California Expand
19/04/2020 - Bringing rescue dogs and prisoners together in a remarkable rehabilitation programme in California is helping inmates learn valuable lessonsOn an idyllic sun-drenched day in California, I find myself in jail. But unlike the 5,000 or so inmates of North Kern State Prison, located 150 miles north of Los Angeles, I’m here voluntarily, accompanied by Zach Skow, a man on a mission to bring dogs into every US prison.Skow is the founder of Pawsitive Change, a rehabilitation programme that pairs rescue dogs with inmates. He began a pilot programme at California City Correctional Facility in January 2016, teaching inmates to become dog trainers, and it’s now been rolled out to four more California state prisons and one female juvenile correction centre. Continue reading... Collapse
Cat lovers crash national vets' website after coronavirus fears
08/04/2020 - Owners concerned at prospect of lockdown for 10.9m pets over concerns they may transmit Expand
08/04/2020 - Owners concerned at prospect of lockdown for 10.9m pets over concerns they may transmit Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageConfusion about whether millions of cats should be placed on lockdown has created alarm among pet owners and raised the prospect of Larry the Downing Street cat having to go into self-isolation.Cat owners crashed the website of the British Veterinary Association on Wednesday after it appeared to suggest that the UK’s estimated 10.9m cats should be on curfew during the coronavirus outbreak.It appears that dogs do not show symptoms, but cats can show clinical signs of the disease Continue reading... Collapse
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Strong arguments for giving up meat for good | Letters
22/06/2020 - Readers respond to an article that debunked the usual criticisms of veganism and vegetarianism Expand
22/06/2020 - Readers respond to an article that debunked the usual criticisms of veganism and vegetarianism Thank you for debunking so many ludicrous yet oft-repeated myths surrounding vegetarianism and veganism (Why you should go animal-free: 18 arguments for eating meat debunked, 19 June). No doubt the powerful meat and dairy industries will continue to pump out their poisonous methane on the matter – but the more truth on meat-free lifestyles available in the public domain, the better.People deserve to be educated, and not met with a wall of well-funded propaganda. I’m glad the Guardian is seeking to promote facts and, by extension, rubbish untruths.Sebastian MonblatSutton, London Continue reading... Collapse
My chickens are always pleased to see me!' Life with the hen rescuers
14/06/2020 - Every year, tens of thousands of egg-laying chickens are rescued from slaughter and found loving Expand
14/06/2020 - Every year, tens of thousands of egg-laying chickens are rescued from slaughter and found loving homes. According to their new owners, they make affectionate and intelligent petsIn a garden at the back of a house in the North Yorkshire village of Cridling Stubbs, soft clucks fill the air. Three hens scratch and snooze in the dirt, while another two peck at the grass, sporadically wandering up to the door to try to spot their owner. Originally destined for the slaughterhouse after laying intensively at commercial egg farms, Penny, Hattie, Daisy, Annie and Polly are enjoying an idyllic retirement. Charlotte Pacey, 32, who designs play areas for children, says the hens look very different from when they arrived at her home in November 2018. “Penny, Hattie and another hen we called Fleur were so poorly when we collected them,” she recalls. “They were missing feathers, trembling with fear, had pale-looking combs and looked quite sick.” Fleur died after two days, but Penny and Hattie Collapse
In 18 months, we've had 30 cats – and it's been wonderful | Tom Hawking
07/06/2020 - From nursing mothers to senior catizens, you see it all as a foster carerNearly three years ago my Expand
07/06/2020 - From nursing mothers to senior catizens, you see it all as a foster carerNearly three years ago my wife and I had to move from New York – where we met, where I had lived for almost eight years, and where we had made a home – back to my home town of Melbourne. We missed (and continue to miss) many things about New York: our friends, our favourite bar, our neighbourhood, the fact that one can actually make a living there as a writer.But most of all, we missed our cat, who stayed in NYC with a friend. It’s hard to say why, exactly – she’s a singular creature. She used to amuse herself by trying to trip my wife during the night, as she navigated the weird spiral staircase in our Brooklyn apartment – but we missed her nonetheless. Related: ‘Hundreds and hundreds of kittens’: the volunteers saving strays as Covid-19 closes shelters It can be difficult and frustrating ... but the frustration is worth it Continue reading... Collapse
Battersea dog and cat foster carers – photo essay
22/05/2020 - Photographer Jill Mead has been meeting the staff, volunteers and foster carers of Battersea Dogs Expand
22/05/2020 - Photographer Jill Mead has been meeting the staff, volunteers and foster carers of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, who have taken in animals during the coronavirus crisis while they are found permanent homesBattersea Dogs and Cats Home has a network of more than 1,000 volunteers and foster carers to call on when necessary. In normal circumstances, an average stay is 34 days for dogs and 25 days for cats.The home has had lots of generous offers from people willing to open their homes to its animals during the past couple of months, but had to suspend new fostering applications in order to prioritise working with existing staff and volunteers to provide ongoing care for the dogs and cats during the coronavirus pandemic.Battersea rehomed more than 4,000 animals last year - an average of six dogs and six cats per dayThe kittens, over ZoomUsual work/lifestyle doesn’t allow me to have a dog, so this is the dream compromiseNed has had some medical issues, but despite this he is Collapse
I've Zoomed and I've dog groomed and I still don't know how to stay alert | John Crace
15/05/2020 - The confusion sown by Boris Johnson has spread to Covid-19 testing and beyondCoronavirus – latest Expand
15/05/2020 - The confusion sown by Boris Johnson has spread to Covid-19 testing and beyondCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMany people I know are using lockdown creatively either to develop existing talents or to discover new ones. I appear to be the exception, unless you count working out how to do a Zoom call and worrying even more than usual as lifelong learning. The only skill I can vaguely claim to have acquired is how to cut the dog’s hair. Badly. A week ago, Herbert Hound was in a miserable state as his fur hadn’t been cut since Christmas, apart the odd trim with scissors around his eyes so he could see out. So I went on Amazon to investigate buying a pair of dog hair clippers, only to find that they are identical to the ones I use to shave my own head – excess hair is one of the few things not to have presented a problem for me so far – except the dog ones had a nice picture of a dog paw on the handle. So my wife and I got out my own clippers and took Herbie out Collapse
Race to find homes for greyhounds as pandemic closes Florida tracks
12/05/2020 - Dog racing was due to end in the state next January but Covid-19 has prompted a hasty volunteer Expand
12/05/2020 - Dog racing was due to end in the state next January but Covid-19 has prompted a hasty volunteer effort for out-of-work dogsRetirement is treating Pat C Rollo well. Just weeks after the coronavirus pandemic closed his workplace for good, he has moved into a modern apartment in south Florida and enjoys long, leisurely walks watching the yachts on the Intracoastal Waterway before heading home for a nap. He even has a new name – Lambo, short for Lamborghini – as a reminder of the fast-paced industry in which he once worked.It was a swift, and fortunate, transformation for a racing greyhound who never distinguished himself in 97 outings over 20 months under the Rollo moniker, yet always seemed to enjoy the thrill of chasing an electric hare around the track at the Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club. Continue reading... Collapse
Now I know how fast everything can change, I won't take life's joys for granted
01/05/2020 - Confined to home, it might feel as if the world has slowed down, but we are racing through time Expand
01/05/2020 - Confined to home, it might feel as if the world has slowed down, but we are racing through time and spaceBefore I start a column, I talk about it with a friend. They will ask idly, “How’s the writing going?” And when I’m not shrieking, “It’s not! It’ll never go!” because I am behind schedule, I test my ideas.This week I’d planned to write about the cats that pass through my garden and how, because the circumference of my life has contracted to the flat’s perimeter, a drop-in from these nimble-pawed visitors was the day’s excitement. Meanwhile, actual celebrities have lost all relevance: a seismic change for a millennial raised on the minutiae of strangers’ lives. I figured there was something in this, or in how owning a cat is a communal kindness. I hadn’t fleshed it out. Related: The idea of moving home is now our chief distraction – and a source of hope | Coco Khan Continue reading... Collapse
‘Hundreds and hundreds of kittens’: the volunteers saving strays as Covid-19 closes shelters
15/04/2020 - Small rescue groups are stepping in as New York sees its yearly influx of newborns, but resources Expand
15/04/2020 - Small rescue groups are stepping in as New York sees its yearly influx of newborns, but resources are wearing thinSpring arrived in New York City almost unnoticed amid empty streets and shuttered restaurants. But the ecosystem of the city stops for no virus. Buds still bloom along brownstone-lined blocks and kitten season is still upon us, marking the yearly arrival of thousands of stray newborns in New York. With the ASPCA and the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) offering only emergency services due to Covid-19, smaller volunteer-run rescue groups find themselves knee-deep in cats.Instagram, surprisingly, has been a huge help – the platform has drastically changed the way rescue groups operate. Flatbush Cats, with 130,000 followers and an active YouTube channel, and Little Wanderers, with 68,300 followers, are among the most successful in crowdsourcing rescue efforts. With tear-jerking posts, heartfelt requests and calls for donations, the organizations are able to gain funding and Collapse
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