Latest news with #AnimalControl
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Dog quarantined after dangerous encounter in its own backyard — here's how it points to a larger issue
A Cherry Hill family is facing four months of worry after their dog killed a skunk in the backyard — and the skunk tested positive for rabies, reported NBC Philadelphia. The case isn't just a one-off scare. It's a growing problem, and experts say our changing environment may be part of what's driving it. According to Camden County officials, the skunk was killed by a dog on May 16. It was collected by Animal Control and tested positive for rabies on May 21. The dog is now under strict quarantine for the next four months, per state health guidelines. While rabid skunks aren't a new issue, encounters like this are happening more often and closer to home. As human development stretches deeper into wild spaces and rising global temperatures reshape natural ecosystems, wildlife is getting pushed into closer contact with our neighborhoods. Food becomes harder to find. Shelter disappears. And animals like skunks end up wandering into places they wouldn't have a generation ago. That increased overlap brings disease risks with it. Rabies in skunks has been documented in growing numbers, especially in places where drought and habitat loss force infected animals into new territories. Protecting natural spaces reduces the likelihood of diseased wildlife entering backyards and also promotes biodiversity and thriving ecosystems. On a broad level, better habitat protection can keep animals out of human spaces — and prevent disease spread at the source. Do you worry about getting diseases from bug bites? Absolutely Only when I'm camping or hiking Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Natural space preservation, wildlife crossings, and smarter city planning can all help reduce risky encounters like this one. On an individual level, it still comes back to vigilance, like keeping pets vaccinated, securing trash bins so they don't attract scavengers, teaching kids to give wild animals space, and reporting any suspicious behavior — in animals or people — to the appropriate authorities. It's easy to think of environmental problems as distant or abstract. But this one came through the fence and into the yard. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Oakland County authorities rescue blue heron from lake: "Definitely not your standard call"
The Oakland County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team sprang into action after receiving a not-so-typical call over the weekend about a great blue heron trapped on a lake. The sheriff's office says the team was dispatched at about 8:30 p.m. on Sunday to Lake Louise in Brandon Township, Michigan. The team deployed its rescue boats and found the bird tangled in fishing line. Two officers, Ashley Tester and Aubrie Mausolf, went through the deep water and placed a towel over the bird's head. The officers picked up the bird and spent minutes untangling it from the fishing line. The sheriff's office shared video of the rescue. You can watch the rescue in the video player above. "Our search and rescue team has grown in both size and ability, and as such, are capable of rescues of all kinds," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. "In this case, they rescued the majestic Blue Heron, which we all enjoy watching throughout our state. I am proud of their efforts." Authorities examined the bird and found no signs of lacerations or other injuries. The bird was put on shore for a final examination before it went into the water and swam away. The fishing line was removed to prevent similar incidents. The sheriff's office says Oakland County Animal Control helped with the rescue. Authorities believe the errant cast landed in the tree, and the individual was unable to remove it. "This was definitely not your standard call," said Lieutenant Brian Burwell with the Search and Rescue Team. "There is no way the bird was going to get out of there ... The fishing line was wrapped multiple times around its wings, and there was no way it was getting loose. I'm sure the bird would have died there."
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joel McHale jokes he is 'fully bald' as he admits to getting FOUR hair transplants
A beloved sitcom star has revealed a rather surprising secret: that he's 'fully bald' but fans will never know it. The actor and comedian - who has both hosted talk shows and game shows and starred in some recent hit comedy shows - made the admission during a podcast. The actor is in his early 50s, but he revealed that he has gone through a whopping four hair transplants solely to stave off baldness. He also admitted to shelling out over $10K per procedure, which he had done in Los Angeles... although he 'knows a guy' in Turkey. While he wouldn't divulge when he had the first procedure, he did admit to first getting one when the technology wasn't quite as up to date as it is now. Who is this sitcom star who has admitted to being fully bald without the help of four transplants? The answer may surprise you. It's none other than Community and Animal Control star Joel McHale, who made the admission on Sunday's episode of the We Might Be Drunk podcast. When one of the hosts admitted to trying hair transplants, McHale admitted, 'Yeah, I'm fully bald. [I've had] four transplants.' 'I did it way back when it was a strip. Painful. Don't do a strip. Do plucking. Now they pluck it from the whole back section, and it's a miracle,' the actor added of the technology. When one of the hosts asked who his 'guy' was, McHale named Parsa Mohebi, a Los Angeles-based hair restoration specialist. The actor admitted that, 'A lot of people go to Turkey' to get their hair done, adding he can, 'get you a guy' if the host who was considering it wanted to go that route. 'But just make sure, because if somebody is like, 'I'll do it for $3,000,' then you don't. You get what you pay for,' he advised. When McHale was asked how much it would cost to get it done right, he said it would cost about $10,000, but he would have paid even more. McHale added, 'And it's your hair that you're growing,' before explaining why he had to do the process four times. 'You're still going bald, so that hair is still falling out, but the hair that you put there is growing, but you'll still thin, because the hair that was going to fall out is going to fall out,' McHale admitted. When asked how the recovery process is, the actor said, 'They send you home with Tylenol,' adding, 'If you shave your head, it goes faster.' McHale added that he would wear 'baseball hats' during the recovery process, adding that the wait list is 'a year and a half' already. The actor said they are 'still working' on a pill that would supposedly cure baldness, adding, 'they are still trying to unlock the DNA but they thought that would be solved 15 years ago.'
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Newsweek
Woman Learns What Really Happened To Rescue Dog, Been 'Haunted Ever Since'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The backstory of a two-year-old pit bull mix who is still waiting for a home is breaking hearts online. RescueMeATL, a nonprofit dedicated to saving shelter dogs from euthanasia, shared a video about Karamja, a dog who entered the shelter system three months ago on March 2nd, when Animal Control was called to a DeKalb County apartment complex in Georgia. While in the apartment complex, Karamja was being chased away by residents who were throwing rocks at her. While she had no severe or visible injuries, she was dangerously underweight and emotionally shut down. Her story gained momentum after RescueMeATL member Jennifer Galloway penned an Instagram plea, sharing the heartbreaking details of Karamja's past, which has amassed more than 82,000 views since being posted earlier this week. The caption read: "POV: You found out what broke her and you've been haunted ever since." She added: "Her eyes told me she was broken, before I found out what broke her." Shelter staff later confirmed Karamja had recently given birth—but no puppies were ever found. Pictures of two-year-old Karamja who is waiting for a home after a traumatic start in life. Pictures of two-year-old Karamja who is waiting for a home after a traumatic start in life. @rescueme_atl/Instagram The caption went into further detail about her heartbreaking condition, saying: "But that's not the worst part. The reason why she was wandering all around lost—she had just given birth. Her puppies nowhere to be found. Robbed from her "Her home. Robbed from her. Her body. Robbed from her. You could count every rib." RescueMeATL's Erica Perets told Newsweek: "She entered the shelter system: terrified, underweight, and abandoned. Karamja is a painful example of backyard breeding's devastating cycle. "In many cases, dogs are discarded after their litters are taken—left behind, often in poor condition, after being used for profit." In 2024, approximately 7 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters. Around 748,000 animals experienced non-live outcomes, including euthanasia, death in care, and being lost in care, in 2024. While this represents a 1.6 percent decrease compared to 2023 and a 20 percent drop from 2019, the number remains high. Dogs made up a growing share of these outcomes, with euthanasia rates rising to 9 percent, compared to 7 percent in 2019. Currently at DeKalb County Animal Services, Karamja, who weighs just 39 pounds, is still waiting for a home, and RescueMeATL is calling for urgent foster placement or adoption to prevent her from being overlooked. "She's sweet, docile, and loving. Dog friendly," the Instagram captioned said. Newsweek reached out to DeKalb County Animal Services via email for comment. "She was recently taken in by a short-term shelter foster, someone who stepped up just to buy her more time," Perets said. But she added that Karamja still needs a more permanent place to call home: "Karamja urgently needs a long-term foster or an adopter who can give her the stability and love she's never known," she explained. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- RNZ News
Natasha Kahu of New Plymouth convicted after dog attacked man fixing her car
By Tara Shaskey, Open Justice reporter of A man was attacked by a dog when he went to Natasha Kahu's house in New Plymouth to fix her car. Photo: NZ Herald/Supplied WARNING: This story contains graphic details of a dog attack injury. A man visiting a property to fix a car was left with a gaping wound in his leg and facing possible amputation after being attacked by a dog that had previously bitten another person and been impounded several times. The 62-year-old was at Natasha Raedine Kahu's house in New Plymouth when her dog Boogi, a bull mastiff-boxer cross, wandered into the front yard dragging a chain around his neck. At the same time, the man walked towards a vehicle in the driveway, intending to inspect it, New Plymouth District Court heard on Wednesday. But Boogi rushed at him and although the man was able to fend him off initially, the dog took a few steps back and lunged at him, biting his left leg. The man fought Boogi off, at which point Kahu's partner came outside, dragged the dog away and secured him inside. The man went back to his car and used a towel to wrap his leg, which was bleeding heavily. He drove to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair his left tibialis anterior tendon. The man spent three days in hospital after the surgery and had to be readmitted the next month because of issues with the wound. Animal Control was later advised of the attack and Boogi was seized. After the March 27 incident last year, Kahu, 54, was charged with owning a dog that attacked and caused serious injury, which she admitted. At her sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Gregory Hikaka said the man recalled the dog "ripped" a chunk from his shin "and ate it in front of me". "I got him away but he came back. The only way I got away was that he was eating the flesh from my leg," the man said in a statement read by the judge. The man said he was immobile for three months and in a lot of pain. He had to undergo follow-up surgery, the injury became infected twice and he was warned that if he did not rest his leg it would be amputated at the knee. The judge said the man was unhappy that Kahu's inability to restrain Boogi had caused him so many issues, which were ongoing. In her affidavit, Kahu claimed the dog had not been aggressive before and children often visited the property and were safe around Boogi. She believed there were exceptional circumstances in the attack, including that Boogi had been on a chain and she thought he was secure. However, she had not realised the chain had become detached from the house and he was roaming the yard. Kahu said Boogi was protecting her and the property when he attacked the man. Defence lawyer Susan Hurley argued Kahu should be discharged without conviction on the basis that if convicted, it would risk her current employment. However, Hurley submitted that if a conviction was entered, Boogi should not be destroyed given there were exceptional circumstances involved. According to the Dog Control Act 1996, if an owner is convicted, the court must make a destruction order unless it can be proven the circumstances of the attack were exceptional. Prosecutor Jacob Bourke, appearing on behalf of the New Plymouth District Council, opposed the application for a discharge without conviction. He said the injury caused by Boogi was serious. "This isn't just a bite that had a little bit of antiseptic applied to it and away we go. "There were reasonably involved medical requirements for the injury as well as the ongoing psychological impact." Bourke submitted the consequences of a conviction were not out of proportion to the gravity of the offending and a conviction was warranted. He also argued there were no exceptional circumstances involved and a destruction order should follow. "This is a dog that has bitten people at the address before and has gotten loose off his chain before." Bourke told the court Boogi had previously bitten a Kāinga Ora property manager who had visited the property, and had a history of being impounded. He referenced Kahu's affidavit and her belief the dog was not dangerous. "I don't really understand how that can be her position given it's bitten people before and it's got loose, and the council has been involved with her a number of times and have given her chances, warnings and educational opportunities." Hurley confirmed Boogi had attacked the Kāinga Ora worker but said it did not result in a prosecution. She said the worker was at Kahu's home to assist other parties in ensuring the property was fenced. Judge Hikaka said Boogi had previously been impounded several times. Detailing Kahu's history of non-compliance, he said she had been given every opportunity to address concerns raised about the dog's behaviour. He found the injury Boogi caused was serious and Kahu had not met the test for a discharge without conviction. Upon convicting her, Judge Hikaka also found there were no exceptional circumstances involved in the attack and ordered that Boogi be put down. Hurley indicated Kahu would appeal the outcome and asked that the dog not be destroyed in the meantime. Kahu was also sentenced to 60 hours of community work. This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
