June 30, 2007

Leslie Nielsen
Since Leslie is always on the go, he currently does not have any pets, as he feels it wouldn't be fair to them. But, his one "Animal" that he never leaves home without is his "Whoopee Cushion." Hear him talk about some of his greatest moments with his "animal."

Look for Leslie in the upcoming release of "Music Within, " the true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past, who returns from Vietnam severely hearing -impaired and finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities, as well as "Scary Movie 5." And could there be a spoof of Spider Man in the works? Tune in to find out.

Gary Burghoff Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly of M*A*S*H
Gary Burghoff and "Radar" O'Reilly are synonymous with the kind, lovable yet kindred spirits we can all remember with fondness. The role of "Radar" was tailor-made for Gary because of his obvious love of animals and his extraordinary personality. Remember Radar's zoo in M*A*S*H? This theme originated from his real life Animal Rehabilitation Clinic in Southern California where he nurtured and cared for many species of birds such as the brown pelican, and many other animals including opossums, grey squirrels, raccoons and abandoned creatures needing Gary's special and tender-loving care. In fact Gary, once known as the "Bird Man of Malibu", was licensed by the State of California to care for wounded animals.

Woman Dresses Roadkill
Britt Savage
Jessica May, a 24-year old graduate art student at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, understands why some people don't "get" her art.

Recently Jessica has started dressing roadkill. She has dressed possums in baby doll clothes and painted their nails, applied makeup, and has even painted a deer with gold paint.

Jessica doesn't find this offensive and does it as a way of reminding drivers to slow down, causing people to give animals more thought and bringing animals and people closer to equality. While stating she is not an animal rights activist, she hopes that if these animals were given human characteristics, people will give more thought to them.

Kids Learn about Pets with Handicaps
Deborah Winters, Handicapped Pets
What started as a class project for fourth-graders learning about handicapped pets turned into a nationwide effort to help a bright-eyed dachshund left partially paralyzed after an attack by angry teens.

Kathy Barton's 4th grade class in Velma, Oklahoma, was working with HandicappedPets.com to create awareness of the value of disabled animals. They heard about the plight of a dachshund in Tennessee named "Boo," now named "Johanna" and wanted to help. The dog had been attacked with a bat and was left paralyzed in her rear legs and incontinent. After her injury, her former owner would chain her outside to prevent damage to the rugs. To move around, she had to drag around her back legs in the dirt, leaving them scraped and raw. Their class project became a successful rescue mission.

Every year since then, Kathy Barton's 4th grade class learns about handicapped pets and raise money to help buy carts for these animals. This year, they helped raised enough money through fundraisers to purchase 3 carts, one for a quadriplegic cat, (see the Video) and 2 others for two dogs unable to walk.
http://www.HandicappedPets.com

Snakes. Why Did it Have to Be Snakes?
Rae Ann Kumelos, Voice of the Animal
From the Garden of Eden to the countryside of ancient Greece, snakes have had a tough time keeping up their reputation. In this true story about catching rattlesnakes, explore the rich and divine heritage of snakes throughout the ages.
http://www.VoiceOfTheAnimal.org

Thunderstorms and Your Pet
Mike Fry, Animal Ark Animal Shelter and Host of Animal Wise Radio with Dr. Linda Wolf
My first dog, a German Shepherd named Buddy, was a beautiful, intelligent, perfect companion. That is for one slight problem. He turned into a lunatic during thunderstorms. And I don't mean just huddling in a corner, but knocking over full-sized sofas in an attempt to get his 90-pound frame behind one,

So why do so many animals have storm phobias? Animal senses are much sharper than ours. They hear, smell and sense things with a clarity that we can hardly imagine.

Listen in to find out what you can do as a guardian to help.
http://www.AnimalWiseRadio.com
http://www.AnimalArkShelter.org

Keeping Your Sanity when Moving With Pets
Carrie Straub, The Pet-Moving Handbook
Are you looking for practical answers to pet-moving questions? Look no further. Find out if you should sedate your dog before he flies; find a pet-friendly new neighborhood; prevent your cat from running away from his new home; and even how to move your tropical fish.

Pier 39 Sea Lions
Special Correspondent Jan Sluizer
Although they never really go away, the marine mammals are officially welcomed back every year.
The sea lions originally took over Pier 39 near Fisherman's Wharf, settling in about a month after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

Using Cold Noses to Find Warm Hearts
Deborah Wood, The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating
Think romance has gone to the dogs? You're right, and it's actually a good thing! Studies show you're three times more likely to meet someone if you have a dog with you. So leash up your pooch and get ready to enter the world of meeting, greeting, and falling in love with dog lovers and their dogs in The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating. Combining wit, warmth, and wisdom with lots of practical advice, dog trainer Deborah Wood shows you the techniques of dog experts, as well as the secrets of the American Kennel Club for finding the right human mate for you. She offers encouragement and inspiration for the romantically challenged dog lover, providing a list of the best and worst date breeds and activities you can do with your dog to meet new friends, and maybe even Mr. or Ms. Right.

All Hail to the Heroic Gopher
Rae Ann Kumelos, Voice of the Animal
Upset with gophers eating your favorite flowers? This true story about helpful gophers and a water leak may make you think differently about the gophers in your yard.
http://www.voiceoftheanimal.org

Attack Donkey
Britt Savage
What can you do when coyotes keep killing your goats? Well, you could get a guard donkey. That's what a goat farmer in Massachusetts did when coyotes killed two of his favorite goats.

An attack donkey sounds like a whacky idea, but Katherine Peterson of the University of Rhode Island's Veterinary Science Department disagrees, saying that donkeys have an inherent dislike of dogs and could be a pretty good threat to coyotes looking for a goat dinner.

I hear the guard donkey was a little shy at first and wouldn't eat for a couple of days, but soon took up with one of the larger goats. She now seems right at home with her goat family, braying a lot and keeping those coyotes away.

Listen to the 1st Hour ABRIDGED VERSION Podcast of this show (#396).
Purchase a CD Copy of this Show

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