Animal Radio® Show #619 October 15, 2011           Boozing Bees, Cheating Chimps & Dogs With Guns Linda Lombardi – Animals Behaving Badly People seem to have the idea that animals are always better than they are.  We think that animals don't do all of the terrible things we do, nor do they have the family problems that we have, which we attribute to civilization.  We also feel that nature is unspoiled.  However, nature has things like cobra venom and Ebola virus.  So why do we think nature is safe, good and better than we are? Animal behaviorists who study animals on a day-to-day basis are finding out some terrible things about animals, and there's a lot that animals don't want you to know!  In fact, the better their public image, the worse their secrets are: gang-rapist dolphins; lazy, infanticidal lions; and, of course, our own dogs, who eat our money, set our houses on fire, and in more than one case, actually shoot their owners with guns. We think that the humans and their civilization are driving some animals to extinction, but some of them are actually bringing it upon themselves!   http://www.lindalombardi.com     The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani Adding Color To Your Pet For Halloween Halloween is around the corner and a really fun holiday for people who like to dress up their pets and take them with them when they go trick-or-treating.  You can always go into a supermarket and find a generic costume, but there are some people who like to create their dog's costume themselves, and even add color to their dog's coat. If you have a light-colored, longhaired dog and you want to add a little temporary color, try using hairspray.  This will allow you to manipulate the coat if you want to add spikes or fluff.  All you have to do is add a whole container of food coloring directly into the plastic hair spray bottle.  (Please don't try this with an aerosol can!) When you spray on the hair spray, you will be getting the hold and the color at the same time.   When you are ready to remove it, just brush it out and then wash their coat. If you have a dark colored dog, use hair spray and get the shape you want on your dog.  Then use a human colored hair gel (they now come in very vibrant colors) that you can usually find in a beauty supply store.  You apply the gel directly on the hair itself for a "wow" look.  Another way to color your dog is to use "blow pens" which were created for children.  It is like a pen that you put in your mouth and blow out the color, which will leave a vibrant color on your dog.  The best thing is that since it is for children, it is non-toxic and won't harm your pet.   And if you want to get really creative, use a stencil to make a specific pattern on your dog.  This will work on both longhaired and shorthaired dogs.   A tip to make this color last longer is to apply the blow pen and then spray over it with hair spray. You and your dog can have a lot of fun at Halloween! DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com.  Use the code "SAVE25" to receive 25       Animal Radio® News with Stacey Cohen  Someone's Bringing Home The Bacon  - Just Not Sure Who! Farmers in Mitchell County, Iowa, are reporting hundreds of pig thefts in the area and along the Minnesota border and officials aren't even sure how they're pulling it off.  Mitchell County hog farmers have lost more than 350 hogs since February. Combine that with recent Minnesota thefts (150 hogs were lifted from Nicollet County farmers and more than 550 from a single Kandiyohi County farmer), and we're looking at almost 1,000 snatched pigs. If you're not familiar with pig prices, 200 of the hogs recently stolen out of Iowa (relatively small 50-pounders) were worth around $10,000 total, or $50 a piece. The 700 stolen out of Minnesota added up to a whopping $134,000, pricing those pigs at just under $200 each. Reed Kuper, an Iowa farmer who lost 150 hogs in February, thinks it's the work of just a few thieves. Police aren't so sure. They suspect a more elaborate operation is under way. Heidi, The Cross-Eyed Opossum Is No Longer Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum turned media sensation at Germany's Leipzig Zoo, has died. Zoo officials say the three-and-a half-year-old animal was suffering from health complications due to old age.  Veterinarians were treating Heidi for arthrosis, but her condition worsened and they decided it would be better for the animal's welfare to put her to sleep.  Heidi rose to fame late last year after arriving in Leipzig from Denmark. The cross-eyed opossum charmed fans with a Facebook page, sparked a popular song on YouTube and even stars as a plush toy. Longest Living Two-Faced Cat Worcester is now home to a world-record holding cat. The animal was born with two faces and turns 12 this month. The cat holds the Guinness record as the longest living two-faced cat. The owner tells the "Worcester Gazette" she adopted the unusual animal when a breeder brought the cat to be put down when he was a day old. Harry Potter Cast Member Up For Adoption Berry, the 10-year-old black German Shepherd that played Padfoot in the "Harry Potter" movies, is up for adoption, and the requests are streaming in, many from the U.S.  His owner, stuntman and trainer Paul Thompson, gave Berry to England’s German Shepherd Rescue in July along with a white 13-year-old German Shepherd named Porridge. The two dogs, which grew up together, must be adopted as a pair.  "Berry was given up for rescue because the gentleman couldn’t afford to keep him anymore and his companion," said Jane O’Brien, who fields inquiries for German Shepherd Rescue. The two dogs were immediately put into a safe foster home but now need a permanent place to live. On the organization’s website, Berry’s bio reads: "My Dad contacted German Shepherd Dog Rescue because he realized he didn’t have the time to look after us properly anymore. His work takes him away from home an awful lot and whilst his friends and family tried to help look after us, we weren’t getting the walks or brushes we were used to."  "They’re very classy animals," O’Brien said of Berry and his pal Porridge. "Very quiet, well-behaved."  Ever since the U.K.’s Sunday Express first publicized the dogs’ plight, O’Brien said, "Berry has been offered so many homes it’s unbelievable."  Lizzy Brown, one of the organization’s dog coordinators, estimates at least 100 people have offered to take the dogs so far, many of them from the United States.  But it’s more likely this pair will find a home in the U.K. Ancient Dog-Eating Festival Banned For the first time in 600 years, residents of Qianxi Township, China, will be banned from holding an ancient dog-eating festival after the public voiced their discontent on the Internet. The three-day event, which usually takes place in October, commemorates a historic 14th century military victory of the Ming Dynasty. According to legend, the army of Zhu Yuanzhang secretly invaded Qinaxi and killed all the dogs so that the animals wouldn't bark and give away the troops' position pre-battle. When the city was secured, the army celebrated by feasting on the meat of the slaughtered dogs. Thus the tradition was born. While animal advocates around the world may shudder at this thought, in China, and other parts of Asia, it's not uncommon for humans to eat dogs. In ancient times, dog meat was considered to have medicinal purposes, while today, it is still socially acceptable for the Chinese to purchase dogs and cats at local markets for the sole purpose of sustenance. According to Xinhuanet, hundreds of thousands of people have posted criticisms of the festival on Internet forums and social networking sites.  Additionally, the Qianjiang Evening News reported that most local villagers opposed the carnival, citing a local government survey. ? Put A Pep In Your Step With Frog Juice In a juice bar in Lima, Peru, smoothie makers are throwing frogs into their drinks. Fresh from a high mountain pond, the poor frogs get tossed into a blender, along with other less exotic ingredients, in a drink that has become a huge hit for the Lima juice bar. The frog juice is said to cure almost anything that ails you — but no doubt a big reason for its popularity is that it’s said to be an aphrodisiac.  The concoction is made from 20 ingredients, including one skinned frog. Some people drink it every day, believing it helps cure their lung disease, asthma and other ailments — and that it helps to put pep in their step. The Lima juice bar sells about 80 of the frog juice drinks every day, mostly in the early morning, as people hope to get their days off to a croaking good start. Florida Is Officially The World Capital For Invasive Reptiles Florida is now officially the world capital for invasive and potentially invasive reptiles and amphibians, according to a 20-year study verifying that 56 non-native species of these animals have become established in the sunshine state.  The accommodating climate — which can suit not only tropical and subtropical specie, but those adapted to colder climes —is an element in the problem, according to Kenneth Krysko, the lead researcher and a senior biological scientist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Florida.  But he and the other researchers put the bulk of the blame on the pet trade, which they say is responsible for the vast majority of introductions, and impotent laws meant to prevent the release of non-natives. It's impossible to have this many non-native species establishing themselves without consequences, Krysko said. NEWS UPDATE Brought To You By PetzLife.com.  Use the code "RADIO" to receive 20% off!       Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#619)   indicates XM Satellite Radio and Podcast versions only.

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