When it comes to animals, the laws in this state are very outdated and have gone largely unchanged since their inception in the 1800s. Some of the laws still on the books today speak of not overworking horses and other beasts of burden on farms. Though a very good law, it speaks to where our current animal laws are based; on farms and before automobiles. As an example, animal cruelty only became a felony within the last eight years. Fortunately, there are groups of very well educated animal people working with our legislature to introduce some modifications to some laws and introduce some new…

Take a look at the flyer posted in the media gallery for a lost dog. Call 774-219-5659 if you have any information. *** Does the idea of staying home all day, without a care in the world sound good to you?  What if I said you were not allowed to use a computer, cell phone, or even watch T.V. Would it still sound good?  For most of us we wouldn’t mind a day or two like that, but day upon day of it we would be bored out of our minds.  In fact, we would probably start getting ourselves into a little bit of trouble, just to entertain ourselves to combat the boredom.  Hmmm…this sound like what …

I have received a few e-mails over the past few weeks asking if I know a good dog trainer.  I know quite a few!  But, I also know quite a few that are not so good.  When I consult a client on potentially training them and their dog, I spend a fair bit of time on the phone talking with them.  I do this because the trainer/client relationship must be a good fit.  There is a lot more to training a dog and its family that just getting the dog to respond to commands.  A dog is not an IPAD. We cannot merely expect to push a button or say a command and have the dog robotically respond.  Yes, this in…

This week I am fortunate enough to have been called upon to work with the International Federation of Animal Welfare (IFAW) in Kentucky, working on a very serious case.  I am very proud and very honored to be on such an amazing team and work with some amazing organizations.  Thank you for the continued support to the South Shore Disaster Animal Rescue Team, as it is this support that allows us to be able to aid in such a huge effort. As reported on the ASPCA website, “In October 2011, the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response (FIR) Team headed to Rowan County, Kentucky, to help care for 118…

Everyone has a special relationship with their dogs.  My family and I are no exception.  Ferris, my partner dog, has been featured on my television show; works with me at Massasoit Community College helping me teach animal CPR and first aid; helps me train first responders and rescuers on proper handling of animals; works as a therapy dog at the Coolidge House in Boston; and is generally right with me everywhere I go. Ferris is very much my partner.  What happens to me impacts him and vice versa.  Ferris was rescued from a shelter in Dedham and he and I were instant friends. To me Ferris isn’…

Thoughts of dolphins generally conjure up images of warm tropical beaches, clear blue water, the flipper theme, and usually a performance in an aquarium.  None of which makes one think of New England in January. The most popular dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin, but here in New England we have quite a population of the common dolphin.  The common dolphins are what caused a stir this weekend on Cape beaches when a pod of thirty beached themselves.  The Cape is one of the world’s hot spots for animal beaching behavior. This is largely thought to be because of the topography.  The International…

In recent weeks there have been more and more headlines about people hoarding animals. There are even television shows dedicated to the worst of domestic hoarding.  The benefit of television is that after the shock and awe of how terrible the conditions are, after a few commercials we see the happy ending where all the animals get saved and the house gets cleaned up.  If only this was the norm.  The reality that reality T.V. doesn’t show us is that in order for a person to gather that many animals and for the situation to get that bad, it takes years. Generally these cases start with local …

This past week we have learned about the first confirmed case of rabies in Massachusetts in 75 years. The man infected lives on the Cape and the suspected cause was a bite from a bat. The man was listed in critical condition and his family members, who were also exposed, are being treated as well. There have been a small number of other rabies cases but they were contracted out of state. In fact, there have been fewer than thirty cases in the United States since 1990. Rabies in humans is relatively rare, just like west Nile virus, but is a real danger and poses serious health risks.  Rabies …

The cardinal has long been a symbol of Christmas cheer, and when one sees the brilliant red plumage against a snow-white background it is no wonder.  The cardinal is a year-round resident here in the Northeast. It doesn’t migrate and it doesn’t shed its feathers.  The cardinal’s distinctive red coloration and peaked head makes it a well-recognized bird. They were actually more commonly known as “redbirds,” but they derived their current name from the red robes worn by the Catholic Cardinals. The cardinal will generally nest low in dense shrubbery and is a frequent visitor to any bird feeder. …

I love the texts I get from my wife at work, and this week was no exception.  The text said, “have a puppy with ringworm, can we bring it home?”  Now, this may seem like an odd text, but when your wife is a veterinarian and you live on the island of misfit animals, it is a completely normal text.  The good news is that the puppy will only be with us for a few weeks for treatment and then will be up for adoption at the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  The truth is, though I said yes, I really had no clear understanding what ringworm was.  So, I decided to do as much research as I could and I …

Reindeer are mammals and veterinary science says that the only mammals that can fly are bats.    Reindeer are actually a special type of deer.  They are found in the northern regions of the Arctic, North America, Europe and Asia.  In North America and Greenland the reindeer are more commonly known as Caribou.  In Europe they are known as reindeer.  The reindeer are generally 3,000 pounds fully grown and can be as tall as three to four feet just up to their shoulder.    The hoof of a reindeer is almost completely circular and can spread to help displace weight when walking on snow or soft …

Two weeks ago, my South Shore Disaster Animal Rescue Team (SSDART) and I were called for a cat in tree rescue.  This is not a rare call by any means as I probably receive two calls per week for this type of rescue.  But, this is not a low risk rescue as we generally are dealing with heights that exceed thirty feet, and it requires at least two qualified people and the proper equipment.  Still, generally speaking, a cat in a tree is not an emergency and most of the calls we receive we do not go and rescue the cat.  There are some general rules regarding what to do when a cat is in a tree and …

Thanksgiving is the start of the family gatherings, office parties, Christmas parties and all leading up to Christmas and New Year’s!  With so much preparation and running around to be done, it is easy to accidentally put your dog in danger.  Food is the most recognizable danger.  Is giving a piece of turkey to a dog a bad thing? Well, not really. But, letting the dog eat the turkey leg or other bones could be potentially fatal. Turkey bones are easily broken and can splinter and lodge into all sorts of internal parts in a dog causing anything from blockages to tearing of the intestinal tract…

Heartworm is a preventable and serious disease for dogs that is costly and difficult to cure.  Unfortunately, many owners choose not to use a monthly preventive. The only way for a dog to become infected is by the bite of an infected mosquito. That being the case, this is why prevention is so important. All 50 states have reported Heartworm disease and the numbers seem to be increasing. It is not only spreading rapidly throughout the United States, but also in areas where veterinarians never reported positive cases. If there are animals and mosquitoes in a given area, it is inevitable that …

On the heels of October’s pilot whale standings we are faced with another marine life mystery. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, has issued a statement that there have been nearly 100 harbor seals found dead along the New England shoreline since September.  The seals have been found from Southern Maine and throughout Massachusetts.  This number is a significant spike in deaths over recent years.  Officials, at this point, have ruled out foul play, and are looking more toward pathogens in the water or some other ecological or environmental factor.  This is not the first …

Halloween is a time for some great memories of going door to door and dressing up as your favorite superhero or most scary goul and getting tons of free candy!  The best part was knowing which house gave the really big candy bars, and knowing which house to skip because they gave toothbrushes. But, Halloween is a much less festive time for our household pets. It is very important that a pet owner takes extra steps to ensure the safety of their pets during this festive day.  Although we know the goblins and ghouls are just costumes, this can be very frightening to our animals.  This can cause …

A somewhat rare occurrence happened this week on Duxbury Beach and in Truro.  Two pilot whales and two of it’s companions were seen in very shallow water, and ultimately two juvenile pilot whales died, one on Duxbury and one in Truro. Prior to this week there have only been four pilot whale beaching incidents in 2011.    Pilot whales are well known for beaching themselves, and usually in large numbers. This is generally seen on the outer Cape beaches.  Pilot whales live in pods, which are like a family.  Generally the pods can range from twenty to ninety whales. Pilot whales, like killer …

This time of year bats conjure up the thoughts of ghosts and goblins and witches. Bats are also synonymous with the thought of vampires. So, what type of bats do we have around our area?  Ever been outside and feel something swoop right over your head? It was probably a bat. Bats love to reside in your attic, and we have nine types of bats in Massachusetts.  The two most common are the big brown and little brown Bat.    Big brown bats are the most prolific species in our area and are very active in late winter to late fall.  Colonies, in your attic can be as large as 200.  Big Brown bats, …

Sometimes I wonder, really wonder, if we as humans have lost our collective mind or if there are really creatures living amongst us that we just don’t know about.  Last week I get a “Chupacabra” sighting and this week the legendary Jersey devil is back in the news. Why legendary?  Stories of the Jersey Devil reach back some three hundred years and sightings are localized to only New Jersey and specifically in a one million acre forest in the center of the state, called the Pine Barrens.  The legend says that in 1735 Mrs. Jane Leads was pregnant with her thirteenth child and she was said to …

Time to play name that animal… I absolutely love my animal control officer friends, as I get some amazing, and at times extremely funny text messages from them.  The animal control officers are an extremely dedicated and compassionate group of people who I respect and admire a great deal.  This e-mail came to me this week and I couldn’t help but laugh.  When the Animal control officer sent me the picture with the question, “so what do you think it is?  My first reaction was the “Chupacabra.” I really couldn’t resist the thought and sent that as my first answer.  The animal in the somewhat …