Critters in the News – June 7th 2008
Posted by Keith Lehman on June 7, 2008
Critters in the news:
- Newsvine, Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press Writer, June 6th 2008 …
More than three years after a poacher shot off her upper beak, a bald eagle named Beauty can finally live up to her name — with the help of volunteers. A team attached an artificial beak to the 15-pound eagle in mid-May, improving her appearance and, more importantly, helping her grasp food. … A final beak made of tougher material will be created and attached later, though her saviors don’t plan to release her back into the wild. They say that she has spent too much time with humans, and that the final beak will still not be strong enough to tear flesh from prey. But getting this artificial beak now was key to Beauty’s survival. A wild eagle that must be hand-fed by humans would eventually have to be euthanized, especially since her life span could run four more decades, said Jane Fink Cantwell, who took Beauty to her raptor recovery center in Idaho two years ago. … Beauty was taken to a bird recovery center in Anchorage, where she was hand-fed while her caretakers waited in vain for a new beak to grow. Cantwell in 2007 agreed to take the eagle to her Birds of Prey Northwest ranch. Every day she used tongs to feed Beauty food, such as strips of salmon. … The Boeing Co. and a maker of synthetic skin in California have volunteered to help make the permanent beak.
- 19 Horses Discovered Dead on Minnesota Farm, James Schugel, June 4th 2008 …
Investigators are looking into what happened to 19 horses found dead on a farm in Hewitt, Minn. Horses wandering on a road pointed Todd County sheriff’s deputies to the problem. When they went to the farm, they found bones and carcasses of horses scattered everywhere; some have been there for months. A humane investigator with the Animal Humane Society is part of this investigation. They say a man in his 60s owns the farm as well as the animals.
“We have horrible pictures. I haven’t seen such horrible pictures in the 20 years I’ve been doing this,” said Drew Fitzpatrick, who is taking care of the few horses found alive. She founded and runs a non-profit organization that cares for neglected horses called Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation.
“We take in the horses that have no where else to go,” said Fitzpatrick.
Last week Fitzpatrick picked up the nine horses still alive on the farm, and now she’s caring for them at her farm in Sherburne County.
Diana Bardsley wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled taking food off her plate to feed her beloved spaniel Hunter and two Siamese cats. Her greatest fear: that she could be forced to surrender the animals as she struggled to stretch her food stamps and Social Security income to meet the escalating cost of living. Some hope was restored after she visited a local food pantry, which has started offering free pet food to help owners keep their animals out of shelters.
“I know a lot of people will probably say, ‘Well, if you don’t have enough money to be able to feed your animals, that you shouldn’t have pets,”‘ said Bardsley, 53, of Franklin, as Hunter played in the living room with three of her grandchildren. But, “Just because financially you may go downhill a little or a lot, doesn’t necessarily mean you have give the part of your family that you love,” she said. For some pet owners, though, there is little choice.
The rising costs of fuel, food and housing — and the rising tide of foreclosures — have generated a surge in requests for pet food from traditional food pantries and prompted some pet owners to give up their animals. Others are trying to save money by forgoing veterinary care. The Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, has seen the average number of pet owners getting monthly rations from its pet food pantry increase by more than 50 percent since last year. Meanwhile, the number of people seeking service at its discounted veterinary clinic has more than doubled, said Linda Estrada, the group’s director and president. …
In Santa Cruz, California, a pet food bank run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has seen demand spike by about 20 percent just in the past six months. The facility typically hands out about 5,000 pounds of free pet food a month.
“In the past, the demographics has been people who are disabled or on disability and senior citizens,” said executive director Lisa Carter. “Nowadays, during the pet food program, I see people who are able-bodied and not able to find a job.”
