Did Prince Chunk Really Weigh 44 Pounds?
News that the New Jersey shelter that found Prince Chunk is trying to secure the rights to the fat kitty’s potential earnings surfaced this morning. Along with that came an update that Prince Chunk now weighs in at 22 pounds. For reals? How could a cat possibly lose half of his body weight in four weeks?
Either his fat rolls disappeared into thin air, or, he never weighed 44-pounds to begin with. The foster parent of the big kitty was even suspicious about the feline’s reported weight.
“We have a 70 pound dog and he didn’t look like more than half of him, so we did have some suspicions,” said Vince Damiani, 17, a member of Chunk’s foster family. “We took him to the vet this Friday and he was 22.8 pounds.”
Apparently the Damiani family will keep the cat, even though the shelter had hoped Chunk’s adopters would remain anonymous. The executive director of the shelter is less than pleased with the way this has all gone down and is just hoping that a portion of the money Chunk earns for appearances will make its way back to the shelter. Which seems fair, afterall there are a bunch more regular-sized animals that need homes.
“We are all very saddened and very shocked at how this played out,” Jennifer Andersch told the Gloucester County Times. “At this point all we’re doing is trying to figure out what will be in the best interest of the cat. We are concerned.”
Elvis The Dog Gets A $10,000 Bark Mitzvah
A New York dog owner named David Best has spent $10,000 on a what he calls a “Bark Mitzvah” for his beloved pup Elvis. On the guest list were 100 guests including sex therapist Dr. Ruth, Fox New Reports. Wow.
Best says his dog is the deserving of the fete because he is “extremely handsome, he has a great personality and everyone loves him.” Does he feel the $10,000 party price tag is a wee bit excessive? “You have to have a pet, a dog, to know what it is all about.”
Turns out Bark Mitzvah’s aren’t all that uncommon these days. A simple google search turns up tons of links that show you how to pamper your pet with a party. Author Shari Cohen has even written a book about it:
Cop Who Issued Ticket Gets Death Threats
The cop that pulled over and ticketed a young couple who were trying to rush their dying dog to the vet has received several death threats, according to local reports. The speeding ticket took the officer 20 minutes to write and during that time the couple’s teacup poodle, Missy, choked to death.
In a video of the incident the officer can be heard saying, “Chill out, it’s just a dog. You can buy another one.” I bet he’s wishing he didn’t say that now. According to News Channel 2 in Texas, local leaders say that menacing phone calls are flooding city hall.
Officer Paul Stephens has been reprimanded and subsequently apologized to the couple. Pet activists are lobbying for Stephens to be fired. The couple is still contemplating suing the city.
Dog Named La China Saves Abandoned Baby
I heard about this story over the weekend and it totally tugs at the heart strings. BBC News reports that an 8-year-old dog named La China saved an infant who was left for dead by his 14-year-old mother near a pile of rubbish in an Argentinian shanty town not far from Buenos Aires. The dog, who is a new mom, brought the baby to the place she was caring for her own pups — carrying the baby 50m without leaving any bite marks! This dog is a hero!
BBC News reports that the dog’s owner heard the baby crying and found it covered with a rag right next to La China’s pups. The owner called the police and now the baby is being cared for by authorities.
Reportedly the 14-year-old mother of the infant panicked after she gave birth and left the child for dead. Thank goodness La China came along. The local media has likened the story to that of of “Romulus and Remus,” the founders of Rome, who were abandoned as babies and rescued by a wolf. What an amazing story!
Apparently, La China is terrified by her newfound fame and her owner says he’s worried that she hasn’t been eating.
Aussie Whale To Be Euthanized, Officials Say
A baby whale who was abandoned by its mother off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, will be euthanized because he’s not expected to make it through the night, officials told the AP Thursday.
The poor little guy -nicknamed “Colin” by the Australians- has been trying to suckle boats in the area which he mistook as his mom. Soooo sad 😦
People have tried to help the lost little whale, including a whale whisperer who stroked Colin before he swam away to a nearby boat.
But some Australians don’t think enough has been done. A rescue group is protesting the euthanization and has pleaded with officials to use a feeding apparatus they designed to help save him.
According to the AP, they plan to sedate the whale, bring it to shore and give him a dose of fatal drugs.
Did A Dog Die Waiting For Speeding Ticket?
Imagine you were pulled over for a speeding ticket as you tried to rush your dying pet to a vet. This is what happened to student Michael Gonzales and his girlfriend, Krystal Hernandez, in San Marcos, Texas recently.
Though they admit they were speeding, they say their dog Missy lost her life because they were delayed for 20 minutes by an officer who wrote them a ticket and reprimanded them and said, “It’s just a dog. You can buy another one. Relax.”
Good Morning America aired footage in which you can hear the officer telling them to relax. Click above.
The pair jumped in their car with their dog around midnight after their dog choked on some food and went limp. They say Missy was still breathing in their car as officer Paul Stephens was tooling around, writing them a ticket, and chatting with another officer.
The couple pleaded with the officer to let them go and promised to turn themselves in after they took the dog to the vet. According to a Texas newspaper, Gonzales has not decided whether to pursue a lawsuit against the department.
The speeding ticket has been dismissed and the department says they have reprimanded the officer.
“Spaghetti Cat” Was Intentional
So Mediabistro got to the bottom of the Spaghetti Cat incident on the Morning Show with Mike and Juliet and it turns out it was nothing more than a “bleep photo,” according to a Fox spokesperson. Viewers were baffled last week when –during a segment on binge drinking– a picture of a kitty eating a big plate of spaghetti was flashed on screen. The guest must have dropped an F-bomb or something. I thought Juliet looked surprised after the photo was flashed. Apparently Fox plans to do more of these, so stay tuned folks! Nice marketing tool, Fox.
PA Governor Supports Change In Dog Law
ABC News
The entire state of Pennsylvania and beyond is outraged after 80 dogs were shot and killed by their owner earlier this month because they suffered from fleas and insect bites. And it was all perfectly legal.
That’s because a 1984 state law says that dog breeders are permitted to kill their dogs with firearms, even if they are perfectly healthy. It’s a disgusting story. It’s caused so much chatter that the Governor is speaking out about it. Hopefully, this horrible incident will prompt change.
Breeder Elmer Zimmerman, and his brother, Ammon, have since apologized to the public for shooting 80 small-breed dogs at the two kennels they operated in Kutztown after wardens had ordered 39 dogs checked for insect bites and had issued citations for conditions at the kennels. The two brothers have since surrendered their breeding licenses.
At a press conference last Saturday in Philadelphia, Gov. Ed Rendell urged the passage of state House bill 2525 that would allow only vets to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels.
According to reports that I’ve read, House Bill 2525 also proposes that the following change at kennels:
* Doubles the minimum floor space for cages.
* Requires outdoor exercise. Current law does not require even that dogs be let out of cages, much less given access to outside exercise.
* Requires solid flooring. Dogs now can spend their entire lives on wire floors, which damage their feet over time.
* Prohibits the stacking of cages. Under existing law, cages can be stacked so high that inspectors can’t see whether they have food or water, or even if they are still alive.
* Requires veterinary checks annually or during each pregnancy. Many dogs now never see a vet throughout their entire lives.
Last Friday night, 100 people attended a vigil for the animals outside the Berks County property where the atrocities occurred. Rest in peace poor pups. Let’s hope this new bill passes in their honor.
The Mystery Of The “Spaghetti Cat”
Fans of the Morning Show with Mike and Juliet were perplexed last week when –during a serious segment on the dangers of binge drinking– a snap shot of a cat eating a heaping bowl of spagetti was flashed on screen. E’s The Soup first reported on the odd incident and the show has yet to explain what on earth happened. SO bizarre! Maybe it was some disgruntled employee’s idea of a joke? If so, CLASSIC!
Luffy’s Lovin’ His New Cat Tree
I fostered a kitten from the shelter over six months ago and received an update from his adopted mother, Hailey, this week. She says Luffy (lower, right) is doing really well. He has two new family members too, a brother and a sister (above). Dante is the fourth member of the family. Now that’s a full house. Hailey says they bought this new cat tree and everybody loves it!
The Scooper Pooper 
