They've had a ruff time! Adorable puppies bred on illegal dog farm found stuffed into car boot bound for Britain (but don't worry, the poor things are alright now)

-Police in Ireland seized around 50 of the dogs in the back of two cars in Dublin
-Many have had their tails docked and claws removed
-The dogs include around 25 Jack Russells, cocker and springer spaniels, and terrier, beagle and Labrador breeds
-Several are in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mother

By Leon Watson


These adorable puppies had more than a stroke of luck after being rescued from a nightmare journey at the hands of illegal dog smugglers.

Police in Ireland seized around 50 of the dogs found in boxes stuffed into the back of two cars in Dublin on Tuesday.

It's believed they were bred illegally on an Irish puppy farm and were destined for the UK. Officers arrested two men in their 20s and 30s at the scene under suspicion of committing animal cruelty.

Adorable: Puppies found by the Garda Task Force Unit following the seizure of two vehicles in Dublin. They are now looking for homes

Brian Gillen, chief executive of the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, urged the public to be vigilant when buying a pup.

'Do not buy from the boot of a car or a van, and always arrange to meet the puppy with its parents at the breeders home.

'The conditions the mother is living in is a good indication of the health and welfare of the animals,' said Mr Gillen.

The men were arrested on Tuesday when police searched the vehicles which were stopped in the Coolock area of Dublin.

Boxed in: The puppies include around 25 Jack Russells, cocker and springer spaniels, and terrier, beagle and Labrador breeds

Several of the puppies are now in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mothers

Several of the puppies are now in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mothers

Officers from the DSPCA took the pups into quarantine and safety, after they were discovered in boxes in the back of both vehicles.

The dogs include around 25 Jack Russells, cocker and springer spaniels, and terrier, beagle and Labrador breeds. They were all given a veterinary check-up and placed in secure accommodation.

The animals have a number of conditions such as mange, ear mites, fleas, eye infections and parasitic infections, the DSPCA said.

Several of the puppies are now in special care because they were too young when taken away from their mothers. Many of them also had their tails docked and claws removed.

None of the puppies will be available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded the animal cruelty investigation

Officers from the DSPCA took the pups into quarantine and safety, after they were discovered in boxes in the back of both vehicles

Police have arrested two men in their 20s and 30s at the scene under suspicion of committing animal cruelty

The DSPCA said the discovery is a further reminder of the importance for Ireland to push through legislation making it easier to prevent animal cruelty and to prosecute offenders.

Making the microchipping of all dogs compulsory is one of the organisation's biggest goals, a spokesman said.

None of the puppies will be available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded the animal cruelty investigation.

The two men arrested at the scene are said to be in their 20s and 30s. They were taken to Coolock Garda Station in Dublin and have since been released.

The puppies were suffering from a number of infections and had ear mites, fleas and mange

Campaigners said the discovery is a further reminder of the importance for Ireland to push through legislation making it easier to prevent animal cruelty

The animals were taken into a DSPCA centre where they were given a full veterinary check up and placed into secure accommodation


source:dailymail

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Florida zoo charges visitors $200 to swim with tiger cubs for half hour

A private zoo in Florida is charging visitors $200 to spend a half hour swimming and playing with baby tigers.

Dade City’s Wild Things, which is located outside of Tampa, Florida, advertises its new money-making attraction as ‘an amazing encounter’ that includes ‘playing in the grass, bottle time and swim time,’ according to its website.

The zoo charges an additional $10 for anyone that wants watch the encounter. The price includes a CD with photos and videos of the experience ‘including action shots and posed shots in the water with your cub,’ according to the website.

Hot ticket: A Florida zoo is charging visitors $200 to spend 30 minutes swimming and playing with baby cubs

The one-on-one playtime is limited to tigers no heavier than 40 pounds, due to a state law that restricts how closely the public may interact with large cats.

Animal rights activists condemn the zoo’s practice of charging visitors for access to the animals, calling it abusive and dangerous to the animals’ health.

‘The cubs are awakened repeatedly for anyone who will pay to pet them or take photos with them,’ said one critic on the 911 Animal Abuse website. ‘Cubs don’t like holding still for petting sessions and photo opportunities. The swimming solves that problem … because the cub has to swim for dear life.’

Cooling off: Animal handlers at the Florida zoo say the big cats love to swim and interact with people

Who said cats don't like water? The owners say the cubs like swimming, but in a report officials weren't so sure

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a warning citation to Dade City’s Wild Things last year for a number of violations, including an incident in which a handler forced a tiger cub into a swimming pool after the animal appeared hesitant to enter the water.

When the animal tried to exit the pool, the handler forced it to keep swimming.

‘The cub swam towards the handler located at the pool wall and extended its paws towards the edge of the pool apparently wanting to get out of the pool,’ a U.S. Department of Agriculture official wrote in an inspection report dated September 2011. ‘Instead of pulling the cat out of the water and stopping the encounter the handler decided to continue with the swimming.’

Opposition: Animal rights activists say the baby tigers are being exploited and abused by the zoo

Mixing it up: The zoo also offers swimming lessons with alligators whose mouths are taped shut

The zoo says the animals enjoy swimming and that they are especially easy to control in the water.

‘Tigers are known as the best swimmers of all the big cats, with webbing between their toes to make their feet more like flippers,’ the zoo states on its website. ‘We can manipulate them more easily as they are floating. When they are young, they love taking baths and then we slowly introduce them to the pool.’

The zoo also offers swimming lessons with alligators whose mouths are taped shut.


source:dailymail

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The itchy and scratchy show: Cat finds the perfect scratching post... a live hedgehog

By Daily Mail Reporter


Animal lovers may want to look away now as a cat desperately tries to scratch an itch - using a spiky hedgehog.

But while you would think the hedgehog would prove a bit prickly, this blue British shorthair appears to think it makes the perfect scratching post.

The 56 second clip posted on YouTube earlier this week shows the domesticated cat tentatively approaching the curled up hedgehog before rolling its neck around the bristles.

Scroll down to watch video

Curious: The blue British shorthair cat looks suspiciously at the hedgehog at the beginning of the YouTube video

Scratching post: But the adorable car quickly decides to give using the hedgehog to scratch himself a go

Hitting the spot: The cat's joy at his new found scratching post is evident

And far from looking in pain, the cat's delight at his new found scratcher is evident as he closes his eyes and rolls around on the hedgehog.

He then has a quick break from his strenuous scratching - going for a lick of milk from a nearby saucer.

But the British shorthair - voted the most popular breed of cat by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) since 2001 - soon returns to the hedgehog to continue his back scratch.

Throughout the video the cat's owners' can be heard giggling but the hedgehog remains perfectly still throughout until the briefest of movements right at the end of the video.

Many commentators debated whether the hedgehog was real or fake - with many claiming it was just instinctively hiding its head for protection.

Lunch break: The cat has a mini break during the video for a drink of milk

A back scratch: But the feline quickly returns his attention to the hedgehog

Purrfect post: While the hedgehog stays still throughout the video, he doesn't curl up into a defensive stance

Now watch the video




source:dailymail

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The very sour puss who has thousands of fans despite being 'the world's angriest cat'

By Daniel Bates


..He has won tens of thousands of admirers – but just how many of them would be brave enough to try to stroke him is anyone’s guess.

This is Colonel Meow, the furious-looking feline whose sourpuss expression has made him an internet sensation.

Despite a rather fluffy coat, the black smoke Persian cat appears anything but cuddly thanks to his evil stare and a face that seems to be fixed in a permanent frown.

Don't let him fool you! Even a hug won't stop Colonel Meow from frowning

Fans have nicknamed him the ‘world’s angriest cat’ and have compared his hostile demeanour to that of an evil dictator.

But while even the most ardent cat lover might be reluctant to get too close to Colonel Meow in real life, his Facebook page has attracted more than 32,000 ‘likes’ from around the world.

Photographs uploaded to the page by his owner Anne Marie Avey carry tongue-in-cheek captions on Colonel Meow’s behalf, such as: ‘Behold, minions! I have learned to touch my nose with my tongue. Now honour my great achievement . . .  with treaties and scotch.’

Another reads: ‘I WANT to plan my world domination . . . but I also wanna get drunk and eat treaties.’

No rest for the world's angriest cat: Colonel Meow pulls a couple of particularly moody glares

Like many dictators, Colonel Meow had a troubled upbringing – the profile discloses that he was found by the roadside after being abandoned in Seattle, Washington.

But his softer side is also revealed in a brief biography where he admits that he has a fear of birds which might hamper his ambitions to conquer the world.

Miss Avey, who adopted Colonel Meow from an animal shelter, now hopes to take him to Los Angeles and make him a star.

And perhaps world domination isn’t too far away, as Facebook users have posted dozens of pictures of themselves pulling sour expressions in tribute to the grumpy pet.


source:dailymail

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Mind-bending video of a sheep with an upside down HEAD... and man who filmed it insists it was no fake

By Alex Ward


Look a bit closer and you will notice something very odd about this sheep.

Seemingly defying nature quite happily as it nibbles grass, it is indeed a sheep with an upside down head – but is it real?

The owner of the YouTube video of the weird animal insists it was no fake as the clip sparked the curiosity among thousands, becoming an internet hit with almost 50,000 views in five days.

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Real? A YouTube video showing a sheep with an upside down head has become an internet hit but is it real?

Allan McNamara of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire spotted the creature while walking through the countryside with a friend.

The 30-year-old computer technician believes it had twisted its spine.

He said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. I’m friends with a girl who has a horse on the farm and she was like “aww Allan, come and have a look at this sheep”.

‘After a little walk we came across the sheep, its head is properly upside down. It looks like it has been twisted 180 degrees.’

No fake: The video's owner Allan McNamara insists it is not fake saying 'its head is properly upside down'

'Twisted spine': Mr McNamara said he 'couldn't believe it' but called the sheep Terry as the name 'seemed to fit'

He would not identify the location of the farm Terry the sheep calls home, only disclosing that it was in England.

He said: ‘Because I was new to the farm, I didn’t know what to expect.

‘We had to give it a name, so I thought Terry. I don’t know why, but it seems to fit.

‘Its spine is curved as far as I can tell. I don’t think it’s in any pain - it certainly seemed as normal and docile as sheep normally are. It’s crazy.’

The description on the YouTube video explains: ‘A sheep at a farm of one of my friends. He was born with his head the wrong way round.

Online hit: Terry the sheep has sparked curiosity online, with almost 50,000 views of the video since it was posted five days ago

‘He lives happily and has been checked by a vet to ensure he is in no pain. He can eat, sleep and do everything other sheeps can.’

But some YouTube viewers needed a bit more convincing.

One posted: ‘Looked like a regular sheep to me the way it was shot.’

Another said: ‘Makes me think of those fake bigfoot videos.’

While others adored the weird wooly animal.

One posted: 'Aww, he's a lil cutie! I love sheepies, and he's no exception.'

Now watch the video and see if you believe it is real




source:dailymail

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The never-before-seen bird's eye view of the world as flocks migrate across the continents in pioneering documentary

By Daily Mail Reporter


A breathtaking new documentary gives viewers the chance to see a bird's perspective of the world for the very first time.

Winged Planet took four years to make due to the painstaking preparation, using the latest in camera techniques and specialized training of flocks.

The two-hour show offers an aerial view of America, Africa and Europe as spycams ride alongside, and at times on the backs of eagles, cranes, pelicans and snow geese.

Soaring: Winged Planet took four years to make and required the birds being specially trained to use cameras. This footage is captured over Africa

New perspective: The view from onboard an eagle flying over Lake Bogoria in Kenya with flamingos on the water

Winging it: The crew filmed across continents to capture the birds perfectly in mid-flight

The documentary crew used light aircraft alongside the birds after the creatures had become familiar with them to give this unique three-dimensional perspective.

Director John Downer told the Today show: 'They are the most amazing creatures....they are far more intelligent than we imagine. They are able to traverse a continent as we would like to see it, from the air.'

He added: 'The birds' world are interconnected across several continents...they give us a view we've never seen before.'

Winged Planet is on the Discovery Channel on Saturday, October 6 at 8pm.

Formation: Barnacle geese flying over Edinburgh in Scotland

Breathtaking birds: Common cranes soar over Chateau Chenonceau in the Loire Valley, France

Unseen world: Barnacle geese fly in formation over Tantallon Castle on the east coast of Scotland


source:dailymail

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Naw, mom, I didn't want a shower! Baby bear is soaked to the skin as its mother shakes herself off after a fishing trip

•Charming scene captured at a lake in the far east of Russia


By Emma Reynolds


..No baby likes a bath or shower, and this bear cub was particularly disgruntled at being soaked with freezing water when its mother shook her fur after a swim.

Returning from an unsuccessful salmon fishing trip at a Russian lake, the disappointed adult bear decided to give her brood an ice-cold shower.

She looks as though she is cheering herself up immensely by vigorously shaking out her fur all over her offspring.

Tumble dry: Mother bear gives her protesting infant a shower by shaking off her fur after a swim

No dinner today: The adult bear had just been on a unsuccessful fishing trip in the lake in far east Russia

The two unimpressed children try their best to roll out of the way of the chilly droplets flying all over them.

Their tiny paws are useless in the battle with their powerful mother, however.

Russian photographer Sergey Ivanov, 51, captured the charming scenes at Kuril Lake, in the far east of Russia, while on a photography holiday.

The amateur wildlife photographer has been interested in producing entrancing images of animals since he was a child.

He had been taking pictures at this beautiful lake for more than a month when he came across this fascinating moment.

Schadenfreude:The older creature almost looks amused as the icy spray hits her cub, who tries in vain to push her off

Bath then bed: The three bears have a lie-down after the watery family altercation

'It looked like she was giving one of her cubs a shower,' said a delighted Mr Ivanov.
'It was a really lovely scene to be able to watch.

'The fact that I had spent such a long time at the lake over the past month became a real advantage for taking the photos.

'It meant that the bears were used to me being there so I could take the photos without them taking much notice of me and changing their behaviour.

'I still had to be attentive and careful not to disturb them though so I made sure I kept my distance.'


source:dailymail

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That’s quite a splash! Daring zookeeper dives into swimming pool followed by 450lb tiger for thrilling show

By Emma Clark


..A brave zookeeper has taken a real leap of faith - into a swimming pool with a fearsome tiger.

Daring Jeff Harwell, 30, dived into the water closely followed by 450lb Bengal tiger Akasha to the astonishment of visitors.

The pair amazed crowds with their ‘romping and splashing’ in the 50ft pool at Out of Africa Wildlife Park at Camp Verde in Arizona, United States.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Jeff Harwell shows no fear as he dives into the swimming pool with eager Akasha preparing to follow him

Crowds hold their breath behind the safety of a wired fence as the zookeeper leaps through the air

The Tiger Splash show is a firm favourite at the wildlife theme park, exhibiting the natural and spontaneous behaviour of tigers as well as unique interaction with humans.

Throughout the thrilling display the zookeeper and his assistants use giant balloons and inflatables to playfully tease the tigers, encouraging them to jump into the water – seemingly unnerved about any potential danger.

Photographer Kathleen Reeder, 55, snapped the Tiger Splash Show from a safe spot behind a wired fence.

The 450lb fully-grown Bengal tiger begins his own leap, keen to follow his keeper

Akasha keeps his gaze on the feet of Mr Harwell who has to blindly trust the tiger as he enters the water

With all four paws off the ground, the giant playful cat can't wait to begin the game

She said: ‘I loved watching the tigers and their interactions with the staff because they have a very special bond.

‘The show features Bengal and Siberian tigers interacting in a predator-prey relationship of romping and splashing.

The weight and strength of the tiger can be seen as he jumps through the air while his playmate is completely submerged

Akasha tightly closes his eyes as he causes a massive splash in the pool to the delight of the spectators

‘It is unique, thrilling, and exciting.

‘The crowds “oooh” and “aaah” as the tigers play with their caretakers and various colourful toys.’

Mr Hawrwell has worked at the zoo - and with 12 year old Akasha - for five years putting on the unique half-hour show seven days a week.

VIDEO: Watch the promo from Out of Africa Wildlife Park...




source:dailymail

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The squaddie and the squirrel: Soft-hearted soldier who nursed dying baby creature back to health by feeding it every four hours

By Daily Mail Reporter A kind-hearted soldier rescued a baby squirrel on the verge of death and then nursed him back to health by feeding him every four hours. Warrant officer Pyotr Pankratau was serving in the Belarussian army when he discovered the tiny baby squirrel under a tree. Despite his military duties, Pankratau took him back to base and managed to squeeze in feeds of milk every four hours around his busy schedule.

Adorable: Warrant officer Pyotr Pankratau was serving in the Belarussian army when he found the baby squirrel under a tree

Best friends: Pyotr Pankratau and his squirrel Minsk are now inseparable after he nursed the sick animal back to health

Yum: Pankratau fed Minsk with baby food and milk every four hours until he got better Incredibly, the baby squirrel made a full recovery and stayed with Pankratau throughout his two years of service in the army. Pankratau named the squirrel Minsk - after the Belarus capital - and he now never leaves his side. Minsk even accompanies Pankratau, now a taxi driver, as he drives passengers around the city. He told Euro Radio: 'He was lying unconscious under the tree. There were worms in his mouth and right eye so I took them out. Two weeks later everything got back to normal.

Backseat driver: Pankratau left the army and now works as a taxi driver - with Minsk by his side

Kicking back: Minsk is well-trained and stays in his designated areas of the car

Popular: While Minsk mainly keeps out of sight of customers, the friendly squirrel is a favourite with children

Furry pals: The squirrel Minsk shares a snack with a feline friend 'I fed him with baby food and milk through a syringe every four hours. 'Then his teeth came out and he started eating himself. 'Half a year later I vaccinated and registered him.' These adorable pictures show Minsk on his rounds with Pankratau who says he is well trained and sticks to certain parts of the taxi so he doesn't disturb the customers. He added: 'I don't show him to everyone. Why disturb him all the time? I show him to kids.'

Hats off: One of Minsk's favourite places to have a nap is in Pankratau's military caps

Sleepyhead: Minsk is also happy to use Pankratau as a pillow if there aren't any hats around

Domesticated: Minsk is now a house squirrel and lives indoors source:dailymail

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