Results tagged “animals”

       

On Saturday, Los Angeles-based pet products company Dogswell was one of the sponsors behind the Homeward Hound Hike, a benefit event held in Griffith Park to raise money for Friends of Animals. The organization is a no-kill dog and cat shelter that has been around since 1983. They are a volunteer-only group who rely on private donations for support, and who focus on helping as many animals as they possibly can. At the event were dog enthusiasts and hikers, as well as their furry four-legged friends, including several available for adoption. Although you may have missed out on the hike, you can still help Friends of the Animals; make a donation online via Dogswell or contact Friends of the Animals.

Pet hotels, pet groomers, pet spas, and pet boutiques cater to the needs of dogs and cats--or rather their owners' needs--for the finer things in life. The OC Register profiles Carrie Hyde, the owner of The Spaw, which is a a dog daycare and grooming business in Tustin, as she preps to open up her latest pet-venture, which is described as a "Whole Foods for dogs and cats."

Evacuation enters have already been established as the fast-moving Guiberson Fire burns through brush in eastern Ventura County between Moorpark and Fillmore. "Affected person can go to the Goebal Senior Center at 1385 Janss Road in Thousand Oaks for shelter," according to a Ventura County Sheriff's Department advisory.

There are indeed coyotes in Griffith Park, and lately they've been letting their presence be known. Last week a man who was sleeping near the Travel Town area of the park" reported being attacked by a coyote," according to the LA Times. The man said he woke up "to find a coyote biting his foot," however "he was not seriously injured."

Imagine this if you will. A fire in a forest finds itself near a rodent, whose fur lights on fire. Still alive, the little guy flees to another part of the unburned forest only to light dry brush, thus spreading the fire. That's what firefighters are dealing with in the Oak Glen III Fire out in San Bernardino County, according to a brief in the Press-Enterprise. Rodents are trying to flee the fire and cross Oak Glen Road only for firefighters to pick them up and throw them back into the burning forest. The 43-world brief has definitely caught readers' attention in the comments section: some are angered (and for different reasons) and disturbed by the news and some think it's funny as hell.

This afternoon there are several new areas in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the Station Fire. While authorities cannot force people to leave their homes in these areas, heeding orders is seriously urged; this afternoon 5 people who opted not to leave Gold Canyon under orders two days ago are now in a situation too dangerous to allow a helicopter rescue.

The Station Fire continues to hold the San Gabriel Mountains under siege as the northeastern flank of the 35,000+ acre blaze rages in the Acton area, continues to burn out of control with dangerous hotspots near homes in neighborhoods of La Crescenta, and could pose a threat to Mount Wilson (where 22 broacast stations have communication towers). The fire remains at around the 5% containment level. Here are some updates and information at this hour:

Next weekend the Los Angeles Zoo is hosting a reception as part of the centennial celebration of Selig Studios, Hollywood’s first film studio, and its founder, movie pioneer “Colonel” William Selig. Presented by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) in conjunction with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the evening will include a screening (accompanied by period music) of two jungle-themed 1913 silent films, "The Adventures of Kathlyn" and "Thor - Lord of the Jungle," produced by Selig, whose passion for making these movies led to his collection of a vast animal menagerie which he later opened to the public as the Selig Zoo.

       

He may have been the King of Pop, and his public memorial service at Staples Center an unprecedented spectacle featuring live tributes from Motown stars, pro athletes, and celebs, but a set of parading pachyderms aren't on the guest list.

The circus is coming to Orange County soon, but not before a show of a whole other kind hits town, which is due to take place midday tomorrow in the heart of Anaheim. The show is actually a protest organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who will express their displeasure about what they believe is the unethical treatment of circus animals by "having one of its members, 32-year-old Melissa Sehgal, pushed through downtown Anaheim in a cage, nearly nude except for tiger-stripe body paint," according to the OC Register.

The Nobu chain of sushi eateries is global in its reach, and undeniable in its popularity, particularly among trendy Hollywood-types. But what's also trendy is eating what isn't on the verge of extinction, which is what is prompting some celebs to put the screws to Nobu to stop slicing up bluefin tuna.

On April 5th, this little guy was born at the LA Zoo. So congrats to his parents, Neema and Artimus. "Able to stand shortly after birth, calves can grow four feet during their first year. When full grown, giraffes can reach a height of 18 feet, making them tallest land mammal," says the Zoo. "Native to Kenya and Tanzania, giraffes can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour. Their kicks are so powerful that they’re capable of decapitating a lion (ouch!). Giraffes communicate with one another through posturing, movement, the way they carry their tails, retreat and sometimes vocalization, which can include moos, bellows and whistles."

              

Last Saturday at the annual Blessing of the Animals hundreds of pet and animal owners journeyed to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles where Cardinal Roger M. Mahony presided over the ceremony steeped in tradition.

Richard Alarcon and others on the Los Angeles City Council are fed up with Ed Boks, the General Manager of the Animal Services Department. This month's drop of coupons for city mandated spaying and neutering apparently was the last straw. "[The city] faces a continuing crisis in the management of the Department of Animal Services," began Alarcon in a motion he introduced today. "These problems range across a gamut of issues: facilities, management and operations, and priority setting and follow up. These problems have caused a severe problem for the City in implementing its laws, policies and procedures."

November's Prop 2 passed, essentially according rights to chickens--a fact pecked upon by 'No on 8' supporters in protest signs and chants in the election aftermath. Well, give a chicken an inch, and the whole animal kingdom is poised to take their mile, thanks to state lawmakers and the be-feathered or be-furred bills that are heading to Sacramento for approval.

The LA Zoo is now home to two groups, or mobs, of Meerkats, who are native to southern Africa. Two reside in the cute-as-ever Winnick Family Children’s Zoo and four just arrived from the North Carolina Zoo making their home at the meerkat habitat.

     

Last week, we introduced you to a group new baby animals at the LA Zoo. There actually was one more, but no photo was available... until now. In the zoo's own words, meet the newborn black duiker (along with photos shown last week):

As Los Angeles began to reach out in all directions from its tenuous core in the early part of the 20th Century, the city became a place for families and for visitors, and finding ways to make money off keeping them entertained was a frequent pursuit of many visionaries and entrepreneurs. Although a massive theme park like Disneyland didn't come on the scene until the 1950s, in the 1940s animals were the stars at many local attractions.

An e-mail to LAist and Curbed LA yesterday showed us a photo of decapitated chickens found along the Santa Monica Blvd in Silver Lake. "We dont know where they came from or how they got there, but they were in plastic bags, decomposing," the do gooder from the LA Neighborhood Cleanup Project wrote. "We are currently searching for an explanation. Any ideas? Is there an underground cock fighting arena in the neighborhood?"

          

On Saturday morning, a group of animal activists took to the LA Zoo to let patrons know what the city is planning to do with their upcoming elephant exhibit and what the past has held for the elephants. The controversy over Billy, the sole elephant in the zoo, recently came back when City Councilmember Tony Cardenas--at the urging of activists--changed his position on an already under construction $42 million 6-acre pachyderm exhibit.

After coming back from near extinction, wildlife rescuers are concerned by the recent problems facing the California brown pelican. For unknown reasons, the pelicans are disoriented and bruised, and landing on highways, airport runways, alleys, and backwards miles from the normal coastal homes, according to the LA Times.

Hey President Bush, you're not off the hook yet. Jerry Brown is back suing President Bush over green issues, this time over new rules pertaining to the Endangered Species Act. "The Bush Administration is seeking to gut the Endangered Species Act on its way out the door," Attorney General Brown said in a statement today. "This is an audacious attempt to circumvent a time-tested statute that for 35 years has required scientific review of proposed federal agency decisions that affect wildlife."

Valley-ites (and anyone else whose toes are tingling with the chill), get ready to crank up the thermostat, bundle up in the blankets, and pour yourselves a hot toddy. According to the Pasadena Star-News, the "National Weather Service has issued a frost advisory for Los Angeles valleys." That means in the wee hours you'd best "take measures to protect plants and pets from freezing temperatures."

Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts will still have to stay clear of a 1,000 acre area in the Angeles National Forest for another year, but for a good reason. The relatively small closure in the 655,000 acre forest is to protect a critical habitat for the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog.

Vice President-Elect Joe Biden has a new puppy.

$150 million in voter approved money toward animal shelters was the subject of the latest audit by City Controller Laura Chick today. Her letter to the Mayor and City Council wasn't as scathing as other audits (think about LAPD's rape-kit backlog audit), but she did reveal some problems:

Yesterday, the LA City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee voted 3 to 2, recommending construction to halt on the LA Zoo's $42-million elephant exhibit. Originally given the go-ahead in 2006, Councilmember Tony Cardenas recently brought the issue back up saying that Billy, the lone zoo elephant, has pathological problems and that a city-owned elephant sanctuary would better suit him and any future elephants. The issue became heated with some of the largest crowds showing up to City Council meetings in recent memory. Yesterday's vote does not mean construction will stop, but is a heavy recommendation for when the full council votes on it. Those who support the exhibit going forward say USDA guidelines for sanctuaries are much less strict than those for zoos. The City's financial wing says stopping the exhibit after spending nearly $10 million also isn't such a good idea.

The LAPD's Animal Cruelty Task Force--a group formed three years ago--announced today a successful break up of a profitable dog fighting ring in South LA. Since February 2007, detectives have looked into the location on the 600 block of West 85th Street where they say they found "mistreated dogs living in horrendous conditions at the residence" along with "equipment used in the training, breeding and exercising of the animals." 17 dogs in all were rescued and two men have already been arrested, tried and convicted.

One thing that stuck out from Obama's Election-night speech Tuesday was his promise to his two young daughters that they could get the puppy they've wanted for so long when they moved to the White House. Yesterday, Obama gave his first post-Election press conference, and was asked what kind of dog the Obama family had in mind. He explained that they were hoping to get a dog from a shelter, but that one of his daughter's allergy to dander meant they'd need to get a dog who was hypo-allergenic.