Talkin’ Pets with Jon Patch
Saturday September 11, 2004
It is day 255 of the year 2004, and there are 111 days left...
Host: Jon Patch
Reporter: Amanda Page
Producer: Bob Page
Celeb's B-Days:
1928 Earl Holliman La, actor (Police Woman)
1962 Kristy McNichol LA Calif, actress (Empty Nest)
Today
in History:
1609 Henry Hudson discovers Manhattan island
1918 Boston Red Sox beat Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 2 in 15th World Series
2001 The worst terrorist attack on American soil - 2819+ die as a result of
hijacked airplane attacks
Headlines:
1.
Reno man faces fine
after buying dolphins...
2.
Been
waiting for Colorado tarantula mating season...
3.
"When Bionic Groundhogs Attack" !!!
4.
You don't
enjoy smoking or being spit on... avoid the monkey cage...
5.
"Death Row Dogs" adopted...
6.
Going to college and cant bring your pet...
7.
Puppy Turned Gunslinger Shoots Killer...
8.
Harry
Potter film could be next for this special dog
Fun
& Games:
1.
Trivia A:
Tarantula
A Reno physician is facing up to a $70,000 federal fine on charges he violated a
trade embargo against Cuba by buying wild dolphins from the communist nation.
Dr. Graham Simpson admitted the purchase to the government and is paying a
settlement. Currently he is negotiating a fine of up to $70,000" but declined to
comment further. The 53 year old Simpson, has been under federal investigation
since October for buying six Cuban dolphins for water parks he owned in the
Caribbean islands of Anguilla and Antigua.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control refused to comment on
the case, citing privacy concerns. It enforces the embargo, which carries fines
of up to $55,000 per civil violation.
Animal rights activists have been pressuring the federal government to prosecute
Simpson since 2001.
Entomologists say spiders are so prevalent that you're never more than three
feet away from one, anywhere you go.
That realization may cause some people to be even more jittery.
Tarantulas have been spotted in several Colorado neighborhoods as mating season
for the venomous spiders begins.
While tarantulas usually prefer more wide-open, arid conditions farther south of
Colorado Springs where they can easily spot prey, the warm, dry weather in
recent years may be pushing them farther north when they look for mates.
Tarantula venom is not poisonous to humans and the spiders are slow to bite.
They are actually one of those beneficial spiders that only eats live insects.
Mating season continues through November.
A 240-pound military veteran stands ready to dispute the notion of the cute,
cuddly image of the groundhog in the movie "Caddyshack." James Nelson fought off
a rampaging groundhog in his back yard, but the critter kept coming back for
more after being kicked and hit with a shovel. It finally scurried away after a
police officer showed up with a gun.
"The thing was bionic," said Nelson, who was twice knocked to the ground.
The episode unfolded when the furry animal the size of a large cat showed up
behind Nelson's home and proceeded to attack his two poodles as his 10-year-old
daughter and her friend shrieked from the swimming pool.
Nelson came to the rescue and shooed the groundhog away but that was not the end
of the story. The angry critter came back, and this time it attacked Nelson,
hissing and baring his teeth. Nelson gave the animal a kick and it ran away.
But, again, the story didn't end there.
The groundhog came back and Nelson whacked it on the head with a shovel. It was
like a bull and matador thing. When police officer Trent Murphy arrived, the
groundhog was hiding under Nelson's garage. It was there that the groundhog
launched its final attack, going after both men.
"Shoot it! Shoot it!" Nelson said. Murphy pulled his gun and fired. It was
unknown whether the single bullet found its mark, but the animal disappeared
into the woods.
Afterward, Nelson marveled at the tenacity of the animal, saying it was as
aggressive as aggressive can be. Kind of like a Stephen King version of 'Caddyshack.'"
Feili, a 13-year-old chimpanzee, has turned to smoking, begging cigarettes from
visitors and spitting on them when they do not comply.
Her fierce behaviour is in reaction to being paired with a male, 28 years her
senior, who seems to lack either the interest or the capability to satisfy her
sexual demands.
Feili's behaviour may seem outrageous, but it is no more so than that of the
people outside the cage, as she took up her new habits only after observing
visitors to the zoo.
The Green River Correctional
Complex is the first Kentucky prison to take normally unadoptable dogs from the
humane society, and put them with two inmates and undergo daily training
sessions.
This week the inmates had to say goodbye to their friends and the new families
got to take home their new pets.
All eight animals in the death row dogs program were adopted thanks to their
inmate handlers.
Most of the dogs are being taken in by corrections workers. Most say the
atmosphere at the prison has changed since the program started. Inmates are more
friendly toward each other. And they haven't had as many fights.
You can see the changes in the inmates themselves, being responsible for
somebody else has given them a purpose.
The program has been so successful that they've added more inmates handlers and
they'll be getting a new batch of animals soon to start another round of
training.
Since coming to Stephens College in COLUMBIA, Mo... Abbey Road is making friends
with her energetic personality, intense eyes and uninhibited kisses - especially
when the little dog is thrown a slobber-slick tennis ball.
The Jack Russell terrier moved in last week with owner Alexandra Geisler at the
college's Prunty Hall, where the first floor debuted as a pet-friendly zone for
dogs, cats and rabbits.
While Stephens is not the first to allow pets, most colleges and universities
only permit fish or small reptiles, with legally required exceptions for service
animals. Reasons for excluding the pets include noise, smell, allergies and
concerns about bites and scratches. And there's a potential for neglect when the
appeal of a cute pet is overtaken by the hectic pace of student life.
Animal shelters in college towns frequently take in more abandoned pets when
school is out. At Stanford University, a rescue society unaffiliated with the
school has been established for stray cats around campus, many of them
abandoned.
The Delta Society, a nonprofit group that promotes welcoming pets to workplaces,
says ample research backs up the notion that pets have a soothing presence.
Studies have shown visits by gentle dogs and cats to nursing homes reduce
loneliness and can even lower blood pressure.
A man who was trying to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the
dogs made the .38-caliber revolver discharge.
37 year old Jerry Allen Bradford, of Pensacola Florida, was charged with felony
animal cruelty.
Bradford was being treated at an undisclosed hospital for the gunshot wound to
his wrist.
Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old puppies in the head because he
couldn't find another home for the shepherd-mix dogs.
Police say Bradford was holding two puppies, one in his arms and another in his
left hand, when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger,
making the gun discharge shooting him in the wrist.
The revolver and a rifle were seized from the home.
The Police found three of the puppies in a shallow grave outside Bradford's
home. The other four appeared to be in good health and were taken by the local
Animal Control, which planned to make them available for adoption.
A word to the wise... Don't shoot puppies... You have so many options, and now
they shoot back!! Puppy Power!!!
A two-legged dog that has learned to walk like a human could be considered for a
role in a film. The family has been contacted about the possibility of doing a
few scenes in the fourth Harry Potter movie; , The Goblet Of Fire. Faith's
owners in Oklahoma City believe the part could involve her appearing as the
result of a spell.
But the Stringfellow family said trainers working on the film had not yet
confirmed a part for Faith, who was born with the disability. Still the
three-foot tall dog has her own showbiz lawyer.
Faith has been featured on TV talk Shows and has attracted widespread interest
from newspapers all over the world.
The 19-month-old labrador-chow cross was adopted by the Stringfellows as a
three-week old puppy in danger of being rejected by her mother and put down. She
was suffering from a birth defect that meant her front legs were not fully
formed. Over six months the family taught her to stand, hop and eventually walk
and run on her two back legs.
Part of her therapy included being put on a skateboard to experience movement.
When her partial front legs began to weaken and die she had an operation to have
them removed. A another Dog Star is born.
Q:
In an earlier Talkin
Pets news brief you heard how Colorado is seeing more of these guys now that is
mating season, but did you know... Their legs are often hairy, and they have two
big fangs. Some are dull brown, while others can be brightly colored. The sizes
range too as small as a fingernail, too as big as a dinner plate. They can live
in rainforests and desserts.. Their prey is insects, and even rodents and small
birds. They hunt by stalking, slowly creeping up. Then they quickly leap onto
their prey and stick their hollow, furry fangs into the prey. Venom is pumped in
and liquefies the prey's insides. These guys will go bald on their thorax when
they get old! and they have re-tractable claws, just like cats! Can you name
this creature?
A:
Tarantula
DU QUOIN, Illinois -
Things got hairy for parody singer "Weird Al" Yankovic as a flock of unwanted
fans rushed onstage during his performance at a state fair in southern Illinois.
Green moths swarmed Yankovic, some nesting in his trademark long curly locks.
Palmer, Alaska - Alaska's unusually warm summer produced some large warm-weather
crops. A pumpkin entered at the Alaska State Fair by J.D. Megchelsen of Nikiski
tipped the scales at 707 pounds. The previous state record of 504.5 pounds was
set earlier in the day by another of Megchelsen's pumpkins.
ISTANBUL, Turkey - Ilker Yilmaz might just hold one of the world's most bizarre
world records. The Turkish construction worker on Wednesday poured milk into his
hand, loudly snorted it up his nose and squirted it 9.2 feet out of his left eye
in what he hopes will be recognized as a new world record.
Fairbanks, Alaska - The state will expand its aerial wolf control program this
winter in areas where the number of moose is declining. The state aims to kill
more than 500 wolves in four regions where declining moose populations are
blamed on wolves, according to state wildlife biologists.
Yuma, Arizona - Yuma County health officials are warning the droves of expected
dove hunters to ward against the West Nile virus. Dove season begins Wednesday.
Brochures were placed around the city to warn hunters to use repellent to guard
against mosquitoes carrying the disease.
Sequoia National Park, Calf - Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park may be fined
$75,000 for defying air-quality authorities by setting a controlled fire. The
San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District said officials willfully disobeyed a
June 30 ban on burning. Park authorities disagreed with the air board's
findings.
Palisade, Colorado - Organic fruit growers are worried that insecticide from a
Mesa County West Nile spraying program could drift to their crops and cost them
their certification and the higher prices organic fruit brings. County officials
say the spraying is designed to kill mosquitoes that could transmit West Nile.
State regulators say they won't revoke certifications if the county's
insecticide drifts onto the orchards.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida - Newspaper reporter Debbie Salamone is recovering
from an apparent shark bite she sustained while splashing in the surf. She was
walking to shore in waist-deep water when a shark clamped down on her right
heel. Her husband, Craig Wickham, said Salamone had severe cuts on the sole of
her right foot and the Achilles tendon area. He said she will need surgery. ...
Daytona Beach, Fla - Shirley Reynolds and Stephen Belida filed a federal lawsuit
against Flagler County, claiming that beach driving is harming sea turtles and
violates the Endangered Species Act. Turtle advocates say nighttime and dune
driving can cause harm to the reptiles because they lay their eggs in the dunes
at night.
Albany, Georgia - Georgia is the USA's leading peanut-producing state. But among
4,800 peanut growers, there appears to be only one farm in the fast-growing
organic nut market. Organic supporters are hopeful that the development of
several disease-resistant nut varieties will lead to more interest in growing
chemical-free nuts in the state.
Honolulu, Hawaii - Marine wildlife officials are still investigating whether
Navy sonar prompted about 200 melon-headed whales to make a rare venture within
100 yards of Kauai in July. Navy officials first said that sonar wasn't being
used before the whales' odd behavior. They now say a review showed two Japanese
ships were testing the equipment about an hour before the whales entered Hanalei
Bay.
Lewiston, Idaho - A record fine has been imposed on a Texas man for violating
Idaho trout-fishing regulations. Glen Cothrum, 63, of Midland agreed to pay
$4,350 for exceeding the rainbow trout limit at north-central Idaho's Moose
Creek Reservoir. Cothrum caught 58 more trout than the legal limit of six.
Cothrum told conservation agents there aren't any trout in Texas.
Idaho Falls, Idaho - American farmers could have a major role in reducing the
carbon dioxide gas that creates the greenhouse effect, Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory researchers say. They say that by
reducing plowing and leaving more organic material and carbon trapped in the
soil, they could offset the amount of carbon dioxide produced by 25 million
cars.
Easton, Illinois - Illini Central Middle School is dealing with venomous brown
recluse spiders that have invaded the building. Workers are ripping out carpet,
eliminating clutter, sealing cracks in walls and setting traps. School officials
say the spiders aren't a danger because they tend to shy away from noise and
light.
Fort Polk, La - About 40 soldiers and sheriff's deputies searched Fort Polk for
a Bengal tiger cub that was seen roaming woods on the Army base. Where the
animal came from isn't known, but it's likely a pet that escaped or was set
free, said Leslie Whitt, director of the Alexandria Zoo.
Wells, Maine - Police told beachgoers to be on the lookout after two basking
sharks were spotted near a Wells beach. Officials closed the beach for about 30
minutes after the sharks were seen about 25 feet from shore. Basking sharks
usually swim in deeper, open water. They can be more than 30 feet long.
St. Louis, Mo - Veterinarians and physicians are watching for rabies in St.
Louis County. Tests showed the disease in 11 bats in the county this year, state
health officials said. Most bats don't carry the rabies virus, but nearly 6% of
bats submitted from St. Louis County tested positive this year. That's double
the average for the past five years.
Bozeman, Montana - Troy Hyde, an animal trainer, is accused of illegally buying
a tiger and two grizzly bears and selling them and a lion. He's one of nine
people indicted, including Kenneth and Nancy Kraft, who run a rare animal
brokerage and zoo in Minnesota, authorities said. The indictment grew out of an
investigation that began after a Siberian tiger attacked a 7-year-old girl in
July 2001 at the Krafts' animal park.
Lincoln, nebraska - Biologists fear bighead carp could be moving toward Nebraska
from the West. The non-native fish may be in the South Platte River, which flows
into Nebraska. Bigheads compete for food with some native fish species. They can
grow to more than four feet and weigh up to 100 pounds.
Reno, Nevada Fair volunteers ladled refried beans and slathered on sour cream
and salsa in an attempt to get a giant burrito into the Guinness Book of World
Records. The burrito measured 8,076 feet in length and used more than 8,200
flour tortillas, 2,000 pounds of refried beans and 1,000 pounds each of sour
cream, cheese and salsa.
Camden, NJ - The New Jersey State Aquarium is being closed for nine months to
complete a $33 million expansion project. The aquarium will re-open in the
spring with a for-profit company in charge and double the amount of exhibit
space. It opened in 1992 and was built to lure visitors to the city's
waterfront. More than 600,000 people visited the aquarium last year.
Vernon, NJ - Wildlife officials are considering another December bear hunt after
an unusually large number of human encounters with bears in northern New Jersey
last month. People in four counties reported more than 30 home invasions and
attacks on pets and livestock. More than 300 bears were killed in December
during the state's first bear hunt in 33 years, officials said.
Claremont, Ok - Sulfuric acid spilled from a tank at Valmont's Oklahoma
Galvanizing plant, and nine people exposed to the chemical were taken to a
hospital as a precaution, officials said. They weren't critically injured,
hospital officials said. The plant manager said the spill was contained at the
plant and there was no risk to the environment or people nearby.