Animal Radio®

The “Chicken Chick” is back with her backyard chicken stories and tips on raising your own chickens. Trained as a lawyer, Kathy Shea-Mormino is taking on courts all across the U.S. to allow chickens in city settings. Also, Pet World Insider Robert Semrow has 5 Things You Must Know About Pet Diabetes. The disease is becoming more prevalent as more pets are becoming obese. This is just another reason to keep your pet fit and eating properly. Also, you may think your pets are living the spoiled life. But did you know they actually could be stressed, causing undue strain on their immune system? Dr. Elizabeth DeLomba is back with details on the silent killer. She'll tell us the signs to look out for - and what to do if your pet is stressed. Also, an elaborate, but bogus pet-shipping website that makes people believe they are dealing with Delta Air Lines has also been linked to a puppy selling scam, offering smaller dogs like Chihuahuas and poodles for sale. Delta filed a lawsuit against the website DeltaPetTransit.com in federal court because it is designed to look like the real Delta site and uses the airline's logos and even pictures of its planes. According to Delta, the fake website operators collect thousands of dollars without ever shipping or delivering any pets. Also, a new survey shows a large percentage of pet owners are going out of their way to do things for their pets, that other less animal friendly people may consider weird. But who cares, right? This new survey revealed that a 33% of us let our pets into the bathroom with us. The poll of 2,000 dog and cat owners also found a third shared a bath or shower with their pet! 3 in 10 sign their animal's name in birthday cards. More than 6 in 10 admit they are closer to their pet than they are to some of their family members. But 9 in 10 owners said they don't care what people think of their relationships with their pets.

Anthrozoologist John Bradshaw says our love for pets is in our DNA. It's likely that if our parents carried the gene, you'll inherently love pets. John explains why humans are genetically encoded to enjoy companion animals. Also, It isn't enough to supply food, shelter and health care for your pet. They need more. Your pet needs enrichment. This could mean anything from food puzzles to exercise. Dr. Marty Becker explains in the next segment of the Fear Free Expert Series. Also, Facebook is all about the data. Facebook combed through its user base collecting information from 160,000 users in the United States who shared photos of cats or dogs (or both). They used object recognition technology to identify photos. They found dog people have more friends and more likely to be in a relationship. 30% of cat people are not in a relationship, compared to 24% of dog people. This is just the tip of the data iceberg. Also, a New Jersey woman who thought her dog was dead believed that her 15-year-old Mini Pinscher named Caesar had been euthanized 5 months earlier at her vet's office.  However, she recently found out that the dog had actually been living with an employee of the vet. Caesar's owner had even picked up his collar, paid the bill and received a letter from the staff with their condolences.  The woman received an anonymous tip from someone who told her that her dog was still alive and in the care of a vet technician that worked at the hospital but that the veterinarian no longer worked there. Also, the busiest time of the year for a veterinarian is between Halloween and Christmas. Well meaning pet parents could be feeding their pets fixings from the dinner table, unknowingly causing pancreatitis. Redbarn's Lindsay Tracy is back with tips and tricks to avoid being a holiday statistic, while sharing the holiday with your your furry-family.

Cat-daddy Jackson Galaxy has a house-full of his own cats (news flash), plus dogs and a turtle. So does he have the same problems as us common folk? You bet he does. Find out how he keeps harmony in his household. Also, the California Governor has signed the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act into law, making California the first to have such a law that is statewide. Dogs, cats, and rabbits will arrive at pet stores in the state already vaccinated and spayed or neutered. The biggest opposition to the law came from The American Kennel Club and the California Retailers Association. Also, Dr. James Capers is here to bless your animals. Grab your pets and bring them around the radio for this special ceremony. This is the next best thing to a visit from St. Francis of Assisi. Also, Redbarn's Lindsay Tracy is back to share tips for celebrating a safe holiday. This time of year can spell doom for your pets. In fact, between Halloween and Christmas, veterinarians see more animals than the rest of the year. Pancreatitis soars around Thanksgiving because the well-meaning guardians feed their furry companions leftovers from the table. Don't let your pet become a holiday statistic. Also, an Italian college professor and dog owner has won the right to sick pay from her employer, after she took time off work to care for it. She only asked for two days leave because the dog needed constant medical supervision before it could be taken into surgery. When her employer refused her request, she appealed, demanding her right to paid leave as a public servant. Italy's Penal Code prohibits the abandonment of pets and that keeping an animal in conditions that may cause it to suffer is a crime in the country. Each is punishable with jail time or a hefty fine. So, the university reconsidered the case and ruled in the woman's favor, granting her the leave, which is traditionally granted only for workers dealing with serious personal or family problems.

Animal Planet host Travis Brorsen ushers a four-month weight loss and behavior modification journey with pet owners and their overweight animals. Is your pet tipping the scale? Don't take it personally. Over 60% of American pets are obese. Also, Licensed Veterinary Tech and Certified Professional Dog Trainer Debbie Martin is here to help us decode our pet's body language She says there are some common signs of distress or anxiety that people miss. Also, a new study out of Colorado shows a four-fold increase in pet cannabis-related medical cases and much of that is simply pets getting into their owners' stash. The active chemical in marijuana called THC (it's what gives users the high) is toxic to pets. Veterinary experts say that cannabis can damage the neurological system in pets and can sometimes be fatal. Also, many of the marijuana desserts and sweets are made using Xylitol and artificial sweeter which is also extremely toxic to dogs. Also, pets seem to go missing all the time, but it's not every day that they are reunited with their families. Jack the cat and his family was incredibly lucky! Ten years ago Jack went missing but because Jack had been micro-chipped as a kitten the Sanctuary where Jack eventually ended up was able to find his family after all that time. And finally, there's a new discovery that's just hit the world of guinea pig lovers. Dutch researchers say the cute furry rodents may carry germs tied to a very serious type of pneumonia. It's caused by the same bacteria the causes pink eye in guinea pigs and three people in the Netherlands have wound up hospitalized for pneumonia after contact with guinea pigs.

Neuroscientist Gregory Berns managed to put several dogs into an MRI machine to scan their brains and try to understand how they think and feel. Do dogs have emotions? Do they have empathy? Do dogs have a sense of humor? You may be surprised at some of these answers. Also, the latest break in the counterfeit investigation came after a California man admitted in federal court that he had been selling unregistered and smuggled animal pesticides online for 15 years. The phony products were sold at pet shops in every state. Authorities say the phony products were labeled with well-known brand names, such as Frontline and Advantix, and entered the legitimate pet pharmaceutical marketplace without any detection whatsoever. The counterfeit medication even ended up in some big name chain stores as well. Also, the website TripsWithPets.com has unveiled its brand new list of dog-friendly breweries across America. It joins their lists of dog-friendly restaurants, beaches and other attractions, along with airline and car rental policies for pets and pet friendly vacation activities. For example, did you know there are whale-watching trips, excursions mining for gems, wine tastings and apple picking activities for you and your pet? Also, what's it like to be the only human staying at one of the most luxurious dog exclusive resorts in the United States? Cathy Alter finagled her way into an 8 million dollar pet hotel for the night. She reveals her experience to us. Also, California is looking to take a stand against puppy mills. If Assembly bill A.B. 485 is passed, the bill would enact a statewide ban on the sale of puppy mill pets in pet stores, allowing only adoptable pets from legitimate shelters and nonprofit rescues groups. Animal advocates say by passing the bill, it will enable California to cut off the supply of inhumanely bred puppies and prevent consumers from unwittingly supporting puppy mills.

The extremely charismatic Dr. Ernie Ward is back on Animal Radio to answer the age-old question about which pet is more intelligent, the Dog or the Cat? You may be surprised by the answer, unless you own a cat… or a cat owns you! Also, your next dog, or your parent's next dog, could very well be a robot. Hasbro has launched a new life-like robotic dog.  It's a companion pet pup to go with their companion pet cat already on the market. Both are designed to bring comfort and companionship to aging adults. The robotic cat, with its really soft fur, gently vibrates when it purrs, while the puppy barks and cocks its head when you speak. But they are far from being the only robot pets on the market. Also, you may have seen the viral video of Strawberry, the chicken that watches TV. She's our guest along with her guardian, Olivia Fox. According to Olivia, TV isn't the only bad habit this chicken has. Apparently Strawberry enjoys some of the sweeter things in life. Also, the MU Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction is introducing a new research program titled, “The Feline Friends Project.” The project will pair children with autism with a cat and monitor the impact the cat has on the child's anxiety level and social skills. The research center has published several studies that outline the benefits that children with autism receive from having pets in the home, citing increased social skills as a primary benefit.

He was the Emmy Award winning host of CBS's Lucky Dog. Brandon McMillan is back to teach us the basics: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Off, Heel and No. He'll also clear up the confusion between the techniques taught by Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell. Also,young girls may be discarding their princess wands for superhero capes this Halloween, but not so in the canine world. The glass ceiling appears to be firmly in place at PetSmart, where career costumes labeled “male” include firefighter and police officer, while female dogs can choose between a pink cowgirl costume or ballerina. At Party City, Super-girl and Wonder Woman dog costumes were priced 30% higher than Superman costumes. Also, Madonna Sheehy from HalloweenCostumes.com has the list of top pet costumes for your furry-companion. She even has matching human/pet costumes. Will you be a part of the 16% that dresses our pets up for Halloween? Madonna will also give away two costumes of your choice. Also, cat Psychologist Pam Johnson-Bennett is back with tips on training the feline persuasion. She'll also explain why cats gravitate toward cat-haters and those that are allergic to them. Pam will also enlighten us to why cats must sit on your homework or computer keypad. Also, turkeys, pigs and even roosters have flown the friendly skies, carried onto commercial planes by passengers who identified their furry and feathered friends as emotional support animals. But a committee of airline representatives and disabled rights advocates continues meetings in Washington, D.C. to come up with new rules on what type of animals should be permitted on planes and what documents should be required to prove the animals are legitimately needed.

Dog Cognitionist Alexandra Horowitz is back. This time she wants us to know just how well a dog can smell. Did you know they could smell earthquakes? She wants to teach us how to sniff things out just like a dog. Also, if you feel like your pet's vet bills are through the roof, you're not alone! It seems the animal health care system suffers from many of the same problems as human medical care, according to a new report from researchers at Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They found that some features of the systems are shockingly similar, in that both have seen a huge increase of dollars spent on end-of-life care. Also, Actress Olivia Barash is our guest. She's here to talk about her new YouTube series called Barkville TV. Olivia will even show off her talents as a voiceover artist as well as describe the series she's producing and directing. Also, if you kick your dog off the bed every night, you might want to stock up on apology treats. A study of 150 people conducted by the prestigious Mayo Clinic on Sleep has found that, contrary to popular belief, sleeping with your pet doesn't actually disrupt your sleep as much as you might think. Also, pet owners in New York can now take their trusted furry companions with them to the grave since the governor has signed legislation making it legal for the cremated remains of pets to be interred with their owners at any of the approximately 1,900 not-for-profit cemeteries in New York that are regulated by the state. Among the most famous Big Apple pet owners who wanted to be buried with their pets was Leona Helmsley, the hotel magnate dubbed “The Queen of Mean” who died in 2007 and had in her will that she wanted her pampered pooch “Trouble” interred with her.

Brandon Zavala was enjoying a glass of cat-themed wine when he came up with the idea to create a wine for cats. Now he produces a MosCATo and a Pinot Meow made from beet juice and infused with catnip. He did this so you could enjoy a glass of Vino with your Gato. Your welcome. Also, Robert Semrow, our Pet World Insider actually found ‘5 October Holidays for Your Pet.' Man, this kid can be creative when it comes to Listomania. Maybe some of these holidays were made up by Hallmark, or maybe your local humane organization. But, who's going to complain about more time to celebrate with our pups? Also, the Animal Radio “Dogfather,” Joey Villani has tips on dealing with dogs (or cats) that have been sprayed by a skunk. He says the biggest myth is that tomato juice fixes that problem. We suspect the tomato juice industry is behind this fallacy. Imagine cleaning up a house wrecked by tomato juice and the skunk smell doesn't seem so bad. Joey also says “stay away from water, as that could make the problem worse.” Dawn Dish Detergent seems to be the solution, again! Also, no doubt the U.S. is dealing with a bad flea season. Humidity in the east and a resistance to chemical products are mostly to blame. What are your natural remedies? How are you ridding your house and pets from this nasty parasite? We have some strange and unusual methods for removing fleas and stopping the scratching. And we're betting you have some of the household items that we suggest. Would you believe that a TV set is an effective way to get rid of fleas? And it does't matter what program you're watching, although we do recommend an annoying infomercial if you want the fleas to suffer. Also, Steve Greig's Instagram account blew up after he started posting pictures of his extended family. He lives with 10 dogs, 2 ducks, 2 chickens, a rabbit, pigeons, cats, Koi fish and a pig. All were rescued. About a half-million people subscribe to his Instagram feed.

Going to the Vet can be a traumatic experience for your pets. Following Animal Radio Veterinary Correspondent, Dr. Marty Becker's instructions can make the Vet actually a fun place to go. We call it Fear Free visits. Also, it all began when a man left his laptop and his dog locked in his pick-up truck while he went into a local pub. It was super hot that day, but luckily for the dog, a pack of thieves were casing the street for easy to grab loot and spotted the laptop sitting on the truck's passenger seat. They smashed the window, grabbed the laptop and ran off. Also, the Internet of Things may be touted as the next big thing in technology, but those Internet connected solutions designed to make your life easier can cause huge problems as many pet owners recently found out. PetNet, an Internet-connected feeding service, experienced a server outage last week that left many pets hungry for hours and many pet owners very upset! And finally, Steven Rowley tells us about his close relationship with Lily and how a tumor on her head eventually took her life. He's was offered one million dollars to write a cathartic book about the experience on spec. Not bad for his first major published novel.

Sally Forth writer and author of I Could Pee On This Too, Francesco Marciuliano is back for more abuse. He's transcribed more poems and verse from cats. Is he a single man with a lot of cats? We'll see. Also, a four-eared cat named Batman found a new home this month within hours of being put up for adoption at a Pittsburgh animal shelter. This unique cat's extra ears are the product of a recessive gene mutation, which is needed by both parents in order to reproduce extra ears. Also, two years ago George, the dog, lost his best friend, a Labrador named Blackie. George's owner, Jacquie, said that George was overcome with grief. But then a few weeks ago a duck showed up and everything changed. The duck and dog formed an instant bond and are now inseparable, going on walks together, sleeping next to each other in the kennel and spending quiet time together when George needs a rest. Also, Richard Phibbs is known as a celebrity photographer to Merryl Streep, J-Lo and many more. But he's decided it's more gratifying to take picture of adoptable animals, in turn helping them find homes. He says they're also easier to work with than the celebrities or their publicists. And finally, Google has patented a new car coat that allows pets and people to stick to it. Officials say the most injuries from being hit by a car are when the person or pet hits the ground. This coating ensures that the victim will stick to the car when they're hit, keeping them from falling to the ground. This is for real folks… Google it.

Dr. Nicholas Dodman is back. He is the world's foremost expert on animal psychiatry. He'll tell us about a horse with Tourette's and dogs with Attention Deficit Disorder. He says our pets suffer from the same psychiatric maladies as humans and are often treated with the same medications. Also, Comedian Christine O'Leary not only teaches comedians how to be funny, she uses her powers for the greater good. Her shows raise money to rescue dogs from Aruba. She'll tell us why comedy is like watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Also, Americans' attachment to their pets has fostered a $60 billion industry that is producing best-in-show stock performance. Shares of several companies that sell pet food, develop diagnostic medical tests for animals and offer veterinary care, have far outrun the many other types of stocks this year, with an average total return of nearly 35% versus around 8.3% for the S & P 500. And finally, Virgin Australia Airlines is positioning itself as the “Pet Friendly” airline and you won't believe what they're doing to back up that claim. They have offered to fly rescue dogs across the country to new owners for free! Not bad in a day and age when most airlines ‘nickel and dime' you for everything.

You may be surprised to learn how much your pet will cost over a lifetime. In fact, 82% guess wrong. And you'll definitely be surprised to find out what the most expensive pet is. Also, Marc Ching of ThePetRestaurant.com believes the only real healthy way to feed your pets is to cook human-grade foods for them. He'll tell us some of the ingredients that we should and shouldn't use. Listen up if your pet needs to lose a few pounds. Also, Remember America's favorite dolphin? Ric O'Barry was her trainer. When one of the 5 Flippers died in his arms, he decided that what he was doing was wrong. Now he heads a crusade to release and rehabilitate dolphins in captivity. He'll explain why he's changed his stance 180 degrees and turned down millions to do what's right for the animals. Also, how far would pet owners go to protect their dogs and cats? Would they rescue them first in a house fire?  Would they go hungry so their furry friend could eat? 63 percent would choose their pet over their significant other and more than half would rather resort to cannibalism before eating their own pet. Lori Brooks reports on this strange but profound study. Also, there's a new list out of the most AND least pet friendly cities in the U.S. thanks to Wallet Hub. The top most pet friendly city is Orlando. Now, on the flip side, the city at the bottom of the list is…well, you'll just have to listen.

24-year-old Frenchman Guirec Soudee is sailing around the world with a strange companion, his chicken. He'll check in with us from Greenland and explain why he chose this first mate. Also, Science author Kathleen McAuliffe explains the link between Toxoplasma, a parasite cats can transmit, and it's potentially profound effects on humans, including schizophrenia and even suicide. Even dogs can be responsible for transmitting fatal parasites. This is not fiction. Every pet owner should be aware. Also, Lori Brooks reports on a strange story about a senior that ended up in ICU after her Greyhound licked her. This cautionary tale may have you thinking twice about letting your dog lick you all over. Also, a new study researched all the animals that would make good pets. Believe it or not, cats and dogs are NOT even in the top 25. You may be surprised to learn what the best pet is according to this study. But you won't be able to get one in the United States. Also, Dr. Debbie White takes on canine car sickness. Whether your pup is scared and anxious of traveling in the car, or they actually get motion sickness, the good doctor has practical solutions for conquering the common problems.

The founder of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, Wilma Melville shares stories of growing her nationally recognized organization by rescuing the dogs that would go on to rescue humans. Also, many couples these days are using prenuptial agreements to decide who gets the pets in the case of a future divorce. Legal experts say the number of couples deciding who keeps pets ahead of time is growing. And, there are even free online versions of pet prenups for couples to easily sort out their plans for the future. If you've missed your chance to draw up a prenup for your pooch and worry your partner could take it away someday, there are methods to improve your chances in a canine custody dispute. Whoever takes care of the pet, took them to the vet and paid for the pet's supplies and vet bills will stand a better chance of gaining custody, especially if you can prove it in court. Also, one Connecticut family is heartbroken over their beloved dog Simon (a mixed breed) who is currently on death row & local town wants to euthanize him. Dr. David Young (Simon's Dad) tells Animal Radio that a teenage neighbor deliberately cut the fence separating their yards and illegally trespassed on Young's yard where Simon was playing. The teenager was brandishing a lacrosse stick in a threatening manner. Simon feeling threatened bit the teenager on the leg. Simon has been in City Custody over a year awaiting a court decision. Also, more than half of dog moms and dads put their pet's health above their own according to a new study. 55% of the pet parents who were interviewed said a healthy diet for their dog is of the highest importance to them. But sadly, the experts found we don't always consider the health benefits of our own food. Just a third of us consider the nutritional benefits of the food we're adding to our shopping baskets for our own consumption. And, although we shop for our pets with their health in mind, we could be doing more harm than good at home. Over a third of the dog parents admitted to feeding their fur kid chocolate and cheese, which in some cases can be extremely toxic. Only 68% claimed to know ‘some' of the food items that are dangerous for dogs to consume. See our list of toxic foods.