Summary: The Opossum's Pouch Rescue founder Beth Sparks is our guest. She says North America's only marsupial is quite misunderstood. Beth cares for injured and orphaned Opossums, which are different than Possums. Who knew? Well, apparently everybody, as rescues and social media sites centered on the Opossum are popping up everywhere. Besides, who can resist the little guy in this picture? Also, Denver has become the first city in Colorado to ban elective cat declawing. The city has decided to prohibit veterinarians from performing the procedure unless it's medically necessary. That makes Denver the first major U.S. city outside of California to make this move after passing the bill in November. However, the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association opposes the measure saying the decision to declaw a cat or not should be left up to a veterinarian and the pet owner. Also, Shannon Kopp is no stranger to Animal Radio. In 2015, she told us about her eating disorder, Bulimia. She was throwing up 20 times a day. It was killing her. No doctor or therapist could help her. Things didn't change until she met a special dog. Now, she's advocating the use of animals to help others suffering from eating disorders. You have to hear this incredible and inspiring story told by Shannon. Also, divorcing couples in Illinois who can't agree on who keeps the pets will have a judge decide custody, thanks to a new state law. Usually companion animals are treated like property to be divided up between the couple, because in most states pets are still classified as property. But now with the rise of two-income families opting not to have children, the issue of pet custody is gaining more attention. Also, an Arizona state lawmaker has introduced a bill that will fine people up to $250 if they're caught trying to pass their pets off as service animals in public places. As much as this problem irritates many people, some disability advocates worry that if State Senate Bill 1040 becomes law, it may cause more problems and misunderstandings.
