Q:  What is the human risk of exposure to the Zika virus in the U.S.? A:  Zika virus is transmitted primarily through Aedes aegypti mosquitos (which also spread other diseases, such as dengue fever and chikungunya), though other mosquito species have been identified as carriers. Besides mosquito bites, Zika can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, laboratory exposure, or sexual intercourse, and from mother to child during pregnancy. As Zika can cause microcephaly (an underdeveloped brain) and other brain defects in fetuses, pregnant women are advised to avoid travel to areas where the Zika virus is found.

As of September 7, 2016, there had been 2,964 human cases of Zika reported in the United States, with 2,920 of those being travel-associated cases and 43 of them being transmitted locally, as reported to ArboNET, a system managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There have been no reports of animals infected with Zika. At this time, Zika is not considered widespread in North America.

Q: Is there a vaccine for Zika?
A: There is no vaccine or treatment currently available for the Zika virus, although there is ongoing research to develop an effective vaccine.

Q: Can dogs or other pets get the Zika virus from humans, or transmit it to them?
A: According to the CDC, “There have not been any reports of pets or other types of animals becoming sick with Zika virus. However, more research is needed to better understand Zika virus in animals.”

While there have been no reports of the Zika virus infection in traditional pets, there has not been enough research done to conclude that it doesn’t occur. In other countries, antibodies (indicating exposure) to Zika virus have been detected in nonhuman primates, and outbreaks in nonhuman primates have occurred. 

If you are concerned about your pet contracting the virus, talk with your veterinarian about appropriate mosquito repellants and other preventive measures.

Q: Could my pet be a “reservoir host” for the Zika virus?
A: A “reservoir host” is a long-term host of a disease that generally does not become clinically ill from the disease but may carry and serve as a source of infection for others. Without research, there is no way to know whether any animals are or will become reservoir hosts of the Zika virus.

However, Dr. Maureen Long, an associate professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, finds it unlikely. As she told the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, “To our knowledge, the only species that develop a very high viral load of Zika in their blood are humans and nonhuman primates.”

The CDC also notes that animals don’t appear to be involved in the spread of the Zika virus.

Q: Can I get my pet tested for Zika?
A: To our knowledge, there are no diagnostic laboratories in the United States testing animals for Zika virus..

Q: What about risks of Zika from other animals?
A: The CDC reports there is no evidence that the Zika virus is spread to people from contact with animals.
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The Zika virus was first discovered in Uganda in the 1940s in a monkey presenting a mild fever, and while nonhuman primates have the ability to become infected with Zika, the risk of monkeys and apes in the United States becoming infected with the virus is low. Additionally, monkeys and apes must undergo a mandatory 31-day quarantine period when imported into the United States. The CDC has more information about the prevalence of Zika in nonhuman primates and other species. Anyone with nonhuman primate pets or assistance animals, particularly those near areas in which Zika has been reported, should remain vigilant and seek veterinary care for the animal if any illness is observed.

Source: AVMA.org

When a dog is brought to a shelter after having a home it can be pretty hard — but one shelter worker is trying to fix that for one very special dog.

Lana, a 4-year-old bullmastiff mix, was found as a stray when she was just a puppy. The person who found Lana couldn't keep her, and so they brought her to the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA, where she was soon adopted.

Unfortunately, after three years of living happily in her new home, Lana was returned to the shelter in April.
Now, four months later, Lana is still searching for her forever home. She's having a hard time being back in the shelter after having a home for so long — and so one staff member decided to do something about it.

In order to bring awareness to Lana's cause and help her get adopted, Whitney Steele, director of volunteers and events at the shelter, has decided to stage a sit-in. She will be living with Lana in her kennel, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until Lana finally has a home once more.

In order to really understand what Lana goes through every day, Whitney is living exactly as she does — meaning that when she sleeps in the kennel with Lana, she sleeps on a dog bed instead of a cot.

"Whitney is learning a lot about what Lana goes through every day, and even though we have an amazing facility, it's not a comfortable, loving home," Michael Morefield, marketing and communications manager at the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA, told The Dodo. "Even after one night, Whitney has really taken that to heart and misses home, and Lana has been doing this every day for over four months. That was a hard realization."

Local businesses have been bringing by food for Whitney (and Lana) while she lives in the kennel, and she's even been holding meetings in there.
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"They have really bonded and are going through all those fun roommate situations: who ate the last slice of pizza, who stole the pillow, and what to watch on Netflix," Morefield said.

The shelter is doing all this to show everyone that Lana is an amazing dog, who more than deserves a second chance at a happy ending. Lana loves going for hikes with the shelter volunteers, and also takes naps with the other workers in her kennel from time to time. She is smart, athletic and easygoing, and would make the perfect pet for any family.
She just needs someone to give her a chance.
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"She is a strong, independent woman who is also really humble, so Whitney is helping show her off," Morefield said. "Everyone needs a hype man every once in awhile, and if Lana is too humble to tell people how great she is, we are going to do it for her!"

If you're interested in adopting Lana, you can contact the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA at 602-273-6852 ext. 116.

Source: caitlinnjill / The Dodo

It's become the latest trend - with more and more dog owners turning to Cannabis to help treat everything from their animal's pain to anxiety.  
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Littleton resident Leslie Padzick is one of them.
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For the past few years, her aging Schipperke, Luca -now 12- has suffered from anxiety.
This spring, Luca's vet found a large tumor growing in his body.
Padzick contemplated an expensive surgery but worried Luca wouldn't make it through such an invasive procedure at his age.

“I really wanted to find another option to help him,” said Padzick.
She hopped online and began researching alternatives to help with Luca’s discomfort. She found a growing trend inside of medical marijuana shops: pot marketed towards pets.
They're In the form of Cannabidiol or CBD oil- which is derived from both Cannabis and Hemp, but don’t include THC, the ingredient that produces the high.

“When I get woken up at midnight by Luca, and for two hours I just try and calm him down, it’s hard. I feel like I have a sick kid and I just want to help him,” said Padzick, “And why go through all of that when we have another option? Pot is in our news every day so obviously more and more research is going into it—so why not try it?”

It’s a growing mindset among pet owners.

“I wish a veterinarian could prescribe it for my dog, I wish I knew just how much to give him,” said Padzick. “It’s not like I’m giving my dog a joint, that’s not what I’m doing. It’s not a big party- it’s another medicinal option. And I want to know more.”

Veterinarian Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald says there is still much research to be done on the impacts and side-effects of pot used on pets before he can get behind the idea.
He’s not alone. The ASPCA and PETA have not endorsed Cannabis for animals due to a lack of research and veterinarians, like Fitzgerald cannot prescribe medical marijuana for animals.

“Can this stuff hurt them? I don’t know. How much should you give? I don’t know. Does it work? I don’t know” said Dr. Fitzgerald, “If it works, I’ll be the first one to get behind it, but until more trials are done and we know, I am not willing to gamble with the health of our patients.”

Meanwhile, Padzick is willing to try it out. She has heard several success stories on CBD oil use on dogs.

“I have a friend who has been using CBD oil on her aging dog and she says it is working, he is sleeping better.”

As for Luca, Padzick just wants to do whatever she can to help him feel better.

“I feel like if it's not getting him high, there’s got to be other benefits, so let’s give it a try at least. At this point, don't have very many options.”

Padzick’s goal now is to figure out how to get it. Some people who already have medical marijuana cards are able to buy pet-marketed products at medical marijuana shops.

Some pet-marketed products are sold at recreational pot shops, but products there that contain CBD oil also have THC in them.

According to the Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, pet owners are able to buy pet-products with CBD’s derived from Hemp online. There are also special boutique stores that sell Hemp products for pets as well.

                                                                VIDEO LINK for 9 News Segment

Source: KUSA 9 News / Christine Noel

People in the city of Conroe, Texas, were taken by surprise Thursday morning when they ran into none other than a young, female tiger wearing a collar and leash, wandering the streets with no owner in sight.As they later discovered, her name is Nala. 

Even more alarming was the fact that Nala, who is about 5 months old, was captured by animal control officers after coming up to a total stranger, jumping on him with her paws on his shoulders and licking his face, CBS DFW reported.
Animal officials also told the news outlet that the tiger appeared "trained." Without knowing much more, this tiger's story is fairly obvious — she was someone's house pet. Texas law dictates that people can't own dangerous wild animals, like tigers, without first obtaining a license, which are not all that hard to get. Sadly, this feeds into the reality that there are more tigers in captivity in the U.S. than there are roaming free in the wild worldwide.

There are an estimated 5,000 tigers kept in tiny cages in American backyards and basements, while only around 3,000 live in forests across Asia and Russia, CNN reported. It's outright disturbing how easy it is to own a tiger in America.

A man named Cody, who didn't give his last name and claims to be Nala's owner, told ABC News that he dropped the tiger off at a friend's and doesn't know how she escaped.

It is currently unknown if Nala will be returned to her owner, or whether or not her owner will face charges for the animal's escape.
For more on how you can help change laws about exotic pet ownership and help big cats stay out of people's backyards and in the wild, check out the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Protect Big Cats campaign.

Source: The Dodo / Zainab Akande / Photo by Jason Fochtman

When a pet gets sick and doesn't have much time left, many incredible families will create bucket lists to make the animal's last days his very best. Bucket lists often happen for dying dogs — but this time, it's a hamster who's getting the adventure of a lifetime.
Robin Williams is a 2-year-old longhaired Syrian hamster, also known as a teddy bear hamster, from Chicago. He lives with his mom, dad and two bunny siblings, Poppy and Pippin. He fits right in with them.

"He weighs almost a whole pound and is probably the biggest hamster people have ever seen," Robin's mom, Arden, told The Dodo. "People often mistake him for a guinea pig."
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The three siblings do absolutely everything together and never once has Robin seemed out of place. It seemed the threesome would be together forever — until forever got cut short.

Recently, Robin's family found out some tragic news: He has a tumor taking up most of his abdomen, and it can't be removed without risking his life. While the news is devastating, Robin's family has decided to make sure that his last days are his absolute best. He has already been on many trips and adventures throughout his life, and thanks to his new bucket list, he's about to embark on quite a few more.

No one knows exactly how much time Robin has left, so he's going to keep on adventuring until his time his up. Some of the items still left on his bucket list include: take a selfie at "The Bean," eat a Chicago hot dog, give LOTS of kisses to his bunny siblings … and be featured on The Dodo! Luckily, we were able to help Robin out with that last one.

​Robin may be dying, but his family and friends are making sure that he goes out as the happiest, most loved hamster there ever was — and that's all that really matters in the end.
"He has been a huge part of our life," Arden said, "and all we want to do is make the rest of his the best it can be." 

Source: The Dodo

The house was already billowing smoke by the time Officer Robert Breitfeller arrived. Neighbors told him there was no one inside the Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, home — except for a pit bull puppy.
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Breitfeller didn't hesitate, according to a the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. The front door was smashed down — and Breitfeller disappeared into the haze. Several anxious moments later, he emerged with a frightened puppy clinging to his chest.

'Smokey,' as officers called him, was soon returned to his owner, unharmed by the fire. But we wouldn't blame the puppy if he clung a little longer to his hero's chest.

There is, after all, a big warm heart in that uniform.









Source: The Dodo/ Christian Cotroneo

They're charged with protecting the world's largest tropical rainforest, but for the Amazon's eco-cops, no case is too small.
On Friday, an officer with Brazil's Environmental Police Battalion rescued a tiny endangered monkey barely the size of his hand. The agency says the wounded baby pied tamarin was found earlier that day by a resident near the city of Manaus.

"The tamarin had injuries that may have been caused by dog bites or by falling to the ground," wrote the military police unit on Facebook. "For that reason, it was referred to a wildlife refuge to receive appropriate veterinary treatment."
The pied tamarin is unique to area and has long served as a symbol of Manaus, but the rare monkey species is now endangered due to habitat loss and may disappear completely within a few decades, Brazilian news organization Globo reports.

"The pied tamarin has one of the smallest ranges of any primate and is now thought to be one of the most endangered monkeys in the forests of the Amazon," writes the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. "Some tamarins are now isolated in tiny fragments within the city, with no hope of survival if nothing is done."
Thanks to the actions of a caring officer, however, at least one special little monkey is now getting the help he needs.

Source: The Dodo / Hudson Hongo

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the cuteness of an animal that you felt as if your whole world was about to fall apart? Well, that's what happened to this sweet little boy once he got to cradle a (very confused) Chihuahua in his arms.This little boy just couldn't stop crying — and it wasn't because he was afraid of the small dog.

In the video below, uploaded by Mia Anelli, CEO and founder of INsight Animal Rescue in Los Angeles, the kid says his reason for sobbing is simply because "she's so cute."

Meanwhile, the tear-inducing Chihuahua has absolutely no idea what's going on.

When Penny's family brought home a baby, they might've been a tad worried about how the family dog would react to a new human in her home. But in reality, they had nothing to fear.

When Penny's little brother finally came home, Penny, a doting and loyal Shiba Inu, immediately fell in love with him — and took it upon herself to show him how to cuddle, among many other important life lessons.

Wherever her new baby brother goes, that's where Penny goes, too. If the little guy is being held by someone else, well, Penny tags along. She even whimpers when he starts to cry.
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He only just arrived, but it seems like this little boy is already the luckiest little brother in the whole world.

Source: Thedodo.com / Caitlin Jill Anders