Inside This Issue:
- Vaccination Requirements Proposed in Colorado Following the Continued Importation of Sick Rescue Puppies
- Chicken or Egg Conundrum Solved (Again)!
- Restoring a Monarch: Unique Challenges and Opportunities in Conservation
- Sheriff's Deputy Charged After Shooting, Killing Seven Dogs
- News Bites: Rescue Spats and Big Bones
Vaccination Requirements Proposed in Colorado Following the Continued Importation of Sick Rescue Puppies
Sick pup.
Following a rabies outbreak in Denver, Colorado that was caused by a litter of rescue puppies imported from Texas, Colorado’s Department of Agriculture has proposed vaccination requirements that would essentially prevent rescues from importing puppies under the age of 12 weeks into the state.
This has been a long time in coming. Colorado’s Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act Program (PACFA), which licenses animal care facilities throughout the state, has been dealing with issues related to importing rescues for quite some time and fears that the most recent outbreak could be just the “tip of the iceberg.” It is clear that the rules, as currently written, are not enough. For example, as hard as it may be to believe, the rescue that imported the rabid puppy technically wasn’t breaking any rules. Yikes! Given the regulatory requirements placed on licensed breeders and pet stores, it is shocking to learn that dogs acquired from unknown sources and trucked into Colorado by the thousands from other states or even other countries (a situation where the risk of disease contagion is exponentially higher) would not already have been required to show proof of proper vaccination. While we can argue about the specifics of new rules, all of us – or at least those of us who wish to avoid a public health nightmare – can agree that this sort of thing must be prevented.
Relating to this announcement, there has been some muted grumbling from the more ardent corners of the rescue community. Some of the grumbles are understandable. There are numerous people who are passionate about rescue transport, and who base much of their identities (and let’s be honest – livelihoods) around rescue importation. And, of course, nobody likes being told they must make big, unwanted changes to the way they operate.
There has also been a fair bit of pearl clutching about how PACFA rules might cause a regional “puppy shortage,” creating an opening that breeders (ew!) could take advantage of. This is a silly, and frankly close-minded sentiment that we can’t agree with. First of all, Colorado has been shoring up its dog population through rescue importation for decades – just follow the heartworm – so you could argue that it is already experiencing a local "puppy shortage." Secondly, just as with rescues, potential dog owners should get to know a breeder before making a commitment, and we think getting a puppy from a breeder is a great option for a lot of people. This is especially true for folks who are looking for specific, predictable traits, or those who have an affinity for a specific breed. That some in the rescue community view breeders as “competition” is both unfortunate and telling. Many animal lovers are involved in both breeding and rescue. There is no need for competition or an artificial divide.
Regardless of your feelings on this issue, change will be awhile in coming. Public hearings on the proposed rules will be held next spring, and the final vote on changes won’t be until fall, 2025.
Source: Major changes proposed for Colorado pet rescues after Denver metro rabies exposure
Chicken or Egg Conundrum Solved (Again)!
Egg is the answer?
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? It’s an age-old question capable of mystifying even the most astute of evolutionary biologists. But the key to this complex riddle might lie within very simple, basic organisms.
Meet Chromosphaera perkinsii, a tiny microbe that’s been hanging out in shallow seas for over a billion years. It’s not an animal, but the way it creates offspring looks eerily similar to the way animals develop embryos. C. perkinsii is part of a group called ichthyosporeans, which split off from the animal family tree way back when. But even though it’s just one cell, it divides and grows into a little cluster that looks awfully similar to an animal embryo. It’s like a microbial blastula!
Scientists think this microbe might be a missing link, showing that the instructions for making embryos were around long before the first animals. It could mean that life had a blueprint for babies even before it figured out how to make animals. However, there’s a twist (there’s always a twist): this kind of development isn’t found in any of C. perkinsii’s cousins, and it’s possible the microbe independently stumbled upon something that worked and rolled with it – like a tiny evolutionary inventor. Either way, C. perkinsii’s could teach us a lot about how life went from simple to complex. And who knows, it might just be the ancient ancestor of all animal babies. Further reading can be found in Nature, and scientists are now focusing on why the chicken crossed the road.
Source: Scientists Reveal a Shocking Solution to The Chicken or Egg Paradox
Restoring a Monarch: Unique Challenges and Opportunities in Conservation
Monarch Butterflies in California.
The iconic monarch butterfly, a familiar sight in backyards across North America, may soon find itself on the list of species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Federal wildlife officials are set to make a decision on the monarch's status in early December, following a decade-long push from conservationists and scientists documenting the butterfly's alarming decline.
The monarch's widespread distribution – it can be found in nearly every U.S. state – presents a unique challenge for conservation efforts. Unlike endangered species confined to specific habitats, the monarch's vast range spans diverse landscapes, from urban gardens to rural farmland. Their extensive presence means that any federal protections would need to be carefully tailored to balance conservation with the interests of various stakeholders, from homeowners to farmers. The eastern monarchs, which migrate between Canada and Mexico, have declined by over 80% since the 1990s. The western population, which overwinters in California, has fared even worse, with a staggering 95% drop since the 1980s. The main culprit behind this loss is the destruction of milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars can feed on. As milkweed gives way to development and agriculture, the monarchs are left without a place to breed. At the same time, the adult butterflies face dwindling supplies of nectar-rich flowers, their main source of energy for long migrations.
Given these widespread threats, listing the monarch as endangered would seem a straightforward move. However, the species' broad distribution and complex ecology make conservation a daunting task. The monarch is not a single species, but rather multiple subspecies and migratory populations, each with its own unique needs and challenges. For instance, the migratory monarchs of eastern North America face different threats than the non-migratory populations found in southern states and California. While the migratory monarchs are plagued by habitat loss along their breeding and wintering grounds, the resident monarchs must contend with urbanization and the introduction of non-native milkweed, which can disrupt their life cycle. Moreover, the monarch's presence on private lands, particularly in agricultural areas, raises questions about land use and management. While some farmers have embraced monarch conservation, planting milkweed and reducing pesticide use, others worry that endangered species protections could limit their practices and impact their livelihoods.
Striking a balance between conservation and human activities will be key to the monarch's recovery. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act, will need to craft a conservation plan that works with landowners, not against them. This might involve incentives for farmers to create monarch habitats, as well as exemptions for certain activities that support conservation.
The monarch's listing could also have far-reaching implications for urban planning and gardening practices. With the butterfly found in cities and suburbs across the continent, its conservation will require the engagement of homeowners, park managers, and community groups. This could mean a shift towards more butterfly-friendly landscaping, with a focus on native milkweeds and nectar-rich flowers.
While the challenges are significant, the monarch's plight also presents an opportunity for large-scale, collaborative conservation. By working together – from farmers and gardeners to scientists and policymakers – we can help this beloved species recover and ensure its place in our landscapes for generations to come. The decision to list the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act will be a landmark moment in conservation history. It will signal a recognition that even the most widespread and familiar species can fall victim to the pressures of human activities. At the same time, it will underscore the need for innovative, collaborative approaches to conservation that balance the protection of biodiversity with the needs of human communities.
Source: How do you protect a species that lives across a continent? Monarch butterfly decision may soon try
Sheriff's Deputy Charged After Shooting, Killing Seven Dogs
Some of Mr. Dismuke's dogs that were shot and killed.
Earlier this month, a Tennessee couple went out to dinner and came home to discover someone had shot and killed seven of their eight dogs. Making this terrible finding all the more disturbing, it turns out the shooter was a sheriff’s deputy.
According to the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, they investigated after complaints from a neighbor about a possibly abandoned property with malnourished dogs and no food or water. In at least one version of the story, the neighbor who made the complaint was allowed to take one of the dogs during the investigation. Whether this means there is an additional surviving dog – or whether this happened at all – is unclear. According to the owner of the dogs, Kevin Dismuke, there was no problem: the animals were healthy, and had all been to the veterinarian only a few weeks ago (and obviously, the property wasn’t abandoned if the dog owner is living there).
Whichever version of the above scenario is closer to the truth becomes irrelevant at this point, because what happened next during the investigation is simply horrific: Connor Brackin, the sheriff’s deputy at the scene, loaded his service rifle and pistol and opened fire on the dogs. He fired eight shots in total, killing seven dogs. In at least one report of this story, Brackin allegedly told a neighbor that his supervisor had given the go ahead to “safely” put down the animals. This certainly doesn’t sound “safe” to us, and it will be important to determine whether a superior was involved in Brackin’s decision to shoot the dogs. Currently, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has charged Brackin with seven counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and eight counts of reckless endangerment, and he is awaiting a court date. Brackin resigned immediately after turning himself in, and his employer is being mum on details of the incident, aside from making sure to remind people that Brackin had only been a deputy for about a month.
Mr. Dismuke remains shocked, confused, and heartbroken over the loss of his dogs. In a statement we can all identify with, he proclaimed "I don’t care if you give me $10 [or] if you give me $10 million. You can’t replace my dogs."
Source: Tenn. Man Came Home to Find His 7 Dogs Shot Dead, and Sheriff’s Deputy Is Charged
News Bites: Rescue Spats and Big Bones
Fortunately, this was an herbivore.
Earlier this week in Hempstead, NY, animal activists protested the potential privatization of the town’s animal shelter. The reason: they really dislike the bidder, Billy Berman (say that three times fast). The protesters think Berman should be disqualified because of his ties to the guy who ran the Sloth Encounters petting zoo/pet store that was shut down earlier this year, and they are alleging that he partners with wildlife traffickers and that he defrauded a rescue charity.
Berman’s attorney says none of this is true, that Berman doesn’t even like the Sloth Encounters guy, and that the protest’s ringleader is going to find himself in a civil lawsuit if the allegations don’t stop. This is the kind of thing attorneys are paid to say, but it’s worth pointing out that there are PeTA and HSUS elements to this story – and that both organizations love making their opponents out to be cartoonishly horrible villains. So we definitely aren’t ready to cast any stones against Mr. Berman. Which is great, because what is interesting to us about this story has little to do with privatizing shelters or Billy Berman. What drew us in is actually kind of tangential, and ties back to an aside from our first news item: the belief that breeders and rescuers shouldn’t be opponents, and how, at least out in the real world, breeders and rescues are often one and the same.
So really, beyond honesty, experience, and competence, should there be some sort of “purity test” if someone wants to run a shelter? Can someone who was or is involved in a petting zoo that certain animal activists consider “cruel” and “exploitative” run a truly legitimate shelter? What about an outdoorswoman who goes hunting several times a year? Or someone who works in biomedical research? What if – heaven forbid – one of the director’s dogs is intact? Sadly, there are plenty of folks out there who would find those things questionable, even disqualifying, which is a shame. Fortunately, we’re pretty sure most people don’t view the world in such stark absolutes!
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Wake up, babe, new dinosaur just dropped! Despite being at least 65 million years old, it seems like we identify a new type of dinosaur every year. The current find: Huaxiazhoulong shouwen, identified from a fossil specimen unearthed in 1986. This dino measures about five feet tall, was about 20 feet long, heavily muscled and armored, and had a giant club for a tail. This member of the Ankylosauridae family is set apart from its cousins by its more muscular, and likely more powerful lower body.
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Another rescue story, this one fairly terrifying. In Alabama, a disgruntled rescue worker went ballistic, opened all the cages on site, then, during a mad scramble to get the animals put away, he stole a truck containing a very pregnant dog that needed an emergency c-section.
Thankfully, the dog was returned and she is doing fine. She delivered seven healthy puppies with one stillborn (and from the photo provided, it looks like she may not have needed that C-section after all). The truck is still missing, and no arrest has been made yet. We’re glad things have calmed down, but sheesh — what a nightmare! And on that note, how is your workday going?
Also in the News...
★ See it: Mummified cat cub provides glimpse of what animals looked like (Paleontological Finds; Here, Kitty Kitty)
★ Could humans hibernate? (Speculative Fiction, or... the Future?)
★ Bovine mystery erupts in South Australia as two animals go missing within days of each other (The Missing Animals of Adelaide)
★ Yaks, bears and cockatoos are among the animals Russia is sending to North Korean zoo (Zoos; International Relations)
★ Some animals rescued in Middleborough, Massachusetts, cruelty case ready for adoption (Cruelty; Rescue & Shelter; Adoption Opportunities)
★ Animal rights ballot measures fail (Elections & Consequences I; Colorado & California)
★ What Trump’s Return to Office Could Mean for Animals (Election & Consequences II; Political Animals)
★ Movember's wild side: 8 animals with a better moustache than yours (Fun & Goofy Lists; Emperor Tamarins Have It Going ON)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
