Five weeks ago, a 1-year-old German shepherd-husky mix with startling blue eyes fell off a fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego. The dog, named Luna, was miles from land.
She was reported missing on Feb. 10 by her owner, fisherman Nick Haworth, who told authorities that Luna was a strong swimmer and would head toward land. But the nearest shoreline was San Clemente Island, home to a U.S. naval facility and about 2 miles from where the dog fell into the water.
Sandy DeMunnik, public affairs officer for the base, said staff helped Haworth search the island for the dog, but with no luck.
“He stayed in the area for two more days to look for her, and after a week, we considered her lost at sea and presumed dead,” DeMunnik said, according to ABC News.
Crushed, Haworth made peace with Luna’s death, posting on Facebook, “RIP Luna, you will be greatly missed.”
Then, on Tuesday morning, she reappeared.
Luna turned up near the naval installation on the island as crew members were arriving for work.
“They saw Luna just sitting on the side of the road wagging her tail,” DeMunnik said, according to ABC. “Keep in mind, there are no domesticated animals on the island, so it was a stunning sight.”
The officers may have been surprised to see a dog, but Luna wasn’t fazed to see the officers.
“They literally opened up the car door, whistled, and she jumped right in,” Navy wildlife biologist Melissa Booker told The San Diego Union-Tribune. The newspaper writes:
“The determined dog had apparently swam to shore and survived on her own for five weeks. She was found to be a bit malnourished but otherwise healthy and uninjured. It appeared she’d eaten small rodents to survive, Booker said.”
DeMunnik’s evaluation was the same. She told ABC that Luna was undernourished but in good health, adding that the dog had likely been “surviving of mice for the past few weeks.”
Haworth’s friend picked up Luna on Wednesday, and she is scheduled to be reunited with Haworth, a 20-year-old San Diego State student, when he returns from a trip on Thursday.
Haworth posted on Facebook, “Beyond stoked to have Luna back. I always knew she was a warrior.”
RSPCA (England & Wales) Non-profit Organisation
Hoseasons offer pet friendly holidays, so you can enjoy your well deserved time away with your furry friends too. Book by 4th April and ‘pets go free’! For every holiday booked you will receive a 5% discount and 5% will be donated to help support our work. Go to page via Links.
Dog owners in the UK are being warned about an outbreak of an animal disease that is carried by ticks.
It is the first time that experts have established an outbreak of babesiosis in the country.
In Essex, two dogs have died and three others needed blood transfusions after contracting the disease.
Experts say that it will be impossible to stop the spread of the disease, which is caused by a single-celled parasite.
The ticks carrying the Babesia canis parasite have been found in fields in Harlow, Essex. The local council has put up a sign with a map defining the area and advising dog walkers not to enter.
Two government agencies are now investigating the outbreak: the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Public Health England.
Read live updates on this story
Clive Swainsbury is a vet at the Forest Veterinary Centre in Harlow. He has been treating some of infected dogs, including the one that died.
“The parasite enters the bloodstream, enters the cells, and in the process of trying to kill the parasite the dog will actually destroy its own blood cells. So they become very anaemic.”
The expectation is that it will spread throughout the country.
Easy to miss
“At present we have a very well defined area. The problem in the future is that every female tick will lay a couple of thousand eggs and all those offspring from that disease will also carry the disease.
“As mammals move around they will start spreading the disease. Although you can advise dog walkers not to go there, it’s possible that foxes and other animals will transport these ticks.”
The symptoms of babesiosis within dogs include weakness, lethargy, pale gums, red urine and fever. A serious problem is that Babesia can be mistaken for other less dangerous diseases.
“It’s easy to miss it. And because it’s a new disease to this country, we as a profession aren’t used to looking for this disease on a regular basis.”
TickImage copyrightOther
The tick acts as a vector. In the same way that a mosquito transmits malaria by sucking the blood from a person, the tick does the same to an animal. It also sucks blood and in the process of feeding the disease will transmit from the tick to the dog. It’s not contagious between dogs themselves.
The Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association estimates that there are more than nine million dogs in the UK – almost a quarter of households.
It’s dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in rough and wooded areas, that are most at risk.
Tip of the iceberg?
“The only solution is to kill the ticks quickly,” says Mr Swainsbury. “Some of the tick products available will kill the tick quick enough to prevent the tick spreading the disease to the dog, because the tick needs to be feeding for 24 hours at least before it transmits the disease.
“But not all tick products do that and you need to seek advice from your vet.”
The tick found in the UK carrying the Babesia canis strain is called Dermacentor reticulatus.
Prof Richard Wall is professor of zoology at the University of Bristol. He is helping to conduct the largest every veterinary study of ticks and tick-borne diseases, called the Big Tick Project.
“People who work on ticks and tick-borne diseases are concerned about this outbreak. It could be the tip of the iceberg. If it spreads quickly throughout the UK then it is going to be a very significant problem, but we don’t have enough info at this stage to make a prediction about how quickly this will happen.
“It’s highly unlikely that the problem will now disappear, we have the vectors, we have the pathogens established in the UK.”
TV naturalist Chris Packham says: “The population of ticks is getting bigger year on, year on. That’s because there is better over winter survival of the adults – it’s warm and mild through our winters and that means they can breed more quickly in the spring and there are a lot more of them.
“These animals are very good at what they do, and they need to find hosts to suck its blood to reproduce, and they do it brilliantly. So if you walk in an area where there are ticks, with a dog, they will get on to your dog.”
There are several species of Babesia and some of them affect humans. In parts of the world including the United States, human babesiosis is transmitted by the same tick that carries Lyme Disease, caused by Borrelia bacteria.
“The first thing that dog owners can do to protect their animals is to be aware of the problem. Your dog could become very seriously ill or die, and if you get Lyme disease then the same could be the case for you.”
How to prevent a traffic accident.
Even a well behaved dog should be kept on a lead when walking anywhere near a road.
Easter Egg Trail at Margaret Green Animal Rescue, Church Knowle Rehoming and Visitor Centre, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5NQ.
A day out for all the family at our Church Knowle visitor centre. Just £1 to join in the Easter trail that takes visitors round the site while meeting our rescue animals along the way! Hop on over to our centre and get in the spring spirit.
Friday 25th March (Good Friday)
Saturday 26th March (Easter Saturday)
Sunday 27th March (Easter Sunday)
Monday 28th March (Easter Monday)
Free Entry (£1 for the trail)
The world’s first bunny spa is coming to London.
If you thought a spa day couldn’t get any more relaxing than it already is, you’d be wrong. The world’s first ever bunny spa is coming to London this weekend, where you can receive free beauty treatments while rabbits hop freely around.
7th Heaven, a Cruelty Free International and Vegetarian Standard Approved beauty brand will be opening the ‘7th Heaven Bunny Spa’ in Covent Garden this weeked, offering customers free facials and massages while rabbits roam around a specially made hay bale enclosure.
Visitors will also be educated on rabbit welfare, rehoming bunnies, and how to go about purchasing cruelty-free beauty products.
Unlike the recent owl cocktail bar, which was shut down due to health and safety concerns for the animals involved, the RSPCA has been on hand to make sure the rabbits are taken care of properly.
Spokesperson Steven Van Hemmen said: “At 7th Heaven we love animals as much as we love humans and this is the perfect way to combine the two.
“Human guests will receive free treatments using our newest and most popular products including the Charcoal Masque; Avocado Oil Masque, Dead Sea Mud tube; Hot Chocolate Self-Heating Mud and White Chocolate Mud.
“And the RWAF [Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund] and RSPCA have given us great advice to ensure that our rabbits will be pampered just as much, with a huge hay bale run featuring platforms and hiding places, toys, plenty of food, barley straw and a relaxing, cool environment for them to enjoy. Qualified specialists will also be on hand to cater to their every whim.”
Customers will also have the opportunity to purchase healthy snacks and drinks, will all funds raised going to key London rescues and the RWAF.
The spa is operating on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you get down to 44 Shelton Street in Covent Garden between March 11 – 14 nice and early to take full advantage of the furry creatures and free treatment.
If you aren’t able to make it to Covent Garden this weekend, you can follow 7th Heaven on Periscope, where you’ll be able to tune in and watch a live stream.
Four Paws Dog Rudes on our Dog Walk today enjoying the sunshine by the River Stour, Wimborne.
We had a glorious walk and managed to get to the big fields as the paths have finally dried up.
Rudes was full of fun!
Meet Ben, Four Paws newest Dog who will be having occasional Home Visits! Ben is an adorable 11 year old Labrador and as you can see in this photo loves attention!
I will be visiting Ben on occasion to let him out and spent time with him at his home.
A new Dog never replaces an old Dog, it merely expands the Heart.
I think this saying is very poignant.
