July 29/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature: 

Dogs sniff out prostate cancer

           “Dogs can detect prostate cancer in men almost every single time, according to ‘spectacular’ research in Italy. Tests carried out at the urology department at the Humanitas Clinical & Research Centre in Milan showed dogs correctly detected the disease in 98% of cases after sniffing the urine of men. The study involved 2 German shepherd dogs sniffing the urine of 900 men- 360 with prostate cancer & 540 without.”

The Gazette, Montreal

April 11/2015

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Weekly Chuckle

July 29th is the International Day of the Tiger.

  

 

July 22/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

Paradis Tables Animal-Rights Bill

           “Proposed Quebec legislation would impose heavy fines & jail time for serial animal abusers &go so far as to criminalize flushing live goldfish down the toilet.

           ‘If you have a goldfish you have to take care of it,’ said Quebec Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis…

              The bill states that ‘animals are not things. They are sentient beings & have biological needs.’…

           ‘The biggest change (in the bill) is that up to now, an animal in Quebec is considered as a movable, like a piece of equipment…It goes from that to being a sentient being’.

           Paradis believes his bill will transform Quebec from the jurisdiction with some of the least strict animal-welfare rules in North America to one with some of the toughest.

           He said he was inspired by Manitoba, Ontario, & British Columbia, which he noted have the strongest animal-welfare laws in the country.

           The bill has separate rules for pet owners, farmers with livestock, owners of pet shops, or people who sell animal-based products such as furs.

           Pet owners ‘must ensure that the animal’s welfare & safety are not compromised,’ meaning domesticated animals have to receive ‘care that is consistent with (their) biological needs’…

           Farmers must guarantee that their animals are ‘treated with dignity as much as possible’ from the moment they are born to the day they are slaughtered…

           The legislation gives inspectors the power to demand to see an animal if they have ‘reasonable cause’ to suspect the pet is being mistreated. They can also obtain a warrant from a judge to enter a home & seize animals.

           First-time offenders face fines as low as $250 & as high as 250,000…Judges will have the discretion to sentence serial violators of the proposed law for up to 18 months.”

Giuseppe Valiante

THE CANADIAN PRESS

In The Gazette, Montreal

June 6/2015

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 Weekly Chuckle

 
 

July 15/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

Penguins enticed to mate at aquarium

           “The New England Aquarium wants its endangered African penguins to get a little steamy. Aquarium experts are playing matchmaker behind the scenes to encourage 8 pairs of African penguins to breed more chicks. Biologists say that will help a population that’s expected to be extinct in the wild by 2025 to continue to thrive in captivity. The Boston facility is giving its penguins ‘honeymoon suites’- cosy plastic igloo-style homes…designed to get them in the mood. Over the past 15 years, the aquarium has sent 28 birds to 7 different zoos & aquariums around North America. World Penguin Day is April 25.”

The Gazette, Montreal

April 20/2015

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Weekly Chuckle

Memorial


Annabelle (2001) It seems like just yesterday that you & I traveled to Montreal together (& apart; you know what I mean). Adrian & I loved you very much & we always will. You were a special girl & we miss you so much little fluffy one. requiescat in pace

July 8/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

Feature:

Birdwatchers flock to Saskatchewan in spring 

           “REGINA- Saskatchewan is never as true to its licence plate slogan ‘Land of the Living Skies’ as during the spring migration of hundreds of bird species.

           Stan Shadick has been birding for 54 years & said the province is unsurpassed, attracting enthusiasts from across North America.

           ‘I can’t think of any place else where you have such a concentrated migration of birds, both song birds & waterfowl,’ he said.

           Armed with only a pair of binoculars, birders wait patiently in the prairie grasses to catch a glimpse of a particular species…

           Shadick organizes birding field trips through the Saskatoon Nature Society & said it doesn’t take long for novice birders to learn how to identify different species…

           ‘Bird song is even more useful than sight for identifying birds,’ he said. ‘Learning bird songs is a very enjoyable pursuit.’…

           Kim Mann, 49, said she has been birding across Canada since she was a child but insists Saskatchewan is special.

           ‘You have a whole bunch of different environments in one province,’ she said, adding that it ranges from prairie to grasslands to boreal forest. ‘It’s awesome for birding.’

           She said last summer Regina was visited by a Prothonotary warbler, which is a bird from the Louisiana swamps.

           ‘It was living here for at least a couple of months,’ she said…

           Because Saskatchewan is on the migration route for many species, birds travel through the province from all over the world, Mann said.

           ‘We’ve had birds from Siberia, from the northern Arctic,’ she said.

           Shadick & Mann agree that one highlight of birding in Saskatchewan is witnessing the migration of the whooping crane, the tallest species of bird in North America.

           ‘That is a bird that nests in a very small area just north of Alberta in the Northwest Territories,’…

           He said the crane can be seen in spring, but the best time to spot it is during fall migration.”

Clare Clancy

THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Gazette, Montreal

April 11/2015

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Weekly Chuckle

 

 

July 1/2015

(E.B.W.) Critter Corner

 * Yesterday was my birthday so to  celebrate I'm dedicating this week's Critter Corner to cats.

Feature:
 A Tale of Two Cat Cafes in Montreal   

           “When Clement Marty came up with the idea of bringing a cat café to Montreal, he was in uncharted territory.

           He had seen the wildly popular cat cafes of Japan & South Korea, & has since visited more than 15 cat cafes around the world. Typically…the cats of the café live on the premises full- time…

           So Marty set out on a crowdfunding expedition in early 2014, raising more than $40,000 for his cleverly named Café Cat l’Heureux (a play on chaleureux, a French term for warm & inviting).

           …His café will house 8 cats, 4 of which have already been adopted from animal shelters: Milady, Gustave, Chopin, & Sheldon.

           He’ll serve light fare, snacks, pastries, &, of course, coffee.

           However, a rival cat café just across the street from Carre St.-Louis is giving Marty a run for his money. He claims the owner there, Youssef Labib, copied his idea…

           Labib’s Café des Chats will also serve light fare like oannis & also house 8 cats- 3 kittens, 3 young adult cats,. Nadine Spencer, who does communications for Labib’s company, says all their cats were adopted from the SPCA.

           ‘There’s room for many cat cafes,’ Spencer said. ‘In the end, we’re here to give a second chance  to a cat, so the more the merrier’…”

Tracey Lindeman

The Gazette, Montreal

Aug. 16/2014

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