Pet Health

Everyone seeks out different items when browsing the front window of a shoe store. But if you’re a crazy animal lover like me, there’s a good chance BOBS for Dogs by Skechers has caught your eye at least once. BOBS from Skechers sells several adorable shoes with pet patterns printed on them, and some of the proceeds from those shoes go to animals in need. So, with National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day coming up on April 30th, what better way to celebrate than to purchase stylish footwear for a good cause? Pet-Themed Shoes That Save Animals BOBS is a charity from Skechers that sells comfortable, high-quality shoes. The charity aspect started in 2011 with a movement to help children facing poverty and natural disasters. Skechers donated over 16 million shoes to kids across more than 60 countries. From there, Skechers continued to help people in need, and they eventually branched out to help shelter animals too. Skechers has helped rescue animals for over seven years, and in that time

Dorito had an unfortunate start to life. When an animal shelter in Nova Scotia, Canada, took him into their care, his left eye was severely injured. He ended up having a corneal ulcer, and there was already too much damage to fix it. So, the poor feline had to have his eye removed. But life wasn’t all bad for Dorito as he recovered from surgery. During his healing process, he met Michelle Babineau, who fell in love with him and adopted him. Babineau already had two other special needs cats in her home, so Dorito soon found comfort and joy with them by his side. Instagram Dorito Meets Fellow Felines Dorito now has two feline siblings: Ziggy and Herbie. Like Dorito, Herbie is missing an eye, and Ziggy is missing one of his legs. The three cats all share a special bond. Babineau first brought Ziggy home in 2015. She planned to meet a litter of kittens, but while she was there, she saw a kitten come out of the woods with a limp. She learned that he would be euthanized because of hi

When Leonard the cat was left all alone outside after his previous pawrents moved away, he didn’t waste any time acclimating to life in the wild. He was sure he wanted to stay a spoiled indoor house cat.  So instead of dashing off into the woods, he decided to linger outside the house next door, desperately desiring to get inside. Facebook When some cats experience the freedom of the great outdoors, they abandon their “lavish life” as indoor pets and embrace the call of the wild. But Leonard is not one of those cats. He loves humans and desires nothing less than to be doted on by them for all of his days.  So when he found himself abandoned and all alone in his New Jersey neighborhood, he went in search of some new accommodations. He ran next door, but they weren’t interested in accepting new housemates. “A resident contacted us about him saying he had been left outside when their neighbor moved. He kept trying to get in her house,” shared Sara Sharp , founder of Community C

Native to the Netherlands, Friesian horses are beautiful with their shining black coats, powerful muscles, and flowing manes. And Friesian mare Queen Uniek provides a perfect standard of the breed. So when it came time for the Queen to birth her first foal, owner Yvonne was over the moon. But as Queen Uniek’s labor progressed, she flared her lips and sunk to the ground, the pain almost more than she could bear. Something was wrong. When the vet examined Queen Uniek, he could feel a head but no feet, and feet should come first during the birth of a foal. Yvonne and her team worked hard to keep the stressed mom as calm as they could. But for all their efforts, the little colt was stillborn. Uniek and Yvonne were crushed. YouTube From Tragedy Comes Joy Yvonne shared a video of the birth on YouTube , where her channel, Friesian Horses , boasts more than 360k followers, and explained, “He is a star in heaven now…so we call him Star!” YouTube But poor Uniek was left bereft by the

Roughly seventy miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you’ll find the small town of Watonga. Census data reveals only 2,600 residents call the city proper home. But while the number of people in this rural town is small, the population of stray and feral cats is considerably higher. And in an effort to keep that feline populous from rising further, the cat lovers at the Watonga Community Cat Foundation are always hard at work. The volunteer-based group helps stray cats find their forever homes and provides TNR services for the area’s feral cat population. Caring for all these kitties gets expensive. But thanks to you, Watonga Community Cat Foundation cats like Diane, Aurora, and their nine kittens, never go hungry and get the medical care they need. Facebook Filling Feline Bellies Shopping with iHeartCats means getting cute and quality merchandise. But did you know buying that shopping cart full of goodies gives compassion too? When you shop with iHeartCats , you’re empo

With so many adoptable animals looking for forever homes in the Chicago area, it can be difficult to stand out among the crowd. So a “catcade” — a cage-free cat café and arcade — uses its sharp sense of humor to grab the attention of potential adopters.  The following adoptable cat descriptions are quite likely to cause you to crack a smile or perhaps even to crack up laughing into a full-blown chuckle.  YouTube Located on Belmont Avenue in Chicago, the Catcade is a one-of-a kind cat rescue that combines a cat cafe and an “old-school” arcade. The main mission of the Catcade is to rescue cats from life-threatening situations such as high-kill shelters, and to help them find loving forever homes.  Guests pay $17 to visit the lounge and spend time playing with, cuddling up on, and socializing the rescue cats. The cage-free cat café features comfortable couches, free-play arcade games, and a Nintendo64 for playing Mario Kart. Every cat chilling in the lounge is adoptable, except th

A Pit Bull named Kairo adores his foster kitties. He posts outside the ‘cat room’ and counts the seconds until Mom opens the door. Kairo has such a big doggy heart that his love doesn’t stop there– he’s also obsessed with two special people in his life. His grandparents! YouTube As soon as Mom utters the words: we’re going to Grandma and Grandpa’s, he races to the front door and sits, eagerly waiting for the door to open. Once Mom is ready to leave, Kairo makes a mad dash out to the car. He knows exactly where he’s going and can’t contain his excitement! YouTube When they arrive at his grandparents’ house, Kairo jumps out of the car and runs straight to their door, where he impatiently waits for the front door to open. The moment the door is slightly ajar, the Pit Bull pushes his way through and sprints straight to Grandpa for “couch cuddles.” YouTube Kairo also loves to play with his grandparents’ dogs, and once they tucker themselves out, it’s time to go inside and “inva

Shopping with a purpose feels good, and when you shop with iHeartCats , the goodness never stops! For every purchase you make, you help feed shelter cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. And Mittens the tabby kitten wants to thank you for choosing to shop where your purchases make a difference! Thanks to a partnership between iHeartCats and Greater Good Charities , every purchase made helps rescue facilities and shelters continue to save dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. And the GOODS Program , a pet food distribution initiative in the Greater Good Charities family, has been keeping hungry bellies full for over a decade. To date, the GOODS program has delivered over 578 million meals to shelters and rescues across the country. That’s more than 6,000 truckloads delivered to hungry animals! Facebook Left Behind But Still Full of Love Two-year-old Mittens found herself all alone when the family she loved picked up and moved away from their home in Sedalia, Missouri, le

Here’s something interesting to know—baby pandas are born weighing only 100 grams. That’s only 0.2 pounds. And only 1/900 th of their mother’s weight. Now, here’s something cute to see—a baby panda meeting its mom for the first time! At one-month-old, baby Giant Panda Yuan Zai hadn’t been with her mother since her birth the month prior. But when Taipei Zoo staff brought the pair together, it was like no time had passed, with mom Yuan Yuan stepping right in and taking her baby cub in her arms. Facebook A Mom’s Love When Yuan Zai was born in July 2013, she became the first Giant Panda ever born in Taiwan. Her parents, Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tuan, were gifted to Taiwan from China, and their union was a win for the species as only 1,800 of these precious Pandas remain in the wild. Facebook Facebook According to the Taipei Zoo , “Pandas have a very small breeding window and when cubs are born they’re highly susceptible to disease and smothering by their much larger mothers.”