Pets

Wichita firefighters battle a fire at a Southeast Wichita home. The blaze broke out around 4:15 Tuesday afternoon near Pawnee and Bedford.  Map - Location of Fire Authorities had to block off the streets at 127th and Pawnee and Greenwich and Pawnee as they tried to get things under control. No one was home when the fire broke out. However. authorities tell us that a couple of pets were lost in the fire including a pitbull.

by John Boyd & Chris Durden Sedgwick County is advising animal owners in Valley Center and the surrounding areas take steps to make sure their pets stay healthy after the explosion and fire at the Barton Solvents plant. 1. Animals, and their owners, should avoid areas where soot is visible. If soot is visible in your yard or field, do not let your pet walk around outside and try your best to relocate any farm animals to an area where soot is not visible. 2. If you think your animal(s)

Holly Mardock reacted the way most dog owners would when told her dog, Bunny, was going to die. "I have no children, Bunny is my baby. I would try anything," Mardock said. That's when she found out about a new treatment that uses laser therapy. Mardock hoped it would help Bunny, who is almost 60 in human years, with her many health problems. "She couldn't not walk up and down the stairs, she had to be carried everywhere," said Dr. Dan Thompson. Before treatment Bunny's Vet didn't think the dog would live.

As the temperatures across the state begin to break into the triple digits, animals are also feeling the heat. Veterinarian Dr. Dan Thompson says number of animals suffering from heat stroke have come through his door. “You really have to be careful, because this year there has been no acclimation. We’ve gone from cool weather with almost springtime, with a lot of wind to excessive heat all at once. Our animals are not acclimated to this change. So many of our dogs have excessive hair and fur on them right that they haven’t had a chance to shed.” Dr. Thompson says that if you must leave your pets outside that you should run sprinklers, set out a children’s wading pool, and make sure there is a place your animals can find shade…but he says owners should still keep an eye out for dehydration.

You may not know when or where a storm will hit this season but Dr. Christen Skaer says a plan must be in place for your pets when it does. For the next couple of months the veterinarian is holding seminars in the area letting folks know how they should handle their animals during severe weather Ferrets, horses, cats and man's best friend she tackles them all. While each specie might have different rules, Dr. Skaer has adopted a universal plan...

by Tracy Crockett If you have spring fever, chances are your pets do too.  With so much snow and ice, and cold weather this winter it's keeping most of us and our animals indoors.  But exercising your pets is still important. At the Salina Animal Shelter there are many dogs waiting for a new home.  Getting all of them outside when it's cold can be difficult.  One solution, a doggie treadmill.  Because these dogs need their exercise, no matter what it's like outside.

Elaine Adams loves it when people come into the Pratt shelter and find the pet they've been missing for months. "They just can't believe they were found and they were saved after all this time and they get reunited...makes them very happy. " But days are numbered for any more of those reunions. Dozens of cats and dogs will go up for adoption on Monday if no one claims them by Sunday night. "There are a lot of nice animals that somebody has to be looking for," says Carman Simon, Program Consultant.

There's been plenty of debate on fluoride and its effect on people in Wichita. Now pet owners are also getting in on the discussion before it goes to a public vote. A veterinarian weighs in on fluoride and its effect on animal health. “Those that tend to drink a bottled water are going to tend to wonder if city water is safe for their pets also,” says Animal Hospital at Auburn Hills Veterinarian Gary Stamps. “We don't hear a lot about fluoride with pets because there's not a lot of evidence out there one way or the other for drinking water and pets,” says Stamps.    Just like the debate for humans, there's plenty of argument for and against fluoride.

Latest Update Ketchem and Riley's efforts to keep their geese didn't work. The city of Pretty Prairie says it won't amend its animal ordinance so the couple could keep their geese.  That means Harry and Lloyd have to go. Pretty Prairie's city clerk says the couple doesn't get any additional time to move the birds and that they are in violation of the ordinance right now. ----------------------------- Original Coverage (PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan.)

By Denise Hnytka (ARKANSAS CITY, Kan.) As a veterinarian, Dr. Angie Gatton is used to dealing with pets, like cats and dogs. But when she found a sluggish raccoon outside her house, she let Animal Control handle it. "The raccoon just had kind of a dazed look," she said. "He was not aware of anything around him. " At least six raccoons showing the same strange symptoms have been picked up in Ark City. Police say they're lethargic, can't seem to walk right, and some are feverish and drooling.

The Thomas' know family cannot be defined by blood, race or even species.  At their house, mom and dad, plus four kids and two turkeys made their family a flock. "Turkeys are so affectionate. Wherever we were in the yard, they would come to us. I would push Lilly on the swing and Bonnie the female would come lay down beside me," said Natalie Thomas. Click here to see photos of Bonnie & Clyde The family raised Bonnie and her counter-chick Clyde and built a coop for them in the backyard.

Keeping floors and carpets clean is a job in and of itself. But if you have a pet that sheds a lot, you have a bigger challenge. Consumer Reports' latest tests show that some vacuums do a great job picking up pet hair, while others let the fur fly. Testers recently evaluated more than 100 vacuums, including uprights and canisters, bagged and bagless. To size up performance, testers go to great lengths. First, they measure exactly 5 grams of pet hair and spread it over a piece of carpet.

Bag it up Wichita. That's the message behind a catchy music video and PSA from city environmental officials. The play on the 1990s hip-hop hit "No Diggity" is designed to encourage dog owners to pick up their pet's waste to promote overall health in the community. Watch the "Dog Doogity" Video Officials say Wichita pets create 50,000 pounds of waste per day.  Much of the doody eventually finds its way to the Arkansas River, threatening the long term health of the river and its Eco-system.  It can also create a human health hazard by spreading bacteria and diseases.

Fire crews in Derby are trying to figure out what caused a fire early Friday morning. According to our news partners at KFDI, crews were called to the home in the 400 block of W. Lincoln shortly after 5:00 am. The fire destroyed a detached garage and caused significant damage to the west side of the home. The family made it out of the home safely and firefighters were able to resuscitate a pet cat. The American Red Cross was called into help the family.

There's been plenty of debate on fluoride and its effect on people in Wichita. Now pet owners are also getting in on the discussion before it goes to a public vote. A veterinarian weighs in on fluoride and its effect on animal health. “Those that tend to drink a bottled water are going to tend to wonder if city water is safe for their pets also,” says Animal Hospital at Auburn Hills Veterinarian Gary Stamps. “We don't hear a lot about fluoride with pets because there's not a lot of evidence out there one way or the other for drinking water and pets,” says Stamps.    Just like the debate for humans, there's plenty of argument for and against fluoride.

Updated: An escaped pet alligator in the city of Caldwell has been found. About 7:30 Wednesday night the alligator was found at a hardware store in Caldwell. Right now the gator is in the custody of the Caldwell Police Department as they figure out what to do with it. It caused students at the elementary school to spend their recess inside as officials looked for it. Caldwell superintendent  Alan Jamison tells Eyewitness News that at 11:30 Wednesday morning the police contacted the elementary principal to inform him that a pet alligator escaped Tuesday night and was spotted in the morning by several people on main street.

It's a picture that's getting a lot of play on Facebook, and it shows just what we'll do to take care of our pets. A Wisconsin man is shown swimming in Lake Superior with his dog Schoep, who looks to be asleep. John Unger says Schoep has arthritis and the water makes  him feel better.  Check out the story here and let me know the things you do for your animals.

If Rose Hill pet owners don't perform their duty and pick up their dog's doodie, they could be fined. Earlier this month, the City of Rose Hill passed an animal excrement ordinance. The intent is to get pet owners to pick up after their dogs on public rights of way, public property or private property. "It's a quality of life issue," said City Administrator Kathy Raney. To help with compliance the city has placed about a dozen pet waste stations around the city. Some are along Rose Hill Road and others are set up along walking trails near the city pond.

Irene Sellers has nothing to fear from her dogs. "That was the first thing I had done when I got these two animals--I had them vaccinated," Sellers says. She learned through family experience that rabies is nothing to take lightly. "My mother had rabies shots," Sellers says.  "She had 18 shots in her stomach. " In that case, it was a puppy.  The most recent case in Kansas is a horse from the Leon area diagnosed by veterinarian Davy Harkins. "The owner noticed the horse was wobbly out in the pasture, (she)

Info from Sedgwick County News Release: The Sedgwick County Animal Response Team (SCART) is seeking unopened, unexpired pet food and cat litter donations for the victims of the recent tornado. Donations may be taken to the Skaer Veterinary Clinic at 404 S. Edgemoor and Sedgwick County Animal Control will coordinate pick up. The pet food and other items will be available at the Oaklawn Community Center, 2937 E. Oaklawn Dr. each day at 1 p.m. for one hour. The Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, Wichita is still waiving any sheltering costs to house pets of owners affected by the storms who may need boarding assistance.