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The show begins with Lori sharing fascinating animal news items. First, a 21-year-old man broke into a Georgia home and was mauled to death by the homeowner’s 2 dogs. The dogs were confiscated but later returned to the owner. Lori analyzes the many important legal and social elements here such as, who is responsible for the death of the intruder, should the homeowner be charged criminally, was temporary confiscation of the dogs proper, is the dogs’ behavior in defending the home defensible and does it matter what the breed or prior history of the dogs was. Lori adds an update to the initial reporting which is that the sheriff’s dept was flooded with calls objecting to the removal of the dogs and asking about their well-being.
Then, Lori reminds us how important it is that all animals in the family are microchipped, and how a chip reunited a dog with his guardian from 500 miles away!
Lori continues by discussing an unusual occurrence at the St Louis Zoo where 8 big cats became sick and then tested positive immediately after receiving an animal specific version of the coronavirus vaccine.
The zoo administrators claim the animals must have been infected before receiving the vaccine, which is why they got sick, discounting the possibility that the vaccine itself caused the illnesses. Lori brings out the absurdity of that explanation including the fact that no other animals have been ill or diagnosed with COVID. The parallels to some of the human COVID doublespeak are clear.
Peter then joins the party with more news items from around the world as we get up to speed in the new year. These include an extreme case of parakeet hoarding, kind police officers and a QT employees adopt puppies left abandoned in a duffel bag, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis takes the lead on Everglades protection and restoration, and more. Lori shares an amazing story from India where a human newborn, umbilical cord attached, was found being protected and kept warm by a street dog with obvious maternal instincts.
Lori continues with a new pet-person survey highlighting the finding that 85% of dog owners and 75% of cat owners said their pets had a positive impact on their mental health during the pandemic. Also, ORKIN publishes their yearly Rattiest City study (Chicago holding its place as the leader followed by LA, NYC, DC and San Francisco), and to conclude Sasha, an 80 lb. pet cougar finds peace in an Arkansas sanctuary after being relinquished by a woman who had confined her to a Bronx, NY apartment.
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