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Monday 31 October 2011

A new home at last for the blind Great Dane and her devoted guide dog


  • Couple decided to take in Lily and Maddison after reading about them in the Daily Mail

  • Dogs can now look forward to holidays in France and the Lake District


  • It’s the happy ending that Lily the blind great dane and her trusty friend turned guide dog Maddison deserve.
    When the Daily Mail featured the heart-warming tale of the two great danes, who were looking for a new home, more than 2,000 dog lovers responded by offering to take them.
    Now Lily and Maddison are moving from the Dogs Trust centre in Shrewsbury to live with the Williams family 35 miles away in Crewe, Cheshire.

    Happy ending: Len Williams and his wife Anne with blind Lily and her guide dog Maddison. The couple have taken in the two dogs after reading about them in the Daily Mail
    Happy ending: Len Williams and his wife Anne with blind Lily and her guide dog Maddison. The couple have taken in the two dogs after reading about them in the Daily Mail

    Lily, six, was barely a puppy when she was struck down by a condition that caused her eyelashes to grow into her eyeballs, damaging them beyond repair. 

      Thankfully her friend Maddison, seven, became her new eyes and led her everywhere. The two have become inseparable and Lily follows Maddison, almost touching her as they walk so she knows where to go.
      But in July their owner could no longer cope with them and they were sent to the re-homing centre.

      Forever friends: Lily, left, being guided while walking with Maddison right. The pair have been inseparable since Lily lost her sight
      Forever friends: Lily, left, being guided while walking with Maddison right. The pair have been inseparable since Lily lost her sight

      Anne Williams, 52, and her husband Len, 53, a retired fireman, fell in love with the dogs when they read about them in the Mail and their offer was accepted by the trust.
      Mrs Williams, a business manager for an insurance company, said: ‘We've always had two dogs together, I like them to have company and so taking on two of them wasn't a daunting prospect.
      'My daughter moved out five months ago, taking her two English setters with her, so the house has felt a little quiet without them.

      Playful: Lily's lack of sight has heightened her other senses so she can often tell if Maddison is nearby without the pair touching
      Playful: Lily's lack of sight has heightened her other senses so she can often tell if Maddison is nearby without the pair touching

      ‘We live in the countryside and I miss having a reason to go for a walk - I can't wait to take the dogs out with us. We've also got a lovely big garden so it's the perfect setting for two huge dogs.’
      The couple plan to take the great danes on holidays to France and the Lake District and ensure they both enjoy life with their new family.
      Louise Campbell, manager of the Dogs Trust in Shrewsbury, said: ‘This is the happy ending we were all hoping for and everyone is delighted for Lily and Maddison.
      ‘The Williams family were the perfect match and we know they'll give the dogs all the love and fuss they so deserve.’


      by dailymail.co.uk

      Friday 28 October 2011

      Hero dog drags his owner home after he is knocked unconscious by lightning bolt

      Mayor of Redruth would have died if not for his wellington boots

      A faithful dog rescued his owner by dragging him home after he was struck by an enormous lightning bolt.
      Ian Thomas, 64, was taking his German schnauzer Monty out for an early morning walk when he was struck by a bolt so powerful he would have been killed if he had not been wearing wellington boots. 
      The bolt threw Mr Thomas, who is the Mayor of Redruth in Cornwall, into the air and knocked him out.

      Lucky: Ian Thomas with faithful Monty who dragged his owner home in time for him to get to hospital
      Saviours: Ian Thomas with Monty at his home in Redruth, Cornwall, and the wellington boots that saved his life

      He regained consciousness when five-year-old Monty, who had also been struck, began licking his face.
      Mr Thomas struggled to stand but only managed to stagger several paces before he collapsed.
      He managed to wrap his arms around Monty, who responded by dragging him the 100 yards home.

      Best friends: Ian only regained consciousness as Monty started whimpering and licking his face after he was struck by the bolt
      Faithful friends: Mr Thomas, knocked out by the lightning strike, only regained consciousness when Monty, a German schnauzer, started licking his face

      Mr Thomas' shocked wife Sharen, 42, then took him straight him to hospital.
      He told the Daily Mirror: 'I heard what seemed like an explosion in my head and the dog scream.

        'He makes that noise when he rubs his nose on electrical fences so I think he may have been hit too.
        'I saw my legs shoot out in front of me and I was thrown into the air.
        'Some time after I came to my senses and found myself curled up in a ball on the ground with my fists clenched.

        German Schnauzer Monty, 5, who helped his owner, the Mayor of Redruth Ian Thomas after he was hit by lightning near his home in Redruth, Cornwall.
        Ian Thomas with the wellies that saved his life
        Ian Thomas, left, with the wellington boots that helped save him, and Monty, right, who managed to drag his injured master home

        'I knew I wasn't dead because I could feel excruciating pain. I just trusted my instincts, reached out and grabbed hold of Monty'.
        When Mr Thomas stumbled through the door his terrified wife thought he was having a heart attack.
        Mrs Thomas, 42, told the Daily Express: 'He just walked in the front door and collapsed. I just knew we had to get him straight to hospital.
        'He was confused and looked in pain. Monty was frightened too and ran into the house and covered his face with his paw'.
        Doctors said the electrical charge of the bolt that hit Mr Thomas on October 17 was so huge that it would have killed him if it were not for his rubber wellies.
        Mr Thomas suffered burns to his head and hip and had to spend four days in hospital but has since made a full recovery.


        by dailymail.com

        Saturday 22 October 2011

        THIS IS TOO MUCH CRUEL BEYOND WORDS: The disabled dog 'buried alive by school caretakers annoyed by its barking'


        Traumatised and just minutes from death, a disabled stray was rescued after allegedly being buried alive by school caretakers.
        Police think the unwanted pet had annoyed the men by barking and they callously vowed to bury him alive in the school playing field as punishment.
        Horrified witnesses spotted the disabled stray, now named Warrior after his ordeal, yelping for mercy as he was buried in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsh.
        No mercy: Warrior, as he has now been named by rescue workers, was found buried five feet under the ground, covered in dirt
        No mercy: Warrior, as he has now been named by rescue workers, was found buried five feet under the ground, covered in dirt
        They called animal welfare officers who managed to get the school before Warrior suffocated in his makeshift grave.
        Two men, who are caretakers at the Luhlaza Secondary School, were arrested by police who confirmed they had been charged with animal cruelty. 
        Rescuers said the desperate animal was close to death when officials arrived later to dig it out.
        Shocking pictures of the rescue show it gasping for air as it was pulled out from the sand.
        Stray: Police said the caretakers buried the unwanted pet after his barking got in their nerves
        Stray: Police said the caretakers buried the unwanted pet after his barking got in their nerves
        Haunted: Warrior, just after being rescued, is making a slow and steady recovery
        Haunted: Warrior, just after being rescued, is making a slow and steady recovery
        Animal welfare boss Christina Pretorius said the dog was saved by a local vet and his assistant who received an anonymous tip off about its live burial at 8.30am yesterday.
        She said: 'They rushed to the school and apprehended two caretakers on the school field. The men initially claimed the dog was dead, but on further questioning admitted the animal was still alive when they buried it.
        'They said one of the school's senior supervisors had told them to get rid of the dog as it was being a nuisance by hanging around the classrooms.' The dog was discovered at the bottom of a pit which had been dug five foot deep.
        It was rescued by officials and taken to a local veterinarian practice for an examination.
        Experts said the animal was disabled, although it is believed that it could have been injured during a previous road traffic accident.
        Lucky: Rescue workers had to dig for five feet below ground in cape Town to find the stray dog, luckily the stray was still alive when he was found
        Lucky: Rescue workers had to dig for five feet below ground in cape Town to find the stray dog, luckily the stray was still alive when he was found
        Police spokesman Frederick van Wyk today confirmed two 59-year-old men had been arrested and would be charged.
        He said: 'The two men were arrested on Thursday afternoon and they remain in custody. They will be charged with animal cruelty under the Animal Act.' 
        Officials said they believed the suspects buried the dog on the orders of a senior caretaker who had become tired of it hanging around the state-run school.
        Cape Town's provincial government last night launched an investigation into the incident.
        Department of education spokeswoman Bronagh Casey said: 'We are horrified by this incident and our district office is investigating.' 
        Warrior was today receiving medical assistance at Khayelitsha's Mdzananda Animal Clinic, which is backed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
        Centre manager Jane Levinson said: 'This story is tragic and, as awful as this story is, without access to animal welfare these are the kinds of desperate measures people resort to when they have nowhere to turn for help.
        'None of this excuses the decision of a senior, and presumably educated and intelligent supervisor, to instruct his juniors to dispose of a problem dog in such a cruel fashion.'


        by dailymail.co.uk

        WHY WERE ANYONE IS ALLOWED TO KEEP A PRIVATE ZOO OR EVEN ZOO, IF SLAVERY HAS BEEN BANISHED, ZOO'S SHOULD ALSO BE BANISHED - The ones that got away: Sad survivors of exotic animal bloodbath after 'time bomb' private zoo owner opened the cages and shot himself


      • Residents permitted to go outdoors after 48 beasts spotted roaming the highways killed

      • Owner Terry Thompson freed the animals before shooting himself

      • He was dragged by the head by a big cat biting him after his death

      • He was separated from his wife and had recently been in jail on weapons charges and had a record for animal cruelty

      • Experts mourn deaths of 18 endangered Bengal tigers


      • Caged and alone, the sad survivors of the exotic animal bloodbath in Ohio are now in the care of the Columbus Zoo. 
        Six animals - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the zoo after they were freed by their owner before he killed himself.
        'We are happy to report they all seem to be doing very well,' zoo spokeswoman Patti Peters said in a statement on Thursday.
        A surviving grizzly bear peers out from a cage at the Columbus Zoo after being captured by authorities
        A surviving grizzly bear peers out from a cage at the Columbus Zoo after being captured by authorities
        This leopard is one of three that was saved after the bloodbath. Sheriff's deputies shot and killed 48 of the animals
        This leopard is one of three that was saved after the bloodbath. Sheriff's deputies shot and killed 48 of the animals
        Meanwhile the man who released the 'Noah's Ark' of deadly animals into Zanesville, Ohio, before killing himself has been described by neighbours as a gun-crazed animal lover who was having a tough year.
        Terry Thompson, standing with his award-winning Percheron horses in 2008, was recently released from jail, where he was sent after a weapons bust
        Terry Thompson, standing with his award-winning Percheron horses in 2008, was recently released from jail, where he was sent after a weapons bust
        Vietnam veteran Terry Thompson had reportedly separated from his wife, who was not at the ranch when he released the animals. 
        Sheriff Matt Lutz said he spoke to Mr Thompson's wife and that she was distraught over the loss of her husband and the animals.
        'You have to understand these animals were like kids to her,' Mr Lutz said. 
        'She probably spent more time with these animals than some parents do spend with their kids.'
        Mr Thompson, 62, was released from prison on September 30 after serving a year in jail on charges stemming from an arsenal of weapons he had in his home - which included machine guns and a sniper rifle.
        He was also convicted of animal cruelty in 2005 after three animals at his farm died. 
        Mr Thompson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and also had a bite wound on the head that appeared to have come from a large cat, such as a Bengal tiger, Mrt Lutz said.
        It appeared the bite occurred soon after Mr Thompson shot himself and that his body had been dragged a short distance.
        Neighbours described Mr Thompson as having a passion for exotic creatures, which led to tensions in the area. He had had repeated run-ins with the law and his neighbours. 
        Mr Lutz said that the sheriff's office had received numerous complaints since 2004 about animals escaping onto neighbours' property. 
        One of two macaques that were captured by authorities in the Ohio tragedy. Macaques are short tailed monkeys found in Asia and Africa
        One of two macaques that were captured by authorities in the Ohio tragedy. Macaques are short tailed monkeys found in Asia and Africa
        Orphaned but alive: One of three leopards captured, a black leopard, was one of Terry Thompson's 'babies', as the dozens of exotic animals were known
        Orphaned but alive: One of three leopards captured, a black leopard, was one of Terry Thompson's 'babies', as the dozens of exotic animals were known
        John Ellenberger, a neighbour, speculated that Thompson freed the animals in an act of spite against neighbours and police. 'Nobody much cared for him,' Mr Ellenberger said.
        Fred Polk, who lived near Mr Thompson's ranch, told the Great Falls Tribune that his neighbour's assortment of wildlife was a 'time bomb waiting to happen'.
        Angie McElfresh, who lives in an apartment near the farm and hid with her family in fear, said: 'It could have been an "f-you" to everybody around him.'
        Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - in a big-game hunt across the countryside on Wednesday after Mr Thompson threw the cages open at the Muskingum County Animal Farm and then committed suicide.
        Tragic: Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - across the state's countryside on Wednesday
        Tragic: Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - across the state's countryside on Wednesday
        Dead: owner of the animals Terry Thompson was found dead by police at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, but cause of death has not been determined
        Dead: Owner of the animals Terry Thompson was found dead by police at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, but cause of death has not been determined
        Dead: Owner of the animals Terry Thompson was found dead by police at the Muskingum County Animal Farm. He had previous gun charges and was separated from his wife
        As homeowners nervously hid indoors, officers armed with high-powered rifles and shoot-to-kill orders fanned out through fields and woods to hunt down the 56 animals that had been turned loose.
        After an all-night hunt that extended into yesterday afternoon, 48 animals were killed. As well as the lions and Bengal tigers they were six black bears, two grizzlies, a wolf, a baboon and three mountain lions.
        Six others - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo.
        Another monkey that was carrying the dangerous Herpes B virus is believed to be dead after being eaten by one of the other animals, and a second wolf was later found dead.
        The dead animals were being buried on Mr Thompson's farm, officials said.
        USA-ANIMALS/LOOSE - Map locating Zanesville, Ohio, where police shot dozens of exotic animals dead on Tuesday after their owner released them and then committed suicide. With chart of animal types involved. RNGS. (SIN06)
        Stench of death: Numerous carcasses lie on the ground at the barn of Muskingum County Animal Farm after dozens of exotic beasts were freed last night
        Stench of death: Numerous carcasses lie on the ground at the barn of Muskingum County Animal Farm after dozens of exotic beasts were shot
        Jack Hanna, renowned wildlife expert and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, told the Columbus Dispatch: 'It’s like Noah wrecking his ark right here in Zanesville, Ohio.'

        OHIO LAW ON EXOTIC ANIMALS

        The law on the possession of exotic animals in Ohio expired in April of this year. It said: 
        'No person may bring into the state a non-domestic animal unless the possessor: obtains an entry permit; health certificate certifying the animal is free of infectious diseases; and a certificate of veterinary inspection. Persons in the state possessing non-domestic animals do not need to obtain a permit.' 
        The Humane Society of United States urged Ohio officials to issue an emergency rule to crack down on exotic animal ownership after yesterday's incident. 
        The organisation said that if the previous emergency order issued by then-Governor Ted Strickland had not expired, then Thompson 'would almost certainly have had his animals removed by May 1, 2011.'
        Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.
        Mr Hanna defended the sheriff's decision to kill the animals but said the deaths of the Bengal tigers were particularly tragic. 
        There are only about 1,400 of the endangered cats left in the world, he said.
        'When I heard 18, I was still in disbelief,' he said. 'The most magnificent creature in the entire world, the tiger is.'
        As the hunt went on around Zanesville, population 25,000, schools closed in the mostly rural area of farms and widely spaced homes 55 miles east of Columbus. 
        Parents were warned to keep children and pets indoors. 
        And flashing signs along highways told motorists, 'Caution exotic animals' and 'Stay in vehicle.'
        Officers were ordered to kill the animals instead of trying to bring them down with tranquillisers for fear that those hit with darts would escape in the darkness and would later regain consciousness.
        'Mr Lutz said: 'These animals were on the move, they were showing aggressive behaviour. Once nightfall hit, our biggest concern was having these animals roaming.'
        Mr Thompson had rescued some of the animals at his preserve and purchased many others, said Columbus Zoo spokeswoman Miss Peters.
        Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz was joined by Columbus Zoo director emeritus Jack Hanna as he announced the animal round up
        Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz was joined by Columbus Zoo director emeritus and wildlife expert Jack Hanna as he announced the animal round up
        The body of a lion, thought to have been shot dead by police, lies in the undergrowth close to the reserve
        Carcass: The body of a lion, thought to have been shot dead by police, lies in the undergrowth close to the reserve
        It was not immediately clear how Mr Thompson managed to support the preserve and what is purpose was, since it was not open to the public. 
        But Mr Thompson had appeared on the Rachael Ray Show in 2008 as an animal handler for a zoologist guest, said show spokeswoman Lauren Nowell.
        Larry Hostetler, the executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County, told CNN that Mr Thompson had also once supplied a lion cub for a photoshoot with supermodel Heidi Klum.
        Temporary graveyard: The bodies of various dead animals were seen on Terry Thompson's property in Zanesville, Ohio on Wednesday
        Temporary graveyard: The bodies of various dead animals were seen on Terry Thompson's property in Zanesville, Ohio
        Dead: Authorities are still trying to capture or kill the wild animal that escaped and have accounted for around 35 of them
        Dead: Authorities are still trying to capture or kill all the animals that escaped
        He said: 'I wrote a letter to Heidi Klum's people. I strongly voiced my opinion that if they're going to hire animals for entertainment, they might want to check handlers' backgrounds - that Terry Thompson had been convicted of animal cruelty. Of course, I never heard anything back.'
        The sheriff's office started getting calls on Tuesday evening that wild animals were loose just west of Zanesville. Deputies went to the animal preserve and found Mr Thompson dead and all the cages open. Several aggressive animals were near his body and had to be shot, the sheriff said.
        Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Merry was among the first to respond on Tuesday. 
        He said he shot a number of animals, including a gray wolf and a black bear. He said the bear charged him and he fired his pistol, killing it with one shot when it was about seven feet away.
        Warning: A sign posted on Interstate 70 warns drivers of animals loose in the area around Zanesville, Ohio, until all are accounted for
        Warning: A sign posted on Interstate 70 warns drivers of animals on the loose in the area around Zanesville, Ohio
        A bear is pictured on the loose shortly after its escape
        A bear is pictured on the loose shortly after its escape
        Mr Merry said: 'All these animals have the ability to take a human out in the length of a second.'
        'What a tragedy,' said Barb Wolfe, a vet with The Wilds, a nearby zoo-sponsored wild animal preserve. 
        She said she managed to hit a tiger with a tranquilliser dart, but the animal charged toward her and then turned and began to flee before the drug could take effect, and deputies shot it.
        'It was like a war zone with all the shooting,' said Sam Kopchak, who was outside on Tuesday when he saw Mr Thompson's horses acting up. Mr Kopchak said he turned and saw a male lion on the other side of a fence.
        'The fence is not going to be a fence that's going to hold an African lion,' Mr Kopchak said.
        At a nearby Moose Lodge, Bill Weiser said: 'It's breaking my heart, them shooting those animals.'
        Ohio has some of the nation's weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them. 
        At least nine people have been injured since 2005 and one person was killed, according to Born Free USA, an animal advocacy group.
        Today: Terry Thompson's property, where dozens of large exotic animals including tigers, lions and bears were hunted down and shot after their owner opened their cages at his Ohio farm
        Terry Thompson's property, where dozens of large exotic animals including tigers, lions and bears were released when he opened their cages
        Zoo map
        The state requires permits for bears but doesn't regulate the ownership of animals like lions and tigers.
        Last summer, an animal caretaker was killed by a bear at a property in Cleveland. The caretaker had opened the bear's cage on keeper Sam Mazzola's property for a routine feeding.
        Although animal rights activists had wanted Mr Mazzola charged with reckless homicide, the caretaker's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later destroyed.
        This summer, Mr Mazzola was found dead on a water bed at his home in Columbia Township, 15 miles south-west of Cleveland. He was wearing a mask and with his arms and legs had been restrained when he was discovered,
        It was never revealed how many animals were on the property when Mr Mazzola died, but he had said in a bankruptcy filing in May 2010 that he owned four tigers, a lion, eight bears and 12 wolves.
        The U.S. Department of Agriculture had revoked his licence to exhibit animals after activists campaigned against him letting people wrestle with one bear.
        On Wednesday, the Humane Society of the United States criticized Governor John Kasich for allowing a statewide ban on the buying and selling of exotic pets to expire in April. 
        The organisation urged the state to immediately issue emergency restrictions.
        'How many incidents must we catalogue before the state takes action to crack down on private ownership of dangerous exotic animals?' Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, asked in a statement.
        Mr Kasich said on Wednesday during a meeting of Dix Communications editors: 'Clearly, we need tougher laws. We haven't had them in this state. Nobody's dealt with this, and we will. And we'll deal with it in a comprehensive way.'
        Barney Long, an expert at the World Wildlife Fund, noted that tigers in general are endangered. He said there appear to be fewer of them living in the wild than there are in captivity in the U.S. alone. Over the last century, the worldwide population has plunged from about 100,000 in the wild to as few as 3,200, he said.
        More than half are Bengal tigers, which live in isolated pockets across Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, he said in a telephone interview.
        'The tragic shooting of 18 tigers in Ohio really highlights what is happening on a daily basis to tigers in the wild throughout Asia,' Mr Long added in an email. 'Their numbers are being decimated by poaching and habitat loss, and that is the real travesty here.'
        Search: At least 35 of the 48 wild animals are believed to have been accounted for
        An official put out flares to warn residents during the hunt for the animals
        Hunt: Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz speaks to the media after dozens of exotic animals escaped an enclosure in Zanesville, Ohio
        Hunt: Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz speaks to the media after the escape of the exotic animals


        by dailymail.co.uk