Tag: dogs

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Everyday Is #NationalPetDay In Our House

Hubby Michael and the kids from a few years ago

Today is National Pet Day and to celebrate I’m looking back at when there were more dogs living in our house than people.

Basically, everyday is National Pet Day in our house, although I’ve never been a fan of the word “pet.” I feel like I belong to the furry family members in our home.

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Dog Dies On United Airlines Flight After Being Put In Overhead Bin

Flight attendants on a United Airlines flight insisted a family put their dog in the overhead compartment instead of under the seat in front of them for a three hour flight.

The result was devastating.

A passenger on the plane shared her account of the fateful flight.

Today, I boarded my first United Airlines flight.

On my way, I saw a Frenchie that looked identical to my own precious Winston. He was with his family – a young girl, no older than 8, her toddler sibling and their mother. He was meant to grow, learn, cry, play with those young children and be their furry friend. He was meant to live a long life filling that family’s days with that special joy that only a dog can bring.

I sat behind the family of three and thought myself lucky – who doesn’t when they get to sit near a puppy? However, the flight attendants of flight UA1284 felt that the innocent animal was better off crammed inside the overhead container without air and water. They INSISTED that the puppy be locked up for three hours without any kind of airflow. They assured the safety of the family’s pet so wearily, the mother agreed.

There was no sound as we landed and opened his kennel. There was no movement as his family called his name. I held her baby as the mother attempted to resuscitate their 10 month old puppy. I cried with them three minutes later as she sobbed over his lifeless body. My heart broke with theirs as I realized he was gone.

The Humane Society of the U.S. says air travel can be risky for pets and especially dangerous for brachycephalic breeds — such as pugs or bulldogs, whose short nasal passages make them vulnerable to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke. This little guy fought hard for his life, filling our flight with his cries until he finally ran out of breath.

United Airlines does not care about the safety of their furry travelers. This poor family paid $125 for their pet to be murdered in front of them. There is no excuse for the pain this family is suffering.

Today, I boarded my last United Airlines flight.

After the dog was discovered to have passed away, the flight attendant told the passengers she thought it was just a bag and didn’t know the dog was inside.

The family says the flight attendant is lying.

The dog was traveling in a TSA-compliant travel kennel that was designed to fit under a seat.

According to Fox News, United Airlines spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin has issued this statement:

“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”

According to a US Department of Transportation report issued in February, 18 animals died in United’s care last year compared with six killed among all other U.S. airlines.

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Olympian Gus Kenworthy Rescues Puppy From Korean Dog Farm

Matthew Wilkas (L), Gus Kenworthy (R) and Beemo

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy, who famously saved two puppies found near Olympic Village during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, has rescued another pup – this time from Korea.

In a moving social media post, Kenworthy shared pictures from a visit he and his boyfriend Matthew Wilkas made to a “dog farm” in South Korea.

The term “dog farm” makes my skin crawl.

In the post, he introduced the world to his new furry family member (above) named “Beemo.”

Via Instagram:

This morning Matt and I had a heart-wrenching visited to one of the 17,000 dog farms here in South Korea. Across the country there are 2.5 million dogs being raised for food in some of the most disturbing conditions imaginable.

Yes, there is an argument to be made that eating dogs is a part of Korean culture. And, while don’t personally agree with it, I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideals on the people here.

The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty. I was told that the dogs on this particular farm were kept in “good conditions” by comparison to other farms. The dogs here are malnourished and physically abused, crammed into tiny wire-floored pens, and exposed to the freezing winter elements and scorching summer conditions.

When it comes time to put one down it is done so in front of the other dogs by means of electrocution sometimes taking up to 20 agonizing minutes.

Despite the beliefs of the Korean public at large, these dogs are no different from the ones we call pets back home. Some of them were even pets at one time and were stolen or found and sold into the dog meat trade.

Luckily, this particular farm (thanks to the hard work of the Humane Society International and the cooperation of a farmer who’s seen the error of his ways) is being permanently shut down and all 90 of the dogs here will be brought to the US and Canada where they’ll find their fur-ever homes.

I adopted the sweet baby in the first pic (we named her Beemo) and she’ll be coming to the US to live with me as soon as she’s through with her vaccinations in a short couple of weeks. I cannot wait to give her the best life possible!

There are still millions of dogs here in need of help though (like the Great Pyrenees in the 2nd pic who was truly the sweetest dog ever). I’m hoping to use this visit as an opportunity to raise awareness to the inhumanity of the dog meat trade here in Korea and the plight of dogs everywhere, including back home in the US where millions of dogs are in need of loving homes!

Go to @hsiglobal’s page to see how you can help. #dogsarefriendsnotfood #adoptdontshop ❤️🐶

Seriously, this guy is a rock star.

You can see more pics from Gus’s post below.

This morning Matt and I had a heart-wrenching visited to one of the 17,000 dog farms here in South Korea. Across the country there are 2.5 million dogs being raised for food in some of the most disturbing conditions imaginable. Yes, there is an argument to be made that eating dogs is a part of Korean culture. And, while don’t personally agree with it, I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideals on the people here. The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty. I was told that the dogs on this particular farm were kept in “good conditions” by comparison to other farms. The dogs here are malnourished and physically abused, crammed into tiny wire-floored pens, and exposed to the freezing winter elements and scorching summer conditions. When it comes time to put one down it is done so in front of the other dogs by means of electrocution sometimes taking up to 20 agonizing minutes. Despite the beliefs of the Korean public at large, these dogs are no different from the ones we call pets back home. Some of them were even pets at one time and were stolen or found and sold into the dog meat trade. Luckily, this particular farm (thanks to the hard work of the Humane Society International and the cooperation of a farmer who’s seen the error of his ways) is being permanently shut down and all 90 of the dogs here will be brought to the US and Canada where they’ll find their fur-ever homes. I adopted the sweet baby in the first pic (we named her Beemo) and she’ll be coming to the US to live with me as soon as she’s through with her vaccinations in a short couple of weeks. I cannot wait to give her the best life possible! There are still millions of dogs here in need of help though (like the Great Pyrenees in the 2nd pic who was truly the sweetest dog ever). I’m hoping to use this visit as an opportunity to raise awareness to the inhumanity of the dog meat trade here in Korea and the plight of dogs everywhere, including back home in the US where millions of dogs are in need of loving homes! Go to @hsiglobal’s page to see how you can help. #dogsarefriendsnotfood #adoptdontshop ❤️🐶
A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 23, 2018 at 8:10am PST

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Donald Trump “Embarrassed” Mike Pence Has Pets, Calls Them “Low Class”

Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Donald Trump (R)

Just one more horrible thing to learn about Donald Trump.

Last week, folks were quoting an article at The Atlantic by Mckay Coppins wherein Donald Trump was quoted as saying Vice President Mike Pence wants to “hang” all the gays.

But what didn’t get hardly any attention was the next paragraph where a White House adviser shared that Trump was embarrassed that Pence brought his family pets with him to Washington, D.C.

Apparently, Donald Trump thinks having pets is “low class.”

When it was reported last January that the Pences would be moving some of their family pets—which include two cats, a rabbit, and a snake—into the Naval Observatory, Trump ridiculed the menagerie to his secretary, according to a longtime adviser. “He was embarrassed by it; he thought it was so low class,” says the adviser. “He thinks the Pences are yokels.”