A crafty dad has received praise from pet owners after building a ‘library’ that all dogs can use to borrow and return sticks at a newly opened pooch park.

Earlier this month, toolmaker Andrew Taylor, 59, was trimming the trees at the side of his house in Kaiapoi, New Zealand, when he had an ingenious idea on how to recycle the branches that he cut off.

Andrew smoothed down the hardwood branches and put them in a box which he sanded the edges of the to make it safer for dogs to reach into it.

Finally, he brought the gift to the dog park that had just opened in his town and engraved it with the words "Stick Library".


Source

Jon Bon Jovi has proven to be more than just a successful pop star. He has started a foundation called JBJ Soul Kitchen, which is currently about to open its third community restaurant.

People who do not have the funds to eat a healthy and nutritious hot meal can come to this restaurant where they’re served without judgment. This third restaurant is opening at the Rutgers University campus in New Jersey. Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Hurley explained their inspiration behind JBJ Soul Kitchen and how they got involved in it.

View this post on Instagram

I am hopeful that the next generation will positively impact our world - they are engaged, informed and want to make a difference. Thanks for joining us for #GivingHopeDay and sharing what gives you hope. #givingtuesday

A post shared by Soul Kitchen (@jbjsoulkitchen) on Nov 28, 2017 at 4:02pm PST

“Hunger doesn’t look like what your mind’s eye might imagine,” Hurley told CBS Sunday Morning host, Tracy Smith. “It’s the people at your church. It’s the kids that go to school with your kids. And I think that was eye-opening for a lot of the community here that said, ‘Oh, there are no homeless people here.'”

Homelessness is a social taboo that isn’t spoken of too frequently. Because of this stigmatization, people who are homeless or poor might not seek help and won’t get access to the resources they need.

With the goal of providing the community’s people in need with quality food, the pair opened their first JBJ Soul Kitchen in 2011 in Red Bank, New Jersey. The JBJ Soul Kitchen doesn’t show any prices on the menu and the visitors have the option to pay what they can miss. Additionally, guests that can afford it have the possibility to pay for other people’s meal as well. If people can’t pay at all, they are asked to volunteer. Nearly all of the work is done by volunteers and most of the food is donated.

View this post on Instagram

Thank you to everyone who came out for our 5th Annual Chili Cook-Off! Congratulations to our winners: 1st Place: New Jersey State Police – “Bad Medicine” 2nd Place: Lanoka Harbor First Aid – “Blaze of Glory” 3rd Place: Toms River Fire Dept., Company #1 – “The Boys on the Hill” We appreciate everyone coming out to support JBJ Soul Kitchen Toms River and all of the first responders who participated. Special thanks to Home Run Party Entertainment for providing free children’s activities and Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation Inc. for performing throughout the event. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year! #jbjsoulkitchen #tomsriver #chilicookoff #tomsriverlocal

A post shared by Soul Kitchen (@jbjsoulkitchen) on Oct 9, 2019 at 11:19am PDT

The newest project of Bon Jovi and his wife is aimed at students of Rutgers University who are having a hard time paying for nutritious food. Bon Jovi said: “We all think it’s a rite of passage to study hard and eat ramen noodles. How about if it’s the only thing you can afford?”

The couple is not planning to stop there, they want to keep opening different JBJ Soul Kitchens as long as there is a need for it. It’s obviously nothing like the performing life that Bon Jovi is used to, but there’s a different sense of fulfillment that comes along with it. “It can obviously never compare to performing or writing songs,” the rockstar said. “But what it does do is it gives you the same sense of fulfillment, I think, when I leave here at night and you see the lives you touch. I have left here, you know, after a long night of volunteering and said, ‘That makes you feel the same kind of good.’ You know? And that’s what I say, the way to feel good is to do good, you know? Find your good and do it.”

Source

Tail docking and ear cropping are extremely painful, totally unnecessary procedures that handicap dogs for life.


A recent study finds that nearly half of Americans believe certain breeds of dogs are born with pointy ears and without tails.

Missing tails and erect ears have become such common characteristics of many dogs that many study participants couldn’t identify the breed without them.

Can you?


How about now?


It’s a Doberman Pinscher, one of America’s most popular breeds.

Other breeds that were unrecognizable without these features were boxers, miniature Schnauzer and the Brussels Griffon:




Contrary to the belief of 42% of Americans, this is not how these dogs were born.

Their tails and a good chunk of their ears were chopped off shortly after birth.

Euphemistically called tail docking and ear cropping, they are amputations of necessary body parts to make them aesthetically pleasing to their owners.
Study author Katelyn Mills thought the lack of awareness of survey respondents may be somewhat intentional.

“People disconnect themselves from things if they find it uncomfortable,” she told the Washington Post. “They don’t want to know about it.”

Tail docking involves cutting through a 3-to-5-day-old dog’s tail bone with scissors and scalpels or cutting off blood circulation to the tail with a rubber-band until it falls off.

Both procedures are typically done without anesthetic.

Ear cropping involves cutting a dog’s ears into the owner’s desired shape ((Dobermans might get a ‘military crop’ or a ‘show crop’) and then forcing them upright with tape for months until they heal and stand up on their own.


Sadly, these ear-training headbands are sold on eBay.

Not only are these surgeries excruciatingly painful, they are robbing dogs of body parts they evolved to have for a reason.

Tails and ears allow dogs to communicate with each other and other species, and when they are missing all kinds of body language and emotional cues are missing.

For example, floppy ears and a wagging tail are usually indicators of a happy dog, one who is safe to pet or play with, while dogs with erect ears and a straight tail might be gearing up for a fight.

Research shows dogs with cropped ears and tails are perceived as more aggressive, no matter what mood they may be in, making it harder for them to socialize with other dogs:


While that might be a desirable thing for dog fighters, hunters and ranchers, who wanted the dogs to appear dominant to their prey or adversaries, it’s not nice for the dog.

”What is scary to me about the cropping is that you’re essentially creating a very alert, forward-looking appearance, even if that is not how the dog is wanting to present itself,” writes canine writer Julie Hecht for The Scientific American.

She notes that the dogs’ appearance can reduce their chances of being adopted or getting affection from humans or other dogs.

“In terms of how dogs are perceived by humans alone, I feel very bad for them. It’s nice to be perceived as friendly and approachable.”

Source

As many of us know from TV, dogs and cats are often portrayed as ‘enemies’. However, this Husky from Texas recently found her best friend, and surprisingly enough, it is a tabby cat.

Christina always wanted both a dog and a cat that she could raise together. So, she took her Tamaskan Husky, Raven, to pick out a cat for herself.

Seemingly, Christina knew that she had to let Raven select her cat, so she could be sure that the two animals would get along. So, one day she took Raven to an animal shelter in Lubbock, Texas.

When they arrived at the shelter, Raven found herself in the company of four cats. Out of all of the cats, a cute tabby named Woodhouse was the only one who interacted with Raven.

Delighted, Christina recognized the pair’s instant connection. On that day, they all went home together, and Christina and Raven have welcomed Woodhouse as the newest addition to their family.

From that day on, Raven and Woodhouse did everything together. They’re what friendship goals are all about. The two cuddle, play, and eat together, and they even share their food and toys.

Woodhouse doesn’t care that Raven is larger than her because she is fearless, and she always chases Raven around the house.

Below, you can take a look at some of the most adorable photos from their Instagram.



Source