Summary: The Science Behind Loving Our Pets Anthropologist John Bradshaw says our love for pets is in our DNA. It’s likely that if our parents carried the gene, you’ll inherently love pets. John explains why humans are genetically encoded to enjoy companion animals. The Importance of Pet Enrichment It isn’t enough to supply food, shelter and health care for your pet. They need more. Your pet needs enrichment. This could mean anything from food puzzles to exercise. Dr. Marty Becker explains in the next segment of the Fear Free Expert Series. Facebook Data Reveals Differences Between Cat and Dog Owners Facebook is all about the data. Facebook combed through its user base collecting information from 160,000 users in the United States who shared photos of cats or dogs (or both). They used object recognition technology to identify photos. They found dog people have more friends and more likely to be in a relationship. 30% of cat people are not in a relationship, compared to 24% of dog people. This is just the tip of the data iceberg. Another Supposedly Euthanized Pet Found Alive A New Jersey woman who thought her dog was dead believed that her 15-year-old Mini Pinscher named Caesar had been euthanized 5 months earlier at her vet’s office. However, she recently found out that the dog had actually been living with an employee of the vet. Caesar’s owner had even picked up his collar, paid the bill and received a letter from the staff with their condolences. The woman received an anonymous tip from someone who told her that her dog was still alive and in the care of a vet technician that worked at the hospital but that the veterinarian no longer worked there. Puerto Rican’s Must Leave Pets Over 20 lbs. on the Island Puerto Ricans who want to get off the island after Hurricane Maria are having to leave their pets behind due to a new federal restriction. The federal government has taken custody of cargo compartments on planes in order to transport supplies and the feds are not allowing animals larger than 20 pounds to fly. It’s estimated that already about 2,000 locals left their pets behind because of the new restriction.
