HBO Named in Lawsuit Claiming “Luck” Producers Ignored Horse Abuse
HBO/Time Warner(LOS ANGELES) — HBO has been sued by a former employee of the American Humane Association, who claims she was fired by the group after she complained about the abuse of horses on the set of the cable network’s short-lived 2012 series Lu…
Relationship Ranch: Horses Help Couples Heal Broken Hearts
Horses are being used in an unconventional form of couples counseling at a Colorado ranch. (ABC News)(LOUISVILLE, Colo.) — It’s fascinating to watch a man trying to win back the love of his life by talking to a horse.Horse therapy has been used for d…
Wranglers Say "The Hobbit" Killed 27 Animals, Producers Deny It
Warner Bros. Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — Although the American Humane Association, which is policing animal welfare on The Hobbit, said no animals were killed during filming, wranglers associated with the film claim that 27 animals died due to farming con…
Max the Dog Survives Sandy’s Wrath and Death of Owner
Jessie Streich-Kest was walking her dog when a tree fell and killed Jessie on Oct. 29, 2012. (Courtesy NYCCommunities)(NEW YORK) — Max, a friendly pit-bull-pointer-shepherd mix, was saved by a good Samaritan Tuesday, after he was found trapped under a…
California Bidding Au Revoir to Foie Gras
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — The French delicacy known as foie gras will disappear off California menus and plates Sunday. Restaurants caught serving the buttery treat can be fined up to $1,000.Made from the fattened livers of ducks a…
‘Zoobiquity’: 7 Diseases Animals Share With Humans
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz is a sort of modern day Dr. Dolittle.For the past six years, the UCLA cardiologist has been consulting with the Los Angeles Zoo to help treat diseases found in animals. Natterson-Horow…
Man with Zebra, Parrot in Front Seat Charged with DUI
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DUBUQUE, Iowa) — Police in Dubuque, Iowa, responded to an unusual call this week: reports of a zebra and a parrot in the front seat of a truck parked outside a bar. The striped animal and his fine feathered friend were there to …
Dog Rescues Unconscious Owner from Oncoming Train
Courtesy Angell Animal Medical Center(BOSTON) — A Massachusetts pit bull named Lilly took on a freight train last week to save her owner, who collapsed unconscious onto the tracks during a late-night walk in Shirley. The 8-year-old dog used her teeth …
Therapy Dog ‘Spirit’, Once Abused, Eases Pain for Sick, Dying
Goodshoot/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — For the last week, Archibald Downer—a 65-year-old on dialysis—has been painfully poked and prodded with needles as doctors try to figure out why his fever and blood pressure won’t go down. He is bedridden a…
Gorilla Reported At Large in Alabama
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) — Authorities in Alabama are on the hunt for at least one gorilla after reports surfaced that the animal was spotted near a store in rural Newbern, Ala.The Hale County Sheriff’s Office said the town’s…
Dozens of Animals Seized in ‘Extreme’ Hoarding Case
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(MARICOPA, Ariz.) — Ninety-three dogs and five exotic birds were seized from a private residence in Maricopa, Ariz., in what officials called an “extreme” case of animal hoarding.“The floors were covered in fe…