In case of Divorce, Pets Will Be Treated Like Children in Alaska Courts

Divorce between husband and wife can be convoluted and it can affect the whole family and it almost always end up in a fight on who gets what house, children, TV, and pets. A lot of times pet lovers are asking, can you consider your pet to be your child? However, in law, animals are treated as property. So although pet custody battles are often passionate and ugly courts consider pets as part of the “property distribution” in a divorce.

In Alaska they have amended their divorce statutes that took effect last week, which is trending in the world of animal law. It makes Alaska the first state in the U.S. to require courts to take “into consideration the well-being of the animal” and to explicitly empower judges to assign joint custody of pets. In a blog post, the Animal Legal Defense Fund called the well-being provision “groundbreaking and unique.”

“It is significant,” said David Favre, a Michigan State University law professor who specializes in animal law. “For the first time, a state has specifically said that a companion animal has visibility in a divorce proceeding beyond that of property — that the court may award custody on the basis of what is best for the dog, not the human owners.”

Unfortunately for fish lovers, law does not include it.

Pensacola Man Accused Of Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting a Pit Bull

Bradley Jean Hubbard, 23 of Pensacola was arrested after being accused of allegedly raping and sexually assaulting a Pit Bull for over 3½ years. He was arrested on Monday at his Pelham Drive address after a family member reported the ongoing sexual assault of the family pet, a pit bull or bull dog mix named "Baby Girl."

Hubbard lived with his father and his father's girlfriend during the period of the offenses, which allegedly had continued for more than three years.

A family member who lived in the home reported the incident, saying she had physically seen Hubbard take the animal to his bedroom and engage in sexual contact with the dog, estimating it to have happened more than 100 times in the past several years. She had been able to witness the attack as Hubbard's bedroom door has a hole in it, as a result of a violent outburst. She also said that she heard the dog cry out in pain during episodes that she said escalated during 2016. She told police Hubbard brushed off questions by saying the victimized animal was in heat.

Hubbard’s roommate told officers she didn’t report it earlier because she “did not want to get Hubbard in trouble.

GoPro-Wearing Guide Dog Shows the Struggle of a Blind Person and his guide dog

A blind British man, Amit Patel who works in London, depend on his guide dog named "Kika" to get him through his busy commute each day. He strapped a Gopro on her vest to record everything she sees throughout the day. Kika is a 3-year-old Labrador.

Mr. Patel lost his eyesight five years ago due to a disorder called keratoconus. Keratoconus is when the shape of one's cornea changes, causing limited sight, blurred vision and glare.

Patel said Kika has changed his life tremendously, Kika have been helping him navigate the sometimes tough streets on London to commute to work. He volunteers at The Royal National Institute of Blind People.

He said "99% of my journeys are absolutely fantastic. There are so many nice people out there, but it's that 1 percent that makes life difficult." There are times they encounter rude people during his commute. He said sometimes people will "budge her," "poke her or push her," and one terrible incident when other commuters told him, "'Oh, that lady just hit your dog with an umbrella.'".

Patel started a Twitter account, @Kika_GuideDog, to raise awareness of the importance of guide dogs. He even recently strapped a Go Pro camera onto Kika so people can see what it's like for a guide dog to do its tough job.

Happy New Year 2017

Every New Year it gives you the perfect chance to start something new and fresh. So do your best this year and make the world a better place for yourself and others. Happy New Year to you, your family and furry friends!

Cops Can Now Legally Execute Your Dog

The United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled on Monday December 19 that cops are justified in killing pets even if those animals are not attacking or attempting to attack them.

Circuit Judges Moore and Clay, and District Judge Hood heard an appeal from the plaintiffs Mark and Cheryl Brown, of Battle Creek, Michigan. The Browns filed a lawsuit against the BATTLE CREEK Police Department, the City of Battle Creek, and officers Jeffrey Case, Christof Klein, and Damon Young for the death of their beloved dogs at the hands of sadistic cops. The killing happened on April 17th, 2013, when police were attempting to execute a search warrant on the home where the Browns were living because a police informant reported another man, Vincent Jones was distributing heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from the residence. Jones was apprehended before police arrived on the scene.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/police-can-now-kill-dog-barking-getting-way/#EhiGvMuKRoHMBDER.99

Merry Christmas 2016

In this wonderful and happiest of seasons, may you find many reasons to celebrate. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Do You Share Your Bed With Your Pets?

Pet owners consider their furry friends as a family member and some are so attached to their pets that they want to be with their friend as much as possible letting them even in the owner's bed.

According to PetMd, the largest website library of pet health information, about 80% of pet owners let their pets on their beds and around 50% sleep in their owner’s beds.

So the question is it healthy to sleep with pets?

According to Derek Damin (Kentuckiana Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Louisville, Kentucky) pet owners who suffer from pet allergies or asthma should not sleep with their dog or cat or even allow them in the bedroom. They should also use HEPA filter and keep them out of the bedroom to give your nose a few hours a day to recover. They can also take allergy shots to build up a tolerance to the pet dander that causes allergic reactions.

If you have no allergy from pet or asthma there’s really no big issue with having a dog in the bed according to Damin, who for years shared his bed with his miniature dachshund. It’s fine as long as it doesn’t disturb your sleep. Having pets on your bed also put you in a relaxed state, that can relieve stress giving you a better sleep.

Make sure your pets are clean and healthy since they can transmit illness or zoonotic diseases. It is also advisable train the dogs first before allowing them to sleep in their owners' beds so that it doesn't cause behavioral problems. They may become aggressive if the owners let them sleep on their beds.