Latest news with #OrangeCountyAnimalServices
Miami Herald
18-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Dog with ‘soulful eyes' waited at shelter. Then family 6 hours away was ‘moved by her'
A dog with 'soulful eyes' waited for a home — then she caught the attention of a family living in another state. The South Carolina couple drove six hours to a shelter in Florida, leading to a heartwarming adoption. 'They had been moved by her story, and wanted to meet her,' Orange County Animal Services wrote Feb. 15 on Facebook. 'They didn't ask a million questions about her behavior or her past. They didn't ask about her health or her size. They just saw a shy dog that needed their help; a dog with a sweet face and soulful eyes, and they just knew. This was the dog for them.' The dog, Helga Hufflepup, got a second chance after she arrived at the shelter 'skin and bones.' She had been living as a stray, scared and protective of her food. 'Though not much is known about her, it's not hard to deduce that she's been mistreated in the past,' the Orlando-based shelter wrote in a Feb. 10 post. 'She often flinches and closes her eyes, expecting a lot worse than a soft hand on her.' Over time, the 'sweet and shy' 2-year-old pup started to gain trust. As she waited roughly one month for a home, the shelter shared her story on social media. The same day it posted one of the updates, it received an unexpected email from the South Carolina couple. 'We get a lot of out of state, and even out of country requests for our animals,' the shelter wrote. 'It's rare that someone would actually make the trip to meet one of our dogs, but we responded, and let them know Helga was available. And their response? 'We're driving down this week to adopt her.'' Then the shelter shared the good news that the couple made the six-hour journey to become Helga's owners. Several Facebook users congratulated the pup on her next chapter, while others said the update made them emotional. Orange County Animal Services can't reveal adopters' personal information, such as the South Carolina couple's hometown, spokesperson Bryant Almeida told McClatchy News via email.
Miami Herald
17-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Sweet' dog hit by car lost both her leg and her home in Florida. Then came good news
A 'sweet' dog lost her leg after she was found on the roadside — then her luck took a turn for the better. 'She has regained mobility and has been healing wonderfully,' a Florida animal shelter wrote Feb. 12 in a Facebook post. 'It's a true testament to the resilience of animals. But we knew with three legs, she would still have a long road ahead of her.' Then came the good news that Paris the rescued pup was adopted into a new home. Orange County Animal Services shared the heartwarming update after she was found in rough shape in early 2025. 'A resident was driving on an Orlando road, and saw what she thought was a dead dog,' the shelter wrote. 'The dog was lying on the side of the road, and it appeared to have been hit by a car. As the resident drove by, the dog raised her head, and started wagging her tail sweetly, as if calling for help. The resident and picked her up, and brought her to us.' The dog was Paris, and animal services determined she had slipped out of her yard before she was hit by a car. The Orlando-based shelter contacted her owners, who said they couldn't afford the care she needed for her injured leg. After the family surrendered Paris, a veterinarian amputated her leg. Then it was time for the 'friendly, calm and sweet' dog to heal and wait for a new home. 'She may have lost her leg, but she hasn't lost her will to live or her ability to love,' animal services wrote. As the shelter tried to spread the word about Paris, it contacted a TV anchor and urged social media users to share her story. Then on Feb. 14, the shelter updated its Facebook post to say that Paris got a new home just in time for Valentine's Day. McClatchy News asked Orange County Animal Services for additional details about Paris' adoption journey and is awaiting a response.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rise in diagnoses is prompting more US adults to ask: ‘Do I have ADHD?'
Allison Burk's teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter's evaluation, Burk thought, 'Wait a minute. This sounds familiar,' she recalled. 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD — at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. Read: Orange County Animal Services to host free microchipping and vaccination event for pet owners A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here's a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren't diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn't complete college until her 30s because, 'when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim' and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Read: Triple fatal Palm Bay condo fire claims the lives of single family Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said one of the study's authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults — especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. 'That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people who'd had mild ADHD but were able to cope' before the pandemic. Read: Auschwitz was liberated 80 years ago. The spotlight is on survivors as their numbers dwindle The last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of 'I have ADHD' social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes. Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether it's become overdiagnosed. There's no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood. Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. 'There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is 'to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country,' said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Groundbreaking ceremony marks beginning of Hooters' first location in The Villages
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday morning for the first Hooters location in the Villages. ▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS The founders of the Hooters concept held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction. The restaurant will be located at the Lake Deaton Plaza in The Villages. Read: Orange County Animal Services to host free microchipping and vaccination event for pet owners The location will be 4,500 square feet inside and offer an outdoor patio. The opening of the restaurant is planned for early summer 2025. Read: Rolex 24 finale ignites the areas busiest season of the year HMC Hospitality Group recently signed a licensing deal with Tacos and Tequila Cantina for expansion and is looking at sites within The Villages, Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
