Latest news with #puppy
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Puppy leads rescuers to critically ill sibling in Brantford
A black puppy, known as Maple, is held in this undated image. (Courtesy: Brant County SPCA) The Brant County SPCA is looking for help to save the life of a critically ill puppy. In a social media post, the animal welfare organization said two people spotted a lone dog walking in the middle of Mohawk Street near Mohawk Chapel in Brantford. When the rescuers stopped to help, the dog led them into the bushes where they found two more dogs. 'One of them, a black puppy we've named Maple, was in critical shape,' the Brant County SPCA wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. 'The pup stayed by her side, licking her wounds and refusing to leave her. He did his part. Now it's our turn.' Maple Brant County SPCA Three puppies were photographed in the back of a vehicle in this undated image. (Courtesy: Brant County SPCA) The SPCA said Maple has a severe botfly wound, can barely stand and is experiencing seizures. They said blood tests have ruled out serious illnesses like canine parvovirus and distemper, but her fever is still dangerously high. 'We don't know what tomorrow holds for Maple, but we do know this: we won't give up on her and we know our community won't either,' they said. The SPCA has set up a fundraiser for Maple through Project Patchwork, their animal care program that helps raise money for specialized veterinary care.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm terrified of rabies, my Gen Z daughter fears climate change. Why anxiety is generational
Last month, I was convinced I had rabies. I didn't have any symptoms, or I'd hardly be sitting here writing this, but I was getting occasional intrusive flashes of panic that I was incubating the dread, 100-per cent-fatal virus that can first show symptoms months after exposure. My partner and I had been on holiday in Vietnam a few weeks before. As we were leaving a guesthouse in Ninh Binh, a friendly pet puppy skittered up behind me and lightly nipped my leg through my trousers. Now, there is rabies in Vietnam – 82 people died of it in 2023 – and you don't only get it from street dogs; it lurks even in puppies who seem playful. I weighed the evidence. I hadn't been vaccinated against rabies; most tourists don't bother because the jabs are expensive, and there is a 'post exposure' option if you do interact with a rabid animal. But because the skin on my leg hadn't been broken, I decided I was almost certainly going to be okay, carried on with my holiday, and basically forgot about it. Then, a few weeks after our return, the news was full of the terrible story of Yvonne Ford, a 59-year-old woman from Barnsley, who had died from rabies after being scratched by a puppy while on holiday in Morocco in February. Only scratched! Ford had started experiencing symptoms just two weeks prior to her death on June 11. Upon reading this, I started to worry – albeit in a controlled way. Should I get the 'post infection' set of jabs which would save me from certain death if I had been exposed? Was it worth the not insignificant £500 this would cost? Or should I just live with the very tiny risk? To add to my squirming brain, around this time there was a hostile incident between India and Pakistan, which the media always helpfully refer to as 'nuclear powers.' This brought back my teenage fear of nuclear war, of dying slowly of radiation sickness, as fed by such terrifying 1980s fare as the films Threads and The Day After. It really was Apocalypse Bingo for a while there, earlier this summer. I talked to my daughter, Annabel, 22, about what she made of my paranoias, and we started to explore the subject more deeply. I shared my Generation X fears: nuclear war, Aids – back in the day, at least – and rabies. (Who could forget those scary public information campaigns and screaming, red La Rage posters on cross-channel ferries?) Annabel, who is firmly Generation Z, told me she was worried about her economic future, 'brain aneurysms and freak deaths – I think this definitely comes from reading too much health journalism,' but most of all, climate change. 'Fears about climate change do occasionally keep me up at night,' she said. 'The heatwaves have been making me worried about the coming decades. It is clearly already happening. I think due to modern life we all forget how reliant we are upon the environment. Although the anxiety maybe isn't productive, I do think we should all be more concerned about climate change.' Why anxiety sticks with us I asked Owen O'Kane, a psychotherapist and the author of the bestselling book Addicted to Anxiety, what he made of all this. To a certain extent, the 'flavour' of our fears is due to what was making headlines at a formative period in our lives, he believes. 'Fashions change and we go through phases, your experience as an early adult stays with you,' he says. 'News headlines certainly don't help. The people who write them go for the worst-case scenario, the most catastrophic outcome. If you are anxious by nature, your 'anxious self' will gravitate towards these headlines.' If you tend towards anxiety, these more dramatic incidents are likely to affect you compared with an individual who is more sanguine. 'Anxious people are responsible people and they care deeply about things,' says O'Kane. 'They have a healthy altruistic core.' The problem, however, is that there's a risk anxiety can affect your life in a negative way. 'Your anxiety is like a watch guard, looking for a potential threat, and you might suddenly fixate on this threat,' says O'Kane. 'For example, a teenager might see a photo of a field of fire, and start worrying about climate change after a period of not thinking about it.' At heart, says O'Kane, anxiety is all about how much a person can tolerate the uncertainty of everyday life. 'To be worried is useful and has a function, to some degree,' he says. 'But it becomes a problem if we become obsessive, or avoid going out, for example. Every person has to do a cost-benefit analysis – where the price is not leading your life, and you become 'addicted' to your anxiety.' These days, says O'Kane, many people are 'frightened of our own shadow. 'The presentation and triggers are different, but these existential fears are actually our psyche asking fundamental questions: 'Will I get ill?', 'Will I die?', 'Will anyone help me?' 'Will I cope?'' And for our children's generation, the triggers are everywhere. 'People who are now in midlife didn't have social media,' says O'Kane. 'There was less exposure to world events. Yes, we knew there were wars and starvation and plane crashes; we were not unaware of these. But young people have a more elevated awareness of what's going on globally. It's not surprising that there are heightened levels of anxiety in Generation Z.' How social media fuels modern fears Annabel agrees with this analysis. 'Most of my fears are because of the news and social media, which allow little nuggets of anxiety to interrupt your day,' she says. 'Your phone pops up and it's another thing to be worried about, because that's what we engage with.' O'Kane suggests that anxieties can fluctuate, both in a negative way – in that they become harmful phobias – but also in a positive way, in that you can learn to manage and overcome them. I certainly concur with this: my teens and 20s were a mass of health anxieties, usually involving dread neurological diseases, all without a logical explanation. As I grew up, I learnt to keep a lid on these worries and defuse them. So, how did I resolve my rabies scare? First of all, I looked up the statistics of how many people had died of rabies in the UK after a foreign trip: six people between 2000 and 2024. I spoke to my sister-in-law, a GP, who reiterated my chance of contracting the virus was infinitesimal. I then texted the guesthouse in Vietnam, who told me the puppy had been vaccinated against rabies and was healthy. (I have to assume they were telling the truth.) As I received this reply, I was looking at my phone while crossing a road and almost got hit by a car. When I related the above to O'Kane, I was thrilled to have passed his 'healthy response' test. 'The situation was that you were bitten by a dog and there was rabies in the area,' he says. 'It's not dissimilar to how people felt during Covid. I wouldn't describe this as an irrational fear, but a 'situational one'. 'The context of your worry was normal and your parameters went up, you identified the trigger,' he says. 'Someone less prone to worry than you would have made the decision this was low risk and not worried at all afterwards. But you did the healthy thing for you – looked at the broader evidence, weighed it up, and let it go. You were able to acknowledge you could tolerate the worry. Someone more prone to worry would have been googling furiously, or have gone for the vaccinations.' O'Kane is at pains to point out that not all anxieties should be dismissed. 'I'm not saying you should tolerate all uncertainty, and there are useful, functional worries,' he says. 'For example, if you've had unsafe sex with someone you know is HIV positive, you should take the sensible medical approach and seek treatment.' And in less critical situations, we can lower our exposure to worrying material. 'I've gone off social media, and I'm feeling a bit better about everything,' says Annabel. 'It was overwhelming though, because there's so much online encouragement to optimise and do better – very Gen Z.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Andy Murray reveals ‘new addition to the family' in touching pictures eight months on from heartbreak
ANDY MURRAY was all smiles as he welcomed the latest addition to his family with a heartwarming post on social media. The Scottish tennis icon was delighted to reveal he and his wife Kim had adopted another puppy - eight months on from losing their beloved dog Rusty. 2 2 The Murray family were heart-broken when he revealed the devastating news on social media in November last year. Murray previously described Rusty as his beloved and loyal companion along with his other Border Terrier, Maggie May, who sadly passed away two years earlier in 2022. Writing on social media at the time, grieving Murray posted: "You were the most loyal and protective companion our family could have wished for. "You were so patient and gentle with the kids and we all learned so much from you. "The house feels empty without you in it. "The noise you made when you wanted a plate to lick, or a biscuit to chew on, or when you wanted anything for that matter, was infuriating at times! "But today we would do anything to hear it again. Love you Ruzz, rest easy poppet x." Fans flooded his Instagram page with messages of support following the tragic news as they expressed their sympathy for him and his family. But this morning, Murray thankfully had some wonderful news to share with his followers as he uploaded pictures of him alongside his new pup. He shared two snaps of the young pup - one of him sitting next to the dog and another of the canine relaxing in their family home. Andy Murray starts new career as agony aunt as he reveals details of 'terrible' first date with wife Kim He hasn't yet revealed the name or breed of his new dog but it appears to be a Flat-Coated Retriever. He shared the pictures with the caption: "New addition to the family 🐾 🥰" And his fans were delighted, with one saying: "Finally you have a new four-legged friend, Sir Andy! ❤️" Another wrote: "So cute, Andy! 🐕❤️ Congratulations! 🥰" A fourth joked: "Looks just like dad"
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British mother who died of rabies from puppy scratch on holiday had 'horrendous' death, daughter reveals
The daughter of a British woman who died of rabies after she was scratched by a puppy on holiday has spoken of her mother's 'horrendous' death. Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was scratched on the leg by a small stray puppy lying under her sunbed while on holiday in Morocco with her husband in February - but thought nothing of it at the time. Many months later, the grandmother-of-four started suffering from a 'horrendous' headache and was admitted to Barnsley Hospital. Within days, she could not walk, talk, sleep or swallow. She started hallucinating, and developed a fear of water. Yvonne was transferred to Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where she was eventually diagnosed with the rare but devastating virus. She died on June 11. Her daughter Robyn Thomson, 32, has spoken of how the deathly disease that stole her mother. Neonatal nurse Robyn said: '[Mum] was the most loving person imaginable. She had the biggest heart. 'She was my best friend and the most fantastic grandparent to mine and my brother's children. 'She was a huge animal lover so for her to have died of rabies - it is just particularly horrendous. 'She will be missed so dearly.' Robyn said her mother's death was a huge shock to the whole family - especially as it took so long for her to develop symptoms. She was scratched in February - and died four months later. She said: 'She and dad were on a holiday in Morocco and they were on a private beach next to the hotel. 'There was a puppy underneath mum's sunbed and it scratched her leg. 'There was no blood and no evidence of the dog being unwell. It was such a mild scratch and it never got infected so we just thought nothing of it at the time. 'Mum came home and everything was normal. We went to Florida as a family and she went fishing with my dad. 'But in June she came down with this horrendous headache. She was in a lot of pain so went to hospital. The family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show - but the deadly disease can incubate for up to two years 'Soon, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't walk, she couldn't talk. She was hallucinating and had a fear of water. 'She couldn't swallow. She was choking on her own saliva. So doctors put her in an induced coma. 'It wasn't until over a week later that she was diagnosed with rabies. 'There's only one outcome for rabies once symptoms develop and it's death every time. So we had to turn off her life support.' The family later found out that it normally takes a few months for rabies symptoms to show - but the deadly disease can incubate for up to two years. Now, Robyn wants to spread awareness for rabies - and help stop it at the source via a charity mission in Cambodia. The mother-of-two has launched a GoFundMe and is appealing for help from the public. She said: 'This is something I need to do. If I can save even one life through this work, or spare one family from going through the pain we have experienced, then it will be turning a terrible negative into something positive. 'I'm determined to transform my grief into action - helping vaccinate dogs, support surveillance efforts, and deliver life-saving lessons in schools.'
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grouchy Pomeranian Pretends to Be Asleep Until Mom Mentions His Favorite Snack
Grouchy Pomeranian Pretends to Be Asleep Until Mom Mentions His Favorite Snack originally appeared on PetHelpful. If you have a pet at home, you know how quickly they learn certain words, as well as how to ignore them, too. Luffy is a Pomeranian puppy who already knows several food-related words, but he's only a fan of one of them as you'll see in this video his mom posted recently. Make sure your sound is on so that you can hear Mom list off several words that Luffy, who is pretending to be napping, doesn't pay any attention to. But when she mentions his favorite snack, the look on his face is priceless! Luffy's mom says in the video's caption, "He hears what he wants to hear." Luffy reminds us a lot of a toddler because they're the exact same way! Viewers of the short and sweet video had a lot to say about it and left nearly 1,000 comments. @milliepommybrown joked, "Did someone sayyy chickennnnn LOL!" @Windy Geiger-Stiener pointed out, "His little eyeball peek as you roll through the options..." @Kele added, "That's the password! Who would have thought?!"Healthy Treats for Your Pup If you have a pooch who is a fan of human foods, there are plenty that you can offer them that are both nutritious and yummy. All of the foods that Luffy's mom listed off are great options for your pup, as well as many other fruits and veggies. With summer heat finally here, there are some great water-dense foods that you can offer to your dog either as-is or frozen for a crunchy treat like cantaloupe, watermelon, mangoes, different berries, and spinach and celery. Top Dog Tips offers this tip about celery, "When feeding your dog celery, make sure to remove leaves and cut celery sticks into smaller pieces to avoid choking hazards. It's also important to note that eating too much celery can have a diuretic effect on the dog." Though all of these treats are healthy, that doesn't mean that you can feed your fur baby as much of them as they'll eat. Opt to serve them in small quantities as an occasional treat instead of offering them all day, every day. Grouchy Pomeranian Pretends to Be Asleep Until Mom Mentions His Favorite Snack first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
