Video of the Week: A Chihuahua Chasing Bubbles. That's All.

Just when you thought puppies couldn’t get any cuter, this puppy is here to

prove you wrong! This adorable Chihuahua pup is playfully chasing bubbles. That

alone is enough to make hearts swell, but add some cute music, put the video in

slow motion and your hearts are sure to explode!

Dogs Can Get Ebola, Study Suggests

After Spanish authorities ordered the euthanization of the dog of an Ebola patient on Wednesday, questions emerged over whether the action was necessary. Can Ebola actually be transmitted from a dog to a human?

Possibly, according to an academic study of dogs exposed to the virus.

While the case has animal activists up in arms, it has also caused confusion over the protocol for domestic animals who come into contact with Ebola. Some, including the dog's owner, have called for him to be quarantined, while others see the pooch as a public health threat.

Spanish health officials have said the killing of the dog was a preventative measure, to ensure that he does not spread the disease. The action raised one key question: Can a dog that is exposed to Ebola be a threat to human health?

Although academic research on Ebola in canines is limited, a 2005 study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal suggests that dogs are susceptible to the virus, just like humans.

Read the full story on Mashable here.

What happens when a puppet of a dog hangs out at the local dog park?

Fumble! NFL Player Injured While Potty Training His Puppy & More — This Week on Pets Weekly

Pets Weekly is a series that highlights valuable headlines from around the web: From health tips, events, humor and more. We’ve got your tail covered!

In this issue of Pets Weekly:

- Fumble! NFL Player Injured While Potty Training His Puppy

- Your Pet Might Be Peeved!

- Keep That Cat! Litter Box Problems Do Have Solutions

Fumble! NFL Player Injured While Potty-Training His Puppy

Three month old Lil’ Rufio took down a NFL player, Joseph Fauria, with one move — evading capture after being caught trying to do his outdoor business indoors. Fauria doesn’t blame the puppy for his injury, a sprained ankle, he just hopes to get better soon so he can play for the Lions again. In the meantime, he is much more careful when he needs to take Lil’ Rufio potty.

Your Pet Might Be Peeved!

If you are going to pet another dog, you should be prepared with an extra treat for your own. A study by psychology professor Christine Harris and her former student, Caroline Prouvost, seems to show that dogs get jealous and act out with attention seeking behavior when their owners pet another dog. Harris said that the dog not only acts jealous, he actively tries to break up the connection.

Keep That Cat! Litter Box Problems Do Have Solutions

One of the most given reasons for surrendering a cat or euthanizing it is that they are doing their litter box business anywhere but the litter box. Ilona Rodan, DVM shares that surrender is not the only option. Most cats have unresolved medical issues, are trying to communicate, or are stressed when they misbehave in the litter box department. Among the solutions, a visit to the vet is the first step to rule out medical problems. The next step is to reduce the cat’s stress and to keep their current litter situation clean and accessible. For more information on solutions, check out this article.

Rescuing the Rescued Pets

I couldn’t sleep last night and finally got up and turned on the TV.  “That” commercial came on, you know, the one that makes you want to change the channel because the message about rescuing pets is so heavy that all seems hopeless.  So I decided to find out more about this situation.  There must be a way to help the pets without hurting people’s hearts.

With a little research, I landed on the Maddie’s Fund page.  Maddie’s Fund was created to honor a Miniature Schnauzer, Maddie.  The mission is to save pets in desperate need of love and care. To do this they have created a foundation to support shelters and rescues in providing homes for pets as well as further the mission of the No Kill movement so that all adoptable pets find homes.

Image credit: DianeDavis

The Maddie’s fund website gave me some hope.  In a study done by the Ad Council, presented by Maddie’s Fund and Christie Keith, they found that there are millions of people that will add a pet to their family this year.  Of those millions, less than 10% have decided to buy their pet from a breeder.  Another 20% have decided they will adopt a pet from a shelter or a rescue group.

That means that 70% of adopters have not yet made up their minds about whether they will adopt a pet from a breeder or from a shelter or a rescue.  This is great news for the shelter and rescue pets.  There are enough people wanting to adopt, that they could empty all of the shelters and rescues in the United States!  “Ok, then, why isn’t this happening?” I asked myself.

According to Maddie's Fund, “those commercials” are great for generating donations but they do not work for generating homes and families.  In fact some may argue that they hurt the adoption cause, portraying rescue animals as damaged and requiring more money, time, and effort to care for.

So what is the solution?  It turns out that the solution is relatively simple: let’s share great stories of the wonderful families created by adopting a shelter or rescue pet! When you tell the story of how perfectly wonderful and loving your rescue pet is, it makes people reconsider purchasing pets.

Image credit: DianeDavis

Now I know that sharing positive stories will help, we have a new mission to help rescue pets: Rescue Transformation.  Rescue Transformation is a new feature on Fetch! Pet Care social media channels that will tell the stories of the incredibly loving and resilient pets as they find their way to rescue and then to their families.  These stories will highlight the courage, love, and character that will take a vulnerable animal from victim to victor. They will also remind us that there is no connection like that of someone that saves and someone that is saved.  We expect that we will find it is often hard to tell who is who.

We invite you to share our mission, first by telling your story of rescue and redemption, and then by sharing the stories you find.  You can be the part of the real solution to finding families and putting rescue groups out of business.

October is Shelter Pet month.  Please consider adopting a shelter or rescue pet.

* The difference between shelters and rescue groups is that shelters are usually “animal control” and run by a government entity.  A rescue group is usually a non-profit group with the goal of finding home for animal, often taking the animals out of the shelters.  Shelters are not always No-Kill.  Rescue Groups are often No-Kill. The No-Kill Movement refers to a program founded by Nathan Winograd that advocates for saving the lives of 100% of animals that are healthy or treatable, or adoptable, including feral cats. 

Pets Weekly: The Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon and More

Pets Weekly is a series that highlights the top stories trending in pet news this week.

In this issue of Rescue News Weekly:

- The Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon

- Nation No Kill Conference Postponed Until 2015

- Fix Long Beach has Fixed Over 1700 Pets

The Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon

The 2014 Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon will be held October 11^th and 12^th at the Marin Center in San Rafael, CA from 10 am until 4 pm.

In the past three years, more than 1,750 dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, king pigeons, hermit crabs, hamsters and cockatiels have been adopted into new homes. Pet Food Express organizes and hosts this event with one purpose in mind: to get as many animals into forever homes as possible.

There will be more than 50 pet shelters and rescues participating this year, with all kinds of pure breeds as well as lots of mutts. Click here to learn more.

National No Kill Conference Postponed until 2015

TheNational No Kill Conference has been postponed until 2015 to allow the No Kill Advocacy Center to share their new documentary.  It will be replaced in 2014 with screenings of documentary, “Redemption, a film on the No Kill revolution in America”. Following the screening, there will be a seminar with Center Director Nathan Winograd. The No Kill Advocay Center was founded in 2004 by Nathan Winograd. Nathan created the first No Kill community, which was a novel concept at the time.  

Fix Long Beach Has Fixed Over 1,700 Pets

Since June 2013, a small group of animal advocates have joined forces to provide low cost and no cost spay and neuter services for over 1,700 pets. They set a goal to provide 500 spay and neuter services in the months of June-August 2014.  They met that goal, as well as provide other medical service, including shots and microchips. 

Fix Long Beach has also pioneered a program to involve the community youth by creating a community outreach program whereby the youth go into low income communities and educate the residents on the value of spay and neutering their pets and distribute donated pet care products, including food.