A Petland employee in Akron, Ohio, has been let go from her job at the nationwide pet store chain after allegedly drowning a pair of rabbits in a back room of the store, and then posting the pictures to her Facebook.

Elizabeth Carlisle is shown in the picture holding up two wet, dead rabbits with a big smile plastered on her face. Who took the picture? Her manager, of course. Carlisle wrote in her Facebook:

“[T]he manager took the pic for me. [S]he reminded me that there were people outside as [I] was swearing at them to just hurry up and die but then she was so kind as to take this picture.”

After being questioned by a friend, the charming Carlisle posted that the reason they killed the rabbits was because they had been allowed to “attack and eat each other” while in the store’s care.

Petland confirmed the reports in a press release and closed down the Akron store indefinitely (WARNING: news story has an image of Carlisle holding up the dead rabbits) after all the animals were removed and Carlisle was fired:

“Petland is saddened and outraged at this gross violation of Petland’s animal care standards. It is Petland’s understanding that the employee was instructed to contact the store’s consulting veterinarian, and instead, defied the orders and store policy and acted on her own. She was immediately dismissed and the case is now being handled by local law enforcement.”

Carlisle is currently facing animal cruelty charges and will appear in Akron Municipal Court on August 17th.

Petland has also been under fire for years over accusations that their puppies come from puppy mills.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Petland Employee Fired for Animal Cruelty

Post from: Blisstree

Wordless Wednesday: Hare E. Houdini

I admit it, I love the idea of buying things for my pets for the holidays but I don’t actually do it!

By the time I’ve bought for family and friends my poor head is drained and as cute as it would be to have the cats and dogs “unwrap” something with us on Christmas morning, it just doesn’t happen (I don’t think they mind too much anyway — isn’t that what the wrapping paper is for?).

This year I decided to put together a fun guide full of ideas for pets and their people. From treats and toys to books and calendars, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone — two-legged and four-legged! — without a whole lot of effort!

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Buy Holiday Gifts For Your Pets?

Would you like your pet(s) to be Pet of the Week? Then send them on in! It doesn’t matter if your pet is canine, feline, rodent, amphibian, reptile, avian, or anything in between, come show them off!

Snap some pictures and include your pet’s name, his/her favorite food, treats, toy, bed, etc., how old he/she is, how you acquired him/her, personality quirks, and anything else you’d like to share, and don’t forget the URL to your own blog or website.

Email them to me here, that’s it!

See who’s already been pet of the week!

[image: flickr]

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Post from: Blisstree

Submit Your Pets for Pet of the Week

It’s been a while since I’ve done Pet of the Week, so I thought I’d put out a call for submissions. Do you want your cat, dog, bird, fish, rodent, lizard – you get the idea – featured on the Food Bowl for a full week? Send them on in!

Snap some pictures and include your pet’s name, his/her favorite food, treats, toy, bed, etc., how old he/she is, how you acquired him/her, personality quirks, and anything else you’d like to share, and don’t forget the URL to your own blog or website. Email them to me at heather.raw@b5media.com!

See who’s already been pet of the week!

[blue bird at flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Submit Your Pets for Pet of the Week!

Growing up, my older brother had rabbits but they were kept outside in hutches. Though we’ll probably never have any ourselves, if we did I imagine they’d stay inside the house. I’ve read that you can let them wander around like cats and even teach them to use a litter box!

The video above gives ideas and tips on bunny-proofing your house. Rabbits like to chew so it’s extremely important to make sure they don’t have access to wires, cables and other dangerous household items.

Post from: Blisstree

Bunny-Proofing Your House

Image details: Lop-eared rabbit served by picapp.com

I seem to be on a bunny kick this week (do not tell my husband!) and came across this recipe for “bunny cookies:”

- 1 cup of your bunny’s favorite fruits and veggies, chopped (bunny-friendly only!)
- 1/4 cup yogurt or banana (plus a little bit of water if using banana)

1. Cut up fruits and vegetables and place in a bowl
2. Mix water and banana until creamy (skip this step if you are using yogurt)
3. Place a small amount of yogurt or banana mixture on a plate
4. Place small amount of fruits and vegetables onto the mixture and put into the freezer for 30 minutes

Make the cookies a bit smaller and these would be great for rats too!

Post from: Blisstree

Bunny Cookies

Did you know you could train bunnies? I’ve read that they can be trained to use a litter box and even fetch, but I had no idea they were capable of this!

Check out this video of three rescue bunnies – Filbert, Mattie, and Muffy – as they complete an obstacle course created by their owners. I love Muffy’s style!

~ How to train your rabbit
~ Training your rabbit
~ How to train a rabbit
~ Training your rabbit to jump on cue

Post from: Blisstree

Super Bunnies

With spring upon us many people are either thinking about or starting to get their gardens and planting underway. If you have pets – especially pets that spend part of their time outside – you’ve probably given some thought to what plants and flowers will be ok if your dog or cat takes a nibble.

The ASPCA has recently released a list of plants that are non-toxic to animals:

This list contains plants that have not been reported as having systemic effects on animals or as having intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Any plant material ingested by an animal (as when dogs and cats ingest yard grass) may produce signs of vomiting, depression, or diarrhea. These signs are generally mild and self-limiting and often do not require any treatment.

Please note that the information contained in our plant lists is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather a compilation of the most frequently encountered plants.

Make sure you also check out their list of the 17 Most Common Poisonous Plants, as well as their more comprehensive list.

[image: stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Non-Toxic Plants for Pets

I love when stories of interspecies interaction end happily!

Six abandoned kittens have found an unexpected new mother figure – a pet rabbit. Veterinary nurse Melanie Humble took the three-week-old kittens to her Aberdeen home.

The kittens seemed to think Summer the rabbit was their mother and began to climb all over her and try to feed from her. “The abandoned kittens were handed in when they were about three weeks old and I took them home.

“Summer the rabbit was taken inside on Bonfire Night because of the fireworks and the kittens seemed to really like her and thought she was their mother.”

[BBC]

Post from: Blisstree

Pet Rabbit Adopts Kittens