Instagram Dog Shows Off Queensland, Australia

by Meg Nesterov on

Lest you think that cat pictures dominate the internet, this week the Queensland, Australia Instagram account is being managed by a dog. Jester is a six-month old Weimaraner from Hamilton island (close to the Great Barrier Reef), and he is kicking off a new campaign to show Queensland from a local’s perspective. Jester will be snapping photos until September 15, but you can also follow him @jestergull after his week is up. Each week the photo stream will be managed by a local in a different region, look out for photographer Nathan White on the Capricorn coast, and Moreton Island park ranger Keiran Lusk in the coming weeks.

Follow Jester and other Queenslanders on Instagram @Queensland.

This isn’t Queensland’s first creative way of reaching potential visitors — they held the famous Best Job in the World contest in 2009, now spun off into multiple jobs around Australia.

Charity Saving Animals From Illegal Dog Meat Trade In Thailand

by Sean McLachlan on

Thailand has a thriving illegal trade in dog meat. While authorities have been cracking down on it recently, the demand is such that many dogs are stolen off the streets to supply restaurants in Cambodia and China, where the consumption of dog is legal.

Now a charity in Phuket, Thailand, is trying to save these animals. The Soi Dog Foundation has taken in hundreds of dogs seized by Thai border police and is asking for sponsors and adoptive families. Dog lovers as far away as Scotland have taken in some of the pets, but there are many more stuck in the charity’s bursting facilities.

While stealing pets and smuggling them across the border is certainly wrong, not to mention illegal, is eating dog meat wrong? Different cultures have different standards as to what food is OK and what isn’t. Hindus will tell you that eating any meat is wrong, and that eating beef is the worst of all. In Slovenia, they eat horse burgers, and while I’ve always loved horses I did give them a try. Horses are no less intelligent, loving and loyal than dogs, so what’s the problem? Is it all a matter of perspective? Tell us what you think in the comments section!

Want to read about some more shocking foods? Check out our post on the weird things people eat around the world.

Chinese Zoo Thinks Visitors Can’t Tell the Difference Between a Dog and a Lion

by Rob Annis on

Angry zoo patrons howled, but the world roared with laughter after a Chinese zoo was caught trying to pass off a large dog as an African lion.

The subterfuge was discovered when the pseudo-lion started barking in its cage. Afterward the zoo, located in the in the People’s Park of Luohe in the central province of Henan, was found to have substituted other common animals for more exotic species, such as a white fox misidentified as a leopard, and another dog found in a wolf pen.

Liu Suya, the head of the park’s animal department, told the state-run Beijing Youth Daily that an employee’s Tibetan mastiff was held in the cage for safety reasons while the zoo’s actual lion was temporarily at a breeding facility. No explanations were given for the other animal switches.

Swapping animals is nothing new for zoos across the world, although it’s typically not this brazen. Near Gaza City, donkeys were painted with stripes to resemble zebras after an Israeli blockade prevented them from importing the animals. In Boston and Tokyo, zoo employees don animal costumes to practice their annual dangerous animal escape drills. And years ago in Houston, embarrassed zoo officials admitted its coral snake had been replaced with a rubber doppelganger for six months.

Have you every witnessed anything like this happening at your local zoo?

Dog’s-eye view of hiking Runyon Canyon

by Mike Barish on

There are few joys of dog ownership greater than spending a day outdoors with your pet. Going for a long hike is a simple pleasure that, when shared with your four-legged best friend, becomes a special experience. However, anyone who has ever had a dog has wondered what his or her furry companion is thinking. While we’ll never know exactly what goes on in a dog’s mind, thanks to this clever videographer (and his handy GoPro camera), we can now see what Riley the corgi saw while hiking Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. Who knew hiking could be so adorable?

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SkyMall Monday: Toilet Dog & Cat Water Bowl

by Mike Barish on

Dogs and cats have an odd fascination with toilets. They try to drink from toilets, they fall into toilets and they are mesmerized by the sounds made when you flush toilets. Here at SkyMall Monday headquarters, we have one furry toilet drinker who hits the bowl hard when he’s stressed. However, no pet owner wants to encourage that behavior because toilets are filled with bacteria and germs. Besides, pets have their own water bowls from which they should be drinking. Toilets are for deposits, not withdrawals. Until now, that is. If animals want to drink from toilets so badly, why not let them do it in a safe and decorative way? Thanks to SkyMall that dream has become a reality. The next time that your dog or cat tells you that they’re thirsty simply direct them to the Toilet Dog & Cat Water Bowl.Certainly, this idea is less preposterous than teaching your cat to poop in the toilet. At the very least, it’s way less creepy. Your pet gets the toilet watering hole that it desires and you get a handsome accessory to display in your home. It’s a win-win. If this were a poker game, you’d be holding a straight flush!

Think that toilets are for people? Believe that no one should drink from toilets unless we find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic hellscape? Well, while you feed your dog from your wearable water bowl, we’ll be reading the product description:

A hilarious conversation starter and pet pleaser, this unique water bowl keeps your pet well hydrated and your home cleverly decorated.

Sure, you could decorate your home with paintings, furniture and sculptures, but those are far from clever. Having a toilet in the middle of your living room is just the conversation starter that your fancy parties need. Surely your pet won’t be confused by the fact that they are permitted to drink from their small toilet but get yelled at when they drink from the toilet in the bathroom.

Quench your pet’s thirst for toilet water with this sanitary and attractive accessory that will look perfect in any home. Why have a ball when you can have a bowl (I’m so sorry)?

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.