Ridiculous News Stories

[BoaLover11]

Here's a few really ridiculous animal-related news stories I've seen/read.

This one is about an overreaction when someone's pet ball python got loose, and the unnecessary drama that unfolds. For some background info, ball pythons are normally 3-5ft in length, and it's not very common to find one 6ft or more. Ball pythons have very tiny teeth, and the most you'll get are some shallow scratches, even from a big one. There really wasn't any reason to get all your kids and pets and get out of the park, or even try to get rid of the snake in such a manner.
Original story w/ video: http://www.nbc4i.com/story/22685736/officials-hunt-for-python-released-in-mobile-home-park
Follow-up story: http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-40104-famous-snake-apprehe.html

This one is about a Shiba Inu that got mistaken as a coyote, and released into the wild.
http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/99075159.html?ref=159

This one really made me shake my head sadly. They found a ball python in a car, and pretended like it was a big, mean boa constrictor or "red tail boa". A 4ft snake isn't really all that big at all, and the snake was very docile in the footage. Just some ordinary news fear-mongering.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19710487

Feel free to share your own news stories, or personal experiences of the same nature. :)

[lizbud]

I think the second story qualifies for being ridiculous. I think their Humane Society should spend $8.00 and buy a book of dog breeds for reference in future.:rolleyes:
That poor dog.:(

This one is about a Shiba Inu that got mistaken as a coyote, and released into the wild.
http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/9...9.html?ref=159

[Karen]

Sigh, I do wish every community had a police force that could recognize what snakes are what, and which ones are dangerous, but the media loves to portray all snakes as being bad!

And anyone who cannot tell the difference between a Shiba Inu and a coyote has no business being an Animal Control officer in the first place, in my humble opinion ...

[chocolatepuppy]

And anyone who cannot tell the difference between a Shiba Inu and a coyote has no business being an Animal Control officer in the first place, in my humble opinion ...

Everyone working there must have never seen a dog before. So wrong!!!:mad:

[lizbud]

This news report was apparently not really read before going to a newsperson & reported
word for word on air. Hard to believe when you see it in print, but true.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/asiana-pilots-fake-names-racist_n_3588569.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

[BoaLover11]

This news report was apparently not really read before going to a newsperson & reported
word for word on air. Hard to believe when you see it in print, but true.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/asiana-pilots-fake-names-racist_n_3588569.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Yeah, I saw that on FailBlog a few days ago (A day ago? The days have been blurring together....). I was just scrolling and saw the second to last one, and I just facepalmed.

[Alysser]

Wow, that is pathetic. :mad: I can't believe how the media reacts to things sometimes. A Ball Python hardly has what I'd call "fangs", Jeez! And the moron who released it wants it back, get real!

[BoaLover11]

I saw this pop up on my Facebook feed earlier today. Apparently "Beliebers" are even crazier than I originally thought. And these are just the celebrities they've attacked.
http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/articles/celebrities-who-were-attacked-beliebers

[cassiesmom]

To me, this is not ridiculous, but it is heartbreaking. I'd like to toss this woman into the pond and walk away.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-woman-accused-of-tossing-4-newborn-pups-into-pond-20130719,0,6605572.story

[BoaLover11]

That's pretty sick, and she claims to not remember doing it? I'll bet she does. It's really sad there are people like this in the world, who would torture animals and people.

[Karen]

Thank goodness the neighbor said something and the rest of the dogs are now safely away from her. As for her not remembering, I suspect either she's lying, or drugs/alcohol were involved. Not that that is an excuse, and she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!

[BoaLover11]

I saw this on 4chan first, but it's about a man's rottweiler being shot right in front of him by a police officer. I've seen the video, and the dog wasn't acting defensively beyond barking and jumping out of the car (in my opinion). The dog didn't lunge until the cop grabbed for the collar. This whole fiasco could've been done differently, and should have, according to the rules the cops have to follow for apprehending dogs like this in CA. The process given for them to follow clearly states they must have the owner try to apprehend the dog BEFORE using lethal force. I may not be able to find the list again, but if I can, I'll link that, too. Then again, it seems like CA is having a really bad string of police brutality lately, so they probably don't care. Sure, the owner was being stupid as well (he should've properly locked up the dog or not even brought him/her to the scene, etc. etc.), I agree completely, but the police officer was also not following routine, and was in fault as well. After all, even obstruction of justice isn't enough to have someone cuffed and arrested, so the dog wouldn't have acted aggressively in the first place if the police officers didn't feel like cuffing the guy was necessary, for whatever reason. I also remember reading that the police officer had a history of violence and police brutality, even before he killed the dog. But, I can't seem to find the articles I read. This whole thing could've been handled so much better by both parties, and the dog paid for it.

http://rt.com/usa/california-dog-shot-aftermath-712/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/police-shoot-dog_n_3530990.html

[cassiesmom]

Why would the police use a taser on a 95-year-old man? http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-john-warna-victory-centre-park-forest-20130727,0,1534668.story

[Lady's Human]

Men 6 times more likely to be struck by lightening than women.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/american-men-almost-6x-more-likely-women-be-killed-lightning

The CDC Really needed to waste their time on this? Looking at the graph in the new article, lightening strikes on men have been plummeting, while strikes on women have remained relatively stable. We MUST pour more money into this research group and do more to protect women from lightening strikes! Why are men getting safer while women's safety has remained stagnant? I'm outraged!:mad:

[Karen]

Men 6 times more likely to be struck by lightening than women.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/american-men-almost-6x-more-likely-women-be-killed-lightning

The CDC Really needed to waste their time on this? Looking at the graph in the new article, lightening strikes on men have been plummeting, while strikes on women have remained relatively stable. We MUST pour more money into this research group and do more to protect women from lightening strikes! Why are men getting safer while women's safety has remained stagnant? I'm outraged!:mad:

Some of these "studies" really amaze me - who green-lighted spending actually dollars for this? What politician is related to what "researcher?"

[lizbud]

I can't believe this is legal under Missouri Animal Abuse laws. I take it to mean, If the animal belongs to you, you can do whatever you want with it. That's crazy.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/u-s-world/no-charges-against-man-who-drowned-cat

[cassiesmom]

This makes me absolutely sick, and sad. Play hard at the Bridge, precious kittens.

Police: 'Bored' teen used bow and arrows to hunt kittens (From the Chicago Tribune)

An East Chicago teen told police he used a bow and arrow to hunt and kill three kittens in an alley behind his home because he was bored.

The 17-year-old boy has been charged as a juvenile with killing a domestic animal and torturing or mutilating a domestic animal, both felonies, according to the Lake County sheriff's department.

The teen confessed that, during the week of Aug. 4, he was bored so he decided to use a compound bow to hunt kittens living in an alley behind his home, the department said.

The teen killed three kittens, one of them speared through the head, officials said. The teen then posted photos on Facebook of him playing with the dead kittens, the department said.

Officials say Facebook removed the photos.

[phesina]

How utterly sickening. What is wrong with "people" these days?

May you kittens be well and happy playing at the Bridge. I will see you, One Fine Day.

[Alysser]

Sick. :(

How about the three a*******s (excuse my language) who killed the Australian Guy because they felt like killing someone?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/justice/australia-student-killed-oklahoma

Where oh where were their parents? At least the teens have been caught and arrested ...

[cassiesmom]

This is not animal-related, but it makes me embarrassed to be a nurse. What on earth was the nurse thinking? When patients go to the hospital, they expect (among other things) that information about them will be protected. This makes me so mad.

-------
MAYWOOD, Ill. (STMW) – A nurse at a west suburban hospital stole the identity of a patient, opened several credit accounts in the woman’s name and purchased thousands of dollars worth of clothing, police said.

Katrina R. Spears, 32, of the 5700 block of South Calumet Avenue in Chicago, was charged Sunday with felony identity theft, according to Riverside police.

On Aug. 27, a 50-year-old Riverside woman told police that after undergoing a medical procedure at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, she started having financial problems.

When she tried to buy allergy medication in July, she was told her name was on a “no-buy list.” A few weeks later, she received a notice from Nordstrom’s that she was denied credit. But since she never applied for a credit card, she filed a report with police, police said.

Several banks and clothing stores contacted the woman over the next few weeks about credit accounts being opened or products being purchased online, including thousands of dollars worth of clothing.

The woman then recalled that while being treated at Loyola, a nurse had mentioned her clothing and they’d had a conversation about fashion as she filled out her paperwork, police said.

Investigators learned the clothing had been delivered to a home in the 5700 block of South Calumet Avenue and, working with the Loyola security and IT departments, traced the computer transactions to a specific IP address at the hospital.

Using password and log-in information, they narrowed the search to Spears, who was arrested when she arrived at the hospital Friday, according to police, who said the address on her driver’s license was the same as the delivery address for the merchandise.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in the statement that detectives are “still attempting to assist the victim in clearing her name through the credit organizations” and he lauded Loyola staff with “assisting in the investigation and aggressively advocating for the patient…”

The investigation is ongoing, but Weitzel said it appears to be an isolated incident.

Spears was ordered held on a $10,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 16 in Maywood.

[cassiesmom]

In Chicago... A 17 year old boy lives on the south side and attends a college prep high school on the west side, where he's in the 11th grade. He takes two different elevated train lines to get to and from school. He's a 4.0 student with big plans for college. Problem: he's hassled by gang members on his way to and from school, probably because he is a good kid. He makes a bad decision- gets a gun from a friend and takes it to school. Who gets arrested? Not the gangbangers who have been annoying this kid every day - but the boy who is trying to get Up and Out. To Mayor Emanuel: I think you should drop the charges against this boy and have him and his mother relocated to a better neighborhood so he can finish his last two years of high school, be a normal kid, go on to college and have a happy life. Parts of Chicago are run by the drug dealers and the gang members, which is tragic.