Weekly companion animal news: December 26, 2022

Galaxy Vets Foundation shares update on work helping animals in Ukraine

Galaxy Vets Foundation has released an overview of its work to date helping animals affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The foundation is raising funds and collecting and delivering supplies to animal shelters and organizations in need, as well as providing pet owners free access to professional veterinary care through its telehealth platform. So far, 275 veterinarians and veterinary nurses/technicians from the United States and around the world have volunteered to deliver virtual care, spending 1,350 hours online and responding to more than 20,000 requests from pet owners, according to Galaxy Vets Foundation. It’s still seeking volunteer virtual telehealth services from veterinary professionals.

A year after Colorado’s Marshall Fire, research looks at how to prevent pet deaths in future disasters

As Colorado approaches the one-year anniversary of the Marshall Fire, in which more than 1,000 pets estimatedly died, a university professor is urging owners to make emergency evacuation plans and make sure someone they trust can help implement the plan if they’re not available to do it themselves. Unlike previous disasters, the fire came on extraordinarily fast, when many homeowners were at work or traveling. Colorado University, Boulder associate professor Leslie Irvine co-authored a research paper on the fire, and she’s now hoping to get the research published in a peer-reviewed journal. Based on AVMA data, social media accounts and interviews, the study authors estimate about 1,182 animals were affected by the fire, most of which “were not rescued,” according to the paper. Irvine is working with the nonprofit Animal Help Now to design an app that can connect pet guardians with trusted contacts who have permission to enter their homes and rescue their pets if the owner isn’t there.

Petco Love donates $15 million to U.S. animal welfare organizations

Petco Love announced it’s donating $15 million to more than 550 animal shelters and rescue partners across the country this holiday season. “Our partner organizations continually show us how love changes everything. The change they inspire in their communities and beyond is truly lifesaving,” said Petco Love President Susanne Kogut. “Petco Love partners with 4,000 organizations doing incredible work in so many different ways across the country, in small towns and big cities, all with the same goal – to save pet lives.”

Survey gathers pet owner perspectives on insurance

More than three-quarters of pet owners with pet health insurance said they’re “more likely to go to the vet” than those without pet health insurance, according to a survey by Pets Best Insurance Services. The company surveyed more than 1,400 pet owners on their experiences. Younger generations experience the most anxiety about pet care costs, and younger pet owners are more open to pet health insurance as a solution to finance pet health care compared to older generations, according to Pets Best.

New law bans private ownership of big cats

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that prohibits unlicensed people from owning, breeding and transporting big cats. It also bans licensed exhibitors, including zoos and sanctuaries, from allowing the public to touch the animals or hold cubs, The New York Times reports. The law was prompted by the Netflix documentary television series “Tiger King,” which highlighted the “miserable conditions thousands of tigers, lions, leopards and pumas are kept in by irresponsible owners,” said U.S. Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois. The animals covered under the law are species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, cougar and hybrids of these cats.

Joint custody of pets could soon be part of divorce proceedings in Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C., city council has been debating a measure to give pets more consideration in divorces. Judges would be able to consider a pet’s welfare during divorce proceedings, including being able to order joint custody of the animal, Pets+ reports, citing The Washington Post. The proposed legislation includes other measures, such as bans on declawing cats and the retail sale of non-rescue animals.