Online Features
Pets
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Housetraining your puppy: Tips for keeping your dog behaved and your home clean
(BPT) - Few things are as exciting as bringing home a new puppy. Whether Chihuahua or Great Dane, a pup’s playful antics delight people of all ages. Having a dog can bring many years of companionship and precious memories, but before you ask, “How much is that doggie in the window?” consider a few expert tips for positi...
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Birdfeeder basics: Bring on backyard birds with the right feeders
(BPT) - When you dine, do you prefer clean and attractive tableware? Does ambiance enhance your enjoyment of your food? Birds feel the same way about their dining habits – the type and cleanliness of your bird feeders directly affects the number and species of birds that will visit your backyard this season. To attract...
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Help your pet shed unhealthy weight
(BPT) - Are you killing your pet with kindness? We’re not talking about the compassion that motivates us to vaccinate our pets, or keep them warm in cold weather. Kindness that can be harmful to pets comes in the form of an overabundance of food and treats. The all-too-common result is a pet that becomes overweight or e...
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Scratching the right itch: Does your pet have seasonal allergies?
(BPT) - Humans may sneeze and sniffle when trees and flowers start to bud in the spring, but many pet owners wouldn’t know if their pet was suffering from treatable allergy symptoms, which are likely to occur at the same time of year. According to the Pet Allergy Worldwide Survey (PAWS) sponsored by Novartis Animal Hea...
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Busted: The top 4 most common pet myths
(BPT) - It’s no secret that Americans love their pets. When it comes to U.S. pet ownership, 39 percent of households own at least one dog, and 33 percent own at least one cat, according to the Humane Society of the United States . Furry family members bring joy and excitement to a household, and providing the best care...
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Boarding your four-legged family member
(BPT) - Whether traveling for business or fun, it’s not always practical to take along a four-legged family member. Arranging care of a beloved pet for an extended absence can be daunting. Knowing what to look for in a kennel, and what to look out for, can help you choose wisely. Ask around “Family and friends can be ...
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How to find the right vet for your pet
(BPT) - Pet owners have many responsibilities, and keeping your pet healthy with veterinary care is a significant one. To help make sure your pet receives high quality medical care, several veterinarians offer advice on how to find the right vet for your pet. Ask for recommendations “A good way to begin your search for...
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Dogged by pricey pet care? Cost-cutting tips for pet owners
(BPT) - These days, everyone is searching for ways to save money and stretch budgets. Consumer experts advise people to sniff out deeper discounts, saving opportunities and additional ways to cut costs. For pet owners, it can feel challenging to cut costs without compromising on care. Being vigilant is key, according t...
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Doggy parenting: tips for guiding your dog through the 'teen' years
(BPT) - Most pet owners can tell you that the first few days with a puppy in the house can be a handful, but the job of being a good pet parent does not stop when your new pal sleeps through the night for the first time. After you finish guiding your pup through his earliest life stages, it is important to keep in mind ...
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The holiday gift that keeps on giving: opt to adopt a pet, save a life
(BPT) - It’s not surprising that pets are often a popular holiday gift. The darling image of the bow-bedecked puppy or the kitten-stuffed stocking is a holiday classic, but gift givers should make sure that an animal’s charm doesn’t overshadow other important factors to consider when making a pet purchase, including whe...
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Creating a dog-friendly meal experience
(BPT) - Mealtime is going...well, to the dogs - literally. Dumping kibble into a bowl and walking away has become less and less the norm. Feeding the family dog has evolved into new territory. For example, have you ever warmed your dog’s food in the microwave before serving it to him? You wouldn’t be alone if you have. ...
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How to keep your pets healthy and happy all winter long
Dry skin, winter weight gain and the common cold - humans aren't the only ones to struggle with winter woes. Cold weather can affect our pets' health, too. While you can put in some extra time on the treadmill and layer up for the cold weather, pets rely on their human companions to help them stay healthy all year long.
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national news
Rescuers search Oklahoma tornado town ruins as recovery starts
By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs picked through the ruins of an Oklahoma town on Wednesday to ensure no survivors remained buried after a deadly tornado left thousands homeless and trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. "Yesterday I was numb. Today I cried a lot. Now I'm on the victory side of it," said Beth Vrooman, who hid in a shelter in her garage during Monday's storm in Moore, Oklahoma. When the winds died down, she realized a car was blocking her exit. ...
Wed May 22 10:31:09 UTC 2013
FBI says man shot dead while being questioned about Boston bombings

FBI Agent Kills Man After Questioning Him About the Boston Marathon BombingBy Barbara Liston and Mark Hosenball ORLANDO, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An FBI agent shot and killed a Florida man who turned violent while being questioned about the Boston Marathon bombings early on Wednesday, the bureau said. A friend of the dead man identified him as 27-year-old Ibragim Todashev of Orlando, a Chechen who had previously lived in Boston, the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando television stations reported. Two brothers named by the FBI as suspects in the April 15 bombings were also ethnic Chechens with roots in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region. ...


Wed May 22 10:48:37 UTC 2013
Chicago school board to vote on mass school closing

File photo of demonstrators marching during a Chicago Teachers Union protest in ChicagoBy Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Board of Education is due to vote on Wednesday on a controversial proposal to close 54 schools in the country's third-largest public school district in what would be the largest mass school closing in the nation. The district's plans to close 53 elementary schools and a high school this year, mainly in Hispanic and African-American neighborhoods, has been met with protests by parents and union leaders who say the closings will disrupt communities and put children in danger with longer walks through troubled areas. ...


Wed May 22 06:01:05 UTC 2013
Found after tornado: Web attention might reconnect dog with owner
Rescuers scouring the devastation after a huge tornado tore through Moore, Okla., on Monday tweeted a photo of one furry find that has since gone around the Web, receiving more than 52,000 likes on Facebook. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's office posted the photo of the mud-spattered pup with the description, “Scared, but this little pup [...]
Wed May 22 09:25:04 UTC 2013