Animals

Sheltie Shane (left), German Shepherd Gunther (top), Chocolate Lab Rudy (right), and Bichon Frise Charlie (bottom) get acquainted as their owners talk at the new off leash dog park in Cheyenne park off old river road in Cedar Rapids.

Officials begin work on upcoming dog park

Off-leash dog park in Squaw Creek should be open in May or June

  CEDAR RAPIDS – Officials are in the preliminary stages of establishing a Linn County dog park in Squaw Creek this year. Around 33 people that make up the Leadership for Five Seasons Class of 2013 will begin planting “small, high-quality and resilient” trees in the off-leash dog park on May 3. The trees will [...]

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Becky Russo attempts to attach her dog Biscuit's special service harness while Becky's two-year-old daughter Vivi looks on at their home in North Liberty on November 21st. Biscuit has been with Becky for almost two weeks and is able to sense when Becky, a Type 1 diabetic, is suffering from low blood sugar levels.

Woman gets diabetic alert dog with help from community

Donations poured in after her story was featured in The Gazette

NORTH LIBERTY — Last week, Becky Russo got busy. Too busy. She wasn’t paying attention to her blood sugars, which — as a type I diabetic with extreme lows and highs — can be dangerous, even life threatening. Or, at least, it used to be. This time when the North Liberty mother let her mind [...]

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Four-year-old Daisy May lays at the feet of her owner Atha Jensen at her home Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, in Anamosa, Iowa. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

Legal options vary for orphaned pets

Seniors urged to make care arrangements for their furry loved ones

ANAMOSA — “These are my kids,” 80-year-old Atha Jensen says of a friendly but outspoken golden retriever named Daisy Mae and a personable cat named Charlie Simba. Like many seniors, the Anamosa woman has no children to take care of her animals when she is gone. The realization that Jensen’s pets could outlive her sank [...]

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Cairo, an elderly Labrador/Basset Hound mix who lives in Shueyville with Greg Harman, has his ears dried after a bath from Iowa Humane Alliance volunteers in the "Scrub-Yer-Mutt For Spay/Neuter 2012" dog wash fundraiser at PETCO on Saturday, July 7, 2012, in Marion. The event raised funds toward Iowa Humane Alliance's mission to provide affordable spay-neuter programs, which includes opening a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

$95,000 grant moves Cedar Rapids spay, neuter clinic closer to opening

Clinic set for opening in January 2013, hopes to treat 8,000 animals in first year

An effort to open a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, in the works for several years, has received a boost from a $95,000 grant. PetSmart Charities awarded the competitive grant to assist the Iowa Humane Alliance’s Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic in Cedar Rapids, the group announced Friday. Program Director Mary Blount said the award will be [...]

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Katie Hagmeier, 9, has been volunteering at the Cedar Valley Humane Society with her mother, Gidget and sometimes, her 3-year-old sister, Gabby.

Family says volunteering helps pets and community

Hagmeier family volunteers at the Cedar Valley Humane Society

For months, Katie Hagmeier, 9, has been volunteering at the Cedar Valley Humane Society with her mother, Gidget and sometimes, her 3-year-old sister, Gabby. The Hagmeier family adopted their dog, Douglas, five years ago and have been visiting the CVHS ever since. Katie found out that she could start volunteering with a parent or guardian [...]

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"Twitch" one of the Nationally ranked Hawkeye Hustlers Fly Ball leaps onto a box with a tennis ball launcher and grabs the ball in a split second before running back down their lane to stop the timer.  "Twitch" and handler Annie Taylor of Hiawatha are  The dogs run down a lane with obstacles, then they have to get the tennis ball and preparing for a regional competition this weekend in Amana. They were training for the competition Tuesday July 10, 2012. (Joe Bishop/Freelance)

Drag racing with dogs

Flyball gets the adrenaline going

A drag-strip-like Christmas tree signal drops from yellow to green, and leadoff dog Twitch streaks down the runway to the excited whoops of team handlers. In a computer-timed 3.86 seconds, Twitch covers the 51.1-foot runway out and back, crossing four low hurdles before snatching a tennis ball from a box. Before he reaches the end, [...]

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Iowa Parrot Rescue owner and operator Mike Hutchison pets a macaw in the outdoor area of  the Iowa Parrot Rescue Thursday, June 14, 2012 near Letts.  (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

Last resort for parrots lies in rural Letts (WITH VIDEO)

Hundreds of birds have been given a second chance at Iowa Parrot Rescue 2

LETTS — Simon Bolivar has reached puberty — and that has become a serious problem. The bright green 8-year-old military parrot sits on a high perch in a screened open-air confinement at Iowa Parrot Rescue in rural Letts when his owner, Susan Boehlje of Iowa City, drops in to see if he’s back to being [...]

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Top dogs perform at Linn County Fair

Obedience and agility count during showmanship competition

Even with the heat wave hitting eastern Iowa, many dog owners still showed up at the Dog Showmanship at Linn County Fair. Eddie, a cardigan welsh corgi, sits on top of a dog show table with a fan blowing at him. Meredith McDonald, 14, of Central City entered him in obedience, agility and showmanship. Across [...]

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Dana Holmes of Marion feeds geese at Manhattan Park on Thursday, June 7, 2012, in Cedar Rapids. The city is discussing a possible ordinance against feeding geese in city parks in an effort to stem the population growth. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Dogs, guns among options to reduce geese in Cedar Rapids

Officials also asking residents to stop 'unhealthy' feeding of geese, other waterfowl 15

  CEDAR RAPIDS — The shelties and the shotguns may be called in to help, too. Daniel Gibbins, the city’s parks superintendent, on Thursday said the “overpopulation” of geese in the city has grown so large and the feces left behind so unsanitary and offensive that the city is contemplating a new ordinance to make [...]

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