Largest & Strongest Spider Web

An approximately three-foot-wide (meter-wide) Darwin's bark spider web hangs above a river in Madagascar.Though the new species' webs are overall the world's largest, other spiders might exist that create larger orbs—the spiral at the center of the web—according to study co-author Todd Blackledge, a biologist at the University of Akron in Ohio.

Despite spinning webs of Spider-Man-like size and strength, the Darwin's bark spider uses them to feed mainly on small fry—insects such as mayflies and dragonflies, the team found.

Animal Evolution : Lizard From Laying Egg to Live Birth

A yellow-bellied three-toed skink carrying embryos, visible as light orbs inside its body, instead of laying eggs.

Evolution has been caught in the act, according to scientists who are decoding how a species of Australian lizard is abandoning egg-laying in favor of live birth.

Along the warm coastal lowlands of New South Wales, the yellow-bellied three-toed skink lays eggs to reproduce. But individuals of the same species living in the state's higher, colder mountains are almost all giving birth to live young.

Only two other modern reptiles—another skink species and a European lizard—use both types of reproduction.

Evolutionary records shows that nearly a hundred reptile lineages have independently made the transition from egg-laying to live birth in the past, and today about 20 percent of all living snakes and lizards give birth to live young only.

But modern reptiles that have live young provide only a single snapshot on a long evolutionary time line, said study co-author James Stewart, a biologist at East Tennessee State University. The dual behavior of the yellow-bellied three-toed skink therefore offers scientists a rare opportunity.

"By studying differences among populations that are in different stages of this process, you can begin to put together what looks like the transition from one [birth style] to the other."

Eggs-to-Baby Switch Creates Nutrient Problem

One of the mysteries of how reptiles switch from eggs to live babies is how the young get their nourishment before birth.

In mammals a highly specialized placenta connects the fetus to the ovary wall, allowing the baby to take up oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood and pass back waste.

In egg-laying species, the embryo gets nourishment from the yolk, but calcium absorbed from the porous shell is also an important nutrient source.

Some fish and reptiles, meanwhile, use a mix of both birthing styles. The mother forms eggs, but then retains them inside her body until the very last stages of embryonic development.

The shells of these eggs thin dramatically so that the embryos can breathe, until live babies are born covered with only thin membranes—all that remains of the shells.

This adaptation presents a potential nourishment problem: A thinner shell has less calcium, which could cause deficiencies for the young reptiles.

Stewart and colleagues, who have studied skinks for years, decided to look for clues to the nutrient problem in the structure and chemistry of the yellow-bellied three-toed skink's uterus.

"Now we can see that the uterus secretes calcium that becomes incorporated into the embryo—it's basically the early stages of the evolution of a placenta in reptiles," Stewart explained.

Evolutionary Transition Surprisingly Simple

Both birthing styles come with evolutionary tradeoffs: Eggs are more vulnerable to external threats, such as extreme weather and predators, but internal fetuses can be more taxing for the mother.

For the skinks, moms in balmier climates may opt to conserve their own bodies' resources by depositing eggs on the ground for the final week or so of development. Moms in harsh mountain climates, by contrast, might find that it's more efficient to protect their young by keeping them longer inside their bodies.

In general, the results suggest the move from egg-laying to live birth in reptiles is fairly common—at least in historic terms—because it's relatively easy to make the switch, Stewart said.

"We tend to think of this as a very complex transition," he said, "but it's looking like it might be much simpler in some cases than we thought."

The skink-evolution research was published online August 16 by the Journal of Morphology.


Reference: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100901-science-animals-evolution-australia-lizard-skink-live-birth-eggs/

Largest Ancient Seabird

Boasting a 17-foot (5.2-meter) wingspan and sharp, spiny "pseudoteeth," this ancient seabird is one of the largest flying birds known, according to a study released Wednesday.

Soaring above the oceans and mountains of what's now Chile between five and ten million years ago, the newly discovered species, named Pelagornis chilensis, was part of a prehistoric group known as the bony-toothed birds. The hollow spikes on the birds' beaks allowed the predators to grab slippery squid and fish from the ocean.

P. chilensis was identified based on an "exquisitely and exceptionally preserved" fossil skeleton that was found to be 70 percent complete, said study co-author David Rubilar of the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Chile.

The specimen includes the largest and most complete fossil bird wing yet excavated. Previous bony-toothed bird fossils included wings dug up in pieces, if it all, making it harder to accurately establish wingspan.

—Rachel Kaufman

New giant bird species study appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Reference: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100915-giant-bird-wingspan-science-chilensis-teeth-pictures/

Cockroach Brains May Hold New Antibiotics?

Cockroaches may make your skin crawl, but the insects—or, to be exact, their brains—could one day save your life.

That's because the central nervous systems of American cockroaches produce natural antibiotics that can kill off bacteria often deadly to humans, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and toxic strains of Escherichia coli, scientists said this week.

Two species of locust tested so far also have the same bacteria-killing molecules in their tiny heads.

The findings suggest that the inset world—which makes up 80 percent of all animals on Earth—may be teeming with new antibiotics, said study co-author Simon Lee of the University of Nottingham in the U.K.

Such a discovery is crucial, because scientists are scrambling to combat strains of several infectious diseases, including MRSA and E. coli, that are resistant to traditional antibiotics, Lee said.

"It's a promising new lead. We are looking in an unusual place, and to my knowledge no one else is looking there," Lee said.

"That's what we need in terms of [finding new] antibiotics, because all the usual places"—such as soil microbes, fungi, and purely synthetic molecules—"have been exhausted."

Insect Brains Have "Clever Defense" Against Bacteria

Lee and colleagues dissected the tissues and brains of cockroaches—which "smell as bad as they look," Lee said—and locusts in the lab.

The team tested nine separate types of antibacterial molecules found in the insects' brains and discovered that each molecule is specialized to kill a different type of bacteria.

This "very clever defense mechanism" allows the bugs to survive in the most dirty of domains, Lee said.

The scientists found the bugs had antibiotics only in their brain tissue, the most essential part of the body, he added.

A bug might live with an infected leg, for instance, but a brain infection would almost certainly be fatal.

Insect-brain drugs for humans are still years away, Lee said, but there's one hopeful glimmer: When the team added the insect antibiotics to human cells in the lab, there were no toxic effects.

Preliminary findings on antibiotics in bug brains were presented at the Society for General Microbiology meeting held this week at the University of Nottingham.

Reference: National Geographic http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100909-cockroach-brains-mrsa-ecoli-antibiotics-science-health/

Science: Sheep with Goat Brain

Recent research and experiments show another modification on animal body and behavior, latest is the success of getting a sheep a brain of a goat. Observation shows big changes on sheep's behavior and big similarities to goat's.

Who knows this sheeps gonna get eye of a lion too..


Genetic Scientists Develop Sheep With Brain Of A Goat

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots & in Olypic Actions Competition

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is just around the corner. Introducing the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic animal mascots, plus some animals competing in Olympic games.

Meet the Vancouver 2010 Mascots, browse below for their small profiles.

Sumi the animal spirit

Sumi is an animal spirit who lives in the mountains of British Columbia. Like many Canadians, Sumi's background is drawn from many places. He wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the strong furry legs of the black bear.

Sumi’s name comes from the Salish word “Sumesh” which means “guardian spirit.” Sumi takes his role very seriously. He works hard to protect the land, water and creatures of his homeland. Sumi is a great fan of the Paralympic Games. He’s determined to learn all the sports, so he can play and race with his animal friends all winter long.

Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world. Revered animals, such as the orca whale, the bear and the thunderbird, are depicted in transformation through masks, totems and other forms of art. The orca is the traveller and guardian of the sea. The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures.


Quatchi the sasquatch

Quatchi is a young sasquatch who comes from the mysterious forests of Canada. Quatchi is shy, but loves to explore new places and meet new friends.

The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting our imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness.

Mukmuk the marmot

Mukmuk is a small and friendly Vancouver Island Marmot who always supports and cheers loudly for his friends during games and races. Mukmuk gets his name from the word ‘muckamuck,’ Chinook jargon for ‘food,’ because he loves to eat! (Interestingly, Chinook jargon was a First Nations trading language.) He’s passionate about the many different types of food found in British Columbia, and is particularly fond of berries and mountain flowers.

The Vancouver Island Marmot is an extremely rare and endangered species unique to the mountains of Vancouver Island. Learn about Vancouver Island marmots and other endangered species at www.marmots.org.


Miga the sea bear

Miga is a young sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family pod, beyond Vancouver Island, near Tofino, British Columbia. Sea bears are part killer whale and part bear. (Miga is part Kermode bear, a rare white bear that only lives in British Columbia.)

The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia. According to First Nations’ legend, Kermode bears – also known as Spirit Bears – were turned white by Raven to remind people of the Ice Age. Orcas are also honoured in the art and stories of West Coast First Nations, as travelers and guardians of the sea.


Now check out this animals in action competing in olympics.

Animal Archery Onlympic

animal track and field

chameleon in table tennis game

hamsters in table tennis - ping pong

animal swimming olympic competition

kayaking animals

fencing animal olympic action

animal olympian cyclists

Animal boxing

and bears boxing too!

it's hamster versus monkey in weight lifting competition

Man fired for bringing dog to work

PetSmart eventually offered Eric Favetta his job back

By Courtney Rubin
updated 11:24 a.m. CT, Fri., Jan. 22, 2010

"We love to see healthy, happy pets" is PetSmart's motto — but apparently the policy doesn't apply to pets belonging to employees.

Eric Favetta, a 31-year-old PetSmart employee, was fired for "theft of services" after bringing his dog to work during an overnight shift he'd picked up as a favor to his manager, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. (The Secaucus, N.J., store added an overnight shift in order to prep the store for a visit by officials from Martha Stewart's company, who wanted to discuss selling products at PetSmart.)

Favetta — a former military dog handler who'd worked at PetSmart for 18 months — didn't want his 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, Gizmo, to be home alone all day and all night. So he put Gizmo in the store's doggie day care facility. The store was empty, and Favetta checked in on his pet every 15 minutes.

Two weeks later, store and district managers requested a written report of his overnight shift. He complied — and promptly was fired for "theft of service."


“I was shocked,” Favetta told the Star Ledger. “It makes me sick that because I brought my dog to work with me when the store was closed to do the company a favor, I was called a thief and terminated.” He argues it was just a convenient excuse to ax him because he didn't get along with his manager, noting that he opened the store and handled money without incident.

PetSmart spokeswoman Jessica White defended the company's decision, saying the doggie daycare service is a huge part of PetSmart's business. Access to the store's doggie daycare facility is "viewed as sale items the same way items on the shelf are," she told the paper. "To use the facilities and not pay for it — it falls under the same lines."

PetSmart eventually offered Favetta his job back and a transfer to another store. He accepted — but then he was offered a job at a company that uses animals to search for hazards. Favetta took it.

No word yet on whether that business will allow Favetta to bring Gizmo to work.

NZ Govt looking at adopting animal cruelty bill

Tougher sentences for animal cruelty may be one step closer to becoming law with Prime Minister John Key announcing the Government would consider the issue at Tuesday's caucus meeting.

National MP Simon Bridges is drafting a private members bill, which would increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from three to five years.

The issue has been prominent, with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigating charging two men who slaughtered 33 dogs near Wellsford, north of Auckland, this week.

A spokesman for Key last night said the prime minister was "appalled" by recent animal cruelty cases, the Sunday Star Times reported.

"The government supports ensuring we have appropriate measures to deal with these issues," he said.

"The Simon Bridges member's bill will be considered for adoption as a government bill at an upcoming caucus."

If the government did not adopt the bill, it would not be considered by Parliament until being drawn from a ballot - which could take years.

Labour, Act and the Greens had indicated support for the bill.

Labour leader Phil Goff said on Saturday the party would support it to the committee stage.

"I'm the owner of two dogs and have had pets all my life. There is a human obligation to treat animals humanely and we need to do everything we can to stop these appalling acts," he told the paper.

"We know that there is a link, that people who are capable of committing acts of cruelty against animals are also capable of behaving in a similar manner against human beings."

Summer Camps with Animals

Animals at Summer Camp? Say Yes to Letting your kids play with animals this summer as a part of the fun they can have at summer camp, visit SwiftNatureCamp.com. Find a science camp, or a more broadly defined summer camp that includes animals as a part of their program offerings.

Connecting with animals in a natural setting can put a child at the beginning of a lifelong sense of relationship with nature. A deep respect for nature as an adult often starts with experience as a camper.

Swift Nature Camp best known as a Science Camp has pond aquarium that offers a unique way to see the world from the perspective of another animal: pond life from a frogs point of view. This Wisconsin camp also maintains a live animal collection they call Natures Neighbors. Campers can bring their own small animals to camp with them where the animals can live in the camps Nature Center and be available to all the children

Swift Nature Camp offers campers wider experience to understand animals and how we coexist with them by arranging field trips to a fish hatchery, goose banding projects and butterfly counts. And what child will ever forget a close up visit with a live owl?

Animals are a part of Swift Nature Camps voluntary merit program, in which campers can earn special patches by learning skills in categories such as insects, bird watching, pet care and giving pet treats, and horseback riding. Acquiring skills is never separate from the fun and play that is a part of being a camper.

Todays children grow up too fast and need time to play. The summer camp you are looking for should challenge your child to try new things, but not in a stressful way. Camp is not school! Interaction with animals can be a perfect way for a child to learn by the natural discovery of play. Besides all the fun and excitement of a traditional camp, the kids have the joy of discovering Nature and the world we live in.

Every camper is an individual and benefits from his or her own particular mix of play and skill development. Swift Nature Camp has found a way to accommodate that range with a voluntary merit program that includes experience with animals. A camper’s interaction with animals can be refined into skills involving horseback riding, insects, pet care and bird watching. These opportunities never come at the expense of fun!

Discovering nature and the world we live in. Living in a natural environment Like camp is a perfect way for kids to play and grow. When children play with animals rather than just receiving information, they learn. Camp is more about fun and has far less stressful than school.

Swift Nature Camp is a completely nature and animal friendly camp with complete facilities and supplies for animal needs like bird supplies & food, animal treats, animal fences, pet toys and animal health care.

200 year old Farmhouse burnt

Fire crews in Ross Township, Butler County were able to save some pet hedgehogs from a blaze in an historic farmhouse there.

The fire began around 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 28th in a barn in the 3200 block of Morgan Ross Road. The address is in a rural area, about 25 miles to the northwest of Cincinnati.

The fire spread to the home, which is more than 200 years old. Four departments were called to help.

The barn was destroyed and some chickens inside of it were killed. But two people inside the home escaped injury and firefighters also helped to save several pet hedgehogs.

There's no word yet on what caused the fire.

Photo Contest by Michign Humane Society

All Michiganians, do you think your furry friend deserves the title of 'Pet of the Year?' You can enter your pet to win in the Michigan Humane Society "Pet of the Year Online Photo Contest."

Show your pet in either in his/her intelligent look, in a photogenic pose, in a smart act, in lovely smile or a in any cutest/adorable fashion wear and dog clothing.

There is a $20 entry fee to set up your pet’s webpage, with a favorite photo and why your pet should be voted “Pet of the Year.” Then, you can email friends and family to donate in support of your pet’s campaign.

Funds raised by this contest will help transform the lives of so many animals.

If your pet wins they will be featured on the Michigan Humane Society website and will receive a spot as "Pet of the Month" on the Michigan Humane Society 2011 Pet Calendar.

The contest ends February 28, 2010.

To enter, and for more details on the contest visit www.michiganhumane.org

Sandra Bullock - Jesse James dog Cinnabun missing!

Pet Detective Hired..

Sandra Bullock's husband has hired a pet detective to find their missing pit bull pet Cinnabun .

The 'Blind Side' actress and her biker spouse Jesse James - who wed in 2005 - are so distraught their beloved pet dog Cinnabun is missing, they have enlisted the help of a pet recovery service.

Colleen Busch, from pet detective agency Find Toto, told website E! Online: "I'm in contact with Sandra and Jesse all day. We've been going back and forth checking on tips."

As well as hiring a detective, the couple have started an online campaign to raise awareness of the missing mutt and help bring her home safely after she went missing from their home in Seal Beach, California, on Monday (25.01.10).

In a plea for information, Jesse - who runs West Coast Choppers motorcycle company - wrote on the company's website: "We've had a few leads, but all dead ends so far, but the search is still definitely on. She's a great little dog, and we want to find her as soon as possible.

I'm in contact with Sandra and Jesse all day. We've been going back and forth checking on tips.

"Please keep your eyes out for our little gal, she's a light brown and white pit bull, 9 months old, cropped ears, full tail, hazel eyes. Last seen wearing a large pink collar near West Coast Choppers and Cisco Burger on Anaheim St./710 Freeway in Long Beach."

Jesse also offered a $2,000 reward to anyone who safely returns the pooch.

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James Asking for Help find Cinnabun

Mechanic extraordinaire (and Sandra Bullock's husband) Jesse James is asking for your help, as his pit bull 'CinnaBun' has gone missing. James, who calls his canine pal "our shop dog & pet," says that CinnaBun (pictured on the right) has been missing for nearly two days now.

"She has been missing since 2pm yesterday," James said in a posting accompanied by a photo of CinnaBun on Twitter. "If you find her plz call 562-983-6666."



James and Bullock have a reputation for loving dogs, and also preach the benefits of rescue pets. In the video below, James talks to PEOPLE about his brood of dogs.

Teeth of Animal Kingdom - Craziest Animal Attacks Video

Check out this compilation video of predator-prey relationship, the way and life cycle of animal survival..

More Help Came for Haiti Animals

More and more help and delegation are coming to rescue and provide most needs of the victims of quake killer in Haiti. Continuous help and support still needed so if we can help in any way, there are many ways.

Tracy Reis, the American Humane Association’s program manager for Animal Emergency Services, will be in Haiti on Thursday to join the international effort dedicated to animals affected by the earthquake.

Reis will arrive in the capital, Port-au-Prince, as part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, an organization led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Reis will work with coalition members in the Dominican Republic and Haiti to implement a feeding program for community dogs and to offer immediate veterinary aid to animals in Haiti. The efforts are conducted in cooperation with the Haitian government, particularly the Ministry of Environment.

"We are discussing the need for a vaccination program in order to prevent the spread of diseases amongst the animal populations,” said Jean Marie Claude Germain, the Haitian minister of environment.

In addition to deploying Reis, American Humane’s efforts include:

• Identifying volunteers from each group in the coalition and gathering skills and resource information about them so the most effective teams can be sent to Haiti.

• As the first professional animal welfare organization to join the coalition, American Humane donated $25,000 in funding and expects to provide more money.

• American Humane’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services volunteers are preparing for deployment by updating their vaccinations and receiving other medical assessments.

• American Humane notified more than 200 trained and FEMA-certified animal rescue responders on its response roster. Some qualified responders may join teams in Haiti once long-term mission objectives are determined.

To date, $150,000 has been raised to support the coalition’s work. Among the various challenges faced by the coalition members is being able to secure a suitable site for medical supplies for animals while human needs are met first.

News syndicated by Pet Street Mall from VeterinaryPracticeNews.com

Suffering in University of Utah Laboratories

This shocking news of about poor animals first suffering from being unwanted animals, brought and suffering in animal shelters, now in terrible fate being sold by animal shelters and they now as experiment animals in laboratories of University of Utah (U of U). Please help stop this another terrifying suffering..

UPDATE: After breaking our shocking investigation, PETA received confirmation from the University of Utah that Robert would be retired from the laboratory and adopted into a new home. While this is excellent news for Robert, other homeless cats and dogs from animal shelters are still languishing in the University of Utah's laboratories, and they are relying on you to speak out in their behalf.

An eight-month PETA undercover investigation at the University of Utah has documented the daily suffering of dogs, cats, monkeys, rats, mice, rabbits, and other animals in the school's laboratories.

Homeless dogs and cats—who were bought for $15 to $25 from local animal shelters through a Utah state "pound-seizure" law, which requires government-run shelters to turn animals over to laboratories that request them—were used in cruel, invasive experiments. In one study, a litter of kittens born to a cat bought from an animal shelter died after they had a chemical injected into their brains to cause fluid to build up.

In other experiments, mice whose back legs were paralyzed, rats suffering epileptic seizures, and mice with huge, ulcerated tumors covering their bodies were left to suffer without adequate veterinary care. Many animals died and were left for days before anyone noticed.

Please be a voice for the animals suffering in labs at the University of Utah. Take a minute of your time to urge the university to stop taking advantage of the animal overpopulation crisis and stop acquiring animals from shelters, which are supposed to protect animals from harm. Also, please call on administrators to release to the public complete records on all the animal experiments at the University of Utah funded by tax dollars, including grant proposals, experimental protocols, veterinary records, and minutes of oversight committee meetings.

Pet Street Mall supports the fight for animal rights. Shop at PSM, get discounts and you can share in donations to animal rescue organization.

Dogs: It's Survival of the Cutest

Look at how cute and adorable Claudia and Johnny are! Don't they just melt your heart?

It's possible that how we view Claudia, Johnny and other dogs' appearances could be influencing the variation and evolution of domestic dog breeds.

The University of Manchester released a new study today that compared the skull shapes of domestic dogs with those of different species across the order Carnivora, to which dogs, cats, bears, weasels, seals and walruses belong.

Researchers found that the skull shapes of domestic dogs varied as much as other species across the whole order. In other words, a Collie's skull shape is as different from a Pekingese's skull as a cat's skull shape is distinct from a seal's skull.

The researchers believe that human intervention has played a powerful role in dog breed evolution and diversity.

According to the press release, Dr. Abby Drake, one of the researchers involved with the study, explained: "We usually think of evolution as a slow and gradual process, but the incredible amount of diversity in domestic dogs has originated through selective breeding in just the last few hundred years, and particularly after the modern purebred dog breeds were established in the last 150 years."

In layman's terms, today's domestic dogs can get away with having several hundreds of different breeds because of human care, protection and managed breeding. Many dogs live very protected lives, and we get to choose which breeds are appealing enough to continue on.

Most owners feed their dogs specially prepared food from a can or bag on a daily basis, so the animals have little need to perfect their hunting skills to ensure their survival.

Owners also often take their dogs to the vet for regular check-ups and shots, and administer monthly meds to prevent their pets from getting infections or parasites.

As a result, domestic dog breeds don't have to be any particular size or shape. They don't even need fully functional limbs.

Left alone in the wild, nose and mouth structures would have to evolve or today's domestic dogs would become extinct, the research shows. Consider the breathing problems Pugs and English Bulldogs have, or the tiny size of a Pomeranian's mouth.

Today, the American Kennel Club officially recognizes 150 dog breeds. With humans continuing to take dogs in as our pets, who knows how many more breeds will make the list in the future?

By : Lauren Effron of Discovery News

More animal news and information on effective dog training equipments like collars at Petstreetmall.com

Ways to Help Animals - Haiti Earthquake

You can help the animals of Haiti out, by donating to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which will be dispatched to the area to take care of injured animals as soon as the humanitarian effort has been stabilized. The IFAW website says that donations will go towards “bandages, vaccines, antibiotics and other pet supplies for our mobile veterinary clinic.”

Of course, you can also donate to the human relief fund by texting HAITI to 90999, to donate $10 to the Red Cross that will show up on your cellphone bill. You can also donate to the Red Cross online. Anything you can give helps, countless livestock, strays and wildlife that need medical help.

A rare animal specie Solenodon that burrows top soil was found in Haiti, probably their homes were destroyed too of the 7.0 Haiti earthquake.

In the past few days, several organizations have joined forces to create the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), with the goal of raising funds to help animals in the earthquake-stricken country and to provide direct aid to animals once rescue teams can be assembled in Haiti.

The ASPCA has joined ARCH with the belief that partnering across organizations is the most effective way to address the serious and enormous problems facing animals in Haiti. There are an estimated 5 million head of livestock in the country (mostly goats), a large stray dog population, and an untold number of companion animals and native wildlife all adversely affected by the earthquake.

The ASPCA has committed to providing logistical support to the disaster responders from the U.S. In addition, the ASPCA stands ready to deploy highly skilled and specially trained members of our own Field Investigations and Response Team to the area.

As part of ARCH, the ASPCA urges you to donate directly towards the animal welfare Haitian relief efforts by visiting IFAW or WSPA.

In addition to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ARCH now includes The International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, American Humane, Best Friends, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.

According to the ASPCA, "There are an estimated 5 million head of livestock in the country (mostly goats), a large stray dog population, an untold number of companion animals and native wildlife all adversely affected by the earthquake."

"Currently, a team is staging in the Dominican Republic waiting to get into Haiti to begin work. IFAW and WSPA have also begun to stock a mobile clinic with vaccines, antibiotics, bandages, food, and other supplies in anticipation of bringing direct aid to animals," the release adds.

The society has also set up a website where visitors can donate funds to help support the new coalition's work.