AUBURN — Ruby the rescue horse wasn’t happy being ridden. She bucked and reared every time trainer Candy Gleason tried to nudge her into a canter. Her saddle was fine and her legs were OK, but Ruby’s anxious hop-skip signaled something was very wrong. “She really almost came right up on me,” Gleason said. […]
Animal Tales
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Animal Tales: Volunteers help find lost pets
LISBON — When Apples the cat didn’t come home for three days this summer, Lacey Cornell panicked. She was used to the 6-year-old gray cat coming and going, but he’d never been gone for so long. Even though Apples spent much of his time prowling his Lisbon neighborhood, he almost always came home for breakfast. […]
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Amazing Acro-Cats have impurrfect start in circus
Fifteen circus cats were stuck on a bus — and they had a performance in two hours. “Jax is like, ‘I’ve got this.’ No you don’t, Jax,” said circus owner Samantha Martin, fending off Jax’s paws as she fed keys through a tiny bus window to a human also trapped inside. Even on a good night, […]
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Animal Tales: Dogs serve those who served
LEWISTON — In a classroom at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, Dutchess pressed against Jesse Abrams’ side, a move that will be important when the 52-year-old Navy veteran needs help maintaining his balance. Amid the chaos of other dogs and strange people, she kept her focus on him, necessary to gauge his anxiety. […]
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Animal Tales: A bark in the park
LEWISTON — They are park regulars. Friendly Chloe. Happy Otis. Tara, who isn’t sure strangers should be trusted. Jacob, who is pretty sure they should. A hound mix here, a pug there — and their humans. “It’s really peaceful,” said Judy Harris, who brings Jacob, a shih tzu-Maltese mix, to the park several times a […]
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Animal Tales: Horsing around to help kids
HARTFORD — A year ago, Carlos Michaud wouldn’t have listened to anyone, wouldn’t have followed directions, wouldn’t have looked anyone in the eye. And he certainly wouldn’t have been happy about being asked to. But on a recent afternoon, the 10-year-old bantered with an aide and giggled as he rode miniature horse Mr. Tom around […]
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Animal Tales: The art of animal acupuncture
TURNER — Scooby didn’t seem to mind the acupuncture needles. Three were inserted around his head, then four, then five. One on the side of his back leg. Another at the base of his neck. The 7-year-old yellow Labrador retriever panted serenely, then leaned against his owner, Michelle Emerson, for a scratch behind the ears. […]
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Animal Tales: Born to run
MASON TOWNSHIP — Released from the pen she shares with other Alaskan huskies, Snowy Owl raced across the snow, gleefully bounding over drifts and covering the yard in long strides. “Here comes Snowy. Come on, Snowy!” called Steve Crone, owner of New England Dogsledding. “Look at her go.” With a long line of champions behind […]
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Animal Tales: Multiplying like rabbits
LEWISTON — It started in the car on the way to the animal shelter. Surprise! A baby bunny. Then while the pet rabbits were settling in at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, it happened again. Another baby bunny. That night . . . the next day . . . and the day after that. Baby […]
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Animal Tales: Cat with a blog
AUBURN — Some cats meow or purr to make a point. Latte blogs. Answers email. And has started his own Facebook page. “None of the humans wanted to do it,” said Catherine Sanders, veterinarian at Taylor Brook Animal Hospital, where Latte lives, works and blogs. “Latte wanted to do it.” The blue-eyed, brown-and-white cat showed […]