Animals & Pets

Published November 12, 2020

Detroit Zoo welcomes 2-year-old female giraffe

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo’s tower, as a group of giraffes is called, has expanded to a quartet with the addition of newest member Zara, a 2-year-old female from the Peoria, Illinois, zoo.

Published November 9, 2020

Shelby - Utica News

Memorial event to remember slain dog brings community together

UTICA — A memorial event was held for a second year by a local group that formed after a dog adopted from a shelter was stabbed to death at a park in Utica in 2019.

Published November 6, 2020

Sterling Heights Sentry

Trapping, neuter, release programs can help with problem of feral felines

STERLING HEIGHTS — Sterling Heights resident Donna Polom says she is frustrated with having to clean up after animals who aren’t her pets: namely, the feral cats that popped up in her neighborhood due, she said, to a nearby cat harborer.

Published November 4, 2020

Grosse Pointe Times

Grosse Pointe Shores officers rescue kitten during house fire

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — For the Grosse Pointe Shores Public Safety Department, the mission of protecting and serving includes furry, four-legged residents as well as their human companions.

Published October 26, 2020

Shelby - Utica News

Shelby pets compete for best pet costume contest

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA — Shelby Township is in the process of holding a Halloween pet costume contest and is inviting the community to join in to decide which pet entered in the contest has the most interesting and adorable Halloween pet costume.

Published October 22, 2020

Madison - Park News

As monarchs migrate, environmental activists plan for their return

MADISON HEIGHTS — It’s the time of the year when monarch butterflies begin migrating to warmer climes. Over the summer, efforts were underway in Madison Heights to help support these beautiful pollinators, known for their orange and black wings. Now, plans are being made to support their return this spring.

Assistant Naturalist Christina Funk introduces Samantha the owl and also expresses her gratitude and enthusiasm for a permanent owl structure during an Oct. 14 groundbreaking ceremony at the Stage Nature Center in Troy.

Published October 21, 2020

Troy Times

Work begins on owl structure at Troy nature center

TROY — A permanent home for hoots has started to take root at Troy’s nature center.

Published October 7, 2020

Roseville - Eastpointe Eastsider

Roseville police investigate dog attack

ROSEVILLE — The Roseville Police Department is investigating an attack by two dogs that left three people injured and another dog dead.

An Eastpointe resident was surprised to find this ball python lying in his backyard. Eastpointe Animal Control subsequently took custody of the animal.

Published October 2, 2020

Roseville - Eastpointe Eastsider

Python discovered in backyard of Eastpointe home

EASTPOINTE — Some Eastpointe residents got a surprise in their backyard after a python was discovered on the loose Sept. 25.

Detroit Zoological Society veterinary staff recently healed a female American white pelican’s injured foot with a series of custom-made splints.

Published August 25, 2020

Royal Oak Review

Rescued pelican finds new home at Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK — A female American white pelican found in May near the Port of Monroe, Michigan, with injuries to her wings and foot almost did not make it.

Published August 24, 2020

Shelby - Utica News

Memorial balloons let go in Shelby receive letter back from Virginia

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A dog is more than just a pet; a dog is both a family member and a friend. The memorial for one friendship that was built over almost 16 years brought an unexpected coda to a dog’s life in Shelby Township.

Published August 11, 2020

Royal Oak Review

Wild turkey vulture gets assist from the Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo recently helped a young feathered friend who got separated from his parents and nest at the Rackham Golf Course located next door to the zoo in Huntington Woods.

Published July 28, 2020

C&G Newspapers

Animal adoptions face new hurdles during pandemic

HARPER WOODS/GROSSE POINTES — For the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society, 2020 should have been a banner year.

Published July 28, 2020

Royal Oak Review

Detroit Zoo defends method of removing of native wildlife

ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoological Society has opted to keep its newborn female red panda cub in an indoor holding area not open to the public due to the increased number of red foxes and other native wildlife in the zoo

Baby chimpanzee hand-reared by Detroit Zoo staff makes debut

Published July 2, 2020

C&G Newspapers

Baby chimpanzee hand-reared by Detroit Zoo staff makes debut

ROYAL OAK — On June 25, 5-month-old chimpanzee Zane made his public debut at the Detroit Zoo’s 4-acre Great Apes of Harambee habitat, never far from his adoptive mom, Trixi, 50.

Published July 2, 2020

Sterling Heights Sentry

Dog park ready to open, city says

STERLING HEIGHTS — Every dog has its day, and at long last, they are all scheduled to have their opening day at the new dog park at Delia Park in Sterling Heights.

COVID-19 causes spike in local pet adoptions

Published July 1, 2020

West Bloomfield Beacon

COVID-19 causes spike in local pet adoptions

WEST BLOOMFIELD — For all the heartbreak and upheaval that has come from COVID-19, some positives have also come as a result of the pandemic.

Published July 1, 2020

Madison - Park News

Shelters continue to seek families for homeless animals

MADISON HEIGHTS/HAZEL PARK — These are turbulent times, and different people cope in different ways. For some, this has meant adding a furry new friend to the family. The animal shelters in Madison Heights and Hazel Park have been trying to meet this need, diligently looking after the animals in their care and looking for the right homes.

Published June 23, 2020

Birmingham - Bloomfield Eagle

Bloomfield Township animal welfare division reopens July 1

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — It’s been close to a year since the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted to scrap several programs to make up for a budget shortfall.

Female red panda cub Keti peers between two boughs in her habitat at the Detroit Zoo Jan. 23. The Detroit Zoological Society recently announced that it would reopen to members and the general public June 8 and 12, respectively, so visitors will once again be able to get their in-person dose of Vitamin Z.

Published June 9, 2020

Royal Oak Review

Detroit Zoo to reopen with new safety measures in place

ROYAL OAK — On June 4, the Detroit Zoological Society announced that it would once again welcome visitors through its gates — members beginning June 8 and the general public beginning June 12.