Peppermint Petcare

If your pet has a surgery, and is sent home with a "cone of shame"... LEAVE THE FUCKING CONE ON.

We did not put that cone on to torment your pet. We put that cone on so that your pet's insides stay inside. Yes, I know they're running into things and look very very sad. I am not being heartless when I say "I don't care. The cone stays on." I'm trying to keep your pet safe.

We've had 5 different clients take the cone off "for just a minute" in the last 2 weeks. One incision we were able to restaple. One we knocked out to resuture, which the owner had to pay for. Two we are currently managing as open wounds because the owners took the cone off a second time.... and one had to go to emergency to have her guts put back into her body after they were dragging on the bottom of the crate ("but it seemed uncomfortable to sleep in...")

In the VERY VERY RARE occasion that you need to temporarily take the cone off for the pet to eat or drink properly you must be actively staring at your pet the whole time the cone is off. Not just in the same room. Not on your phone. Not cooking. Not "turned around for a moment". Actively staring like you're a little kid who just found the most fascinating bug to ever cross your path.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a zoo or aquarium in the United States speak up broadly about AI. (The only times I can think of any comment at all has maybe individual instances when a deepfake of “their” animal escaping is circulating.) And they did a great job with this piece! It’s succinct, easy to read, and written in a way that doesn’t shame people for engaging with AI content before they knew better.

I think this is exactly the type of resource needed for sending to that family member or friend we all have - the one who isn’t aware of the slop issue and constantly sends you clearly fake videos because they’re “so cute.”

my nephew has a puppy rn, and they described it as 'throwing out behaviours and seeing what happens' which i liked a lot better?

A message from our executive director Julie Packard on the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall:

Dr. Jane Goodall was a remarkable individual—as a scientist, as an advocate for wildlife and wild places, and as a source of profound hope for the future of our planet. She brought such a joyful spirit and unfailing optimism to her work. Most importantly, she recognized that—together—we can make a real difference through our actions, large and small.

(sent to me by my sister this morning)

Dolphins doing cartwheels with an aquarium guest.

Yeah you're cute when you sleep but you didn't let me sleep either so I'm going to annoy you now because I'm bored. Hahah get poked, sleepy idiot.

How do you not comprehend this when I am literally staring at you. Like I understand that your brain can't understand things this nuanced but come on, how do you not get this.

I don't know if you know that what I am currently doing is an expression of affection, but that won't stop me. Knowing that I showed you that I love you is enough.

I heard a crinkly material and the sound of you chewing so I have to know what's in your mouth RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

I can't communicate with you and you can't communicate with me, so I'm just copying the tone of the sound you're making in hopes that you understand that I try.

You are doing activities beyond my comprehension, and I find this fascinating. I will never understand what the fuck you are trying to achieve here, but I am intrigued nonetheless.

The Fuegian “dog” is the third, forgotten type of domesticated canid, behind the domestic dog and domesticated red foxes. For you see, the Fuegian dog was domesticated from the culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus). They’re good dogs, Brent:

The Fuegian dog was domesticated by the people of Tierra del Fuego (reports differ regarding whether it was the Yaghan or the Selk’nam people who domesticated them. Could have been both). According to accounts, they would have looked more or less like what you’d expect from a domesticated culpeo: roughly coyote-sized and long-snouted, with pointy upright ears and a long fluffy tail. One report even claims they had webbed feet. Reported colorations range from tawny to gray to white, with patches of black, tan, or white. It apparently barked.

European colonizers did not think highly of the dogs. A French captain in 1883 described it as “ugly […] it looks quite like the fox”. They were noted to be important to Fuegian peoples. Some European reports claim they were affectionate and protective of their masters; others claim they were not particularly loyal when their masters were in danger. They were noted to be used for warmth and hunting otters, and I bet there were more uses the Europeans didn’t notice or write down.

At some point between 1895 and 1919, they were exterminated because the Europeans were scared of them-I mean, “they were a threat to men and cattle”. This would be shortly followed by a genocide of the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego. There are surviving photos of Selk’nam with dogs, but to me they look more like introduced European dogs.

As of today, only two stuffed specimens of the Fuegian dog remain. Because of this, visiting Punta Arenas and seeing one in person is on my bucket list.

And that’s basically everything that’s known about them.