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(credit: Noel Hidalgo)

Denver police officers performed searches on state and federal criminal justice databases that were not work-related and instead were made to help officers' in the romance department and to assist friends, according to an independent department monitor. The report said that punishment, usually a written reprimand instead of being charged criminally, is not enough to deter future abuse of the National Crime information Center (NCIC) and the Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC) databases.

"When used appropriately, they can be powerful tools to investigate crime," the report stated. "But the misuse of these databases for personal, non-law enforcement purposes may compromise public trust and result in harm to community members. We believe that the reprimands that are generally imposed on DPD (Denver Police Department) officers who misuse the databases do not reflect the seriousness of that violation, and may not sufficiently deter future misuse."

The report by Independent Monitor Nicholas Mitchell listed a host of wrongful searches, including an officer getting a phone number of a woman he met on assignment, and an officer running the license plate of a man for a friend who then stalked that person. None of the 25 Denver officers found to have abused the crime databases was ever charged with any access crime. The harshest penalty was a three-day suspension. Civilians who accessed the databases without authorization, however, most likely would be charged with hacking.

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Flour is one of those seemingly simple ingredients that, upon closer inspection, can be downright mystifying. This harmless looking powder has much more going on that you would think, and even though it’s in almost every recipe, it can be hard to know which variety to buy for the best pastries, breads, and cakes. Let’s examine this veritable bouquet, starting with the basics.

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The humble zipper is an effective mechanism that hasn’t changed much since it was invented over a hundred years ago, but neither have the problems that we all have with them. Here are a few ways to deal with your jammed and misaligned zippers.

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Some car maintenance is easier than you’d think, but there’s still a lot that goes on under the hood that can leave you scratching your head. This video breaks down some basic rules to avoid a car repair ripoff.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has officially ended.

Mary Helwig, a 32-year-old rookie from Willow, Alaska, was the last musher to reach Nome.

She arrived in the Bering Sea coastal community at 11:51 p.m. Saturday with 11 dogs in harness and the red lantern, carried by the last place musher.

The musher’s annual banquet will be held in Nome on Sunday afternoon.

Helwig finished the nearly 1,000 mile (1,600 kilometer) race across Alaska in 13 days, 8 hours, 51 minutes and 30 seconds.

Dallas Seavey won his fourth Iditarod on Tuesday in record time: 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes and16 seconds.

Eighty-five mushers began the race March 6 just north of Anchorage; 14 scratched from this year’s Iditarod.

The post Last place musher arrives in Nome, ending the Iditarod appeared first on WTOP.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Zoo officials say five cheetah cubs born after a rare C-section procedure are getting around-the-clock critical care in the zoo’s nursery.

The zoo’s director of animal health says it’s only the third C-section he has been involved with and his first on a cheetah.

The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1VnZklt ) reports the three male and two female cubs were born March 8 at the zoo’s cheetah breeding facility in Clermont County.

Just over 50 cheetah cubs have been born there since it opened in 2002.

Zoo officials say the cheetahs’ immune systems are not developed very well and they’re not able to actively fight off infections.

The cubs will stay in the nursery for at least eight weeks.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

The post Cincinnati Zoo: 5 cheetahs born in rare C-section procedure appeared first on WTOP.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A transgender inmate who was paroled after a judge ordered California to pay for her sex reassignment surgery is making plans to have the surgery on her own this summer through coverage provided by the state’s low-income health insurance program, she told a California newspaper.

A federal judge ordered the state to provide the surgery to Michelle Norsworthy in 2015, just the second time that any judge in the United States directed a state prison system to provide the operation. But Norsworthy was paroled before she received it.

Norsworthy, 52, told the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/21BnOXV) she is proud of her fight with the state. State officials have announced new standards for treating transgender inmates undergoing hormone therapy and approved surgery for one prisoner, Shiloh Quine, the first time any U.S. prison system has authorized such an operation, the Chronicle reported.

Norsworthy said she is still adjusting to life outside prison, particularly being around other women. She lives at a halfway house in San Francisco and is looking for long-term housing and a job.

“I had to adapt my personality in order to survive,” she said about her time in prison. “I had to be a man just to be a woman. Now I’m in an all-female facility…I go to sleep knowing nobody’s going to hurt me or rape me. That’s a relief.”

A judge sentenced Norsworthy in 1987 to 17 years to life in prison on a second-degree murder conviction in the slaying of a man at a bar. Norsworthy said she was in denial at the time about who she was and acted “overly male,” carrying guns and being tough. She said her crime still haunts her.

She began openly identifying as a transgender woman in prison in the 1990s and received hormone therapy. The state, however, balked at prison doctors’ recommendation in 2012 that she receive sex-reassignment surgery. It eventually dropped its challenge to her case.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

The post Transgender inmate planning to have surgery on her own appeared first on WTOP.

We often see the effects of natural disasters on the television or hear about them on the radio. The common thread among many people affected is that the disaster was unexpected, and they were unprepared. You can change that. By getting together a basics disaster preparedness kit, you can help prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes. Anyone living in an area vulnerable to hurricanes should plan ahead and stockpile basic supplies.

EditSteps

EditPacking a Travel Kit

1. Start with a waterproof container. First, you'll need a waterproof utility bag or backpack to hold your disaster supplies. This should be big enough to hold all your essentials, but convenient enough that you can grab it and go in a moment.
   
2. Pack enough water for three days. You'll need at least one gallon (3.8 liters) per person per day for drinking and sanitation. Stock up on three gallons (11.4 liters) per person so you're set for three days.
   
3. Select dry, non-perishable food. This food could sit in your disaster kit for months. Pack long-lasting, calorie-dense foods such as protein bars and canned meals. Make sure all foods are completely sealed, to avoid attracting pests.
   
   • If you decide to pack canned foods, do not forget to pack a manual can opener.
   • Also pack paper plates, cups, and eating utensils.
4. Pack two outfits per person. Pack one warm-weather and one cold-weather outfit. Having a dry change of clothes could save you from hypothermia during extreme weather conditions.
   
5. Include a first aid kit. Many people are not able to reach a doctor for several days after a natural disaster. At minimum, include disinfectant and medical bandages to clean and dress injuries. Adding additional tools is even better.
   
   • If anyone in your household needs medication, pack extra in here. If he only has a limited prescription, he should keep it on his person or somewhere he can retrieve it quickly.
6. Pack flashlights and other light sources. Include multiple flashlights and/or lamps, several dozen batteries, and a few glow sticks in case the batteries get wet. A couple lighters will also come in handy to light fires. Double bag each of these items in waterproof zip-locked bags, since they're vulnerable to water.
   
   • LED lamps last longer than most other types of battery-powered light.
7. Add an extra mobile phone. Include backup batteries as well, plus a battery-powered charger. Once again, double bag these items.
   
8. Stash copies of important documents. Make copies of flood and homeowner's insurance, if you have them. Also copy your identification cards, birth certificates, and other documents you might need to prove your identity to a bank or government institution. Bag them and keep them deep in the container to ensure they stay dry.
   
   • Include an address book as well with local phone numbers.
9. Locate your bag near the exit. It should be easy to retrieve the kit at a moment's notice. Let everyone in the house know where it is.
   

EditStocking Your Home for a Hurricane

1. Stash at least a week's worth of water. During hurricane season, your house should have at least one or two weeks' worth of bottled water. Each member of your household needs one gallon (3.8 liters) per day. This means your kit should have 7–14 gallons (26–53 liters) per person.
   
   • Don't forget to include extra if you have pets.
2. Store non-perishable food items. Keep your pantry well-stocked, and include extra supplies just for disasters. Choose nutritious, non-perishable items such as canned fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, unsalted nuts, and peanut butter.
   
   • Minimize salty foods, which will make you thirstier.
3. Pack another first aid kit. If you already have one in your travel kit, you may not need another. Still, an extra supply of disinfectants and bandages is never a bad idea.
   
4. Prepare backup communications. With power lines down and a storm raging, communications could be limited. A solar-powered or battery-powered radio can be a good way to pick up emergency information.
   
   • Depending on where your travel kit is located, you may want another cheap mobile phone, flashlights, and lighters.
5. Pack miscellaneous comforts. A few blankets in a waterproof bag could be vital after a hurricane. Baby wipes are a small comfort you may appreciate if you cannot take a bath or shower. Bug repellent and sunscreen are also useful.
   
6. Check your tool supplies. Once the worst of the storm passes, you'll want to start repairs and cleanup. The following will help you out:
   
   • Cleaning supplies such as mops, liquid bleach, bucket, push broom, utility knife, hammer, and pry bar for tearing out wet sheet rock.
   • Heavy-duty work gloves, leaf rake, garden rake, and bow saw to clear debris from yard.
   • Equipment for temporary roof repair: plastic tarps, hammer, and roofing nails.
7. Know how to respond to a hurricane. The best course of action is to listen to emergency broadcasts in your area. However, knowing some general information in advance can help you decide where to place your preparedness kit:
   
   • The hurricane may blow objects through your windows. Move garden furniture and similar objects before the hurricane arrives.
   • The safest place in your house is usually a basement room, or a room in the center of the house. If you can get under a staircase, it may protect you from falling beams.
   • Lean mattresses and large cushions against doors and windows for protection.

EditTips

• Local TV stations usually transmit the audio of their news on FM stations in the days after a major storm.
• You shouldn't need to use garbage bags to bag storm debris. Just pile it beside the street for pick up by the city.

EditWarnings

• Don't use the city water for drinking or cooking until the water company declares it safe.
• For large cleanup jobs, hire someone you trust with a chain saw. The emergency rooms fill up with chainsaw accidents after hurricanes and tropical storms.
• If power is lost, it may not be restored for days or even weeks. Plan accordingly.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Build Your Own Emergency Disaster Kit
• Pack an Emergency Kit for the House
• Be Prepared for Natural Disasters
• Be Safe During a Hurricane

Dogs, like people, are products of their genetic makeup and their environment. Your dog’s temperament describes how he responds to people and other aspects of his environment, including noises and other animals.^[1] His responses are largely instinctual, but can also be influenced by his environment. ^[2] Temperament testing is a way to evaluate your dog’s temperament, which can help you better understand him. An expert usually performs the test for you on an adult dog, but learning how it works may help you understand the results. Temperament testing usually takes about 15 minutes.^[3]

EditSteps

EditPreparing for a Temperament Test

1. Determine what type of temperament test your dog needs. There are many temperament tests that are available,^[4] so you will need to decide what you want your dog to be tested for. You may want to test if your dog will be good around young children, or you may want to see if he’s a good candidate to be a service dog. When you know what type of temperament test your dog will need, you will be able to narrow your search of companies that provide temperament testing.
   • Some boarding or dog daycare facilities require temperament testing. The facility may do the testing itself. Contact the facility where you would like to board your dog to learn more about the temperament testing requirements.
   • The American Temperament Test Society has a temperament test that includes an evaluation of your dog’s protective tendencies.^[5]
   • The American Kennel Club has a Canine Good Citizen Test that evaluates trained behavior along with temperament.^[6]
2. Take your dog to the veterinarian. Have your veterinarian perform a thorough physical examination of your dog before temperament testing. Certain medical conditions, such as arthritis, could affect how your dog responds during the testing process. If the medical conditions are not known or diagnosed beforehand, the tester may misinterpret your dog’s responses to the different testing exercises.^[7]
3. Obtain your dog’s full history. The more information on your dog that the tester has before conducting the test, the better he/she will be able to evaluate him. For example, write down your dog’s breed, age, sex, and reproductive status (intact, spayed, neutered). You should write down information on how your dog generally reacts to other people and other animals, as well as if your dog has had any prior obedience training.^[8]
   • If you do not know your dog's breed, you can have your dog DNA tested. Dog DNA tests, which use cheek swabs, can be purchased online or at your local pet store; tests usually begin at about $60. The tests have variable accuracy, so talk with your veterinarian first about which DNA test he/she recommends.^[9]
   • It is also important for the tester to know if your dog has, or has previously shown, aggressive behavior. If your dog has been aggressive, you will need to specify his aggression (food aggressive, aggressive towards people, etc).^[10]
4. Write down information about yourself. In addition to having a full history of your dog, the tester will also need to know about you, especially in terms of your experience with dog ownership and dog training. It would also be helpful for the tester to know about your home environment (young children, other pets) and your ability to provide additional training that your dog may need as a result of the testing.^[11]
   • Make sure to be honest and complete when providing information about yourself and your dog.^[12]
5. Gather together the testing equipment. Before the test, make sure that your dog’s collar and leash are sturdy. The tester will take your dog through a number of exercises, so it will be very important that your dog's collar and leash are in good shape.^[13] If either are in need of replacement, purchase them well enough in advance of the test so that your dog is used to them.
   • In addition to a collar and leash, you may also need a food bowl, some of your dog’s toys, and a chair.^[14] The equipment needed depends on the type of temperament test your dog will undergo.
   • It’s also helpful to have a notebook or computer where you can write down your dog’s responses while he’s being tested.^[15] You could also use your smartphone or a video recorder to record your dog during testing.
6. Select an area for temperament testing. The testing should be done in a controlled environment where there are no other distractions. This environment should be unfamiliar to your dog.^[16] If you are unsure where to have your dog temperament tested, your veterinarian may be able to recommend a location.
7. Select a tester and handler. It is very important to have your dog tested and handled by someone that he doesn’t already know. This increases the likelihood that the testing will be as objective as possible. It is also important to select an expert who is highly trained in conducting temperament tests.
   • If you are testing your dog’s suitability for a specific purpose (hunting, service dog, etc), then select a tester who is an expert in that particular area.^[17]
   • During the testing, your handler will not be able to give your dog any correction or guidance, unless directed by the tester.
   • If you are unsure where to start with selecting a tester, conduct an internet search of local temperament testing companies to find out more about their testers and testing services.

EditTesting an Adult Dog’s Temperament

1. Observe your dog’s response to a stranger. The exercises in this section are part of the American Temperament Testing Society, Inc temperament test. For this test, the handler should not be familiar with the dog; an expert tester will evaluate your dog’s responses. The objective of this first exercise is to evaluate how your dog responds to a non-threatening stranger.^[18]
   • The first stranger will be neutral — he will approach and shake hands with the handler, then engage the handler in a short conversation while ignoring the dog. This interaction tests how your dog responds to passive socialization (when no one is interacting with your dog), and whether he has a protective instinct when a stranger approaches.^[19]
   • The second type of stranger will be friendlier, and will actively engage with the dog. This will evaluate your dog’s active socialization.^[20]
2. Evaluate how your dog responds to noise. For this exercise, your dog will be exposed to different noises. The first noise will be hidden — someone other than the handler will rattle a metal bucket of rocks from a hidden position, then set the bucket in the path of the handler and your dog. This will evaluate your dog’s level of curiosity (will your dog investigate the bucket?) and alertness.^[21]
   • The second noise will be a gunshot. Someone who is standing a distance back from the handler will fire three gunshots. This tests how your dog responds to a sudden, loud noise.^[22] Each person in the testing vicinity will be safely out of harm’s way when the gun is fired.
3. Evaluate your dog’s response to a sudden visual stimulus. Your dog and his handler will approach someone who is sitting in a chair with a closed umbrella. When your dog and the handler are about five feet away, the other person will open the umbrella. The tester will be looking to see how your dog reacts to something in his path that he wasn’t expecting.^[23]
4. Observe how your dog walks on an unfamiliar surface. The handler will have your dog walk on two types of unfamiliar surfaces: a 15 x 6 foot (4.6 x 1.8 meter) plastic strip and a 12 x 3 foot (3.7 x 0.9m) unfolded exercise pen. For this exercise, the tester will evaluate how your dog responds when he’s walking on an unusual surface. (Is he fearful of the new surface? Can he get over that fear? Does he demonstrate curiosity while walking on the surface?)^[24]
5. Test your dog’s self-protective or aggressive behavior. This exercise is conducted in multiple steps to observe how your dog responds to an unusual situation that becomes increasingly threatening. In the first part of this exercise, your dog and his handler will stop at a designated point and an oddly dressed stranger will cross about 40 feet (12m) in front of them. The tester will be watching to see if your dog recognizes this as unusual.^[25]
   • Next, this stranger will walk closer to your dog and his handler (about 30 ft / 9m), as if to provoke them. At this point, your dog should start to perceive that the situation is starting to escalate.^[26]
   • The stranger will then walk even closer (about 20 f / 6m), this time more aggressively. At this point, the trainer evaluates your dog’s protective instincts. Different breeds have varying levels of protective instincts, so your dog’s breed will be taken into consideration as his protective response is evaluated.^[27]
6. Use the results to guide your training. No dog is perfect for every situation. Your dog may be great in some situations, and not so great in others. Hopefully, the temperament test has helped you identify these areas. In future training, focus on the areas where your dog needs improvement.^[28]

EditTesting a Puppy’s Temperament

1. Perform the rollover test. Testing a puppy’s temperament is something that you could do on your own. Alternatively, select a tester who knows the genetics of your puppy’s litter.^[29] To perform the rollover test, roll your puppy onto his back and hold him there about 15 seconds by gently placing your hand on his chest. Observe how much he resists being held this way.^[30][31]
   • A dominant puppy will show resistance for the entire time that you are holding him. A more submissive puppy will put up little to no resistance, and may start licking you (another sign of submission).^[32]
2. Gently squeeze your puppy’s paws. With your puppy standing on all fours, hold down both of his front paws by covering them with your hands and using gentle pressure. Hold his paws like this for about one minute, then do the same with his back paws. Use just enough pressure on his paws to keep him in place, not to hurt him. Just like with the rollover test, observe his level of resistance to being held.^[33]
   • Pain will cause your puppy to resist regardless of whether he’s dominant or submissive, so it is important not to inflict any pain while temperament testing your puppy.
3. Pet your puppy all over. Gently touch his ears, his legs, his belly, etc. Lightly tug on his ears. Pay close attention to how he responds to you. Whether he seems to enjoy it, tries to get away from you, or even tries to bite you, he will be giving you good clues of his overall temperament.^[34][35]
   • Keep in mind that puppy biting is normal puppy behavior, even though it may hurt; it is a puppy’s way of investigating their environment.^[36] Puppy biting can be problematic, though, if you do not train your puppy to stop biting as he grows older.^[37]
4. Pick up your puppy. Pick him up by interlacing your fingers on his belly (palms facing up), and lifting him in the air. Hold him there for about 30 seconds. If he starts to squirm and wants to be put down, he has a more dominant and independent behavior. If he seems quite content for you to hold him in this way, he is showing more submissive behavior and may even try to start licking you.^[38][39]
5. Watch how your puppy approaches people and other littermates. This will give you a very good indication of his dominant or submissive behavior. If your puppy is showing dominance, he will approach other people and his littermates with an upright posture and perky ears. On the other hand, if he is submissive, he will walk with his head lowered and ears leaning back; he will probably also hunch over a little.^[40]
   • If the puppy is glued to your side, it may be insecure. If it shies away, it may have a fearful personality. A puppy that ignores you completely is probably independent, and one that explores the room but comes back to you is confident.
6. Clap your hands. The goal of this exercise is to observe your puppy’s response to sudden noises. Whether he responds with interest, fear, aggression, or indifference will let you know what kind of temperament he has.^[41]
   • Throwing your keys on the ground can be a good alternate test of this response. Most puppies will jump back initially, but confident ones will quickly come over to investigate the new object.
7. Test the puppy's reaction to food. Try petting the puppy while it is eating, then taking the puppy's food away as it eats, and pushing the puppy away. If the puppy tries to play tug-of-war with the dish, or tries to crowd your hand out of the bowl, it is more dominant. If the puppy willingly relents, it is more submissive.
   • If the puppy reacts aggressively, it may have an issue with food aggression, sometimes called "resource guarding." This is a serious issue, but fortunately it is easier to correct in puppies than in adults.
   • If the puppy is large enough to injure you, use a broom handle or other long object to push the food away. Never test an adult dog this way with your bare hand.

EditTips

• Remember that you cannot change a dog’s genetics. That being said, it is still possible to manage and improve how your dog responds to and interacts with his environment.^[42] Temperament testing will provide you with a good overall picture of your dog’s behavior, which will help you understand your dog better and improve your communication and relationship with him.
• Have your dog temperament tested more than once. Just like people, dogs change as they age. Having your dog temperament tested periodically can show you where he’s improved and where he still needs some work.^[43] In puppies, testing at around 7 weeks and again at 10 to 12 weeks is recommended to assess the development of personality traits.^[44]
• Prior to testing, have your dog go to the bathroom. If he needs to go during the test, this could affect the test results.^[45]
• Temperament should not be equated with lack of training. A dog that jumps on people and pulls on the leash is not necessarily a dominant, independent dog, just an untrained one.
• If you can't get a temperament test, try to interpret a dog's body language (after moving it to a quiet room away from other dogs). Here are the basics:
  • Looseness of the body; a loose, wiggly dog is relaxed and content, while a stiff dog is nervous or timid, even if it is wagging its tail.
  • Eye contact: If the dog stares at you intently, it may be afraid or aggressive. If it looks at you and away, or blinks often, it is relaxed but attentive.
  • Ears and tail: If the tail is curled under the dog and its ears are back, it is very afraid, while an upright tail and ears can be a warning sign of aggression. Curious dogs will typically tilt their heads and/or wag their tails.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Volunteer at the Humane Society
• Find the Right Pet
• Choose a Pet
• Introduce New Pets

EditSources and Citations

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FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A California college student who went on a stabbing rampage that wounded four people before he was shot down by a campus police officer was inspired by the Islamic State group but acted alone, the FBI said Thursday.

Faisal Mohammad, 18, appears to have become self-radicalized, drawing motivation from terrorist propaganda that he found online before launching the Nov. 4 attack at the University of California, Merced, authorities said.

“Every indication is that Mohammad acted on his own,” Gina Swankie, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Sacramento field office, said in a statement. “It may never be possible to definitively determine why he chose to attack people on the U.C. Merced Campus.”

The knife attack happened a month before a gun-wielding husband-and-wife team in San Bernardino killed 14 people and wounded 21 others at a workplace holiday party. In that case, too, investigators said they were influenced by the IS, but not directly connected to it. Like Mohammad, they had not raised red flags that put them on a watch list.

In both cases family members said they were unaware of their loved ones’ interests in terrorists groups.

In Merced, Mohammad burst into a classroom, stabbing two students. He stabbed a construction worker who intervened, then ran from the building, where he knifed a school employee sitting on a bench. Police shot and killed Mohammad.

The FBI says the college freshman from Santa Clara, California, for several weeks had visited the websites of IS and other extremist groups. He planned the attack at least a week before carrying it out, investigators said.

During the rampage, Mohammad carried a backpack containing a two-page, hand-written “manifesto,” detailing plans to bind students to their desks with zip-tie handcuffs, authorities have said. Then, he was going to make a fake 911 distress call, ambush responding officers with a hunting knife and steal their guns to shoot a list of targeted classmates.

Mohammad’s backpack also held a photocopy of an Islamic State group flag and a list of items he would need for the attack, the FBI said.

Attorney Daniel Mayfield, who represents Mohammad’s relatives, said the family remains in the dark about what prompted the violent outburst just days after he turned 18. They are asking investigators to provide them with more information, he said.

“This is not the Faisal the family knew and loved and sent off to the university,” said Mayfield, who added that before this the teenager had a reputation for being quiet, respectful and studious.

The post FBI: IS group inspired California student in stabbings appeared first on WTOP.

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to five years in prison for ramming his truck into a horse, killing the animal and injuring its rider.

The state attorney’s office reports in a news release that Christopher Todd also was sentenced Friday to five years of probation after his prison sentence.

Todd pleaded no contest last month to aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, killing a horse and leaving the scene of a crash with injury.

Authorities say Todd got into an argument with several people riding horses at Blue Spring State Park last February. One woman had reportedly told Todd not to speed in his Dodge Ram 1500. Officials say he responded with an expletive, and the woman called him a racial slur.

Authorities say Todd then turned his truck around and drove at the group, hitting one of the horses.

The post 5 years in prison for Florida man who drove truck into horse appeared first on WTOP.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities are searching for someone who left a puppy tied to a plastic shovel to drown on a Los Angeles-area beach.

The body of the brown-and-white terrier mix was found Friday by canoe paddlers at Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey.

A blue-handled plastic shovel was stuck through the dog’s collar and into the sand, David Carpenter told Fox 11 (KTTV-TV) (http://bit.ly/1PiJ6mc).

“That act of cruelty, to me is unfathomable,” he said.

Authorities suspect the dog was unable to escape as the tide came in, but Carpenter had a different view.

“Either the dog was dead and placed there, which really doesn’t make too much sense,” Carpenter said. “More than likely somebody stuck the shovel through the collar … It’s a children’s shovel, and they had to have held it in place while the animal drowned and then eventually when it succumbed, left it there and walked away,” he said.

There was no word on a motive.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Animal Care and Control were investigating.

The dog had a registration tag, and authorities are seeking the owner.

The post Puppy tied, left to drown on Los Angeles-area beach appeared first on WTOP.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — In a story March 20 about the fight over names of historic hotels and other landmarks at Yosemite National Park, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Delaware North is seeking $51 million from the park service. The company says the park service should have required the new concessionaire to purchase the names and other intellectual property, which Delaware North has valued at $51 million.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Fight over names to historic sites at Yosemite escalates

The fight over the names of historic hotels and other beloved landmarks at Yosemite National Park is escalating

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The National Park Service has opened up a new front in the fight over the names of historic hotels and other beloved landmarks at Yosemite National Park.

The agency has asked a federal trademark board to cancel trademarks obtained by the company that previously ran the park’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activities, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1R5Nzye). Those trademarks include the name, “The Ahwahnee,” which was used on a luxurious stone and timber hotel with stunning views of the park’s fabled granite peaks, and “Curry Village,” a woodsy family-friendly lodging complex.

The park’s previous concession company, Delaware North, says the park service should have required the new concessionaire to purchase the names and other intellectual property, which Delaware North has valued at $51 million. It has filed a lawsuit in federal court. The park service, meanwhile, changed the names of The Ahwahnee, Curry Village and other sites while it fights for the rights to keep the original names.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of the Interior told the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that the trademark registrations were causing “damage and injury” to the National Park Service, according to the Bee.

Attorneys for Delaware North said in a March 14 reply that the effort to cancel its trademarks was “a tactic” in the ongoing litigation. They asked the trademark board not to take any action until the lawsuit was resolved.

Delaware North recently lost a $2 billion bid — the National Park Service’s largest single contract — to run the park’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activities when Yosemite awarded a 15-year contract to Aramark.

Delaware North has said when it won the contract in 1993, the park service required it to buy the former concessionaire’s assets.

The park service has valued the names and other intellectual property at about $3.5 million.

The post Correction: Yosemite-Name Changes story appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — A new exhibit open at the National Archives showcases just how the Constitution, and history, could have changed drastically.

It’s Christine Blackerby’s job to find the documents in America’s attic that explain our government.

“I just kept passing by these boxes filled with documents in the stacks of the building,” she says explaining how she came to co-curate the new exhibit.

Inside those boxes were 11,000 amendments that fell short of changing the Constitution, such as the Widows and Spinsters Amendment of 1888.

“They proposed to give the right to vote to only widows and spinsters who didn’t have a husband to represent them,” Blackerby says.

The “Amending America” exhibit also explains how the amendment process works, even if most don’t make it to the U.S. archivist’s desk.

“If the founders didn’t set the bar for ratification so high, we may have an amendment barring public office to anyone who engaged in a duel, or we might be choosing the president of the United States by picking a ball out of a bowl,” archivist David Ferriero says.

After an amendment passes both houses of Congress, and three-fourths of states have ratified it, the archivist of the United States can certify the amendment to become part of the Constitution.

Ferriero joked he wants someone to propose a 28th Amendment so he can have the honor.

“There are so many ways people thought about changing the Constitution, but they never quite got the level of support that you need in order to make an amendment to the Constitution,” she says.

The exhibit that took two years to put together is timed with the 225th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.

“So to celebrate that anniversary, we have taken a look at all the amendments to the constitution, not just the first 10 which we know as the Bill of Rights,” Blackerby says.

Along with the amendments on display, volunteers and staff logged the text of all 11,000 failed amendments into www.data.gov, so the public has free “searchable, sortable access for the very first time making a major contribution to online access to the records of our federal government,” Ferriero says.

The post National Archives exhibit shows 11,000 ways the Constitution could have changed appeared first on WTOP.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker, who played one season in the NFL, died Friday of injuries from a dirt bike crash in Miami.

His godmother confirmed the 23-year-old Walker’s death, according to the Ravens.

Walker was riding a Honda dirt bike with no lights and wearing dark clothing when he collided with a Ford Escape on Thursday night, Miami-Dade Police said. He had been in Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

A fourth-round 2015 draft pick, Walker played in eight games last season, mostly on special teams.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh wrote a heart-felt letter to his players Friday before Walker died. Later, in a statement, Harbaugh said, “Tray was a young man with a good and kind heart. He was humble and loved everything about being part of the Ravens’ team. He loved his teammates — the practice and the preparation — and that showed every day. … I’ll never forget that smile.”

General manager Ozzie Newsome, who drafted Walker, said, “Tray was one of the most humble persons we brought in for a pre-draft visit. That was striking. After we drafted him, he and his family were so excited to receive the call that he was about to become a Raven. It was one of the calls I will always remember. There was such joy for Tray and his family.”

Walker made only one tackle with Baltimore, but he made a lasting impression on those around him.

“Tray was a young man who was full of energy and promise,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “This is very hard to wrap my head around, and I am devastated.”

Walker played high school football at Miami Northwestern High School before enjoying a four-year career with Texas Southern. He was second-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2014.

“Tray had a hard shell,” Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said, “but once you broke through that, you found a person who was learning how to become a man and was so eager to be a great person and professional. I am heartbroken for his family.”

Walker’s death was felt throughout the organization, all the way to the top.

“We have two sons not too much older than Tray, and we can’t imagine how much his family is suffering,” team owner Steve Bisciotti said. “This is so sad. The right words are hard to find at a time like this. As much as we can comfort Tray’s mom and the rest of his family, we will.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

The post Ravens CB Tray Walker dies of dirt bike crash injuries appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — Prince William County Police say two people were found shot in two separate, nearby locations Friday night in Manassas.

Police say officers responded to the 11200 block of Golden Leaf Circle around 10 p.m. Friday to investigate a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

During the initial investigation, police say it was discovered that the shooting occurred in the area of Blue Gray Circle.

During a canvass of the area, officers found the body of an adult male who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

The map below shows the distance between the two locations where police found the victims.

Stick with WTOP for updates on this developing story.

The post Police: 2 men shot, 1 fatally, in Manassas appeared first on WTOP.

Perhaps this weekend’s 7-Eleven promotion where you can fill any sufficiently narrow container with Slurpee isn’t of interest to you because you would rather have your Wild Cherry-flavored sweetness in the form of a baked good. The convenience store chain is happy to indulge that very specific preference: they have a limited-time offering of a cherry-iced donut under the Slurpee brand.

The pastry is not served frozen, but does have pink speckles throughout the cake donut, and red frosting and sugar crystals on top meant to simulate the Wild Cherry Slurpee. The suggested price is 99 cents; it could cost more in some markets.

There is not, to our knowledge, a Wild Cherry flavored coffee to go along with the Slurpee, but anything could happen later on in this 50th anniversary year.

7-Eleven Offers New Slurpee Donut [Brand Eating]

A federal court in California is currently weighing whether or not Apple could be compelled to aid the FBI in unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the terrorists behind the Dec. 2, 2015 shootings in San Bernardino, CA. But even if the court rules that Apple must assist the government in opening the device, some engineers at the company are reportedly considering resistance.

The NY Times reports that Apple engineers are considering everything from quitting their jobs to merely dragging their feet on the work if they are ordered to aid the FBI.

Encryption protection on the iPhone prevents law enforcement from repeatedly attempting to guess the user’s passcode to unlock the device. If too many incorrect guesses are made, it could result in the loss of the data that the FBI believes might be on the phone.

This level of security is not something that the shooter added to his iPhone, but is built into newer models of the device. Not even Apple has a backdoor to quickly bypass the encryption.

What Apple could do — and was initially ordered to do in February — is create a weaker version of its operating system and transmit that as a software update to just this iPhone, allowing the FBI easier access.

However, Apple and privacy advocates worry that this is the thin edge of the wedge — if Apple must comply with this one order, then it could set a precedent where it must do the same for all iPhones involved in criminal investigations. Additionally, there are concerns that whatever weakened encryption Apple creates for this work-around could leak, putting many millions of devices at risk for attack by hackers.

One former Apple engineer turned venture capitalist tells the Times that law enforcement may have difficulty dealing with the “rebellious” culture of the Apple employees it needs assistance from: “If the government tries to compel testimony or action from these engineers, good luck with that.”

Additionally, these high-level Apple engineers are so in demand that even if they walk away from the company, they shouldn’t have any trouble finding work elsewhere — and in fact, some companies might hire them because they made the decision to walk away rather than weaken the product they created.

Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center says that compelling an encryption expert to produce something that gives law enforcement a backdoor is “like asking a doctor to administer a lethal drug.”

While the engineers might not have trouble finding work elsewhere if they walk, Apple could possibly be held in contempt of court or face significant financial penalties for non-compliance, though one former federal prosecutor admits that it the company could show that every single person at the company who could have created this work-around has quit, then maybe it might be able to say to the court that it had done all it could.

What’s a hungry carnivore to do when a sudden craving for meat hits at an inconvenient hour? If you’re lucky enough to live in Paris, you can now visit a meat vending machine that dispenses steaks and sausages 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And if you don’t live in Paris yet, we’re moving there and could use some roommates.

The city’s first meat vending machine is set up on the Rue de Charonne in eastern Paris, reports the The Associated Press, in an area that already hosts at least two dozen butcher shops.

The owners of one of those shops decided to invest about $45,000 in the machine that sells vacuum-packaged meat so they could get customers’ business even when the store is closed.

“We’re closed two days: Sundays and Mondays,” one owner told The Associated Press. “So this is to cater for customers over the weekend. … The idea was also to serve people after the shop’s closing hours. We close at 8 p.m. but some people leave work very late and find the shop closed when they walk past it.”

The machine takes cash or credit cards, and offers a variety of traditional delicatessen, including duck confit and beef carpaccio. The prices are about 20 euro cents more expensive than the items sold in the shop. But hey, it might be worth it for meat on demand.
Paris gets sausages and steaks 24/7 from vending machine [Associated Press]

Earlier this week, the Senate narrowly shot down a piece of legislation that would have created a voluntary national standard for labeling food products containing genetically modified ingredients while also overturning any state laws mandating GMO labels. With that bill dead, it means Vermont’s label mandate is on track to kick in this summer, so General Mills has decided to comply, while still calling for national consensus.

In a blog post published today, General Mills exec Jeff Harmening admits being “disappointed that a national solution has still not been reached” on GMO labeling while acknowledging that the company could face significant fines if it doesn’t start labeling its products to comply with Vermont state law.

“We can’t label our products for only one state without significantly driving up costs for our consumers and we simply will not do that,” writes Harmening. “The result: consumers all over the U.S. will soon begin seeing words legislated by the state of Vermont on the labels of many of their favorite General Mills products.”

While Harmening might come across as a bit grumpy in the post, he may have a valid argument about the possible logistical nightmare of trying to comply with a patchwork of labeling laws from various states.

It’s also possible — though he doesn’t point this out — that if more major national companies like General Mills choose to label all U.S. products, regardless of which state they are sold, then there’s the likelihood that other states won’t introduce their own legislation because it would be redundant.

Campbell Soup Co. — which makes a heck of a lot more than soup under brands including Pepperidge Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Arnott’s, V8, Swanson, Pace, Prego, and others — has already begun labeling its GMO-containing products, even though the company has lobbied against labeling laws in multiple states.

While making the point that there is significant science on the side of GMO food being safe to eat, Harmening concedes that “some consumers are interested in knowing which products contain GMO ingredients.”

In fact, a recent survey by our colleagues at Consumer Reports found that 90% of people want GMO labels; that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t buy the foods, they simply want to be informed.

The rollout of General Mills products will begin in the coming weeks, the company tells the AP, with the goal of meeting the July deadline for the Vermont labeling law.

In the meantime, the company has a website, generalmills.com/ingredients, where consumers can click on specific products for more information on which items might contain genetically modified ingredients.

In news that really isn’t at all surprising — despite repeated denials from medical professionals — a new report found that doctors’ prescription habits are often influenced by the payments they receive from pharmaceutical and device makers.

An analysis from ProPublica found an apparent correlation between the payments they receive from pharmaceutical and medical device makers and the types of drugs they prescribe to patients.

The analysis matched records on payments from the industry in 2014 with data on family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, psychiatry, and ophthalmology doctors who wrote more than 1,000 prescriptions for Medicare’s prescription part D patients.

While ProPublica points out that the new analysis doesn’t prove that payments sway doctors to prescribe particular drugs, it does show that payments are associated with prescribing approaches.

“It again confirms the prevailing wisdom … that there is a relationship between payments and brand-name prescribing,” said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who provided guidance on early versions of ProPublica’s analysis. “This feeds into the ongoing conversation about the propriety of these sorts of relationships. Hopefully we’re getting past the point where people will say, ‘Oh, there’s no evidence that these relationships change physicians’ prescribing practices.’”

ProPublica’s analysis provides a great in-depth look at prescriptions and industry payments. Here are six things we learned from the new report:

1. Payments come in all shapes and sizes: Nationwide, three-quarters of those doctors analyzed for the study accepted payments for speaking, consulting, travel, meals, and gifts.

According to ProPublica, the amount of contributions received by doctors could be minimal — such as a free meal — and they would still prescribe more name-brand drugs than their counterparts who were not wined-and-dined or hadn’t received any form of payment.

2. More money means more name-brand prescriptions: Doctors who received industry payments were two to three times as likely to prescribe brand-name drugs at exceptionally high rates as others in their specialty.

Doctors who received more than $5,000 from companies in 2014 typically prescribed the most name-brand prescriptions.

Specifically, the report found that doctors who received more than $5,000 in payments had a name-brand prescribing rate of 30%, compared to the 20% prescription rate for doctors who did not receive any payments from the pharmaceutical and device maker industry.

3. Some specialties affected more than others: Cardiologists receive the most money: Nearly nine in 10 cardiologists who wrote at least 1,000 prescriptions for Medicare patients received payments from a drug or device company in 2014, while seven in 10 internists and family practitioners did, according to the report.

4. State by state: In addition to looking at the national connection between pharma payments and doctors’ prescription habits, ProPublica’s analysis also examined each state, finding a wide variation in those that take industry money.

The rate of payments in Nevada, Alabama, Kentucky, and South Carolina was twice as high as in Vermont, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Maine.

The state with the highest proportion of doctors who take money was Nevada, with 90%, while the lowest proportion was in Vermont with just 23%.

5. No other option: ProPublica found that while payments from pharmaceutical and device makers do make a difference, doctors also consider a variety of factors when making prescriptions.

For example, some physicians treat patients for issues where there are no generic prescriptions available, like those treating HIV/AIDs patients.

One such doctor tells the Seattle Times there was little linking the $189,000 he received from the industry in 2014 and his high rate of name-brand prescriptions given to patients.

About 55% of his scripts were for name brands in 2014, but they’re mostly for his patients with HIV/AIDS, who have few generic alternatives, he said.

6. It’s better for the patient: Some doctors contend that their prevalence in prescribing name-brand drugs is done in the best interest of patients.

A New Jersey doctor who received $66,800 from companies in 2014 and whose brand-name prescribing rate was more than twice the mean of his peers in internal medicine tells ProPublica he considers the patient’s needs first when making prescriptions.

“I do prefer certain drugs over the others based on the quality of the medication and also the benefits that the patients are going to get,” he said. “My whole vision of practice is to keep the patients out of the hospital.”

Now There’s Proof: Docs Who Get Company Cash Tend to Prescribe More Brand-Name Meds [ProPublica]
Confirmed: Doctors who take pharma money twice as likely to prescribe brand-name drugs [The Seattle Times]

Whenever Girl Scout cookie season rolls around, we inevitably hear stories of grown adults behaving horribly toward these young entrepreneurs, and this year is no different. But at least in this case, there’s a bit of a happy ending after two sisters were cursed out by an angry homeowner while they were going door to door drumming up business.

The two New Jersey Girl Scouts, ages 9 and 12, were verbally assaulted by a woman while knocking on doors in one neighborhood, they told ABC 7 News.

The woman reportedly yelled and cursed at them, telling them that no one wanted their cookies. That’s right, no one likes Girl Scout cookies. Nope.

“It was just a weird, scary kind of thing,” the older sister said.

“She just closed the door at us and said, ‘I don’t want any of those Girl Scout cookies!’ except she said the F-word before that,” the younger sister added.

A worker at the local police department saw a post on Facebook about the sisters’ encounter, and passed around a cookie order sheet, raking in hundreds of orders for the two girls.

Seriously though, who wouldn’t go for a roll of Thin Mints icy cold from the freezer?

SISTERS SELL HUNDREDS OF GIRL SCOUT COOKIES TO POLICE IN NJ AFTER WOMAN CURSES THEM OUT [ABC 7 News]

Any help graduates can get when it comes to repaying their mountains of student loan debt is often welcome: from cities offering debt forgiveness to keep young adults in their areas to programs in which states will pay for portions of their education. Now, more employers are jumping on the assistance train by providing student loan payment contributions as part of their compensation plans. 

In addition to offering vacation and sick time, health insurance, and retirement contributions, Bloomberg reports that more companies are contributing a few thousand dollars toward employee student loan debts as a benefit.

In an attempt to persuade more companies to help employees repay their education debts, a pair of companion bills — dubbed The Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act [PDF] — are currently making their way through the House and Senate that aim to provide businesses with a tax incentive to do so.

Unlike 401(k) contributions, which are tax deductible, when a company provides employees with money to pay off their student debt, it counts as taxable income for which both the employer and worker have to pay taxes.

Under the bills, that would change.

The measures aim to expand a section of the tax code to treat up to $5,250 per year in employer contributions toward student debt as nontaxable income.

Proponents of the bill say the change could persuade more companies to offer assistance to employees.

“Student loan repayment would be a very attractive benefit that employers could offer,” said Kathleen Coulombe, a government affairs adviser at the Society for Human Resource Management, an industry group that worked with representatives on the bill, tells Bloomberg. “We anticipate that that number would definitely go up, should it be covered in section 127.”

In addition to assisting both companies and borrowers when it comes to taxes, bill sponsors say it would also reduce default rates for student loans.

“We’re looking at this as a longer-term solution,” Ashley Phelps, the communications director for Illinois Representative Rodney Davis, who introduced the legislation, tells Bloomberg. “If you don’t have this debt, then you don’t have as many at-risk borrowers that could default on their student loans.”

Soon Your Employer May Pay Back Your Student Debt [Bloomberg]

Who sees your prescription information? No, there are more people involved than just the pharmacists and technicians at your local drugstore and your doctor and his or her employees. Information about your medications can also end up with data miners, insurance companies other than your health insurer, and companies that your pharmacy does business with.

Sometimes you can opt out of these, and sometimes you can’t. Your pharmacy may let you opt out of ads on request. Prescription data with names scrubbed out is often used in health research, for example, and we even posted a story based on research on prescribing data from Medicare patients earlier today.

You can’t really opt out of having your information shared when you apply for life, disability, or long-term care insurance, but you can get a copy of whatever information was shared if you have applied for any of those insurance types recently.

MedPoint: 844-225-8047
Milliman Intelliscript: 877-211-4816
Medical Information Bureau: 866-692-6901

The results range from things that are innocent but annoying, like ads in the mail for blood sugar testing supplies, to things like identity theft that can be devastating. Your drugstore might sell your information directly to the makers of drugs and medical supplies, or you may end up in a database when data miners are able to match up prescription data stripped of patients’ identities with other publicly available information about your shopping habits and interests.

If you take care to shred all paperwork with your name and address on it but toss prescription bottles straight in the trash, you’re missing what could be a big privacy breach. Our privacy-minded pals down the hall at Consumer Reports recommend redacting your personal information on old prescription bottles with a black marker, or peeling off and tearing up the labels.

Your Prescriptions Are Not a Secret [Consumer Reports]
Your Medical Data What You Need to Know Now [Consumer Reports Health]

When your cat is dying, it may be hard for you to cope with the idea of losing her.^[1] However, you can make the best of this time with your cat by making her as comfortable as possible. Rather than being sad about what you know is inevitable, take advantage of this time to bond with your cat and remember just how special she is to you.

EditSteps

EditMaking Your Cat's Environment Comfortable

1. Minimize noise and activity around your cat. When your cat is nearing the end of her life, it is extremely important for her to be comfortable in her own space. She will need a calm, quiet environment that is free of noisy activity and chaos. For example, if you have other pets, you may need to restrict their access to her.^[2]
   
   • Consider moving your cat’s rest area to a part of your house that does not get much activity or noise.^[3]
   • If moving your cat’s rest area to a different room would be too much of a change for her, then you should adjust your habits, as well as those of your family, to decrease the amount of activity and noise around your cat.
   • Allow your cat choose where to sleep.^[4] She may naturally choose an area that will give her the peace and quiet she desires.
   • Playing soft, low music for your cat could make her feel more comfortable. Examples of soothing music are singing birds and running water.^[5]
   • The hustle and bustle of daily life may be too much for your cat to handle in her final days, and could actually make her illness or general state of health even worse.^[6]
2. Provide your cat with extra bedding. When your cat is dying, it may be difficult for her to rest as comfortably as she used to. Extra blankets and bedding will give her some extra padding on which to lay and get comfortable. The extra padding can also prevent pressure sores that could develop if she lies in one position for too long.^[7]
   
   • Your cat may soil her bedding due to bladder control issues or physical inability to walk to her litterbox.^[8] Choose extra bedding that is easy to clean, such as blankets and towels.
   • Foam bedding, though comfortable, can be difficult to clean.^[9]
   • Check the bedding regularly for evidence of soiling (dampness, fecal material) and clean it as often as is necessary.
   • The extra bedding can also serve to keep your cat warm. Older, dying cats can have difficulty maintaining their body temperature and can become cold more easily.^[10]
3. Adjust the lighting in your cat’s environment. Changing the lighting for your cat can make her environment seem more comfortable to her. During the day, open the window shades or blinds just to enough to let in diffuse, natural light.^[11] When the sun goes down, provide your cat with soft lighting.^[12]
   
   • Leave a low light on for your cat when it is time to say good night. She may feel more comfortable with a low light than complete darkness.^[13]
   • Visit your local home improvement store to learn more about low lighting options for your cat.
4. Place her necessities nearby. As your cat nears the end of her life, she may have trouble getting up and walking around. The distance that she used to walk to get to her litterbox and food and water bowls may be too far for her now. To minimize her discomfort with eating, drinking, and using the litterbox, place her bowls and litterbox in a nearby area that will be easy for her to get to.^[14]
   
   • Even with the close proximity, your cat still may have trouble getting up on her own. You can either fashion a sling out of a towel or blanket, or purchase a sling, to help her to her feet.^[15]
   • Place her favorite toys close by.

EditFeeding Your Cat

1. Give her tasty food. Earlier in your cat’s life, you may have limited the amount of tasty morsels your cat ate so that she could maintain a healthy diet. Now that she is near the end of her life, why not indulge her a bit more? Spoil your cat with some tuna, such as tuna flakes or even tuna juice poured on top of her food.^[16]
   
   • Meat-based baby food,^[17], such as turkey,^[18] is another type of tasty food to feed your dying cat. Since onions are toxic to cats, make sure the baby food does not contain any onion powder.^[19]
   • Gourmet cat food is another tasty food option for your cat.^[20]
   • Whichever tasty food you give her, make sure that it has a strong and appealing smell. Your cat probably won’t have a big appetite in her final days,^[21] but giving her food that is very aromatic may encourage her to eat at least a little bit.^[22]
2. Make her food easy to eat. Not only may your cat be losing her appetite when she is dying, but she may also no longer have the physical ability to chew her food adequately. Therefore, you will need to make her food easier to eat. For dry food, you can soften it by soaking it in some water or mashing it.^[23]
   
   • Other than mashing dry food, you can grind it up in a blender.
   • If you are feeding your cat baby food, you can mix it with some water to make it even softer.^[24]
   • Warming up your cat’s food can make it easier and more appealing for her to eat.^[25]
   • Talk with your veterinarian if you are unsure what types of foods your cat can eat, and would want to eat, at the end of her life.
3. Give your cat fresh water. Your cat, in her final stages of life, may not want to drink as much water as she used to. In addition, her body’s ‘thirst’ signal may not be working very well, so she may not even realize that she needs to hydrate herself.^[26] Keeping your dying cat well hydrated is key to keeping her comfortable.^[27]
   
   • Her water should be lukewarm instead of cold.^[28]
   • If your cat is too weak or in too much pain to drink out of her water bowl, you will have to help her by gently supporting her head upright.^[29]
   • She may not want to open her mouth willingly to drink the water, so you may have to give her water using a medicine dropper.^[30] While supporting her head, position the medicine dropper next to her back teeth on the inside of her cheek. When she opens her mouth, gently squeeze the water down her throat.

EditManaging Your Cat’s Medical Challenges

1. Identify your cat’s health challenges. Your cat may be at the end of her life, but that does not mean that her health challenges should not be addressed. In fact, not addressing her health problems could make her feel even more uncomfortable and speed up her rate of decline.^[31] Make an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss your cat’s various health challenges and what can be done to manage them.
   
   • If your cat has a terminal illness, such as cancer or chronic kidney disease, develop a plan with your veterinarian to manage and minimize your cat’s discomfort.
2. Minimize your cat’s pain. Depending on your cat’s medical condition, she may be in a lot of pain. When she is dying, you should do what you can to relieve this pain. Your veterinarian can recommend what type of pain medications your cat would need to achieve pain relief.^[32]
   
   • Remember that, at this stage in your cat’s life, the pain medication is to make her feel more comfortable, not cure her physical ailments.^[33]
   • Consider using a pill popper to administer the pain medication if your cat cannot open her mouth on her own.^[34] Position the pill popper as you would the medicine dropper. When she opens her mouth, push on the pill popper to dispense the pill down her throat. To stimulate swallowing, give her a few drops of water using your medicine dropper.^[35]
3. Manage your cat’s elimination problems. Pain, disease, or general weakness can make it very difficult for your dying cat to make it to the litterbox in time. If your cat has trouble controlling her bladder, your veterinarian may want to prescribe a medication to manage the incontinence.^[36]
   
   • Your cat may also have trouble controlling fecal elimination.
   • Check your cat regularly for evidence of soiling or wetness.^[37] Gently clean her genital and rectal area to prevent urine scald and other skin irritation caused by elimination problems.^[38] Clean her with a soft cloth and warm water.
   • Disposable cat diapers are also available. If your local pet store does not carry them, you can either search online or ask your veterinarian for recommendations on diapers for your cat.
   • Putting a diaper on your cat may be a bit awkward and challenging at first, so you may want to ask your veterinarian about the easiest way of doing it.

EditPreparing for Your Cat’s Death

1. Talk with your veterinarian about euthanasia. While you are making the best of the time you have left with your dying cat, you will also need to prepare for the realities of her eventual death. By no means is this easy, but it is something you must do. Talking with your veterinarian will help you handle and organize this difficult preparation.
   
   • Euthanasia is a painless and humane way of ending your cat’s life. To perform euthanasia, your veterinarian would administer an overdose of an anesthetic drug.^[39] After a few seconds, your cat would slip peacefully into unconsciousness and eventually stop breathing.^[40]
   • Do not feel ashamed or guilty about thinking or talking about euthanasia. Many pet owners struggle with the idea of putting their pets to sleep.
   • Your veterinarian can help you sort out your emotions and questions regarding euthanasia.
2. Decide when the time is right for euthanasia. After talking with your veterinarian, it is up to you to decide when the time has come to have your cat euthanized. It may be helpful to look for clinical signs that your cat is clearly suffering: hiding, sleeping more, wasting away, and either withdrawing from human contact or being overly clingy.^[41]
   
   • Ask yourself this question: ‘Am I keeping my cat alive for myself or for my cat?’^[42] How you answer that question will help you decide when the time is right to euthanize her.
   • If your cat is truly suffering, despite your best efforts to make her comfortable, then it may be time to have her euthanized.
   • Come up with a plan for when it is "the right time". Your veterinarian can help you to come up with a written plan to help you know when the time for euthanasia is. This can be very helpful:
     • It uses your vet's knowledge on the progression of your animal's disease (if any) that will alert you to symptoms that indicate pain or suffering, or not.
     • It helps eliminates arguments among families, roommates, or other multiple owners.
     • Making big decisions with big emotions is hard, and having a plan done at a more neutral time can help take the emotions out of the equation.
   • It can also help to either observe or keep a written record of your cat’s daily activities. When you notice that she’s having more bad days than good days, it’s probably time to start thinking about euthanasia.^[43]
   • When you have made the difficult decision to euthanize your cat, promptly call your veterinarian to schedule the appointment.^[44] Delaying the process will only make it more difficult for you, and may prolong your cat’s discomfort.
   • Some veterinarians will offer to perform the euthanasia at the owner’s home. Ask your veterinarian if he or she offers this service. If not, then schedule the euthanasia at a time when the veterinarian clinic is quiet—usually the early morning or late evening.^[45]
3. Make plans for what do with your cat’s remains. As if the decision to euthanize your cat was not hard enough, you also need to think about what do with your cat’s remains. You have the options of burying your cat at a pet cemetery or having her remains cremated.^[46] Do not feel pressured to choose one option or the other—decide what you are most comfortable with.
   
   • Your veterinarian can give you information about pet cremation and burial services.

EditTips

• Although it can be hard to think about your cat dying, focus on the chance to make your cat as happy and comfortable as possible. Focusing on the positive can help you provide the comfort your cat needs and desires.
• Keeping your cat comfortable during her final days of life is known as pet hospice. With pet hospice, you see you cat’s death as a natural part of her life and want her death to be dignified.^[47]
• Your dying cat will appreciate the comfort of human interaction. Continue to spend quality time with her, even if she is not able to play like she used to. Hold her gently to minimize her pain and discomfort.^[48]
• Since your dying cat may not be able to groom herself very well anymore, you can help her by gently cleaning around her eyes, ears, mouth, genitals, and anus.^[49] Dampen a soft cloth with warm water to clean her. You can also brush her gently with a soft bristled brush.^[50]
• After your cat has died, allow yourself time to grieve. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out family and friends who can comfort you as you grieve the loss of your cat.^[51]
• Your veterinarian can recommend bereavement counseling services and pet loss hotlines that can help you manage your grief.^[52]

EditWarnings

• Cats can be very good at masking pain.^[53] Your dying cat may do her best to conceal the fact that she is in pain.
• Depending on how sick she feels, your cat may stop eating and drinking completely, no matter how much you try to feed and hydrate her. Realize that the smell of food may make her feel sick to her stomach.^[54]
• Your cat’s condition may deteriorate more quickly than you expect. Have the contact information for your veterinarian and an emergency veterinary hospital close by in case your cat’s condition suddenly makes a turn for the worst.^[55]

EditRelated wikiHows

• Cope After the Death of a Pet
• Make a Comfortable Bed for Your Cat
• Take Care of Your Aging Cat
• Know if Your Cat Is Dying

EditSources and Citations

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