Animals

Montco's own Tom Cipriano , better known as Howard Stern 's prank phone call-obsessed buddy Captain Janks , broke into live coverage by LA affiliate KCBS of the police shootout with rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner . Janks pretended to be an employee of the U.S. Fish and Game Dept. and claimed to represent the first man to spot Dorner. Janks then reported Ronnie the Limo Driver , Stern's head of security, was the first person to shoot back at Dorner. Janks ended the call by questioning how the anchor didn't know she was being pranked, calling her a "dumbass.

"Be not among . . . gluttonous eaters of meat. " - Proverbs 23:20     Gluttony: In the Bible, it is condemned as one of the seven deadly sins. In Philadelphia, it is celebrated. I am speaking, of course, about the annual Wing Bowl, a contest in which contestants compete to see who can eat the most chicken wings in a given amount of time. Held today in South Philadelphia, the Wing Bowl attracts tens of thousands of spectators and is now an international event.

The state House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would require those charged with animal abuse to either surrender their seized pets to shelters or pay for the cost of their care until the case is resolved. The measure is aimed at easing the burden of nonprofit shelters that pay thousands for food, housing, and veterinary care of animals removed from inhumane conditions, but that rarely receive restitution from those convicted of abuse. The bill passed by 163-34. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

HARRISBURG - The sight was sad enough: When the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area seized 29 Morgan horses found languishing this month in a manure-choked barnyard near Hershey, many of the animals were down to skin and bones. Then came the bill: The estimate for the horses' basic veterinary care was $30,000 - not including food, hoof, and dental care, utilities, rent, or the cost of extra help. "You cannot predict the level of animal cruelty in your budget," said the society's executive director, Amy Kaunas.

Four exotic animals have died since September at a Burlington County zoo under federal investigation for animal-welfare violations. A female giraffe that survived a roaring barn fire in 2011 was euthanized in December, three days before a hyena cub was hit by a car. An adult hyena with a foot wound was euthanized in October and an ailing lemur was found dead in its cage in September, in both cases after the animals' care was neglected, according to...

Delaware County pet owners can breathe a little easier. The countywide Animal Protection Board has negotiated an arrangement with the Chester County SPCA to house strays until the end of 2017. County residents will still have to travel to Chester County to find their lost pets. The need for a shelter arose when the privately run Delaware County SPCA gave the county's 49 municipalities notice that it would no longer accept stray animals and would become a no-kill facility. It still accepts pets turned in by owners.

Bayer HealthCare said Thursday that it had received regulatory clearance to complete its $145 million acquisition of the animal-drug division of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva is based in Israel and has several facilities in the Philadelphia region, but the animal-products factory is in St. Joseph, Mo. The factory and about 300 employees will be transfered to Bayer. Bayer AG is based in Leverkusen, Germany, and its animal-health division has headquarters in Shawnee Mission, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City.

Chloe Raia Ring, 18, an animal lover who aspired to become a veterinarian's assistant, died Saturday, Dec. 29, of cancer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Miss Ring was born in Guatemala City and adopted at the age of 4 months by Daune and Phillip Ring of the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. She graduated from New Hope Academy in May 2012 and took classes as a freshman at Camden County College until earlier this year. Miss Ring's wish was to work as a veterinary technician, who assists with the care of companion animals large and small.

Cindy Baker and her Healing Touch team had their reiki-like work cut out for them with Pocahontas. Down on her luck and at times homeless, she had bounced from shelter to shelter. It was enough to leave anyone a bit depressed and stressed out. "We're going to make things better for you," Baker promised. "Yes, we are. " Baker and crew got down to therapeutic business, using their hands and minds, they said, to clear out energy blockages and release pain. A whiff of scented oil made Pocahontas sneeze, but before long, relaxation seemed to set in. "What do you think?"

CHLOE RAIA RING planned to direct her love of animals into a career in veterinary medicine. But the young woman, whose middle name means "blooming flower" in Greek, didn't get the chance. She died of cancer Saturday at the age of 18. She lived in Roxborough-Manayunk. Chloe was indeed a "blooming flower," her family said. "She was a young, sweet, beautiful and vibrant beacon of light," they said. She was also witty and charming. "She was hilarious and always had the right thing to say. She was very talkative, very loving and very brave," her family said.