You have seen on these pages recently pictures and videos of places where you can find lots of snakes at one location. But, with all due respect to our friends in southern Illinois, we have found a place where you have never seen so many snakes in one place. In. Your. Life.

The area around Narcisse, Manitoba, Canada, is not much to look at. The landscape is basically a little topsoil on top of limestone with small caves underneath.

And, it's cold, even for Canada.

The reason so many tourists flock to Narcisse each spring is to see over 70,000 Canadian Red Sided Garter Snakes emerge from their winter hibernation.

Experts say it is likely the biggest concentration of snakes in the world.

And, when that many snakes wake up in the spring from a long winter's nap, the males have just one thing on their mind ... and it ain't baseball.

Oh, and did we mention ... there are about 100 male snakes for every female.

The result is what is known as a garter snake mating ball, which has to be seen to be believed.

I'm told that these mating balls are not snake orgies. The males are trying to harass the female, getting her to let her guard down ... if you know what I mean.

And, just so you know, garter snakes in general are no danger to humans. The only problems they present is to the outnumbered females.

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Missouri Lake Mansion Tucked Up Next to Lake of the Ozarks

Excerpt from:
'It's the Biggest Concentration of Snakes in the World' - KHMO News-Talk-Sports

One thing Grand Junction pet owners have in common is that we love to spoil our pets.

The grocery store shelves are lined with all kinds of food for dogs and cats. If you go to a pet store, you'll see aisle after aisle of dog and cat food in cans and bags. In fact, it's almost mind-boggling to see so many varieties of pet food. Yet, we just can't help ourselves when it comes to giving our pets special human food treats.

Once your pet discovers human food, you are doomed to a lifetime of spoiling your beloved pet. How can you possibly resist that sweet face, that longing look, and those adorable begging eyes? And when you see the joy and pleasure your pet gets from each special treat, you only want to do it more and more.

I've never been one to give my dog scraps from the table, but I have been as guilty as the next person when it comes to showering it with special treats - a chip, a cracker, gravy on the dry dog food, a sprinkling of cheese, and watching with delight as they lick the nearly empty whipped cream container clean.

Recently, we asked pet owners to tell us what human food their pet is obsessed with and we found out we are not alone when it comes to giving our pets special treats. We received some fantastic responses and we can tell Grand Junction loves to spoil their pets, and Grand Junction pets clearly love to eat some crazy human foods.

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Most popular dog breeds that are good for families

See more here:
The Crazy Human Foods Grand Junction Pets Love To Eat - kool1079.com

This article was originally published here

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2021 Aug 31:S2152-2650(21)02014-0. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2021.08.012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is a useful tool for identifying high-risk features in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). This study evaluated the role of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients presenting with positive results on PET/CT scans.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 210 patients who underwent PET/CT at diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients for transplantation proceeded to upfront ASCT with high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) after induction therapy with novel agents.

RESULTS: The presence of a number of focal lesions (FL) >3 and extramedullary disease (EMD) occurred in 111 and 35 patients, respectively. ASCT was performed in 54 patients. Among patients with FL > 3, those treated with ASCT showed a prolonged 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates compared to those not treated with ASCT (PFS, 60.2% vs. 23.5%, P < 0.001; OS, 91.7% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.005). In patients with FL 3, treatment by ASCT was associated with a higher 2-year PFS rate than no treatment by ASCT (74.0% vs. 54.9%, P = 0.040). The OS of patients treated with ASCT was not significantly longer than that of patients not treated with ASCT (P = 0.115). In multivariate analysis, FL > 3, Revised International Staging System (R-ISS), and upfront ASCT were independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS.

CONCLUSION: Presenting FL > 3 on baseline PET/CT represents a high-risk feature in patients with NDMM. Frontline ASCT with HDT prolonged the survival of patients with FL > 3.

PMID:34598908 | DOI:10.1016/j.clml.2021.08.012

Original post:
Favorable Long-Term Outcomes with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Patients with a Positive Result On (18)F-FDG...

Peter Voorhees, MD, provides a broad overview on risk assessment and the goals of therapy in multiple myeloma management.

Transcript:

Peter Voorhees, MD: How do we determine risk in newly diagnosed patients with myeloma? There are a number of factors that we look at. One is the cytogenetic risk factors. Does the patient have a myeloma that harbors del(17p) or 1 of the high-risk IGH translocation such as 14;16, 14;20, or 4;14? Theres an increase in the body of literature supporting increased risk with regard to gain of 1q21.1. In particular, 4 or more copies are harbored by the multiple myeloma. We also look at the International Staging System [ISS]. Patients with ISS stage III disease certainly dont fare as well as their stage I and II counterparts. Then theres the revised ISS, which incorporates cytogenetic risk and high LDH [lactate dehydrogenase], which we know is a marker of more aggressive proliferative disease along with the ISS. Theres a number of other factors that we look at, including the presence of circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood; 5% or more typically connotes a more aggressive version of multiple myeloma. Advanced imaging techniques, such as PET [positron emission tomography]/CT, can help us determine whether theres the presence of extramedullary multiple myeloma at the time of diagnosis, which is also an indicator of high-risk disease.

The goal of treatment for a patient with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma is to drive the disease into as deep of a remission as possible and, by doing so, ameliorate the morbidities theyre experiencing related to their multiple myeloma at the time of initial diagnosis and to prevent additional morbidity arising as a result of their multiple myeloma over the long term. Deep remission and sustained remission achieve both of those goals, but we want to do it in a way thats not overly toxic with regard to adverse effects.

How do we determine if a patient is eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation? Increasingly were using age less frequently as that determinant. There are a good number of patients 70 years of age and older, and theyre perfectly capable of getting through high-dose melphalan chemotherapy, just as well as their 50- and 60-year-old counterparts. We look at fitness frailty more than we do chronologic age. Does the patient have comorbidities that would impact the safety of going through high-dose chemotherapy? There are a number of frailty scores, including 1 that was adapted by the International Myeloma Working Group that could help predict potentially more severe adverse effects related to treatment for patients with myeloma. Those metrics can be very helpful in making a decision about whether to proceed with transplant.

Transcript edited for clarity.

Here is the original post:
Risk Assessment and Goals of Therapy in Multiple Myeloma - Targeted Oncology

Renovations have begun for a new book store set to open up in downtown Lubbock this fall. Wild Lark Books, located at the end of Broadway, will soon be filled withbespoken treasures.

On Facebook,they posted:

2,500 sq/ft. 5,000 books. 495 feet of shelves. 800 sq/ft meeting space for events and private rentals. Full kitchen. Warehouse. And so many memories and cups of tea to be made and enjoyed! We're moving along with the building plans and staying on course for our mid-November open.

Not only will this be a book store, but alsoa publisher for independent authors. Which means for all you authors out there, they willhelp you publish, but you get keep the rights to your book and earn higher royalties on all sales.

But how did this get started you ask? On their website it says:

Wild Lark Strategiesbegan in 2018 as a sales and marketing consulting company that serves small and medium-sized businesses. In 2019, the founder of Wild Lark Books, Brianne van Reenen, traveled to the northern-most corner of Scotland and discovered stories of her ancestral past in a damp, cluttered bookshop manned by a Scotsman comfortably perched behind a towering pile of spines reading his newspaper. It was then that Wild Lark Books began to take form.

After witnessing many authors in the writing community spend years tirelessly attempting to earn representation through an agent and petition publishers for publication through traditional paths, the vision for Wild Lark Books grew.

Along with all these opportunities located at 513 Broadway Street, they also startedThe Wild Lark Books Fund. It's a nonprofit dedicated to lifting voices of historically underserved writers. The goal, making it adorable and accessible to everyone to be published.

To find out more information, check out their websitehere.

See how some of Lubbock's best known restaurants, venues and more have changed over the past 15 years.

The 10 Most Haunted Places in Lubbock

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Read the original here:
New Bookstore Wild Lark Books Is Coming to Lubbock - News/Talk 790 KFYO

A cancer diagnosis is devastating.

I got mine on a busy afternoon during school holidays 20 minutes before I was due to pick my daughter up from a birthday party.

I had two part time jobs, two primary school aged kids and my husband worked long hours. I remember telling the GP that I simply didnt have time for cancer.

But the devastating news changed everything.

Before the diagnosis, I had been doing a lot of cycling and walking and was fitter than I had been in years. I felt great but then I caught a cold and couldnt seem to shift a persistent cough.

This went on for a few weeks. I remember having to rest as I walked up two flights of stairs and thinking how unfit I was compared to six weeks earlier. I was sure I had pneumonia and was given antibiotics by my GP.

Things dragged on and I was set for an x-ray and then recalled and sent for a CAT scan. I was working from home when I got ordered back into the GP for the results.

He said it looked like lymphoma. Hold on wasnt that a cancer?

I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. How was I going to tell my two beautiful children, Freya (then 10) and Gordon (then 7)? I had no idea what I faced but I knew I didnt want to hide something this big from them.

The CAT was followed by a PET scan which revealed that my body was riddled with cancer. It was everywhere. I had tumours throughout my torso, my spleen had doubled in size and the cancer was in my bone marrow. How had I missed it?

I was admitted to hospital days later to start chemotherapy.

The speed of my diagnosis and the start of treatment meant I didnt have time to research or plan. I asked the oncologist how to tell the kids and she told me not to lie to them. Keep it simple and keep it straight, she said.

In the end, my husband, Scott, had to break the news.

In the days that followed, there were many questions. I found the Cancer Councils Talking to kids about cancer booklet online which was an incredibly useful resource as I needed advice from people with experience in this field.

However, what I really wanted was a picture book I could read with Freya and Gordon and help them to prepare for what they were going to face.

I had been given information to prepare me for my journey but there was nothing for them.

What did my diagnosis mean for them? How would it affect them?

I found books about a parent dying of cancer or books aimed at kids who were diagnosed with cancer themselves.

But the book needed to help me teach my kids about the implications of my diagnosis to my kids didnt exist.

So I wrote one.

Mums Purple Scarf was written to help other parents with that devastating conversation.

It aims to help prepare primary school-aged children learn what to expect when they have a parent being treated for cancer.

It is about the practical aspects of having a parent being treated for cancer. It is about Mum being tired and grumpy, about visits to hospital and extra play dates, and about having to do more to help around the house.

Everything in the book actually happened. We did get three lasagnes in a day and my brother does entertain the kids with fart jokes. And I did nearly drop my hair in the kids sandwiches.

My friend, Janet, illustrated the book and the artwork is beautiful lightening the tone of a difficult topic.

I wanted something good to come out of my experience and this book is my gift to other parents who are facing the same journey in the hope that it will make things a tiny bit easier for them and their children.

***

My treatment journey was long, hard and something I dont want to remember in detail. I had six rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy which took up to seven hours in hospital each because I had a severe allergic reaction to one of the drugs.

When that didnt work, I was given salvage therapy and underwent an autologous stem cell transplant.

I lost my hair, twice, was hospitalised with the flu, had dozens of trips to the hospital and was calmed by the professionalism of the staff at the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre.

The stem cell transplant involved more short stays in hospital followed by three weeks in the same room. When I got home, I spent most of my time on the couch and was also pushed into menopause. I felt like I was nearly destroyed and then rebuilt.

However, through it all, I found kindness everywhere. School mums I didnt even know dropped food off to my house. Friends took my children to school. My cleaner cleaned my house for free for months. My mother flew back and forth from Tasmania to help out and my husband took over the mental load of organising our family.

Two years on, if feels like I have woken from a nightmare but I know that I am stronger than I ever thought I could be.

My kids have grown. They dont want to remember or talk about when I was sick.

Ironically, not one of the people I dedicated this book to has read it! But that is ok because they know how it ends.

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'I knew I didn't want to hide something this big from them': A conversation no parent wants to have - Women's Agenda

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Tuesday, 31 August 2021 18:23Hits: 589

Encouraging data confirming activity in a solid tumor indication presented on first nine patients at low dose cohorts in ongoing autologous CAR-T trial in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer

Three patients showed a greater than 50% decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and concordant PSMA-PET imaging results, including one patient at lowest dose with evidence of complete tumor elimination

Favorable safety profile with modest overall rates of CRS and no neurotoxicity observed

SAN DIEGO, CA, USA I August 31, 2021 I Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure, today announced preliminary results from its Phase 1 clinical trial of P-PSMA-101, the Company's solid tumor autologous CAR-T product candidate to treat patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). These data will be presented at the 6th Annual CAR-TCR Summit virtual meeting at 10:00am ET today in a presentation entitled, "P-PSMA-101 is a High-Tscm Autologous CAR-T Targeting PSMA Producing Exceptionally Deep and Durable Responses in Castration-Resistant Metastatic Prostate Cancer."

"We are excited about the preliminary data from our Phase 1 trial of P-PSMA-101, which provides further evidence of the effectiveness of our CAR-T platform for solid tumor cancers," said Eric Ostertag, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Poseida, who will present at the CAR-TCR Summit. "To date, other CAR-T therapeutics have not had much success outside of hematologic malignancies. The deep and durable responses in our trial demonstrate that CAR-T products have the potential to work well against solid tumors, even at low doses, when using the appropriate technology platform."

Efficacy:

As of the cutoff date, the study had enrolled a total of nine patients with mCRPC: five patients at Dose A who each received a single treatment of 0.25X10E6 cells/kg (an average of about 20M cells), and four patients at Dose B, who each received a single treatment of 0.75X10E6 cells/kg (an average of about 60M cells). All patients received a lymphodepletion regimen consisting of 30 mg/m2 fludarabine + 300 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide. Patients were heavily pre-treated, having received an average of six prior lines of therapy with a median time since diagnosis of 6.4 years.

Key findings included:

-Five patients dosed showed measurable declines in PSA levels-Three patients treated showed a greater than 50% decline in PSA levels and had concordant improvements in PSMA-PET imaging-One patient demonstrated evidence of complete tumor elimination and remains in a durable response of greater than five months at the time of this presentation

"This innovative Poseida PSMA-directed CAR T cell platform has demonstrated a robust anti-tumor response in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer," commented Susan F. Slovin, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Vice Chair of Academic Administration at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and investigator on the trial. "This is the first time that I have seen such impressive responses with an immunotherapy product. The responses of my patients in the trial are far beyond my expectations."

Safety and Tolerability:

P-PSMA-101 demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile. After a previously reported case of Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) exacerbated by patient non-compliance, only three cases of possible Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) were observed, which were all low grade (1/2) and were managed well with early treatment. No cases of neurotoxicity (CRES/ICANS) were observed as of the cutoff date.

The Phase 1 trial is an open label, multi-center, 3+3 dose-escalating study designed to assess the safety of P-PSMA-101 in up to 40 adult subjects with mCRPC. The primary objectives of this study are to determine the safety, efficacy, and maximum tolerated dose of P-PSMA-101. Additional information about the study is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov using identifier: NCT04249947.

"We believe the key to success in solid tumors is a product with a high percentage of desirable stem cell memory T cells (Tscm)," said Matthew Spear, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Poseida. "In this study, we have demonstrated that a high-percentage Tscm CAR-T product can home to the bone marrow and, in at least one case, completely eliminate tumor. This bone marrow homing property may be particularly important for bone avid diseases such as prostate adenocarcinoma. Importantly, the favorable tolerability associated with our Tscm CAR-T products has carried over to prostate cancer where we have so far seen manageable cytokine release syndrome and no neurotoxicity."

Company-Hosted Conference Call and Webcast Information

Poseida's management team will host a conference call and webcast today, August 31, 2021 at 11:00am ET. The dial-in conference call numbers for domestic and international callers are (866) 939-3921 and (678) 302-3550, respectively. The conference ID number for the call is 50220147. Participants may access the live webcast and the accompanying presentation materials on Poseida's website at http://www.poseida.com in the Investors section under Events and Presentations. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days following the event.

Additional CAR-TCR Summit Highlights

Presentation: "Developing CAR-T Cells for Multiple Myeloma: From Autologous to Allogeneic"Session Date/Time: Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 4:00pm ETPresenter: Matthew Spear, M.D., CMO, Poseida Therapeutics

This presentation will outline Phase 1 and 2 development of the Company's lead autologous P-BCMA-101 CAR-T therapy and insights that were used to develop a fully allogeneic version, P-BCMA-ALLO1 that is expected to enter the clinic soon. The presentation will be part of the afternoon session on the Clinical Management Track.

Presentation: "Advancing Nonviral Manufacturing for Multi-Product Allogeneic T-Cell Therapies"Session Date/Time: Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 4:30pm ETPresenter: Devon Shedlock, Ph.D., SVP Research & Development, Poseida Therapeutics

This presentation will discuss how Poseida's piggyBac DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER Site-specific Gene Editing System and Booster Molecule are used to manufacture multi-product, fully allogeneic T-cell therapies. The Company will also discuss how efficient multiplexed Cas-CLOVER gene editing exhibits low to no off-target editing or translocations as determined by next-generation sequencing, and how the Company's Booster Molecule helps to protect against the "allo tax," maintaining a favorable high-stem cell memory T cell (Tscm) product and enabling up to hundreds of doses in a single manufacturing run. This presentation will be part of the afternoon session on the Manufacturing Track.

Presentation: "Developing 'Off-the-Shelf' CAR-T Cells for Bone Marrow Transplant Conditioning"Session Date/Time: Thursday, September 2, 2021, 9:00am ETPresenter: Nina Timberlake, Ph.D., Associate Director, Research (Gene Therapy), Poseida Therapeutics

This presentation will discuss leveraging the piggyBac DNA Delivery System and Cas-CLOVER Site-specific Gene Editing System to generate off-the-shelf fully allogeneic CAR-T cells to specifically target hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. This potential therapeutic could be used as a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplant or as a therapeutic for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The presentation will occur as part of the conference's Focus Day, "CAR-TCR Beyond Oncology: Fundamental Biology & Mechanisms of Action Beyond Oncology."

The full presentations at the CAR-TCR Summit will be made available on Poseida's website at their respective session times.

About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.

Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to utilizing our proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create next generation cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure. We have discovered and are developing a broad portfolio of product candidates in a variety of indications based on our core proprietary platforms, including our non-viral piggyBac DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER Site-specific Gene Editing System and nanoparticle- and AAV-based gene delivery technologies. Our core platform technologies have utility, either alone or in combination, across many cell and gene therapeutic modalities and enable us to engineer our wholly-owned portfolio of product candidates that are designed to overcome the primary limitations of current generation cell and gene therapeutics. To learn more, visit http://www.poseida.com to connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE: Poseida Therapeutics

Link:
Poseida Therapeutics Presents Preliminary Results from Phase 1 Trial of P-PSMA-101 at the 6th Annual CAR-TCR Summit | DNA RNA and Cells | News...

We shouldnt need laws to protect the health and safety of humans or animals, but thats the society were living in. When it comes to animal welfare, 2021 actually saw a positive uptick in new laws designed to protect them.

Grocery stores in California may soon be void of bacon. This is thanks to an initiative, called Proposition 12, passed in 2018 that bans pork obtained from pigs that were raised in gestation crates.

The new law goes into effect in January 2022. In addition to pigs, it would require more space to be given to egg-laying chickens and calves raised for veal. And although veal and egg producers are on track to meet the new rules, the pig producers are not. Only about four percent of the states hog producers are currently in compliance with the regulations.

Once the law takes effect, producers can only sell pork meat in California if the pigs were raised in an area of 24 square feet.

Proposition 12 is the latest example of the impact that animal welfare legislation can have. From bans on fur farming to restrictions on cosmetics animal testingmore and more, lawmakers are paying heed to their constituents calls for more stringent animal protection laws. Here are some of the biggest breakthroughs in animal welfare laws for 2021:

This year Turkey passed a new animal welfare law that reclassified strays and pets as living beings rather than commodities. The legislation also laid out harsher penalties for cases of animal cruelty. The previous penalty for animal cruelty included a small fine for damage to a commodity. However, the updated legislation redefines animal cruelty by equating the crime to violence against a human.

In May, the U.K. launched the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. It addresses around 40 different animal welfare concerns, including those surrounding international trade, farm animals, pets and sporting animals, and wild animals. As such, the government pledged to crack down on foie gras, end live animal exports, and ban primates as pets, just to name a few. While it remains to be seen how reliable the government is in following through with its pledges, they appear to be a major step forward in addressing animal welfare issues.

After a push by more than one million activists, the European Commission revealed it proposed legislation for a caged animal farming ban. Although the law wont be presented until 2023 (and caged animal farming wont be fully phased out until 2027), but, once passed, it will help to improve welfare standards.

In a push to end commercial breeding operations, the New York State Senate passed a pet store ban, prohibiting the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits. Once approved by the Assembly, the bipartisan legislation will take effect one year after its passage. Legislation like this ban helps to stop backyard breeders and puppy mills, which are dog breeding facilities that breed animals for sale. Puppies raised on these farms often live in deplorable conditions without adequate access to food, shelter, and veterinary care.

Virginias recent ban on balloon releases was a win in the fight against plastic pollution. But the law was also a major advancement for animal welfare. According to a 2019 study, seabirds are 32 times more likely to die from consuming a balloon compared to other hard plastics. A second study, conducted by researchers from Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and Longwood University, revealed balloons and bottle caps were the most commonly found pieces of plastic debris on four of the states beaches.

Many cruelty-free cosmetics companies refused to sell their products in China due to the countrys imported cosmetics policy. However, earlier this year, the country revealed that starting May 1, it would no longer require animal testing on imported cosmetics, as long as brands adhered to certain qualifications.

In June, Estonia became the first Baltic state and 14th European nation to ban fur farming. The countrys parliament, Riigikogu, passed amendments to its existing Animal Protection Act and Nature Conservation Act, prohibiting the breeding and keeping of animals for the purpose of fur farming. The move was in line with Estonias changing public opinion. According to a 2020 study by data consulting firm Kantar Emor, 75 percent of people living in the country are opposed to fur farming.

Virginia certainly led the pack this year in terms of animal-friendly legislation. In March, it became the fourth state to ban animal-tested cosmetics. The governor signed two bills into law that, which banned animal testing for cosmetics and all sales of existing animal-tested beauty products. The ban takes effect on January 1, 2022.

Virginia wasnt the only state to ban animal-tested cosmetics this year. In June, Maines governor signed the Act To Ban the Sale of Cosmetics That Have Been Tested on Animals into law. It bans companies from selling cosmetic products that were developed or manufactured using animal testing after November 1 of this year.

The Aloha State also took a stand against animal testing this year. Following its introduction in 2018, lawmakers finally passed the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act. In April, the act passed its final vote and went to the desk of the governor to be signed into law. Hawaii joins a growing list of U.S. states issuing such bans, including California, Nevada, Illinois, and Maryland.

About the author

STAFF WRITER | LOS ANGELES, CA Audrey writes about sustainability, food, and entertainment. She has a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and political science.

Read the original here:
The Biggest Animal Welfare Laws of 2021 - LIVEKINDLY

Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) -A Rochester man was hit over the head and a woman had a gun pointed at her head as they were being robbed - in their driveway.

Police Capt. Casey Moilanen says the two had returned to a residence in the 1500 block of 19th Ave SE around 10:00 pm Saturday. They were still in the vehicle in the driveway when two men suddenly appeared.

One confronted the 49-year-old man who was in the drivers seat. Moilanen says the man got out and was hit on the head and body. He told police the man was holding a bat or bar and demanded his wallet and gold necklace, which is worth $3,000. The victim complied.

The other man confronted the 48-year-old woman who was in the car. Moilanen says she told police the man apparently had a gun and put it to her head. He demanded the womans money and she handed it over.

The two men then left and the couple called 911.

Moilanen says the victims were only able to give vague descriptions of the men.

News update: Higher utility bills may be a few months away for Rochester residents and businesses.

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Visit link:
Rochester Couple Robbed - In Their Driveway - KROC-AM

If you have ever had to say goodbye to a fur baby, the agony and heartbreak is almost difficult to articulate. It truly feels like you lost a member of your family. The first few weeks are especially painful because you are used to being greeted by your four legged friend and their absence is like a gaping hole in your heart. Chuck Kirkland and his family recently had to say goodbye to their dear Snoopy. After 14 years, it was Snoopy's time to cross the rainbow bridge. Pets bring so much joy to our lives but the only problem is we never have enough time with them.

Chuck and his family have been bringing Snoopy toBroadview Animal Hospital in Rochester, New Hampshire, for a long time. When it was Snoopy's time to go their staff was with him during his final moments earth side.

The crew at Broadview sent Chuck and his family a HANDWRITTEN card expressing their condolences. Chuck posted a photo of the card to the You KNOW you're from Rochester, NH if you... Facebook group:

MANY residents of the Lilac City commented on this post sharing positive experiences they also had at Broadview Animal Hospital.

Makailah Ringstaff: "They did the same thing for when my hamster died and I bawled. Theyre such a great team and so kind Im so sorry for your loss as well"

Sue Veal:"I cherish the card I got from Broadview Animal Hospital of Rochester when my 21YO kitty passed in March. The vets and staff are 100% great!!"

Edwina Saucier Plaisted:"Sorry for your loss, I have been bringing my dogs to Broadview since the mid 90's and we were brought to tears as well when we received our first card. They are great "

Chuck, we are thinking of you and your family as you navigate life without your beloved, Snoopy. And to the folks at Broadview Animal Hospital, thank you for everything you do for our community and their fur babies. It does not go unnoticed.

KEEP LOOKING: See What 50 of America's Most 'Pupular' Dog Breeds Look Like as Puppies

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Read the rest here:
Rochester, New Hampshire, Animal Hospital Goes Above and Beyond for Family Who Just Lost their Dog - wokq.com