Not too long ago Walt Disney World opened their pet resort and what I want to point out is that Disney tends to be a leader in reaching out to its patrons.

Other businesses should take note and this might be a great story series.

On the West Coast, Disneyland is managing a feral cat colony in the theme park.

I bring this up because I’ve always considered Disney to be a bit progressive when it comes to business and watched them closely as they prepared to open the Animal Kingdom.

Now it seems that they are finding animals to be a trend that warrants some serious attention.

You see, opening a pet resort and humanely managing a feral cat colony is pretty progressive.

It is also indicative of a larger shift that has been happening in the United States for a while.

In fact, now the pendulum has been swinging from side-to-side for some time.

Some people still manage working animals and do not consider those animals as furry family members.

Others support the metro pet trend with furry kids that seem to resemble human children in the way they are pampered and primped.

The pet service industry is growing by leaps and bounds with a variety of new pet services springing up.

Competition for the dollars of the pet parents is growing rapidly.

During the recent economic down turn, it was the pet industry that continued to show growth despites cutbacks and drops in sales in other businesses.

So, what this shows me is that we are becoming an increasingly pet friendly nation.

Along with that we should also become a bit more pet savvy.

By that I mean learn the ways to make your pet happier, healthier and better behaved.

Of course, that is why I am working on the pet parenting school–which is a pet retention program and so much more.

I am wondering what you think of the changes happening in the pet world and if you are keeping on top of them. I certainly am, so please subscribe via RSS and you can get my updates over in my media feed on Twitter.

Animal disaster preparedness is not something new but it is something that people forget about. Me, I was obsessed over it for a long time.

In the aftermath of the Japan earthquake, people are disturbed and the topic is in the minds of some, while others still fail to prepare.

Animal disaster preparedness and rescue is not something that I am a stranger to and I wish more people were not strangers to it either.

In fact, when I first wrote, Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals I had no idea I’d get so proactive in preparedness.  (See my credential area) and when the 6.8 earthquake hit my town, I was ready–and thus began my adventures in that field.

I began giving away the educational animal disaster guide and have updated it over and over again through the years. In fact, my plans are to update it this year and start selling it but people can download for free by signing onto my list at Ark Animals.

I’ve watched the awareness on this issue grow from its infancy to the point where national attention became a reality (PETS Pet Evacuation Transportation Standards Act) but it still is not a coordinated effort.

My research looked into the behavior of animals prior to quakes (seismic sentries) and I’ve been quoted about it in a lot of places. (PBS and in the book, The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes are two examples.) Below is a recent video you might find of interest.)

It is a topic that cycles through every time there is a disaster. I’ve tackled it a bunch of times and you might be able to glean some interesting tidbits to share with your readers or viewers.

• Japan Animal Rescue/Donation Links (Facebook Discussion)
• Animal Disaster Rescue Links (National Groups)
• High Tech Animal Disaster Preparedness Tips
• California Earthquake Pet Preparedness Tips
• Pet Earthquake Safety Tips
• Animal Disaster Predictions
• Seismic Sentries

If I can help you, give me a call on the media line.

Photo Credits: FEMA

Tilikum from the Orcas & their Trainers Group

The recent killer whale incident that cost the life of trainer, Dawn Brancheau is a tragedy.

Any time you work closely with a captive wild animal, or have a close encounter of the wild kind in nature, a human is at risk.

Granted, it is a calculated risk–but one that all animal trainers take.

To boil it down for you, death or dismemberment by an animal attack is actually an occupational hazard, something that most people tend to dismiss, push under the carpet, or conveniently forget.

I was traveling all day yesterday and was sad to hear about the incident but there are lots of incidents that happen every year and that we don’t hear about because most don’t result in the death of a trainer.

Now everyone is chiming in on this topic and here are a few of my comments.

First, I am so very sad–as I always am when someone loses their life working with animals. My best wishes and condolences go out to all those who knew or worked with Dawn Brancheau.

I’m also saddened at the people who jump to conclusions without examination of the incident.

Captive wildlife exists and they are exactly why people even care about whales and other wildlife.

I know, I was narrating whale watch trips and going to Marineland of the Pacific when whaling was still a common practice.

People thought they were fish and fishermen shot whales because they were competition for the human fishing industry.

Today the pendulum has swung in the other direction and people think they need to be set free.

Is captivity right or wrong?

I really don’t have an answer for you.

I’ve worked with captive wildlife so long that I do believe those close encounters make a difference but the captive conditions and practices of animal management vary greatly.

To those who say the killer whale was playing–what an irresponsible suggestion. The killer whale trainer was pulled into the tank by her pony tail but the reason for the action has not been identified.

Sometimes things just happen and you don’t know the trigger. Trainers discuss, analyze, and hypothesize but only the animal knows for sure.

Also, in response to the person that likened it to that behavior of playing with the seals?

That is predatory behavior, and make no mistake, it is aggressive.

If you have watched footage of previous attack incidents with other killer whale trainers, the orcas take those same actions and they don’t resemble play.

I’ve only witnessed two types of things happen when trainers or caretakers die.

The first is human error and the second is the intent to harm by the animal.

Maybe “intent” is the wrong word because predators (or any wild animals) just do what they do, unlike human intentions, it is part of their regular behavioral makeup or repertoire.

I’ve seen pissed off whales come onto the stage to threaten trainers before and we don’t know if Tilikum (aka Tilly) was agitated.

There is one thing I know for sure, someone is dead and the wild animal, a killer whale (Orcinus orca), was responsible.

Wild animals that are predators are good at it.

Should Tilly be killed, blamed?

No, definitely not.

The other definite here? He is one big predator. 12,000 pounds of muscle and grace in the water.

Should all the commentators blab this for ages about this? Lets hope not. I liked this commentary by Hal Boedeker.

Best to move on.

In the meantime, some professionals are stepping up and commenting. I think this excerpt from Karen Pryor’s Clicker Training website said it best:

Does this mean that we should not work with these animals in captivity? We believe that the great work from what we learn from these animals far outweighs the small risk. For decades, dolphins and whales in captivity have served as ambassadors for their species. Before oceanariums existed, there was little education or respect about these magnificent animals. Killer whales were used by the military for bombing practice. Dolphins were strictly viewed as competition by fisherman and treated as pests the same way that a farmer views a trespassing coyote. Without oceanariums, there would be no Marine Mammal Commission or worldwide protection regulations. We have made tremendous progress in our respect and understanding of animals, none of which could have happened if it had not been for Flipper and other animals in captivity.

My hope is that the professional animal training and management industry will do something useful with this incident to move the profession forward and to educate the general public.

You can read some of my previous killer whale attack, orca attack, and other killer whale commentaries on the Ark Animals website plus I’ve include a couple of other notable links:

• 2006 Orca Attack
• 2006 Killer Whale Attack
• Keiko of Free Willy
• Article about Keiko before his death.
• Frontline’s Whale of a Business discussed Tilly
• Perks of a killer whale trainer’s job
• Flagship species Orcinus orca

Diana L Guerrero has been working in wild and domestic animal training and management since the 1970s. Known as the Ark Lady, she is graduate of the exotic animal training and management program and holds certifications in captive breeding and conservation and endangered species and other animal specialties. She is contributing editor to Resources for Crisis Management in Zoos & Other Animal Care Facilities and wrote an animal behavior and training column for the zoo industry for ten years.

Last updated on 2-26-2010
Sea World corporate will issue a statement at 10am PST.

Most animal lovers and pet owners focus on the fun activities such as boo at the zoo or costuming their pets.

But Halloween has a dark side.

Danger lurks not only outside the home but also inside.

Here are some Halloween pet safety tips:

• Keep animals confined on Halloween. Seclude them safely in a room away from the door and distractions.
• Walk pets before dark to avoid any altercations with costumed characters.
• Vigorous exercise prior to any outings will burn off excess pet energy.
• House animals indoors (especially black ones) just before and during Halloween. This protects pets from pranksters who tease, injure, steal, or kill animals.
• Make sure pets are wearing current identification. Many pets get spooked and escape. Unfortunately they end up in shelters without identification.
• Keep pets away from costumed ghouls and goblins. Halloween bites are not uncommon. Even friendly animals may bite due to stress, fear, or protective aggression.
• Store and dispense candy so that it is not accessible to pets. Many treats are toxic and even lethal to pets.
• Avoid the liability that comes from dressing up your pet and sending the critter out trick-or-treating with kids…always have an adult supervise or keep the animal safely at home.
• Don’t dress up pets unless they love it. If you do dress them up make sure the costume isn’t annoying or unsafe. Avoid restriction of movement, vision, hearing or the ability to breathe, vocalize, or eliminate.
• Costumes should not contain small dangling accessories that could be consumed by the pet or cause choking.
• Restrict your pet’s access to decorations. Jack o’ lanterns with candles are obvious fire hazards, but cats can also get tangled in streamers. Pets can also become ill from eating holiday decor.

Finally, you might have heard–”Don’t give your dog chocolate it will kill him.”

What do you do if your pet eats the Halloween chocolates?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post and be sure to catch my previous Halloween pet series over at ArkAnimals.Com.

Elok, an eight-year-old orangutan escaped from his enclosure at the Oklahoma City zoo earlier this week. Orangutans are great escape artists and zoo staff members witnessed him crawl into the moat and then out over the moat wall.

Fortunately he was captured within about 15 minutes.

“We do have some electrical hotwire in the exhibit and he went underneath that hotwire so we’re going to have to modify strands of hotwire for sure,” was the quote I saw from Dwight Scott, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Zoo.

I hope they plan to do more than that!

Elok is currently housed in the indoor portion of the exhibit where he will remain until the modifications are made.

Read more about Elok’s great escape.

This week has been filled with ape news and if you have not seen my commentary on Travis the Chimp read it at ArkAnimals.com