Posts by Pat Summers

My last blog post, in June, suggested that after a summer time-out, I would pick up again around Labor Day. But I didn’t do that, mainly because by then, I had realized that after eight years of researching and writing AnimalBeat II (with nearly 300 posts) on top of three years producing (the original) AnimalBeat (animalbeat.blogspot.com), with nearly…

And so, spring has now deferred to a major heat wave, heralding summer.  Happily, though, before the wilting weather began, I noted some first-for-the-season animal sightings — 4 caterpillars, 1 chubby groundhog, wasps flitting in and out of the birdbath (backyard birds too), bunnies, a hummingbird (but only at a friend’s feeder – not yet…

Most of us who are into animals are probably aware of the health issues some dogs confront because of their “squished-in” faces.  It’s hard to look at some of those animals — including college mascots! — whose lives may be shortened or at least very uncomfortable. That’s what happens when people “style” dogs for their…

  As I type right now, the media are all agog about the coming-up Kentucky Derby race – part of the so-called “sport” of horseracing.  More accurately: “horse-killing.”  Last year’s “Triple Crown” races (the Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes) were the worst of the worst for horses (beautiful sentient beings who are involuntarily…

If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages.  —Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (1885-1962)                                                  …

Firefly Weather or not, spring started last week.  Here’s a timely suggestion for what to do now that may surprise you: give in to holiday candy, take nice long naps or read a good book — but don’t race outside to clean up the yard or garden!   Right now is just too early for…

Woolly mammoth (model) The rains, floods and fires, the long Covid, the horrifying headlines . . . and more and more, and on and on . . .  .  Nothing to do about all that except: think of elephants. Beg pardon?  Well, doing that is possible for a day, anyway, when you daytrip to the…

    Once considered the ‘right’ whale to kill Her short life was pain-filled and her death was unavoidable – all part of a very sad story.  She — # 5120 – to those watching out for her, was a young female right whale whose every fin stroke hurt because a rope was “corkscrewed” around…

“New Jersey has only 17 days a year when some animals are not hunted.”  As an animal-advocating state resident, I was shocked by that statement — and the accompanying information: On the 348 other days [of the year], deer, bears, turkeys, geese, opossums, coots, coyotes, groundhogs, squirrels, ducks, rabbits and numerous other species are all…

Other people who watch the weather have already commented on the weird, unpredictable weather we’ve had, including days this month and last that wanted to be spring-like.  Even though they didn’t take hold, those days allowed for at least one “robin convention,” as I describe them, in my neighborhood, and an unusual number of squirrels,…