Whisker Therapy

Unlikely animal friendships are the cutest! But Sweet Pea the parrot takes it to a whole new level. The beautiful white cockatoo went viral after her human shared a photo of her interacting with her new puppy sibling for the first time. It only took Sweet Pea a few moments to learn how to shower a puppy with love.

Sweet Pea’s video has already gained over 63,000 views on TikTok alone. Plus, it’s been shared all over the internet by now. Despite only being a couple of seconds long, it quickly warmed the hearts of many animal lovers. Sweet Pea is going to be the best big sister!

A Parrot and Her Puppy

On March 23rd, 2021, Wendy Albright captured an adorable moment between Sweet Pea and the new puppy. The black Lab puppy was curled up on Albright’s chest in a deep sleep. With close supervision, she let Sweet Pea approach. And to her surprise, the bird had the cutest reaction.

“I was holding the puppy, and the puppy was sleeping, and I allowed Sweet Pea to come meet the puppy,” said Albright.

In the video, Sweet Pea pets the puppy’s head while the pup continues to nap. Then, the bird says, “I love you” in the most sincere way. Just like that, the perfect friendship is born.

Not long after posting the video, Albright was overwhelmed with thousands of likes. The world loved the bird and dog duo!

A Growing Bond

So, Albright continued to post videos about the two animals’ interactions. As it turns out, the first video was more than just a chance encounter. Sweet Pea adores the puppy! But according to Albright’s Instagram page, the pup hasn’t been officially named yet.

She posted one video of the puppy and parrot playing outside. Then later, she added a video of Sweet Pea bringing a treat to her friend’s crate. Fans joked that it’s only a matter of time before Sweet Pea learns to open the crate too. Overall, Albright is happy that her animal friends are bringing so much joy to people.

“I think it’s just that the world, in this time that we live in, saw that video and just loved the unadulterated love of two animals just caring about each other,” Albright said.

Albright also has at least two other birds living in her house, but it’s unclear how they feel about the new puppy. Hopefully, their reactions will be just as perfect as Sweet Pea’s!

Watch the Heartwarming Moment Here:

H/T: people.com
Featured Image: Screenshots, @theparrotlady/TikTok

The post Viral Parrot Says “I Love You” To Her New Puppy Sibling appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.

Does your dog constantly act hungry? This trick might save you and your pup some grief!

It’s no secret that protein helps you full longer as it takes longer to break down and process by your body. Kibble, which is high in carbohydrates and low in protein, provides a short boost of energy which normally leaves dogs full hungry again long before mealtime.

By adding a protein topper to your dog’s dry food, you can boost protein intake and help keep their hungry belly feeling full longer.

In addition to the benefits of boosting protein, a food topper adds variety and additional nutrition to your pup’s bowl. Imagine eating the same exact food, every single day? We’d all be bored, wouldn’t we? Dogs are no different.

The Happy, Healthy Food Topper (available on Amazon Prime or iHeartDogs)  is packed with protein, collagen, probiotics, and some fruits and veggies as well. It’s an all in one super solution for your dog’s diet!

The product is available starting at $11.99 on Amazon Prime and also the iHeartDogs store.

The product is available starting at $11.99 on Amazon Prime and also the iHeartDogs store.

The product is available starting at $11.99 on Amazon Prime and also the iHeartDogs store.

The post This $12 “Kibble Booster” from Amazon Prime Will Help Your Dog Feel Fuller Longer AND Boost Their Nutrition appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.

When a dog gets adopted, they have lots of reasons to feel stressed and confused. They’ll likely need a few days, weeks, or even months to feel like they truly belong in their new home. But not every family has that kind of patience. And sadly, no one has been willing to be patient with the longest shelter resident at the Waco Animal Shelter.

Rusty has been in shelters for over 419 days now. Every time he gets a happily ever after, he’s quickly returned. Sadly, his last family only kept him for a single day. But it’s unfair to expect any dog to adjust that quickly. Poor Rusty needs someone who can truly understand him.

Waiting for Forever

Rusty arrived at the Waco Animal Shelter when he was still a puppy. His family at the time gave him up because they thought he was “too hyper”. But with enough research, they would’ve seen that most puppies are hyper at first. This event left Rusty scared and lonely.

For two months, Rusty stayed in a foster home, but then he was sent with a transport of dogs up to an Idaho shelter, where they were more likely to get adopted. While many of the other dogs in the transport found happiness, Rusty continued to wait. Then, after two months in Idaho, he was sent back to Texas. They said it was too hard to place him in a home because “he wasn’t dog-friendly”.

“Over the next few months, Rusty became depressed and frustrated, causing him to act out in his kennel and be highly reactive toward other dogs,” the Texas shelter wrote.

Then, in November 2020, Rusty was finally adopted. But he was returned a month later because he was being destructive. Then, at the end of March 2021, Rusty got a second chance when a couple fell in love with him. He thought that he had finally found the place he belonged.

Help Rusty Find a Home!

Unfortunately, Rusty’s new family returned him after only 24 hours together. They said he was “too much work” and that was that. But it makes sense that he would be a lot of work. He spent the past 419 days in shelters, so the sudden change of scenery was sure to make him nervous. They didn’t even give him a chance to get into the groove of things.

Now, Rusty is looking for a forever home once again. And he truly hopes that it will stick this time. He would prefer a home with no dogs, cats, or young kids. All he really needs is someone to love him, be patient with him, and focus on his training. After all, many amazing dogs have been returned to the shelter numerous times, so Rusty still has a chance at happiness!

If you’re planning to bring a dog home, please remember that it’s a big adjustment for the dog, no matter their history. After all, it takes about 3 days for your dog to relax and be themselves, 3 weeks for them to settle in, and 3 months to build trust with their family. So, no matter how overwhelmed you feel at first, it’s important to give your new dog as much time as they need.

Contact the Humane Society of Central Texas if you think Rusty is the perfect dog for you!

H/T: kwtx.com
Featured Image: @HSCTX/Facebook

The post Longest Shelter Resident Returned After Single Day With Adopters appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.

Whenever you stop at a hotel, kids are sure to burst with excitement if it has a water park. And as it turns out, many dogs are the same way. A South Dakota dog resort recently expanded its facility to include the country’s first indoor dog water park. Dogs can run around in a splash pad space any time of the year.

This doggy play area had a slow start due to COVID, but now it’s booming with success! It’s the perfect day trip for any dog and their human, especially since alcohol is for sale at the tiki bar. So, maybe it’s time to spoil your dog by taking them on the trip they deserve.

Nation’s First Indoor Water Park for Dogs

At the start of 2020, the Smoken Dakota Kennels on South Minnesota expanded, adding “The Splash Bark”. They also expanded their dog daycare facility. The indoor water park has water spraying jets, wading areas, dog drying stations, and places for dogs to rest near their humans. And best of all, there’s a tiki bar for the humans that serves several beers and seltzers.

“We were looking for something to add on that’s new and original to the area,” said owner Teri Jo Olean. “We looked at other options but the splash park seemed to be more beneficial for more dogs.”

The business was a huge success for a few weeks, but then COVID hit. The decrease in customers after a million-dollar expansion was frightening. But they had faith that the business would soon thrive again. Now, a year later, the dog water park is an even bigger success.

The goal of the water park is to give dog parents a place to play with their furry friends, regardless of the weather outside. The demand for a place like that was even higher than they thought.

Time for a Doggy Pool Day!

With COVID cases decreasing, Smoken Dakota Kennels is thriving like never before. Their daycare program and training department are currently full. With so many people adopting new dogs amid the pandemic, these resources are needed more than ever. People have even traveled from different states to visit the water park with their dogs.

“We had a gal drive up from Missouri a couple of weeks ago and made a day trip out of it with her dog,” Olean said. “We had a gal come up from Nebraska recently and last week we had a family come up from Chicago.”

With this being the only indoor dog splash pad in the country, it makes sense that people would travel for it. This unique facility could benefit many furry friends, especially in the winter. Hopefully, parks like these will expand around the world soon. All dogs deserve to have a place to splash around and have fun.

H/T: keloland.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, Jodi Schwan YouTube

The post Country’s First Indoor Dog Water Park Is Approved By Pampered Pups appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.