Midwest FurFest's hotel was evacuated for several hours and nineteen people were hospitalized after what appears to be an intentional release of chlorine gas.

A broken plain glass jar containing a white powder was found in the ninth floor stairwell after reports from room 963 of a strong chlorine smell that forced the occupants onto the balcony.

A standard "box alarm" at 1:03 AM was quickly elevated to a hazardous materials and third-alarm emergency response. The adjoining convention center was used to house attendees until the area was made safe, with the all-clear sounded at 4:21 AM.

Additional sources: Chicago Tribune - Chicago Sun Times - ABC 7 (video)

Anthropomorphism ain’t always pretty. Especially when it’s animated by Jim (Su)grue of NYC’s Titmouse Studios, and posted on the Cartoon Brew website. (Note: Graphic cartoon violence.)

Just after nightfall on Monday, July 16, Gemily West (Wolfgem) and her boyfriend Harison Long-Randall (Elden) were walking their four Australian Cattle dogs home from a visit to their local park in the Carmichael neighborhood of Sacremento, California, when they were struck by a drunk driver. Witnesses reported that the light-brown Nissan Maxima was driving with no lights on (including tail lights), when the accident occurred. Police could find no evidence of skidmarks or any other sign that the perpetrator attempted to slow down, and estimated that the driver was going around 80 miles per hour when he struck the victims and fled the scene.

As reported in the Sacramento Bee, 21-year-old Hari saw the car coming just a moment before it struck and threw himself in front of his girlfriend, Gemily. He took the force of the impact, which severed one of his legs just below the knee and left him with extensive internal damage as well as other broken bones. Gemily sustained a compound fracture in her lower right leg. All four of their beloved dogs, Zury, Winry, Evie and Bindie, were slain.

Update (29 July): Hari has now died of his injuries, two weeks after the crash

Many concerned Vietnamese are focussed on the lake in the capital city, Hanoi, where veterinarians are deciding how to treat the sacred Hoan Kiem turtle.

Concern arose after the turtle was seen with open flesh wounds. Efforts to treat it began, involving ten government agencies and requiring the expansion of the lake's island.

A cat in the UK who lost both hindlegs has had them replaced with a new style of prosthetic.

The Mayor of London has called for a focus on pest control after a reported fox attack in the London borough of Hackney left twin nine-month girls hospitalized.

According to urban wildlife expert John Bryant, such attacks are extremely rare, and a recent poll by the University of Bristol found 65.7% households in favour of urban foxes, which number around 33,000 in the UK (as compared to 225,000 adult rurual foxes).

No such luck for the Alaotra Grebe, recently reported extinct by conservation experts. The birds – which made their homes on Lake Alaotra in Madagascar – are believed to be victims of a combination of poaching, the introduction of carnivorous fish and other invasive species, and the use of monofilament nylon gill-nets for fishing.

A Windsor man has been arrested and charged with causing unnecessary pain, injury or suffering to an animal after a dog, Tyson, was found lying in the grass with severe genital injuries, and later euthanized. A condom was tied around the dog's penis with an inner-tube.

Local citizens rallied in red shirts with their dogs (and a few cats) to protest the abuse. News reports say at least 350 attended, but local fur RingtailedFox (operator of VOM-DT) said there had to be at least 1200, noting that all riverfront parking lots were at capacity:

Even people in apartment buildings brought their hamsters and goldfish to the windows, and people beeped their horns in their cars.

A Facebook group, Windsor dog abuser sought, had almost 7,000 members at press time.

The dog's alleged owner, Anjalo Abeywickrema, was on parole for involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Spectra and a friend at MFF 2007

Fandom member Spectra Vixen (Brianna Foxx) was severely injured in an car accident on Sunday morning and is currently in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.^[1][2]

Spectra spun out on ice and hit a guard rail which entered her car. She was flown to the hospital, which contains a level 1 trauma center. Her partner, Butterscotch Vixen, drove to the hospital to be by her side.

Spectra suffered a severe cut from her upper right chest and shoulder, down to her knee. Her right arm was nearly detached at the scene, six to eight inches below the shoulder, and the doctors were unable to save it.^[3]

As of Sunday night, Spectra was in the intensive care unit. By Monday, her condition had improved slightly, and Butterscotch reported "the docs seem happy with the numbers they see".^[3][4]

On the evening of Monday, June 4, 2007, KO, the chairman of Rocket City FurMeet was helping a friend move a washer on some stairs. The washer tipped over and fell, taking KO with it,^[1] breaking both of his wrists and his scapula. As of this writing, he is at Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Alabama having undergone surgery to repair some of the damage.^[2]

It is unclear how much of KO's medical care will be covered by insurance, and he will definitely be out of work while he recuperates. To help bridge the gap, Alexander Katz is collecting donations via PayPal. Alexander is also inviting comments and get-well wishes to pass along to KO.^[3]

Popular furry artist Dark Natasha was involved in an auto accident yesterday night near her home in Evergreen, Colorado. According to reports from David Stein and fellow artist Heather Bruton, a SUV ran a red light and T-boned her car. Knocked unconscious by the impact, she revived only as firemen used the Jaws of Life to peel her out.^[1][2]

Natasha has been hospitalized for several fractures to her pelvis and multiple contusions. She is expected to be in the hospital for several days, and recuperating at home for several weeks, missing this weekend's Califur.

Otter 'escorts' mate to hospital

Hospital staff were amazed to see an otter appear to escort its injured mate to the front door of their building.

Leana Beasley has faith that a dog is man's best friend.

Faith, a 4-year-old Rottweiler, phoned 911 when Beasley fell out of her wheelchair and barked urgently into the receiver until a dispatcher sent help. Then the service dog unlocked the front door for the police officer.

"I sensed there was a problem on the other end of the 911 call," said dispatcher Jenny Buchanan. "The dog was too persistent in barking directly into the phone receiver. I knew she was trying to tell me something."

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A man is knocked down and gored by an elephant at Six Flags Marine World Near San Francisco, California.

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Man Pets Jaguar, Pays with His Finger

Don't mistake the jaguar for a 'pretty kitty'.