pets

Tonia Haddix, the subject of the Netflix documentary “Chimp Crazy,” admitted that she lied in court proceedings about the status of a chimp named Tonka, and that her lies affected a civil case against her.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked Tonia Haddix’s license to keep and sell exotic animals, after the Missouri woman lied to a judge about a chimpanzee she claimed had died. Haddix was the subject of the HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy.”

Kansas lawmakers are considering a proposal that would allow Kansans who obtain raccoon ownership permits to keep the animals as pets.

Shelters that are at capacity have been adding beds to accommodate overflow guests as freezing temperatures remain throughout the metro. But for many, restrictions like pets, a lack of transportation or mental illness deny them access to those beds.

Missouri state Rep. Doug Clemens, a Democrat from St. Ann, filed the bill regulating the treatment of breeding animals, such as requiring veterinary care. But it faces opposition from agricultural groups.

The decision comes after years of complaints that the nonprofit — which successfully runs the city’s no-kill animal shelter — was too slow to take dangerous animals off the streets.

A Kansas City Council committee Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution giving the city manager 30 days to formulate a plan to return animal control in-house. KC Pet Project vows to fight to keep the contract it's held since 2020.

Animal rescue groups and neighborhood organizations have complained for years that KC Pet Project was not aggressive enough enforcing animal control ordinances. Now Kansas City plans to bring that service back in-house.

“Tonia Haddix has violated numerous orders of this Court and seeks to make a mockery of the rule of law by admitting and boasting on television, on the internet, and on other means of public communications, about her violations of the Court’s orders,” U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry wrote.

Tonia Haddix operates Sunrise Beach Safari near the Lake of the Ozarks. But PETA is pushing for Haddix to be charged with perjury and obstruction of justice — and for her license to be revoked — after Haddix was shown lying to a judge about a chimpanzee's death.

Dogs don’t talk to us the way our human best friends do, but they are biologically prepared to communicate with us in a range of ways. What if we could understand our furry companions better? Dr. Emily Bray, a canine cognition specialist, says that dogs are better at understanding us than we are them, but there are ways we can bridge the gap.

Prison can be a lonely, violent place. But one program — or more specifically, one Jefferson City, Missouri, prison resident — is helping change the men around him.