Pets and Animals

Animal advocates rallied for the harshest penalties possible after a raccoon was stabbed and then set on fire in a dumpster in Sarasota. It comes just one day after a father and daughter were arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty.

When a golden retriever paddled a little too close to a herd of manatees in the waters off Alabama's Gulf Coast, the startled sea cows erupted into a splashing frenzy around the pup — prompting the dog to immediately make a beeline back for the beach.

Treasure Island Fire Rescue's newest member is "Captain," an 8-month-old beagle puppy that was one of the 4,000 dogs rescued from a Virginia research and breeding facility. The newly adopted pup will serve as a therapy dog for first responders and will be the official mascot for the fire department.

An Amazon driver was delivering a package in a Florida neighborhood when she noticed smoke coming from a home and called 911. Firefighters rescued three tiny puppies from the house, saying they would have died if the driver hadn't called for help.

A former Pasco Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested for stomping his ex-girlfriend's cat to death, the Tampa Police Department said. 

A bull got loose from its pen and jumped into the crowd at a rodeo held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa over the weekend. People chanted as a handler on horseback roped it from across the fence to bring it back into the arena.

A bull escaped from its pen into a crowd at a rodeo at the Florida State Fairground, causing a panic over the weekend.

Southeastern Guide Dogs welcomed back a pair of pups Monday that didn't make it as guide dogs, but found success as Florida Fish and Wildlife search dogs.

Over a dozen beagles at the Humane Society of Sarasota County were rescued from a medical testing facility in Virginia last month and are ready for their forever home. If you're interested, the shelter is accepting adoption applications.

Several goats in Alabama are in trouble with the law after they hopped in a patrol car and started snacking on a deputy's paperwork.

Whitney's Seafood Market in Hudson gets a shipment of lobsters delivered twice a week from Maine. But Monday's delivery came with a rare surprise: not one, but two orange-colored lobsters.

More than 30 beagles were brought to the Bay Area after being saved from a mass breeding facility last month.