Famous pups, a loose lizard and Hamilton’s other top animal newsmakers
From the furry to the scaly, there's just something about animals that pique our human interest.
Whether it's cute faces, heartwarming tales, or a twisted combination of our greatest fears, animals have been on our minds this year.
Here's a sample of the critters, creatures and canines that captured our curiosity:
The city was on watch when a rascally reptile fled from his Little Ray's wardens using a slightly ajar door to, seemingly, leave the nature centre, so that he might, presumably, boost the local tourism numbers. It would be 69 days before Markhor's truth was revealed. The scaly creature in fact never left the zoo and was hiding under the front desk. Perhaps like all of us, he just needed a little extra R and R after a tough year.
From the pavement of a Burlington street, a kitten is rescued after a disturbing display of animal cruelty. Following extensive medical care and an amputation, the feline is adopted into his furever home. Such is the origin story of Furiosa, the three-legged rescue cat from Hamilton nominated for America's Favorite Pet. The six-year-old continues to battle various ailments that will limit his life, but his story touched the hearts of voters across the lower lands.
She's huge on TikTok. Luna, a pit bull and cane corso mix, is entertaining the masses with a unique form of storytelling, and challenging the negative reputation and stigma that follows bully-breed dogs while she does it - or while her human does. From wearing duckie pyjamas to watching The Lion King," this Stoney Creek canine's social media account has garnered millions of views.
Diplomats in waiting, a couple of sweet rescue pups were chosen to be ambassadors for London Dog Week. The inseparable chihuahuas - Betty, with a signature scruffy quaff, and Bean, of the short-haired and long-eared - were featured on billboards and in digital advertisements throughout the U.K. capital.
In a scene that could have been pulled from nightmares, zillions of tiny insects were birthed in the pit of the city, thanks to a mix of a sewage spill and intense rainfall. Midge season hit harder than usual and, thanks to climate change, that isn't likely to change next year.
One man's trash is another man's furry bundle of joy. An ordinary citizen thwarted an act of pure evil when she came across a litter of kittens in a bucket of water left inside a dumpster. All but one were rescued successfully thanks to Purrfect Companions in Delhi. RIP dumpster kitty.
The brews we love to chug and the pups we love to snug? Yes, please. Found in a cardboard box on one of the city's fine trails, the SPCA came to the rescue of these helpless, days-old puppers. Social media helped name the abandoned canines after Collective Arts beers. They have all since been adopted into furever homes.
If you encountered a bat in your home this past summer, you weren't alone. Calls were up between 20 and 25 per cent over past year for one wildlife control business - the owner of which dubbed Hamilton the bat capital of Canada."
Hamilton slid to 15th from ninth place on Orkin's list of most rat-infested cities this year, but it might not be cause for celebration. In all likelihood, homeowners are handling the vermin themselves rather than calling in pest control.
It's not a real life Pokemon, though the rather terrifying, four-pound monster fish holds a certain resemblance to Magikarp. Super invader" goldfish are overwhelming stormwater ponds and creating an ecological disaster for the city's watercourses. Best to think twice before flushing the family pet.
Death to all beavers? Not exactly, though the toothy rodents did exacerbate dam-related flooding from Stoney Creek to Glanbrook. Lethal force to eliminate Canada's national animal is considered a last resort."
Delaney Caulfield is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach her via email: dcaulfield@thespec.com