Jamaica Plain News (https://www.jamaicaplainnews.com/category/animals)
I've been seeing a lot of snakes in Jamaica Plain. Along one 15-foot section of a rock wall I recently saw 10 common garter snakes! 10?! I think I've been seeing more and more garter snakes the last several years. That makes sense as they are the most abundant and commonly seen snake species seen in Massachusetts, according to MassWildlife.
For the third year in a row Luna and Charlie are the most popular girl and boy dog names! In fact, Bostonians preferred the same dog names in 2023 as they did for 2022. The Top 10 lists for 2023 for both boy and girl dog names all appeared in 2022's Top 25 girl and boy dog names. 2023's Top 10 girl dog names
Luna
Bella
Daisy
Lucy
Rosie
Penny
Lola
Stella
Millie
Winnie
2023's Top 10 boy dog names
Charlie
Teddy
Max
Milo
Cooper
Leo
Finn
Winston
Oliver
Ollie
Naming your dog is important, as is licensing your canine. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Animal Care and Control Division wants city dog owners to remember that the annual deadline for licensing their pets is March 31.
As a car owner, this is definitely one of the weirdest things I've experienced in my life... I took my car into the mechanic for a regular oil change. They call me a little while later and ask if I've smelled anything weird in my car. Nope. I have not.
City officials and departments are looking into putting a new city animal shelter in Franklin Park. Many details are not determined yet, but the shelter would include kennels, veterinary facilities, and contained outdoor areas. The shelter would replace the city's small and outdated current shelter in Roslindale that has very limited outdoor space. A possible location is within the maintenance yard adjacent to Franklin Park, where there is currently a dilapidated parking lot. In 2018, there was a master plan made for the maintenance yard that looked at modernizing the entire facility, but at the time the footprint of the Boston Parks and Recreation Maintenance Yard was not included in the Franklin Park Action Plan.
Jamaica Plain resident Joanna Lubkin and her service dog Sully were honored at the NEADS World Class Service Dogs annual fall graduation ceremony to celebrate the newest group of Service Dogs and Assistance Dog teams on Nov. 5. This event allows family, friends and the general public to hear firsthand from clients how a NEADS dog has changed their lives. "Sully is my most constant companion, helping me on bad days, keeping me grounded, making everyday life easier and empowering me to take many adventures," said Joanna Lubkin, a client of NEADS World Class Service Dogs. As NEADS client KateLynne Steinke says, “It takes an extraordinary dog to give someone an ordinary life.”
NEADS also recognizes the many people involved in the breeding, training, and placement of the dogs: staff, volunteers, donors and other supporters.
What pop culture reference will be made into a dog costume at the 19th Annual Jamaica Plain Dog Parade, Costume & Fashion Show on Saturday? In the past there's been Ruth Barker Ginsberg, Transformers, MBTA buses, and more. The parade starts at the First Baptist Church (633 Centre St.,) and finishes at the Loring Greenough House with a fashion show and judging with emcee Brad Brown of Blue Frog Bakery. Registration begins at the First Baptist Church at noon, and the parade will step off at 1 pm, make it way down Centre Street, followed by the fashion show starting at 1:30 pm. The event is presented by JP Business & Professional Association and JP Centre/South Main Streets.
A fluffy raccoon was calmly hanging around a Newbern Street yard during the day on Thursday. And just because it was out during the middle of the day doesn't mean it's not well. Raccoons out during the day may be foraging longer hours to support their young, or visiting a garden while dogs or people aren't around, or just moving to a new location, says the Humane Society of the United States. This raccoon was acting normal, responded to noises, wasn't a big fan of having their picture taken, and then waddled off to find a more low-key spot.
Jamaica Plain resident Kristin MacDougall was excited to see an owl in the wild for the first time ever on Monday. But the blue jays in her backyard were not as happy. "It was in the backyard at about 5:30 pm. I heard it after dark for the past few nights, but couldn't find it," said MacDougall. And then she saw it -- and got a great video of it -- with a few blue jays really not being happy about the screech owl who-whoing in an evergreen tree.
Summertime means it's dragonfly season, and Chris Lang snapped this spectacular photo a blue dasher dragonfly at Franklin Park. Check out more Chris Lang Photography by clicking here.
A new electric shuttle bus running back and forth from the Forest Hills MBTA station and Franklin Park Zoo is now free to anyone on weekends. Zoo officials hope the electric, zero-emissions complimentary shuttle will attract a wider audience to the Franklin Park Zoo. “We couldn’t be happier to debut the shuttle and offer an alternative transportation option for our guests, that will not only make it easier for them to visit Franklin Park Zoo, but also directly supports our conservation mission,” said John Linehan, President and CEO of Zoo New England. “Fewer trips in single-occupancy vehicles alleviate traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.”
The shuttle was converted by ZEVX (Zero Electric Vehicles) with a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), according to a press release. The shuttle route from Forest Hills to the Zoo is just under 1.5 miles, and is very easy to see because it's wrapped in bright colors with animals that live in the Franklin Park Zoo or Stone Zoo.