Julie Majid, Author at petsnpals.co

10 Red Flags A Shelter Dog May Not Be the Dog You Think

June 17, 2025 by Julie Majid

Even the sweetest eyes can hide a backstory you were never told.

Adopting a shelter dog sounds like the ultimate good deed, until you bring one home and realize your idea of “rescue” was missing some very real fine print. These dogs are complex, not just because of their past but because of how little we’re sometimes told about it. They might charm you in the play yard but unravel the second your door closes. It’s not about being a bad dog. It’s about being a misunderstood one.

Every kennel carries its own version of mystery. Sometimes staff truly don’t know what a dog has been through. Other times, details get sugarcoated to speed up adoptions. Either way, red flags often show up quietly in your first few weeks together. It’s not about blame. It’s about going in with eyes wide open, so both of you get a fair shot at real connection.

10 Clever Ways to Protect Bird Feeders From Squirrels Without Hurting Them

June 16, 2025 by Julie Majid

Some squirrel-proofing tactics get cruel fast, but these clever fixes keep things fair.

If you’ve ever watched a squirrel launch itself off a fence post like it’s auditioning for a Mission Impossible reboot, you know the war between birds and squirrels is not exactly subtle. What starts with “just a feeder” quickly becomes an acrobatic arms race. But not everyone wants to fight dirty. Greasing poles, setting traps, or using electric shock feeders feels a little intense when the so-called “problem” is just a furry, hungry gymnast trying to live.

That’s why a growing number of bird lovers are looking for methods that protect the seed without punishing the thief. You don’t have to be Team Squirrel to want them to leave your feeders alone without resorting to cruelty. Turns out, some of the smartest methods are also the most humane, and they work by outsmarting, not harming. Here are the first five ways people are keeping the peace in their yards.

Big Dog, Big Personality, Big Problems: 12 Breeds That Prove It

June 16, 2025 by Julie Majid

These large breeds bring plenty of chaos with their charm and owners rarely see it coming.

The massive head tilt, the happy tail that knocks over furniture, the full-body flop onto your lap like they weigh ten pounds instead of one hundred. Big dogs know how to be lovable, but living with one can come with some serious baggage. People fall in love with the size and forget to ask how much space, patience, and strength these breeds actually require.

A big personality in a big body is not just twice the fun. It is also twice the cost, the commitment, and sometimes the frustration. Some of the most adored large breeds are the same ones most likely to end up surrendered when things spiral. Training alone is not enough. These dogs need the right home, the right structure, and owners who are not easily overwhelmed. A cute face cannot carry an entire household.

12 Endangered Species That Might Not Survive the Next Decade And How We Are Helping

June 13, 2025 by Julie Majid

Some of the rarest animals on Earth are down to just hundreds, or dozens, and the clock is officially ticking.

When we talk about endangered species, the usual image is a slow decline. But for some animals, the pace is anything but slow. Habitat is vanishing overnight. Temperatures are rising faster than they can adapt. Illegal trade, disease, and invasive species are pressing in from every side. Some of these animals are so close to the edge that one storm, one wildfire, one policy shift could tip the scales completely.

Still, not every story is doom. Around the world, people are stepping in with small, scrappy, sometimes wildly creative solutions. From last-ditch breeding efforts to Indigenous-led land protections, the work is happening. The question is whether it will be enough, and whether we’re doing it fast enough. These are the species balancing on that edge right now.

This Tiny Wallaby Disappeared, Reappeared, and Is Still on the Edge: 8 Reasons Why

June 12, 2025 by Julie Majid

It was declared extinct in the wild, but its comeback story is still in fragile territory.

For a wallaby that’s barely bigger than a rabbit, the mala, or rufous hare-wallaby, has been through enough plot twists to deserve its own documentary. It once hopped across vast stretches of central Australia, quietly thriving in the arid scrublands. But within a few decades, the species vanished from the mainland entirely, driven out by foxes, cats, and habitat loss. For a while, it seemed like the story had ended. Then scientists found surviving wild populations—barely clinging on—on remote islands off Western Australia. That’s when the comeback began.

Even now, though, this little marsupial hasn’t truly bounced back. It’s still listed as critically endangered, and every part of its recovery depends on human intervention. Reintroduction attempts are underway, but every project hinges on careful planning, intense predator control, and constant monitoring. The story of the mala is far from over. Here’s why its future is still hanging in the balance.