Animals

American Pharoah, the horse that broke a 37-year dry spell to win the Triple Crown, has close roots. The horse was training at McKathan Brothers Training Center in Citra about a year ago.

Alachua County Animal Services lowered the requirements necessary to foster kittens. The move was made to keep up with the anticipated growth of kitten populations at local kennels.

Chickens die in a chicken house fire at Saavedra Farms on Wednesday night.

A black Lab named Shadow died recently after more than a decade of therapy work at the Tower Road Branch Library. The Read With A Dog program will continue to be held every Wednesday afternoon, but Shadow will be missed by those who knew him.

Justice, a young Great Dane, not only functions as a service dog but has the ability to detect illness and distress in the people around him. The dog was rescued by Fallin Turner, 17, who lives with scleroderma and Systematic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and relies on Justice for both emotional and physical support.

Horses act as therapy animals for people with disabilities, special needs children and veterans with PTSD in a local program called HOPE. With recent expansions, HOPE now has funding to create an employment model to help veterans in their program to find a job.

Canna Companion is back on the shelves of the local Earth Pets store after the owner encountered difficulties with the cannabis-based arthritis treatment. The primary ingredient in the capsules is hemp, which made local law enforcement question the legality of the pills.

An animal sanctuary celebrates love of pigs and health in its second Valentine’s Day brunch. The brunch teaches how to appreciate love of pigs as more than food.

Piper, a miniature pony, died Monday morning following an attack by three pit bulls on Sunday. The pony was a rehabilitation horse at Fire and Ice horse rescue in Fort White, Fla.

Alachua County Animal Services has been working to reach no-kill status since 2001. Now, they're only four percent away from their goal.