HALO, Petco mark 200th adoption with more kitty adoptions

Man shot after charging at deputy with small sword

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 29-year-old man who was shot by a deputy after charging at the officer with a small sword, was hospitalized late Friday, officials said. The unidentified man was taken by ambulance to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, Indian River County sheriff's spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers said. The deputy who fired the shot was not injured. The deputy was placed on paid administrative leave, which is protocol for police-involved shootings. Neither the deputy's name nor the man's name were released Friday. The incident unfolded about 7 p.m. Friday after deputies received a series of calls about a disturbance at a home at 12th Street Southwest and 35th Avenue Southwest in the Grovenor ...

Cat suspected of rabies bites person, escapes, health officials say

FELLSMERE — A stray cat suspected of rabies escaped after biting a person at a home last week, health department officials said. On March 27, the adult cat - described as black with white patches and green eyes - walked inside the residence, located north of South Carolina Avenue in Fellsmere, according to the Florida Department of Health in Indian River County. The cat bit the victim when the person tried to remove the animal from the home. The victim was receiving rabies post-exposure treatment, the health department said. Health officials said the cat was aggressive and had symptoms of rabies. Rabies is a fatal disease of the nervous system. Outside cats pose a higher risk for exposure to the ...

Photos – GYAC youth visit furry friends at LaPorte Farms

SEBASTIAN — Pony and horse rides, feeding animals and experiencing a grand tour are just a few things youth at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center enjoyed while visiting LaPorte Farms. About 40 youth from kindergarten through 3rd grade went to the farm Wednesday, located at 7700 129th Street, Sebastian. Youth were able to feed fish, llamas, ponies, potbelly pigs and more all while learning about the animals and nature from farm workers. "It's very important to let people come and experience the animals," said LaPorte Farms owner Laura LaPorte. "It's a great form of therapy." GYAC Marketing Coordinator Christina Tascon said all the youth loved seeing the animals at the five-acre farm. The farm also has tortoises, donkeys, miniature horses, parrots, ...