Wow! Python snake found on @VTA bus last month now up for adoption at @PeninsulaHumane in #Burlingame. His name? #Rumplesnakeskin! #BayArea pic.twitter.com/mhoKAlqYSk

— Chris Nguyen ABC7 (@ChrisNguyenTV) October 24, 2017

A Samuel L. Jackson-worthy tale of squamate bus adventure is approaching a happy ending this week, as a snake that terrified passengers of a Bay Area bus is now ready for a new forever home.

The ball python, which has since been named "Rumplesnakeskin," was discovered on a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus on September 27, ABC 7 reports.

Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA spokesperson Buffy Martin Tarbox tells ABC that "No one is quite certain how the snake ended up on the bus," which was passing through Palo Alto at the time of the incident.

According to SF Gate, "After the scaled creature was spotted, the driver pulled over at the Encinal and El Camino Real stop in Palo Alto and asked passengers to disembark."

An animal control officer picked up the snake and took it to Palo Alto Animal Services, where it was held for nine days in hopes that it might be claimed by its guardian.

The two-foot-long snake, which news organizations identify as "he," is now at the PHS/SPCA. And though he's not on their available "exotic animals" page yet, Tarbox says he's now looking for a new family.

According to Wikipedia, ball pythons are non-venomous constrictors that are named as such because they "curl into a ball when stressed or frightened." They're the smallest of the African pythons (average length is 3-4.5 feet), making them a popular pet.

"Rumplesnakeskin is a very friendly snake and likes to be held," Tarbox tells ABC 7. "It is clear he was someone's pet, but no one came forward to claim him so he's now looking for a new permanent home."

Does a look at Rumplesnakeskin stir your heart? If so, you can meet him at the PHS/SPCA's Center for Compassion (1450 Rollins Road in Burlingame) on Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m., or between 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday. And if you adopt him, you'd better send us pictures!

Related: Portland Python Thief Shoves Snake Down His Pants

"Swipe right to parenthood with Adoptly, the world’s first adoption app," declared a highly suspicious pitch to SFist last week. Vaguely outraged at the illegal-sounding idea of adopting children through an app that billed itself as Tinder for, like, kids or whatever, we didn't write about their Kickstarter, but now we are, because that was suspended. They emailed to say that had happened, and that they were now on Indiegogo. That, too was suspended. What's going on here?

The Verge called Adoptly indistinguishable from parody, questioning whether the company's employees were in fact real. We hoped, for all our sakes, that Adoptly was a hoax — and we still do. Ideas this crazy and odd usually turn out to be: Recall Qoopy, for instance, a parody of startup that proposed an Airbnb for chicken coops "launching" in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Bernal Heights, SF. Oh and remember Peeple, the short-lived (though ostensibly real) Yelp for People?

But then there's murkier territory, occupied by the likes of Pooper, which claimed to be Uber but for someone picking up your dog's poop. As that supposed company said in a statement "From the start we planned on a marketing first approach with the app as a way to build the brand and showcase the tech," which is to say it wasn't a parody, but it wasn't exactly real, yet either.

Adoptly appears to be a Pooper, or else at least longer con or joke than Qoopy. Even though the idea has been greeted with skepticism and outrage, Adoptly told Fox News "there’s been a widespread misunderstanding and [we've] insisted that there is nothing illegitimate or sardonic about the app."

Even if it isn't "sardonic," Adoptly isn't quite legit. “The concept is absolutely real, what we’re proposing is real,” Alex Nawrocki of Adoptly told Digital Trends. “But only through proper support and getting funding can we make this an actual reality." I'm relieved to hear the market, and hopefully laws, too, will decide this one.

"To be honest, we’ve been totally shocked by this unexpected turn of events,” Nawrocki, who is either easily shocked or still kidding, added to Digital Trends. “We feel it’s really unfair that KS would take down a legitimate idea, like Adoptly, just because some media outlets were debating it’s validity or felt uncomfortable with such an innovative and disruptive idea. Furthermore, we are really disappointed in [Kickstarter] for not reaching out to us beforehand. It was really distressing because there wasn’t any due process in taking our account down — just a very basic email notification.”

So, you're saying this ad is for real? Really.

Update: "Adoptly" isn't "a Pooper" it's THE Pooper: The same hoax artist creators, whose names I won't even mention here because their work is so bad and dumb, made it to ask facile questions about technology. As they write, their work "satirizes our tech obsessed world and our cultural desire to make everything faster, easier, more convenient, and instantly gratifying, and raise questions about where we draw the line, or whether we do at all." That's, like, deep, if you're incredibly shallow and dumb.

Our intention was not to in anyway attack or belittle those working in the adoption industry, or parents looking to adopt. The decision to present adoption in a Tinder-like format was purely meant as a jarring affront to everyday tech-users, and not as an assault on the adoption industry itself. Of the few positive reactions to the app, we did hear that although Adoptly may not be an elegant solution, the goal of modernizing and networking more agencies to improve adoption rates is a good one. Some folks also mentioned that anything that gets people talking about adoption and thinking about its issues is ultimately helpful, as it shines a light on area that doesn’t get nearly enough attention and support.

Related: 'Pooper,' An App To Send Someone To Pick Up After Your Dog, Is Bullsh**

The extremely lovable, rascally Chihuahua named Ponch captured our hearts earlier this month after leading California Highway Patrol on a high-speed chase across the upper deck of the western span of the Bay Bridge. The little guy appeared to want to leave it all (or at least the East Bay) behind and run toward the horizon with the sun at his face and troubles at his back — and hey, we can all relate. Well, after hanging out for over a week at a San Francisco Animal Control & Care Shelter, it appears Ponch will be granted his wish to start over. No one showed up to claim him, and so now he's up for adoption.

"This sweet, tender boy will be at his very best with an adopter that has previous experience with small/shy dogs," reads the Facebook post announcing his eligibility. "A gentle, mellow, adults-only home will help our hero blossom into a confident city-savvy dog but this will take time and patience."

As noted above, the posting emphasizes that Ponch needs an adult home (sorry kiddies!), and that experience with small and shy dogs is a must. Also, we're guessing a bit of a rebellious streak would go a long way toward making this free spirit feel right at home. After all, remember, he's a wild one.

If you're interested in adopting Ponch, send an email to Animal Control & Care at acc@sfgov.org.

Previously: Anyone Lose A Chihuahua On The Bay Bridge? Dog Rescue Briefly Stops Traffic Sunday
Meet 'Ponch,' The Chihuahua Involved In Sunday's Bay Bridge Police Pursuit

Three cats from pleasant Hayes Valley hybrid teahouse and cat adoption center KitTea Cafe were diagnosed with an incurable viral disease that sometimes occurs in litters or cats in close proximity, as at adoption centers.

For context, SFist spoke with SFSPCA Client Care Supervisor Steve Murphy, who every year sees just a few cases of the disease, Feline Infectious Peritonitis or FIP. Since it inevitably takes the lives of some cats, "we give every adopter some information on it," Murphy says. "It's something that we want to let our adopters be aware of. [FIP] is a very rare but lethal disease that affects mostly younger cats and kittens."

"It is a truly heartbreaking disease and we are saddened any time we lose one of the cats we work so hard to give the best possible life," Wonder Cat Rescue, who work with the KitTea Cafe, tell SFist.

KitTea cafe, which opened after a few false starts and to much anticipation in late June, has been a popular destination for the cat-obsessed and adoption-curious. Working with the rescue service, the cafe encourages tea drinkers and casual visitors to consider adopting the kitties that play in an area separated from the tea lounge area by a glass partition.

At least two of the three cats diagnosed with FIP were litter-mates, and the cats' adopted families were offered condolences by Wonder Cat and KitTea as well as the chance to adopt again, free of charge or donation.

Says KitTea founder Courtney Hatt, "The best we can do is offer support to families who do adopt a kitten who ends up developing FIP, and give the cats the best possible experience on earth they can have before passing... As you can imagine the team at KitTea grow very close and attached to every kitten and cat that lives [with us], so it hits us very deep."

The SFPCA is working with the veterinary school of UC Davis on FIP research, but unfortunately, there's still no test for the disease and therefore perhaps nothing KitTea could have done. "That's what's difficult," says Murphy. "The figures that we quote are anywhere from a half a percent to three percent... but that doesn't make it any less tragic when it happens," he adds.

And, indeed, when the disease does strike there is little to be done. "Once, if it's determined to be FIP, the main thing is to sympathize with anyone who is dealing with illness or death of a pet. That can be a really tragic thing. [At the SFSCPA] we offer emotional support, and in the case of someone adopting a kitten from us that later died of FIP, we would reach out to them to see if there were other pets that were co-housed with that animal."

That's because, explains Murphy, it's not contagious in the way that some diseases are. "If an animal is co-housed, it doesn't mean that the other animals would immediately get it." But according to the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Cornell Feline Health Center, the virus can be found in saliva and feces if they appear in large quantities, and that could infect other cats.

"The virus can also live in the environment for several weeks," the Association writes, while "the most common transmission... occurs when infected female cats pass along the virus to their kittens, usually when the kittens are between five and eight weeks of age."

One SFist source who wished to remain anonymous registered concerns as a former animal hospital employee. Is KitTea, the source wondered, a safe environment for cats, one working to create the best conditions for their welfare?

The Association adds that "newly acquired cats and any cats that are suspected of being infected should be separated from other cats. Preventing overcrowding, keeping cats current on vaccinations, and providing proper nutrition can also help decrease the occurrence of FIP in groups of cats."

But it sounds as if KitTea is doing all it conceivably can. Hatt adds that "after losing [the three] kittens to FIP since opening in June, [the Cafe is] planning to donate a portion of our cat lounge proceeds to the study and research to find a cure for FIP."

Since opening, Hatt says KitTea has found homes for 60 healthy cats.

Previously: KitTea Cat Cafe Coming In April!

We got pretty worked up when we saw this CBS report, which says that Bay Area shelters are experiencing a bumper crop of kittens as warmer temperatures and less rain encourage cats to get busy earlier and more often than usual. Naturally, we decided to investigate.

"During warmer weather there's always an increase in kittens," says Krista Maloney of the S.F. SPCA, who says that it's normal to see an influx of kittens around this time of year. But Ian Gilmore, the SPCA's Adoption Intake Associate, says that this year kitten season has hit particularly suddenly. "In my experience kitten season begins as a trickle in late March and has usually reached boiling point by Mother’s Day. So I wouldn’t say that it started later this year, but it did seem to start very abruptly, more like flood gates opening."

Least year, between January 1 and May 17, the SPCA sent out 154 kittens and moms for foster care. This year, they sent out 363 kittens and moms, more than doubling from last year. But Gilmore says the increased transfers from other shelters accounts for a lot of the underage kittens we have now." Although they have approximately 270 kittens in total, only four of them are on the adoption floor now and six more are en route.

CBS reports that the kitten flood is impacting shelters all around the Bay Area, who are hustling to find foster parents and facilitate adoption of their kittens.

If you're looking to take advantage of kitten season, you're in luck. The SPCA is having a big adoptathon and street fair this weekend, which will include dogs and cats of all ages (don't forget that adult cats are the most in need of a home). We've been assured that there'll be plenty of kittens to go around. For this event, the SPCA will waive all adoption fees, and they're throwing food trucks, music, and kids activities into the bargain.

This concludes coverage of kitten season for today.

[CBS]

A bit of bizarre anti-gay sentiment hit Arkansas this week after an issue of US Weekly was censored for featuring a too-hot-for-hillbillies Elton John cover.

Joe My God reports:

Last night Twitter user JennHudd tweeted out this photo she took at Harps, a grocery store in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Apparently US Weekly's cover shot of Elton John, his partner, and baby is just too shocking for children. Harps has over 60 locations in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Call their home office at 877-772-8193 or use their contact form if you'd like to register a polite protest.

The blocker appeared after a customers allegedly complained about the family-oritented magazine cover. However, right or wrong (psst, it's wrong), this is depressing, especially for us LGBT folks who look forward to adopting. Check out the uncensored cover here.

Oh, and the most shocking part of all? "16 Pages of Hot Photos" is still visible.

Attention Animal Lovers: This Friday at 5 p.m., Macy's will unveil their annual holiday window displays filled with scampering adoptable kittens and puppies from the San Francisco SPCA.

The selection of pets will rotate each day and can be adopted right from the adoption outpost at Macy’s -- after the SFSPCA’s experts have helped you "Meet Your Match". Last year, over 300 animals found new homes and more than $50,000 was raised for the SFSPCA.

Sign up to volunteer as a Window Display Greeter or Matchmaker. Better yet, get your friends or co-workers together and volunteer as a group.

The display will be up through January 2, 2011 and the window and volunteer hours will vary. (See this PDF for the schedule.)

Luna
8-year-old blue tortoiseshell

Luna is a love-filled, ladylike cat with striking green eyes. She loves to give and get affection (especially give). Her coat is gorgeous and unique, and you won't find another face like this. If you're looking for an attentive companion who purrs constantly, Luna's your girl.

Joey
3-year-old female Black Labrador mix

Oh yes, I'm a wriggling, wagging, kissing bundle of fun. Just look at me! Also, the great outdoors make me giddy with excitement -- hikes, swims, walks, runs -- I love it all! Things really don't get much more fun than me. Originally, I was just one dog in a sea of hundreds at an overcrowded shelter. Lucky for me, I was scooped up and brought here, where I know I'll find my match. Now, I know what you’re thinking…I look a little squat to be a Lab…just think of me as your own personal super special unique Walrus-Lab mix!

San Francisco SPCA has been celebrating Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month with a few big events. They had an adoption fair on Saturday (pictured above), featuring cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and other small mammals, and they're continuing the fun today and tomorrow. Check out their silly promotional video.

Currently, SPCA is having a Twitter Scavenger Hunt today and tomorrow. They will ask four questions, once every 15 minutes at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. One prize per question will be awarded to the person with the first correct answer, and there will be a grand prize for the person with the most correct answers from all of the questions (just need to be correct, not the first to answer). Prizes include free admission to tomorrow's Catnip mixer + drinks, T-shirts, knit caps, license plate frame, LOLCats refrigerator magnets, cat toys, fleece blanket, and key chains.

They will also be having a Catnip mixer tomorrow evening. Mingle with available cats (and dogs) while sampling specialty cocktails and appetizers. Meet Your Match (MYM) through their Feline-ality program. All proceeds directly benefit homeless cats at the SF/SPCA Adoption Center.

Catnip, Thursday, June 25, 6:30-8 p.m.
The SF/SPCA Adoption Center (250 Florida St)
$10, includes two drink tickets (Please leave your pets at home)

Eeps! Squee! Ack! Aw! Oh my! The start of summer means the start of kitten season. And right now at the SPCA is at "kitten overload." According to an appropriately all-capped and superfluously exclamation pointed post at sfspcacat.blogspot.com, "We are OVERLOADED with kittens, adult cats and to be quite blunt...WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM!!!!" As of today, the SPCA has 130 cats available for adoption. But we strongly urge you to take in an adult cat. Why? Well, for starters, you don't have to train or housebreak adult felines. Also, since kittens just barely "out-cute" their elders, older cats wait and wait and wait for a loving, safe place to call home. So, if you have a little space, a lot of love, some commonsense, and understand that felines are not accessories, adopt one of these little fellas, won't you? In turn, you will be greatly rewarded. (Seriously, this adoption page will probably make you teary eyed. You've been warned.)

Update: Ha, it looks like we've been had, kind of -- it is a true story though. According to Snopes, this story actually happened down in LA in February, and the dogs did indeed find a home together. So, at least there was a happy ending. Thanks to drybones for clearing it up for us.

A friend of SFist sent this sad story to us earlier, and SFist commenter Rahir added it to SFist's contribute page.

In these tough times, many of us are at risk of losing our jobs and homes, like Katherine, owner of the two beautiful labs, Coco and Cookie, pictured at left.

After losing her job, Katherine and her children have been forced to move to a new home in two weeks, which doesn't accept pets, and she's trying desperately to find Coco and Cookie a home together. The lab rescue told Katherine they would likely be separated, which would break the doggie pals' hearts.

If you have the space in your home for these two beauties, or know someone else who does, contact Katherine at kjmorris74 [at] yahoo [dot] com. Ideally she's looking for someone local, so she and her family can still visit them.

The story of Fluffy the cat, which shed light, love and joy to tens of thousands of San Franciscans this week, has taken a tragic turn. The month-long-missing cat that an SFPD officer helped rescue has just been diagnosed with terminal leukemia. According to SF Weekly, "[t]he cat was so malnourished from being locked in that house ... that he was forced to take Fluffy to an emergency vet. And, once there, the feline's blood work revealed that Fluffy has terminal leukemia." Although Fluffy is now living comfortably, gained most of his weight back, and has turned into a "purring machine" since his rescue, the cat will, most likely, be put down very soon. That said, even elderly sick pets need lots of love too. (And purchasing cats or dogs from breeders is, inarguably, downright vile.) Maybe you have a big heart and a little space to care for one?

Named after the duffel bag in which he was abandoned, "Duffy" was discovered by residents in Burlingame near the Embassy Suites at SFO on April 5. Although he was left there for more than eight hours, the cat is reportedly fine and ready for a loving, caring home. Humane society spokesman Scott Delucchi said, "We're assuming that whoever dumped the cat didn't know animal abandonment is illegal. (Another thing the unidentified animal abuser didn't know: that they will burn for eternity in the lower circles of hell.) If you would like to adopt "Duffy" (and who wouldn't?!) or any other pet who needs a safe home, please contact the Peninsula Humane Society at 650-340-7022. But remember, pets are neither accessories nor home accents. Please use caution before deciding to adopt. UPDATE: Duffy has been adopted. Yay! But, remember, there still plenty more fuzzy faces out there that need homes.