Bitten by a poisonous snake at Wal-Mart
A Florida man is suing Wal-Mart after he was allegedly bitten by a poisonous snake in the lawn and garden section. Jay Richitelli, 42, was looking through some plants when he felt a sudden pain “like fire going through my arm.” A juvenile pygmy rattlesnake had clamped its jaws to his hand. Richitelli dislodged the snake and stomped it to death, but he says the venom caused hallucinations and lung damage. Nonetheless, Richitelli says he’ll keep shopping at Wal-Mart, as “they’ve got certain stuff where you can’t beat their deals.’’
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Animal-welfare experts blame Paris Hilton for a recent epidemic of abandoned Chihuahuas at California animal shelters, says The National Enquirer. Since the hotel heiress made it fashionable to carry a small dog everywhere, shelter officials say they’ve been inundated with Chihuahuas discarded by fashion-conscious owners who wanted to be seen with the dog more than they wanted to look after it. “Chihuahuas,’’ says dog expert Lynnie Bunten, “are not a toy or a fashion accessory.”