I don’t know about you guys, but I really love hearing great things about animals. Animals can be the most innocent life forms on the planet; just enjoying life and looking cute doing it. So, here’s ten stories from the past week to fulfil your need of good news about animals – I’d say at least half of them are about dogs, but dogs have just done some great things recently.
- Dog survives Italian Earthquake.
Romeo, the golden retriever, wasn’t looking good, but was ultimately unharmed when he was pulled out from the rubble by Italian firefighters nine days after the initial earthquake. His owners believed he’d died in the central Italy quake, but heard muffled barking when returning to their flattened home to pick up their remaining belongings. After being saved, Romeo was running around, wagging his tail, and given many strokes and pats.
- ‘Fearless’ Police Dog Catches Knife-Wielding Robber
A German Shepherd called JJ, who assists the West Midlands Police, has received an award from the PDSA vet charity, as he managed to sniff out a thief who’d stolen an iPhone. He was hiding in the bushes after robbing a fifteen year old girl at knifepoint in Birmingham last December. PC Mellings said “JJ managed to follow the scent to a commercial estate then lead us to some bushes where the suspect was hiding in the undergrowth… JJ played a vital role in catching the offender and recovering the stolen phone; he fully deserves this recognition.” The canine was presented with the PDSA Commendation as a part of the charity’s Animal Awards Programme.
- Tiny Puppy Rescued
A tiny puppy was rescued from a house in flames by a local firefighter in Fort Lauderdale. The firefighters found the puppy in a back room without much strength, but was resuscitated and given a pet oxygen mask to help it breathe. The name of the puppy is unknown, but expected to be okay.
- Beached Dolphins Rescued
On Saturday, four dolphins were rescued after being beached near Everglades National Park. Rescue crews responded to a call about the stranded dolphins and transported the four offshore spinner dolphins to Key largo for evaluation and possible rehabilitation.
- Dolphin Finds a New Way To Breathe
Dolphins tend to breathe through their blowholes, but there’s a particular dolphin who doesn’t. This dolphin (name unknown) has a blocked blowhole, and so has trouble breathing. Instead, the dolphin figured out how to breathe through its mouth. This reveals that dolphins can adapt their behaviour to their advantage. Stephen Dawson of the University of Otago in New Zealand says “it has invented a work-around to circumvent a disability. However, the process is a bit clumsy, and clearly is nowhere near as efficient as the normal mode of breathing”. Still, a dolphin figured a way around their disability, which feels like good news to me.
- Pomeranian Guides Blind Best Friend Through Life
The owners of an American Eskimo dog called Hisho, recused a tiny Pomeranian called Zen only six months before Hisho was to have an eye-operation. After Hisho’s surgery, he was left blind, and Zen decided to take matters into his own paws. The duo’s owners started an adorable Instagram page for the two, which shows what life is like for Hisho, and how Zen serves as more than just a guide, but also a source of love and comfort.
- World’s First Identical Twin Puppies Are Born
In South Africa, Kurt de Cramer was performing a caesarean on a female Irish Wolfhound, when he realised that the dog had an unusual bulging by her uterus. After thinking that the lump was excess fluid, he found not one, but two foetuses, both attached with umbilical cords to the same placenta. “When I realised that the puppies were of the same gender and that they had very similar markings, I also immediately suspected that they might be identical twins having originated from the splitting of an embryo,” he said. He delivered the other five puppies and called upon reproductive specialists to confirm his suspicions. They confirmed that the dog had given birth to two genetically identical puppies, and was therefore the first known instance of monozygotic (identical) twin dogs. Their names are Cullen and Romulus and they are adorable.
- Cat Guides Injured Hiker Back to Safety
After a hiker got lost and sprained his ankle in the Alps in Switzerland, he became disorientated and found the route he intended to take blocked. Fortunately, he found a local cat who guided him back to safety. “[The cat] was just wandering around, [then] found me while I was resting from a hike… Then she was walking ad kept looking at me to follow [and] led me straight to the path that would take me back down to the valley.” The Reddit post the Hungarian hiker told his story on attracted interest from local walkers, who also mentioned that they too, have seen the cat – who apparently is owned by a couple who run a nearby hostel. You can see the hiker’s video here.
- Lab Animals Given a Home
Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary, run by Maranda Weathermon, is a ranch outside of a Hartville in Wyoming. The animals at the ranch have been research subjects or were used to teach veterinary students. On the ranch, there are two dog yurts, each with six canines, and twenty eight cats also live there. Alongside them, there sheep, pigs, twenty one horses and three mules. “Because they were in horrible conditions for most of their lives, they just get to live in paradise and enjoy themselves. They give us so very, very much, so we need to give back to them, too.” The animals live on the farm, and the dogs get to accompany the animal care manager to the farmers market in town, wearing leashes than say “Adopt me”. All in all, the animals are getting to live out the rest of their lives in peace.
- First Female Giant Panda Cub for Madrid Zoo
In Madrid, the first female giant panda for Spanish capital’s zoo has been born. The giant panda is an endangered species, and Hua Zui Ba gave birth to a cub weighing 180 grams. The zoo says the sub is “well formed, very active and has excellent vital signs.” The Madrid zoo now has four giant pandas, and this new baby is already suckling – the zoo experts say they’re confident of her progress in the crucial first week of life.
There you have it. Aren’t animals great?
You can find out more about Bethany on her author page.
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