Tag Archives: animal rescues

Driver Dogs Trained in New Zealand

I can’t drive stick.  I’m all right if there’s no one around me, but the second I’m at a stop sign and there are people behind me, I stall and can’t get the car to start again. So I’m feeling rather ashamed right now, because a group of dogs in New Zealand are doing what I can’t.  These rescue dogs have been trained to drive cars.  BBC News has the report. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in New Zealand capital Auckland were tired of families surrendering dogs and saying that the pooches were too hard to … Continue reading →

Find Your Doggelganger

Is there any resemblance? My husband and I were matched with our dog. The shelter we used to find her required us to fill out a complicated adoption form. In it were not only questions about our living situation (own vs. rent, fenced-in yard, etc.) but also queries pertaining to what we wanted from a dog. Did we have any breed preferences, did we care if we had a male vs. female dog, and were there any deal-breakers in behavior from the dog? Even though I didn’t have much to say on any of these questions, the rescue still managed … Continue reading →

Dolphins Save Dog

I can’t help it, I love animal savior stories. Be it animals saving humans or each other, animals from the same species saving each other, or different geneses still looking out for one another, I eat up these tales. In late February another such story emerged, reported by NBC’s southwest Florida affiliate. Cindy Burnett’s Doberman, Turbo, disappeared one Sunday after the gate had been left open overnight. As soon as Burnett and her sons discovered the open gate they began searching for Turbo. They were worried, because Turbo’s 11 years old, a bit late in life to have the energy … Continue reading →

Rat Terrier Saves Mini-Schnauzer

I’m going to be honest here: I’m not a huge fan of tiny dog breeds. The smallest I like are beagles. I just have had mostly bad experiences with the high energy and constant yipping that tend to hallmark many miniature breeds. Yet I believe that the true nature of a dog comes with its personality, so I try not to let myself judge an individual dog until I learn more about it. Recent news from CNN has only strengthened that opinion. Rowdy, a dog from Rancho Cordova, California, recently made headlines for saving his neighbor. Despite some similarities the … Continue reading →

Amazing Wake Up Calls

I was taking a nap yesterday afternoon — hadn’t slept well Saturday night — under just about perfect conditions. There was a light breeze coming in through the open window and the blinds were closed enough to keep the sun out of my eyes. And then my dog Lally stepped on my head. The one drawback of liking to sleep with the windows open and feel a breeze on my face is that my bed is directly under the windows. Lally’s favorite place to look out when there’s a weird noise out front is from my bed. (Her second favorite … Continue reading →

Adoption Fees

If you are thinking about adopting a pet from a shelter, thank you! There are many great pets out there who have lost their homes for one reason or another and are waiting for a new family to love them. Be aware that you will be asked to pay an adoption fee. The fee varies from shelter to shelter; adopting my Miko was by far the best ninety-five dollars I have ever spent. But don’t think of it as buying a pet that nobody wants! The adoption fee helps the shelter keep running! What does your adoption fee do? Pay … Continue reading →

Gentle Giants Rescue

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Back in the day, Burt Ward donned tights and cape to rescue the hapless citizens of Gotham City as one of the stars of the Batman live-action television series. These days, his gear is less flashy but he is still doing the hero thing. Burt Ward and his wife run Gentle Giants and Little Giants Rescue out of Riverside, California. They rescue and adopt gentle giants — large and extra-large breed dogs like Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Wolfhounds, Newfoundlands, and more, including Little Giants like Whippets and Shelties. Many of the gentle giants come from families who cannot keep their … Continue reading →