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Green Pug Recycles! and changes lightbulb, carpools...

In celebration of Earth Day, we'd like to share a fun and clever video about a pug pitching in... and if a Pug can be green, how hard can it be?

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How Many Dogs Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?
(as answered by dogs)

These have been bouncing around the internet for years... we collected some of the silliest (or most accurate) here. Please feel free to send us others we may have missed at, info@freekibble.com - and we'll add them to the list!

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned-out light bulb?

Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

Newfoundland: I don't think drool and electricity is a good combination.

Labrador: Light bulb? Light bulb? That thing I just ate was a light bulb?

Yorkshire Terrier: I'm over qualified, have the boxer do it!

Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

Australian Shepherd: First, put all the light bulbs in a little circle, then...

Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, checked to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

Rottweiler: Are you talking to me? huh, you talking to me?

Shi-tzu: Who me change a light bulb? How dare you ask me such a thing... we're royalty!

Malamute: Let the Border collie do it. You can feed me while he's busy.

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Springer Spaniel: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

Doberman Pinscher: While it's dark, I'm going to sneak on the couch for a little nap.

Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.

Hound Dog: ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark...

Pointer: I see it, there it is! There it is! Right there!! Can you see it? It's right there!

Greyhound: If it isn't moving, who cares?

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light-bulb... is it dark out?

And what about Cats?

CATS: Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the question is: How long will it be before I can expect light?

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St. Patrick's Day Giveaway Contest Winners!

Amazingly, we received 6,215 poems, limericks and other forms of written celebration of humans and their pets! Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry... we enjoyed them ALL.

There were SO many wonderful entries that we couldn't just choose one - so we chose 3! We'll be donating 5,000 meals of Halo Spot's Stew to the first two winners, and 1,000 meals to the Honorable Mention (written by a 16 year old!). 

Here are the winning submissions, and their chosen shelters... enjoy!

 

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Loyal Lex
(Excerpted from Soldier Dogs)
By Maria Goodavage

For more than a month in early 2011, Marine Sgt. Mark Vierig slept in foxholes every night in the Upper Gereshk Valley of Afghanistan. The combat tracker and his Belgian Malinois, Lex L479, were supporting a Marine platoon in charge of safeguarding the construction of the first paved road in the Helmand Province from Taliban attacks. As road construction moved on, so did they, and the Marine found himself digging a new foxhole every few days.

It was a cold, wet time of year, and rained heavily, daily, almost all day and all night long. Gore-Tex raingear protected Vierig somewhat by day, and at night he'd take refuge in a sleeping bag in his muddy foxhole -- about three feet deep, six feet long and two feet wide. He also dug a connecting circular hole next to the part of his foxhole near his head. This was for Lex and his backpack. From the air, it looked like the letter P.

Every sopping night Vierig would sink into the foxhole to sleep, and get Lex in to bunk next to him to keep relatively dry. He'd prop up his rifle under a camouflage tarp so the rain would run off and not flood their refuge. Rocks kept the outside of the tarp in place. Every night Vierig would wake up at least a couple of times to scoop water from a deep hole he'd dug at the foot of the hole to collect water so his foxhole wouldn't flood.

But when Vierig awoke, Lex was rarely in the foxhole. It was baffling the first time it happened, but the Marine propped up the tarp and looked outside and found his dog. This would go on every night during those wet weeks. "He'd just be standing there, in the rain, just standing guard over me." The dog did not sit, but stood, head erect, large triangular ears at attention and focused for sounds, eyes peering into the darkness for any sign of intrusion. His coat was soaked with rain, but he stood riveted, noble.

"I'd tell him, 'Hey you, come on in here!' " and he'd leave his post and go to his subterranean room – at least until Vierig fell asleep again. When Vierig would wake up a couple of hours later ready to scoop more rain with his empty half plastic water bottle, Lex would be back up on volunteer duty.

Did Lex sleep during this time? "I wondered that a lot. I asked him 'When do you sleep, dog?' He spent a lot of sleepless nights watching over me."

Click Here to read more about Soldier Dogs, by Maria Goodavage.

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The Rottweiler and the Wolf Pup
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

The birth of the wolf pup was totally unexpected. Staff at the Kisma Preserve in Mt. Desert, Maine, thought the young adult pair too young to breed, so they weren't watching for a pregnancy. But then, out came a pup—born to a mother not yet mature enough to understand her role as parent. "There was no aggression," says the preserve's director, Heather Grierson, "but she had no maternal instinct whatsoever. She just didn't know what to do with it." Staff members at the preserve were used to bringing work home with them. In this case, Heather decided to offer her house to rear the baby animal, a helpless bundle with eyes still tightly shut.

Ulrok the Rottweiler was there to greet them when Heather arrived with her tiny charge. "Right from the beginning, he took excessive interest," Heather says. "I misinterpreted it at first, thinking he might get overly rough. Plus, he's huge and young and clumsy and might have hurt her by mistake. But he didn't. Instead, he was amazingly maternal."

The wolf was completely responsive to the rottie's overtures, happy for the attention. And after realizing Ulrok wasn't content unless the pup was within licking reach, Heather let them share a bed so they could cuddle.

The pup's wolflike ways showed at mealtimes. When it comes to food, wolves and well-fed domestic dogs are very different animals—not so much in what they like to eat, but in the lengths to which they'll go to protect their lunch. Any self-respecting wolf challenged for her food will curl her lip and snarl, eyes wild and stance wide. The pup did the same, and Ulrok respected her space. "Here was this five-pound pup growling at this 120-pound dog, and he'd just back off and let her eat," says Heather.

That difference in temperament and behavior is one reason Heather wanted to make sure the wolf was exposed to her own species as soon as possible. So when the time was right, the pup was introduced to an old female wolf at the preserve named Morticia, who had been living alone for years. Happily, the two bonded from the start.

As for Ulrok, whose breed is known for its herding and guarding instincts, he's now offered his parenting services to numerous animals at the facility, including tiger cubs, a baby gibbon, and even an injured leopard tortoise. "He really is the peace-love-and-happiness Rottweiler of the world," says Heather. "He was just destined for this life."

Click Here to read more about the Rottweiler and the Pup, and other wonderful stories, in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011.

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One "Lucky" Kitten!
By Mimi Ausland

We found an adorable, tiny and too skinny kitten in a fallen down tree on our property a couple weeks ago… with no sign of mom or siblings in sight. Her little meows led us to her, and she looked scared and cold when we first found her. We called our friend Lynne Ouchida, from the Humane Society of Central Oregon, to come and help us rescue her.

A couple days later we had the kitten in a large cage with lots of food and water by a warm fireplace. It is amazing that she survived as long as she did (especially with all the coyotes and raptors in our area), so we decided to call her "Lucky". My parents and I became her foster parents, because she needed lots of socialization and love before the Humane Society could find her a forever home. But before we could foster her, she had to go to the shelter and receive a full vet check.

As a bonus, Lucky got to meet Maty, our special three-legged dog friend who happens to have a history of socializing feral kittens.

Lucky was quick to get used to us and loved attention and playing with toys like any other kitten. She seemed very grateful to be a people-cat instead of being alone in the cold, stormy, weather. Within a week or so, Lucky was ready to be spayed and find her new, forever family. She returned to the Humane Society healthy, happy and socialized and was put up for adoption right away.

 

 

Lucky was yet again a "lucky" little girl, when a family of three came into the shelter within a day after she was put up for adoption and decided she was the one for them. They are a great family and super excited to have this precious girl as their own. I'm sure Lucky is very excited as well... she even got a home before Thanksgiving. Now that's something to be thankful for!

Speaking of Mimi and Maty... you can Click Here to check out the new book, Mimi and Maty to the Rescue!

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13 Dogs, Skip and Jump into a World Record!

One dog skipping rope sounds like a pretty cool trick...13 dogs skipping rope at the same time, sounds crazy. But that's just what happened when Uchida Geinousha's 13 dogs from the 'Super Wan Wan Circus' in Japan, set a new Guinness World Record: The most dogs skipping on the same rope.

Interestingly, the rope jumping World Record happened by accident. One day Mayonanaise, an incredibly curious poodle, started to try and skip rope with the dog handlers and, "She clearly really enjoyed it and we decided to get the other dogs involved", said Uchida Geinousha. "The dogs love skipping, it's become part of their playtime." So what started as a routine jump rope session for humans, turned into a fun and rewarding event for these 13 dogs... and as the video shows, they clearly have a knack for jumping rope!

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Exceptional Evan and His Seizure Dog
By Mimi Ausland

Evan Moss can't wait for next year when he gets his new dog and gets to "give him a big hug!" He has a huge reason to be excited for his future furry friend, because not only will he be a great companion, but he will also be a lifesaver. Literally.

Evan has epilepsy and suffers from severe, possibly life-threatening seizures. So when he and his parents (Lisa and Rob Moss) found out about a type of specially trained dog that can detect seizures and act to help him, they knew they needed to find a way to get one. That's when this amazing 7-year-old boy had the idea to write his very own book to help raise the $13,000.00 needed to buy a seizure dog.

It's one thing to have the idea to write the book and another to actually make it happen. But he did it – and did it really well. Evan wrote and illustrated "My Seizure Dog", available on Amazon.com. He even got to have his very first book signing where about 650 people came to buy the book and meet him. "The lines stretched out the door and down the block." Says Lisa. "We sold out of books and people still stood in line just to meet Evan". One of his favorite parts of the day was meeting service dogs. "There were 7 or 8 service dogs in attendance and Evan got to meet them and interact with them. He loves dogs and it seemed like every time he began to get tired another dog would come in and he would be recharged", Lisa says.

Everything about this story is exceptional. But the best part is that the Mosses have reached their fundraising goal to get Evan's seizure dog. In fact, he exceeded his goal and the extra funds raised will go to 4 Paws for Ability to help several other children in similar situations with their fundraising efforts.

Having this dog will turn Evan's life around. At one point, he was having 300-400 short seizures a month. Brain surgery stopped those from happening. But two years ago, much longer and more serious seizures started - the kind that can require serious medication and emergency medical response. Having a seizure dog can provide critical help.

The experience of Evan writing the book spurred Rob and Lisa to create the Seizure Tracker Web Site, a free and innovative way for epileptics (and other disease sufferers) to record and share the times and amounts of medications and events. The site has 8,000 registered users worldwide!

Despite having epilepsy, Evan is upbeat and excited about living life to the fullest. And in June 2012, when he receives his new dog, his life will become more full!

For more information, or to support 4 Paws for Ability, check them out here.

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The Pit Bull, The Siamese Cat and The Chicks
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

Chicks dig Sharky. The tiny cotton puffs perch on his back, peck at his snout, and use him as a raft in the pool. They're also strangely fond of a Siamese-snowshoe cat called Max, who noses them into line. And Max and Sharky, well, since the cat put the dog in his place with a paw-slap or two, they've gotten along better than fine. To Helen Jürlau, an Estonian who moved to Texas, it's a crazy circus of personalities—just the way she likes it.

She grew upon a farm raising pigs and cows, gathering eggs still warm from the hen. So when she moved to the States with her American husband, Helen was soon bringing animals back to the house, starting with a potbellied pig. "It made me feel at home," she says. And as the zoo grew, the relationships among the animals took wonderful turns.

Sharky dove into fatherhood before he was a year old and was like an excited big brother to his pups. "He couldn't wait to see them, even more than the female," says Helen. "If I'd ask, 'Where are your babies?' his eyes would sparkle and he'd run off to look for them. He's just in heaven when he's surrounded by all his babies." Those babies came to include Siamese cat Max and the batches of chicks that Helen gets each spring.

The clearest bond is the one ever growing between dog and cat. "They make me laugh so much," says Helen. "Sometimes Sharky and Max sit in exactly the same position, one paw stretched out straight and the other crunched inward, like they're mocking each other." And other times, she says, they sprawl out back to back by the pool, two friends just looking at the sky.

Read more about the pit bull, the Siamese cat and the Chicks in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011. www.unlikely-friendships.com.

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The Cockatoo and The Cat
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

Scratch a cat behind the ears and make a friend for life. But what if the one doing the scratching has feathers, a beak, and bird feet? That doesn't seem to bother Lucky, a young stray cat that was fortunate enough to be rescued by Libby Miller and Gay Fortson in Savannah, Georgia. After his adoption, Lucky found himself cohabitating with Coco, a brash and outspoken cockatoo that took to the feline with a gentle claw.

Coco was perched on the foot of the owners' sleigh bed one morning, and Lucky, who had not yet met the bird up close, must have been hiding under the bed. When Libby came into the room, "there they were, together on the bed." She worried for a moment that one would hurt the other, but "Coco was being so gentle! She rubbed Lucky with one foot, then walked back and forth over her head—which Lucky didn't seem to mind at all."

The two animals continue to be affectionate housemates, despite the bird's potential to do harm with her strong beak and claws. Coco stickers her fingerlike tongue in the little cat's ear, or kneads and nuzzles her, seemingly fascinated by the taste of the soft fur and squishy feel of the body. And Lucky, realizing a good thing, rolls over and offers up her belly to encourage the massage.

Read more about the cockatoo and the cat in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011. www.unlikely-friendships.com.

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The Potbellied Piglet and the Rhodesian Ridgeback
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

One cold night in 2009, Roland Adam of Hoerstel, Germany discovered a pair of recently born pigs on his twenty-acre property. Sure that the surviving baby would die from cold or hunger, or would be snatched up by foxes before morning…he tucked it under his sweater and brought it to the house he shared with Katjinga the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

The piglet became little Paulinchen, and Roland decided to hand her off to his dog, who had recently weaned her own litter of pups. It was a good move. Katjinga gave the piglet the soft-puppy treatment, keeping her clean and warm. The pig clearly felt right at home, even trying to nurse—though the dog was no longer producing milk. (Roland and his family took care of the feedings.)

A few days later, with pig and hound getting along like mother and son, Roland discovered Paulinchen's birth mother with the rest of her litter, all healthy. He thanked Katjinga for her service and returned the lost baby to the pig family, which eagerly accepted her.

Though the piglet bonded with Katjinga only briefly, it was at a crucial time for the newborn. Back in the porcine life, Paulinchen was a little different from her siblings—a bit tamer and more at ease with other animals. "She knows us and knows Katjinga," Roland says. "When we see the pigs running around and we call to them, Paulinchen will put her head up and look." Sometimes she and Katjinga have a quick nuzzle when the pigs come around sniffing out a meal.

Read more about the piglet and the Rhodesian Ridgeback in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011. www.unlikely-friendships.com.

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The Macaque and The Kitten
From UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS by Jennifer S. Holland

There is a sacred forest in the town of Ubud, on the Indonesian island of Bali, where monkeys roam freely over the stones of a Hindu temple built centuries ago. The primates are long-tailed macaques, and many local villagers believe they guard the religious site against evil spirits.

One macaque recently brought its protective instinct to a more secular task—safeguarding a scrappy kitten that had strayed into arm's reach. The macaque, a young male, would groom his feline friend, hug and nuzzle it, and even lay his head on the kitten's head as if it were a pillow. Although this species of monkey is quite social—and often lives without fear in close contact with people—this one wanted to keep his pet kitty to himself. He became wary of all the primates around him, and if other macaques or people got too close, he would try to hide his prize—once even using a bit of leaf to cover it—or climb higher or move deeper into the forest with the kitten in his arms.

The kitten, meanwhile, had plenty of opportunities to escape the macaque's clutches... [but] it seemed content to be carried around in the bigger animal's embrace.

Read more about the macaque and the kitten in the bestselling book Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland. ©2011. www.unlikely-friendships.com.

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Nancy the Sheepherding Chihuahua!

Creating quite a stir in the sheepherding world, a Chihuahua named Nancy, has been caught on camera herding sheep with all the skill of a seasoned Border Collie.

Perhaps the smallest herding dog in the world, tiny Nancy weighs just 2.5 lbs, but she has proven her expertise in the field. She now confidently herds sheep more than six times taller than her.

Farmer Geoff Temple from Surrey has seen Nancy in action, and describes her as "amazing". He explains: "I've been herding for 17 years and I've never seen a Chihuahua work sheep. I now train other people and their dogs and see about 15 people a week, and almost without exception they are all Border Collies. Nancy really is something special - she's a fun-size sheep herder."

The plucky pooch was brought into Battersea Dogs & Cats Home two years ago, when she was aged just three weeks old. Nancy had severe sarcoptic mange and had to be hand-reared by the animal charity's Head of Canine Welfare Training Ali Taylor. Ali decided to adopt Nancy, and as the years passed, she frequently took the tiny dog on visits to farms.

Ali explains: "Nancy used to watch all her Border Collie friends herd the sheep and she seemed very interested in what was going on. One day I decided to give her a whirl in the ring and she picked it up straight away. I started in a very controlled environment but it quickly became evident that Nancy has natural ability and loves herding sheep."

Despite Nancy's impressive skills you won't see her competing in any herding events. Ali explains: "Nancy and I only do this for fun, and to prove that rescue dogs really can do anything. At Battersea we rehome a lot of dogs to working homes, such as with farmers, in the armed forces and as assistance dogs. People sometimes underestimate rescue dogs, but they really are fantastic, and go on to do amazing things."

Ali also stresses that owners shouldn't try this at home. "I wouldn't encourage anyone to try sheepherding with their dog unless it is under proper supervision from an expert," she says. "Some dogs could react very badly, and you could end up harming your dog and the sheep."

Original Source, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

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Scat-Sniffing Dogs Aid Wildlife Conservation

Maggie, a black Labrador retriever mix, is on the hunt. She zigzags through the deep meadow grasses, her nose sniffing the air. Finally, she homes-in on her target: a pile of bobcat dung. Maggie was trained as a scat-detection dog by Working Dogs for Conservation, a nonprofit organization that provides dogs for wildlife research and management. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and scat-detection dogs can be trained to locate practically any kind of dung.

"We're now using [the technique] on such a wide variety of species," Sam Wasser director of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington said, including pumas, jaguars, armadillos, foxes, and even whales.

Wasser said that scat contains a surprising wealth of genetic information. Scientists can identify an individual animal by extracting DNA from a dung sample. Researchers can use that information to track the health and range of every member of a population.

Previously, Wasser would follow a single whale at a time, tracking it closely in order to spot and snag the animal's waste before it sank into the ocean. But he said that shadowing whales so closely was stressful for the animals. With dogs, Wasser can simultaneously track multiple whales and detect scat samples from over a mile away.

"Often when we're out sampling we don't see the animal at all", Wasser added. "It's really minimizing the amount of stress you put on the animal."

Wildlife detection dogs are usually rescued from shelters, but not just any dog will do. Detection dogs must be focused, have high energy, and be eager to please. But above all, they must be obsessed with their favorite toys since after locating a sample, the dog is rewarded with a chance to play. Sounds like a pretty nice life to me!

Original Source, USNews.com

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Maru the Box-Loving YouTube Sensation

Move over Hello Kitty, Maru is now the most popular cat in Japan! No doubt some of you have heard of this box-loving cat, but if you haven't, here is the low-down on Maru… He's a Scottish Fold who lives in Japan and his infamous box videos have won many YouTube awards, he's been featured in numerous Japanese ads, and has even starred in a U.S. commercial.

Maru's been in dozens of YouTube videos with tens of millions of views. His adorable, curious personality and his love for springing into boxes of any shape or size, provides endless endearing moments. So check out this video of one of the most entertaining cats out there!

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Armless Girl's Dream to surf with Surf-Dog Ricochet Comes True

Sabine is a survivor of one of the biggest medical tragedies of modern times… Thalidomide, which caused birth defects and was withdrawn from the market in 1961. She was born without arms, but that doesn't stop her from following her dreams. Thanks to surf dog Richochet, Sabine learned that "there is more than one way of doing things" and that you should focus on what you CAN do.

Inspired by Richochet, last summer, Sabine drove to an AmpSurf "learn to surf" clinic in Pismo Beach, California. AmpSurf offers a unique program that brings together the healing power of the ocean and adaptive surfing for an experience that is both mentally and physically rehabilitating for people with disabilities.

It was her wish to surf with Richochet, but unfortunately she sprained her ankle on the first day, so she wasn't able to surf with her. Yes, she was disappointed but she was also determined to one-day surf with her dog friend. So, on Saturday, May 14th at another AmpSurf Clinic, Sabine's wish finally came true. Despite the cold and dreary weather, Sabine and Ricochet shared a very memorable moment together out on the waves.

Do you think a dog and a girl without arms can surf? Absolutely!

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One Man, One Dog, One Life Changing Adventure:

A few years ago, Ara's 26 year old son died of cancer. He was lost without hope, felt empty and purposeless. Then, a dog named Spirit came along and Ara adopted him right away. Spirit had a tough go of it in the past and also had damage to overcome. So they hit the open road on a motorcycle and sidecar... and have so far traveled 140,000 miles together. "Spirit is my therapy… His unconditional love is always there, lifting my heart", says Ara. Spirit himself seems perfectly happy with his inseparable friend zipping along on their grand adventure. As they say, a dog is a man's best friend!

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Did the Scent of Feet Bring a Lost Dog Home?
Human scent trails as a recovery strategy

I recently finished writing a story for Bark's summer issue about best practices for recovering lost dogs, based on the experiences and research of folks at the Missing Pet Partnership (MPP). Among their techniques for locating lost dogs are scent-detection dogs, i.e., using one dog to track down another. What I hadn't heard of was relying on the lost dog's nose to get himself home.

Over the weekend, I read about the curious case of Annika Schlemm and her wirey Terrier, Charlie, who went missing during a walk not far from his home in West Sussex, England. He was on the lam for several days, and was frequently sighted in areas where Schlemm had recently been searching. So her mom suggested she go to the last place he'd been sighted and walk home, barefoot—leaving a scent path for Charlie to follow. It seems to have worked; the errant dog arrived home the following day. We won't know for sure, Charlie isn't talking, but it's an interesting notion.

Relying on a dog's keenest scent makes sense, except for one possible problem. During my lost dog research, I learned that panicked dogs can temporarily lose their sense of smell. "The olfactory portion of the brain will shut down when a dog is stressed," MPP founder Kat Albrecht told me. "They're not thinking of eating. They're protecting themselves. They are full of adrenaline and need to be ready to bolt and run." That may be why some dogs don't always respond to food as bait or, unlike Charlie, have a hard time finding their way home

Original source, Lisa Wogan, thebark.com

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The Orangutan and the Hound Dog

It's like a game of Disney-movie mix and match. Take one character from The Fox and the Hound and another from The Jungle Book, and you've got this awww-inspiring duo: Surya the orangutan and Roscoe, his inseparable canine friend.

They met one day when a zookeeper at a South Carolina animal sanctuary was taking an elephant for its daily walk through the woods, and Surya came along. They happened upon the elephant's regular watering hole, and there lay a long, "worn out" hound dog. Surya immediately hopped off the elephant and scooped the hound into his arms like they were the oldest of pals. After their meeting, the hound kept sniffing Surya out until the keepers gave in, gave him a name and decided to let the two spend their days frolicking together.

We hope you live a wonderful life together Roscoe and Surya!

Original source, Katy Steinmetz, Time.com

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Dog Helps Save Sea Turtles
A Texas Terrier helps a species threatened with extinction.

It was the Cairn terrier, with his powerful nose, sharp teeth and aggressive personality, who helped Highlanders keep rats and other vermin from infesting both the cairns and their stone cottages. Indispensable then in Scotland, another Cairn has become indispensable today on the beaches of North Padre Island, Texas, where he is helping save the rare Kemp's ridley sea turtle from extinction.

Donna Shaver is the owner of Ridley, the dog who is helping find the 'missing' nests of the most vulnerable of the seven species of sea turtles. Shaver explains that, "we have had a huge increase in nesting in the last five years". But for the turtle's future to be secured, the number needs to grow by about 10 times – or to approximately 1,950 – within the next 10 to 20 years.

Shaver began to exploit Ridley's acute sense of smell to locate these elusive eggs. "I've known for years that dogs are used to find illegal drugs or explosives at airports and locate trapped people after earthquakes. So I was anxious to see if Ridley could find the 'missing' nests." Says Shaver. At a freshly emptied turtle nest, Ridley's attention was directed toward its pungent scents of hatchling turtles. After he got a nose full, Shaver and her fiancé Stephen Kurtz filled the empty nest with sand, walked him down the beach for about a half-hour and then told him to "go find the nest".

Within about 10 weeks, he was ready to begin the real work of finding the few but critical "invisible nests" the Gulf wind had hidden. Now, he is brought to the beach several times each year to find nests at track sites where humans have been unsuccessful. Found eggs are relocated to the humidity- and temperature-controlled incubation building at NPS headquarters. "I actually think Ridley understands just how important what he's doing is; he gets so excited when he finds a nest, even before he gets his reward," says Shaver.

Ridley Shaver not only lends a paw but most importantly, a nose to this environmental success story.

From thebark.com

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Spinning Husky Fur Into Funds to Save Them

By Diane Herbst

Huskies shed... A Lot. So Pat Tetrault, a Siberian Husky owner with a soft spot for strays, thought of a solution that does not involve a vacuum cleaner. Why not spin dogs' undercoats into skeins of yarn, knit baby-soft hats, mittens and other items, and sell them to pay for the medical expenses of homeless huskies?

Since hatching the idea for Save Our Siberians - SRF (SOS-SRF), volunteer spinners and knitters across the country have created accessories to help 496 different Huskies, with a twice-yearly auction held at www.sos-srf.org.

"It's very rewarding," says Tetrault, a New York trainer who works with dogs appearing on film and TV. "My dogs are so lucky and these dogs aren't."

At the York, Pennsylvania home of husky fur spinner Cheryl Dawson, brown grocery bags full of fur are sent to her from all over the country. After she prepares the fur, most evenings Dawson watches TV with her three Siberian Huskies as she spins yarn.

It takes about four to five spinning sessions to make a skein of wool to knit into a hat. Dogs originally from Northern areas, such as Samoyeds, Huskies and Chows, have less oily undercoats and work best to make yarn. "I love the breed," says Dawson, also a knitter, "and it feels good to help."