Lifeguard dogs successfully rescue 14 struggling swimmers in Italy
In the peak of summer in Italy, when swimmers flock to the beaches and lakes, the lifeguards keeping everyone safe bring in some much-needed assistants who are masters of dog paddling — something that shouldn’t come as a surprise since they are, well, dogs. That’s right, in Italy, an elite Read More...
The Optimist View: Honoring the Animals
"It's not whether animals will survive, it's whether man has the will to save them." - Anthony D. Williams BY Amelia Buckley [caption id="attachment_1405688" align="alignleft" width="225"] Ram in Glacier National Park[/caption] Coming around a bend along a trail in Glacier National Park, I Read More...
UK painter uses her talent to support wildlife conservation
UK-based painter Sophie Green combines her artistic talent and passion for wildlife conservation to raise awareness of the splendor and vulnerability of endangered animals. She paints photorealistic portraits with empty backdrops to capture the essence of giraffes, bison, elephants, and other Read More...
Buddhist monk provides new life to thousands of stray dogs in Shanghai
In recent years, China’s growing wealth has led to a boom in the pet market. This, however, also caused an increase in the number of stray animals, with people abandoning the furry creatures when they do not want to or cannot care for them anymore. In turn, breeding among strays has further Read More...
Petting therapy dogs can help college students cope with stress
Dogs have been valuable in supporting firefighters during wildfire season and relieving loneliness for seniors, but these aren't their only benefits. Now, a new study finds that petting therapy dogs can provide college students with stress relief benefits that last up to six weeks. Coming from Read More...
This gifted dog is helping a Texas fire department by sniffing out arson
From preventing the spread of COVID-19 to helping turtle conservation and protecting wildlife, dogs continue to prove themselves as humans’ most devoted helpers. One of the latest cases that further adds evidence to this fact involves Sheldon, a dog that’s helping a fire department in Texas Read More...
After 300 years of absence, this giant bird may finally return to Ireland
We have good news for bird watchers and folklorists in Ireland, where a pair of cranes have been spotted nesting on a rewetted peat bog in the country’s Midlands for the first time in centuries. The giant bird, which is a popular motif in Irish folklore and was a common pet during medieval Read More...
What we can learn from pigs playing video games
Pigs are highly intelligent animals with an arsenal of skills that include sniffing out truffles, swimming, and demonstrating empathy. Now scientists have discovered another surprising talent that pigs can develop: gaming! This past Thursday, Frontiers in Psychology published an extensive study Read More...
New Guinea singing dogs not extinct in the wild, as previously thought
For years, zoologists have assumed that the New Guinea singing dog is extinct in the wild. That assumption has been proven wrong after an analysis of the DNA of three wild dogs living 14,000 feet high on the island matched the DNA of captive New Guinea singing dogs. If you aren’t familiar with Read More...
Ecologists discover two new species of fluffy marsupials in Australia
It’s a rare occasion when not one, but two new mammals are discovered by scientists in a single day, yet that’s exactly what happened in Australia this past week. In a new study published in Nature's public access Scientific Reports journal, scientists confirmed that there are actually three Read More...