Tag: Dogs

An organization called “Patriot Rovers” based in North Carolina trains Golden Retrievers adopted from the pound to provide comfort and support to U.S. military veterans. One such (as reported in the Daily Advance) is named Doc Russell, after army medic Ryan “Doc” Russell who gave his life carrying out his duty in Iraq in 2007. The founder of Patriot Rovers, David Cantara, likes when possible to name the service dogs after fallen U.S. service members, when the families agree. The 11 month-old Golden Retriever named Doc lives with an Iraq war veteran named Ray. He comforts him during anxiety attacks and is trained to bark and lick his hand when he has upsetting nightmares. Ray, who’s suffered enormously from the after-affects of his war-time service, attests: “He has given me a whole new outlook on life.” Continue reading “Dog named “Doc” helps with post-traumatic stress disorder”

It’s one of those feel-good stories of the day, I suppose. In Camaguey, Cuba, reports the Associated Press, Yeti the farm dog has not only fed her own litter of pups but has been “adopted” by fourteen piglets who now run to her to get sustenance in addition to what they are getting from their natural mothers.

Apparently this just happened spontaneously and the dog has gone along with it, as have the farm owners who are now reaping whatever meager rewards they may get from the publicity surrounding the phenomenon. Continue reading “Pigs Steal Milk from Cuban Farm Dog”

Michael Yon, the well-known independently-operating war reporter, has just published a piece on his website about the military dogs of the war in Afghanistan (along with a look at some aggressive poultry aka “veloci-chickens” which inhabit the same country).

We usually only hear about the military dogs when something out of the ordinary or particularly poignant occurs, but Yon provides a perspective on their general lot in life, which apparently is a lot better than you might think: Continue reading “Michael Yon on the War Dogs of Afghanistan”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office has released surveillance video apparently taken during the robbery of a smoke shop in Altadena, California. The 21 second clip (below) shows two masked intruders, one carrying a bag and the other a rifle, running into the smoke shop and loudly demanding “Give me your money.” While the bag is on the counter a Chihuahua runs out barking madly, making one robber back up quickly to the exit in obvious fright, pulling the one with the rifle in front of him as if for protection. The rifle is momentarily pointed at the unfazed pooch. The bag is grabbed again—presumably with some loot in it—and the robbers escape, but the flustered criminals are pursued valiantly down the street by the clearly apoplectic Chihuahua. Continue reading “Chihuahua Chases Armed Robbers from California Store”

Well, so goes the story from UPI, although it doesn’t really sell me on the full 150 feet part. Of-course, anything is possible.

A woman named Gwen Hall was walking her 5 year-old Bernese mountain dog, called Sasha, in Washington State’s Olympic Mountains. The dog “took off after a mountain goat” and in the process at some point ran right off a cliff. The owner failed to find the dog, but later six volunteers from an organization called Olympic Mountain Rescue succeeded in both finding and rescuing her. Sasha is reported only to have an injured paw and that broken tooth. Continue reading “Dog Falls 150 Feet Off Cliff; Breaks Tooth”

In the Albany Township area of Pennsylvania, a deputy sheriff named Kyle Pagerly and his trained police dog, a three year-old German Shepherd named Jynx, were part of a task force of law enforcement officers searching for a fugitive named Matthew Connor. Connor had donned camouflage and taken up position in the woods, in what has been described as a sniper’s nest, bearing a semiautomatic rifle. Jynx detected him and gave the alert to his handler. A shootout ensued, in which both the deputy sheriff and the fugitive suffered fatal gunshot wounds. It is reported that after Deputy Sheriff Pagerly was shot, his dog Jynx attempted to pull him to safety by the leg of his pants. Continue reading “Police Dog Named Jynx Tries to Save Fallen Deputy”

At a prison in Monroe, Washington, inmates are participating in a program wherein they train dogs who will become service animals.

A prisoner named Darin Dodge is quoted at KOMOnews.com saying, “After being in prison 21 years, you get to wake up in the morning and the first thing you got is a four-legged furry dog breathing down your neck wanting some attention … Knowing that these dogs are going to help people that are handicapped… that probably have a lot more bad days than even the worst circumstance a guy can have in prison.” Continue reading “Another Story of Prisoners Training Service Dogs”

In Duncan, South Carolina, a high drama of life and death played out last Sunday evening. A woman named Chanda Davis was in her backyard, preparing to do some grilling, accompanied by her 2-year old daughter and 12 year-old son. According to her report, two Pit Bull dogs suddenly appeared, approaching her daughter from behind. She told WYFF: “How I got to her so fast is beyond me. I picked her up with one arm and just threw her on top of my car.” Then the Pit Bulls turned on her. Continue reading “Wonder Woman and “Miss Georgia” Vanquish Attacking Pit Bulls”

As reported in STLToday.com and elsewhere, a Belgian Malinois bomb-sniffing dog, named Ddaphne (the spelling is a reference to a training program she came out of) has come home to a family in Festus, Missouri. Army Staff Sgt. James R. Ide was a dog handler and trainer, who was killed in action last August 29th in Afghanistan at the age of 32. He had worked with Ddaphne since 2006, and she was with him when he was killed. His widow, Mandy, asked if she would be able to adopt the dog when it had completed its mission, and U.S. Army eventually acceded to that request. Ddaphne reportedly needed medication to manage post-traumatic anxiety after the death of Staff Sgt. Ide. Continue reading “Bomb-Sniffing Dog Goes Home to Family of Fallen Soldier”

Here’s the video, from the Associated Press, of the heartwarming meeting of the owner and the dog (named Ban) who was rescued a few days ago from the floating wreckage of a house off the coast of Japan. It took place at an animal shelter in the Miyagi Prefecture. Continue reading “Tsunami Wreckage Dog Reunited with Owner (video)”

In the state of Washington, a police dog was fatally stabbed after catching up to a suspected car thief who had allegedly tried to ram a police car a few minutes earlier. Kane, a Dutch shepherd dog, was rushed to a local animal hospital but was pronounced dead there, having received multiple stab wounds.

As reported in The Columbian, the dog had worked on the police force for over six years, and was one year away from retirement. He and his handler, Deputy Rick Osborne, had received an award in 2008 from the President’s Executive Office of National Drug Control Policy. Continue reading “Police Dog Kane Stabbed to Death in Washington”

From Japan, the story of the dog found occupying the wreckage of a house, washed out to sea three weeks ago, and floating off the coast. The BBC has video. The Daily Mail has text and pictures.

From the look of this dog, I think it’s fair to speculate that before the disaster Continue reading “Dog Rescued from Floating House after Japan Earthquake”

On a pier near West 14th Street, a Manhattan woman named Molly was walking with her Wheaten Terrier, named Boogie, yesterday afternoon. The dog was not on a leash (although New York City ordinances require dogs to be leashed just about everywhere, except designated fenced-in dog-runs). She reports that Boogie suddenly ran towards a seagull and plopped off the pier into the cold and mighty Hudson river. She jumped in after her dog, fearing it would be swept out by the strong current. She managed to get the pooch and hunker against one of the supporting legs of the pier. A passerby dialed 911 and New York’s Finest harbor police were soon there to pull her and the soaking wet dog Continue reading “Woman jumps into Hudson river to save dog”

No disrespect to the good people of Japan — who are generally giving a remarkable example of how to bear up in cataclysmic circumstances — but here, we talk about dogs.

On YouTube is video of a faithful dog standing by its friend — another dog who quite clearly is ill or injured. It’s tear jerking stuff, and good evidence of why when we look into the eyes of these animals, we see our own better qualities (or the ones we’d like to have). Continue reading “The Dogs of Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami”

As reported in the Guardian, an heroic British dog handler and his dog died this past Tuesday in Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was working with his spaniel, Theo, to search out explosives ahead of a company of British soldiers on patrol in Helmand province. Tasker was described as having a “natural empathy with dogs,” and his work in Afghanistan had already been credited with saving many lives. He was also described as being inseparable from his dog, Theo. Major Alexander Turner is quoted as saying that: “At the most hazardous phase of an advance, he would be at the point of the spear, badgering to get even further forward and work his dog. He met his fate in just such a situation – leading the way that we might be safe.” Continue reading “Dog handler and dog give all in Afghanistan”