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When Wes McGuirk returned to his Nebraska home after going out to dinner on Saturday night, he couldn't find his Great Dane. Using a flashlight, he searched the backyard and thought he heard something. “I heard the whimper again, and it was above me,” he said. There was Kora, his 120-pound pooch, standing on a tree branch 20 feet up. “I was like, 'How on earth did you get up there?'” he said. After trying unsuccessfully to get her down, McGuirk called for help. Local firefighters and police responded and were able to lower her from the tree to a tarp that they positioned under her. Kora wasn't injured in the incident, and was happy to be back on the ground. “This is one of those calls that had a great outcome and will not soon be forgotten,” the Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department posted on Facebook. - Read it at Ohio's Fox 8

April 15, 2016: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Orangutan mom Jahe and baby

Mom and Baby Are Inseparable

Reunited and it feels so good. A 1-month-old critically endangered Sumatran orangutan is doing well with his mom at the Memphis Zoo after being born in a rare C-section performed by a human obstetrician. The baby boy was hand-reared by zoo staff members while his 18-year-old mom, Jahe, recovered from her surgery. She was able to visit with him while she recovered and they were reintroduced 12 days later. The first-time mom scooped him right up and held him close, and they've been inseparable ever since, the zoo said. The pair is now resting behind the scenes, and the zoo is asking the public for help with naming Jahe's little boy. You can vote this week on five choices, including Jasper, Kalbu, Rowan, Bijack or Flynn, and the winning name will be announced on April 22. - Read it at the Memphis Zoo

Coast Guard Flies Rehabilitated Monk Seals Home

Seven endangered Hawaiian monk seals who've been nursed back to health since late last year are beginning their journey back to their remote island homes. The seal pups, who are all females, were found by NOAA either abandoned or malnourished on the northernmost Hawaiian Islands, and they were treated at the Marine Mammal Center's monk seal hospital on the Big Island. On Thursday, they were flown by the Coast Guard to Honolulu, and they'll stay in a NOAA facility until Sunday. From there, they'll be transported by boats to the islands where they were each found, in voyages that could take up to a week. "At the Coast Guard, we pride ourselves on being lifesavers, and this is a unique opportunity where we can actually contribute to saving a species," said Eric Roberts, a marine mammal response coordinator with the Coast Guard. There are only about 1,200 monk seals left in the world. - See photos from AP via Yahoo

Stuck Cat Freed From Chimney

A couple in England was reunited with their missing cat, Snitch, after firefighters freed her from their chimney on Monday. Snitch had been missing for three days when Roger and Susan Gardner noticed meows coming from the chimney and called for help. "We bored a hole into the actual chimney, and the cat's paw shot out from the hole as if to say, 'I'm here!'” said Chris Jelfs of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. They were able to pull the cat out through the hole. “We are delighted, it was brilliant watching them save our Snitch,” said Roger Gardner. - See photos from the U.K.'s Daily Mail

Image: Racine County K9 Nox

Police Dog Races to Partner's Aid

Nox, a Racine County, Wisconsin police dog, is being commended after coming to the aid of his partner during an attack on Saturday. While Deputy Clemens was monitoring traffic from inside his squad car, Nox started barking. Clemens “turned and saw a white male walking at an extremely fast pace going around the passenger side and front of the squad,” the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “Before he could open his door the subject was within inches of the driver's side door. The subject's lips were separated and he was baring and clinching his teeth.” Clemens got out and escorted the subject to the front of the car, where he was about to pat him down for weapons. But the subject pushed him, and Clemens slipped on the ice. Nox jumped into action, leaping the open driver's side door and biting the subject on the left wrist. “Awesome job, Nox!” read the post. The subject was taken into custody and charged with battery to an officer.” - Read it at People Pets

Anderson Cooper Introduces New Puppy

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper has a new love in his life. Seven months after the death of his cherished Welsh Springer Spaniel Molly, he shared an Instagram photo of his new pup of the same breed, Lilly. “My dog Molly passed away a few months ago. This weekend Lilly showed up! She's a Welsh Springer Spaniel. #TheRainbowComesAndGoes” he wrote. The Rainbow Comes and Goes is the name of the new best selling book he wrote with his mother, 92-year-old heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper is a well-known dog lover. In January, he made headlines when he donated enough money to cover the costs of ballistic vests for every police K9 in Norfolk County, Virginia, after a police dog died in a shootout there while helping to respond to a domestic violence call. - See photos at Today

April 13, 2016: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Fergie rescued from South Florida waters

Dog Rescued Off South Florida

A senior black Labrador Retriever mix was pulled out of the waters off Biscayne Bay in South Florida by a Miami Fire Rescue boat after swimming approximately 9 miles from her home in Coral Gables. A local resident spotted 14-year-old Fergie in the middle of the bay and called 911, and help was dispatched immediately. She swam directly at the rescue boat when she spotted it, and was warmed up once she was on board. Apparently while Fergie's owners were out, she jumped into the water in search of them. They didn't realize she could get out of the house. Wagging her tail ecstatically, Fergie was reunited with her family once she was safely back on shore. - Read it at People Pets

Britain's Foreign Office Hires Shelter Cat

A 2-year-old cat who was found wandering the streets of London now has a new job at an exclusive address in the city. Britain's Foreign Office worked with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to fill the position of Chief Mouser at their King Charles Street building with its most qualified feline. “He's a very confident cat, loves being with people, and enjoys a good chin rub,” said Battersea's Lindsey Quinlan. “If his behavior at Battersea is anything to go by, we predict Palmerston will be a formidable feline, very deserving of his new name.” The cat was named after a former prime minister. He joins the government's other famed mousers, including Larry, who lives at Prime Minister David Cameron's home at 10 Downing Street, and Freya, who lives next door with the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's family. - Read it at the U.K.'s BBC News

Wolf and Lynx Meet in the Wild

Endangered wildlife in Europe is on the rebound, and a remote camera captured rare footage of a wolf and a lynx family having an unusual encounter. The animals didn't seem to know what to make of each other, and would challenge each other as they got closer. Eventually, the lynx appears to chase the wolf off into the snowy landscape. - Watch it at Live Science

Image: Great Dane stuck in tree

Great Dane Stuck in Tree

When Wes McGuirk returned to his Nebraska home after going out to dinner on Saturday night, he couldn't find his Great Dane. Using a flashlight, he searched the backyard and thought he heard something. “I heard the whimper again, and it was above me,” he said. There was Kora, his 120-pound pooch, standing on a tree branch 20 feet up. “I was like, 'How on earth did you get up there?'” he said. After trying unsuccessfully to get her down, McGuirk called for help. Local firefighters and police responded and were able to lower her from the tree to a tarp that they positioned under her. Kora wasn't injured in the incident, and was happy to be back on the ground. “This is one of those calls that had a great outcome and will not soon be forgotten,” the Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department posted on Facebook. - Read it at Ohio's Fox 8

Dog and Cat BFFs Adopted Together

Days after a sweet video showed their touching reunion at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in California, a dog-and-cat duo was adopted together. Ami, an 18-month-old Shepherd, smothered her companion, a 9-month-old cat named Mikaela, with kisses when they were able to visit with each other at the shelter. They were being kept in separate kennels because of their size difference. Their former family, who surrendered them because they had to move out of the country, said the pair connected from the moment they brought the kitten home. The shelter said on Monday that the besties had been adopted together, and shared a photo of them with their new family on Facebook. - Read it at NBC Los Angeles

Image: Prince William and Kate feed baby rhinos and elephants

In one of the latest stops on their royal tour of India, Prince William and Kate looked like they were delighted to get the chance to bottle feed and visit with baby elephants and rhinos at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in Kaziranga national park.

“They were absolutely thrilled and loved being with the animals. The duke said if he could he would have spent the whole day there,” said Vivek Menon, chief executive office of the Wildlife Trust of India, who joined them on their tour.

Prince William has been active in the fight against ivory poaching, which has decimated populations of rhinos and elephants. - See photos at the U.K.'s Guardian

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper has a new love in his life. Seven months after the death of his cherished Welsh Springer Spaniel Molly, he shared an Instagram photo of his new pup of the same breed, Lilly. “My dog Molly passed away a few months ago. This weekend Lilly showed up! She's a Welsh Springer Spaniel. #TheRainbowComesAndGoes” he wrote. The Rainbow Comes and Goes is the name of the new best selling book he wrote with his mother, 92-year-old heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper is a well-known dog lover. In January, he made headlines when he donated enough money to cover the costs of ballistic vests for every police K9 in Norfolk County, Virginia, after a police dog died in a shootout there while helping to respond to a domestic violence call. - See photos at Today

The AVMA is looking for a few smart veterinarians and their practice managers interested in learning how to build the profitability of their practice. We'll be introducing a new curriculum of practice profitability core sessions as part of the practice … read more >

The AVMA & AAVMC (Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges) today released the 2016 Report on the Market for Veterinary Education, making it available for free download by all AVMA members as part of the AVMA's 2016 economic reports series. … read more >