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June 9, 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: Koala joey Louise

Tiny Koala Found Abandoned

The morning after a severe coastal storm in New South Wales, Australia, resident Louise Haynes was headed to work Monday when she heard a commotion under her eucalyptus tree. As she got closer, she realized it was a tiny, critically endangered Hawks Nest koala joey that had apparently fallen from the tree in the storm. She called the Hunter Koala Preservation Society Care and Rescue, and Ian Morphett arrived to help. They spotted Princess, a tagged koala, in the tree and believed she was the baby's mother. They placed the squawking baby at the base of the tree in the hopes that Princess would come for her but she didn't show interest. Concerned for the joey's safety, Morphett brought the baby - named Louise for her rescuer - to an expert caretaker. She's being kept warm and bottle-fed, and a photo of her snuggling with a teddy bear has gone viral. “She will be hand raised and assisted to develop into an independent koala, just as mum would, before being released,” HKPS said in a Facebook comment. “Her carer is very dedicated with a great deal of experience and will do her best to get Louise home to the wild again.” - Read it at Australia's ABC Online

Officer Rescues Kitten From Bridge

A scared little kitten now has a safe place in a new home after bring rescued from the Causeway Bridge in Louisiana. Causeway Police Officer Shenan Jones was relieved that the kitten was still there when he responded to calls that it was on the bridge Tuesday afternoon. “It was kind of pressing itself up against the rail as far as it could, crouched down as much as it could. You could tell it was terrified,” said Jones. “So I just got down on its level, snuck up to it, grabbed it and then it latched on to me and didn't want to let go.” The police believe the kitten either walked onto the bridge or fell from a hiding place under a car. Now the kitten, named Miracle, has been adopted by a neighbor of one of the Causeway's dispatchers. - Read it at Louisiana's WWLTV

Manatee Snacks on Grass in Flooded Backyard

Tropical Storm Colin dropped so much rain in Florida backyards that at least a couple of manatees have moved right in. St. Petersburg resident Nancy Smith captured video of one of the sea cows munching on grass in the flooded area. The heavy rains caused the tide to rise above a seawall, which led to the manatees swimming inland. “Everyone loves manatees,” Smith said. “They are my gentle giants.” - Watch it at Tampa's Fox 13

Image: Chiquito reunited with family

Police Find Dog Missing 4 Years

When two concerned citizens spotted a small stray dog wandering on the South Side of Chicago on Tuesday night, they stopped two police officers on patrol to get the pooch help. They brought the little Chihuahua to a local shelter, where they discovered he did have a microchip - and they were soon able to track down Chiquito's owners. He was reunited with his grateful family, who said he'd been missing for four years. - Read it at the Chicago Tribune

Boy Sneaks Into Neighbor's Garage to Hug Dog

You wouldn't think a surveillance video showing a 9-year-old boy sneaking into his neighbor's garage would end up in a sweet story, but this one did. When Louisiana homeowner Hollie Mallet scrolled through her footage, she spotted an adorable scene showing the boy riding his bike into her driveway, hopping off and running into her garage - to hug her black Labrador Retriever. She posted the video on Facebook in hopes of identifying her dog's new friend. It wasn't long before the video reached the boy's mom, Ginger Breaux. It turns out that the family's dog passed away last year, and Josh misses having a pup to love. “Josh talks about your dog all the time!” Breaux wrote to Mallet on Facebook. “Every time we pass he looks to see if she was sitting where he could see her... Last night when I first saw [the video], I was torn as a momma being happy and upset because he knows he shouldn't be on someone's property, but I wake up this morning more happy that he just absolutely adores dogs so much.” Luckily, Mallet said Josh is welcome to come play with Dutchess any time, and he's taken her up on her offer. - Watch it at ABC News

 

Owen Lima cried tears of joy when a Lowe's store manager in Canada told him he was hiring him - with his service dog. “It's so hard to find a job where people can accept me for the way I am and the fact that I have a service dog with me,” Lima recalled telling the manager. Lima suffers from a brain injury that can make it hard for him to understand what someone is saying. His service dog, Blue, helps Lima stay calm and avoid anxiety attacks when he gets frustrated. The manager, Paul Gallo, thought the pair would be perfect as customer service associates, who greet customers and manage shopping carts. They'll each sport a red Lowe's vest while on the job. News of the new hires shared on Facebook quickly went viral. "[Blue] being in the store has made my job easier to do," Lima said of his 10-year-old dog. - Read it at CBS News

June 8, 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: Puppy saved from septic drain

Deputy Adopts Puppy He Saved

A puppy in St. Lucie County, Florida, is now happily curled up on a soft, dry bed after being rescued from a stinky - and scary - situation. Two sheriff's deputies were serving legal papers recently when they heard whimpering sounds. When they searched the vacant lot next door, they found a puppy who'd fallen into a collapsed septic drain. The dog was “scared and exhausted” from struggling to get out, according to a Facebook post shared Tuesday by the sheriff's office. “They pulled him out, gave him several baths and attempted to locate an owner in the neighborhood,” the post said. “Not finding anyone, the pooped pooch was adopted by the deputy that rescued him and is now enjoying a life in the lap of luxury.” The post included several photos of the pup, including a couple of him looking quite content in his new home. - Read it at California's ABC 7 News

Study: Fish Can Recognize Human Faces

Scientists at Oxford University have discovered that the archerfish has the ability to tell one human face apart from another. The tropical species is best known for spitting jets of water to shoot prey out of the air. The fish usually take aim at bugs, but they were taught to spit at pictures of human faces displayed on a computer monitor outside of their aquarium. They were shown two faces and taught to spit at one of them in exchange for food. The researchers then tested whether the fish would recognize the face that they'd learned among 44 others - and they got it right 80 percent of the time. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. - Read it from AFP via Seeker

Military Veterinarians Honored With Monument

A bronze sculpture representing the 100-year history of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was unveiled last week at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. The life-size monument has four scenes, including a World War I Veterinary Corps officer with a horse; a Vietnam era officer with a microscope to signify the corps' contributions to medical research; a Cold War era officer inspecting rations; and a modern era veterinary officer treating a military working dog. “I put all of my heart and all of my soul into every one of my commissions. And this one has it all, plus a little bit more," said Donna Dobberfuhl, the San Antonio artist commissioned to create the monument. - Read it from the Army

Image: Bailey huge litter

Alabama Dog Has Huge Litter

A 4-year-old African Boerboel named Bailey gave birth to 19 puppies on April 28 at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama. Her veterinarian decided to do a C-section to deliver the puppies after a radiograph showed the mom was carrying at least 14 puppies. Sadly, one of the pups didn't survive, but the 18 others are now back at home, happy and healthy. Bailey's owners, Jerry and Angie Turner, and a nanny helped the new mom through the first few days, helping to keep the pups on a schedule of feedings every four hours. But Bailey quickly got a handle on things, and is now able to care for the litter on her own. - Read it at People Pets

Blind Dachshund and Guide Pup Get New Home

A pair of bonded Dachshunds is starting a new life with a Washington state couple who adopted them from a rescue group. The dogs were abandoned in Oregon and brought to a shelter, which called Salem Dogs. Veterinarians who work with the group noticed that Herbie had problems with his eyesight and could likely see only shadows - but Hilda showed how she'd shepherd him around and protect him. “We knew immediately they needed to be adopted as a pair," said Salem Dogs' Diane Young. John and Dorothy Sinnar, who recently lost their 16-year-old Doxie to old age, spotted an online listing for the pair and knew they had to meet them. They drove five hours south and adopted Hilda and Herbie last week. - See photos at the New York Daily News

Image: Cincinnati Zoo gorilla world barrier

With a taller barrier around the gorilla enclosure, the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, more than a week after a 4-year-old boy climbed over the barrier, leading to the death of the endangered gorilla inside.

The new barrier is 42 inches high with solid wood beams at the top and bottom. The previous barrier, however, did meet safety guidelines and passed multiple inspections.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Police Department has concluded its investigation of the incident but hasn't yet released the results. - Read it at ABC News


 

StopLyme is a new public awareness campaign joining veterinarians and pediatricians to stop a common enemy: Lyme disease. While this tick-borne disease can't be spread directly between dogs and people, if your dog has been exposed to ticks that spread … read more >

Preventive care is a cornerstone of your patients' health, and can save your clients a lot of money in the long run. How can you focus your efforts to deliver the best preventive care possible and really educate clients about … read more >

May 27, 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: Capone the black Lab

Lost Lab Gets Help at ER

Somehow, a lost black Labrador Retriever knew exactly where to go when he injured his leg - and the staff at Indiana's Community Hospital Anderson quickly stepped up to help him. “He literally walked straight up like he knew he was coming to the right place,” said Dr. Thomas Short. The emergency room doctors checked him out and made him comfortable. Once their shift ended, they took him to an emergency vet, who thought he'd been hit by a car but would recover. In the meantime, the hospital shared a photo of him on Facebook, in the hopes of finding his owner - and it worked. Capone's owner, Nick Karagianis, said the 1-year-old dog got away when he took him for a walk after he got home from work at about 2 a.m. Thursday. When he resumed his search in the morning, he talked to a passerby who said she'd seen a dog meeting Capone's description on Facebook. They were reunited later that day. “Thank you sooooo much to the community hospital team for taking care of my baby boy!!!” Karagianis commented on Facebook. The kind hospital staff even paid Capone's vet bill, on the condition that his owner get him neutered and microchipped. - Read it at Indianapolis' Fox 59

Secret Tasmanian Devil Colony Could Help Species

Scientists who found a hidden colony of Tasmanian devils in a remote area say the animals could help save their species by adding diversity to their gene pool. The marsupials have been devastated by the contagious and deadly facial tumor disease. “For us this is massive,” said University of Sydney geneticist Kathy Belov. “For years we have been calling devils clones because there's so little diversity and now we find that there is diversity out there, it's just in remote areas.” The genetic diversity could prove to be a key component to the species' survival. - Read it at the Huffington Post

Study: Harbour Porpoises Eat Constantly

Using tiny computers attached to harbour porpoises by suction cups, researchers in Europe have found the small cetaceans hunt and eat almost constantly because they require a lot of energy to survive. "Our results show that porpoises hunt small fish, typically less than five centimeters, nearly continuously day and night at ultra-high rates, attempting to capture up to 550 fish per hour, and frequently more than ten per minute with a remarkable success rate of more than 90 percent," said Danuta Wisniewska of Aarhus University in Denmark. They also said that anything that might limit the porpoises' ability to feed could put them in serious jeopardy. The study was published in the journal Current Biology. - Read it at Phys.org

Image: Goslings on Interstate

Police Escort Goslings Off Freeway

A flock of baby geese got a special escort as they made their way down California's Interstate 80 on Sunday morning. The California Highway Patrol in Oakland got a call about some goslings who were wandering along the busy roadway. “We ran a traffic break and we stopped the freeway so we can get them corralled to the right hand shoulder - and that's where the world's slowest pursuit took place,” said Officer Sean Wilkenfeld. At least three CHPs vehicles gathered the “felonious fowl,” as Wilkenfeld called them, and guided them toward an exit to get them to the water. CHPs Oakland shared a video of the “nail-biting pursuit” on Facebook. - Watch it at SF Gate

Student Surprised to See His Service Dog in Yearbook

When North Guilford High School, North Carolina, student Harry Hulse had his photo taken for the yearbook, the photographer also got a quick portrait of Taffy, his diabetes alert dog. Taffy is always by Harry's side, pawing at him whenever his blood sugar needs an adjustment. Taffy is “basically one of the kids,” said the school's yearbook editor, Stephanie Hicks. So, when she heard his photo had been taken, she thought Taffy “obviously has to be next to Harry in the yearbook, he always is.” The yearbook staff kept the plan a secret so Taffy's placement would be fun a surprise when it was published. Harry was surprised, and touched, by the gesture for his “best friend.” The news comes on the heels of the story of another service dog who appeared in a Louisiana middle school yearbook this year. - See photo at CNN