Happy Landing for Rescue Pups, Lost Border Collie Turns Herself In, Female Dogs More Likely to Judge You, and More!

Miraculously, all 53 rescue dogs aboard survived with only minor injuries. photo: HAWS

Happy Landings: Rescue Pups Safe After Wisconsin Plane Crash

A plane carrying 53 rescue dogs and three human passengers crash-landed last month on a snowy golf course in Waukesha, Wisconsin, roughly 17 miles west of Milwaukee. The flight was part of a transport program bringing adoptable dogs from New Orleans to several northern shelter partners.

Miraculously, all aboard survived with only minor injuries. The dogs are under observation by staff veterinarians with the local Human Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) and, barring complications, should soon be available for adoption as planned. In the meantime, HAWS is accepting donations to help pay for medical expenses and supplies to care for them.

On a related note, music fans may recall that we’re coming up on the 55th anniversary of another snowy Wisconsin plane crash that claimed the life of Otis Redding on December 10, 1967. Luckily, the recent incident had a happier ending, but what better way to pay tribute to the man than to listen to his classic 1964 cover of The Dog?

We double dog dare you not to dance.

Source: thehill.com

Border Collie Rosie waltzed into the police station, presumably to declare herself missing and seek snacks. photo: Leicestershire Police Station

Good Girl, Rosie: Lost Pup Turns Herself In

Are British dogs inherently more civilized? Maybe.

A lost Border Collie named Rosie was reunited with her human after sensibly strolling into her local police station in Loughborough, England. Video footage shows the black-and-white charmer entering the station and politely taking a seat in the corner of the reception area.

“Our staff fetched some water for Rosie and made fast friends with plenty of fuss,” according to the station’s Facebook post. The wandering gal was soon back at home thanks to the up-to-date contact info on her microchip.

Remember, even if your dog’s smart enough to turn herself into the local authorities, it won’t do any good if your phone number’s not current. Let Rosie’s tale serve as a friendly reminder to check your own pup’s microchip contact info and update your details, if needed, by visiting the website of the microchip registry where your pet is enrolled.

Rosie says do it now.

Source: yahoo.com

The science of superiority is clear (according to Kyoto University).

I Can So Open This Jar!
Female Dogs More Apt to Judge Your Competence

A new study from Kyoto University has found that female dogs are more likely to identify competence in humans than are male dogs, at least when food is involved.

Researchers created an experiment in which dogs were shown a “competent” actor who was able to open a container of food and an “incompetent” actor who couldn’t. Female dogs looked significantly longer at the “competent” actor and tried to approach them, whereas male dogs showed no preference for either actor in the food task.

As the study authors concluded, “The present findings suggest that at least female dogs can evaluate people based on their competence in a motor task, an ability likely to be advantageous not only in social learning contexts but also when choosing partners in situations requiring cooperation.”

To which we say…duh. After all, females are going to be responsible for the care and feeding of all those pups after dad goes on his merry way. Naturally, they’d want to be able to ID the most competent member of the village it’s going to take to raise those little rascals.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

The “hot mess” Billy Bob has a lot of admirers and is seeking his forever home. photo: Burke County Animal Services

Truth in Advertising: Take This Dog, Please!

A North Carolina shelter grabbed internet eyeballs recently with a post begging,  “Someone adopt this hot mess!”

The post goes on to describe the dog in question, a mastiff mix named Billy Bob, with, shall we say, refreshing candor: “110 pounds, tongue hangs out way too much, terrible car rider, entirely too food motivated and will accidentally mistake your arm for a cheeseburger, smells a little, and loves every person he has ever met.”

While Billy Bob was still available for adoption at press time, he doesn’t lack for online admirers. “I’m in love with a boy I’ve never met,” said one fan from the safety of her keyboard. 

Fingers crossed this big lug finds his IRL home soon.

Source: charlotteobserver.com

Thank you, George Booth, for the many years of dogs in comic art. image: The New Yorker Magazine

RIP, George Booth: Dog Cartoonist for the Ages

You may not know his name, but you know his work. George Booth, creator of the zany pointy-eared English Bull Terrier who served as New Yorker magazine’s unofficial mascot, has died at the age of 96.

Booth’s nameless cartoon dog was variously depicted scratching, leaping, barking a flower to death, or posing next to a sign warning: “Beware! Skittish Dog,” among other antics. The dog even adorned New Yorker T-shirts at one point (you can still get him on a hoodie), probably moving more merch than the mag’s official mascot, the monocle-hoisting Eustace Tilley.

“I started drawing what I thought was an awful-looking dog,” Booth recalled. But after a reader wrote in asking about the breed, “I went to the library, improved his breeding, and made him an English Bull Terrier.”

Booth once crammed 74 dogs and 86 cats into a single cartoon, noting that this didn't make much sense from a business perspective because, as a contract freelancer, he was paid a flat rate no matter how much time he spent on a drawing. “But,” he said, “I enjoy it.” 

So did we.

Source: nytimes.com