Pup Rides Out Hurricane Atop Tree, Hero Dog Gita Brings Help, New Crocs for Canines, and More!
This dog was found 20 feet up in a tree after floodwaters from Hurricane Helene swept through eastern Tennessee. photo: Kingsport Fire Department
Branching Out:
Pup Survives Hurricane 20 Feet Up
In the terrible aftermath of last month's hurricanes, there was a spot of good news for one lucky pup. A K-9 search team working outside Kingsville, Tennessee, alerted their human handler to one of their own: a gray and white dog perched in a nest of debris 20 feet up in a tree, where she'd apparently been swept by floodwaters.
The dog, whose name was not revealed, was extremely hungry and thirsty when rescuers brought her down by ladder, but she amazingly escaped her ordeal without injuries. After supplying her with food and water, responders with the local fire department soon had her on the way to a nearby shelter where she was reunited with her people.
Her family estimated the plucky pup had been in her makeshift tree house for as much as five days. "A lot of people were displaced, and the waters came up pretty fast," said Barry Brickey with the fire department. "So them finding that dog yesterday was a bright spot in the middle of this chaos."
Source: apple.news
Gita, a 13-year-old rescue dog, is being hailed a “true hero for flagging help after her elderly owner fell and injured his leg in Stevens County, WA. photo: Stevens County Sheriff ’s Office
Owner Down!
Fast Thinking Hero Dog Brings Help
We've all seen the bumper sticker: who rescued whom? But not all dogs take it literally.
Tell that to Gita, a 13-year-old rescue dog, who saved her 84-year-old owner last month, flagging down help after he fell and broke his hip outside a remote cabin in Washington state.
A local deputy on patrol in the rural area came across a dog lying on the center line blocking the road. With no visible homes nearby, he assumed the dog was lost and tried to get her into his patrol car so he could locate her owners. But Gita refused to budge.
As the deputy tried again to move her, Gita looked at him and then looked toward an unmarked driveway before she took off up the path. The deputy followed her to an area outside a small cabin where he found Keith Johnson, Gita's elderly owner, injured on the ground and calling for help.
Johnson estimated he'd been on the ground over six hours before the deputy arrived. Gita had initially stayed by his side, but with no help forthcoming she decided to act. "She knew I needed help, and she knew what she needed to do to get it," Johnson said.
Johnson is now recovering at a local medical facility, where Gita visits him often. Meanwhile, local authorities are hailing her as a hero. "We credit Gita for saving his life that day," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us."
Source: usatoday.com
Now your pet can be as stylish as you are in the latest Crocs. photo: Crocs
Crocs for Canines?
Frumpy Footwear Goes to the Dogs
Love 'em or hate 'em, Crocs seem to be here to stay. And now that fabulous, frumpy footwear is coming to some paws near you.
That's right, furry fashionistas. As part of Croc's annual "Croctober" campaign, the company recently rolled out Pet Crocs in partnership with the online dog supply outfit BARK.
Allegedly, the dog version of these plastic marvels is "one of the most highly requested products in brand history," according to Croc's promo materials. And given the shoe's cult-like following with human consumers, that may not actually be a total crock.
Will you be sporting matching tootsies with your pup this fall? Or just trying to unsee another fashion faux pas? Either way, there'll be more to love - or hate - as Crocs expand their grasp from two feet to four.
Source: cnn.com
The new world record for the Most Dogs Walked Simultaneously by an Individual was achieved by Mitchell Rudy (Canada), who managed to walk 38 rescued dogs. photo: World Record Academy
Don't Try This at Home:
Korean Rescue Org Sets New Record for Dog Walking
How many dogs can you handle on a leash?
A Canadian volunteer in South Korea recently set a new world record for the number of dogs walked by an individual at one time. That's when Mitchell Rudy leashed up 38 - count 'em 38 - rescue pups for a 1.2 kilometer stroll around Jungwon University.
The great group walk was part of an effort by Korean K9 Rescue to find forever homes for the record-breaking pups, each of whom had its own survival tale. Many were abandoned on the streets or rescued from high-kill shelters, hoarding situations, or even dog meat farms. (South Korea passed a bill earlier this year that bans slaughtering, breeding, or selling dogs for human consumption, but regrettably the law includes a three-year grace period before it takes effect.)
In the meantime, Korean K9 Rescue continues its work, placing adoptable dogs in loving homes throughout the U.S. While the group's stateside operations are based in New York, they also accept applications on a case-by-case basis from other cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit https://www.koreank9rescue.org/adoption-faq/.
Source: worldrecordacademy.org
In Surrey, England, the number of dogs that can be walked at once has been reduced to four. photo: Getty Images
And Definitely Don't Try it in Surrey!
New Rules Set Four-Dog Limit for Walkers
In other dog walking news, Surrey, England, recently began enforcing new rules that limit dog walkers to a maximum of four dogs at any one time, down from the previous cap of six. City authorities say the rule change was prompted by residents' concerns about dog walkers' abilities to control larger groups of dogs.
But local dog professionals are pushing back, saying they were not consulted about the new limits and that "nobody asked the right questions." Instead, they've asked the city to reinstate the previous six-dog maximum, along with licenses and regulations for professional dog walkers.
For its part, the city says the lower limit was backed by 80 percent of local survey respondents and cited the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which recommends a four-dog limit. Surrey dog walkers will be reminded about the new rules, rather than being issued fines, as everyone adjusts to the new caps. Meanwhile, local dog pros will continue to lobby for a return to the six-dog maximum.
Source: yahoo.com