World Cup Saves Pup, Canine vs. Ursine, Soggy Doggy Scooped from Bay, and More!
After a month away from home, Gorda’s guardian Ale spotted her celebrating with World Cup fans on TV and was then reunited. photo: Ale García, FaceBook
Viva La Gorda! World Cup Saves Pup
Ale Garcia had been searching without luck for her beloved pup La Gorda, a tan female mix with black markings who'd been missing from her home in Ciudad Victoria for over a month. Then the World Cup arrived in Mexico bringing thousands of jubilant fans partying throughout the country. It was one of those parties that would eventually bring La Gorda home.
On the night of Mexico's win against the Czech Republic, Garcia's brother called her excitedly, saying he'd seen La Gorda on Facebook Live being hoisted by a dancing soccer fan outside the local stadium. At first, Garcia couldn't believe it. The stadium was too far from her home, and La Gorda wasn't tiny. How crazy would a fan have to be to think lifting up a large stray dog for a dance was a good idea? But once her brother forwarded the post, she knew right away it was her dog.
She immediately called a friend and together they sped to the scene of the celebration and started calling La Gorda's name. Within moments, the dog came running to them, thin and limping. She'd lost 15 pounds in her month on the loose and had an injured front paw. But she was clearly delighted to see them.
Garcia says the six-year-old pup has always been an escape artist, able to worm her way through the smallest gaps no matter how many times she reinforced her gate and fence. But before she'd always returned quickly, crying at the front door to be let in. This time, for reasons known only to La Gorda, she'd apparently wandered all over the city of almost 400,000 before winding up as an anonymous fan's dance partner outside the stadium.
La Gorda's happy ending quickly went viral, spreading through news sites and across social media to dog lovers throughout the world. And her fame helped assuage the sting of defeat for at least one Czech Republic fan. "As a Czech person," an internet observer posted, "I'm glad we lost so they could be reunited."
Source: washingtonpost.com
Bella earned a legislative commendation for her bravery after diverting a black bear charging towards her family. photo: State Representative Joe Canino, FaceBook
Canine vs. Ursine: Dog Defends Boy Against Bear
A courageous Husky named Bella earned a tasty bonus last month for chasing off a bear that had been running toward a young boy in her family's Connecticut driveway.
Jeffrey Tazzara, the boy's father, had been packing for a 4th of July party when he heard Bella barking. "A vicious bark, not like she barks and yips and howls and stuff...this was a different kind of bark," he recalls.
Video from the family's home security camera shows the boy standing in the driveway when a black bear suddenly appears, running just feet from the child. Bella then dashes over, chasing the bear, placing herself between it and the boy, and finally nipping the bear on its rear end. The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the child and continues running, scurrying under a parked boat and back into the woods.
As for Bella? She emerged without a scratch and has already earned a legislative commendation for her bravery. Still, we bet she's probably more excited about the T-bone steak she's been promised as a reward by her relieved - and very lucky - family.
Sources: abcnews.com
Menlo Park Fire Fighters rescued a dog in the San Francisco Bay. photo: Menlo Park Fire Protection District
Soggy Doggy: Firefighters Pull Pup from Bay
Sometimes the dog saves the human; sometimes the human saves the dog. That's what happened last month when Menlo Park firefighters were alerted to a small black dog swimming far out in the San Francisco Bay.
The unnamed pup had gone missing over the July 4 weekend, apparently spooked by fireworks. But there was no sign of the tiny pet until July 16 when a caller phoned 911 to say they'd seen a lone dog enter the water near the Dumbarton Bridge in East Palo Alto and start swimming out into the bay.
Firefighters quickly mobilized two trucks, a boat, an airboat, and ultimately a drone to track the paddling pup, who was finally scooped from the water about half a mile off shore. After a brisk rubdown, the dog was turned over to the local SPCA, which was able to reunite the little swimmer with its family.
No telling where this pup thought it was headed, but maybe it'll at least wait until crab season before its next dip.
Sources: theguardian.com, people.com
Professional search and rescue dogs have brought hope by helping to find trapped victims. photo: Getty Images
Venezuela Aftermath: Dogs Bring Hope Amid Disaster
When a massive earthquake hit Venezuela earlier this summer, highly trained search-and-rescue dogs were on the scene immediately, using their specialized skills to sniff out survivors amid the wreckage. But at least one ordinary household pet is also being hailed as a hero for saving his young owner's life.
Toby, a one-year-old family dog, escaped from the rubble of a collapsed building but eluded capture, instead continuing to run back repeatedly to the same spot in the destroyed structure. When rescuers finally searched that spot, they discovered Toby's boy, 11-year-old Kenger Garcia, dehydrated and bruised but miraculously still alive after 78 hours trapped under the debris. "Toby was truly the one who helped save his owner," says the boy's aunt. "He is the reason that they suspected someone was still alive amid all that rubble."
As Venezuela continues to deal with the quake's aftermath, volunteers are working to reunite dogs and cats with their families, while others care for pets whose owners are missing. One veterinarian working out of a makeshift clinic at a McDonald's in the coastal city of La Guaira estimates she has treated roughly 700 animals since the disaster struck on June 24, with 20 to 30 more arriving each day.
Still, there are bright spots. While the country's grim recovery continues, one stray pup became a rare source of joy after being found darting in traffic. As people searched for her owner, nearby residents began stopping to pet the dog, gathering around to feed her pieces of tuna and dog food. "It really changed everyone's expression...just wanting to see something that gives you a little bit of hope," said one young woman. "They were smiling despite everything."
Source: nytimes.com
CSU researchers and the Dog Aging Project are collaborating to study canine cognitive decline. photo: AdobeStock
Canine Cognitive Decline: Dog Brain Research May Help Humans
Cognitive decline affects an estimated 12% of dogs over the age of 12. Now scientists hope that studying these changes will lead to discoveries that benefit both veterinary and human medicine.
Working with the Dog Aging Project, researchers at Colorado State University have begun examining cognitive decline in dogs to better understand diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's in humans. The research focuses on how dogs' brains change over time, both during life and after death.
Some participants have witnessed the effects of cognitive decline firsthand, including Geordi Hall who lost his grandfather to dementia before enrolling his 11-year-old Beagle in the study. "Helping all these families, both furry and non-furry, stick together is a really good feeling," says Hall.
The study is ongoing and open to dogs of all ages and breeds. For more information visit CSU's website or email csuneurotrials@colostate.edu
Source: 9news.com