Search Results for: blog dolphins save dog

Who’s Terrorizing Dolphins?

As if the sea life in the Gulf Coast hasn’t already been traumatized enough with the BP oil spill, now someone is mutilating and killing dolphins. The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport, Alabama found a dolphin without a lower jaw.  The week before that, a dolphin with gunshot wounds was discovered.  Another dolphin turned up dead having been stabbed with a screwdriver.  There was even a dolphin that had its tail cut off.  All in all, six dolphins have been killed since the past few months. I’ve never understood how someone can kill an animal, especially one … Continue reading →

Rabbit Saves Family from Fire

Maybe I’m a little biased for headlines that contain the word “saves” and the name of an animal. Whether it’s one animal saving another, an animal doing so for a human, or humans returning the favor, I’m a sucker for these stories. So if I post too often on the topic let me know in the comments section below, along with suggestions for the types of stories you’d rather see more often. If I don’t hear to the contrary, then I’ll just assume you all love these tales as much as I do. Today I’ve got what’s certainly one of … Continue reading →

Woman Attacks Bear to Save Dog

Bears are moving into cities I first saw this MSNBC story on Facebook where a friend of mine, also a dachshund owner like the woman in the article, linked to it and said she would have done the same thing. What’s the headline? “Alaska Woman Punches Bear in Face to Save her Tiny Dog.” Brooke Collins is 22 years old and lives in Juneau, Alaska. Her wildlife encounter didn’t occur when she was out camping or hiking in the wilderness, but rather in her own urban neighborhood. The Alaskan capital often sees bears prowling its streets for food, but they’ve … Continue reading →

Dog: Elephant’s Best Friend

I’ve wanted to post this video for a long time. However, I try to space out my articles about cute animal videos, or unlikely animal best friends, and this is one of both. It just might edge out the hand-holding otters for my favorite animal video on the internet. A few months ago CBS Evening News highlighted the extraordinary events at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. While the sanctuary is ostensibly for elephants and caters mostly to them, it does take in other needy animals, particularly stray dogs. Because there are 2,700 acres at the Sanctuary, there’s plenty of … Continue reading →

Dolphins Save Dog

I can’t help it, I love animal savior stories. Be it animals saving humans or each other, animals from the same species saving each other, or different geneses still looking out for one another, I eat up these tales. In late February another such story emerged, reported by NBC’s southwest Florida affiliate. Cindy Burnett’s Doberman, Turbo, disappeared one Sunday after the gate had been left open overnight. As soon as Burnett and her sons discovered the open gate they began searching for Turbo. They were worried, because Turbo’s 11 years old, a bit late in life to have the energy … Continue reading →

The Noble Efforts of the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund

One thing I will never criticize Disney about is the good work done by the Animal Kingdom and its sometimes-partner the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.  The two might technically be separate entities – the Animal Kingdom is a part of Disney World, and the DWCF is a philanthropic branch of the Walt Disney Corporation – but they often work together. Work together, of course, being an operative word.  The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund is what it’s called: a fund.  While some employees might actually go out and do something, the primary purpose of the division is to provide financial support for … Continue reading →

Dolphin Intelligence Sparks New Ethics Debate

A unit in my college environmental ethics class studied the different ethics systems we follow in order to determine how we treat others. It focused on sentient verses non-sentient: the idea that some life, although not as intelligent as humanity, is still aware of itself (animal) and that other, while still alive, has no self-awareness (plant). The question of sentience was one factor used to determine what level of ethical treatment was appropriate for different members of the environment. Up until now humans for the most part have lumped all animals into one category and treated them the same: humanely, … Continue reading →

Updated Pet Store Ban Initiated in San Francisco

A year ago this month I wrote about how some cities across the country were thinking of initiating a ban on dog and cat sales at pet stores. The purpose of the move was to strike a blow to puppy and kitten mills, which sometimes supply to pet stores. Animal rights advocates also hoped to encourage prospective pet owners to consider adopting a homeless pet from a shelter. According to the LA Times, in San Francisco at least the ban never took place, though it was never completely withdrawn. Proponents of the ban tried to expand it to include fish … Continue reading →

Poacher Turned Park Ranger

A former poacher now turned conservationist for the World Wildlife Fund. It seems an impossible irony, but it’s true. Lean Kha used to shoot dozens of endangered species, including bears, tigers, and elephants, in his native Cambodia but now it’s his mission to protect them. What happened? Yahoo News has the full details. To understand the transformation we need to examine Kha’s background. He started hunting at 13 years old, recruited by soldiers for Khmer Rouge. Kha hunted not for sport, not to collect hides with which to decorate his walls, but to support himself and his family. He’d sell … Continue reading →

Amazing Animal Videos

A while back I wrote about a baby water buffalo who had survived a lion and a crocodile attack –all of which was caught on tape. I was so impressed by that baby water buffalo and his brave herd. (The herd had come back to help save the baby and chased off the lions.) But recently two other amazing animal videos have come to my attention. Dolphins Try to Save Their Own On YouTube there are a ton of dolphin rescue videos. Mostly of people saving dolphins, though. There are a couple of dolphins saving whales, but the other day … Continue reading →