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Dog Stories Dogs

Gang Drags Cop Into Forest To Kill Him, Police Dog Saves the Day

Dogs didn’t get the moniker “Man’s Best Friend” for sitting around doing nothing. They are intelligent, empathetic, and loyal, which is why they are used for all sorts of jobs. The police use them to find drugs and to help subdue criminals.

Because of the nature of their jobs, police officers are an obvious target for gang violence. Deputy Todd Frazier from Long Beach Mississippi was no exception.

Frasier fell for a gang’s trap when he was out on patrol. He saw an unconscious man behind the wheel of a car in a ditch. When he pulled up to the vehicle and got out to check on the man, he was ambushed from behind.

He was dragged into the woods by three men. As he was struggling to get away, he heard one of the men say he was going to “slit his throat.” Knowing his life was in danger, he managed to get his keychain and unlock the canine compartment in his car.

“They told him they were going to slit his throat, and they were dragging him toward the woods,” Chief Deputy Don Bass said.

That’s when Lucas, his K-9 partner, saved his life.

As soon as Lucas was out of the car, he knew Todd was in trouble. He sped over to him as fast as he could.

“He knew. I could hear him coming. I couldn’t see anything because the blood was all in my eyes, but I could hear him coming, growling and making these sounds… he sounded like a wolf,” Frazier said. “I thought, ‘Now he’s gonna get you.'”

Lucas viciously attacked the gang members, as he was trained to do.

“We don’t know how many he got; we just know he had blood all over him,” Sheriff Ricky Adam said of the heroic dog’s actions.

“I had three people on me and I’m not a very big man, and they basically whipped my butt,” Frazier said recalling the incident. “And luckily, thank God, I had Lucas here, and I had a button on my belt that I wear, and when I hit the button Lucas jumped out of the car and attacked all three of them and they ran away. That’s why he’s my hero.”

Chief Deputy Bass said the event was a “very near miss” and there was no doubt the gang intended to kill Frazier.

Both Frazier and Lucas were injured in the attack. Lucas tore a ligament and lost several teeth. He has since made a full recovery.

Frazier got a deep cut on his forehead and other minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital, but soon released.

From the Chief Deputy’s statement:

“We’ve been stressing this for months and months now. It’s no different from last week. We get a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) from the state alerting us that the Black Gangster Disciples have put out an SOS, or Shoot on Sight, for police officers.

“It hits us hard, it brings you to your knees. We’re not a large agency, and all these guys have families. The main thing for anybody is to go home safe. We want you to go home at night. But it could happen to any one of them. The threat is here and the possibility is real.”

Lucas received the “Hero of the Year” award for his actions.

Source: The Daily Mail

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Dog Videos Dogs

Dog Plays Dead to Stay at the Dog Park

Dogs and parks. We all know it is their favorite place, after their bed at home. A dog in the park is happy. So getting them to leave can be difficult.

The moment they realize they are going to the park, they are full of excitement and joy. When it is time to leave, they are sad.

Sometimes they will try and change your mind. They will cry and protest. Kind of like this dog on the video.

“Time to go home” is a statement this dog doesn’t understand. This dog is determined to stay. Luckily they have a very patient owner. Watch the video below to see how it turned out.

Source: BoredPanda

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Dog Stories Dogs

Woman Discovers Shelter Dog Has A Family, Makes 2,500 Mile Trip to Return Her

Dogs escape all the time. Even the best dogs will sometimes escape through that open gate, loose fence board, or an escape tunnel. Often they will run off without even telling their owners. Sometimes, they don’t remember the way home.

Most lost pups don’t travel over 5,000 miles. One shelter dog is making headlines for doing just that.

Zooey, the name the shelter gave her, was an immediate hit with the staff. She was clearly not a stray. She was mostly clean and well behaved. But they couldn’t find her owners. She was picked up in Houston.

The 1-year-old boxer was picked up in Houston.

‘Zooey’ was at the shelter for about a week when they put her in a foster home.

After her time with her foster family, her owner still hadn’t reached out. She was transferred to another non-profit (Ruff Start) in Minnesota.

“We were told that she was really, really sweet, and very dog friendly,” said Ruff Start’s Lexi Johnson. Even though Zooey was a total sweetheart, knew basic commands, and was house broken, Johnson realized she had discovered Zooey had no hearing. That kept her from finding a new family.

In Zooey’s case, that was  good thing. After four months, her family finally tracked her down.

Zooey’s real name is Penelope, and her owner Mandy Lyons never stopped looking for her.

After the organizations verified that Mandy was her real owner, they arranged to drive Penelope back to Texas, a total of 5200 miles during Penelope’s journey.

Johnson flew from Minnesota to witness the reunion. Cameras and members of the Harris County Rescue center were there as well.

It took a second for Penelope to realize where she was and who she was looking at.

It took half a second for Penelope to realize where she was, and who she was looking at

Penelope couldn’t believe her eyes. She was seeing her mom again after a wild adventure across the country.

According to Johnson, “[Penelope] looked at her, and she looked at her again and was like, ‘Is this real?’And then she went over there, she was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is it.’ I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.”

“I was so happy and sad at the same time,” admits Johnson “I was happy because they were reunited, but sad because … it’s heartbreaking to think that it was five months when she was without her mama.”

Images via Houston and Harris County Animal Volunteers

Source: The Dodo

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Dog Stories Dogs

Loyal Dog Waits Outside Hospital, Wait Until You Find Out Why

For all dog lovers, you are going to need a tissue before you read this article. This is a touching and emotional story.

Dogs are perhaps the most loyal creatures on the planet. We made them that way. No matter our circumstances, the dog will stay with you.

One dog in Brazil is especially loyal. His photos went viral. He is pictured outside the Santa Casa de Novo Horizonte hospital in Sao Paolo. He appears to be very sad.

This dog had been sitting outside the hospital, all alone, for four months. He arrived there after chasing an ambulance that brought his owner to the hospital last October.

This dog has been waiting for his owner to appear. What the dog didn’t know is that his owner had died.

The dog’s owner was homeless and had been stabbed in a fight. An ambulance picked him up, and his dog followed the whole way.

Once at the hospital, the dog patiently waited outside the doors. Inside, the owner never recovered from his wounds.

The financial director first noticed the dog, and said he well behaved and calm, and never tried to get in to the hospital.

The staff gave the dog food and water, as well as blankets. Then a woman named Cristine Sardella saw the dog, heard the story, and posted pictures of him on Facebook.

After the photos were taken, the dog was taken to a local kennel. It wasn’t long before he escaped and returned to the hospital.

“He fled across the city,” Sardella said. “He walked over 3 kilometers and returned to the hospital.”

According to The Dodo, “the hospital’s director, Osvaldo Sobrinho, said that a staffer has already decided to adopt him when the time is right. In the meantime, they are arranging for the dog to be seen by a veterinarian and vaccinated as they continue to earn his trust.”

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Dog Stories Dog Videos Dogs

Dog and Dolphin Share a Moment

There is something special about animals. They can sense things humans can not. This special moment between two dogs on a boat and a dolphin are the perfect example.

Animals are capable of complex feelings and emotions. There are times animals from friendships between species, and it is inspiring.

Dolphins and dogs couldn’t be more different. Besides both being mammals, they have little in common.

In a way though, dolphins are the dogs of the sea. They are playful and sociable. Both are curious.

So what happens when these two animals meet?

The Dolphin Experience is a company that allows people to interact with dolphins on a boat. The boat owners brought their dogs with them one day.

The dogs loved to be on the boat. It wasn’t long until the dolphin watchers found what they were looking for. Dolphins.

The dogs were very excited. They were jumping and barking. The boat sped up to match the two dolphins.

One dog stuck their face over the boat and greeted the dolphins. One of the dolphins looked back and gave the dog a kiss!

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Dog Stories Dogs What's Trending

9 Year Old Sells Skateboard to Save Dog

The sheer amount of stray and homeless dogs is staggering. In an ideal world, every dog would have a home. Sadly, this is not so. Fortunately, there are good people doing what they can to help these dogs.

There are animal activists, rescue groups, and volunteers. Every day they are helping to get dogs off the street and into homes.

A 9 year old boy from Argentina found a stray dog in the street and noticed it was injured. This boy is compassionate, and wanted to do what he could to help the dog.

Mauco Abeiro took the dog in and named him Rocko. The homeless pup had an injury to his leg.

9-year-old

After a bath and meal, Mauco gave Rocko lots of love. But Rocko still needed medical care.

At first, Mauco asked his mom for help. They didn’t have the money to help the dog. “Being a single mom, my economic situation is not the same as before,” she said. “When I told him I had no money to pay a vet he got [upset].”

9-year-old

That’s when he decided to sell his skateboard to help.

Mauco used his mom’s Facebook to post an ad for his skateboard, explaining it was for his dog.

“Look at this dog I found on the street, [he’s] sick and has a hurt leg,” the message read. “If you are interested in skateboarding please leave your number here and my mom will call you.”

Even though no one wanted to buy the skateboard, it garnered a lot of attention. One woman offered to pay for all the vet bills for the dog.

Please share this story on Facebook to show that there is still kindness in the world.

9-year-old

Source: The Holidog Times

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Dogs What's Trending

Picking the Best Name for Your Dog

After adopting a dog or puppy, picking the perfect name isn’t an easy task. You want to ensure you are choosing a name that suits them and is easy to say.

Many people will give their dogs a title, like Mr., Mrs., or Dr. It’s endearing and  humorous. Others choose names that are more human, like Sam, Bruce, Lily, etc.

It turns out there is a kind of logic in the the funny names we choose for dogs.

Many dogs have hard consonants in their names like ‘K,’ ‘D,’ ‘B,’ or ‘T.’ This is why you see a lot of dogs named Buddy and Teddy. These sounds are easier for dogs to recognize than vowels, animal behaviorists say.

Puppy, Golden Retriever, Dog, In The Free, Young, Pet

Of course, there are no “rules” when naming your dog, but there are some tips you should follow.

Shelby Semel is the owner and senior trainer of Shelby Semel Dog Training.

“You should consider avoiding names that sound like commonly used words,” Shelby Semel told the Dodo.  “For example, a name like Noah would be confusing for the dog as it sounds too similar to the word ‘No.’” That goes for names that frequently make the “most popular” lists, such as Bo or Beau; Kit, which sounds like the command “sit” or Kay, which sounds like “stay.”

Names are obviously important when training your dog. It’s important you aren’t spitting out a long and complicated name when training.

“Ideally, one or two syllables are best,” Semel notes. “I prefer two because most cues are a single syllable. I would avoid a three-syllable name as the dog won’t respond or you begin to call them by their shorter nickname, which can get confusing for them.”

What about renaming a dog?

If you like your adopted dog’s name, then keep it. If you want to give them a new name, it will take some patience because you will need to introduce it gradually.

“Add a new middle name along with their existing name for a short duration, while you phase out the old name,” Semel advises. “If your dog’s name is Maggie when adopted, and you would like to change the name to Rose, begin calling her Maggie Rose for a few weeks, then slowly phase out the name Maggie to eventually just calling her Rose.”

Of course, have fun with naming your dog. Pick something that you like and that fits their personality.

name

Please share this on Facebook and tell us your dog’s name!

Source: Rover.com

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Dog Stories Dogs What's Trending

There is a Spike in Dog Flu – Here is What You Need to Know

Dogs can get the flu just like humans, and it can be dangerous. As dog lovers and owners, it is our responsibility to keep them healthy. What follows is everything you need to know to keep your dog safe.

There is a new dog flu vaccine and veterinarians are encouraging pet owners to get it for their pups. A new strain of canine influenza has spread across the country.

“It was unreal. It was the worst nightmare that could ever happen,” dog show hobbyist Jodie Strait said. “I went to a dog show to show my dogs and I almost killed them.”

The dog flu is a very contagious illness that can cause infection and sometimes death. This season’s flu has been found in 46 states.

Strait was returning from the Australian Shepherd National Specialty in St. Louis, MO when she noticed her Australian Shepherds were very sick.

“At the time we thought it was a simple case of canine kennel cough,” Strait said, “but within a few days all of my dogs were fighting for their lives.”

All of her dogs were showing symptoms of influenza: coughing, sneezing, lethargy, decreased appetite, and breathing difficulties. It had spread from one dog to the others.

flu

“Sitting alone with a dog gasping for breath in the middle of the night was horrific and something I would not wish on anyone,” Strait said.  “I told (the dogs) they owe me nothing. Just please, please keep breathing…Just breathe… I was one of the lucky ones – mine survived.”

It took weeks of treatment, but fortunately all of her dogs survived. However, six of the seven can no longer compete. One has permanent throat issues and another has lung disease.

flu

“I carry tremendous guilt that my healthy and happy dogs got sick,” Strait said. “I do everything possible for my dogs and only by the grace of God are they with me.”

Unlike human flu, canine influenza spreads all year in most climates. Your dog can get it at any time.

“If you notice the signs, get in touch with your veterinarian, knowing that this can be a very serious disease and it can cause severe illness,” said Dr. Jennifer Bonovich, a veterinarian in South Carolina. “Some cases do require hospitalization and it can cost several thousand dollars.”

Strait wants owners to get their dog’s blood tested immediately if they notice their dog is acted strangely. She wishes that she hadn’t assumed it was kennel cough.

“Don’t just keep saying it can’t happen to you because it can. It can happen to anybody,” Strait said. “It’s really scary and, honestly, the shot is way cheaper than the pet bill.”

Please share this story on Facebook to spread the news.

Source: Our Passion for Dogs

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Dog Stories Dogs

Long Lost Brothers Reunite While on a Walk

We all wonder what kind of lives our dogs led before we got  them. For the owner of Louie the Labradoodle, the past just got clearer.

Twitter user @itswalela posted a picture of Louie in the park. He had spotted another Labradoodle and stopped in his tracks.

The owners of the dogs talked and it was revealed that the dogs came from the same breeder and parents. The dogs were brothers.

It’s crazy to think that the pair recognized each other after all that time. It’s like a romantic comedy kind of serendipity.

Imagine all the other dog siblings in the world, including your dog’s. Labradoodles usually  have 8 or so pups a litter, meaning there could be six more of Louie’s siblings out there.

Other users responded to the tweet with their stories of how their pets became reunited with siblings.

Hopefully these dogs can have many future playdates together.

Source: Mashable

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Dog Stories Dogs What's Trending

The Story Behind the New Royal Dog

As I’m sure you are all aware, recently Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. As a result, her dog, Guy, is the newest royal dog.

Guy the beagle has had a very interesting life.

“It’s a total fairytale,” said Alison Preiss of Pet Valu, where Guy was originally adopted in 2015. “Here is this dog that was in a shelter, nobody wanted him, and through this wonderful adoption he’s now living in a palace, running around with the royal family.”

Guy’s remarkable journey started when he was transferred to “A Dog’s Dream Rescue,” which saves beagles slated to be put down in the U.S. They bring them to Canada for a second chance.

Guy was at a shelter in Kentucky and was on the euthanasia list. Several volunteers worked together to transport Guy the 500 miles to Canada.

He hadn’t been in Canada a full day before he was at an adoption fair in Toronto.  “He was just sitting there with those big beagle sad eyes, looking so depressed. He was irresistible,” said Doherty, who runs the rescue.

Dozens of people came to the fair including Meghan Markle, who was filming “Suits” at the time.

Doherty followed Guy’s new life on Instagram. When she found out Markle was engaged to Prince Harry, she was in awe. “It’s just beyond my wildest imagination,” she said. “How is that for a rags to riches story from a good old Kentucky beagle?”

Source: The Guardian