Blog posts Categorized under ‘Amazing Pet News’

Perhaps she was just looking for a change of scenery, but a tabby cat stowed herself away under a family’s truck for more than 80 miles while they were on their way home from the Orange Bowl game.

After stopping at a hotel 80 miles away from their home in Iowa, Ed and Shelly Odeen heard a faint meow the next morning, according to PeoplePets.com. Getting their dog to sniff out the situation, the Odeens discovered the cat hiding between the spare tire and the bed of the truck, trying to keep warm.

The family named the cat Tebow after University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who famously cried after his team lost.

"We named her Tebow because she’s a crier," daughter Becki told Gazetteonline.com.

After reaching out to local media outlets, a hotel worker notified the Odeen family saying the staff had been feeding the cat and believed she was a stray. However, she appears to be in good cat health despite living on the streets.

The Odeens are now grappling with whether they should keep her, as she’s become a much-loved member of the family.

Judy Fridono had hopes that her golden retriever, Ricochet, would grow up to become a service dog for people with disabilities.

Beginning with lessons through proper pet care to ensure Ricochet would pick up on how to help humans, Fridono worked to make her dog an aid for the disabled. Unfortunately, Ricochet did not feel the same way, and lost interest.

After introducing Ricochet to a quadriplegic surfer named Patrick Ivison, the dog was trained to surf. Surfing on her own and in tandem with Ivison is where the fundraising began, according to PeoplePets.com.

Teaching Ricochet to surf led to a popular YouTube video that has currently gotten more than 1.3 million viewers. The video follows Ricochet on her journey from service dog to surfing dog.

So far, the efforts of Fridono and Ricochet have raised more than $10,000 to go towards Ivison’s physical therapy.

However, Ricochet is also using her surfing abilities for other good causes.

This past holiday season, Ricochet’s Surfin’ of Paws-ibilities character, in which she is fitted in a Santa outfit, helped raised more $3,500 for toys to go towards children in need. The toy donations went to approximately 638 children, boosting their holiday spirit, according to Surfer’s Village.

If you find yourself walking into your local library only to be greeted by a canine, do not be alarmed – that dog might work there.

Several libraries across the country are using therapy dogs as part of a reading education assistance program, according to SeattlePI.com. Children who have difficulties reading are encouraged to read out loud to these furry companions as opposed to teachers and peers.

The therapy dogs are trained to be patient, compassionate and encouraging to the youngsters, who may often feel ashamed when reading to adults.

The dogs that are used for the program are screened, looking for instances of poor dog health and disobedience. Nationally, more than 2,300 dogs are involved with children literacy programs.

The kids seem to like their four-legged audience as well, finding the dogs’ presence welcoming.

"I like to read stories with him," 8-year-old Brian Chan told ABC News. "He does look at the story book, and he smiles a lot."

Therapy dogs have been widely used for an array of purposes. Groups dealing with post-traumatic stress to elderly patients have used therapy dogs as a source of comfort.

While there’s always a slight concern for dogs’ tendencies to lick everything in sight, one family learned they needed to look after their family pet a little more closely.

Caine, a lovable mutt from the Chicago area, was recently involved in a painful accident when he licked a paper shredder, causing him to lose his tongue on New Year’s Day, according to PeoplePets.com.

Pat Taylor, who was caring for the dog while her daughter Ashley was away, quickly rushed the beloved dog to the emergency veterinarian care facility, where the staff suggested he would have to be put down.

The Taylor’s decided to go the alternative route and have a feeding tube inserted to the dog’s stomach. Against all odds, Caine is doing surprisingly well since the procedure.

"[Caine] was different at first but he’s getting back to normal now," Ashley told the news provider. "Other than the tube bothering him occasionally, he’s himself, just a little more tired."

Ashley has also created a blog that tracks Caine’s progress as he continues to improve. Readers are encouraged to donate money that can be used towards providing Caine proper pet care.

While some animal owners feel it’s their responsibility to look after their pet’s health, they might not realize that their furry companion is capable of reciprocating. One woman says she owes her life to her dog after she suffered a medical emergency.

When Minnesota resident Priscilla Elit fainted after suffering a stroke, her dog Milkyway took notice and went to get help, according to MyFoxWausau.com.

When Milkyway noticed something was wrong with Elit, who lives with her sister Julie Chipperfield, the dog went and scratched at Chipperfield’s door, hoping to get her attention.

Chipperfield opened the door and after noticing her sister, quickly dialed 911. The paramedics said that Milky Way saved Elit’s life by springing into action and getting help.

"It does give me a sense of security to think [Milkyway] is looking out for us," Chipperfield told the news provider. "She intuitively knew something was wrong."

Elit has since been discharged and is now back at home recovering with her sister and beloved dog, who she calls her "guardian angel."