When a man kayaking in Boston’s Charles River noticed something unusual in the water, he had no idea he was about to save the life of a helpless creature.

According to the PeoplePets website, “He wasn’t sure what the object was, because there was very little of it above water.”

The news provider explains that the kayaker, who declined to be identified, lifted the crate above water and discovered a full-grown cat locked inside.

The cat, who has since been named “Grandma Moses,” was taken to a veterinarian immediately, where her body temperature was returned to normal thanks to top-notch cat health care.

“Staffers warmed the cat, then treated her bloodied paws, which she presumably injured while trying to escape her sinking crate,” the source reports.

According to PetPeople, X-rays revealed that other than swallowing large amounts of air, likely gasping for breath, the cat sustained no internal injuries.

As Grandma Moses is restored to normal cat health, officials are trying to find out how she got into the river in the first place and why.

“Animal abandonment in Massachusetts is considered animal cruelty, a felony,” the site reports. “It can be punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to five years in prison.”

According to the source, Grandma Moses is now enjoying life, “exploring her surroundings” and patiently waiting for a loving home.

“We’re waiting to make sure she’s healthy, and want to see what the investigation turns up,” officials told the news provider. “But we’ve already had several people contact us expressing interest in adopting her.”

Zak Anderegg wasn’t expecting to find anything but rocks when he rappelled deep into a slot canyon near the Utah-Arizona border—so when he came upon a puppy in dire need of dog health care, he was shocked.

After climbing 350 feet into the rift, Anderegg was stunned to discover the small, emaciated puppy, stuck at the bottom of the deep crevice all by itself.

“He was completely starved,” Anderegg told KSL.com. “He was, my best guess, 24 to 48 hours from being dead.”

According to the news provider, the canyon was so deep and narrow, some of the sections were pitch black in the middle of the day.

“I cannot believe I found this guy down in this frickin’ pothole in this canyon,” Anderegg told the source. “The rim of the canyon is 350 feet above us, so falling from the rim would have killed him.”

That’s why the rock climber thinks the dog was intentionally left there.

“Every single time I work it through my head, I come up with the same answer: someone put him there,” he told the news provider.

Andreegg provided the pup, which needed immediate dog health care, with water and food before he climbed out of the canyon for help.

After a local Arizona town refused to send out their fire department and sheriff to help rescue the dog, Anderegg decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I took risks,” Anderegg told the news provider.

According to the site, Anderegg went back the next morning and “rigged up a system to attach [an animal carrier] to his ropes… then he climbed back out” with the dog in tow.

KSL.com reported that Anderegg then immediately took the pup to a vet clinic where it received dog health care.

Anderegg told the news provider that the dog, which he calls “Puppy,” is in substantially better pet health now.

“The rate of improvement is just incredible,” Anderegg told the news source. “I’d say within two weeks he’ll be at his weight.”

According to the source, Anderegg hasn’t decided whether to keep the pup- because he already has so many other pets.

If you are interested in adopting “Puppy,” contact Zak Anderegg at zak@wrench-it.com.

Officials in New York are making life better for pets, Syracuse.com reported.

State lawmakers approved a bill this month that eliminates a former law that placed a 21-year limit on pet trusts— or money left over for the care of a pet after its owner passes away.

Before passing this bill, pets were only eligible for the trusts for a set amount of time, although oftentimes pets will live much longer after the passing of their owners. According to supporters of the bill, the previously-set 21-year restriction was just not long enough.

“Parrots can live 50 to 75 years,” Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, one of the bill’s sponsors, told Syracuse.com.

Glick wanted to ensure that pets which live longer will be taken care of for the duration of their lives.

Glick said she realizes there may be more important matters at hand, but that this bill was of particular importance to her.

“I can certainly understand where people would say this is not the most pressing issue, and I would agree with that,” Glick told the news provider. “But since it’s not that controversial, it’s the type of thing that can happen without much time or effort.”

Glick added that lawmakers can help to make pet’s lives better, while also focusing on other bills simultaneously, Syracuse.com reported.

“While we continue to grapple with a very serious financial problem for the state and localities, that doesn’t mean that all work comes to a screeching halt. We continue to do other work as we always do,” she told the news source.

According to Legalzoom.com, pet trusts have been around for a long time.

One of the most well-known cases of a pet being taken care of after the passing of its owner, was American Heiress Doris Duke’s dog Minnie, who was left a $100 million trust.

Legalzoom.com also reports that Betty White and Oprah Winfrey may have trusts set-up for their beloved pets.

Shelli Neubauer doesn’t throw pet fur away anymore after she’s done grooming an animal.

Instead, the owner of A Spa For Paws told NBC 26 that she’s decided to help tidy the environment with the remnants of fuzz and fluff.

Neubauer told the news provider that the pet hair is helping mop-up the two million gallons of oil that spilled in the Gulf Coast area the end of April after The Deepwater Horizon exploded.

“I’ve been just throwing it into the garbage and it was going into the landfill,” Neubauer told the news provider. “I thought this is crazy and there has got to be a different way to do this,” she told NBC 26.

But Neubauer isn’t the only pet groomer who’s decided to donate fur to clean-up the ocean.

Fellow Groomer Marta Lazansky told the news source she’s on board too.

“It’s amazing to know such a small community can take part in such a large clean-up effort,” she told NBC 26.

According to the news provider, the hair is extremely effective at helping collect the oil, as one pound of fur can soak up a quart of oil per minute.

NBC 26 reported that a group called Matter of Trust is recycling the dog and cat hair into giant mats that clean-up crews are then using to absorb the oil.

“You wouldn’t think dog hair could soak up oil, but it’s amazing what it can do and how effective it is,” Lazansky told the news source.

According to KATU.com, more than 100 business in Oregon alone are contributing pet fur to help with the oil spill.

A pet owner grooming her dog at Pawsitively Clean in Portland told KATU.com that she thinks her pet’s contribution is great.

“If we can sweep it off, and send it to help, I think that’s amazing,” Whitney Luther told the news provider.

Neubauer told NBC 26 she’s also happy she and the pets she grooms can help.

“It feels great, every little bit helps and it’s awesome,” she said.

Perhaps you’ve noticed Fido tends to favor one paw over the other, or maybe Pumpkin seems more apt to bat at her catnip mouse with her left paw instead of her right. Are you just imagining it? Or could your kitty be a bona fide south paw?

According to Times Online, scientists have discovered that animals, including cats, dogs, parrots and fish are technically right or left “handed” just like humans. Until recently, these animals were thought to be ambidextrous, but according to these studies, paw, eye or foot proficiency has evolved to help the animals fend, hunt for food, and find a mate.

Professor of Psychology at University College London Chris McManus told the news provider that this recent discovery is something that always had scientists’ curiosity piqued.

“We now know that it pays to specialize, whether for the footballer, the whale or the worm,” McManus told the news source.

Times Online reported that female cats tend to favor their right paws, while males favor their left—the same is respectively true in dogs.

Additionally, the source reported that fish tend to have a dominant eye that helps detect predators and that right-eyed fish often circle clockwise while left-eyed fish swim counter-clockwise.

“It enables mammals and animals to act quicker and more instinctively, to know exactly what they’re going to do,” McManus told the news provider. “The whole thing is a competition, there’s a tremendous tactical battle going on the whole time.”

McManus told Times Online that the preference of right over left is nothing short of a strategic, inherent means of self preservation.

“Everybody is trying to exploit the weaknesses in the other,” he told the provider. “Anything that gives you a tactical advantage, such as preponderance to one side, helps.”

Times Online reported that it’s relatively simple to test whether a pet is right or left “handed.” For cats, owners can dangle a string in front of the feline and note which paw it uses to swipe at it. Owners can also put a treat in a jar and observe which paw an animal uses to attempt the retrieve the treat.

If you’re like any other red-blooded, dog-loving American, you get kisses from your pooch— now, experts are saying that endearing slobber just might have the answer to cancer treatment.

According to Fox News, researchers have discovered the DNA on Rover’s tongue could aid in treating cancer in both animals and humans.

Dr. Mark Neff, the director of the new Tgen-VARI Program for Canine Health and Performance told the news provider that by studying dog DNA, they believe they can learn more about treatment.

“Rare diseases in humans also show up in dogs,” Neff told Fox News. “By studying the DNA of canines, we expect to more quickly discover the genomic causes of diseases and more quickly find ways to better treat dogs and people.”

According to 10News.com, the study will focus on sarcomas, or cancer that originates in bones, cartilage and fat.

Dr. Jeffery Trent,President and Research Director for TGen and VARI, told 10News.com that researchers are working strategically to learn more about the dog genome.

“The Human Genome Project provided a new playbook for biomedical research and patient care,” Trent told the news source. “As we begin to catalog the dog genome, we have the opportunity to really understand a number of the problems that afflict the dog, but also a number of possible health solutions for people.”

Fred Krause and his family haven’t yet decided on a name for their new dog, but considering it was hit by a train, “Lucky” might be a good option.

Krause, a freight train worker in Clinton, Utah told ABC 4 he was horrified when he saw the small Shih Tzu on the tracks.

“Most of the time there is nothing you can do about it,” Krause, who was operating the train, told the Associated Press.

Krause told the news provider that the train was going too fast to stop and feared the worst when he heard the locomotive run over the eight-pound dog.

But because of its small stature the pup was left dazed but ultimately unharmed.

“My heart went out to the little guy,” Krause told AP. “The last thing I expected was to find him alive. He looked like he had his bell rung pretty good.”

After a veterinary check-up and a clean bill of dog health, Krause took the Shih Tzu home.

According to AP, Krause and his family have yet to name the pup, but are considering “Bullet” – “because he has dodged a few.”

When Oscar Segovia and his family were asleep on an early Sunday morning, they were annoyed when Scooter, their 1-year-old Shih Tzu, wouldn’t stop barking, the Miami Herald reported.

Segovia said that although Scooter often barked, he always quieted down after awhile. When the Segovia’s finally arose, they found a car in their driveway had caught fire and quickly spread to the attic of their home.

Because Scooter woke them up during the fire, the family was able to escape safely while firefighters put out the flames. Although no one was harmed in the fire, the Segovias, now homeless, are looking to identify the specific cause of the fire.

“This car has been parked in the same place since 9:30 last night,” Segovia told ABC Action News. “…I don’t know how to explain it.”

Humans who overcome significant trauma often become inspirational platforms for others.

A Beagle named Champ is learning that animals too can be motivational.

Upon seeing the puppy who was doused with acid by his owner, veterinarians and animal workers worked to restore the pup to normal dog health.

The puppy, who was found nearly dead with over 85 percent of his body burned, has since become a source of comfort for wounded Iraq veterans, says the website ChamptheMiracleDog.org.

Champ has appeared on a talk show and received more than 11,000 letters a day from fans who were inspired by his story, according to NorthJersey.com.

Champ’s new owner, Mike Martin, has been taking the dog to various forums to talk about how a person’s external appearance has no bearing on their good nature, just like Champ.

“This dog was wounded and he has scars left over from it, and yet, he’s still showing unconditional love,” Martin said.

While many pet owners provide pet care to ensure their animals are happy and safe, many do not realize that their furry friends have their back as well.

Jake Vernon is wheelchair-bound due to an accident that happened a decade ago. While he lay in bed on St. Patrick’s Day, he noticed his Pit Bull, Gracie, would not stop barking, according to PeoplePets.com.

He had previously taken medication to help with a broken leg he had suffered during a mishap, and Vernon was still pretty groggy when Gracie tried to wake him. Upon opening his eyes, Vernon discovered that his room was on fire and Gracie had been trying alert him.

As he scrambled into his wheelchair and tried to make it out the backdoor, Gracie stayed with him the entire time, trying to protect him from the fire. Upon getting out of the house safely, Vernon noticed everyone’s adoration for his beloved Gracie.

"I was seeing a big firefighter, 6-foot-6, and he got down on his hands and knees and hugged that dog with everything he had and he kept saying, ‘This this is the best animal in the world,’ " he told PeoplePets.com.