Monthly Archives: May 2013

(TOUCHING TALE) Bridget Evans and her service dog named Hero received a resounding applause as they crossed the podium to accept her master's degree from the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The pair attended the commencement ceremony in matching royal blue caps and gowns in honor of their accomplishments together. Read on for more on this inspiring duo, and learn how the amazing pair has touched the hearts of many. — Global Animal

(CAPTIVE DOLPHINS) Hooray for cetaceans! Late last week, India banned the exploitation of dolphins for entertainment purposes and is now the largest of four countries, including Costa Rica, Hungary, and Chile, to prohibit the practice. In many parts of the world, dolphin shows are big business—which begs the question: what compelled India to make this decision? Due to the dolphin's high level of intelligence, Indian regulators have deemed the cetaceans as "non-human persons" with specific rights and freedoms. Read on for more about this compassionate piece of legislation, which is a major step in the right direction. — Global Animal

(GLOBAL ANIMAL NEWS) Thanks for being as patient as crocodiles when our site was running slower than snails. We just had too many readers! We've made quite a few technical improvements to speed up the site and are pleased to report Global Animal is now running faster than a cheetah. Our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience, and please take the time to go hogwild on the new and improved Global Animal! — Global Animal

(ANIMAL VIDEO) This spunky kitten is asking for it! Luckily, this patient pup knows better. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL RESCUE) While Oklahoma residents have only begun picking up the pieces in the wake of the massive tornado that tore through the region earlier this week, it's encouraging to see miracles are still possible. One such moment occurred during a CBS interview with a woman named Barbara Garcia, whose home was completely destroyed by the colossal tornado. But her greatest loss was her missing dog, who she tried so hard to protect during the disaster. As the woman told her heartbreaking story, the news crew noticed a dog's head poking out from beneath the rubble. Read on for more details on this touching tale and check out the tear-jerking video of the miraculous reunion below. — Global Animal

(DOGS) Marine Sgt. Ross Gundlach has finally been reunited with his long, lost love—a golden Labrador named Casey who served with him when he was a dog handler in Afghanistan. The two embarked on over 150 missions during their time together, during which Gundlach says Casey was so efficient, she never once missed an explosive and even caught three prior to discharging. Read on to learn more about this touching tale and watch the video of the heartwarming reunion. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL NEWS) Monday, a massive tornado struck the Oklahoma City area around 3 p.m. and stayed on the ground for a grueling 40 minutes. The violent cyclone swept through the region in a destructive furry, leveling businesses, demolishing homes, and destroying two elementary schools. Many are desperately trying to reach and find loved ones affected by the life-changing event, and organizations, like Google, the Oklahoma Humane Society, and Reddit, are working around the clock to help confirm the safety of tornado survivors. Continue reading for more on the Oklahoma tornado and the catastrophic event's ongoing rescue efforts. — Global Animal

(PETA/ANIMAL SHELTERS) Whether they are promoting a healthy vegan diet, curbing the fur trade, influencing cruelty-free product marketing, or working to implement non-animal testing methods, PETA has been the driving force behind many groundbreaking successes for millions of individual animals. However, the question behind PETA's euthanization policy remains in the center of hot debate as many activists believe it is wrong, and even hypocritical for one of the world’s leading animal rights organizations to support the practice. The organization is once again under attack following a scathing blog post published in the Huffington Post in April. In the detailed article, Nathan Winograd, executive director of the No Kill Advocacy Center, unveils the shocking numbers behind PETA's "kill rate," positing that shelters should only euthanize animals who are essentially unadoptable and cannot be rehabilitated due to aggression or health reasons. However, President and co-founder of PETA Ingrid Newkirk's rebuttle entitled Euthanasia: We Won't Run From What Needs To Be Done! claims, "PETA's statistics are also often used, as they are being used now, in a truly perverted way by some 'no-kill' evangelists to try to turn people away from the 'evil' of what is actually a dignified, merciful release from suffering." Read on to learn more about the ongoing debate between PETA and supporters of the no-kill movement. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL VIDEO) This German hound goes to great lengths to retrieve their toy from the pool—a reward well-deserved!. — Global Animal

(WILDLIFE) French oil and gas company Total reassured shareholders and animals lovers after announcing they will not search for oil in Congo's Virunga National Park—the home to mountain gorillas and a Unesco World Heritage site. Chairman Christophe de Margerie said they will not prospect for oil out of respect for the heritage and conservation site, which is Africa's oldest national park. Read on for more information regarding this admirable decision to preserve these species and their habitat. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) A group of unlikely heroes are currently being trained to prevent future land mine tragedies. Croatian researchers are training sugar-craving honeybees to find unexploded mines littering their country—all of which have been responsible for about 2,500 deaths since the beginning of the Balkan wars in 1991. Because bees have a perfect sense of smell which can efficiently detect the scent of explosives, identifying their food source with the scent of TNT has proved to be a successful way to safely unveil dangerous hidden mines. Read on for more on the ways in which these everyday insects can potentially make a huge difference in Croatia. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL VIDEO) Short legs and rolls of baby fat are the prime ingredients for extreme cuteness. This bulldog pup's efforts to crawl make for one of the cutest videos ever! — Global Animal

(ANIMAL VIDEO) After many cycles of reincarnation, this little guy has finally found the key to true enlightenment, and you can see it on his furry face. Belly rubs times kitten equals ultimate happiness. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) A new species of pit viper has been confirmed in the highland forests of Honduras. Named after late conservationist Mario Guifarro, the new species of snake could be an extremely rare occurrence in the wild. In fact, some scientists  argue the new viper should be classified as critically endangered, as threats to the snakes’ limited environment are increasingly imminent. Continue reading for more on the details surrounding this new discovery. — Global Animal