Dog Lovers!

[samhexum]

Formerly-Abused Rescue Dog Has Hard Time Adjusting Until Mom Gets Him Foster Kitten to Love

 

When you welcome a foster or rescue animal into your home, you may not know what they have been through before coming to live with you. Some animals adjust quickly to their new environs. I’ve had foster dogs who were ready to join the family within a few hours. Others take a longer time to warm up. When we rescued our cats, it was a whole year before we were able to catch them snuggling with us while we slept.

All of which is to say, it very much depends on the animal how long it takes for them to open up and be their true selves. And sometimes they need a little help, like this formerly abused rescue dog whose heart opened when he got the opportunity to care for foster kittens of his very own.

A woman in Houston chose Chapo from the shelter when he was on the list to be euthanized. She described the pit bull mix as “the saddest dog in the shelter” and the many scars on his beautiful brown face were a testament to the terrible times he had been through before coming to live with her. But despite the fact that Chapo was now in a safe, loving home, he still seemed depressed.

“For months, progress was slow, and I was beginning to worry about him,” she writes in the captions. “Until I fostered a kitten.”

It seems like the key to making her rescue dog happy was letting him rescue kittens.

In the video, you can see how gentle and calm he is with these tiny creatures, allowing them to sleep pressed up next to his giant body, nuzzling them with his big snout, and softly mouthing them when they get rambunctious. A better foster dad you couldn’t hope to find.

Over the years, Chapo has helped him mom foster many kittens and the results have been rewarding for everyone involved.

Dogs and Cats

Though the stereotype says that dogs and cats don’t get along, situations like Chapo’s are more of the norm than otherwise, In truth, most dogs can get along just fine with the other animals in their house, whether they are other dogs, cats, birds or anything else. The process of having your dog bond with other animals will differ depending on your individual dog’s personality. Some dogs are instantly curious and happy about having another animal in the house—like this one. Other dogs need to be taught how to be gentle and respectful of fellow creature’s space and little bodies. When first introducing your dog to new pets, it pays to make sure you supervise and know what kind of interaction to expect.

Foster Animal Timelines

When a rescue animal first comes to a new home, it may take a while for them to adjust to their surroundings and relax. Many rescues advise thinking of the animals as being on a “3-3-3” timeline. According to this rule, it will normally take a foster or rescue dog three days to stop feeling terrorized, three weeks to let their real personality shine through, and three months to accept the place they are living in as their new home. During this time period, it’s important to be gentle with them, avoid throwing too many new experiences and people at them, and being patient as they test boundaries and try to figure out the rules of their new home.

And maybe, as Chapo proved, they just need a pet of their own to love.

Edited October 31, 2024 by samhexum
for shits and giggles

[samhexum]

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor in northern Ukraine—then part of the Soviet Union—exploded, sending a massive plume of radiation into the sky. Nearly four decades later, the Chernobyl Power Plant and many parts of the surrounding area remain uninhabited—by humans, at least.

Animals of all kinds have thrived in humanity’s absence. Living among radiation-resistant fauna are thousands of feral dogs, many of whom are descendants of pets left behind in the speedy evacuation of the area so many years ago. As the world’s greatest nuclear disaster approaches its 40th anniversary, biologists are now taking a closer look at the animals located inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), which is about the size of Yosemite National Park, and investigating how decades of radiation exposure may have altered animals’ genomes—and even, possibly, sped up evolution.

Scientists from the University of South Carolina and the National Human Genome Research Institute have begun examining the DNA of 302 feral dogs found in or around the CEZ to better understand how radiation may have altered their genomes. Their results were published in the journal Science Advances.

“Do they have mutations that they’ve acquired that allow them to live and breed successfully in this region?” co-author Elaine Ostrander, a dog genomics expert at the National Human Genome Research Institute, told The New York Times. “What challenges do they face and how have they coped genetically?”

The idea of radiation speeding up natural evolution isn’t a new one. The practice of purposefully irradiating seeds in outer space to induce advantageous mutations, for example, is now a well-worn method for developing crops well-suited for a warming world.

 

Scientists have been analyzing certain animals living within the CEZ for years, including bacteria, rodents, and even birds. One study back in 2016 found that Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis), which are usually a green color, were more commonly black within the CEZ. The biologists theorize that the frogs experienced a beneficial mutation in melanin—pigments responsible for skin color—that helped dissipate and neutralize some of the surrounding radiation.

This made scientists ponder: could something similar be happening to Chernobyl’s wild dogs?

The study uncovered that the feral dogs living near the Chernobyl Power Plant showed distinct genetic differences from dogs living only some 10 miles away in nearby Chernobyl City. While this may seem to heavily imply that these dogs have undergone some type of rapid mutation or evolution due to radiation exposure, this study is only a first step in proving that hypothesis.

One environmental scientist, speaking with Science News, says that these studies can be tricky business, largely due to the fact that sussing out radiation-induced mutations from other effects, like inbreeding, is incredibly difficult.

However, this study provides a template for further investigation into the effects of radiation on larger mammals, as the DNA of dogs roaming the Chernobyl Power Plant and nearby Chernobyl City can be compared to dogs living in non-irradiated areas. Despite a current lack of firm conclusions, the study has shown once again that an area that—by all rights—should be a wasteland has become an unparalleled scientific opportunity to understand radiation and its impact on natural evolution.

 

[samhexum]

More than 175 dogs across Britain have been dressed up as Nativity characters for a festive Instagram display.

After more than 60 dogs took part in the festive stunt last year, the team doubled their efforts again this year.

The Nativity display, which owners have posted throughout the day on Monday, is to help an animal rescue.

The group of dog owners banded together on Instagram to divvy up the main characters — including Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Angel.

The stunt is in aid of Broken Biscuits, the UK’s leading disabled animal advocacy charity, which is based in Lincolnshire.

Characters were allocated to each of the original 150 dog owners involved in the plan on Instagram.

They all went away and bought, sourced or made their costumes before the big reveal.

Edited December 17, 2024 by samhexum
for shits and giggles

[samhexum]

It’s been ruff for the UK’s most unwanted dog — but she finally found her forever home.

When Mia the Dutch Shepherd was rescued by UK inspectors of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in October 2019, she was just nine days old.

The “sweet” pup, available for rehoming since November 2022, spent more than two years at Southridge Animal Center in Hertfordshire, England, as 1,500 of her furry friends at the facility found new homes.

But after waiting 800 days and spending her fifth birthday there, the longest-staying resident was finally able to say goodbye and move in with a loving family.

“Mia is a superb dog and a great companion — she brings a smile to my face every day,” her new owner Chris Greenwell told Southwest News Service. “She’s been with me for nearly a month, but it feels like she’s been here forever, she’s settled in so well.”

The staff at RSPCA Southridge are “thrilled” that the “one in a million” dog has been adopted.

“Mia had spent almost her entire life in kennels — 35 years in dog years — and we’re so happy she’s finally found her forever home,” Claire Hoffman, behavior and welfare advisor at RSPCA Southridge, said.

“Her long wait was completely heartbreaking — we think she was the RSPCA’s longest ‘available for rehoming’ pet and the country’s most unwanted dog, a title no animal deserves.”

Last month, Greenwell took Mia to her new home in North Yorkshire — 200 miles away.

“Considering she’s not spent much time in a home environment, she adapted incredibly well,” Greenwell shared, adding that the pup loves his 15-year-old daughter Seren and even looks for her, “which is very sweet.”

“She immediately adopted a sofa, and it’s been hard to get her out of it since,” he said. “If I sit down and put my feet up, she gives me an exasperated sigh and moves over to the armchair instead.”

Of course, it’s taken some time for Mia to fully adjust to living in a family home after spending her years with RSPCA.

“As time has gone on, she’s really come out of her shell — she’s very cheeky, creeping into my home office when I’m in meetings and turning my wicker bin into her new toy,” Greenwell shared. “She’s very playful and full of energy.”

Mia’s new pet parent said that every day after she finishes her breakfast, she runs to choose a toy. Her favorites are “anything with a squeak” — and she’s already lovingly destroyed three.

The pup also loves playing tug of war, as well as outdoor activities.

“Recently, she has started coming hiking with me and encountering rivers, moorland, rocky trails and waterfalls for the first time,” Greenwell said.

“She’s already discovered that though peat bogs look solid, they aren’t always, which leads to an introduction to the shower!” he quipped.

Even with a “challenging start” to life, Mia defied the odds for the “most unwanted dog.”

“She blossomed into such a pretty, friendly and very intelligent dog with so much love to give — she really is one in a million, and I’m so happy she’s thriving in her new home,” Hoffman said. “We’re all thrilled her story now has a happy ending.

“She’s exceeded expectations in every way; Mia really is the epitome of man’s best friend,” Greenwell added.