Cute Critters to Take Our Minds Off Everyday Stresses

[samhexum]

 

[samhexum]

So...  it's just a coincidence that the breakthrough with the llama happened when the guy was shirtless and showing off his luscious arms and torso, right?

[samhexum]

Popcorn & paws: movie Sundays kick off at Chateau Le Woof

QNS.COM

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Grab your popcorn and cuddle up next to your furry friend at Chateau Le Woof’s Movie Sundays, beginning this weekend on Jan. 11.

 

[Whitman]

[Whitman]

[Whitman]

[Stormy]

[Stormy]

[Stormy]

[Whitman]

[+ Charlie]

On 1/31/2026 at 10:46 AM, Stormy said:

What a cute couple!

[mike carey]

[Lotus-eater]

10 hours ago, mike carey said:

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig [or dog] satisfied." --John Stuart Mill

[BSR]

The Pomeranian toward the end is the best …

 

[Luv2play]

22 hours ago, Lotus-eater said:

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig [or dog] satisfied." --John Stuart Mill

So what did he know? 😂

[Danny-Darko]

Russell Tovey 

[Danny-Darko]

[BSR]

 

[BSR]

16 hours ago, Danny-Darko said:

For those unfamiliar, there is a sad but beautiful story behind this photo.  The dog is Eli, trained to detect IEDs, with his Marine handler, 20yo Colton Rusk.  When Colton was fatally shot by a Taliban sniper in Afghanistan, Eli tried to protect his fallen handler by crawling on top of his body.  The panicked Labrador retriever wouldn’t even allow fellow Marines near and bit some who were trying to rescue their comrade.

Colton had taken this photo and sent it to his parents, along with stories of how much he loved Eli.  The two spent every waking and even sleeping moment together (Colton let Eli sleep at the foot of his mattress).  Knowing the bond between the two, a fellow handler reached out to Rusk’s parents and encouraged them to adopt Eli.  Even though military working dogs are not adopted out until retirement (Eli was only 4yo, plenty more years of IED detection in him), the family succeeded in getting a special exception.

After adoption, Eli always accompanied Kathy Rusk to visit her son’s grave several times a week.  Eli remained part of the Rusk family for more than a decade after Colton’s death.  R.I.P. Colton & Eli.

[mike carey]

Requiescat in pace.

Semper fi.

[wsc]

47 minutes ago, BSR said:

For those unfamiliar, there is a sad but beautiful story behind this photo.  The dog is Eli, trained to detect IEDs, with his Marine handler, 20yo Colton Rusk.  When Colton was fatally shot by a Taliban sniper in Afghanistan, Eli tried to protect his fallen handler by crawling on top of his body.  The panicked Labrador retriever wouldn’t even allow fellow Marines near and bit some who were trying to rescue their comrade.

Colton had taken this photo and sent it to his parents, along with stories of how much he loved Eli.  The two spent every waking and even sleeping moment together (Colton let Eli sleep at the foot of his mattress).  Knowing the bond between the two, a fellow handler reached out to Rusk’s parents and encouraged them to adopt Eli.  Even though military working dogs are not adopted out until retirement (Eli was only 4yo, plenty more years of IED detection in him), the family succeeded in getting a special exception.

After adoption, Eli always accompanied Kathy Rusk to visit her son’s grave several times a week.  Eli remained part of the Rusk family for more than a decade after Colton’s death.  R.I.P. Colton & Eli.

Thank you posting this and for the shiver up my spine, the lump in my throat, and the tear in my eye. I can only rejoice in the love and joy these two felt and shared and the good life Eli had as an adoptee, even though, through Colton, he was already a member of the family.

And let it not go unsaid - Colton was very cute! Thank you, Colton, for your service and your sacrifice.

[Luv2play]

Without knowing the backstory to the photo of Colton and Eli, the dog, I posted an lol emoji because they were both sticking out their tongues. The picture touched me in a special way because my first dog was a Black Labrador retriever.

Sad to learn of the fate of Colton. Glad to hear Eli had a second life after the tragedy.