Animals Make Their Marks for Conservation

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Animals in Australia make their marks to raise awareness for an elephant conservation project in Thailand. A great way to put their stamps on the project!

Lab Swims with Dolphins

A must-see video.

This is Kira, a black lab who has been dubbed a dolphin spotter. She is swimming off the coast of Mozambique in Africa with lots of her best friends, dolphins.

True bliss.

Great Dog Tricks!

Hire that dog. I need him to clean up after mine!

Bunny Brunch

And this is why I could NEVER plant watermelons! (or anything else for that matter)

Mutt Romney Blues

What can I say? The story will never die and the beat truly goes on and on and on...

National Dog Day

Today is National Dog Day but every day seems to bear that title on You Tube where there are over 2 million dog videos. Who is the mot popular? Mishka, above, a Husky with a penchant for copying human speech has amassed over 300 million video views.

Impressive.

Fostering a Baby Walrus

I have an incredible soft spot for seals and walruses and this one, who is being fostered by the Alaska SeaLife Center, has stolen my heart. Walruses. apparently, are incredibly social animals and spend about two years with their mothers. Watch and see how Alaska SeaLife staff members are stepping in to fill that role.

America's Got Talent

Did you catch this act on America's Got Talent? Pretty funny.

Newest Therapist at Magee Rehab Has a Tail

The newest member of the physical therapy team at Magee Rehab Hospital in Philadelphia is Ford, a golden retriever who helps patients with therapy.

Clean Up, Doggie Style

I saw this on television last night and actually laughed out loud. My three have been known to reek the havoc seen above, but have yet to cover their tracks!

Cornelia Guest

Did you catch the wonderful profile of Cornelia Guest, who graces the pages of The Culinary Canine, in Sunday's New York Times? The writer visits Cornelia in her family home, Templeton, which is where we did the photo shoot for the book.

Cornelia is about as genuine as they come and is the real deal when it comes to loving animals. The story mentions some new additions to her menagerie: a giant tortoise and the wonderful dog in the photograph which must be the Newfoundland mentioned in the piece. Madonna, the donkey, sounds like she is still well-fed!

The portrait of her father, in the above photo, which must now hang in her Manhattan office, was hanging at the bottom of the stairs when we visited. It is quite imposing. By the way, one of her most beloved dogs is named Winston after her father.

Now about that yard sale she promises...I just might have to make the trip!

Aquatic Picasso

This Sea World dolphin in Australia has some serious talent! His paintings go on sale at the gift shop. Move over Picasso....

Carriage Horse and Car Collide in NYC, Again

Enough is enough. What is it going to take to unhitch those horses? Horses and cars cannot and should not coexist on the same streets, especially in New York City where you often take your life in your hands crossing the street let alone driving.

Put the horses in the park and let them be horses.

Daring Dog Rescue

An amazing rescue story. Strangers brought together out of their love for animals bring an abandoned dog to safety.

Now that the original owner who left her there has come forward, a custody battle is brewing. Stay tuned. Animal Control in Colorado will decide the rightful owner while Missy or Lucky remains in the care of a vet, where she is doing much better.

Back From the Dead, Literally

What a great story. A family pet, turned in to the SPCA to be euthanized because they couldn't afford the vet bills to repair her injury, was nursed back to health and reunited with her family.

Watch and keep the Kleenex handy.

Puffins From Seal Island

Snippets from a live webcam feed of puffins on Seal Island off the coast of Portland Maine. These guys are sometimes called the clowns of the sea and the National Audubon Society has installed the live web feed to drum up some interest in these coastal birds.

I have been to Seal Island--it is accessible only by mail or lobter boat and has great hiking trails and lots and lots of birds!

A Picture of Love

By now, more than 3 million people have seen the wonderful photo (shown at the end of this video) about John Unger supporting his dog Schoep in the water to help the dog, who is suffering from arthritis, fall asleep. The photo is all about love and doing for others what they do for you.

A Seizure Dog For Evan

As a follow up to this incredible story aired about a year ago on The Early Show, Evan, has received his seizure dog, a glorious goldendoodle named Mindy and so far so good.

“Mindy has a new home and a relatively new family, so it’s an adjustment,” says Evan's mom Lisa. “But she’s been enjoying playing with our other dog, Dinky, and whenever Evan leaves the room, Mindy trails closely behind.”

“Evan hasn’t had a big seizure yet [since Mindy has been home], but Mindy has already been alerting us to some smaller seizures that would have gone unnoticed before,” says Lisa.

“Having Mindy is great!” says Evan, summing up his feelings about his new assistance dog.

His mom has to agree: “I think Mindy is going to change our lives in ways we aren’t even aware of yet.”

What an inspirational story and you can read all about the training on Evan's blog.

Julia Child's Birthday!

Watch Julia Child's 100th birthday on PBS. See more from WGBH Specials.

This video is not technically about an animal but Julia Child did cook a lot of them and I just adore Julia Child and her exuberance in the kitchen. August 15th is what would have been her 100th birthday and PBS has prepared a special that promises to be as special as she was.

Just a heads up that this writer of The Culinary Canine always enjoys playing with food!

Rare White Buffalo

A rare white buffalo has been born in Goshen, Connecticut. The odds of such a birth are one in ten million and the while calf is sacred to many Native American cultures. This little guy, temporarily named White Buffalo, will have an official naming ceremony July 28, an event that could take four days!

In the meantime, the calf is being watched night and day by its owner to guard it from foul play.

One of Oldest Vick Dogs Dies

Ellen, age 11, was one of the oldest fighting dogs rescued from Michael Vick's property. She lived out her days at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, and passed away in late June from a mysterious illness.

We are grateful that she got to know some days of happiness, safety and belly rubs after her brutal and horrible early life.

Rest in Peace, Ellen.

Moose and Swings Get Tangled

A fabulous rescue caught on video. This wonderful police officer sets a bull moose free from backyard swings. Bravo!

London Zoo Olympics

Not to be left out of the human drama, the animals in the London Zoo had their own athletic contests with aquatic and track and field events. Can you guess the winner?

Polar Bear Naps

I just love this guy who is relaxing in Churchill, Canada, the spot where polar bears migrate once a year on their way to the Arctic. This guy must be on his way, judging by the mud--maybe not quite frozen--or making his way back inland after the winter.

What a life and those sleepy eyes remind me so much of Sam!

Lost and Found

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Oh the places these dogs have been! Thanks to a microchip in one of the basset hounds, they were reunited with their owners, 5 1/2 years after they were stolen from their backyard. What are the odds?

Door Stop

No this is not one of my dogs, but it might as well be. This is EXACTLY where they camp out, though, to date, mine do move, somewhat when the refrigerator door opens!

Bear Conga Line

"I'll clean your ears if you clean mine!" Talk about a conga line--this one "bears" watching!

Monkey See Monkey Do!

This interaction between a toddler and a chimp had the protective glass between them but they sure seemed to connect.

Dog Senses Low Blood Pressure

Yet another story about how dogs can help people with special medical needs. This one is amazing.

Cheetah Sets New world Record

Ok we've seen a lot of world records broken these days at the Olympics, but the one that Sarah, an 11 year old cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo broke left humans and most animals in the dust.

While being photographed for a National Geographic magazine article that will include never before seen high speed photos of a cheetah in high speed action, Sarah covered 100 meters in 6.13 seconds, and, in the process, earned the title of world's fastest land mammal.

How fast is that? Well watch and see for yourself.

A Smooch From London

It's from the London Zoo and it's totally adorable. Maybe these two giraffe were kissing each other for luck as their city hosts the Olympics!

Boost Your Immunity--Get a Dog!

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Who knew dog hair could be good for you?

Colbert's Take on the Romney's Dressage Horse

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Mitt Romney's Champion Horse & Dressage Tribute
www.colbertnation.com
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Hey (pun intended), it's the Olympics and I couldn't resist.