* via BuzzFeed!

Thanks to a reader, I now know that Kathryn Erbe whom I accidentally ran into the other night while adoring her dog, is an ardent dog-rescue and anti-cruelty advocate which delights me to no end! Detective by day and dog lover and advocate 24/7??? She's my hero.

Check out her video!

Thanks to Aunt Suzi for sending this email gem along and making my day.

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

As anybody who has grieved inconsolably over the death of a loved one can attest, extended mourning is, in part, a perverse kind of optimism. Surely this bottomless, unwavering sorrow will amount to something, goes the tape loop. Surely if I keep it up long enough I’ll accomplish my goal, and the person will stop being dead.

Last week the Internet and European news outlets were flooded with poignant photographs of Gana, an 11-year-old gorilla at the Münster Zoo in Germany, holding up the body of her dead baby, Claudio, and pursing her lips toward his lifeless fingers. Claudio died at the age of 3 months of an apparent heart defect, and for days Gana refused to surrender his corpse to zookeepers, a saga that provoked among her throngs of human onlookers admiration and compassion and murmurings that, you see? Gorillas, and probably a lot of other animals as well, have a grasp of their mortality and will grieve for the dead and are really just like us after all.

Nobody knows what emotions swept through Gana’s head and heart as she persisted in cradling and nuzzling the remains of her son. But primatologists do know this: Among nearly all species of apes and monkeys in the wild, a mother will react to the death of her infant as Gana did — by clutching the little decedent to her breast and treating it as though it were still alive. For days or even weeks afterward, she will take it with her everywhere and fight off anything that threatens to snatch it away. “The only time I was ever mobbed by langurs was when I tried to inspect a baby corpse,” said the primatologist Sarah Hrdy. Only gradually will she allow the distance between herself and the ever-gnarlier carcass to grow.

Hey readers and animal lovers! Look to your left at that curious lemur! The Wildlife Conservation Society has graicously purchased a month-long ad. Can we show them love by clicking on their ad and checking out their site? Also, don't forget to visit the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo or the Prospect Park Zoo this summer!!

This ad pleases me deeply because my lifelong goal is to be an animal philanthropist* and it felt like just as I was looking into what WCS was all about, they reached out to me! I've been researching organizations that would be best to support based on my intellectual interests, emotional connection and the charity's track record such as how much they allocate to programs versus salaries. So far, I have a short list of two: 1) WCS and 2) ASPCA. If you have any thoughts, let me know!

* FYI, you need not be loaded to be a philanthropist There are tons of worthy charities that would be delighted to have your $10 a month donation! Let's consume less and donate more [end of preachy message].

Thanks to my brother for this article! I suppose I will give humans some credit for how awesome dogs are...

Dogs are becoming more intelligent and are even learning morals from human contact, scientists claim.

They say the fact that dogs' play rarely escalates into a fight shows the animals abide by social rules.

During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.

When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.

But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing the game.

Dr Friederike Range, of the University of Vienna, who led the study, said: 'Dogs show a strong aversion to inequity. I would prefer not to call it a sense of fairness, but others might.'

* Thanks to Andrea Spratt who sends me these photos because she loves me and because she loves to torture me.

Chimp Steals Gun From Zookeeper In Japan: Watch the video!

* via BuzzFeed!

* There's more where that came from here!

For more info on the fellas click here.

* Thanks to Amy Wood for this!!

* via BuzzFeed!

* Thanks to Mark for adding to the piglet trend!

* Thanks to Zee for the glee!

DOG DIARY

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

CAT DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies
and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is
regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

* Thanks to Beth for this!

* Thanks to Sally for this exceedingly lovely way to start my Monday!!

* via Kottke as I never read the Shouts and Murmurs section of the New Yorker but am glad I found my way to it for this piece!

Who could have done this??!!

The killers waited until dark.

On July 22 of last year unknown assailants crouched in the forest, preparing to execute a family of gorillas. Hidden on a side slope of the Mikeno volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed with automatic weapons, the killers had hunted down the twelve-member Rugendo family, well-known among tourists and well loved by the rangers of Virunga National Park. The patriarch of the gorilla family, a 500-pound silverback named Senkwekwe, would have sensed that the assailants were near, perhaps wrinkling his wide, black nose at their unfortunate smell, but he would not have been alarmed. Senkwekwe had seen thousands of people and had come to accept their proximity as irritating but unavoidable. So habituated to humans was the Rugendo family that the gorillas would occasionally wander out of the forest into cornfields for an impromptu picnic, angering local farmers.

Park rangers at the nearby Bukima barracks said they heard shots at eight that night. On foot patrol the next morning they found three female gorillas—Mburanumwe, Neza, and Safari—shot to death, with Safari's infant cowering nearby. The following day Senkwekwe was found dead: blasted through the chest that same night. Three weeks later the body of another Rugendo female, Macibiri, would be discovered, her infant presumed dead.

* Thanks to Michelle for the photo!!

* via Animal Medical Center!

I know I shouldn't fetishize his puffed up little body because they die after a few puffs but how can I not when it's soooooooooo cute??!!!!

This was hands-down the most glorious day. We hiked then snorkeled among the most abundant fish friends.

* I was too afraid of getting Steve Irwined :-( so I wimped out. Luckily John took this great photo instead!

Met two of these thus far on this trip.

Oh my god!!! This photo is captioned 'Lovable Lumps' and I didn't even consult on that!! The New York Times wrote that cuteness all on their own!!! And the article only gets cuter!!! Who knew that walruses were so awesome??...

I was about to meet a walrus for the first time in my life, and I felt fabulous. After all, Ronald J. Schusterman of the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has studied them for years, had assured me over the phone that to meet a walrus was to fall in love with walruses — the mammals were that smart, friendly and playful. “They’re pussycats!” he said.

“Just push back on the snout with the palm of your hand and blow in its face,” Dr. Schusterman instructed. “A walrus really likes to be blown in the face.” Continue reading...

The chemistry is palpable...they are desperate to become friends!!

* Fantastic photo by KO!

* Via BuzzFeed!

* Thanks to my hubby for knowing I can never be sent too many cute animal pics.

So sad and scary.

He spent his life helping animals and then he gets killed by an animal - cruel, cruel, fate. Makes me think of Born Free.

I'm out in California right now and I overheard someone say that they felt bad saying it but they were looking forward to renting Jaws.

Humans are complicated.

* Thanks again to Chelsea for the link!

* Thanks to Chelsea for the link!

This is horrific. Why is it not surprising that China is the offender? No need to answer.

* Thanks to my brother for the link

If I didn't have a hubby who's allergic to cats I would have adopted George yesterday. I met this cat a few months ago and instantly fell in love. He is a big cat with an even bigger personality! He loves being with people even more than just being his sexy self. If you're someone who prefers a cat you don't see much, George isn't for you. If not, I encourage you to meet George! He needs a home by mid-May as his owners are leaving the country or he goes to the ASPCA. Please spread the word about this awesome cat. He is BFF potential!

A thrilling trio!
so painfully cute to watch,
nose grease smudge on glass.

Shortly after, Bodhi's tail snapped in half but fortunately cat's tails grow back...

Thanks to my brother (who just landed in Tokyo) for this!

"Conan started to pose in prayer like us whenever he wanted treats," said Joei Yoshikuni, a priest at Jigenin temple on the southern island of Okinawa.

"I'm glad that people feel more comfortable visiting the temple because of Conan," he said as he jokingly joined his hands and bowed to the dog.

Friends of mine are adopting this little guy in a few weeks. No joke.

* Thanks to Kendyl for the link!!!

Disabling embedding is lame!

Here is a sweet sweet taste of our trip to BVI. Watch the little fella (~2 ft long shell) fake me out twice!