Pet Scoop: Injured Red Panda Recovers With Help, Surgery Saves Hero Police Dog

January 23, 2017 at 08:35PM by
>br> Jan. 23, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Injured red panda cub

Red Panda Cuddles With Plush Toy

A 2-month-old red panda cub whose neck was injured while she was being carried by her mom at Australia’s Taronga Zoo is getting some comfort from a surrogate — and a stuffed animal that looks like her mom. Maiya spent her first five weeks with first-time mom Amala before keepers made the tough decision to intervene because of her injury. “She’s definitely a little survivor,” said Tamara Gillies, the keeper who’s Maiya’s surrogate mom. She clings to the plush toy panda while feeding and sleeping. “The soft toy gives her something with a familiar scent to snuggle and play with. It’s the same color as a real Red Panda and she clings to it using her claws and teeth as she would do with her mum.” Maiya will be reunited with her mom after about another month of human TLC. — Read it at Zooborns

Study Suggests Pets Grieve Their Late Friends

A recent study finds that dogs and cats show grieving behaviors after a companion animal in their home dies. Based on surveys distributed at veterinary clinics and animal welfare organizations in New Zealand and Australia, the research finds dogs and cats who’d recently lost a companion were more likely to show more affection and demand more attention from their owners, and to seek out the deceased animal’s favorite spot. Dog owners also reported their pets ate less and not as fast, and slept more. Cats were reported to have increased the volume and frequency of their vocalizations. The study was published in the journal Animals. — Read it at the AVMA

The Rock Gets Adorable Interruption

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was interrupted from filming a Ford commercial in the cutest possible way — by a group of French Bulldog puppies. Johnson, who’s a dog lover and Frenchie owner, stopped everything to cuddle with the adorable little puppies. They’d been brought in by Seven Bucks Digital Studios, part of a production company Johnson owns, as part of an announcement that for the next three months, it will donate its ad revenue to Best Friends Animal Society to help it rescue animals. — Watch it at People Pets

Image: Hero K9 Blade

Hero Police Dog Saves Officer

Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department K9 Blade is back home and resting after being shot in the line of duty on Wednesday. Blade, 6, was shot by a suspect during a foot chase. The Dutch Shepherd was stabilized by Glen Park Animal Hospital and later had surgery at Purdue University Animal Hospital to remove bullet fragments from his jaw and neck. The suspect later died from wounds he sustained in the incident. The sheriff’s department has credited Blade with saving his human partner’s life in the shootout. “His working days are probably over, but he will always serve as my protector. Thank you everyone for standing by us,” Blade’s partner, Chris Vukin, wrote in a Lake County K9 Association Facebook post on Saturday, after Blade was released from the animal hospital. — Read it at ABC 7 Chicago

Dogs Join Women’s March

Hundreds of thousands of people join the Women’s March on Washington and hundreds of sister marches around the world — and some dogs joined in, too. Many of them wore signs, and celebrity chef Mario Batali’s dog even sported the march’s signature pink hat. Former Secretary of State John Kerry was spotted strolling through the crowds in Washington with his own Labrador Retriever, Ben. — See photos at the Huffington Post



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