Animal rescuers care for LA fire evacuees – dogs, donkeys, horses

Pasadena, California Reuters The pitbull mix arrived at Pasadena Humane covered in ash, his paw pads ulcerated from walking on fire debris, his lungs choked with smoke. A good Samaritan found the dog lying in rubble in Altadena, wrapped him in a blanket and brought him to the shelter. Still too weak to walk Saturday, […]
Learning about God from dogs: Orthodox monks breed and train canines in upstate New York monastery

GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, visits the monks of New Skete in upstate New York…
Chilean vet helps dogs, cats and rabbits injured in wildfires

Vina del Mar, Chile Reuters Among the mountains of debris left over from raging wildfires that have killed more than 120 people in Chile are lost dogs and cats, wandering the streets covered in ash and burns. Some whine behind gates where houses used to be, others stick to new people they have found, and […]
StrangeSights: A Bosnian village for hobbits; dogs in Chile glow for a cause; and, meet the world’s youngest authors…

DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Health Insight: Pet therapy – how dogs, cats and horses help improve human wellbeing

In an article first published on The Conversation, ANN HEMINGWAY, professor of public health and wellbeing at Bournemouth University in the UK, looks at the role pets can play in human health…
As Spanish volcano roars, drones drop food for dogs stranded by lava

La Palma, Spain Reuters Several emaciated dogs lie curled up in and around a walled, ash-covered yard cut off by volcanic lava in the mountainous area of Todoque on the Spanish island of La Palma, until a drone appears in the sky to drop packages with food and water. They lift their heads to look […]
Dogs at church?: Meet Petey the Beagle, associate pastor and greeter

This week, the US marked National Dog Day. KATHRYN POST, of Religion News Service, reports on how some US churches are engaging with pets as a means of connecting with people…
Dogs ease pandemic isolation for nursing home residents in New York

New York City, US AP Eileen Nagle sees her family in video chats and drive-by visits, but that hasn’t made up for the lack of warm hugs in the nine months since the pandemic led her nursing home to shut its doors to visitors. Enter Zeus. “Zeus is a friendly little snowball, very happy,” said […]
Essay: Atheists prefer cats, Christians love dogs, study shows

In an article first published on Religion News Service, RYAN BURGE, assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, looks at what data about ownership and religious beliefs in the US shows…
Film: ‘A Dog’s Journey’ brings W Bruce Cameron’s Bailey back to life – and back again

HEATHER ADAMS, of Religion News Service, reports on the movie sequel to ‘A Dog’s Purpose’…