90-year-old Woman who Loves German Shepherds Donates Over $32,000 to the Sheriff’s Office for K-9 Bulletproof Vests and Training New Dogs for the Force

90-year-old Pamela Mobbs, passed away in October 2020, donating over $32,000 to the Volusia Sheriff’s K-9 officers. The sizable donation was from the generous woman’s estate and was whole-heartedly given to the K-9 police force.

Half of the money donated will be for supplying K-9 bulletproof vests for the German Shepherds working in the field, and the other for training additional dogs who will be joining the force. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office was given two separate checks from Pamela’s estate, each for $16,428.16 (which totals to $32,856.32).

To read more on this story, click here: 90-year-old Woman who Loves German Shepherds Donates Over $32,000 to the Sheriff’s Office for K-9 Bulletproof Vests and Training New Dogs for the Force

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Family returns home to find their walls and floors covered in blood after pet dog attacks intruder

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield family recently opened their door to find a scene from a horror film. There was blood covering the walls and floors of their home.

The family said there have been several break-ins recently in the Ashbrooke neighborhood where they live. The family came home Thursday night to find they too had been the victim of a break in. They say thanks to a family pet, the would-be robber got away with nothing. In fact, he was lucky to get away with his life.

To read more on this story, click here: Family returns home to find their walls and floors covered in blood after pet dog attacks intruder

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Orphaned Fawns Survive With Love Of Gentle German Shepherd

When it comes to helping furry friends in need, this Shepherd has it covered. Sarge takes any opportunity to comfort an orphaned animal in need, and absolutely shines in the role!

Sarge’s fur mom, Cheryl, helps to rehabilitate local wildlife in her area that find themselves in desperate situations. She welcomes them into her home to give them the safety and comfort they need to enter the wild again, and Sarge is by her side each step of the way.

To read more on this story, click here: Orphaned Fawns Survive With Love Of Gentle German Shepherd

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Police Dog Gets Fired From K-9 Job For Being Too Cute And Friendly, Later Gets An Even Better Job

When it comes to the qualities of a good police dog, we have to mention their intelligence, aggression, strength, and sense of smell. They are specifically trained to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel. For this reason, if a dog is too cute and friendly, he is just not for this type of work.

Meet Gavel, the adorable German shepherd who was fired from k-9 job for being too friendly. Yup, instead of sniffing out explosives or tackling suspects for the Queensland Police Service in Brisbane, Eastern Australia, Gavel was more interested in getting belly tickles and cuddles from strangers.

To read more on this story, click here: Police Dog Gets Fired From K-9 Job For Being Too Cute And Friendly, Later Gets An Even Better Job

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9 Most Common Dog Eye Problems

Dog eye problems are very common and in most cases it's just a mild inconvenience. However, certain conditions will be more serious and require veterinary intervention, including surgery.

Studies observed that German Shepherd Dogs and Maltese are twice more likely to suffer from different types of eye disease than any other breed. Dry eyes, cataracts, corneal ulcers, progressive retinal atrophy and glaucoma are the most common eye conditions in dogs, commonly occurring in breeds between ages of 4 and 7 

Eye disease are often inherited, and it's the most well-studied areas of all inherited diseases in dogs. Below is a list of nine most common dog eye problems with pictures, their causes, prevention and treatment.

To read more on this story, click here: 9 Most Common Dog Eye Problems

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Joe Biden's German Shepherd Will Be The First Rescue Dog To Live In The White House

With this projection comes the assumption that Biden's family will be moving into the White House once he is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States

And this would further mean that the Biden family's two dogs, Champ and Major, will also be moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

As reported by TMZ, Champ's been a part of the Biden family since 2008, and Major joined the clan back in 2018.

To read more on this story, click here: Joe Biden's German Shepherd Will Be The First Rescue Dog To Live In The White House

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Dressed to Impress: Florida Police Dog Wears Uniform and Tie for His Official K-9 Badge Photo

The good boy often makes appearances on the Orange County Sheriff's Office's social media feeds

Say cheese!

On Thursday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida shared with followers on social media the brand-new official badge photo of their furry K-9 member Chico.

The steadfast pup, dressed in a decorated law enforcement uniform, looks directly at the camera for the picture as he poses for the shot in front of an American flag.

"K-9 Chico posed for his new ID badge today. He even wore a tie for the photo," the department wrote alongside the picture on Instagram.

To read more on this story, click here: Dressed to Impress: Florida Police Dog Wears Uniform and Tie for His Official K-9 Badge Photo

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US Military Working Dogs Should Be American-Born, Senator Says

A Democratic lawmaker wants the Pentagon to buy American when it comes to its Military Working Dog program.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut included an amendment in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the U.S. Air Force, which oversees the Pentagon's program, to conduct a business case study on what it would take to purchase dogs from U.S. breeders instead of European sources.

"I was surprised to learn from the Air Force that the vast majority of our working dogs are actually born and bred in Europe, which raises costs and puts us in competition with other countries," Blumenthal said in a statement to Military.com on Wednesday. Bloomberg News was first to report the story.

To read more on this story, click here: US Military Working Dogs Should Be American-Born, Senator Says

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Woman Adopts Special Needs Dogs To Honor Late German Shepherd

Sadly, special needs dogs are often the hardest dogs to find homes for. Many dog lovers are worried that these dogs will cost them too much time and money. However, Tracy Fowler knows first-hand that caring for special needs dogs is such an exciting and rewarding experience.

After her German Shepherd named Hayden passed away, Fowler felt a strong urge to help more dogs in need. So, she started adopting disabled dogs in his honor. Before she knew it, she had nine dogs living in her house at once!

To read more on this story, click here: Woman Adopts Special Needs Dogs To Honor Late German Shepherd

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Can Pets Get The Coronavirus, And Can We Catch It From Them? Here's The Science

Humans and animals share many diseases. And as dramatically shown by the tigers that tested positive in the Bronx Zoo, the coronavirus is one of them.

As three veterinary epidemiologists who study infectious disease, we have been asked a lot of questions about if and how the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 affects pets.

Can my pet get the coronavirus?

When talking about a virus, the words "get" or "catch" are vague. A more precise question is: Can my cat or dog become infected with SARS-CoV-2?

The answer is yes. There is evidence from real-world cases as well as laboratory experiments that both cats and dogs can become infected with coronavirus.

In Hong Kong, health officials have tested 17 dogs and eight cats living with COVID-19 patients for the coronavirus. They found evidence of the virus in two dogs: a Pomeranian and a German shepherd, though neither became sick.

None of the eight cats were infected or had been sick. However, there is a separate report of an infected cat from Hong Kong.

To read more on this story, click here: Can Pets Get The Coronavirus, And Can We Catch It From Them? Here's The Science


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German Shepherd Hilariously Fails His Service Dog Training In Viral Video

This VERY good boy is not very good at being a service dog, unfortunately

Dogs are angels on earth in every discernible way. Some are great at being lifelong companions, others have talents in the service arena — as K9 police dogs, service dogs to those in need, etc. And some dogs have higher hopes and dreams than they’re capable of achieving, but that doesn’t make them any less Good. Take this guy, for example.

In a video that’s quickly gone viral all over social media, a German Shepherd named Ryker can be seen trying so very hard to meet the standards of a service dog. But Ryker, like many of us out there of the human variety who can relate, falls short during his test. In every single way.

Please enjoy the funniest, most adorable animal video you will see all day.

To learn more about Ryker and see his video, click here: German Shepherd Hilariously Fails His Service Dog Training In Viral Video

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This Man Makes Everyone Smile When He Walks With His Pack of German Shepherds Unleashed (Video)

Augusto Deoliveira shared this video of him walking his pack of German Shepherds in public. All five dogs are unleashed and walk in a group, close beside him. What the video doesn’t tell is the story behind the dogs he’s walking with.

He wrote, “This video features Savannah on the left (not quite a year old at the time). Griffin next to her (almost 2). The one behind me was a rescue dog (3 years old) who came to me with no training or socialization of any kind, she was very sweet but not confident She had numerous health problems and to me this is amazing of how she was doing after only a couple of months of training, given the fact that she never left her small kennel ever!”

“Then Hannah (she came to me at 2). I did all the training with her. She is very confident. The one on the far right is another rescue who was tied on a leash outside day and night, even in the winter. She had just a tiny dogs house. She was in very poor shape when I got her. She had no training and again was not confident. Although those 2 [rescue] dogs will never to be 100% they are way better in this video than when I rescued them. They both have found great pet homes since then.”

“The other 3 still live with me. This video is 2-years-old and was filmed in the winter in a very cold day if you didn’t notice.”

Since the video went viral, Augusto has received many comments from people claiming the dogs were trained by shock collars or abuse because the dogs were not wagging their tails. But Augusto said this is simply not the case. “I know how much training and energy I put into these dogs to train them, and whether you use shock collars or not its not that easy to do this. I use my body language to let the dogs know I want them to walk close to me.”




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People Can Now Adopt Dogs Who Failed Government Training For Being Too Friendly

For people who’d like to adopt a German Shorthaired Pointer, a German Shepherd, a Labrador Retriever, or a Belgian Malinois, they can now choose from beautiful puppies who are just too nice and carefree to pass the training for government work. The Transportation Security Administration has organized an adoption program to find lovely homes for the energetic and adorable training ‘dropouts’.

The complete list of minimum requirements that are needed for submitting an adoption application can be viewed on the TSA website. Some of the requirements are having no plans of moving within the next six months, having a yard that’s completely fenced, and being able to provide the dog training, exercise, proper medical care, and love. Approved applicants will be asked to travel to San Antonio, Texas twice. The first purpose of the first visit is to meet the dogs while the second one is to take the pet home.

To read more on this story, click here: People Can Now Adopt Dogs Who Failed Government Training For Being Too Friendly

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Former Vice President Joe Biden, And His Wife, Dr. Jill Biden, Adopted A 10-Month-Old German Shepherd From The Delaware Humane Association

Former Vice President, Joe Biden, and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, adopted a 10-month-old German Shepherd from the Delaware Humane Association (DHA) on Saturday, after fostering him for several months. The pup’s name is Major.

DHA posted about the lucky dog on their Facebook page  as the Bidens took him to his new “forever home.”

“Today is Major’s lucky day! Not only did Major find his forever home, but he got adopted by Vice President Joe Biden & Dr. Jill Biden!” the post said. “The Bidens have gotten to know Major while fostering him and are now ready to make the adoption official. Best of luck and thank you for being one of our Friends for life!”

According to DHA, Major is from a litter of German Shepherd pups that were given up for adoption and are currently “not doing well at all.”

“Once we posted about them… Joe Biden caught wind of them and reached out immediately. The rest is history!” DHA said.

The Bidens are proud owners of another German Shepherd named Champ.

In a statement, the Bidens thanked the shelter for their help finding dogs permanent homes.

“We are so happy to welcome Major to the Biden family, and we are grateful to the Delaware Humane Association for their work in finding forever homes for Major and countless other animals,” the statement read.




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Hip Dysplasia – Found Mostly in Large Breed Dogs

Large breeds are most likely to get hip dysplasia, though there are some large dogs such as Borzoi that have a low risk of hip dysplasia, and there are some medium sized dog breeds that have an increased risk. Breeds that are at a high risk of hip dysplasia include German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes, Rottweilers and Cocker Spaniels.

Hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is a genetic polygenic trait that is affected by environmental factors. It can be found in many animals and occasionally in humans, but is most commonly associated with dogs, and is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds.

Hip dysplasia is one of the most studied veterinary conditions in dogs, and the most common single cause of arthritis of the hips.

Hip dysplasia is a genetically transmitted disease that has been seen in over 82 recognized breeds of dogs. Since first diagnosed in 1935, it has had the highest incidence in the larger breed animals.

Hip dysplasia is an inherited, developmental disease with a polygenic mode of inheritance. This means that there are multiple genes which must be present for this disease to express itself. Surprisingly, the hip joints of dogs which develop dysplasia are normal at birth. In most cases, dysplasia will occur in both legs bilaterally http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bilaterally. However, in approximately 7% of the cases only one hip will be affected.

Treatment
Once the patient usually an adult dog has radiographic evidence of degenerative arthritis, it is no longer a candidate for a triple pelvic osteotomy. Over time, many of these dogs will become less responsive to analgesic medications and surgical therapy should be considered. There are two procedures available.
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Removal of the femoral head and neck and total hip replacement.

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What Gives Huskies Their Piercing Blue Eye Color?

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some shepherd dogs have those piercing blue eyes?

Consumer genetics, made popular by companies like 23andMe and Ancestry, may have provided an answer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the canine DNA startup company Embark Veterinary, Inc.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Genetics and it’s the first of its kind to use consumer genomics with non-humans as well as the largest canine genome-wide association study ever conducted.

Consumer genetic testing has given people an unprecedented look at their DNA and genetic history.

This is all made possible thanks to large databases of genomic data, and now this new study shows how consumer genomics can shed light on animal traits that have yet eluded scientists, like the blue eyes of the Siberian Husky.

To read more on this story, click here: What Gives Huskies Their Piercing Blue Eye Color? FOLLOW US!

Should Police Dogs Wear Bullet Proof Vests?

Over the years several police dogs have been shot and have died while pursuing a criminal.

Did you know that more than 500 Police Service Dogs (PSDs) have been killed in the line of duty? A vest increases a 98% chance of survival in an attack.

A police dog put its life in danger every day just as the police officer. The police officer wears a bullet proof vest to protect them…so should his dog also wear a bullet proof vest?

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said that they support the use dogs in law enforcement provided that the animals are humanely raised, trained and afforded every consideration for their safety and well-being, including the use of bullet-proof vests.

There are some police departments that do provide protection to their K9 members with stab and/or slash resistant vests. These vests are used because they are lighter, and do not protect the dog if it is shot.

However, you have to wonder if the weight of a bullet proof vest would be uncomfortable for the dog and possibly flop around as the dog runs.

What do you think? Should police dogs wear bullet proof vests?

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United Suspends New Bookings for Pets in Cargo After Loading 3 Dogs Onto Wrong Flights

United Airlines is suspending new reservations for pets traveling in the cargo compartment after three dogs were loaded onto the wrong planes last week and a fourth died in an overhead bin.

United will honor reservations that have already been confirmed for PetSafe, its program for pets traveling in cargo, the airline said Tuesday. The suspension does not affect pets traveling with their owners in the cabin.

“We are conducting a thorough and systematic review of our program for pets that travel in the cargo compartment to make improvements that will ensure the best possible experience for our customers and their pets,” United spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said in an emailed statement.

The airline said it would complete the review by May 1.

To read more on this story, click here: United Suspends New Bookings for Pets in Cargo After Loading 3 Dogs Onto Wrong Flights

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Matthew Morrison Says His ‘Heart Is Broken’ Over Alleged Dog Abuse On Film Set

Actor Matthew Morrison expressed outrage on Friday over reports that a dog was abused during the filming of “Crazy Alien,” the upcoming science fiction movie he stars in.

A whistleblower reportedly sent animal rights group PETA disturbing footage of what the group says is a caged German shepherd being dropped into a river on the film’s set in Changsha, China.

“I’ve just been made aware and seen a video from the set of a film I worked on in China,” the “Glee” star tweeted. “My heart is broken to see any animal treated this way. Had I been on set or known about this, I would have made all efforts to stop this. I’ve called the producers to express my outrage.”  

To read more on this story, click here: Matthew Morrison Says His ‘Heart Is Broken’ Over Alleged Dog Abuse On Film Set



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Stephens City, Virginia – Meet Gus and Laurie, 7-Month-Old Bonded Pair Looking for Their Forever Home Together

Sharing from: The Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue: "They've only ever known each other. They were found as strays at three months old and have since lived in someone’s barn. They’re around 7 months old now and we are so hopeful that we can find someone to keep these two together. If you’re looking for a bonded pair, look no further."

If you're interested in adopting Gus and Laurie, you can apply at shenandoahrescue.org/adoption-process.

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