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River, the dog which served as both model and inspiration for Fallout 4's Dogmeat, has died. Developer Joel Burgess, who was River's owner, announced the death on Twitter... In that Twitter thread, Burgess goes deep into detail about how River influenced his desire to have a dog companion in Fallout 4 be more than a weapon, but a true friend to the player. Bringing the personality of a loving, protective, outgoing dog to Fallout 4 was one of Burgess' design goals for the character, and so River's looks, movements, but most importantly personality were reflected in the in-game character. Dogmeat's...

A German shepherd puppy named Gavel couldn't quite cut it as a police dog, as he was too friendly with strangers to catch criminals. Not every pup is cut out to be a police dog. One such puppy, a German shepherd named Gavel, flunked out of police training in Australia in February after he was found to "not display the necessary aptitude for a life on the front line." As BBC reports, the problem was that Gavel was "too sociable," and enjoyed meeting strangers a little too much to make a career out of catching criminals. Unfortunately, he was too much...

I am posting this because there were at least eleven posts about Courage in 2010 and 2011 and hundreds of comments. =========== Sadly, we must announce that one of our very favorite rescues, GSROC alumni Courage has passed away. Our volunteers are devastated at this news and our hearts go out to his guardian. She cared for him when he first came into our lives, emaciated, starving and near death. Thanks to the help of our supporters, GSROC was able to care for Courage and return him to good health and ensure he had a happy life. His owner helped...

The dog, named Maxx, helped crews navigate through thick smoke to find the 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girlA German shepherd helped firefighters find his owners' two young children as flames ripped through the family's central Florida home, authorities said. The dog, named Maxx, helped crews navigate through thick smoke to find the 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl Monday night in their burning home in the Orlando suburb of Longwood, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Moments earlier, neighbors who saw the fire spreading called 911, broke windows and helped rescue the children's mother, Margo Feaser, a 12-year veteran of...

What a way to repay a loyal four-year-old German shepherd who protected his family by chasing a bear away; his reward - the family surrenders the dog to New York City Animal Care and Control citing allergies as the reason they are signing Duke's death sentence.

April 22 -- Courage went for his blood test today. He has gained 20 pounds since his 4/7 rescue! He is upright and has found his voice! This is one talkative dog--he has a lot to say! He is still bony but not as frail and he definitely has more stamina! Hurray! April 24 -- It's official: Courage's foster mommy wants to adopt him once all of the legalities have concluded! She can't imagine living without him! Courage is now learning what toys are! His muscles are continuing to improve! April 28--Courage continues to improve and is eating kibble! He...

Somewhere in a lonely back yard, a young dog lived chained to a tree without food, water or attention. He waited for that food, and when it didn’t come, he ate dirt. Eventually the dog laid down and he didn’t get up. But still, he didn’t die. An anonymous Good Samaritan stepped in April 7 and rescued the German shepherd from sure death. The animal, not much more than skin and bone, wailed in agony on the way to get help. The dog was taken to an emergency animal hospital in Orange County where a horrified veterinary technician called...

A Yonkers man was arrested by local police after he slashed a German shepherd because it was racist. According to 58-year-old Andrew Owens, Jenna the German shepherd only barked at minorities and bit him in the past because of his race. When the dog began barking at him on Tuesday, Owens reportedly became so furious that he took out a nine inch knife and slashed the dog across the face. The dog was reportedly cut from the right eye down to the eye socket bone. The dog lost an eye because of the incident and was hospitalized.