Free Republic

It's dog days on Capitol Hill — or, more precisely, dogs have had their day there. Five in particular — all war dog veterans. The canines joined their human advocates at a Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday, "Military Dogs Take the Hill," to spotlight an effort to require that all military working dogs be retired to the U.S. Congress passed a law last year saying the military may bring back its working dogs to the U.S. to be reunited with their handlers, but it does not say they must be brought back. Carlos, one of five war dog veterans at a...

A New York cartoonist named Brittney creates touching comic strips from the point of view of cats who often get overlooked in the shelter. I really think you should take home the animal you fall in love with, regardless of physical qualities or age. An animal is going to love you unconditionally, so why put conditions on them?

Art Sherman, a career race tracker who rose to the pinnacle of the sport this past spring when he guided the mercurial colt California Chrome to the edge of racing immortality in a thrilling Triple Crown run, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award. Sherman will receive the award and its distinctive trophy Sunday, July 27, in winner’s circle ceremonies at Del Mar between the day’s fourth and fifth races. The Pincay Award, given annually for the past 10 years to those who have served the sport “with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination and distinction,” will...

They served in the Civil War. They were there for American soldiers during both world wars. One was even on SEAL Team Six, the military team that killed Osama Bin Laden. But military dogs do not always get to go home with their military handlers after serving together in war. During a Capitol Hill event on Wednesday, legislators argued it should be easier for these veterans to reunite with their dogs.

The Architect of the Capitol took emergency measures Wednesday to handle a bed bug problem in a Senate Office Building, including closing off a restroom for a couple of days with yellow police tape. So watch out Senate aides and tourists approaching the sixth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Bedbugs are not easy to shake. The trouble began prior to a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing held Wednesday in which some attendees—lobbyists, presumably—employed people to wait in line for them. This is a common practice and sources tell us it falls under the jurisdiction of the Rules Committee...

It is either the funniest thing on the internet, or the creepiest, but one thing is for certain: a guy called Owen Mundy knows where your cat lives.No matter where you are in the world, if you have posted a photo of your feline friend on social media, chances are Professor Mundy’s supercomputer has captured it, collated it, and pinpointed your location.Professor Mundy combines art, design and computer programming in his addictive site – simply titled iknowwhereyourcatlives.com - highlighting our obsession with cats and the trends of the internet.On his website, Mundy reveals that there are 15 million photos tagged with the...

A 48-second YouTube video catching the swift reactions of a Sitka float plane pilot went viral this past week. KCAW tracked down the pilot and the man who took the video to bring us the full story of how a routine flight in Southeast Alaska made waves on news programs and websites around the world.

A Massachusetts teenager charged with raping and murdering his teacher last year after following her into a bathroom followed a chillingly similar plan when he attacked a female jail counselor last month in the youth detention center where he was being held, authorities say. Chism's attorney, Denise Regan, did not challenge the bail or conditions of bail. She asked that her client be excused from his next scheduled court appearance on September 19 because of the stress it causes him.

Lee McDougal saved his Golden Retriever from an alligator attack. WOFL reports that the alligator attacked the dog when McDougal was out walking her. “With all the rain the swamp area filled up a little more, she decided to jump in on the swamp side, instead of the lagoon side, and the gator didn’t want to share it with her,” McDougal explained to the station. “I reached down to grab her and grabbed the gator and just jerked him up, and when I did, I seen a big head and she went back that way and as soon as I...

The moment Paul Trott let his two dogs out in the backyard he could see a problem. Someone had broken the gate at the rear of the yard, and the dogs made a dash for the opening and into the alley beyond. As his partner Josh Lyczkowski ran out the door to collect the dogs, they heard someone in the alley shout “No! Don’t! Stop!,” according to Lyczkowski. Then they heard a gunshot. Their largest dog, Tito, a Cane Corso that weighed about 120 pounds, had been fatally shot in the head. Lyczkowski arrived so soon after the shooting that...

After reports that wandering elks were scaring the public, police on the island of Frösön have decided not to open fire on the animals, but have urged locals to exercise caution instead. Swede killed after crashing into an elk (12 Jul 14) Curious elk breaks into house in Sweden (07 Jul 14) Kids flee as elk breaks into woodwork class (02 Jun 14) The authorities on the island in northern Sweden were flooded with calls from concerned members of the public saying that elks were roaming the streets of a residential area and terrifying people. Witnesses reported that two elks...

The new "Black Jesus" comedy has some protesting the depiction of Jesus as a marijuana-smoking, beer-drinking character in the show. Paul Scott, a self-proclaimed minister of the Messianic Afrikan Nation, has called for a boycott of the upcoming comedy, arguing that it "[makes] a mockery of the concept of a Black Messiah." ADVERTISEMENT According to his blog, the North Carolina-based minister argues that "the show does a disservice to the Black leaders and theologians who have dedicated their lives to advancing a Black Liberation Theology," adding that he believes "the Black community needs to see a proper image of a...

“I was actually scared that it was so close to home, literally, it’s right here on my block,” said Allyson Deihl. “I’ve heard it on the news nationally and it’s scary to think that it’s happening in Jacksonville, in Riverside.” According to the police report, the man and woman spotted three men walking in their direction, then realized they were being followed. The report said that the woman grabbed her can of Mace from her purse, and then her boyfriend was punched, causing him to stumble to the ground. The woman told police that she tried to spray the men...

Joel Vasquez Rojas, the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, married the reptile – dressed in a white gown – at the city hall and then shared a dance in front of packed party of local residents. According to local tradition, the crocodile is a princess whose marriage to the town mayor will bring in an abundance of seafood for fisherman on the Pacific coast. ‘As young people, this means a lot,’ said local resident Eduardo Zarate 'It’s the greatest treasure our ancestors have left us.’ For safety, the crocodile’s jaw was wired shut for the day. ‘It is my wish...

A Saudi farmer seeking revenge for the loss of his sheep chased two wolves for most of the day and killed them before hanging their bodies on a sign board in the area. Qayed Al Mutairi said he was determined to kill the two wolves after they devoured 18 of his sheep over the past few weeks. He told Sabq daily that he chased the two predators to the mountains by his four-wheel vehicle most of the day and shot them. “Mutairi then hanged the two animals at a signboard so other farmers and people will see them. This is...

TAMPA Fla. (Reuters) - A 4-year-old Florida boy was mauled to death by two pit bulls at his uncle's home, said authorities on Sunday, who suggested the child may have let the dogs out of their cage to play with them.

Grumpy Cat, Oskar the Blind Cat (and his buddy Klaus), Hamilton the Hipster Cat, and Nala Cat have teamed up with Friskies on a new song and video, "Cat Summer," in honor of their late friend Colonel Meow. Watch as Oskar enjoys the sprinklers on a slip 'n slide, Hamilton and Nala disrupt a game of croquet, and Grumpy Cat looks grumpy despite sitting in a pot of beautiful flowers—and know that you're doing it for a good cause: For every view through September 1, Friskies will donate one meal of its Grillers dry cat food to shelters across the...

The internet is full of pets and also full of people doing showy-off yoga (Hilaria Balwin et al, we’re looking at you), and now the two have been hilariously brought together in video form. As anyone who owns a cat or dog will know, as soon as you try to do anything except lavish attention on them, they are overcome with jealousy and do all they can to sabotage it. And, while it’s deeply frustrating when your cat sits on your laptop’s keyboard, and just straight creepy when your dog insists on staring at you and your partner doing the...

A 6-day black rhino was already seen trotting around the exhibit on Friday morning -- in adorable fashion. The baby rhino alternated between staying close to his mother and running and exploring the exhibit. Mom Lembe showed her protection of the calf by keeping her tail pointed up, a cue that lets her baby know she’s on high alert and watching him. The male calf, born on July 12, was a significant birth for the San Diego Zoo, as black rhinos are critically endangered species and only 5,000 are left in the wild because of poaching. A news release Friday...

Did a sea turtle “hug” a surfer who rescued it from fishing nets? Call it what you will, but the moment caught by a GoPro camera on the stunning video shows there was a connection there. When kite surfer Cameron Dietrich and Colin Sutton spotted the distressed sea turtle off the Mexican coast, they quickly dived in the ocean to try to rescue it. “When I saw the turtle tangled up I jumped in the water and began to cut it free

Viral video shows a shark beaching itself on an Australian beach, and now we're finding out why. Scientists say the shark swallowed an adult sea lion and it got stuck in the shark's throat. Viral video making the rounds on the Internet shows the shark swimming close to the shoreline of a western Australian beach. The video was captured July 12. An updated post two days later said the shark's carcass had washed up on the beach. In the video the great white shark can be seen very close to the shore. Scientists say it then swam about 50 meters...

The royal and her husband, a former sheriff's deputy, hosted at least 10 cockfighting derbies in a barn at their Oregon ranch. A Romanian princess has admitted running an illegal gambling operation after she was found to be hosting cockfighting derbies in rural Oregon. Irina Walker, 61, pleaded guilty to the charge along with her husband, former sheriff's deputy John Walker, 68, on Wednesday. Prosecutors agreed to drop other counts relating to animal fighting and animal welfare as part of a plea deal.

The king cobra is so poisonous that it can kill an elephant in a single bite. It is so long that it will use its 18-foot length to ‘stand up’ and look a human in the eye if confronted. And in this astonishing viral footage, a helpless baby is being protected by not one of them – but four. Deadly: King cobras can kill an elephant in a single bite (Picture: Mike J/YouTube) The reptiles each stand guard in the corners of the bed where the baby is lying with their necks extended above the ground – the stance it...

A pitbull has been hailed a hero after he licked the face of a sleeping deaf boy to tell him the house was on fire. Nick Lamb, 13, was home alone when the fire broke out at the family home in Indianapolis at about 1pm on Wednesday – but he was not wearing his hearing aids. Pitbull Ace went to Nick’s room and licked his face constantly until the boy woke up and realised the house was filled with smoke. ‘My dog licked my face and woke me up. I was like, “Stop it! What? You want to be fed?”,’...

Baxter is a living teddy bear – he looks and feels like one, and brings as much comfort as one. This 19-year-old therapy dog can no longer get around for himself, and has to be wheeled around in a wagon, but that doesn’t stop him from bringing happiness and a little love to elderly and terminal patients in the hospital. “This is Baxter, my 19 ½ -year-old certified therapy dog, who works at San Diego Hospice in the Institute for Palliative Medicine,” explained author Melissa Joseph. “It’s an in-patient care center where people are at the end of their life....

The father called 911 around 1 a.m. after he walked in on the alleged abuse, police said. When officers arrived, they found Raymond Frolander motionless on the living room floor. He had several knots on his face and was bleeding from the mouth. "He is nice and knocked out on the floor for you," the father told the 911 dispatcher. "I drug him out to the living room." The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that the father - who was not identified by police - told investigators he walked in as Frolander was abusing the boy. When asked by the 911...

The 18-pound, barnacle-encrusted lobster had seen better days. After evading for at least 75 years the fate met by countless other crustaceans, he found himself in an offshore trawler, ultimately ending up in the tank at Mullaney’s Fish Market in Scituate. Luckily for the lobster, store owner Joby Norton has a soft spot for older sea creatures. “We’ve had people come in who wanted to buy him for the Fourth, but we decided we don’t want to sell him,” Norton said Tuesday in his Scituate Harbor market. “We’re better off letting him go so he can live out his life.”...

Man sets house afire trying to kill spider with lighter, spray paint SEATTLE -- Fire officials say a West Seattle man was using a lighter and a can of spray paint to kill a spider in his laundry room when the house went up in flames. Fire crews were called to a home in the 10200 block of 34th Avenue SW just before 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Firefighters originally battled the blaze from a distance after learning there may be ammunition inside. Crews were eventually able to extinguish the fire, but not before it did significant damage to the structure....

A star high school athlete in rural Marshalltown, Iowa has been suspended for three football games this fall because he posted a social media image of himself enthusiastically festooned from head to toe in white clothing during school spirit week. In the photo, he made the letter “W” with his hands — which in this case stands for white. “The actual school chose the colors that each grade would be wearing,” Cathy Van Staalduine explained. “Juniors wore white. So Blair, of course, being active in the school, dressed from head to toe in white.” She noted emphatically that the “W”...

No, this isn't an April Fool's joke or some sort of wacky car commercial. It's the SPCA Auckland (located in New Zealand) coming up with an innovative way of proving that it's possible to teach a rescue animal new tricks. Monty, Porter and Ginny are all dogs rescued by the SPCA Auckland, and each was taught the ability to drive a Mini Countryman around a track. After being strapped into the driver's seat, the dogs are able to use their paws to start the car, steer it and work the gas and brake, which have been modified similar to a car setup...

(INDAYSTAR) -- A 2-year-old male pit bull named Ace was being hailed as a hero Wednesday afternoon, after waking his deaf owner during a devastating house fire on the Southeastside. At 1:11 p.m., Indianapolis firefighters were called to fight a fire at a home in the 6400 block of Perry Pines Court, officials said. Upon their arrival, flames were shooting from the garage. Officials said Nick Lamb, 13, who is deaf, was sleeping in the house at the time. Ace was able to alert Nick and awaken him by licking his face. "He was thankful that Ace entered his room...

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Va. — A Farmville family is searching for answers after a Prince Edward Deputy shot their eight-year-old Golden Retriever, named Party, ultimately killing him. “The dog was at the same level of the officer when he fired,” said homeowner Stephen Carwile, and indicated that the deputy was standing at the bottom of the deck. The incident happened June 27 while the family wasn’t home. A deputy was serving Carwile a civil warrant when he said he felt threatened by the dog. “I come home to blood all over the place all over my porch,” said Carwile. He...

Sometimes, you just have to be honest enough to admit when you need help. I am finally willing to admit defeat in my war against the on-going squirrel/mouse/vole/gopher apocalypse, and start a search for highly qualified, experienced SEAL/Green Beret/Ranger/ Pararescue barn cats. My front yard looks like the post Shock and Awe postcards from Baghdad, and there are more tunnels than the Viet Cong dug. The sound of rodent laughter keeps me awake at night.

A San Rafael real estate attorney with a passion for felines left the bulk of his $1 million estate to the Marin Humane Society for the care of cats. When 63-year-old Brian Russell Kirchoff of San Rafael died after suffering a heart attack in 2013, he left a six-page handwritten will delegating administration of his estate to county probate officials. Following the sale of his Alpine Street home, along with his Porsche and other assets, and payment of all debts, the document says that "any cash proceeds left shall be donated to the Marin Humane Society for the express benefit...

Brave moggy Smudge leapt into action when three older and bigger boys pushed little Ethan Fenton to the ground. The tabby cat pounced on the chest of one of the bullies and its actions left them so scarred they ran away crying. The bullies had targeted Ethan and his two-year-old brother Ashton while they were playing in their front garden.

Yvette Childers was driving to work in her RV one afternoon earlier this month, when the hood started smoking. She quickly stepped out just as the vehicle burst into flames. As she waited for help to arrive, all she could think about was her 1-year-old Chihuahua named My Little Pony, trapped in his crate in the back. Metdker headed to the RV to rescue the dog, with Ledet right behind him. So he started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation – something he never does on a human, let alone a dog – in addition to the CPR.

What's a Monty Python reunion without a dead parrot? And why settle for a simple prop you can bang on the counter when you could have a monstrous, 50-foot-tall dead parrot? To promote the live broadcast of the comedy troupe's July 20 performance, UKTV's Gold channel and sculptor Iain Prendergast created a massive fiberglass dead parrot, which was suspended from a crane and laid talons-up in London's Potters Field this week.

A woman in Santa Fe, New Mexico, had just left her home early Thursday morning when her car suddenly stalled. A good Samaritan pulled over to help, but when he opened the hood of the car he didn’t find a dead battery. Instead, he found a very much living 9-foot, 20-pound python.. “It was looking right at me. It flicked its little tongue, and I kind of freaked out a little bit,” Jackson Ault said of the discovery. So Ault and the woman, who wasn't identified, called the local police to help. The first officer on the scene wasn’t anymore...

Here's photographic proof that the LOLCat phenomenon has a long history behind it. American photographer Harry Whittier Frees (1879-1953) created vignettes of animals dressed in tiny outfits made by his mother. These pictures, from the United States Library of Congress, showcase some of his works, which were typically used for postcards and children's books.

A Beaver (Harris Aircraft Services from Sitka) narrowly avoided a surfacing whale while landing at Angoon. on July 10 '14 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu2WEWRkoXk Pilot may not have seen the whale, but the exhale plume was certainly a tipoff. Hit pause/play to freeze the plume of mist and the whale's back.

I will be making one of these for my dog and I might need one of my own This could make a lot of dogs very happy

Dogs are unlike any other animal, because the bond between dogs and humans is unbreakable.

<p>U.S. Customs and Border protection inspectors at Los Angeles International Airport seized 67 live giant African snails meant for human consumption.</p> <p>The prohibited snails arrived from Nigeria and were being sent to a person in San Dimas, said Lee Harty, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.</p>

this is the jaw-dropping moment a sharp-suited footballer shows off his skills again three deadly LIONS. Kevin Richardson, known as the Lion Whisperer, has spent 20 years building an amazing report with some of the world's most feared animals. And with the World Cup approaching, he decided to play football against the real three lions in a fascinating battle on the plain. Kevin, 40, showed of his silky skills to evade the wild predators, whose powerful jaws could pop a leather football with the smallest of bites.

The dog reportedly attacked the child about 7:30 p.m., police said. The child suffered serious injuries to the head and neck, but was expected to survive. The child remained in the hospital Sunday night. ... Pit bulls are illegal to own in Commerce City

Video at link

Several enthusiastic wiener dogs (and their owners) didn't let a little heat wave interfere with their bid for top honours at the Hastings Racecourse's annual races in Vancouver. The Wiener Dog Racing Weekend — sponsored by hot dog maker Schneider's no less — had $2,500 in prizes up for grabs. Dozens entered, but only one wiener reigned supreme, and that top dog was Roger with a come-from-behind victory, for his SECOND prestigious title.

Crocodile might be responsible for plane crash in the Congo: UK investigators • Only one person survived the crash — as did the toothy reptile, though it was killed with machetes by rescuers sifting through the plane's wreckage. A plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo that left 18 people dead may have been caused by a crocodile. The animal is thought to have climbed out of a hold midflight and spooked the crew and passengers. They all panicked and ran towards the cockpit, and the forward shift in weight may have caused the plane to plummet to the...

For FReepers with dogs, young and old https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-FcsIyqJDzc

Tomcat Slinky Malinki came to unconscious woman's rescue by rapping on the glass with his paw to seek help. Tomcat Slinky Malinki came to 48-year-old Janet Rawlinson's rescue by tapping on the window of Mel and Stephen Sharp with his paw to raise the alarm. Former nurse and mother-of-one Janet, of Cornholme, Lancs, was drifting in and out of consciousness for five days after suffering a reaction to morphine she was taking for back pain.