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A few years ago, in Bozeman, Montana, a brain surgeon and his wife were walking through a farmers’ market when they came across a booth selling dogs. The breeder, called Svalinn, touted them as a one-of-a-kind hybrid: military-grade protection dogs with elite danger-sensing instincts but the warmth and temperament of a conventional family pet. The surgeon, Regis Haid, took a closer look at the dogs, which did indeed seem magnificent, intelligent, and powerful. Then he saw the cost: at least $150,000 each.Haid’s wife, Mary Ellen, was interested. He told her, “There’s no way I’m gonna spend that kind of money....

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The suspect in the shooting fled the scene and was later located in a nearby apartment. Once police entered the residence, officials say the suspect was confirmed dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Mooresville K9 Officer Jordan Harris Sheldon, 32, was shot during a routine traffic stop on West Plaza Drive shortly after 10 p.m. on Saturday. He was transported from the scene, but officials say he later died from his injuries. Sheldon served with the Mooresville Police Department for six years. The suspect in the shooting fled the scene and was later located in a nearby...

Initial reports overstated the severity of the dog’s wounds, and she’s already back on duty. And although her name isn’t being released, her face is now famous…Seriously, though, I just have a few questions for this war hero: Who’s a good girl? Are you a good girl? Wanna go outside? Who is a good, good girl? Sorry, cat-lovers, but you’ll never feel this sort of pride. Cats are useless on the battlefield. A cat would’ve just stared at al-Baghdadi as he ran away. A cat might’ve even helped him! Cats are cute, but you just can’t trust ’em when it...

Bomb-sniffing dogs sent from the United States to its Middle Eastern ally Jordan are falling ill and dying due to poor treatment and negligence, a federal investigation has found. A year-long evaluation by inspectors at the State Department found that at least 10 such dogs in Jordan died between 2008 and 2016 from medical problems. Even those who survive are suffering from "unhealthy conditions," such as inadequate kennels, poor sanitation, and overwork. Photos in the report, published last week, show emaciated dogs with ribs protruding from their sides. Their nails are overgrown, and their ears are home to ticks so...

An Iditarod sled dog that crossed the finish line Thursday night in Nome died two days later at an Anchorage animal hospital, race officials reported Saturday night. The dog, a 5-year-old female named Oshi, was a member of rookie musher Richie Beattie’s team, which was the 21st team to finish. Beattie was the first rookie to reach Nome, but he has been withdrawn from the race and his finish is no longer reflected in the Iditarod standings. The death is the first of this year’s Iditarod, which started March 3 with 52 teams. Nine teams remained on the trail as...

Jessie Royer, the 42-year-old veteran musher from Idaho, checked in to Nome at 9:34 a.m. Wednesday, taking third place in the 2019 Iditarod. Royer arrived at the burled arch with 11 dogs in harness. She finished the race in 9 days, 18 hours and 34 minutes. Her average speed was 4.21 miles per hour, according to standings on Iditarod.com. Coming in first was another veteran musher, Peter Kaiser, who crossed the finish line six hours earlier, outrunning defending champion Joar Leifseth Ulsom by just 12 minutes. At the finish line, Royer said for the last 50 miles of the race...

Slate is being torched online for an article telling readers to tone down their excitement about the late George H.W. Bush’s service dog, Sully. An image of Sully, a yellow Labrador, lying in front of the former president's casket has been circulating online for several days, with people on social media fawning over the dog's apparent loyalty to his former owner. Slate on Sunday published an article titled "Don’t Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully H.W. Bush," which argues that Sully was only Bush's service dog for six months and was "not his lifelong companion," as some have assumed. "Sully...

A photo of George HW Bush's service dog lying downbeat besides the casket of his old master on Sunday has spread across social media, causing an outpouring of emotion. Bush's son Jeb, Governor of Florida, retweeted the photo, with the simple words: "Sully has the watch." Abigail Ogle, KOCO News anchor, tweeted: "Sully, the service dog of President George H.W. Bush, keeping watch over his best friend. Rest In Peace, 41. Good boy, Sully."

Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate. According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats...

An Ohio officer shot his police dog after it attacked him, leaving him with serious bite wounds, the Columbus Police Department said. Officer Brian Carter underwent surgery at a hospital and K9 Benzi, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was humanely euthanized. Carter was correcting Benzi’s behavior through verbal commands at the department’s K9 office Saturday morning when the dog suddenly turned on him, a Columbus Police spokesperson said in a news release.

Here is what is happening with pit bulls used by law enforcement. The dogs are cherry picked from shelters by Animal Farm Foundation (extreme pit bull advocacy with unlimited funds). The dogs receive a few weeks of training by a professional paid by AFF, The dogs are then given, free of charge, to cash-strapped police departments. Cities that can afford better, obtain bred-for-task dogs, frequently bred and trained in Europe. The traditional police dog has already been extensively trained before it even gets on the plane and gets another 14 weeks training with the new handler in the United States....

It’s the supermarket showdown that we’ve all been waiting for: grocery shoppers versus pets in shopping carts.... Publix Supermarkets Inc. appeared to set up this battle royale when over the weekend various news outlets reported the venerable chain was finally laying down the law with regard to service animals in their stores. Publix has posted new warnings signs at store entrances and exits telling customers which service animals are permitted in the store and where they can be. “For food safety reasons, only service animals that are specifically trained to aid a person with disabilities are permitted within the store....

A 12-year-old boy with autism is at risk of losing his two service ducks after officials in his Michigan town allegedly received complaints about the animals from neighbors. Dylan Dyke, of Georgetown Township, keeps his two ducks, named Nibbles and Bill, in a pen behind the family’s home, WOODTV.com reported. “These ducks are his everything,” Jen Dyke, the boy’s mother, told the news outlet. “They’re his whole life.”

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Full title : Hero SAS dog saves the lives of six elite soldiers in Syria by ripping out jihadi's throat while taking down three terrorists who ambushed British patrol The dog had been out on patrol in northern Syria with a team of six crack troops As the soldiers left their armoured convoy they were hit with a frenzied ambush A source said the unnamed Belgian Malinois took out three jihadis on its own The animal was said to have leapt to the defence of the struggling British soldiers, tearing the throat of on gunman who was firing at the...

FULL TITLE: Golden Retriever who would almost 'spill the beans' as Duke in Bush's Baked Beans commercials is euthanized due to 'aggressive cancer' A dog that scored legions of fans as Duke in the Bush's Baked Beans franchise, has been euthanized after suffering from 'aggressive cancer.' Neighbor David Odom shared on Facebook that the dog - real name Sam - lived with his owner, Susan, in their home at Apopka, Florida. 'She trains animals to work in commercials,' David said on June 28.

Justify’s emergence as the only undefeated Triple Crown champion after Seattle Slew and the 13th horse overall to complete the rare sweep went from a feel-good story to one awash in controversy on Sunday. Queens native Mike Repole, co-owner of fourth-place Vino Rosso and last-place Noble Indy in the field of 10, hopes Belmont Park stewards will question jockey Florent Geroux about his handling of Restoring Hope, Justify’s stablemate, for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Since Secretariat won the Preakness in 1973 there have 45 Preakness Stakes ran. Going into the first turn he’s in last place, then like he was playing with the rest of the horses, he passes them all. It was like he said “clear the way boys, here I come.” His winning time is still the Preakness record.

American Airlines is making it very clear: Insects, goats and hedgehogs cannot be brought on planes as emotional support animals. The airline revised its guidelines on Monday for comfort animals on flights. Those who want to bring such an animal on board now have to file paperwork 48 hours before a flight, and there are new restrictions on which types of animals are permitted. "We support the rights of customers, from veterans to people with disabilities, with legitimate needs for a trained service or support animal," American Airlines said in a press release. "Unfortunately, untrained animals can lead to safety...