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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.

The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, some 560 kilometers (348 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female. read more...

A pet chihuahua dog has adopted a baby chick in China.

Huahua took charge of the chick as soon as owner Liu Bangyang's daughter brought it home.

She regards the chick as her baby and stands guard to make sure it comes to no harm, reports the Chongqing Morning News.

And, whenever the chick strays too far, Huahua picks it up gently in her mouth and puts it back in its cot.

Liu, from Guiyang city, Guizhou province, said: "We'll try our best to raise the little chicken, if that's what Huahua wants." from Ananova...

Proof that a little compassion goes a long way...yet another reason to believe that there IS hope in this world...

Iraqi Dogs Have Plenty of Food After Response To Soldier's Plea

LAS VEGAS -- Just before the New Year, Army Reserve Capt. Gabriella Cook sent an urgent e-mail from Iraq requesting food shipments. Not for her or her unit - for Iraqi police dogs.

"The dogs are starving and urgently need dry dog food," Cook wrote in a Dec. 28 e-mail that said the Iraqi Interior Ministry's only bomb-sniffing police dogs were eating table scraps and garbage.

The response to the canine crisis has been overwhelming: Offers of help poured in from New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Ohio and New York. One sports gambling handicapper alone ponied up $5,000. more

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HELLO EVERYONE! Dog Food is not available for purchase in Iraq. It costs $50 to send a bag on your own, but the Las Vegas Humane Society is pooling funds to get food at a discounted rate. I donated $10 through the Las Vegas website...it's tax deductable!

Click here to read the whole story
LAS VEGAS -- The commander of an Army Reserve detachment is begging friends back home to send food for Iraqi police dogs.

"The dogs are starving and urgently need dry dog food," Capt. Gabriella Cook, commander of the Las Vegas-based 313th Military Police Detachment, said in a Dec. 28 e-mail reported Wednesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"Some of them have already died," Cook wrote. "Half of them are sick. We have no way of buying actual dog food here." 

If you would like to help feed the dogs, you may send checks to the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. They are working with several companies to ship food to the animals as soon as possible.

"PetSmart has donated a pallet of food, and we hope PetCo will do the same," Judith Ruiz, president of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society said.

Ruiz said several companies have donated food and that with the money, the Humane Society will be able to buy more dog food at a discounted rate and will also pay for shipping to Iraq.

"All funds will go directly for the animals," Ruiz said.

The Humane Society is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. So your donation will be tax deductible.

Send donations to:

Las Vegas Valley Humane Society
Funds For Dogs In Iraq
2250 E. Tropicana
Suite 19
Las Vegas, NV 89119
DONATE ONLINE

A dog just over seven inches long and weighing 27 ounces has been officially confirmed as the world's smallest living dog.

Danka, a one-year-old long-haired Chihuahua, is one of 10 dogs that Igor Kvetko keeps in Revuca, eastern Slovakia. Read on...

JERUSALEM -- A young monkey at an Israeli zoo has started walking on her hind legs only -- aping humans -- after a near death experience, the zoo's veterinarian said Wednesday.

Natasha, a 5-year-old black macaque at the Safari Park near Tel Aviv, began walking exclusively on her hind legs after a stomach ailment nearly killed her, zookeepers said.

Monkeys usually alternate between upright movement and walking on all fours. A picture in the Maariv daily on Wednesday showed Natasha standing ramrod straight like a human. The picture was labeled humorously, "The Missing Link?"

Two weeks ago, Natasha and three other monkeys were diagnosed with severe stomach flu. At the zoo clinic, she slipped into critical condition, said Igal Horowitz, the veterinarian. more...

A Dutch zoo has given a shy young moose assertiveness training to help him fit in with the herd.

Emmen Zoo recently bought Kenwood the moose from a zoo in Toronto, reports De Telegraaf.

But when he was put in the mooses' enclosure he was immediately bullied by a female called Winya.

"She's a real bitch," said biologist Agaath Kooi. "She ran after Kenwood and kicked and bit him wherever she could. And although Kenwood is much bigger than her, he let it all happen."

At age 51, Badger, the oldest horse in the world, may have expected to live his golden years in green pastures.

Unfortunately, his keepers kept him in such sqaulor that he was neally starved to death.

Four months aga Jullianne Aston, founder of the Veteran Horse Society, rescued him. "Badger was in an awful state, disgusting. When we first saw him he looked similar to a greyhound. His age didn't warrant that sort of condition... read on from Ananova...

The tradition was originally started by a businessman in 1989 who believed that monkeys were accredited to his family's good fortune.

A total of 4,400 pounds of fruit were offered to over 300 local monkeys.

More from Ananova...

Constrained in small concrete cages, bears in Japan's Bear Parks are left hungry and exposed most of the day and are encouraged to fight by tourists that throw food at them.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals and ALIVE, a Japanese animal welfare group have been investigating the situation for over 12 years.

more from Ananova...

Following up from a Helping Houses article on Snowflake, the world's only captive albino gorilla...

Snowflake has been suffering from skin cancer for since 2001. His caretakers made the painful decision to have him euthanized.  

Snowflake lived a very fruitful life at the zoo. He lived well beyond 40 years old; most gorillas only live to be about 25. He was the main attraction at the Barcelona Zoo in Spain.

more from WDIV Channel 4

Zeus, pictured left, sports his new police gear: a bullet-proof vest.

The body armor is designed to protect his backbone and vital organs and is flame retardant. Not to mention, Zeus looks pretty cool and intimidating.

read more from Ananova...

Bravo British Police for protecting you four-legged finest!

51 year old Valerie Archer or Norfolk, England kept 74 animals in the 3-bedroom farm house she shares with her brother and sister.

After being convicted of over 13 separate charges f animal abuse, her rights to keep animals, as well as her siblings, have been stripped for life.

more from Ananova...

Editor's Note: This article is extremely disturbing. Please be advised.

Japanese fishermen have previously been successful in concealing the brutal massacre of dolphins near their shores.

That was until Animal Activists camped out on cliffs for weeks to catch the slaughter on tape.

Because the fishermen lure the dolphins into shore side coves, they are not protected under international regulations. Japan is one of the few fishing nations that still support the killing of whales and dolphins. more...

Canada's Nootka Sound has a guest that has worn out his welcome.

The 4 year old orca named "Luna" has been in the inlet for a little over 2 years, and since then has caused some damage. He enjoys cozying up to boats. Recently, Luna was observed "bouncing" a sea plane.

The U.S. federal government has pledged $100,000 to help move Luna.

More from WDIV Channel 4...

Canadian Pet food company Petcurean Pet Nutrition is recalling all of its Go! Natural pet food products after receiving reports of illnesses in animals that ate their food.

At $42.99 per 30 pound bag, Go! Natural boasts the highest meat content of any dog food.

14 dogs and cats have fallen ill, at this time 7 have died in California. A spokesperson for the company said that they are focusing on a Texas processing plant that may be responsible. Go! Natural is sold in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle and Denver areas.

more from WDIV Channel 4...

Every wonder how dogs get to the battle field? They "drop in" just like any other paratrooper.

This Indonesian special forces team is preparing for a visit from President Bush.

more on these special dogs...

Mamma and Baby...how cute!

The last sighting of the Almiqui was in 1999, until now. A Cuban farmer made the discovery and named him "Alejendrito".

This nocturnal insect-eating animal will be held in captivity for two days and then released back to where he was found.

more about Alejendrito...

"Snowflake", the world's only albino gorilla, has only a few months to live. He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2001: the disease has since progressed rapidly.

The very thing that makes him unique is what has made him ill. "Being albino, he's very sensitive to the sun. Though we've tried our best to protect him this is an incurable, progressive disease, and it will follow its natural course" said Bacelona Zoo's chief veterinarian, Jesus Fernandez.

more about Snowflake from Anaova...

The US National Research Council has found that 1 in 4 cats and dogs in the US and Europe are overweight.

One of the biggest problems is sharing food and giving treats.

More from Ananova...

Editor's Note: My own cat, Kitty, is fat herself. She's been on a diet for years of only a quarter cup of food in morning and one in the evening. I'd like to point out her extreme laziness as another cause!

After not "measuring up" as a racer, Alfie was given to  14 year old boy who beat him and even slashed his eye with a knife. Things were pretty grim for this whippet-saluki mix from England.

That was his past life... Now after being rescued, Alfie has won the RSPCA's Dog of the Year award with the help of his new loving family.

Read Alfie's story...

Keepers at a safari park are giving a sick rhino mud treatments by hand as it is too ill to roll around on its own.

Staff at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, said the White Rhino's skin has "improved immensely" since since her first all-over mud pack three months ago.

Park manager Gary Gilmour said Alice was enjoying the attention. He said: "She has arthritis and and she can't get a good roll in the mud so we decided to give her a bit of beauty treatment.

more from Ananova...
 

A German firm having success with a range of designer sunglasses for dogs is now hoping to break into the British market.

They were originally designed to protect mountain rescue dogs from damaging their eyes from the glare of the sun on snow fields.

more from Ananova...

Giant rats are being trained to sniff out landmines in Tanzania.

Their trainers at Tanzania's Sokoine University of Agriculture say the African pouched rats can do a much better job than dogs.

One reason the animals are useful in detecting mines is that despite their description as "giant" rats, they are small enough, about 30 inches long to scamper across a minefield without setting off the charges.

more from Ananova...