BANGKOK — Thailand has started deploying a canine virus-detecting squad in hopes of quickly identifying people with COVID-19 as the country faces a surge in cases, with clusters at construction sites, crowded slum communities and large markets. Angel, Bobby and Bravo are among six Labrador retrievers that have been trained...
Dogs Ease Pandemic Isolation for Nursing Home Residents
Eileen Nagle sees her family in video chats and drive-by visits, but that hasn't made up for the lack of warm hugs in the nine months since the pandemic led her nursing home to shut its doors to visitors. Enter Zeus. “Zeus is a friendly little snowball, very happy,” said...
Westminster and Work: Some Show Dogs Serve, Search or Soothe
NEW YORK — From the silky strut of Afghan hounds to poodles with coats sculpted like confections, the Westminster Kennel Club's green carpet spotlights manicured, pedigreed canines vying to be deemed top dog. But they aren’t just for show. Ghost, a Norwegian buhund that competed Sunday a t the nation’s...
New Rules Could Bump Emotional-Support Animals From Planes
The days of passengers bringing their pets on airplanes as emotional-support animals could be ending. The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed that only specially trained dogs qualify as service animals, which must be allowed in the cabin at no charge. Airlines could ban emotional-support animals including untrained dogs,...
O’Hurley Relishes Annual Thanksgiving Dog Show’s Popularity
NEW YORK — Television traditions on Thanksgiving have usually involved the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then hours of football, but in recent years, another has emerged: The National Dog Show. Hosted by actor John O’Hurley, the annual parade of pooches has become one of the most popular shows of...
Poll Unmasks Halloween Plans, From Candy to Costumed Pets
CHICAGO — The good news for kids this Halloween: They'll likely come home with a bigger pile of candy than of healthy snacks while out trick-or-treating. Americans have a wide variety of plans to celebrate the spooky holiday this year, from carving pumpkins to watching scary movies. Some even plan...
How to Keep Your Pet Safe on Fourth of July
Although it's a day of loud and joyful celebration for the human species, Independence Day is notoriously traumatizing for many pets. "The Fourth of July is probably the hardest holiday for all the pets in the community," says Devon Prendergast, Community Relations Coordinator at Valley Animal Center. She says the...
Stubby-legged Dogs Race for Glory, Treats at Corgi Nationals
Forget greyhounds. If you want the epitome of racing dogs, you want a pooch with ground-hugging aerodynamics, a compact wheelbase, and heart-melting button eyes. You want a corgi. What these economy-size spitfires lack in speed, they make up for with adorable, tongue-lolling smiles and an equally adoring fanbase. No wonder,...
Meow Hear This: Study Says Cats React to Sound of Their Name
NEW YORK — Hey Kitty! Yes, you. A new study suggests household cats can respond to the sound of their own names. No surprise to you or most cat owners, right? But Japanese scientists said Thursday that they've provided the first experimental evidence that cats can distinguish between words that...
TSA Opts for a Friendlier Look With Floppy-Eared Sniffer Dogs
The dogs deployed by the Transportation Security Administration at airports nationwide use their noses to sniff out explosives and contraband. But pooches selected for duty these days are picked not just for the ability of their snouts - the shape of their ears matters, too. TSA officials say the agency...