ISTANBUL — A devoted dog has spent days waiting outside a hospital in northern Turkey where her sick owner was receiving treatment. The pet, Boncuk (Bon-DJUK), which means bead, followed the ambulance that transported her owner, Cemal Senturk, to hospital in the Black Sea city of Trabzon on Jan. 14....
Can Dog 'Sleuths' Sniff out California Citrus Disease?
WASHINGTON — Dog detectives might be able to help save ailing citrus groves, research published Monday suggests. Scientists trained dogs to sniff out a crop disease called citrus greening that has hit orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards in Florida, California and Texas. The dogs can detect it weeks to years...
Border Patrol Seizes Meth Haul in Southern California
TEMECULA — A U.S. Border Patrol dog sniffed out more than $190,000 worth of methamphetamine concealed in a vehicle along a Southern California highway, the agency said. An agent patrolling Interstate 15 followed a suspicious vehicle Friday as it exited onto U.S. 395 and parked at a gas station in...
Mountain Lion Who Killed Dog Prowls California Neighborhood
SIMI VALLEY — Authorities have warned residents of a Southern California suburb to take precautions as a mountain lion prowls neighborhoods after killing a resident’s dog and injuring another pet. Sightings of the big cat in the city of Simi Valley near Los Angeles resumed Thursday evening, just hours after...
Abandoned Baby Giraffe Befriended by Dog in Africa Dies
JOHANNESBURG — A baby giraffe that was befriended by a dog after it was abandoned in the wild has died, a South African animal orphanage said Friday. “Our team is heartbroken,” the orphanage said. Jazz the giraffe collapsed after hemorrhaging in the brain, The Rhino Orphanage said in a Facebook...
Woman Tries to Pry Open Mountain Lion's Jaws to Save Her Dog
SIMI VALLEY — A Southern California woman punched a mountain lion Thursday and tried to pry its jaws open to save her dog from an attack in her backyard, officials said. The unidentified woman suffered a minor cut after the mountain lion attacked her miniature Schnauzer in the city of...
Russian Scientists Present Ancient Puppy Found in Permafrost
YAKUTSK, Russia — Russian scientists on Monday showed off a prehistoric puppy, believed to be 18,000 years old, found in permafrost in the country’s Far East. Discovered last year in a lump of frozen mud near the city of Yakutsk, the puppy is unusually well-preserved, with its hair, teeth, whiskers...
Why Losing a Dog Can Be Harder Than Losing a Relative or Friend
Recently, my wife and I went through one of the more excruciating experiences of our lives – the euthanasia of our beloved dog, Murphy. I remember making eye contact with Murphy moments before she took her last breath – she flashed me a look that was an endearing blend of...
Dog Befriends Baby Giraffe After Abandoned in South Africa
MOKOPANE, South Africa — A dog in South Africa has befriended a baby giraffe that was abandoned at birth, rescued and taken to a local orphanage. Jazz the giraffe arrived at The Rhino Orphanage just days after birth. A farmer found him in the wild, weak and dehydrated, and called...
Northern California Officer Rescues Dog Kicked out of Car
PLACERVILLE — The California Highway Patrol is trying to find who kicked out a dog out of vehicle and abandoned the animal on the side of Highway 50 in Placerville. The CHP's Placerville office says witnesses on Sunday reported seeing a vehicle slow down before someone kicked the dog out...