Iron, a German shepherd trained to sniff out explosives, weapons, wires and other threats, and handler Sgt. Joshua T. Rose, right, wait as military explosives experts investigate a bomb that Iron found south of Baghdad.Sgt. Joshua Rose and Iron are one of about 200 canine teams deployed in Iraq, where the bond between soldiers and their dogs is so deep that some handlers have asked to be buried with their canine partners if they are killed together.
On frigid winter nights in the Iraqi desert, Rose shares his cot and sometimes his sleeping bag with Iron to keep him warm. In the scorching summer heat, he makes sure Iron has enough water before taking his own share. If the heat is too much for Iron, who has a thick coat of glossy black fur, Rose lets him rest, no matter what the platoon leader might want.
"These dogs are like our children. I'm closer to my dog than I am to anyone other than my wife," said Staff Sgt. Charles W. Graves, the kennel master at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, about 20 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Since the start of the Iraq war, about 1,000 dogs have passed through the combat zone, and three have been killed in action.
Their duties include sniffing out the roadside bombs, detecting booby-trap wires, searching for drugs and illegal weapons at border crossings, finding human remains and tracking and chasing down insurgents.
The war in Iraq is the first in which the military has sent dogs to serve as therapy animals for stressed-out troops.
Source:
LA TimesThe above referenced story was written by Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, she has also created a war dog blog entry with more photos :
IRAQ: Dog duty
This fourteen-week-old baby Amur leopard already has a fearsome set of fangs. As a member of the world's rarest big cat species, she is bound to become the star attraction at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire.
But with the wild population said to be as little as 35, her real significance is to conservationists.
Only half a dozen Amurs left in their native habitat on Siberia's Pacific coast near the Korean border are thought to be females.
Source:
the Daily Mail
Veterinarians are pioneers in the practical use of stem cells.
In the race to perfect "regenerative medicine," stem cell therapy for animals is ahead of treatment for humans because it is not so strictly regulated. It's not experimental -- it's here.
And while the debate rages over the ethics of embryonic stem cell research, doctors have made stunning progress with "adult" stem cells recovered from body fat.
They are less powerful than embryonic cells, but they don't require the destruction of an embryo. There are no side effects and no problems with rejection, because the patient is also the cell donor.
It takes almost 24 hours to send fat cells to a remote laboratory and return them for reinjection. Veterinarians remove about 30 grams of fat, pack up the cells and whisk them away to the
Vet-Stem laboratory outside San Diego where this procedure has been developed. At Vet-Stem, the fat cells are chopped up, treated and put in a centrifuge that separates the stem cells.
Stem cells show great promise for healing animal joints, hearts, livers and kidneys … and perhaps, in the future, humans. Hopefully one day, stem cells will be injected into human stroke and heart attack victims, and maybe even used to regenerate damaged spinal cords within hours of injury.
A large selection of vets have been using this treatment successfully for years. The results have been outstanding and the therapy has helped many beloved dogs feel like pups again.
Source:
ABC News
Wooden wine crate Dog/Cat feeders, beds and toy boxes come straight from European and Californian vineyards.
Being elevated, the feeders promote healthy eating and drinking habits for the pets, they can also be modified for smaller pets.
Each dish is custom-made and is available in its natural finish or pickled in any custom mixed color glaze to complement any décor. Complete with removable stainless steel bowls, the feeders also have skid-proof bottoms.
Beds are outfitted with a fluffy faux-fur pillow for the smaller pampered Pet and the new toy boxes complete the ensemble. They truly are a mélange of modern and antique materials...
Available from
Whiner and Diner.