As he listened, Joaquim became sleepy, laid his beautiful little head on Willers lap, and snuggled her as she played for him.
This appears to be a regular occurrence around the farm.
Everyone knows that dogs are a man’s best friend… but sometimes, they’re more than that: they’re your best man.
Gabe was invaluable in helping Justin readjust after losing his leg.
But Gabe did more than just help him around. He quickly proved to be a source of emotional support and friendship.
“Since day one, we’ve been joined to the hip,” Justin told the New York Daily News. “He’s there for me all day, every day.”
So when Justin & Carol got married in 2015, it felt only right to have Gabe be part of the ceremony.
But while some people have their dogs act as ring bearers or just as guests, Justin wanted his beloved dog by his side on his big day and gave him a position of honor: his best man.
The bride certainly had no objections to Justin’s unique choice.
“Justin and Gabe go everywhere together and our wedding did not seem like it should be any different of an occasion,” Carol said.
“It was really cool to have him right by me,” Justin said.
“I don’t think there was a dry eye at that point. It was a pretty steady ‘aww’ throughout the entire wedding.”
Your wedding is a very special day, a time when you want to be surrounded by the friends and family who have supported you the most.
It seems only natural that Gabe be at the heart of their big day.
This story shows how deep our relationships with animals can really be. Sometimes they’re more than just pets—they’re our best friend.
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That was the case for one veteran and his beloved service dog, who have such an unbreakable bond that when it came to his wedding day, he had to have his dog involved in a special way.
Justin Lansford is a US Army veteran from Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2012, he was deployed as a paratrooper to Afghanistan and suffered an accident.
“We struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely,” Justin told ABC News. “I had bilaterally severed femurs which resulted in the amputation of my left leg.”
But while recovering at the hospital, Justin got an opportunity that would change his life. A group called Warrior Canine Connections pairs wounded servicemen with support dogs.
Justin was paired with a golden retriever named Gabe.
“The less I use my wheelchair, the more I need his help in smaller tasks and the more he is there,” Justin said. “It has been very comforting to know that.”
“He helps me with one thing to the next. I can use him as a stable surface to lean on, as I get to and from the ground.
If I fall, he’ll come up running next to me and I can use him to push off of to get up off the ground.”
The dog made a big impact not only on Justin, but on his longtime girlfriend Carol, who worked for Warrior Canine Connections and knew the deep connection they shared.
“You have to make sure a support dog is always happy and that they’ll love the person they’re with forever,” Carol told Buzzfeed.
“The second Justin walked into the room when they met, Gabe was wiggling, crying, and rolling on the floor.”
“He goes everywhere I go,” Justin told the Daily News. “He’s certainly there to pick me up emotionally when I need it. Why would the wedding be any different?”
“He is a huge part of our life and deserves to share in the moment with us.”
Australia – home of animals you never even knew existed. But here’s one that should be on your radar. The quokka. Or as Australians call it – the world’s happiest animal.
Cyclist Campbell Jones justified his purchase of a GoPro a thousand times over this week when he captured what’s likely the best photo of the world’s friendliest marsupial.
Jones was riding his bike around Western Australia’s Rottnest Island when he spotted a cat-sized creature known as a quokka, a marsupial native to the 12-square-mile island. Quokkas are legendary for their comfort around humans, but the photos Jones snapped raise that reputation to cartoonish new levels of camera-friendly cuteness.
The 21-year-old Australian snapped a pic with the Quokka and thought the interaction was one and done.
More info: Instagram
Campbell Jones Was Out For A Bike Ride When He Met What Is Possibly The Friendliest Quokka On Earth
“[But] as I walked back to my bike, the quokka chased after me,” Jones said to the West Australian. “I put down the GoPro and it jumped at me as if to say, ‘Come back.'”
The Facebook post was shared more than 1,100 times, received more than 10,000 likes and reactions, and generated more than 9000 comments. Mr. Jones’ original Instagram post received more than 6500 likes.
The two proceeded to interact for some time. The internet is freaking out at the amount of cuteness these pictures have captured.
This isn’t the first time a cute Quokka image has been captured. Quokka selfies are quite common in Australia and the mammal is notorious for having a great smile and being up for a selfie.
The Quokka is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list due to habitat loss and predators. The population on Rottnest Island is between 4,000-8,000. The Island was named after the mammal in 1696.
“As I Walked Back To My Bike, The Quokka Chased After Me”
Mr Jones explained the quokka had chased after him as he returned to his bicycle at Rottnest Island and leapt at him “as if to say ‘come back’” — a moment he captured on his GoPro.
Since then, Mr Jones said the reaction to the photograph “went mental” and he has made television appearances and had stories written on the snap in 15 different languages.
While fielding calls about the picture all week, he sold the copyright to Rottnest Fast Ferries.
“I Put Down The GoPro And It Jumped At Me As If To Say, ‘Come Back’”
A Rottnest Fast Ferries spokeswoman said the “happy” quokka would be the company’s new mascot to promote Rottnest Island.
“The image has been picked up around the world and the overall response is that this image brings huge amounts of joy and positivity from everyone who it is shared with,” she said.
She said the quokka selfie trend captured the attention of people who may have otherwise overlooked Perth.
Quokka Saw The Man, And It Was Love At First Sight!
Experts say quokkas are naturally very curious. And, thankfully, completely harmless.
Of course, they are wild animals at the end of the day, so people are often warned against touching, feeding or harming them.
But, as these pictures prove, quokkas are so friendly, they don’t even need to be approached or encouraged with food. Just let them come to you. Source
It was a normal day for Ludivine, a 2-year-old Bloodhound from Elkmont, Alabama. She was minding her own business at home, doing the same things she does everyday. Little did she know she was going to become Elkmont’s hero of the day.
Ludivine was let out by her owner to go to the bathroom, and while she usually roams the area nearby the farm where she lives, this time her attention got caught by the noise of the half marathon that was just doing to start.
The dog made her way to the starting line, and when the race began, she started to run along with the runners. She probably thought they were just playing with her. Mile after mile, the dog has always been running with the leading group. At some point, Ludivine even stopped by the track to run after a rabbit, bark at some cows and smell some roses she found along the way.
Despite these stops, Ludivine was able to finish the half marathon at the seventh place in 1 hour, 32 minutes and 56 seconds, and even received a medal for her remarkable performance.
The organizers were so impressed by the love people showed for Ludivine, that they decided to rename the event as “The Hound Dog Half” in her honor.
Meet Ludivine, the Bloodhound that accidentally took part to Elkmont Half Marathon
She was let out to go to the bathroom, and while usually she just roams around the farm where she lives, this time her attention was caught by the noise of the event that was going to start.
She made her way to the starting line, and ran the race like it was no big deal.
She even stopped by the track to run after a rabbit, bark at some cows and smell some roses.
Her time was 1 hour, 32 minutes and 56 seconds.
The organizers were so impressed by Ludivine’s performance that will rename the event as “The Hound Dog Half” in her honor.
Source
80-year-old Eugene Bostick lives on a 3-acre land in East Fort Worth, Texas, with his family. His home is located on a dead-end street with a horse barn and according to Bostick, ever since they lived there, people have dumped dogs in their land and have left strays there to starve or die.
They took countless animals and several stray dogs under their care, and after his retirement, Bostick and his family spent their time looking after the animals in their land. Everyday, they feed the animals, take care of them and take them to vet trips. Bostick also built a dog train to bring his pet friends out on adventures, and if that’s not the best retirement job in the world, then I don’t what else is.
Bostick is a lively and energetic man even in his 80s, but with so many dogs to take care of, he needed some sort of vehicle carry them on to go on trips. He came up with the idea of the train after seeing a guy driving a tractor with carts filled with rocks attached to the it.
The tractor inspired him to use the same concept for the dog train, so he took plastic barrels, cut them, put wheels underneath and tied them together. Since he is a skilled welder, it wasn’t hard for him to bring his idea to life.
The dogs love to read on the dog train. After the initial excitement, when they bark a lot, they get quiet and look around for the entire ride. An usual ride lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and they go along the Sycamore Golf Course, which is just at the back of the Bostick property.
Needless to say, every time the train passes by, golfers stop and take pictures of the happy bunch reading on the train.
Source
Cats can have a sense of humor and sometimes it happens when we least expect it. This man saw the poor cat with what he thought was a cat “bleeding out”, but when he rushed over to rescue the poor kitty, he got a real surprise!
The cat walked right up and looked very startled at the man coming towards him and simply walked away, the man was stunned and when he looked down he saw it was just paint splashes that spilled from someone carrying bright red paint!
This man was so thankful and this “trickster’ ended up being OK…
Watch the video story:
Source
The Great Trail of Canada is nearly 15,000 miles long, connecting major cities to all the natural wonders in between
The Great Trail of Canada is now open for hikers, bikers, kayakers and skiers.
The nearly 15,000-mile-long national treasure took a quarter century to build and has been called the largest volunteer effort in Canadian history.
It will give Canadians easy access to some of the country’s most breathtaking natural wonders.
Rather than a single trail, The Great Trail is a network of hundreds of local trails and greenways that are all now connected by a single “thread.”
Whether you’re starting in the East at St. John’s or starting in the West at Victoria, you’ll have over 400 individual trails to travel through.
They weave across all 10 provinces, with a huge looping detour north through the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean.
The Great Trail consists mainly of dirt paths and rugged mountain terrain, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to traverse the whole thing with just a pair of hiking boots.
Over 25 percent of the trails are water “trails,” which require a kayak or canoe.
Motorized vehicles, for the most part, are forbidden on the trail, except for snowmobiles. Cross-country skiing, horseback riding and cycling are other acceptable modes of transportation.
If you ever found the time to make it across the whole trail, you’d cover just about every type of terrain imaginable, from mountains, lakes and plains, to coastal islands, and even the dreaded frozen tundra.
While most the trail is found in the back-country, a good chuck still runs through urban areas in major cities such as: Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
The longest part of the trail wraps around the Great Lakes in Ontario, where there’s the most fresh water in the world. The views in and around these waters are absolutely stunning.
So, if you’re looking for the adventure of a lifetime, look no further. The rugged backcountry of Oh Canada awaits!
Source
The Great Trail of Canada is now open for hikers, bikers, kayakers and skiers.
The nearly 15,000-mile-long national treasure took a quarter century to build and has been called the largest volunteer effort in Canadian history.
It will give Canadians easy access to some of the country’s most breathtaking natural wonders.
Rather than a single trail, The Great Trail is a network of hundreds of local trails and greenways that are all now connected by a single “thread.”
Whether you’re starting in the East at St. John’s or starting in the West at Victoria, you’ll have over 400 individual trails to travel through.
They weave across all 10 provinces, with a huge looping detour north through the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean.
The Great Trail consists mainly of dirt paths and rugged mountain terrain, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to traverse the whole thing with just a pair of hiking boots.
Over 25 percent of the trails are water “trails,” which require a kayak or canoe.
Motorized vehicles, for the most part, are forbidden on the trail, except for snowmobiles. Cross-country skiing, horseback riding and cycling are other acceptable modes of transportation.
If you ever found the time to make it across the whole trail, you’d cover just about every type of terrain imaginable, from mountains, lakes and plains, to coastal islands, and even the dreaded frozen tundra.
While most the trail is found in the back-country, a good chuck still runs through urban areas in major cities such as: Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
The longest part of the trail wraps around the Great Lakes in Ontario, where there’s the most fresh water in the world. The views in and around these waters are absolutely stunning.
So, if you’re looking for the adventure of a lifetime, look no further. The rugged backcountry of Oh Canada awaits!
Source
If there’s anything cuter than puppies in this world, it’s a bunch of sleeping puppies looking as relaxed as can be!
And when they drift off to dreamland and get those little feet kicking, it’s cuteness overload.
Just watch the Lab puppy in the video below. 🙂
This little Lab pup has lost control of his body motions while in the middle of the deepest, most wonderful dream and is experiencing all types of involuntary movements. His little back paws start to kick, and then he even curls up his entire body like a roly poly! What a precious sight to behold.
Source
This little Lab pup has lost control of his body motions while in the middle of the deepest, most wonderful dream and is experiencing all types of involuntary movements. His little back paws start to kick, and then he even curls up his entire body like a roly poly! What a precious sight to behold.
Source
Rescue kitten Blossom is using the power of smiling to spread joy all around the world.
Blossom and her sisters Bubbles and Buttercup are living with their foster mom Lauren Boutz, and they couldn’t be happier to have found such a sweet foster mom while they wait for their forever homes.
Blossom recently showed her love and appreciation for Boutz in the most adorable way. During a photoshoot with Boutz and her friend Gary Sanchez, Blossom flashed a smile that was absolutely heart-melting.
With a cute little head-tilt, Blossoms gazed straight into the camera and gave it a beautiful smile. It looked like she wanted to show how happy she felt to be living in such a loving home.
Nobody could resist that adorable face, and Blossom’s sweet smile quickly went viral.
Now, Blossom has put smiles on faces all around the world. The picture, originally posted to Facebook, was shared over 200,000 times and has since then been reposted all around the web.
Blossom’s smile has spread so much joy to so many people, and it’s all thanks to Boutz.
Boutz is a longtime foster mom who has fostered multiple kittens for the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department.
She give kittens like Blossom and her sisters a safe and loving home while they wait to find their forever homes.
The love and gratitude Blossom feels for her foster mom is clear as day in her wonderful smile.
For the people who can’t get enough of Blossom, Boutz as an Instagram page where she posts pictures of her sweet little Powerpuff girls. It’s wonderful to see the adorable sisters napping together and enjoying life.
Blossom’s beaming face proves that a simple smile can be extremely powerful. It can touch hearts and spread joy further than anyone could ever have anticipated.
Source
Blossom and her sisters Bubbles and Buttercup are living with their foster mom Lauren Boutz, and they couldn’t be happier to have found such a sweet foster mom while they wait for their forever homes.
Blossom recently showed her love and appreciation for Boutz in the most adorable way. During a photoshoot with Boutz and her friend Gary Sanchez, Blossom flashed a smile that was absolutely heart-melting.
With a cute little head-tilt, Blossoms gazed straight into the camera and gave it a beautiful smile. It looked like she wanted to show how happy she felt to be living in such a loving home.
Nobody could resist that adorable face, and Blossom’s sweet smile quickly went viral.
Now, Blossom has put smiles on faces all around the world. The picture, originally posted to Facebook, was shared over 200,000 times and has since then been reposted all around the web.
Blossom’s smile has spread so much joy to so many people, and it’s all thanks to Boutz.
Boutz is a longtime foster mom who has fostered multiple kittens for the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department.
She give kittens like Blossom and her sisters a safe and loving home while they wait to find their forever homes.
The love and gratitude Blossom feels for her foster mom is clear as day in her wonderful smile.
For the people who can’t get enough of Blossom, Boutz as an Instagram page where she posts pictures of her sweet little Powerpuff girls. It’s wonderful to see the adorable sisters napping together and enjoying life.
Blossom’s beaming face proves that a simple smile can be extremely powerful. It can touch hearts and spread joy further than anyone could ever have anticipated.
It was a normal day for Ludivine, a 2-year-old Bloodhound from Elkmont, Alabama. She was minding her own business at home, doing the same things she does everyday. Little did she know she was going to become Elkmont’s hero of the day.
Ludivine was let out by her owner to go to the bathroom, and while she usually roams the area nearby the farm where she lives, this time her attention got caught by the noise of the half marathon that was just doing to start.
The dog made her way to the starting line, and when the race began, she started to run along with the runners. She probably thought they were just playing with her. Mile after mile, the dog has always been running with the leading group. At some point, Ludivine even stopped by the track to run after a rabbit, bark at some cows and smell some roses she found along the way.
Despite these stops, Ludivine was able to finish the half marathon at the seventh place in 1 hour, 32 minutes and 56 seconds, and even received a medal for her remarkable performance.
The organizers were so impressed by the love people showed for Ludivine, that they decided to rename the event as “The Hound Dog Half” in her honor.
Meet Ludivine, the Bloodhound that accidentally took part to Elkmont Half Marathon
She was let out to go to the bathroom, and while usually she just roams around the farm where she lives, this time her attention was caught by the noise of the event that was going to start.
She made her way to the starting line, and ran the race like it was no big deal.
She even stopped by the track to run after a rabbit, bark at some cows and smell some roses.
The organizers were so impressed by Ludivine’s performance that will rename the event as “The Hound Dog Half” in her honor.
Source
A vet clinic in Ireland just announced the best job offer ever! They are hiring a full-time cat-cuddler. This may be a once in a life time chance for us cat lovers to finally have our dream job.
The job requirement is simple. Just Cats clinic in Dublin says the job will be given to someone who has a lot of ‘catitude’ and would love to help homeless felines in need of some TLC.
“The ideal candidate must have gentle hands capable of petting and stroking cats for long periods of time.”
“They need to be softly spoken and capable of cat whispering to calm the nerves of some of our in-patients.”
“An ability to understand different types of purring is a distinct added advantage in helping you secure this position with us.”
Don’t hesitate! Send your CV and Cover Letter (and maybe some pictures of you with cats) to the clinic now. This might be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself.
Source
The job requirement is simple. Just Cats clinic in Dublin says the job will be given to someone who has a lot of ‘catitude’ and would love to help homeless felines in need of some TLC.
“The ideal candidate must have gentle hands capable of petting and stroking cats for long periods of time.”
“They need to be softly spoken and capable of cat whispering to calm the nerves of some of our in-patients.”
“An ability to understand different types of purring is a distinct added advantage in helping you secure this position with us.”
Don’t hesitate! Send your CV and Cover Letter (and maybe some pictures of you with cats) to the clinic now. This might be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself.
Source
80-year-old Eugene Bostick lives on a 3-acre land in East Fort Worth, Texas, with his family. His home is located on a dead-end street with a horse barn and according to Bostick, ever since they lived there, people have dumped dogs in their land and have left strays there to starve or die.
They took countless animals and several stray dogs under their care, and after his retirement, Bostick and his family spent their time looking after the animals in their land. Everyday, they feed the animals, take care of them and take them to vet trips. Bostick also built a dog train to bring his pet friends out on adventures, and if that’s not the best retirement job in the world, then I don’t what else is.
Bostick is a lively and energetic man even in his 80s, but with so many dogs to take care of, he needed some sort of vehicle carry them on to go on trips. He came up with the idea of the train after seeing a guy driving a tractor with carts filled with rocks attached to the it.
The tractor inspired him to use the same concept for the dog train, so he took plastic barrels, cut them, put wheels underneath and tied them together. Since he is a skilled welder, it wasn’t hard for him to bring his idea to life.
The dogs love to read on the dog train. After the initial excitement, when they bark a lot, they get quiet and look around for the entire ride. An usual ride lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and they go along the Sycamore Golf Course, which is just at the back of the Bostick property.
Needless to say, every time the train passes by, golfers stop and take pictures of the happy bunch reading on the train.
Source
You’re about to find out what happens when you tell four big, energetic dogs they’re on their way to play at the park… and trust me, it’s awesome to watch.
Recently, a YouTuber from Canada by the name of “T3” uploaded a hilarious video, and it’s already getting a ton of attention.
“Took the dogs to their favorite spot for a walk and they do this every time,” he wrote.
Luna and her three canine companions are German shorthaired pointers, a breed known for being affectionate, active, and loyal.
At first, all is calm inside the car. But just as Dad reveals their destination, the mood instantly changes.
“Alright y’all, where we going?” he asks.
It doesn’t take long for the four big pups to figure it out. They get so excited he’s nearly forced to pull over so they can calm down!
So. Freakin’. Cute.
Though this clip is still pretty new, it’s already received millions of views on YouTube. It’s easy to see why.
Source
Recently, a YouTuber from Canada by the name of “T3” uploaded a hilarious video, and it’s already getting a ton of attention.
“Took the dogs to their favorite spot for a walk and they do this every time,” he wrote.
Luna and her three canine companions are German shorthaired pointers, a breed known for being affectionate, active, and loyal.
At first, all is calm inside the car. But just as Dad reveals their destination, the mood instantly changes.
“Alright y’all, where we going?” he asks.
It doesn’t take long for the four big pups to figure it out. They get so excited he’s nearly forced to pull over so they can calm down!
So. Freakin’. Cute.
Though this clip is still pretty new, it’s already received millions of views on YouTube. It’s easy to see why.
Source
While most cats hate being in water, this adorable black and white kitty from japan is the opposite. Because Moo the cat loves to take a bath! Especially when her human is taking a bath with her. Watch as Moo’s human demonstrates in this video how excited Moo the cat when she realized she’s going to take a bath. Such a cute kitty!
Source
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Some people just wait for opportunity to come, other people are born to be street performers. Needless to say, life as a street performer isn’t all fun and games. Performing for passersby every night takes a significant amount of talent and confidence.
Being rejected and ignored are all part of a day’s work. Just like this Malaysian busker who sang his heart out just to be ignored the whole night.
Although nobody stood by and listened to him, he did catch the attention of an unlikely group of music lovers. As he was singing, four 3-month-old kittens sat and listened to him sing and play his guitar. They may be an unlikely audience, but they were the cutest and most supportive crowd any performer could ever have.
Watch the video below:
Source
Being rejected and ignored are all part of a day’s work. Just like this Malaysian busker who sang his heart out just to be ignored the whole night.
Although nobody stood by and listened to him, he did catch the attention of an unlikely group of music lovers. As he was singing, four 3-month-old kittens sat and listened to him sing and play his guitar. They may be an unlikely audience, but they were the cutest and most supportive crowd any performer could ever have.
Watch the video below:
Source
Animals
Physicist Wins Ig Noble Prize For Study On Whether Cats Should Be Classified As Liquids Or Solids
A French physicist has won an Ig Nobel Prize for using mathematical formulas to determine whether cats are liquid or solid.
The Ig Nobel prizes are awarded every year by Improbable Research, an organization devoted to science and humor. The goal is to highlight scientific studies that first make people laugh, then think.
A ceremony is held every year at Harvard University.
Marc-Antoine Fardin was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in physics for his research paper on the rheology of cats.
"At the center of the definition of a liquid is an action: A material must be able to modify its form to fit within a container," Fardin said.
"If we take cats as our example, the fact is that they can adapt their shape to their container if we give them enough time. Cats are thus liquid if we give them the time to become liquid."
In his official research paper, Fardin discusses many factors including relaxation time, experimental time, the type of container, and the cat's degree of stress.
The conclusion? Cats can be either liquid or solid, depending on the circumstances, Fardin reported in the Rheology Bulletin in 2014.
Watch the video below:
Source
The Ig Nobel prizes are awarded every year by Improbable Research, an organization devoted to science and humor. The goal is to highlight scientific studies that first make people laugh, then think.
A ceremony is held every year at Harvard University.
Marc-Antoine Fardin was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in physics for his research paper on the rheology of cats.
"At the center of the definition of a liquid is an action: A material must be able to modify its form to fit within a container," Fardin said.
"If we take cats as our example, the fact is that they can adapt their shape to their container if we give them enough time. Cats are thus liquid if we give them the time to become liquid."
In his official research paper, Fardin discusses many factors including relaxation time, experimental time, the type of container, and the cat's degree of stress.
The conclusion? Cats can be either liquid or solid, depending on the circumstances, Fardin reported in the Rheology Bulletin in 2014.
Watch the video below:
Source
Animals
Everyone Ignored Poor “Bleeding Cat” Until This Man Went Over to Rescue Her and Discovered He Was Wrong
Cats can have a sense of humor and sometimes it happens when we least expect it. This man saw the poor cat with what he thought was a cat “bleeding out”, but when he rushed over to rescue the poor kitty, he got a real surprise!
The cat walked right up and looked very startled at the man coming towards him and simply walked away, the man was stunned and when he looked down he saw it was just paint splashes that spilled from someone carrying bright red paint!
This man was so thankful and this “trickster’ ended up being OK…
Source