In a quiet move, a Brazilian pet store made the decision to swap out its for-sale animals with those from shelters for a single day. The initiative, led by Associacao Quatro Patinhas (Association Four Paws), aimed to shift public attitudes towards shelter animals. The response from customers to this experiment spoke volumes about the impact of the initiative. 

What a wonderful idea and way to show that there’s no difference between purebred dogs and shelter dogs. They all love just the same! 

 Click the video below to watch this incredible story!

 
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  Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are huge mammals that can grow up to 55 feet. Though they’re huge, they’re also vulnerable. Scientists say these whales have the largest brains of any creature known to have lived. 

Perhaps that intelligence allowed this whale to ask for help from a diver. Sperm whales’ heads also hold large quantities of a substance called spermaceti. As massive as they are, these whales are gentle, and only feast on squid they find when they dive down to the depths of the ocean. 

The diver is Hugues Vitry. He is a world-famous Maurician environmentalist and underwater photographer, and in this video, he removed a small fish hook from the whale’s lower jaw. Vitry is also the Diving Centre Manager and Vice President of Marine Megafauna Conservation Organization. He once freed a whale that got entangled in ropes. Vitry makes the effort to help and conserve marine life, saying one person can make a huge difference. 

He also says not to believe everything the media says about the oceans. Experienced as he is, this was exceptional. The whale swims close to Vitry, moving its huge body sideways before opening its jaw to show the diver that she needed help. One small hook caused this huge whale discomfort. Imagine what huge objects could do. 

As the whale swims beside Vitry, he trains his camera on her, narrating what was going on. It’s beautiful to watch. Vitry says he saw blood. The translation is rough but he says the hook was by the whale’s tooth so, with some force, he was able to remove it from the whale’s mouth. The massive mammal remained calm the whole time. 

Here’s the best part. Vitry himself was in awe when the whale seemed to linger for a bit after he attempted to reassure the creature that it was over. The whale in return seemed to be thanking him! Take it from this viewer who seemed to understand Vitry’s French, 

“For those interested, the guy (an overseas French, I’d say Reunionnais but he could from another island) talks about how strange it was to see this sperm whale come to them with its open mouth yet unagressively, how he saw that its mouth was bleeding, and how after the hook was removed he took a little time to try to make the whale understand it was over, hugged it, and how the sperm whale stood by for a while after that, showing signs that could be interpreted as gratitude.” Whales are highly intelligent creatures. Vitry even hugged the whale as he pressed his head against hers and whispered words of comfort. See Vitry share this precious moment with the whale in the video below!

 
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Unfortunately, though, there are still many veterans who come back home only to have to “go without”. Thankfully, there’s something we can do. This veteran’s story is truly touching. When a news crew heard about his plight, they knew they could and should help him. It was a sunny day in Las Vegas, and the Fox 5 Surprise Squad headed to the local Albertsons. 

They wanted to do something special for the residents, so they selected random customers and paid for their groceries. Dave Hall headed the team. He approached several people who were just about to check out. When he asked if he could pay for their groceries, it made their day every time. Over and over they kindly stepped in and paid for strangers’ shopping orders. The employees watched as the crew assisted several random customers, and they clued them in on the regulars who needed the help the most. 

One cashier was almost in tears. She was so happy and thankful to see these acts of kindness brightening each person’s face. Finally, Dave introduced himself to a lady named Stephanie. She was a disabled veteran. She relied on her wheelchair to get around. Stephanie explained that she was buying food for herself and her dogs. 

Without much financial assistance, she was really struggling. She admitted to Dave that she was down to her last $50. She didn’t know what she would do after that.

The news anchor was excited to be able to help. He paid for the entire cost of the groceries, and Stephanie couldn’t have been more grateful. Dave noticed the man behind her. “Is this your husband?” he asked. Actually, the man was a friend of her husband. This man, named Larry, was another veteran who had been in the same club as Stephanie’s husband. The club, Bones For Blankets, focused on donating blankets to homeless veterans. 

Larry had started the organization 16 years previously after he tragically lost three of his brothers. They had all frozen to death. The experience locked into Larry’s mind just how important sharing resources is. Larry explained that Stephanie’s husband was a truck driver and that his job caused him to be away a lot. Larry drove the woman everywhere she needed to go. Sympathetic to her struggle, he wanted to do whatever he could to make her life easier. “No vet should be going through what she’s going through,” he said. 

Larry drove Stephanie to the grocery store, even though he himself couldn’t afford to buy groceries. As he stood in the check-out line, he only held a bottle of dish soap and a piece of candy. It was all he could afford. Dave refused to let the kind vet leave the store without any real groceries. “You served us,” he told the veteran. “It’s our turn to serve you now.” Larry’s eyes were watery. 

As he walked with Dave back into the aisles, he shared his story. They filled the cart to the brim with food and toiletries. It was much more than the man had expected when he got out of bed that morning. The veteran admitted that he was overwhelmed with the kindness he was being shown. He had taken care of himself since he was a teenager, and now a stranger showed up out of the blue just to buy him food. Larry offered to repay Dave. 

The reporter replied that Larry had already done his part. “We try to do good things for good people, Larry, so you deserve this,” Dave told him. When they finished checking out, Larry mentioned that he had never spent that much on groceries before. You could tell by the look on his face just how much this moment meant to him. 

Larry thanked Dave wholeheartedly. Then he was on his way. He left the grocery store, but the value of the moment is something that will never fade. Larry has grown accustomed to showing up for others, whether as a soldier in the army or as a Good Samaritan providing resources to those in need. That’s what makes seeing Larry get treated to some of the kindness he’s served so extra special. 

The heartwarming shopping trip garnered over a million views on FOX 5 Las Vegas’s YouTube channel and continues to remind us how much it pays to be kind. 

 Hear Larry share his story as he’s treated to some much-deserved gratitude in the video below!

 
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She quickly made her way to the location to assess the situation firsthand and investigate the source of the distress signals coming from the dog. Her prompt response underscores her commitment to animal welfare and her readiness to confront potentially challenging rescue operations. When Michelle Smith reached the site, she navigated her way down the precarious embankment with caution and found a dog caught in the grip of a thorny bush’s branches. But as she examined the situation more closely, a heartwarming discovery was made: the dog was not alone in its predicament. 

To Michelle’s astonishment, nestled against the dog was a tiny kitten, who seemed to be drawing nourishment from its canine protector. This unexpected duo highlighted a remarkable bond of interspecies care and protection, with the dog taking on the role of guardian for the vulnerable kitten amidst their shared plight. Michelle surmised that the dog, whom she affectionately named Goldie, had stumbled upon the kitten, abandoned near the creek, and had ventured down to rescue it upon hearing its cries. 

Tragically, Goldie found herself unable to climb back up the ravine while safeguarding the kitten, which elucidated their precarious situation. Moved by their predicament and determined to assist, Michelle took the extraordinary step of rescuing them and bringing them to her organization. There, Goldie took on the role of a nurturing mother, diligently grooming and caring for the little kitten she had saved. 

In honor of this newfound relationship, the kitten was named Kate. The bond that flourished between Goldie and Kate was a testament to their remarkable and heartwarming connection, showcasing an incredible instance of cross-species empathy and care. In a heartwarming turn of events, Goldie and Kate were eventually adopted by a loving family, providing them with a forever home. Michelle shared her experience in a report, stating, “This is one example of why I love my job.” 

What makes this story even more remarkable is the result of Goldie’s examination at the vet, which revealed that she had never had puppies of her own. Despite this, Goldie cared for Kate as if she were her own, even allowing the kitten to suckle on her. 

This touching tale of an unlikely animal friendship serves as a reminder of the incredible bond that can form between different species. Goldie and Kate’s story proves that a mother’s love can come in many different forms, all equally special.

 
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Canvas Chameleons in Reading, Pennsylvania is a family-owned reptile store and breeder that focuses on healthy development of chameleons and other reptiles as pets. Nick Henn, the owner of the pet shop, has been breeding and raising chameleons since he established the breeding business in 2013. His favorite species, the panther chameleon, is typically found in Madagascar in tropical forest biome. Enamored with the mesmerizing colors and patterns that look like stunning brush of strokes on a canvas, the business derived its name after this particular species. According to Henn, panther chameleon eggs usually grow in their shells for 7 – 8 months. When it’s time to hatch, the hatchling uses its egg tooth on its upper jaw to peck the shell pieces out. Once the end of the egg near its head is pipped, the baby chameleon starts wiggling its head to emerge from the egg. 

Unfortunately, this particular hatchling pipped the side of his egg, making it more difficult for him to come out. And if a hatchling couldn’t break free from its egg once it’s pipped, it dies. Since the baby chameleon couldn’t break through on his own, Henn decided to help out him out by delicately cutting away the shell using cuticle clippers. After the shell has been completely removed, Henn was amazed to see the newborn panther chameleon still curled up in position as he was inside the egg. 

It was indeed a rare moment Henn doesn’t normally see every day. So, he captured photos of the newborn reptile and shared it online for other people to see. The baby chameleon is now safe and well after his unusual coming into the outside world. Source: Facebook | Yelp

The pioneering facility supports older people to live their lives independently, with access to several shops and services on site. The UK charity Ready Generations partnered with Belong to run the village’s day nursery. Children feature in the daily life of residents and tenants, enjoying experiences together including shared mealtimes, stories, arts and crafts, and exercise. 

Recently, Belong welcomed the Lord Mayor of Cheshire, Sheila Little, to declare the latest village in the county officially open, though it’s been operating since last year. “This is a particularly exciting and innovative development as it includes a nursery, which benefits both the children who attend and the residents,” said Little. Breaking the mold of more ‘traditional’ care environments, the $24.5 million, state-of-the-art village incorporates six family-sized 24-hour care households, 23 independent living apartments, as well as the children’s nursery. 

Centered around a vibrant hub of amenities, including a bistro, hair salon, and specialist exercise studio, the site is open to the public, creating a bustling environment with customers from the local community. Belong Chester is the eighth village in the dementia specialist’s group and its fourth in Cheshire County, with its other sites in the Cheshire municipalities of Crewe, Macclesfield, and Warrington. Similar projects have been pioneered in America as well. The Intergenerational Learning Center at Mount St. Vincent nursing home in Seattle opened its doors to the oldest—and the youngest—in 2015. The 400 adults in that assisted-living center join the kids in daily activities from music and dancing to storytelling and just plain visiting. 

A filmmaker named Evan Briggs made a documentary about the Washington State facility that portrays the experience of aging—“both growing up, and growing old.” Watch his video below…

 
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St. Lucia is near the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, home to around 800 hippos. That means that, while visiting the area, you may see hippos roaming freely around the estuary and even in town. These hippos were caught parading around the streets one evening.

@beauspaans Meanwhile on the streets of St. Lucia 🦛. #stlucia #southafrica #hippo #streets #animals ♬ origineel geluid - Beau Spaans

While these hippos seem complacent walking down the street, we should note that hippos can be very dangerous. Local residents know to use caution around them. The hippos have grown accustomed to cars, people, and camera flashes, but they can still be dangerous. 

The St. Lucia Tourism Bureau has compiled a hippo fact sheet that all visitors should read. Hippos cause more deaths than any other animal in South Africa. Although baby hippos are the cutest animals on the planet, adult hippos are an entirely different matter. Check out this clip of cuteness overload!

@babyhippoco Baby Hippos Are The Cutest Animals On The Planet #babyhippo #pygmyhippo #hippo #babyanimals #cute #foryou #fyp ♬ stuff we did - LBFD

In Columbia, there are around 130 hippos that wander the street. Pablo Escobar imported them for a private zoo. Authorities could not capture them, so they roam freely and are invasive. They have been roaming since the 1980s and are the largest population of hippos outside of Africa. Although many hippo sightings happen at night in St. Lucia, there are plenty of daytime encounters too. It is not uncommon to see a random hippo or two walk down the street. The folks who took the video of the hippo on the left below could not get to their hotel. 

The hippo was in the street, blocking the entrance. The two on the right were in a residential area. If St. Lucia, South Africa, is on your bucket list, catch a guided safari tour. But also be aware of the hippos in the street and use caution.
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  “I was utterly surprised and mystified when I first spotted a distant bright light coming toward me from the northern horizon,” he shared. “At first, I thought it was a jet airliner flying through some clouds. Then it took on the spiral shape and grew big fast!” Salat couldn't believe what he was seeing and was left feeling a bit confused about what had taken place. Luckily, he was able to act quickly and capture the event so that he could share it with the world. 

“I was shooting frantically with two camera/tripod set-ups knowing that this was a unique event, and within about seven minutes, the ‘apparition' swept by and disappeared. It was spellbinding! For the past two nights, I had been photographing auroras over this dome (Donnelly Dome) and hoping to catch something special. I got my wish!” 

 Once Salat got home, he began doing some research and that's when he realized that what he'd seen in the sky wasn't natural. Just three hours earlier, in California, a SpaceX Transporter-7 mission launched on the Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The spiral is actually frozen rocket engine exhaust. When it catches the sunlight at high altitudes, it glows, and a spiral formation is created. Salat wasn't the only one to get a glimpse at the rare event. 

The University of Alaska's Poker Flat Research Range has an all-night camera that also recorded the event. At around 09:50 UT mark, the spiral appears and then mysteriously vanishes just as quickly as it came into view. Transporter is SpaceX's rideshare mission, and this was its seventh launch. 

According to SpaceNews, it was carrying 51 satellites. Though the full payload list wasn't available, some of the satellites included were for greenhouse gas monitoring, as well as weather monitoring. This was the first time that a Transporter mission had launched from California, with the previous six missions taking off from Florida's Cape Canaveral. 

The spiral caused by a SpaceX rocket was also caught on film. It's visible in the aurora at around 09:50 UT.

 
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That was the case recently, when a horse decided to mug for the camera and hilariously steal the show during a couple’s photoshoot. A mom-to-be named Amanda Eckstein, from Indiana, wanted to have a nice maternity photoshoot with her partner, and hired Cincinnati photographer Kristen Zaffiro to take the pictures. During the shoot, the couple decided they wanted to get their horses in a few of the shots. But it took some time for Kristen to get the horses to pose correctly. “When we got to the time to do the horse pictures, they were not standing the way we had hoped they would,” she told WJW. Finally, she got one of the horses, Buckshot, to face the camera. Now she just needed him to look happy. 

“We finally got them turned around the correct way and I said, ‘At least you could smile,'” Kristen recalled. But she never expected the horse to actually listen — but then suddenly Buckshot posed with a huge, hilarious smile for the camera! And the funny photos kept coming. “When I laughed, he smiled more,” Kristen said. In another great pic, the horse is laughing with his mouth wide open, as Amanda gives him a look: As their horse stole the show, the couple couldn’t help but break their poses and start laughing hysterically at his big smile. “I laughed so hard!” Kristen wrote on Facebook. “Best maternity session ever.” What hilarious photos! This is definitely a maternity shoot to remember, thanks to one photogenic horse.
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At the end of Monday’s Daily Show, Stewart took a pause from his trademark political satire and shared a personal story with the audience. He recalled how 12-13 years ago, his two children wanted to raise money for a NYC no-kill animal shelter, Animal Haven. The family set up a stand selling cupcakes outside the shelter, and employees brought out one of their dogs: a 1-year-old brindle pitbull who had lost his right leg after being struck by a car in Brooklyn. 

Stewart starts to get emotional recalling this first meeting with his beloved dog, pulling out a tissue box from beneath his desk: “I thought I’d get further,” he joked to the audience. He then explained that he and his family went home with the dog that day, naming him Dipper. “In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart says. Stewart says he would take the dog to the office every day, and Dipper was part of the “OG Daily Show dog crew.” 

Over the years, Dipper became a staple of Stewart’s Daily Show routine and got to meet many of the show’s high-profile guests. “We’d come to tape this show, and Dipper would wait for me to be done,” Stewart said said. “And he met actors and authors and presidents and kings.” “And he did—he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare into Malala Yousafzai,” Stewart joked, playing a clip of Dipper startling the Nobel Peace Prize laureate behind the scenes of the show. An emotional Stewart then announced that Dipper passed away on Sunday, surrounded by the family. “He was ready. He was tired… but I wasn’t,” Stewart says. 

“My wish for you, is that one day you find that dog,” Stewart tells the audience. “That one dog. And just… he’s the best.” He then ended the show dedicating the nightly “Moment of Zen” to footage of Dipper happily playing in the snow. 

 Watch the video below:

  Stewart, 61, hosted The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, turning the late night Comedy Central series into a political comedy institution and receiving 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. 

He returned to the show this month as executive producer and host of Monday night’s shows, and will continue through the election. Stewart’s love for animals goes beyond his rescue dog Dipper: he and his wife Tracey also turned their 45-acre farm into a sanctuary for abused animals.

  It’s always heartbreaking to say goodbye to a beloved dog, and our hearts are with Jon Stewart and his family after their loss. Thank you for rescuing Dipper and giving him such a great home all those years ❤️💔 Please share this story in memory of Dipper.
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  While we love inspiring stories of human babies who were born in miraculous ways, like this postmenopausal surrogate who gave birth to her own grandson, we also love stories about extraordinary animal births. 

For instance, BBC Earth was there to record a mama tiger when she gave birth to twin tiger cubs at the Australia Zoo. This tiger was a first time mom, so we can imagine that she didn’t entirely know what to expect, but thankfully, her animal instincts were right on. You see, the first baby tiger wasn’t breathing when he was born. He made a few gasps for air, but more than two minutes went by without the cub truly breathing properly. 

Mom did what cats naturally do when their babies are born. She licked the cub, and licked and licked and licked. Her licking was a way of cleaning the cub. This licking is similar to what a nurse might do in the hospital when a human baby is born. A nurse might wipe away the amniotic fluid and suction any fluid out of the baby’s nose so that he could breath easily. 

Mama tiger’s licking would hopefully stimulate the cub to breath and clear the airways. There’s no way to know if mama tiger was worried about her baby or not, but the staff at the Australia Zoo, who were watching on a TV monitor, were on the edge of their seats. 

Finally, the baby cub took a couple normal breaths. Mama tiger did her job and did it amazingly well. The tiger responded with his first ever sound, and the staff at the zoo clapped and cheered. Everyone was relieved and even joyful. Mama tiger wasn’t done yet though. She was having twins. 

We’re sure everyone was hopeful that the second baby would have an easier time breathing than the first. His birth ended up being quite a bit different than that of his brother’s. While the first cub was lifeless and struggling to breath for the first few minutes of his life, the second cub was immediately moving around and breathing easily. 

 Watch the video below to see mama tiger give birth to her twin boys. She makes it look so easy.

 
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  According to a Facebook post from the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Sevier County Technical Rope Rescue Team, consisting of rope rescue technicians from different local fire departments, was deployed to rescue a dog named Charlie. 

Charlie was trapped 40 feet down an extremely narrow cave shaft. After arriving on the scene and hiking to Charlie’s location, two firefighters descended down into the cave to look for the dog — but got a scare when they realized they weren’t alone. 

Inside the cave was a 2-year-old, 200-pound bear, sleeping five feet below and trapping Charlie inside. Unable to get to Charlie without startling the bear, the team set up cameras before exiting the cave, and waited for the bear to leave. The crew returned the next day and found the bear had left the cave. With the coast clear, a team of firefighters descended down into the cave and found Charlie. They attached a harness to the dog and brought up back up to safety. 

Charlie reportedly was “quickly reunited with his happy owner.” The fire department wrote that Charlie was in the cave for approximately three days: he was “dehydrated and hungry,” but in “otherwise good condition.” 

Coincidentally, the same rescue team had saved another dog named Storm from a cave last year: that dog is Charlie’s “cousin,” the department writes. It runs in the family, it seems — hopefully these dogs stay safe in the future!

  Thank you to this rescue team for going the extra mile to save Charlie! We’re so glad he’s safe and sound now!

  This spectacular new fossil has allowed scientists to see the full anatomy of this bizarre prehistoric beast. Dr Nick Fraser, from National Museums Scotland, who was part of the international team that studied the fossil, said this was the first time scientists had been able to see it in full. 

He described it as "a very strange animal". 

"It had flipper-like limbs and its neck is longer than its body and tail combined," he said. The researcher speculated that a "long, bendy and flexible neck", with its 32 separate vertebrae, might have provided a hunting advantage - allowing Dinocephalosaurus orientalis to search for food in crevices under the water. Artist Marlene Donelly recreated a scene of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis swimming with prehistoric fish
The fossil was discovered in ancient limestone deposits in southern China. "This discovery just adds to the weirdness of the Triassic," Dr Fraser told BBC News. "And every time we look in these deposits, we find something new." 

The paper describing a set of new fossils of the animal is published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
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