Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:
It’s time for holiday shopping! Next week is one of the best times to not just buy gifts, but anything you’ve been wanting on sale. We have a fantastic list of holiday gift items for your dog and the dog lover in your life, as well as must-have essentials (like treats!) that you can stock up on at unbelievable prices. #1 – Give Warmth™ Durable Fleece Blanket (Every Blanket Sold Donates One to a Homeless Dog) Was $34.99, Now $24.99. … Read more
Imagine if the dog you expected to grow into an adult sized canine ended up keeping their puppy form for life. Well, this reality came true for a King Charles owner when she brought home an adorable furry friend named Nessa. Nessa is a picture-perfect Cavalier King Charles that has taken over Instagram with her tiny stature and adorable features. Though Nessa may look like a teacup breed, her small size is actually just a result of her being the … Read more
The endearing Bulldog named Thor took the win at the 2019 National Dog Show. With his impressive structure and lovable attitude, it’s no wonder he stole the show! The bulky bulldog from Texas beat out nearly 2,000 other canines when he took the crown at this year’s dog show. As a stark contrast from last year’s Whippet winner, casual viewers find this year’s Best In Show a bit more relatable in terms of the average family dog. The stage was … Read more
A young German Shepherd mix struck by a vehicle in Indiana this summer could have lost his leg. Instead, thanks to the police officers who rescued him, he kept all limbs and even gained a forever home. One late night back in August, a car hit the then 4-month-old puppy, knocking him into a ditch. The car didn’t even stop. He was left there to die. Thankfully, a tow truck driver passing by saw him there and called 911. There … Read more
Therapy dogs already bring so much joy to people year-round, but this holiday season some special therapy dogs in Florida are spreading that joy even farther across the internet. An amazing picture of seven therapy dogs seated around the table for Thanksgiving is going viral (for obvious reasons.) The group of therapy dogs from Therapy K9’s of Southwest Florida all gathered at a home in North Port for Thanksgiving. Obviously a photo needed to be taken to commemorate this occasion, … Read more
Thanksgiving is a favorite among holidays because it’s so family-focused. We see and embrace our loved ones and express our gratitude. We spend the day basking in the love we’re blessed to be surrounded by. Sadly, not everyone has a family to gather with. In fact, dogs living in shelters don’t even have anywhere else to go. An animal shelter is not the ideal place to spend the holidays, but that’s exactly where a black dog named Boomer (short for Boomerang) found … Read more
You may remember the sweet pup we featured last month who had been dumped at the shelter on Christmas Eve in 2015. Well with the help of those of you who shared his story, his future adopter read his feature on iHeartDogs and knew she could be the one to change his life. After waiting patiently for his forever home, Bernard finally got his happily ever after! In what seemed like fate, Kathy Ahern came across an adorable face on … Read more
If you’re an avid reader of iHeartDogs.com, you’ve probably read your fair share of stories about unthinkable animal cruelty. Dedicated people across the country have been fighting to impose harsher penalties for acts of animal cruelty. This week, they were rewarded with a historic new legislation. Following its passage in the Senate, a bill making acts of animal cruelty a felony was just signed by President Trump. It’s official! Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) who co-sponsored the bill called the bill’s … Read more
A 4-month-old puppy was stolen just two days before Christmas in 2017. Schiele was a tiny Belgian Malinois rescue pup from Puerto Rico. He and his dad lived in South Florida but they had been staying in California when Schiele went missing. Schiele’s dad, Rian Maercks, had left the puppy locked inside his Tesla with the windows up and the air conditioning on. Maercks quickly ran inside a store to pick up a grill. He thought he was doing his … Read more
No, our dogs don’t live as long as we do. And yes, we all know and understand this when we become dog parents. But it doesn’t make losing a dog at any age any easier. Saying goodbye to our babies is always tough. Fox News personality Dana Perino received some uplifting words on the topic after her dog Henry died in 2012. The person who provided the words of comfort was Charles Krauthammer, as she told his son Daniel Krauthammer … Read more
In This Issue
● Holiday Gifts For Healthy, Happy Dogs
● Signs Of Doggy Dementia
● World’s Oldest Dog
● Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks
● Vet Corner: Tips For Senior Dog Care
● Reader Q: How To Know When It’s Your Dog’s “Time”
Looking for work is not the most thrilling task. Finding the right opportunities can be tough. It’s not often the perfect opening falls right into your lap. Lucky for you dog lovers out there looking for work: that perfect opening is here! A job listing that’s somehow still available seeks someone in London to care for a beautiful home and even more beautiful Golden Retrievers full-time. “A busy couple are looking for a live-in housekeeper at their 6-storey town house in … Read more
Kristen and Duncan Dupree agreed that their wedding day would be the first time that Duncan saw her in her dress. They knew that some couples preferred to do a ‘first look’ before the wedding, but that wasn’t the path they wanted to take. However, they decided that they wanted their Labrador Retriever named Zeke to be an important part of their wedding day. That decision made Kristen rethink the whole ‘first look’ idea. There was a time when Kristen … Read more
Conan is the special operations military service dog who helped take down Isis leader al-Baghdadi in a raid last month. Her work has earned her special recognition. Introducing Conan as the “world’s most famous dog,” Conan was honored in the Rose Garden of the White House. Conan got very cozy with Vice President Mike Pence, nudging him for head scratches, proving that even the mightiest of dogs want nothing more than love. Conan’s Heroic Act When members of 1st Special … Read more
My dog Cody recently celebrated his 11th birthday. That beautiful little creature has lived on this earth for barely over a decade, but there’s no denying he’s an old dog. If I were to calculate his human-equivalent age the way we’ve all been doing it for years, I’d multiply his 11 years by 7 and say he’s about 77 in “human years.” New research says that long-followed formula is not really accurate though. A recently published study conducted to determine how human … Read more
Sergi has always craved adventure, so it was no surprise that he took on the challenge of sailing across the ocean all by himself. Though he knew he had years of incredible experiences ahead of him, he had no idea that he would acquire a furry sailing partner along the way. During Sergi’s journey he made a pit stop in Sardinia, Italy. What he thought would be a regular pit stop turned into the place in which he would meet … Read more
One of the unique aspects of adopting a shelter dog is the fact that, so often, there is little information known about the dog’s previous life. We may always have to wonder: were they loved, were they lost, were they okay before I found them? Even the smallest snippet of background information can make a dog’s personality and temperament more easily understood. Evan Strand and his girlfriend Hannah Dordal had recently gotten a Labrador puppy. Like all Labrador puppies, little … Read more
Maggie the Bulldog never asked for a life of crime, but that’s what happened after she was stolen in 2015. She had been living happily with her dad in Northern California until a couple snatched her from her home one day. Her dad was unable to find her after that, and unfortunately, she ended up in the wrong hands. She found herself living with two criminals that would bring her with them whenever they went to rob a house. A … Read more
Volunteers are an absolutely essential component to an animal shelter’s success. Just ask any shelter director, veterinarian, or staffer. They will tell you that it would be impossible to keep up with the shelter’s demands without the help of dedicated and big-hearted volunteers. It takes a whole lotta love and hard work to keep homeless dogs safe, healthy, and happy while waiting to go home with a forever family. Children stand to benefit in immeasurable and innumerable ways through volunteer … Read more
The Street Dog Foundation has rescued so many dogs in need of urgent care throughout the years. Though they have been a part of several desperate rescue situations, Liam’s story is forever imprinted on their hearts. The rescuers at the Street Dog Foundation were made aware of an abandoned dog living behind a warehouse in Memphis. Once they arrived at the scene, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Hiding between two dumpsters was a pitiful pup who’s spirit had been broken. … Read more
The Agility Competition at the Westminster and Crufts dog shows are a source of pure entertainment for dog lovers. It’s exciting to watch the incredible canine athletes, but the real fun is the unpredictability of the dogs themselves. Take for example, Mia the Beagle. During her 2017 Westminster run, Mia was more interested in the crowd and the state of her lady parts than the competition. And then there was Kratu’s 2019 Crufts performance. The shaggy Romanian rescue dog created … Read more
Everyone handles the loss of their dog differently. Some people find it’s helpful to seek new love in another dog. Others just aren’t ready to move on. And sometimes, just interacting with a certain dog can help make those decisions for you. That’s what happened to a man in Lakewood Ranch, Florida named Bob Eck. His dog Bobo, formerly his best friend, had been hit by a car and killed. After that, his whole life changed. Eck often brought Bobo … Read more
Stephen Shkuratoff from Calgary, Canada loves dogs. He enjoys meeting and getting to know new dogs, and he often shares photos of himself with different dogs on Facebook. However, as much as Shkuratoff adores them, he is blind, so he is unable to see how adorable they are. So, he reached out to the Dogspotting Society group on Facebook to find out how other dogs lovers would describe their furry friends. Shkuratoff made a post asking others to describe their … Read more
On a cold night in Ontario, Canada, cars drove down the road as usual. Unfortunately, many of them did not notice the dog laying on the side of the road. A sweet stray dog named Serenity was curled up on the snowy roadside on a cold night. Luckily, someone finally noticed her and decided to call for help. However, when they approached Serenity, they realized that she was not alone. This stray dog was curled up around 5 tiny kittens! … Read more
There are few things more beautiful than the natural bond between a mother and her babies across all species. That also means there are few things more heartbreaking than when one loses the other. The drive to nurture really sticks with a mother, even after they’ve lost their newborns. Rosa, a Chihuahua who just lost a litter of premature puppies, arrived at Secondhand Hounds in Minnesota from a commercial breeder. Then, amazingly, not a few hours later the rescue received … Read more
Brian Rand from South Carolina recently suffered a tragedy. His house burned down with all his belongings inside of it. However, he is still cheerful and positive because if it weren’t for his best friend, a rescue dog named Curly, he might not have made it out alive. Rand is just grateful that he still has Curly by his side, and he is truly amazed that his brave and heroic dog was able to save his life that night. Now, … Read more
You know that feeling when you’re approaching the door of the place you need to go and see a sign taped to the door? Usually your first thought is “Uh oh, what went wrong here to warrant a printed sign?” But if your destination this week was Minneapolis Animal Care & Control, the sign taped to that door is one you’d probably love to see. This weekend, the City Of Minneapolis Twitter account shared an image of that sign which … Read more
A dog’s size is not necessarily related to its behavior. Sometimes the largest dogs are extremely fearful when they come from tough backgrounds. This makes their interactions with people difficult and subsequently makes them harder to adopt. A couple in Montana learned this firsthand when they rescued a stray named Teddy. In October 2018, Wes Siler and his fiancee Virginia loaded a giant dog they met in a junkyard into their car. Prior to her rescue, Teddy had spent the first … Read more
Dogs are known to be very protective over the ones they love and they will do anything to keep them safe. While those loved ones are typically humans or other dogs, every once in a while, an unusual friendship occurs. Hunter the young Belgian Malinois has recently found a new friend. His friend is a baby giraffe named Jazz. As soon as Jazz was rescued, Hunter immediately fell in love with the little giraffe and began watching over him. Jazz … Read more
Maisy is a stout, thick, and gorgeous blue Pit Bull with big, beautiful eyes and the sweetest soul. She is a friend to all, including her mom’s cat and two horses and has the absolute cutest way of communicating her zest for life. She “woos” and “woo-oos” when she is happy and when you hear it and see the accompanying Pit Bull butt wiggle, you simply cannot help but smile. Her mom Marisa saved her life from people who locked … Read more
UPDATE: Great news! All of the deals below are LIVE now! Get a head start on your holiday shopping! It’s time for holiday shopping! Next week is one of the best times to not just buy gifts, but anything you’ve been wanting on sale. We have a fantastic list of holiday gift items for your dog and the dog lover in your life, as well as must-have essentials (like treats!) that you can stock up on at unbelievable prices. #1 … Read more
UPDATE: A few weeks ago, we brought you the story about the self-walking dog helping thousands as he walked the streets of Chicago. He touched the lives of so many. Sadly, Sporty lost his battle against cancer on November 14th. He passed in the arms of his loving dad who continuously fought to give Sporty all the love and support he could ever need. “He went so peacefully on his blankets with his head on my lap, paw in my … Read more
When we take out fur babies to a groomer, we expect them to be returned to us safely. We trust that any groomer charged with caring for our dog in our absence will have the proper training and experience necessary to make decisions the will benefit our dog. At the absolute minimum, we expect them to come back to us whole and unharmed. Angela Weeks recently took her 5 month old puppy Baylee to get a hair cut at PetCo … Read more
All shelter dogs need a loving home, and most veterans need a furry friend by their side. So, it is important that these dogs and humans can be brought together to make each other happy from now on. To make this dream become a reality, California animal shelters will be allowing veterans to adopt dogs for free once 2020 rolls around. It’s the perfect way to make lives better both for veterans and dogs all at the same time. State … Read more
I don’t believe in ghosts. I tend to subscribe to the ‘Nancy Drew’ mentality that every bizarre occurrence has a logical explanation. For a while, the case of an unmanned car in Port St. Lucie, Florida this week seemed like something supernatural. Of course there did turn out to be a more logical explanation. On November 21st, residents were totally spooked to see a car with no one in the driver’s seat making circles around the cul-de-sac… in reverse. Anne … Read more
Mary and Adam Goldberg are an ambitious couple with a goal of raising $100,000 for animal charities in 2020. Having already raised $160,000 in previous years with their talent for capturing unique pet portraits, we have no doubt that they will reach their goal and more! AGoldPhoto Pet Photography was formed in 2016 on accident when Adam Goldberg stumbled upon his love of photographing animals at their local animal shelter. Adam worked for the Humane Society of Broward County from … Read more
Training a new puppy can be frustrating. With the possibility of accidents in the house and destruction of your belongings, overwhelmed pet parents often resort to yelling. What was once thought of as harmless mild punishment style training is now proving to have lasting effects on our beloved companions. It’s time to think twice before yelling. Styles of Training With the variety of training schools and resources that are available to us, it’s important to understand the most common forms … Read more
Ranger the German Shepherd might look like a puppy, but he’s actually two years old! When his mom, Shelby Mayo, first met him, she knew he was smaller than he was supposed to be, but she didn’t think much of it until he got older. Sure, he’s adorable, but being puppy-sized forever also comes with a lot of health issues. Luckily, Mayo is willing to do everything it takes to keep him happy and healthy. When Ranger was very young, … Read more
Great Danes are known to be gentle giants but that doesn’t mean they can’t get jealous! Lindsey Heinz is the dog mom to a Great Dane named Bagira. She decided to expand their family by adopting a sweet, tiny puppy from a local shelter. It seemed like a great idea to everyone except Bagira. The jealous giant showed her outrage in the best way possible. Lindsey decided to record the moment she introduced her two dogs to their newest sibling. … Read more
Elaine Potter is the mother of 10 adorable Maltese Terriers in West Sussex. Of course, they all mean the world to her and she couldn’t imagine the thought of losing them. However, 14-year-old Phoebe had been battling cancer for 8 months, and Potter couldn’t bear to see her suffer anymore. She knew it was time to say goodbye to her beautiful dog, but she wanted to give Phoebe one last exciting day first. Phoebe had a cancerous lump, and she … Read more
A day out with a friend turned into a disappointing venture when a combat veteran was denied entry into a restaurant. Kris Jones is a combat veteran with a service dog named Chopper. He and Chopper went with a friend to The Huddle in Pittsburgh to enjoy some time out on the town. Unfortunately, Kris and Chopper were denied entry according to abcnews.com. Disappointment And Frustration For Jones and Chopper “It was just very disappointing to me. It is just … Read more
Nova is a big German Shepherd that loves to go on adventures and play. However, she never goes anywhere without her best friend by her side! While most dogs are perfectly content just playing with humans, other dogs, or sometimes even cats, Nova’s friend is very different. Her best friend is her ferret brother named Pacco, and they do everything together! Diana Grib has had Nova for about two and a half years, but she’s only had Pacco for a … Read more
Huskies are known to be quite vocal when expressing themselves. They let our a siren’s wail that their humans can’t help but answer. Sometimes it seems they just want to talk and other times they are communicating a clear message. In the case of Zeus and his Dog Mom, Zeus relentlessly “talks” to his mama until he gets his way. The resulting trip through the house is adorable. Make sure you watch every clip because the end has a very … Read more
In Paris in 1908, a smart Newfoundland quickly gained attention for being a local hero. He lived with a man on the banks of the Seine, which is just outside of Paris. One day, a child was playing near the river, and he accidentally fell into the water. The child was very close to drowning, but this brave dog rushed to the rescue and saved him. As soon as he heard the cries of the child and the splashing of … Read more
Stephanie Herfel shares her life with a special Husky named Sierra. Stephanie is a survivor. She has battled ovarian cancer that has gone into remission and come back again a total of four times. Each and every time her cancer has emerged, Sierra has sent Stephanie warning signs that something was wrong. At first Stephanie didn’t listen. Now that she understands Sierra’s means of communication, she acts on the warnings and it has made all the difference. Sierra Tried to … Read more
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably the kind of person who nearly breaks out in song at the sight of any doggo. At the very least, you have urges to give them all the belly rubs. If you’re in a relationship then you may feel the same way about your partner- especially if they emptied the dishwasher that day. But, in the event that your relationship needed a little boost of happiness, there’s hope! Want A Happy Relationship? Adopt … Read more
As Christmas approaches, lots of churches put up Nativity scenes for people to enjoy. In Criciúma, Brazil, a church had just set up a Nativity scene of their own, and a group of people came to admire it. To their surprise, there was an unexpected addition to the scene. A puppy was curled up right beside baby Jesus, trying his best to keep warm. The puppy appeared peaceful as he slept. The puppy looked like a German Shepherd, and he … Read more
It can be exhausting hearing all the stories about abandoned dogs. It sometimes seems like there’s a neverending stream of unloved pups pouring out into the streets as people just dump them when they don’t want them any more. But if we’ve learned anything reading all these stories, it’s that for every human who abandons a dog, there are others who are willing to help. Heroes don’t look the way they do in comics, or in movies based on comics. … Read more
When it comes to animal advocates, Emma was as passionate as they come! In lieu of the gifts she was offered during her battle with cancer, she wanted only one thing: to help as many dogs as she could. In early 2019, Emma was diagnosed with a DIPG Brain Tumor which affected her brain stem. After a 10 month long battle with this aggressive illness, she passed away in the arms of her mom and dad. Within days of her … Read more
Some humans spend a lot of time making sure they have perfectly shaped eyebrows. However, for Betty the rescue dog, her beautiful eyebrows aren’t high-maintenance at all. At first glance, they might appear fake, but she was actually born that way. Sadly, she was rejected by her first parents due to her unusual appearance, but she has grown so much since then and she’s embraced her beautiful coloring. When she was only five months old, Betty was found wandering the … Read more
What would you do to help all dogs live longer? Would you fill out surveys about your pooch? Send in DNA samples and vials of poop? Scientists for the Dog Aging Project certainly hope so. They’re counting on 10,000 dog lovers to volunteer their pups for a five year study on canine aging. The project is the largest-ever study on how dogs age. It will rely on pup parents to provide data such as veterinary records, DNA samples, gut microbes … Read more
Toledo, United States.