Herbie and Jabby are in love. And, ya gotta admit, this little pitbull puppy is too sweet.
Dom provided this wonderful video last month. She is a young Jersey girl with a love of horses, working for the SRF, a non-profit that rehabs, re-trains, and finds adoptive homes for non-competitive racehorses. You can follow this pair at her blog.
Ellie with her kitty baby, Angie
This story is everywhere, and rightfully so. Ellie has adopted little kitty Angie. A soft meowing outside her Atlanta home two weeks ago has most certainly created a major rift in cyberspace. And, it has turned a dog-loving, allergic-to-cats home, into an inter-species realm. This photo is from Ellie’s Facebook page . . . and yes, be sure to get on over there to make a friend request so that you can keep up with how the story progresses.
Camille and Mari Ryan Heschmeyer say their dog Ellie has taken “ownership” of this tiny abandoned kitten after she found her in the back yard. Now, she has become Mom, now lactating and nursing her and never letting her out of her watchful site. Yes, allergies or not, little kitty Angie is there to stay.
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Eleanor Jane (Ellie for short) thinks Ellen needs her and Miss Angie on her show. I’m sure it won’t be long.
10-month-old leopard Salati leans in for a cuddle with her best Golden pal Tommy
We first featured Leopard Salati and Golden Retriever Tommy on June 20th, but just discovered a great video of the pair in action. At Glen Afric Country Lodge near Pretoria in South Africa, one can see a somewhat odd pairing. Rescued as an orphaned cub, Salati came to this family-run country retreat, which does great work rehabilitating injured and destitute animals. Their huge enclosures also allow those animals who will never be able to survive in the wild to enjoy wonderful lives. This unique lodge is open to both day visitors and resident guests every day of the year. With elephant walks, viewing of lions & giraffes, horse riding, and afternoon guided walks, it seems to be a marvelous way to enjoy wildlife.
Baby Salati
Salati is the newest member to the family of Glen Afric, coming to the facility in June 2009 at 6 weeks old.
Animal wrangler Richard Brooker, 23, raised Salati and takes her and family dog Tommy for their daily exercise together. Each morning, he walks them on his family’s 1,850-acre estate and then lets them run free to their hearts’ content. He said: ‘Wherever you see one the other is right behind. They are inseparable and both have lots of energy so they get the exercise they both need together.
‘When we first received Salati she was tiny and Tommy could chase her around. But now with Salati matching him for weight the tables have turned. ‘It’s all fun and games and they love playing together. ‘But dogs aren’t used to being chased by cats almost the same size as them. I think it was a shock for him when she started doing the chasing but it’s fun to see them exploring together.’
These traveling companions lie contentedly together waiting to go on a good run-around together in lots of space.
Enjoy this great video of an incredible duo!
Golden Retrievers Suki and Rio share their home with Miniature Horses. Check out Golden Rio licking Mini to death and Golden Suki just napping in the living room with Mini.
This deer was found alone and malnourished when it was a tiny baby. He was bottle fed until he began eating grass. Several months later and he’s very socialized with people, the family’s black lab, and their cats. He is free to wander and has been seen with several herds of whitetail and axis deer, fitting in just fine with them. However, he frequently comes back to the house to eat some catfood and play with the family’s Black Lab, Buddy. This video was shown on the Bonnie Hunt Show, The Ellen Show, and Anderson Cooper 360.
Kitty Rusty really does love Pipsqueak, his guinea pig housemate.
Golden Retriever Alfie & Feral Rescue Kitty Cindy
The video below reminds me of my Golden Alfie and kitty Cindy. Cindy does not often show much affection, but occasionally will begin rubbing against Alfie, headbutting him, or licking his face, head, and paws. He gets so nervous, afraid to look at her or even move. Since, most of the time she is swatting at him, he cannot understand what comes over her change in disposition.
There is actually a 3-video series of Golden Retriever Tulsa and Tabby Tiger attempting to become friends. This is part 3 of the ongoing “saga” of tiger, a buff colored tabby trying desperately to engage Golden Tulsa. Tulsa is an incredibly patient and good boy, but seems to just tolerate Tiger, looking like he’d rather run away!
Nanu & Isis …. a relationship for the ages.
From Germany, so cute to see such big licks from Golden Retriever Leo for his new tiny kitty pal.
If you haven’t visited The Elephant Sanctuary at www.elephants.com, get on over there. It is such a wonderful place, doing very important work. I have long been captivated by the Odd Couple story of Tarra and Bella, blogging about their story beginning in January 2009.
Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends, a book about their special union, was published in September 2009. It is simply fabulous and filled with lots of incredible color photos. Although a children’s book, it is a book that anyone would want in their library to share with others.
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This is their official story:
Tarra the Elephant Forsakes All Others for Canine Love
On January 2, 2009, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric aired a piece by Steve Hartman, (The Animal Odd Couple) about the unique and enduring friendship between Elephant Sanctuary resident Tarra, a 34-year-old Asian elephant and Bella, a rescued mixed-breed dog. This story was then posted on cbsnews.com and suddenly went global, becoming the most-watched video on the network news website, in addition to becoming a viral phenomenon on YouTube. The Elephant Sanctuary was flooded by book, television and film offers. The Tarra and Bella story was featured on websites around the world including Iran, Russia and Australia. When the Sanctuary posted additional footage on our YouTube channel, the video quickly became the most featured video in over 23 countries.
Tarra was born in Burma in 1974. Shortly after Tarra’s arrival in the US, the Asian elephant was declared an endangered species, and all future importation of Asian elephants into America was halted. For the next two decades, Tarra traveled throughout the world entertaining audiences in circus, amusement parks, zoos, on television, and in motion pictures with Carol Buckley.
On March 3, 1995, Tarra’s growing disenchantment with an entertainment lifestyle inspired the creation of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to rescue old, sick and needy elephants. While she may not be aware of her influence, the Sanctuary has now grown to become the largest of its kind in the nation. In 2002, Tarra again entered the spotlight as the subject of the children’s book “Travels with Tarra” that told the story of her life, written by Carol Buckley.
Bella, the canine half of this odd couple was found abandoned on some newly purchased Sanctuary land, apparently guarding a bulldozer. Bella continued to show her propensity for guarding large “noisy” things, as she then fixated on a 4-wheeler and finally on Tarra. Tarra was ecstatic and the two became inseparable. Bella finds shelter from the heat under Tarra’s ample belly, and they share a stall in the barn with Bella sleeping on a pile of hay. In April of 2007 Bella suffered a spinal injury chasing wildlife in the habitat and spent several weeks immobile in the barn office. In the second week of Bella’s recovery, Tarra returned to the barn and uncharacteristically stood silently under the office/recovery ward balcony window. Caregivers picked up Bella and took her to where Tarra waited, and their reunion was sweet and respectful. This daily reunion took place over the next several days until Bella was able to return to the habitat with Tarra.
Operating on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has been developed specifically to provide a place for traumatized elephants to recover from the debilitating experience of captivity. The nonprofit organization, accredited by The Association of Sanctuaries and licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is designed specifically for old, sick or needy elephants that have been removed from zoos and circuses.
To find out more about the plight of captive elephants, and to monitor the progress of Tarra and Bella and all the residents of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee please visit our website at www.elephants.com.
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UPDATE: I am back blogging about this special duo as The Elephant Sanctuary just updated their status:
It’s been well over a year since Tarra and Bella became celebrities, thanks to their “Odd Couple” story broadcast by CBS News, which is still making the rounds on YouTube. The Sanctuary continues to get inquiries and emails from people around the world, asking if Tarra and Bella are still together and how they are doing. The answer is right here in video, with new footage recorded just this past week. They are both doing great!
As I wrote before, I continue to be concerned about how Tarra will handle one day losing her Bella, as elephants’ life spans mirror ours and Bella’s, of course, is significantly shorter. Elephants, who cry saltwater tears as we do, grieve deeply for those they love. So, I hope the folks at the sanctuary will be able to help her through the process.
Okay, I know Golden Retrievers are bird dogs, but this is crazy. Golden Brandi likes playing with her family’s Parrotlets. She actually loves to cuddle and keep them warm. and has never been aggressive towards them. She just treats them as if they were her babies.
Would the men please look away now? It’s just a video about a cat adopting a teeny-weeny baby rabbit.
Eugene is a kitten, and Maggie is a very sweet 4-year-old Golden Retriever. She has a toy that has caught Eugene’s eye, and he desperately wants to play with it!
10-month-old leopard Salati leans in for a cuddle with her best Golden pal Tommy
At Glen Afric Country Lodge near Pretoria in South Africa, one can see a somewhat odd pairing. Rescued as an orphaned cub, Salati came to this family-run country retreat, which does great work rehabilitating injured and destitute animals. Their huge enclosures also allow those animals who will never be able to survive in the wild to enjoy wonderful lives.
This unique lodge is open to both day visitors and resident guests every day of the year. With elephant walks, viewing of lions & giraffes, horse riding, and afternoon guided walks, it seems to be a marvelous way to enjoy wildlife.
Baby Salati
Salati is the newest member to the family of Glen Afric, coming to the facility in June 2009 at 6 weeks old.
Animal wrangler Richard Brooker, 23, raised Salati and takes her and family dog Tommy for their daily exercise together. Each morning, he walks them on his family’s 1,850-acre estate and then lets them run free to their hearts’ content.
He said: ‘Wherever you see one the other is right behind. They are inseparable and both have lots of energy so they get the exercise they both need together.
‘When we first received Salati she was tiny and Tommy could chase her around. But now with Salati matching him for weight the tables have turned. ‘It’s all fun and games and they love playing together.
‘But dogs aren’t used to being chased by cats almost the same size as them. I think it was a shock for him when she started doing the chasing but it’s fun to see them exploring together.’
Salati & Tommy take daily walks together at the South Africa lodge
Playmates Tommy & Salati enjoy some rough and tumble in the South African bush
These travelling companions lie contentedly together waiting to go on a good run-around together in lots of space.
A couple of days ago I blogged about Miss Marley, a Great Dane pup, and Boris, a 75-year-old tortoise. Well, I’ve learned more about this special tortoise.
Boris comes into the house daily for a stroll. In the winter he parks himself in the closet to hibernate. He made a hole in our screen door to make it accessible. He had a mate Myrtle for 48 years who passed away last year. Boris has a large yard to walk around in and is very socialized. At our old house he actually would climb 3 steps to get into the house.
Miss Marley, of course, is somewhat of an instigator. And, really pretty funny in this clip as she takes away Boris’s romaine meal. To see Boris throw a swing at her was just classic, and reminded me of my 6-pound kitty Cindy swatting at Golden Alfie when she gets mad at him.
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Here’s the original clip of these two fighting over the bed:
Hoppy the Deer is featured in a true-life story of a young couple, Tony and Amanda, who live in the woods of Quebec. They had found a baby deer abandoned in front of their house who was very ill and barely able to walk. They took in the fawn and fed him warm goat’s milk, the baby prancing merrily a few days later. They named him Hoppy and decided to raise him as their own.
Tony and Amanda later got a cat, and unbelievably Hoppy and Tiptree became best friends, taking walks and naps together. They also took turns grooming one another, even though Tiptree could not really get much grooming done in comparison to Hoppy, who could drench his feline pal in drool.
A documentary aired on Canadian TV: The Incredible True Story of Hoppy the Deer. Here’s the trailer to a DVD that was made about this wonderful tale.
This fighting over a bed is too funny.
Golden Retriever Puppy, Buck Sergeant Jordan is getting a bath from Horatio Cat. They are the best of friends. When Sergeant was brought home, he was the same size as Horatio.
Charlie, an adorable 14-week-old Maine Coon kitty, is attacking Golden Ben’s tail. He is definitely very forgiving. Love the music (Les Toreadors from Bizet’s Carmen).
Close: Salati, a ten-month-old leopard, leans in for a cuddle with her best friend, Golden Retriever Tommy By Barcroft Media
There’s not much cuter than this. Salati, a ten-month-old leopard, and Golden Retriever Tommy are BFF’s. They love to run together and cuddle together, having been reared together at Glen Afric Country Lodge near Pretoria in South Africa.
Salati joined the lodge in June 2009 at a mere 6 weeks of age. She already has a movie career, debuting in the Wild at Heart series 5.
This Maine Coon kitten from France loves her some Golden Retriever ….. even if her canine pals are not quite sure what to make of all the adoration.
Golden Retriever Rosie is just loving kitty George’s advances. Too cute.
And, perfect for all the Valentine’s Day romantics out there.
While I could do with some different music (just turn it down or off), the affection of these kitties for their Golden Retriever sibling is so special.
Baloo and Shere Khan
You don’t have to travel to Oz to find this unique trio. A new exhibit at Noah’s Ark in Locust Grove, GA includes an African lion named Leo, a striped tiger named Shere Khan and a black bear named Baloo. The three animals came to Henry County as a family eight years ago. Just fuzzy cubs around two months old, they were found in the back of a car during a drug bust, and given to Noah’s Ark for rehabilitation. Until about a month ago, the group has lived in private near the non-profit’s children care center. However, the group received a donation at the beginning of the year, and began work on a habitat for the three jungle giants.
“They got along so well as babies, they decided to keep them together,” according to Assistant Director Diane Smith. Eight years on, this unlikely trio continue to be inseparable, eating, sleeping and playing together. “I guess no one’s ever told them they’re different species,” Smith said.
Shere Khan and Baloo are particularly close, she said, and the 350-pound tiger can often be seen nuzzling the half-ton bear like an overgrown housecat. Shere Khan and Baloo often get up early to play. However lazy Leo, a typical lion, spends most of the day sleeping. Once Leo finally decides to roll out of bed, the three spend the afternoons together.
The wooden clubhouse that was built for them is where they all sleep together. Noah’s Ark hopes to expand their living enclosure so that it includes a creek as Baloo and Shere Khan love splashing around in water. “They really do enjoy each other’s company,” Smith added. “They interact just like brothers.”
Land of PureGold Foundation 