1. Just a few decades ago, many researchers considered pets to be deeply unserious subjects. (“I didn’t want to study dogs,” said Alexandra Horowitz, who has since become a prominent researcher in the field of canine cognition.) Today, companion animals are absolutely in vogue. Scientists around the world are peering deep into the bodies and minds of cats and dogs, hoping to learn more about how they wriggled their way into our lives, how they experience the world and how to keep them living in it longer. It’s a shift that some experts say is long overdue. (via The New York Times)
2. When I first moved to Istanbul in 2010, knowing almost no one and grappling with an unfamiliar language, it was the local street dogs who first drew me into my new life. Locals fed them, and I learned to my amazement that some even clubbed together to pay the dogs’ vet bills if they were sick or injured. Greeting them each day became a ritual, and when I first went to a pet shop to buy treats, using my halting Turkish to explain that I was getting them “for dogs, but not my dogs”, the shopkeeper replied: “Ahh, for the street dogs,” as though nothing were more natural. Now the Turkish government seems intent on eradicating them with a proposed law that would round up the country’s estimated 4 million stray dogs and cull those that are not adopted within 30 days – almost certainly the vast majority. (via The Guardian)
3. Fresno has put a temporary halt to issuing licenses for dogs that aren’t spayed or neutered as it seeks to clamp down on backyard breeders and puppy mills — part of an effort to reduce animal overpopulation and unwanted strays within the city limits. The unanimous 7-0 vote of the Fresno City Council earlier this month came as the Fresno Animal Center, the city-owned and operated shelter, continues to be overcrowded with several times more dogs than it was designed to hold. The moratorium on licenses for dogs that are not spayed or neutered will be in place for at least three months, and likely longer. It will be lifted only when the dog population at the Fresno Animal Center dips to 75% of its 100-dog capacity and stays at or below that level for three consecutive months. (via Fresno Bee)
4. A detection dog team on Kauai finds over 80 coconut rhinoceros beetles on Friday. The handlers were still training the dogs when they found wild targets. Conservation Dogs of Hawaii says all three dogs - Xena, Luna, and Sadie - showed strong interest in the same two areas, including in the mulch and at the base of a coconut tree, which resulted in finding dozens of grubs. Conservation Dogs of Hawaii is a nonprofit that works with the Kauai Invasive Species Committee to keep the environment free of invasive pests. (via KITV Island News)
5. In the early 1990s, a researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began work on what would become Paro. More than 30 years after its development, the doe-eyed seal pup remains the best-known example of a therapeutic robot for older adults. While trending older like Japan, the U.S. hasn’t embraced similar technologies as readily. For several years, New York state’s Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has worked to turn that around. Since 2018, the department has handed out more than 31,500 robot pets to older New Yorkers. Acting Director Greg Olsen joined the call with TechCrunch from his office, in front of a row of large metal drawers. Dozens of boxes of robot pets rest atop the shelves, displaying three different options: a retriever-like dog, a cat, and red and blue birds. All three are produced by Ageless Innovations. (via TechCrunch)
6. A few miles off the highway in Hempstead, Long Island, on a gently curving street of tidy two-story homes and raked lawns, there is a sprawling ranch house with a back yard, a pool, and a large, netted enclosure, like an aviary, built to house seventeen cats. But when I drove there, on a bright, chilly fall day, I had not come to see the cats. I pulled in to the driveway, a screen door opened, and two small white dogs emerged, attached by harnesses and long leashes to John Mendola, a retired police officer in his fifties with a mild manner and a broad, kind face. He introduced me to the dogs, Princess Ariel and Princess Jasmine. They were named for a deceased, much mourned dog named Princess—part Shih Tzu, part Lhasa Apso—whom they strongly resemble. As they should: they are Princess’s clones. (via The New Yorker)
7. In 2010, researchers began to document a series of gruesome finds along the northeastern coastline of Brazil. Dead sea turtles lay on the beach—their flippers mangled, bites taken out of their throats, blood sprayed across the sand. Pawprints found around the dead or dying reptiles pointed to the only possible culprit: dogs. Scientists have long heard reports of dogs preying on sea turtles. Free-roaming canines have been known to feast on nests, and even on adult females that come ashore to lay eggs. But it’s been unclear how big of a threat they pose, especially in relation to more typical turtle predators such as jaguars and coyotes. A suite of studies is beginning to change that. (via Science)
8. Just before this week’s United States Olympic gymnastics team trials, a very eager worker flew to the host city of Minneapolis with protein treats, a collection of colorful bandannas and a stuffed turtle. Upon his arrival he was given a U.S.A. Gymnastics badge to wear around his neck, identifying him as “Goodest Boy.” His name is Beacon, and he is a 4-year-old golden retriever therapy dog with soft blond fur that smells like champagne and raspberry shampoo. His job is to destress the American gymnasts at their major events, including trials, the competition that will determine the United States team for next month’s Paris Olympics. (via The New York Times)
Helpful Hints: While most people may appreciate the sights and sounds of the Fourth of July celebrations, the loud noises of fireworks can lead to anxiety in humankind’s best friend. One of the reasons is their powerful sense of hearing. “Dogs’ sense of hearing is more than 10 times more sensitive than ours. ... If you think fireworks are loud, can you imagine how loud they sound to a dog?” says Dr. Ruth MacPete, veterinarian and author of the award-winning children’s book Lisette the Vet. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to ease your dog’s anxiety during fireworks—from taking the right steps to desensitize them beforehand, and creating a safe, quiet space for them, with plenty of treats and toys. See National Geographic's full list of tips, and read on for some products that may also help. (via National Geographic)
Dog Photo of the Week
Photo by Hannah Schroeder, “In photos: The dog days of summer” (via The Keen Sentinel)
Dog Video of the Week
Video by The Huffington Post, “Dogs of New York”