1. A 35-person team, including a who’s who of ancient DNA experts, has now uncovered a vivid and genetically detailed picture of the oldest known case of selective breeding, the creation of Arctic sled dogs at least 9,500 years ago. By that time, the researchers found, sled dogs already had mutations in genes involved in oxygen use and temperature sensitivity that set them apart from other dogs and wolves. (via University of Copenhagen)
2. With a dog-friendly cake and loved ones around her, August the golden retriever celebrated her birthday recently. But little did she know that as she licked the frosting off her cake, she was making history. The pup, affectionately known as Augie, turned 20, making her the oldest known golden retriever. There have been accounts of goldens living to 17 or 18, and even a few stories about 19-year-old goldens, but Augie is the first to reach 20, according to Golden Hearts, the blog that first shared the dog's story. (via CNN)
3. Excerpt: For nine years now, Brownie darling, you have given us your alert attention and poured oceans of love upon us, cleaving in two when we come home, barking shrilly at anyone who dares to ring our buzzer. Your world is defined by our sofa, our voices, our comings and goings. In fact, you’re obsessed with us, and all we have to do is come home to you. But now, we’re all at home and all on the couch. Except for those magical occasions, three or four times a day, when you and I go for a walk. Nowadays, Brownie, these constitutionals are the high points of my day, too. I realize I have been so wrong to limit the stopping and starting and sniffing, all to rush you along so I could get back to my coffee. Those walks are your treasure hunts and coffee breaks and cocktail hour. (via The Cut)
4. The Vermont Supreme Court ruled this month that Tyler Noyes could seek damages from his grandparents for injuries sustained when he was bitten by their dog, Bobo. The decision, Bradley v. Bradley, follows a long tradition of courts deciding if owners are responsible for injuries caused by their canines. Some 200 years ago this month Connecticut’s highest court ruled in Hall v. Hall (1820) that a dog-bite victim was not entitled to receive $175 from the dog’s owner that had been awarded by referees. The road from Hall to Bradley is lined with thousands of judicial decisions addressing seemingly every possible scenario of a dog gone bad. But a common thread: judges taking care to ensure that the accused pooch gets a fair shake. (via The Wall Street Journal)
5. The Ukrainian International Airlines plane arrived in Toronto after what is usually a routine 10-hour flight. It was a typical commercial aircraft, but airport workers found a shocking scene on board. Inside were 500 crated puppies, many were dehydrated, weak and vomiting. Thirty-eight were dead in their crates. The gruesome discovery on June 13 set off an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. And it cast a spotlight on a growing international market for dogs that advocates and lawmakers say needs more restrictions — not only for the sake of imported dogs, but to protect the health of people and animals in North America. “The number of dogs imported into the U.S. has skyrocketed in the past few years, and we are screening less than one percent of them,” Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.), a veterinarian who last month co-sponsored a bipartisan bill called the Healthy Dog Importation Act. (via The Washington Post, CDC, Rep. Ralph Abraham)
6. For years, animal rights activists in China have lobbied the government and the public to ban the eating of dogs and cats. They scored few concrete wins. The coronavirus, which spread from a food market in China, changed everything. The national government suspended the sale of wildlife in February. Shenzhen and Zhuhai became the first cities in the country to ban the consumption of dogs. Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture removed dogs from its list of approved domesticated livestock, referring to dogs for the first time as “companion animals.” “We have been working on this issue for years, but the government kept passing the buck,” said Cynthia Zhang, a Guangzhou-based animal rights activist. “So we are using the epidemic as an opportunity to try to push through as much legislation as possible.” (via The New York Times)
7. With the Fourth of July around the corner, fireworks are already lighting up the sky and causing many dogs to run for cover. To sort out this canine confusion, dog researchers around the world are investigating what makes dogs react to sounds with fear. Better understanding canine fear behaviors could improve dogs’ quality of life and even help to explain human fear responses. (via Smithsonian Mag)
Dog Photo of the Week
By Herald & Review, “A look back at every World’s Ugliest Dog Contest winner since 2002”.
Dog Video of the Week
By Beastly, “Dogs Argentinos - The Fearless 100lb Guard Dogs”.