Another heroic pair of pit bulls

Buster, the four year old chihuahua was enjoying some free playtime in his suburban backyard in Littleton, CO. It seemed like a perfectly care-free day. Until it wasn't.  A coyote came into the yard and snatched up Buster and was dragging him away!  Two pit bulls that lived in the neighborhood heard the commotion and did not waste any time coin to the rescue. They stared down the coyote until he realized he was outnumbered and left the injured chihuahua.  These protectors laid down in the brush with Buster and licked his until his owner, Jodi Robinette arrived a few moments later.

Buster did suffer severe injuries, but is expected to recover. His vet, Dr. Bregitzer told PeoplePets.com They were "guardian angels for her dog, disguised as pit bulls."

Did you know that heroic Coloradan pit bulls could not move to Denver in their own home state?  Yep.  Pit bulls--regardless of past behavior--are victims of a blanket breed ban in the Denver jurisdiction.  Maggie Marton over at OhMyDogBlog wants you to do something about it.  Check out her site to learn more about the campaign to End Breed Specific Legislation, and follow the #endBSL conversation on Twitter.  Maggie's precious bully Emmet, the inspiration behind the campaign, is pictured here.

Lend a paw and "Be the Change"

I had the opportunity to get to know Surf Dog Ricochet earlier this year, and I even wrote about her in this post: "Ricochet redefines what it means to be a service dog." Well, my friend Ricki had tough start to her April.  While chasing birds on the beach, she hit a piece of coral that sliced her ankle pretty bad.  She needed stitches, and even had to wear the dreaded "cone of shame."  She pouted for a while, like any dog would, but then she realized that a few stitches and a cone were nothing compared to what dogs with something like cancer deal with.

With her new-found perspective, Ricki decided it was time to buck up and get back to doing what she does best--raising awareness and money for her favorite causes.  As the spokesdog for the Pay it Forward campaign, she is a natural.  Her latest cause is for the Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign whose goal is to cure canine cancer in one dog lifetime (10-20 years).  Her goal is $1,500, and she is so close!  Click here to show your support.  Be sure to follow Ricki's facebook page to keep tabs on her progress (and to check out all of her cute pictures).

This post is a part of the BlogPaws "Be the Change" Challenge.  I chose to profile Surf Dog Ricochet because she is always thinking about how to make the world a better place for dogs and people.  If you don't feel like you can do as much as her....that is OK, there are lots of other things you can do to lend a paw.  As part of today's Challenge, BlogPaws bloggers are asking for your support for Pets without Parents.  Even the smallest bit helps! In case you need a little inspiration, check out this great video from the BlogPaws team.

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Lion cub finds a mutt mama

Dogs sure know when to pitch in. A lion cub was born in Siberian Royev Ruchey Zoo, but her lion mama did not survive the delivery. Lucky for her, a local mutt that recently had puppies was willing to help out. She is seen here with one her puppies and lion cub--who is almost as big as her!

More photos of the pair here. Plus 3 cool photos of the lion cub here.

Poodle nurses baby squirrels

I have trouble staying calm around squirrels, so this story really amazes me. Pixie the toy poodle isn't just calm around these baby squirrels, she is nursing them! Yes! Playing mama to some baby squirrels.

The squirrels had lost their home in an incident involving a chainsaw. Pixie's own pups had just recently been weaned and sold. The timing was just right for the pooch to take in the baby squirrels until they were old enough to be on their own. They have since moved to a nature preserve nearby. According to her person, the generous mama misses them, but "dog biscuits seemed to help Pixie's recovery."

Wags to my buddy Shep for keeping tabs on the squirrel news!

Piglets & puppies

Tequila, a Rottweiler /pit bull mix was already a new mom. Then these piglets showed up asking for help! Now she is nursing her pups and the piglets. The amazing part is that until recently, Tequila was helping her person hunt wild pigs! But now it looks like she is taking extra special care of these little suckers.

Read the article--where there is also a link to an adorable video.

Dog plays mom to panda cubs

When a mama red panda in a Chinese zoo abandoned her babies, the zoo keepers had to scramble to find way for them to survive.

Don't you know a dog was there to step up to the plate. There are less than 2,500 red pandas left in the world, and plenty of us! I am glad that this dog could lend a hand--but like most new moms she looks tired!

An elephant's best friend

Earlier this year, CBS aired a story about a dog and elephant that were best buds: Tara and Bella. They were so close that when Bella (the dog) got sick, Tara (the elephant) waited for weeks outside the house Bella was staying in.

After the story aired, the owners of the elephant sanctuary were flooded with media requests, and Disney even wanted to make a movie about them. Despite the possibility of fame and fortune, The caretakers decided that it would be best just to let these animals be animals and let them maintain their friendship outside of the spotlight.

At least they let CBS in to film an update so that folks could still follow their inspirational story. Check it out below.