Latest news with #AmericanHumaneSociety
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American Humane Society's 15th Annual Hero Dog Awards® Nominations Now Open
The 'Oscars for canines' returns to honor America's most heroic dogs for the 15th year WASHINGTON, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, American Humane Society, the country's first national animal welfare organization, announced the launch of its 15th annual Hero Dog Awards®. This nationwide search celebrates the most courageous and inspiring dogs from across the country. Past honorees have been ordinary dogs that do extraordinary things, including serving on the frontlines as working and military dogs, saving lives, assisting their human companions, and contributing significantly to the wellbeing of people everywhere. 'Through the Hero Dog Awards, we celebrate the incredible bond between humans and animals,' said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane Society. 'We are proud to mark 15 years of sharing uplifting stories about heroes on both ends of the leash and giving these remarkable dogs the recognition they deserve.' Starting today, people across the U.S. can nominate their most heroic furry friends at This year's five categories include: Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs Service and Guide/Hearing Dogs Therapy Dogs Military Dogs Emerging Hero and Shelter Dogs Each year, the Hero Dog Awards honor exceptional dogs from around the country. Following public voting, the program culminates in a gala awards show. Past celebrity participants include Carson Kressley, Christie Brinkley, Kyle Richards, Beth Stern, Kristen Chenoweth, and many others. For more information about the Hero Dog Awards®, visit to learn about sponsorship opportunities, email . About American Humane Society: American Humane Society is the United States' first national humane organization and the world's largest certifier of animal welfare, helping to verify the humane treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. Founded in 1877, American Humane Society has been at the forefront of virtually every major advancement in the humane movement to rescue, care for and protect animals. For more information or to support our life-changing work, please visit follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth. Contact: comms@
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Video shows military dog reunite with former handler after retirement
The pair first met in 2021 and traveled the world together, "completing two dozen security missions, including assignments protecting Presidents Biden and Trump," American Humane Society (AHS), a nonprofit animal welfare organization, which assisted in the reunion, said in a news release. "Using Attila's extraordinary nose to detect potential threats, the team protected civilians, their fellow service members, and high-profile VIPs, including Presidents Biden and Trump," AHS said. Some of those missions included the 2023 United Nations General Assembly Summit, the 2024 NATO Summit, and the Inauguration of President Trump in January 2025. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Watch Attila reunite with Markert in an emotional reunion Video footage shared by AHS shows the family, consisting of Markert, his wife, 5-year-old son, 7-month-old daughter and two pet dogs -- Bear, a black German shepherd, and Mia, a Belgian Malinois -- welcoming Attila with cuddles and kisses to his new forever home on May 26 in Colorado Springs. Attila developed health complications after being separated from owner When Kameron Markert got reassigned to a new base in Colorado Springs in March 2025, he and Attila were separated after being together for almost three and a half years. When Markert left Fort Meyer in Virginia, he recalled "leaving half of his heart behind." However, soon after Markert left, Attila, despite being relatively young, was forced into an early retirement due to a series of health complications, including a cancerous tumor on his rear that had to be removed, along with renal and kidney diseases, AHS said. "Like many German shepherds, Attila also developed hip dysplasia," AHS said, adding Markert had rallied for Attila's disposition "to help ensure his continued health and safety." When the time for Attila's retirement came, Markert eagerly stepped in with the hope of giving Attila the comfortable retirement he deserved. However, transporting the animal over 1,500 miles from Virginia to Colorado posed a major logistical challenge, especially since the family had just covered a 27-hour cross-country drive with two young children for their move. From Virginia to Colorado Markert, who was aware of AHS' military program and knew of other handlers who had successfully reunited with their retired military dogs through the program, reached out to the organization for assistance. An AHS expert then "personally picked up Attila from Fort Carson and escorted him on a flight to Colorado, where the canine veteran enjoyed his own seat in the cabin of the airplane--all at no cost to the Markerts," the news release said. AHS said it will also fund Attila's veterinary care for the rest of his life, as part of the program. Markert also shared that while Attila "has always been exceptionally gentle and tender with his 7-month-old daughter," the German shepherd is "more playful and affectionate" with his son. "My wife is already 'mama' to him, he is so gentle with our kids, and he loves to play with our other dogs. He fits right into our family," Markert said. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Moore tornado survivor and search dog dies days before 12th anniversary
MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) — As the 12th anniversary of the devastating and powerful EF-5 tornado that tore through Moore approaches, the community is remembering one of its unique heroes. Five days after the May 20 tornado, a little Pitbull puppy was found buried under the rubble of a home near the Warren Theater. LOCAL NEWS: New Oklahoma virtual school option for struggling students 'I was asked to foster him because he was pretty feisty and peppy and not happy to be kept in the medical clinic,' said Molly Gibb. Nobody ever claimed him, but Gibb saw something special in the puppy. 'I realized that this dog had all the qualities you would ever want in a scent detector dog for search and rescue,' said Gibb. When no one came forward to claim him, Gibb adopted the puppy and named him Little Man and that's when their journey as a search and rescue team began. 'He survived a tornado and he's been paying it forward ever since,' said Gibb. Over the next decade, Little Man has worked tirelessly as a certified search and rescue dog. Skilled in live find, human remains detection and evidence search. 'He was such an, an incredible four legged advocate for the missing,' said Gibb. Little Man helped locate missing people, assisted in criminal investigations and even contributed to the discovery of unmarked Indigenous burial sites. His work spanned across Oklahoma and other states. Little Man has even been named 'Search and Rescue Dog of the Year' by the American Humane Society in 2021. 'It's been a real deep honor to be able to do that and especially with a dog like Little Man because he was so invested in it,' said Gibb. Little Man had just turned 12 and was recently recertified to continue search work. Gibb was planning to slowly ease him into retirement, but suddenly, everything changed. He died unexpectedly after doctors found a tumor. It's left a feeling of emptiness for Gibb. 'They are with you 24/7, they're your companion animal, they are your work partner, you're training all the time, you're deployed, I mean it's almost like you're not without them and now he's suddenly not there,' said Gibb. Little Man's legacy isn't just about the lives he helped find, it's also about where he came from. He was a shelter dog and Gibb hopes his story inspires others to see the potential in rescue animals no matter their breed. 'I can't say enough about the potential of those animals that we have in our shelter systems here in Oklahoma and they deserve our goodwill and our thoughtfulness to give them a chance at a good life,' said Gibb. Gibb says the work must go on as there are too many missing people in Oklahoma. She is now continuing her work with two other rescue dogs that Little Man helped train: Miss Timmy and MacDubh. 'He will be missed and the other two have some big paws to fill, but it'll be their own path, they have to carve their own path,' said Gibb. LOCAL NEWS: The Severe storms hit Oklahoma for second day Gibb says Little Man would want his story to inspire kindness. 'He never met a stranger, he thrived on happiness and he would want us all to be kinder to each other,' said Gibb. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Elk Grove honors dog touring U.S. to raise awareness of animal abuse
ELK GROVE — The city of Elk Grove honored a humane hero. Ethan, a 4-year-old Presa Canario, is touring the nation to raise awareness of animal abuse cases. Elk Grove's mayor presented him a special proclamation at the city council meeting Wednesday night. In 2019, Ethan was found abandoned outside a Kentucky animal shelter — 50 pounds underweight, dehydrated, and near death. "When the person found him and brought him into the vet area, they thought he was dead," Ethan's owner Jeff Callaway said. "And then he took a breath." Veterinarians were able to nurse Ethan back to life, and he was adopted by Jeff and Dana Callaway. "When we come to things like this, it's like he kind of knows his purpose and his mission," Jeff said. It's a mission that includes meeting with lawmakers to strengthen protections against animal cruelty. Kentucky recently passed Ethan's Law, which increases the penalty for animal abuse to a felony. "Now that that law has passed, our job now becomes to give a name to all those other cats and dogs that have been abused or tortured or killed, Jeff said. Ethan's tale is also inspiring people to adopt shelter pets. "When you see him in person and you see the love he radiates, it's really been amazing," said Penny Forseth-Andrews, an animal advocate. Ethan's journey has been shared on social media, where he has 44,000 Facebook followers. "There are so many people that have a personal connection to him that have never met him," Jeff said. The American Humane Society even named this good boy an "American Hero Dog" in 2022. "When we come around, people are always happy to see him and they want to talk to him," Jeff said. "They want to pet him, and he seems to enjoy all of it." Ethan will be taking a walking tour of Elk Grove's historic main street Friday afternoon, and he will be the guest of honor at fundraisers in Folsom and Sheldon later this week.
Observer
08-04-2025
- Science
- Observer
Scientists announce dire wolf brought back from extinction
The dire wolf, an extinct creature made famous by the television series "Game of Thrones," has been brought back from extinction after more than 10,000 years, according to a biotechnology start-up. The Texas-based company Colossal Biosciences announced on Monday that its researchers have successfully used cloning and gene-editing techniques based on two ancient samples of dire wolf DNA to produce three modern dire wolf pups: two six-month-old males named Romulus and Remus, and a three-month-old female named Khaleesi. Colossal's chief executive, Ben Lamm, described this achievement as a "massive milestone." He stated, "I could not be more proud of the team. This milestone is the first of many examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works. Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to create healthy dire wolf puppies." Lamm referenced a famous quote, saying, "It was once said, 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation." Colossal's researchers explained that the de-extinction process involved extracting blood cells from a living grey wolf, the closest living relative of the dire wolf, and genetically modifying those cells at 20 different sites. This genetic material was then transferred to an egg cell from a domestic dog. The embryos were subsequently transferred to surrogates for gestation, ultimately resulting in their successful birth. Dr Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief science officer, commented, "Our novel approach to iteratively improve our ancient genome in the absence of a perfect reference sets a new standard for paleogenome reconstruction. Together with improved methods to recover ancient DNA, these computational advances have enabled us to chart the evolutionary history of dire wolves and establish the genomic foundation for de-extinction, specifically for selecting with confidence dire wolf-specific genetic variants that guide our gene editing targets." Distinctive traits of the dire wolf include its thick fur and powerful jaws, and it is significantly larger than grey wolves. Colossal has assured that the animals will be housed in a continuously monitored, secure ecological preserve certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the US Department of Agriculture. The dire wolf has become a prominent feature of fantasy settings in popular culture, appearing in role-playing games such as "Dungeons & Dragons" and video games like "World of Warcraft." However, the vehicle that propelled dire wolves to fame is the HBO series "Game of Thrones," based on the works of author George R.R. Martin. Mr Martin, who is an investor in Colossal and serves as a cultural adviser for the company, remarked, "Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that exist only in a fantasy world, but they actually have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem. I have the luxury to write about magic, but Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back into our world." Colossal also announced the cloning of four red wolves using blood from the critically endangered red wolf population in the southeastern United States, aiming to increase genetic diversity within this small captive population. —dpa
