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Golden Retriever with remarkable healing skills earns the total trust of a terrified kitten

Toby's emotional intelligence appears to be off the charts.

Photo credit: Canva

Golden Retrievers are known for being gentle and friendly, but Toby is on another level.

Animals sometimes have behaviors that baffle or surprise us, for better and for worse. Sometimes our pets' quirks drive us bonkers and other times they delight us, but occasionally, an extra special pet will have abilities that astound everyone who encounters them. Enter Toby, the Golden Retriever with a very special talent for healing traumatized rescue animals.

Mirai is a rescued stray kitten who experienced severe physical and emotional trauma, including a serious neck injury that left her with stitches across her throat. After weeks of physical healing, she was introduced to a cat that was already mothering a litter, who began caring for Mirai as one of her own. But the tiny kitten was still wary and fearful.

Then she was introduced to Toby, a dog with remarkable sensitivity, who completely earned her trust in just three meetings. At first, she hissed and growled at him, but he was patient and persistent, never becoming aggressive or pushing past her boundaries. Toby responded to Mirai's fear and discomfort signals with an emotional intelligence many humans don't even exhibit, never going too far too fast. Seeing the way he gradually wins her over is a master class.

Watch:

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People loved seeing Toby's gentle ways.

"That's one heck of a fine therapy dog! He's got a gift."

"Toby is better at reading and understanding her signals and backing off when she makes it clear she's stressed out than most humans are."

"If humans had the hearts of golden retrievers, there would be peace on earth forever."

"Toby is a special guy. So sweet and patient. Its like he knows it's his job to make that baby feel safe."

"Toby is a natural empath and nurturer whose patience is amazing."

Mirai isn't the first rescued baby that Toby has helped to heal, and Toby isn't even the only sensitive Golden Retriever in the family. Toby's sister, Candy, also has an impressive gift for building bonds with traumatized animals.

A puppy named Den, who had been severely abused, was introduced to Toby and Candy one at a time. And though it took some time for her to warm up to each of them, their patience and perseverance eventually resulted in beautiful bonds of friendship.

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Again, people gushed about how these good doggos always manage to win over even the most timid and fearful of creatures.

"Goldens: you are going to be my friend. I'll wait."

"Goldens are such a wise and gentle breed."

"Beautiful. I wish people would be as kind, patient and loving as these 2 Goldies. The world would sure be a kinder place."

"Those doggies are so smart! They know exactly what to do! From avoiding eye contact, laying down to her level, not getting into her personal space, and not being forceful about it, they are so kind and intelligent and deserve an extra treat!"

"My date once told me that I have the personality of a golden retriever. I took that as a compliment."

Indeed, Golden Retrievers are known for their friendly, patient personalities, and though there are exceptions to every rule, it's rare to find a Golden Retriever with a mean streak. However, even among Goldens, Toby and Candy appear to be exceptionally intuitive and perceptive, making them perfect companions for rescued kittens and puppies who need to some extra tender loving care as they learn to trust.

Animals that have been rescued from abuse or neglect situations have needs that sometimes another animal can best provide. Humans can do a lot for vulnerable animals—and they should—but there's something special about having companions on your own level to play and snuggle with as well. Friends like Toby and Candy can help heal emotional wounds we can't see, and that's just as important as healing the ones we can.

You can follow Toby and Candy on YouTube.

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The American Rescue Dog Show has a 'Best Underbite' category and we're in love

Celebrating the average adopted doggo.

Photo by Gaby Baldiskaite on Unsplash

The award for Best Underbite goes to…

Most of us are familiar with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show—perhaps through the 2000 Christopher Guest mockumentary "Best in Show," if nothing else. The competition has been around for 143 years, celebrating canine pedigree and showcasing the best of various breeds. Dogs compete in the categories of Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding, and then one lucky pooch ultimately gets named Best in Show.

That's all well and good if you're into that kind of thing, but what about the mutts and misfits? What about the doggos who may be the best human companions but don't have the shiniest coats or the greatest agility? Where's the celebration of them?

Enter the American Rescue Dog Show.

The American Rescue Dog Show celebrates the average adopted doggo. The show is hosted by Joe Tessitore and Rob Riggle, who totally lean into the heartfelt campiness of the idea. The three judges for 2022—Paula Abdul, Leslie Jordan and Yvette Nicole Brown—have all had rescue dogs of their own.

The delightful categories include Best in Ears, Best in Snoring, Best in Wrinkles and Best in Belly Rubs. There's even a Best in Underbite category.

Check out these cuties:

The show's creator and executive producer, Michael Levitt, has two rescue dogs himself, Trooper and Nelson, who serve as mascots for his production company. According to ABC7, Levitt once took an entire year off from producing to help dogs find homes.

"As a rescuer, I'm saving one dog at a time, which is amazing," he told ABC7, "but as a producer, I knew I could do so much more to have an impact on a national level. That's really how 'The American Rescue Dog Show' came about."

And the show puts its money where its underbite is. Dogs who win any of the seven "Best in" categories win $10,000 for their local animal welfare group. The ultimate winner, named "Best in Rescue" gets an additional $100,000 to donate.

The show is perfect family television watching, and Levitt hopes that it will inspire more people to consider rescuing pets instead of getting them from breeders. Animal shelters across the country have pets waiting for people to offer them a welcoming home, and seeing how lovable these doggos are makes it hard to resist.

The show aired on ABC at the end of May but can currently be found on Hulu.


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Lucky pup survives fire and snow before being rescued by brave volunteers

Images used from Tahoe PAWS & TLC 4 Furry Friends' Facebook, with permission

Pitbull found four months after being given up for lost.

For nonprofit animal rescue organization Tahoe PAWS and TLC 4 Furry Friends, reuniting lost pets with their owners is all in a day’s work. However, one recent rescue has gone viral, after the team successfully found a pitbull who had been missing for nearly four months.

Poor little Russ, a 3-year-old pitbull pup, had gotten spooked one night during a camping trip with his owner, Ricardo Rodriguez, in late August.

Rodriguez had done his best to find Russ: getting the help of friends, calling local shelters, posting fliers. To no avail.

And then, the Caldor Fire hit. As it destroyed several homes and businesses along a stretch of 200,000 acres, the flames forced an emergency evacuation for Rodriguez. From there, things began to turn bleak.

"After months of not hearing back from anyone, I assumed he was in good hands with a different owner," Rodriguez told CNN.

Luckily, Rodriguez and Russ’ story was far from over.

Russ curled up and cold next to a tree.

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On December 16 (four months later), a skier noticed a dog, curled up in the snow next to a tree. That’s when Tahoe PAWS was notified.

Two volunteers, Leona Allen and Elsa Guale, gladly took on the mission, which would not be easy in the frigid temperatures.

Allen, who had volunteered with PAWS for three years, told CNN "We didn't even hesitate.This was a one-shot deal, we either got him or he didn't survive the night."

Trekking up a steep incline, Guale and Allen waded through the snow, guided only by Russ’ tracks. When they reached the tree, all Allen could see was a “dark mass.” No movement was detected, no signs of life.

And then … Russ opened his eyes. They had found him. And he was alive.

But the venture had only just begun. Gaule and Allen would need to safely get a very scared Russ down the hill. Despite his fearful growls, Graule won his trust with treats and patience. Without it, rescue would have been impossible, Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle, according to the Stamford Advocate.

When Russ finally allowed his head to rest on Gaule’s hand, the women wrapped him up in a blanket, placed him on a sled (given by El Dorado County Animal Services Officer Kyle Shumaker) and slowly brought him to the bottom of the hill. The whole endeavor took several hours.

Russ in his rescue sled.

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Russ might have been lost in the most extreme of elements for four months, but the vet deemed the pup completely healthy. Wendy Jones, founder and executive director for Tahoe PAWS, attributes this to his “survival mode” kicking in.

This is more than a turn of phrase. Survival mode, or feral mode, is a very real phenomena that happens when a dog is separated from its owner. As stress starts to deplete serotonin levels, a panicked pup will undergo a drastic (although usually temporary) personality change as primal instincts take over. When this happens, even the most well-trained dog can not recognize their own name.

That is why Tahoe PAWS strongly advises that if your own furry friend goes missing, the first thing you should do (yes, even before searching yourself) is to contact local Animal Services.

When Rodriguez received the good news, the dog owner was “ecstatic,” according to CNN. And only one day after Christmas, the two were reunited. This was thanks not only to the wonderful collective efforts of multiple organizations, but also due to the fact that Russ had been microchipped. Though Russ’ chip had either “not been registered or possibly not updated,” according to Jones, it was no match for the team’s investigative work.

“This is a great reminder that microchipping your pet and maintaining the registration in your name is important,” Tahoe PAWS & TLC 4 Furry Friends wrote in its Facebook post.

dogs, pit bulls

A very happy, healthy and thawed-out Russ.

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Russ is now back where he belongs, thanks to the diligence and commitment of the amazing team at Tahoe PAWS and El Dorado County Animal Services.

Allen shared with the Chronicle (as reported by SFist.com) how grateful she was to help.

"As a rescue organization . . . this is what we're supposed to do…I've worked some pretty gnarly rescues, this probably being the top. I keep reliving the moment when he opened his eyes and lifted his head, and just the joy and elation inside of me was overwhelming. It's one more life that gets to live happy and warm and safe."

As a nonprofit, Tahoe PAWS relies on volunteer services and outside contributions to help supply necessary equipment for these amazing rescues. If you’d like to donate to its cause, you can do so here.

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When a rescue dog refused to eat, this veterinarian nursed him back to health with pure love

Acts of kindness and compassion are always inspiring. A veterinarian gave a different spin on the phrase "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

The poor little pup in this video walked into this shelter with a history of being abused. He was so traumatized that he wasn't eating. The vet treating him wasn't sure what to do, so he decided to book a table for two: a the dog's place. It is not clear whether he got an official invite from the canine in question, but he felt pretty safe about showing up unannounced. He walked into the cage and sat down next to the dog. With his back up against the corner of his new (and hopefully temporary) domain, the rescue stared apprehensively at his human guest. The vet presented a dog dish with food and put it in front of the dog. The frightened pup just looked at the dish and made no attempt to eat. Then he broke out another dog dish identical to the one he just gave to his four-legged patient and started eating out of that bowl. And then came the turning point.




The man calmly took a bite to gain trust and develop a connection. Then he reached down and pulled a kibble out of the bowl in front of the dog and held the offering in his open hand. After a pause, the dog ate the nugget out of his hand. Then the vet did it again, and the dog ate that kibble, as well. The man then went back to eating out of his own bowl. That was when the pup looked at him, realized it was safe to eat and started to eat out of the dish given to him.

There is just something about the connection between humans and dogs. I have two. One of them is a rescue who bounced around from home to home because no one cold handle her so I took her when she was two years old. She was afraid of brooms which tells me it was probably the method with which someone saw fit to discipline her. She had no reason to trust me, but yet the moment I met her to take her to her new home, she jumped in my car with such joy. Yes, she was energetic, but it was because she was cheerful. Imagine getting in trouble for being too happy. I can safely say without bias that she is one of those dogs that everyone seems to love. And she loves them right back. In fact, I am pretty sure that girls I have dated have stayed with me a little longer than they would have just because they didn't want to break up with my dogs, too.

My other dog is a beagle mix who I adopted at 8 weeks and has absolutely no idea how good he has it. I have cooked chicken and put it in his bowl for dinner. Yes, the same chicken you and I eat and he looks up at me as if disappointed that the balance of saffron and garlic was just a little off, and that makes him hysterical. They are family members and not pets, which is exactly the compassion that our hero in the video showed. My hope is that people can learn from his actions of kindness. Be the change. And you don't even have to eat dog food to do it.

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