Stray Chihuahua and Boxer BFFs Get Forever Home Together

There’s something especially heart-tugging about Chihuahuas who are best pals with dogs four times their size. One such odd couple is a Chihuahua named Little Miss and Buster, a Boxer, who were found wandering the streets of Phoenix together April 8.

They were brought to Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, but no one came to claim them.

“Little Miss and Buster are obviously bonded. We think it would be heartbreaking to separate the two, and we’ve made it clear to potential adopters that they must stay together,” Melissa Gable, a public information officer at the shelter, told the Arizona Republic.

The shelter posted an adorable photo of Little Miss snuggling on top of her BFG (best giant friend) — her favorite napping spot — on its Facebook page, and it soon went viral.

“Little Miss appears to be the boss,” Gable told the Arizona Republic. “Buster was trying to sleep and she walked right over, barked in his ear and started nudging him with her nose. He just sighed and went back to sleep. He’s very patient with her, and she does whine if he isn’t around.”

Applications from potential adopters started flowing in and were entered in a lottery. The drawing was held Sunday, and the lucky winner is a California family. They are scheduled to come to the shelter today to claim their prizes, enabling Little Miss and Buster to live together happily ever after.

Photo via Facebook

Illinois Tornado Victim’s Missing Dog Reunited with Family

After the deadly EF-4 tornado struck Fairdale, Ill., Thursday, Missy, a white German Shepherd belonging to one of the disaster’s two victims, Geraldine “Geri” Schultz, was nowhere to be found.

“This man has lost everything,” Sue Frazier, the daughter of Geri and her husband, Clem Schultz, told the Chicago Tribune Saturday morning. “He lost his home. He lost his wife. He needs to find his dog.”

As Geri’s grieving family was speaking to reporters, they received a phone call. A utility worker driving down a road had seen what he first thought was a white shadow in a field. Then he realized it was a dog. Could it be Missy?

It was. But she was still so traumatized from the storm that she took off running when the Schultz family approached her. Schultz’s grandson, Tyler Rowan, told NBC Chicago the family chased her for over 2 miles until they were finally able to catch her.

And ever since that moment, Clem hasn’t let go of her, Rowan said.

“We are all happy she is home! Bless you all and we are all forever grateful for your help!” read a status update Saturday on the Facebook page The Search for Missy, which was created Friday in hopes that someone would find her.

The Facebook pages Fairdale and Rochelle Illinois Pet Recovery and Dekalb and Surrounding Areas Tornadoes Lost and Found Pets — NDARTT have been created to help other pet parents reunite with their missing four-legged family members.

Anyone interested in fostering a found pet is asked to contact Traci Ann at the Kirkland Fire Department.

“I miss my grandma so much and I would like to thank everyone helping with finding Missy and donations for my grandpa, Clem,” wrote another of Schultz’s grandsons, Dustin Pierce, on the NDARTT Facebook page.

“His dog Missy and my grandma’s Pomeranian, Buddy, are all my grandpa has left to feel close to my grandmother.”

Photos via Facebook

Indianapolis Pit Bull Alerts Dog Mom to House Fire

“If it wasn’t for Raja, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Jennifer Green, the 2-year-old Pit Bull’s dog mom, told WISH. “I probably would have been trapped in the basement with smoke inhalation and I would be dead.”

Green was working in the basement of her Indianapolis home Monday afternoon when Raja walked down the stairs and began whimpering.

“I’m like, okay, something’s not right,” Green told WISH. “He’s trying to tell me something.”

Green went upstairs and saw that the back porch was on fire. She managed to get out of the house, but Raja ran back down to the basement. Fortunately, firefighters were able to rescue him, and although he suffered smoke inhalation, Raja is doing fine.

“He’s going to get a steak at some point, so we’ll get all that taken care of,” Green told WISH Tuesday. “He got a lot of treats last night, that’s for sure.”

Green’s house, unfortunately, was a total loss. The fire is believed to have started when discarded, still-smoldering ashes from a fire pit reignited in a trash can. The Indianapolis Fire Department advises people to soak ashes in water before dumping them.

Raja and his family are staying in a motel, which has the hero dog a little flustered, Green said. Their fire insurance and friends are helping them get by.

Green told WISH she wasn’t surprised by what Raja did. “He’s family and he’d do anything for us,” she said.

Photo via Facebook

Near-Epidemic Dog Flu Spreads from Chicago to Wisconsin

Updated dog flu news

APRIL 14, 2015 UPDATE: Laboratory scientists have confirmed that the flu affecting dogs in Chicago is not H3N8. It is H3N2, a strain from Asia that has previously not been seen in the United States.

Five dogs in the Chicago area have died since January from H3N8, a type of respiratory flu that is highly contagious to other dogs, but not to humans. Thousands of cases have been diagnosed in the last few months, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Yesterday, a dog in Madison, Wisc. — about 150 miles north of Chicago — was diagnosed with H3N8.

“Canine influenza has been confirmed in a patient in the Madison area,” stated the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in an advisory.

Dr. Jerry Klein, supervising veterinarian for the Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center, described the spread of the dog flu as near-epidemic. “In my 35 years, this is the worst outbreak,” he told WLNS.

The first outbreak of canine influenza occurred back in 2004, when Greyhounds at a racing track in Florida became ill, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Since then, the flu has been reported in 30 states.

The current outbreak is expected to last for a few more weeks.

Here are tips for preventing your dog from getting the H3N2 virus.

Photo credit: Dylan Tweney

Stolen Yorkie Flags Down RSPCA Van for Help

As Stephanie Law, an inspector for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), drove along a deserted country road in England last week, a Yorkshire Terrier suddenly appeared out of nowhere, barking at her van.

When Law opened the door, the little dog jumped in beside her.

“I have had plenty of people wave me down for help, but I have never actually been flagged down by a dog in need of rescue before,” Law told RSPCA News. “It was as if he recognized my uniform and knew I was there to rescue him.”

The 7-year-old Yorkie, whose name is Alfie, had been stolen from his house in the West Midlands, more than 100 miles away, on March 21. He was apparently dumped in the woods days later.

“We are over the moon to have Alfie back – we didn’t think we would see him again,” his dog mom, Kirsty Mitton, told RSPCA News. “I just jumped straight in the car to drive the 112 miles as soon as I heard he was safe.”

Unfortunately, Mitton’s other dog, a Yorkie named Lillie who was stolen along with Alfie, is still missing.

“Thank goodness we had Alfie microchipped, as there’s no way we would have been traced without that,” Litton said. “Sadly, Lillie has not been chipped, so we would really appreciate anyone who might recognize her to let the RSPCA know. We’ve learned the hard way how important it is to have your pets chipped.”

Photo: RSPCA

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