She Had No Idea Her Dog Was Totally Blind – Vet Declares His Skill at Obstacle Courses a ‘Medical Mystery’ 
SWNS
An incredible dog whose owner didn’t know he was blind for over nine months has been declared a “medical mystery” by a veterinary expert.
Border Collie Dave “never puts a foot wrong” and can even navigate around puddles despite his blindness—leaving vets completely baffled.
Jane Downes, 69, says that her pooch has always come when called and happily plays with other dogs despite his undeveloped retinas leaving him completely blind.
Believed to be five or seven years old, Dave had been with Jane for almost a year before she made the discovery.
“No one’s got any answers. It’s just a conundrum and really strange.”
“He’s a blind dog that can see. Maybe it’s a sixth sense, who knows?”
Jane bought Dave from an animal rescue centre in February 2020, when no issues were raised regarding his sight—even after a check-up at the local vet.
Jane, from Waterbeach, Cambs, said, “He jumped into the back of the car and I brought him home.”
“On a couple of occasions he walked into things but I put that down to him being a sheepdog who more than likely lived in a barn rather than a house.”
When Dave stumbled over a step at a pet shop in Cambridge, the owner suggested to Jane that her dog might be blind, so she took him to a specialist vet.
SWNSTurns out, Dave had been sightless from birth.
After the revelation, Jane called on the help of Cambridge University’s David Williams, a top veterinary ophthalmologist, who organized two obstacle course challenges for Dave.
He told a local newspaper: “I see a lot of blind dogs and they all bump into objects in a way that Dave didn’t—so at present he is a medical mystery. Just because I’ve been doing this for 33 years, it doesn’t mean I’ve seen everything, and this I can’t explain.”
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Dave now enjoys running around at home with his new brother Sammy, a two-year-old Border Collie, who joined the family last year.
“He chases other dogs around, even though he can’t see them,” says Jane.
“He had everyone fooled—even me as his owner I was fooled for nine months.”
Do dogs miss us when we're gone? Bunny the 'talking' sheepadoodle seems to say 'yes' 'Talking' sheepadoodle Bunny filmed appearing to tell owner she misses lost cat She has been trained to relay basic responses by using buttons on a sound board There's still a lot of scientific debate about how much dogs understand language But Bunny's owner, Alexis Devine, from Tacoma, Washington, insists her pet can
PUBLISHED: 22:35 AEDT, 12 October 2021 | UPDATED: 23:13 AEDT, 12 October 2021
Many dog owners often wonder whether their pet misses them when they're gone.
But one sheepadoodle named Bunny appears to be able to communicate just that — except it's not just humans that she longs for.
Bunny's owner Alexis Devine, from Tacoma, Washington, said her dog even pines for the family's lost cat, appearing to make her feelings known by 'talking' with the help of a sound board.
By pressing buttons on it, Bunny has been trained to relay basic responses such as 'Where mom?' and 'Bunny sad'.
+5
Mournful: Many dog owners often wonder whether their pet misses them when they're gone. But one sheepadoodle named Bunny (pictured) appears to be able communicate just that — except it's not just humans that she longs for, she also misses the family's lost cat Uni
Bunny's owner Alexis Devine, from Tacoma, Washington, said her dog made its feelings known by 'talking' with the help of a sound board (pictured)
CAN DOGS REALLY 'SPEAK' TO HUMANS?
Whether dogs can understand the human language, and to what extent, has long been the source of scientific debate.
There is still plenty of research being carried out, including the project that Buddy is enrolled in called TheyCanTalk.
It is aimed at understanding if animals can communicate with humans through augmentative and alternative communication devices, and involves almost 2,600 dogs and 300 cats.
One study by the University of Sussex said our canine companions' comprehension goes far beyond just 'sit', 'walk' and 'fetch'.
Dogs are adept at picking up on subtle changes to words, such as 'hid' and 'had', and can even decipher accents from the Queen's English to a thick West Country twang, according to the research.
Another study by Hungarian experts found that dogs process speech in the same way as humans do, but that does not mean spoken words are the most effective way for an owner to communicate with a dog.
That's because separate research has shown that the neural reward system of dogs is more attuned to visual and to scent cues than to verbal ones.
There is still a great deal of scientific debate about how much dogs including Bunny understand human language, but one study by the University of Sussex said their comprehension goes far beyond just 'sit', 'walk' and 'fetch'.
Our canine companions are adept at picking up on subtle changes to words, such as 'hid' and 'had', and can even decipher accents from the Queen's English to a thick West Country twang, according to the research.
Another study by Hungarian experts found that dogs process speech in the same way as humans do, but that does not mean spoken words are the most effective way for an owner to communicate with a dog.
That's because separate research has shown that the neural reward system of dogs is more attuned to visual and to scent cues than to verbal ones.
Nevertheless, Ms Devine is adamant that Bunny can communicate using the sound board, and her videos have led to the sheepadoodle amassing 7.1 million followers on TikTok.
Recently she filmed Bunny asking about Uni, the family's cat who has been missing for nearly four months.
'It was maybe like two months before he went missing that she had finally, finally used the buttons, "Uni family together," which was a huge accomplishment because they had had such a tenuous and challenging relationship,' Devine told Salon.
'And then, last week, it was just heartbreaking, she pressed "cat bye", and I just about burst into tears. My little heart couldn't handle it.'
Ms Devine said that not only does Bunny miss the family's cat, but also her partner Johnny, a high school teacher who spent much of the pandemic working from home.
'The first week that he was back at school in the classroom, Bunny was very much asking about Johnny, pressing "Where dad?", "Where dad bye?" for a lot of the day, for several days in a row,' said Ms Devine.
A mob of Kangaroos have taken over Canberra's Civic Centre (pictured) while residents remain in lockdown until midnight Thursday
[I tried to copy and paste the video but with no luck, how is it done please?]
Kangaroos have been spotted taking over Canberra's CBD while residents are stuck at home in lockdown until 11.59pm Thursday night. Footage has emerged on TikTok filmed five weeks into the ACT's lockdown, showing the trio of roos hop through Canberra's deserted Civic Centre.
Footage of the trio emerged on TikTok in September, five weeks into the ACT's lockdown
Shortlist of Birdlife photo competition:
https://www.birdlifephotoaward.org.au/gallery-shortlist-2021
Stunning Aerial Footage Captures School of Fish Swimming in the Shape of a Perfect Heart -
Paul Dabill , SWNS
Stunning aerial footage has captured a school of fish moving through the sea in the shape of a perfect love heart.
The group of Crevalle Jack reflect the sunshine as they move together in a Cupid shape before morphing into a swirling ring.
The clip is reminiscent of the moonfish in Pixar’s Finding Nemo that make a series of swirling, ethereal shapes to talk with Marvin the clownfish.
Local restaurant owner, 47-year-old Paul Dabill spotted the fish while flying his DJI Mavic Air 2 drone just off Juno Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Paul said, “I was looking for mullet, this time of year is the fall mullet migration.
“There were no mullet at the beach this day, however I found the school of Jack Crevalles instead.
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“I immediately recognized the heart shape of the school when I first saw it.
SWNS“It maintained that shape for several seconds before morphing into other shapes.
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Paul described the experience as “a special and beautiful moment.” Of that we have no doubt.
Wildlife Officers Finally Figure Out How to Remove Tire That Was Around an Elk’s Neck for 2 Years 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife – Northeast Region
An equal parts comedy and tragedy in the Colorado mountains finally gave to an end, after a young bull elk who had a car tire dangling around his neck for two years was finally set free.
Tracking the elk for two years but never managing to get close enough to tranquilize the animal, Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorities cornered the four year-old bull at around 8:00 p.m. last Saturday.
Despite first seeing the animal two years ago, trail cam footage clearly showed the tire wasn’t affecting the animal’s ability to eat or drink. Still, fear of the tire becoming tangled in branches, or worse, in the antlers of another elk during the rut, continuously drove Parks and Wildlife staff to try and remove it.
Following a call from a resident who had seen the bull in their neighborhood, Wildlife officers Dawson Swanson and Scott Murdoch responded to what would be the last of four attempts to help the animal.
“I am just grateful to be able to work in a community that values our state’s wildlife resource,” Swanson said. “I was able to quickly respond to a report from a local resident regarding a recent sighting of this bull elk in their neighborhood. I was able to locate the bull in question along with a herd of about 40 other elk.”
They had to get within close range to successfully find their mark with the tranquilizer. The ten-pointer, weighing over 600 pounds, regretfully had to lose one of his magnificent antlers in order to slip the tire off from around his neck, as the steel-bead reinforcements were too much for their small electric saw.
“We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible,” said Officer Murdoch. Inside the tire they found 10 pounds of debris which had fallen into the air crevice. While causing minimal impediment to the animal’s life, as observed from its size and health, the ring of the tire had begun to wear away on the elk’s neck.
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“The hair was rubbed off a little bit, there was one small open wound maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, but other than that it looked really good,” Murdoch said of the bull’s neck. “I was actually quite shocked to see how good it looked.”
This bull elk has spent the past couple of years traveling back and forth between Park and Jefferson Counties. He would disappear for long periods of time, particularly in the winter, and was acting as expected from a wild animal, not wanting to be around human presence.
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“The saga of this bull elk highlights the need for residents to live responsibly with wildlife in mind,” the Department stated in a news release. “Wildlife officers have seen deer, elk, moose, bears, and other wildlife become entangled in a number of man-made obstacles that include swing sets, hammocks, clothing lines, decorative or holiday lighting, furniture, tomato cages, chicken feeders, laundry baskets, soccer goals or volleyball nets, and yes, tires.”
Three groups of volunteers were needed to help relocate the turtle, including checking its health, before releasing it into sea
Jaguars are increasingly attacking and killing dogs in a popular tourist town in Mexico, study finds
Jaguars in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, Mexico, a fishing village turned tourist attraction, are starting to prey on people's dogs, according to a newly published study.
[poor dogs - they are easy prey]
Never thought about dogs in this way before!
With the UK due to host the world's annual environmental conference, COP26, in Glasgow next month, everyone's been talking about climate change.
Have been watching the Dog House Australia this week, enjoy it as much as the British programme.
The Dog House Australia - S1 Ep. 1 - Network Ten (10play.com.au)
I just loved the little ball of fluff that the lady in the white dress with black spots on was introduced to. I could have taken him home too!
also:
The Dog House - S2 Ep. 9 - Network Ten (10play.com.au)
Poor little mites!
There are some really very nasty people on this planet.
Saved! Meet the seven pedigree pups who have a happy new life at boarding kennels after they were found dumped by a country path
Tails wagging, tongues lolling and wet noses snuffling, these adorable puppies (pictured) are having the time of their lives exploring the great outdoors. It is a remarkable turnaround for the seven pedigree pups who only last week were found cruelly abandoned at the side of a country path. The Labradors were found by cyclist Rob Carter, who spotted one of the pups scared and shivering by some bushes. When he and two fellow cyclists stopped, the other six fox red and golden Labradors - which can cost up to £4,000 each - plucked up the courage to emerge from the undergrowth.
The 22-foot long whale shark is seen bobbing its head out of the water to greet the inquisitive canine who sniffs the water curiously from a small boat (pictured)
Proud dog owner Jade Pursell (pictured, right) has captured the incredible moment her curious Labrador Sailor gave a 22-foot-long whale shark a kiss on the nose (left) while she was diving in the stunning Ningaloo Reef. The 22-foot long whale shark is seen bobbing its head out of the water to greet the inquisitive canine who sniffs the water curiously from a small boat. 'Oh my god. Are you ok Sailor? Don't touch it, don't touch it,' Ms Pursell warns.
Nice Old Next Door Lady Left This Note At My Parents Front Door