Big Sister Shows Tiny Puppy How To Use The Doggy Door
If you’ve been through the process of caring for a puppy before, you know how much training they require. Much like a small child, they have to be taught everything from where their food and water is to where to go potty and more. A family in Las Vegas, Nevada was working with their little puppy, Willow, but she couldn’t figure out how to sue the doggy door. Photo: YouTube/ViralHog The tiny pup was trapped outside and her owners wanted her to use the doggy door to come inside, but Willow was so confused! Thankfully, her big sister...
Senior Cat Rescued When Family Gets Rid of Him for Being a ‘Nuisance’
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog! After 15 years with three cats and finally saying goodbye to Buddy, my gorgeous longhaired ginger, I didn’t want to open up my heart to another kitty for a long time. I had also moved to a 4-plex house’s bachelor apartment in February, about six months after Buddy’s passing. It was too painful to live in that apartment block any longer. As well as losing my pets, my dad...
Playful Rat Loves Giving Her Cat Sister Hugs And Kisses
An orange tabby cat and a sweet caramel rat are defying all odds and breaking stereotypes by developing a strong friendship. While cats are natural predators and rats are their natural prey, Perseya the cat and Filya the rat are proving that friendship knows no bounds – not even the bounds of natural instincts. Photo: YouTube/The Dodo The unusual BFFs live with their owner, Irina, who regularly shares videos of them on social media. In her videos, you can see Filya snuggling up with Perseya and giving the cat plenty of hugs and kisses!...
Dozens Of At-Risk Shelter Dogs Are Waiting To Board A Flight To Freedom
Thousands of dogs and cats are waiting in shelters for a forever home. Sadly, many rescues and shelters are over capacity and desperately need adopters. We are helping by flying dozens of at-risk dogs out of overcrowded shelters in Louisiana to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey where adopters are waiting to meet them. On January 23rd, dogs of all sizes and ages will board the flight (in pet carriers, of course) and get the second chance they deserve. Meet some of the lucky pups who will be on this month’s Flight to...
What Can Pet Owners Do If They Accidentally Hit Their Dog Out Of Anger
I’m going to start this one by saying that hitting anyone or anything, human or pet, is never okay. But, hey, we’re all humans. And humans tend to let emotions get the better of them. PHOTO: Pixabay/Gino Crescoli Think of it as an involuntary action, much like shouting at a misbehaving child or snapping at your friends if they disturb you at just the right (or wrong) time. You can always apologize after doing the above actions and they’d understand if you explained your actions, but would dogs understand a human’s...
Study Finds Pet Ownership May Help Prevent Cognitive Decline As We Age
Science is finally starting to prove what pet owners knew all along: Having pets is healthy for our brains! For a long time, there was largely anecdotal evidence suggesting pet ownership offered benefits for human health but some studies have since been done on the matter. Research now shows petting dogs is good for your brain and dog owners are happier than people without dogs. Photo: Pexels/Ron Lach It seems there’s a new study on the block that’s also supporting the notion that pet ownership has benefits, particularly as we...
How Being A Pet Parent Will Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Did you set New Year’s Resolutions for 2023? If you did and you happen to be a pet parent, you’re in luck! One of the benefits of being a pet parent is that your pets can be a great source of motivation – and inspiration – to stick to your goals. Let’s take a look at some common resolutions and how our pets can directly impact them! Resolution #1: Increase the amount of fresh, healthy food in your diet There’s a reason that every Freshpet recipe starts with fresh, whole ingredients. That’s because...
Gregg Hurwitz Interview: We’re Diggin’ Orphan X, Dog & Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Action, drama, and mystery — the Orphan X series has it all. I got sucked into the series with the very first book, and my husband is now hooked on the series, too. The first book, Orphan X, introduces you to retired off-the-books intelligence asset Evan Smoak. Evan has reinvented himself, using his skills and resources to help those in perilous situations. He starts the series all alone, a man almost incapable of making connections, yet through the series people tend to connect to him. And, in book 5, Into the Fire, enters a Rhodesian...
Are short-term foster programs for shelter cats beneficial or problematic?
Join Dr. Kristyn Vitale on Thursday, February 9 at 12:00PM PT/3:00PM ET as she presents the findings from her shelter cat foster program study. During this Maddie’s® Insights webcast, “Short-Term Foster Programs for Shelter Cats: Beneficial or Problematic?,” attendees will learn more about the study and how to apply the findings of the research to help reduce stress and promote welfare for cats living in animal shelters. Although dog foster programs have become commonplace for many animal shelters, cat foster programs...
Supermodel, Animal Advocate Tatjana Patitz Dies at 56 From Metastatic Breast Cancer
Tatjana Patitz, one of the original late 80s/early 90s supermodels, has passed away from metastatic breast cancer at the age of 56. The news was originally reported by Vogue. In a statement to PEOPLE, Patitz’s agent Corinne Nicolas said, “She is survived by her son, her sister, and her parents. We are all devastated by her passing. She was compassionate soul, kind and generous of heart and an avid advocate of animal rights. One of the major causes she supported was the conservation of wild horses.” Patitz was born in Germany...
‘Unadoptable’ Feral Cat Was About to Be Sent Back Into the Wild, Until a Family Took Her Home
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog! We lost our beloved 15-year-old cat Otto to cancer in early 2014, and it didn’t take us long before we were really lonely. The local vet’s office sometimes had cats up for adoption, so we went there and saw a blue-cream tortoiseshell with a clipped ear and a brown spotted tabby. We adopted them both and named them Vesper and Uma. CAT. PHOTO: PIXABAY / ANNA Vesper had been a...
Second North American Sighting of a Black Bobcat in Two Years Unrelated to First
Recently, we told readers about a first-of-its-kind sighting concerning a black lynx in northwestern Canada. For a little background, there are considered to be four different types of lynx. They are the Canadian lynx, the Iberian lynx, the Eurasian lynx, and the bobcat, as they’re referred to in the U.S. For the most part, they differ very little in markings and coloring, except that they are not black — that is, at least up until now. So what gives? Black bobcat sightings are incredibly rare, with very few cases being...
After Being Adopted During COVID, This Pair of Bunnies Has Given So Much Love Back to Their Parents!
Kelly Lawrence says her rescue bunnies are a big part of what has gotten her and her partner through the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other personal issues they’ve gone through. “If I’m really having a bad day, I know there are two little furry things that are always gonna cheer me up when I come home. And it’s these two. So if I’m ever having a bad day, I could just come in here and sit with them. Patch will definitely try and lick my nose because he’s always trying to do that, and...
You Helped Get Thousands of Blankets to Ukrainians in 2022, We Hope to Send More in 2023
Each year, GreaterGood strives to use our resources to help people, the planet, and pets. Thanks to your support last year, we were able to achieve our fundraising target for many programs in these areas, and then some. In 2022, our goal was to raise $4 million. We beat that by nearly $200,000! Among the help we were able to provide with these funds was badly needed resources for Ukrainians, who continue to struggle amid ongoing Russian attacks. These attacks have damaged infrastructure and left many without heat. That’s why we’ve...
A Recent Wedding Included Adoptable Shelter Pets at an Unforgettable Reception
As of late, recent trends in nuptials have tended toward destination weddings that include lavish ceremonies in exotic locations. They’re often pricey and preclude many guests from attending. That is apparently changing with what is hopefully a new trend on the horizon: including adoptable shelter pets available at after-parties and receptions. Hip, hip, hooray!!!!!!! It’s about time more people took to raising awareness of rescue animals. Photo: TikTok/@fairytail_petcare Wedding Trends According to a piece in The Washington Post,...
Bull Elk Sightings Increasing in Iowa, “No Longer Uncommon”
Elk sightings on trail cams have been increasing in Iowa, according to state wildlife officials. This comes after numerous reports from individuals who were more than a little surprised to capture footage of the animals on their cameras. “I had reports coming in weekly to my office all fall,” noted Josh Gansen, a wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Saylorville Wildlife Unit, in a news release. “It’s to the point that it’s no longer uncommon.” Photo: Pixabay/MemoryCatcher...
Thank You for Supporting Our Good Packs Program in 2022!
We here at GreaterGood would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for donating to our causes in 2022! Thanks to generous donations from readers like you, we’ve been able to help so many people and pets and make such a difference in the health of our planet in the past year. Our goal was to raise $4 million in 2022, and we’re excited to report that we hit that goal ($4,182,502 in total)! Photo: Greater Good CharitiesChicago Veterans Event We’d like to say a special thank you to those who donated during our end-of-year...
Here’s Why The Giant Panda Is In Danger, And How You Can Help
The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is one of the most beloved and recognizable animals in the world. With its distinctive black and white fur and docile nature, the panda has become a symbol of conservation efforts worldwide. Unfortunately, despite its popularity, the panda is facing a number of threats that could drive it to extinction. Photo: Adobe Stock / Andrea IzzottiThe giant panda, a symbol of conservation efforts, faces ongoing threats to their survival. One of the primary threats to the panda population is habitat loss,...
Shelter Animals Are Safe, Fed, and Well Cared For Thanks To Your Generous Donations
2022 was a tough year for animal shelters, but your generous donations helped them feed and care for homeless dogs and cats. Animal shelters experienced an increase in intakes and a decrease in adopters putting a strain on their already minimal budgets. You helped their dollar go farther and save even more pets. The year ended on a high note. GreaterGood set a $4 million fundraising goal for 2022 and with your donations we not only met it but surpassed it! We want to thank you for your support all year, but especially during our Greater...
New Movie Features Rescued Siberian Husky
A Siberian Husky named Caleb is the star of a new movie called The Year of the Dog about a man struggling with sobriety and his bond with an athletic rescue dog. The movie started as an independent feature film premiering at the 2022 Chelsea Film Festival in New York and in February will be released in theaters nationwide. What makes Caleb the rescue dog a hit on screen? Before landing the role of Yup’ik, Caleb bounced around from shelters to fosters homes, often labeled as too playful and energetic for adoption. It was that spunk that...