Everybody probably knows, or knows of, someone who apparently has a special affinity with animals. That person may be able to interact with an animal that everybody else is afraid to get near or they can quickly calm a frightened creature. In the human-animal bond...
Today, it is not unusual to see assistance dogs in stores, restaurants, on public transportation and in the workplace assisting their human partners to overcome the boundaries that their disabilities present. Presently, there are approximately 30,000 actively working assistance dogs making the world a better...
Asian wild tigers are clinging to existence in relatively few protected areas located mainly in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan. The vulnerability of these populations is reflected in the excitement generated by the announcement that the wild tiger population had recently increased from a global...
In 1959, Chinny Krishna, then almost fifteen years old, was one of the four founders of the Animal Aid Association in Madras, India (now Chennai). Two of the three other founders were his parents. In 1964, the Animal Aid Association morphed into the Blue Cross...
It seems fitting during Valentine’s week to address the mystery of how the dog became the dog and ended up as a devoted and beloved companion for billions of people over the span of 20,000 years or so. Several academic papers and one blog by...
Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest in the use of assistance dogs to help military veterans cope with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other challenges posed by a return to civilian life. Numerous organizations have been founded to provide such...
In these Covid times, Valentine’s Day celebrations are going to differ from those of past years. As opposed to a romantic meal in a restaurant, maybe a nature walk would be more appropriate. It is certain to be a healthier option as one of our...
Once upon a time a remarkable lady, Anna Merz, decided to jettison her business and instead dedicate her life to trying to save black rhinos. She tells her story in Rhino at the Brink of Extinction.[1] These were the dark days during the time of...
The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) featured in the article on conservation management in this newsletter includes several member conservancies in Lamu County on Kenya’s coast who joined the NRT in 2013.The three eastern-most conservancies (Awer, Kiunga and Pate) have a combined area of 215,000 hectares...
Underdogs: Pets, People and Poverty (2020) by Arnold Arluke and Andrew Rowan, published by University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, 2020.This book covers the growing movement toward creating affordable veterinary care programs in high-poverty and low-access communities. Its emphasis on the human aspects of such...
