• 16 charming animal photos to brighten up your day

    Caroline Seidel / AFP - Getty Images

    From a hiding hippo to an owl as white as snow, get your cuteness fix with irresistible photos of creatures great and small.

     

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  • Hero husky honks horn, helps police rescue trapped animals

    A muzzled husky honking the horn of a vehicle he'd been trapped in for days alerted police in London, Ontario in Canada to rescue him. When authorities threw open the back of the delivery truck, they found two more huskies and two cats.

    "It was evident that they required medical attention," London police constable Ken Steeves told TODAY.com.

    London Humane Society executive director Judy Foster said that the animals had gone without food or water for at least week. Without the honking, the fate of the trapped animals would have been bleak.

    "We've received numerous calls from people asking us to find a hero award for this dog," Foster said.

    The organization first investigated the case after receiving a complaint about three dogs that weren't being cared for. When they arrived at the downtown apartment complex, they found the owners had already left due to eviction. The trail ran cold. A week later, the police received reports of a husky trapped in a delivery truck, honking the horn. It turned out to be the same animals that had gone missing. The dogs are currently in the Humane Society's care.

    The rescued animals include the hero husky, Kiki, a 13-year-old male, along with two Rotty-mix huskies — a male and female between 4 and 5 years old — named Buddy and Six Toes (so named because she has six toes). Two cats were also found together in one crate in the truck.

    One of the dogs had nails growing into the palm of its paw, evidence that the animals had gone without proper care for some time, Foster said.

    It wasn't clear why the owners abandoned the animals and the truck in the middle of the open-air parking lot in central downtown London. 

    Photos of the animals were not available as the Humane Society is not releasing any before the trial. Another animal welfare case in Canada was recently thrown out of court by the judge because the rescue organization had released photos in advance to the media.

    The owners, a couple, were charged with five counts each of cruelty to animals for animals left in distress, failure to provide care and unsanitary conditions, under section 445.1 of the Canadian criminal code. The charges carry maximum possible fines of $10,000 or an 18-month prison term, or both. The couple also face additional charges from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with a maximum fine of $60,000 and/or two years in jail.

    Both charges carry the possibility of a prohibition against future animal ownership. 

    Before the trial, the animals could be returned to the couple who left them in the truck if the pair pays the Human Society for the cost of care. If they are convicted, the Humane Society would go back and take custody of the animals.

    Returning the animals to those who allegedly abused them might leave followers of the case scratch their heads. However, under Canadian law, as is the case in most jurisdictions, animals are considered property, and the accused are innocent until proven guilty.

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  • Therapy dogs are 'furry counselors' for Newtown community

    As the community of Newtown grieves the loss suffered in Friday’s mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, a group of friendly, four-legged counselors has helped provide some comfort.

    A team of nine specially-trained golden retrievers and 14 handlers sent by Lutheran Church Charities traveled from the Chicago area to the Connecticut town over the weekend to help console those in need. Some children smiled for the first time in days as they pet the therapy dogs for a calming effect. Some adults prayed together with the dogs’ handlers. 

    K-9 Parish Comfort Dogs / Facebook

    The specially-trained golden retrievers from Lutheran Church Charities in Addison, Ill., have helped comfort the grieving community of Newtown, Conn., after Friday's school shooting.

    “They’re like furry counselors,’’ Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, told NBC's Jill Rappaport on Tuesday. “They help people to relax. They help people to be joyful. Children that have come up to the dogs look sad, and they started petting the dogs and the smile starts coming on their face, and then the parents start smiling.’’

    The dogs are specially trained to respond to crisis situations and also comfort those in nursing homes and hospitals. They travel from the organization’s home in Addison, Ill., to various areas struck by tragedy around the country like those hit by Hurricane Sandy and the tornadoes in Joplin, Mo. The dogs and their handlers will be in Newtown through Friday, according to Hetzner. Each dog has its own Facebook page, Twitter account, email address and even a business card so anyone who meets one of the dogs can keep tabs on the canine afterward.

    K-9 Parish Comfort Dogs / Facebook

    Residents of Newtown have reported children smiling for the first time in days when they get a chance to pet one of the comfort dogs.

    “They’re here to bring unconditional love and comfort and compassion to people,’’ Hetzner said. “It helps [people] cope with their grief... [The dogs] love to be petted, and they love to love. They love everybody, and that’s the beauty of the dogs.’’

    The dogs have worked from morning to night since making their first visit to Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newtown on Sunday.

    K-9 Parish Comfort Dogs / Facebook

    The nine golden retrievers and 14 handlers sent to Newtown have been available for residents from morning to night since arriving last weekend and will be staying through Friday.

    “I think that it does connect the children to the innocence that has been shattered right now in the town,’’ a local resident told NBC News.

    The group started in 2008 when the dogs comforted those at Northern Illinois University after five students were killed by a gunman. It began with a handful of dogs and now includes 60 dogs in six states, according to the Chicago Tribune.

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  • Purrrty pets: Dress like your cat — for $1,000

    UnitedBamboo.com

    Who wears it best? United Bamboo is now selling the outfits its feline 'models' wore in the brand's annual Cat Calendar. This parka was modeled by 'Patootie' for Dec. 2011.

    Fashion is going to the — er — cats? At least that’s the case at United Bamboo, a New York-based clothing company now selling an online "Catclub" collection of 33 outfits inspired by the brand’s ready-to-wear line but specially tailored to fit (fashion-forward) felines.

    It’s cat couture for the pet owner who thinks imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. For the style-conscious cat lady, these looks — ranging from fur-lined parkas to slinky black dresses — might seem familiar. All of them first debuted in editions of the brand’s annual cat calendars, which have featured a number of kitty “models” dressed up in feline-friendly versions of that year’s looks since 2010.

    Now the garments created for the photo shoots are available online, each made from the same materials as their human doppelgangers.

    UnitedBamboo.com

    ViVi wore this 'lurex boucle' jacket and skirt for the month of September in the 2011 Cat Calendar.

    “We don't really produce cat clothes as a line, but we made one of each for calendar shooting purposes," Nikki Girion, a spokesperson for United Bamboo told TODAY.com. "Since we had the cat clothes just sitting in the closet, and the cat idea-slash-calendars seemed to be really popular, we decided to sell the clothes."

    Of course, coordinating with your cat in couture isn’t cheap. Prices range from $49 for an anthracite, pleated skirt to $98 for one of the company’s colorful fishtail parkas. And that’s just for the kitties.

    All told, a boa fur-lined fishtail parka for yourself and your precious will set you back nearly $1,000. (Hey, at least they’re not quite as expensive as the $500 cat dresses United Bamboo designed for Opening Ceremony in 2010.)

    UnitedBamboo.com

    This 'zipper shoulder' dress in United Bamboo's 'Catclub' collection was inspired by the company's Fall/Winter 2012 line.

    But the price point hasn’t stopped cat lovers from buying these one-of-a-kind creations: So far, 12 of the 33 outfits have been sold since they went on sale at the end of November.

    How did this all start, you might ask? The cat craze at United Bamboo began in 2009, when co-owner Miho Aoki thought her cat would look cute dressed up in clothes (it's probably safe to say that a fair amount of cat owners have found themselves thinking the same thing at some point in their pet ownership).

    Aoki acted on her imagination, outfitting her animal in human-inspired attire and documenting it for posterity. "She took a photo and had it framed up in the office,” Girion said. “Our pattern maker LOVES cats and wanted to take the idea further so Miho thought to make a calendar out of cats wearing United Bamboo clothes.”

    UnitedBamboo.com

    This look is from the Fall/Winter 2012 collection.

    Many of the outfits on the site are paired with trivia about the “models” who first donned them — just in case you want to learn more about "Patooti," "Little Prego Spina," or any of the other cool cats.

    Even animal-of-the-moment "Tardar Sauce," the grumpy cat was spotted at Refinery 29 this past week, modeling United Bamboo clothes in a video shoot. As usual, he looked adorable — but definitely not pleased.

    If cat clothes aren't your thing, or you're in the market for a matchy-matchy gift for your other little one (maybe Coco has already used up her clothing allowance), check out chic coordinated clothing for moms, babies and even dads here.

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  • Festive felines: 11 cats in Christmas trees

    Submitted by Michelle Wiggins

    I'm watching...always watching...

    With Christmas only two weeks away, a lot of people are getting out their decorations and decking their halls for the upcoming holiday. Of course, that also means that your pets will have some new items to explore and new trouble to get into  around the house.

    One of the biggest attractions will be the tree, and from the photos you sent us it's fairly clear that cats in particular enjoy exploring these additions to the home décor no matter what their size!

    From 2 cats squeezing into a 4 foot tree to a feline with a taste for pine, enjoy these photos of your cats in Christmas trees!

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  • Me-wow! Check out Howard Stern's feline-focused Christmas card

    twitter.com/sternshow

    The Stern family's 2012 Christmas card features Howard Stern's wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, with the couple's four cats, Apple, Walter, Leon Bear and Charlie Boy.

    Seasons Greetings from the Sterns!

    On Wednesday, radio host Howard Stern shared this year's over-the-top Christmas card with his nearly 400,000 Stern Show Twitter followers. Though the 58-year-old is M.I.A. in the festive photo shoot, his wife, Beth OstroskyStern, 40, happily strikes a pose with their four cats, Apple, Walter, Leon Bear and Charlie Boy.

    PHOTOS: Stars' family holiday traditions

    Wearing a red and white polka dot ensemble that matches her home's decor, "Mom Caves" host Ostrosky Stern is pictured serving cookies in the shape of kittens as her four felines lounge nearby.

    PHOTOS: Holiday gifts for the homes 

    At the "Fitzgerald Family Christmas" premiere at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City on Nov. 27, Stern's wife told Us Weekly how she was getting into the holiday spirit. "I just put up our Christmas tree and it's beautiful," Ostrosky Stern said. "It's very colorful. It's like every decoration I've ever had on it with colorful lights. I usually have a theme — it's really neat — but not this year. It's like, the more the merrier!" 

    The New York-based couple — who wed in October 2008 — will be spending the holidays at home this year. "Christmas Eve is the gift exchange," Ostrosky Stern revealed. 

    PHOTOS: Star-inspired stocking stuffer gift ideas 

    In 2011, the former model opened up to Us about why she's still head over heels for the "America's Got Talent" judge. "I still get that fuzzy feeling in my stomach every time I see him," she gushed. "We are just so blissfully happy. I wish this feeling for everyone. He's the most thoughtful person I know." 

    This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky Stern Share Over-the-Top Christmas Card!

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  • Dog lost in the snow for two weeks is found after search goes viral

    FIND OHLY / Facebook

    Ohly became a hit on Facebook, as word of the search spread on the social network.

    A runaway dog was reunited with his family this weekend after surviving in the snowy woods for two weeks and becoming a social media sensation.

    Ohly, a two-and-a-half year-old Bernese Mountain Dog, escaped in the woods around Vancouver's Mt. Seymour last month while on a walk with a friend of his owners. “He bolted down the road,” owner Steve Goad told TODAY.com. “Our friend chased him for a couple of hours trying to catch up with him and find him, but the dog just went into the woods.”

    The family wasn’t sure they’d find their pet but after a week people began to report spotting him in the woods. They then ramped up rescue efforts, even enlisting a blood hound to see if he could trace their dog’s scent, but to no avail.

    Even when Goad finally caught sight of Ohly near the bottom of the mountain, after the dog had been missing for 10 days, he couldn't convince him to come home.

    “He was so panicked, even my voice didn’t do anything,” Goad said. “We followed him and he ran away from us until he got to a point called 'Suicide Gully' which he went over, and we couldn’t get into.”

    The family recruited the help of local search-and-rescue team North Shore Rescue, which sent a helicopter to confirm that Ohly was still in the area and dispatched a party to retrieve him. Though they spent over a day trying to entice him with food by frying bacon and got within five feet of him, rescuers still couldn't get ahold of the dog.

    Meanwhile, the story of the search for Ohly had picked up steam on social media as word spread about the missing dog on a Facebook page created by the Goads. Animal lovers and those in the community flooded to the aid of the family, sending donations and offering their help in the search.

    FIND OHLY / Facebook

    Ultimately the North Shore Rescue team decided the intense interest in finding Ohly was turning into a public safety hazard and worried that people were putting themselves at risk trying to find the dog, so they decided to send in another helicopter in a stealth operation team leader Tim Jones likened to 'getting Bin Laden.'

    "The dog had gone wild. It had gone feral," Jones told TODAY.com, explaining that the area where Ohly escaped to was extremely treacherous. "It's called 'Suicide Gully' for a reason. It's heinous terrain and it's not terrain where you go in unprepared...It was the perfect storm of somebody getting killed trying to rescue this dog."

    Jones helicoptered in a team that was finally able to corner Ohly and get him back, a moment Goad describes as "elation." The family was also overwhelmed by the support they received: over $10,000 in donations flowed into North Shore Rescue, which covered the cost of the helicopter and started a fund for future dog rescues.

    "That complete strangers were willing to give up weeks of their time to help us out, it was incredible,” Goad said. The family is now returning the favor by helping to promote and support search efforts for another missing dog in the region named Ellie Mae.

    As for Ohly, he's been back at home since Saturday and is doing well, though he was dehydrated and had lost roughly 25 pounds -- a quarter of his body weight -- when he was rescued.

    “He’s doing well. He’s in good shape,” Goad said. “It’s just a wonderful feeling to have him back in the house and we’re going to keep him on a very short leash from now on!”

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  • Owner of viral sensation IKEA monkey wants him back

    A monkey wearing a warm winter coat made an appearance in a Toronto IKEA Sunday. The monkey's owner is now pleading for his return after he was taken by authorities to a primate sanctuary in rural Ontario because it's illegal to own a monkey in Toronto.

    In Yasmin Nakhuda's mind, this is serious monkey business.

    The owner of a monkey that went from a well-dressed pet wandering around an IKEA to an Internet meme on Sunday, the Canadian real estate lawyer is desperate to regain custody of the animal after it was taken to a sanctuary by authorities. 

    The infant macaque named Darwin was turned over to a private primate sanctuary in rural Ontario after being found wandering in an IKEA in Toronto on Sunday while wearing a miniature faux-shearling coat and a diaper. Darwin escaped from his cage in Nakhuda’s car in the parking lot and started wandering around the store, according to local authorities. Pictures of the monkey posted on Twitter by shoppers quickly went viral.

    Story: Lost monkey in stylish coat drives IKEA shoppers bananas

    It is illegal to keep a monkey as a pet in Toronto, so Nakhuda was fined $240 and Darwin was seized by Toronto Animal Services and taken to Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland, Ont. Nakhuda, who can be seen in a YouTube video brushing her teeth while holding Darwin as he also brushes his teeth, has been distraught since being separated from the animal. She wants him back and is currently mulling over legal action.

    “What makes the sanctuary better caregivers than me?” Nakhuda wrote in an email to TODAY.com. “If it is a larger space area that Darwin needed, I would have provided that to him when he was big enough to get off my back! For now he needs my back. And I need him back.’’

    Yasmin Nakhuda, the owner of the infant monkey found wandering in a Toronto IKEA on Sunday, brushes her teeth while the monkey, Darwin, brushes his teeth. Nakhuda is hoping to regain custody of the animal.

    In Canada, there are no federal or provincial regulations governing the ownership of an exotic animal, so it is left up to local municipalities to determine which animals are legal to own. In Toronto, ownership of any primates is illegal. Prior to Sunday’s incident, Nakhuda said she initially tried to return him to the breeder she purchased him from, but relented when she claims the monkey got separation anxiety.

    Nahkuda has not visited Darwin at the sanctuary yet, but Story Book has tried to reach out to her to arrange one.  

    “We are not opposed to this,’’ Izzy Hirji of the Story Book board of directors told TODAY.com. “We are willing to communicate with her to provide her updates on Darwin's adjustment and potentially arrange a visit once things have calmed down.’’

    But that hasn't placated Nakhuda.

    “They throw him bananas and he is not crazy for bananas," Nakhuda wrote. "They say taking him away from me so brutally without allowing him to see me is best for him when in fact Japanese snow macaque babies live on their mothers' backs for a year or more.

    “Is anyone at the sanctuary willing to have Darwin on their backs for 24 hours a day and seven days a week? For this is how he lived with me. There were no signs of him being unhappy or stressed out. This monkey cannot be away from me for 5 minutes without having a panic attack...”

    Macaques have a volatile nature and also carry diseases communicable to humans like Herpes B and hepatitis, according to the sanctuary.

    “People do not realize that monkeys do not make good pets,’’ Story Book founder Sherri Delaney said. “Raising them as humans is detrimental to their development, mental and social well-being. While images of Darwin in a coat and diapers appear to indicate that he is well-cared for, albeit highly unnatural, even with the best intentions owners are not equipped to handle a mature monkey with large canines who will demonstrate natural aggressive behaviors and tendencies.’’

    The dangers of owning primates have been illustrated by some high-profile events in recent years. Connecticut woman Charla Nash lost her face and hands after being attacked by a friend's chimpanzee in 2009. California man St. James Davis had his nose and mouth ripped off and lost an eye in a chimp attack at an animal sanctuary in 2005, requiring more than 60 surgeries. St. James and his wife had raised the chimp as a human, dressing it up in dinner jackets and teaching it to use a toilet, before it was moved to an animal sanctuary in 1999 for biting a woman on the finger.

    Darwin is currently being socialized with the other 23 primates at the sanctuary. Story Book has only classified him as a macaque and will not know definitively if he is a rhesus macaque or a Japanese snow macaque until he reaches sexual maturity, according to Hirji.

    “He is adjusting well already, and is extremely confident for such a little monkey,’’ Delaney said. “He has been exploring his enclosure, playing with all his toys and interacting with the other monkeys in surrounding enclosures. Our hope is that he can be adopted by one of our baboons with a maternal instinct, since he is in need of a mother figure in his life.’’

    While several parody Twitter accounts for the IKEA Monkey sprung up on Sunday, the monkey does have an official Facebook page, where people can keep track of Darwin's progress. Story Book is also accepting donations for his care on its website.  

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