All Creatures September/October 2019

HAVE YOU HEARD OF MAX II, the mayor of Idyllwild, California? No? I’ll give you a hint. He’s also a full-blooded golden retriever. Have you seen the heart-tugging video of a young girl with epilepsy receiving her first therapy dog? Try not crying. Or met Lemon, the disabled duckling, who teaches the grade-school science class that adopts him powerful, unforgettable lessons in love and acceptance? Or read about—get this—how used mascara wands are saving animals in Appalachia? You’d know of all these great, uplifting and fascinating stories if you joined thousands of other animal lovers on our All Creatures Facebook page. It’s not just the stories, pictures and videos of inspiring creatures; it’s the people who devote their time and resources, even their careers, to their animals—people whose souls are…

Molly the beagle was heartbroken over losing her litter of puppies at birth. For days after her babies’ death, she paced her land—a cattle ranch in Victoria, Australia—looking for them. Then one day Molly came across a dead possum. A baby crawled out from its pouch. In that moment, the dog accepted the little one as her own. “It took one day for Molly and Poss to get acquainted,” says Sara Moyle, one of the ranch’s owners. “There was a mutual need. Molly needed someone to mother, while Poss needed warmth and love.” Poss is nocturnal, so she spends much of the day sleeping against Molly or in a nest box. In the evenings, they explore the ranch, the baby hitching a ride on her adoptive mom’s back. Sara says…

Rescue & Jessica By Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes When Rescue the black Lab finds out he would make a better service dog than Seeing Eye dog, he’s worried about what his job will involve. Then he meets Jessica, whose life has also taken an unexpected turn. Rescue realizes he can help her every day, one step at a time. Based on the real-life story of Jessica Kensky, who lost both legs after the Boston Marathon bombing, this picture book features illustrations by Scott Magoon and includes an endnote about the abilities of service dogs. Ages 5 to 9. How to Be a Good Creature By Sy Montgomery This uplifting memoir by naturalist Sy Montgomery takes a close look at the unique traits and personalities of 13 animals. She explores…

MY WIFE AND I started what might be called a golden retriever retirement home. We didn’t plan to. But years back when I saw a scrawny 11-year-old golden at our local rescue, I knew he needed us. He was the best boy; since then, we’ve adopted senior dogs. Although he was with us only a year, losing him was just as painful as losing dogs we’d had a lot longer. My mother-in-law sent us a beautiful memorial plaque made from smooth Vermont slate, with a golden retriever silhouette and his name, Brooks, engraved underneath. My wife is from Vermont. That’s where we were married. And some of our dogs have come from there, so the slate has special meaning for us. We placed Brooks’s plaque under the lilac bush. We’ve…

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM may say that any cat in a tree can climb down on its own, but that’s a misconception, says Shaun Sears of Canopy Cat Rescue. There’s a real problem with cats stranded in treetops. Sears and his brother-in-law, Tom Otto, professional arborists in Seattle, launched their nonprofit 10 years ago to deal with it. “Cats are anatomically better able to climb up trees than down, especially if there are branches in the way,” he says. “They need to go down backward, so most would rather stay put.” Why do cats go up to begin with? They tend to climb trees to escape threats—both real (coyotes, dogs, even other cats) and perceived (a loud noise)—rather than hunt birds. “Ninety percent of the time, the cat is the one being…

FUELED BY his twin passions—the environment and animals—Brazilian artist Amarildo Silva creates cozy, colorful animal beds from discarded tires. His business, Cãominhas Pets, is located in the city of Campina Grande, in northeastern Brazil, where Silva upcycles tires he gets from friends and family or by hunting through lots or dumpsters. “I like recycling, helping animals and the environment, and I earn some extra income,” Silva says. Each bed takes about 40 minutes to make. Silva starts by washing the tires and then cuts, paints and adds artwork. The cushions inside are made of foam that he covers with different fabrics. He personalizes each bed with the name of the dog or cat it will belong to. Silva mostly works with his mother, brother and two sisters. When orders pile…