We Have to Stop Loving Animals to Death

Ten of the highest-grossing box-office releases are about animals, including “Finding Dory,” “The Jungle Book,” “Zootopia,” “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Kung Fu Panda.” Nearly half of our households include a dog and nearly 40 percent have a cat. Two-thirds of us view them as family members and cherish them accordingly. We love our animals to death.  Literally.

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How to Help Pets, Other Animals Affected by Louisiana Flooding

With thousands of residents displaced across East Baton Rouge Parish and throughout Acadiana by the Louisiana Flood of 2016, there are countless pets and animals likewise in need of supplies and shelter. Some of those pets landed at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, which is serving as a shelter for thousands of people. Its stalls and rodeo area are now filled with horses, dogs and other animals displaced by the flood. Jodie Summers, a volunteer who's helping to manage a Facebook page for coordinating relief efforts, told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune photographer Chris Granger that she and others are in desperate need of help and donations. 

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Stray Dog Follows Flight Attendant Around Until She Adopts Him

Humans don't have soulmates, but we can always pretend that dogs do. Olivia Sievers is a flight attendant from Germany who routinely flies to Argentina. Earlier this year, Sievers found a stray dog hovering near the hotel where she stays in Buenos Aires. Sievers was immediately drawn to the dog. But while she had no plans to further the relationship, their connection only got stronger. Less than a year later, Sievers brought the pup home to Germany — for good. 
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Video: Italian Coast Guard Saves Kitten

A crew of the Italian Coast Guard of Marsala retrieves a kitten and revives him at sea.

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Ask Smithsonian: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?

Earthquakes are frightening events, striking without notice. But some believe there is an early-warning system: animals.Over the centuries, people have reported seeing animals head for the hills or leave their burrows in the weeks, days or hours before a temblor hits. But is this belief grounded in science? It’s true that animals can sense a quake, usually just minutes before humans do, says Michael Blanpied, associate coordinator of the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. Established by Congress in 1977, the program monitors and reports earthquakes, assesses earthquake impacts and hazards, and researches the causes and effects of earthquakes.

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“If Animals Matter Morally, Then We Cannot Treat Them As Commodities”

Gary L. Francione is a controversial figure in the modern animal rights movement, known for his “abolitionist approach” towards animal rights. A professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers University, Francione believes that we cannot morally justify using animals as mere resources and that we should abolish all animal use. He argues that any being that feels pain has a right to not be used as property and that veganism should be the moral underpinning of the animal rights movement. As he puts it, “To not be a vegan is to participate directly in animal exploitation.”

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