TN Medical School Last To Stop Using Animals To Teach Surgery

Deep in Tennessee near the Georgia border, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga sits in the shadows of the nation’s more prominent medical schools. But it holds the distinction of being the last in the United States to use live animals to teach surgical skills to students.  Recently, the college quietly marked the end of the controversial practice, and by extension its elimination in the United States and Canada. “Effective immediately, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga has ceased to provide surgical skills training for medical students using live animal models,” Robert Fore, its dean, wrote to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which has fought the practice for more than a decade.

http://tinyurl.com/jhwxh6o

Born Without Eyes, Smiley Inspires Everyone He Meets

Now at nearly 12-years-old, Smiley has led a happy, healthy life, despite his rough start. Smiley, a golden retriever rescued by Joanne George of Stouffville, Canada, was born with dwarfism and without eyes.  Thanks to George, the gentle pup became a certified therapy dog through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program. He spends his days comforting and inspiring patients in hospitals and nursing homes and helping kids in schools focus on their reading.

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Bob Barker Donates $1M to Send Rescued Elephants to California Sanctuary

Three former zoo elephants from Canada have arrived at their new home in a California sanctuary after former "Price is Right" host and animal activist Bob Barker sought and paid for the move.The 89-year-old Barker was on hand late Sunday to welcome the pachyderms to the Performing Animal Welfare Society's ARK 2000 compound in the hills near San Andreas, The Sacramento Bee reported.  "It was more than emotional for me, for all of us," Barker said. "I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. It's hard to believe they are finally here."

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Two Dogs Work Together to Chase Off Cougar

A rare animal close encounter was captured on tape in the rural area of the northwest Victoria Highlands in Canada. Two pet dogs named Kovu and Teaka were seen barking at a young hissing cougar in an apparent attempt to drive the wild animal away from the house.

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Three Canadian Elephants Are Flying To California

For elephants to fly, you have to do more than load trunks on a plane. Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, has been working for two years to get three 10,000-pound elephants in the air. The elephants are scheduled to take off on Aug. 2 in what could be a million-dollar move. The African elephants, Iringa, 42, Toka, 41, and Thika, 31, are being retired from the Toronto Zoo and moved to PAWS' 2,300-acre sanctuary in San Andreas. 

http://tinyurl.com/896m3a7

Blue Lobster Found In Nova Scotia, Canada, Now For Sale

Canadian fisherman Bobby Stoddard caught a striking electric blue lobster in Nova Scotia early last month and is now looking to sell the rare crustacean to the highest bidder, reports CTV News. Blue lobsters occur only in one of about every two million lobsters and the coloring is the result of a genetic defect, according to the University of Maine.

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Giant Lobster Finds Home in Coney Island

A freakishly large lobster destined for the pot has instead found a new home in - where else? - Coney Island.

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