True Heroes
In a war-torn region, three stories of people fostering life in the midst of death.
Four Paws in Gaza
The remarkable, heroic work of veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil of Four Paws to rescue and care for animals in the shattered world of Gaza.
Yazidis, Ethnic Cleansing & the Denial of Death
Two weeks ago, I’d never even heard of the Yazidi people. This week, they’re top of the news, driven from their homes in Iraq by the…
In Israel-Gaza War, Animals Pay Price
A donkey suicide bomb and a farmyard massacre – two examples of how nonhuman animals have become targets in the current war between Israelis and Palestinians.…
Navy Dolphins Scout for Mines in Croatia
Last week, six dolphins took off from their HQ at the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program in San Diego on a flight to Zagreb, Croatia. Their…
Prince William’s Guard Dogs
It’s hard to know what to make of Britain’s Prince William and his relationship to animals. One day he’s out hunting them. (The whole family loves…
What Really Sparked the War in Syria
Satellite image showing Syria at focal point of Middle East drought. It’s horrific, intractable, seemingly endless … and quite possibly the shape of other wars to…
Miss PoPsicle and the War in Syria
Miss PoPsicle has been following the news from Syria. (Well, sort of.) She certainly knows what it’s like to be caught up as collateral damage in…
Snuggling Up with the Keystone XL Pipeline
The arguments against digging up the tar sands of the northern U.S. states and Canada and sending the oil through the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline to…
How Animals Fared in Syria Gas Attack
Hundreds of dead dogs and cats are among the casualties of the gas attack that left 1,700 humans dead in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka and…
At the Cairo Zoo
Lost in the chaos of the fighting, the tear gas, the bombs and bullets, the sirens and the screaming of the uprising in Cairo and other…
The ‘Animals in War’ Memorial
It’s bad enough what happens to our own sons and daughters, let alone the families of the “enemy” in whatever war we humans happen to be…
‘He Kept Me Alive in Afghanistan.’
Pets aren’t allowed on U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. At least not officially. Staff Sgt. Jesse Knott first saw Koshka appear from behind one of the…
U.S. Army Stops Medical Training on Goats
At Fort Bragg, N.C., soldiers kill about 300 goats a month in practice situations to learn how to deal with wounds caused by bombs and bullets.…
The Other Iraq War
It’s the anniversary of the “shock and awe” invasion of Iraq. And while we’re all being reminded of the colossal cost of our ongoing wars and…
Did Military Dolphins Go AWOL?
A prank photo from Fox News in Australia The story was that three dolphins trained for action by the Ukrainian Navy had gone missing. Worse, they…
Will Pentagon Abandon ‘Training’ on Animals?
Congress has ordered the Pentagon to draw up a plan to phase out the use of animals in combat medical training – or, as the military calls it, “live tissue training.” (Sounds like how parents teach their children to blow their nose.) Sounds good. But will the Pentagon actually comply?
Horses in the Civil War
C. Kay Larson writes about the the role that horses played during the Civil War. The Southern cavalry was “a rich man’s undertaking,” but the Union purchased Morgans, “a uniquely American breed known for endurance, versatility, heart and courage.”
It’s an interesting article, but it goes wrong in calling the horses “the real heroes.” Nonhumans are never the heroes of a war; they are always the victims. Here are some of the numbers.
The Two Dogs in the Rose Bowl Parade
Two dogs are featured in the Rose Parade today. One of them, Chuck, will be with conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, who’s serving as the Grand Marshall this year.
The other is Lucca, also a shepherd mix, who will be riding with Cpl. Juan Rodriguez. Lucca is a veteran of three deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Rodriguez says he owes his life to her.
Puppy Won’t Leave Mother after Violence
During the miserable violence that rocked the Kyaukphyu region of Myanmar earlier this month, a photo began to circulate that captures something of what our wars…