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Thursday

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

Healthy dogs romp in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in early October, after a storm caused severe flooding. Around the country a mysterious respiratory illness is making some dogs sick. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

Dogs around the country are becoming sick with an unknown respiratory illness. Some veterinarians are warning dog owners to take precautions. A strange bacterium could be involved.

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

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Thursday

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

Parker is all about the task at hand. Haiyun Jiang for NPR hide caption

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Haiyun Jiang for NPR

Animals

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

FEMA has 280 certified detection dogs trained to find people in disasters, and it has another 80 that look for human remains. And they are the goodest boys and girls.

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

Listen · 8:08
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Tuesday

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

Charlie the superdog is the only member of the King family who got two Halloween outfits this year. His other costume is a doughnut. Joelyne King hide caption

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Joelyne King

Business

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

More U.S. shoppers are buying into Halloween this year, scaring up a new spending record for costumes, decorations, candy and cute outfits for pets.

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

Listen · 3:08
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Saturday

Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

Clockwise from top left: Pushinka, a gift to President John F. Kennedy from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev; Bo, President Barack Obama's Portuguese water dog; Commander, President Biden's German shepherd; and Socks, President Bill Clinton's cat. William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP hide caption

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William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP

Animals

Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

Historically, pets — everything from birds to cats to dogs — have been part of the White House. And Biden's dog Commander isn't alone. More than a few have ended up embroiled in some controversy.

Wednesday

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day
Clockwise from top left: Edele Brennan, Beth Fadely, Linda Smith, Jason Bauerschmidt, Marie Hernandez

Life Kit

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day

How do you deal with the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet? Our audience shares creative and inspiring ways to process grief — and celebrate the lives of our animal companions.

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day

Listen · 21:53
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Thursday

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

A pug reacts to the camera on the first day of the Festival of Dogs weekend at Castle Howard on May 21, 2022 in York, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images hide caption

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Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Humor & Fun

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

A voiceover artist adds hilarious voices to pet videos submitted by his fans on social media.

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

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Monday

Owner reunited with her dog that roamed the Atlanta airport for 3 weeks

Paula Rodriguez and her dog, Maia, were separated while on their way from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco on Aug. 18. Rodriguez was turned away by border agents and forced to catch a flight home without Maia, who was lost by Delta Air Lines staff. @ATLairport/Twitter hide caption

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@ATLairport/Twitter

Animals

Owner reunited with her dog that roamed the Atlanta airport for 3 weeks

Maia the dog escaped from her carrier last month while being loaded onto a plane at the busiest airport in the world. An online community banded together to reunite her with her owner.

Thursday

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

When humans interact with dogs, the feel-good hormone oxytocin increases — in the person and the dog. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images hide caption

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Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

You don't even have to own one. Research shows just 5 to 20 minutes interacting with other people's pooches can reduce stress hormones and increase well-being.

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

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Saturday

Thursday

A lost dog treks 150 miles across Alaskan sea ice before he's reunited with his family

One-year-old Australian shepherd Nanuq, in the middle with Brooklyn Faith, was returned to Gambell, Alaska, on April 6 after he disappeared for a month and walked on the Bering Sea ice 150 miles to Wales, Alaska. On the left are Brooklyn Faith's sister Zoey with Starlight and on the right is brother Ty with Kujo. Mandy Iworrigan via AP hide caption

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Mandy Iworrigan via AP

Animals

A lost dog treks 150 miles across Alaskan sea ice before he's reunited with his family

Nanuq, a 1-year-old Australian shepherd, went missing last month while his family was visiting relatives. Except for a swollen leg, with bite marks from a seal or polar bear, Nanuq was in good health.

Wednesday

Tuesday

Monday

You asked: Can we catch a new virus from a pet? A cat-loving researcher has an answer

Can cuddling or kissing a pet put you at risk of contracting an unknown virus? Can people pass a virus to pets? Those are questions that pet owners ponder. And if Centu (left) and Ruby (right) could talk, they'd probably ask as well. Ben de la Cruz/NPR; Lauren Migaki/NPR hide caption

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Ben de la Cruz/NPR; Lauren Migaki/NPR

Goats and Soda

You asked: Can we catch a new virus from a pet? A cat-loving researcher has an answer

What's the risk of contracting a surprising virus from Fido or Kitty? It's not a frivolous question, as one virologist explains. And there's another question: Can you give a virus to your pet?

Thursday

Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog
Laura Gao for NPR

Goats and Soda

Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog

After decades of wondering, an NPR reporter finally figures out how her husband's family dog knew when the school bus would arrive every day. She did some digging — and now it all makes scents.

Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog

Listen · 4:29
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Monday

Bomb-sniffing dogs are in short supply across the U.S.

University of Pennsylvania Police Officer and K9 Uman, a black Labrador retriever trained in explosives detection, conducting a package search during a routine training exercise. Wise K9 Photography hide caption

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Wise K9 Photography

Animals

Bomb-sniffing dogs are in short supply across the U.S.

The pandemic led to global supply snarls — including a shortage of dogs that detect explosives. One big reason is that the U.S. gets the vast majority of its dogs from other countries.

Bomb-sniffing dogs are in short supply across the U.S.

Listen · 1:51
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