Fido and Buster aren’t just average dogs in Moscow.  If these were really their names, they’d be part of a pack that have evolved to the point of knowing how to ride the subway system and understanding which exits are theirs.

With one dog for every 350 citizens, the population of dogs has divided into four distinct groups: guard dogs, scavengers, wild dogs, and beggars. It’s the beggars that have figured out how to ride the trains, according to PopSci,

Relying on scraps of food from commuters, the beggar dogs can not only recognize which humans are most likely to give them something to eat, but have evolved to ride the subway. Using scents, and the ability to recognize the train conductor’s names for different stops, they incorporate many stations into their territories.

Additionally, Poyarkov says the pack structure of the beggars reflects a reliance on brain over brawn for survival. In the beggar packs, the smartest dog, not the most physically dominant, occupies the alpha male position.

It so reminds me of the show Life After People on the History Channel, where Lacy dogs are best equipped to survive because of their hunting skills and ability to scrounge for water.

One blogger wrote that her sister sent the info to her (and sent pictures),

The clever canines board the Tube each morning. After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night. Experts studying the dogs say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop — after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train.

Just amazing!

After getting stuck on a big piece of ice on the Vistula River and riding it for 100 miles, a dog was rescued from the Baltic Sea when a ship spotted him.  My favorite part is the dog’s huge smile at the end of the video on the MSNBC link. Whew!

Ship engineer Adam Buczynski managed to scoop the dog off the floe onto an inflatable dinghy and wrapped him in a blanket.   “He didn’t even squeal. There was just fear in his big eyes,” said Buczynski.

Here’s the raw footage from Reuters (and posted on Youtube.com).

These are my favorite animal photos this week.  Most ALL have been found thanks to Brittney’s intrepid internet searches… Thanks Brittney!

Leeland

Cat on Cat

Love

And finally… Scary.

I already bragged once today about our own Ron from Shaktronics for his finds at PopFi, so no harm in tipping my hat again to this incredible find.  Incredibly ugly, that is.

I give you the World’ Ugliest Endangered Fish and I promise - it’s not pretty.  As in “Could I have a nightmare for the rest of my life with that?” kind of ugly.

Found in Australian waters, the blobfish is harmless,

They spend most of their time gently floating around waiting for food to pass in front of them, which sounds like quite a nice life to us!  Because they live so far from the sea surface they’re not often seen by humans.

Okay… I’m happy to have them stay at their 900 meter depth and out of my dreams.

I love my cat and would actually love to be the crazy cat lady (as if you don’t already know).  But if I had the opportunity to get this cat, I’d have to say absolutely not.  It seems more like a cheetah or jaguar than a domestic IMO.

MAGIC is the tallest domestic cat measured from toe to shoulder. She is an incredible 43.43 centimeters (17.1 inches) high – and is the world’s tallest domestic cat. Now that tells us quite a lot about the complexities of awarding that award. Is MAGIC the longest too? This is to come. And what is a domestic cat. Now that is a big question….

Here’s a video of the kitty from the web site Pictures of Cats.

Not only do beagles have a set of lungs on them, but also - apparently - a set of gazelle legs!  From Monosyllabic Pedantry.  Click through to see this leapin’ beagle!

Or here’s cute puppy just learning to howl!

In a very very clever campaign to find homes for a booming feline population at the Michigan Humane Society, cats are being certified as pre-owned.  From Big Dorky White Guy,

The Consumerist said,

The key part of this promotion is that the shelter is charging no adoption fees for adult cats—hence the “$0 down, no payments” gimmick. The idea is to get more cats into happy homes, and shelters have found that with careful screening, waiving the adoption fees doesn’t affect the quality of homes they’re able to find, or the rate of return.

I want another cat. I’m pretty sure that when I get old in the not-too-distant future, I’m a prime candidate for crazy cat woman.  However, I’m determined to not adopt any more animal residents for now… I’ll just hold on to the three at home now.

Of note, we had four pets before Christmas but lost Lord Voldemort the beta fish over the holidays.

My friend just returned from a two-week driving adventure.  She packed her stuff and jumped into the car with two dear friends and their newborn baby for about a 4000 mile round-trip from Tennessee to the West Coast. They drove up to Oregon, then to California, and back to the Rocky Top state.

Before she left, though, she found a friend to watch her six-month old puppy, Macie.  When she got back and saw the poor pup, she was dismayed over her condition.  The dog’s hair was matted and it looked like large chunks were missing through her mid-section.  I saw her and was also appalled … so how do you pick someone you can trust to care for you pet while you’re away?

The Humane Society offers some tips to helping you decide on a dog walker or pet sitter, but some of the tips would also work when you have to leave town:

• Will the dogwalker or petsitter record notes about your pet, such as his likes, dislikes, fears, habits, medical conditions, medications, and routines?
• Is the dogwalker or petsitter associated with a veterinarian who can provide emergency services?
• What will happen if the dog walker or pet sitter experiences car trouble or becomes ill? Does she have a backup?
• Will the dogwalker or petsitter provide related services such as in-home grooming, dog walking, dog training, and play time?

I think the last question may have been where my friend’s pet sitter failed. Poor Macie has to be shaved now to undo the damage to her glorious hair.

The focus on Haiti right now is obviously on saving and caring for the tens of thousands of people suffering after the devastating earthquake in Haiti two days ago.   From all the reports I’ve seen or read about, the magnitude of the loss can’t be measured without seeing it first-hand.  Food, water, and basic medical care is already scarce, so my thoughts and prayers go to the nation and the army of helpers being sent in to assist.

Part of me also frets for the countless animals that are also trapped or injured.  PETA is monitoring the situation and will notify members and the public when there is an opportunity to provide care for the non-human victims,

There are no commercial flights in and out of Haiti, and there is no functional SPCA or humane organization on the island. But we are receiving information from PETA members’ families inside Haiti, and we will update you as to how you can help the island’s animals if we find a way.

Meanwhile if you want to help, you can easily donate $10 to the American Red Cross by texting HAITI to 90999.  Thank you.

No cat post today!  I watched Project X earlier this week and felt the lump in my throat growing all over again as Goliath was trapped in the chamber flooded with radiation.  Even their “acting” skills in this movie proved to me that chimpanzees have a high degree of intelligence.  No they aren’t on the same intellectual level as most humans, but I’ve known a handful of people who don’t measure to the intelligence of a chimpanzee.  Word.

That’s why I found this article interesting… an animal rights group in Brazil has filed for habeas corpus to free 26-year old Jimmy from his zoo cage,

Jimmy is a 26 year old chimpanzee who has spent several years alone in a cage, where he’s on exhibit at a zoo in Niterói, Brazil, just outside of Rio de Janeiro. Just last week, animal protection groups filed a motion to have Jimmy released on grounds of Habeas Corpus, arguing that he is being denied his rights to freedom of movement and to a decent life, in Rio’s Criminal Court. If the appeal is accepted and Jimmy is allowed to go free, it will not be the first time such a legal maneuver is successful, however.

It worked before, but the chimpanzee wasn’t freed in time.  On the flip side, I also vividly remember last year the story of the chimpanzee named Travis that viciously attacked a woman whose face was basically mauled off.

Photo by greenchartreuse via Flickr Creative Commons.

Thanks to Brittney for the tip.