Pet Scoop: Dog Survives After Rescue From Fire, Top Names for April the Giraffe’s Calf

April 27, 2017: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Dog Barely Survives Blaze

Owner Allyson Botterbusch panicked when she arrived at the scene of the fire in her home on April 15 and realized one of her dogs was still inside. York City, Pennsylvania, firefighter Erik Swanson found Nalah in her crate and feared the worst — until he saw her move her head. When he carried her outside, “she was limp in his arms, they had the oxygen mask on her face, and she was covered in soot — I didn’t think she was alive,” Botterbusch said. “As badly as I wanted her to pull through, as badly as I wanted her to come around, I didn’t think that it was gonna happen. But everyone who helped her and helped us along the way — that firefighter pulled her out of there and gave her a chance, these awesome doctors and the staff at this veterinarian office, they worked with her and they saved her and they brought her back to us.” Ten days after firefighters rescued her from a blaze in her home, Nalah is happily recovering, and Swanson and Nalah’s vet are relieved. “That feeling of saving a living creature who means so much to somebody else, is a pretty awesome feeling,” Swanson said. — Watch it at Pennsylvania’s York Daily Record

Giant Rabbit Dies on United Flight

Simon, a 10-month-old Continental Giant rabbit, who could have grown to record-setting size, somehow died on a United Airlines flight from England to Chicago last week. The rabbit was bred in England by Annette Edwards, and was on his way to a new home in the U.S. A veterinarian had declared him to be “in good physical condition” and fit to travel just a day before the flight. But Simon was found dead when the flight arrived. Edwards said she’s flown several bunnies to the U.S., on United and other airlines, without any problems. Both she and the new owner were heartbroken over the news. Headlines about the bunny have been another public relations disaster for United, which has suffered financially after a passenger was forcibly removed in Chicago earlier this month. United said it is reviewing what happened with the rabbit. — Read it at the Chicago Tribune

Whole Foods Goes All Out to Protect Mother Goose

The staff at a Whole Foods store in Colorado has gone above and beyond to make a mother goose who laid her eggs in their parking lot feel safe and welcome. The store’s management contacted wildlife officials, who advised them to leave the mom there with her eggs, unbothered. The staff took that a little further, setting up a barricade around the area, providing her with a kiddie pool that they fill each day with fresh water, and bringing her fresh greens to eat. The chicks are expected to hatch next week, and the store has local police and animal control on call to help if the mom needs to get across the street once her babies are up and moving. — See photos at OneGreenPlanet

The public is being asked to vote on the top 10 possible names for April the giraffe’s little boy.

Zoo Reveals 10 Names for Giraffe

After more than a week of open voting, Animal Adventure Park in New York has released the top 10 suggestions for names for April the giraffe’s famed baby boy. The choices are Apollo, Geoffrey, Gio, Harpur, Noah, Ollie, Patch, Patches, Unity or Alyssa’s Choice, which means the giraffes’ keeper will get to decide on the name. You can vote until April 30, and votes cost $1 each with a minimum of five votes. Money has poured in to the small zoo and its chosen charities thanks to the naming contest. The baby’s name will be revealed on May 1. — Read it at People Pets

Baby Fiona Meets Her Mom

There’s good news about another well-known zoo baby, Fiona, the hippo who was born prematurely at the Cincinnati Zoo. Fiona has been getting more comfortable in the indoor adult pools, and the animal care team has been increasing its depth so she can learn to swim in deep water. In the meantime, Fiona is slowly being reintroduced to her mother, who couldn’t care for her when she was born so early. “Bibi is showing interest in Fiona and watches her eat, sleep, and go in and out of her pool,” the zoo’s Facebook post said. — See photo at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Facebook