Pet Scoop: Residents Rescue Blind Dog From Lake, Penguin Chicks Hand-Reared at Zoo

April 28, 2017: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Struggling Dog Pulled Aboard Boat

Neighbors in Miami Gardens, Florida, jumped into action when they spotted a senior Cocker Spaniel who was blind struggling in a lake. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was called, but in the meantime, residents took to the water in a boat to help. A Good Samaritan pulled Boston aboard and brought him to firefighters who were waiting on the other side of the lake. Boston was later reunited with Barbara Terry, who’s been dog sitting while her brother is out of town. Terry saw Boston on Local 10 News and contacted authorities. She was relieved he was OK — but laughed that she thinks she’s lost her job. — Watch it at Miami’s Local 10

Dog Food Possibly Contaminated With Euthanasia Drug Recalled

The Texas-based company Party Animal is recalling 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Beef & Turkey dog food (Lot #0136E15204 04, best by July 2019) and 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Chicken & Beef dog food (Lot #0134E15 237 13, best by August 2019). The company said two cans of the food had tested positive for pentobarbital, a drug used for euthanasia. The food had been manufactured and distributed in 2015. “The safety of pets is and always will be our first priority. We sincerely regret the reports of the discomfort experienced by the pet who consumed this food,” the company said in a statement. They urged customers to throw the food out or return it for a refund. — Read it at CBS News

Study: Humpback Calves “Whisper” to Mom

Researchers have found that newborn humpback whales learn to use muted squeaks to communicate with their moms, perhaps to avoid attracting killer whales. Recordings offer a rare look at the development of the baby whales and a glimpse at the complex interactions they have with their moms while they migrate. The study found the sounds the calves made were about 40 decibels lower than calls produced by singing whales, and up to 70 decibels lower than other social sounds from adults. The study was published in the journal Functional Ecology. — Read it at Live Science

Humboldt penguin chicks are being hand reared at the London Zoo.

Penguins Cozy Up to Stuffed Animal

Two Humboldt penguins who hatched in the days after Easter are being hand-reared at the ZSL London Zoo because their parents were unable to care for them. The fuzzy gray chicks are fed by hand three times a day and spend their time snuggling with a stuffed animal penguin under a heat lamp in a custom-built incubation room at the zoo. “They make sure we know it’s feeding time – they may be only weeks old but they’ve definitely perfected their squawks already,” said keeper Adrian Walls. Once the chicks are about 10 weeks old, they’ll move to the penguin nursery, where they’ll learn to swim before they’re introduced to the rest of their colony. — Read it at the London Zoo

Cat Trust Falls Into Owner’s Lap

We’ve seen dogs do trust falls, including this one of a Golden Retriever landing in the waiting arms of a giant teddy bear. But we couldn’t imagine most cats being willing to give it a try. Leave it to Didga, who takes part in other un-cat-like activities like skateboarding, to defy expectations. “She ‘trusts’ me to catch her as she falls straight back into my hands,” her owner writes in the YouTube description. “I rescued her from the shelter, so she can trust me. — Watch it at People Pets