Rescued from the trash can: Harper the deformed puppy is back on his feet again

A deformed puppy rescued from a garbage bag has finally learnt to walk.

Little Harper was saved from a certain death when a woman in Sanford, Florida, saw a man selling pit-bull puppies outside a Save-A-Lot holding a squirming trash bag.

When she asked him what was in the bag he at first refused to show her but he finally handed over the bag containing a puppy so deformed it couldn’t walk or hold up its head. 

Back on his feet: Harper the deformed puppy is on the road to recovery after being plucked from the trash can

Flat out: Harper was born with a condition commonly called 'swimmer puppy syndrome', which meant she had a flattened chest wall and could not walk or hold her head up

Bright eyes: The little dog is enjoying a new lease of life after his traumatic ordeal

Veterinarians and shelter workers all agreed the dog should be euthanized.

But all was not lost for little Harper, Erica Daniel, a regular at the local animal shelter, stepped in and decided to take the puppy home for one full and final day of love and affection. 

She told Today.com: 'I had to show her what it was like to be loved.

'I’d planned on taking her home that night, letting her sleep in bed with us, and having her humanely euthanized in the morning.'

Harper’s speedy recovery began on that first day with Daniel. The puppy had been born with a condition commonly dubbed “swimmer puppy disorder,” and most dogs afflicted with it don’t survive. 

The disorder, pectus excavatum, causes puppies to lie flat on their chests with their legs perpetually splayed out, as if they were humans — or perhaps frogs — swimming through water.

'The longer she was like that, the more she stayed in that position,' Daniel said. 'It felt like rigor mortis — like her legs might break.'

Deformed: When Harper was born her limbs splayed out so her chest was on the ground and she couldn't stand up or even raise her head

Fighting fit: Vets and shelter workers said she should be put down but eleven weeks later the pit bull puppy is going strong

Water baby: She was born with a condition dubbed 'swimmer puppy syndrome' which causes them to lie flat on their chests

Daniel persevered, continually massaging Harper’s tight muscles, hoping to alleviate at least some of her stiffness and pain. 

Within just a few hours, Harper started lifting her head and looking around. Her front legs became more limber as well, so much so that she tried using them to walk and pull herself around.

Convinced that this determined little dog needed a second opinion, she cancelled the following morning’s appointment and made a new, hopeful one with a veterinarian at the University of Florida. 

At first, the vet described the reasons Harper probably would need to be put to sleep. The list included the likelihood of degenerative bone disease, brain abnormalities and a severe heart murmur.

But after tests they found her organs were functioning fine, and she had no heart murmur or serious brain abnormalities. The medical conditions she did have required treatment — but nothing that warranted putting her to sleep.

Rehabilitated: The puppy can now walk on nearly all surfaces but still needs lots of sleep to keep her energy up

Naturally curious: Most dogs with Harper's condition don't survive but the puppy has shown fighting spirit and has defied the odds

Today, Harper is not only alive but she’s thriving. The frisky gray puppy is gaining more and more mobility each day, to the astonishment of onlookers and medical professionals.

The Hip Dog Canine Hydrotherapy & Fitness in Winter Park, Florida., heard about Harper and donated free hydrotherapy and massage therapy to the puppy.

She responded well to the treatment, and before long she actually started walking.

'She started out on grass, then carpet, then concrete. She still can’t walk on tile or hardwood floors, but she’s getting there,' Daniel said.

Bev McCartt, a Hip Dog therapist, explained said swimming has helped teach Harper what her natural gait should be.

'Her brain kicked in and by the end of her first session, she was like, ‘Oh, I can do this,’' McCartt said. 'She’s a walking miracle. She’s a real testament to a dog’s determination to get up and just go.'

Today, Harper is about 11 weeks old, and she’s holding her own playing with the seven other dogs at Daniel’s home. Daniel estimates that Harper should be ready to be adopted in about a month — that is, if she can handle parting with her.

'The whole world was against her, but she’s such a fighter,' Daniel said. 'She’s a blessing. She’s awesome.'

Earlier this year Daniel set up Dolly’s Foundation, named after another dog she rescued. The organisation rescues and rehabilitates homeless, neglected and abused American Pit Bull Terriers and other bully breed dogs, and it has plenty of puppies and dogs available for adoption.

'We should have been warned': Dog owner claims pet died after drinking toxic algae in Lake Windermere

A cocker spaniel died after swallowing toxic algae while swimming in the Lake District, its owner has claimed.

Holly, who was 15 months old, collapsed and started foaming at the mouth just half an hour after taking a dip in Lake Windermere.

Her owner Mark Taras is now calling for more warning signs to be placed around the area to prevent 'another needless death'.

Tragedy: Mark Taras, wife Jackie and eight-month-old daughter Sophie are devastated at the losing pet Holly, who died after eating toxic algae

Collapsed: Holly, who was 15 months old, started foaming at the mouth just half an hour after taking a dip in Lake Windermere

He said: 'I am shocked there were no signs anywhere warning us about it.

'We came here instead of going abroad because we did not want to put our dog into kennels and now we are distraught.  

'People come on holiday here with their pets and children and they go into the lake.

 

'I think that if there is a risk of coming into contact with blue-green algae people should be warned about it. To watch a dog die of it is horrendous. It's the worse thing I've ever seen.'

Mr Taras, from Leeds, had been on holiday in the Lake District with wife Jackie and eight-month-old daughter Sophie.

He said Holly had gone for a swim in Windermere by the couple's caravan on Saturday, but half-an-hour later started foaming at the mouth and then died.  

Popular: Lake Windermere is one of the biggest attractions in the Lake District

The couple took their pet to Oakhill Veterinary Group, in Windermere, where they say a vet told them their dog had died from swallowing the toxic substance.

WHAT IS TOXIC BLUE-GREEN ALGAE:

Also known as cyanobacteria

Appears in ponds and lakes each summer

More common during hot weather

Not all blooms are poisonous but around half will produce toxins

Harmful blooms can kill livestock and domestic animals

Humans who ingest the algae may suffer stomach upsets or rashes

The Environment Agency advises restricting access during bloom

Mr Taras said that after complaining to the Environment Agency, the authority had put up temporary signs close to where Holly had been paddling.  

But he added: 'The signs are flimsy and have probably been put there to pacify us because we complained so much, but there should be proper signs.'  

The family has now produced a leaflet and intends to visit surrounding areas to inform dog owners of the potential risk.  

Graham Miller, environment management team leader for the Environment Agency, said: 'We have taken two recent samples from Windermere at the west shore to test for blue-green algae.  

'This was in response to a report from the public of a possible blue-green algae bloom. Both of these samples were clear.'  

The vet was not able to comment due to client confidentiality.

Last June two other dogs died after swimming in the lake - a four-year-old greyhound called Jem and a lurcher.

Jem's owner, John Pratt, said: 'He just collapsed. One minute he was fine and the next he couldn't stand.'

And last September the UK's biggest swimming competition, the Great North Swim, was cancelled due to the prevalence of blue-green algae in Windermere.

Poisonous: Blue-green algae can cause stomach upset or rash in humans

Who am I, mum? Baby monkey born in June still hasn’t been named by zookeepers… because they can’t tell its sex

With tiny clasped fingers and large, searching eyes, this baby monkey may have reason to look a little troubled.

Despite being born at the end of June, keepers at Edinburgh Zoo still don’t know whether it’s a male or a female.

As its gender is unknown, the orange-eye baby L’Hoest’s monkey hasn’t yet been given a name.

The unnamed L'Hoest's monkey: Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo still don't know whether it's a boy or a girl, despite the fact it was born in June

Animal team leader at the zoo, Lorna Hughes, said the tiny primate has proved to be a big hit with visitors.

She said the baby had been born to mum Tumbili, who was flown to the zoo from San Diego eight months ago, and dad Kizizi.

‘Every birth is special, but this one has been really exciting,’ said Lorna.

‘The baby is quite a confident little one. It comes right up to the window to have a look at visitors. 

The baby is still dependent on mum's milk, but will soon learn to peel fruit

‘We’ll check to see if it is a baby boy or a baby girl when it is about three months old, once the baby has started venturing away from mum a bit more. Once we know, we’ll be able to choose a name.’

She added: ‘Tumbili is a great mum, knowing just what to do and being very caring and protective.’

Currently the baby is still dependent on mum’s milk, but in the coming few weeks she will start trying new foods and will learn how to unpeel fruit.

I'm hanging in there mum! The baby clings to mother Tumbili, who arrived at Edinburgh Zoo eight months ago

In the wild L’hoest’s monkeys live in the tropical forests of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, spending most of their time on the forest floor.

Their diet is made up mostly of fruit, leaves, mushrooms and sometimes insects and lizards. They live in social groups usually made up of one dominant male and several related females.

Deforestation and hunting means L’hoest’s monkeys are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild and they are marked as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Grandmother with fox phobia wakes up to find cub sitting on her CHEST

A grandmother with a fear of foxes had the shock of her life when she woke up in bed with a cub sitting on her chest.

Magistrate Mary Small felt something clawing at her face on Sunday morning.  

Thinking it was just a cat, the 68-year-old opened her eyes slowly, to find a fox cub inches from her face staring down at her.

Brazen: This picture was taken seconds after the fox leapt off Mary Small's bed. She had awoken with the creature clawing at her face

She screamed in terror and shot from under the covers as the fox scampered.

It took Mary and her husband Tony 20 minutes to shoo the creature down the stairs and out of the house, but only after Tony had got a clear photograph of it sitting coolly by a leather armchair in their upstairs study.

Mary said she was 'terrified' and 'upset' about the whole ordeal, which took place at the couple's  Victorian property in Bournville, Birmingham over the weekend. 

She said: 'I thought it was a cat at first when I felt it clawing at my face. But when I opened my eyes and saw this fox sitting on my chest, I was pretty shaken up to say the least.  

 

'Obviously things look bigger when they are closer to you, so it looked enormous when I came around. It was like a giant fox staring down at me.

'I just leapt from the covers and screamed, I've never moved so quickly.  

'The scariest thing was it just appeared to be so fearless.'  

She added: 'Tony's first instinct was to grab his camera rather than see if I was OK. He got a good picture though in our upstairs study.  

'You can see him peeping out from behind the leather chair, he was a cheeky so and so. 

'And even when we finally got him out of the house, he was pawing at the windows to come back in.  

'They seem to have lost their fear of humans now, it is quite concerning.

Terror: Mrs Small said she screamed and 'had never moved so fast' when she woke to find a fox in her room

'They carry diseases too so I had to disinfect the whole house afterwards, I was worried for the children next door.'

The fox had somehow crept into the couple's kitchen, through their sitting room and up the stairs either around 6.15am on Sunday morning or the evening before, they believe.  

'He must have got in when Tony went outside for his pipe or the night before - we just don't really know for sure,' added Mary.  

'But he was very brave to come all the way through the house because it is quite a big place. It was very scary and I was pretty upset.

'After seeing the stories about people being bitten in London, I think I was quite lucky in the end.

'With recent urban developments around here there seems less green space for foxes to roam about in, so they seem to be getting braver and braver when it comes to interaction with humans.'

Tony, 69, who is retired, said: 'Mary was terrified. She's paranoid about foxes. It's a good job she initially thought it was a cat.'

Intruder: The fox may have got into the house in Bournville, Birmingham when Mr Small went outside to smoke his pipe. The couple disinfected the whole house as they were worried about diseases from the animal

The couple, whose son Julian lives in Dubai with his three children, believe the animal was only about three months old.

Tony added: 'I checked its gender because Mary was concerned it might have been a vixen and had given birth. 

'We quite often get cats coming inside but not foxes. You just don't expect to see foxes roaming around urban areas during the day.

'It really shook Mary. She instantly had a shower because she was worried about having caught any diseases.'

The RSPCA said: 'Foxes are opportunists, searching for and defending areas with suitable food and shelter.  

'They learn to trust people who are not causing them harm.'

Let miaow-t of here! The hilarious moment a bullying cat trapped its feline foe in a box

One puss' venture into a box ended in a cat-astrophe after its calculating companion cruelly trapped them in there.

The contented white puss initially looks like the cat that got the cream as it contentedly sits in his large box and stretches while exploring its new play-thing.

But little did it know that it was being coolly appraised by it's feline foe.

Calculating: The white cat finds the purrfect place to relax in... while its fluffy foe enviously looks on

The grey moggie causally wanders behind the box while the new white cat is in wonder at its new plaything

'If I can't have it, no one can': The grey cat reaches up and, taking one last glance of its bewildered companion leans down...

The grey puss watches its companion before casually sauntering over and slipping behind the back.

Perhaps consumed with envy at the white cat's cardboard home, or maybe it just has a catty side, the grey cat leans up, peers over to give its victim one last look and triumphantly pushes the lid down, trapping the startled puss.

But the nightmare for the bewildered prisoner was only just beginning.

The grey moggie then sits on top of the lid, ensuring his enemy cannot escape.

While the white cat grows increasingly panicky, pushing against the box to try and free himself from his cardboard cage, the grey jailer doggedly clings on, refusing to move.

...And the mean fur ball traps his foe: The grey cat takes on the role of jailer

The mean moggie sits on top of the box while the confused kitty desperately tries to escape

Occasionally peeking through a small hole to observe his prisoner's distress, the grey cat looks a-mewsed by its prank.

Other cats - with one looking bizarrely similar to a lion - wander up but, perhaps realising what sort of bully they have in their midst, wisely decline to intervene.

Eventually the puss grows tired of his job as jailer and steps off, before leaning in to look at the emotional trauma it has inflicted on its prisoner.

It then looks around the room, perhaps trying to look like an innocent bystander.

The dazed white cat eventually appears and the bullying cat pats it with its paw as if to say 'no hard feelings'.

The white cat slinks off to safer territory, leaving the grey cat surveying another unwise puss, who begins to explore the box.

 

Baby elephant cools off in reservoir tank... and has to be rescued by army digger

This young elephant's plan to escape the heat and take a refreshing dip in an Indian army reservoir tank went awry when he was unable to get out.

After splashing about for a while he found himself being approached by soldiers on a digger.

But luckily for him they were coming to his rescue - and proceeded to smash the tank's wall so he could make an easier exit.

Refreshing: The young elephant had been crossing the army quarters with his herd in west Bengal when he became stuck in a reservoir water tank

He soon became stuck and found himself being approached by Indian army soldiers on a digger

He had been crossing the Bengdubi army quarters, 15 miles from the city of Siliguri, West Bengal, with his herd when members of the the 16 Field Ammunition Depot were called into action.

They were joined by the elephant squad of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

Help at hand: Members of the the 16 Field Ammunition Depot were called into action with staff from the elephant squad of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

Don't paws for breath! Podgy pooch put through her paces at fat camp to help her find a family

• HOPE THE DOG'S HAVING FUN

There's no time to paws for breath for this podgy pooch. 

Four-year-old Gloria should be out herding sheep, but instead she's being worked like a dog at a boot camp for heavyweight hounds.

The Australian kelpie is learning some new fight-fighting tricks to lose some weight before being put up for adoption.

Hot under the collar: Gloria the overweight Australian kelpie is put through her paces at doggy boot camp

Alongside the usual commands of 'sit' and 'stay', she has now learned a host of others, including 'fetch that dumbbell' and 'lift those legs'.

She used to be a working dog, but Gloria has had some ruff breaks and ended up being abandoned.

To make matters worse, she has also been dogged by weight problems which have made it more difficult to find a family to take her on.

Now she's being put through her paces by fitness trainer Julie 'Hoffy' Hoffman, who hopes the workouts will give Gloria a new leash on life.

Paws for thought: Gloria prepares to take on an army-style assault course

Barking mad: Gloria does press ups with her personal trainer Julie 'Hoffy' Hoffman

Rather than just donate money to Australian Working Dog Rescue, animal-loving Ms Hoffman decided to offer her services the charity.

She had initially planned to raffle a 10-session voucher to raise funds for the group.

'But when I heard about Gloria, I signed her up and hope to get her down from what is basically twice her ideal weight,' Ms Hoffman said.

'I thought I could do more by helping Gloria get fit so she looks more adoptable.'

Go mutts! Gloria takes a well-earned rest, surrounded by her friends from the boot camp team