Dogs of the “Titanic”
The RMS Titanic sank on 15th April, 1912. This disaster led to the loss of over 1500 human lives, but also several animal lives. There were various animals aboard the Titanic before the ship sank, including chickens, cats (including the official ship’s cat, Jenny), and several dogs.Togo: Hero of Nome
In 1925, things seemed bleak for the Alaskan town of Nome. The town’s people, especially the children, were sick with the deadly illness diphtheria. The town’s supply of antitoxin was depleted, and the port was closed for the winter, making a new delivery difficult. The 1925 Nome diphtheria epidemic gave rise to a bold plan: a sled dog relay. Sled dog teams and their mushers raced tirelessly across the freezing...
Anubis
In Ancient Egypt, many animals were considered sacred. Most of the Egyptian gods had animal heads, including the god of the afterlife, Anubis. Anubis had a canine head and so has sometimes been nicknamed the dog god of Ancient Egypt. Dog or not? Although Anubis’ head is definitely canine, not everyone agrees what type of canine it is. In Ancient Egyptian art, he usually has black fur; this colour represented life and...
Top 10 Dog Stories for all
As the days become shorter and the nights colder, what better way is there to spend a chilly evening than by curling up with a book after a pleasant walk with your dog? Cuddle up under a blanket, and dive into one of these ten fantastic dog books. “White Fang” by Jack London: This classic tale follows White Fang, a wolf-dog hybrid born into the Alaskan wild. The young pup...
Gelert
If you visit Wales, you may come to the village of Beddgelert. Not far from the shores of the Glaslyn is a stone grave. The grave is devoted to the memory of Gelert and is inscribed with both Welsh and English text that tells the story of this Welsh hero. Gelert was a hunting hound who belonged to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn ap Iorwerth). In the 13th century,...
Haunted Howls
Rain, thunder, and a long, low howl sounds outside, somewhere in the dark. What’s howling? According to legend, it could be a paranormal dog. There are many tales (tails!) of supernatural dogs, from the historical Beast of Gevaudan to the hounds of the Wild Hunt.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron, born George Gordon Byron, was loved for some things and hated for others. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic Movement characterising the first half of the 19th century. After a short, unsuccessful stint in politics, Byron became well known for his narrative style of poetry, but being regarded as one of the greatest British poets was not his only distinguishing feature.
The Storm of a Lifetime: Snoopy’s Personal Tail
Hurricane Matthew has wreaked devastation along the coast of North and South America, leading to massive evacuation. Man’s best friend has also been caught up in the chaos of this disaster. Pets everywhere have either been evacuated, or left behind to face the hurricane.
There Once Was a Colossus Called Molossus
Thanks to the Greeks, modern society has democracy, science, philosophy and medicine. However, for those of us who love big, burly dogs, one tribe of Greek people stands out from the crowd and deserves the highest level of respect and admiration. This tribe was known as the Molossians.
Laika – The story of a Soviet space oddity
Laika was a three year old stray dog living on the streets of Moscow. She was thought to be a Samoyed or Husky crossbred, though she almost certainly had some Terrier or Spitz ancestors. She was also nicknamed Kudryavka (Little Curly), Zhuchka (Little Bug), and Limonchik (Little Lemon) by various personnel involved in the project.
