New York Bans The Retail Sale of Dogs and Cats

Hiker And His Dog Save Missing Golden Retriever Puppy From Frigid, Abandoned Coal Pit

A hiker and his dog helped bring a lost puppy home to his family.

Collin Leiby was traversing a trail on Sharp Mountain in Pennsylvania when his dog, Bass, wandered off the path, according to The Associated Press. As he followed after his dog, Leiby then noticed movement in a nearby abandoned coal pit and realized it was a wagging tail. The excited, furry tail belonged to a 6-month-old golden retriever puppy named Freddy, who had been reported missing in Pottsville County over a week earlier.

Freddy went missing on Feb. 17, and his owners, Pam and Joe Palko, did everything possible to bring their pup home — social media pleas, assembling search parties, collecting tips, and distributing flyers. The couple even enlisted two companies to help with this search, one that employs search dogs and another that uses drones,

Most of Pottsville County was looking for Freddy, so when Leidy spotted the pup in the coal pit, he immediately recognized him as the missing dog. Now that Freddy was found, the next challenge was freeing the dog. Leidy discovered the puppy stuck 10 feet down in the pit.

Collin Leiby with Freddy.

Collin Leiby via AP

"A tear came to my eye," Leiby said. "I started calling his name. He slowly got up and started walking toward us."

He added, "He was crying and jumping on me. He was like, 'Get me home.'" Leiby pulled the dog from the coal pit himself and then used an extra leash to clip Freddy to Bass so he could guide both dogs back to the trail.

The Palkos were following a lead at a local shelter when Joe got a notification that someone was at their door with Freddy. The couple quickly returned home to find Freddy "a little frantic, hungry, and confused," said their neighbor and retired veterinarian, Dr. Carolyn Canizaro-Orlowsky.

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Joe and Pam told AP they "never give up hope" they would reunite with Freddy, but as time passed, their "hopes were getting smaller." The couple's anxiety shifted to elation when Freddy returned to them slightly underweight but otherwise in a healthy condition.

"There's a big collective sigh of relief," Canizaro-Orlowsky said. "It's a neat lesson not to give up."

This Man's Wife Put Down Their Dog Without Telling Him, And People Online Have Lots Of Feelings

Recently, a man went viral on a r/AITAH subreddit after asking if it was wrong of his wife to put down their dog while he was out of town without telling him.

A couple sits on a couch with a happy Border Collie between them, its tongue playfully out. They are smiling and gently holding the dog

User u/PeterGibb832 said in his post, "So, this just happened, and I'm still trying to process it. My wife (36F) and I (38M) have been married for 10 years, and we've had Bella, our golden retriever, for 12 of them. Bella has been my rock. She's seen us through a lot — moves, job changes, family issues. I always felt like she was my companion as much as she was our family dog."

Golden retriever lying on grass, holding a plush toy in its mouth

"I had to go on a work trip for about a week, and before I left, Bella was slowing down a bit, but she wasn't that bad. She was old, yes, but still getting around. I asked my wife to keep an eye on her, and she agreed. Fast forward to yesterday, I got home from the trip, and the house was eerily quiet. No excited barking, no Bella waiting at the door. My wife came out of the kitchen, and I immediately asked where Bella was. That's when she told me she took her to the vet and put her down."

"I didn't even know Bella was that sick, and my wife made the decision without me. I wasn't there to say goodbye, and I feel completely blindsided. I lost it and told her she had no right to do that without telling me first. She got emotional and said Bella was in pain, that the vet advised it, and she thought she was sparing me from seeing Bella suffer. But I just…I can't believe she didn't even call me. She knows how much Bella meant to me."

"Now, I'm heartbroken and furious. I get that maybe it was the right decision, but it feels like I was robbed of my chance to say goodbye to my dog, my best friend. My wife's been crying and saying she did it for Bella, but I can't shake the feeling that she overstepped in a huge way. FYI, my wife has a habit of overreacting to things, and I'm afraid she did it this time as well. I've called the vet but haven't gotten a response yet. AITA for being angry and thinking she should've waited to at least talk to me first? Or am I being unreasonable?"

Littlecitylifestylephotography / Getty Images

As you can imagine, fellow Reddit users had LOTS of thoughts. First, though, they suggested to the OP that he wait until he's talked to the vet before moving forward. User Any_Pickle_8664 said, "I would suggest you go to the vet and see what paperwork they have on Bella to see how sick she was. It might give you some closure. And for those speculating, this isn't about finding something on the wife, it's about getting closure and not feeling as guilty for being unable to say goodbye."

Although the majority of the commenters agreed that the husband is most definitely not the asshole in this situation, they brought up that maybe his wife had to put their dog down immediately because of her health. User Alternative_Hotel649 said, "When our 14-year-old family dog's stomach turned over on him one night, we had to put him down immediately because he was in agony. It's not always a slow decline; sometimes it's an instant switch from 'old but okay' to 'needs to go right now.'"

However, at the end of the day, everyone's biggest question was: Why didn't his wife even call him about putting their dog down? User Lissypooh628 said, "I had a senior dog that was slowing down, and one day it was just BAD. I took her to the vet and got meds and whatnot, and the very next day she was so bad she couldn't even hold herself up. It can get that bad that fast. My issue is that your wife didn't communicate this with you. WHY!?"

Person sitting on a couch, looking at a phone with a thoughtful expression, hand on chin, in a cozy living room setting

User Foolish-Pleasure99 said, "She couldn't call him from the vet and inform him what was going on? She couldn't even pretend to involve him in such a major move? WTF? Did she think she was doing him a favor by letting him come home to discover this? This would take me a loooong time to get over."

User watadoo agreed and added, "When our border collie's time came, my wife and I discussed it for weeks before WE (with our vet) decided it was time to let him go peacefully. I can't imagine coming home from a work trip to an empty house and, 'I just decided to do it.'"

User Nosesrick wrote, "It doesn't matter how much sense it made to put Bella down immediately. In the absolute worst case your wife should have tried to contact you and let you Facetime your goodbyes. She's probably also experiencing grief and didn't make good decisions in the moment. But that doesn't change the fact she was an asshole. This is a big deal."

The husband in the post then updated the subreddit once he heard back from their vet. He said, "The vet told me the dog had to be put down, but I guess I just wish my wife had communicated with me better. We have been going through some long discussions since I got back."

Two people sitting on a couch, engaged in an intense conversation. One person appears frustrated, holding their head in their hand

User kingjobe99 responded by saying, "If the dog was gravely ill and needed to be put down so be it, but her not letting you know what was going on is the part that is wrong. Even if she didn't want to cause you distress during your work trip (which is still not the right call) then she should have at least greeted you at the door when you got home and tenderly broken the news to you before you went into a quiet empty house and started wondering where your dog was. She handled this all wrong and caused extra hurt to you."

Person outdoors hugging a smiling dog, sitting in a grassy field with trees in the background

What do think about this situation? When do you think the wife should have communicated with her husband that their dog needed to be put down? Let us know how you would handle this situation in the comments below!

Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Golden Retriever Puppy Is The Picture Of Confusion After Seeing Himself In Mirror For First Time

Puppies are so fun to have around, especially when you're there to see all of their "firsts." In an adorable video posted to Instagram, this Golden Retriever's mom shared a flashback video to when her fur baby was just a pup and seeing himself in a mirror for the first time. It's absolutely adorable!

Watch as this little guy first notices a cute puppy in the mirror. He's not sure what to think of the handsome pup he's looking at! He's unsure if the pup he's seeing is a friend or foe. But either way, it's the cutest video ever!

I want to see how this pup ends this video! Does he become friends with his shadow? Does he realize it's him? His sweet video has more than 36 thousand views - people loved it and left some adorable (and funny!) comments. @adammontpetit shared, "Flabbers 100% gasted." He wasn't wrong! @iamshaunsimpson added, "I can see the rainbow spinny wheel as the realization is loading!" @lisadhaile made me laugh with, "The sideways turn got me!"

Related: Golden Retriever Pup Is 'Mesmerized' by Her Beauty When Checking Herself Out in the Mirror

When our pups look in the mirror, what do they see? Based on my dog's reaction, she doesn't realize she's looking at herself and instead sees another dog. But what is it that they really see?

iHeartDogs shares, "Dogs lack the cognitive ability to identify their reflection. Self-recognition requires a level of self-awareness that most animals, including dogs, don't possess. Studies show that only a few animals, like great apes, dolphins, and elephants, can pass the "mirror test," where a mark is placed on their bodies to see if they recognize it on themselves in the mirror." In short, they think they're looking at another dog or something else that they can't identify. They don't know that they're looking at themselves. This explains why my dog is scared every single time she passes by a mirror or sees her shadow in a window.

Dogs rely on their sense of smell, and without it, they're somewhat clueless. IHeartDog explains, "When dogs see their reflection, many react as if they are encountering another dog. This response often includes barking, play-bowing, or trying to interact with the "other dog." Since dogs primarily rely on scent rather than sight to identify one another, the lack of a familiar smell might eventually cause them to lose interest."

While us humans rely on our sight, dogs rely on their sense of smell. Because they can't smell the "other dog" and don't see it as a threat, they lose interest quickly. Humans interpret the visual information in a mirror as an real, living reflection, but dogs perceive it as something that looks interesting but doesn't have any appeal because they can't smell whatever it is. This may explain why many dogs react with major interest, but sooner or later get bored when they realize the mirror doesn't offer a scent they can explore.

Dogs might not understand what they're looking at in a mirror, but they're still fascinated by it...At least for a while. If you have a puppy at home, make sure to record their initial reaction to seeing their reflection in a mirror so you can look back on it later. It's sure to become a favorite memory!

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