Nerds Republic

Traveling with pets is always pretty tricky. Keeping them calm and carrying them around from place to place in clunky cages or bags can put a major strain on even the most serene outings.

But this cool carrier is about to change all of that. It’ll make your little buddies look like tiny, fluffy astronauts while they take in all of the sights right by your side.

The sphere-shaped window allows your cutie to take in their surroundings.

They’ll finally get to enjoy all the landmarks right along with you!

And there are tons of designs to choose from.

Whether you prefer the space-age chic look, or would rather go for a more rustic option, you’ll both be traveling in style.

You can check out all of the amazing choices over on U-pet’s Amazon page. They’re not even that much more expensive than ordinary options that you can find at the pet store. I think the pink one is calling my cat’s name…

Navigating through snowy streets is no easy task. I figured that out the hard way a few years ago when a pair of new shoes and some slick sidewalks left me with a fancy new scar. I have since invested in more practical footwear, but you can never be too careful.

Even an extra pair of legs isn’t enough to help keep these clumsy cuties from falling victim to the frosty weather. The hilarious pups tried so hard to make it work…and quickly failed.

Maybe she didn’t want to ruin her pedicure.

“Hey, wait for me! Oh…I found a shortcut.”

Watch all of the silly, snowy action below:

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Imagine if you had to go through all of that just to use the bathroom every day, eh? Don’t worry, little dudes, the snow will melt soon.

When you bring a sweet animal companion into your home, you are making a promise to care for them, love them, and keep them safe from harm. Unfortunately, too many heartless people forget that as soon as any minor inconvenience arrises. Instead of finding a compassionate solution, they simply toss the poor things aside.

This sad girl was the victim of that cruelty, abandoned in a field to starve and die alone.

Warning: the photos of her wounds are quite graphic.

She was curled up into a ball and disturbingly skinny.

She didn’t hesitate or put up any fight when rescuers approached her, barely able to move.

They immediately brought her to an emergency vet clinic.

Covered in mange and sores, professionals began treating her wounds.

But she never gave up, which inspired them to name her after Xena, the fierce warrior princess.

After a month, her coat is growing back.

The friendly girl finally has a chance at real happiness.

Of course, Xena will still require further treatment to get her all the way back on her feet. And those procedures don’t come cheap. If you’d like to donate to help keep this cutie healthy, visit their Facebook page for information as well as updates on her condition. She deserves all the love she can get.

Disaster struck in Brazil last Thursday when two mining dams collapsed, unleashing gallons of mud into the small town of Bento Rodrigues. Several townspeople are dead and even more are missing, but as rescuers quickly learned, humans weren’t the only ones devastated by the disaster.

While looking for survivors, fire fighters came across a dog that somehow managed to live after being washed away by the mudslide, only to get stuck up to her chest in thick sludge. Fortunately for the brave pup, help was on its way.

As you can see, the damage is horrific.

The entire town is covered in layers of thick mud, and at this point, the prospect of finding survivors looks grim.

But one day, just as they were about to give up hope, rescuers came across of a strong little survivor who was in need of saving.

The stranded dog had clearly been swept away by the unforgiving mudslide, but somehow, she pulled through. All she needed was a helping hand.

She was weak, so her new buddy carried her away from the scene so that she could be cleaned up.

And this pup isn’t the only survivor. Hundreds of animals have been rescued from this nightmare, and they’re being cared for by generous volunteers from the Animal Rights Defense Institute.

Even in the face of so much heartbreak, these rescuers provide survivors with something invaluable: the opportunity to reunite with their faithful friends.

Reunions like this wouldn’t be possible without their tireless efforts. “One thing is certain,” one volunteer writes. “We at ARDI, along with the help of dedicated veterinarians, will continue to stand by these animals.”

(via The Dodo)

Anyone who shares their life with a pet knows that they quickly become family. In times of crisis, it’s critical that volunteers and rescue workers keep their eyes peeled for four-legged friends who are in dire need of help. Not only does it make a difference in the animals’ lives, but it also leaves a lasting impact on the humans who love them.

Training a dog is a very big responsibility. Aside from the obvious house training, you need to make sure your pooch knows not to bark at every single person who walks by, and you should be able to keep him or her under control around kids. This family, however, took that one step further.

It’s not mom and dad who train fluffy Gauge; instead his little sister takes the reins as she tells her dog what to do. Not only will this bring a smile to your face, it’ll make you love dogs even more.

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It doesn’t matter what age you are when you start training your dog, all that matters is that it gets done! What a great skill to have at such a young age — both parties seem pretty pleased with the results, too.

When the Vancouver Police Department trains dogs, they work them hard to see who will make the cut. They need canines who are smarter and braver than the average pooch; ones that won’t disobey a command, no matter the order. Even if that means rappelling off a wall, and holding on for dear life!

That doesn’t mean they have to enjoy it, though. While we’re sure this hilarious German shepherd will pass, he simply isn’t able to hide how he feels about this particular test.

Although it seems like he’s holding on, he’s actually attached to the officer.

“Rappelling is a vital skill for our tactical teams to have,” the Vancouver Police Department told Mashable. “It tests both handler and dog. In the training scenario in the photo, PSD Niko was introduced slowly to the task, and his handler rewarded him with praise… afterwards.”

PSD Niko, “Hey dad… This rappelling? Yuh, I’m not a fan.”

Posted by Vancouver Police Department on Thursday, October 22, 2015

Identified as K-9 Officer Niko, we think he did great, and so did his handler. But after doing that “trick” a few times, we certainly hope that treat was a little bigger than normal!

It’s incredible the amount of cruelty some humans can dish out to animals. It never ceases to amaze me the insanely torturous things we do to creatures who depend on us and trust that we’ll provide everything for food, comfort, and safety.

That’s why this story is especially disgusting. Someone abandoned a poor, sick, and blind dog on a park bench in California. It was a disgraceful act, but luckily, some heroes came to save the day.

This is Poly. She was abandoned on a park bench in California. She is blind, suffers from a heart and skin condition, and is totally dependent on humans to survive.

Which is why it was insanely cruel for a person to leave her for dead in an unfamiliar place.

Luckily, the people at the Santa Barbara County Animal Services found her and were able to rescue her.

For now, Poly is spending time in a foster home, getting treated for her illnesses and waiting to be adopted by someone who wants to be her forever family.

Understandably so, her medical bills are piling up, so an account was set up to help pay for her expenses.

If you’re interested in donating to Poly’s medical expenses, you can click here.

(via Bored Panda)

Hopefully she can find her forever home soon. Thank goodness for the kind people of the Santa Barbara County Animal Services for finding Poly before something terrible happened.

Mighty Mutts in Toronto, Canada, provides training for dogs looking to join in the canine work force or rehabilitate bad behavior. They also board rescue pups, most saved from death row at other shelters, but the facility has limited space.

This sweet girl named Lana was brought in about a year ago when she was just 10 weeks old. The rough life that led to her ending up in their care made her a bit skittish when meeting new people, but once she warmed up to someone she was content to follow them around anywhere.

They posted these photos of the cutie hoping to attract a forever home adoption.

Because of her nerves, they wanted to find a home without any small children.

Finally, the happy day arrived when a family came to bring her into their home. They had children, but they hoped over time that Lana would be able to adjust.

Sadly, that never happened. After a year of trying to give her a happy life, the family and folks at Mighty Mutts agreed it would be better for Lana to return to the shelter and find an adults-only home.

Unfortunately, this took a depressing toll on the pup, as can be clearly seen in this heartbreaking photo of her taken a few days ago.

All of Lana’s old fears and anxieties returned in full force. She is so reluctant to leave her cage, only doing so when two specific people are there to coax her out. The crew is working on solving her resurfaced guarding issues and nervousness while they pray for a foster or forever home for the poor girl.

“When she is with people she knows and trusts,” they explain on Facebook, “she is a silly and sweet [girl]. Lana is great left alone, good with other animals (cats/dogs), however, she will exhibit guarding behaviours around food with other animals. She LOVES to go hiking and is […] very good on leash. She also likes car rides…well, she will still fall asleep almost as soon as the car begins to move, just like when she was a tiny pup.”

You can help her find the urgent home she so desperately deserves by sharing her story and donating to the Mighty Mutts to help fund her boarding. Hopefully she won’t be spending too much more time in her sad condition.

When we’re hungry, we go to our kitchen or (if you’re like me) have a fast food place whip something up for us in a jiffy. Our animal friends don’t have that luxury and rely on us to provide the basics they need to survive.

This poor pup, however, was abandoned and left to fend for himself in Queens, NY. He was discovered curled up in a field, severely emaciated and in need of immediate care.

Warning: the photos of his incredibly thin frame might be too graphic for some.

The kind stranger who found him brought the sweet boy to a nearby shelter, but they didn’t have quite the necessary means to treat his extreme case.

They decided to contact Adopt a Boxer Rescue, who were able to provide more proper care.

And despite his tragic condition, the cutie couldn’t help but wag his tail with joy.

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Rescuers weren’t sure the pup, now going by Brewster, would be able to make it through the night.

But the tough fella wasn’t giving up.

They began feeding him slowly every two hours and providing him with nutritious fluids.

Brewster still has a long road ahead of him, but he’s getting stronger every day.

And he’s totally loving life with his new foster family!

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(via Life With Dogs)

While he continues to recover, his former owner, who allowed him to starve over a three-month period, has been arrested and charged with a felony for animal cruelty.

You can find more information about Adopt a Boxer Rescue and donate to help others just like Brewster by heading over to their Facebook page.

Working from home can feel like an endless struggle against distractions, especially if those distractions happen to be cute and fuzzy.

Our animal friends just don’t understand why we would be home all day and not spend every second of that time with them. My cat loves to squeeze himself between my laptop and pin my arms down…and then look at me like I’m the rude one when I try to keep typing. If only they could understand all this annoying work stuff is what gives them their treats and toys!

1. “Next thing on your to-do list: snuggle me.”

2. “No, no more typing.”

3. “You’ve been working for five whole minutes! Let’s play!”

4. Making sure her human meets all those important cuddle deadlines.

A photo posted by Dacey Calisura (@redcalifornia) on Oct 22, 2015 at 2:21am PDT

5. “We’ll get through this expense report together, buddy.”

6. “You must answer my riddle* before you can have your laptop.”

*The riddle is chin scratches

7. Finally, an organization solution for your fuzzy files.

8. “Are you done yet?”

“…how about now?”

9. “Dude, ever hear of spellcheck?”

10. He ordered decaf.

A photo posted by Julie Laskowske 🎀 (@juliene11) on Oct 21, 2015 at 1:48pm PDT

11. “That last email was ruff, let’s sleep on it.”

12. “I’m way cuter than a spreadsheet.”

13. Adding some helpful clipart to your presentation.

A photo posted by Munchkin (@munchiesthehibble) on Oct 21, 2015 at 1:15pm PDT

14. “Seriously, how is it not nap time yet?”

A photo posted by Marcus (@marcusortegaphotography) on Oct 21, 2015 at 1:41pm PDT

15. Good thing they spent all that money on an ergonomic chair.

16. “Could you type a little quieter?”

17. The post-lunch crash can be so brutal.

18. “Jenkins! I said I want that report right meow!”

19. “Told ya I wouldn’t be in the way.”

20. “Thanks for warming it up for me, man.”

A photo posted by Mark Phillips (@markedanimation) on Oct 21, 2015 at 12:26pm PDT

21. “You really just spend all day staring at that box?”

22. “It’s after 6 p.m. and I did not approve you for overtime.”

A photo posted by Gina Martin (@beuniquej) on Oct 21, 2015 at 5:42am PDT

23. “You don’t really need this job anyway, right?”

A photo posted by @lwdw_eol_doula on Oct 21, 2015 at 12:39am PDT

24. “Why do you keep moving my pillow around? So rude.”

25. “See, it says right here, ‘Stop working, play with the kitten."”

26. He takes his proofreading duties very seriously.

27. They’ve been arguing over using a pie chart vs a bar graph for over an hour now.

For reference, this post took me three times as long to complete as it should have with my little dude demanding my attention. There’s just no compromising with these persistent cuties.