After Brazil flooding, loyalty to the dead
January 17th, 2011
06:10 PM ET
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After Brazil flooding, loyalty to the dead

As the death toll from devastating flooding in Brazil continues to rise, a single picture drives home the sense of loss.

Leao, a medium-sized brown mutt,  lies next to the grave of her owner, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who died in the catastrophic landslides caused by heavy rain.  This AFP/Getty picture was taken on Saturday, the second consecutive day that the dog refused to leave the woman's grave at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janiero.

Brazilians are bracing for more rain, fearing more landslides after waves of muddy water swallowed towns in the country's worst flood disaster on record.

At least 655 deaths were reported in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, northeast of the city of Rio.

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Filed under: Animals • Brazil • Weather
November 15th, 2010
06:44 PM ET
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Afghanistan dog hero accidentally euthanized

A dog rescued from Afghanistan after she alerted soldiers to a suicide bomber was accidentally euthanized at an Arizona shelter on Monday.

A Pinal County Animal Care and Control employee has been placed on administrative leave for failing to follow procedures and euthanizing the wrong dog.

The dog, Target,  was recently brought over from Afghanistan by a soldier who had returned from his tour of duty.  Target was featured by CNN for heroism after saving dozens of soldiers from a suicide bomber on February 11.

"She got her name because the Afghans we lived with were constantly trying to off her.  She's been shot in the leg. ... The Afghans actually ran over her," Sgt. Christopher Duke said, who helped care for Target in Afghanistan and has adopted her packmate Rufus.  "There's no killing this dog for sure.  She's pretty much been through it all, " he said upon their reunion in July in Georgia.

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Filed under: Afghanistan
April 11th, 2010
06:43 PM ET
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USGS: 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Spain

[Updated 6:52 p.m.] There were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or damages.  The earthquake struck at 12:08 a.m. local time Monday (6:08 p.m. Sunday ET).  Read full story FULL POST

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Filed under: Earthquake • Spain • Uncategorized
March 16th, 2010
09:09 PM ET
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Animal rescues: Deer, dog and horse, of course

From stranded on a sandbar to slippery ice floes, animals found themselves in precarious positions, and people went above and beyond to save them.

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Filed under: Animals • U.S.