August 28, 2013: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Danny sees for the first time after his cataract surgery.

Donations Pour in For Rescued Pup

Four-month-old Danny was losing his eyesight due to juvenile cataracts when he and 29 other dogs were rescued from a farm near Waco, Texas. The puppy would keep his head down and move slowly around a room, trying to find his way, often bumping into walls in his path. Now, thanks to surgery performed for free by Dr. Lynsey Wagner at Eye Care for Animals in North Austin to remove his cataracts, Danny is romping around like a puppy should. “He’s actually in almost a run which we’ve never seen him do before,” said Whitney Lowther-Franco, who’s fostering Danny. Since word of Danny’s story and video of him seeing for the first time last week has spread, donations have poured in to the Austin Humane Society from around the country. They have enough funding to cover Danny’s care, and to help other dogs as well. Danny will spend the next 6 to 8 weeks recovering from his surgery before he’s ready for adoption. — Watch it at KVUE via Yahoo News

Snapping Turtles Find Refuge in the City

Facing pollution or development in their natural habitats, a new study from the University of Missouri finds that snapping turtles are surviving in urban areas. “Unfortunately, suitable aquatic habitats for turtles are being degraded by pollution or completely lost due to development. We found that snapping turtles can persist in urbanized areas, despite the potential for more interaction with humans,” said researcher Bill Peterman. Reducing waste and harmful chemicals in waterways will help restore the turtles’ natural habitats, Peterman said. The study was published in the journal Urban Ecosystems. — Read it at Science Daily

Mom Denies Second Exam for Panda Cub

After her cub was taken for a few minutes for an exam on Sunday, mama bear Mei Xiang has caught wise to the plans of the National Zoo’s animal care team. When they attempted to get the newborn for a second exam on Tuesday, Mei positioned herself so that her keepers couldn’t reach her baby. And she wouldn’t give in to their attempts to distract her. Instead, she persistently moved out of their reach. “It’s clear that she was holding tight to the cub and did not want to give it up,” officials said in a statement. The keepers gave up so they wouldn’t upset Mei, and for now are monitoring her and the cub, who was born on Friday, on the panda cam. Meanwhile, Tian Tian, the zoo’s male panda who may be the cub’s dad (Mei was inseminated with semen from two different pandas), celebrated his 16th birthday with a fruitsicle cake in the shape of a car. — Read it from the National Zoo

The Bronx Zoo's snow leopard makes his energetic debut.

Snow Leopard Cub Makes Debut

With a sweet face, a beautiful spotted coat, and great big paws, the Bronx Zoo’s nearly 5-month-old snow leopard bounded around his enclosure during his public debut on Tuesday. The adorable cub doesn’t yet have a name — but he does have quite a story. He’s the first offspring of dad Leo, who made headlines around the world when he was rescued by a shepherd in Pakistan’s Himalayan mountains at less than 2 months old. In a partnership with the Pakistani government, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, brought Leo to New York City in 2006. His life was captured in a children’s book, Leo the Snow Leopard: The True Story of an Amazing Rescue. “Leo — and his new cub — are living proof of the importance, power, and significance of saving wildlife,” said WCS Asia Program Deputy Director Peter Zahler. — Read it at Today and watch the cub at YouTube

Presidential Painter Moves on to Cats

Earlier this year, former President George W. Bush surprised us with the news that he’s spending his retirement days painting dogs. He even spent a month working on his painting skills with instructor Bonnie Flood in Florida. “I think he said he’s painted 50 dogs,” laughed Flood in an interview with a local TV station in March. Now, the president apparently has a new subject matter: cats! His latest masterpiece, of a black and white feline, is making the rounds on the Internet. — See his paintings at Gawker