Pet Scoop: Puppy Accidentally Drives Car Into Pond, Hedgehog Popularity Grows
Published on June 03, 2014
June 3, 2014: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Pup Driver Rescued from Pond
After John Costello took his frisky 3-month-old puppy for a walk Sunday at a pond in Canton, Massachusetts, the two were ready to head home. But when Costello got into his car and started it, Rosie the German Shepherd apparently decided she wanted to drive. "The dog jumped in and hit the gear shift and the car jerked and she fell on top of the gas pedal," Costello said. "It was just scary." The car ended up in the pond. Two bystanders jumped into action to help Costello save Rosie, swimming into the pond to coax her out of the car while police were called to the scene. Luckily, everyone was OK. The car, however, was a total loss. Canton Police Officer Robert Quirk said he’d never heard of a puppy driving a car into a pond before but took the incident in stride, Tweeting "Perp says she was just going with the flow of traffic," with this picture of the puppy. — Read it at MyFoxBoston
Drivers Save Small Dog From Busy Tunnel
Traffic in Pittsburgh’s Fort Pitt Tunnel came to a stop Monday morning after a woman driving in the right lane noticed a Chihuahua mix running toward her car. She and other drivers stopped to try to catch the frightened dog, who ran under a car. The motorists used kayak paddles and rope to get the pooch out, and he was taken to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society in good condition. The scared dog bit one of the rescuers in the tunnel, so he’s being held in quarantine for 10 days while the shelter waits to see if his owner comes forward. If no one claims the pup, who didn’t have tags or a microchip, and he clears quarantine, he’ll be put up for adoption. Workers at the shelter said people have already shown a lot of interest in giving him a home. — Read it at CBS Pittsburgh
Seabirds Can Spot Fishing Boats Seven Miles Away
A new study conducted off the coast of Ireland finds Northern gannets, North Atlantic seabirds with a 70-inch wingspan, can identify fishing boats from a distance of about seven miles. Researchers think the birds use their binocular vision to figure out the boat’s speed and fishing activities before deciding to fly over in search of food. They often catch fish that have been tossed overboard, diving into the water for it at speeds of 60 mph. The researchers found that the intelligent birds didn’t show interest in boats that were not actively in use. The study was published in the journal Current Biology. — Read it at National Geographic

Hedgehog Popularity Grows Steadily
Despite being banned or restricted in six states, hedgehogs have been growing in popularity as pets. Hedgehog breeders and owners attribute the interest to the ease of caring for the prickly pets, which makes them appealing to people with busy lifestyles. They also have little odor compared with rodents and rabbits. An Associated Press story finds some of the interest may have come from “Sonic,” a video game featuring a blue hedgehog who runs at supersonic speeds, as well as people sharing images of their pet hedgehogs on social media. — Read it from the AP via The Christian Science Monitor
Cat Survives 28 Days in Storage Unit
When she was moving, Deborah Nelson’s sons helped her put some of her belongings in a storage unit in Colorado. Her two cats, Lola and Loui, were supposed to come with her — but Loui was nowhere to be found after the move. Nearly a month later, on May 31, Nelson went to the storage unit to get some things she planned to sell. That’s when she found Loui, who’d been trapped in her box spring the whole time. The cat was very dehydrated, but had survived. Nelson got advice on how to care for him from her veterinarian, and he’s slowly recovering. — Read it at Colorado’s 9News