Pet of the Week: Libby

The North Carolina Pet Adoption League's Pet of the Week for this week is Libby. She's quite a little feline, too.

Libby is an extremely friendly petite 5 month old tabby girl with pretty white boots and peach highlights who weighs only 4 1/2 pounds. She has unique fur with spots on her back and stripes on her legs. She is a must see!! Libby is always ready to be petted and purrs with delight when she sees you. She loves to give you little kisses and will gladly sit in your lap. You will often catch sweet Libby tanning in the afternoon sun or playing with her toy mice.

Libby is playful and intelligent and has grown up around cats and cat-friendly dogs. This kitty is spayed or neutered, dewormed, up to date on vaccinations and tested negative for FIV and FeLV. The adoption fee is $85 (or adopt 2 kitties for just $135 - they are so happy in pairs). There is a 2-week trial period to make certain you've found a good match.

Heroic dog story from the Civil War

Tom Ricks's award-winning daily blog on ForeignPolicy.com, The Best Defense, has a regular feature about heroic war dogs. The current entry was written by Rebecca Frankel and features a rousing tale about Union Jack, a true hero for the Union during the U.S. Civil War:

Jack's story makes for quite a war-dog yarn. It seems that before fighting for the North, Jack, a "young dog of the mastiff breed, of medium size and jetty blackness, except a white breast and a dash of white on each of his four paws," belonged to a rebel jailer in Front Royal, VA. As the loquacious reporter for Harper's Weekly tells it, Jack took a liking to the men of the First Maryland regiment while they were there on provost guard duty, and left behind his Confederate beginnings to accompany the Union soldiers to the battlefield. And it was there that he displayed his valor and loyalty.

Quoting from the Harper's Weekly piece dated Nov. 8, 1862:

"On the road, when our parched men were fainting from thirst, he would always run forward, and whenever he discovered a pool of water would rush back, barking loudly, to tell them of it. When ... our poor fellows were literally dying from starvation, this noble animal has been known to go and catch chickens for them and to bring them in his mouth! or he would waylay  every rebel horse or wagon passing with food, and bark imploringly for them to bring relief. On one occasion, when a sick and exhausted Union soldier had been left behind, Jack staid with  him for several hours until a wagon took him up."

History is full of the tales of heroic dogs. Union Jack is a reminder of how loyal and courageous our canine companions have proved themselves, time and again.