Happy Endings

To me, a story should always have a happy ending, sappy as that is.  This story did, and all because a pet owner thought to microchip the pet.

A man was driving through Taunton, Massachusetts, when a small dog ran out in front of his car.  He hit his brakes and did not feel any impact, nor did he see the animal on the road after that.  He figured it got across safely, and continued on.

He was wrong, and eleven miles later, after he had crossed into Rhode Island, someone alerted him to the fact that the small dog was wedged in the grille of his car!  He drove straight to a police station in East Providence, where police and animal control workers got the dog out and brought it to an animal emergency clinic.

The dog had a concussion and a bit of minor bladder damage that healed very quickly.  An initial call to Taunton's Police Department didn't turn up any missing dog reports fitting the description, but when they finally found the microchip, Suzie the Poodle mix was returned to her family.

If this isn't a call to pet owners to be sure they microchip their pets, i don't know what is.  Stories like this often don't have happy endings without that grain of rice sized bit of technology.

After all, you never know when your pet may decide to hitch a ride the hard way.


Today is:

Buttering-Up Final -- Fairy Calendar

Cowboy Hall of Fame Ceremony and Banquet -- Willcox, AZ, US (the kickoff for Rex Allen Days, includes the Cowboy Hall of Fame induction ceremony)

Dalton Defenders Days -- Coffeyville, KS, US (honoring those who defended Coffeyville's banks against the Dalton Gang in 1892; through Sunday)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf

Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)

Improve Your Office Day -- and water that plant while you are at it!

Independence Day -- Lesotho(1966)

International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self promotion

Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)

National Student Day -- US (a day for college students to celebrate and promote social responsibility by volunteering)

National Taco Day

Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)

Peace and National Reconciliation Day -- Mozambique

St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of animal welfare societies, animals, birds, ecologists, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families, lace makers/lace workers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos; Italy, especially Assisi, as well as several other cities around the world; against dying alone, fire)

St. Petronius' Day (Patron of Bologna, Italy)

10-4 Day (C.B. 'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.

Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors; through the 7th)

Vodka Day -- internet generated

World Animal Day -- International

World Space Week begins -- International


Anniversary Today

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, 1957



Birthdays Today:

Rachael Leigh Cook, 1979
Alicia Silverstone, 1976
Christoph Waltz, 1956
Susan Sarandon, 1946
Anne Rice, 1941
Jackie Collins, 1937
Alvin Toffler, 1928
Charlton Heston, 1924
Buster Keaton, 1895
Damon Runyon, 1884
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807



Today in History:

One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363
The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537
Pope Gregory XIII announces the calendar adjustment that bears his name, 1582
Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636
Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648
Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675
The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830
The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864
The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883
Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991
The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique, 1992
NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001
SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004