Benefits of Good News When I read the newspaper, I look for the good news because every thought we think changes our biochemistry. Your hormones are all affected by your thoughts. Pay attention to things that bring you joy.
- Dr. Christiane Northup
Woman's kiss of life saves tiger cub
Posted by rose on February 7, 2008, 9:59 am, in reply to "good news"
Woman's kiss of life saves tiger cub
Allan Hall, Berlin February 2, 2008
A YOUNG mother saved a four-month-old tiger by giving it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Janine Bauer, 24, watched in horror at a zoo in Germany as the tiger cub began to choke on meat he had been gnawing.
Mrs Bauer was with her one-year-old son Johann at Halle Zoo in eastern Germany when she saw the tiger falling unconscious as it gagged on its food.
"In front of my eyes it passed out as it struggled to breathe," said the trainee doctor. "My son and I were so upset because he is such a beautiful creature."
Another zoo visitor, Torsten Westphal, reached over into the enclosure and grabbed the cub while fully grown adult tigers prowled nearby.
"I tried sticking my fingers down his throat to dislodge the meat but that didn't work at first," said Mrs Bauer.
"Then I fiddled about a bit until I got a bit of flesh about 10 centimetres in size across and pulled it out.
"But he still wasn't breathing. I massaged his heart and then I did what I would do for humans — mouth to mouth resuscitation. It was just like trying to bring a human baby back to life. It went on for about four minutes.
"Then the tiger spluttered and coughed. He stood up dazed and weak. By then some zookeepers had arrived and we delivered him into their arms."
Mr Westphal said: "The tiger would be dead if not for her."
The zoo agreed and made Mrs Bauer an honorary sponsor and named the tiger cub Johann.
Posted by rose on February 7, 2008, 9:55 am, in reply to "good news"
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Marine Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee and his German shepherd, Lex, scoured Iraq for roadside bombs together, slept next to each other and even posed in Santa hats for a holiday photo.
When a mortar attack killed the 20-year-old Marine in Fallujah a few months later, Lex, whimpering from his own injuries, had to be pulled away, Lee's father was told.
That strong bond compelled the slain Marine's family to adopt 8-year-old Lex even though the military said he still had two years of service.
The family lobbied the military for months, launched an Internet petition and enlisted the aid of a North Carolina congressman who took their case straight to the Marine Corps' top general.
On Wednesday, the Marine Corps finally announced Lex could go home to Lee's family. It is the first time the military has granted a dog early retirement to be adopted by someone other than a former handler.
"We knew that's what Dustin would have wanted out of this," said Jerome Lee, the slain Marine's father. "He knew that we would take care of Lex and love him, just like our own."
Lee's family from Quitman, Miss., picked up Lex from the Albany base Friday, exactly nine months after the fatal attack.
Though some shrapnel remains lodged in his back, Lex has otherwise recovered from his wounds and has been serving alongside military policemen at the Albany base since July.
"It is extraordinary," said Col. Christian Haliday, commander of the Marine Logistics Base in Albany, Ga., where the dog is based. "As far as we know, it's the first time that a waiver of policy of this nature has been granted."
Officials at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, which trains dogs for all service branches, confirmed it is the first case of its kind.
Lee joined the Marines after graduating from high school in 2004. His father said his drive to become a dog handler came from Lee's mother, who worked with search-and-rescue dogs for their local emergency management agency when Lee was a boy.
After finishing his military police and dog handler training, the young Marine headed to Albany. Lee adopted his first canine partner, Doenja, from the military and sent him home to Mississippi last year when the 11-year-old dog began losing his sight and had to retire.
Lee formed an equally strong bond with his new partner, Lex.
The military has more than 1,700 dogs that work alongside American troops, including about 260 in the Marines. Their bomb-sniffing skills have been in high demand in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., said he discussed the Lees' case with Gen. James T. Conway, the Marine Corps commandant.
"The way I look at this, dogs are being trained every day to be a part of the armed forces," Jones said. "This family gave their son for their country. This is a small gift back to them."
