Legend tells us that Buddha called all the animals to his side before he left the Earth. Only 12 animals responded and came to say goodby. Buddha rewarded these 12 by naming a year after each one in the order of their arrival. The Chinese belief is that the animal in the year of a […]
In April, 1866, over one hundred forty years ago, passersby spotted a gentleman named Henry Bergh explaining to the driver of a coal cart who was whipping his horse, that it is against the law to beat one’s animal. Henry Bergh thus earned the name of The Great Meddler. He was born in New York […]
Russians have a long tradition of loving pets. The 19th century painter Velentin Serov famously portrayed Madame Yussoupova with her Pomeranian in the last days of the Russian Empire. Other painters of that century also painted noblemen with their pets. During the Communist era, space and economic limitations prevented most Russians from owning pets. Since […]
