Purina Animal Hall of Fame

Hi, readers!

Today I got to meet some amazing dogs at the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

The Animal Hall of Fame tells the stories of four heroic pets. Want to meet them? Here they are!

Brooke and Jade hug their diabetic alert dog, Nettle.

Nettle is trained as a diabetic alert dog. Brooke and Jade are 12-year-old twins who have type 1 diabetes. He can smell if Brooke and Jade’s blood sugar is low and then alerts Brooke and Jade’s parents. This helps keep the twins safe and healthy. Keep up the great work, Nettle!

Fawn and Joseph with a portrait of their hero dog, Sako.

Sako is a super dog hero because he kept Joseph safe in the B.C. wilderness after a car accident. He even lay on top of Joseph to keep him warm. Way to go, Sako!

Badger and Derik

After Badger’s owner, Derik, fell and broke his leg on ice, Badger was able to pull him back to his cabin to call an ambulance. Hooray for Badger!

Bella and Rob

Bella alerted his owner, Rob, that there was a man who needed an ambulance in their apartment lobby. Bella even stayed with the man until the ambulance came.

I loved meeting these super awesome pets at the Purina PawsWay in Toronto today. I can’t wait until I meet more amazing pets next year!

Don’t forget to check out the May issue of chickaDEE—it’s all about pets!

Do you know a heroic pet? Leave a comment below!

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkida.com

World Penguin Day

Hey readers,

Today is World Penguin Day!

Did you know that Emperor penguins can grow to be the height of an eight-year-old kid? The smallest penguins are Little Blue Penguins, which are only about 16 inches tall.

To celebrate our favourite waddlers, watch this cute video of penguins on the run.

– Ashley, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

World Wildlife Day

Today is World Wildlife Day! Test your wildlife knowledge with this throwback quiz from chickaDEE’s summer 2012 issue. Just click on the image below and follow the arrows.

How did you do? Tell us in the comment section!

Have a great day,

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

Happy Groundhog Day!

Illustration: Dreamstime

Today is Groundhog Day! On February 2nd, people in North America look to their favourite groundhog to predict the weather.

Tradition says that if the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, it will be an early spring. If he does see his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.

Canada’s two most famous groundhogs were out and about today and this is what happened:

In Nova Scotia, Shubenacadie Sam came out of his burrow and saw his shadow. That means there are six more weeks of winter!

In Ontario, Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow, which means there will be an early spring!

Which groundhog is correct? Only time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy the weather wherever you are!

Have a great day,

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

Meet the Okapi!

Hi readers!

The okapi (say: oh-COP-ee) is the Animal of the Month in the January February 2015 issue of chickaDEE! This cool creature may look like a zebra, but it’s actually related to the giraffe!

Here are some other fun fact about the okapi.

• This animal is very shy and secretive.
• It uses it’s long dark tongue to strip leaves off of twigs.
• Scientists can only estimate how many okapis are in the wild because they are so good at hiding!
• An okapi mom hides her calf in a safe spot when it’s first born. She comes back to check on the calf and to feed it.

Check out the video below to see an okapi calf and mom hanging out!

Remember to check out the January February issue of chickaDEE for even more information about the okapi!

Talk to you later!

Melissa, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com