By BRADEN LAMMERS

The Clark County Red Cross is using pet therapy in a novel way. It’s using dogs as an audience for books.

The Puppy Tales reading program allows children from the second to the fifth grade a chance to improve their reading and speaking skills by reading to a canine. The pet therapy portion of the program allows the child to read without the fear of stumbling, misreading or mispronouncing words.

“It takes the stress off the child,” said Betsy Loveland, program director for the Clark County Red Cross. “They don’t tense up and freeze.”

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Credit: epicnom

Adorable wild little bunny!

by

Terry Brown

July 01, 2009 12:00am

LOTS of little dogs go flat out, but not flat out like Berry the chihuahua.

When 900kg of clydesdale is your paddock playmate, finding a horseshoe isn’t always so lucky.

takes more to get Berry down at heel, though.

She’s got so many lives, she should have been a cat.

After clydesdale Leroy tried Berry on for a thong, things looked grim for the downtrodden dog.

“Leroy stepped back, right on her head,” said owner Abbey Newton, 24.

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Credit: Diogo Gasparetto

Are you talking to me?

Bird of the month: Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Description: The most common hummingbird in the Eastern United States, the ruby-throated averages 3 inches long and weighs 1/10 or 2/10 ounce. The birds have bright green backs, and the males have bright red throats that can look dark at times.

Nesting habits: The females in Florida build their nests in April on slender tree branches. They’re usually made of plant fiber and spider silk and are about 2 inches across and an inch deep. The female lays one to three eggs, about 1/2 inch long.

Notes: Some ruby-throated hummingbirds stay in South Florida year around, but most in the rest of the state and the country winter in Mexico and South America, returning in March. They’re solitary birds. Males and females only get together to mate, and the males often migrate south as early as August.

Credit: Fullofheart

Ain’t he darling!!!