Miracle dog clubbed, abandoned

The stray dog was hit by a car, clubbed in the head and left for dead in a ditch in Washington state. Days later, the 1-year-old bully breed mix showed up sickly and covered in dirt at a nearby farm.

Now, the dog that defied death is recovering with the help of good Samaritans and veterinarians at Washington State University.The dog used to roam the streets getting scraps of food from people in Moses Lake, a farm town about 100 miles west of Spokane.About a month ago, she was struck by a car. Then things got worse: Someone cracked her in the head with a hammer and placed her in a box in a farm field.

But the dog somehow survived and was discovered at a nearby farm with a dislocated jaw, leg injuries and a caved-in sinus cavity.The wounds helped veterinarians piece together what happened, including the hammer blow."I'm assuming that the person who did this meant to put her out of her misery," said Sara Mellado, who learned about the dog's plight on Facebook and took the animal into her Moses Lake home.She named the dog Theia.

"Considering everything that she's been through, she's incredibly gentle and loving," Mellado told The Associated Press. "She's a true miracle dog, and she deserves a good life."

Theia is receiving care at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman.A CT scan of her skull revealed a condition that constricts the nasal passages, restricting air flow into the lungs, said veterinary resident Andrea Sundholm, who's assisting with Theia's treatment. It was caused by multiple nasal bone fractures.

When Theia tries to draw air in through her nose, she's forced to open her mouth to breathe instead. But with a dislocated jaw, that is challenging as well.Theia's jaw is healing on its own, but the nasal-bone fractures have caused lasting problems, Sundholm said. Fixing that will require surgery to insert a stent, she said.The veterinary hospital's Good Samaritan Fund awarded $700 to help pay for Theia's early treatment.

Mellado has raised another $10,000 for the surgery through a crowdfunding website, and is planning to call WSU to schedule the procedure.The university said despite her injuries, Theia is friendly and likes to kiss people's cheeks.Mellado said she has been deluged with calls from people seeking to help. Theia is staying with Mellado's family until they find her a permanent home."She's a puppy," Mellado said. "She's outgoing, lovable, up for meeting new people."

Global News

Japanese company 'makes tear-free onions'

The sobbing of a chef as he chops onions in the kitchen could be a thing of the past thanks to one Japanese company which says it has produced a tear-free vegetable.

Scientists say they have managed to disable the production of a powerful substance an onion releases as the knife slices into it, cutting down on the pungent fumes that bring tears to the eyes.

House Foods Group said in a press release that they bombarded the brown bulb with irradiating ions in a process that drastically reduces the level of a certain enzyme that is key to this process.A spokesman said no decision had yet been made on whether they would commercialise their tear-free onions.

The company's researchers won the Ig Nobel Prize an award handed out to honour achievements organisers consider unintentionally funny in 2013 for their discovery of the biochemical process behind how onions make people blubber.

MSN

India police seek cow 'mugshots' to enforce beef ban

Police in a west Indian township have asked cattle owners to supply photographs of their animals to help enforce the state's tough new ban on beef, an officer said .

Nearly 100 farmers and other owners in Malegaon have so far complied with the request for mugshots along with a dossier on the cows, said Sunil Kadasne, additional superintendent of the city.

"After the new law, commercial slaughter has largely stopped but this program will help us to stop all killing by helping trace any animal thefts faster," Kadasne said .

The Maharashtra state government introduced a tough ban in March on killing and selling cows, while even possession of beef could land you in jail for five years.Cows in Hindu-majority India are considered sacred and several other states also ban their slaughter.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh told spiritual leaders on the weekend that his Hindu nationalist government would try its "level best" to introduce a nation-wide ban through consensus.

Kadasne said the request for information on cows, which includes supplying purchase records and reasons for ownership, were also aimed at defusing possible tensions between Muslims and Hindus in the area, which has a history of communal violence.

"Once we get most of the cattle recorded, it will be easy to squash complaints looking to create communal mischief," Kadasne said.Malegaon is about 270 kilometres (170 miles) northeast of state capital Mumbai.Last month, northern Haryana state also toughened its beef ban, including jail terms for selling cow meat.

MSN