Posts tagged "AnimalRights"

One part service dog, one part best friend, Ruger the yellow Lab not only helped guide his owner Kevin Coughlin through the streets of Manhattan, but he became an unofficial mascot for guide-dog rights.

Ruger carved out his place in history when he served as Exhibit A in a series of court cases in which Kevin fought (and won) discrimination suits against businesses that refused to allow his service dog through their doors. Terms like "trailblazer" and "pioneer" are rarely bestowed upon members of the canine family, but in Ruger's case, they seem quite fitting.

After winning high-profile case after high-profile case, Ruger became a darling of the news media and was recognized by strangers who would reportedly stop and introduce themselves on the street. Ruger died Wednesday of natural causes at the age of 13.

When owner Kevin Coughlin lost his vision in 1997, he felt that he would never find true happiness again. When he met Ruger, Kevin tells the New York Times, "It was this in-your-face, all encompassing feeling. That was the biggest gift. He allowed me once again to experience joy."

Ruger accompanied Kevin on his travels for 10 years, even bouncing back after having a cancerous tumor removed from his leg. Obviously, this dog was something special, and people in his neighborhood could see it. Ruger was reportedly a regular at Third Avenue's Imperial Pizza, where workers would happily slip him tasty scraps.

The famous guide dog even had his own retirement party in 2008, when Ruger left the city to enjoy his remaining years in Warwick, N.Y.

Remember how Bob Barker used to end every episode of "The Price is Right" by reminding viewers to spay and neuter their pets? His devotion to animals didn't stop there. Now he's donated $1 million to his alma mater, Drury University, to establish a professorship on animal rights. According to the Associated Press, Barker "hopes the school will eventually be able to offer a program of studies that would train them to be animal rights activists and to respect animals."

The new professorship, named for Barker's late wife Dorothy Jo Barker, went to Patricia McEachern, who will work to develop the nation's first undergraduate program in animal rights. McEachern told Paw Nation, "The student interest in the Animal Ethics class has been outstanding. The course filled up almost immediately and we started a waiting list. The goal of the Animal Ethics course is to make students aware of issues regarding animals." Her long-term goals include establishing a minor. She added, "If you spend any time at all with Bob Barker, he is going to make you laugh. I hesitate to share a specific story because I could never do him justice. Bob Barker is an American treasure."

Animal-rights enthusiasts, come on down!