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This Golden Retriever Is Nursing 3 African Painted Dog Pups At A Zoo Because Their Own Mother Wouldn't Care For Them

An Indiana zoo recently welcomed a litter of endangered African painted dogs. Only three survived thanks to an unlikely surrogate mother. While African painted dogs usually live with a pack of like-minded predators in the wild, the canine that is taking care of them at the zoo is a golden retriever.

Potawatomi Zoo announced last week that eight pups were born at the zoo in September. But their parents, Bleu and Maurice, were not caring for the babies, the South Bend zoo said in a news release.

"Within 12 hours of the puppies' birth at the Potawatomi Zoo, the Animal Care team could tell that the pack would not be able to successfully raise the puppies," the zoo said. "Bleu, an inexperienced mother, was not caring for her pups the way she should have, and Maurice was following her lead."

So the zoo's staff consulted professionals that help develop breeding plans for African painted dogs in the U.S. There are less than 7,000 adult painted dogs in the wild and they are considered endangered due to human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation and disease, the zoo says.

The three surviving painted dog pups born at Potawatomi Zoo. Potawatomi Zoo

The staff at zoos usually try to remain hands-off so packs can raise pups like they do in the wild. This is usually successful, and pups get to "learn the complex social structure of their species," the zoo says.

But in this case, the group determined the staff would have to hand-raise the litter – with the help of another animal.

Instead of bottle feeding the pups, the group recommended finding a surrogate dog to help nurse them, since they are usually raised in a canine social structure. 

The Indiana Council for Animal Welfare connected the zoo with a golden retriever named Kassy who had recently given birth and was producing milk that she could feed to the painted dog pups, too. 

Kassy came to the zoo with her own puppies and immediately took in the painted dog pups as her own.

Kassy nurses the litter of painted dogs along with her own puppies. Potawatomi Zoo

While she began to nurse the pups, the first week of their lives was "difficult," and the care team worked 24 hours a day, the zoo said. 

"As is common with baby animals, some of the of the painted dog pups weren't strong enough to survive, despite the dedicated attention Kassy and the Zoo staff gave them, but three did," the zoo said.

They aren't named yet, but they are calling the surviving pups Blue, Red, and Orange — the colors used to track them since birth.

The zoo is creating a home for the three pups next to the adult painted dogs at the zoo. They decided against integrating them with the other painted dogs because the older ones "didn't display suitable positive interest in the puppies, so the plan was changed." They plan is to reintegrate them with others when they get older.

"It has been an emotionally exhausting and challenging journey for the team, but it is the Zoo's mission to work toward the preservation of wild species," the zoo said. "Sometimes the journey is smooth and sometimes it takes extraordinary measures. These three healthy, active pups are just the start of this story, and the Zoo hopes to share more positive updates of their milestones in the future."

Kassy's growing litter required round-the-clock care from the team at Potawatomi Zoo. Potawatomi Zoo

Also known as African wild dogs or African painted wolves, this species is native to sub-Saharan Africa and lives in big family groups that are led by a dominant male and female, according to the zoo. 

They are small – about 29 to 43 inches long – but they can run up to 44 miles per hour hunt bigger prey like antelope, according to International Fund for Animal Welfare. They work together with their pack to coordinate hunts, and they're successful at it, with 60% of their hunts ending in catches.

Now at 11 weeks old, the pups are thriving under Kassy's care. 

"We're looking forward to getting them in their own space where they can learn to be painted dogs from their family," the zoo said.

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MoreCaitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.

3 Signs You Have A Golden Retriever Boyfriend — And Why The Bar For Men Is So Low In Relationships

Golden Retriever boyfriends are the hottest trend in dating right now. 

They are sweet, affectionate, and attentive — much like the beloved dog breed. 

 But a therapist said these are very basic expectations in a relationship.

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Dating trends like situationships, ghosting, and breadcrumbing can make modern romance feel depressing.

Perhaps that's why the idea of the Golden Retriever boyfriend, a man with personality traits that resemble the reliable and friendly beloved dog breed, has caught people's attention recently — particularly straight women. The concept first popped up on TikTok in 2021 and recently exploded online after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (widely considered a classic GRB) became official.

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The trend seems positive overall to Dr. Annie Zimmerman, a psychotherapist based in London, who shares psychology and relationship advice online as Your Pocket Therapist.

What is a Golden Retriever boyfriend?

"My understanding is it's quite a positive thing. A man who's just nice and really caring of their partner," Zimmerman, the author of the upcoming book "Your Pocket Therapist: Break Free from Old Patterns," told Business Insider, "they're just always present and excited to see you."

However, for Zimmerman, it also highlights a sad reality about dating. "I found it quite sad in a way that in the modern dating times we're in just a nice person is being labeled as a Golden Retriever, as if it's so rare to have a person who's affectionate and loving," she said.

While the trend puts a spotlight on men who are sensitive, gentle, and emotionally open, and offers a welcome shift away from the "bad boy" trope, these are basic requirements for a partner to have in a healthy relationship.

Zimmerman also pointed out that men who are attentive and considerate are deemed remarkable, while women are simply expected to embody these traits.

"Why aren't we speaking of Golden Retriever girlfriends? Would they be seen as clingy or needy for being friendly and attentive?" she said.

In the past, many women needed men to provide for them financially, but today they're looking for something very different. They want someone who is emotionally mature and can boost them up, which comes from having a loving, positive, and happy partner, Zimmerman said.

"I think a lot of people are finding that with men they're not getting what they want. They're in situationships or they're being ghosted and you have to work quite hard to find someone who treats you nicely," she said.

So if you're curious whether you're with one of these mystical men, or want to know what to look out for, here are eight traits of a Golden Retriever Boyfriend AKA a nice partner.

Golden Retriever boyfriend personality traits They're attentive, eager to please, and enjoy doing things for you

These can be very positive traits if they're coming from a healthy desire to want to love your partner the best way that you can, Zimmerman said, but there needs to be a balance.

What are known as acts of service — such as planning an elaborate date or doing the dishes — and gift-giving are two of the five love languages, a popular concept that categorizes how people prefer to give and receive love, and wanting to meet your partner's needs is a part of any healthy relationship.

But, being eager to please or overly attentive can also be a sign of people pleasing, not being able to say no, or not being able to express a negative feeling or a difference in opinion, Zimmerman said. That can easily lead to resentment and the sacrificing of your own needs for the other person.

They're affectionate, loving, and sweet

If someone is used to being treated badly or feels deep down that it's what they deserve due to low self-esteem, they may be attracted to that kind of treatment because it's familiar, Zimmerman said.

"But I think the aim is to have a partner who's nice to you," she said, jokingly describing this as "the gold standard."

They don't cause drama and are easy to be with

Having difficult conversations and conflict in a relationship is healthy, Zimmerman said, as always being agreeable and never having conflict isn't necessarily healthy. But it doesn't have to be dramatic.

"It can be done in a very loving, rational, calm way," she said.

Wheeling Fire Department Introduces Set Of Paws To Squad

Photo by Philip Stahl The seven-month-old purebred golden retriever will visit all seven of the Wheeling Fire Department's stations to help decrease stress levels amongst firefighters.

WHEELING — A furry friend joined the ranks of the Wheeling Fire Department on Monday morning, when the staff welcomed its first therapy dog, Delta, to the squad.

The 7-month-old male golden retriever will serve as a source of serotonin for Wheeling's firefighters, helping combat the daily stressors of the job through cuddles and head scratches.

The furry addition was devised by the department's peer support group, with Chief Jim Blazier explaining that WFD strives to stay ahead of the mental health issues employees may encounter. When the opportunity to acquire Delta from a trainer in North Carolina arose, Blazier knew the canine would fill a much-needed role as a stress reliever in their ranks.

"The idea is that Delta is well-behaved and very tame," Blazier explained. "If he goes into a group of people, he will levitate towards folks that are maybe more stressed than others."

The science behind Delta's stress-sensing skills stems from his ability to recognize elevated cortisol levels in those around him. Delta helps remedy the problem by approaching whoever he senses with high stress levels for belly rubs and head pats.

Apart from providing immediate relief from cortisol spikes, Blazier noted that Delta will also help mitigate the risks of the prolonged stress of the job. Explaining that firefighters often face increases in heart rate and blood pressure as well as weight gain due to high cortisol levels, the chief noted these symptoms could lead to long-term health problems, such as heart disease and cancer.

By causing firefighters to release the "feel good hormones" of serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine, Blazier hopes Delta will help prevent these conditions among his staff.

"The enemy of firefighters is heart disease, strokes and high blood pressure," Blazier noted. "There's a lot of negatives to the amount of stress in the job, so Delta's job is to release that stress somewhat."

Delta's stress-releasing abilities were displayed as he greeted visitors to the station on Monday, approaching whoever entered the room to be petted. Delta's handler, firefighter Ryan Loveland, said the canine was still a little timid due to his last two months with Wheeling Fire being packed with training and meeting WFD staff.

"Delta's definitely got a lot thrown at him here, but he's taking it in stride, and he's doing really well maintaining his good behavior," Loveland said. "He's patient with us as we get to know him, so it's been an enjoyable process."

Delta will embark on scheduled visits to all seven stations of the WFD.

Delta's name is based on the department's three shifts of "Alpha, Bravo and Charlie." The "D" for Delta marks the next letter in the shift order since the dog is for "the whole department and all of the community," Loveland said.

A day on the job for Delta consists of visiting Wheeling firefighters and hammering in his six commands with his handler. Loveland said the command they are working on the most with Delta is having him automatically head to his kennel when alarms go off at the stations.

"We don't want to put him in the crate ourselves because that may delay our response time, which we don't want to do in any way, shape or form," Loveland said.

Apart from keeping sharp on his commands, the majority of Delta's day is spent distributing cuddles to the squad. Describing officers' faces as "lighting up" when Delta comes through their doors, Loveland said he is already seeing the dog's positive impact on firefighters during their visits.

"I've seen a lot of very tough grown men melt whenever they see Delta, and it's a very humbling sight," Loveland described. "Right out the gate, Delta's presence is kind of giving us the opportunity to disconnect from those stressors, even if it's for five minutes."

Describing Delta's personality as "extremely laid back," Loveland is excited for the dog's future with the WFD. Noting Delta rarely gets shaken and just "minds his business" while at the station, Loveland believes the dog's greatest asset to the department is "hanging out with the guys and giving out cuddles."

"He's really good at cuddling," Loveland added. "We all just enjoy his presence and kind of come down-to-earth for a few minutes while petting and loving Delta."

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