Furry, Feathered and Fetching: 5 Articles About Pets

There's nothing like a good pet story, and some of the best are pretty unusual. Otters and vermin are trending, a woman marrying her dog, a clever avian and a valuable pug are topics in these recent articles.

"The Cutest Animal on Instagram Is Possibly in Your Trash Can" by Gray Chapman
The New York Times (Online), February 28, 2019 (also available from The New York Times website)
Learn all about millennial "verminfluencers" and their charming vermin, including superstar marsupials Starfish and Sesame.

"‘Mama, police!’: A parrot tipped off drug dealers to a raid, authorities say.  Now he’s in custody" by Meagan Flynn
The Washington Post (Online), April 25, 2019 (also available on The Washington Post website)
In Brazil, a clever parrot tipped off his owners of a police raid, was taken into custody and stubbornly refused to cooperate.  

"A Woman, Her Best Friend, and a Quick Walk Down the Aisle?" by Vincent Mallozzi
The New York Times (Online), January 31, 2019 (also available on The New York Times website)
In this heartwarming story, a terminally ill woman marries her best canine friend, Bernie, to draw attention to organ donation. 

"These Otters Are Popular Pets in Asia. That May Be Their Undoing." by Rachel Nuwer
The New York Times, April 22, 2019 (also available from The New York Times website)
Otters are all the rage in Japan in cafes and as "sought-after exotic pets." Learn more about these adorable, noisy and very active critters, the otter pet trade in Asia and issues such as smuggling. 

"Debt Collector Seizes Family’s Prized Pug and Sells It on eBay" by Christopher Schuetze
The New York Times, March 2, 2019 (also available from The New York Times website)
A city in Germany put a family's commercially valuable pug, Edda, on eBay to pay off part of their outstanding debts.