Morris Frank of Nashville, Tennessee was 16 years old when he
lost his sight in a fight at school. Frustrated with his inability to get
around independently, he set out for Switzerland, spending several
weeks there, learning to work with a female German shepherd who
was originally named Kiss. Frank changed her name to Buddy, later 
feeling that it was a much more appropriate name for her. All of his
subsequent dogs were also called Buddy. 

 


Morris Frank, the first American to use a Seeing Eye dog, with
Buddy, the first Seeing Eye dog, and Dorothy Harrison Eustis,
the founder of the Seeing Eye, Morristown, 1928.

 
First Lady Pat Nixon attending the reception ceremony

 
From left: Giant Pamdas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing

Two Giant Pandas were given to the United States as gifts by the government of
China following President Richard Nixon‘s visit in 1972. In return, the U.S. sent 
China a pair of musk oxen.The Pandas arrived at the National Zoo in Washington,
D.C.at a ceremony attended by First Lady Pat Nixon. During their time at the Zoo,
the pair had five cubs, but none of them survived past a few days.

Ling-Ling died suddenly from heart failure in December 1992, at which time she was
the longest-lived giant panda in captivity outside China. Hsing-Hsing would go on to
pass her record when he was euthanized by zookeepers in November 1999 at the
age of 28 due to painful kidney failure.

Packy is America’s oldest and largest male Asian elephant born
in a North American zoo.

 
Jon Provost with Lassie

Jon Provost is a former child actor of both film and television,
best known for his role as young Timmy Martin in the long-
running CBS series, Lassie (1954-1973). Provost debuted
in the first episode of the fourth season, "The Runaway" in
1957. 

Uggie, from the film The Artist, arrives at the first annual
Golden Collar Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.

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