Beloved Pharaoh. Born: June 3rd., 2003 – Died: June 19th., 2017. A very special dog that will never be forgotten.
Dogs live in the present – they just are! Dogs make the best of each moment uncluttered by the sorts of complex fears and feelings that we humans have. They don’t judge, they simply take the world around them at face value. Yet they have been part of man’s world for an unimaginable time, at least 30,000 years. That makes the domesticated dog the longest animal companion to man, by far!
As man’s companion, protector and helper, history suggests that dogs were critically important in man achieving success as a hunter-gatherer. Dogs ‘teaching’ man to be so successful a hunter enabled evolution, some 20,000 years later, to farming, thence the long journey to modern man. But in the last, say 100 years, that farming spirit has become corrupted to the point where we see the planet’s plant and mineral resources as infinite. Mankind is close to the edge of extinction, literally and spiritually.
Dogs know better, much better! Time again for man to learn from dogs!
Winter is more than just a season in the western U.S. – it is a savings account to get farms and homes through the long, dry summer ahead. As the snowpack that accumulates in the mountains through winter slowly melts in late spring and summer, it feeds into rivers and reservoirs that keep communities and ecosystems functioning.
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve.
Across the western United States, temperatures from November through February were among the warmest on record, with many areas 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 to 5.5 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average. March continued to break heat records. At lower elevations, the higher temperatures meant a significant part of the winter’s precipitation fell as rain rather than snow. In some places, snowfall accumulated but melted quickly during warm periods.
The total area of the western U.S. with snow cover was exceptionally low compared with the rest of the 21st century. National Snow and Ice Data Center
As a result, even regions that received near- or above-normal precipitation for the season failed to build substantial snowpack. In the northern Rockies and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, any above-average snow accumulation was largely confined to the highest elevations, while middle and lower elevations had relatively little snowpack.
This situation is a hallmark of warming winters. As global temperatures rise, the freezing line where precipitation changes from rain to snow moves up the mountains, shrinking the area capable of sustaining a seasonal snowpack.
At the vast majority of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service’s snow measurement stations across the West, the snowpack’s snow-water equivalent on March 30, 2026, was less than 50% of the 1991-2020 median. Natural Resources Conservation Service
The exceptionally warm winter of 2025–26 across much of the western U.S. delivered a powerful preview of what the regional water cycle in a warmer climate may increasingly look like: less snow and a fundamental reshaping of the hydrograph – the chart of how much water flows through streams across the year.
A flattening hydrologic pulse
The consequences of this shift for water supplies are already visible in streamflows.
In multiple river basins in the West, streamflows were above average in winter and early spring, and some locations were approaching record-high levels. Historically, that water would have remained frozen in the snowpack until late spring. Instead, precipitation arriving as rain – along with intermittent midwinter melting events – increased the runoff.
Scientists who study natural water flows, as I do, pay attention to the hydrographs of streamflows in river basins to see when the water flow in mountain streams is strongest and how long that flow is likely to continue into summer.
This hydrograph showing two years of water flows in the St. Mary River near Babb, Mont., reflects the difference between a typical late-spring peak, as 2025 saw, and several midwinter peaks from warm temperatures and rain, as 2026 is seeing. U.S. Geological Survey
In recent years, rising temperatures have led to a redistribution of streamflows throughout the winter and early spring in ways that are fundamentally reshaping the hydrographs of snowmelt-dominated rivers. Rather than a single dominant peak during late spring or early summer, smaller peaks emerge in winter and early spring. At the same time, the traditional snowmelt pulse, relied on to fill reservoirs in late spring, weakens.
In effect, the hydrograph is flattening. The winter of 2025–26 illustrates this phenomenon: Higher early-season streamflows suggest the West will see less runoff later in the year when communities, farms and wildlife need it.
The Colorado River: A system on the edge
Nowhere does the convergence of record warmth, depleted snowpack and altered hydrology carry higher stakes than in the Colorado River Basin. More than 40 million people in seven states plus Mexico and 5.5 million acres of farmland depend on the river’s water, but the river’s flow is no longer meeting demand.
The April-through-July 2026 runoff into Lake Powell – the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam and the primary index of the Upper Colorado River Basin’s annual water budget – is currently forecast to rank among the lowest in recent decades. It has been tracking close to the grim years of 2002 and 2021, considered benchmarks of western drought.
Unless spring brings substantial late-season snowfall to the high mountains, 2026 could join those years as a marker of how thin the margin between water supply and demand has become in a river system already under sustained stress from two decades of drought and water overuse.
The low reservoir levels in the basin in 2026 and the low snowpack are adding fears of water shortages just as the seven states that rely on the Colorado River are struggling to reach a new water use agreement.
The changing rhythm of water in the West
The winter of 2025–26 highlights two emerging realities.
First, temperature is increasingly dominating precipitation in determining western water supplies. Even above-normal precipitation cannot compensate for persistent warmth when it falls as rain rather than snow and accelerates snowmelt in the mountains.
Second, the nature of the West’s streamflows is shifting in ways that complicate water management.
Rain-on-snow events can produce flooding in winter, as the Seattle area saw in late December 2025. A low snowpack also means less runoff in summer, which can exacerbate water shortages and raise the wildfire risk as landscapes dry out. Even if a year has normal precipitation, if it falls as rain or there is earlier snowmelt, then evaporation through summer, in a warmer climate, will leave less water in the system.
Snowpack declines, earlier runoff, elevated winter flows and flattened hydrographs are all consistent with long-standing projections for the western United States as global temperatures rise.
What makes the winter of 2025-26 notable is how clearly these signals appeared, even in a year without widespread precipitation deficits.
This shift highlights the need for adaptive reservoir operations – the ability to adjust water storage and release decisions in real time to capture earlier runoff and preserve water for longer dry seasons, while still maintaining space in reservoirs for flood control during wetter winters. For communities across the West, it also reinforces the growing reality that the familiar seasonal rhythm of mountain water is changing.
This past January, a man was walking through Onancock, Virginia, when he noticed a suspicious object outside Historic Onancock School, a local community center.
The man approached the object — a large black bin labeled “Family Dollar” — and carefully lifted the lid to see what was inside. There, wriggling against each other in the tight space, were eight 10-week-old puppies.
The puppies were weak, defenseless and clearly needed help. The man drilled air holes in the lid of the box and eventually contacted Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility for help.
Tragically, one puppy passed away before rescuers could assist. The others quickly relaxed into the capable hands of animal control staff.
According to Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility shelter manager Jeri Winn, it’s common to find puppies dumped along the Eastern Shore, but significantly less common in Onancock, a bustling seaside town.
Though she’d seen plenty of cases like this, Winn still felt a familiar sadness as she admitted the puppies into care. Despite everything, she was grateful that the pups were finally in a safe place.
“All we can be thankful for [is that] whoever left them realized they were in a good location to be seen,” Winn told The Dodo.
Team members transferred the puppies to Critters 4 U Rescue, an animal shelter and foster organization. Rescuers determined the puppies were Australian shepherd mixes, and they named them after the seven dwarfs — Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey.
One pup has already been adopted, and the others are still safe at Critters 4 U Rescue, waiting to meet their forever families.
Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility is grateful for Critters 4 U Rescue, along with all the other rescues who offered to help these needy pups find the homes they deserve.
“We are so grateful for every rescue that reached out,” Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility wrote in a Facebook post. “In moments like this, our small shelter is reminded just how much we rely on the compassion and partnership of rescue organizations who step up without hesitation.”
A pet‑friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California.
This was an article published on the 16th March by The Conversation. It shows how the homeless shelters benefit from being pet-friendly. It’s sort of obvious but then again not common-sense.
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A pet‑friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California
A homeless woman in Los Angeles holds her dog after a free veterinary visit in 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images
California’s Department of Housing and Community Development established this pilot program in 2019. Its goals were straightforward: to make homeless shelters more accommodating to people with pets – mostly dogs – so that people living on the streets don’t have to choose between staying in shelters or abandoning their pets.
The program disbursed US$15.75 million between 2020 and 2024 to 37 organizations across the state. The funding allowed shelters to build kennels or other pet-friendly spaces, provide pet food and supplies, and offer basic veterinary care. It also covered the costs of staffing and maintaining insurance required to operate pet-friendly shelters.
We found that the program helped 4,407 people experiencing homelessness keep their pets while getting support. Many were able to enter shelters, and their animals received needed veterinary care. A total of 886 people ultimately moved into permanent housing with their pets – a higher success rate than the statewide average for homeless people in California.
Theoretically, this funding should have reduced the number of pet owners living on the streets. Yet since 2019, the year the program began, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles with dogs and other pets has increased.
Since 2017, I’ve led the USC research team that produces the annual homeless count estimates for Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires this exercise for any city seeking federal funding for homelessness services.
Before the pandemic, we generally found that roughly 1 in 8 people did. We also found that nearly half of homeless pet owners had been turned away from a homeless shelter because it couldn’t accommodate their animal.
Despite programs like California’s Pet Assistance and Support program, my research team has found that the share of people living on the streets of Los Angeles who say they have a pet increased to roughly 1 in 5 by 2025.
Share of homeless people in LA with pets is rising
The percentage of homeless people in Los Angeles with pets rose from 12% in 2017 to 20% in 2024 and 2025, according to an annual census.
Bar chart showing that the percentage of homeless people in Los Angeles with pets has grown since 2017.
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Need for more pet-friendly programs
We still don’t know why the share of homeless people with pets has gotten so much larger.
The Weingart Tower, where some of Los Angeles’ formerly homeless people reside and receive social services, has a small dog park. Grace Hie Yoon/Anadolu via Getty Images
The number of homeless people in Los Angeles has fallen by more than 4% since 2023 to just over 72,000 people in 2025. But based on my research findings, I would expect the number of people living on the city’s streets – with and without pets – to rise over time unless more affordable housing becomes available.
And growth in the homeless population may be hard to avoid without more efforts like California’s Pet Assistance and Support Program – on a larger scale than the pilot we studied.
This past Christmas, I helped my parents choose a water filter. The latest “smart” models all came with a smartphone app that promised to monitor filter life, track water quality and automatically request service. Yet my father, age 75, and mother, 67, were quick to reject them in favor of a nondigital model.
“Every time it updates or I forget how to use it, we’ll have to call you,” my dad said.
As an only child living 8,000 miles (12,875 kilometers) away, I didn’t need convincing. My parents are aging in place and don’t need traditional caregiving – they cook, drive and manage their home just fine. Instead, I provide what I call technology caregiving: helping them with their digital activities of daily living, from online banking to booking theater tickets.
But as the tech industry shifts toward artificial intelligence agents and generative user interfaces – promising to make devices smarter than ever – I am bracing for this invisible workload to become heavier, not lighter. In addition to being a technology caregiver, I’m a computer scientist who studies human-computer interaction.
Technology caregiving
Technology caregiving is the act of helping someone use digital tools. While this isn’t entirely new – people have long helped grandparents program VCRs and connect parents’ desktop computers to the internet – the stakes have changed.
Today, digitization is ubiquitous. Helping with these tools is no longer just occasional unpaid tech support – it is a form of continuous caregiving essential for maintaining independence. For example, even the simple act of clipping coupons has gone digital – marginalizing older adults who are unable to navigate store apps to access these discounts.
People often view older adults as resistant to technology, but recent years – particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic – have shattered that myth. While gaps in internet access and device ownership remain, they are no longer major barriers to technology access.
Today’s seniors are not tech-averse, but constant updates and interface changes make using technology more difficult for them. Jose Luis Raota/Moment via Getty Images
The emerging crisis is not about access, but effective use. Many older adults are now online and willing to use these tools, but they require frequent help from family, friends or communities.
The innovation tax
The problem isn’t just that devices and apps are getting complex; it’s that they are constantly changing. Frequent software updates and shifting interfaces can be frustrating for all users, but they turn familiar tools into foreign concepts for older adults.
This unpredictability is about to accelerate. Take generative user interfaces, which designers can use to dynamically generate an interface in minutes. Pair them with AI agents, and the system can assume the designer’s role, taking independent actions based on how it perceives a user’s intent or need.
If the “Pay Bill” button is in a different place every third time you open a particular app because an AI decided to optimize the interface, you might feel perpetually incompetent if you can’t quickly locate it. While the industry calls this personalization, for an older adult it is a moving target.
This relentless pace of change – even when intended to be helpful – is directly at odds with age-related cognitive changes. And this dynamic is continuing with the new generation of seniors. They may be more eager to adopt new tools than the last, but wanting to use technology is not the same as being able to use it when the rules are constantly changing.
To navigate a brand new or shifting interface, your brain relies on fluid intelligence: the ability to reason, solve novel problems and ignore distractions on the fly. Unlike the knowledge that people accumulate over time, fluid intelligence naturally declines with age.
When an app updates or an AI optimizes a layout, it forces the user to discard their hard-won mental models and start over. For an older adult, this isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it is a taxing job for their working memory.
As an older adult participant in a study my colleagues and I conducted put it:
“I had a computer on my desk in 1980, OK, when nobody else did. So this is not a foreign language, but the changes that are made with little to no explanation and then things that you knew how to do have either changed or disappeared completely, that is the stuff that absolutely drives me, and I will tell you, every other older adult in America nuts.”
Help the helper
I believe that the way forward is to stop treating tech support as an afterthought and start designing for the technology caregiver. Digital literacy training for seniors and encouraging designing technologies for all users are important but not enough; it’s important to build tools that share the burden.
Busy dog owners juggling moves, new jobs, breakups, new babies, or a new roommate often notice something unsettling: a dog who once seemed “fine” starts acting differently. These life changes affecting pets can quietly reshape household dynamics, disrupting routines that help dogs feel safe and understood. When a familiar schedule shifts, pet emotional well-being can wobble, and routine disruption may show up as clinginess, restlessness, accidents, barking, withdrawal, or other behavioral changes in pets. Knowing that these reactions are often signals, not “bad behavior”, gives dog owners a clearer, kinder way to respond.
Why Routine Keeps Dogs Feeling Secure
Dogs build comfort from repeated patterns like meal times, walks, and who comes and goes. When those patterns change, many dogs feel unsure, and their bodies switch into “alert mode.” That stress can look like pacing, panting, whining, hiding, barking, extra licking, stomach upset, or sudden accidents.
This matters because a disrupted routine can shake a dog’s emotional stability, even if nothing “bad” is happening. When you read these shifts as stress signals, you can respond with support instead of frustration. That protects trust and often prevents small issues from becoming long-term habits.
Think of a dog’s day like a familiar map. If the map suddenly changes, your dog may try different behaviors to find safety again, including sticking close or acting jumpy. With this lens, simple strategies can restore calm during moves, new family members, or schedule changes.
Use These 8 Transition Tactics to Keep Your Dog Calm
Big changes can make even a confident dog feel wobbly, because the predictable patterns they rely on suddenly shift. These tactics keep the message consistent: “You’re safe, and I’ve got you,” even when everything else looks different.
Protect the “non‐negotiables” schedule: Pick 2–3 anchors that stay steady no matter what, usually breakfast, one walk, and bedtime. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center recommends you schedule your dog’s meals and other daily needs so your dog can predict what’s coming. If your life is chaotic during a move or a new baby, keep those anchors consistent and let the “flex” stuff (like extra play) vary.
Pack and unpack in “scent-safe” zones: During moving week, choose one room as your dog’s calm base camp. Set up a bed, water, and a worn T‐shirt that smells like you, and keep that room off-limits to loud packing whenever possible. On arrival, unpack your dog’s things first so the new space immediately includes familiar smells and routines.
Teach a comfort cue before you need it: Pick one simple cue such as “mat” or “settle,” then practice for 1–2 minutes a few times a day when things are calm. Reward your dog for lying on a blanket or bed while you sit nearby, then gradually add tiny distractions (standing up, opening a drawer). When life changes, you’ll have a practiced “go relax here” skill instead of trying to invent calm in the moment.
Introduce new people with sideways bodies and short wins: For visitors, roommates, or a new partner, ask the person to ignore your dog at first, no reaching, no hovering, no face-to-face staring. Have them toss treats past your dog so your dog can approach and retreat without pressure. Keep the first few meetings to 5–10 minutes, then take a break before your dog gets overwhelmed.
Run “baby practice” or “new family member” rehearsals: If a baby or new pet is coming, rehearse the sounds and movements now. Play baby noises softly during meals, walk around holding a doll or bundled blanket, and reward calm behavior. This kind of prep matters because how much they must learn during major transitions is easy for humans to underestimate.
Buffer work-schedule changes with a mini routine: If you’re leaving earlier or coming home later, shift by 10–15 minutes every couple of days rather than all at once when you can. Add a predictable “departure ritual” (quick potty, 2 minutes of gentle play, food puzzle) and a predictable “reunion ritual” (calm greeting, then outside). This prevents your comings and goings from feeling random, one of the biggest routine disruptors.
Use environmental enrichment to drain stress, not hype it up: Stress often looks like restlessness, pacing, or clinginess, so give your dog a job that uses their brain and nose. Try scatter-feeding in a snuffle spot, a simple cardboard “find it” game, or a frozen food toy during the loudest parts of the day. Choose calming enrichment over high-arousal games when your dog is already on edge.
Aim for “slightly easier than your dog can handle today”: When your dog is anxious, progress is tiny and steady: one step closer to the new stroller, one extra minute in the new yard, one calmer greeting. If your dog freezes, hides, or won’t take treats, the challenge is too big, back up and make it simpler. That gentle pacing helps your dog rebuild trust in their environment, which makes it much easier to keep a steady week of routines going.
Habits That Build Security During Big Life Shifts
When change is unavoidable, consistency becomes communication. These practices help you read your dog’s behavior with more empathy, reinforce trust through predictable patterns, and build emotional resilience a little at a time.
Three-Pillar Daily Check
● What it is: Do a 60-second scan of physical wellness, cognitive wellness, and nervous system wellness.
● How often: Daily
● Why it helps: You catch stress early and meet needs before behavior escalates.Predictable Decompression Walk
● What it is: Take a low-key sniff walk with no training goals and lots of choice.
● How often: Daily
● Why it helps: Sniffing releases tension and helps your dog feel oriented.Two-Minute Connection Rep
● What it is: Do two minutes of gentle play, grooming, or hand-feeding with full attention.
● How often: Daily
● Why it helps: Micro-bonding reduces clinginess and builds confidence in you.One New Thing, Then Easy
● What it is: Add one small novelty, then follow with a familiar, simple activity.
● How often: 3 times weekly
● Why it helps: Your dog learns change predicts safety, not overwhelm.Adjustment Notes Log
● What it is: Track sleep, appetite, and triggers during the adjustment period.
● How often: Weekly
● Why it helps: Patterns guide smarter tweaks to your routine and environment.Common Questions About Dogs and Big Life ChangesQ: How can moving to a new home affect my dog’s emotional well-being and daily routine? A: A move can unsettle your dog’s sense of safety, so you may see whining, pacing, or accidents while they learn the new map of home. Many dogs may adjust within a few weeks, especially with familiar feeding, potty, and walk times. Next steps: track what seems to trigger stress and tighten the routine around those moments.Q: What are effective strategies to help my dog adjust when our household dynamics change, such as welcoming a new baby? A: Your dog may become clingy or reactive because attention, sounds, and scents suddenly change. Keep key rituals steady, add a calm “safe zone,” and reward relaxed behavior near baby related items at a distance your dog can handle. Track triggers like crying or visitors, then adjust the daily plan in tiny, repeatable steps.Q: In what ways do changes in my work schedule impact my dog’s stress levels and behavior?
A: Shifts in your hours can raise uncertainty, which often shows up as barking, restlessness, or door watching. Set predictable alone time practice, use a consistent pre departure cue, and increase enrichment that does not rely on you being home. If problems cluster at certain times, log them and reorganize exercise, potty breaks, and quiet time around that pattern.
Q: What signs indicate that my dog is struggling with transitions, and how can I support them?
A: Look for appetite changes, sleep disruption, increased startle, hiding, sudden accidents, or new shadowing behavior. Support starts with ruling out pain or illness, then simplifying the environment and rewarding calm choices. Your best two moves are to track triggers for a week and revise the routine plan based on what your notes reveal.
Q: If I feel overwhelmed balancing pet care with pursuing a new healthcare career path, what resources can help me manage both effectively?
A: Feeling stretched is common, especially when you are building a new identity and schedule. Create a short, written care checklist for mornings and evenings, then ask a trusted friend, family member, or qualified pet professional to cover specific tasks during peak stress weeks. For your own transition, consider flexible, structured learning options like this resource and time blocking so your dog’s essentials stay steady while you grow.
Make One Gentle Routine Shift to Help Your Dog Adjust
Big life changes can leave dogs confused, clingy, or out of sorts, even when everything looks “fine” on the surface. The steadier path is empathetic pet care: notice what your dog is communicating, keep support predictable, and focus on proactive pet well-being rather than waiting for stress to spiral. Over time, supporting pets through change this way often means fewer meltdowns, faster settling, and a calmer home for everyone. When life shifts, your dog needs clarity and kindness more than perfection. Choose one strategy to start this week, and stick with it long enough to see your dog’s body and behavior soften. That steady care strengthens the human-animal bond and builds resilience for whatever comes next.
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This is a guest post from Penny Martin. It is very comprehensive, especially for dog owners who are very busy people
These are the deer in our garden. I feed them every morning and they have become good friends. However, taking the photos was tricky as I had to use a zoom lens and I did not have a tripod with me.
Last Wednesday, Smokey’s Stoves in Grants Pass, came to the house to clean the chimney, and the fire, in our lounge.
I had not realised how much soot and ‘muck’ had accumulated.
According to one of two gentlemen that came, the top of the metal chimney where is exits the roof was so clogged up there was only a small space, about an inch in diameter, left. There was over a huge bucketful of ash taken from the fireplace.
In the afternoon we lit a fire and basked in the heat, and the brilliance of a clean fireplace.
Learning from Dogs 