Peggy, an old border collie (柯利牧羊犬), was signed over to the RSPCA, a charity with a primary focus on rescuing and rehoming animals, after her owner could no longer communicate with her. The owner thought she could no longer work because she was not able to hear.

However, after being handed to the RSPCA, Peggy was taken in by Chloe Shorten, an animal health manager from the organisation.

Shorten and her husband, Jason, a shepherd (牧羊人), taught Peggy to understand hand signals and body language. The couple trained Peggy with the help of a sheepdog trainer and their two other working dogs, Sid and Nora.

Shorten said, “We completely fell in love with Peggy almost at first sight, and it soon became clear that she wouldn’t be going anywhere. We knew Peggy wanted to be working, so we started the long process of teaching her how to work with a shepherd without relying on voice orders.”

The couple began by training Peggy to look at them to receive hand signals. They used repetitive and positive reinforcement and instead of pairing a voice order with an action, they’d use a hand gesture. Peggy read their hand signals and body language as a way of telling what they’re asking for.

Shorten and her husband point in a certain direction to indicate where they want Peggy to go and pat their knees to call her back to them. To ask her to slow down, Shorten does a waving gesture.

Peggy is not working full-time but enjoys helping out in the fields. “It can be difficult with a deaf dog, because you have to wave at her to get her attention, and sometimes she doesn’t realize straight away,” she said. “But she’s such a happy little dog. She’s no spring chicken, and she is generally retired, but she loves going out to work with us and running around in the fields.”

Gorillas(大猩猩) are on the edge of extinction. They are calling on YOU to donate your phone today!

You can now help save gorillas in Africa simply by donating your mobile phone! Coltan is a metallic ore(金属矿石) that is mined both in and out of Africa and can be found within many electronic devices such as mobile phones. The mining of coltan within the Congo River Basin is contributing to forest loss there, and is speeding up the loss of mountain gorillas at a shockingly fast rate. While efforts are being made to deal with this issue, the mining of coltan within gorilla habitat continues. It is very difficult to know which phones contain coltan mined from Africa; however, every phone can help save gorillas when donated to They’re Calling on You.

By donating your phone through the They’re Calling You mobile phone recycling program you are:

●Preventing your phone from going to the landfill.

●Helping Melbourne Zoo raise money to support the Jane Good all Institutes monkey conservation work in Africa through the sale of refurbished(翻新)phones.

●Lessening the demand for coltan mining.

To support the They’re Calling You mobile phone recycling program you can:

1.Visit Melbourne Zoo to collect a postage paid recycling bag, and post your mobile phone to the Aussie Recycling Program. Your phone will be resold to poor community groups.

2.Register your support simply by emailing the registration form to zvfoundation@zoo.org.au or fax it to (03)9285-9377.

Schools can get involved too! Please contact Kate McCabe at Melbourne Zoo by email or phone(03)9285-9471 Discuss adding this program to your course while inspiring students to take action for wildlife.

For further information please contact: Rachel Lowry

Ph:(03)9285-9377

Mob: 0488-504-490

Fax:(03)9285-9340

Next time your mobile rings, let that be a reminder that “they’re calling on you”!

When Gogo was just a young pup, his owner Xiao Mei hoped the dog might one day become a service dog and help people. But Gogo had other plans, at least for the first part. He failed at service dog training, but he went on to help millions of people around the world learn how to trust, how to love, and how to surf.

According to Xiao Mei, the dog seemed naturally suited to life as a service dog. He was great with people, especially kids, and he had plenty of energy. But birds were his weakness. He just couldn't seem to stop running after them. And that's not a good quality for a service dog that needs to focus on the person he's helping.

Xiao Mei said at the beginning she was disappointed when Gogo didn't succeed at service dog school. But to her amazement, at just 8 weeks old, Gogo climbed on to a board that had been left in a children's pool, showing his special talent for balance. Gogo let his true skills shine through. Soon, Gogo was making a mark as the beach-loving dog who could hang ten on a surfboard. However, he wasn't finished showing off his special talents yet.

“One day at the beach, he jumped on a surfboard with a 14-year-old boy who had spinal cord injuries,” Xiao Mei said. “It was at that moment that his life purpose to surf with people who are disabled was realized. He's just such an inspiration to everyone — he's got such a strong connection to people, and we see such improvements in the people who he surfs with.”

Gogo now surfs daily with children and adults with special needs. He specializes in helping military veterans with PTSD and children with autism by connecting with them in ways that no one else can.