Good morning everyone. Came across this video in my feed this this morning and thought to share. https://youtube.com/shorts/7yJX5QIRm1k?si=d_cuaYjWTbwwoiWr

I added a space just for our companions 🤍 Today is our day to share a story, a photo, or something that makes you smile about our furry family and friends. Post it here in Companions so we can all enjoy it with you. Sending pawsitive vibes for a great day 🐾👏

Not all heroes look the way we expect. Like our honorary African giant pouched rat, Magawa, who was trained to detect landmines in Cambodia. Over his career, he became the most successful mine-detection rat in his program, and the first rat ever awarded a gold medal for bravery. Because of his work, land that once held danger became safe again for people to walk, grow, and live on. Magawa retired in 2021 and spent his retirement time helping train the next generation, passing on his mad-rat skills. Rats like Magawa can move quickly across the ground, using their sense of smell to detect explosives. And because they are so light, they don’t trigger the mines themselves. And to continue the celebration of this little hero, in 2026 on International Mine Awareness Day, a statue was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia to honor him. Magawa is a reminder that sometimes the smallest lives can make the biggest impact, often in ways we would never expect. Enjoy this video of Magawa and the unveiling of his deserved recognition.

I’ve been thinking about ways to bring more fun and community into this space, so I’m playing with a few new categories 🤍 You’ll now see tabs for:: • companions • wildlife • 501c3 Since it’s Wild Wednesday… Share your favorite animal organization with us. What do they do and why you love them? When you post, just choose 501c3 from the category dropdown I’d love to learn about the ones that matter to you 🤍

The idea behind Empowering Animals is simple…to grow and thrive together as a community, with the shared goal of helping animals. But community doesn’t just happen, we create together. What do you think would help us grow stronger? More education? More connection? More ways to take action? I’d really love to hear your thoughts.