If you’re looking for a questionable Valentine’s gift, I may have found the perfect one for you. Do you remember the raccoon who broke into a liquor store, sampled the goods, and passed out in the bathroom like it was a rough night on the town? Yes. That one. This love-drunk critter’s legendary shenanigans live on, turning chaos into ongoing support for animals at the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter. A gift. A laugh. And help for animals who need it. So, if you’re shopping for someone who appreciates humor with heart, this might be the one. Here’s where you will find the love-drunk raccoon.

Emperor penguins have a remarkable love story. They form strong seasonal bonds, and some pairs reunite year after year. During the Antarctic winter, the female lays a single egg and carefully transfers their baby-to-be onto the male’s feet. He balances it there and covers it with his brood pouch, a warm fold of skin that protects the egg from the brutal cold. After the transfer, the female begins a long journey to the ocean to feed. The distance can be many miles, and the trip may take weeks, shaped by weather, distance, and ice conditions across Antarctica. While she is gone, the male remains, fasting and standing nearly motionless as he incubates the egg through the harsh winter. When the female returns, she finds her partner and chick through vocal recognition alone. Each penguin’s call is unique. She feeds their chick, and then it is the male’s turn to make the long journey to the sea, restoring his strength while the female takes over care. Their approach to raising a chick is considered one of the most demanding parenting roles in the animal world. It is built on trust, timing, and shared devotion. Each parent depends completely on the other to survive and to raise a healthy young penguin. I’m a little surprised that kind of love doesn’t melt the ice. Here’s a short video of their parenting journey to enjoy

In parts of South America, there are birds of paradise who dance for love. And they go all out. No messing around. They clear a space, practice, and perform beautifully choreographed moves filled with color, rhythm, and courage. These birds do not wait to be chosen quietly. They show who they are with purpose. There is something breathtaking about that. Love, in this form, is intentionally offered, with the hope the female will choose them. Maybe there is something here for us too. What would it look like to dance a little more honestly in our own lives? To show care not just by saying it, but by how we show up? Love has many languages and this one just happens to bust a move. Enjoy this beautiful dance of love video

Valentine's Day is a week away and I want to pause with one very real expression of love. Love can look like many things. Service, giving and receiving are some of those ways, and when these move together, they create harmony. Harmony Fund is a beautiful example of this. They serve tirelessly, giving support to the underdogs where it is most needed. And right now, what they need is for that love to be received, so it can keep moving forward toward Sasha’s Shelter. The work there is steady and demanding. Sasha is working tirelessly on an approaching deadline, to create safety and prepare land to ensure hundreds of dogs have a future of hope and love. This is love expressed through commitment and care, not grand gestures. If you feel called to share some love this Valentine season, giving to Sasha’s cause would be deeply received and put to immediate use. Sometimes love looks like flowers. Sometimes it looks like chocolate. And sometimes, it looks like showing up for those who need protection most. Here is the link if you would like to share a special Valentine with Sasha. 💛🐕💛

Sometimes the smallest moments teach us the biggest truths about one another and about ourselves. In the rolling green pastures of a small farm in Austria, a gentle Swiss Brown cow named Veronika quietly surprised the world. For years she lived not as livestock, but as a beloved companion, walking the fields, feeling grass beneath her hooves, greeted each morning by the voice of her human friend. Along the way, something remarkable happened. Veronika began using objects around her not out of training or performance, but out of need, curiosity, and understanding. What captures our hearts isn’t simply that she picked up a stick or a brush. It’s how she used it with purpose. She learned to choose the right end of a tool. The bristled side of a deck brush to scratch her back. The smoother side to gently rub more sensitive places she couldn’t reach. Her actions weren’t random. She selected, adjusted, and used the tool with clear intention, showing awareness of her body, her surroundings, and the problem she wanted to solve. Scientists say this is the first documented case of tool use in a cow, a milestone that gently expands how we understand animal intelligence and invites us to look with more curiosity and kindness at those we’ve long taken for granted. Veronika didn’t perform for applause. She didn’t seek a spotlight. She simply figured out how to make her life more comfortable. And in doing so, she reminds us that intelligence, empathy, and ingenuity aren’t limited to the animals we already admire. They often live quietly in those we overlook. May her story encourage us to look more closely at the beings we share this world with and to listen with open hearts. 💛 Watch a short video of Veronika here.