October 31, 2026

Good Furrends of October 2026

10 animal stories that defined October 2026.

October gave us a Chihuahua in tactical gear, a pony who thought he was a cow, a dog with a theater career, a family of barn owls in Manhattan, and some capybara drama at Edinburgh Zoo.

Here are 10 animal stories from October 2026 worth remembering.

1. Comando reported for duty

Mexico's National Guard has a new recruit, and he's about eight inches tall.

Comando, a 13-month-old Chihuahua adopted after his previous owners could no longer care for him, has become the Guard's smallest canine mascot. He weighs around 15 pounds and has his own tactical vest, helmet, goggles, and even a tiny head-mounted camera.

2. Bowie learned how to be a horse

Bowie was a young pony found abandoned in a cattle field, where he'd apparently started behaving more like the cows around him than a horse.

At the Blue Cross Burford rehoming center in England, he was paired with an older pony named Rocky, who helped him learn normal horse behavior. Bowie also made a friend named Merlin, and the two were eventually adopted together.

3. Addison got a part in Annie

Addison was facing euthanasia at a shelter when animal trainer Bill Berloni heard about her and decided to give her another chance.

She ended up with a rather unusual new job: playing Sandy in a production of Annie at Minnesota's Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

4. Larry is back at No. 10

Larry, the longtime Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street, underwent a minor operation this month, prompting concern among his many followers.

The good news is that Larry is reportedly recovering well and has returned to No. 10, where he's been a resident since 2011. Britain's most familiar government cat isn't retiring just yet.

More about Larry

5. Manhattan has a new owl family

A family of barn owls has made a rooftop water tower on West 75th Street, near Central Park, its home.

The nesting family has attracted plenty of attention from Upper West Side residents, particularly because it's believed to be the first documented case of barn owls breeding in Manhattan in modern history.

6. The capybara drama continues

Edinburgh Zoo welcomed three capybara pups on October 28, born to Luna and Rodney. But the happy news arrived with a little family drama.

A viral photo had recently revealed Rodney getting rather friendly with Cali, Luna's sister, in the pool. Meanwhile, Bru, Luna and Rodney's older son, is reportedly grumpy about no longer being the baby. The zoo's keepers have compared the whole situation to a soap opera.

7. Gus is recovering at 104

Gus, the 104-year-old gopher tortoise who has lived at Nova Scotia's Museum of Natural History for decades, underwent surgery to remove a bladder stone.

The operation was successful, and Gus is now recovering under veterinary care. He'll spend several weeks resting behind the scenes before returning to his usual routine. At 104, he's earned some time off.

8. Sgiath has a nose for sea vomit

Sgiath is a conservation detection dog with an unusual specialty: finding an invasive marine organism nicknamed “sea vomit.”

The former mountain rescue dog now works with marine ecologist Dr. Texa Sim, sniffing out colonies of carpet sea squirt along coastlines and harbors before they can spread further. This month, her work earned her an Animal of the Year honor.

9. Champ is officially very cute

Champ, a 10-year-old Yorkie mix rescued from the streets of Texas, has won PEOPLE's 2026 World's Cutest Rescue Dog contest.

These days, Champ lives in New York and works as a therapy dog, visiting people who could use a little company. His win also brings a $1,000 donation to a rescue organization and a year's supply of dog food.

10. LouLou survived an avalanche

LouLou disappeared after an avalanche swept two mountaineers hundreds of feet down an Alaskan mountainside on October 10.

While rescuers rescued the men, the poodle-husky mix was left behind. Her owner helped coordinate a search from overseas, using LouLou's AirTag location to guide volunteers and pilots toward the area. More than two days later, LouLou was found alive, with relatively minor injuries, and flown to safety.

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