No one knew what the player was doing — until he opened his hands.

"I just kept telling him, ‘I’m going to help you, Bucky. You’re going to be OK.’" No Images? [Click here]( June 22, 2018 Good morning! Today we have an animal who wandered into a World Cup match, an abandoned dog who gave her rescuers the sweetest surprise and a stray pup who just made history. 1. Something Really Sweet Just Happened At The World Cup Photo Credit: Instagram/gerardpiquefans Every four years, billions of people across the world watch the FIFA World Cup soccer matches. Presumably, Gerard Pique, a defender for the Spanish national team who normally plays for Barcelona, had a lot on his mind just before Wednesday's game against Iran — but not so much that he could ignore something he spotted on the field in the minutes before kick-off. Cameras were rolling, broadcasting live from Russia across the world, as Pique walked over to a spot in the field and bent down. The 31-year-old defender cupped his hands around something and lifted it up off the turf. Perhaps it was the bright lights of the stadium or the shouts of the fans readying for the game — something had stunned a little bird. But being in Pique's hands seemed to revive him. After just a few seconds, the bird perked up and flew away. Photo Credit: Instagram/gerardpiquefans The moment this wild bird was briefly off-sides may not have made the highlight reel — but it certainly was a highlight of the game. And to top it off, Pique's team also won. 2. Dog Abandoned On Chain Outside Shelter Had A Big Surprise For Rescuers Photo Credit: Twitter/Janelle Bludau At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30, Dr. Michael White, director of the Harris County Animal Shelter in Houston, Texas, flipped on the TV. There, on the local news, was his workplace, with the entrance gate still locked for the night. The overcrowded shelter had made headlines during Memorial Day weekend when over 200 dogs and cats were surrendered in just three days — and that morning the KHOU11 news team found yet another abandoned animal outside the Harris County shelter. On the screen, White saw a large white dog shackled to the shelter fence with a heavy metal chain — she smiled and wagged her tail when she saw people approaching in the dark. “I was watching the local news and I saw Janelle [Bludau], the reporter, outside our facility at the gate out by the road,” White told The Dodo. “She was talking about this dog she found, who had been chained to our front gate when she came to the shelter that morning.” Bludau said on the news she would stay with the dog until somebody arrived to let them in, so White immediately jumped up, threw on some clothes and began his 45-minute drive to the shelter. Other than an infestation of fleas and being diagnosed as heartworm positive, the 2-year-old Lab mix, whom shelter workers named Janelle after the reporter who found her, appeared to be in fairly good health. But an X-ray soon revealed that the dog didn’t arrive at the shelter alone — she was expecting 10 puppies, and soon. Her stomach was so large that it dragged on the concrete floor of her kennel. Because the staff estimated that Janelle was only a week or two away from giving birth, White knew he had to get the dog out of the shelter and into a quiet place where she would feel safe. White knew he was the perfect person to help — a practicing vet for 30 years, he had delivered more litters than he could remember. “I decided I wasn’t going to leave her there any longer, and I took her home,” White said. “I didn’t want her to stay up there in that condition. I hate for animals to give birth in a shelter situation.” Photo Credit: Twitter/Janelle Bludau Janelle immediately seemed to thank him. “She’s extremely affectionate toward people,” White said. “She would love to be a lap dog, and will climb into your lap, but she weighs 65 to 70 pounds.” Just a few days after arriving at her foster home, however, Janelle’s behavior changed. White came home from work on June 12, and noticed Janelle was anxious and seemed uncomfortable. When he saw the first contraction around 8:50 p.m., he quickly realized that he and his wife were going to be there a while. “I’m probably more cautious than I should be, but I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly with each puppy,” White said. “My wife and I stayed up with her all night assisting in each delivery,” White explained. “At 3:36 a.m., [puppy] number 10 was born, and we thought that was it, but number 11 was born at 6:05 a.m. It was a long night for me, my wife and Janelle.” Their hard work and attention paid off when, the next morning, 11 healthy puppies were wriggling around in the pen with their tired mom. Photo Credit: Twitter/Janelle Bludau “It’s funny to watch her. Dinnertime for the puppies is like a free-for-all. It’s loud and they’re all squealing, trying to find their spot,” White said. “Every now and then I’ll see her move over to the side and get some of the little ones over with her to nurse without the rest of them interfering.” “She’s constantly keeping the pen nice and clean,” White added. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mother. She’s doing an excellent job with them.” As soon as the babies are weaned, Janelle will be spayed and ready to start her search for a forever home. “I think she is going to make an excellent pet,” White said. “She’s a very, very nice dog, very sweet, got a great disposition, loves everybody and she’s a nice looking dog, too.” 3. Stray Pit Bull Saved From Streets Becomes An Official Police Officer Photo Credit: Facebook/Throw Away Dogs Project It wasn’t too long ago that this sweet pit bull named Wildflower was just another homeless dog in the world. But when given the chance to thrive, she made history. In late 2016, Wildflower was rescued from the streets of South Carolina, where she’d been living the sad, hopeless life of a stray. From there, she was taken in by Carol Skaziak, founder of the Throw Away Dogs Project, an organization that trains rescue pups for service in law enforcement. Right away, Skaziak saw Wildflower’s potential as a narcotics detection dog. Over the six months that followed, Wildflower underwent training, revealing herself to be a skilled detector. The formerly unwanted dog had found her purpose — and soon she landed a job. Last week, Wildflower’s trainers announced that she would be joining the Wetumka Police Department in Oklahoma — making her the first rescued pit bull to become a K9 officer in the state’s history. Wildflower has good reason to feel proud. Photo Credit: Facebook/Throw Away Dogs Project Sadly, due to unfair stereotyping, pit bulls in animal shelters are often among the last to find adopters, and all too many never do. But Wildflower’s example is already proving that these dogs can do great things when given a chance. Her new colleagues wouldn’t have her any other way. "A lot of folks just don't take to pit bulls well, or, they have preconceived notions about the breed," Wetumka Police Department Chief Joe Chitwood told FOX News 25. ”[Officer Wildflower] is ours now. She's here to serve our community and be an ambassador to the pit bulls here in this state.” In fact, she’s already making a difference. Earlier this week, Officer Wildflower made her first drug bust — helping get dangerous illicit material off the streets. Nice work, Officer Wildflower — and best of luck with your new career! Soldier Finds Abandoned Puppies — And Knows What To Do [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( The Dodo 100 Crosby St., 201 New York, NY 10012 [Forward]( [Unsubscribe](