Rakesh Shukla is a software engineer who's found his life's calling in looking after dogs that no-one wants, writes the BBC's Geeta Pandey in Bangalore.

From rapid genetic analysis to spectrography, high-tech tools are being used to track down and prosecute perpetrators of the illegal wildlife trade – offering hope in stopping the trafficking of endangered species.

Franklin Frake works for the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides assistance to displaced pets, and their owners, during and after a disaster involving their home.

A sign in Washington, D.C., says "No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor," in three languages. It's a message that began at a church in Harrisonburg, Va., and is spreading to communities across the country.

St. Louis Zoo docents Ellen Miller and Donna Mills have been taking care of Partula nodosa snails for 23 years. Last month, 630 of the snails they've cared for were put into the wild in Tahiti.

Air Force veteran Clay Luthy and his service dog, Charlotte, wear red-and-blue Lowe’s vests to work in Abilene, Tex.