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Meet Shedd Aquarium's Newest Residents: Dogs!

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 2, 2013 9:15PM

The Shedd Aquarium's "One World" exhibit will have some special four-legged guests this summer. The Shedd adopted three dogs from area dog rescue organizations and will introduce them to the new show as an example of how animals connect humans to the environment and as another example of the Shedd's approach to animal care.

The three dogs—Bruce, a pit bull terrier mix, Coral, an Airedale mix, and Dory, a shepherd mix—have been working with Shedd's trainers and will be part of meet-and-greets during the exhibit's run to showcase the aquarium’s extensive rescue and rehabilitation work as well as the four cornerstones of good animal care: healthcare, nutrition, the animal’s environment and training.

“We’ve always called it ‘The Shedd Way,’” says Ken Ramirez, executive vice president of animal care and training. “Positive reinforcement builds bonds of trust between Shedd’s trainers and animals that are central to our animals’ health and wellbeing. Now, guests can be inspired by seeing that the same training methods work whether you’re interacting with a one-ton beluga whale or a ten-pound terrier.”

The Shedd's "One World" exhibit debuts July 4 and runs through the end of the year.