Stray Dogs: Over 600 Rescued by Camberley Kate

Katherine Ward, fondly known as Camberley Kate, cared for over 600 stray dogs during her lifetime.

Katherine Ward was born in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1895. In 1943, Ward bought a small cottage in Yorktown near Camberley. Shortly after moving in, she saw a lame greyhound at the local vet waiting to be euthanised. She rescued the dog and the two bonded instantly. When he passed away eight and a half years later, Ward decided to take in other unwanted dogs in his memory.

Ward became well-known in Camberley. Someone had made her a wooden cart which she would use on her daily walks to the town center. She would put the small, old and sick dogs in the cart while the others walked alongside the cart.

In a 1960 interview with Tonight, Ward was asked what made her start taking in dogs. She replied "I was a Yorkshire woman, living down in the South. I was pretty lonely. Living on the main road I saw so many dogs tied up, and so many run over. [...] So I just dedicated my life to them. I've had dogs of all sorts all sizes. Many I've replaced; some are all over England." It is estimated that by the end of her life she had cared for over 600 dogs.

As Ward's health deteriorated, she moved to a residential home. She had set up a trust fund to ensure her seven remaining dogs were taken care of. After her death in 1979, a memorial plaque was placed in Camberley in her honor.

Charlie: Played a Part in Preventing a Nuclear War

Charlie helped calm John F. Kennedy during a difficult time when the country feared a nuclear war.

JFK and Charlie

Cuba's president Fidel Castro feared the US was going to invade his country so he sought assistance from the Soviet Union. In May 1962, the Soviet Union began to ship nuclear missiles to Cuba. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, a 13-day confrontation (October 16 to 28) between the governments of the US and the Soviet Union. An agreement was reached between Kennedy and Khrushchev - Cuba agreed to remove its missiles and the US agreed not to invade Cuba.

JFK had nine dogs while in the White House. He loved them all, but according to multiple sources, Charlie (a Welsh terrier) was his favorite. During those 13 stressful days at critical meetings, Charlie would lay on his master's lap. After petting his dog for a while, the president relaxed. According to the White House kennel keeper, he was to come get Charlie as Kennedy calmly said, "I suppose that it's time to make some decisions."

Research has shown that simply petting a dog lowers levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and decreases blood pressure. Thanks to Charlie, the president of the United States was able to remain calm while making an important decision to prevent a nuclear war.