Dispelling a misconception: Non-human animals as intelligent, cultured and moral beings

Your rating: None Average: 3 (7 votes)

The layout of the cooperative pulling paradigm with two wolves pulling on the ropes to move the platform.
The layout of the cooperative pulling paradigm with two wolves pulling on the ropes to move the platform. (Photograph by Rooobert Bayer and published by PNAS. Reproduced for educational purposes.)
There is a lingering misconception, less common in the furry fandom than in broader society, which I would like to dispel. That misconception is the view that non-human animals (hereafter, just animals) are mindless, thoughtless, base creatures rather than fellow persons.

There are countless accounts and videos of animals doing amazing things and demonstrating great intelligence. However, we can never be sure if those are representative examples of animal behaviour or just once-off events. Furthermore, those are interpreted through untrained eyes and may not actually show a behaviour that people think it does. To try to avoid these issues, my goal here is to primarily rely on peer-reviewed scientific literature, ideally that which is publicly-available, but presented in a way that can be understood by all. To distinguish between scientific references and ordinary links, links to scientific sources are presented in the format [Author, year] based on academic referencing conventions.

Remembering Tugrik (1970-2025)

Your rating: None Average: 5 (6 votes)


"My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today." --K'has, quoting Richard Adams, Watership Down

It is with heavy heart that we must report the passing of Tugrik d'Itichi, aka Tug, real name Tori (or Tor) Amundson, a much-respected figure from the early years of the fandom.

[Editor's note: Much of this was gathered from things said at the memorial service held on FurryMUCK, from social media, from people who responded to my inquiries, and with the help of the wizards on FM. Thank you all for sharing your memories.]

A review of BB Wolf and the Three LPs and the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals

Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

B.B. Wolf And The Three LPs

IMG_20250802_111509159~2_0.jpg

JD Arnold’s reimagining of the classic fable of The Three little pigs with the riveting illustration style of Richard Koslowski is certainly one of the best, and most overlooked versions. The novel takes the story so very far away from the original, using only its skeleton. Through realms suggestive of Alex Haley, Stanley Kubrick, Ralph Bakshi, and for sure a pinch of Stephen King, the wolf is the focus.

As a consistently-struggling blues musician intent on protecting his property and remaining family from the racketeering little pigs, who employ all kinds of legal loopholes to seize and destroy it. The pigs naturally have the law on their side (I trust I need go no further on that) and enjoy high profile connections with sleazy origins as far away as Chicago. That’s plenty of motivation for the wolf’s reported “villainy” when huffing, puffling, and blowing it all down.

It’s a strong study on class struggles and the clashes of midwestern culture that goes the “full Monty”, shall we say, with the intended allegory. Given current political and social climates, most readers are likely to find this entry at least a timely diversion.

Digging Up Positivity - July 2025

Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

Welcome to a new episode of Digging Up Positivity! In this episode:

  • A very special guest from Honduras
  • Animation news
  • An upcoming furry indy game
  • And of course a whole load of charity!

So let’s get started!

Good Furry Awards addresses recent nominee drama

Your rating: None Average: 2.7 (18 votes)

Our office has received several emails and texts over the last couple of months regarding nominees for the 7th Annual Good Furry Awards. These messages have been sent to criticize some of the nominees and to inform us that these are bad people unworthy of a prize or recognition of any kind.

While we have considered these messages seriously, most of the accusations recently are unsubstantiated or without merit. It should also be emphasized that none of the good deeds listed in the text of the nominations were refuted by any of the accusers attacking them for other charges, real or imagined.

When we decided to leave the nominees on the list, the Good Furry Awards were accused of supporting everything from stalkers to Nazis. We have also been accused of lacking integrity and being merely “an illegitimate popularity contest.” Some of these irate furries have also gone on to make posts on their or other websites against the Good Furry Awards and its chair, Kevin Hile (Grubbs Grizzly).

So, if you’ll bear with us, here is our official statement on the matter:

Newsbytes archive for July 2025

0
Your rating: None

Contributors this month include 2cross2affliction, dronon, InkyCrow, and Rakuen Growlithe.

Payment processors MasterCard and Visa use their leverage to go after adult fictional works, including furry

Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

This latest round of censorship started in late June when Fansly announced that they were removing adult furry content from their services at the call of their payment processors MasterCard and Visa. But not content to just go after the fledgling services that are derived from OnlyFans, the processors also set their sights on larger targets including the gaming markets of Steam and Itch.io in late July.

In their statement, Fansly indicated that the card services equated adult furry content with "simulated beastiality”:

Policy Clarifications:
Anthropomorphic Content - Our payment processing partners classify some anthropomorphic content as simulated beastiality. As a general guideline, Kemonomimi (human-like characters with animal ears/tails) is permitted, but full fursonas, Kemono, and scalie content are prohibited in adult contexts.

-Fansly policy update

However, it should be noted that if (and only if) furries who are engaged in consensual adult acts can be referred to as simulated beastiality, then it would also be accurate to refer to MasterCard and Visa, who charge well over 20% in interest on money borrowed through their services to the often fiscally-illiterate general public, as "simulated slavery services". It's a bit harsh, and in both cases from a technically legal standpoint, inaccurate.

Current and upcoming animated films (2025-2026)

Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

Promo image for Goat.What furry animated films might be coming out since our last list? (You can find some non-furry films discussed in the comments section.) As usual it's difficult to know for certain what's coming up, since a lot of films show up with unpredictable marketing, or might never reach completion, or might be a Warner Bros tax write-off.

Let's start with a little non-furry news! Ne Zha 2 (China, 2025) now holds the record for being the highest-grossing animated film ever, having earned over $2.2 billion. KPop Demon Hunters (Sony, 2025) on Netflix got over 33 million views in two weeks, and is still going strong.

The news site Cartoon Brew has a new owner and chief editor, who hopefully will be less snooty and won't accidentally create Brony fandom. Director Brad Bird is now over at SkyDance and might finally get to make Ray Gunn, a project he's wanted to do for 30 years.

Laika isn't leaking any information about Wildwood. DreamWorks' The Bad Guys 2 is just around the corner, and Zootopia 2 (Disney, 2025) is aiming at a Late November release for U.S. Thanksgiving and any cinema foolish enough to be in range of Midwest FurFest.

Mom's Cat: Short Film from Hungary Captures the Furry Angst of Rejection

Your rating: None Average: 5 (3 votes)

Moms Cat.jpgMom’s Cat is an intense, yet quiet, short film by Hungarian writer/director Annabella Schnabel, who produced it for her diploma project at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest (you can watch a preview here). It has already garnered several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 29th Chicago Underground Film Festival, First Prize at the 19th Pannonfíling Film Festival, Best Short Film at the 8th Nefiltravane Kino Film Festival, and Best Young Director at the 13th Short to the Point International Film Festival. It was screened at several Oscar-qualifying festivals, such as the 70th Melbourne International Film Festival, 40th Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, 52nd Nashville Film Festival, and the A-listed 43rd Moscow International Film Festival, earning a spot on the 2023 Student Academy Awards long list. I had the opportunity to watch this 18-minute film, and I can say the plaudits are deserved.

Dr. David "Spottacus" Benaron - furry known for work foundational to smartwatch heartrate monitors - passes away

Your rating: None Average: 5 (6 votes)

Spottacuss3.pngNews of the passing of Doctor David “Spottacus” Benaron on Friday Friday July 18th, 2025 was shared and confirmed on Saturday. This doctor with a cheetah fursona was well known in the fandom for their work that enabled the capacity of smart watches to monitor heart rates. PC Mag’s Will Greenwald did a piece on the doctor on his technical and furry lives in 2022. This article had become highly shared as a focal point of people holding successful careers within furry fandom spaces.

The spotted doctor did not shy away from his hobby and the influences it had in his career successes. He gave a presentation at Berkeley called Furries, Neurodivergence and STEM: Finding Your Path From Zero to One to One Billion, which can be viewed on YouTube.

He was a prolific fursuiter that had multiple suits to his name. Other characters played by the doctor included a California sabretooth by the name of Toofs, and lion named Dandy, an Ocelot named Ozzie. More information and photos of these can be found on his WikiFur page.

Digging up Positivity June 2025

Your rating: None Average: 4 (3 votes)

Welcome to a new episode of Digging Up Positivity! We are already over halfway of this year, and despite of all the [gestures] everything we still continue to try to make the world a better place. In this episode:

  • Did you know there is a fur con in Slovenia?
  • Animation news
  • Animal news
  • Furry charities from all over the world!
  • The result of the pride shirt giveaway

So let’s get started!

Pittsburgh art gallery Bunker Projects hosts furry exhibit until July 20th

Your rating: None Average: 3.3 (3 votes)

ArtGallery_0.pngThe art gallery Bunker Projects in Pittsburgh, located three miles from Anthrocon's events, is currently hosting a furry exhibit. Co-curated by Brett Hanover who directed the documentary film Rukus, this exhibition is called Room Party: Furry Art at the Beginning of the World in celebration of the unofficial gatherings of furries that occur during conventions, typically where art exchanges and sketching would occur.

More information on the list of artists being exhibited can be found here. While there will be special events during Anthrocon weekend, the exhibit will be available until July 20th during their normal Thursday and Sunday open gallery hours. These events are not run by Anthrocon themselves, but by Bunker Projects.

Furry Weekend Atlanta Will Have Cheaper Tickets, For Now

Your rating: None Average: 3 (1 vote)

Furry Weekend Atlanta CEO Ranan announced that prices for FWA 2026 ("Nowhere Inn Between") will increase twice by the time the convention happens next May. "Despite our most fervent wishes to the contrary, FWA isn't immune to the rising costs of goods and services," Ranan wrote in a letter to prospective attendees on June 30th, 2025, citing "inflation and increased tariffs [which] have impacted us just as they've impacted many of you."

Newsbytes archive for June 2025

0
Your rating: None

Contributors this month include 2cross2affliction, dronon, InkyCrow, Rakuen Growlithe, and Sonious.

VRChat gets clogged by dreaming furries attending Furality Somna

Your rating: None Average: 3.5 (4 votes)

The Court Yard.pngAs the sleepers awakened from their slumber in early June, a total virtual attendance count of 26,405 and a total of $109,000 was raised for the returning charity, The Center of Orlando Florida, at the 2025 virtual gathering of Furality. The sleep in the ninth iteration of the gathering was not always an easy one, with a VR Chat system outage during Saturday’s peak times. But in relation to the prior year’s experience, things actually went much smoother for the event itself. It continues to be a wonderful experience for people who like to explore new worlds, and the revel creation of their fellow eccentric dreamers.

This year we’ll go over the worlds and environment and their purposes, and other general thoughts now that I have been to two and can see the foundation and standard layout. Preliminary thoughts about Virtual conventions in general and their comparisons to real world gatherings can be found in last year’s Umbra review found at this link which remain generally unchanged in this passing year.

From the Yerf Archive