Several countries outside of the United States allow restaurants to be even more pet friendly, letting them welcome dogs inside. The law in Sweden has allowed eateries to choose if they'd like to welcome dogs since they joined the European Union in 1995. Avenyfamiljen, a restaurant group in Gothenburg, Sweden, has taken advantage of that law for a long time now, believing that it's natural to have dogs around and adds to the atmosphere of the space. But they've recently decided to take it to the next level by giving furry guests their very own menu.

Avenyfamiljen's assistant manager, Tobias Hamberg, says that bringing your dog to a restaurant in Sweden can still be a controversial matter. "Most people appreciate if the dog gets a bowl of water or simply an entrance." Avenyfamiljen wanted their restaurants to be even more dog friendly by creating a special canine menu. Dogs can choose from main courses such as beef and cod.

For those of you who won't be getting to Sweden anytime soon with your pups, Taverna Averna, one of Avenyfamiljen's restaurants, has offered the following recipe for you to recreate their menu at home:

Mix the following ingredients and garnish with chopped nettles. 

• 1/3 parts raw game chopped into small pieces
• 1/3 parts grated vegetables (carrots, parsnip, turnip, cabbage, etc.)
• 1/3 parts boiled rice

Enjoy!

Earlier this month, the second Invictus Games began in Orlando, Florida, an international event where wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans compete in various sports. The Games were created two years ago by Britain's Prince Harry and was named after the Latin word for “Unconquered, Undefeated.”

Many of the athletes can be seen at the Games with service dogs by their side, during practice, competitions, and medal ceremonies. They are as much a part of the event as their human counterparts.

Retired Special Operations Command Sergeant Leonard Anderson says that he might not be alive today if it weren't for his service pup, Azza, a sentiment echoed by many of the athletes with service dogs. “Everything I do, everything I've ever competed in, everything ever since the injury has mostly been with her,” he says. Azza and Leonard were together when they were stuck by an IED almost four years ago in Afghanistan. They're both retired now, but have stayed together to support each other.

Other competitors are accompanied by dogs who came into their lives after their injury. Air Force Sergeant August O'Neill shattered his femur and right tibia after he sustained gunshot wounds to both legs more than three years ago. 20 surgeries later, August decided to amputate his left leg. His service dog, Kai, provides bracing support when he's fatigued.

During the Games' opening ceremony, August propelled down from a Black Hawk helicopter to where Kai was waiting. Kai also stays courtside as August competes in volleyball, just in case he needs help. “Kai is my best friend,” August says. “He's been with me through the toughest times, and the best of times.”

Although the dogs aren't directly involved in the sports, the athletes see their wins as victories for the pups too.

“When I win a medal or two, it's her earning it too,” says Leonard. During this year's games, he won the gold medal for the 100-meter freestyle and was joined on the podium by Azza.

It's inspiring to see these teams work together to not only survive, but to excel on a global stage.

As wildfires spread in Fort McMurray, Canada, about 88,000 people have left the area after a mandatory evacuation. Calgary based airline WestJet played a key role in getting evacuees out of the oil sands community, running about 70 flights in and out over the last two days. Their participation is part of an existing relationship with Suncor and Shell, so it had the benefit of being privately funded (as opposed to other aspects of the evacuation). These flights have been particularly unique, not only because of the circumstances, but because of the canine passengers. Many of the evacuees left so quickly they didn't bring a kennel for their pups, meaning most four legged passengers couldn't fly in cargo. So WestJet allowed people to travel with their dogs sitting on the floor next to their seat.

Evacuees posted photos of their flying pups on Instagram, and it seems like, despite the cramped conditions, all of the dogs managed to get along. I'm sure having these pups in the cabin was comforting to the many stressed passengers. All of their possessions may be gone, but at least they had their entire family with them--both human and canine. 

Not all dogs were as lucky as the WestJet canines. Some pets were stuck at home as their owners were out of town when the evacuation order was put in place or at work while roads were closed off. McMurray Fire Emergency Animal Assistance set up an online form for people to report stranded pets, but there aren't any official rescue plans in place yet. Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society is coordinating grassroots rescue efforts. To help out, visit their Facebook page.

It seems after every disaster we say there needs to be better planning that involves pets. We know that people will refuse to evacuate or move into a shelter without their pets, so it's extremely important that we put this type of support in place.

Back in 2012, Bob and Elizabeth Monyak boarded their two dogs at Atlanta kennel Barking Hound Village while they were on a family vacation in France. When the Monyaks dropped the pups off, they gave special instructions to give Rimadyl to their Labrador Retriever, Callie, for her arthritis. But when they picked the dogs up, it seemed like something went wrong. Their Dachshund mix, Lola, had no appetite and started trembling the next day.

When they took Lola to the veterinarian, she was diagnosed with renal failure, which the vet believed was consistent with an overdose of Rimadyl. Lola received countless treatments from veterinarians in Georgia and Florida, but sadly Lola passed away nine months later.

The Monyaks sued the kennel, accusing them of giving Callie's medication to Lola. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court of Georgia, but the case in question was not whether the kennel caused Lola's death, but what damages the Monyaks are owed, if any.

Barking Hound Village argues that Lola is considered property and that the Monyaks are entitled only to her "market value." Since Lola was adopted, they allege the family is owned nothing. However, the Monyaks want to recover the $67,000 in veterinary expenses they spent on her care. In addition, they also want a jury to be able to consider the emotional value tied to Lola. The little pup was a part of their family for eight years and loosing her, especially under these circumstances, was heartbreaking.

But there's not much precedent for awarding Monyak what they're asking for. David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University, says that when it comes to damages for the death of a pet, state supreme courts have usually knocked down trial and appellate court decisions tied to emotional or "non-economic" damages. It's not unusual to get some compensation for veterinary costs, but $67,000 is a stretch.

The tide could be changing, but not very fast. In a few states, legislation has given the green light for some recoverable damages. For instance, in Tennessee, people can recover up to $5,000 "for the loss of the reasonable expected society, companionship, love and affection of the pet." David also notes that people can now create trust provisions for their pets, which is an acknowledgement that they aren't the same kind of property as a random object.

But it's also more complicated than it looks on the surface. The American Veterinary Medical Association is not in favor of the Monyaks receiving emotional damages because they believe a ruling in their favor could lead to increase liability for people who care and treat pets. Also, these situations would benefit the wealthy, since they tend to spend more on pet care (though this is not totally true, I have friends who have risked all of their savings to provide care for a sick dog.)

I think Bob Monyak makes a very good rebuttal. He says that "the amount people spend on pets would be irrational if they didn't have a value greater than their market value. No one would spent $1,000 to fix a $10 toaster."

While Barking Hound Village's lawyer, Joel McKie, believes that Lola "has no special training or unique characteristics, other than that of a 'family dog,'" I think we can all agree that a family dog, even one adopted for free, is far from worthless. When I think of my own pups, I know that their value is immeasurable.