Devoted Daddies

The following article was written by former PETA intern Jared Misner.

If you've forgotten to buy that annual necktie, you'd better hurry! This Sunday is Father's Day. We couldn't be thankful enough for our own dads. The man who changed our diapers, carried us on his shoulders, and was somehow able to fix anything and everything with a bottle of super glue and a hammer gets his very own day this weekend. Whether you're letting your own dad relax by the pool or on the couch on Sunday, showering him with "Remember when?" memories, or watching him unwrap another polka-dot tie, Sunday's the perfect day to let that one special guy know how much he means to you.

You're not the only one who's proud to have such a perfect papa. Check out this list of animal dads and the amazing lengths they swim, crawl, and hop for their own babies! Plus, who doesn't love pictures of cute baby animals?

• Seahorses: If the animal kingdom doled out "Best Daddy Awards," these guys would win, year after year. Giving the mama seahorse a break from pregnancy, the male seahorse actually carries the fertilized eggs in a special pouch until up to 2,000 baby seahorses are ready to swim into the world. This guy deserves more than a card.

• Emperor Penguins: Maybe we're a little biased by just how cute these flightless birds are, but the South Pole substitute-sweater dads deserve some thanks too! After mommy penguin lays an egg, it's the father who keeps the egg warm by huddling it inside a special skin flap while the tiny penguin grows inside. And that takes months in below-freezing temperatures!

• Lions: Just ask Mufasa how much these big cats love their cubs. We like to call this guy the ultimate "watch dad." While the female lion does most of the hunting for the family, it's the mane-sporting "man of the house" who watches over his babies and fights to the death for their safety. With up to a dozen cubs to mind at once, the King of the Jungle has no shortage of daycare responsibilities.

Think of any animal dads we left out? Let us know by posting a comment!