Why we treat our pets like royalty

"BACK IN NOVEMBER 2007, Utah's Deseret News wrote up a five-year-old Shih Tzu whose wardrobe included a pink mohair sweater and a fur-trimmed parka. The same month, the Arizona Republic reported on the growing popularity of puppy Tupperware parties. And in South Carolina, the Greenville News highlighted an increasingly common sight on local sidewalks: pet strollers. Such conveyances might have proved popular at the six Dallas-area malls that announced preholiday 'pet nights,' where animals could sit for a picture with Santa. Gilded-age indulgences that ended when recession officially arrived a month later? Hardly."

Why we treat our pets like royalty - The Boston Globe

Study: Dogs closer to humans than chimps

"Chimps may share more of our genes, but dogs have lived with us for so long – in our houses, on our beds (and, of course, sneaking out for late night poker games) – they may evolved into a better model for understanding human social behavior, according to a new study."

ohmidog.com

Is Global Warming About to Cause Harm to Your Pet?

"Hotter summers and milder winters have a hidden health impact, with experts now cautioning that warmer year-round weather will make more countries a haven for disease-carrying pests."

DogMagazine.net

German shepherd wakes owner from stroke, saves his life

"Czardoz is a gentle giant, who is never more than a couple steps from Terry Thaden’s side. It’s that special bond and devotion to his owner that made the 128-pound German shepherd a hero."

German shepherd wakes owner from stroke, saves his life:

Canine agility event no small feat for tiny competitors

"A tiny Yorkshire terrier sailed over hurdles. Two low-slung dachshunds dashed through nylon tunnels. A Jack Russell terrier jumped through a hoop and then ran up a steep ramp and down the other side. The feats drew applause and cheers of 'Good dog!' as 25 dogs competed last weekend at the Keystone Canine Training Club in Bethel Park."

Canine agility event no small feat for tiny competitors:

Unleashed: Top pet illnesses

"According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, ear infections are the No. 1 condition for dogs and lower urinary tract disease the No. 1 for cats."

Baltimore Sun

Airport dog still outsmarting' his would-be rescuers | buddy, cage, vickers - News - Jacksonville Daily News

"A walker hound that appeared at the Albert J. Ellis airport more than a year ago continues to outsmart those who are trying to capture him and get him to a veterinarian."

Jacksonville (NC) Daily News

Miniature Pinscher Fudge defies odds to recover from mauling by another dog

"PINT-sized pooch Fudge is back on all four paws - after vets feared he would never walk again. The canine - who stands just 12 inches tall - spent four weeks in a full body cast after being savaged in an horrific attack by another dog."

Halifax Evening Courier

Quebec dognappers demand $5K ransom

"Police near Montreal are hoping to collar dognappers who are demanding a $5,000 ransom for the return of a snatched Yorkshire terrier."

Edmonton Sun

Canine inheritor sparks legal dogfight

"Thelma L. Russell signed her last will and testament in California on March 18, 1957. Handwritten on a filing card, it was short and to the point: 'I leave everything I own, Real and Personal, to Chester H. Quinn&Roxy Russell --Thelma L. Russell.' More than one judge puzzled over her will after Thelma died. The problem with her will was not that it was brief, not that it was handwritten, but that Roxy Russell was her dog.

Canine inheritor sparks legal dogfight

Prospective search-and-rescue dogs sniff out certification

"Storm pawed the rubble, sniffing and poking, trying to pick up the scent. The 3-year-old German shepherd, was a prospective search-and-rescue dog. His job was to find two living people, buried beneath the rubble on this Sunday afternoon."

Prospective search-and-rescue dogs sniff out certification : Local News : Memphis Commercial Appeal

Westminster dog show winner has star turn in Fort Worth

"There was no limousine or red carpet, but when Stump appeared at the Fort Worth Kennel Club dog show Saturday, there were definitely flashing cameras."

Westminster dog show winner has star turn in Fort Worth | Fort Worth | Star-Telegram.com

5th dog dies during Iditarod race

"A fifth dog has died during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. An 8-year-old male named Omen in musher Rick Larson's team died early Friday on the trail between the Elim and White Mountain checkpoints."

The Associated Press: 5th dog dies during Iditarod race

Oldest living dog about to turn 21

"Old dogs… ya' gotta love 'em! Chanel, a soon to be 21 year old Daschund from Port Jefferson Station, NY has been certified by The Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living dog in the world. Her parents, Denice and Karl Shaughnessy know just how special she is. Denice adopted Chanel as a puppy in 1988 from a shelter in Virginia when she was living there during her time in the US Army."

Philadelphia Dog Advocate Examiner: Oldest living dog about to turn 21