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It’s so difficult to know what to give her. Every Valentine’s Day, I struggle with the decision. She knows I love her. That is not a question. I tell her how much she means to me nearly every day. But on Valentine’s Day, she deserves something special, something tangible that conveys the depths of my feelings for her. I often ask other guys for suggestions, but none of their ideas seem to be what I’m looking for. I’ll tell you what she likes. She likes it best when we just go for a long walk together. Just the other evening,...

DNA Test Helps Enforce Pet Clean Up Policy SAN DIEGO - The same DNA technology that has solved cold case murders is now being used to crack down on a whole new class of criminals: dog owners who don't clean up after their pets. "Unfortunately, people leave surprises in my yard, but I always carry plastic bags, so I can clean up those surprises," said dog owner Ted Stevens. Now, BioPet Vet Lab ,a company in Knoxville, Tenn., has developed technology that is says can identify the dogs that leave unwelcome calling cards on neighborhood lawns. The system, called Pooprints,...

Out for a walk with 42 Saint Bernard dogs Lasquite's Saint Bernards on Lasqueti Island Canada (Click onto the link to view the two-minute + video on the Fox 43 WPMT webpage)

Dog: man's best friend for over 33,000 years He's been man's best friend for generations. An ancient dog skull found in Siberia and dating back 33,000 years presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication. When combined with a similar find in Belgium, the two skulls indicate that the domestication of dogs by humans occurred repeatedly throughout early human history at different geographic locations -- rather than at a single domestication event, as previously believed. "Both the Belgian find and the Siberian find are domesticated species based on morphological characteristics," said Greg Hodgins, a researcher at the University...

For much of the past decade, the Iranian government has tolerated what it considers a particularly depraved and un-Islamic vice: the keeping of pet dogs. During periodic crackdowns, police have confiscated dogs from their owners right off the street; and state media has lectured Iranians on the diseases spread by canines. The cleric Gholamreza Hassani, from the city of Urmia, has been satirized for his sermons railing against "short-legged" and "holdable" dogs. But as with the policing of many other practices (like imbibing alcoholic drinks) that are deemed impure by the mullahs but perfectly fine to many Iranians, the state...

It's a universal truth that dogs are man's best friend, but they're pretty darn loyal to their own as well. Case in point: this tear-inducing video, via the website Jezebel, showing a dog, shivering and disoriented, remaining loyally by the side of a stricken fellow canine amid the devastation of the Japanese tsunami.

SAN DIEGO -- Two small dogs have been quarantined after one of them chewed a couple of toes off of their elderly owner early Thursday, investigators said. Police received an emergency call just before 5:30 a.m. from the man's caretaker. The caller said he found the victim lying in bed amid blood-soaked sheets at their home in the 200 block of West California Street in Mission Hills. The caretaker then discovered that his roommate was missing three left toes and that one of the men's two small dogs had blood on its snout, SDPD spokeswoman Andra Brown said. Paramedics took...

A Valley neighborhood is outraged after two dogs are shot and killed by local police. The Shelburn Town Marshal says he was forced to shoot two dogs. Officer Doug Inman says he was called to a field off Mill Street, where neighbors say a pack of dogs were fighting. Inman tried to break-up the fight and even fired shots into the ground to scare the dogs. When that didn't work he shot two mastiff puppies. The family says he had no right to kill the dogs. "I'm just glad it wasn't a child out being attacked by these two dogs,"...

<p>Target was credited with saving American lives in Afghanistan.</p> <p>FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - A dog named Target that lived through explosions in war-torn Afghanistan couldn't survive a brief stay at an Arizona animal shelter.</p>

Joy Tiz ©2010 "Some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for a very long time and they’re not always happy with me. They talk about me like a dog. That’s not in my prepared remarks, but it’s true." Barack H. Obama The Canine-American community is deeply offended by Barack Obama’s off-prompter remarks in Milwaukee which suggested that being compared to a dog is meant as an insult. Canine advocacy groups were quick to point out that dogs are, in fact, loyal and trustworthy—traits that cannot be associated with human politicians. Word of this most recent affront...

How LOST should have ended... Dream of the yellow dog

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Buddy the German shepherd was hailed Friday as a hero for guiding Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to a fire at his owners' workshop. "Buddy is an untrained dog who for some reason recognized the severity of the situation and acted valiantly in getting help for his family,...."

Loyal guide dog gets owner home from 120-mile journey before collapsing and dying By Daily Mail Reporter A loyal guide dog defied an massive tumour to get his owner home safely after a 120-mile trip before collapsing and dying. Comet the Labrador retriever braved his painful condition so that David Quarmby, 61, could get home safely from his train and bus journeys. Minutes after they arrived at Mr Quarmby's home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, from Birmingham, Comet collapsed and died while being given anaesthetic by a vet. Mr Quarmby said: 'He got me off the bus, across the road and...

Trial ordered for man accused of fatally choking puppy By Kelly Wheeler City News Service March 11, 2010 SAN DIEGO - A La Jolla man accused of choking his 10-week-old puppy -- which later died -- as punishment for barking and nipping his girlfriend on the nose must stand trial on two felony animal cruelty charges, a judge ruled today. David Hale Warner, 50, faces up to three years in prison if convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Garrett Randall. The defendant was on probation for domestic violence at the time of his arrest, the prosecutor said. Warner and his girlfriend...

A Slovenian who saved his three dogs from being put down for attacking humans was himself mauled to death by them, police said Wednesday.

Savage beagles terrorize East End By TAYLOR K. VECSEY January 31, 2010 Charlie Brown, watch your back -- a plague of vicious wild beagles has struck Long Island! These floppy-eared terrors are no lovable Snoopys -- they're abandoned hunting dogs that live in packs and have gone from humble pets to hounds from hell. Mattituck resident Dot Faszczewski came face to face with the canine menace two weeks ago, when she was set upon by a group of crazed, hungry beagles as she walked her pet dogs near her parents' Orient Point home. She said it was like a scene...

Southfield (WWJ) -- The FBI will hold a memorial for the K-9 killed during a shootout in Dearborn and the dog's name will be added to a memorial wall. Freddy was a nearly 3-year-old Belgian Malinois who was killed Wednesday during a gun battle between agents and Luqman Ameen Abdullah, described as the radical leader of a Sunni Islam group.

A POLICE sniffer dog helped track down five teenagers who have been arrested over a rock-throwing incident in Melbourne's north-east overnight. It's claimed the five threw concrete and masonry at cars driving along St Georges Road in Northcote, including a taxi at about 3.15am. The taxi driver contacted police, who dispatched a canine unit to the area. Nat the Rottweiler sniffed out one offender hiding in a creek bed and the remaining four under a building at a local school. The group was taken to the Northcote police station for questioning. Police have called for any witnesses to come forward.

Man escapes charges for barbecuing pet dog By Saeed Ahmed CNN (CNN) -- A man who roasted his pet dog to enjoy as a meal with his family and friends escaped prosecution after authorities in New Zealand determined the animal was killed humanely. "We were in a dilemma at seeing something we were fairly upset about -- but being in a position of being able to do absolutely nothing about it," said Garth Halliday, of the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, on Monday. The SPCA -- which investigates acts of animal cruelty and presses charges --...

LEESBURG, Va. - Leesburg Police confirm a 20-year-old resident and another dog were killed by a family member's two pit bulls. Carter Delaney was killed by his brother's young pit bulls and neighbors say his grandfather made the disturbing discovery in the 100 block of Plaza Street NE shortly before 2 p.m. Monday. "We were really saddened by it. Me and my kids are going to come out and put something down," said neighbor Doodie Summers. Neighbors who lived near the Leesburg home where Delaney was mauled to death by two family pit bulls were shocked. "Oh my God, it...

Rosalie James' dance partner has two left feet - or make that paws. And two right ones. James and her 7-year-old Australian Labradoodle Rocky are champion canine freestylers. She also helped to organize the Rio Grande Canine Freestylers, an Albuquerque, N.M., group of doggie dancers. James says your pooch doesn't have to be a wall flower. She says just about any dog can learn to dance. All it takes is practice and patience. She tells the Albuquerque Journal the most important thing about dancing with dogs is to have fun.

Eric Peterson of Brookings is a rescuer times two. First, he rescued Eve, a 2-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier. Now, with a demanding training regimen behind them, he's ready to undertake some search-and-rescue missions - with a lot of help from his pawed pal and partner. Eve is now qualified in "tracking and trailing ." She and Peterson are part of the Brookings County Sheriff's Department K-9 Search and Rescue program. A scenario for her and Peterson might be a situation where a nursing-home resident suffering from dementia wanders off or a child wanders away from home and becomes lost.

January 26, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- When we think of police canine units, the breed that most commonly comes to mind is the German shepherd. But rookie canines on the job now are anything but ordinary. The two newest members of the Cook County Sheriff's K9 unit are unique and are already performing beyond expectations. A big bloodhound puppy named Melanie helped police rescued a suicidal man from a forest preserve earlier this month.

The castaway dog who swam SIX miles through shark-infested waters, then survived FOUR months on a desert island By Richard Shears Last updated at 5:27 PM on 06th April 2009 When Jan Griffith's beloved dog, Sophie Tucker fell overboard from her family's yacht she feared her pet had drowned. But Sophie Tucker, a grey and black cattle dog, wasn't going to give up that easily. The determined pet swam six miles through ferocious shark-infested seas to an island, where she survived for more than four months by hunting wild goats for food. The extraordinary story of the castaway hound emerged...

Gang kicked dog in air and threatened to do same to owner Lisa Kenyon March 20, 2009 A DOG was viciously attacked by a gang of youths while walking through Milnshaw Park, Accrington, with its owner. William Townsley, 66, was walking his 14-year-old partially-blind Cairn terrier Snoopy through the park at around 1pm on Monday. As he was passing the children’s play area, William said a group of around 18 Asian youths racially abused him, shouting obscenities before kicking the defenceless dog in the face and ribs. William, of Devonshire Street, Accrington, said: "I could hear them shouting racial obscenities...

A shoplifting dog leaves store employees scratching their heads. KSL's John Hollenhorst reports. (Video at link.)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2008 – Despite losing a leg in combat, Army Sgt. Chris Alvin Burrell is focusing on his rehabilitation to one day return to what he calls his “normal day of work.” Army Sgt. Chris Burrell is focused on his rehabilitation since losing a leg in an explosion in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood on Dec. 26, 2007. He hopes to return to his job as a canine handler. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “My main focus right now is to heal properly and quickly in the right timeframe, and just make sure I’m healed...

Discovery could push back the date for the earliest dog by 17,700 years An international team of scientists has just identified what they believe is the world's first known dog, which was a large and toothy canine that lived 31,700 years ago and subsisted on a diet of horse, musk ox and reindeer, according to a new study. The discovery could push back the date for the earliest dog by 17,700 years, since the second oldest known dog, found in Russia, dates to 14,000 years ago. Remains for the older prehistoric dog, which were excavated at Goyet Cave in Belgium,...

Enlarge ImageDoggie diversity. Researchers have linked pointing, herding, and other canine traits to specific gene variations.Credit: Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition The adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks may have some basis in truth, or at least in DNA. It turns out that a pointer's point, a border collie's herding instinct, and several other canine characteristics may be hard-wired in dogs' genes, according to a new study. The advance could help breeders weed out diseases in man's best friend and shed light on the genetic basis of certain human disorders. Since humans first domesticated dogs...

I’ve heard of bomb sniffing dogs, cadaver dogs, and even hot dogs, but I’ve never heard of pub sniffer dogs. Where else but in Scotland would you find this rare canine breed? (A police operation has started in south west Scotland to send sniffer dogs into pubs to search for drugs. A total of 13 bars were visited by patrols in the Stranraer area as part of the initiative.) Going undercover requires the dog to assume the identity of the typical pub goer. Once it procures the confidence of the locals, it is free to search for drugs while the...

Canine Influenza Was Around Earlier Than Once ThoughtThe canine influenza virus, first identified in 2004, had been circulating in the greyhound population for at least five years prior to its discovery and may have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of respiratory disease among dogs at racing tracks during that period. (Credit: iStockphoto/Nico Smit) ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2008) — The canine influenza virus, first identified in 2004, had been circulating in the greyhound population for at least five years prior to its discovery and may have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of respiratory disease among dogs at racing tracks during that...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Feb. 21, 2008 – Hearing a noise in the hallway, Dean gets out of his bed on the floor and trots to the door as he searches the cool February air for a clue. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Vaneta Vaughn, the top enlisted soldier with 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, scratches Dean, the battalion chaplain’s dog, behind his ear at Camp Taji, Iraq, Feb. 16, 2008. Dean deployed to Iraq with the soldiers as the battalion’s therapy dog. Photo by Pfc. April Campbell, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution...

Lost "Mohammed" Dog Poster Left in Front of Muslim This happened in Lewiston, Maine, the same place where a ham steak left on a lunch bag was investigated as a hate crime. Check out the phone number on the poster, Tommy Tutone now wanted for questioning.... LEWISTON (NEWS CENTER) -- Members of the Somali community in Lewiston say a poster put up in front of a local Somali owned store is an insult to their religion The poster depicts a vicious "lost" dog named Mohammed. That's the name of the Muslim prophet. It says that the dog is not good...

VINTON, Iowa -- It's one thing for Hillary Clinton's campaign to turn down interview requests for the candidate's daughter, Chelsea. But can't a 9-year old reporter catch a break? Sydney Rieckoff, a Cedar Rapids fourth grader and "kid reporter" for Scholastic News, has posed questions to seven Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls as they've campaigned across Iowa this year. But when she approached the 27-year-old Chelsea after a campaign event Sunday, she got a different response. "Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?" Rieckoff asked, but Chelsea brushed her question aside. "I'm...

Multi-millionaire dog receives death threats A dog left £6million by her late owner has been moved to a safe house after receiving death threats. Trouble, a small white Maltese, inherited her fortune from property and hotel billionaire Leona Helmsley. The dog came out significantly better in its owner's will than members of the Helmsley family - two of her grandchildren received nothing. But the so-called Queen of Mean's multi-million dollar trust fund for Trouble may have backfired. The New York Post reports that Trouble's new guardians have received around two dozen death threats directed at the bitch. Two months ago,...

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Sometimes rescuers need to be rescued, too. Candace Jennings was sleeping on the couch when she was nudged awake by her dog, Anna, to find her mobile home engulfed in flames early Thanksgiving Day. The blond heeler, an abused stray dog Jennings had adopted from an animal shelter, whined and howled until they ran outside. "I had an awful headache. The place was filled with smoke," she told the Idaho Statesman for a story published Saturday. But Jennings said she ran back into her burning home to save some items. "I'm a janitor in town," she...

Police: Dog shows signs of rape It's a crime so disgusting that Sheriff Joe is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone who can help catch these sick criminals. Police say a year-old Russell Terrier was dropped off at a valley animal hospital where vets determined the dog had been raped. Witnesses have described to police who they saw going into and leaving the clinic around the time the dog was dropped off. Anyone with information about this case can call the Sheriff's Department. Note: Click on the MyFoxPhoenix.com link to watch the video news report of this story.

Has a mythical beast turned up in Texas? By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer August 31, 2007 Phylis Canion lived in Africa for four years. She's been a hunter all her life and has the mounted heads of a zebra and other exotic animals in her house to prove it. But the roadkill she found last month outside her ranch was a new one even for her, worth putting in a freezer hidden from curious onlookers: Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra. "It is one ugly creature," Canion said, holding the head of the...

By ERICA ESTEP 6 News Anchor/Reporter KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A West Knoxville family is calling their dog a hero after he chased off some burglars. But he was stabbed in the process. "Jake," an eight-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever, has a heavily bandaged neck but five days ago, he suffered a traumatic injury. However, Jake's owners didn't even know their home had been broken into and couldn't figure out what had caused their dog's injury. "There was just blood everywhere. He was saturated. I mean, it was all down his chest, both his legs, it had even gotten on down his...

Two Muslim groups have indicated their willingness to exhibit controversial sketches by artist Lars Vilks after galleries in western Sweden declined to show the artworks for fear of Islamist reprisals. Inspired by Sweden's recent 'roundabout dogs' craze, Vilks composed a series of sketches portraying the Muslim prophet Muhammad as just such a creature. The well-known artist took his pictures to galleries in Värmland and Bohuslän. Both however refused to show the drawings on the grounds that the security risk was too great. But now two groups - the Secular Muslims in Sweden (Semus) network and the magazine Minaret - have...

Pretty wild story. Lady says she knew the dog was protective and smart, but didn't know he was that protective. http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=78FFC93F0D7D5F5C3583DF36353673BE?contentId=3939482&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

PETA'S GOT BETTER FRIENDS THAN MICHAEL VICK Even if Vick wins his legal battle, here's a hint that the PR war will be a bloodbath. In a show of its political clout, PETA sent a letter in conjunction with longtime allies Russell Simmons and Al Sharpton to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, NFL commish Roger Goodell and Vick's corporate sponsors condemning dogfighting. At every turn, people around Vick have anonymously thrown him under the bus. Coincidentally, PETA's friends use their names for the very same reason. Oh yeah, Vick's in bad shape. Really, is there a worse pair of enemies for...

...Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could talk, like Dr. Doolittle, to the animals? Of course it would, but take heart: We actually can talk with them, in a manner of speaking. Human vocabulary may elude our pets, but they all communicate in consistent ways. By learning to read their tails, ears, fur and vocalizations, we can become fluent in such foreign tongues as Siamese and Persian, Pekingese and Bernese.

Charlie the black lab is in trouble after driving his owner's car into the Pend Oreille River. Owner Mark Ewing had just returned home from picking up a pizza Wednesday evening. As he walked to his home, Charlie jumped into the car through an open window, and apparently knocked the vehicle into gear. "He somehow got the car into neutral," Ewing said. "My car just went boom, down an incline and into the drink." Ewing could only watch as his Chevy Impala sank into the river. No dummy, Charlie jumped out of the window as the car went downhill.

Mon 11 Jun 2007 Sniffer dogs sacked for lewd behaviour ETHAN MCNERN TWO Thai strays who became ace sniffer dogs at an airport near the notorious "Golden Triangle" opium-producing region have been fired for urinating on luggage and sexually harassing female passengers. The pair, Mok and Lai, had been plucked from obscurity under a programme initiated by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to turn strays into police dogs, the Bangkok Post said on Sunday. They won plaudits from police for their work in sniffing out drugs at northern Thailand's Chiang Rai airport, near the border with Laos and Myanmar. But so many...

Animal cruelty case yields 'doggone' dismissal June 6, 2007 By Peter Hirschfeld Times Argus Staff CHELSEA – A woman facing jail time for "staring" at a police dog had charges against her dropped Monday after an Orange County prosecutor viewed videotape of the alleged crime. Jayna Hutchinson, now of Lebanon, N.H., was scheduled for a jury trial this week on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. A Vermont State Police sergeant said Hutchinson was intoxicated and stared at his police dog in a "taunting/harassing manner" last July while officers were in the process of investigating a reported melee outside...

5/23/2007 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- He sizes up his troops with an icy glare. As he scrutinizes his trainees' every move, he wonders to himself, "Which one will be a problem? Who will be crazy, lazy, or skittish? Who's going to be clumsy or a slow learner? Who will separate himself as the best of the best?" He barks out his commands, and they do their best to try to please him. Still, the instructor knows he has his work cut out for him. This group is really doggin' it. But that's not necessarily a bad...

Dogs Bite Mail Carriers Most In California (May 17, 2007)--It looks like mail carriers have a better chance of being bitten in California than any place else in America. As Dog Bite Awareness Week kicks off Thursday, the Post Office is releasing information on where the biggest problems are for carriers, and noting safety tips for dog owners. The New York metropolitan area had no record of a mail carrier bitten last year. Santa Ana, Calif. had the most: 96. In fact, of the top-five most likely places where mail carriers are bitten, three are in California. One carrier in...

Dogs are scarce in Abuja because many now eat dog meat openly The famous reverse news headline "Man bites dog!" is old news to some restaurants in Nigeria's capital, Abuja."Welcome to animal kingdom where man pikin dey show dog pepper," says Chibuzo Eze in Pidgin English, meaning: Welcome to place where the son of man is giving dogs a hard time. Mr Eze then hungrily gets back to tugging his chunk of dog meat. He is standing under a mango tree in "South Africa", the name of an open-air restaurant hidden behind the living quarters of a Western construction...