Summer is in full swing which means it’s vacation time! If you have a pet, though, you’ve got a lot of extra preparation to consider before you even pack your bags: Where will the dog stay? Who will take care of the cats? Why not take them with you!
Many hotels and resorts around the world are realizing how important pets are to their guests and have become accommodating by not only allowing supervised pets on the properties but some even go so far as to provide special outdoor areas for them as well.
My friend and fellow pet lover Alicia helped …read more

Trakr, part of one of the first canine rescue units at the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks and the dog to find the last human survivor, is to be cloned later this year.
Trakr’s owner James Symington entered a contest by California-based BioArts International that called for entrants to share why they had the most clone-worthy pet, and it’s easy to see why Trakr was picked!
His DNA will be sent to Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Korea and the clone could be born before the end of the year.
[image used with permission from newscom.com]

Catster has a really interesting article up illustrating the time line for how quickly cats actually age compared to humans. Because their typical lifespan is so much shorter than ours, their milestones and physical aging obviously come on a lot sooner than ours do, thus the “how old is he in cat years.”
The old “seven cat or dog years to one human year” doesn’t seem to hold true, either. In fact, a cat ages to about 24 within its first two actual years of life, and by the time a cat reaches the end of its lifetime around 14 …read more

I love ferrets. We’ve had the opportunity to pet-sit them a couple of times for friends and they’re such sweet little things. What keeps us from getting any of our own is the age-old issue of scent. My husband had two ferrets at two separate times before we met and he said that even though they were “de-scented” they were still pretty odorous.
Oh well. I can now get my fix from the Smithsonian’s Ferret Cam! Georgia, a black-footed ferret, gave birth on June 20th. This is a big deal because The National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Front …read more

Hope, a one year-old Maltese puppy with only nubs where her front legs should be, is finally getting a chance to see what life is like with a little mobility!
The custom designed harness is attached to independently moving arms that are actually attached to model airplane wheels, and with a just a bit of push from her hind legs she’s able to move around almost as she should as opposed to the hopping she previously did.
As she gets older she’ll have to have another device made for her. Make sure you check out the rest of the article linked above …read more

The Early Show on CBS did a segment last week on the smartest and dumbest dog breeds. I’ve heard of some breeds not being as bright as others, I’m not sure what their criteria was.
Anyway, they say the dumbest breeds are:
1. Afghan Hound
2. Basenji
3. Bulldog
4. Chow Chow
5. Borzois
6. Bloodhound
7. Pekingese
8. Mastiff
9. Beagle
10. Basset hound
and the smartest are:
1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Like I said, I’m not sure what they’re basing their rankings on exactly. I’ve known a pretty smart beagle and a dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks poodle so it’s a …read more

A pitbull that once belonged to Michael Vick and used for dogfighting has a new gig!
Leo is now a therapy dog at both the Camino Infusion Center where he brings comfort to to patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and he’s also working at Alternative Placement Academy in San Jose, where the young men seem to identify with the dog’s hard-luck background.
“He is wonderful, and all the patients love Leo,” said Paula Reed, the Infusion Center’s oncology director. “They really love his eyes and gentleness.”
Leo was rescued along with 50 other pitbulls when Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia was raided …read more

Not this bird! Not too long ago, Yosuke, an African grey parrot in Tokyo, flew out of his cage and ended up lost.
Two weeks later he was rescued from a neighboring rooftop and taken to a veterinary hospital. During the time he was with the police who found him, he didn’t say a peep. Once he got to the hospital, though, he got a bit vocal:
“I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,” the bird told the veterinarian. The parrot then provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.
The hospital staff checked …read more

Pet laws in California may be changing soon: One lawmaker wants to make it illegal for pets to ride on their owners’ laps while driving and offenders could face a $35 fine.
He says he was inspired to introduce the bill when he witnessed one driver with three dogs on her lap at once!
To be honest I think this is a good move. Keeping your pet restrained either in a carrier or pet-specific seat harness while in a moving vehicle not only keeps them safe but you as well.
Restraining your pet helps you concentrate, and what happens if you’re …read more

Image details: Chihuahua served by picapp.com
Well, my chihuahuas don’t go “beep beep!” but one in Detroit does!
For the last four months Peanut the chihuahua’s owner, Ken Brown, has been building the three year-old dog a remote controlled Volkswagen Beetle!
It’s not finished yet but he says when it is it’ll have turn signals, spinners, a horn, headlights and a padded seat. He hopes to have it done by Memorial Day weekend:
Brown said the car will go up to 15 m.p.h., but he plans to slow the engine so Peanut won’t have such a bumpy ride. And if the car …read more