No Doggie Bags Needed: More Eateries Let You Bring In Your Dog

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By Gretchen McKay for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh — For some, it’s proof that the dining scene has, quite literally, gone to the dogs.

But to animal lovers such as Dan and Joan Huber of Observatory Hill, eating with your pet al fresco at a favorite restaurant is like the cherry on top of a sundae . . . or should we say a tasty piece of rawhide after a dinner of kibble. Whatever the language, it’s a treat.

It’s also savvy marketing, as Cassis on Western Avenue in Allegheny West has been pleased to discover. While dog owners are hardly taking over, the restaurant has drawn as many as seven dogs and their masters to its patio off Galveston Avenue since starting its Tuesday “Bowl and Biscuit Night” in July, and promoting it on Facebook. Regulars include the Hubers and their 2-year-old miniature schnauzer, Samson Amadeus.

Walking with your pooch to a neighborhood hangout is one thing. The Hubers load their wiry bundle of energy into their car, and happily so, for the 10-minute drive to the North Side. Why should neighbors be the only ones to enjoy owner/executive chef Dianne Porter’s good eats?

“Lady Di always has a beautiful menu,” says Mrs. Huber, who on a recent Tuesday was noshing on baked brie with roasted peppers and potatoes. “And he loves Tuesday nights.”

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Dog Eats Entire Beehive, Wins Award

Admin: Melody Chen

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By Jill Rosen for Baltimore Sun

It’s not often a dog is rewarded for her silliness.

Except of course with the annual Hambone Award, bestowed by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. The firm solicits stories of pets with extremely unusual insurance claims. People then vote on their favorite wacky story.

This year nearly 3,000 folks went to the polls and chose the story of Ellie: A California labrador that gorged on a beehive.

Here’s Ellie’s story, as told by VPI:

Robert Coe and his wife Sandra of Santee, Calif., thought they had seen the last of the bees buzzing around their home after exterminators sprayed a hive in their yard. That is until later that night when Sandra noticed the family’s 1-year-old Labrador retriever wasn’t acting like herself.

“My wife saw Ellie throw up several times,” said Robert. “There were hundreds of dead bees in each pile.”

Unbeknownst to the Coes, Ellie had discovered and eaten the beehive after the exterminators had left. Frightened by the volume of dead bees Ellie was vomiting, Sandra decided the dog needed to go to the veterinary hospital

The emergency veterinarian on duty examined Ellie and determined she had most likely only ingested dead bees and hadn’t been stung. Additionally, Poison Control indicated the pesticide did not pose a significant risk of toxicity. After a dose of anti-nausea medication and a few hours of observation, Ellie was on her way back home.

For the next week, the Coes administered over-the-counter antacid tablets and put Ellie on a diet of plain white rice and chicken. “She was eating better than we were,” joked Robert. “She acted just fine that week, really, but every time she went to the bathroom, she pooped bees. Thousands of bees. I don’t know where they all came from – the hive wasn’t that large.”

As Hambone winner, Ellie’s owners, Robert and Sandra Coe, get a bronze trophy in the shape of a ham and a basket of doggie toys and treats.

Celebrating The Resilience Of Three-Legged Dogs

Admin: Melody Chen

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By Joe Rubino for Daily Camera

Wyatt’s playfulness and enthusiasm belies the struggles he’s faced during his 17-month life.

The German shepherd, who belongs to Jim Nelson and René Agredano, had his front, right leg amputated after getting it tangled while he was tied up in a previous owner’s back yard.

“He was at a German shepherd rescue shelter in northern California,” Nelson said. “They found us and said ‘Hey, you need a new mascot.’”

The Fort Collins couple founded Tripawds.com, an online forum and support network for owners of three-legged dogs and dogs with cancer, after their 8-year-old German shepherd Jerry contracted cancer and lost a leg in 2007.

Jerry died in 2009, but the Tripawds community has continued to grow, now including more than 1,500 members around the world, Nelson said.

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Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore: Video

Admin: Kenn Bell

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Coming to theaters July 30th!

At Many Restaurants Now, You Can Take Your Dog To Dinner

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By Sharon L. Peters, special for USA TODAY

Alfresco dining is going to the dogs.

From coast to coast, an ever-growing number of eating establishments, many of them high-end, are opening their patios to diners who want to share their eating-out experience with their pets.

“To appreciate food and life is to appreciate animals, too,” says Art Smith, owner/chef of the chic Art and Soul restaurant on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C, which draws scores of Washingtonians to its canine-welcoming patio every week.

Servers offer fresh bowls of water as well as the “puppy patio menu,” which includes a 3-ounce steak ($5) and homemade doggie granola treats ($5).

One reason for his dog-friendly policy is the need “to adjust to changes in society,” says Smith, a judge for TLC’s show BBQ Pitmasters, premiering Aug. 12. But an equal factor is “it’s just who I am,” he adds. Smith has three dogs.

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McGruff To Take Bite Out Of Birthday Cake

Admin: Kenn Bell

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By Scott McCabe Of The Washington Examiner

McGruff the Crime Dog turned 30 Wednesday. (But that’s really 133 in canine years.)

The trench-coated crime fighter will blow out the candles at 6 p.m. Thursday at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, DC.

The beloved icon of the National Crime Prevention Council has been taking a bite out of crime since 1980, teaching millions of citizens how to reduce crime.

Recently, he has been campaigning against cyberbullying, identity theft, gangs, and vacant property crimes caused by foreclosures.

Sometimes the job gets dangerous. Last year, a Metro bus driver in D.C. got out of his bus, adjusted his mirrors and then punched McGruff in the face for no apparent reason.

Below is a McGruff Public Service Announcement from 1989.

Ohio Dock Dogs Demonstration Set For Saturday

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By Benita Heath for The Tribune

FRANKLIN FURNACE — Think it’s hot now. Just wait until the dog days of summer hit.

Need a way to cool off? Take a tip from a dog …. A dock dog that is.

That national craze that has its fair share of local aficionados is making a repeat performance this Saturday.

That’s when it’s time for “Let’s Try DockDogs!”

“This is to introduce people to Dock Dogs,” Ginny Haas, organizer of the event, said. “There will be handlers who can help you get your dog into the water and off the dock and explain any questions that you have. Your dog doesn’t have to be a water dog, but if he likes water bring him.”

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Luxury Pet Hotel To Open At Walt Disney World

Admin: Kenn Bell

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From Independent.co.uk/

Pets are soon to get their own hotel alongside their owners’ at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

A new hotel catering to dogs and cats is scheduled to go into operation at the massive theme park on August 27, taking care of cats and dogs while their owners stay in one of the resort’s 33 more traditional hotels.

The new “one-of-a-kind” Best Friends Pet Care Resort describes itself as a “luxury pet resort,” offering everything from walkies to grooming for pampered pets.

The property spans some 50,000 square feet (4,645 square meters) of indoor and outdoor space, 10,000 square feet (929 square meters) of which is covered outdoor runs and play areas for dogs, along with a “private dog park” where owners can spend quality time with their pooch on vacation.

Several types of dog rooms are available, ranging from air-conditioned indoor rooms, indoor/outdoor mixed suites and four VIP suites, which feature televisions, raised bedding and private outdoor yards.

Up to 270 dogs can be catered for in the resort, along with a further 30 cats in “Kitty City,” a complex made up of two- and four-room condos designed to provide “comfort and privacy.”

Other on-site facilities include a grooming salon, “pet playgroups” and staff to read bedtime stories.

“We’ve taken the ‘best of breed’ in every category to create the perfect environment for pets,” said Dennis Dolan, the CEO of Best Friends Pet Care.

“Our goal is to ensure that pets staying with us have a fun, action-packed vacation -– just like their families vacationing at Walt Disney World.”

Though it sounds far-fetched, the resort isn’t the first of its kind in the US and it isn’t the only luxury pet resort scheduled to open this summer.

The new 22,000 square foot (2,043 square meter) Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa is also set to open its dog and cat flap soon in California, offering “pawdicures,” leather furniture and webcams for owners who can’t bear to leave their animals out of sight.

World’s Ugliest Dog Title Goes To Princess Abby

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From Newslite.tv

An odd-looking chihuahua called Princess Abby has won the dubious title of world’s ugliest dog 2010.

The grey and white pooch – which has a curved back and legs (as well as a scrunched up left eye) won the annual World’s Ugliest Dog contest in Northern California.

Each year the strangest looking dogs are rewarded, this years winner was malformed Princess Abby – rescued off the streets just five months ago.

Owner Kathleen Francis – who won $1,000 – says she ignored how the four-year-old looked when she took her in from the Humane Society which had found her malnourished and flea-infested.

To scoop the title, Princess Abby beat 14 other dogs in her category before making it to the final… where one look had her competition howling in horror.

Event vet Karen “Doc” Halligan said, “Princess Abby is the poster child for spaying and neutering your animals. Her looks probably stem from being inbred.”

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest event is now in its 22nd year. Miss Ellie, last years winner had been due to challenge to regain the title but died earlier this month at the age of 17.

Dog Blown Away By Huge Storm

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From Orange News.com

A Hungarian dog has been reunited with his owners after being sucked into the sky still in his kennel by the wind from a huge storm.

Agnes Tamas, 57, said she had chained her dog who she has renamed Lucky to the dog house when he was swept away by what she described as the worst storm anyone in her village of Gesztered can remember.

She said: “I saw the roofs of the local houses being ripped off one by one, and I ran into my garden to try and get to the cellar.

“I couldn’t believe it when the dog house flew up into the air – complete with my dog cowering inside.

“It was like something out of the wizard of Oz.”

Lucky was eventually found 20 miles away after local radio reported an appeal for him to be traced. The dog house and the chain however had vanished.

Kalman Csutor who found Lucky and called the Red Cross said: “He was pretty shaken – I have no idea what happened to the dog house or whether the wind carried him all that way – but when i found him he was 20 miles from home.”

Heiress’ Big Money Goes To The Dogs… Son Fights Will

Admin: Kenn Bell

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By TIM PERONE For The NYPost.com

Gail Posner, the daughter of infamous corporate-takeover king Victor Posner, has bequeathed her seven-bedroom, $8.3 million Miami mansion and a $3 million trust fund to her overpampered pooches, according to court papers.

The 67-year-old heiress died in March, leaving a will that made her three pets, including a Chihuahua named Conchita — whom she called “one of the world’s most spoiled dogs” — sitting pretty.

Also hitting the jackpot were seven personal aides, including bodyguards and housekeepers, who were given a total of $26 million — and the right to live rent-free in the mansion while caring for the animals, the documents show.

But the will unleashed a lawsuit filed by Gail Posner’s only living son, Hollywood screenwriter Bret Carr, claiming his mom was drugged and “brainwashed” into spending lavishly on the dogs.

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Mutts Take To The Ring At Greenwich, Connecticut Kennel Club’s 78th Show

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Categories: Entertainment, News, Show Dogs

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By John Nickerson for StamfordAvocate.com

NORWALK–When Laura Bollenbach found her 10 1/2-year-old dog Brandy at a humane society kennel eight years ago, the beagle-German shepherd cross was loaded with fleas, had rotten teeth and ear infections.

“She was a mess,” Bollenbach said before the squat, dark furred Brandy went into the ring at the Greenwich Kennel’s Club’s 78th annual dog show, which took place at Taylor Farm Park in East Norwalk.

In short, the shedding, unperfumed and kind of ugly Brandy is, well, all a dog shouldn’t be at one of the largest and most prestigious American Kennel Club-sanctioned shows in this part of Connecticut.

But this year, for the first time in the AKC’s 125-year history, mutts, er, mixed breeds or All-American Dogs, as they are officially referred to in this year’s 244-page Greenwich Kennel Club show catalogue, are welcome to participate in some events.

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