From myfoxdfw.com

Lunch at a couple of British pubs has gone to the dogs, along with their owners of course. It seems the days of dog owners taking their pups to the pub with only a water bowl set out for them are a thing of the past.

According to the Telegraph newspaper, a pub chain has teamed up with a pet care company to offer pooches a special range of pub lunches just for them.

So now when owners are taking their pups for a walk, they are both more than welcome to tuck into a meal together at the Brakspear -owned pubs.

Thanks to Butcher’s Pet Care a British summer tradition of taking a family stroll and stopping off at a country pub now welcomes furry members of the family, too.

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By Darla Slipke for Newsok.com

More than 70 puppies and dogs are recovering at local animal shelters after being rescued Friday from cramped, feces-infested environments in Norman and Oklahoma City, officials said.

The animals were seized, and the owner was arrested on animal cruelty complaints after an undercover investigation by Norman police. The animals, which included Maltese, Chihuahuas and Yorkies, are receiving care and medical attention at the Norman and Oklahoma City Animal Shelters.

Animal welfare officials said Aurelia Snow, the dogs’ owner, was breeding the dogs at a building she leased behind a home at 18617 SE 134 in Oklahoma City and selling the puppies on the Internet from her home at 13780 Mesquite Road in Norman.

Animal welfare officers pulled 51 dogs, ages 7 and older, from the mill in Oklahoma City, and removed 27 dogs and puppies from the home in Norman.

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Abbie the rescue dog is now a surfing star. (Mike Blake photo) ( MIKE BLAKE )

By Linda Goldston for MercuryNews.com

The Australian Kelpie mix wasn’t a dream dog when Michael Uy adopted her from Humane Society Silicon Valley two years ago.

She was afraid of men, shadows, squirrels and loud noises, and she refused to walk in front of a doorway if the room was dark.

Uy patiently worked with Abbie to overcome those fears.

Today, 4-year-old Abbie is not only fearless — she’s become a surfing star. Known as “Outback Abbie” in the canine competitive surfing world and along the beaches in San Diego, where Uy and Abbie now live, she is a natural on a board.

She has also since learned how to paraglide, snowboard and herd and will be a featured guest at Humane Society Silicon Valley’s second annual Summer

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By Charles E. Ramirez for The Detroit News

Mount Clemens — Canine companionship is helping some local kids turn around their troubled pasts at the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center.

A program called Teacher’s Pet has them train dogs taken in by animal control, helping them develop responsibility, empathy and self-esteem — and, eventually, finding homes for the strays.

“The dogs can be frustrating to work with sometimes, but it’s good to have someone to talk to when things aren’t going right,” said Lindsay, 15, who has been in the program for a couple of months. “I like knowing that I helped these dogs find a good home.”

The program was started about 14 months ago with youths and six dogs in hourlong sessions held twice a week for about six weeks.

Since then, the center has expanded it to 20 youths and 14 dogs in sessions held Tuesday through Friday, said Berry Treadwell, the program’s coordinator. The sessions for girls and boys are held separately.

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From The Alternative Press

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — Police have captured a would-be dog thief who stabbed two people at a Southern California convenience store in a failed bid to steal their Pekingese.

Lt. Earl Moss says Cathedral City police were called to an AM/PM market Sunday afternoon after a homeless man tried to steal the small dog at knifepoint.

The lieutenant says the dog owner ran out the door with the knife-wielding man chasing him and stabbing him from behind. A second victim tried to intervene and was stabbed in the arm.

Police arrested 58-year-old Jeffery Emerson Gray and booked him for investigation of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. He’s in the Indio jail with bail set at $25,000.

By Patricia Reaney for The Washington Post

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Whether it is organic coconut chip treats, eco-friendly rope toys, hemp and bamboo collars or beds made from recycled material, pampered pets and their owners are going green.

There are still $3,000 snake-skin and diamond collars, fitness trainers for pudgier pooches and pet hotel suites but more animal lovers are eschewing luxury for green gear.

“In the last year and a half we have seen more eco-friendly products than ever before,” Charlotte Reed, a New York-based pet products expert, said in an interview. “More people are leaning in that direction.”

And they are realizing that their dog, or cat, can help reduce their carbon footprint.

“We see more products that will make your dog fit and healthy, products that will be natural and good for his/her hair and well being,” Reed said.

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General manager Tyler Schiedel greets customers of all kinds on the patio at Nosh in Colorado Springs. The upscale eatery opens its patio on Sundays to diners who want to bring their dogs.

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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A German Shepherd receives chemotherapy from Dr. Allyson Berent at the Animal Medical Center of New York, Tuesday, June 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

By Verena Dobnik for The Alternative Press

NEW YORK — Brute, a German shepherd, lay anesthetized on an operating table, his hairy chest under a plastic cover and his powerful paws taped immobile.

“Here comes the wire up the artery!” said Dr. Chick Weisse, who infused the dog’s cancerous liver with chemotherapy via a catheter at the century-old Animal Medical Center in Manhattan in an effort to “buy him some time.”

Brute was home in days, the cancer at bay a while longer — perhaps eight months. The cost: $2,000.

Around the nation, veterinarians are practicing ever more advanced medicine on the nation’s 77 million dogs, 90 million cats and a myriad other animals — treatments that vie with the best of human medicine. The driving force is “the changing role of the pet in our society,” said Dr. Patty Khuly, a veterinarian at Miami’s Sunset Animal Clinic.

The bottom line for many people, she said, is that investing in a pet’s life “improves the quality of a human life immeasurably more than, say, buying a luxury car.”

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By Tina Susman for Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Rye, N.Y. — The attacker pounced from behind a large rock as 3-year-old Erika Attar played outside her home. “Mommy!” shrieked a playmate as the girl struggled to break free. Erika’s father dashed across the yard, and the startled predator vanished into the dusk.

It was the sort of crime associated with an urban jungle, not a tranquil suburb. But it was one of two such attacks in four days, and the descriptions of the suspects were identical: brownish-black hair, pronounced nose, amber eyes and long, skinny legs — all four of them.

Police issued an alert to warn locals of what had become frighteningly clear: Rye has coyotes, and the ones prowling the leafy town have engaged in some un-coyote-like behavior, such as ambushing children in residential neighborhoods. On June 29, the Tuesday after the first attack, two coyotes dashed across a sidewalk and leapt on Emily Hodulik, 6, as she played outside her home.

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From dailymail.co.uk

A new ice cream van with tasty treats specifically for canines will have man’s best friend howling with delight.

Instead of offering the traditional vanilla whip cones topped with a flake, these frozen feasts contain gammon and chicken ice cream – complete with a crunchy canine biscuit bone.

A team of scientists investigated the perfect combination of temperature, texture and taste, ensuring the treats would be delicious to dogs and completely safe.

They came up with two flavours – ‘dog eat hog world’ – a gammon and chicken sorbet topped with a biscuit and served in a cone – and ‘canine cookie crunch’ – a combination of mixed dog biscuits and ice cream.

The K99 van can be found in parks this summer and, rather than the traditional chimes, the van will be playing the theme tune to Scooby Doo.

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