Human head found by dog near Hollywood sign.

Los Angeles police detectives are investigating the slaying of a man believed to be an Armenian American whose head rolled out of a plastic bag discovered by a dog off a trail below the Hollywood sign Tuesday afternoon.

Two women were hiking with the dog in the rugged hills near the 3200 block of Canyon Drive, when the dog found a plastic bag in the brush containing the head, according to law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation but who asked not to be identified because the investigation was still unfolding.

The sources said the head was believed to be that of an Armenian male in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair. Police also believe that the slaying was recent based on the condition of the remains.

Sources said investigators are trying to determine whether there are additional body parts in the area. Neither the circumstances nor the cause of death were immediately known.

The case is being handled by the LAPD’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division. In addition to combing the area for evidence, investigators will seek help from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office to identify the victim through dental records.

Arnie and Deart getting some rest.

Ya gotta love these two dogs! Here’s the story straight from their rescuers, The Bill Foundation.

The story of Arnold and Dearheart is especially rewarding and encouraging for us because the little miracles matter SO much!

When we rescued Arnold (the big guy) off the streets after his family left him, he was so terribly distraught. I can tell you that I have personally seen that every avenue available had been tried to soothe that poor dog. His anxiety was desperately acute. So many people have tried to help him. Research, time, energy and funds all dedicated to this gentle giant scaredy cat.

So when Dearheart came along with his tiny body and sweet nature and bonded to Arnold, I swear, the angels were singing! We are glad that they found each other against the odds.

The transformation has been incredible. I have seen much in my life with dogs but never so powerful and complete a connection. People have these unfortunate preconcieved notions about bully breed mixes like Arnold and they just are not accurate. He is so inherently sweet and gentle.

For us to be willing to put a nearly 80 lb dog in a crate with a 4 lb dog and trust them to be safe is no small thing! We don’t take that lightly!

I am proud of Arnold for how far he has come and hope he will continue to be an ambassador for his breed in showing people that you just cannot judge a book by its cover.

Hopefully, also, we will help remind people that dogs are precious creatures and should never EVER be abandoned like he was.

We will have to incur many more months of boarding costs waiting for the perfect adopter that will take Arnold and Dearheart together and provide the perfect home. That is a tough burden for a small rescue like ours, so your help in spreading the word is a tremendous gift to us.

I’d like to think in return, that their story will spread a little bit of encouragement and hope to all the other dog lovers and animal advocates out there. And also some inspiration. We all need reminders to look for the miracles in our day. Dogs are such a great gift in doing that for us.

Thanks to the Dog Files for posting your amazing support and sharing the story of Arnold and Dearheart. All of us Bill Foundation have been touched and encouraged in our work to see the tender bond developing between these two formerly bereft creatures. It brings such meaning to our mission in turning every dog we rescue from Abandoned to ADORED.

We are concentrating on Los Angeles applications because we do insist on an application and home check for all of our adoption placements in the interests of finding the safest place possible for our rescues. Even if you cannot adopt today, if you would like to help us, there are ways you can help save more dogs like Arnold and Dearheart.

We are a small rescue group and rely 100% on donations from fundraising to fuel our rescue missions and to support our dogs until they are adopted.
Every cent you contribute goes directly to the dogs’ needs and is fully tax deductible. We are currently feeding and housing nearly 50 rescued dogs so every dollar counts. The purpose of the story is not to raise funds, but if you would like to help us you can donate here.

If you are from the Los Angeles area and would like to adopt Arnold And Dearheart, please contact the Bill Foundation.

Arnold loves his new little buddy, Dearheart.

Dearheart watches over Arnold.

Meet Otis the Los Angeles California skydiving Pug, who loves to get airborne with his thrill-seeking owner Will DaSilva.

The ten-year-old pooch is quite the veteran when it comes to jumping from planes.

The latest pictures see him posing, with ‘doggles’ and all, during his 64th tandem skydive.

Strapped into his custom-made harness, Otis sits patiently on DaSilva’s lap as their plane climbs toward altitude. But once the jumping light goes on, Otis tucks in underneath and stretches his paws out like a bird.

According to DaSilva, Otis has been living the life at the Lodi Parachute Center in Los Angeles, California since he was a pup and has become part of the family as he lazes around the company’s hanger. 

His first jump was a quick five-second 3,000ft ‘hop and pop’ to see if he liked the experience and ever since then he’s been licking his lips at the prospect of getting up in the air.

“Initially we just wanted to see how he liked it, but he seems to love it,” DaSilva says.

“He’s totally aware of what’s happening when he free falls and just like a first-time jumper he gets all excited about it and gets nervous at the door.”

“Once he’s out though he’s just having a ball like a dog with its head out of the car window.” 

Otis’ popularity has also been quite a coup for the business’ owner Bill Dause, with people coming from across the country to jump with the four-legged daredevil.

“The intent was for a one-time novelty, but everyone else wanted to go along with Otis and see him jump,” Dause said.

DaSilva claims that despite the danger of skydiving, Otis’ main concerns are his unhealthy eating habits, with his nickname being ‘Hoover’.

“Otis is living the ultimate dream. He lounges around here all day, jumping for free and bumming food off the other divers.”

“He’s (probably) going to die of a food overdose, not from sky-diving,” he said.

Story by Elaine Furst for Dog Files

– Kenn Bell, Dog Files Creator

When Stephen Zawistowski got his first dog 50 years ago, she was the only dog in the neighborhood that was spayed.

“She had an incision that must have been a foot long and was sewn up with what looked like piano wire,” says Zawistowski, science adviser for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Nowadays, the procedure involves making a one- or two-inch incision and using self-absorbing sutures which means a much quicker recovery for the animal.

Today, spaying and neutering has become the law in some states, counties and cities. Many states require all shelter animals to be sterilized. Rhode Island requires most cats to be sterilized, and Los Angeles requires most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

To get to this point however, it took years of campaigning to change pet owners’ thinking about sterilizing pets.

As Zawistowski explains: “When pets are sterilized, their reproductive organs are removed so they can no longer breed. Some people consider that unnecessary mutilation of their pets. There are those who say: “You won’t do that to my dog because I wouldn’t want it done to me.”

But the sterilization of pets has actually saved lives. This year fewer than 4 million unwanted dogs and cats will be euthanized, down from as many as 20 million before 1970. And animal experts believe spaying and neutering has played the biggest role in saving so many lives as the procedure can make pets easier to manage, less aggressive and healthier.

The next step in cat and dog sterilization may be in the form of an affordable pill, implant or vaccine.

Dr. Gary Michelson, a billionaire orthopedic spinal surgeon and founder of Found Animals, posted a $25 million prize in 2008 for the creator of such an affordable chemical sterilant that works in male and female cats and dogs.

In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first sterilant for male dogs. But at about $50 a shot, Neutersol was too costly. It was then reworked, the price was cut to about $6 a dose and it was again approved by the FDA under the name Esterilsol.

Esterilsol has been used in trials around the world and is expected to be available in the United States later this year.

Story by Elaine Furst for Dog Files

The blonde beauty called off her engagement to Hefner June 14 and packed up the pooch and moved out of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, where she was set to become the publisher’s wife last Saturday.

But Harris has since paid a visit to her ex and brought along the Cavalier King Charles, Charlie, who called the Mansion home.

As a kind gesture, Harris handed over her beloved pup to Hefner, who had become close to the pet.

Hef took to his Twitter account with the happy news and wrote, “Crystal brought Charlie back because she thinks he’s happier here. I appreciate it, because I really missed him.”

Harris has kept the engagement ring Hefner gave her when he proposed on Christmas Day, although she recently said she’d hand the sparkler back if her ex asked for her to return it.

Story by Elaine Furst for Dog Files

From Los Angeles Times

Travelers with pets have a new option when visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The park’s new Best Friends Pet Care facility bills itself as a “luxury pet resort,” with amenities including a 25,000-square-foot dog park, a water park for dogs, orthopedic beds, TVs and bedtime stories.

The facility opened Sept. 1, and reservations have been filling up fast — VIP pet suites are already sold out for every weekend over the next few months. It can accomodate up to 270 dogs and 30 cats.

The “hotel” accepts dogs, cats and “pocket pets” — but it does stipulate that venemous snakes aren’t allowed. (That one seems like kind of a no-brainer.) It also offers grooming and dog training services.

Pets can check in for day care while their families are visiting the resort or stay overnight. Day care services run from $16 to $46 for up to six hours; overnight boarding for dogs starts at $37 per night (a 225-square-foot VIP Luxury Suite will set you back $79 per night); overnight boarding for cats starts at $23 per night; and overnight boarding for small animals starts at $12 per night. Disney resort guests receive a discount on day care and boarding services.

Seth Casteel, professional pet photographer

By Sue Manning for Associated Press

Maybe shelter dogs just need a Hollywood moment.

Seth Casteel, a professional pet photographer, volunteers a couple of hours each week at the West Los Angeles Animal Care Center, photographing dogs who need homes. The pictures replace the mug shot-like photos taken by shelter staff when the animals arrive.

“A lot of animals don’t understand what the deal is. They are coming off the truck, chained up, fearful, maybe fighting back. Some may not be healthy. That’s not the moment to take a photo,” said Casteel, 29.

Casteel photographs as many as 30 dogs a week at the shelter with the help of volunteers like Lola McKnight who fetch the dogs and play with them while he shoots. Those “personality shots” become the dogs’ first impressions on Web sites, newspaper ads, fliers, e-mails and social networks.

Shelter manager Capt. Louis Dedeaux said many visitors will come in carrying one of Casteel’s dog photos. There is no way to know how many of the dogs he’s photographed have been adopted or what else figured in a placement, but adoption numbers at the shelter are very high, Dedeaux said.

Casteel doesn’t have to take a lot of puppy pictures. “People want puppies so they go first,” Dedeaux said.

The dogs Casteel shoots are usually older and he works wonders with them, Dedeaux said. “He’ll get happy expressions, sometimes a perfect ‘take me home’ look,” he explained.

The photographer has saved more than one old dog’s life, Dedeaux said. It is a kill shelter so animals can’t stay indefinitely, he said. And Casteel said he hopes the idea spreads.

“We keep them as long as we can,” Dedeaux said, “but the longer a dog is here, the worse his chances are.”

From AccessHollywood.com

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –Former “Alias” star Michael Vartan has finally opened up about his recent engagement.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, the actor, 41, recently became engaged to Lauren Skaar.

“We met, fell in love and I proposed,” Michael told Access on the red carpet at the Genesis Awards on Saturday night in Los Angeles, an awards show which honors media and entertainment which helps raise awareness for animal issues.

The star of such films as “Never Been Kissed” and “Monster-In-Law” reportedly met his ladylove in a Whole Foods parking lot in LA last year.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Lauren graduated with a BA in psychology from UC Santa Barbara in 2006 and works in marketing and advertising.

And Michael told Access he is thrilled to have put a ring on it.

“I’m very lucky,” he said of his girlfriend turning into his fiancee.

When asked if the two had set a date yet for their nuptials, Michael said, “No, not yet.”

However, Michael did reveal he has another female competing for his attention – his beloved chocolate lab.

“When my fiancee’s not at home, the dog sleeps on the bed with me,” he revealed. “Don’t tell her because that’s a big no, ‘No,’ but I do treat my dog more like a little princess than a dog… Hey, what are you gonna do?”

In fact, Michael’s dog was a great comfort to him before he found his soon-to-be wife, Lauren.

“They allow you to love them unconditionally,” he said of his beloved canine. “We all have love to give and if you’re a single guy like I was for a long time, you have love to give, but you have nowhere to give it. You have a dog, that dog allows you to love it completely without fearing if she’s gonna cheat on you, so it’s just a wonderful kind of completely selfless, no judgment attached, very easy way to love something and to be loved back.”

From cbs2.com

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to crack down on dog and horse owners who failed to get a license for their animals.

City Council President Eric Garcetti suggested identifying dog owners by using a Department of Water and Power meter database. The database lists households that are believed to have dogs for meter readers’ safety when approaching a home.

“The DWP’s database can be a vital tool in furthering compliance with the city’s dog licensing regulations,” Garcetti said.

The city requires that all dogs — and horses – be licensed by the Department of Animal Services. It costs $15 to get a license for a spayed or neutered dog. Each license comes with a distinct number that would help reunite a lost dog with its owner, city officials said.

Animal Services Assistant General Manager Linda Barth said only one- third of all pet dogs in Los Angeles — about 120,000 — are licensed.

If all pets were licensed, Barth estimated it would add $4-million dollars to the city’s funds.

Councilman Tom LaBonge expressed reservations about the proposal, suggesting that city workers should go to dog parks and ask owners there whether their pets were licensed.

LaBonge said knocking on people’s doors to force them to get a license for their pets is “too aggressive.”

Barth assured him the plan is for DWP to reveal only the addresses — not the names — of suspected dog owners. Animal Services will then check the information against its dog licensing database and send letters to residents who are not in compliance with the law.

Just about anyone who uses Twitter knows how much good Alyssa Milano does using it. She really is the model for a celebrity using social media for the betterment of society. You can follow her on Twitter here. Thanks for all you do, Alyssa!

– Kenn

From MSNBC.com

LOS ANGELES – Like any good Hollywood transplant, Scooby-Roo went from a troubled past to rehab.

The two-legged dog has celebrity friends like Demi Moore and Alyssa Milano. He has a therapist and a personal trainer and can look forward to a masseuse and acupuncturist.

But it didn’t start out that way. The 11-month-old mutt was born without front legs and dumped in South Central Los Angeles. He and his sister Sophie were found living in a wrecked, abandoned car near a freeway onramp. He was covered in blood from scooting around on the asphalt.

A pair of good Samaritans caught the dogs and took them to Sheila Choi, who runs Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue, Inc., in Santa Monica. While some shelters might have euthanized the dogs, Choi sent out a mass e-mail looking for donations and other support.

Demi Moore tweeted about Roo. Shannon Elizabeth sent money and tweeted for more dollars.

Alyssa Milano saw a YouTube video of the dog and fell in love, she said through her publicist. She called Choi, promised to help any way she could and became the dog’s godmother. Their first get-together included a photo shoot.

Choi has also talked to the Jackson family publicist to try to work out a meeting between Roo and Paris and Prince.

The dog, named for his Scooby-Doo! coloring and kangaroo hop, got a therapist for his emotional scars and a personal trainer to help with the wheels. As he progresses, Choi said they are looking at hydrotherapy and massages. Milano thinks he should see an acupuncturist too.

With the celebrity help, Choi collected $2,000 for a set of custom wheels for Roo.