Many dog owners like to travel with their pets and take them along when they go out to eat.To address the needs of this growing group, www.gopetfriendly.com was launched to provide up-to-date pet policies of thousands of hotels, restaurants and parks. And consumers can use the site to trade stories about where they and their four-legged friends felt particularly welcome.They'll also tell you which

If you read my previous post about the lawsuit that was filed against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, you know that the circus has long been accused of abusing elephants and other animals. Today, July 22, PETA released more damning evidence showing that elephants and tigers endure routine, systematic abuse of at the hands of Ringling workers.An undercover investigator from PETA traveled

y accident, I’ve become a king pigeon rescuer. I spend many hours every day working on their behalf. I racked up over 3,000 pigeon transport miles last year. I’ve spent a few thousand dollars of my own money and almost as much donors' money on avian vet care. I care for foster birds; recruit, review, approve and support adopters; maintain a website and a blog, do tons of data-entry and even more

Animals simply do not belong in entertainment. Rodeos and other animal acts are not only cruel to animals, they are dangerous for the human participants and onlookers. This past Sunday, a 12-year-old boy died after a bull stomped on him during the Little Britches Rodeo in Longmont, Colorado. Richard Wayde Hamar was riding a bull when he fell to the ground. The bull continued to flail and crushed the

July 13, 2009 -- Dogs possess a two-year-old child's capacity to understand human pointing gestures, with dogs requiring next to zero learning time to figure out the visual communication, according to two recent studies.The comparison with kids doesn't end there. Due to domestication, dogs appear to be predisposed to read other human visual signals, including head-turning and gazing.Pet owners often

This summer the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has appointed 12 groups of professionals to update its official Guidelines on Euthanasia. The AVMA says the document will provide direction on acceptable procedures and medications that can be used to end an animal’s life in a quick and humane manner that minimizes pain and suffering.These guidelines are critically important because veterinarians

Cats are notorious for destroying upholstery, but dogs can do a lot of damage too.If your favorite chair is looking pathetic, think of ways to distract your dog so he will turn his attention away from it:Make sure you have plenty of toys. A lot of people have had success with Kongs, a nontoxic rubber toy that holds a treat inside. They can entertain your dog for long periods of time.Walk your dog often

San Francisco may consider banning the declawing of cats based on a plea from an animal welfare advisory board to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors.Opponents of the ban, including the California Veterinary Medical Association, argue that the decision should be left to cat owners and their veterinarians.However, San Francisco’s Commission of Animal Control and Welfare are on the other side of

I grew up outside of Boston and still remember how much my father loved to take us to the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. I have to admit I have since developed very mixed feelings about zoos - even though I understand their role in conservation and education, I fear that so many of the animals confined in zoos suffer, especially those confined to small cages in old institutions. Despite these feelings,

Is what you're feeding your dog delivering toxic doses of flouride and putting your pet at risk?An independent lab study of 10 dog food brands commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that eight out of ten of them contained levels of flouride up to two and a half times higher than the standard set by the EPA for drinking water, highlighting the need for more stringent guidelines

This Wednesday, approximately 450 dogs were seized during raids in seven states. Animal welfare groups call this the largest simultaneous raid of dogfighting operations in U.S. history. Each rescued dog will be evaluated in hopes of placing as many as possible in adoptive homes.Animal welfare advocates worked with federal authorities for 18 months on this seizure. So far, 26 people have been accused

Zoos across the nation are encouraging people to come visit this holiday weekend, to celebrate Independence Day by gawking at imprisoned stressed-out animals in unnatural climates and inadequate enclosures. That zoo officials and the media can promote zoos as the place to be this weekend and even promote specific Independence Day-themed events at some zoos is a prime example of the way our society

A couple weeks ago, someone at the Kansas zoo left her cage door open. So naturally, but apparently timidly, she walked out of it.The lion traced the fence to the edge of the zoo's timber wolf exhibit, became frightened, and ran back toward the grizzly bears. Eventually she crouched in some bushes next to the bobcat exhibit.Cargill said the cat was never more than 150 feet from her own enclosure. (AP)But

All dogs may go to heaven, but it’s a sure bet that only the ones who walk calmly on a leash get to go to many places here on Earth. It’s natural for dogs to pull, says San Diego dog trainer Liz Palika, but this can be dangerous for both pet and owner: “Pulling on the leash can injure the dog, hurting his neck, shoulder, front legs, and more.” And people have suffered broken bones and strained

As you leave your home to go to a July Fourth fireworks celebration, leave your dog at home. Some dogs get so disoriented and afraid when they hear the loud noises of the fireworks going off, they pull their leashes away from their owners and run away, sometimes ending up at an animal shelter.If you do go to some Independence Day evening festivities, try and leave your dog in a room or space they are

As the country dons its red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day, nothing says patriotism like a good old-fashioned barbecue with a side of fireworks. But beware pet parents, what’s fun for people can be a downright drag for our furry friends. The ASPCA recommends keeping your pooch indoors as much as possible during backyard parties and Fourth of July festivities, even if he is a pro picnicker.

Although PetSmart does not sell dogs or cats because so many of them are euthanized in shelters every year—and the company stopped selling large exotic birds three years ago for ethical reasons—the pet store chain still sells smaller birds, reptiles, hamsters, rats, chinchillas, and other animals. Most of these animals come from deplorable breeding mills, similar to puppy mills, and are treated

Animals simply do not belong in entertainment. Rodeos and other animal acts are not only cruel to animals, they are dangerous for the human participants and onlookers. This past Sunday, a 12-year-old boy died after a bull stomped on him during the Little Britches Rodeo in Longmont, Colorado. Richard Wayde Hamar was riding a bull when he fell to the ground. The bull continued to flail and crushed the

I recently received an e-mail about a new book that aims to bring attention to the subject of 'hare coursing', a vicious blood-sport whose innocent-sounding name belies the horrific nature of the activity. "Hare coursing consists of terrorizing hares (better known as Jack Rabbits in North America) by setting trained and 'blooded*' greyhounds in pursuit of them in a large, wired-off enclosure… The

There is a new flu virus going around. It initially looked quite lethal, and caused panic. Now it is clear that it has killed relatively few victims — and many of those have underlying conditions. It is particularly dangerous to be the possessor of a pushed-in nose — that is, to be a Pekingese, a pug or a Shi-Tzu.It is the H3N8 dog flu. The virus, scientists believe, jumped from horses to dogs