Dogs befriend duck Monty the duck can count on his best friends, two beautiful bull terriers, to keep him entertained...

Man's best friend sometimes turns vicious  Radical changes in the weather can make a dog antsy and  unpredictable. This can set the stage for a bite if a dog is further provoked. Dogs without adequate shelter, food and water are more at risk. "Several things that might excite a dog to attack: a child falls on the animal or tries to play with him or just simply looks him directly in the eyes." Most often, the owner of the dog is to blame for the dog's behavior either through neglect, lack of training, or outright abuse... The Sun Jun 12 2002 10:59AM ET [Moreover - Animal news]

Now that we know that a 'dirty nuclear bomb' plot targeted DC, we have good reason to plan ahead for such an emergency:
Evacuation tips by Humane Society

Make sure you have a current ID tag on your dog(s)' collar along with his rabies ID tag.

Carry a photo of your dog for identification purposes.

Call hotels in safe areas and ask if you can bring your pets; ask hotel managers if "no pets" policies can be lifted during the disaster. Motel 6, Studio 6 and Red Roof Inns all welcome pets to their properties. Call (800) RED-ROOF or (800) 4-MOTEL6 for info.

If that doesn't work out, call friends, family, veterinarians and boarding kennels in safe areas to arrange for foster care.

Pack a week's worth of food, water, and other supplies such as cat litter and medication.

Keep a list of emergency phone numbers (veterinarians, local animal control and humane societies, Red Cross, etc.) accessible.

Bring your dog's vaccination records and health records with you

If you smell smoke, keep your dog inside. The Denver Channel Jun 12 2002 1:10PM ET [Moreover - Animal news]

Rescue organization angry with Animal Control's new policies Rescue the Animals has a bone to pick with Animal Control in Abilene. Rescue the Animals has taken out "a full-page ad in today's Reporter-News which attacks six of the 11 policies that the city staff printed for distribution to 15 private agencies, including Rescue the Animals. The printed policies were made effective last Friday. The ad follows by four weeks a scathing report issued by Rescue the Animals about the city's handling of what the group called a "puppy mill" where dogs were being kept in filthy and overcrowded conditions.".. Reporter News Jun 12 2002 3:12AM ET [Moreover - Animal news]

Stranger shoots dog in dog's back yard Pennsylvania Police want to find the person who, on Thursday, at 3:30 pm, used a 22-caliber gun at close range to shoot and mortally wound a dog. The dog suffered horribly because, although his internal organs were damaged beyond repair,  he lived through the evening and died during surgery. His owner is very worried about his children's safety, who could easily have been playing outside when the shooting occurred [but luckily were not]... [Moreover - Animal news]

Suspended sentence aggrieves Humane Society ChannelOklahoma.com After a man's kennel was raided, 72 of 251 dogs had to be put down, due to their terrible health conditions which could not be reversed. The Pomeranians and Poodles cost the Humane Society $45,000 to rescue, yet the man was only fined $500 and charges of animal abuse were dropped. [Claims were made that he was breeding the dogs for profit, but he claimed they were pets]... [Moreover - Animal news]

68% Of Kids Don't Wash Hands After Handling Pets. A survey carried out for National Food Safety Week this week, by the Food and Drink Federation, (FDF), highlights the need for pet owners to take adequate measures after handling and cleaning up after their pets.. [UKPets.co.uk UK Pet Industry News]

For a hilarious cartoon of what that may mean, go to Lexi the dog

But seriously, I wash my dog's face after every walk outside. First of all, he's allergic to grass and dirt [what a combination: dog plus allergies] and secondly, he will put his face into anything on the street (if I don't pull him out of it quickly enough), ie. road kill, dead squirrell, you name it and in our suburbs, that's better left undescribed...