Beautiful dogs, horrific deaths Al Qaeda's dog gassing tapes serve as a reminder of their ruthless terrorism. A young, golden dog looks obediently at the camera, then begins to suffer... Two pictures and a video document their horrific demise... [Sky News]

Sandy, the diver dog OH "Sandy, a ... mixed breed, slides out of a pool slide at the Osborne Park Pool in Perkins Township, Ohio, Sunday. For the fourth year, the pool closed to humans and, for an hour, allowed canines only..." (what an amazing photo) [Dominion Post]

Dog saves girl from sexual assault CO "A 9-year-old Centennial girl was saved from sexual assault early Sunday when her dog alerted her parents. While the intruder was taking off his clothes, the dog began barking and growling, deputies said.  Her father pulled the naked intruder from her bed and held him for the authorities..." [Denver Post]

Undercover squads track down  dog-fight gangs UK "Specially trained undercover squads are hunting down gangs of West Yorkshire dog fighters. They are determined to stamp out bloody dog fighting – shockingly on the increase across the county..." The worst kind of abuse occurs in dog fighting rings: dogs are left to die in the most horrible conditions and stolen dogs replace the fallen ones. [Leeds News]

Alleged: Dog owner starved his dog, shot neighbor's A man faces a combined trial for the crimes of starving his St. Bernard to near death, tying it to a tree for months, and shooting his neighbor's dog. The neighbors never suspected him and assumed the dog was killed by coyotes; the man told police he had shot the dog because it chased his chickens. [Mail Tribune]

K-9 dog death trial In another combined trial, a man is accused of trying to kill a Bremerton police officer and of killing his K-9 partner, Buddy. The suspect denies any shooting and claims police shot the dog. [SunLink.com]

When your dog has cancer IL The Veterinary Cancer Society is "a non-profit educational organization that  includes specialists in medical, surgical, and radiation oncology, internists, pathologists, pharmacologists, and general practitioners from all over the United States and the world."  An alert owner can buy an animal time for a cure by watching for signs of illness:

Ten Common Signs of Cancer in Small Animals

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetitie
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

From the American Veterinary Medical Association

Related: Vet Cancer Society, Vet Cancer Society Cancer Links

Never lie to your dog If you want your dog to obey you, you must respect it. Respect is the cornerstone of Mary Ellen Walsh's dog training business. In her own words:

"Never lie to your dog. Never hit your dog and never ridicule your dog. Never give a command you’re not willing to back up. And the command ‘Come’ should always be in a pleasant voice. You’re building an emotional bank account with your dog from the second you get him. When you build trust, he’ll pay attention to you and respond to your wishes. It goes beyond obedience...” [News-Times]

I've learned that my dog will expect a treat if I promise him one. Yesterday, I told him I'd give him a "Frosty Paw" (dog ice-cream) before I realized we had none. So I had to improvise: I crushed some ice to a fine consistency, added a little unsalted chicken broth and a few slivers of non-fat chicken. He loved it and was more than satisfied with his fake Frosty Paw.

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Online dog list compared to sex-offender registry IL "Pet owners in one Chicago suburb are howling mad over a plan to list the names and addresses of dogs that bite on the Internet." Animal Control says it's a good idea to allow people to know if such a dog lives next door... [News Channel 10, IL] 

Owners equip hunting dogs with cell phones FI Hunters in Finland are hoping to track bear and duck game more easily with cell phones strapped on their dogs. "A dog's bark determines what sort of animal it has tracked from hundreds of miles away." Hunters then give the dogs commands over the phone. "The phone, equipped with GSM and GSP technology, was developed by the Benefon mobile phone company and Pointer, a company that makes dog tracking devices..." [Anova]

Mosquitoes (not dogs) are most deadly "In man's long war against [mosquitoes], the little bloodsuckers usually prevail. Mosquitoes kill more humans worldwide in five minutes than sharks do in a year..."  oh great... "Mosquitoes will probably survive in a nuclear war..."   In a world of uncertainty,  the mosquitoe is actually a bigger threat than a terrorist attack. (nice to know that now that I've been chewed up by mosquitoes and we have the West Nile Virus in the DC area... ) [Miami Herald] Gee, I thought mosquitoes were insects, not animals...

Vet medicines can easily poison you! DC The pet industry is reviewing the way it sells antibiotics, due to "stupid human tricks": people who go to the pet store and self-prescribe themselves pet antibiotics for human ailments. In one case, a man took a fish antibiotic prescribed for fish "tail rot." He got sicker... "Some [antibiotics] may contain impurities or other substances that can be harmful to humans and their potency cannot be guaranteed....  Emergency room physicians say they occasionally treat people who have taken animal tranquilizers, pain medications or steroids, but these cases are rare..." [Washington Post]

OK, that makes sense... after being chewed up by mosquito bites last night, a certain person used my dog's Hot Spot "Veterinarian's Best" Natural Care "itch relief spray." (oops) Well, it worked: This spray only contains "Tea Tree Oil, Chamomile and Aloe Vera and water" (and no steroids). It "provide relief from itching, scratching and sore skin caused by fleas and pollen allergy dermatitis and other skin problems." (ie, mosquito bites).  A better idea: use Calamine... dog products aren't as well regulated... Arf!