Canines search and rescue  "A feisty yellow Labrador retriever named Ranger is standing atop a pile of rubble barking wildly. Although he may look like a junkyard dog, Ranger is actually a highly trained emergency-response specialist hard at work." Teams of highly trained dogs and their handlers are taking certification courses in emergency response and rescue... [Christian Science Monitor] 

For more information about search-and-rescue dogs, see the following websites: the Canine FEMA website; the website for the American Rescue Dog Association in Chester, N.Y; and the website of the National Search Dog Foundation in Ojai, California. [Christian Science Monitor]

Man steals dog from animal shelter "A man entered an animal shelter Monday during regular business hours and attempted to adopt a dog." Once he realized he would be charged for shots and other associated fees, he stole the dog instead.... (happens all the time, according to animal shelter officials) [Journal News]

Smart dog, that Lucky  Lucky is a hard working dog, who helps his boss, Dieter, repair computer gear.

"Out of order is at present ours often and gladly frequented area with the number 18. The reason:  Dieter untangled since days cables, attaches Minidisc and cartridge deck correctly and installs all PC's again. On that in the autumn term all beginning Medienmacher in polycollege Stoebergasse can work like the professionals. The technical work in our house happens naturally under strict supervision of a watchful eye: Dieter's assistant  Lucky (always victorious dog duel champion) participates always also!" [Lucky's translated page via Google] [found via Zebu, the dog (the genius behind Der Shock Wave ]

Dogs 'could be trained to sniff out cancer' UK British researchers at Cambridge University are hoping to train dogs to sniff out prostate cancer. "Consultant orthopaedic surgeon John Church, who is helping the Cambridge scientists, says he knows of six cases in the UK where dogs appeared to have detected their owner's cancer." [Ananova Science]

Security dogs must wear photo ID "Security officials at the US Open have ordered police sniffer dogs to wear id - including a photo..." [Anova Quirkies]

Linkfilter.net's humorous take on the dog ID requirement:

As we know from airport security, terrorists are even distributed among toddlers to eighty-year-old grandmothers and thus you have to be vigilant of them all, but the U.S. Open has expanded the search to dogs as well. Bomb sniffing dogs at the stadium were forced to wear photo ID's even though their officer escort also has to wear one. Apparently, terrorists dogs such as Omar Sparky and Mohammed Fluffy have been trying to sneak into the U.S. Open to "plant a bomb," so to speak. If you see any suspicious dogs in your neighborhood, immediately alert the FBI. UPDATE: I just received this statement from the National Association of Canine Americans: "We vehemently condemn all pooping indoors, but humans have to realize that their policies of leaving dogs inside alone for hours and not supplying sufficient chew toys often makes dogs feel they have no choice but to 'leave a surprise.' " -Fido, President of the National Association of Canine Americans [linkfilter.net]

Hong Kong pet shop rents out dogs "Rent now (by the week), buy later," is the policy at a Hong Kong pet shop; the proprietor says it cuts down on pet abandonment because people don't own the dogs and can return them before they tire of them [Yahoo News!]

Dead man partially consumed by his dogs TX Paul Hodges had been dead for a while before his pet dogs ate parts of his body; the dogs had no other food. The dogs got away when the body was discovered... 

Sheriff's Capt. Toby Giles "urges people in the area to be on the lookout for the dogs, which he described as 'plumb wild' in the wake of their feeding frenzy. "I've seen it quite a bit over the years," he said. "We've seen pets do this. Cats will do it, they are the worst.".. [Texarkana Gazette via Romensko's Obscure Reading Room]

Pets reduce children's risk of allergies "Children who grow up with dogs and cats in the home have a significantly reduced risk of developing common allergies- some by 50 percent or more - a surprising finding resulting from a study following hundreds of children from birth to nearly age 7." Scientists expected to come to the opposite conclusion and were dumbfounded by the results. [Eureka Alert] Related: Childhood exposure to animals lessens allergies Multiple Pets May Decrease Children's Allergy Risk [Science Daily]