Bees better than dogs at sniffing out bombs MT "Trained honeybees have shown a remarkable ability to sniff out land mines, suggesting a possible new way to find the estimated 110 million unexploded land mines planted in countries around the world, according to researchers at the University of Montana. Jerry Bromenshenk has studied bees as pollution sensors and environmental sensors for the past 30 years. He said honeybees have proven themselves to be easier to train, harder working and more accurate than bomb-sniffing dogs..." [Seattle P-I]

Healing touch: for pets too... IL  When used as an adjunct to traditional veterinary medicine, animal massage is a valuable tool for a pet's recovery from illness... [SuburbanChicagoNews.com] ("T-touch" is another great massage technique that promotes confidence and calmness in pets.)

Most of us aren't rich enough to have a private burial plot for our pet's final resting place. Yet we want to give our pets a proper send-off. Yeargan Pet Burial Supplies provides the supplies to help  do just that. Bury your pet with dignity... Services to help you lay your pet to rest TN

"If all dogs go to heaven, Chester Yeargan can help them get there in style. In February, Yeargan and his wife, Carolyn, started Yeargan Pet Burial Supplies, a home-based business that helps pet owners lay their four-legged friends to rest. By selling pet caskets, urns and headstones as well as burials, cremations and funerals, Yeargan says he gives pet owners closure..." [KnoxNews]

Offenders Could Get Duty "Shoveling Dog Poo" Doggie doo ... a deterrent to criminal behavior...

City Court Judge Walter Williams told some offenders he might send them to the Humane Society for "doggie patrol." He said those sent to the dog catcher would have to "shovel dog poo." Judge Williams told one woman she could face the dog pound duty "without a mask so you will get the full aroma." He told another, "You don't want to go to the Humane Society. Those dogs cut loose. We give them X Lax. It cleans the system out." Judge Williams told one woman that if 15 days at the Humane Society did not work, he could give her "50 days at the landfill."  [Chattanoogan.com]

Landlord blames 'vicious' dog for $39,000 in 'lost rent' Bermuda "A landlord who claimed his former tenant caused him to lose thousands of dollars in potential rental income walked away from Supreme Court yesterday with a judgment of just under $2,000 – a far cry from the $39,000 he was seeking..." [Royal Gazette]

Booty, the 100 pound lap dog [Ames Tribune]

A black pug reports back from heaven KS Barbara Burns gave her column space this month to her dog, Pugger, the dog angel:  "I wasn't totally ready for the trip, but, hey, who is? Heaven offers me an interesting vantage point. I can keep an eye on all of you while connecting with all the fine folks up here. Obviously, as a dog, I didn't actually earn a spot in heaven. But don't let anyone tell you there are no animals in heaven. We critters bring energy and spunk to the Pearly Gates..." [Newton Kansan Online] (Our chow chow met a little pug today. She's all of 8 lbs and he's a solid 53 lbs; he laid down on the sidewalk so she could climb on him and snort... he gave her his treats; hmmm... a doggy romance... )

Faithful dog makes 20-mile trek home KS A fourteen year old purebred Siberian Husky loved its owners so much that she made a choice to find them when they gave her to relatives... "And to think that she's been on the road for a whole week says a lot about her character. Dogs can have character."  Denise Goertzen on Sasha, her long-time canine companion. [Hillsboro Free Press]

Animal cruelty case demonstrates what animals some people are... Three Suspects Identified In Tortured Dog Case "... Investigators say the teens broke into a seven year old poodle's fenced backyard and inserted a six foot wooden pole into the dog's rectum." [KOLD-TV, AZ], Animal Cruelty case may be most disturbing one yet [KGUN], 3 suspects in fatal abuse of poodle [Tucson citizen],  Poodle brutally killed on DM base; police suspect 3 teens [Tucson citizen  KVOA], Should an animal abuser go to jail? [Reader's digest community talk] (It's stories like these that galvanize many people to save animals from abuse and to contribute to organizations which give abused animals a second chance in adoptive, loving homes.)

Just don't let the dog drive All the amenities you need for your dog when he goes for a ride with you in the car... [Home and Garden]

We made our own 'pet step:' We took a light weight step stool (one stepper), glued some rubber matting to its top and then taught our dog to step on it getting into and out of the car... works great and costs about $5. (not $179) We also have a dog ramp, but it's bulky and hard to use.

The most important amenity for your dog's riding pleasure is a dog seat belt. Our dog's favorite looks like a catcher's chest pad -- it's got a sheep skin like material so his skin won't get scratched by sharp buckles and its snap-in buckles are located on his back so you can slide a regular seat belt through the strap on his back... It's available at PetSmart and other pet product stores.

Russians honor faithful dog that waited eight years for owner "A monument to a faithful Alsatian dog is being erected near the road in Russia where it waited for its master (who died in a car accident) for eight years...Oleg Klyuev, a sculptor from Ulyanovsk, says the monument will be set up near the road so that drivers could see the dog following them with its eyes..." [Ananova, UK] 

Rescued chihuahua recovering slowly NC "A rescued Chihuahua monitors his surroundings from the safety of a baby’s playpen in the Jacksonville home of Karen Eldred of the Carolina Animal Protection Agency (CAPS). The 1-year-old pup, renamed Little Tiger, has been resting at his foster home since his release from the critical care list at Jacksonville Veterinary Hospital on Sept. 14..." His vet said the pup deserved a chance because he had the will to live... "Even though the swelling from a broken tibia and severe concussion have gone down, the toughest challenge in the dog’s rehabilitation ... is trust." [Jacksonville Daily News]

Want less stress: get a pet ... NY "Pets can actually provide cardiovascular benefits to their owners," lead study author Dr. Karen Allen of the State University of New York at Buffalo told Reuters Health... When at rest, pet owners had much lower heart rates and blood pressure levels than did their non-pet-owning peers, Allen and her colleagues report in the September/October issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine..." [ABC News] Related: Cuddling a cat beats talking to spouse  [Toronto Globe and Mail],  Pets May Be More Supportive Than Friends  [KHBS] Study: People Stress Less With Pets Around

Watch a dog reboot a computer for his owner at TechTV's website. "Richard Radtke is more than an acclaimed oceanographer, he's a fascinating computer enthusiast and a quadriplegic..." He only occasionally needs help from his dog while he's at the computer, most notably ... when he has to reboot it... TechTV's show airs this show at 9:30 pm and 11:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, September 26. [TechTV.com]