Jury exonerates dog trainer... A tale of a hounded dog trainer and those pesky game wardens... The Marion County jury in the trial of a Silver Springs man who claimed he was being hounded by game wardens set him free Wednesday, finding that prosecutors were barking up the wrong tree. He testified on the ins and outs of hunting dog training and how most dogs likes their belly rubbed, and how game wardens were trying to catch him doing something wrong and couldn't even though he was a reformed marijuana grower... The jury liked his 'tail' of woe... Jury exonerates dog trainer

Prosecutors' latest tool: Animal DNA 'In the last four years, 14 defendants in Washington state, Oklahoma, California, Pennsylvania, Iowa and New Mexico have been convicted of violent crimes based in part on DNA drawn from the blood or hair of a that was at the crime scene...' Prosecutors' latest tool: Animal DNA [USA Today]

Neighbor feud turns deadly for dog AK 'If Alison Queair ever sat down face to face with Jan K. Hansen, it's doubtful they'd get along. The pair have lived two houses away from each other since 1998, on a residential street near Tozier Track, off Tudor Road. On Sunday, Hansen, 70, shot Queair's German shepherd, Solo. The dog, which had escaped from her pen and was roaming the neighborhood, was a month away from her fourth birthday when she died...' Dog shot, neighbor charged [Anchorage Daily News] Related: Dog cruelty via neighbor revenge on the rise

Europe-wide ban on animal testing with cosmetics UK A Europe-wide ban on the use of animals to test cosmetics has been agreed between the European Parliament and European Union governments. Overnight talks lasting more than 12 hours produced a breakthrough after years of wrangling over controversial plans to regulate the cosmetics industry. The result is a new EU cosmetics directive which will force cosmetics manufacturers to stop using animals for testing new products within six years. EU agrees animal testing ban for cosmetics [Daily Telegraph]

Statutory Microchipping for UK Dogs 'A 3 year long study by a working party of the independant Companion Animal Welfare Council, (CAWC) into the identification and registration of companion animals has concluded with recommendations that within 3 years all puppies should be microchipped by law...' Statutory Microchipping For UK Dogs

Rules for the dog ... author unknown

1. The dog is not allowed in the house. A dog's place is outside.
2. Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms sometimes.
3. The dog is allowed in all the rooms, under supervision, but must stay off the furniture.
4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.
5. Sometimes the dog is allowed on the furniture, but is not allowed on the bed where humans sleep.
6. Okay, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation, but must not sleep there.
7. The dog can sleep at the bottom of the bed, but must not disturb occupants.
8. The dog can sleep on the bed but not under the blankets.
9. On a cold night, the dog can sleep under the blankets.
10. People may sleep in the bed provided they do not disturb the dog. Rules for the dog [ABC Southern Queensland]

Every dog has her day and in this case, it's every day... This tale of a pampered dog's life will resonate with most dog owners... 'Our dog, Murphy, turns 12 this week. That translates to 84 human years or roughly 9,000 walks, give or take a few hundred Like most women of a certain age, she's pretty much set in her ways, knows exactly what she wants -- and when she doesn't get it, we hear about it rather quickly...'  Every dog has her day, and in this case, it's every day... [USA Today]

Dogverts: dogs as advertising billboards UK Only pale dogs with short hair need apply... Vegetable dyes are applied to dogs for doggie billboard displays which are then walked around urban areas. 'A London-based company says it plans to recruit a number of dogs to carry adverts called 'dogverts.' THQ has already tested the idea on golden labrador Fido who carried an ad for the PlayStation II game, Red Faction II...' Dogs to be used to advertise [Ananova.com] (darn... my dog can't qualify; that's a good thing because it takes hours and hours to dry him [a double-coated chow chow)

On December 18, CEO Mark Vinci, founder of the original Dogvert company, wrote us to invite Dog News readers to visit K9Billboards on the web. The New York based company, K9Billboards, established in 2000, was the first advertising company to exploit... oops, I mean 'enterprise' dogs as billboards. BBCWorld, CNN, CNN World, 5 Japanese TV Stations, the NY Post, Washington Times, European Wall and the St. Journal did extensive coverage of the dogvert phenomena  as early as 2001. K-9Billboards advertised (in the US) for a London based on-line-Casino and expanded to Europe in 2001.  Brandweek, a US magazine,  named them "Guerilla Marketers of 2002". 

Lottery for notorious killer's dog criticized by Humane Society AZ 'Pima Animal Control Center's plans to use a lottery system if more than one person is interested in adapting the Great Dane formerly owned by Robert S. Flores Jr. is drawing some criticism. A lottery system isn't the proper way to find new owners for an animal that has already undergone traumatic events, according to Tucson City Council member Kathleen Dunbar.  'You just make sure that you're not going to have someone who wants it because of the notoriety,' she said. Pat Hubbard, assistant executive director at the Humane Society, agrees there is such a risk if a lottery is held.' Lottery for adoption of killer's dog criticized [Tucson Citizen]

 Last-ditch death sentence appeal on dog's fate lands at European Court of Human Rights UK  'A Scots family has launched a last-ditch bid to save the life of their beloved dog -- at the European Court of Human Rights. A legal petition was sent by courier to Strasbourg a few days ago for a decision on whether or not the case can go ahead. After the House of Lords backed every other court in the land and ruled that seven-year-old Alsatian Dino must die, owners Bryan and Carol Lamont, who live in Northampton, vowed to keep him alive -- whatever it took...'; so far the cost has risen beyond 2000 pounds. Last ditch bid to save death-row Dino [The Sunday Post]

1960s TV batman sidekick Robin in hot water over illegal dog rescue operation CA 'Burt Ward, more famous for his role as Robin the Boy Wonder in the 1960s television series 'Batman,' has been operating what the city calls an illegal rescue kennel for Great Danes for years. Residents nearby have complained that Ward's rescue outfit causes a stench and noise, and customers block driveways on the cul-de-sac in the city's northeast edges. For his part, city officials said the former TV star makes no bones about running the outfit -- but he's hoping Norco will show as much compassion for the rescue outfit as he has to his four-legged friends...'  Norco mulls closing dog rescue outfit

Dog of the year award  UK Therapy dog Topher, a retriever/labrador mix 'who works for the Royal Association in Aid of Deaf People in Ealing, has been recognised for being a caring canine by winning the Dog of the Year Award. Seven-year-old Topher and his owner the Rev Chris Colledge picked up the prize last week at the PAT (Pets As Therapy) Dog & Cat of the Year 2002/03 Awards.  PAT is the UK's leading charity in the provision of visiting animals for hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes. 'Topher is a marvellous companion and an invaluable co-worker.' ' Topher proves he is a top dog [This is Ealing]

Police dog attacks teenage football players UK 'Three players were bitten after a police dog ran on to a football field during an amateur game. The German Shepherd fled from his trainer during an exercise at a disused building close to the field.' Three players receive treatment for bites at a local hospital. 'It was scary as the dog was out of control, it was not listening to its handler and nobody could do anything...' An investigation is pending. Police dog attacks players [BBC News]

Outrage over dog's emergency operation in hospital 'A Brazilian doctor took his dog to hospital and performed life-saving surgery on it after it was injured in a fight. Dr Walter Leite said he had to act to save his pet Yorkshire terrier Dodi because it was a 'living being'. But many residents of the town of Taguai, near Sao Paulo, are now refusing to be treated at the hospital. They fear contamination if the same surgical instruments used on the dog are used on them...' The doctor explained that his ethics required that he save his dog... Lawsuits are pending over the alleged misuse of hospital facilities... Outcry after Brazilian doctor operates on his injured dog in hospital [Ananova Quirkies] (I'd go to this doctor... )

SWAT team mistakenly lay seige to dog for five hours WA  'A Police SWAT team spent five hours surrounding a house in Seattle only to find they had been laying siege to a dog. Police officers had repeatedly tried to enter into negotiations with the armed man they thought was holed up in the house. They had also thrown tear gas canisters through the windows and engaged in sophisticated manoeuvres to try to lure the suspect outside. Police ended their standoff just after 12:30pm when officers burst into the house to find only the startled dog...' Swat Team surround dog for five hours... [Ananova Quirkies]

Hiding in closet doesn't save intruder from police dog CA It must have been like a surreally bad dream: Sky Hall 'opened his closet Tuesday night and saw a stranger in there, crouching on a pile of shoes. Hall, 25, yelled 'Ahh!" — and the intruder had the nerve to 'shush' him. 'He’s telling me to ‘shhh,’ and it’s my apartment,' Hall said. The incident at Kenyon Apartments on Rincon Street was over by 5:30 p.m., when police led the man away, after rousting him with the help of a police dog...' Neighbors applauded the success of the police dog in removing the five foot tall man from his 'fine, quiet place.' Inruder learns closet is not a fine, quiet place