Dutton Children's Books publishes 2 farting dog picture books NY  'Stephanie Owens Lurie, President and Publisher of Dutton Children's Books; a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, announced that she has acquired the next two Walter the Farting Dog books... 'the runaway success of Walter the Farting Dog proves that a picture book can make a huge impact by being fresh and kid-friendly.' [Yahoo Business Wire] (Walther, the farting dog, is a laughing gas hit with adults too...)

Ban on human-pet massage areas proposed...  Would you like fleas with that massage?... MA  East Hampton city officials propose banning massage areas which cater to both pets and humans... 'We don't want (massage therapists) massaging animals at the same facility where humans are massaged... Dogs have fleas... fleas carry plague...'  [Witchita Eagle]

Rare missing cats found abandoned in dog park CA On Monday, twelve (12) rare Abyssinian felines worth $25,000 were reported missing from the home of a Cat Fanciers Association judge. Six were found on Wednesday, abandoned in a dog park. 'It's a very evil and cruel thing to do... They had to know the cats would be in grave danger...' [Orange County Register]

Dog lover breeds hairless dogs for people with allergies VA Pam Voit started her breeding business in response to her own need for a hairless dog; her allergies made it difficult to breathe but she didn't want to give up dogs. The response to her breed of dogs, the American hairless terrier,  has been very positive: 'Sometimes people cry. They're so happy to be able to have a dog for the first time in their lives...' [Free-Lance Star News]

Cat fight breaks out between Animal shelter and shelter volunteers VA Wise Animal shelter will no longer allow members of PAWS (Partnership for Animal Welfare and Safety) special priviledges to visit the shelter outside of public visiting hours. The change in policy came when a PAWS volunteer reported alleged  non-treatment of a dog who needed medical care. (The dog was euthanized.)  '...they're making the animals suffer because they're mad at us...'[Coalfield Progress] Related: Volunteer animal workers let go, Animal Advocates: Watch Dog Web

Dog bite statistics: weird facts Statistics point out the need for training the owner... Canada   

'The number of dogs has increased by 2 per cent in the past 10 years,
the incidence of dog bites has increased by 37 per cent;
Five million people are bitten by dogs every year. Of those, 800,000 need medical attention and 20 die;
More than 50 per cent of the victims are children under 18, with boys 5 to 9 being most at risk;
Most dog attacks happen at home.
77 per cent of biting dogs belong to the victim's family or a friend.
Dog bites are the 12th-highest hazard requiring medical attention, just behind knives and blades;
-- 334,000 emergency room visits a year, 914 a day...' [Globe and Mail] [US Center for Disease Control and Protection]

Gimme the money ... I found your dog... FL Man tries to extort money over family's missing dog... When a family placed an ad with reward offered for finding their missing dog, they found themselves victimized by a man who tried to extort money from them... They found  Whitney, a poodle,  themselves... with homemade meatballs as bait... 'Pet shakedowns happen from time to time... Owners should report any demands for cash right away...' [Herald Tribune]

Related: Rover held ransom UK '5,679 pets go missing each week alone - and 38% of all dogs that vanish each year are stolen. That means over 50,000 dogs per year are nicked, very often to order, for ransom, or for breeding purposes..',  Give us the money or Fluffy gets it 

Judge rules pet isn't part of 'family' NZ In a ruling which states dogs aren't considered part of a family, 'a judge in the Alexandra district court has turned down a Wanaka couple's reparation claim for costs relating to the family dog.' They had spent over $800 in a helicopter and ground search to find their missing dog, Gus, who disappeared from their car when another car crashed into it... The family disagrees: 'He is our baby son. He is so incredibly important to us and sometimes we believe he thinks he is a human being as well...' [One News]

Pet detective... NY A family's rescued shelter dog finds owner's treasured, gold and diamond ring... [Post-Standard]

Artic weather blasts across the Northeast ... NY 'At the Putnam Humane Society in Carmel, people were helping dogs cope with the cold. The dogs are bundled in donated pet sweaters during walks. The shelter has 35 donated dog sweaters and ... [needs]...  more pet-sized outer garments and donations of blankets during the winter...' [The Journal]

Related: Brace yourself: frigid days ahead  '...[Mike Sagester] recommends pet owners get their animals inside some type of shelter whenever temperatures dip below freezing. And, instead of lining dog houses with blankets, pillows or rugs that may freeze, he recommends using straw...' [Dayton Daily News] (safest bet: just bring the pet inside.)

Dog and cat chase ends in river UK 'Firefighters used ladders [and safety equipment] to rescue a cat and dog - after a chase ended with both animals in a river. The dog's owner had let the pet off the leash near the water...' [BBC News]

A dog who bit off more than he could chew UK 'When the butter knife vanished from Olga Fraser’s dinner table, she was mystified as to where it could have gone...' The case of the missing six inch blade...  led to a trip to the vet for x-rays and emergency surgery...  to remove it from  the gullet of Waldo, her retired guide dog. 'At first I didn’t believe that he could have swallowed the knife. Waldo looked fine and looked as if there was nothing wrong with him so I thought there was no way that he has swallowed it. So I couldn’t believe my eyes when the vet showed me the X-ray...' [Edinburgh Evening News] (Hmmm... my childhood dog once managed to sneak a quick snack from the dinner table. He gobbled up a fresh square quarter pound of butter... only to regurgitate it moments later ....as a round quarter pound of butter...  ) Have a 'the dog ate' story? ... add yours...