Life insurance policies for dogs?... yes! Bangkok 'When seven-month-old Vector died a week after contracting infectious pneumonia, the Rottweiler's owner received 35,000 baht from an insurance policy. Vector was covered by Mittare Insurance which introduced policies for dogs two years ago...' [Bangkok Post]

(Can you insure a professional hole digger, landscaper, eater of flowers, paper shredder, money shredder, imitator of a big fluffy rug, hair shedder, mud dispenser, veterinarian's dream of a dog: kaching! there goes our money, and sleep deprivation expert for humans? He gets us up every night... wonder how much all that is worth... plus, his redeeming quality: he doesn’t care who you are, what you’ve done or even if you’re having a bad hair day... he'll love you anyway... )

You're fat... and so's your dog Weight Problems Don't Stop At Two Legs, Say Vets. FL  'Is a lawsuit bearing the name of someone's pet golden retriever against one of the dog treat manufacturers far behind?'  Oops, most dogs and cats are obese -- over 50% and the epidemic of obesity shows no sign of abating... [Tampa Tribune]  (Our dog wants to sue the maker of Frosty Paws... and us for giving him those yummy, liver-flavored, doggy ice-creams.)

Rufus, the lost dog, is found... but won't get to go home UK When the family dog, Rufus, a Jack Russell terrier disappeared, his owner didn't have the heart to report him missing. 'He was so sure the faithful young Jack Russell was gone for good, he didn’t even report the dog missing. It proved a decision he would bitterly regret...' Now the family dog is found, but his new, week-long owners won't give him back and they have the law on their side... [Ayrshire Post]

Wolf-dog hybrids identified in Scandinavian wolf packs Scandinavia The combined use of genetic markers  led researchers to the conclusion that a captured 'wolf-hybrid animal was a hybrid between a Scandinavian female wolf and a male dog.' This finding confirms that inter-specific hybridization between wolves and dogs occurs in natural wolf populations and deserves further research ...' (As the endangered wolf population loses territory, it is likely that hybridization will occur...) [Nature]

Two-legged puppy gets makeshift doggie wheelchair FL A puppy, born without  front legs and returned to an animal shelter, got a second reprieve. His new owner, Steve Foss, got Handy, his pitbull terrier mix, a special wheelchair... Foss was worried that the pitbull mix would reduce the puppy's chance of a good home...  [St. Petersburg Times via Jim Romenesko's Obscure Store and Reading Room] (amazing... our rescued chow chow has a similar story; he needed two total hip replacements and no one would adopt him because of his breed... he's the best dog in the world... )

Caring, day by day...  an encounter with a Vizla dog for one day (and one eaten couch later) transforms a life... AZ [Arizona Star]

Dog victim is 'one tough Irish broad' IL 'To fend off the pair of pit bulls that killed another female jogger on the same day, Mary Murphy-Smith had to be 'one tough Irish broad,' according to her closest friends... The ... avid marathon runner may forever be denied both passions because of the severe arm and leg injuries she suffered...' [Chicago Sun-Times] (Smith's must-read story describes how she fended the dogs off... )

Blind man convicted of kicking his guide dog to death PA In Pennsylvania, a former mayoral candidate was convicted of kicking and dragging his guide dog to death last year after a drinking binge at a local tavern. A veterinarian refuted the man's testimony that the black lab died of injuries resulting from a fall... [NEPA news]