Immunity legislation for neutering, spaying a mistake CA In California, if your pet dog or cat dies as a result of a low cost city/county neutering program, you CAN sue for damages after all. The code which provided immunity to counties and cities was enacted by mistake, according to Justice James A. McIntyre. [Metropolitan News-Enterprise]

Eating dog poop leads to blindness NZ ewwww ... who in the world would eat dog poop anyway...

The city council of Auckland, New Zealand, supports a report that links injestion of dog poop on sports fields to blindness in humans. Some residents are fearful that local boards could ban exercising unleashed dogs on sports fields. They claim the chance of illness from dog feces injestion is very low. [Exploding Cigar]

The dog ate my blog and other excuses for not posting... [FlutterGlubMeow... view from Boston]

here's a few more:

• A lightening storm knocked out power (after it fried the computers)
• the dogs need bathed, fed, walked, trained and amused with car rides
• stuck a splinter in my eye (true... it really happened, emergency visit)
• crunched the dog with a lazy boy chair (yep.. it happened, vet emergency visit)
• some dot.com sites are taking this feed as their own (without permission) and that really saps the creative spirit... see referers (dot.com dog related sites ... grrr )
• my aggregator choked and took the computer down...
• gotta read all those feeds, no time to write...
• it's 100% humidity and my fingers keep slipping off the keys ...
• too many cruel dog news stories that I don't want to report...

Man rescues 61 pets from raging kennel fire Canada [Washington Times]

Reward posted to nab breaker of puppy's legs AZ [AP]

Dog sites, categorized and rated [Petfo via Radioland's referrer links] (plus pet sites)

Calling all UK dog owners: Enter your wonder dog in the 'Top Dog 2003' contest. Categories range from dog/owner look alikes to 'Pup Idol' to 'Man or woman's best friend' [NCDL Online, UK]

More news from about that miracle dog who survived a 3-week entombment beneath a newly constructed floor [CBS News] (a must read tale)

darn, National Poop Scoop Week is over UK Okay, but UK pet owners had better 'scoop it, bag it, and bin it' or else...

'It is every dog owner's duty to clear up after their dog. Failure to do so can even lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1000 (Level 3) - The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.'

From The National Canine Defence League: help with NCDL's National Poop Scoop Week [anyway]:

Always remember to carry a poop bag
Always clean up after your dog
Your dog should be taken out to exercise, not to foul [heh... how about both, but carry a baggie]
Teach your dog to foul in your garden [huh, better my garden then someone elses]
Try to make sure that your dog never fouls in public places [not possible, when he's gotta go, he has no shame]
Remember that you could be guilty of an offence is you fail to remove and dispose of your dog's faeces
Worm your dog - dogs that are not wormed regularly can carry infections [heartline plus is a good wormer; don't use homebrewed worming]
And don't be discouraged by worming - it's simple, safe and effective
Spread the word on responsible dog ownership to others [NCDL Online via UK Pets]

'Puppy love' bites the British, but cats, rabbits gain an edge UK A poll of 1,006 British pet owners reveals that while the British have busy lives, they are extremely devoted to their pets and are spending more than ever on their 'humanized' companions. 

Even so, pet product companies may see a decline in revenues because of another trend in pet ownership: dog ownership is declining, cat ownership is increasing, and small animals are gaining an edge too: 'small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice have become increasingly popular, again because they are perceived to be easy and cheap to care for...' [Daily Research News via UK Pets]

Download animal ringtones for your cell phone UK Don't you just love the internet... where else could we learn that you can now customize your cell phone so you can hear a screeching hyena or barking dog. The British Library, repository of the world’s largest animal sound archive, has found a way to make those animal noises pay... For a fee you can annoy yourself and your friends. The library has struck a deal with twocompanies selling ringtones. 'The first animal ringtones will be available on the Internet later this week for the latest “polyphonic” mobiles. The sounds are downloaded for between £1.50 and £4 each . . . '

It is hoped the new 'environmentally friendly' sounds will attract people who have shunned the mobile phone because of their offensive rings and that the warble of a songbird will be more soothing. [Times Online via Cronaca] (no way... surfers will go for the gorilla or the screeching owl or the attack dog.)