Is San Francisco the Best City in America for Dogs?

The real estate blog Estately doesn't think so -- it named S.F. fifth. Fifth!? What's UP, Estately?

Estately recently released it's "17 Best Cities for Dogs" list, with Portland, OR, coming out on top. If you don't live in Portland, YOU LOSE! THANKS FOR PLAYING. 

Granted, these sorts of lists, patched together by disparate statistics and hearsay, are typically best at not naming the best cities for dogs but rather riling up readers and commenters. They're used to draw page-views. They're used to generate controversy. They're used to get otherwise well-intentioned dog owners to say weird things like, "You want to step outside, Estately?"

We thought we'd play along, obviously. Dogster is based in San Francisco, so we're batting for the home team, and we have to wonder what Estately is smoking. San Franciso should be first -- and second. Whatever particular city you live in should be ranked third. (And fourth? Sure!) Then Estately can have its Portland. 

Okay, we'll stop. We've had our fun. We really don't mind the list all too much. Estately put S.F. at No. 5 because of our 27 dog parks, our dog-friendly restaurants and gyms, a dog newspaper, and this dog who hangs out in a cab. What it didn't mention is the shocking lack of decent backyards, thank God. 

Portland, however, has 33 dog parks. So, you know, whoopee for Portland! 

To be honest, the list is a pretty good way to get a bead on some great dog things in the different cities. Did you know Austin has a food truck for dogs? That Tucson hosts an annual Pitbulooza in honor of National Pit Bull Awareness Day? That dogs are welcome at the local Ghost Town Wild West Museum in Colorado Springs? (Um, yay?)

We also learned that some Vegas casinos allows dogs, that Portland is considering a $150 fine for people who don’t scoop their dogs' poop, that San Diego is the dog surfing capital, and that Kramer the Famous Rock Dog is famous for fishing for rocks in Austin's rivers and lakes.

The list also made sure to mention that Seattle-based REI sells more than 150 dog-related outdoor adventure products online, so, you know, move to Seattle?

Here's the full list, and we encourage you to click on the story to read about each city. You're also welcome to be outraged in the comments. Your call. 

PortlandSan DiegoSeattleAustinSan Francisco (really? Are you serious? Fifth? Not first? What's above first? Shouldn't we be that?)AlbuquerqueTusconBostonPhoenixMinneapolisColorado SpringsChicagoLas VegasMiamiWashingtonDenver Cleveland 

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A Version of "Lost" We Really Don't Like: Dog Marooned on an Island in Santa Cruz for a Month

"This dog was literally starving to death on the island, and now he has a second chance at life."

When he was leaving for work earlier this month, Luis Castellanos noticed something odd when he looked out at the island in Northern California's Watsonville Slough. A dog, alone. He thought it was "peculiar," according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. 

Later, his wife and kids got a better look what was occupying the island, and they could tell the dog must be in trouble. Castellanos called the authorities, and Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter's field service manager Todd Stosuy showed up. He quickly realized he needed a boat. He called the Watsonville Fire Department for backup, and a few firefighters showed up -- without a boat. 

Castellanos got out his inflatable boat. 

Firefighter John Stone paddled and Stosuy navigated. They made their way to the island but couldn't find the dog. They searched for 30 minutes and then went home. A short time later, Castellanos saw the dog lying on the shore in the duckweed. 

And not a moment too soon. The dog was very confused and lethargic, and very, very skinny. Stosuy and Stone returned, then paddled to the island and quickly located and scooped up the dog. He was in bad shape -- "severely emaciated," according to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter's Facebook page. 

"It looked like it had been there forever," said Fire Capt. Corey Schaefer. "It looked pathetic and skinny. It was withering away."

Stosuy estimates the dog had been surviving on the island for a full month. He said the dog is an Australian Shepherd mix, 12 or 13 years old -- and was down to just 30 pounds. A healthy Shepherd at that age might weigh twice as much. 

How does a dog survive a month on an unpopulated island? Stosuy found his source of food: bird eggs. Lots of them. He found the remains of more than 100. 

The dog isn't out of danger yet

"He's not a full spry guy at this point, but he's walking on his own," said Stosuy.

He predicts the dog will have ongoing health problems, but he should be able to have a fine life with the right person or family. 

"This dog was literally starving to death on the island, and now he has a second chance at life," he said.

Via Santa Cruz Sentinel; photos via Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter's Facebook page

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Walter the Yorkie, Actress Tricia O'Kelley's Dog, Is Returned Unharmed After Being Dognapped

The crime involving this missing dog unfolded like a movie -- but this one had a happy ending.

Actress Tricia O'Kelley, from The Secret Life of the American Teenager and The New Adventures of Old Christine, had one hell of time last week. She went through a dognapping, a failed sting operation, countless moments of sheer panic, and then release: Walter, her deaf 11-year-old Miniature Yorkshire Terrier, is now home safe. 

It started May 16, when Walter was snatched from the backyard of O'Kelley's Hollywood home by dognappers. That night, Trisha received a call from a blocked number, a man who demanded a "reward" for finding the dog. According to Zap2It, when asked how much he wanted, he said, "Why don't you tell me how much your dog is worth? I could keep him; I could sell him ... "

“I totally knew the second I heard the guy’s voice that he was not a good guy,” she told CBS.

The pair sorted out a reward of $1,000, and the man told Trisha and her husband to post "lost dog" filers around the neighborhood stating that there was a "$1,000 reward." This was so the man could tell any interested parties -- like the police! -- that he was simply collecting the reward. It was a good plan. Foolproof, really. 

Trisha, of course, just called the police, who sent a plainclothes officer over to accompany them to the meeting place.

Then, weirdly, it all went to pot. Before they had even left, the man called and said. "You f***ing lied to me ... I'm at the location and there are cops there. I'm keeping your f***ing dog." 

Trisha believes the dognapper sent a scout to the location, and that person saw an unrelated patrol car there and freaked out. Trisha believes the people who took her dog are part of an Armenian street gang, based on information from witnesses in the neighborhood. 

"This is like a bad movie," she said. "I want whoever has Walter to know that he's deaf, to know that he's 11 -- he's a senior."

Trisha also said the dog has a collapsing trachea and he could be hurt if kept on a standard leash. 

The actress also took to her Twitter account, which was receiving intense play after she had posted a drop-dead-adorable photo of the dog (see above). She began telling her followers to keep an eye out for the dog in the area where they were going to make the exchange. One said: "N Hollywood, look out for a man walking around w/ my dog. Tried to extort $ from us & won't give him back. Please RT"

Fortunately, it all ended well. In the midst of increasingly intense interest on social media, the thugs seem to have simply abandoned the dog on the street near Trisha's house. Little Walter was picked up by some Good Samaritans, and he was soon safe at home. 

A relieved Trisha announced the news with series of "We got him back!!!" messages on her Twitter, accompanied with this photo: 

Yes, that dog is smiling.  

Via Zap2It and CBS

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Banjo the Dog Almost Lost His Life to a Train; Now He Gets a Home Near the Beach

"We saw his picture and we both fell in love with him, the most beautiful dog we've ever seen," said Banjo's adopter.

Remember the 78-year-old man who tied a 10-month-old terrier mix to railroad tracks in early April, later telling authorities his family "didn't want the dog" and he "didn't know what to do with him?"

Remember how a train was coming and the conductor slammed on the brakes, stopping just yards before the dog? Well, this story has finally come to an end -- and it's a good one.

Banjo -- so named by the train depot employees who saved him -- has finally found his forever home. 

Meet Jeff and Louisa Moore and their Tibetan Terrier, Lali. Their plea to adopt Banjo was among the more than 1,300 emails from potential adopters that flooded Riverside County's Department of Animal Services after the story of Banjo went viral. People wrote from around the world, crashing the department's site at one point for 24 hours. 

"We saw his picture and we both fell in love with him, the most beautiful dog we've ever seen," Louisa told KABC.

Jo Marie Upegui, Banjo's temporary caretaker -- and the one with final say on who would take Banjo home -- was thrilled with the decision.

"I'm just so happy with the choice we all made," she told USA Today. "It's just such a loving family."

How did the Moores pull it off? By caring. They "constantly" checked in on Banjo via email. And they also live near the beach (Huntington Beach in Southern California, no less) as well as a dog park.

Still, they were shocked when they got the call.

"We had no clue that we were actually the ones who would be picked, so we feel pretty special," said Jeff.

"This family is so dedicated to their animals," Upegui told KABC. "They never leave the dog alone, and I thought that was really important to Banjo because Banjo's had such a ... it's been a scary trip for him." 

"Tonight we're just going to go home and hang out," Jeff said. "We have a big field that's right next to our place that about a dozen of us all go out with our dogs, and they all get along really well, so it'll be fun introducing him to all the dogs. I'm sure they'll love him."

The Moores plan to keep the public updated on Banjo's life though new Instagram and Facebook pages; we'll update this post when those go live. 

Via KABCUSA Today; photos via Riverside County's Department of Animal Services' Facebook

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Online Dating

Im sure you have all seen the commercials for the online dating site that claims 1 in 4 relationships starts online.  But do you really know who is on the other end of the computer?  Even studly football star Manti Te’o got duped in his fake internet relationship.  Could THIS happen to you?

This just makes me laugh til I cry.  I dont know why the videos of dogs dressed up in human clothes with people hands tickle me so, but I love them.  This particular skit was made by the BBC last year and the particular Saint’s name is Rufus.  He belongs to my friend Kay Rudge in the UK.  Thanks for the laugh guys!  I hope Rufus got to keep the wig

Enjoy!

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Product Review: Orijen Dog Treats

“Your dog is a carnivore.” This is a very sensible statement from the back of the Orijen package. Dogs are designed to thrive on whole pray such as game, fish and fowl. In a natural state, dogs are equipped to hunt and scavenge meat, and do not naturally consume grains, fruits, vegetables or other food sources except what might be in the digestive tracts of their prey.

Orijen treats are made with 100% meat, poultry or fish, freeze dried in the company’s own kitchens (never outsourced), without cooking and without preservatives. The only preservative is that it is dried, which helps it last long enough for the retailers to get it, put it on the shelf, and sell it to shoppers.

We tested the Alberta Wild Boar flavor, which contains boar meat and boar from boar raised free-range on Alberta, Canada’s fertile woodland farms. Sounds healthy and tasty, doesn’t it? The treats smell natural without smelling strong.

Our test dogs found the treats to be delicious. I used them to drill recalls on an older puppy who isn’t so good at coming when called. We were at a lake, and she was off the leash. I put her in a sit before I let her go, and gave her one of these treats. Then she was free to roam. I called her and gave her another one, and that’s all it took. Every time I prepared to do another recall, I would open the resealable zip-top bag (which keeps the treats fresh) and get one out. Then I would turn around and take a breath to call her. But there she’d be, at my feet, having heard the bag open. Ha! She could hear that bag open at 100 paces. Can you imagine how tasty a treat has to be to tear a puppy away from the wonders of a lake? All that sand, mud, dead fish to roll on, water to splash on, turkeys to chase, high grass to explore …. she came a’running when she heard that bag.

The retailer indicates that there are about 40 pieces in a 2 ounce bag. However, I think this is a conservative number. I have been feeding these treats for a few days, and I still have 40 pieces in the bag. I would have estimated 55 – 60 pieces. But it’s good to know that they’re not overestimating. You’ll get at least 40 pieces in your bag. These are great for training treats because they can be eaten by small or large dogs in a single bite, which helps you hold the dog’s focus (any treat that the dog has to stop and chew up, dropping pieces on the floor, can interrupt your momentum, especially when teaching something new).

I like that they don’t leave my hands stinky and messy. I mean, hot dogs are very motivating to dogs, but yuck! Who wants that sticky mess on your hands? Kibble just isn’t very interesting, at least to my dogs. So these are perfect. I’m going to get some to give to my trainer friends.

These treats are all meat, no fillers. That’s how our dogs want to eat, how they’re equipped to survive. These treats are dried, but still a little soft.

Available at: Chewy.com. We love Chewy because they have an auto-ship feature so you can get your treats delivered on a regular schedule, and never run out again.

Price: 2 oz bag (40 pieces): $7.99, 3.5 oz bag (80 pieces): $12.99

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Is the Brutal Practice Called "Trunking" Real? We Asked an Expert

It does happen, but trunking "has nothing to do with the sport of dog fighting," the ASPCA's Randall Lockwood tells us. "It's just brutality."

Earlier in the month, Dogster's news writer Michael Leaverton shared a story that made everyone on our team cringe. It was the first time we'd heard of "trunking," a disgusting practice where two dogs are put into the trunk of a car and driven around, expected to fight until one "wins" and the other dies. This post included quotes from a video report filed by a Miami news station, WPLG Local 10, which featured group of dogs rescued from a trunking situation by the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department. 

The story struck a nerve well outside our regular readership and has been the most-trafficked story of the month thus far. More than 6,000 readers shared it on Facebook, and the response we've gotten in the comments section, on our Facebook wall, and in emails was overwhelming. Many were furious with the practice itself, and others were mad at us for "sensationalizing" a report they did not believe to be true. 

Over the weekend, Dogster Community Manager Lori Malm and I attended the Blogpaws conference in Virginia, and we were invited to a private viewing of the ASPCA's dog fighting exhibit at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C. Before the tour (which included a startling map of the number of dog fighting arrests made in the U.S., and a selection of sinister-looking contraptions used by dog fighters), we met with Dr. Randall Lockwood, senior vice president of the ASPCA's Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects. 

Lockwood has a ridiculously long and impressive resume, and has worked with humane societies and law-enforcement agencies for more than 30 years. He has testified in numerous trials involving cruelty to animals or the treatment of animals in the context of other crimes such as dog fighting, domestic violence, and homicide. He also helped orchestrate the exhibit we were there to see. 

Before the tour, he talked about his work on the forensics team, and he called dog fighting "the greatest violation of that relationship between people and dogs." 

"Dogfighting does not occur in a vacuum," Lockwood told us. "It almost always involves illegal drugs and illegal weapons." And getting those in law enforcement to see the correlation between the sick sport and other crimes has helped make shutting down dog fighting rings more of a priority. 

But trunking isn't something dogfighters necessarily do. After our tour of the exhibit, we took Lockwood aside to ask about the practice, which he confirmed is real (albeit not widespread) and not a Snopes-worthy prank or urban legend. The first time Lockwood heard of an official trunking case was two years ago, and there were rumors about it for years before that. 

"We are hearing some reports of trunking. We had recent reports from Texas, some from, I believe, New Jersey and Missouri, but it seemed to be a relatively [isolated] phenomenon," he said. "Unfortunately it's one of those things that goes viral on the web, that then idiots hear about and think 'Y'know, that might be interesting to try.'"

"It has nothing to do with the 'sport' of dog fighting," Lockwood continued. "It's nothing that a professional or hobbyist would engage in, because it defeats the purpose of recognizing a well-trained dog and breeding a successful fighter. It's just brutality."

"I still hear very few confirmed cases, but I will no longer say 'Now I've heard everything,' not in this business. There's no limit to the depths of idiocy that some people will go to." 

If you hear of a trunking or dog fighting incident in your area, the first step is to alert your local authorities or law enforcement agency. The ASPCA also offers a 96-page dog fighting toolkit for law enforcement.

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Amazing: Oklahoma Tornado Survivor's Dog Is Rescued During a TV Interview

Barbara Garcia thought she had lost her dog, but he was right at her feet, buried in rubble.

"I never lost consciousness, and I hollered for my little dog, and he didn't answer, he didn't come, so I know he's in here somewhere," says Barbara Garcia of Moore, OK, gesturing to the rubble around her.

It's a scene of utter devastation, and Garcia is describing how she survived the tornado to a reporter from CBS News. Her voice trails off, her eyes darting around, looking at what's left of her house, her neighborhood. She pushes the thoughts of her dog aside for the moment and gets back to the interview, telling of the horror that flattened everything around her.

And then a quiet, shocked voice from someone from CBS off-camera, interrupting the newscast.

"The dog. The dog."

The camera turns, lowers, and there, right at Garcia's feet: two eyes peeking out of the rubble. Her little dog, buried, right next to her. At the sound of his owner's voice calling his name, the dog starts moving, wiggling, trying to get free. 

Garcia herself pulls the rubble off of her dog, who crawls out of the wreckage under his own power. He seems stunned, shell-shocked, but he's able to move on his own. It's an amazing scene, and Garcia, overcome, delivers a heartbreaking coda. 

"I thought God just answered one prayer, to let me be okay. He answered both of them. Because this was my second prayer."

Watch the video here.

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Evidence is mounting of the dangers of lawn chemical for dogs.

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Dominance and the Dog Park

The popularity of dog parks has been a boon to urban dog owners who love to let their dogs run off-leash and play with each other. But any group of dogs seek to establish a pecking order, or dominance  rank. This is when problems can occur. Two dogs who are trying to be dominant (because they are at home) often fight. Sometimes one of them will give up quickly, but other times, the fight can be more serious. Owners often don’t know the signs of a dominance confrontation about to happen:

Mounting – many people think this is funny or cute, but if you tolerate it, you give your approval. When your dog is the one being mounted, he may feel that you’re not going to protect him, which can affect the trust he has in you.Eye contactStanding tall, erect or moving in a stiff-legged wayPutting the head over the back of another dogTaking a ball or stick away from another dogChasing A dog park puts a group of strange dogs together, so the first order of business (they think) is to find out who’s on top.

These signs can tell you which dog in a group is vying for dominance. If the other dogs have no problem with him/her taking dominance, there can be peaceful play. If another dog wants dominance, however, there can be conflict. It usually starts with growling and snapping. It may escalate from there to full-on fighting if the owners do not intervene.

Fearful dogs who are being chased can trigger a predator instinct in a dominant dog, especially if they vocalize. If your dog has gone still, is turning his head away from the other dog, and is showing the whites of his eyes (i.e., looking around by turning his eyes rather than his head), he is very stressed and may be about to bite. Don’t be shy about stepping in and giving a sharp, “No!” to a dog who’s being aggressive, even if it isn’t your own dog. Dogs often respond to authoritative commands from anyone, and if the owner is not going to control her dog, you are in your rights to step in.

Other signs that a dog is fearful or stressed

Lip lickingTail tuckingShaking off, like they do when they’re wetSneezingYawningStanding with one foreleg off the groundFreezingLooking awayWhale eye (showing whites of the eyes)

What should you do if you notice a situation developing but it isn’t fighting yet? Remove your dog. Call her to you and play elsewhere, or leave the park and come back another time. If she won’t come to you, go get her with calm confidence and quietly take her away. If your voice becomes anxious, she may begin to protect you from the other dogs, which may escalate the situation.

One effective way to split up dogs who are fighting is for one person to grab each fighter by the back legs, like you would in a wheelbarrow race. If it’s not your dog, don’t let go of those legs until the dog’s owner comes to put a leash on the dog. You can do this if your dog is attacked by an off-leash dog around the neighborhood, too. If there’s no one else around, just grab the offender; the victim will likely move away once the aggressor is disabled.

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Isn't It Great When the Bad Guys Lose? Dog-Snatcher Gets Four Years

Christopher Young didn't ask to be caught, but he might as well have. And the Yorkie? Unharmed.

Dog theft is becoming an alarmingly commonplace crime. We keep hearing shocking stories: stolen dogs used as bait dogs, sold to research labs, and held for ransom. One particularly brazen theft occurred just last week, when Actress Tricia O'Kelley, from The Secret Life of the American Teenager and The New Adventures of Old Christine, had her Yorkshire Terrier dognapped right from her yard. Fortunately, the dog was dropped near her home unharmed -- the thieves might have been thwarted by all the media attention the theft had received.

Now, we get a heartwarming story about the other side of dog theft -- sentencing. In the District of Columbia, 18-year-old Christopher Young just got four years in prison for stealing a Yorkie at gunpoint. 

And the dog, thankfully, wasn't dognapped for very long -- he escaped right after the crime and made his way home by himself. 

Here's how it went down: On Jan. 5 at about 10 a.m., Young approached a woman walking her Yorkshire Terrier in the area of Fifth and Kennedy Streets. He displayed his handgun and said, “Give me your dog. Yorkies cost a lot of money.” The woman gave him the dog, and he ran. 

But this was no master criminal -- this was Christopher Young. He dropped his phone when he was running away -- of course he did. Also, Christopher Young was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet, thanks to a previous crime. GPS ankle bracelets allow police to keep tabs on people like Christopher Young. This particular GPS bracelet put Christopher Young right at the scene of the crime and also in the flight path as described by witnesses. 

It was the very definition of an open and shut case. And the dog? He escaped right after being nabbed and simply ran home. Nothing to it. 

Young pleaded guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. During the proceedings, Judge Robert I. Richter hefted the book, judged its weight in his hand for a few beats, and then threw it at Christopher Young, giving him four years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. 

Judge Robert I. Richter is our hero of the day. 

Via DCist

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This Deserves More Investigation: Stories Differ After an Off-Duty Officer Shoots a Pit Bull

The Chicago cop claims the dog was going after his son. The neighbors saw something else.

Accusations are flying after an off-duty police officer in Chicago shot a neighbor's Pit Bull while on a walk with his son, and the Independent Police Review Authority is now investigating the incident.

According to the officer, an eight-year veteran of the force, he was out with his young son on North Oketo Avenue, when Maximus, a neighbor's 4-month-old Pit Bull, charged at them. He shot the dog eight times.

"It's supposed to be on a leash. If that dog is on a leash this never happens," the officer told NBC Chicago. "[My son] wanted to ride his bike. So he's riding down the sidewalk. As I'm walking down the street the dog comes out of the gangway charging at him."

Neighbors, however, dispute those events. They say Maximus never barked. They say the boy was nearly a block away during the shooting, according to CBS Chicago.

The dog's owner, Samantha Maglaya, also disputes the story.

“I ran to my dog and my kids were standing all around him screaming and crying,” she told CBS Chicago. “There was no son there. The whole time I was holding my dog and he was bleeding all over us and the kids are screaming and crying, his son was not there." 

The dog had accidentally escaped from the backyard after her kids left the gate open. The dog made it to the front of the house, where he was shot.

Maglaya is shocked at the outcome, remembering a dog who was gentle and kind: "He would sit in the yard and listen to the birds. He didn't even bark. He never growled. He was the biggest baby."

“How do you explain to your kids police officers are nice people if they’re shooting your puppy?” she said. “He was extremely friendly. He didn’t bark, he didn’t growl. There was no mistaking this dog for being mean at all.”

The officer's wife also spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times and provided her version and interpretation of events.

“He’s 5 years old. He was on his bike. This is a Pit Bull. Do you want to take that chance on a 5-year-old?" she said. "I know that my son’s life could have been in danger ... and the fact that my son was protected, that’s what I care about.”

She also said that they had previously asked the family to keep the dog on a leash.

A police sergeant interviewed the officer and the family, and the Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the incident. We'll let you know the results once they're released. 

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Aww of the Week: Shih Tzu Saves a Kitten, Nurses Her Until Help Arrives

The little dog in South Carolina took the rescue to heart, even producing milk for the kitty.

Last week, animal control officer Michelle Smith of Anderson, SC, got a call about a dog in a ravine behind a Home Depot. She figured it was a local dog who got stuck -- she's seen that before. She followed the dog's bark through some heavy foliage and down steep embankment. Then her jaw dropped. A little Shih Tzu was curled up in some bushes, but she wasn't alone.

She had a little kitten with her. And the kitten was suckling milk from the dog.

"I didn’t know what to think," she told 10 News. "I was shocked and surprised and then of course, awww."

Smith collected her precious cargo, amazed at what she'd found, amazed at what the dog had done to save the kitten.

"I think it would have been okay for the dog to walk down the hill," she told Fox Carolina. "But it just didn't want to leave the kitten"

Yep, the dog had been barking to alert someone to their location. And once they were safe at the shelter, the Shih Tzu's mothering behavior didn't stop. If anything, it intensified. The pair eat together, nap together, stare into each other's eyes. When the kitten strays to the edge of the opened cage, mama picks her up by the nape of her neck and tucks her back into bed.

And the dog is producing milk. She's going through a pseudo-pregnancy, doing all she can to take care of her little kitty.

"She’s producing some, but not all that (the kitten) will need nutrition-wise," said Jessica Cwynar, director of the shelter. Staff members have been supplementing her diet.

Adding to the bizarre mystery of the whole thing is the dog's condition: freshly groomed, with clean fur and a collar. She's someone's pet -- a pet whose duty to a wayward kitten superseded that of her duty to her owner. This is a pretty amazing pet. 

As for the animal control officer who saved the pair, the little dog made a huge impact in a sometimes trying profession.

"Good things happen all the time, but 'great' happens seldom," Smith said. "This is enough to keep me going the next six or eight months.

"This is one example of why I love my job."

The animals are now at Anderson County P.A.W.S., and the group will hold them for 14 days, waiting for the owner of the dog to come forward -- and hoping that person will adopt the kitten when collecting the dog.

If no owner comes forth, don't worry: Plenty of people are lining up to take them home.

"We have inquiries coming in from across America," Anderson County P.A.W.S. wrote on its Facebook page. "When they are available to be adopted, we will be carefully selecting their new family.

Via 10 News and Fox Carolina

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How to clean your home the safe, healthy, green way for the health of your dog!

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Welcome DERMagic to the Raise A Green Dog Partner Pack!

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Lucca the Three-Legged Retired Military Dog Has Been Nominated for a Hero Dog Award

Happy Memorial Day, Dogsters! Let's help this soldier dog win a Hero Dog Award.

This Monday's miracle is a very special Monday Miracle, because it's also Memorial Day.

We know we've talked about Lucca before, but we felt she deserved special recognition on today of all days.

Lucca is a nine-year-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix. She is now retired after serving in the United States Marine Corps for six years. During her service, Lucca was the victim of an explosion in Afghanistan. She suffered serious burns to her chest and torso, and her left front leg had to be amputated. However, her sacrifice helped spare the lives of the humans on patrol with her, and she was saved after being evacuated immediately. If that doesn't make her a Monday Miracle, we don't know what does!

Her injury occurred in March of last year, but she didn't officially retire until May 2012, when she was adopted by her original handler. In the past year, Lucca has been living the good life as a family pet and as an ambassador for all soldier dogs. She even got to ride on the "Canines With Courage" float in the Rose Parade, debuting a mock-up of the U.S. Military Dog Teams National Monument.

And now Lucca is up for a Hero Dog Award and we could not be more proud of her, but she needs your votes! Click here to cast your vote -- and pass this to all your friends!

Happy Memorial Day, Dogsters, and congrats to Lucca for being our extra special Memorial Day Monday Miracle.

Keep up to date with Lucca at her Facebook page.

Photos via Lucca's Facebook page.

Check out more of our inspirational dogs right here on Dogster:

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Now THIS Is Brazen: A Woman Brings a Fake Service Dog to Court -- and Fools the Judge

Lots of people have fake service dogs. This unsavory practice is bad for folks who truly rely on service dogs to get through the day, and it erodes the goodwill of the public toward service dogs. And every day we hear about more people running around with the fake certificates, confronting anyone who dares to question that the dog eating garlic twists from their lap at the Sbarros is anything but a medically needed hearing dog -- or therapy dog. Uh, I mean, seeing-eye dog. Wait, what was it again? 

Then we hear this, courtesy of PhillyBurbs.com. A Pennsylvania lady -- a Bonehead? Yes, lets call her that -- goes into court, in front a judge, with her little fake service dog. 

Bucks County District Judge Daniel Baranoski regrets to inform the court that he got bamboozled by the bold women, who waltzed into his courtroom with her Dachshund and sat down in the gallery. She was there for a hearing on a traffic ticket. The dog was there because the woman is a Bonehead. As she was waiting for her case to be called, Baranoski piped up. 

The judge questioned her about the dog. 

The woman responded that he was a service dog. 

Judge: "What service does the dog provide?"

The woman: "Psychological!"

And then she swept a business card from her purse and presented it to the judge with a flourish (which is to say, we like to think it was a flourish). The paper said the dog was “properly registered” with the “United States Service Dog Registry.” 

Hah! Have you seen the United States Service Dog Registry? It looks official, sure. But for $50, you can buy whatever credentials you like, including a "documentation package" with a fancy certificate. (One PetsAdviser writer who did just that said, "We’re talking digital watermark, security foil hologram, color-shifting printing, the whole works.") 

You'll also note the fine print on the Service Dog Registry home page: "Not affiliated with any government agency. Registrant data is based on assertions by dog owner. Registration is not required by the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act]."

Our judge, about as knowledgeable of the United States Service Dog Registry as a salesperson at Anne Taylor, let the woman stay with her dog. 

But he took the woman's case next, to get the dog out of the courtroom. Yes, he gave preferential treatment to a woman who brought a fake service dog into a court of law.

Later, because the judge was in a place full of people busy figuring out laws, he found out that he had been (probably) bamboozled. His staff told his honor that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require such "documentation" (namely, a fake business card that says your dog is "properly registered") and that the United States Service Dog Registry is considered "questionable" by people who know such things. 

It looks like our Bonehead was just another brazen person who is uses the delicate nature of the law to circumvent the hell out of it. 

The problem with this, of course, is that your typical fake service dog is not an expertly trained machine who's undergone years of study to behave like a pro in public. Your typical fake service dog is just a dog the owner really wants to be around all the time. Kind of like most dogs.

As the article says, "Such deception is making life harder for people with disabilities who rely on service dogs and face additional scrutiny and skepticism from business owners." 

At least Judge Baranoski won't be fooled again. He has told colleagues to be on the lookout for this crap. 

Via PhillyBurbs.com

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Chaser the Genius Border Collie Understands Grammar

The brainy Border Collie might soon be smart enough to go in the kitchen and make you a sandwich.

A new study shows that Chaser, who gained fame by learning more than 1,000 words a few years ago, is a lot smarter than any of us knew -- he's maybe even smarter than I. You see, he knows grammar.  

In the study, Chaser's owner, Dr. John Pilley, set out to measure the ability of his genius Border Collie to learn the "syntax and semantics" of sentences consisting of three elements of grammar: a prepositional object, verb, and direct object. Chaser had to give consistent responses to commands containing those three elements (like, "to ball take Frisbee") were mixed up ("to Frisbee take ball").

And guess what? Chaser took the Frisbee to the ball, and then he took the ball to the Frisbee. Meaning he gets verbs, prepositions, and direct objects. He knows what fun things to take where, depending on where the words "take" and "to" land in the sentence.  

Imagine the possibilities. In particular, imagine this possibility: "Chaser, to me take sandwich."

"Chaser intuitively discovered how to comprehend sentences based on lots of background learning about different types of words," Chaser's owner, a retired psychology professor at Wofford College in South Carolina, told ScienceNews.

Chaser was tested with familiar and unfamiliar objects, and even took the right object to the right object when he couldn't see them as the command was given. 

Dr. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia and an expert on canine intelligence, and who had nothing to do with the study, is not surprised. 

"Roughly speaking, the average dog is equivalent to a human two-year-old in terms of mental abilities," he told The Huffington Post. "And the 'super dogs' are equivalent to maybe a human two-and-a-half-year-old.”

Which are the super dogs? Border Collies, followed by Poodles and German Shepherds, according to Dr. Coren. 

Dr. Coren stresses that when teaching your dog commands, repetition is key. "I always use exactly the same words and I always use the words to precede an action," he said. "I’ll say to my dogs 'upstairs' when I’m going upstairs or 'downstairs' when I’m going downstairs. And so, next time you say 'upstairs,' they'll start looking for stairs to climb."

One day, they'll start looking for a sandwich to make. 

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"Bonehead" Is Too Good a Name for Whoever Chemically Burned the Number 300 on This Dog's Skin

We're not sure why it happened -- malice? sheer idiocy? bad humor? -- but what a cruel thing to do.

This poor dog was found on the streets by a concerned citizen and brought into the Emergency Veterinary Hospital in North Charleston, SC, given fluids and medicine, and released to Charleston Animal Society. As you can see, he had been shaved and the number 300 had been burned, big as life, into his skin. 

"This dog has chemical burns," said veterinarian Dr. Sarah Boyd. "I suspect whatever was applied to the dog was applied after the fur was removed so it was applied directly to the dog's skin, and it has caused severe burns."

The dog also suffered bacterial infections.

"Right now he is in pain ... he is suffering a little bit," Charleston Animal Society spokesperson Kay Hyman told WCSC. 

Fortunately, he's going to be okay -- though the burns will become permanent scars. And the man who rescued him from the streets has stepped up and offered to adopt the dog. His new name? Lucky. 

Now you're probably thinking, who would do such a thing? The best guess is: Boneheaded hunters. Apparently, some hunters use hair dye, food coloring, or spray paint to number their animals, making it easier to identify them during competitive field trials; also, for general identification purposes. But they don't usually place a "caustic agent" directly on the skin, like our Bonehead did. That would be amazingly painful for the dog.

Of course, would you want your dog obsessively licking a spray-painted number plastering his side? Paint isn't exactly non-toxic. There's a lot of Boneheads around this story. 

Fortunately, Lucky can look forward to a good life with his new owner, far from the reaches of Boneheads.

Photos via Charleston Animal Society Facebook page

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Grow an organic vegetable garden for your dog!

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Earth Day: A day to take a step for the environment and the health of your dog!

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