You may have noticed this shiny new award in my side bar. I was excited to receive an email while I was traveling that Its the Dogs’s Life was included in the top 95 Dog Websites list on Canine Inc. You can see the whole list here: LINK Im on the list around #20. There are some real quality sites on that list so I feel very honored to be included.
Thanks Canine Inc!
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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:
Uggie's days on the red carpet are numbered, but he'd rather be lounging by the blue pool.(Update below)
Uggie, the adorable canine big-screen star whose role in The Artist has catapulted him into the limelight, will be stepping away from his feature film career to spend more time just kickin’ back.
“Uggie’s still enjoying it, but he’s getting up there and he’s slowing down a little,” trainer Sarah Clifford told the The Hollywood Reporter of the 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier, who also recently costarred in Water for Elephants. “He’s at the stage where he just says, ‘I think I want to go and lay in the sun by the pool.” (And his other trainer and “dad,” Omar Von Muller, does indeed have a pool.)
The little dog with the big ‘tude will still take on minor roles, but there will be no more of the months of long workdays required by feature films. Uggie’s protégé, a Jack Russell named Dash, will be taking over the big roles. He has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity, backing up Uggie for minor scenes, learning the ropes before his older “brother,” as Von Muller calls him, stepped aside. (The two are not actually related, except that Von Muller calls himself “dad” to both.)
One of Uggie’s final red-carpet appearances will be on Feb. 13 at the Golden Collar Awards in Los Angeles. He and Dash will grace the stage as their own perky selves. “From what I gather, one of his last hurrahs will be at the Golden Collar Awards,” says Alan Siskind of Dog News Daily, which is putting together the gala event. 
After the Golden Collars, all that stands in the way of chillin’ by the pool all day is a little event known as the Academy Awards. The Artist, which cleaned up during the Golden Globes earlier this month, is up for 10 awards. Unfortunately there still isn’t a category for animal actors, but that’s what the Golden Collars are all about.
I’m delighted that I will be at the Golden Collar Awards in a couple of weeks, bringing Dogsters exclusive coverage of the event. It should be quite the scene. There’s even some excitement going on ahead of time, with Martin Scorsese, whose film Hugo has 11 Oscar nominations, pushing for the canine costar of that film to be entered in the Golden Collars. He thinks the regal Doberman, Blackie (Maximilian), deserves to be in the running for top dog in the category of Best Theatrical Film.
Blackie, in Hugo. (Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/GK Films)The director wrote this in an editorial in the Los Angeles Times:
“Okay, let’s lay all our cards on the table. Jack Russell terriers are small and cute. Dobermans are enormous and — handsome. More tellingly, Uggie plays a nice little mascot who does tricks and saves his master’s life in one of the films, while Blackie gives an uncompromising performance as a ferocious guard dog who terrorizes children. I’m sure you can see what I’m driving at.”
Good for Scorsese for sticking up for the big guy (actually, Blackie is a gal). If you’d like to see Blackie added to the roster, go to the Dog News Daily Facebook page and nominate her. She needs 500 write-in votes by February 6. I’m heading over there right now to nominate her. (I’ll use my Soldier Dogs moniker to add some teeth. 
) Not that I don’t love Uggie and the other contenders, but Blackie’s stellar performance should not be overlooked just because she was kinda big and scary. (Time has wondered if this is a form of “breedism.”) Head over to the FB page and join in if you want Blackie to have a chance to run with the little dogs.
Update 10 p.m. Jan 30: We just learned from the LA Times movie blog that there was such an outpouring of votes for Blackie that she received all the nominations she needed within a few hours of getting out the word about her! I hope she can make the awards. I’d love to see her beside her more diminutive colleagues.
The Golden Globe Awards are so last weekend. The awards event that’s shining today is the Golden Collar Awards, a new institution recognizing the best canine performances in film and television.
The first-ever Golden Collar Awards, put together by Dog News Daily, will follow in the decade-old pawsteps of the Palm Dog Awards at Cannes in honoring the year’s top dog actors. The nominations came out yesterday, and we were not too surprised to see some of our favorite four-legged thespians on the list. Check out the nominees below and let us know who would get your vote if you were a judge.
The spotlight has been shining brightly on the amazing Uggie, the 9-year-old Jack Russell who had a major role in the wonderful film, The Artist. He upstaged pretty much everyone at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday with his incomparable cuteness. His Uggieness even inspired a call to start recognizing dogs at the Golden Globes and the Oscars (check out the Consider Uggie Facebook page), but there has been no official movement in that direction. Well, who needs a statue when you can get a cool collar?
Penelope Ann Miller and Uggie announced the Golden Collar Awards yesterdayUggie, who helped his human costar, Penelope Ann Miller, announce the nominees, was nominated twice for a top-dog award. (His other nomination was as Queenie in Water for Elephants.) Judges will probably have a hard time, because last year there were some superb canine performances.
One of my favorites on the list is Cosmo, the uber-adorable Jack Russell who played beside Christopher Plummer in the indie breakout film, Beginners. I saw that in a special screening with Dogster Managing Editor Janine Kahn, and was grateful we brought a little packet of Kleenex with us.
Both Uggie and Cosmo were rescued from shelters by their trainers. How cool is that?
As well as telling us who you think deserves the Golden Collars in their categories, let us know what you think about the up-and-coming idea of having a category in the Oscars for performance by an animal. Stephen Spielberg is reportedly behind this effort; he apparently would like to see the horse who played Joey in War Horse nominated for such an award. (From what I read, several horses played Joey. Not sure how that would work …)
The awards ceremony takes place on Monday, February 13, at 6 p.m. (PT) at the Hotel Palomar in Westwood/Los Angeles. You won’t be able to tune in, because it’s not being televised, but we’ll bring you the results.
Canine nominees for the Golden Collar Awards were announced in five categories:
BEST DOG IN A THEATRICAL FILM
COSMO as Arthur — BEGINNERS (Focus Features)
UGGIE as Queenie — WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Fox)
DENVER as Skeletor — 50/50 (Summit Entertainment/ Mandate Pictures)
HUMMER as Dolce — YOUNG ADULT (Paramount/Mandate)
UGGIE as Jack — THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)
BEST DOG IN A FOREIGN FILM
KOKO as Red Dog — RED DOG (Roadshow Films, Australia)
LAIKA as Herself — LE HAVRE (Janus Films, France)
BIINA as Alf — THE DAY THE DOGS DISAPPEARED (Nippon Television, Japan)
ICHICO as Tao — THE DAY THE DOGS DISAPPEARED (Nippon Television, Japan)
BEST DOG IN A TELEVISION SERIES
ROCY as Arnold — ENTOURAGE (HBO)
CHUNK as Himself — CHELSEA LATELY (E! Entertainment Television)
BRIGITTE as Stella — MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
DART as Chance — HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV Land)
JASON GANN as Wilfred — WILFRED (FX)
LAMBCHOP as Yakult — SUBURGATORY (ABC)
BEST DOG IN A REALITY TELEVISION SERIES
GIGGY — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS/Lisa Vanderpump (Bravo)
MILLOU — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY/Sonja Morgan (Bravo)
JACKPOT — THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS/Adrienne Maloof (Bravo)
SPARTACUS — ICE LOVES COCO/Coco (E! Entertainment)
HERCULES — PIT BOSS/ Shorty Rossi (Animal Planet)
BEST DOG IN A DIRECT-TO-DVD FILM
FRED as B Dawg — SPOOKY BUDDIES (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
GASTON as Beethoven — BEETHOVEN’S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE (Universal Home Entertainment)
ANGEL as Chloe — BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
ROWDY as Marley — MARLEY AND ME: THE PUPPY YEARS (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)
RUSCO as Papi — BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
For the first time in history, dogs (and their owners) can nominate a product for the 2010 PupLife.com Dog Product Of The Year Award. Additionally, one lucky reviewer will be chosen at random to receive a $100 PupLife Gift Certificate!
This prestigious award, now in its 7th year has traditionally been selected by PupLife.com staffers, based on overall customer feedback, year long sales data and staff input. This year, you can post a review of any product on the site, automatically nominating that product as a candidate for 2010 Dog Product Of The Year. To nominate a product, simply visit a product page on PupLife.com and click on the "Write A Review" link.
"We're very excited to bring PupLife customers officially into the award nomination process," says Eric Houtkooper, PupLife's President and co-founder. "Our shoppers have excellent taste, and we value their opinions very much. Now they can post a review on any product page and automatically nominate their favorite for the Dog Product Of The Year Award. Our staff will ultimately still decide the winner, but in order for the product to win, it will have to be reviewed by one of our customers."
Traditionally, there have been multiple winners chosen as Dog Products Of The Year, with the winners named in various categories. This year, the award will be given to one product only. "Last year we named our Dog Products Of The Year, but we also named the SENSE-ation Harness as our Dog Product Of The Decade. The focus on one product was nice because it brought that specific item to many people's attention. So, shifting the award to just one product, one "best of the best" if you will, will be our new traditon," noted Houtkooper.
PupLife's Dog Product Of The Year Award is selected by the PupLife staff, based on customer feedback, product review information, overrall sales and staff input. The actual number of reviews (positive or negative) may not be the deciding factor, but a product needs to be reviewed on the site in order to be nominated as a potential winner. The award promotion is open to all, and no purchase is necessary. Please read the Official 2010 Dog Product Of The Year Rules for more information. The PupLife Product Of The Year Award winner will be announced on Monday, January 24th on PupLife's web site.
posted 2010 Dec 27 by Chip Green
Target, with Sgt. Terry Young and family, after she was reunited with him in the USTarget, the heroic dog who saved dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan by attacking a suicide bomber only to be killed in a foulup at an Arizona animal shelter, has just received a posthumous award: Paw Print Post’s (USA Today’s pet blog) Most Heroic Dog of 2010.
Some good has come from this tragedy. Young and his wife, Melissa, are planning a no-kill shelter near their Phoenix-area home. Its name: Target’s Bunker, a Safe Haven for All Animals. So Target will keep saving lives. The project got a $1,090 infusion when the owners of two of the five Heroic Dog finalists threw their support to Target, because they thought she was truly the deserving dog. They also pointed people to a site where they could donate to the cause, which is still in its infancy (no nonprofit status yet, but it should come).
(If you feel a hankering to grab a hanky, check out a heartwrenching memorial video of her on the Target’s Bunker site.)
I’d like to shake the paws of two top contenders for the hero award who asked their many fans to vote instead for Target. The human halves of Surf Dog Ricochet and Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog had a meeting of the minds when they become hero finalists.
As Ricochet “wrote” on her site, “I was excited, and honored (by the nomination). I started asking my supporters to vote for me, but quickly started feeling awkward about it…like it just wasn’t right. A sense of sadness fell over me. That’s because one of the other nominees was Target. And, Target deserves this title… she IS this title.” With Ricochet’s and Sparkles’ supporters backing Target in addition to her original supporters, she was a shoo-in.
What a heartwarming, positive story to come from such a sad, dark event. (A big thank-you to my Dogster friend Santiagofdz for giving me the heads up about the hero award.)
