(NECN) – This spring many of us are checking in with the federal government and filling out our 2010 Census forms.

But to make sure your dog is counted, you may want to fill out the Mutt Census.

It’s online at muttcensus.com and asks you about your dog’s breed, weight, height and feeding and exercise habits.

Sponsored by Mars, the maker of Pedigree dog food.

It’s an effort to research the most popular breeds out there.

Sparky

Prior to Sparky’s escape he had been neutered and a HomeAgain microchip containing a unique ID number was placed just under his skin. After he ran off, his owners posted flyers and combed the neighborhood hoping to find their lost pet. However, following two months of searching, they hoped that someone had found Sparky and would care for him.

“It was difficult to accept, and it crushed my daughter’s heart, but we hoped Sparky was safe and comfortable in someone’s home,” said Sparky’s owner. “We then decided that we would help another homeless animal. We adopted a second cat and had him neutered and microchipped as well. We never expected to see Sparky again.”

During the winter months of 2010, Sparky’s owners began receiving email reminders to update his microchip ID since it would soon expire. It was during this time that Sparky’s owner saw a familiar face in the Boston neighborhood where the cat had gone missing. However, this cat was missing a significant portion of his tail, so the owner pushed aside any final hope of seeing the missing Sparky.

Several weeks later on February 28, a cat was discovered in a foreclosed Boston property and brought to the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center in Jamaica Plain. Following protocol, an MSPCA adoption center counselor scanned the incoming, abandoned cat for a microchip ID and discovered that the feline was once owned. Since the microchip ID remained up-to-date, it was then only a matter of making a quick phone call to HomeAgain that started the ball rolling on reuniting Sparky with his owners.

Nearly one year later, Sparky is now back at home playing with a new feline friend and the dog that had kept him company when he was a kitten.

“It is wonderful to have Sparky back in our lives,” said his owner. “The only difference is that he is missing a portion of his tail.”

“Microchip IDs are crucial when helping us reunite a pet with their owner,” said Meagan Rock, Director of the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center in Boston. “However, it is vital that the identification information is updated regularly.”

In a 2001 study performed by the MPSCA and Dorr Research Corp. it was discovered that approximately 3 percent of stray cats that end up in shelters and adoption centers in Massachusetts are reclaimed by their owners. To learn more about posting information about a lost or found pet, visit www.mspca.org/lostandfound.

(NECN/SKY/MoD) – A British Labrador, whose bomb-sniffing exploits helped save lives in Afghanistan, was awarded a medal for canine courage in a ceremony at London’s Imperial War Museum on Wednesday. Eight-year-old Treo joins a menagerie of heroic animals honored over the years with a special award known as the Dicken medal.

The others include 32 pigeons, three horses and a cat. The military nominated Treo for the prize in recognition of his help uncovering a series of Taliban bombs during his time serving in Helmand Province, an insurgency hot spot, in 2008.

The Labrador is the medal’s 63rd recipient since its inception in 1943, according to the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, the charity that awards the prize.

PDSA Chairman Michael Bolton said the medal “recognizes extraordinary animals for their lifesaving courage in extreme situations.” He described Treo as a “dog and hero.” “I owe Treo my life,” said Sergeant Dave Heyhoe, the black Lab’s handler, adding that “it’s his nose that’s thwarting the Taliban’s weapons of destruction.”

Man’s best friend has won a large share of the medals over the years. One recipient, a collie named Rob, joined British commandos in repeated parachute operations behind enemy lines during World War II. More recently, Sadie, another bomb-sniffing dog, was awarded the Dickin medal for helping to alert coalition forces to an explosive hidden under sandbags in Kabul in 2005.

Other animals, notably carrier pigeons used in World War II, have been honored as well.

(NECN/ABC) – After months of international bureaucracy, dealing with smugglers and the challenge of transporting a dog from a war zone to Seattle, Lena Bourillion and friends welcomed home Oso the dog.

Despite a 50-hour trip, the grateful pup, who is only five-months-old, has tons of energy.

But, what a journey — one that began in Afghanistan, where Lena’s husband serves with a U.S. Army stryker team. One day Phil Bourillion spotted a puppy scavenging for food in a trash pile. He picked her up and took her in.

Soon, Oso, as she was called, was adopted by the entire unit, which found diversion and comfort in the little Afghanistan mountain dog.

So, when soldiers got marching orders and couldn’t take the puppy, they paid a local driver to sneak Oso across enemy lines. Then, from Seattle, Phil’s wife, Lena, worked the phones making arrangements to have Oso smuggled into Pakistan and flown to the U.S.

ABC’s Mark Mullen reports.

(NECN/TVN/IMGW) – A frightened, shivering dog was rescued after floating 75 miles (120 kilometres) on an ice floe down Poland’s Vistula River and into the Baltic Sea, officials said on Thursday. The thick-furred male dog was found adrift Monday 15 miles (24 kilometres) out in the Baltic Sea by the crew of the Baltica, a Polish ship carrying ocean research scientists.

Researchers said on Thursday that the rescue was difficult and at one point it seemed the dog had drowned. But the crew lowered a pontoon down to the water and a crew member managed to grab the dog by the scruff of his neck and pull him to safety. Too weak to shake off the frigid water, Baltic was dried and wrapped in blankets.

After he warmed up, he was massaged, fed and soon got on his feet to seek company, according to crew members.

The Baltica crew, now moored in the port city of Gdynia, have been searching for the dog’s owners, ship captain Jerzy Wosachlo said.

According to the crew, so far four people have claimed him, but Baltic has not claimed any of them back.

The dog didn’t welcome the first two people to come for him, keeping his distance and showing no recognition toward a couple on Wednesday and a woman on Thursday who both said he was theirs.

Two other would-be owners were still en route to Gdynia for a possible reunion.

In the meantime, the dog, nicknamed “Baltic” will be looked after by the crew.

A spokeswoman for the Sea Fishery Institute, Ewa Baradziej-Krzyzanowska said : “We are accepting this dog as a member of the crew.”

Once in port, the brown-and-black mongrel was taken to a veterinarian, who found him in surprisingly good condition and estimated his age at around five or six years old.

Veterinarian Aleksandra Lawniczak said the 44-pound (20-kilogram) dog was clearly frightened but in strikingly good shape and had suffered no frostbite. A dog with thick fur and a layer of fat can survive such cold conditions for as long as eight days if it has water to drink, Lawniczak said. Wosachlo said the research team was prepared to adopt Baltic if his original owner is never found.

The dog’s frozen odyssey came as Poland suffers through a winter cold snap, with temperatures dipping to below minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius).

We’ve all been in “puppy love” at some point in our lives, so why not show some love to our furry friends? The MSPCA will be holding a special fundraiser for homeless pets this Valentine’s Day weekend.

You can shop for your valentine and help homeless animals at the same time. The MSPCA will have professionally-designed custom floral arrangements created on site along with gourmet sweets from Laughing Moon Chocolates.

100% of all sales benefit the MSPCA Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center and Spike’s Fund, which helps the MSPCA provide emergency medical treatment for homeless animals in need.

The event will take place on February 12, 13 and 14th. To learn more about the event visit www.mspca.org/boston.

Tinsel

“The MSPCA will never turn away an animal that is being surrendered,” said MSPCA Director of Animal Protection, Jean Weber. “In addition to the valuable behavioral and medical information that pet owners share with us, the surrender process ensures a safe handover of each animal. Several of the cats that were abandoned on our property were left trapped in boxes and exposed to harsh weather conditions.”

Frosty

A grey and white cat, now named Frosty, was abandoned near the front door of Angell Animal Medical Center on Saturday, December 5 during a rain and snow storm. Other cats were abandoned throughout the MSPCA-Angell including a kitten, Tinsel, who was left in one of the medical center’s bathrooms.

“If a pet owner needs to surrender an animal we urge them to do so properly,” continued Weber. “By informing us of an animal’s past we are enabled to make a much better match with a new adoptive owner.”

Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. To contact the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department throughout Massachusetts please call (617) 522-6008 or (800) 628-5808.

Friendships come in all shapes and sizes, between different ages, races, and genders, and – on one farm in Vermont – different species.
A very young, very sick horse, abandoned by her mother was, in essence, saved by a couple of barn-mates who were looking for friends.
When Tilley was born almost four months ago, she was frail, sick, and under-developed.
Jamie Fell\Fell-Vallee Equestrian Ctr. “She was teeny, teeny, teeny.”
Tilley, who weighed less than 50-pounds, was having seizures and was unconscious much of the time.

Her mother didn’t want her. And other adult horses on the farm didn’t seem to, either. And as much as Jamie fell, her daughter, Liz, and her mother, Joan Lavallee tried to care for her at the Fell-Vallee Equestrian Center in Hinesburg, Vermont-

There was only so much they could do.

Jamie “She wouldn’t eat, or do anything… she was just trying not to live.”

Lavallee\Fell-Vallee Equestrian Ctr. “We didn’t have really high hopes for her, but we were going to do our darndest to get her through it.”

Their ‘darndest’ came in the form of two goats, Kyra and Anke, who were young kids at the time themselves- 5 months old.

The family had gotten them as farm pets.

But as soon as they introduced them to Tilley, it was clear they would become much more.

Jamie “Right away- they wanted to be with her, sleep with her, cuddle with her- it was almost like they knew she was sick.”

The bond, Fell says, formed instantaneously. All of a sudden- Tilley, it seemed, had a reason – and a will – to live.

Jamie “As soon as the goats got involved, things got better really fast.”

This is Hannah, Tilley’s mother, and a 10 year-old mare. Tilley was her first fowl – and a very unhealthy one… so, it seems, her instinct was to reject her.

Joan “I really do think it was nature’s bid- telling the mare to get rid of the foal- this liability.”

Hannah and Tilley are now kept apart. Tilley lives instead with her new best friends.

Jamie “No matter what time of day you come, they’re always together.”

The three play together, though sometimes identities get intertwined. Tilley has picked up a habit of head-butting.

And Kyra and Anke are learning to jump. They exhibit canine tendencies as well. Breaking down whatever species barriers they can.

Clearly- it matters less to these three *what* they are than what they mean to each other.

Liz “If Tilley gets cold, the goats pile on top of her and keep each other warm.”

The friendship formed under dire circumstances, and grew out of loyalty and trust.

Jamie “I’m quite certain the only reason Tilley is alive is because of these two goats.”

Now- this trio’s bond, though unusual, is unmistakable, and quite enviable at that.

NECN’s Anya Huneke reports.

A Massachusetts radio show host and a hunters’ club have offered rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever used a bow to kill two llamas in Berkshire County.

WBRK radio host Sherman Baldwin put up $200 of his own money then solicited contributions from listeners that boosted the reward to about $1,200.

Baldwin tells The Berkshire Eagle that the killing of the animals was “despicable.”

The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen has posted a $500 reward. President Mark Jester said the killings go against everything hunters stand for.

The animals were found dead Sunday morning at River Valley Farm in Lenox. State Environmental Police found arrows lodged behind their rib cages.

Four retired racehorses from Suffolk Downs have a new home, thanks to some inmates.

Some inmates from Plymouth County helped build stalls in a barn on the sheriff’s department farm. They will take care of up to 40 horses ad the program expands.

The track on Tuesday delivered four recently retired horses.

Suffolk Downs owner Richard Fields has pledged not to send any horses from the track to slaughter. He says once you make that promise, you have to back it up. The track worked with the Retired Thoroughbred Foundation and the sheriff’s department to set up the new barn.

The staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is working overtime to raise a litter of African Painted dogs. The hardest part is that the tiny puppies don’t have their mother. However, an unlikely surrogate has saved the day.

But, Honey is no ordinary dog. She’s now a surrogate mom for these African Painted dog puppies. Their mother died two days after giving birth to them in the Pittsburgh Zoo. That was about 10 days ago. The chance of these pups surviving is just 50%, and that’s with a healthy mother.

There are only three to six thousand African Painted dogs remaining in the wild, so keeping these puppies alive is a very big deal for the zoo staff.

Video provided by: KDKA.

There’s a place in Norton, Massachusetts where cats mingle with pigs, and llamas roam alongside horses. The Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary is a place of redemption for animals who have been rescued from the most horrific circumstances, but now live the sweet life. From the very first greeting, you realize you’re entering a magical realm. Goats, swans and geese, horses, llamas, cats, pigs and sheep. All wander around with such friendly and curious expressions that you half expect them to shout: “hello friend! How are you?”

That’s not such a far fetched idea to Debbie White. White, who grew up in a log cabin next door-has always heard what the voiceless have to say. Her father-suffering from Parkinson’s-lost his ability to speak when she was just a girl. But he taught her to care for the underdog. And he gave her the skills to do it, like how to raise a barn. But her ability to connect with animals seems more like a gift than a lesson.

And as an adult she built a bigger dream: To create a sanctuary for animals that had been abused. She was unstoppable. For 17 years, she worked nearly round the clock at three jobs-as a vet’s assistant, an administrative assistant, a salesperson-to raise the money to buy back family land and put up barns and sheds. A dozen years ago she was ready, and one by one she saved these creatures, giving them a safe haven.

The blind horse who had been neglected and starved, the goat who had been attacked by dogs and left to die, the starving pig. Geese and ducks rescued from freezing. The mini horse beaten and traumatized. Every one has a story and every one matters to Debbie. What’s remarkable is to see how they all get along and how trusting they are.

“If given a chance, they all live in harmony.”

And some funny friendships have cropped up like the one between Waterford the pig and spring the cat. Just as Debbie White has realized her dream, though, she wants to expand it. To preserve more wild space and save more animals.

You understand why when you visit. Along sun-dappled paths, with the scent of burning sage in the air and the sound of recorded harp music mingling with honks and whinnies and crows of the animals. Winslow Farm is like no place else. It’s an animal lover’s fairy tale come to life.

Winslow Farm is open to the public nearly year round, weather permitting.

And because it costs two-hundred thousand dollars a year to care for the nearly 300 rescued animals, Debbie White depends on admission fees, donations, grants, and volunteer help to keep going.

The new animal welfare specialty license plate for the state of Maine is now available for purchase. The new plate directly supports the health and welfare of Maine’s companion animals.

The plate features colorful silhouettes of a cat, dog, rabbit, horse, and bird with the slogan “respect. love. adopt.” It can be purchased at BMV branch offices as well as town offices that issue license plates. Drivers will pay $20 for the plate the first year and $15 every year after that for renewals.

For each plate sold, the Animal Welfare Auxiliary Fund will receive $5 to support its animal rescue programs including puppy mill seizures and animal cruelty and abuse investigations. The Companion Animal Sterilization Fund will also receive $5 for each plate sold to support domestic animal spay and neuter programs such as Help Fix ME, Maine’s spay/neuter program for low income citizens.

Click here for photos from the press conference.

This was all made possible in part by the Planet Dog Foundation.

A mother cat is nursing a puppy Chihuahua and she doesn’t mind one bit. The caring cat is at the Halo Animal Rescue in Phoenix, Arizona.

Heather Allen runs the shelter and says the mother of “Liam,” the Chihuahua, died shortly after giving birth last month. “Marla,” the mother cat, also a resident of the shelter, gave birth to four kittens about the same time that Liam’s mother died. Allen slipped Liam into the cage with the other kittens and Marla let him nurse. Allen says Marla treats Liam like one of her own. He’s black just like her kittens so he blends in well.

Liam will be hanging around with the felines for about four more weeks until he’s weaned. Everyone at the shelter is waiting to see if Liam grows up with a “feline” side. Liam, the Chihuahua, has already been adopted. Marla, the mother cat who saved his life, is still looking for a home. Her kittens are as well.

Video provided by: KSAZ.

Jonah in his bed resting at Angell Animal Medical Center

MRI of Jonah’s brain. The white area would normally represent a brain, in this case it is all fluid. The brain has been pushed to the outer edges of Jonah’s skull.

Angell staff neurologist, Dr. Andrew Farabaugh assessed the Chihuahua puppy and suspected that he was suffering from a severe case of hydrocephalus, commonly referred to as “water on the brain,” however tests were required to appreciate the full extent of the congenital disease. In order to monitor the puppy around the clock, Dr. Farabaugh and his team fostered the Chihuahua for several weeks as more information could be gathered.

The fragile puppy was soon named Jonah after seeking solace in the mouth of a fish shaped bed. Jonah initially showed some small improvement with medications and had been able to walk and even started playing with his new friends in the Neurology Service as well as with other dogs, but his condition has since progressed.

The MRI, surgery and follow-up care is estimated to cost a minimum of $2,500 and donations are being requested by the non-profit to help animals in need of medical care at Angell Animal Medical Center, including Jonah. Donations to the Angell Animal Medical Center can be made online at www.mspca.org/jonah.

A baboon in northern Kentucky is doing well after being rescued from a home in Jessamine County. Animal control says 24-year-old Suzie had been living in a cage in a garage there for 24 years. The owners got her at five and a half months and as she continued to grow, she apparently became too much for them to handle. An anonymous tip led to the rescue.

Primate Rescue Center Executive Director April Truitt says the 31-pound primate is eating and settling into her new surroundings. She arrived on Thursday. Truitt says she has some serious health issues, including Type-Two diabetes, sores and bad teeth. The owners will not be charged because they willingly gave up the animal.

Video provided by: WKYT

Trade in the kennel service for a little room service the next time you visit Boston.
The hotel staff at XV Beacon offers a wide variety of services aimed at helping travelers with dogs – and other pets in need.
Click on the video to step inside.

Dogs, vegetarian chili, a big wonderful crowd, great folk music, funny contests, and a spectacular sunny day.

Sunday I was the “grand marshal” (don’t worry: no tiara, no sash) for the Standish Humane Society’s Benefit Walk for Animals in Wompatuck State Park. It was a real honor to spend time with people who pull off such miracles every day in saving animals.

Standish Humane runs a no-kill shelter for cats in Duxbury and also provides a spay/neuter service for the pets of people who cannot afford regular veterinary fees.

As you can imagine, the volunteers who keep the group up and running are so warm and dedicated and kind—the event was like a big happy family party.

I wanted to share a few pictures from the day, taken by Bob Andrews. And to say that even if you missed it this year, make sure you come next year. I know it’s going to be a “don’t miss” for my schedule from now on.

You don’t have to wait all those months to find out more about this group, however. Check out their site: www.standishhumanesociety.com
Or call: 781-834-4663

You can call to make an appointment to see the beautiful cats and kittens who are up for adoption at their shelter. The shelter folks really get to know each cat very well and will be of great help finding the perfect match for you.

Thank you Standish Humane for saving animals!

—Vicki Croke

From jumping out of police cruisers to tackling criminal suspects, life for a dog in the line of duty is often dangerous and physically taxing. And once a trained “canine cop” retires, the costly veterinary care that is often needed will almost always become the responsibility of the dog’s handler.
In Vermont, one organization is now helping to pay for that care. Click on the video to learn more about Lacey’s Fund.

To learn more about how you can support Lacey’s Fund, steer your Web browser to: http://www.vtpca.com/

Nevins Farm, already struggling to handle the animals in its care, is on course to receive a record number of horses this year. 37 have already been given to the MSPCA and the owners of eight others are scheduled to drop their horses off within the next few weeks.

Farm officials are scrambling to find foster or adoptive homes for the horses in this tough economy.

Click here to read more from The Boston Globe.

This may be one of the most horrifying stories I have ever read about.
An undercover video shot by an animal rights group at an Iowa egg hatchery shows workers discarding unwanted chicks by sending them alive into a grinder, and other chicks falling through a sorting machine to die on the factory floor.

Chicago-based Mercy for Animals said it shot the video at Hy-Line North America’s hatchery in Spencer, Iowa, over a two-week period in May and June. The video was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

Hy-Line said in a statement it has started an investigation “of the entire situation,” adding that it would have helped their investigation “had we been aware of the potential violation immediately after it occurred.”

According to Mercy for Animals, male chicks are of no use to the industry because they can’t lay eggs and don’t grow large or quickly enough to be raised profitably for meat. That results in the killing of 200 million male chicks a year.

The United Egg Producers, a trade group for U.S. egg farmers, confirmed that figure and the practice behind it.

Mercy for Animals says it will call on the nation’s 50 largest grocery chains to include labels on their eggs that say, “Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry.”

Hy-Line International: http://www.hyline.com

Shorty

Shorty

“Since Nevins Farm is the region’s only open admissions animal care and adoption center for farm animals and horses, we are experiencing a tremendous increase in surrendered horses due to the poor economy,” said Melissa Ghareeb, Manager of the Nevins Farm Equine & Farm Animal Adoption Center. “We spend months rehabilitating horses that arrive in all states of care, from healthy and strong to walking skeletons with a history of malnutrition. The growing number of horses in our care also strains our financial resources at an average of $320 every month to care for each horse.”

The surrendering of horses is a rising trend in Massachusetts evidenced by surrender of 21 horses to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in 2007 and 39 more equines in 2008. The surrendered horses are also added to the numerous equines that remain in the care of the MSPCA at Nevins Farm year to year as homes are sought. This trend is expected to continue as the MSPCA at Nevins Farm has received 35 surrendered horses in 2009.

As horses arrive at the MSPCA, they are evaluated for health and soundness, as well as a skill set, which enables the staff to match each horse with an adopter. Many of the horses require medical care to varying degrees, from simple vaccines to costly surgeries. The MSPCA is dependent on its equine medical fund, Ashton’s Hope Fund, to provide this care to the horses at the farm including Shorty, a two-year-old colt suffering from severe malnutrition. Scoring a 1 on the 9 point Henneke scale, (the lowest on the scale used to evaluate the body condition of horses), Shorty’s recovery and rehabilitation will be lengthy and expensive, including surgery which will cost approximately $2000.

Ghareeb said that she hopes more adopters will come forward in the next few weeks, and that individuals who may not be in a position to adopt may choose to donate funds for the medical care of animals in need. Ghareeb also invited horse owners to participate in the Equine Center’s fundraising events, including the upcoming Horses Helping Horses Beach Ride scheduled for October 4th. As a non-profit without any support from state or federal agencies, the MSPCA is dependent on donations from individuals and from special events to care for its animals.

For more information on the adoption process or to view available horses, visit www.mspca.org/nevins, or contact the Equine Center staff at (978) 687-7453 x6113. Contributions to Ashton’s Fund may be donated online at www.mspca.org/nevins or mailed to the MSPCA’s Equine Center, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844, attention Ashton’s Fund.

One of five MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Centers statewide, the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen cared for more than 8,500 animals last year. The MSPCA does not receive state or federal funding and continues its work based solely on the generosity of its supporters. The MSPCA Equine Center at Nevins Farm is located at 400 Broadway, Rte. 28 in Methuen and is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays – Fridays; 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. To contact the MSPCA Equine Center at Nevins Farm regarding adoptions and programs please call (978) 687-7453 x. 6113 or on the Web at: www.mspca.org/nevins.

Amid all the summer blockbusters this year is one small movie – making a big impact on animal lovers.

“The Cove” is a documentary following a team of filmmakers as they look to uncover an ongoing campaign of cruelty against dolphins in a hidden cove in Japan.

“The Cove” was one of the big winners at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Check out the entire trailer online at www.thecovemovie.com.

Even if you’re not into messy bumper stickers - you can still make a bumper statement for animals in Massachusetts.
Learn more about how to purchase the “I’m Animal Friendly” license plate from the MSPCA.

This children’s book is based on a true story from Boston. The recently-released “Pennies for Elephants” centers on the inspiring efforts of some Boston children, who in 1914 collected enough money to purchase three retired circus elephants for the Franklin Park Zoo.

Lita Judge wrote and illustrated this beautiful book and joins Vicki to talk more about it.

When Judi Bayly stopped breathing in her sleep, her Irish Setter Lyric dialed 9-1-1. That call saved and changed her life. Bayly began training service dogs and giving them to others with disabilities.

Now, it’s Bayly and her dogs that need a life line. Divorced and recently evicted from her house, Bayly survives on social security benefits and is scheduled for bladder and colon surgery next month. Bayly needs someone to help care for her dogs.

If you would like to help out with fostering one of these dogs, please call Judi at: (603) 864-9416.

Wanted: Caring individuals willing to provide patient teaching to guide dogs in training.

Learn how you can become a puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind!

Interested in volunteering for Guiding Eyes for the Blind?

Log on to www.guidingeyes.org for more information

As an extreme animal lover, I am going to try to keep this post as unbiased as possible…

Massachusetts lawmakers are taking up several pet related bills this afternoon, including one that would create a registry of “dangerous dogs,” and others that could restrict certain dog breeds. Several Massachusetts town and cities have already passed laws restricting certain breeds. But, others say, any new restrictions should focus on individual dogs’ behavior, and not their breed alone.

Also this afternoon, legislators will hear from several people who support banning the devocalization of dogs and cats, where the animal’s vocal cords are cut.

A driver is facing charges after police say they found more than 50 puppies crammed inside his broken down truck. Officers made the discovery during a traffic stop in Webster, Massachusetts.

44-year-old John Clayton of Missouri is a driver for ‘Puppy Ship’ — a Missouri company that transports puppies from breeders to sellers.

A State Department employee is looking for a good home for this adorable cat. This, after rescuing him from the streets of Iraq.

36-year-old Suzanne Bowdoin of Sudbury, Mass., is headed back to the war-torn region, and will not be able to care from the little guy.