NYC Pup Crawl

If you missed Craft Beer Week’s pub crawl (also known as the Path of Yeast Resistance), you can still make it to Saturday’s Pup Crawl: a pet-accompanied march across the Brooklyn Bridge intended to bring attention to the dogs and cats at risk of losing their homes because of the economy.

An estimated 500,000 to one million pets may lose their homes because of foreclosures, according to an estimate put out by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

An evening news report about that figure inspired Joseph Hassan, a 29-year-old Williamsburg resident, to organize a march. He was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge one afternoon when he imagined the attention pets would get simply by marching across the landmark span. “If we could get people to pay attention nationally,” he said, “we could reach a lot of those pets.”

To read the full story, head on over to The New York Times

Judge Rules That Former Couple Must Share Pug

When a couple splits up, what happens to the pooch?

A New Jersey judge settled the question Monday in a costly legal battle that began after the Monroe Township couple called off their engagement in 2006. Eric Dare and Doreen Houseman are to share Dexter, the pug they both love.

They'll get turns caring for the dog, starting promptly at 6 p.m. every fifth Friday.

Judge Ronald Tomasello said the arrangement would last until 6-year-old Dexter "goes to the Great Kennel in the Sky."

Originally, the judge awarded the dog to Dare. The police officer had paid for the dog.

Houseman appealed, saying a dog should not be treated as just another possession.

[Source: Philly.com]

Ithaca Pioneers Dog Waste Composting

Several years ago, dog owners in the college town of Ithaca, N.Y., began worrying about all the plastic bags filled with dung that ended up in the landfill.

Leon Kochian, a professor of plant biology at Cornell and, more to the point, the owner of a yellow lab, recalled the thinking at the time: “This is Ithaca. There’s got to be a more environmentally sensible way to do this.”

This year, with Mr. Kochian’s nudging, one of the city’s dog parks — part of the Allan H. Treman Marine State Park — became a dog waste composting park.

Special corn-based bags, made by the Biobag Company, based in Florida, are available at several stations in the park. Dog owners put the bag and its contents into large bins near the park’s entrances, which are removed once a week by a company called Cayuga Compost.

At its composting facility, Cayuga dumps the waste into a pile — mixed with a bit of yard and wood waste — quite separate from the company’s regular food-waste compost.

And there it will sit — until the company figures out what it might be good for.

Late next year, Cayuga plans to run tests to determine the composition of the dog waste (after all, a dog’s diet is arguably more varied than virtually any other animal’s, in accordance with the whims of their owners). If it matures into nutrient-rich compost, it might be applied to potted plants or landscaping, said Mark Whittig, Cayuga’s operations manager. If the compost is of poorer quality, it could be used for blending with topsoil, he said.

To read the full story, head on over to The New York Times

Dogs Hang-10 in Canine Surf-a-thon

Dogs of all shapes and sizes spent some time on the water in Del Mar, California this weekend all for a good cause and a good time.

Dogs and their owners rode the waves as part of the Dog Surf-A-Thon.

The event was put together to raise money for a San Diego area animal shelter.

Renee Bruce explains, "They judge them on their agility, on their form, on their .. just how long they stay on the board."

Winners were given trophies and of course, treats.

For some gnarly slideshow cuteness, head on over to WCPO.com

Dog Whisperer Launching Magazine

The canine trainer famously known as The Dog Whisperer is launching a new magazine called Cesar's Way. This is in addition to his book, products and TV show about helping dogs with behavior issues.

The Wall Street Journal reports: Cesar's Way, which hits newsstands next week, is filled with slick photos of celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Aniston with pets in tow. Articles include "Can Your Dog Fix Your Marriage? Just Ask Jada Pinkett Smith" and "7-Day Doggie Detox." IMG says it plans to publish two issues this year and six in 2010.

[Source: The Baltimore Sun.]

Hilary Swank Serves as Home 4 the Holidays Ambassador

Two-time Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank will serve as the 2009 ambassador when the 11th annual, San Diego-based Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive kicks off October 1. Swank will share her personal experience with pet adoption and encourage families to find their new best friends this holiday season by visiting animal shelters and pet rescue groups. Along with founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center and nearly 3,500 participating animal organizations worldwide, the program has set a goal to find loving families for 1.5 million pets between Oct. 1, 2009 and Jan. 5, 2010.

“I’m so proud to be working with Iams Home 4 the Holidays to help raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption,” said Hilary Swank. “Last year, the program’s adoption goal was to get 1 million pets adopted in just three months, but this year the goal is even bigger – we’re on a mission to find loving families for 1.5 million orphaned pets between Oct 1st and January 4th.”

Swank has adopted many pets throughout her life, including her two dogs Karoo and Rumi. She rescued Karoo from the side of a road while filming in South Africa a few years ago and adopted Rumi last fall from a participating IH4TH shelter in Los Angeles.

“Now more than ever orphaned animals need our help and who better to give them a voice than Hilary?” said Mike Arms, founder of Iams Home 4 the Holidays and President of Helen Woodward Animal Center. “Along with Hilary and her inspiration, our 3,500 animal organizations are working to shine a big spotlight on the need to help the nearly 8 million homeless pets in our country, and are committed to helping raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption.”

Iams Home 4 the Holidays is dedicated to helping orphaned pets. The program has placed more than 3 million animals in homes since 1999, and in 2008, the adoption drive found families for 1,202,718 pets. The 2009 program officially kicks-off on Oct.1, but in the meantime, there are still millions of homeless animals that need help. If you are a non-profit animal organization, register today!

[Source: Iams Home 4 the Holidays]