Carrie Underwood shows love for dogs during Franklin visit

Carrie Underwood spoke about the importance of dog adoption today during a press conference with Franklin-based Mars Petcare.

The award-winning country music singer has joined the sixth annual Pedigree Adoption Drive, which was started by Mars Petcare to help feed dogs in shelters.

During the press conference, Pedigree presented Underwood with a check for $50,000 to help build an animal shelter in her hometown of Checotah, Okla.

[Source: Tennessean.com]

'New Moon' Star Kellan Lutz In New PETA Ad

When we heard "Twilight" star Kellan Lutz was taking part in PETA's newest campaign, we were hoping he would take a page out of his costar Christian Serratos's book and give us sexy and nude. Unfortunately we didn't quite get what we were asking for, but heart-warming and adorable is a close second.

Kellan is serving as the latest spokesperson in PETA's "Adopt, Don't Buy" campaign. Considering the fact he has always been outspoken about his love for his own dogs he rescued, Kola and Kevin, we can see that he and PETA are a perfect match.

In a video on the PETA website, Kellan talked about why he chooses adoption ("There are countless numbers of animals out there. It's our job to take them under our wing.") and his own experience adopting Kola.

"You can feel the pain that they go through," he said about dogs in shelters. He added about Kola, "She wanted a home, and I think that she could tell that I was the right owner for her. And from that day on, I just loved her."

"There are surprisingly many animals in these animal shelters," Kellan said. "It's sad, and knowing that they get euthanized, and they can't house them all. There's a lot you can do.

He added his thoughts about fur (something PETA is very vocal against and, ironically, Christian was advocating against — maybe Kellan will become the next anti-fur spokesperson and our dreams can come true?), "I don't like fur. I'd never wear fur. There are so many knock-offs, why do you need the real thing? There's just no reason."

At the end of his video, Kellan focused his message directly to the fans of "Twilight" and showed one of the main reasons PETA probably loves having "Twilight" stars be their spokespeople: the size of their audience.

"For the fans of 'Twilight' who are out there who have so much love, give that love for these books and these characters to a pet if you don't have one," Kellan said. "Twilighters, if you can, do it. Adopt a pet."

Since "Twilight" cast members have become such vocal supporters of PETA's campaigns, we think it's about time PETA stepped behind the "Saga" and gave their own vocal support. How about a "Love Your Neighbors" campaign to promote vampire and werewolf camaraderie for "Eclipse"? It only seems fair.

[Source: Hollywood Crush]

Happy National Dog Biscuit Day!

If you want to try to make your own treats, check out allrecipes.com for some delicious recipes - it's nice to know what goes in the treats if your dog is on a special diet or has food allergies.

Doggy RIP: Cesar Millan's Pit Bull Daddy passes away

Daddy, Cesar Millan's beloved pet, died peacefully surrounded by family at the age of 16, according to the press wire. Daddy was a key fixture in the National Geographic Channel television series Dog Whisperer. He assisted Millan with his toughest cases, interacting with and calming the most unmanageable dogs with his natural balanced energy.

Daddy helped shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. Daddy, often referred to as America's Pit Bull ambassador because of his gentle disposition and intelligence, lived with the Millans from the age of four months.

Millan has been getting ready for Daddy's demise. He talked with me last fall about how Daddy helped him pick out a new dog for his pack. That new puppy was introduced in this article.

But any pet owner knows this: you can try to get yourself ready for the day your pet dies and it's never easy when it happens. Let's salute Daddy for the awareness he helped spread about good Pit Bulls.

[Source: USA Today]

Guinness World Records announced new record for Tallest Living Dog

Guinness World Records has just announced a new record holder for the Tallest Living Dog and the Tallest Dog Ever. Meet Giant George, a Great Dane from Tucson, Arizona.

George stands at 42.25 inches (more than seven feet from head to tail) and weighs almost 250 pounds. He's owned by David Nasser, seen in the above picture.

Guinness says it's currently searching for pet owners who think they might have record-breaking animals in the following categories: Dog with Longest Ears, Smallest Dog (Length), Oldest Dog, Smallest Cat and Oldest Cat. You can submit a proposal via http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com.

[Source: USA Today]

Jesse James reunited with lost dog CinnaBun

After three weeks of a desperate search for his beloved pit bull, Jesse James Tweeted Wednesday that he and CinnaBun have been reunited.

Along with a photo of CinnaBun putting her paws up to his chest in a happy greeting, James posted this message: "So Happy! Thnx Everyone for all the help! She looks like she hz had quite the Adventure!"

James had hired a pet detective and offered a reward of $5,000 for the dog's return. According to TMZ, the West Coast Choppers honcho got a call from someone who had seen CinnaBun's picture on a flier. The woman brought CinnaBun to James's Long Beach bike shop, where upon sight of the long-lost pooch, the crew started crying.

We bet that CinnaBun, who lost 15 pounds in the weeks that she's been gone, will get to enjoy a nice meal and a warm bed tonight!

[Source: Today @ msnbc.com]

Sadie, the Scottish terrier, is Best in Show.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

I Love NYC Pets

Adopt a little New Yorker today! The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals is having a month-long celebration that includes city-wide adoption events and extended shelter hours to make it extra easy to meet your match, plus spay/neuter resources to help keep your pet healthy and reduce overpopulation.

Looking for a furry sidekick or two? Animal shelters, adoption centers, and rescue groups all over the five boroughs want you to find your true furry love this February. Whether at a shelter, an in-store adoption center, or an adoption van, you'll have opportunities to adopt every day throughout February!

And even if you aren't ready to adopt a pet this month, meet the animal rescue and adoption groups in your area and learn how you can volunteer, foster a pet, or donate funds or supplies to support their valuable work.

For more information, visit the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals site

Chef Michael’s “Be My Valentine” Doggie Dinner Party

Actor Michael Urie, his dog Sprout and other guests celebrate an early doggie Valentine's Day at the Chef Michael's "Be My Valentine" Doggie Dinner Party at Gotham Hall Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Purina)


Actress and dog owner Elisabeth Rohm poses with Bambi, an adoptable dog from Posh Pets Rescue, during the Chef Michael's "Be My Valentine" Doggie Dinner Party at Gotham Hall Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Purina)

The event celebrated the winner of the national “My Doggie Valentine” contest, a Brussels Griffon named Ouzo and his owner Kristin Hartman from New Jersey. An inseparable pair, Ouzo and Hartman were selected as the winners of Chef Michael’s national “My Doggie Valentine” contest, which was conducted earlier this year at www.doggievalentine.com.

“Ouzo was my ‘Doggie Valentine’ from the moment we met,” says Hartman. “He is my true partner and I spend more time with him than anyone.”

As part of its overall Valentine program, Chef Michael’s will also donate $7,500 to Adopt-a-Pet.com on behalf of all of the entrants in the Doggie Valentine contest and all of the doggie diners coming to the Feb. 10 party. The donation will help support Adopt-a-Pet.com’s mission to find forever homes for homeless dogs who also deserve to feel loved on Valentine’s Day.

Mattel taps into social media craze with Puppy Tweets

Twitter Inc. has gone to the dogs. Tapping into the social media craze, toy giant Mattel Inc. is preparing to release Puppy Tweets, a high-tech toy that will allow dogs to publicize their everyday activities on Twitter via a sound and motion sensor.

Attached to a dog's collar, the plastic tag randomly generates one of 500 canned tweets when it detects barking or movement and automatically posts an update to Fido's own Twitter page.

A round of woofing could lead to a tweet of "I bark because I miss you. There, I said it. Now hurry home." A frenzied run through the backyard might garner "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing, and . . . OOUUUCHH!"

But before you begin to drool over the prospect of having your own Dug, the animated dog from Disney-Pixar's "Up" whose translator collar allowed him to talk, Mattel executives caution that the toy is just a toy.

Unlike advanced pet gadgets such as GPS tracking collars that keep tabs on roaming cats, the technology behind Puppy Tweets is simply sending out random messages triggered by movement or sound.

So even though Fido's device may be tweeting about tracking a squirrel, he could actually be digging a hole or scratching himself. And that might be a letdown for people hoping for the real thing.

"It is a new frontier for us," Mattel Brands President Neil Friedman said. "We think it could be the start of a new wave of products for people to interact with their pets."

Designed by Mattel's Radica division, Puppy Tweets is expected to hit toy stores and pet shops nationwide in the fall for $29.99, although the company will show the product to industry watchers in New York on Friday. Retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. have already signed on to sell the toy.

To use Puppy Tweets, dog owners are provided with a USB receiver that they connect to their computer. They then download the toy's software online and create a Twitter account for their dog.

When a dog moves or barks, a signal is sent from its Puppy Tweets tag to the receiver, which updates the dog's Twitter page. Owners can then check Twitter to see their dog's latest posts.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]

Dog Coat Stolen as Owner Shopped in Park Slope

Paws in the air, this is a stick-up!

A Park Slope pooch was left shivering in the buff after a coldhearted mugger stole his coat just days before a raging winter storm bore down on the city. Donna McPherson, 42, says she tied up Lexie, her 10-year-old Westie, in front of Ace Supermarket "for two minutes" so she could buy milk.

When she returned, his $25 green wool coat with leather trim and belt was gone. Fortunately, she said, Lexie wasn't wearing his pricier Burberry.

"How could anyone steal a coat off someone's back in the freezing cold?" McPherson railed to The Post. "I asked him, 'Where's your coat?' like he could answer me. I looked all over and could not find it."

McPherson, an investment banker, canvassed the neighborhood in search of clues. She assumed police would not take her seriously so she wrote about it on the blog Effed in Park Slope.

She normally doesn't leave Lexie outside stores, but thought it would be a quick stop. As she paid for the milk, she remembers hearing a "funny bark."

"I stuck my head out and everything was OK -- he was just looking at me," she said. "I was so angry, but in the end I was grateful that it was just the coat and not him."

McPherson said she knew she had to find a way to make it up to the traumatized Lexie. "I felt so bad, I bought him two new coats," she said. She still hopes to collar the crook.

"I walked around Park Slope sort of to see if I could see anyone with the coat and I didn't. It's totally bizarre," she said.

At Ace Supermarket on Seventh Avenue and Berkeley Place, employees insisted the neighborhood is normally safe for all mutts. "This is highly unusual for the area," said one.

[Source: New York Post]

In case you missed it - Puppy Bowl Highlights

Click here for Puppy Bowl VI Highlight Videos

Bonhams New York Presents 28th Annual Dog Art Sale

For lovers of dog pictures, Valentine's Day comes two days later than normal as Bonhams presents its annual sale of dog paintings and works of art on 16 February 2010. A must for all dog enthusiasts, Bonhams has conducted this popular sale for nearly thirty years and stands alone as the market leader in this genre.

The catalogue this year will be no exception in terms of quality and variety, with many paintings of well known breeds on offer, and featuring some of the best dog and sporting artists of the 19th and early 20th century.

Leading the pack is an exceptional painting of The Bitchpack of the Meath Foxhounds by John Emms. Estimated at $500,000-700,000, the picture comes from a private American collection and could rival the world record price achieved by Bonhams in February 2006 for a similar work.

Among the other highlights is a collection of over twenty original drawings by Lucy Dawson (aka 'Mac'), a number of which are original works for some of her books. From the late 18th century, there is a work attributed to George Stubbs ARA, showing a black spaniel in a landscape estimated at $25,000-35,000 and from the early 19th century an early work by Sir Edwin Landseer RA, depicting a spaniel and described as 'a Dog of the Marlborough breed', is expected to fetch $40,000-60,000. Other artists featured will be Maud Earl, John Sargent Noble and Arthur Wardle.

Collectors in the US will not be disappointed as the sale will also include works by two of the foremost American sporting painters. Two setters working by Edmund Henry Osthaus is estimated at $10,000-15,000 and a fine quality oil painting of a pointer and a setter entitled 'On Point' by Gustav Muss-Arnoldt carries a guide price of $20,000-30,000.

[Source: Bonhams]

Super Bowl XXXIV Commercial. Budweiser. The Dog Star.

With the Super Bowl coming up, here's a classic Budweiser commercial

Puppy Rescued From Jet's Cargo Bay at JFK Airport

A puppy found nearly frozen in a jet's cargo bay at JFK Airport was revived by U.S. customs officers who performed mouth-to-snout resuscitation, officials said Thursday. The 6-week-old pooch was clinging to life when it arrived in New York Saturday on a commercial flight from Mexico, officials said. Another puppy packed in the same portable kennel in the pressurized cargo bay died during the flight.

Three U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers responded to the call of the popsicle pups because of a suspicion they might be drug mules.

"No matter how uncommon the call, CBP Officers are always willing and ready to assist," said Robert Perez, director of field operations for the CBP in New York. When the officers determined one of the dogs was still breathing, they went into rescue mode, wrapping it in blankets and heating pads, said CBP spokesman John Saleh.

"One of the officers did mouth-to-snout resuscitation," said Saleh, explaining the officer had been studying veterinary medicine.

The tan puppy with a white stripe down its snout was evaluated by a veterinarian and reunited with its unidentified owner Wednesday, Saleh said.

[Source: NYDailyNews.com]

Sandra Bullock & Husband Looking for Lost Dog

Jesse James is offering $5,000 for the return of his lost dog. The biker, who is married to 'Blind Side' actress Sandra Bullock, has upped the reward money for the return of the dog from $2,000, a week after nine-month old pit bull terrier Cinnabun went missing.

Despite confirming he was upping the reward money, Jesse has admitted he is resigned to losing his beloved pet.

He wrote on twitter: "No sign of Cinnabun...Just working at the shop with "Mr.T" We r Starting to face the reality that Cinna is long gone (sic)."

However, he has vowed not to give up the search.

Jesse wrote on his company's website last week: "We've had a few leads, but all dead ends so far, but the search is still definitely on. She's a great little dog, and we want to find her as soon as possible.

"Please keep your eyes out for our little gal, she's a light brown and white pit bull, nine months old, cropped ears, full tail, hazel eyes. Last seen wearing a large pink collar near West Coast Choppers and Cisco Burger on Anaheim St./710 Freeway in Long Beach."

The biker even employed a pet detective last week to help find Cinnabun, who Jesse affectionately calls his "shop dog".

Colleen Bush from pet agency Find Toto, said: "I'm in contact with Sandra and Jesse all day. We've been going back and forth checking on tips."

[Source: News Blaze]

Tamron Hall Replaces Mario Lopez for Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Dogs and contests are like peanut butter and chocolate, a great combination.

USA Network announced that Mario Lopez is out as the co-host of the 134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Pedigree. Replacing him is MSNBC's Tamron Hall. The show is America’s second longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby.

Hall will be co-hosting the event with David Frei in his 21st consecutive year with the show. Also joining the team again this year will be NBC Sports’ Tiffany Simons as a sideline reporter.

On Monday, February 15, USA will air the first hour of the show at 8pm and will then switch over to CNBC for the 9-11pm ET/PT portion of the broadcast. On Tuesday, February 16, USA will air all three hours, including the crowning of the 2010 Best in Show, from 8-11pm ET/PT.

"I've been a dog lover my entire life,” says Hall. “I currently have two furry 'best friends' in my family, and I can't wait for the show. I'm honored to be given the opportunity to join this team."

Hall anchors MSNBC Live weekday mornings and co-anchors weekday afternoons from 3-4 PM ET. Hall can also be seen on NBC News as a fill-in correspondent and newsreader for “The Today Show” and “Weekend Today.”

The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster's influence has been felt for more than a century through its famous all breed, benched dog show held every year at New York's Madison Square Garden.

[Source: Monsters and Critics]