ohmidog!

Martha Stewart’s chow puppy was one of 17 dogs killed in a propane explosion at an eastern Pennsylvania kennel, the Associated Press has reported.

Stewart confirmed the death on her blog, writing that she was ”deeply saddened” by the death of her dog, Genghis Khan, in Friday’s blast at Pazzazz Pet Boarding, a kennel in the Pocono Mountains that breeds and trains show dogs.

Fifteen dogs were killed in the explosion, and two more died over the weekend.

The kennel was getting a propane delivery when the tank ignited, setting the pens on fire.

The driver of the truck, Timohty Kleinhagen,  was badly burned, but managed to toss one dog over the kennel fence to safety.

“That man is a hero,” said the kennel’s co-owner, Karen Tracy. “My heart goes out to his family.” Kleinhagen was listed in critical condition yesterday.

Genghis Khan was a grandson of Stewart’s previous chow, Paw Paw. Paw Paw died last April at age 12.

Stewart announced on her blog in December that she was adopting Genghis Khan, then 7 weeks old. It wasn’t immediately clear how much time Genghis Khan had spent at Stewart’s Westchester County, N.Y., estate.

Stewart sent condolences to Tracy, who breeds and trains dogs who compete in shows throughout the country, including Westminster. Many of the dead dogs belonged to Tracy and her mother, Jean Ahner, who live on the property in Carbon County, about 75 miles north of Philadelphia.

“My heart goes out to Karen Tracy and I am hoping for a speedy recovery for those (both pets and humans) injured in this terrible event,” Stewart wrote.

(Photo from The Martha Blog)

The Great Pit Ball, an all-day charity event to benefit the Villalobos Animal Rescue Center, the largest rehabilitation and placement facility for abandoned pit bulls in the world, is scheduled to take place March 14 in Las Vegas.

All proceeds from the night will go to the rescue center.

“Like many non-profits today, Villalobos has been under financial duress for some time due to the economic climate so we knew we had to do something to help,” said Brandon Bond, a tattoo artist from Atlanta  who co-organized the event.

“People have many misconceptions about pit bulls, when in reality, they are the most loyal, loving and amazing animals,” said co-organizer Ralph Perazzo, award-winning pastry chef and owner of Rare Concepts Group.

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A dozen springer spaniels — from the Missouri puppy mill whose owner set his home and business on fire in February — arrived in Spokane, Wash., over the weekend, where the search to find them new homes will continue.

They were among the 200 dogs — springer spaniels and German shorthaired pointers — kept at River Valley Puppies, near Tecumseh, Mo., where owner Michael Vanderwall allegedly set fire to his kennels after officials contacted him about not having a breeder’s license.

Authorities said Vanderwall, whose breeding facility has been under state scrutiny at least since September, became angry when a Missouri Department of Agriculture inspector saw the conditions at his property and tried to persuade him to surrender the animals.

After the inspector left, Vanderwall allegedly set his barn, kennel, house and camper on fire after the inspector left. Fortunately, the dogs weren’t caged at the time and were roaming freely on the property.

“I just went a little nuts,” Michael Vanderwall told the Ozark County sheriff, according to a probable cause affidavit. The affidavit says Vanderwall was armed and initially wouldn’t permit emergency personnel onto his property, according to an Associated Press report.

He later relented, was arrested and told authorities his wife had left him, turned off his utilities, and informed the state he had abused his dogs. He said his property was under foreclosure and wasn’t insured, the affidavit said.

Best Friends Animal Society, was called in by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to assist with the case. This video was made during the organization’s first day on the scene.

To learn more about the dogs, contribute to their care, or look into adopting one, visit the Springer Rescue website

A bad day just kept getting worse for Ralph Bias, an 18-year-old arrested in Louisiana last week.

Police stopped Bias for speeding. He was going 52 mph in a 35 mph zone (Mistake One).

The officer noticed he wasn’t wearing a seat belt (Mistake Two), and upon checking his license, saw that he was driving with a suspended one (Mistake Three).

Then, according to nola.com, the officer noticed the handrolled marijuana cigarette on the console (Mistake Four).

With some further checking, the officer found that the 2004 Lexus that Bias was driving had been reported stolen from New Orleans (Mistake Five).

At that point, the officer — not having much reason to trust the driver — made some inquiries about the Shih Tzu sitting on the front passenger seat, and ended up calling the veterinarian whose name was listed on the dog’s tags.

The vet told the officer that the pet had been stolen during a home burglary (Mistake Six).

A laptop computer in the vehicle was also found to be stolen (Mistake Seven).

In all, Bias was found with stolen items valued at $27,020, including the value of the Lexus.

Bias was booked with possession of stolen goods, marijuana possession and various traffic offenses. He was released on bond Thursday.