ohmidog!

Normally, a lioness that encounters an oryx kills and eats it.

In 2001, though a lioness in Kenya, nicknamed Kamuniak, came across a baby oryx and, instead of eating it, adopted it. Their story was recounted last week on the National Geographic Channel’s special, “Unlikely Animal Friends.”

The Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks is holding neighborhood meetings to get more input on creating off leash areas for dogs at some city parks.

Tonight, city officials will hold a second forum on creating off-leash hours and a fenced-in, off-leash area in Patterson Park. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Wolfe Street Academy on the corner of Gough and Wolfe Street in Upper Fells Point.

Later this month, city Recreation and Parks staff will appear at a meeting of the Riverside Action Group to hear neighborhood opinions on where to locate an off-leash area in Riverside Park in south Baltimore, and which hours to specify as off-leash.

That meeting is scheduled for Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Church, 1530 Battery Avenue.

Food & Wine magazine has named what it considers the top five dog-friendliest cities in the U.S. They are: Boston, Chicago, Miami, San Diego and San Francisco.

The article in the magazine, published by American Express, focuses mostly on dog-friendly dining and lodging opportunities. Here’s what it had to say about the top five:

Boston: Dogs are allowed on the city’s public transit system, and there’s an off-leash dog park in Boston Common. Dog-friendly restaurants include Rocca Kitchen & Bar (around the corner from Peter’s Park dog run), where a section of the patio is set aside for diners with dogs, lined with water bowls and treats from nearby Polka Dog Bakery. Dogs are also welcome — when the Red Sox aren’t playing at home — at La Verdad Taqueria.

Chicago: The city’s park system includes the 18-mile Lakefront Trail and three dog beaches. Dog-friendly restaurants include Brasserie JO, which offers complimentary house-made dog biscuits.

Miami: Most shops on Lincoln Road Mall put out water bowls, and many local restaurants allow dogs, including Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink,  where dogs can feast on dog treats baked by the pastry chef.

San Diego: In addition to its numerous dog beaches, the city abounds with  dog-friendly restaurants, including Nine-Ten and Cafe Chloe, where 75 percent of the staff volunteers at animal-rights agencies.

San Francisco: The pedestrian walkway on the Golden Gate Bridge and the historic streetcars both allow dogs. Dog-friendly restaurants include Pizzeria Delfina and Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, with a dog-friendly patio that’s ideal for watching sunsets.

(Photo via San Francisco Citizen)

You don’t hear much about the scourge of finch fighting, or canary brawls.

But apparently, just like dogfighting, they exist.

A Connecticut judge has granted probation to 15 of 19 men arrested in connection with a bird-fighting operation in Shelton, Conn, the Associated Press reports.

Authorities arrested the Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey residents, all natives of Brazil, after a July 26 raid at a Shelton home that led to the seizure of 150 birds, mostly saffron finches and canaries.

Here’s a CNN story from back when they were arrested.

The judge agreed to drop charges of cruelty to animals and illegal gambling if the men stay out of trouble during a one-year probation period.

The homeowner, 42-year-old Jurames Goulart is due in court Thursday. Three other men’s cases are pending. The birds are now at animal sanctuaries.

The Irish love dogs far more than cats, according to a new study about pet ownership.

Research by University College Dublin found that 36 percent of homes in Ireland have a dog, while just one in 10 homes own a cat, IrishCentral.com reports.

The dog-to-cat ratio is much more drastic than in most other countries, including the U.S, where nearly 40 percent of homes have dogs, compared to about 34 percent with cats.

Researchers believe the Irish may lean more toward dogs because of the  prevalence of farming and the higher number of people living in rural areas.

But dogs also seem to have a better image than cats in Ireland, the study notes. They’re viewed more as pets while cats are largely considered stray animals.

Tony Forshaw of the Siamese and All Breeds Cat Club of Ireland said there is less of a history of cat-owning in Ireland, compared with the U.S. or Britain, and that “Irish people tend to laugh at cats.”

Forshaw blames the Irish dog bias on the fact that dogs get more screen time in movies and TV.

(Photo: Costumecraze.com)