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Columbia, Maryland, could have its first dog park by spring 2013.

After receiving support last month from Harper’s Choice Village Board members and residents, the Columbia Association has recommended that a dog park be built off Rivendell Lane near the Columbia Association SportsPark, the Baltimore Sun reports.

“We conducted a pretty extensive search through open space to find a dog park,” association landscape architect Jan Clark said. “The site, we think, is really good … and the Harper’s Choice board is supportive.”

The Harper’s Choice Village board unanimously approved the plan at it’s June meeting. The Columbia Association has tentatively approved $10,000 in planning costs and $80,000 for construction, Clark said. She estimated construction could begin by February 2013.

Howard County’s only current dog park is at Worthington Park, in Ellicott City, which opened 10 years ago.

The County Department of Recreation and Parks Advisory Board is looking at the possibility of building a dog park on the east city of Columbia at Blandair Park.

“Columbia has something in the neighborhood of 90,000 residents, and there’s not (a dog park) located in Columbia or is at all that convenient to Columbia,” said Denis Ellis, Columbia Association’s director of capital improvements. “There is a tremendous interest in dogs and people feel this is a great amenity to have. We think that ideally it’s likely that two dog parks in Columbia would be well-supported and get a lot of use.”

Ellis said that association’s decision to look in Harper’s Choice was, in part, influenced by the county’s plan to place a dog park on the east side of Route 29.

The county has identified two sections of Blandair park as potential locations for a dog park, construction of which wouldn’t begin until the fall of 2013.

The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation announced it is committing more than $1.5 million in 2012 on research grants to help dogs live longer, healthier lives.

Twenty-one grants to 14 research institutions and universities have been approved, according to a foundation press release.

This year’s grants cover research of diseases affecting all dogs and specific breeds, including Australian shepherds, bassett hounds, greyhounds, Havanese, Irish wolfhounds, Scottish terriers, Shetland sheepdogs and West Highland white terriers.

Among the specific diseases pinpointed by the research are cataracts, carcinoma, dermatitis, epilepsy, liver disease, lymphoma, melanoma and osteosarcoma.

“The selection of these grants represents great potential in advancing the health of all dogs and their owners,” said CHF Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel Terry Warren. “The Foundation is dedicated to funding sound scientific research and disseminating health information that can prevent, treat and cure canine disease.”

Warren added, ”There are a number of research projects this year that have the potential to be translational from dogs to humans. As a result, we are not only helping our beloved companions, but we are helping ourselves.”

In addition to the annual grants, the Canine Health Foundation also funds short-term research throughout the year.

CHF has invested more than $26 million in canine health research since its inception in 1995. Funding for the grants comes from the American Kennel Club, Nestle Purina PetCare and Pfizer Animal Health and many breed and specialty dog clubs.

For more details on the 2012 research grants, go here.

Sen. Al Franken’s first piece of legislation — aimed at increasing the supply of service dogs for veterans – has been passed and is headed to the White House for approval.

Under the legislation, the Veterans Administration would develop partnerships with organizations that provide disabled veterans with service dogs. Franken said the measure will cost about $5 million and is designed not to interfere with non-profit organizations providing service dogs.

“The government is going to pay for essentially every other dog. What I didn’t want to happen was to dry up the funding for the organizations like Hearing and Service Dogs in Minneapolis and all of these non-profits who have been providing dogs to some vets.”

Franken said about 200 veterans will get dogs as a result of the legislation. The legislation was passed yesterday as apart of the Defense Authorization bill, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Franken introduced the legislation after meeting Luis Carlos Montalvan, a veteran who said his service dog improved his quality of life.

The Los Angeles County supervisors have unanimously approved a motion to seek broader oversight over  “puppy mills,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

The motion calls on the county’s chief executive, county counsel and various county departments to report back in 45 days with proposals for legal changes that would improve the quality of care and ensure safe and responsible breeding at high volume kennels and breeding operations.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich said that during the last six months the county has had to seize or relocate hundreds of puppies and dogs from so-called puppy mills, increasing the burden on county animal shelters. “This is cruel for the animals and places a tremendous burden on county taxpayers,” Antonovich said.

Massachusetts voters yesterday approved a measure that will ban greyhound racing in the state by 2010.

“This is a victory for everyone in Massachusetts who cares about dogs,” said Christine Dorchak, co-chairwoman of the Committee to Protect Dogs.

The ban, which takes effect in 2010, passed 56 percent to 44 percent, with more than two-thirds of the precincts reporting, according to the Boston Globe:

“The contentious ballot question passed amid emotional ad campaigns by both sides. Proponents used images of sad-eyed greyhounds that they say are caged inhumanely and raced to injury, while opponents put the spotlight on the employees who would be out of work if the ballot passed.”

A similar ballot question was narrowly defeated in 2000, but this time around voters strongly supported the measure, despite track owners’ arguments that the ban would cost jobs at a time of economic hardship.

“We did it. We did it for the dogs,” a victorious Carey Thiel, executive director of Grey2K USA, said at a postelection party of some 60 supporters at Jillian’s Billiards Club. “For 75 years, greyhounds in our state have endured terrible confinement and suffered serious injuries. We’re better than that.”

The Committee to Protect Dogs used data kept by the State Racing Commission since mid-2002 showing injuries to more than 800 greyhounds.

Formed by Grey2K USA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Medical Center, the committee spent nearly $500,000 through Oct. 15, campaign finance reports show, and received about $144,000 in in-kind contributions.