Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick will receive an award in March for his “commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.” If you just coughed up your breakfast cereal, join the club. Vick was hired by the Eagles after his release from federal prison, where he served a sentence for dogfighting. If anyone deserves a … Read more
“Virginia may be for lovers, but Loudoun County isn’t the place for dog lovers.” That’s the conclusion of an animal welfare legislative analyst in light of a Loudoun County judge’s ruling that the county can ban pit bull adoptions — despite a Virginia law that ensures the right to own a pit bull. “This is … Read more
One hundred and twenty beagles who faced lifetimes being used in medical research experiments have been freed — just in time for the Fourth of July weekend. On Friday, the beagles — owned by a research facility in New Jersey whose parent pharmaceutical company went into bankruptcy — were released to the care of animal rescue … Read more
Once upon a time in Butte, in a huge and barren expanse of waste that’s part of the nation’s largest Superfund site, there lived a dog. Nobody knows how he got there, why he stayed, or how he managed to remain alive in the toxic confines of what’s known as the Berkeley Pit. But live he did, for 17 … Read more
Leo, the former Michael Vick dog who became a therapy dog and an ambassador for his breed, died last week from a severe seizure disorder. Marthina McClay, president of Our Pack, an advocacy group for pit bulls, announced his death Sunday in a Facebook post: “It is with great sadness I must announce the loss of … Read more
As fearless, outspoken, and in-your-face as they portray themselves, you’d think the gang at Rescue Ink would be a little more forthcoming about whatever it is that is going on within the organization, where, by some accounts, nearly half of the members — representing God only knows how many tattoos — have pulled out. Instead, … Read more
After eight years of citizen lobbying, the town council in Leesburg, Va., has finally approved plans for its first dog park. The park, on three-quarters of an acre at Olde Izaak Walton Park, could be built by December and open in May, officials said. While neighboring Fairfax County is dotted with parks, this will be … Read more
A man in Lithuania who arranged to have himself filmed throwing a dog over the side of a bridge — and then posted the video online — was forced to turn himself in today after internet groups tracked him down and outed him. The video, posted on Lithuanian websites, quickly spread across the Internet, prompting Facebook groups and others … Read more
Shepard Fairey, the Los Angeles street artist whose Obama poster became an instant icon — and got him sued — has turned his skills to dogs, creating a mutt version of the red, white and blue poster to help support the cause of pet adoptions. Four hundred limited edition prints are being offered online today … Read more
All humane societies and SPCAs see education as a large part of their mission, but few if any have taken that to the heights of PetSpace, a newly opened center in Los Angeles that is finding new homes for dogs and increasing our understanding of them at the same time. Over a dozen dogs and … Read more