Sadie & Sydney

GILFORD, N.H. - A Gilford police dog fell from a second-story window while searching for a robbery suspect during the weekend, but still got its man...

Police were looking for a man who reportedly robbed a car driver at knifepoint Saturday night...Police called in their dog, Agbar, to track Mount [the suspect]. They say Agbar fell from a second-story window while on the hunt, but was not hurt, and led officers to Mount, who was arrested outside his apartment.

Posted by Tammy at 12:56 PM | Permalink

LONDON - Ziggy the cat used up at least one of his nine lives after surviving for 17 days without food on a 2,300 mile voyage that took him from northern Israel to England.

The skinny white cat named after Ziggy Stardust -- the character created by David Bowie in the 1970s, because like the rock star he has one green and one blue eye -- made his epic trip as a stowaway in a 40-foot container.

Posted by Tammy at 01:23 AM | Permalink

The St. Louis Zoo announced Monday the birth of four cheetah cubs — its first litter since 1992.

The cubs, born Nov. 10, weigh about 2 pounds each, are nursing well and have opened their eyes.

"They are as healthy as they can be," said Jack Grisham, the Zoo's director of animal collections. "They are starting to stumble around now that their eyes are focusing."

Posted by Tammy at 08:07 PM | Permalink

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - For five days and four nights, Whiskers the cat was stranded 40 feet up in a tree surrounded by jagged rocks and overlooking a steep embankment. Pamela and Kenneth Fisher in Martinsburg first tried using food to lure Whiskers down late last week, but without success. Then firefighters tried to reach the cat with a ladder, but couldn't. They tried using water to coax the cat down, but that just sent Whiskers higher.

Frustrated and concerned by the panicked feline's desperate cries, Pamela Fisher called the local humane society, animal control officers and several veterinarians' offices, but nobody was either willing or able to help.

Then along came Jim Cosner, a 41-year-old Hedgesville man and a third-generation tree climber. With a rope, harness and spiked boots, Cosner was up and down the tree with the cat in hand in less than five minutes Monday night.

Posted by Tammy at 09:00 AM | Permalink

When Cindy Boucher tells her dog that it's time for her massage, Maggie's ears perk up. And when they get to her therapist's house, Maggie feigns an extreme limp as if to justify the treatment, which her owner says leaves her "in a super-good mood."...

Animal massage is on the rise as pet owners provide the best of everything for their furry friends -- services that can range from raw-food diets and aerobics classes to chiropractors and aromatherapy. As baby boomers look to fill their empty nests, pets are the focus of big spending...

"There's been a tremendous amount of growth and I think it's because people are more educated about the benefits of massage. People are using massage more themselves, so then it's a natural fit for their animals," said Lola Michelin, founder and director of the Northwest School of Animal Massage, which is based in Fall City, Wash., and offers courses in Vancouver.

Posted by Tammy at 05:36 PM | Permalink

TOKYO — Japanese researchers said Sunday that a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land.

Fishermen captured the four-finned dolphin off the coast of Wakayama prefecture (state) in western Japan on Oct. 28, and alerted the nearby Taiji Whaling Museum, according to museum director Katsuki Hayashi.

Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.

Posted by Tammy at 02:45 PM | Permalink

Animals do enjoy music. One of our staffers used to have a dog that would sit frozen, head tilted, and stare at the stereo whenever Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" played.

Along the same lines, the Laurel Canyon Animal Co. and Chicago-area pet communicator Kim Ogden have produced "Songs to Make Dogs Happy!" a CD of 12 tunes that supposedly appeal to dogs.

Ogden consulted with more than 200 dogs, trying to find their musical preferences. She says she learned that dogs love sambas, they hate Johnny Cash, they don't like the idea of a song about riding in a car, and a rimshot on the drum makes them think of gunshots.

Related Link:

CD Creator and Pet Communicator Kim Ogden's Official Page

Posted by Tammy at 12:51 AM | Permalink

And you thought all they could do was be cute and hop.

Posted by Tammy at 11:52 PM | Permalink

Sydney here. I received an enlightening email from Jan in Richmond, Virginia with a great series of "how-to" photos showing How to Hug a Baby. I have never been in a position where I could hug a baby, but I've seen them, those human baby things, on my walkies. They always are very friendly toward me--they hold out their hands and smile. Sometimes they scream and jump up and down. I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing but the humans, including Tammy, seem to like it. Sometimes the human allows their "baby" to pet me. To cause a ruckus, or because I can't help myself (who really knows) I sometimes give the baby a kiss. That makes them scream, too. Apparently, there is a part of me, more the German Shepherd part than the Border Collie part probably, that enjoys hearing humans scream. It's that scream of happiness I enjoy that comes out of the small human, the "baby."

That said, here are the Baby Hug instruction pictures for any other dog who needs them. This looks state of the art and should only be attempted when a big human is present. I must try this sometime. It looks cuddly and fun.

Posted by Tammy at 01:10 PM | Permalink