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On a Sunday afternoon in October of this year, Gabrielle Stropkai’s dog was shot by a police officer investigating a burglary nearby. The dog “was walking by and went ‘ruff ruff’ — just a couple of little ruffs,” a neighbor of the Stropkais’ told local television in Boise, Idado. But “she didn’t jump at him or anything.” In response, the owner remembers, the officer “pulled his weapon, asked whose dog it was, and shot her in the back of the head.” The dog died instantly. The Stropkais are not alone in their grief. A Google search for “dog shot by...

UNDATED (CNN) - Feel guilty when you leave your dog home alone? Well, now canines nationwide have their own TV channel to keep them company. After a successful test marketing, "Dog TV" launched this month nationwide. It's happening through Direct TV and its target demographic is our furry friends. The creators say they did three years of research on dog behavior, watching video from surveillance cameras set up in 38 apartments to see what dogs do when they're alone and how they react to TV. DOGTV - Official Site Introducing Dog TV: the First Cable Television Network Just for Dogs

• "Sergeant Stubby" Sergeant Stubby (1916 or 1917 – April 4, 1926), was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. America's first war dog, Stubby served 18 months 'over there' and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and even once caught a German spy by the seat of his pants (holding him there until American Soldiers found him). Back home his exploits were front page news of every major newspaper. •...

Obscure al-Qaida Chemist Worries Experts By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent 7 minutes ago He's a mystery in a red beard, with a strange alias and a degree in chemical engineering. In the hands of this alleged al-Qaida operative, it's a specialty that summons visions of poison gas and mass terror. Al-Qaida is "wedded to the spectacular," notes U.S. counterterrorism analyst Donald Van Duyn, and elusive Egyptian chemist Midhat Mursi was said to be exploring such possibilities when last seen, brewing up deadly compounds and gassing dogs in Afghanistan. Van Duyn's FBI and other U.S. agencies are interested enough...

<p>South African President says pet ownership is part of 'white culture'</p> <p>JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's president says a dog should not be man's best friend.</p> <p>President Jacob Zuma made critical remarks about pet care that touch on sensitive race relations in South Africa, which was dominated by whites until apartheid was dismantled almost two decades ago, The Star newspaper reported Thursday.</p>

TORONTO - The fur will be flying at an east-Toronto Mosque Friday afternoon, when a group of dog owners plan to walk their canines outside the building during prayer sessions. It was toward the end of August that two groups — the Canadian Hindu Advocacy and Canadians United Against Terror - set up a Facebook page inviting people to walk their dogs in front the Salahuddin mosque in Scarborough. Their call was a response to an incident in August that took place during an anti-Israel demonstration at Queen’s Park by an Islamic group where a Jewish man was arrested for...

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I have a great love of our military and a great love of dogs, especially the German shepherd. Our family has a 4-year-old shepherd, Apollo. (He is affectionately known around here as just "The Boy.") That's him over there on the right. These dogs are loyal, protective, highly trainable and always looking for ways to please their masters. Our military, dating back to the Civil War, has been using dogs in warfare for more than 100 years. It is estimated that dogs saved the lives of more than 10,000 troops in the...

A Valley neighborhood is outraged after two dogs are shot and killed by local police. The Shelburn Town Marshal says he was forced to shoot two dogs. Officer Doug Inman says he was called to a field off Mill Street, where neighbors say a pack of dogs were fighting. Inman tried to break-up the fight and even fired shots into the ground to scare the dogs. When that didn't work he shot two mastiff puppies. The family says he had no right to kill the dogs. "I'm just glad it wasn't a child out being attacked by these two dogs,"...

Small dog vs. big cat: US farmer shoots mountain lion after terrier trees animal By The Associated Press (CP) COLMAN, S.D. — A 150-pound (68-kilogram) mountain lion was no match for a squirrel-chasing terrier. Jack the Jack Russell weighs only 17 pounds (8 kilograms), and yet he managed to trap the cougar up a tree on Tuesday on a farm in the north-central state of South Dakota. Jack's owner, Chad Strenge, told The Argus Leader that the dog "trees cats all the time," and that the plucky terrier probably "figured it was just a cat." Professor Jonathan Jenks, who tracks...

The dad who stabbed his dog to death after it savaged his two-year-old daughter said yesterday it was like a scene from a horror film. Gereth Sim, 31, is haunted by the moment the French bullmastiff, named Trigger, sank its teeth into little Taylor's face. He said: "I had turned away for two seconds and heard a growl. The next thing the dog had Taylor on the floor and was biting her face. "I punched him until he let her go, then stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Taylor's face was covered in blood. It was like a horror film....

The United States of America is swimming in an ocean of debt and Washington’s most recent budget, estimated to increase the federal deficit to at least a whopping $1.35 trillion, threatens to raise sea-levels even higher. But as Americans wail and gnash their teeth over the profligate spending by the federal government, they should also recognize that austerity is painful and starts at home. If Americans are paying attention, they will speak through their votes in this election year. Specifically, they must insist that state budgets help minimize the spending problem, not exacerbate it, which requires a ‘taming of the...

The CBS "Early Show" ran a story about dogs and their intelligence, or lack thereof. In the story, they shared their list of the top 10 smartest and top 10 dumbest dog breeds. These were their picks.

A little while ago I made my wife laugh by doing an impression of a dog acting guilty. After the laughter subsided I started thinking: How does a dog even know how to act guilty? Guilt is not an emotion in any part of the rest animal kingdom except perhaps to a much lesser extent in cats and maybe chimpanzees although I am not sure about the latter due to little contact with chimps. Cats have such a superiority complex that they really don't show much guilt about anything. But dogs go completely overboard in the guilt department. You come...

LEESBURG, Va. - Leesburg Police confirm a 20-year-old resident and another dog were killed by a family member's two pit bulls. Carter Delaney was killed by his brother's young pit bulls and neighbors say his grandfather made the disturbing discovery in the 100 block of Plaza Street NE shortly before 2 p.m. Monday. "We were really saddened by it. Me and my kids are going to come out and put something down," said neighbor Doodie Summers. Neighbors who lived near the Leesburg home where Delaney was mauled to death by two family pit bulls were shocked. "Oh my God, it...

Pit bulls have a pretty crummy reputation these days. Between the myth of a pit bull’s “locking jaw” and the constant news stories depicting the dogs as ruthless-attackers of innocent children, it’s no wonder that many people have grown afraid of the breed. The fact is these dogs are no more evil than any other breed. Indeed, pit bulls usually score very high on dog temperament testing, they have a passing rate of 84% compared to the average dog score of 77%, and their sweet disposition around children has earned them the nickname of “nanny dog

A GERMAN town is taking drastic measures to target errant dog owners. The Bavarian community of Volkach is to DNA test every dog so it can fine owners when their pets foul public spaces.Mayor Peter Kornell said the scheme would involve taking either fur or saliva from each of the town's 420 registered canines.He said: "Unfortunately, we have to do it voluntarily because there is nothing in the constitution about a dog DNA databank being enforceable. But we are proceeding and hope to log every pooch.

Puppy Lesson: Establish The ALPHA Position All our dealings with our dog will be from a position of authority, or ALPHA. Being pack animals, dogs see us simply as members of their pack. A pack is a very structured society with a set hierarchy with an absolute leader (ALPHA) on down to a very definite subordinate. Following are just a few basic rules to follow that allow us to establish our ALPHA over our dog: NEVER HIT YOUR PUPPY - even a teeny, tiny flick on the pup's nose can possibly make it hand shy and defensive DON'T SCREAM OR...

Humans are thoughtless and cruel. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but did you know their thoughtlessness goes back many, many years? Check out this invention by some innovator type from back in the thirties. I like how this article from the June, 1936 issue of Popular Mechanics starts out… (When you take your dog along for a ride, but prefer not having it inside the car…

Freedom Middle School Orlando school uses extra-sensitive dog as counselor for students Mr. Harv instinctively picks up on body language, facial expressions and tone of voice. Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer November 9, 2007 When Mr. Harv goes to school, he spends his time playing ball, sitting on students' laps and lying down on the job. It's all in a day's work for Harv, Freedom Middle School's unofficial mascot and Central Florida's only known full-time canine counselor. At Freedom, every day is a dog day. Students greet Harv with hearty "hellos" and a vigorous belly rub. If there's a crisis...

Santa Ana has created a new category of public nuisance: dogs that bark incessantly for no apparent reason. And under the law, the owners of such dogs may have to pay. The city has received nearly 1,000 complaints of noisy animals since 2001, but only three rose to the level of a criminal proceeding. The new law, adopted late Monday, allows the city to issue citations to the owners of barking dogs without pursuing a criminal case.