Last dog in costume photo, I promise!

(Until next year.) Little, a Chihuahua dressed up to look like a three-headed dog, won "Best in Show" at a dog costume contest and parade in Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace held October 25, 2008. —Photograph by Lisa Poole/AP

Poor dog

(via Go Fug Yourself)

Scientists Discover Vampire Moth

Scientists have found a previously unknown population of vampire moths that may have evolved from a fruit-eating species. Only slight variations in wing patterns distinguish the Russian population from a widely distributed moth species, Calyptra thalictri, in Central and Southern Europe known to feed only on fruit. Photograph by Sharon Hill Source: National Geographic

There's a good reason for 'keep out' sign

A volunteer at a US animal sanctuary has died after he was savaged by a 1,000-pound liger - a rare cross between a lion and a tiger. Peter Getz, 32, suffered fatal puncture wounds in his neck and back as Rocky, who weighs twice that of an ordinary lion and is 20 times more powerful than a human, pounced on him during feeding time. An investigation was under way into why Mr Getz, an accomplished big cat keeper, broke with protocol and entered Rocky's enclosure at Safari's Animal Sanctuary in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Bleeding heavily, he hauled himself out of the enclosure with help from two fellow keepers but collapsed outside and was airlifted to hospital, where he died.

Catahedron

If you start now, you might have this for next year! (via Mental floss)

Arnold's Halloween

Thanks to Penny for this great photo!

Happy Howl-o-ween!

It is Halloween. Small children ring our doorbell. May I eat just one? *

* Dog-ku

This has to be the ultimate dog costume

This is Rina dressed as "Tails" of Mother Goose (Thanks to an anonymous e-mailer) There are many more Dogs in Costume here

Cute ads

A series of ads for Swedish Fish candy, "A friend you can eat," by advertising agency: JWT, New York, USA Here's another one ... And one more ... (via Ads of the World)

Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade

The annual Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade in Long Beach's Belmont Shore was held this past Sunday drawing more than 600 costumed dogs and thousands of onlookers. Event organizers say it is the world's largest Halloween pet event, but whatever it is, one thing rings true: these dogs are cute. Here are some of the cute dogs LAist photographer Tom Andrews saw... Photography by Tom Andrews (via LAist)

On the head of a pin

6th Place, 2008 Nikon Small World Photography Contest Klaus Bolte Stittsville, Ontario, Canada Chrysolina fastuosa (Micro leaf beetle) on a pin head (40x) (via bioephemera)

Rats in art

In old Japan, rats had it good because a white rat was a messenger of one of the seven gods of luck, Daikoku. Because of this connection, they were not killed. The story goes that a rat couple wanted the strongest husband in the world for their daughter. They asked the sun who declined saying that clouds had more power because they could cover him up. When they asked a cloud, he responded, "The wind is stronger than I because it can blow me away." The wind could not make the grade either. " The wall stops me cold," he said. And the wall, though honored by the offer wailed, "The rat is stronger. He can bore a hole right through me." So the couple wisely gave their daughter in marriage to another rat who was indeed the strongest creature of them all. -Senryu More rat stories, rat photos and rat art at: Rats in Art (via Information Junk)

Call the exterminator, quick!

There are 11 species of giant weta. The largest species of giant weta is the Little Barrier Island giant weta also known as the wetapunga. They are found primarily on New Zealand offshore islands, having been almost exterminated on the mainland islands by introduced mammalian pests. Thanks goodness, the Giant weta prefers a vegetarian diet. Still, I wouldn't want to meet one. (via Full Room)

Wonderful doggie poetry

Haiku is an ancient and revered art form. What kind of haiku would be composed by a dog? They say integrity is its own reward. Wrong. I like pig ears. They say old habits die hard. Wrong. Bruce Willis dies hard. Old habits last forever. Why no dog congress? 'Cuz we can't stop sniffing butts. Oh wait! That's the same.

Dog-ku: Very Clever Haikus Cleverly Written by Very Clever Dogs, written by Steve D. Marsh is the most charmingly funny book I have read in ages. The haiku are clever and humorous. Many pages contain pictures of some very cute dogs. I brought the book to work today. My coworkers and I spent way, way too much time reading the poems out loud to each other and laughing at them. Here are some of our favorites :

I am not howling. It is country music and I'm singing along. Accidental poop Left by your bedside with love. Why do you step there? I don't shed that much. Just enough to decorate Your brand-new dress pants.

Pets behaving badly?

I once had a cat, Conrad, who loved to chew up my contact lens case, while my contacts were in there. He did this twice before I learned to put the case away in a drawer. When I was a kid, our poodle Fluffy had a litter of puppies in my bed. Under the sheets, by my feet, while I was sleeping. I had a very rude awakening! What’s the worst thing your bad-behaving pet has ever done — or destroyed? Randy at Mental Floss asked this question of his readers after his cat ate the wires from his bluetooth headset. - Reader's comments vary from dogs eating houses and furniture to cats who poop in purses. One of my favorites: "You haven’t lived until you have tugged a nylon stocking from your dogs rectum. She eats them and then cannot pass them completely, and is running around with a pantyhose foot dangling from her butt." If you think your pet is the only one behaving badly, take a look at: Funny photos of dogs chewing things and making a mess of the house at Dog-bones.com and Photos of the Day at things my dog ate.

Just checking the trash

Photo by Julie Corsi

Stop squirrel indecency

Are you sick and tired of squirrels running naked in the trees around your house? Have you had to hide your children's eyes when a tiny furry streaker crosses the sidewalk in front of you? Here's the answer: Squirrel Underpants! Each pair of tiny briefs has a 3" waist and is made of 100% cotton. The underpants squirrels prefer! Also good for hamsters, frogs and gerbils. (via Linkfilter)

A walrus with bling

Akituusaq, the rare walrus calf billed as Brooklyn's biggest baby, is flaunting a fabulous new set of titanium crowns at Coney Island's New York Aquarium. The 16-month-old baby, affectionately called Tuusaq, was fitted with the caps after his keepers noticed the tips of his tiny tusks were already wearing away. "There were many jokes about putting a diamond in one, or having a laser etch his initials in the other," said David DeNardo, general curator at the New York Aquarium, "but we decided that was going a little bit too overboard. Source: New York Daily News

A spider I hope never to meet

There's a series of photos from the Cairns Post, which show a giant Golden Orb Weaver spider who caught a chestnut-breasted mannikin bird in its web. The photos were snapped in a backyard in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Joel Shakespeare, the head spider keeper at NSW's Australian Reptile Park, said he had seen golden orb weaver spiders as big as a human hand but the northern species in tropical areas were known to grow larger. (via Boing Boing)

Cute or not? Glow in the dark cat

This kitty, named Mr. Green Genes, looks like a six-month-old cat but, under ultraviolet light, his eyes, gums and tongue glow a vivid lime green. Scientists at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans have genetically modified this cat as part of an experiment that could lead to treatments for conditions like cystic fibrosis. Source: Telegraph (via Mirabilis.ca)

Video: Death by puppy kisses

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Should farm animals have rights?

On Nov. 4, California voters will be asked to decide on Proposition 2, an animal rights ballot measure that would grant the farm animals in California the opportunity to spread their hooves and claws, rather than being confined to restrictive cages, as many chickens, sows and veal cattle now are. But because veal and pork are not major industries in California, the battle over Proposition 2 is focused almost exclusively on the state’s henhouses, which opponents say will be hard hit by higher production costs if the measure passes. “This is a well-intended initiative for animals with some very negative unintended consequences for people,” said Julie Buckner, a spokeswoman for Californians for Safe Food, the leading anti-Proposition 2 group. “It’s going to wipe out the California egg farmers, and it’s going to raise the food costs for consumers. And this is at a time when our economy is hurting.” Supporters of the proposition, the first of its kind in the nation, reject those arguments, casting the ballot measure as an act of kindness for animals whose bodies and byproducts usually end up on dining room tables. “If animals are going to be killed for food,” said Wayne Pacelle, the president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, “the least we can do is treat them with decency and give them a semblance of life.” What do you think? Source: NY Times

Heidie gets a bath

The wonderful folks at Jarden RapidBath sent me a RapidBath® Pet Bathing System to try out. My friend's dog, Heidie, volunteered to be our model and to get a bath. Heidie needed a bath anyway, so it's not like she had much of a choice. Well, Heidie loved it!

The RapidBath® was easy to use. The unit came with a hose and connection to attach to a water faucet. We removed our shower head and attached the hose to the shower pipe.

The RapidBath® system comes complete with packets of shampoo in different scents. We used the "Ultra Cleaning Shampoo." There was plenty of product in the package to get Heidie totally clean. After her bath, Heidie smelled great and her hair was smooth and velvety!

The RapidBath® Pet Bathing System is an "all-in-one" wet, wash and rinse dog bathing solution. The dog will love the relaxing massage action - and you'll love the results. No more stressful, backbreaking, messy baths for either one of you! Photos by Julie Corsi

Today's awwww

Would you sniff your kids?

Sniff Dogs rents drug-sniffing canines to parents for $200 an hour. It was started this year by Debra Stone, who says her five trained dogs can detect heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy. The dogs' noses are so sensitive that they can smell a marijuana seed from up to 15 feet away and marijuana residue on clothing from drugs smoked two nights before. One of the selling points of this service? Avoiding the kind of confrontation that comes with a drug test. Drug-sniffing dogs aren't the only measures parents are using to keep tabs on their children. There are now Global Positioning System devices that can be sewn into children's clothing to monitor how fast they're driving, and software that allows a parent to read text messages. But some psychologists say these surveillance techniques can backfire. "There are major repercussions for this type of intervention," said Dr. Neil Bernstein, a Washington, D.C.-based clinical psychologist and author of the book "How to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do if You Can't ." Source: abc

How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need?

Just like people, dogs need a proper diet and the right amount of exercise to stay fit and healthy. But it can be hard for owners to know how much time to spend at the dog park. ILoveDogs.com said that a good basic guideline is 30 minutes of exercise a day. But owners need to see how that works for each pet, because some dogs will be able to go nuts for much longer than that, while others poop out at 20 minutes.QualityDogResources.com gives the same guideline, but also notes that dogs bred for working farms such as collies may need two hours a day. Regardless, the time can be broken up into chunks so that neither owner nor pet gets too tired. But remember: You can't really judge based on a dog's size, WiseGeek.com notes. The breed, however, can give a clue.A small Jack Russell, for instance, may need a lot of play time each day, but a huge mastiff could be happy with a 15-minute walk.You can also vary how much exercise your pooch gets by changing up the activities. PetFit.com says that walking burns twice the number of calories as resting, while jogging or playing fetch burns three times. Swimming, doing agility trials or working with livestock burn six times the calories. Still, you must be careful about how much exercise a dog gets. VetMedicine.com says that owners need to be careful not to overwork young, excited dogs, as well as keep an eye out for damage to feet from running or playing on hard surfaces.The site also suggests a complete health exam before starting an exercise program with a dog. Source: wftv.com

Our new family member

Our previous puppy, Hershey - adopted through a rescue agency whom we won't name here - became extremely ill and died from canine distemper just three weeks after our family adopted her. It was a heart breaking (and financially expensive) experience. But we never lost the desire to rescue another puppy, and visited Animal Welfare in Chicago Ridge, IL on an almost weekly basis. One lucky day, we met Dixie ... Dixie had been adopted from Animal Welfare, received all her puppy shots and had been spayed. Unfortunately, her adoptive family had lost their home and couldn't keep her in the apartment they were moving to. We adopted Dixie on the same day she had been returned to the shelter. Dixie is a wonderful, sweet, loving little girl. She's already a valued and adored member of our family. Dixie is one lucky dog - she gets all the USA rawhide bones she can possibly chew. One of the perks of i-pets.com being the family business! We think Dixie looks like she's a Rottweiler, shepherd mix - anyone have any other suggestions? Photos by Julie Corsi

Is your pet ready for Halloween?

These pets are ready for the Halloween 2008 ... Is your pet ready? More dogs in costumes ... More cats in costumes ... More pets in costumes ...

Cute or not? Punk rock turtle

This is a Mary River Turtle, one of the most unusual reptiles of its type on the planet. The Mary River Turtle has become a popular figure with Australian environmentalists who say the endangered creature is being further threatened by Queensland State Government's plans to build a dam on the river. It is one of the more unusual species of turtles as it breathes through lung-like structures in its tail and needs shallow water to survive. It was described formally by scientists only in 1994 and little is known about it. The hairsute creature was captured by amateur photographer Chris Van Wyk as it quietly waded in the shallows. Source: Mail OnLine

Sheep for your walls

At design3000 shop (via holycool.net)

Just a thought ...

I could survive for 22 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds Pedia

Oops, bad timing

It's lovely! I'll take it! is a collection of poorly chosen photos from real estate listings. Here's a great example of a poorly timed shot to show off the gorgeous yard ... (click to enlarge)

Wearing The Hair Of The Dog

Thanks to If It's Hip, It's Here, I found a great series of photos by photographer Erwan Fichou of people posing with their beautiful dogs, sporting canine couture... actual sweaters and vests made from the hair of their own pet dogs. You must see more of these photos: Dogwool (via Presurfer)