Fospice Program Provides Homes for Elderly, Terminally Ill Pets
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — It may be hard for an animal lover to imagine, but many elderly and terminally ill dogs and cats are abandoned by their owners just when they need their people the most.And that’s where the ASPCA of New York City’s “…
Dogs May Prevent Babies from Getting Asthma
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — If you’ve ever worried about having your two-legged baby around your four-legged baby this may ease your fears. A new study from the American Society for Microbiology reveals that house dust from homes with …
Pet Therapy: Some Hospitals Allow Patients’ Own Dogs to Visit
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) — Many hospitals around the country have pet therapy programs, in which a trained owner-volunteer will bring a dog to the hospital for patients to enjoy. These programs have been said to help patients with their mood, p…
7 Ways Dogs Can Help Your Health
Janie Airey/Lifesize/Thinkstock(SAN FRANCISCO) — Dogs may be good at more than fetching sticks and greeting you after a long day at work. As it turns out, simply having them around may lessen your kids’ chances of getting the common cold.Owning a dog …
New ‘Beer’ Has Dogs Barking for Brews
Richard Marshall/St. Paul Pioneer Press(SEATTLE) — What’s the legal drinking age in dog years?That’s what you might be asking yourself if you come across a bottle of Bowser Beer, a new brew crafted for a canine clientele. But you need not worry: this …
Sudden Aggression in Dogs May be Caused by Pain
Goodshoot/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A new study says that pain may be the cause of sudden, unexplained aggression in dogs, Health Day reports. Spanish researchers studied 12 dogs–11 males and one female–who were brought to a veterinary clinic by their …
Surly People Tend to Like Vicious Dogs, Study Finds
Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Many people believe dogs match the personality of their owners, and in a new study that seems to confirm that belief, British researchers say they’ve found that surly people tend to own aggressive dogs.For the st…
Wounded Warriors Helping Dogs Help Vets
Wounded warriors train service dogs to help other injured servicemen and women. (ABC News)(WASHINGTON) — A group of disabled Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans has taken on an important mission — training service dogs to aid other wounded vets on…
Dog Rescues Unconscious Owner from Oncoming Train
Courtesy Angell Animal Medical Center(BOSTON) — A Massachusetts pit bull named Lilly took on a freight train last week to save her owner, who collapsed unconscious onto the tracks during a late-night walk in Shirley. The 8-year-old dog used her teeth …
United Airlines Lifts Ban on Pit Bulls, Other Breeds
Jessie Huart and her dog, Slaw, a pit bull mix. (Courtesy Jessie Huart)(NEW YORK) — An online campaign to lift a ban on certain breeds of dogs on United Airlines has succeeded. A total of nine breeds, including pit bulls, had previously been ban…
What Your Dog Says About Your Personality
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) – They can’t talk, but dogs say a lot about their owners’ personalities, a new study has found.”People tend to report that their dog’s personality is quite similar to their own, but we wanted to see if these stereo…
Where Is the Love? Many Hug Pets More than Relatives
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Dog owners are certainly fond of their pets, and a new survey reveals some actually hug their pooches more than their relatives and best friends.A survey commissioned by Beneful Baked Delights found 68 percent of dog…
Doomed Dog Gets New Leash on Life with Prosthetic Paw
Hanger, Inc.(FRESNO, Calif.) — A playful dog that lost a paw was set to be euthanized in California when a veterinary technician stepped in to save him and helped him get a prosthetic paw.Skip the pit bull was two months old when his owners discovered…
Warning Signs of Arthritis in Pets
Janie Airey/Lifesize/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are living with the pain of osteoarthritis, and so are millions of pets.According to veterinarians, it’s one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in their field, and unlike their huma…
Jurassic Blood-Sucking Fleas Discovered in China
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Hide your dogs, hide your cats! The discovery of monstrous “Jurassic fleas” in Northern China is enough to make even Twilight’s vampires quiver.A team of researchers has unearthed the fossilized remains …
New Ad Attacks Romney’s History with Dogs
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images(DETROIT) — It’s the problem that won’t stop hounding Mitt Romney. On Friday MoveOn.org became the latest group in a long line of opponents to take advantage of Mitt Romney’s troubled past with c…
Dog Goes from Craigslist to Westminster
Dan Stallings(NEW YORK) — The Westminster Dog Show is a celebration of canine entitlement. It is where purebreds are spritzed, shampooed, trimmed and blown dry, where they’re hand-fed steak, dressed in diapers and bowties and followed around wit…
More American Pets Are Being Prescribed Psychiatric Drugs
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Psychiatric medications such as Prozac are being prescribed more often to man’s best friend to help treat a variety of conditions and behaviors usually found in humans.In the United States, where people have left for…
Canine Cancer Studies Yield Human Insights
Texas Veterinary Cancer Registry(BETHESDA, Md.) — Some of the most promising insights into cancer are coming from pet dogs, thanks to emerging studies exploring remarkable biological similarities between man and his best friend.Cancer is the leading c…
Canine Cancer Studies Yield Human Insights
Texas Veterinary Cancer Registry(BETHESDA, Md.) — Some of the most promising insights into cancer are coming from pet dogs, thanks to emerging studies exploring remarkable biological similarities between man and his best friend.Cancer is the leading c…