Chow-chows dyed to look like pandas, golden retrievers dyed to look like tigers- these unsuspecting canines are the victims of what appears to be the latest craze in China.  The Chinese are always quick to embrace bizarre trends, and it is not unusual for pet owners to take their dogs to grooming salons where they are not only given a shampoo and trim, but a multi-colored dye job to make their dogs look like various wild animals! For complete story click HERE.

Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo veterinarian Dr. Joe Smith is organizing zoos and aquariums across the country to provide staff to care for animals oiled or sickened by the Gulf oil spill. As of Friday, 56 zoos and aquariums had committed to making more than 250 zookeepers and staff available to help. The number of animals impacted by the spill is increasing which is why Smith wants to get zoos and aquariums organized to respond. Trying to give large birds, for example, the baths needed to clean oil from their feathers isn’t an easy task. Zookeepers have experience working with panicked wildlife, Smith said. For complete story click HERE.

A PETA investigator went undercover at Sun Pet Ltd., an Atlanta-based wholesale animal dealer that supplies animals to numerous well known pet retailers across the U.S.  Video footage and photos taken by PETA’s investigator show the widespread suffering of hundreds of birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, and rats in Sun Pet’s enormous warehouses. In addition to the misery of confinement to extremely crowded containers, forcing animals to eat, sleep, urinate, and defecate all in the same space, PETA’s investigator recorded the violent killing and abusive handling of hundreds of animals.  On April 22, 2010, Georgia Department of Agriculture representatives visited the facility but the company was likely tipped off in advance and apparently took the opportunity to clean up its act. For complete story click HERE.

The ASPCA recently unveiled its first-ever Animal Transport Trailer, a custom-built 60-foot-long vehicle designed to save the lives of animals that fall victim to natural disasters or animal cruelty and neglect.  The animal transport trailer was designed to increase the capability of the ASPCA Field Investigation and Response team to deploy to emergency situations across the country. In addition to animal transport, the new vehicle will enable technical animal rescue, crime scene investigation, forensic analysis, and disaster response functions. The trailer is capable of accommodating up to 60 animals and it holds equipment such as boats, motors, water rescue and rope equipment as well as airline kennels, wire crates, and animal handling and medical supplies. For complete story click HERE.

An outraged BP contract worker took the Daily News on a surreptitious tour of the wildlife disaster unfolding in Louisiana.  “There is a lot of cover-up for BP. They specifically informed us that they don’t want these pictures of the dead animals. They know the ocean will wipe away most of the evidence. It’s important to me that people know the truth about what’s going on here,” the contractor said.  His tour included a visit to the  shores of Queen Bess barrier island, which was littered with tarred marine life, some dead and others struggling under a thick coating of crude.  The contractor further stated “Nature is cruel, but what’s happening here is crueler. BP is going to say the deaths of these animals wasn’t oil-related. We know the truth.” For complete story click HERE.

The father of a San Antonio teenager, who has been accused by some people in the online community of abusing a cat that was captured on video, said the boy in the video is not his son. He believes somebody hacked into his son’s Facebook page and posted the video, which shows a boy choking a cat and knocking its head against the wall.  The situation is being investigated by San Antonia Animal Care Services. For complete story complete HERE.

An 11-month-old Siberian husky, who was tied to railroad tracks over Memorial Day weekend in Nebraska, died after being hit by a train.  Kobe was tethered outside his home on Thursday night 5/27/2010 when he broke free and disappeared.  On Saturday morning the owner was contacted by the Sheriff’s Office who informed her that Kobe had been found dead. The owner of the dog, area residents and local officials are looking for the person, or people, who left Kobe to die on the tracks. For complete story click HERE.

Researchers have been studying the use of dogs to detect different kinds of cancer.   Many tumors release characteristic chemicals that can be identified by the sensitive canine nose. Lung cancer cells, for example, can release such chemicals into the air of the lungs, and they can then be detected on the victim’s breath.  Dogs are now being trained to detect the characteristic odor of unique chemicals released into urine by prostate tumors, setting the stage for a new way to identify men who are most at risk from the cancer. For complete story click HERE.

Miss Ellie, a Chinese Crested who won the 2009 World’s Ugliest Dog Competition, has passed away at 17, but her legacy will live on.  She was rescued when she was 7 years old and brought to live with her owner, Dawn Goehring, and 13 other rescue dogs. In her final days, Miss Ellie was continually working on raising awareness and money for rescue animals.  For complete story click HERE.

Last month John Travolta’s two family dogs were killed after being struck by an airport service vehicle at Maine’s Bangor International Airport.  Both dogs were being walked on leashes while Travolta’s jet was parked on an airport tarmac for refueling. The airport is investigating the accident. For complete story click HERE.