A wiggly pup waits beneath a Christmas tree. A teeny kitten brightens the Hanukkah festival. Nothing stirs the warm fuzzies more than a furry addition to the family. In fact, marketers urge shoppers to wrap Fido or Fluffy in red ribbons, for the perfect holiday present.
But when the bows come off, an animal stumbles into [...]

It’s probably just a coincidence that in the same week that global leaders are convening in Copenhagen for the world climate summit, Kim Campbell Thornton, auto reviewer for PetConnection littermate DogCars.com, has completed a week’s test ride in one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles on the market: the 2010 Toyota Prius.

Up to this point, the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius hadn’t been seriously considered as a potential DogCar because its design didn’t fit the typical layout that we look for in a canine carrier. Most DogCars, we surmised, need to have rear portions that are squared-off – not sloping – in order to adequately handle canine crates and dog beds. So the Prius’ long, sloping hatchback was quickly ruled out as a possible DogCar contender because it appears to take away valuable crate space.

However, during her weeklong test drive of the newly redesigned, 2010 Prius, Kim came away pleasantly surprised at the deceptively spacious interior of the highly-popular, four-door hatchback sedan.

I had my doubts about the Prius as a dog car, but like the magical Weasley tent in the Harry Potter series, it has a more spacious interior than its compact appearance suggests.

Kim put the Prius through the test and while she isn’t ready to claim it as the perfect DogCar, she did find it to be more canine friendly than its main hybrid competition, the Honda Insight.

And best of all, she liked not going to the gas station as often as other DogCars. The Prius averages around 50 mpg in both city and highway driving. It is also classified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) and, according to Toyota, the Prius:

“. . . is built using processes that reduce emissions in every stage of the vehicle lifecycle, from production and driving, through to eventual disposal and dismantling years down the road.”

That’s news that would even please the Copenhagen crowd.

Read Kim’s full review of the Prius here, and the rest of our vehicle reviews at DogCars.com.

The news piles up faster than the snow around here! Well, almost.  Depends where you live.

Massive Oregon dog rescue underway: This story just broke yesterday afternoon.  As many as 100 dogs and puppies were saved from a particularly awful hell in eastern Oregon.   The details of what the dogs and puppies endured are grim,  but it looks like they’re in for a merry Christmas, starting immediately. Dogster has the  details, and the Oregon Humane Society could likely use some help.

Animals left at risk by foreclosure: A tough story from here in New England, my neck of the woods, where we are shoveling the white stuff this week.  In Rhode Island, a farm was foreclosed on by Wells Fargo Bank, which immediately started ignoring the safety and welfare of the 136 animals on the farm.  The owner, Dan McKenzie, is rightfully upset that the horses, pigs, llamas, cats, dogs, sheep and goats (among others) aren’t being given food and water, and are simply being left to their own devices.  Dan wants back onto his farm to take care of them.   However, Wells Fargo won’t let him care for his own animals, even though they’ve shown no inclination to do so themselves.   As The Consumerist tells us (with a link to the Providence Journal Bulletin), it’s ugly.  The RISPCA, and even URI’s Vet Care program have gotten involved.    I’ll update this story as it develops, hoping for a happier ending.

Update, 10:30 a.m. ET: A Rhode Island judge ordered the RISPCA into the farm to care for the animals. They’ve got a 24-hour window while the situation gets sorted out with Wells Fargo. My hunch is this will have a happy ending.

Lose the risk, not the pet: The FDA is seeing a Salmonella outbreak linked to frogs and other amphibians, now showing up in 25 states.  Kids are being affected the most.  FDA issued a reminder on Tuesday with the following points to bear in mind:

• If your family is expecting a child, remove any reptile or amphibian from the home before the infant arrives.
• Keep reptiles and amphibians out of homes with children under 5 years old, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems.
• Do not allow reptiles or amphibians to roam freely through the house, especially in food preparation areas.
• Do not clean aquariums or other supplies in the kitchen sink. Use bleach to disinfect a tub or other place where reptile or amphibian habitats are cleaned.
• Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching any reptile or amphibian, their housing, or anything (for example, food) that comes in contact with a reptile or amphibian or its housing.
• Be aware that Salmonella infection can be caused by contact with reptiles and amphibians in petting zoos, parks, child day care facilities, or other locations.
• Watch for symptoms of Salmonella infection, such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Call your doctor if you or your family has any of these symptoms.

Common sense precautions will almost always keep you and your family safe. Hand-washing is basic to all preventive measures, so be sure your entire family knows it, and acts accordingly.

Speaking of the FDA, as Gina pointed out in a previous post, they’re getting all widgety these days. Good for them, sort of.

Common sense vs. the Kennel Club, continued: Terrierman has a delicious update on the Kennel Club in the UK in the what-were-they-thinking aftermath since the airing of “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” on BBC. Virtually all of the Kennel Club’s complaints have been dismissed.  The debate rages on, and if you haven’t seen the program that lit the fire, you can: It’s on BBC America tonight at 8 p.m.

How much should rescues spend on really sick strays? Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly explores this tough issue on her Dolittler blog, but please read the comments, too. They might as good (or even better?) than the original post!

A double shout-out to Dog Star Daily: I’d like you to check out not one but two thought-provoking posts from Dog Star Daily. Same site, different authors and completely different topics. First, Dr. Ian Dunbar asks a question that had never occurred to me before: Can too much socialization ruin a puppy? The answer isn’t what you might think. Then, Eric Goebelbecker examines the numbers crunched in a study on Confrontational Dog Training Methods.

A tough man with a soft spot for furry non-offenders: I wouldn’t leave you without some good news. Generally, stories about Maricopa County Sheriff/Media Darling Joe Arpeio (”America’s Toughest Sheriff”) make me roll my eyes. Let’s just say he likes attention. However, Omidog! has a heartwarming story about how the tough Sheriff runs a kind, and very cool no-kill shelter. Literally cool –  it’s air conditioned, which is handy when you live in Arizona. The Sheriff’s shelter is called MASH: Maricopa Animal Safe Haven. Prisoners help run the shelter, and there’s a fascinating dichotomy between the conditions where prisoners are housed (no A/C) and those of the rescued animals (nice and cool). And you know something? The prisoners are ok with that. When asked their reaction, one female prisoner gestured toward the animals and said “They didn’t do anything wrong. I did.” Perspective. I like that.

And finally, to add to your holiday shopping list, consider a book noted by Heckled by Parrots about an African Grey.

Chocolate candy bars, cakes, pies, chocolate coated doughnuts or eclairs are treats that we relish. We enjoy a good cup of coffee to wash down these sweets. But these desserts are very dangerous to our dogs.

Pedigree is one of the most popular pet food companies in the world. The company makes healthy food for dogs, and fills each serving with all the nutrients a doggy could ever need. If you want to spoil your canine with some good food, make sure you pick out the right product. Pedigree creates a variety of food for different types of dogs. You can choose between dry food, canned food, snacks, treats, and puppy food. With Pedigree dog food coupons, you’ll be able to save on your purchase.

Are you desperate to get your pet house trained so you can get a break from scrubbing your carpets clean? I want to share with you the best tips for house training your puppy/dog and what the best dog house training aids are!

If you have a dog, you know how difficult (and costly) it can be at times to keep the food bowl full. However, you should never get low quality food just to save money. Always buy quality brands such as Iams. Dog food coupons are available to help you save money. You can provide your doggy or pup with healthy, great tasting food every single day without going over your wallet.

Do you have the rare dog under your roof that responds to your desires just to make you happy? Praise alone is payback enough? If your dog could talk, would he say, “You want me to fetch you a soda instead of resting here by this sunny window? You got it pal – just show me the fridge!” If you have that rare dog, full of love, obedience, and wisdom, you’re lucky. Very lucky!

Dogs, of course, just like humans, should have regular check-ups at the veterinary’s office. In this article we’ll discuss how you can keep your Dog Doctor happy when assessing Fido’s veterinary health. Once you know how your dog is likely to behave, you can take whatever precautions that may be necessary to keep everyone in the best possible frame of mind.

Even if hunting movement has been excluded in some ways, various types of hunting movement is still authorized in a good number of countries. For centuries man has counted on the help out of dogs for their hunting movement. It is a a bit of a challenge to guide a dog for such movement, but in the last part nearly all hunters experience its well worth it. Dog owners wishing to guide their dog for hunting be required to be arranged to consume a big deal of time and effort at the mission.