New York Times

Coyote vs. Greyhound: The Battle Lines Are Drawn by Juliet Macur  “Unlike the greyhounds familiar to most Americans as racers and pets, Hardzog’s are trained only to chase and kill coyotes for sport.” 

That is a disturbing story.

Justices Reject Ban on Videos of Animal Cruelty
By ADAM LIPTAK “The Supreme Court, in a major First Amendment ruling, voted 8-1 to strike down a federal law that made it a crime to create or sell dogfight videos. . . ”

Dog-Fighting and the First Amendment  Huffington Post (blog) commentary by Geoffrey R. Stone on the above decision.  “The proper response of the government is to punish dog-fighting and other forms of animal abuse more severely, but not to prohibit speech that is otherwise …”

USA Today

Family dog is my father’s keeper through his heart ache
by Janice Lloyd
“A dog has come to the rescue in an unfolding family drama that has no clear end in sight. My oldest brother has a Golden Retriever who has adopted my father since last Thursday, giving him a comfort he can find no place else right now. My dad is 93 and showing signs of dementia . . . Sophie, my brother says, seemed to sense immediately that Dad needed a care taker. She rose to the occasion. She curls up with him on the sofa and puts her head in his lap. My dad rubs her head and smiles at her. My brother says “she doesn’t even do that with me.”

Carrie Underwood wants you to help feed shelter dogs by joining Pedigree’s Facebook group in 2010.  “For every new Facebook fan in 2010, Pedigree will donate one bowl  of dog food to animal shelters (they’ve already donated 877,000 bowls of food!), and will match a portion of monetary donations to the non-profit Pedigree Foundation, which has so far raised $323,000 to date. . . “

St. Petersburg Times

Fort De Soto dog park makes Southern Living’s Top 5 in South 

by  Waveney Ann Moore  “Southern Living has named Fort De Soto’s Paw Playground, which includes a beach for dogs, one of the South’s five best dog parks. . . .Southern Living was wowed by the pooch-friendly amenities — drinking fountains for pets and owners, plastic bags for poop clean-up and doggie showers.  “We loved that they included hoses to wash your dogs down,” Thuston said, noting that it’s no fun to carry a sandy dog home. . .”