Ving Rhames' Dogs Kill Caretaker

(NEWSER) - Loki, the Chihuahua who figured prominently in Mickey Rourke’s Golden Globe acceptance speech, died Monday, E! Online reports. The 18-year-old dog accompanied Rourke on the red carpet at the awards. The Oscar-nominated actor is very attached to his canine friends. “Sometimes, when a man is alone, that's all you got is your dog,” he said. “And they've meant the world to me.” More»

Marley & Me is 'toxic hazard,' critics charge

(NEWSER) - The most popular movie in the country has an enemy at the Los Angeles Times. TV critic Scott Collins says Marley & Me "represents a toxic hazard to dog owners as well as anyone who ever comes near a dog—basically everyone, in other words." Collins reminds readers and fellow fans of "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan that "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners." More»

Oscar knock-offs now come in teacup sizes

(NEWSER) - Knock-offs of Academy Awards gowns—always a brisk business—now come in even-smaller sizes: An L.A. company has released a new line of Oscar duds for dogs, from Nicole Kidman's red Balenciaga to Leonardo DiCaprio's Armani tux. Little Lily's, which has been dressing posh pooches since 2002, has already sold out its "Red Carpet Line" in the U.S. More»

It could soon be illegal to keep 'impure' animals as pets

(NEWSER) - Dogs are unclean in the eyes of Islam, but man's best friend in Iran has until now avoided being outlawed. That could all change if a new bill recently proposed in parliament passes: It would make "the walking and keeping" of "impure and dangerous animals" illegal, subjecting owners to fines and rendering the fate of the confiscated animal uncertain. Iran's government has long seen dog ownership as a depraved practice, Time notes, and the proposed bill warns against the public health dangers as well as the cultural implications. More»

Court says dog rule needs to be cleared by owners

(NEWSER) - Donata Forman really loves her dog. So when her condo board told her little Charlie—a four-pound Yorkshire terrier— had to go, “I said, I’m going all the way" with the case, Forman tells the New York Daily News . “I need him because he’s part of the family.” Forman took the condo board to court, and dragged them through a costly legal battle—which she won this week. More»