Feral Beagles Loose on Long Island

Now he's without his best friend and a place to live

(NEWSER) - A Virginia man accidentally set fire to his house while trying to cremate his dead dog, reports InsideNova . He reportedly set fire to wood that he placed next to the body of his 11-year-old Rottweiler, and added gasoline to encourage the backyard fire. The intensified flames caused $70,000 worth of damage and made the house temporarily uninhabitable. The man says he called area animal hospitals for help in disposing of the body, but decided on a Plan B after being told he would have to bring the heavy dog to them. “I couldn’t do it,” he says. “He was too big for me.” More»

Mutt saved 50 soldiers in Afghanistan

(NEWSER) - A dog credited with saving the lives of dozens of US soldiers in Afghanistan was euthanized in an Arizona shelter by mistake, reports the Arizona Republic . Target, a stray who hung around a US military base, became a hero when she and two other dogs attacked a suicide bomber who had snuck onto the base, keeping him away from the barracks. Though the bomber detonated his charge, only five soldiers were injured because the dogs had chased him far enough away. More»

(NEWSER) - South Korean scientists have cloned a group of four female beagles that glow red under ultraviolet light, the AP reports. The researchers inserted fluorescent genes during the cloning process, an achievement that could lead to advances in human medicine and science. “What’s significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors,” the lead researcher said, “but that we planted genes into them.” More»

(NEWSER) - Did President Obama fulfill his pledge to adopt a shelter pooch by taking in a pricey purebred that had been returned to its breeders? That’s a question being hotly debated among animal-rescue groups, the Hill reports. The Humane Society, which got a donation from Obama when he decided to go with the Portuguese water dog, says he’s in the clear; others claim the president dropped the ball. More»

Campaign aims to find 3,000 animals a home

(NEWSER) - Pet shelters across the nation are urging Americans to get on the Obama bandwagon and adopt a pet; as an added incentive, they're dropping regular fee for the first 10 adoptions at each of 300 participating shelters Jan. 24, USA Today reports. Fees for the 3,000 pets will be picked up by Hill's Pet Nutrition, which organized the event. More»