Elwood Named Ugliest Dog

Fashion dogs on track to eclipse pit bulls as most abandoned

(NEWSER) - A Hollywood-fueled demand for Chihuahuas in California has morphed into shelter populations that make up 50% of the dogs in some places. “It's been a slow and steady climb,” a San Francisco animal control spokeswoman tells the Los Angeles Times . “We call it the Paris Hilton syndrome.” More»

If vacation isn't vacation without Rover, consider one of these ten pet-friendly towns or your next trip

(NEWSER) - Man's best friend has become a member of the family, so why shouldn't he get a break, too? Make it fun and easy to travel with your pet by visiting one of these hound-hangout towns MSNBC recommends:

1. San Diego, CA
2. Long Beach, CA
3. Carmel, CA

Calif. legislation would require owners to 'fix' cats and dogs

(NEWSER) - Legislation that would require Californians to "fix" their cats and dogs has captured the state's attention, inspiring more more controversy than any other measure this year, including an assisted-suicide bill. TV legend Bob Barker backs the spay/neuter bill, but groups like the American Kennel Club don't want the state involved, the LA Times reports. More»

The empire strikes back

(NEWSER) - A fed-up George Lucas has pulled the plug on a digital studio development plan that Northern California neighbors treated like a plot by an "evil empire." Now Lucasfilm hopes to sell the Grady Ranch site next to Skywalker Ranch in Marin County to a developer for low-income housing. "We have several opportunities to build in communities that see us as a creative asset, not as an evil empire, and if we are to stay on schedule we must act on those opportunities," says a Lucasfilm statement. "We love working and living in Marin, but the residents of Lucas Valley have fought this project for 25 years, and enough is enough." 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»