SPCA Calls Off the Dogs on Britney

Loyal, cuddly and in need of a political push

(NEWSER) - So the Obamas are looking for a hypoallergenic rescue dog? Well, Jezebel has just the breed for them: Greyhound. Today known mostly as racing dogs, Greyhounds have a proud history. They were protected by law in the Middle Ages, they appear in Chaucer, Shakespeare and the Simpsons, and are the only breed mentioned in the Bible. They’re cute, docile, and above all, they need political help. More»

Sergeant starts petition after Army blocks rescued pup's route home

(NEWSER) - A sergeant who saved a puppy from a pile of burning trash in Baghdad is fighting to be allowed to bring her beloved pet home, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. An Army officer took 6-month-old Ratchet off a convoy to Baghdad airport where the pooch was to be sent to her parents' Minneapolis home by animal rescue group Operation Baghdad Pups. More»

National alert follows dog's death; other pets on flight seized

(NEWSER) - Twenty-four animals flown to the US from Iraq have been taken back from their adoptive homes after the CDC learned a puppy on their flight had rabies, the New York Times reports. The dogs and cats, befriended by troops in Iraq, were vaccinated only days before being exposed to the fatal illness, sparking a national warning because of the possibility they could have spread the disease to humans. More»

Pet store rejects heiress as legit buyer

(NEWSER) - Paris Hilton went “ballistic” over the weekend when an LA pet store refused to sell her a Yorkie, telling the celebutante the purchase was clearly “an impulse buy,” the New York Post reports. Hilton was on her way to a photo shoot and "wanted a puppy in the picture with her so it would look cuter,” says a spy. More»

RIP, Paw Paw

(NEWSER) - The death this month of Martha Stewart's beloved canine Kublai Khan Paw Paw Chow Chow (just Paw Paw to his pals) got Nerve's Nicole Pasulka ruminating on her top celeb best friends. A sampling:

• Millie, First Dog for the first President Bush: "Pet lovers that we are, we’d much rather have Bush dog as prez than Bush son," Pasulka writes.