From “Joe Exotic” to Wayne Pacelle WASHINGTON D.C.––Soon-to-be-former U.S. President Donald Trump and his die-hard defenders who are now facing criminal charges for storming the U.S. National Capitol building on January 6, 2021 were scarcely the only big losers from the events of the day. Former U.S. Air Force security dog handler Ashli Babbitt, […]
COVID-19 boosts Labs, goldens, & small dogs; pit bull breeders crash
“Stay home” orders bring sharp turn toward safe dogs Eighteen of the 28 Americans killed by dogs by the Fourth of July, 2020, including 15 pit bull victims, two killed by mastiffs, and one killed by a Malinois, were killed by their own family dogs in their own homes––a record pace of mayhem in every […]
Noted in passing: Bryant, Paulsen, Carothers, Domingues, & Weingartner
Activist legends in U.K., New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, & California Recently deceased longtime animal advocates John Bryant of Dorset, U.K., Judy Paulsen of Corrales, New Mexico, Randy Carothers of Rockwell, Texas, Rae Nell Domingues of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Susan Weingartner of southern California most likely never crossed paths in person, and may never even have […]
Breakthrough may scratch horses from the Iditarod legend
Yes, horses! ANCHORAGE, Alaska; Braunschweig, Germany–– A German immunologist, funded by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has reportedly made a scientific discovery that may scratch horses from the substance of the Iditarod serum run legend. Horses in the Iditarod Trail Race, the 938-mile world’s most famous and most controversial dog sled race? Yes, […]
Hen caging & greyhound racing go before voters in 2018 election
Animal advocates & agribusiness split over California Proposition 12; Republicans split over Florida Proposition 13 SACRAMENTO, California; ORLANDO, Florida––The axiom that animal politics cut diagonally across partisan divides could scarcely be better illustrated than by the alignments for and against the two major ballot initiatives on animal issues going before voters on November 6, […]
2018 dog breed survey: at least 41% of U.S. pit bull population are seeking homes
21% of U.S. pit bulls currently available are in first year of life; 19% have lost at least one home Nearly 15% of the dogs available to the U.S. public for sale or adoption as of mid-June 2018 were pit bulls, but that scarcely made pit bulls the most popular breed. Rather, the numbers indicate […]
Humans snort coke 170 times more often than racing greyhounds
Studies exonerate more than 99.9% of racing greyhounds, but not necessarily their trainers GAINESVILLE, Florida––If dogs could do drugs unassisted, the hard-working, short, highly stressed life of a racing greyhound might drive many times more to substance abuse than just the 1,150 greyhounds among more than 700,000 known to have flunked race day urine […]
England Goes to the Dogs, by Gavin Ehringer
The following is an excerpt from Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses by Gavin Ehringer, which explores the ever-evolving relationship between humans and domesticated animals. Preamble, by Jessica Case, deputy publisher, Pegasus Books: The little-examined, yet omnipresent act of breeding lies at the core of Gavin Ehringer’s book. You’ll meet cows cloned from […]
Greyhound Friends founder acquitted of felony neglect
Rescue legend allegedly no longer kept up with the pack FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts–– Greyhound Friends founder Louise Coleman, 73, for nearly 35 years a pioneer of racing greyhound rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption, was on December 1, 2017 acquitted of felony neglect by Framingham District Court Judge David Cunis, after a four-day bench trial. Concluded […]
Greyhound racing goes to the dogs in Miami, Macau, & Australia
Magic City is allowed to replace greyhound racing with jai alai––a precedent for “decoupling” animal racing from gambling permits MIAMI, Florida––The Magic City casino in West Flagler, Florida, after more than 13 years of legal struggle, is soon to become the first Florida betting venue to be allowed to abandon animal racing while continuing […]