Pet donations: How to help Gulf families hurt by oil spill

Animal Rescue New Orleans is looking for donations so families who lost their jobs since the oil disaster in the Gulf don't also have to lose their pets. People are calling the ARNO hotlines saying they can no longer afford their pets. ARNO is a no-kill shelter.

"The shelters are beyond full,'' according to the ARNO website.

They're requesting people to sponsor families' pets through their Pet Retention Program for $25 a month so families can keep their pets. "We provide whatever the pet needs, i.e. food, medical care (maintenance and extraordinary), transportation to and from the vet, dog houses, and even a carrier to make sure they have provisions to evacuate with the pet. The caseworker assigned to the family stays assigned to that family to assure that care is consistent and to know of social services they might need for the human members of the family.''

Winner of World's Ugliest Dog Competition

Princess Abby Francis, a Chihuahua, won the World's Ugliest Dog Competition at the 22nd annual contest held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. World's Ugliest Dog Competition

3 new breeds accepted by AKC

The American Kennel Club is adding the Cane Corso, Icelandic Sheepdog and Leonberger as the 165th, 166th, and 167th AKC recognized breeds. Photos of new AKC breeds

The Icelandic Sheepdog will join the herding group while both the Cane Corso and Leonberger will join the working Group.

The new breeds became eligible for AKC registration on June 1, 2010 and are eligible for competition in their respective groups at conformation shows held on and after June 30, 2010.

Pet Safety during July 4 Celebrations

Please consider your pets' safety during Fourth of July revelry. Pets should be left at home during fireworks displays, but even animals that are left indoors can be frightened terribly by the hiss, boom and pop.

If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety.

Animals left outside can escape a fenced yard and become lost in the terror of the moment.

Animal shelters across the country are accustomed to an annual increase in lost dogs and cats because of fireworks season, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

If the sound of fireworks is inevitable, leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep (pets) company while you're attending Fourth of July picnics, parades, and other celebrations. Or better yet, have someone stay with your pets while you are enjoying the outside activities.

New Off-Leash Dog Park to Open in Denver

A new, off-leash dog park, Railyard Dog Park, will open in Denver by Labor Day. The Railyard Dog Park near downtown will be landscaped along the edges and will include trees, decorated pee posts, a shade structure and separate play areas for small and large dogs.

Riverfront Park Community Foundation has issued a challenge grant; for every dollar that is raised between now and Labor Day, they will match it dollar for dollar, up to $42,000, and that will be a loan that does not have to be payed back! The Foundation has been a huge supporter of this park, contributing almost half of the funds to build it.

Get more details on the park, how you can donate, future fundraisers and ways to participate at railyarddogs.org

Dogs in China 'welcome' Year of the Tiger and confidence boost

This year, the Year of the Tiger in China, has brought an interest in the dyeing trend - with tigers being the most-sought-after look. From Golden Retrievers to Pekingese, pets are not just being dyed basic colors but are being transformed to look like other animals. Dogs In China

Dogs are being decorated as turtle-dog, zebra-dog, spiderman-dog, tiger-dog and even panda-dog.

Dock Dogs Will Be In Town

Event Name: SummerSplash presented by Chicagoland DockDogs

Event Date: June 17-20, 2010

Event Location:
Carlson Ice Arena Grounds
4150 N. Perryville Rd.
Loves Park, IL 61111

Additional Event Information: HPC "Single" Points Event

Online Pre-Registration Closes: June 15, 2010 at 12:00pm EST (pre-reg. for a wave will close at 30 participants)

Pre-Registration Entry Fees:
$20.00 per dog per Big Air WAVE Competition (Limited to 30 dogs per wave)
$20.00 per dog per Speed Retrieve Competition (Limited to 25 dogs per wave)
$20.00 per dog for Extreme Vertical Competition (Limited to 20 dogs)

On-Site Registration Entry Fees:
$25.00 per dog per Big Air WAVE Competition
$25.00 per dog per Speed Retrieve Competition
$25.00 per dog for Extreme Vertical Competition

Event Schedule:

Thu June 17, 2010
Newbie Night - 3-7pm (to learn more, please click here!)
Click here for the Newbie Night Registration Form!

For more info: http://tinyurl.com/18r