THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PASCO, Wash. — Animal shelter officials in the Tri-Cities region fear the holidays have brought a boom of abandoned pets.

Animal control director Angela Zilar says the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter has received dogs that most likely were given as pets during the holidays and now have been abandoned. She says at least 10 dogs fall under that category. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Most shelters in central Arkansas do not offer black cats for adoption during October, fearing the animals will be used as Halloween props or injured in pranks or rituals.

“There are bad people out there,” said Jacksonville Animal Shelter Kennel Manager Kerrie Henderson. The shelter doesn’t allow adoptions of black cats in October. (more…)

Grace Hawes (left) and Kip Clift, dressed as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, mingle at a Mardi Gras parade Feb. 15 in New Orleans. (All photos by Zoe Clift/RESCUE IN THE ROCK)

ZOE CLIFT
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Two Little Rock canines were part of the Barkus Krewe in New Orleans on Feb 15.

Grace Hawes, a 15-year-old rescue hound mix from the Pulaski County Humane Society, and Kip Clift, a 2-year-old rescue pup from the Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals, took to the streets for the event. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE

RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Several months ago, we adopted a little daschund-terrier mix with a Fu Manchu mustache, one ear longer than the other and a firm belief that she’s leader of the pack.

JoJo loves to steal. She loves to bite. She loves to chase the cats. She loves to take all her ill-gotten gains to a special place, like the corner chair. It’s a lovely surprise to sit down on all her treasures: plastic packaging she somehow got out of the trash, torn up mail she’s stolen from the coffee table and all her chewed up toys and their respective innards. (more…)

Sarie, in red, and Joey, a pair of miniature schnauzers, are walked by a Humane Society volunteer in Omaha, Neb. The two 9-year-old dogs were dropped off anonymously with a note that said their owners could no longer afford to keep them.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A growing number of Americans are giving up their dogs and cats to animal shelters as the emotional bonds between people and pets get tested by economic ones.

From the Malvern, Pa., man who turned his two dogs over in order to help pay for his mother’s cancer treatments, to the New York woman who euthanized her cat rather than keeping it alive with expensive medications, rising economic anxieties make it increasingly difficult for some pet owners to justify spending $1,000 a year or more on pet food, veterinary services and other costs. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brother, can you spare a twisty-tie?

Hard economic times can mean fewer holiday gifts — for your pets, too. Fortunately, cats were into recycling and repurposing long before “green” became the latest buzzword. (more…)

BY EVIN DEMIREL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Beneath an 8-foot-tall, wood-paneled portrait of a golden, full-maned lion, the Little Rock Zoo Cafe Africa’s fireplace crackled.

In a nearby wreath-adorned chair, Santa Claus, whose white, curly beard billowed down his red suit, extended his white gloves to a child waiting for him Saturday morning during the first session of the fourth annual Christmas in the Wild, during which more than 100 participants watched Santa treat animals with wrapped gifts of food. (more…)

THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB

Tis’ the season to deck the halls and trim the tree, but the American Kennel Club warns pet owners of the dangers that lurk among many of the season’s shiny ornaments and festive decorations. To keep your holidays free from emergency visits to the vet, the AKC offers the following tips to dog-proof your home from potential hazards. (more…)

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

The ASPCA would like to point out these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Until last week, I thought I was the owner of one pampered pooch.

After all, Macy Mae and I celebrated our first year together — a day henceforth celebrated in late June as Adoption Day — with a bone-shaped carob cake, a cadre of canine pals and a bright yellow kiddie pool perfect for wading. (more…)

Dressed as Chi-Obama, Bonbon, a Chihuahua, is held up by his owner Ada Nieves of New York (unseen) as he poses for a photograph during the fourth annual Times Square Dog Day Masquerade on Sunday in New York’s Times Square. The canine costume contest, in which Bonbon was named “Miss Congeniality”, was held to raise awareness for Animal Haven’s Adopt-A-Pet program.(Photos by AP)

ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

This isn’t a political diatribe. It’s just our way of saying be original if you decide your dog needs to sport a Halloween costume. (more…)

A dog and his owner enjoy the festivities at the Humane Society’s Howl-O-Ween Festival on Saturday at the Clinton Library. Click here to view our gallery of this event. (Photo by Focus/BRYAN THORNHILL)

The Clinton Library was overrun with about 75 dogs of all shapes and sizes Saturday as animal lovers brought out their pets for the Humane Society Walk for the Animals at the Howl-O-Ween Festival. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

FoxyPaws.com has compiled the top 10 costumes for pets in 2008.

With 71.1 million pets in the United States, you can bet a lot of them will be dressing up for Halloween. (more…)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Masked intruders lurk on the doorstep, making demands and threatening mayhem. You know it’s all in fun, but Halloween can be anything but a treat for the dogs in your family.

“We hear about more dogs dying or straying during Halloween than any other holiday,” says dog behavioral therapist Liam Crowe, president of canine training company Bark Busters USA. “Halloween is intended to scare and startle us, making it a haunting holiday for dogs too.” (more…)