THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON — The Massachusetts House has voted overwhelmingly to ban the surgical “debarking” or silencing of dogs or cats.

By a 150-1 vote, the House on Wednesday approved the bill with prohibits the devocalization of dogs and cats unless a licensed veterinarian certifies that the procedure is medically necessary to relieve an illness, disease or injury.

Animal rights groups pushed for the bill, saying the practice amounts to animal cruelty and poses only risks to the pets.

Some dog owners opt for the procedure as a last ditch effort to try to quiet chronically barking dogs.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

THE BAXTER BULLETIN

The Mountain Home City Council agreed Thursday to hold off bidding for animal-control services and instead assigned city police officers animal-control duties.

The city has been without an animal-control company since the first of the year, when the council decided not to renew a $32,500 annual contract with Mountain Home Animal Control Inc. and instead advertise bids for the service.

“Things seem to be going reasonably well,” Mayor David Osmon told the council. “We’re saving money. I would feel comfortable giving this a little more time.” (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The owners of pets and horses seized by law enforcement would be required to pay for the animals’ care under a measure introduced in the Nebraska Legislature.

The bill (LB1084) by state Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber calls for a hearing to be held within 10 days of an animal’s seizure. At the hearing, the court will decide whether to return the animal to its owner or harborer. If the animal is not returned, the court will order the owner to pay all expenses related to the care of the animal, including shelter, food and veterinary care. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nev. — Sheryl Crow has spoken out against the war in Iraq and in support of embryonic stem-cell research and efforts to combat global warming. Now, she’s trying to ride to the rescue of thousands of wild horses that roam the West.

After campaigning for President Barack Obama in 2008, the Grammy-winning singer has become a leading critic of his administration’s plans to remove as many as 25,000 mustangs from the range and ship them to pastures in the Midwest and East. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is putting off plans to round up about nearly 200 wild horses in a remote western Utah mountain range.

The agency had planned the roundup for Jan. 15, but it’s been rescheduled for July so the BLM can conduct an environmental analysis before proceeding. Snowy conditions would have made the roundup more difficult and the delay also gives the agency more time to coordinate with contractors who would do the work, officials said. (more…)

THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — A federal judge Wednesday sided with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in a legal fight in which animal rights activists accused the circus of abusing its Asian elephants.

In a 57-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said a former Ringling employee, Tom Rider, and the Animal Protection Institute (API) did not have legal standing to sue the circus under the Endangered Species Act. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nev. — A new federal proposal to manage wild horses is rekindling debate over another fixture of the Western range: cattle.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week proposed moving thousands of mustangs to preserves in the Midwest and East to protect horse herds and the rangelands that support them. (more…)

BY NOEL E. OMAN

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

The Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute is working to ensure that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors are up to speed on the new animal cruelty law.

The institute has been meeting this summer with law enforcement officials and other parties in developing a protocol to prepare and prosecute abuse cases under the new law, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the state through Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who helped shepherd the bill through the Legislature this year. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTLAND, Ore. — Several groups are pushing to renew the slaughter of horses in the U.S., possibly starting in Oregon.

Proponents are pushing Congress to introduce a bill to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to resume inspecting horse meat for human consumption. (more…)

KRISTIN NETTERSTROM
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Free-roaming cats would have to be sterilized and microchipped to continue their wandering, under an ordinance Little Rock directors are scheduled to vote on Tuesday.

The capital city wants to update various animal laws, increasing the fee for keeping a “dangerous” dog from $100 to $150 and adding a section on how to deal with dangerous cats. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — It’s nothing against the Obamas. But some Portuguese water dog owners aren’t thrilled the breed is a front-runner for the first family.

The choice could mean a spike in the dogs’ popularity — and that could mean a rise in shady breeders and fickle owners who don’t understand the dogs and eventually abandon them, owners of Portuguese water dogs say. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BALTIMORE — Socks, the White House cat during the Clinton administration who waged war on Buddy the pup, has died. He was about 18.

Socks had lived with Bill Clinton’s secretary, Betty Currie, in Hollywood, Md., since the Clintons left the White House in early 2001. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A new fee for pet owners would help pay for building and operating animal shelters throughout the state, under a bill filed Monday.

The measure by Rep. Clark Hall, D-Marvell, would impose a $3 fee for veterinarian visits for cats and dogs. That money would be placed in a trust fund, under the Arkansas Department of Health, and doled out to cities and counties for their animal shelters. (more…)

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

As America ushers in a new era of federal leadership, many state governments are also getting back to work—and at least one of them is making puppy mill-reform a priority. Last Sunday, the ASPCA joined animal-welfare advocates and Illinois lawmakers in Chicago to announce the arrival of Chloe’s Bill, legislation that will help stamp out the worst puppy mills in the Prairie State.

“Illinois has a unique opportunity to adopt one of the strongest commercial breeding laws in the country,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA senior director of legislative initiatives. “As commercial breeding increases throughout the United States, particularly in the Midwest, it is reassuring that Illinois is recognizing the need for stronger laws before the prevalence of puppy mills becomes a blight on the state’s reputation.” (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Arkansas Senate easily passed a tough animal-cruelty bill Thursday that lawmakers had deadlocked over two years ago.

By a 34-0 vote, the Senate approved legislation that makes aggravated cruelty to cats, dogs and horses a felony on first offense. Currently, animal cruelty is a misdemeanor. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE

RESCUE IN THE ROCK

The Little Rock Animal Services Advisory Board is hosting two public hearings to gather input on proposed changes to city ordinances about domestic cats.

“The proposed ordinance changes would include both mandatory sterilization and micro-chipping of all free-roaming cats,” said Little Rock Animal Services Manager Tracy Roark. (more…)

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Obama family is nearing a decision on the breed for the first dog.

Before President-elect Barack Obama began his interview on the ABC program This Week, which was broadcast Sunday, his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, asked the host, George Stephanopoulos, to slip in this question: “What kind of a dog are we getting, and when are we getting it?”

When asked, Obama laughed, “They seem to have narrowed it down to a Labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound,” he said, adding that the next step is to canvass shelters. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Arkansas Farm Bureau announced Tuesday it will back legislation to make aggravated animal cruelty a felony on first offense, reversing its opposition to past efforts to stiffen the state’s animal cruelty penalties.

The group, which represents 227,000 farmers in the state, said its board of directors voted to support animal cruelty legislation being backed by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel. (more…)

THE BOSTON GLOBE

It’s a key decision for the Obama administration. One misstep can result in seriously bad press.

Look what happened this week to Barney, the Bush family’s Scottish terrier who’s in the doghouse for chomping a reporter’s index finger.

Yet as President-elect Barack Obama makes his transition to the White House and fills top positions such as chief of staff, he’s been quiet about his inclination in another critical matter: Who will become chief dog of staff, the puppy he promised his daughters in his acceptance speech. (more…)