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1. Blaming your farts on me... not funny... not funny at all !!! 2. Yelling at me for barking.. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG, YOU IDIOT! 3. Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway? 4. Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose... stop it! 5. Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home. 6. The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain. 7. Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back! 8. Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet. 9.Dog sweaters. Hello ???, Haven't you noticed the fur? 10. How you act

Va. Doctor Convicted of Drug Trafficking ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - A pain-management doctor who prescribed large amounts of opiates and drew patients from across the country to his northern Virginia clinic has been convicted on 16 counts of drug trafficking by a federal jury. The jury acquitted William E. Hurwitz on 17 other counts on Friday, and a judge dismissed 17 others, including the most serious charge - drug trafficking resulting in death. It was the second time in three years that a federal jury convicted Hurwitz of drug trafficking. His 2004 conviction - and 25-year prison sentence - was tossed out by a federal appeals court, which ruled that a judge improperly barred the jury from considering whether Hurwitz was acting in good faith. Hurwitz faces up to 20 years on each count when he is sentenced on July 13. Prosecutors argued that Hurwitz was no better than a common drug dealer who ignored obvious signs that his patients were dealers or addicts. "Drug traffickers come in a

So here's my list of requests: If you can walk, do it. If you can run, go for it. If you can jog, have at it. If you can exercise, start now. If you can swim, hike, canoe... get off your butt and do it. Eat right. You have the power to control what you put in your body and therefor you can control that aspect of your own health. Don't make excuses. Instead of lamenting about what you cannot do, do everything you CAN do and count your blessings. Remember, there may come a day when you cannot move. When I hear people complain that their feet (or whatever body part) hurt because they walked too much, all I can think is "at least you can walk". Just walk a little less or figure out a way to move without pain. And stop complaining. You have a choice. Some of us don't. Just my rant for the day.

MIDVALE, Utah (AP) - Nugget, a golden retriever, is spoiling mail delivery on a suburban cul-de-sac. The U.S. Postal Service is threatening to return mail to sender unless the owner controls the dog or residents pay $1,000 for boxes at the end of the circle. "We want to deliver the mail, but we want to do it in a manner where we're not going to sustain another attack, a bite or injury of whatever degree," Postmaster Gene Brackus said. On Dec. 30, Nugget raced across the street toward a mail carrier, who slipped on ice, cracked his elbow and hurt his hip, Brackus said. He said Nugget's owner recently failed to keep the dog from roaming. John McGuire said the pet was simply playing fetch. "If he's really scared of dogs, he probably shouldn't be a mailman," McGuire said. Five families have been driving to a post office to get their mail, although Brackus said he will put up temporary mailboxes at the cul-de-sac. "We've just all put down our fee

Italian Researchers Say Wagging Right Indicates Bliss; A Leftward Wag Signals Less Enthusiasm Italian researchers say if the angle of a dog's tail wag favors the right side, the dog likes what it's seeing. If it favors the left side, not so much. (CBS) "When the dog is wagging its tail, the dog is saying a lot." Dr. Stephen Zawistowski (CBS) If you're a dog lover, how many times have you asked yourself, "what is he or she thinking about anyway?" We fuss over our dogs, worry about them, spend more than $38 billion to keep them happy and healthy. But how do we know really what they are feeling? It turns out that the tail tells the story, CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports. A wagging tail doesn't always equal a happy dog. Italian researchers videotaped how 30 dogs wagged their tails after seeing different things. They measured the angle of the wag and concluded if it the tail favors the dog's left side, he's not so pleased abo

WASHINGTON (AP) - The aging baby boom generation is likely to increase the nation's disabled population, and a study says the United States needs a better system to provide care for them. More than 40 million Americans currently have some sort of disability, the Institute of Medicine reported Tuesday. And a decline in physical activity and increase in obesity and diabetes in younger generations raises concerns that, as the nation ages, an increasing share of the population will experience disability, the Institute said. "The number of Americans who have disabilities will grow significantly in the next 30 years as the baby boom generation enters late life," said Alan M. Jette, director of the Health and Disability Research Institute at the Boston University School of Public Health. "If one considers people who now are disabled, those likely to develop a future disability and people who are or will be affected by the disabilities of family members or others close to th

WASHINGTON (AP) - An industrial chemical that led to the nationwide recall of more than 100 brands of cat and dog food has turned up in a second pet food ingredient imported from China. The discovery expands the monthlong cascade of recalls to include more brands and varieties of pet foods and treats tainted by the chemical. "This has exposed that the safety standards for pet foods are not in place in any significant way and the kind of drumbeat, day after day, of recalls has shaken consumers' confidence in the pet food industry's adherence to food safety standards," said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States. The chemical, melamine, is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate used to make a variety of Natural Balance Pet Foods products for both dogs and cats, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The FDA has there is no evidence so far to suggest any of the rice protein went to compani

WASHINGTON (AP) - An industrial chemical that led to the nationwide recall of more than 100 brands of cat and dog food has turned up in a second pet food ingredient imported from China. The discovery expands the monthlong cascade of recalls to include more brands and varieties of pet foods and treats tainted by the chemical. "This has exposed that the safety standards for pet foods are not in place in any significant way and the kind of drumbeat, day after day, of recalls has shaken consumers' confidence in the pet food industry's adherence to food safety standards," said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States. The chemical, melamine, is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate used to make a variety of Natural Balance Pet Foods products for both dogs and cats, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The FDA has there is no evidence so far to suggest any of the rice protein went to compani

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Three times a week, Vince Stankoski is lifted from his wheelchair onto a stationary bicycle. Electrodes are attached to three of his muscle groups, coaxing his paralyzed legs to pedal. It is the highlight of his workout. "I like that I can look down at my legs and still see muscles there," says the Allentown, Pa., man who lost the use of his legs after falling from a tree in 1998. Apart from the bike, he also likes using the upper body weights, which come equipped with a seat that swivels away so he can move his wheelchair into position and lift. Stankoski is one of the fortunate ones. He belongs to a gym specifically designed to accommodate people with disabilities. Few other disabled people have that option. The basics of good health - diet and exercise - often present challenges for people with disabilities, a situation made more difficult by a common assumption that disability and poor health go hand in hand. The result, according to the federal C

• Natural Balance recalls types of dog, cat food • Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food , Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food recalled • Last month, Menu food recalled 60,000 cans of pet food • Large veterinary chain sees 30 percent increase in kidney failure WASHINGTON (AP) -- Natural Balance Pet Foods recalled two kinds of pet food after receiving reports of animals vomiting and experiencing kidney problems, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday. The recall includes all date codes of Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food. The company does not know the cause of the problem, but said it is focused on one particular lot. Natural Balance Pet Foods is working with the FDA to investigate the matter and is urging consumers to not feed either pet food product to their animals. Last month, Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food after the deaths of 16 pets, mostly cats, that ate its products. (Details on recall) The FDA said te

SEATTLE (AP) - A newly opened store catering to very pampered dogs, especially female dogs, is getting more than questioning looks for its name, High Maintenance Bitch. The third word in the sign is widely visible at North 45th Street and Wallingford Avenue North, one of the main intersections in the Wallingford neighborhood business west of Interstate 5 and north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. "I am probably the most progressive liberal person in the world and I am personally offended by the sign," said Janet Stillman, executive director of the Wallingford Neighborhood Office. "It's so blatant and so in your face." The sign is the issue more than products such as Gel-ous Bitch bath gel and Street Walker paw cleanser, said Kara Ceriello, co-president of the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce. Ceriello said she supports the store but has heard complaints from about a dozen people. "It is going to be a hot issue again when we get to our Wallingford Kiddie Pa

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (AP) - With aging, it's become a routine faithfully endured by the Guffords. Each day starts with a blood sugar check and a shot of insulin. Then a couple of pills, maybe mashed into a bowl of tuna and canned carrots. Mixed with dry chow. All for their 12-year-old dog. Brownie takes more drugs than his human companions put together. He has been medicated in recent months for diabetes, infections, high blood pressure, and his finicky gut that rebels at red meat. Since 2005, he has taken drugs for everything from anemia to a spider bite. "He's our baby, he's a family member, I would want somebody to do that for me," explains Ann Gufford. She estimates spending $5,000 over the last two years on medicine for her baby, a mixed beagle-cocker spaniel. He has lost a couple of steps on the squirrels outside their little home near Goldsboro. His hearing is failing. Still, without some of the drugs, he'd probably be gone. "You cannot put a price o

Mar 31, 3:38 AM (ET) UNITED NATIONS (AP) - In what the U.N. human rights chief called an unprecedented show of support to empower the physically and mentally impaired, 80 countries signed a U.N. convention enshrining the rights of the world's 650 million disabled. The United Nations held a ceremony Friday on the first day the convention opened for signatures and not only did 80 countries and a representative of the European Union sign it but Jamaica announced that it had also ratified the convention. That means only 19 more ratifications are needed before the convention comes into force, and speaker after speaker urged speedy approval. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour announced the huge level of support at a news conference afterward. "It's certainly unprecedented in terms of support for a human rights instrument, but it's apparently setting records for the signature of any convention in the United Nations," she said. The convention is a bluep

Breakthrough pain is truly a pain in the ass. What is it? For me, it's where pain "breaks through" my pain medication's effectiveness. I'll take my normal dosage of pain meds for my daily pain, and it won't work completely. I'll still have pain that "breaks through". Luckily, this doesn't happen on a regular basis. The way I deal with it is by taking another dose of my pain meds. This usually causes more fatigue from the side effects, and in turn causes me to have to take a nap. I usually take Darvocet 100/650 for my "normal" pain. I used to add Ultram for break-thru pain, but I found that it made me jittery, like having a cup of coffee. So now I simply take another Darvocet. If I don't take the extra meds, I usually have to take a nap anyway for the side effects of the additional pain. Either way, I'm napping. Naps are good.

MARCH 23--A 24-year-old Minnesota man was charged today for decapitating the therapy dog of a former girlfriend and then sending the animal's severed head to her in a gift-wrapped box. According to a criminal complaint charging Anthony Gomez with felony animal cruelty and torture, he admitted involvement in the killing of Chevy, a 4-year-old Australian shepherd mix owned by Crystal Brown, a 17-year-old St. Paul girl. The complaint alleges that Gomez's cell phone contained video of a dog being decapitated by a chainsaw. While Gomez told cops that he was present when the dog was killed in his basement, he claimed that the ghoulish attack was carried out by others. He added that, "it was done because of missing drugs," reported investigator Jim Gray. Gomez once dated Brown and was reportedly jealous when she began seeing someone else. Brown discovered Chevy's head last month when she opened a box (wrapped in Christmas gift paper) that was left at her Elk Street door.

Chantale Anderson laughs at "Beans," her Vizsla, as she tries to keep him under control Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007 in a yoga class for people and their dogs in Bellevue, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) - By the end of their doggie yoga class, most of the wandering and sniffing participants are passed out on their mats, in a position their instructor calls the "upward facing belly pose." Beans, a majestic 2-year-old Vizsla, however, is ready to play. The overgrown puppy has tried to relax with his owner, Chantale Anderson, but once Magnet the black lab heads off to explore the room, Beans is ready to go. Mostly, however, both the dogs and the humans on a recent evening at the Seattle/King County Humane Society seemed relaxed and focused for about 40 minutes of "doggie yoga." Leilani the toy poodle is the star of the class, perhaps because the tiny 11-year-old is too timid to venture off the mat to play with the big dogs. Her owner, Suanne N

Apr 5, 5:06 PM (ET) WASHINGTON (AP) - The recall of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical expanded Thursday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company and sold by Wal-Mart under the Ol'Roy brand. The Food and Drug Administration said the manufacturer, Sunshine Mills Inc., is recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten. Testing has revealed the wheat gluten, a protein source, was contaminated with melamine, used to make plastics and other industrial products. Also Thursday, Menu Foods, a major manufacturer of brand- and private-label wet pet foods expanded its original recall to include a broader range of dates and varieties. Menu Foods was the first of at least six companies to recall the now more than 100 brands of pet foods and treats made with the contaminated ingredient. The recall now covers "cuts and gravy"-style products made between Nov. 8 and March 6, Menu Foods said. Previously, it applied only to products made

FDA Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-58 April 5, 2007 Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA FDA Issues Health Hazard Alert for Pet Chews Due to Contamination with Salmonella The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned consumers not to use American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews manufactured and distributed by T.W. Enterprises, Ferndale, WA, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination, in people, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Consumers who have the pet treats manufactured or distributed by T.W. Enterprises listed below should not feed them to their pets, but instead dispose of them in a safe manner (e.g., in a securely covered trash receptacle). Salmonella can potentially be transferred to people handling these pet treats, especially if they have not thoroughly washed thei

Sunshine Mills, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Branded and Private Label Branded Dog Biscuits Contact: Media Inquiries Earl Clements (256) 356-9541, ext. 212 Consumer Inquiries Mitzi Wammack (800) 705-2111, ext. 117 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Red Bay, Alabama, April 5, 2007 -- As a precautionary measure, Sunshine Mills, Inc. ("Sunshine"), a branded and private-label pet food manufacturer based in Red Bay, Alabama, is voluntarily recalling a portion of its branded dog biscuits made at its Red Bay, Alabama biscuit plant during part of March 2007. These brands include: Nurture Chicken & Rice, Nurture Lamb & Rice, Pet Life Large, Pet Life Extra Large, Pet Life Large Variety, Pet Life Large Peanut Butter, Lassie Lamb and Rice, and Pet Life People Pleasers Dog Treats. Private label biscuits for six of Sunshine's customers were also affected. A complete list of affected biscuit brands, sizes, and codes is available below or at our website, www.sunshinem

Wolf Grabs Small Dog and Runs Off JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A black wolf snatched a small dog near a Juneau lake and ran into the woods with it, U.S. Forest Service rangers said. A woman was walking three dogs Tuesday at Mendenhall Lake when the wolf grabbed the unleashed Pomeranian then dashed off with the dog in its jaws. The woman unsuccessfully searched for the dog, which has not been seen since. An animal believed to be the same wolf, however, was seen alone at the lake Wednesday, said Dennis Chester, wildlife biologist at the Juneau Ranger District. The culprit is believed to be a wolf nicknamed Romeo and known for playing with larger dogs accompanying people on walks. Some people walking their dogs in the area may have become complacent because the wolf has not been seen lately, officials said. "The bottom line is, right now it's out there," said Ryan Scott, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "(The snatching) is a reminder to ourselv

Here's the difference between Willie and Frankie when it comes to having a drink of water: Frankie - drinks until HE'S done. Willie - drinks until THE WATER is done.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Pet owners are not likely to get much compensation if they individually sue pet food-maker Menu Foods over the death of a dog or cat, although they might fare better if they joined forces in a class action suit, legal experts say. Most state laws consider animals — even beloved pets — to be only personal property. That means that even for the loss of a faithful family companion, a successful civil lawsuit would not likely produce much reward, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. "With animals, all you get is the value of the property," he said. "There are no emotional damages." In early March, Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of its "cuts and gravy" style wet pet foods, sold under nearly 100 store labels and major brands across North America. It did so after cats fell sick and died during routine company taste tests. It is not clear how many pets may have been poisoned by the apparently contaminated