Renegade Beagles Take Long Island

Have you heard about the packs of beagles wreaking havoc on eastern Long Island? Beagles, who are often ditched by hunters when they don't track down enough rabbits, are apparently banding together in feral packs to survive, and they're freaking out residents in the process.

Sadly, this problem isn't new. According to some shelter workers in the area, they get up to 40 beagles surrendered each year. I don't know about you, but I find this wildly disturbing on so many levels. These animals wouldn't be desperate or remotely dangerous if they weren't abandoned in the first place. What kind of clown should even be allowed to hunt if he's not even willing to take care of his own dogs responsibly, or find them new homes if they're not working out?

To read a New York Post story about this issue, click here.

And if you're interested in adopting a beagle, think about contacting Kent Animal Shelter (or any others in eastern Long Island), or you can always search on one of my favorite sites, Petfinder.com.

Now Your Dog Can Tweet Too

Mattel has created a product called "Puppy Tweets" so that your dog can update his activities throughout the day. Think of it as a pseudo doggie cam. Meaning, you can gauge exactly what your animal is doing while you're at work. According to CNN Money, "Puppy Tweets is a plastic tag with a sound and motion sensor that you attach to your pet's dog collar and connect its USB receiver to your computer. Then you create a Twitter account for your dog and enjoy updates all day from Sparky or whatever its name is on your computer or smartphone."

The tag on your dog's collar is set with several pre-recorded Tweets. So, for example, if your dog is snoozing, he'll Tweet, "Some days it feels like my paw is permanently on the snooze button!" If he's barking, his Tweet will saying, "YAHOOO! Some days you just gotta get your bark on." No, I did not come up with these, and frankly, I'd say that Mattel could come up with something a little more clever...and slightly less cheesy. No word on what your dog will Tweet if he's chewing up your stilettos or pooping in your apartment.

Puppy Tweets will be available at retailers in the fall, and it will cost about $29.99.

Would you ever buy something like this, or do you think it's absurd? I think it's slightly ridiculous, but then, I think Riley's updates would basically only prove that she's a narcolept.

Donating to Help Animals in Haiti

One of my favorite organizations, Best Friends Animal Society, is part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH). This means that they're working to provide food, water, rabies vaccinations, safety and more for animals in the aftermath of the earthquake. They have already donated $25,000 to the cause and are working to raise more funds.

According to Best Friends, "ARCH will identify options for a wide-ranging, long-term plan that includes options for veterinary care, a large-scale vaccination program and services for animal population control."

To read more about their initiative, click here.

To donate, click here.

An Article Worth Reading

Since most of you are urban dog owners, I thought I'd pass along a link to this week's New York Magazine cover story, "The Rise of Dog Identity Politics." It discusses the human/animal bond, how we treat our pets, animal rescue, and a whole lot more.

If you have a moment, it's definitely worth reading. You can do so by clicking here.

Westminster: This February 15-16 in NYC!

If you've never been to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, I'd definitely recommend it. You get to see so many unique breeds, and it's just a really fun experience. (And let's be honest, there's even some Best in Show-type weirdness going on behind the scenes, so that's fun to see, too.)

Last year's winner, a Sussex Spaniel named Stump

To get an idea what you can see on each day, here's the breakdown: All Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds and varieties will be judged on Monday, with groups judged on Monday night. All Sporting, Working, and Terrier breeds and varieties will be judged on Tuesday, with groups judged on Tuesday night. Best In Show will also be judged on Tuesday night.

Tickets range from $40-$130. For more information, the schedule, and tickets, go to the Westminster site here: http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/.