I’m careful about what I put on my lawn as I have a liver-compromised dog, but a friend recently sent out a link to a New York Times article published in 1991 about the danger of weed killer that contains 2,4-D herbicide.

My lawn is pretty much a disaster (rocks, broadleaf weeds, dirt patches and some grass) but I’ve been hesitant to do anything with it. In comes aforementioned friend with GardensAlive, a web-based company that sells organic, pet friendly lawn care products.

The shipping is expensive though so I’m going to try and find similar products at local retailers, but I thought they were worth a shout out.

Here’s to a happy, healthy summer for you and your pets!

Attempts to give Petra the swan a living mate have failed, according to an Associated Press report out of Berlin.

Petra prefers to spend her free time romancing a much larger swan-shaped paddleboat. And why not? That is one good-lookin’ paddle boat.

Click here for more information on the happy couple.

(AP Photo/Frank Augstein/file)

For many pet owners, euthanasia is not the only option for a paralyzed animal. Many people (myself included) are of the thought that if their pets are not in pain and can live normal, happy lives there is no reason not to give them those normal, happy lives.

Major kudos to the owner’s of Eddie’s Wheels for Pets, a Massachusetts-based company featured in this article, that makes wheelchairs for animals of all sizes. While the article mostly focuses on dog owners, the founders of Eddie’s Wheels said they can accommodate anything from gerbils and ferrets to cats and goats. They’ve even outfitted an alpaca with a specialized cart.

For more information about Eddie’s Wheels for Pets, including testimonials and pricing, click here.

And if any of you in the Lower Hudson Valley have pets in wheelchairs, let me know!

Thanks to staff writer Ernie Garcia for this update regarding last month’s animal rights protest of the Royal Hanneford Circus in White Plains.

For the full story, click here.

Ernie’s update:

The animal-rights activists who protested Royal Hanneford Circus’
performances last month in White Plains distributed fliers from the People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleging 20 animal welfare violations
or incidents by the circus.
Many of the violations cited were years old, so the day of the protest The
Journal News checked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Web site for any recent violations. The Web site showed no recent actions against, or violations by, the circus.
Just in case, The Journal News submitted a freedom of information request to the federal agency requesting any violations by the circus in 2006 or 2007.
On March 18 the agency responded that it had no violations on file for the
circus in those years.
The only violation the agency sent to the newspaper was dated March 9, 2005. That report indicated that both Asian elephants were in need of foot care.
Both elephants’ nails were overgrown and there was an excessive amount of
tissue over their cuticles. The report also noted a history of foot care
problems for the elephants dating to an Apri. 14, 2004 inspection.
At the time of the 2004 inspection the inspector requested a written
protocol for foot care and arthritis management, and none was available at
the 2005 inspection. Tuberculosis tests were also not available at the time of the 2005 inspection, as is required.

Yes, it’s fun to share some of your favorite food with your pet. But it’s really not fun for your pet to have to suffer the effects of continued snacking.

Overweight pets suffer from joint and skeletal problems, organ disease and early death. “The Today Show” pet expert Andrea Arden explains in this article why loving your pet with food doesn’t benefit anyone.

I get an annoyingly usual array of comments from other pet owners when I walk my dogs. There’s attempted humor: “What? Those are Italian greyhounds? Better fatten ‘em up with spaghetti and meatballs.”

Innocent observation: “Look Mommy—those dogs are so skinny!”

Downright rude: “I certainly wouldn’t let my dog look like that. You should feed them more.”

Actually, I work very hard at maintaining my dogs’ weight. Joey tends to put on weight quickly and I feel like I’m constantly fighting that. Molly, due to a congenital liver problem, stays very thin no matter how much food I pump into her (too much food at once and her liver has problems processing it.)

But unfortunately, many people don’t realize that my dogs aren’t too thin for their breed. Their dogs are too fat. And some breeds, including beagles and dachshunds, have a tendency to put on weight easily.

A visit to the vet can help owners determine if their animals need to shed a few pounds.

I know I’ve got a family of bunnies living under my shed. They’ve been there for as long as I have (probably longer) and I see them every once in awhile, usually the babies venturing out on their own.

But I was very surprised to see one large wild rabbit meandering around the backyard last night. Luckily I saw it before I let my dogs out or I might still be cleaning up rabbit innards.

So here’s Mr. Bun. The picture was taken on my phone so pardon the quality.

And there goes Mr. Bun after I try to get closer for another picture.

It’s a bit hard to tell from these pictures, but that was the largest wild rabbit I’d ever seen. Apparently there’s some good eatin’ around my backyard.

For the second year in a row, Victoria the Italian greyhound has been named the Ugliest Dog in the Kiwanis’ annual fundraising contest in Del Mar, Calif.

First, I don’t know what kind of owner gets sick pleasure out of people voting his or her dog the ugliest. And second, Victoria, who is said to be blind in one eye and suffer from seizures, looks absolutely petrified as she is whipped through the area above someone’s head.

I know I have a soft spot for Italian greyhounds, but she really is not ugly. Her owners should be ashamed of themselves. And I’m sure the Kiwanis could come up with a better way to raise money.

I just had to share this. If you are considering getting out the cleaners and paper towels this spring, think again.

 This new window cleaner is pug-tastic!

No, this one was born on Earth—in Holland to be exact. But this gets my vote for animal picture of the month!

According to a friend who sent me the picture, this kitten was one of two Sphynx cats born to Nuda Veritas Sphynx.

This picture has made the rounds in my office. Two people think it looks like something they dissected in high school, one person thinks it’s the ugliest cat she’s seen, another thinks it’s so cute she printed it out and another wanted simply to know what was wrong with it.

And nothing is wrong with it, by the way. Click here for more information on Sphynx cats.

What is wrong with Tripp Isenhour? Seriously. This dude is catching some serious heat from the animal community for intentionally killing a hawk with a golf ball because the bird was making too much noise during a TV shoot.

Now the Humane Society is putting pressure on the PGA to discipline the pro golfer. I’m sure this guy isn’t that big of a deal (I’d never even heard of him before this) that they couldn’t have waiting until the hawk left the area to resume the shoot. Or they could have even—gasp!—moved themselves!

Plus I’m sure the sound of the hawk could have been edited out anyway.

Hopefully during one of his next golf rounds one of the other golfers will take aim at him!