Oregon couple JB, Jenna and their dog Scooby will bike over a thousand miles down the pacific coast to raise money for the San Francisco SPCA. You can follow them on their journey here and feel free to ride along for 1 mile or even a hundred. Apparently there is also a party:

Pedal for paws has joined forces with the SPCA and will host an event at the San Francisco SPCA on December 23rd 2009. Bike enthusiasts and pet lovers can come meet JB and Jennifer and ride with them to the local SPCA, or proceed directly to the event. JB and Jennifer will stop in, take some time getting licked on the face by the dogs and cats, They are asking people to, bring some pet food, and supplies and hopefully inspire people donate or adopt a new lifelong friend.

Check out the site here and here

Here is a link to the original forum containing summaries for the above shots.

Along with H3N8, it seems that Dogs are also susceptible to H1N1. Apparently, two cases have been reported in China and acording to WCBSTV:

In the vast majority of cases the symptoms are mild and the dogs get over it in a week or two, but in some cases they develop pneumonia and that can be fatal.
The vaccine involves two shots taken three weeks apart. It helps dogs recover faster but is not a cure and Dr. Bessler said it is not necessary for most dogs.
The vaccine could reduce the already low 5 percent mortality rate. Dogs boarded in large groups, or those spending long hours every day in doggie daycare, could benefit from it.

Sad story about a five year old German Shepord Seeing guide dog who was injured on an escalator, requiring the amputation of two pads on the right hind foot.

Here is a distillation of an SFGATE article about what you should have in mind when you sign up for some anesthesia-free teeth cleaning. Oddly, They were only able to come up with one Pro…

PRO’s
- No anesthesia based Doggie hangover/death

Con
- Wiggly patient means no x-rays and possible incomplete cleaning
- General Anesthesia is a requirement to remove plaque under the gumline/cure Gingivitis

Via CNBC

Former French President Jacques Chirac sent his dog to a farm in the French countryside after it was unable to cope with life after the presidential palace, according to media reports.

Chirac’s dog Sumo, a Maltese Bichon terrier, started biting the former head of state after moving to a Paris apartment.

Sumo was treated for depression, but was unhappy after leaving the spacious gardens of the Palace Elysee.

The dog bit Chirac twice in past, but after jumping up and biting him on the chest, Chirac and his wife Bernadette decided the dog would be better off outside the city.

“He just never came to terms with leaving the Elysee,” Bernadette Chirac said, according to Le Parisien newspaper. “He was just little, he was a newborn and after some time, he started getting depressed in that apartment.”

The dog is now with family friends and hasn’t attacked anyone since leaving Paris.

Apparently, this has been ongoing since at least January 2009