Paw Nation

Rare Black Penguin, Hens Hatching Hounds and More

by Evan Jacobs (Subscribe to Evan Jacobs's posts): Mar 12th 2010 @ 6:00PM Filed Under: Chew on This

Rounding up our favorite photos, entertaining videos and compelling stories from the Web each week!

Penguin Noir

Onlookers were stunned to see a rare all-black penguin. Turns out the bird was just going through a goth phase. [via The Daily Mail]
Worth More Than Gold

Olympian Steven Holcomb isn't satisfied with one gold. Now he has another one: a rescued golden retriever he met on the set of Today.[via People Pets]
No Service Dogs At Subway?

Subway sandwiches refused to allow a man and his seeing-eye dog into the building. The dog just wanted a $5 footlong![via CBC News]
Eagle vs. Deer
One man not only sees an amazing act of nature, he photo-documents it. Watch as a very hungry eagle tries to nab a deer. Yes, a deer..[via Chicago Wildlife News]
Hen Raises Puppies

Some people believe that this chicken, who has bonded with a litter of puppies, thinks she's a dog. But maybe the dogs think they're chickens.[via The Daily Mail]

Local Lowdown - Celebrating St. Patrick's Day With Your Dog

by Stacey Sachs (Subscribe to Stacey Sachs's posts): Mar 12th 2010 @ 5:00PM Filed Under: Dogs

Welcome to Local Lowdown, where we give you ideas for hanging with your hound (and kitty!) in your home city. We'll tell you about interesting local events, important activities, useful resources and other fun happenings all across the country. And feel free to help us do a better job by writing in with suggestions for local events near you.

You don't need an Irish wolfhound, Irish setter or any of the nine dog breeds recognized as the Dogs of Ireland to enjoy St. Patrick's Day with your pooch; you just need to know where to celebrate!

Show your spirit and dress your pup in his finest green attire (if he'll let you), or simply choose a festive shamrock collar or bandana. Then join or watch one of the hundreds of St. Patrick's Day parades planned for this coming weekend. In addition to the floats, bands, Irish dancers and more, many humane societies often join the processions with dogs available for adoption, hoping the luck o' the Irish will find them homes. Chicago's South Side parade even offers a best-dressed "Irish" dog contest.

Below is a sampling of parades celebrating St. Patrick's Day this weekend. Start your search for a parade here or check in with your local Humane Society to see if they have special events planned around the parade in your area.

Chicago, Ill.
Take part in the South Side Irish Parade Family Fest on Sunday, March 14, which includes a parade and festival featuring the best-dressed "Irish" dog contest, live entertainment and more.

Jersey City, N.J.
March with the pups and people of Liberty Humane to show your support at the 48th Annual Jersey City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 14.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

by Paw Nation Staff (Subscribe to Paw Nation Staff's posts): Mar 12th 2010 @ 4:45PM Filed Under: Pet Product Reviews

With so many cat products hitting shelves every week, we asked our favorite kitty-centric blog, Moderncat, to roundup their faves in our column Moderncat's Modern Finds.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=848087&pid=848086&uts=1268431395

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers

Cats have a natural instinct to scratch, so it's important to direct that desire towards something that's made to take a beating. If you don't, they'll do what comes naturally -- and destroy your furniture in the process. There are lots of scratching surfaces including corrugated cardboard, carpet and natural sisal.

Petlinks, Everyday Studio, Bergan, Cat Above

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Dream Curl, $30
The Dream Curl is a stylish scratcher that provides a variety of surfaces – including carpet and sisal -- for scratching, playing and lounging. The curved form creates areas for napping and perching, plus there is even a little toy that hangs underneath the curve for a fun surprise every time kitty walks by.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Eco-friendly Scratcher & Lounger from DKcat, $89
This sleek and modern scratcher from DKcat also doubles as a lounger. Made from reclaimed wood and eco-friendly materials, this beautiful handmade scratcher is sure to please both you and your cat.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Zcat Modern Scratcher & Climber, $439 - $494
This sturdy structure is handmade from hardwood with a durable non-toxic finish. Designed by architect and woodworker Franz Goebel, it includes two patches of artificial grass and a replaceable corrugated cardboard scratch-and-climb panel.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Bergan Pulp Scratch Lounger, $10
This unique scratcher/lounger is made from paper pulp, like the kind of material egg crates are made of. The contoured shape and textured surface make it perfect for napping and scratching.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

ScratchPal from Cat Above, $40
This scratcher is made of cabinet-grade birch plywood and is heavier than a regular cardboard scratcher, so it doesn't slide across the floor when the cat uses it. But the ScratchPal's secret weapon is that it is designed to help keep your house neat. The high sides, broad lip, and side channels of the ScratchPal catch scratched off cardboard particles and prevent them from scattering on the floor.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Wedge Scratcher from Cat Livin', $75
This minimal and modern scratcher from Cat Livin' is both sculptural and functional. The carpet tile scratching surface is at just the right height for a good stretch and scratch.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Itch Scratcher from Square Cat Habitat, $30-50
This attractive scratching surface can be mounted on the wall or used on the floor. The removable carpet inserts are easy to clean and replace, and come in a variety of colors to match your décor.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Cat Climbing Tree from IKEA, $90
The Bastis Blonde scratching post and climbing tree from IKEA stands almost 71 inches tall. Made of rattan on a steel frame, the tree mounts to the wall with the shelves hidden behind the large scratching surface for secret climbing.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Claw Inclined Scratcher from Everyday Studio, $85
These funky geometric shapes provide a great scratching surface for kitty without being an eyesore for you. Handmade in San Francisco using heavy-duty corrugated cardboard and non-toxic paint on the edges.

Moderncat's Modern Finds: Great Scratchers from $10 - $500

Crufts Dog Show Judges on Alert for Competitors in Makeup

by Helena Sung (Subscribe to Helena Sung's posts): Mar 12th 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Pet Grooming

A stylin' poodle at Crufts. Contadini, Flickr

Judges at Crufts, the world's largest dog show, are on high alert this year for canine competitors whose looks have been enhanced with cosmetics, reports the (U.K.) Telegraph. We're not talking blue eyeshadow or contouring blush, but the use of products such as hair removal creams and color dyes.

"Although competition rules do not specifically ban the use of cosmetics and other beauty treatments on dogs, they do forbid anything that alters an animal's appearance during dog shows, to gain extra marks from judges, who award prizes for entries that best match the 'ideal' characteristics of each breed," reports the Telegraph. Dog owners who show hairless Chinese crested dogs have been suspected of using "female depilatory creams" to rid their champion canines of excess hair. Owners of other breeds have been suspected of using lipstick, eyeliner and Clearasil acne cream.

The notion of using makeup on dogs is so strange that it's led one British veterinarian, Peter Wedderburn, to wonder, "What's next, dope testing?" "It seems bizarre to me that it happens at all: if showing dogs is about celebrating the health and vigor of animals, what does it matter if there's an occasional tuft of hair in the wrong place?" Wedderburn asks.

Switzerland Votes: No Legal Aid Lawyers for Animals

by Helena Sung (Subscribe to Helena Sung's posts): Mar 12th 2010 @ 11:00AM Filed Under: Pets News

West Zest, Flickr

Forced to decide whether their country of Switzerland should create a national system to provide state-funded lawyers to represent animals in court, the Swiss people voted, and the outcome was a resounding no. "The measure was rejected by around 70 percent of voters," reports BBC News.

Currently, Zurich is the only Swiss canton (an administrative district similar to a county in the United States) to have a government-subsidized animal lawyer. Antoine Goetschel represents dogs, cats, guinea pigs, farm animals, and even fish who have been abused, reports the (U.K.) Telegraph.

"People accused of animal cruelty very often hire lawyers to defend themselves," Goetschel tells the Telegraph. "Why shouldn't someone speak for the animal as well? It's about fairness and defending a minority."

The referendum was required to be held after "activists from the Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) collected more than the 100,000 signatures required to force a national ballot," reports the Telegraph. But the animal activists were in the minority. The majority of voters in 26 cantons in Switzerland voted against the measure. Goetschel wasn't surprised. "Animal welfare has been a big topic in Switzerland in the last few years and perhaps this has been too much for some Swiss," the Zurich animal lawyer told the Telegraph.

Switzerland has some of the world's strictest animal protection laws, reports the Telegraph. "It recently changed its constitution to protect the 'dignity' of plant life and made a law last year establishing rights for creatures such as goldfish and canaries," states the Telegraph. "Pigs, budgies and other social creatures cannot be kept alone; horses and cows must be regularly exercised outside their stalls and dog owners are required to take a training course to learn how to properly care for their pets."

What do you think? Is the notion of state-funded lawyers for animals just too bizarre? Or is it a great idea?

Follow Pawnation on Twitter Follow Pawnation on Facebook

Can't Miss Galleries

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=748445&pid=748444&uts=1268346491

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Camouflage Animals

Madagascar Day Gecko
The green Madagascar Day Gecko lives in the dry regions of forests in Madagascar and neighboring islands. They usually grow to be between four to six inches long. Their tail makes up almost half of their length.

Getty Images

Camouflage Animals

Argentine Horned Frog Reptiles
The Argentine Horned Frog, also known as the Horned Frog or Pacman Frog, originated in South America. The green and black amphibian, which can grow up to six inches long, is a popular pets and can live for as long as 10 years.

Camouflage Animals

Walkingstick
The Walkingstick takes its camouflage abilities to the next level by creating the appearance of a stick or twig to hide from predators. While they normally stand still, these insects are able to walk around as though they were a twig caught in the wind. They can be found in tropical forests or woodlands all across the world.

Camouflage Animals

Dwarf Puff Adder
Found in Nambia, the venomous Dwarf Puff Adder hides from the hot desert sun by burying itself in the sand, where only its eyes show.

Camouflage Animals

Stonefish
Often resembling a rock, the brown colored Stonefish camouflages itself perfectly in the ocean. With 13 venomous dorsal spines on its back, the Stonefish can cause tissue damage and respiratory distress, which can lead to cardiovascular shock if left untreated.

Camouflage Animals

Chameleons
Chameleons, the quintessential color-changers, can transform their skin color when their mood, temperature or the amount of light around them is altered. Their hue, which can vary from yellow and pink to brown and black, is also altered when they communicate.

Camouflage Animals

Green Anole
Often confused with chameleons, Green Anoles turn brown when they're stressed or sick. Found in the trees and shrubs of the Southeastern United States, these lizards are popular pets.

Camouflage Animals

The Eastern Wood Frog
The Eastern Wood Frog tricks competitors by changing colors to match its surroundings. Found in North American woodlands, the frog also has a dark black patch from its eye to the base of its front limb that can change colors.

Camouflage Animals