Forget rubbing your hubby's Buddha belly for good luck. At one Hindu temple in Malaysia, people are going hog wild for boars they believe will bring them good luck with one gentle rub. Visitors are flocking from far and wide to pet the beasts, including one visitor who won a bundle of cash ($174 - we'll take it!) after his last excursion.

So far, eighty boar have emerged from the jungle and made the temple their home. And if they keep on coming, we imagine the tourists will as well. Hakuna matata!

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It's never easy to watch your silver fox lose grasp of old habits, whether it be fetching a ball or running at the ring of a doorbell. But there may be nothing more heartbreaking (and frustrating) than when a dog becomes incontinent. The loss of such a basic function is often too much to bear, but the responsible dog owner will, of course, take the necessary precaution in keeping Fido (and, not to mention, the carpet) clean.

Naturally, the doggy diaper is meant to protect mess and embarrassment, but who's kidding who? Any canine that's ever worn a harness designed to catch pee knows firsthand the humiliation that comes with wearing one of those things. If dogs are man's best friend, then diapers are dogs' worst enemy.

In some cases though, a dog in diaper doesn't necessarily have to look pathetic. In fact, we found some amazing pictures of furry friends who aren't letting the "poo-bie traps" (we coined that one ourselves) ...er, dampen their day. (Sorry, we'll cool it with the puns ...for now.)

Tired of your pet sleeping on that unsightly lump of blankets in the corner of your room? Paw Nation has the solution -- we're giving away the Trixie + Peanut Blossom Pet Bed!

Just as your pet deserves to sink into relaxation with this plush pet bed (or any of the other fabulous pet bed options at Trixie + Peanut), you deserve a break. Fortunately, entering this contest couldn't be easier!

CONTEST RULES

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling where your pet likes to sleep.
  
• The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Wednesday, July 14, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• One winner will receive a Trixie + Peanut Blossom Pet Bed (valued at $59).
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winner will be notified by email, so be sure to provide a valid address!

Back in February, a Bengal tiger named Sheena was found in a Missouri puppy mill. She weighed around 175 pounds (she should have been closer to 400) and was surviving in a small pen littered with feces, urine, and dog corpses. A small amount of dog food and a couple of possums were tossed into the cage as well.

Among Sheena's health problems were boils on her paws and tongue, unexplained wounds, poor posture due in some part to the fact that she was declawed, along with vision problems. When first brought to the National Tiger Sanctuary near Bloomsdale, Missouri, she was afraid to go outside. She was also eating 25 pounds of food a day and was very aggressive when eating.

Five months later, Sheena's a new tiger. For the first time in her nine years Sheena is experiencing life among other tigers. Her posture and vision issues are improving, and she's put on weight, now eating a healthy 7 lbs a day. Formerly afraid of humans, she now runs up to see her favorite people and rubs on the fence for attention. Naturally, Sheena has become the sanctuary's star attraction.

If you're in Missouri you can visit Sheena and her other sanctuary playmates. If you're not, consider "adopting" one of the sanctuary's many big cats.

Our Cute Pet of the Week is Koby! Congratulations to submitter, kelly.phillips12.

If you'd like to submit your pet, upload your favorite pet photos to our Flickr pool!

As the owner of a three-legged pup we know how tough it can be seeing your four-legged friend turn into a tripod. Balancing on three legs can be transitionally tough for newly amputated dogs, but we can't begin to imagine how hard it is when you weigh in at 180 lbs.

Gibson, a seven-year-old Harlequin Great Dane and five year Guinness World Record holder for tallest dog (he stands 7-feet tall on his hind legs) was diagnosed earlier this year with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that affects between 6,000 and 8,000 dogs annually. Seven weeks post-surgery he's doing great, though he's still adjusting to balancing on just one front leg. We wish Gibson many more years defending his record title!

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This guy looks a little small to have been the model for Clifford the Big Red Dog! The star of the beloved children's books written by Norman Bridwell was inspired by the Vizsla, a member of the Sporting Group and the 42nd most popular breed in the United States, according to 2008 American Kennel Club® registration statistics. Known for his unique rust-colored coat, the Vizsla's intelligence, fun-loving personality and medium-size makes him a great family companion.

A Look Back
The Vizsla was developed as a hunter and companion by the wandering Magyar tribes of central Hungary hundreds of years ago. The agricultural terrain of Hungary gave the dog a superior nose and a high-class hunting ability well-suited to Hungarian climate and a variety of game, including upland game, rabbits and waterfowl. In fact, the Vizsla is still the national hunting dog of Hungary today! Nearly extinct by the end of the World Wars, the Vizsla gradually regained popularity and began to be imported into the United States in the 1950s.

Did You Know...
The word vizsla (pronounced VEESH-la) means "obedient and alert" in Hungarian. The breed's beautiful copper penny coat is referred to as "sarga" by Hungarians, meaning "breadcrust." That same color should be seen on his nose, eyes and even inside his mouth. The Vizsla is also single-coated, with no protective undercoat layer, so he is not designed to withstand cold, harsh climates.

Is a Vizsla the right breed for your family?
Full of energy, the Vizsla thrives as part of an active family that can provide him with daily exercise. He is lively and affectionate to his owners, and possesses an above-average ability aptitude for training. The breed is sensitive, however, and requires gentle corrections. Although he sheds, his short coat requires low daily maintenance.

Thinking about buying a Vizsla?
Additional information for those considering a Vizsla – including things to know before you get a dog, tips on how to find a breeder near you, or a list of training clubs in your local area – can be found on the American Kennel Club Web site.

© The American Kennel Club, Inc.

Upload a picture of your Vizsla and we may feature it in an upcoming gallery!

When Dopey, an orange tomcat, suddenly went missing, Donna Lane-Mills of Sacramento, California searched frantically for the family cat. She posted fliers and called local veterinarians and shelters --- all to no avail. Her six year-old daughter cried herself to sleep at night. Prior to disappearing, the droopy-eyed feline had been born at their home in 2000 and lived with them for three years. As weeks and months slipped by, the family feared the worst. "We thought he had been hit by a car," says Lane-Mills.

Six years after Dopey's mysterious disappearance, Lane-Mills received an astonishing message on her work voice mail. A representative from the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery program (AKC CAR) informed Lane-Mills that Dopey had been found -- alive and well -- at an animal shelter not 20 miles from her home.

"I was totally shocked," Lane-Mills told us. "I didn't believe it at first. We kind of assumed something tragic had happened to him."

Luckily, Dopey's six years away from home were quite the opposite. Somehow the orange tabby found himself in a neighboring town, 40 miles from home. An elderly woman took in the lost cat and doted on him (she outfitted Dopey with the snazzy moon and stars collar in the photo, above) over the years until she passed away. After her death Dopey was taken to a shelter where he was scanned for a microchip. The tag the Lane-Mills family had embedded in Dopey when they originally had him was IDed, leading to the happy, albeit overdue, reunion.

So, how's Dopey doing back at home?

"He's doing great," says Lane-Mills. "It's almost as if he's never left."

Asked if Dopey remembered his original family, Lane-Mills says, "I don't know. It's kind of hard to tell with cats. But he sat up, purred, and loved being petted." Dopey, now nine, hasn't changed much though. "He still has the same personality; he's still stubborn," laughs Lane-Mills. "In the mornings, he'll stick his face in our cereal bowls, even though we're not done eating yet."

For Fareeda, a six-month-old female Bengal tiger cub, being a rare white tiger just isn't cool enough. She also has no stripes.

Fareeda was born at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa last Christmas. Part of a litter of three white tigers, Fareeda's lack of stripes wasn't something the keepers at the Cango Wildlife Ranch had counted on. Noticing that only two of the three newborn cubs bore the signature stripes, the keepers were delighted, though cautiously optimistic.

Just because a tiger is born without stripes is no guarantee that it will remain that way. "Some cubs develop stripes in their first few months," said keeper Odette Claassen. "We knew there was the possibility of the cub's very light black and ginger stripes darkening over time." But after six months, keepers declared it safe to say that snow-white Fareeda will remain sans stripes.

Fareeda is a part of a special breeding program at the Cape Town sanctuary that aims to perpetuate the rare white Bengal tiger. Most white Bengals are bred in the United States, the majority of them descended from Mohan, a white Bengal male captured and bred in the 1950s. So Fareeda's birth as part of the ranch's breeding program already made her special, though not as much as her unusual coat.

White tigers in general no longer exist in the wild, and among the few living in captivity, Fareeda is particularly remarkable. "As far as we know there are only about 20 recorded cases of 'stripeless' white tigers in the world," claims the ranch. All such cases are in captivity in the United States, progenies of Mohan. The missing stripes are the result of a recessive gene carried by both of Fareeda's parents.

Fareeda has become quite the hot attraction at the Cango Wildlife Ranch, a blessing for keepers who are working hard to educate the public about these rare animals and the importance of breeding programs like theirs.

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