Weekly Dish For March 11-17, 2012

PETS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

Cyndi Lauper is showing her true colors as an animal lover. The singer is teaming up with the North Shore Animal League, the United States' largest no-kill shelter, to encourage people across the country to adopt shelter pets. Lauper is the spokesperson for NSAL's "Tour of Life" campaign. The campaign plans to take three mobile rescue and adoption units around the U.S. to introduce animal lovers from all over to the adorable pets shelters have to offer. (Ecorazzi)

POWER DOWN FOR PUSSYCAT

There must be quite a lot of cat people in Hermon, Maine because the citizens made some big moves to save one feline. It all started when one Hermon citizen noticed a kitty roosting on the top of a nearby electric pole. The man called the fire department to get the feline down, but the firemen said they weren't allowed to do cat rescues. The next call was to the Central Maine Power Company, who eventually shut down the whole town's power to retrieve the stranded feline. Luckily, the cat was okay and happy to have four paws on land again. How the cat got up there in the first place is a still a curious mystery. (Catster)

SNAKES IN A TOILET 

Forget planes, one man found out the hard way that your bathroom can be a reptile hot spot. Allen Shepard of Staten Island, NY was casually brushing his teeth, when he looked over to find a California King Snake had crawled up into his toilet. Shepard attempted to spray the snake with a cleaner to get it to slither back from where it came from, but the attack didn't work. He then contacted a plumber, who, after 30 minutes, was able to remove the 4-foot snake from the bowl. Hopefully, Shepard has a another snake-free facility he can use for a while. (CBS News)

REST IN POOP 

The world's reigning "Ugliest Dog" passed away in her sleep this weekend. Yoda, a 15-year-old, 1.8 pound Chihuahua and Chinese Crested mix, stood out from the pack thanks to her unusual looks. With her tufted fur, hairless legs and wild tongue, Yoda easily won the 2011 "World's Ugliest Dog" competition. This success earned her fame and adoration nationwide. Owner Terry Scumacher is comforted by the fact that Yoda was so loved, but says she will miss her "fun little ways." We will miss Yoda, too, but will always cherish her adorable ugliness. (ABC News)

BAD LUCK 

HBO's new TV show "Luck" has run its course due to a series of horse deaths on the set. The most recent death happened during filming this week, when a horse fell backwards and struck its head. Two other animals have also died on-set in the past year and a half. HBO officially announced the show's cancellation this week, even though it was picked up for a second season. The channel was remorseful about the animal deaths, but maintains that the show always strived to make the horses' safety a top priority. (AFP) 

FUNNY MAN SERIOUS ISSUE

Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais has launched a global campaign to end animal testing. He has joined as an ambassador with Cruelty Free International to spread the word against using animals for cosmetics testing and the lack of laws in place to prevent it. Over 80% of the world stills allows animals to be used in cosmetic labs for experiments. Gervais hopes to create enough attention about the issue such that new legislation is introduced. (The Sacramento Bee)

BENCHED 

The Georgetown Hoyas' mascot, Jack the Bulldog, will be watching from the side of the courts for the next couple of basketball games. The ever-present pooch has hurt his leg in all of this March madness and, as a result, needs to give cheering a rest. The official cause of the injury is unknown, but vets believe he tore a ligament, an injury common in older dogs. Vets say that Jack should have no trouble making a full recovery, even if surgery is required. (Today) 

HERO HOUND 

Adorable and admirable Great Dane, Hank, has earned the Humane Society's Dog of Valor Award for 2012. Hank displayed his award-winning courage by protecting his owner during a domestic violence attack. When the owner's boyfriend attempted to hit her with a hammer, the Great Dane stepped in, blocking the man from hurting the woman. Unfortunately, the man turned his anger to Hank, breaking several of the dog's bones and dragging the Great Dane into the street. Hank's owner was able to retrieve him and move both of them to the Rose Brooks Center. The woman's shelter bent their no-animal policy to allow Hank in and are now changing it permanently after meeting the canine. What a wonder dog! (Vetstreet)

SECOND CHANCE CAT 

The birth of Crystal the Black-Footed Cat is being celebrated not just because she is so cute, but also because she could save her species. Crystal is the first Black-Footed Cat to be born from a embryo fertilized in a lab, frozen and then moved into a housecat's womb. This success is a good sign for researchers working to boost the dwindling population of Africa's smallest wildcat. The Black-Footed Cat, which is smaller than domestic kitties, currently has a population of only 10,000. (Boston.com)

RATS KNOW WHERE IT'S AT 

It might be a good idea to look into having a rat do your taxes. A recent study shows that when it comes to decision-making, the rodent may be as good at juggling information as humans are. Researchers tested the rat's skills by having the animal sort through information and patterns to find the fastest way to get to a treat. Apparently, the little guys did pretty well. Scientists are hoping this new discovery will help advance autism research, since the disorder often affects an individual's decision-making abilities. (AFP)

KANSAS NOT HOME TO TOTO

The state made infamous by "Wizard of Oz" will not have Toto's breed become the official state dog. The bid to have the Cairn Terrier become the dog of Kansas has been squashed by the state's house committee. This rejection hasn't stopped supporters. Representatives in support of the bid say they will try to reintroduce the measure again next year. That gives Toto plenty of time to plan his campaign. (USA Today)

INTER"CAT"TIVE

There is strong evidence that kitties enjoy a good paw swipe at the iPad, but this playing around is usually a solo tabby and tablet affair … until now. Friskies has created a game that allows you and your feline friend to play against each other. The app, called "You vs. Cat," is described as a futuristic air hockey game designed to please both humans and kitties. After a round of successful testing, this cat-approved app will be available to download for free later in the week. (Pawesome)

UGGIE IN THE HOUSE

"The Artist" dog, Uggie, has received a lot of big honors this year: awards, Oscar campaigns and custom-made doggie collars. But this new honor may be his biggest: The adorable Jack Russell Terrier has been invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner later this month. White House insiders say the famous canine was chosen to attend because of his ability to stay cool in the spotlight. However, the invite does have its limits. While Uggie will be hanging out at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, he won't get a seat at a dinner table. Next year Uggie, next year. (Politico)

DON'T GIVE POLLY CRACKERS

Scientists have recently discovered that the Eurasian Roller has an interesting and kind of yucky defense tactic. When the brightly-colored bird senses a threat, he unleashes equally vibrant, orange vomit. Now covered in puke, the bird is no longer seen as an attractive snack and will often be passed over by predators. The foul-smelling vomit also aides returning nest-mates, letting them know to approach with caution because a dangerous incident has just occurred. (New York Post)

ANIMAL TESTING TURNAROUND

L'Oreal is looking to put an end to using animals for chemical testing. The Paris-based cosmetics company has given $1.2 million dollars to the Environmental Protection Agency to help develop testing that does not require the use of animals. Not only is animal testing controversial, but it's also very time-consuming and expensive for L'Oreal. The company hopes that a new screening system called ToxCast will be able to replace animals in labs and produce better results. (AFP)

CANINE QUEEN

The new champion of Britain's Crufts Festival, the world's largest dog show, has been crowned. Interestingly, the new top dog and current Queen of England share something in common -- other than their home country -- their name. Elizabeth, a Lhasa Apso, was named Best in Show at the 121st Crufts show this weekend, beating out 21,000 other dogs. Even though the show has been around for over a century, it had some unusual firsts this year including the removal of several dogs due to health concerns. (AFP)

"THE VOICE" OF MEOW 

There is a new star pet in town. Meet Purrfect, a beautiful Persian, belonging to singer and "The Voice" judge Cee-Lo Green. The fluffy feline has already gained thousands of Twitter and Facebook followers and is often seen purring it up on "The Voice." Green got the cat as a kitten just over a year ago to keep him company while he was away from his family in Los Angeles. The singer says Purrfect is going through training so she can sit on his lap throughout "The Voice," but, until then, he is happy to represent cat people any way he can. (USA Today)

GOTTA COBRA?

Florida's Zoo Miami and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosted an Exotic Animal Amnesty Day last weekend. The event allowed exotic pet owners to turn in animals they were having trouble caring for. Zoo Miami's director, Ron Magill says that people often adopt exotic pets when the animal is smaller and don't do the research on what will happen once it is fully grown. The amnesty day usually attracts hundreds of owners looking to pass over their pets to more qualified hands and avoid potential legal trouble. (NBC Miami)

CAT CUDDLES SAVE LIVES

It was luck and the love of her cat, Miya, that helped Margaret Page survive over three and a half weeks in New Mexico's national forest. Page went missing on Valentine's Day after wandering off a trail. The 41-year-old woman survived thanks to a nearby creek and the warmth her cat provided at night when the temperature usually went below freezing. Page said that she huddled with her cat throughout the night to stay warm and that the companion helped her through the trying time. Both Page and Miya are now in good health and are enjoying a well-deserved rest. (Washington Post)

TAKE A PEEK AT PENGUINS

Passionate about penguins? Well now you can take a look into their waddling lives 24/7 thanks to Discovery. The channel has set up a Penguin Cam that peeks inside Sea World's "Penguin Encounter" in celebration of Discovery's special series "Frozen Planet." The cam will be running until the end of April, bringing you beak to beak with over 300 penguins representing all five of the bird's Antarctic species. (Discovery)

SNOW STAR

We have seen pets do some pretty crazy things thanks to the internet, but California ski resort, Liberty Valley, may have topped them all. As part of a promotion, the resort debuted a video of Ratatouille the Snowboarding Opossum. The marsupial turned Youtube star is seen in this clip sporting an adorable sweater and easily shredding the slopes. We can't wait to see more of this talented critter. (Huffington Post)