Josh Loposer

For those whose love of America's pastime is second only to their love of man's best friend, Major League Baseball is ushering in a canine-friendly tradition: Dog Days. Hold the mustard and relish jokes, please.

A New Summertime Tradition
While some ball clubs are calling it "Bark in the Park" and others "Dog Days," this summertime event is, like most great ideas, both simple and awesome. Participating MLB teams are inviting you to bring your favorite well-behaved, and currently vaccinated pooch along to the ballpark to root for the home team. Who doesn't want an excuse to put their dog in a baseball jersey?

While almost all of dog day events include a parade around the field's warning track, prizes for the most fanatically-dressed canine (see photo above), and of course, a viewing of major league action, the perks vary.

The Cincinnati Reds charge $27 for its dog day package that includes entry for one owner and one dog and photo-ops with with Reds team members. The Houston Astros charge $40 for "Bullpen Box Seats " for pup and owner or $20 for "Barking Room Only" tickets. The Los Angeles Dodgers event costs $30 per owner plus $30 per pooch and features a pre-game "pup rally" with skateboard demos in the parking lot, goodie bags and a pre-game parade.

What You Need To Know
Most dog day events require advanced notice that you plan to bring your pup, along with a signed liability waiver and proof of current vaccinations. To find out what your favorite team is doing to get in on the dog-friendly action, check the "Promotions & Giveaways" schedule on your team's website.

Here are some of the 2011 dog day events:

Atlanta Braves - Bark in the Park: May 1st vs. St. Louis Cardinals.

Chicago White Sox - Dog Day: May 17th vs. Texas Rangers.
Note: Email Mary Weiss MWeiss@chisox.com for a Dog Day application or call: 312-674-5244

Cincinnati Reds - Bark in the Park: April 3rd vs. Milwaukee Brewers; September 14th vs. Chicago Cubs.

With Earth Day coming up, we are featuring 15 of the most fascinating and, sadly, most endangered species on the planet. Read on to learn what's being done to ensure that they'll be around to inspire future generations.

Jaguar. Often mistaken for the leopard, an adult male jaguar can grow up to 250lbs. Even more surprising, this big cat's traditional range includes Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. These days, however, most of the world's jaguar population resides in the rainforests of South America. The Northern Jaguar Project is currently reintroducing these awesome spotted cats on a preserve 125 miles south of the Arizona border.

American crocodile. The American crocodile is distinguishable from the more plentiful American alligator by its brown color and thinner snout which, even when closed, leaves the animal's lower teeth exposed. American crocodiles inhabit the brackish creeks and mangrove of Central America, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and South Florida. While this croc was once under threat of extinction due to over-hunting, the American crocodile is now protected throughout most of its habitat.

Finding a safe and loving place to leave a pet during service overseas can be a heart-wrenching experience for many members of America's armed forces. Fortunately, thousands of concerned civilians across the country are stepping up the help lighten the load for America's men and women in uniform.

Recognizing the Need
While many of our soldiers can rely on friends and family to care for Fido and Fifi, others find themselves in a situation that leaves them little choice but to turn their pets over to a shelter -- or worse. In fact, one such heartbreaking situation inspired one very patriotic animal lover to create one of the nation's largest military pet fostering networks: Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet.

"Our founder, Linda Spurlin-Dominik, was part of a list-serve for people supporting the military through a letter writing campaign," Guardian Angels' Jessica Semon tells Paw Nation, "One of the emails that came through was about a soldier's dog that was going to have to be euthanized because the owner didn't have anyone to take of it."

Twin polar bear cubs Aleut and Gregor made their first foray into the public eye at the Nuremberg Zoo on Thursday, dazzling zoo-goers with a three-hour playtime packed with cute antics.

According to the Daily Mail, the 45-pound cubs spent the afternoon pawing their way around the Arctic Circle enclosure and taking swimming lessons in their chilled pool, all while under the protective eye of their mother, Vera. Aleut and Gregor are expected to tip the scales at 1,500 pounds when fully grown.

Only days after the sudden death of 4-year-old superstar Knut (also born at the Nuremberg Zoo), Aleut and Gregor's coming out party couldn't have happened at a better time for Germany's mourning polar bear lovers. Born on Dec. 2, 2010, Aleut and Gregor made their debut exactly four years after Knut's first public appearance.

More than a week after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, rescue workers near the town of Asahi noticed something unusual swimming in a flooded rice field -- a 3-foot-long porpoise.

Since the flooding on March 11, the displaced porpoise had apparently been stranded in the flooded rice paddy located about a mile from the shore, according BBC News. Locals saw the porpoise and felt they had to do something.

"Immediately after I spotted it, I realized I could not ignore it," Masayuki Sato told the Asahi newspaper. "This was also a victim of the tsunami."

According to the BBC, Sato called a local animal welfare group currently working to rescue pets stranded by the disaster. After an attempt to load the porpoise onto a makeshift stretcher proved unsuccessful, volunteer Ryo Taira, who runs an animal shelter and pet shop, reportedly waded into the rice field and carried the porpoise to safety in his arms -- making for a very touching photograph.

The porpoise was then returned to the ocean reports ABC News. While Taira was concerned about whether or not they were doing the right thing by rescuing the porpoise this way, there weren't a lot of options. But he felt better when he saw the porpoise swim away.

"I don't know if it will survive, but it's much better than dying in a rice field, right?" Taira told the Asahi paper.

According to reports, the porpoise suffered a few scratches during his shore leave, but rescuers believe the sea mammal to be in good health.

For more information on helping the animals affected in Japan, check out Animal Planet's Daily Treat.