A Manhattan tattoo artist claims that his ex-girlfriend has kidnapped his beloved dog—and now he's been forced to sue to try to get his "son" back. Craig Dershowitz says that ex-girlfriend Sarah Brega "took unilateral control" of his puggle Knuckles, whisking him away to California after their breakup. "You say it is an extraordinary step but I think most pet owners would agree with me. Knuckles is my son, my heart—you would fight just as hard to protect your own children." more ›

A man was recently spotted on a crowded 4 train selling month old puppies out of a bag. The Chihuahuas were being hawked for $250 to $300, depending on if they were male or female, and the salesman notes that this is a cheap price because they usually go for 600 bucks. The straphangers ooh'd and ahh'd over the puppies, of which he had five (there were six, but one got "smothered"). more ›

In New York we get to enjoy the snow for about five minutes before it's turned into a dirt slushee. After that, layers of yellow are added by the city's canines (and sometimes humans), along with street grime, and other little treats (rocks, needles, whatever). What we're saying is, our snow is dirty and depressing enough that the least we could do is pick the dog shit out of it. So this little pet etiquette reminder is for you, dog owners. more ›

Uncle Chichi, the toy poodle who lived in the West Village and held the unofficial title as the world's oldest dog died last Tuesday. Depending on who you ask, he could have been as "young" as 24, or as old as 26. His owners tell the Times that his cancer became too advanced, and that they had no choice but to euthanize him. "We just feel completely empty; the whole apartment's empty," Frank Pavich, one of ChiChi's owners said. more ›

A Brooklyn officer who fatally shot a pit bull who attacked him and his partner has been docked 10 vacation days after a two-and-a-half year investigation. Officer Andre Jeter pleaded guilty to departmental charges in the 2009 shooting of the pit bull, to avoid an NYPD trial. Jeter was accused of shooting the dog an excessive number of times during the altercation. “It is an unusually heavy penalty for a dog shooting. But it shows how they go over every shooting with a fine-tooth comb,” a police source told the News. more ›

Do puppies have souls? There is probably a Buzzfeed photolist showing 50 puppies with souls somewhere, but now a more definitive answer will be handed down from the courts, thanks to a new lawsuit just filed right here in New York City. more ›

We love us some adorable animal stories—so what better way to bid farewell to 2011 than with one such happy story! Recurring Law & Order actress Lenore Harris was reunited with her 17-year-old Pomeranian yesterday, a few days after the dog was stolen from her in a CVS on the Upper West Side. “It’s a great holiday New York story,” said Lenore’s sister, Rosalind Harris, an actress who played Tzeitel in the movie Fiddler on the Roof. more ›

Mendham Township, New Jersey, is up in arms over the possibility of a new rule limiting the number of dogs that one person can own, a measure that's aimed squarely at one of the town's Rottweiler owners. more ›

An innocent game of Frisbee nearly proved fatal for a two-year-old Airedale Terrier in the West Village yesterday afternoon, after the eager dog chased the disc into the Hudson River by the West Village. The canine, named Bodhi, was playing Frisbee with master Scott Kariya on a pier at 13th Street when, according to Kariya, the Frisbee accidentally skipped into the river, and Bodhi bounded after it. But once he was immersed in the Hudson's chilly clutches, the dog could not paddle out. more ›

Dogs: They're running amok in Central Park, and cyclists are getting hurt! If you think it's a joke, just talk to 51-year-old Nancy Chilton, who was biking in the park in July 2010 when a dog darted out in front of her. The two species collided, and Chilton was catapulted over the handle bars. She was wearing a helmet, but the accident still hurt her head, and doctors had to remove part of her skull. (She also fractured her pelvis, spine and sustained permanent hearing damage.) "I wouldn't have survived," she tells the Wall Street Journal. It's unclear if the dog made it, but we're guessing it stayed at the scene and was not charged. more ›

A three-year-old Doberman's rambunctious life came to an abrupt end on Staten Island last night when an off-duty Port Authority police officer shot the frisky pet while he walked his own dog through the neighborhood of Westerleigh. The Staten Island Advance reports that the Mazzola family pulled into their driveway around 9 p.m. after a long drive home from the Catskills, and their Doberman Boo Boo burst out of the car as soon as the doors opened. It would be his last romp, because, unfortunately for him, an armed off-duty cop was walking past the house with his pug. more ›

Major League Baseball approved the sale of the Houston Astros today, which brought with it more changes to baseball: the Astors will move from the NL Central division to the AL West, and there will be one more wild card playoff team in each league, creating a one-game playoff after the regular season ends. But while this will be good for competition across the league, it probably doesn't mean much to Mets fans out there right now, who are facing another disappointing, disheartening season, this time likely without star shortstop Jose Reyes. And prominent Mets supporter Jerry Seinfeld told David Letterman he's dealing with the stress in a unique way: by naming his new dog "Jose Reyes." Watch below: more ›

In the wake of a series of sexual assaults on women around South Brooklyn, a variety of community-led defenses have sprung up: volunteers on foot and bike have offered to escort women home, and self-defense classes are a hot commodity. So it's only natural that dogs should be the next level of protection, even if they're not exactly Cujo material. more ›

It's no secret that New York City's pet stores are often stocked with dogs that come from puppy mills, but now the HSUS is further uncovering the problem in their ongoing battle against stores that use the cruel suppliers. Following their report, put out just in time for puppy-buying season, NBC NY went undercover on their own, armed with the Humane Society of the United States' list of over 100 pet stores in New York believed to be procuring pups from the cruel mills. more ›

A quick PSA for pet-owners planning on dressing up your furry friends for the 13th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park this weekend: due to tomorrow's impending nor'easter, the contest is being rescheduled to Sunday. But it will still be absolutely freaking adorable! more ›

A pit bull that had been on the run for three weeks was killed by police yesterday outside a daycare center on Long Island. The pit bull is believed to be the same one who mauled a North Merrick woman after she exercised outside a senior center near her home Sept. 29. Newsday reports (paywall) that Shashi Sharma, 62, was attacked by a female pit bull and her mate, and needed three separate surgeries to repair torn flesh and shredded muscle in all four of her limbs. more ›