While President Obama was off signing agreements in Afghanistan the lovely group Guardians of Rescue was busy bringing 11 adorable canines from the country. The pups in question, nicknamed "battle buddies" as opposed to the trained "war dogs," had been rescued by American military men and women, who later had to give them up when their troops were moved. more ›

A Bronx resident was arrested by ASPCA agents yesterday for allegedly neglecting and starving her two seven-month-old pit bulls, named Cagney and Lacey. Gillian Irving, 27, relinquished the dogs to ASPCA agents in February, after there were complaints of two skinny and neglected canines inside an apartment on Webster Avenue in the Norwood section of the Bronx. You can see before and after pics of Lacey above, and Cagney below. more ›

These signs have been spotted all over Gramercy Park, where a tipster tells us they're "taped on every flower bed along the southside" (this one was hanging at 20th and Irving). The letter writer has penned a threatening note to the offender, which reads: more ›

We thought the only good puns left in this world had been used up during the Great Linsanity Pun Rush Of February 2012—but we thought wrong. Thanks to director Abby Koocher, we now have the utterly wonderful Bone Pugz-N-Harmony video, which is exactly what it sounds like: pugs recreating the video to the classic Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song "1st Of Tha Month." So watch the pug-centric version and the original video below—and don't forget to cash your checks. more ›

BREAKING NEWS! MUST CREDIT NEW YORK POST! DOG BITES WOMAN! In all seriousness: The New York Post today has a story about a young woman who was bitten by a dog in an Upper East Side bar—and now is worried she might have rabies (spoiler alert: we bet dollars to doughnuts she doesn't). All of which is, we guess, a good way to bring up the perennial 'should dogs be allowed in bars' question? Because according to the Health Department, they're not. more ›

Labrador retrievers may be the most popular dogs in the country, but here in NYC, we prefer our dogs to be tiny and bity: for another year in a row, the Yorkshire Terrier was NYC's most popular purebred dog. And what's not to like? They're spunky, hypoallergenic, good at learning new tricks, and some of them really hate toilets. They are also targets of puppy thieves! more ›

A fluffy little toy dog named Malachy, a 12-pound Pekingese who placed second at last year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, stole the top honors last night, besting a Doberman pinscher, a German shepherd, an Irish setter, a Dalmatian, a Kerry blue terrier, and a wire-haired dachshund in the finals. The "Best in Show" victory has thrilled fans of of the pedigree but outraged others, who dismiss the toy breed as a "dust bunny" more closely resembling a cat. As one Vin Brzyski put it, "It looks like it should be on the end of a stick cleaning up my cobwebs." more ›

Three dogs and a dozen humans stood in furry solidarity with dogs worldwide at a demonstration against Mitt Romney today outside Madison Square Garden, where the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is currently underway. The group "Dogs Against Romney" say they want to draw attention to an incident involving Mitt Romney and his family dog that happened when Romney was still working in the private sector. In case you haven't heard, the story goes like this: In 1983, Romney and his wife took a road trip from Boston to Ontario to stay at their family cottage on Lake Huron. They also brought along their Irish Setter, Seamus, who spent the entire 12-hour trip in a carrier strapped to the roof of their station wagon. more ›

To cleanse our mind of the doggie bondage photos, let's visit the runway from this past Friday night's annual New Yorkie Fashion Show, which took place at the New Yorker Hotel. David Frei, the legendary Voice of Westminster, acted as emcee of the event, which benefited Angel on a Leash, a non-profit organization that creates therapy dog programs for hospitals and institutions. more ›

The life of a show dog is far removed from that of Joe Mutt, and not always in a good way—when they're not subject to constant coiffing, they're traveling around the world to be poked, prodded, and yes, judged. Being the best of a breed is tough, so the folks at The Spot Experience reserved a suite at the Affinia near MSG for the pups competing in the 136th annual Westminster Dog Show next week to unwind—and give them an evacuation oasis away from the bustle of Manhattan. more ›

A man in a shiny leather jacket gripped the leash with his fingerless gloves and flashed a toothy grin as he began walking down the runway. You might expect a scantily clad woman to be lolling on the floor, or a gimp on all fours, bobbing his head to the Big Sean that thundered out of Westway's speakers. Shove your way past the cooing crowds snapping Instagram photos and you'd see it was a tiny, shivering dog, its tail completely horizontal under its stomach and a BDSM mask zipped tightly around its head. more ›

For years, Upper East Side residents have wondered whether the ongoing Second Avenue Subway work is causing them health issues, and in particular respiratory problems. But while those concerns have mostly been brushed aside, UES residents are now truly concerned about the health of their furry best friends: "There has definitely been an increase in complaints," Veterinarian Dr. Paul Schwartz told DNAInfo. more ›

Despite the fact that pit bulls are the bitiest dogs in NYC, we generally feel like they've been given a bit of a bad rap (the pro-pit bull website is literally "badrap.org"). But that doesn't mean keeping 18 of them in your house is such a great idea, which is exactly what a 57-year-old Brooklyn woman from Tobago has been doing. And she isn't ashamed that she's a pit bull hoarder: “I guess I am...I love them like they are my kids. And they love me like I am their mom.” more ›

Getting Bar/Bat Mitzvah'd occurs when a young Jewish person turns 13—but thankfully for us, trend pieces about Bark Mitzvahs happen every six years or less! A Bark Mitzvah, of course, is the "pseudo-traditional observance and celebration of a dog's coming of age." The NY Times drank from the Manischewitz bowl for a feature piece in 2004, Dr. Ruth helped Elvis Best have his, and now the AP has video of one NJ family embracing it. So below, enjoy dogs in yarmulkes, and just imagine what Party Down could have done if they had been given a third season. more ›

Thankfully, 2011 wasn't only stuffed full of natural disasters, Bloomberg's nannying, global protest movements and sketchy politician scandals—it was also filled with adorable animals! Whether they were a terrifying creature washed ashore on Long Island Beach, sitting snuggly in a Baby Bjorn or being serenaded by a Mariachi band, some of our favorite stories of the year were about animals. Click through to check out some of our favorite critters of 2011. more ›

Last summer, a Schenectady woman was attacked by three seemingly trained pit bulls who mauled her, dragging her by the head and seriously injuring her ears in the process. Prompted by that attack, an upstate politician has proposed new legislation that would allow cops to charge owners of dogs that injure people with a felony. “The Dangerous Dog Owner Deterrent Act targets criminally irresponsible dog owners who raise their dogs to be vicious weapons and is not limited to any one breed of dog because any dog can have a bad day,” said Assemblyman Jim Tedisco. more ›

If you're getting into the Holiday spirit this year and have decided to purchase a Christmas tree, you may want to check out our regularly updated Christmas Tree Vendor map. And if you're a pet owner who's worried how your little friend will handle the new addition to your cramped apartment, we've got some tips for how to keep your four-legged friends from turning your holiday bush into a pile of fragrant wood chips. more ›

Of course the canines in TriBeCa are getting a fancy park that includes amenities like "a dog-sized drinking fountain and gray-blue pavement designed to appear vibrant blue through a dog's color-blind eyes," not to mention "a playful water feature that dogs can activate by hopping on a bollard." Of course! If approved, the rich bitch playground—which will cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars"—is to be located on a new two-block section of the Hudson River Park planned between North Moore and Laight Streets. more ›