About 50 dogs rescued from puppy mills in Utah and overcrowded shelters in Missouri arrived in Long Island on Friday, where they will be put up for adoption before the holidays. The pooches, which were saved from filth, abuse, and the risk of euthanasia in September, enjoyed a special Thanksgiving meal of "canned turkey with potatoes and carrots; duck and sweet potato dinners, and bagged pheasant" at their layover in Chicago before flying to New York. more ›

Last week, Scarlett the cat, who captured the hearts of the city and the world, passed away. In 1996, firefighters responded to a burning garage in Brooklyn and noticed a cat carrying her kittens out of danger, one kitten at a time. The mother cat, named Scarlett for her red patches of fur, was seriously burned on her eyes, ears and face, and collapsed after bringing them all out; the six kittens were also injured from smoke. She was taken to the North Shore Animal League and, after thousands of adoption inquiries, Scarlett came to live with Brooklyn resident Karen Wellen. Wellen, who wanted a special needs cat because she was recovering from a car accident, said she couldn't stop crying about Scarlett's death, which came after hospitalization for a number of issues. She also told the Daily News, "She was the most precious and loving cat, and in our household, it was all about Scarlett." more ›

Governor Paterson did his part in helping prepare Texas for the carnage caused by Hurrican Ike, sending down 33 local personnel and military aircraft as part of the relief effort. The group included five pararescue jumpers from Long Island's National Guard there to be "another pair of eyes" in rescuing those hit by Ike. Newsday reports that the North Shore Animal League is also trying to curb the disaster sending down their mobile unit to rescue animals in shelters evacuated by the hurricane. Although residents were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm, up to 140,000 are reported to have stayed behind. Ike has claimed four victims thus far in Louisiana and Texas and Houston will have an imposed curfew this week since the city is still without power. more ›

A congenital defect left three chihuahua puppies lacking their forelegs, but between an employee at the North Shore Animal League on Long Island and a company in western Massachusetts, Venus, Carmen and Pablo are three para-pups on the move with aluminum walkers and foam wheels. more ›

Tonight, 30 dogs from China will be arriving at JFK Airport, to be put up for adoption at the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington. Newsday reports that these dogs were in a crowded Beijing animal shelter (crowded and Beijing seem synonymous to us) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare decided to step in, saying that the Beijing shelter had "more dogs in the shelter than they can adopt out." Certain breeds of dogs are illegal for ownership in China - for instance, a dog bigger taller than 6 inches is contraband. However, PETA pointed out that the trip from China to NY isn't a "picnic" and that millions of American animals are euthanized each year. The IFAW tells Newsday they are trying to help out Chinese shelters and encourage the government to remove breed bans. more ›

Sullivan's book, Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants, does seem like it'll be an interesting read. On an empty stomach, of course. more ›