A veterinarian to the stars is claiming that diva Mariah Carey is refusing to pay her $37,790.32 bill that she racked up on services and care for her pups Cha-Cha, Dolomite and JJ. Dr. Cindy Bressler filed a lawsuit which claims she tended to the dogs at their home of the singer, between October and December of last year. Carey agreed to the sum, but has only paid $8,231.50, and is refusing to hand over any more, according to the NY Post. Carey's lawyers have not commented, saying only that they were unaware of a lawsuit, and Bressler's lawyers have declined to elaborate on the dogs' treatment. But Mimi's dogs are used to A-list treatment... even if they can't get in to first class. more ›

While a vet over at CityRoom takes questions about the controversial debarking procedure, the NY Times profiles some folks that have put their pups through it. Like Dr. Marder, a veterinarian himself, who had his dog Nestlé's vocal means of communication severed after a neighbor in their Upper East co-op complained. The paper notes that the dog barks and barks... but only manages a sad squeaky wheeze. Marder and his family tell people he's just raspy from all the barking, but the truth of the matter is they had his vocal cords cut. more ›

Somehow a simple "dog bites dog" headline has garnered nearly a week of news coverage. Actor Gerard Butler (or his "people" as it were) is refusing to give up any vet records (including a bill) or photos showing his pug Lolita was bit by a Queens couple's greyhound, called Mayfly. The couple says Butler threw their dog against a fence during the incident, and told them it should be "put down." WABC talked to Fred Varecka (Mayfly's owner), and he told them, "[Butler]'s in damage control mode right now to try and protect his image." A few more new details: there were two greyhounds, and Varecka says one of them, "lunged at the pug and barked but my wife had good control of the dogs." When they asked him to leash his pug, Butler walked away and they followed him, and that's when Butler hulked out; "In a matter of seconds he slapped the dogs face, dog went flying up against the fence." more ›

Earlier today there was a report over the newswire about a "vicious hawk at the library" of Fordham University. The blog Fordham Notes has an update clarifying things, reporting that there was an injured red-tailed hawk and the vicious hawk was actually the injured bird's mate! The NYPD was called to the Rose Hill campus and has now taken the hawk to the vet. "We are still awaiting word on its condition, but we understand that officers had to wear protective gear to shield themselves from the bird's mate, which was not allowing anyone to get close to its injured counterpart." more ›