Okay, Malachy the Pekingese that won the Westminster Dog Show isn’t really the child of Chewbacca and an Ewok, but he sure looks like he could be!  The evidence:

Lisa Kelley agreed, “he does look like an Ewok, very cute.” And Joy Windle said he looks like “an animated tuffet.” And proud Pekingese owner Lisa McCaughey Enfinger said “beauty is in the eye of the beholder…These dogs may be tiny and ugly to some, but they have the heart of a lion…Loyal and and fearless.”

Warm congratulations to the adorable pup!

Although the Seattle area has been walloped by a huge snow fall, there are some who are quite enjoying the snow-mageddon.

Presenting Kate Madison’s dog, Daku,

Awoke to a blanket of white Wednesday and considered myself lucky to have power, despite its best effort to leave me. But my charming personality and wicked ways convinced it stay by my side, unlike my poor 190,000 powerless neighbors.

Cabin fever struck, but not I, rather my dog, who, unlike the electricity, had grown tired of movies, books, and endless pacing.

While they have some pretty serious weather conditions, seeing the happy dog was sure nice.

While this list is in no way all-inclusive, here are some of my favorite animal stories of 2011 brought to you by Animal Shak.

Greyhound Drama – So who do you believe? I don’t have the answer because there are two or twenty sides to every story.  What we do know is that there really are a LOT of greyhound available for adoptions and they are gentle, sweet dogs.  Definitely a family friendly dog that would make a home a happy place.

Hey Squawk Meet Peep – My best onomatopoeia for birds naming their chicks bird sounds are – apparently – squawk and peep!  Those names are better than some names I’ve heard for regular humans, but hey… who am I to judge what people name their babies?

When Monkeys Roam Free – One bad monkey escaped and attacked a neighbor. He was put down and because the other primates were in poor condition, they were removed from the home. Be careful of wild animals.  Always be careful.

OCD Cats – My own tries to run into the bathroom every single time I have to go.  She weaves all around my legs – the figure eight move – and will “try” to stand on her back legs with her front paws on my knees.  I shoo her away.  Closing the door could be a better option when using the restroom.

Bite Me Once, Shame on You – If a dog is growling and baring its teeth, that’s a pretty big signal for me to stay away. If a dog is barking, same thing. If a dog is trying to stare me down, I turn the other way.

That’s it for 2011. We welcome 2012 with catcalls and barks!

If you’re like a lot of people, watching the survival shows on cable television is interesting, informative, and entertaining. If I was without water, I’m not sure if I’d be smart enough – still – to know how to filter my own byproducts as potable water.  But I do know that I wouldn’t want to drink from a stream without boiling the water first.

Why?  I don’t want a leech to latch onto my throat.  That’s what happened to this teenager from China

I can’t embed the MSNBC video – but if you don’t have a weak stomach and want to see it – click here.

Wow. Thanks for the story MSNBC.com!

Last week there was drama in my corner of the world over a news story about greyhound rescues.  A local organization’s spokesperson said these wonderful dogs are “treated like livestock” in a certain state and the  methods of disposing of them included “pushing them off a boat in the Atlantic Ocean.”

What hit the fan was so significant that the television station actually changed the text in the online story after the local nonprofit organization revoked the spokesperson’s membership in the organization. The organization also issued an apology to the greyhound racing industry.

So what is the truth behind greyhound racing?  While I’m no expert, I’ve have heard from some sources that greyhounds really are treated well, that they are a dearly loved breed both at racetracks and as pets in their “forever” homes.  Here’s one link about greyhounds that addresses misconceptions and myths about these magnificent animals.  But then there is the Greyhound Protection League that says otherwise – they maintain, for example, that the business of greyhound racing is responsible for the death of thousands of greyhounds every year.

So who do you believe? I don’t have the answer because there are two or twenty sides to every story.  What we do know is that there really are a LOT of greyhound available for adoptions and they are gentle, sweet dogs.  Definitely a family friendly dog that would make a home a happy place.

Photo from another local greyhound rescue organization participating in my city’s Halloween candy trail.

A little town in Staten Island is being overrun by wild turkeys – a seeming bad move by the gobblers just weeks ahead of Thanksgiving!  What started as a release of nine turkeys in 1999 has escalated into a takeover of the the Ocean Breeze community.  From wpix.com,

Wild turkeys fill the streets year after year, causing trouble for local residents.

People who live in the Ocean Breeze section say on some days, they can’t drive through the streets or let their kids play in the yard because there are so many turkeys all over the place.

About 100 of what might have been the national bird may be on the chopping block soon if residents get their wish!  Look out turkeys!! Time to go into hiding!

Photo by Peter Smith.

The story about the exotic animals released in Zanesville, Ohio right before their owner killed himself is a tragic story, really.  Of the 56 animals released, 50 were killed and only six saved.  My sincere thanks to the Columbus Zoo for taking them in and my sympathy goes to the police officers who had to put the others down. Again, what a tragic day.

Here’s more information from The Columbus Dispatch,

The animals that were killed included 18 tigers, nine male lions, eight female lions, six black bears, three mountain lions, two grizzly bears, one baboon and two wolves, Sheriff Matt Lutz said. The escaped monkey poses a danger because it is infected with herpes, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said it is possible that the missing monkey was eaten by a large cat.

The owner of the farm, Terry Thompson, was found dead last night on his property. Authorities say Thompson opened the cage doors and cut the wires on the cages, then killed himself. He died from a gunshot wound. Lutz said Thompson’s body was “bothered” by the animals.

A puppy doomed for certain death TWICE is something of a miracle.  Harper has a disease that is commonly called swimmer puppy disorder where the legs are splayed out and the animal lays on its chest.  One person tried to throw her away, but Erica Daniel took the baby and ran it to her veterinarian.

The vet decided to take the puppy home for one night before next day euthanasia, but that one single night of love and affection effectively began the miracle recovery.  According to Today.com,

Daniel kept massaging Harper’s tight muscles, hoping to alleviate at least some of her stiffness and pain. Within just a few hours, Harper started lifting her head and looking around. Her front legs became more limber as well, so much so that she tried using them to walk and pull herself around.

Daniel’s reaction: “WHOA.”

Little  Harper at 11 weeks old is now thriving.  What a fantastic story, this little pup!

That Gua died after a short life is something I find particularly sad and depressing from this experiment.  From (and pardon the name) Badass Digest,

But after a few months Gua’s development slowed while Donald’s picked up. Gua’s motor skills continued to surpass his, but she lagged in things like toilet training. And speech never came to her; in fact the experiment was ended  one day in March of 1932 when Donald came into the kitchen and made chimp grunts to ask his mother for a cookie. The Kelloggs had discovered that human/chimp co-development cut both ways.

Gua was sent back to the primate center from which she came, and died not long after.

Do you think Gua died of a broken heart?  I’d think so.

If you don’t think animals have feelings, think again.  From The Doree Chronicles,

The dog of slain Marine Jon Tumilson refused to leave his side during the Navy SEAL’s funeral earlier this week in Rockford, Iowa. The heartbreaking photo taken by his cousin, Lisa Pembleton, shows Tumilson’s dog Hawkeye lying by the casket.

Our sympathy to Mr. Tumilson’s family and friends.  And his pup.