Around the Intarwebz

Even carnivores aren't really carnivores, apparently! A new study shows that foxes and martens are key dispersal animals for the rowan tree seeds. They love eating the fallen fruit and help spread the love that is the rowan all across the land.

Two Labs and a Border Collie ran nesting birds off of a cliffside and killed several chicks. Their owners encouraged the behavior while also throwing rocks at the birds. I guess columnist Jack Spillane might want to rethink his position that it's only Pit Bull owners who are "aggressive".

Classic media bias. Title = Woman uses Pit Bull to hold deputies at bay. The dog is a Pit Bull Chow Mix.

Inbred beetle sperm fertilize fewer eggs. True fact!

A Labrador Retriever Mix has been declared dangerous after the dog attacked a woman. The woman's dog interfered and was also mauled. A UPS delivery man who tried to help was attacked as well.

A 7-yr-old boy who beat his neighbor's dog to death has been considered too young to try for any crimes. Sad story all around.

Rally held in Sacramento protesting the proposed massive budget cuts to the county's animal shelter.

A Husky or Japanese Akita attacked and bit several times a Jack Russell Terrier in the UK.

Vague story about a St. Bernard left abandoned outside of a shelter. An elderly volunteer who arrived in the morning approached the leashed dog and it charged him. The article says the dog attacked the volunteer but then says he just charged the man...in any event, the dog was killed shortly thereafter without any fair evaluation. The owner is expected to turn himself in and be charged.

A pet owner in Florida is surprised that an alligator attacked and nearly killed her Pit Bull who she let sip water out of a pond (that has signs about the whole alligator business). The dog fought back and managed to survive.

The owner of Shih-Tsu who attacked a 5-yr-old boy is trying to save the dog's life. The dog ran from his property and immediately began to attack the child, who was playing in his own front yard. The dog bit him on the face and arm, causing 10-stitches worth of damage on the child's ear. The news article decides to use quotation marks around "dangerous".  Meanwhile, in Sioux City, another Shih-Tsu - who bit two children - has been granted a 2nd reprieve. The dog bit two children on two separate incidents and has yet to be declared dangerous.

Miley the dog is lucky.  She spent two days stuck in an illegal leg trap before a teenager found her and saved her. The dog's leg had to be amputated.

The owner of a  Great Dane who mauled a boy in Ohio has been told to just "keep the dog in the garage". The dog somehow got loose and attacked a 7-yr-old boy who may or may not have been throwing crab apples at the dog. The boy suffered multiple bite wounds and possible bone fractures from bites.

Gainesville police are investigating in incident in which a police officer unleashed his K-9 on a 10-yr-old boy who had run away from a police care out of fear of being hit. The dog bit the child on the leg. There is apparently no other way to handle a fleeing 85-lb 10-yr-old but with a large dog.

A Labrador Retriever bit a woman severely in the face after she asked to pet the dog and apparently "flailed her arms" (really?).