Miami Fire Rescue team managed to rescue a trapped puppy from a storm drain under I-95 on Wednesday.

Too busy for a dog but missing that canine connection? Living in a pet-free apartment building or lacking the space needed to house a pooch pal? Well FlexPetz was thinking of you when they created their company, offering shared dog ownership for a membership fee.

"The concept of FlexPetz originated with a group of dogs lovers who sadly accepted that they could not provide a dog with the full-time care and attention that goes along with responsible dog ownership, their website says. "What they all had in common was a wish to spend time with a dog, and so FLEXPETZ was born!"

It's not cheap. There's the $100 initiation fee, a $150 in home inspection fee (which does include a training session) plus a $45 per day charge for a minimum of four days per month.

Not everyone is sold on the idea.

"This promotes dogs as disposable items," argued Bryn Conklin, from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Dogs need stability in their lives, they need a long-term commitment, and they need a secure environment," added Ray McSoley, a local trainer who called the company a 'four-legged escort service.'

"It's incredibly disrespectful to the dog, and it's also disrespectful to the renter because it devolves the purpose of having a dog in your life. There is no commitment there."

The company is already located in New York and Los Angeles. However, plans to locate in Boston currently face cosniderable opposition with city officials considering a ban on puppy renting.

see also:
"Ban proposed for dog rental service in Boston" - The Boston Globe
"City May Muzzle Dog Rental Businesses" - Fox 12
"Did FlexPetz Bite Off More Than It Can Chew?" - washingtonpost.com

It seems that whether a presidential candidate has a pet or not can affect how some people view the candidate. From George Washington's foxhounds Drunkard and Tipsy to George W. Bush's terriers Barney and Miss Beazley, pets are a longtime presidential tradition for which the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain, seems well prepared, with more than a dozen.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama, however, doesn't have a pet; he has promised his daughters he`ll get them a dog after the election, whether he wins or loses.

"From an image standpoint, nothing humanizes a candidate more than seeing him lovingly dote on his pet or toss a ball around on the White House lawn," says American Kennel Club spokeswoman Lisa Peterson.

An AP-Yahoo News poll found that pet owners actually favor McCain over Obama 42 percent to 37 percent, with dog owners particularly in McCain's corner.

"I think a person who owns a pet is a more compassionate person — caring, giving, trustworthy. I like pet owners," said Janet Taylor of Plymouth, Mass.

That`s good news for McCain who shares his home with Sam the English springer spaniel, Coco the mutt, turtles Cuff and Link, Oreo the black and white cat, a ferret, three parakeets and a bunch of saltwater fish.

The poll also found that among people who don't have pets, Obama leads McCain 48 percent to 34 percent.

Yeah, yeah; the world doesn`t need yet another reality show, but as with every TV season (even the summer one) each of the big stations tries for that next big Survivor-esque hit. In CBS's American`s Greatest Dogs, professionally and home-trained dogs compete against each other for the title of (surprise, surprise) the Greatest American Dog in.

Casting calls went out for dogs and owners were open to any form of dog talent. Thus, show dogs, agility dogs, talking dogs, hunters, obedience dogs, and musical dogs were all invited to the calls. AKC breeds and mutts were all welcome. With such a wide casting call for the Greatest American Dog (the second working title), no telling what dog talents the first few shows have lined up!

The dogs and owners selected to appear on the Greatest American Dog will live together for the duration of the show (or until eliminated). They will compete against each other in a variety of training challenges, provided by the show, that will focus on the abilities of the trainer to ready the dog for each competition.

Tonight (hursday, July 10, 2008) the show will premiere at 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. The winner will get $250,000 to blow on steak, bones, and squeaky toys!

A puppy born with a heart-shaped pattern on his coat becomes a symbol of luck in northern Japan. The long-coated baby male chihuahua was born in May, one of a litter, to a breeder in Odate, northern Japan. Dog shop owner Emiko Sakurada says it's the first time a puppy with the marks has been born out of a thousand she has bred.

A british police force, the Tayside Police, has been forced to apologize for featuring a German shepherd puppy in a hat after it was deemed offensive to members of the local Muslim community.

The offending ad:

Dogs are considered "ritually unclean" by members of the Muslim faith. And though I truly feel that we need to be considerate about the sensibilities of others in the community (based on faith or cultural background), I am afraid this could set a sad precident. What do you think?

Another reason to love dogs: