Now call me naive, but before I saw this story, I had not known such things existed. Sure I’d heard of dog fighting, but reading in-depth I learned there is a whole industry built around pictures and videos of animals being tortured. Without getting into any gruesome details, the term used is Crush Porn. If you think real hard, you can probably figure out what is going on in those horrific displays of humanity. It is incomprehensible to me that there are people in society who receive joy from watching an animal suffer in such cruel ways.

Over the last couple decades, animal lovers have made great strides in educating the public and passing laws to prevent cruelty. Studies have shown that those who are cruel to animals are likely to be violent to people. This is especially the case when it comes toward violence toward women and children. We also have data that suggests many serial killers started their evil ways by practicing on animals. Simply put, there is a strong correlation between animal abuse and violent crimes that impact us all.

Now I’m a big fan of free speech, even that of speech I don’t agree with. But I don’t see how something that is patently illegal, not to mention immoral and evil, can be legally sold for profit. We don’t allow individuals to sell videos of sexual assault, so why should this form of pornography that tortures another living creature be allowed? It would seem that this act should fall under the same guise as child pornography which is not afforded constitutional protection.

But I don’t have a law degree and I’m certain that the eight esteemed Justices had a valid legal reason for overturning this law (although I do wonder if they are pet owners themselves). While this is a setback to those who wish to rid the world of these materials, it’s not permanent. There are forces at work to ensure that these people are never allowed to profit off this again.

Representative Elton Gallegy (R) from California (the one who introduced the first bill in 1999) has introduced H.R. 5092 which is a bill that gives a narrower focus. This should appease the Supreme Court. While I know our two political parties can’t seem to agree on anything these days, lets hope they can find some bipartisan support for this bill. It is necessary to pass it quickly as some animal rights groups have pointed out that the Crush Porn industry has started a revival after an earlier Appeals Court came to the same conclusion as the Supreme Court.

If you’d like to see this business put under again, please contact your representatives and tell them you want them to pass H.R. 5092 as soon as possible. The Humane Society of the United States has put together an easy to use form to help.

Now for just about everything else in the city, Yelp! was an amazing resource. A huge Yellow Page of places with user reviews in an easy to use format. So if you need a nice Italian restaurant or a dry cleaner that won’t ruin your favorite shirt, you’ll probably be able to find it on there.

The problem with Yelp and all the other Yellow Page sites is that they don’t really focus on dog owners. It’s tough to find out if a restaurant is dog-friendly or how a local park stacks up to the rest. Which is why I was pleased to find Fido Factor the other day while cruising the web. It’s basically a Yelp! for dog owners.

It appears to be in its infant stages still and new cities are being added sparingly. Areas like San Francisco seem to have much larger audiences at the moment than Chicago for instance. But it’s something I’ve been looking for and I think a terrific bookmark for any of our urban readers. Fido Factor also features some informational articles on proper etiquette and how to keep your dog safe in the city.

There is also a free iPhone app available for download on iTunes. To encourage reviews, Fido Factor has partnered with the San Francisco SPCA to make a donation in your name for every review written in that city. Hopefully they can expand it out to some other metropolitan areas.

If you have a resource to help dog owners navigate their way through local businesses, feel free to add it in the comments below.

The registry is not just built so you can snoop on your neighbors. It has a goal to make it easier for rescue shelters and adoption groups to identify those with criminal pasts that would not make them suitable owners. Law enforcement will also utilize the new tool for crime fighting.

While some might balk at putting money into something like this over other social issues, it’s worth pointing out that animal abuse is a precursor to more violent activity. The FBI has linked cruelty to animals to domestic violence, child abuse, serial murderers, and school shootings. Some of our most dispicable killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and David Berkowitz tortured animals before starting their killing sprees. There are simply too many studies and too much statistics that point to links that the public can no longer ignore.

One area not discussed in the bill is children. While it’s probably not right to list a child on the registry, it would be nice to see some other laws put in place. A psychiatric evaluation should be mandated by any judge who oversees an animal abuse case by a child. It’s worth noting that many school shooters practiced their inhumane treatment on animals before moving to their classmates.

While there is a lot of support for the bill, the biggest stumbling block could be the funding. On the table is a tiny tax on pet food that would go toward building the registry. That seems a tad unfair as everyone will benefit from this, not just pet owners. Another idea being floated around is finding animal abusers extra and having that fee go toward maintaining the list. That seems like the fairest solution as they are the ones who are making this list a necessity in California.

It will be an interesting year to see if this bill can be passed. If it does, look for other states to start following suit and having a registry become the norm.

For more information, check out the Animal Legal Defense Fund who helped craft the bill. They have a petition you can sign as well as a letter drafted that you can send to your legislator.

A statement from their website:

After unveiling our plan for a spay-and-neuter billboard featuring Tiger Woods, our phones rang off the hook and our inboxes were inundated with tons of feedback from supporters and skeptics alike. Among the rapid responses? A courteous call from Tiger’s lawyers asking that we pull him from the ad—a request that PETA quickly honored.

Now that we’ve left Tiger off the billboard, we’re looking to replace him with another oh-so-familiar face: continent-hopping, scandal-producing Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina. Our potential slogan?

So with Tiger out of the way, it looks like Mark Sanford is in their crosshairs next. The philandering South Carolina Governor was busted taking n trip to Buenos Aires to be with his mistress while his wife and kids stayed at home. He initially claimed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail.

While this new campaign idea is sure to bring publicity to the controversial organization, I wonder if it’s the right approach. I think we can all agree with their view on spay-and-neutering pets to help control the population and lower the amount of animals that have to be euthanized every year. But targeting celebrities and using a campaign of this nature tends to take the focus off the issue at hand, and on to the organization and newsworthy person being targeted.

The question that I think needs to be asked is whether these publicity stunts help save the lives of animals. Would a more conventional approach bring more attention to the issue? While PETA does stand for some good things in the world of animal welfare, they also tend to be publicity hounds that want the focus placed on them first and foremost. Instead of spending their resources antagonizing famous adulterers, perhaps getting their hands dirty in the trenches like the thousands of volunteers at no-kill shelters would be a more viable solution.

Case in point to an article reported by WYFF in Greenville, South Carolina. Twenty-two dogs were packed into a U-Haul and dropped off at the Greenville Animal Shelter because they were “the wrong color”. That’s right, puppies abandoned because their color just wasn’t right. I could see this disregard if we’re talking about a pair of shoes, but not another living animal.

Shelter manager Shelly Simmons says this episode is evidence of a growing problem with amateur dog breeding. Breeding is a complex skill that requires both advanced education on the process, but proper funds to support the animals in a humane way. Unfortunately, there are many looking for a quick buck who do not care about the animals in any way.

The bigger problem with this may be the lack of responsibility we place upon dog breeders. The fact that a breeder could simply dump off animals because they didn’t come out the right way is appalling. Not only do they place these dogs in a position where they may be euthanized, but they also add strain to a local animal shelter’s resources. The utter disregard for these animals and others in the community is a disgrace.

While we’ve seen laws passed to help curb bad breeding practices, it would be nice to see laws that would require owners to take responsibility of what their pets do. These individuals should be financially responsible for these dogs. It seems inhumane to allow people to breed animals and then toss them in someone else’s lap because the color was wrong. I’m worried that people like this will continue to make mistakes and cost many dogs their lives by burdening our already straddled shelters.

Little Victoria Bensch happened to wander away from her Cordes Lakes, Arizona hom on Thursday. With vast mountains surrounding the valley, a search party scoured through the night trying to rescue the girl as local temperatures dropped below 30 degrees. Fifteen hours after she got lost, a rescue helicopter spotted her in a dry creek bed and saved her.

Now how does a 3-year old girl survive a cold desert night? Well alongside Victoria was her loyal dog Blue. According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Blue kept her alter, warm, and provided companionship for the terrified girl. Blue was protective when the rescue team arrived, but settled down when he realized that they were there to save the day. He didn’t even flinch when approaching the helicopter and jumped right in as if it was the family van.

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending as Victoria only suffered frostbite and is expected to resume life as a healthy three year old. As for Blue, he’s being hailed as a hero by the local community. It really shouldn’t surprise us anymore when we read stories about dogs staying with their loved ones through thick and thin. This courageous dog never left the girl’s side, despite likely having the ability to make a run home for the warm shelter he’s used to. Another story showing what amazing creatures they are.

I’m sure Blue is getting his share of treats and maybe a nice new dog toy for his brave actions.

Fortunately for Kevin, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The dogs were muzzled and props in a recent episode of Celebrity Fit Club on VH1. In an activity designed to get Federline to shed a few pounds, he was put in an obstacle course. If K-Fed was able to reach the gate in time, he could have locked the dogs in and avoided the encounter. Unfortunately, the gate wasn’t locked in time and a terrified Federline cowered in the corner as the dogs jumped at him with not-so-friendly growls.

This isn’t K-Feds first negative encounter with dogs. Back in 2005 when he was married to Spears, the pop star’s Chihuahua Lucky refused to play nice around Kevin and Britney was forced to give the dog to her assistant (in hindsight, she was probably better off with Lucky).

However, we did find a video with a dog where Kevin Federline does come in handy.

Daddy lived a rich life and helped create a healthy environment by calming some of the most troubled dogs. His balanced demeanor was essential in assisting Cesar in these interactions. Perhaps his most important contribution was way he became an ambassador of sorts for Pit Bulls. His gentle and loving nature showed the side of this breed that is often overlooked by society. He showed the public that Pit Bulls are not the killers that they are portrayed to be, but loving companions.

The memory of Daddy will live on not only in the lessons he offered many, but in a newly established fund. Daddy’s Emergency Animal Rescue Fund will provide funding and assistenace to dogs who are victims of natural disasters, as well as those who have been abused by thoughtless owners, hoarders, and puppy mills. Initial contributions have been made by the Millan family and the team behind the Dog Whisperer television show. You can honor Daddy’s memory as well by donating at www.millanfoundation.org/daddyfund.

The loss of a beloved pet can be devastating for anyone. Hopefully the Cesar and the Millan family can take solace in the fact that Daddy was able to touch so many lives and will continue to through his fund.

The ordinance is nothing new in the State of California. South Lake Tahoe adopted one last year and other cities have looked hard at placing bans on the selling dogs as well. The city is also no stranger to pet friendly laws as they banned the practice of cat declawing back in 2003.

While we understand the demand for pure bred dogs, there is also an epidemic in that part of the country. Reports show that Los Angeles County euthanized over 100,000 dogs and cats last year. Strays run rampant and countless animals are dying in the streets from disease, malnutrition, and other horrible causes. It is hard to justify the intentional breeding and sale of dogs when perfectly acceptable pets are being put to death.

There is a bit of a compromise in the bill however. Stores are given till September of 2011 to comply with the ordinance. There is also an exemption for those who can prove that the animals being sold have been humanely bred and taken care of.

While this may not be a home run in the animal activist world, it’s a solid step. There is still the need to educate owners on the benefits of spay and neutering pets (just like Bob Barker says) as well as encouraging people to look for their new best friend at one of the fine rescue shelters being run throughout the country. Reducing the amount of innocent animals that are treated inhumanely and put to death requires many pieces to come together.

This ordinance is supported by leading organizations such as the Humane Society of America and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF).

Scooby-Roo was born without his two front legs. Some cruel owner decided to dump him and his sister in South Central Los Angeles without any help. They managed to live in an abandoned car near a freeway onramp. Upon rescue, Scooby-Roo was covered in blood from having to drag his body across the rough asphalt.

Some warm-hearted passerbys spotted the two strays and brought them to the Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue in Santa Monica, California. CEO of the organization Sheila Choi decided against euthanasia which is the road many rescues may have gone down. Instead she used the power of the internet to get the story out to the public.

And with that, the Hollywood ending that Scooby-Roo so righteously deserved started to get set in motion. Actress Demi Moore saw the story and took to her 2.5 million followers on Twitter. Shannon Elizabeth and other celebrities donated and put out the call for others to do so. Alyssa Milano saw the YouTube video put together of Roo and not only pledged to help, but became the dog’s Godmother. She setup a play-date with the lovable dog and a photo shoot to help promote the cause.

Overall with the help of celebrities and others, the charity has been able put Scooby-Roo in a set of custom wheels that cost $2,000. A therapist has been brought in to train the dog on the wheels. Hydrotherapy, massages, and even doggy acupuncture is on the table. We think this dog deserves all the pampering he can get.

While credit needs to go to all the celebrities and donors who helped bring attention to Scooby-Roo and raise money, the people at Fuzzy Dog and Cat Rescue truly deserve a round of applause. They did not take the easy way out and through their perserverence and creativity, were able to not only save this dog but give him the happy Hollywood ending he deserves. Their story is not only inspirational, but sheds a light on the pet overpopulation problem that grips the Los Angeles area.

For updates on Scooby-Roo, they have setup an official page. And as always, please be generous and help organizations like this when you can.