Pets in the paper – bugs and rugs and such

Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Books, beer and man’s best friend

smart-catWhen I was in college, I kept one pet. That poor fish. He didn’t make it to graduation. But there are plenty of college students out there who are more responsible than I was. For them, Petside.com has ranked the Top 10 college for pet owners. Here’s the list:

1. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., has four pet-friendly dorm “clusters” that allow cats and dogs that weigh less than 40 pounds. Snakes and fish are welcome, too.

2. Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., has a “pet dorm” where dogs, cats, hamsters and guinea pigs are allowed.

3. Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Penn., has a “Pet House” dorm, which allows cats, dogs, small birds, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, turtles and fish. Have something more exotic? The college evaluates them on individually.

4. Principa College in Elsah, Ill., has seven dorms and university apartments that allow pets. Students may bring dogs, cats, rabbits, caged animals and aquatic life.

5. California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., lets students have cats in all dorms. Small cage animals and aquatic life can come to school, too.

6. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign allows students in the Ashton Woods housing to keep dogs, cats, fish and rabbits.

7. The University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, makes room for cats and birds in the school’s apartment-style housing buildings. Fish are allowed in all dorms.

8. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., requires written consent from roommates before a cat is introduced. And the dorms even have a “Pet Chairman.”

9. The State University of New York at Canton is known for Mohawk Hall, which accomodates up to 48 pets. Those animals are allowed to wander freely if their owner is around. Sadly, dogs and snakes aren’t allowed.

10. Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn., allows one dog or cat in each fraternity and sorority house on campus.

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Pets in the paper – baby zebra makes his entrance

Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Cougar vs. Chihuahuas

cougarYou wouldn’t expect Chihuahuas to come out on top in a confrontation with a full-grown mountain lion, even if they outnumbered the cat three to one.

But that’s exactly what happened in Riverside County, Calif., when Ana Lee Spray’s three pups cornered a cougar in the garage. Spray awoke to the barking of her three dogs, which each weigh about three pounds. When she looked out a window into the garage to see what the dogs were barking at, she saw the mountain lion, which was hissing at her. She called 911 and took some video of the cat.

The three dogs had the cat cornered and refused to back down, barking for 45 minutes until sheriff’s deputies arrived. Unfortunately, the mountain lion was euthanized after wildlife officials failed in their attempts to tranquilize it and return it to the wild.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean


Your dog is cuter

It’s that time again – the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition. As always, Chinese Crested are always the front-runners in the contest, which is in California every year. Even the other breeds have twinges of Chinese Crested. Delightful.

Here’s a picure of a couple contestants and their owners. (I’m not sure why that man is pretended to eat his dog. Yikes.)

Check out this slideshow by ABC News.

 - Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll


Man’s best clone?

Imagine a world where you never had to lose your pet. Or at least, not for good. BioArts International, a California biotech company is planning an online auction to clone five dogs. The auction is cleverly titled “Best Friends Again.” The dogs will be the first canines to be cloned for commercial sale.

Depending on your feelings about the ethics of cloning, this may or may not sound like a perfect solution if you are one of many pet lovers. However, this dream come true is not cheap. Bidding for the auction will start at $100.000. The regulations even require proof of $250,000 in cash or assets before bidders are allowed to enter.

Scientists can create clones from dogs that are alive or dead, provided that tissue samples were taken before the pet died or within the first five days after its death and frozen in liquid nitrogen. One drawback to pet owners will be that although dogs are guaranteed to look exactly the same, they are not guaranteed to behave the same. Nevertheless, BioArts hopes to target pet owners who will see cloning as the next best thing.

-Staff Writer Monica Albert