• Abused and abandoned dogs find sanctuary at Mexico shelter

    Eduardo Verdugo / AP

    A dog equipped with a dog wheelchair stands next to a metal pail at the "Milagros Caninos," sanctuary for abused and abandoned dogs, in Mexico City, Jan. 11. About 128 abused dogs are sheltered at the Milagros Caninos sanctuary. Dogs on wheelchairs, blind, deaf or ill frolic and run around the huge sanctuary in the southern part of Mexico City.

    Eduardo Verdugo / AP

    Patricia Ruiz plays with dogs at her sanctuary for abused and abandoned dogs.

    Eduardo Verdugo / AP

    Belgian shepherd mix, Pay de Limon or Lemon Pie, walks using his prosthetic front legs on the grounds of Milagros Caninos,

  • Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters

    New recruit - military dog trains for border guard duty

    A Belarussian military instructor trains her dog in a frontier guards' cynology center near the town of Smorgon, 87 miles northwest of Minsk on Jan. 11. The center prepares instructors with trained dogs for guarding Belarus's border and sells other puppies and dogs unfit for service to civilians in the country.

  • Tomo Therapy gives dogs, owners hope

    Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle via AP

    Bo the dog is anesthetized for his radiation treatment in the TomoTherapy unit at Texas A&M's Veterinary Medicine College in College Station, Texas.

    Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle via AP

    Karan Crooks, of Willis, holds her dog Nutmeg, who received radiation treatment for cancer last year, as she talks about the experience at Texas A&M's Veterinary Medicine College in College Station, Texas.

    Texas A&M's Veterinary Medicine College is home to one of the country's two animal TomoTherapy units, a $3 million machine that combines radiation therapy and CT scanning technology to treat tumors once considered untreatable.

    This is a place of last refuge, intractable hope and boundless love, the entrance to a battlefield between cutting-edge science and cancer.

    --The Houston Chronicle

    Continue reading High-tech vet clinic at Texas A&M draws praise at Chron.com.

     

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  • Hundreds of pit bulls rescued in the Philippines

    Bullit Marquez / AP

    A pit bull, one of more than 200 rescued over the weekend, sits chained inside a steel drum, April 3, 2012 in San Pablo city, Philippines.

    Bullit Marquez / AP

    Police officers pet one of the rescued pit bulls, April 3, 2012 at a coffee farm lot in San Pablo city, Laguna province, south of Manila, Philippines following their rescue.

    Bullit Marquez / AP

    A volunteer from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) pets a pit bull, one of more than 200 rescued from at a coffee farm lot in San Pablo city, Philippines, April 3, 2012.

    Bullit Marquez / AP

    A volunteer from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) emerges from a mobile veterinary clinic with a dead pit bull after being euthanized, April 3, 2012 at a coffee farm lot in San Pablo city, Laguna province, south of Manila, Philippines. Dozens of pit bulls, rescued from a dogfighting ring were euthanized by the animal welfare activists who said there are no facilities to rehabilitate them and prevent them from again being used in underground arenas.

    AP reports: Veterinarians and animal welfare workers Tuesday euthanized at least nine pit bulls rescued from a dogfighting ring in the Philippines because there are no facilities to rehabilitate them and prevent them from again being used in underground arenas.

    The plan is to put down dozens of the roughly 300 dogs rescued in separate raids late Friday in Laguna province south of Manlia, said Anna Cabrera of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society. Seventeen had been put to sleep a day after the raids.

    The health of the living dogs and the progress of rehabilitating them will determine how many of them ultimately survive.

    Police arrested eight South Koreans suspected of running an illegal online gambling operations in which players outside the Philippines bet on dogs fighting at a clandestine compound. Full story.

  • Adopted greyhounds go from life in the fast lane to one of rest and relaxation

    Erin Siegal / Reuters

    A boy hugs a greyhound that will be placed in temporary foster care at his home in Los Angeles Feb. 11, 2012. Fast Friends, a greyhound adoption group based outside Los Angeles, is committed to finding homes for retired greyhounds from the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico.

    Erin Seigal / Reuters

    Greyhounds compete at the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana Feb. 18, 2012. All the dogs have been imported from the United States where only seven states still operate dog tracks. Circuit rules demand that all race dogs retire at the age of five, though some run well into their sixth year.

    Erin Siegal / Reuters

    Greyhounds stand at a fence in a kennel at the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana Feb.11. Every few months, volunteers orchestrate an event called "Retirement Day" where older, slower dogs or dogs that have been weakened from frequent leg injuries officially leave their racing days behind and are given up for adoption.

    Erin Siegal / Reuters

    Two adopted greyhounds relax in their new home in Whittier, Calif. Feb. 21, 2012.

    Visit FastFriends and see their greyhounds available for adoption.

    Like dogs?  PhotoBlog’s got lots of ‘em!

     

  • B-E-L-L-Y-F-L-O-P! Amazing photos of underwater dogs

    By Mish Whalen

    Photographer Seth Casteel has definitely taken animal photography to new heights – or depths – with his hilarious photos of dogs chasing balls underwater.

    Seth Casteel/Tandemstock.com

    A Yellow Labrador retriever pursues a ball under the water.

    Twelve dogs took part in the shoot, including Labradors, a border collie, a dachshund, a bulldog, a Belgian Tervuren and a King Charles spaniel. As you enjoy the photos, take the plunge and read about how Casteel came up with this original and imaginative idea that has everyone laughing.

    Q: How did the idea of photographing dogs underwater come about?

    A: One of my clients, Buster the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, absolutely loves the water: swimming, jumping, diving, splashing, you name it! During our on-land photo shoot a couple of years ago, he kept jumping in and diving under the water to retrieve a tennis ball. I thought: “I wonder what he looks like under the water?” So I bought a point-and-shoot underwater camera and found out!

    Seth Casteel/Tandemstock.com

    A Cavalier King Charles spaniel pursues a ball underwater.

    Q: Can you explain how an underwater photo shoot works with a dog?

    A: Many dogs LOVE the water and within that group, quite a few will actually go under the water on some level. All of the dogs featured in my photographs voluntarily went into the water and under the water, and they all had fun along the way. It also should be noted that I had fun along the way.

    Seth Casteel/Tandemstock.com

    A black Labrador retriever says hello underwater.

    Q: What kind of camera are you using?

    A: Canon. I love Canon!

    Seth Casteel/Tandemstock.com

    A yellow Labrador retriever fetches a ball at the bottom of the pool.

    Q: Are you using an underwater camera housing?

    A: Yes – I would recommend using a camera housing if you plan on taking a non-water camera under the water. It's worth it.

     

    Q: How old are you?

    A: I'm 31, but I look like i'm 26, and generally act about 35.

    Seth Casteel/Tandem

    A bulldog exploring under the water.

    Q: Why are you interested in underwater dog photography?

    A: I love dogs because their range of emotions is similar to those of human beings – that is why we relate to them and why they relate to us. Together, we make excellent friends. With water, dogs have the opportunity to showcase some of these emotions at a level we may not normally get to see. The water brings out a very primal side of dogs, and this can translate as silly, intense or wild. Dogs love to be spoiled by us, but they also appreciate the opportunity to get back to their roots, and I believe the water is just one of the avenues for them to do this. After all, it wasn't that long ago that all of the Boston terriers and pugs we know were wolves.

     Q: What's next for Seth Casteel's underwater dog photographs?

    A: A calendar will be coming out this summer, followed by a book featuring many never-before-seen underwater photos of our favorite breeds – all shapes and sizes!

    TODAY.com multimedia producer Mish Whalen gazes at dozens of puppies, kittens and other adorable animals every day but has never seen dogs, quite like this. Discuss this post in the comments section or hit me on twitter @mishrwhalen

  • Juniors compete in Westminster Dog Show

    Michael Nagle / Getty Images

    Andrew Mueller, 10, competes with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 'Stella' in the Junior Showmanship Preliminaries at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 13, in New York City.

    Michael Nagle / Getty Images

    Emma Echols competes with her Yorkshire Terrier 'Tucker' in the Junior Showmanship Preliminaries at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb.13.

    Michael Nagle / Getty Images

    Andrew Mueller, 10, competes with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 'Stella' in the Junior Showmanship Preliminaries at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 13.

    Junior Showmanship competition at the Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show is for children ages 9-18 and is limited to those who have won a qualifying number of first places at American Kennel Club licensed or member shows in a certain time period. 

    The Junior Showmanship preliminaries were judged Monday and finals will be held at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening.

    The Westminster Kennel Club 136th Annual Dog show is Feb. 13 - 14 in New York City. The event was first held in 1877 making it America's second-longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby.

    Related links:

    Michael Nagle / Getty Images

    After making it to the finals, Sam Heiser, of Maryland hugs Katie Grohowalski during the Junior Showmanship Preliminaries at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 13, in New York City.

  • Dogs bundle up against Europe's bitter cold

    Martin Meissner / AP

    A pug strolls on a street in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on a cold winter Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Germany faces freezing temperatures coming from Russia down to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit).

    Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images

    A woman carries a small dog under her fur coat during heavy frost in Kiev on Feb. 2, 2012. The temperature falls to minus 27 degrees Celsius in the Ukrainian capital.

    Peter Andrews / Reuters

    A dog is dressed in a special suit to protect it from the cold at Paluch Dog Shelter in Warsaw Feb. 2, 2012.

    Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images

    A dog wears a jacket as it walks during a heavy frost in Kiev on Feb. 2, 2012. In Ukraine, tens of thousands of people have headed to shelters trying to escape the freeze that the emergencies ministry said has now killed 63 people.

     Related Content: 

  • Barking through the burning ring of fire

    Ishara S.Kodikara / AFP - Getty Images

    A dog jumps through a ring of fire during a multi-nation National Cadet Corps passing out ceremony in the Sri Lankan central town of Kandy on Oct. 21.

    By Natalia Jimenez, NBC News

    Quite a talented dog. While this dog jumps through flames in Sri Lanka, another one was rescued from flames in Wisconsin.

    The photo makes me think of the lab that was rescued from a house fire and revived by a Wisconsin firefighter using mouth-to-mouth respiration.

    Watch the video:

    Firefighters save Koda, a dog trapped in a house fire, by performing mouth-to-snout resuscitation. TODAY's Matt Lauer talks to the heroes.

  • Orlin Wagner / AP

    Savannah Pearce plays with her dog Sabali during the Pooch Plunge at the Lawrence Aquatic Center in Lawrence, Kan., Monday, Aug 22, 2011. Dogs are allowed in the pool the day after it closes for the season.

    Orlin Wagner / AP

    Raz, a yellow lab, swims in the pool at the Lawrence Aquatic Center during the Pooch Plunge in Lawrence, Kan., Monday, Aug. 22.

    'Drool in the pool' day in Kansas

    For more cute animal pictures, check out Animal Tracks

  • Man's best friend may not be welcome in Iran

    By Jonathan Woods, msnbc.com

    Canine lovers in Iran are facing a motion presented by lawmakers to ban the public appearance of dogs. The conservative-dominated Parliament is pushing this due to dogs' "uncleanness" and the desire to combat "a blind imitation of vulgar Western culture."

    Behrouz Mehri / AFP - Getty Images

    Tehran resident Farnaz talks to a vet about her Pomeranian dog, Maggie, at Tehran Pet Hospital, the first private hospital for pets in Iran, on June 23. Showing off pet canines has become increasingly popular in Tehran's posh neighborhoods, a trend threated by lawmakers in the conservative-dominated Iranian parliament.

    Behrouz Mehri / AFP - Getty Images

    Dog-lover Neda plays with strays at the Vafa animal shelter in the town of Hashtgerd, west of the Tehran on June 30. The first animal shelter in Iran, the non-government charity relies on private donations and volunteers to provide shelter to injured and homeless dogs in Iran.

    Behrouz Mehri / AFP - Getty Images

    An Iranian man trims a Terrier named Jessi, at Tehran Pet Hospital in Iran on June 23.

    Behrouz Mehri / AFP - Getty Images

    A stray dog sits at the Vafa animal shelter.

    If the motion becomes law, offenders will face a fine of five million rials (around $472 USD) and will have to get rid of their beloved canine in 10 days or their pet will be confiscated with a fate to be determined.

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