The US government has decided to press ahead with controversial experiments on dogs, despite critics in congress and elsewhere attacking them as cruel and unnecessary. The department for veterans affairs (VA) has approved the continuation of the testing, which it says will help doctors find new ways to treat wounded soldiers, according to USA Today. Researchers running the experiments will remove sections of the dogs’ brains that control breathing, sever spinal cords to test cough reflexes and implant pacemakers before triggering abnormal heart rhythms. All the dogs involved will ultimately be euthanised.

Controversial tests to proceed despite opposition from congress and others

The study of more than 33,000 United Kingdom-based Labrador retrievers of all colours shows chocolate Labradors also have a higher incidence of ear infections and skin disease. Its findings were published in the open access journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology today.

An Oklahoma pet owner disclosed her own dog’s greedy way to ingeniously get free hamburgers in a McDonald’s drive-thru. Oklahoma City’s Betsy Reyes says that her dog sneaks out from the house at night and pretends to a stray while sitting outside a McDonald’s drive-thru.

A new study shows that our beloved four-legged friends are moved to action when they see us in emotional distress.

Dogs have been trained to sniff out malaria in socks worn by African children, and they are remarkably good at it.

Florida's electorate has spoken, and Amendment 13, which bans greyhound racing in Florida by 2020, has passed. Sixty-nine percent of Floridians voted to pass Amendment 13.

For chronic pain sufferers, it may be smart to let sleeping dogs lie, a new University of Alberta study suggests. Contrary to blanket medical advice, shooing Fido out of the bedroom may not help people with long-term pain get a better night’s sleep, said researcher Cary Brown of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. “Typically, people who have pain also have a lot of sleep problems, so usually if they ask their health-care provider about a pet, they’re told to get the pet out of the bedroom. But that standard advice can actually be damaging.”

Tesla already has a feature to prevent its electric car interiors from overheating. Not everyone knows that, though, and that's a problem when people may call the cops or break into your ride to rescue a pet that's actually quite safe. You might not have to post a please-don't-worry sign on your window for much longer, however. Elon Musk has signaled that he'll implement a "dog mode" in future Tesla software that would tell passers-by not to panic. While he only just agreed to the idea (it's likely a long way off), it could include both a message and the current cabin temperature to assuage jittery humans.

Finally, it's safe to read "Where the Red Fern Grows"

A helpful guide on finding a lost dog in different situations and places. All dog owners need to check this out and bookmark this article.

Simon Cowell, known as the former judge on America's Got Talent and American Idol, donated $42,000 to the Humane Society International (HSI) to help save 200 dogs from a South Korean dog meat farm. Ninety of the dogs were temporarily sheltered this week at a Cambridge trucking company before being taken to another shelter in Montreal for rehabilitation, socialization and eventual adoption.

Barbra Streisand is not alone. At a South Korean laboratory, a once-disgraced doctor is replicating hundreds of deceased pets for the rich and famous. It’s made for more than a few questions of bioethics.

Two recent cases of a rare infection are raising awareness — and anxiety — about the risks of interacting with dogs and cats. Sharon Larson of South Milwaukee died on June 23 at age 58, after her dog nipped her hand. Starting that same month, Greg Manteufel, 48, of nearby West Bend, Wisconsin, lost both hands and both lower legs to amputation to save his life. Though he came into contact with a few dogs, he said, he was not bitten by any of them. In both patients' blood, doctors found the bacteria Capnocytophaga canimorsus.

New York City said the doghouses on sidewalks outside stores were illegal but they are welcome at rest stops along the New York State Thruway.

Today’s house-proud animals are joining the luxury property market

Do you have questions about side effects of medications received or contraindications with other meds? An online veterinary consultation can help.

When military dog Kuga and his special operations handler Sergeant J were choppered into Khaz Uruzgan in Afghanistan on a mission to locate a high-value Taliban target, they didn't know they were walking into an ambush.

Rescue Paws Curacao Foundation, an animal rescue organization, received a call about a little black dog who was found living under a container on a big lot near Sambil, limping around on three legs. The town had plans to build an amusement park on the lot of land that the dog was living on, so the rescue team knew they had to save him as soon as possible before he no longer had a safe place to hide.

The new and unprecedented K-9 Artifact Finders Program, run by researchers at Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law and Policy Research, in partnership with Penn Vet Working Dog Center, trains dogs to sniff out looted and illicitly traded artifacts.

More than four months after its owner died, a dog still refuses to leave the entry of a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The dog's owner, a homeless man, was stabbed in a local park and rushed to Santa Casa de Novo Horizonte medical centre where he died from his injuries, according to local media reports. Following the fatal incident, the dog chased the ambulance carrying his owner and has waited at the doors of the medical centre ever since.

Scientists have shown that the way we speak to our canine friends is important in relationship-building between pet and owner, similar to the way that 'baby-talk' is to bonding between a baby and an adult.

Dog cloning. You’ve probably heard about it. Barbra Streisand certainly has, and she’s not alone.

Treats and kibble made with fungus offer high protein from plant-based foods, but not all pets may be able to make the switch.

A stray Moscow pup traveled into orbit in 1957 with one meal and only a seven-day oxygen supply

A three-year-old girl is found safe and well with her family's blue heeler after spending more than 15 hours lost on their rural property.

The RSPCA is urging people not to buy dogs with cropped ears after a surge in the number of reports about the illegal practise. Cropping involves cutting the animal's ears often for cosmetic reasons and then placing splints inside - forcing them to grow upwards. The animal charity has described the procedure as "painful and entirely unnecessary".

The 12-week-old Weimaraner puppy joined the institution’s Protective Services team last month as part of a pilot programme to train man's best friend to sniff out pests that may be lurking in works made from organic materials, food, waste, flowers and plants.

Dogs cannot get ‘autism’, the British Veterinary Association has warned, after the ‘anti-vaccine’ movement spread to pets.

The canine clinical trial will vaccinate 800 healthy pets

A South Korean court has ruled the killing of dogs for meat is illegal, in a landmark decision that animal rights activists have said could pave the way to outlawing the eating of canines. The meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, with about 1 million dogs believed to be eaten annually, but consumption has declined and the practice is now something of a taboo among younger generations amid increased pressure from activists.

A 7-year-old Alaskan husky named Nanook is being credited with helping rescue a cold, injured hiker Wednesday night in the Eagle River Valley. "He's Alaska's version of Lassie," said Lt. Eric Olsen with the Alaska State Troopers.

After the passing of his father, Rookie has taken over as the Trenton Thunder's bat dog