Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres named PETA's people of the year for 2009

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has named Tim Gunn and Ellen DeGeneres its Man and Woman of the Year for their animal-friendly stances on issues like veganism and fur in fashion.

Gunn, whose hit show "Project Runway" is fur-free, is so emphatic about his anti-fur stance that he narrated a video for PETA detailing the abuses suffered by animals killed in the name of fashion.  DeGeneres -- who with wife Portia de Rossi received the Humane Society of the United States' Wyler Award earlier this year for their efforts on behalf of last year's Proposition 2 ballot initiative -- has used her popular talk show as a platform to discuss issues like factory farming and veganism since giving up animal products in 2008.

The group's people of the year "show us that one person really can make a difference in the world by rejecting cruel deeds in favor of compassionate acts," PETA co-founder and president Ingrid Newkirk said.  "Their message that animals must be treated kindly and respectfully has reached scores of people, and many of them have changed their buying habits, all because Gunn and DeGeneres spoke up for the voiceless."

Scientific breakthrough may help save Tasmanian devils from bizarre, contagious cancer

Fierce as they are, Tasmanian devils can't beat a contagious cancer that threatens to wipe them out. Now scientists think they've found the disease's origin, a step in the race to save Australia's snarling marsupial.

The furry black animals spread a fast-killing cancer when they bite one another's faces. Since the disease's discovery in 1996, their numbers have plummeted by 70%. Last spring, Australia listed the devils -- made famous by their Looney Tunes cartoon namesake Taz -- as an endangered species.

There's no treatment and little hope of finding one until scientists better understand what's fueling this bizarre "devil facial tumor disease." So an international research team picked apart the cancer's genes and discovered that it apparently first arose in cells that protect the animals' nerves.

The surprise finding, reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science, has led to development of a test to help diagnose this tumor.

Next, scientists are hunting the mutations that turned these cells rogue, work they hope could one day lead to a vaccine to protect remaining Tasmanian devils, or perhaps treatments.

PETA to Pope Benedict XVI: Veganize the Vatican

Taking a cue from Pope Benedict XVI's message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, in which he calls for "a real change of outlook which will result in new life-styles" as a means to combat damage to the environment, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals vice president Bruce Friedrich fired off a letter asking the pontiff to become a vegan and decree that only foods free of animal products be served in Vatican City.

Citing a 2006 report from the United Nations' food and agriculture organization titled "Livestock's Long Shadow," in which the harmful environmental affects of meat production are detailed, Friedrich urges the pope "to consider the fact that the most effective action an individual can take to fight climate change is to go vegan." 

By cutting meat, dairy products and eggs from the Vatican's menu, Friedrich argues, Benedict XVI could further not just his goal of reduced energy consumption worldwide, but also influence his followers to live healthier lives as a result of vegan eating habits.  (Of course, he notes, animals raised for food stand to benefit from the Vatican's shift to veganism as well.)

Your morning adorable: Puppy, meet reflection

Our hearts are only moderately heavy as we bring you this, the final Your Morning Adorable of 2009 -- because we're excited for an entirely new year full of puppies and kittens, panda cubs and elephant calves and even the occasional grouping of festively attired penguins. (If you're feeling nostalgic as the year comes to a close, be sure to check out our rundown of 2009's top 20 most adorable animals.)

Apparently, no one told this 8-week-old golden retriever puppy what a mirror is -- or perhaps they did, but the English-to-dog translation left something to be desired. At any rate, he's adorably clueless when he encounters his own reflection; we love his high-pitched barks and the way he "loses" the other puppy when he reaches the mirror's edge.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Video: paddybarnes via YouTube

Judge bars construction of controversial monkey-breeding facility in Puerto Rico

A judge has barred construction of a monkey-breeding facility in southern Puerto Rico that has pitted people seeking an economic lifeline for their poor mountain town against other residents and animal rights activists.

The decision came in a lawsuit filed by nine residents of Guayama and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They argued that Bioculture Ltd., the company planning the facility, failed to hold public hearings or submit a full environmental impact statement. Bioculture denied the allegations.

"We're not resting on our laurels," PETA spokesman Justin Goodman said Wednesday. "If Bioculture attempts to pursue this project any further, we are poised for action."

Bioculture will appeal the ruling by next week, lawyer Jorge Martinez Luciano said. He represents the Mauritius-based company seeking to build a facility that would hold at least 3,000 macaque monkeys and supply them to pharmaceutical companies for research.

Superior Court Judge Juan Frau Escudero ruled that construction permits should not have been awarded because the facility would be built on land reserved for agricultural purposes.

L.A. County officials confirm first H1N1 case in a local pet

An 8-year-old female domestic shorthair cat whose owner had a confirmed case of swine flu has also been diagnosed with the disease, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced.

The cat, who was taken to the Pico Boulevard Pet Hospital with symptoms including nasal discharge, sneezing and an occasional cough, "had spent a considerable amount of time on the owner's lap," according to a statement released Tuesday by the department. Its owner had apparently been sick for several days before the cat developed symptoms. The treating veterinarian submitted swab samples to Idexx Laboratories. Those samples tested positive for the H1N1 virus as well as a separate infection, Mycoplasma felis, and the H1N1 diagnosis was later confirmed by laboratory staff at UC Davis. The American Veterinary Medical Assn. reports that the cat is recovering.

This is the first confirmed instance of H1N1 in a local pet, although several other cats have been infected with the illness in other parts of the U.S. Earlier this month, the nation's first confirmed case of swine flu in a dog was reported in New York, and several ferrets have also been infected.  

The AVMA has stressed that reports of swine flu in pets are "not cause for panic and extreme measures," but it encourages pet owners to wash their hands regularly and consult their veterinarian should their pet show signs of illness. Symptoms of swine flu in pets, beyond the nasal discharge, sneezing and coughing present in the recently infected cat, may include lethargy, loss of appetite, changes in breathing and fever.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Judge rules in favor of Ringling Bros. in case alleging abuse of circus elephants

A federal judge Wednesday ruled in favor of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in a case brought by animal rights activists who accused the circus of abusing elephants.

In Washington, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider and the Animal Protection Institute did not have legal standing to sue the circus, owned by Feld Entertainment Inc. Rider and the animal protection group brought the lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act.

During the six-week trial in February and March, the attorney for the animal rights groups asked the judge to stop the circus from harming the elephants during performances and punishing them for bad behavior. They alleged that the use of bullhooks and prolonged chaining violated the federal law.

Feld Entertainment argued that the animals are not hurt and that the instruments are necessary to keep the pachyderms under control and protect public safety.

At the time, the judge expressed some reluctance to police circus methods and asked how the prods and chains are different from spurs used on horses and whips with tigers.

Texas company at center of exotic-animals neglect probe puts blame on undercover PETA investigator

Attorneys for a Texas exotic-animal dealer have accused an employee of intentionally neglecting animals to further his work as an undercover investigator for an animal rights group.

Howard Goldman could have done more to provide food, water and care for the animals that he said were being mistreated, said Lance Evans, an attorney for Jasen and Vanessa Shaw, the owners of U.S. Global Exotics.

Instead, Goldman secretly took photos and made daily reports to send to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Evans said.

"He was more concerned about helping PETA achieve its goal of putting U.S. Global out of business than actually aiding any animals that he felt were in distress," Evans said. Goldman worked at the Arlington facility for seven months.

During that time, he did all he could to help the animals, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement e-mailed to the Associated Press. She accused U.S. Global Exotics of trying "to pin the blame for a litany of horrors on the one person who actually cared about the animals."

Connecticut foster program provides pet care for hospitalized owners, domestic violence victims

Plenty of people come to the Branford Animal Shelter near New Haven, Conn., to surrender pets, but director Laura Burban still recalls one particular woman who gave up her dog.

The woman said she was being abused by her husband, as were her two children and their dog. Finally deciding to leave him, she had nowhere for her pet to go.

"She was facing the devastation of not only leaving her abuser and home, but losing her dog as well. She may have also had to live in a shelter for a while, and she couldn't take the dog there," Burban said.

The family pet is often an overlooked victim of domestic violence and family crises.

But it's a dilemma Annie Chittenden is trying to eliminate with a new foster program called CT SafePet, which provides temporary care for pets of people facing crisis situations or long-term hospital stays. There is currently no other initiative like it in Connecticut, though other states have their own versions.

More California Chihuahuas to be transported out of state for adoption in response to shelter glut

A local organization plans to transport 35 Chihuahuas  to new adoptive homes in Colorado this week. It's an increasingly popular solution to the overabundance of Chihuahuas in California animal shelters.

SpcaLA, a private rescue organization that operates adoption centers in Long Beach and Hawthorne, is the latest group to move adoptable Chihuahuas to other parts of the country where there are fewer small dogs to be found in animal shelters. 

Actress Katharine Heigl's foundation recently arranged the transport of nearly 70 Chihuahuas to a New Hampshire humane society, which found new homes for each of them almost immediately.

SpcaLA was able to afford to move the dogs thanks to a private donor, Leslie Capin, who recently won $1 million in Paw Nation's Cutest Dog Competition and decided to use the money to help pets in need.  Pet Airways, the animals-only airline that launched earlier this year, offered a discounted fare.  Their flight is scheduled to depart Thursday morning from Hawthorne Municipal Airport. A Denver-based rescue organization will arrange for them to be adopted in Colorado, where shelters are crammed with larger dogs but few small ones are available for adoption. 

What to get for the dog who has everything: A combination mustache-ball

Public service announcement: This product exists.

Brought to you by the comic geniuses at Moody Pet (a company whose product line also includes the Humunga Tongue and a battery-operated cat toy it describes as a "lean, mean string-flinging machine"), the Humunga Stache is pretty much just what it looks like: A dog toy with a giant mustache attached.

A "muttstache," if you will.  (Sorry, we had to.)

While the image of a cartoonishly mustachioed canine is likely to haunt our personal dreams for some time to come, apparently some pet owners actually like the idea enough to shell out $12 for a Humunga Stache (or $10 apiece, if they buy two or more).

Paw Nation blogger CJ Arabia, who just had to try this bizarre item for herself, offers a word of warning to would-be purchasers, though.  "In theory, your dog will hold the ball in his mouth, giving off the appearance of a handlebar [mustache]," she wrote in her recent product review. "In actuality, my dog never picked it up in her mouth like the dog in the advertisement. Note: The toy is very heavy and best-suited for larger dogs -- my smaller dog couldn't fit it in her mouth!"

The Year in Cute: 2009's 20 most adorable animals

Regular readers of L.A. Unleashed may be familiar with our addiction to adorableness and, in a related note, with our regular feature, Your Morning Adorable. (Naysayers and grumps may scoff, but we ask you: What better way is there to ensure a great day than by starting it off with a photo or video of an adorable animal? We can't think of one, and that's including coffee.) That being the case, we don't mind telling you that we've looked at a lot of adorable animals this year. We took this year-end opportunity to remember 20 of our top favorites; without further ado, here they are:

#20: White tiger cub drinks from a bottle
Aschersleben Zoo, Germany

This little fellow, born at Germany's Aschersleben Zoo this past spring, might have a milk mustache -- but how could you tell? 

Contrary to popular belief, white tigers (like those seen in magic shows protested by PETA) aren't albinos; instead, they have a genetic condition that affects the pigment in their fur, causing it to be light-colored rather than the typical orange. 

White tigers do have stripes -- obvious ones, like those you see on this cub, or sometimes so light in color as to virtually disappear. But they're there; we promise. (A true albino tiger wouldn't have any stripes at all, but, if you'll pardon the pun, that's a horse of a different color.)

See more photos of this thirsty fellow in our June 5 installment of Your Morning Adorable.

Marine mammal mystery: Sea lions disappear from San Francisco's Pier 39

SAN FRANCISCO — Last month, marine scientists counted more than 1,500 sea lions on fabled Pier 39, a record number that delighted tourists and baffled experts. Why so many?  Why were they sticking around?  But now, almost all of the sea lions are gone, leaving the experts guessing where they went -- and why.

"Most likely, they left chasing a food source," said Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, which runs an information center and gift shop at Pier 39. "It's probably what kept them here in the first place."

On Tuesday, 10 sea lions lounged and swam and dived from the docks, spreading themselves out where the animals were stacked three and four deep just a month ago. The bulk of the herd probably followed their favorite foods, sardines and anchovies, Boehm said.

The animals began leaving in droves the day after Thanksgiving, almost as if someone had issued an order. But Boehm said the fact that so many sea lions stayed for so long is even stranger than their disappearance.

U.K. woman calls emergency services to report a cat playing with string

If there's one thing we love in this world, it's vegan pizza -- but if there are two things we love in this world, the second is definitely non-emergency 911 call recordings.  We just can't get over our shock at the idea that someone would call an emergency line to report, say, that Burger King was out of lemonade, that McDonald's was out of Chicken McNuggets, that their spouse refused to eat dinner, that their child wouldn't stop playing video games or simply to invite a handsome police officer over for a social call.

The list of absurd non-emergencies reported to authorities doesn't stop there, though -- and sometimes even poor, unsuspecting animals are pulled into the act.  Take, for instance, the frantic 999 (the U.K.'s equivalent of 911) call released this year by police in Yorkshire, England, in which a woman begs a dispatcher to send police to help her retrieve her escaped hamster, which she says has "gone into the bathroom and it's gone down into the floorboards."  

Needless to say, Yorkshire police weren't able to spare the manpower to help extricate the rodent, but they did use the recorded call as a teaching tool to help the public learn what separates a legitimate emergency from, well, a hamster under the bathroom floorboards. Unfortunately, another Englishwoman -- this one a resident of Manchester -- didn't get the message. 

Rock climbers' haven in Angeles National Forest to remain closed in effort to protect endangered frog

Officials announced last week that a previously closed parcel of about 1,000 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest will remain closed for another year to protect the critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. Our colleague Raja Abdulrahim has the details; here's an excerpt:

Damage to the forest from the Station fire, which has increased the risk of mudslides, has made that area an even more crucial habitat for the frog, authorities said.

About 1,000 acres north of Angeles Crest Highway, including Williamson Rock, were closed in 2005 because of the presence of the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. The area included a portion of the Pacific Coast Trail, which had to be rerouted.

Officials had hoped to open the area soon, but U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Bob Blount said those plans were dashed by the Station fire.

Now that other parts of the forest are in danger of mudslides, the area around Williamson Rock could become one of the few viable habitats for the frog, which is native to parts of California and Nevada, he said.

"Williamson Rock is a wonderful rock-climbing opportunity, and as a district ranger nothing would please me more than to get one of the jewels of the forest open again," Blount said. "Unfortunately, because of the confluence of the issues, that's simply not possible."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has relocated some frogs out of the area, and officials hope to repopulate other sites in the spring, Blount said. Several agencies will review the process as officials try to balance the desire for access with the need to protect the amphibians, he said.

THERE'S MORE; READ THE REST.

Photo: A mountain yellow-legged frog in the San Gabriel Mountains. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Dog dies after fire at upscale Hollywood kennel

A fire early Saturday morning at an upscale Hollywood boarding kennel was mercifully short-lived, thanks to the quick actions of the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

The cause of the fire, which was centered in the rear mezzanine of the L.A. Dogworks building on Highland Avenue, is being investigated. Firefighters were dispatched to the kennel just after 1 a.m. Saturday, the day after Christmas, when more than 100 dogs were being kept there for the holidays. All survived the blaze, but one dog died of smoke inhalation at a veterinary facility after being evacuated.

Firefighters ventilated the roof to release heat and gases and provide clean air for the dogs, according to Erik Scott of the LAFD. 

The facility bills itself as "Los Angeles' first exclusive dog Mecca," with amenities including aromatherapy, massage therapy and hydrotherapy, as well as a flat-screen TV and bunk beds. All staff members who work directly with dogs at the facility are certified with the Pet Care Services Assn. and in first aid and CPR, according to its website.

What's better than one keyboard-playing otter? Two keyboard-playing otters, of course!

In June, we were shocked and awed by the staggering sight of an otter playing a keyboard.  Little Dua, an Asian small-clawed otter, was a resident of California's own Monterey Bay Aquarium, and his caretakers decided that he needed more excitement in his life.  The solution: Supply him with his own Yamaha keyboard and enough snacks to convince him that playing it was worth his while. 

Dua's not exactly Elton John -- heck, he can't even play Chopsticks -- but we gave him an A for effort, and watching him tickle the ivories became one of our favorite pastimes.  (Don't tell our boss.)  Imagine our delight, then, when we heard from aquarium staffer Karen Jeffries about a new keyboard-playing-otter video -- this time featuring two otters playing a duet!

These two, like Dua before them, are Asian small-clawed otters -- no coincidence, since the species is known for its manual dexterity.  (In the wild, the little guys -- and we do mean little, since the species is the smallest of all the world's otters -- use their fingers to grab prey like crabs and mussels.  But the same nimble little fingers that help them to capture dinner also come in handy when picking out notes on the keyboard.) 

Sacramento fisherman pleads not guilty to animal cruelty charges after allegedly shooting sea lion

YUBA CITY, Calif. — A Sacramento fisherman accused of shooting a sea lion in the head has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of cruelty to animals.

Larry Legans, 43, entered the plea today in a Sutter County courtroom.

Authorities say Legans fired his shotgun at the sea lion along the Sacramento River because he was tired of watching the protected animals take his fish.

The 300- to 500-pound male sea lion was spotted with a gunshot wound on a dock in Sacramento on Nov. 11. Authorities say they arrested Legans after a fisherman reported seeing him shoot the sea lion.

The animal is recovering at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where officials say its condition has stabilized. It could eventually be released back into the wild.

-- Associated Press

Photo: Rescue workers from the Marine Mammal Center try to capture the injured sea lion in Knights Landing, Calif., on Dec. 4, 2009.  Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

Nevada wild horse roundup set to begin; opponents stage protests

LAS VEGAS — The federal capture of about 2,500 wild horses from public and private lands in northern Nevada was to begin Monday amid protests the roundups are unnecessary and inhumane.

Federal officials said the roundup is needed because the 850 square miles of land is overpopulated.

Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said the agency planned to begin gathering horses Monday and taking them to Reno, where they will be fed and given immunizations.

Long-term plans call for the mustangs to be placed for adoption or sent to holding facilities in the Midwest.

Horse defenders say the use of helicopters to drive horses to corrals is inhumane and risks their injury and death. Opponents also contend winter roundups expose horses to the risk of respiratory illness.

About 30 protesters gathered Sunday at the entrance to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas, waving down motorists and holding placards.

Your morning adorable: Baby orangutan Dodi makes his debut at Germany's Dresden Zoo

Baby orangutan Dodi was a ridiculously adorable newborn (and we've got the photographic evidence to back up that assertion).  But somehow, he just seems to get cuter as he grows; he's now just over a month old and is shown here being presented to the public for the first time at his home, Germany's Dresden Zoo, this morning.

Dodi is the second offspring for his mother, Daisy; his older sister, Djasinga, is 6 years old and moved from Dresden to the Berlin Zoo last year. By all accounts, Daisy is a devoted mother, which is typical for orangutans -- wild orangs typically live with their mothers until they're about 6 or 7 years old!

RELATED:
Your morning adorable: Rescued baby orangutan in Malaysia
Sumatran orangutan Karta escapes her enclosure at Australia's Adelaide Zoo
Sumatran orangutans are imperiled by the pet trade, report finds

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Dodi sits on the back of his mother, Daisy, at the Dresden Zoo.  Credit: Matthias Hiekel / European Pressphoto Agency