Siberian tiger, once shot by Vladimir Putin, goes missing despite tracking collar

A rare Siberian tiger fitted by Vladimir Putin with a radio-tracking collar has vanished, a Russian environmentalist said Wednesday, dramatizing the plight of a species some conservationists fear may be approaching extinction.

Russia's prime minister drew worldwide publicity in 2008 when he shot the five-year-old female tiger with a tranquilizer gun and helped place a transmitter around her neck. That allowed visitors to his Web site to follow the animal's prowlings through Russia's wild Far East. A video of the episode is on YouTube.

But the satellite tracking device has been silent since mid-September, which could be due to battery failure, a broken collar or poachers, Vladimir Krever of the World Wildlife Fund said Wednesday.

Tigers are rapidly disappearing from the far-eastern regions of Russian due to poaching and the loss of habitat, conservationists say.

 Their number may have declined by 40 per cent since 1997, the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a report released Tuesday, although another major conservation group, the World Wildlife Fund, disputed the figure.

Uga VII, University of Georgia's bulldog mascot, dies

Uga VII, the white English bulldog mascot for the University of Georgia's football team for almost two seasons, died Thursday of heart-related causes, the dog's owner said.

The 56-pound dog, nicknamed "Loran's Best," was known as a laid-back mascot who seemed oblivious to crowd noise during boisterous games and would sit patiently as excited fans snapped photos of him. He often roamed the sidelines in a shirt with a "G" stitched on it, sometimes resting on a bag of ice to cool off in his customized doghouse.

The school said that there would be no mascot at Saturday's game in Athens against Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky, but that a wreath would be laid on Uga VII's doghouse on the field's sidelines. Sonny Seiler, the dog's owner, said he probably wouldn't name a replacement until next year.

"We are all in a state of shock," Seiler said in a news release issued by the university. "We had no warning whatsoever."

Joe Namath's Labrador retriever deemed 'dangerous'

Hall of fame quarterback Joe Namath had a lot of luck on the gridiron, on the singles scene and in the media spotlight, but he's not having the best of luck with his 6-year-old Labrador retriever, Leo.

Seems Leo likes to bite, allegedly. Or is Stella, Namath's Weimaraner, actually the bad dog?

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officials suggest that one or both of the dogs were mixed up in four separate attacks.

The four complaints have come from: a delivery driver; a contractor, who was working on the Namath residence in West Palm Beach when he was allegedly bitten; a home healthcare nurse, who knocked on the wrong door and was greeted by one of the dogs; and, most recently, an irrigation tech, who claims both dogs sank their teeth into him.

But alas, only poor Leo has been deemed "dangerous" so far, by a special magistrate. The punishment? The Sun-Sentinel reports that "the dog is not allowed outside without a muzzle and a leash and must be handled at all times, even in his own yard. The dog is only allowed to be without a leash and muzzle if he is in a kennel."

-- Tony Pierce

Photo: File photo of Joe Namath when he played for the Los Angeles Rams during a Rams game at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, in 1977. Credit: Allsport USA / Allsport

'Twilight' actress Rachelle Lefevre films PSA for Best Friends Animal Society

If you've been paying much attention to pop culture over the past few years, you have at least a passing familiarity with the juggernaut that is the "Twilight" series. "Twilight," first a widely popular-among-the-teens series of fantasy novels by author Stephenie Meyer, is now becoming an equally popular-among-the-teens series of movies (a sequel to last year's "Twilight," the film version of Meyer's first book, is due out later this year).  What's a media-savvy pet-rescue group to do?

For Best Friends Animal Society, the answer was simple: Film a public service announcement with one the young stars of "Twilight," urging viewers to adopt a needy animal rather than purchase from a pet store or breeder.

Enter Canadian-born actress Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Victoria in both "Twilight" and its sequel, "New Moon."  In an interview with Modern Dog magazine, Lefevre explained that, when she and her boyfriend decided to bring home a dog of her own, they "wanted to get a rescue. That was non-negotiable."  (We can't say we're into the whole vampire-movie phenomenon, but we give Lefevre major bonus points for that!)  Now, she told Modern Dog, when she's not with her beloved pet, "my heart hurts."  

Here's hoping Lefevre's pro-rescue PSA will help convince a new generation -- might we call it the Robert Pattinson generation? -- to remember homeless animals when looking for their new pets.  

RELATED:
New ad campaign aims to dispel myths about shelter pets

-- Lindsay Barnett

Video: Best Friends Animal Society

Simon Cowell: Big old softie? The 'American Idol' judge makes a hefty donation to dogs in need

The rescue-dog residents of Linda Blair's Acton-based WorldHeart Foundation recently got a big boost in the form of a $30,000 donation from none other than "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell.  According to ContactMusic, Cowell learned from a mutual friend that Blair's shelter was having financial problems and quickly pitched in to aid the nonprofit, which rescues and re-homes needy dogs including many often considered hard to place, like pit bulls and pit mixes.

"I think what Linda is doing is incredible," Cowell was quoted as saying in the ContactMusic story. "Seeing pictures of the dogs makes you [realize] what a fantastic job she's doing. When we spoke, I was really impressed by her passion and commitment, and offered to help her out financially."

It's not the first time Cowell has defied his mean-guy image by helping animals; last month, he spoke at a gala fundraising event for the U.K.'s Battersea Dogs' & Cats' Home (pictured above), and earlier this year he recorded a public service announcement on the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars for PETA.  Let's review what we've learned: Simon's no friend to would-be singing stars he deems unworthy or untalented, but a friend indeed to homeless and endangered pets.  We suppose we can live with that. 

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Cowell speaks at a September fundraiser for the Battersea Dogs' & Cats' Home at London's Royal Opera House.  Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images

Boomer, a Landseer Newfoundland, is a 7-foot-long dog (and he may be the world's tallest)

When Gibson, a harlequin Great Dane and the world's tallest dog, died in August after a short battle with osteosarcoma, he left behind a void not just in his owner's life, but in the Guinness World Records book as well.

Boomer, a 3-year-old Landseer Newfoundland (Newfoundland is his breed, which hails from the Canadian island of the same name, and Landseer refers to his black-and-white markings), is here to fill that second void. Boomer measures 36 inches tall at the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades where dogs and horses are measured for height) -- a bit smaller than Gibson's 42.2 inches -- and 7 feet long from nose to tail tip. 

Even for a Newfoundland, one of the largest dog breeds around, Boomer is big. (According to the Newfoundland's AKC breed standard, 28 inches is an average height for males. And Boomer weighs more than the typical Newf too, tipping the scales at 180 pounds, with the average weight for males ranging from 130 to 150 pounds.) "He comes into the house and his tail is so high everything gets knocked around," his owner, Caryn Weber of eastern North Dakota, told the Associated Press. 

As evidenced by the above photo, Boomer is big enough to drink from Weber's kitchen faucet without having to stretch or stand on his hind legs. (Note to self: This is one reason we might want to stick with small-to-medium-sized dogs.)  And a 20-pound supply of dog food lasts just a few weeks, Weber said.  

Playboy pets Charlie and Ambrocious are the new dogs in town

Some might call them the luckiest dogs in the world. Say hello to the Playboy pets.

Hugh Hefner split about a year ago from former girlfriends Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, who starred in the E! reality show "The Girls Next Door."  Since then, he's ... erm ... befriended three new blond-bombshell girlfriends, Crystal Harris and twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon, who are the show's new stars.  And with Hef's new set of girlfriends come a new pair of puppies.

Not content with sitting still on the couch with Hefner and his lovely ladies, Crystal Harris' new pooch, Charlie, sniffed around the Playboy Mansion library last week during our interview. You can see him roaming around the set during the filming of The Times' interview with the new "Girls Next Door" costars, which is shown above.

"Charlie wants to work behind the camera," Hefner quipped.

"That's his calling," joked Karissa Shannon, while twin sister Kristina stroked the fluffy ear of their dark-furred rescue dog, Ambrocious. (Note the unusual spelling, which we confirmed thanks to the mansion dogs' MySpace page.)

Ozzy Osbourne donates K-9 to Muncie, Ind., police department

When the Muncie, Ind., police department decided to retire one of its K-9 police dogs, it was left with a dilemma: A pressing need for a new K-9, but no funds with which to pay for one.  Enter...Ozzy Osbourne?

The rock star's 23-year-old son, Jack, had briefly worked with the Muncie police department while filming a little-loved and easily-forgotten TV show called "Armed and Famous."  (The show featured celebrities, including La Toya Jackson and Erik Estrada in addition to the younger Osbourne, training to become reserve officers for the Muncie P.D.) 

Only four episodes aired before "Armed and Famous" was unceremoniously canceled, but Osbourne had continued a friendly relationship with Sgt. Jay Turner of the Muncie P.D.  When it came time to retire the less-than-creatively-named Rover, a 13-year-old German shepherd dog who had served the police department for about nine years, Turner thought of Jack.  

Once he floated the idea of the elder Osbourne (whose history with animals is certainly spotty, but whose love of dogs has been well-documented) paying for a new dog -- to the tune of $10,000 -- Jack leapt at the idea, Turner said.  "There was no hesitation. He talked to [Ozzy] and called me back in 10 minutes and it was a done deal," the sergeant told Muncie's Star Press newspaper.  "[Jack] said, 'You guys have a new dog.' "  The new K-9, which the department says it will name Ozzy, is currently being trained at a Denver kennel.  Osbourne's generous donation will pay for Ozzy's purchase, and a separate group plans to raise funds to cover food, veterinary costs and other expenses, in order to keep taxpayer dollars from being spent on the animal.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Ozzy Osbourne with one of his own dogs, Lilly, at his Beverly Hills home in 2006.  Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 49: Video of Heidi as the 'Mean Dog'

In a previous chapter, you read about Heidi's first "webisode" role as the "Mean Dog" for the Web series "Sir Glen of Glenwood" -- starring Glen Poehlman as a middle-aged man who thinks he's a brave knight living in the Middle Ages, doing good deeds in the 'hood -- for Performing Arts Studio West, which trains and manages the careers of actors with developmental disabilities. The series will launch on the PASW website this fall (Heidi will keep you posted). 

In this chapter, the dog and I are excited to present not one but two "Sir Glen" videos: The first (above) features Heidi in her brief but moving role in the series' opening credits. The second (watch it on the next page) is a special video PASW created for its first dog star: "Behind the Scenes With Heidi the Dog."

'Jon & Kate Plus 8' star Jon Gosselin returns dogs Shoka and Nala to their breeder, blames Kate

It was just a few months ago that Jon Gosselin, embattled star of the reality series "Jon & Kate Plus 8," had to defend himself against accusations that the Gosselin family's two German shepherd dogs, Shoka and Nala, were abused. 

The trouble started when Gosselin, apparently intending to compliment the dogs on their easygoing attitude with the eight children he shares with now-estranged wife Kate, told People magazine that the children "beat them up, climb on them, pull their tails, bite at them, drag them around and everything you can imagine not to do to an animal, they've done."

In short order, animal lovers from around the country began bombarding Gosselin's local humane society with complaints.  Gosselin later issued a statement that said in part, "We understand the responsibilities of being good dog owners. Whenever my kids are with Shoka and Nala, everyone is carefully supervised to ensure that no one -- dog or child -- is injured. Shoka and Nala are loyal companions who we consider members of our family."

But now even that last part -- the sentence that refers to the dogs as "members of our family" -- is in doubt.  Gossip website RadarOnline is reporting that Gosselin has given Shoka and Nala back to their breeder, apparently indefinitely.