WebClawer: Around the web in animal news 1/25/09

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From (deceased) cats to (possibly criminal) goats to a Dalmatian of impressive athleticism and panache, it’s quite a day for animal news:

-- A Washington state senator has proposed legislation that would allow Washington residents to be buried with their pets. Sen. Ken Jacobsen says that when he dies, he wants to buried with his cat, Sam (who is already deceased), and argues that he and other pet-lovers should have that right. (Burial with a pet is currently only legal in the state of Florida.) ‘I’m tired of the nanny state worrying about me and my cat...I assume there’s a lot of people out there with pets who understand the connection,’ said Jacobsen. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

-- Police reform activists in Nigeria are condemning the recent arrest of a goat on suspicion of attempted armed robbery. Vigilantes brought the goat to police, saying it had attempted the crime in human form and then used witchcraft to change into a goat in order to avoid capture. Many Nigerian police officers are poorly educated, one reform activist tells the BBC. ‘There are officers who don’t even have a secondary school education, and the police have a big job to do in finding these people and getting rid of them.’ (BBC News)

-- A Dalmatian named Dotty (natch) can ride a bicycle better than we can! The canine cyclist got his big break recently on a Japanese game show. (Daily Mail)

-- PETA has asked the NFL to subject former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick ‘to a psychological test as well as an MRI brain scan like the one now in use at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in order to look for evidence of clinical psychopathy or anti-social personality disorder.’ The group says the results of such testing would help to determine if Vick can reform following his well-documented record of dog abuse. (Agence France-Presse)

-- The reward for information about the dog found suffocated and set afire inside a bag in a Long Beach park continues to grow, buoyed by pledges from groups such as Friends of Long Beach Animals. ‘We’re confident we’ll solve this case,’ says Animal Care Services Manager John Keisler. (Long Beach Report)

--Lindsay Barnett

Photo: PETA protesters hold signs as they protest the Michael Vick hearing outside the Sussex County Courthouse in Sussex, Va. last November. Credit: Steve Helber / Associated Press.