My husband, Tim, thinks that I'm rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series because he's a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan (i.e., Yankee hater). It's fine with me if I get extra points for rooting "against" the Yankees, but I'm really rooting for the Phillies because of second baseman Chase Utley.

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Chase and his wife, Jen, are huge advocates for animals. They've participated in "Save a Pet at the Park," and they organized the Utley's All-Star Animals fundraisers, which raised more than $200,000 for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Even if the Phillies don't win this year's World Series, Chase Utley has already proven he's top dog when it comes to caring about companion animals.

Posted by Karin Bennett

PETA's headquarters in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is well known to local residents, many of whom volunteer to help animals in their spare time. Thousands in the area have taken advantage of our low-cost animal clinics and the Bea Arthur Dog Park, which is open to the community.

But every once in a while, someone visits PETA headquarters with ill intentions—like the guy who dumped this sweet, starving, nearly-naked bag of bones in our parking lot late one August night and then tried to drive away.

Not realizing that people were watching, the driver shoved an ailing cat, who has since been named Nadia, out of his car, and ignored the terrified and confused animal as she tried to get back into the car, running after it as the man drove away. Fortunately, he was spotted by two PETA Foundation staffers who immediately approached him and saw right through his lame excuses for dumping Nadia on the street.

It took us more than 10 days, during which time the temperature soared to more than 100 degrees, to catch the poor, petrified cat. When we finally did, we rushed her to a veterinarian, who determined that Nadia was 3 pounds (!) underweight—she weighed just 5 pounds—and that she was missing hair on more than half her body, likely because of a severe allergic reaction to fleas. Nadia has been recuperating in foster care ever since and is waiting for her new forever home.

As for the heinous man who attempted to abandon her, he had his moment in court on Friday. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of abandonment and received a suspended sentence of a $1,000 fine and five days in jail. He was also sentenced to two years of probation, during which time he cannot own or keep any animals, and he had to pay restitution to PETA. Most importantly, he learned that abandoning an animal is never an option, no matter the circumstances.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Oh, reality TV stars, will you never learn? Jon and Kate Gosselin—who don't exactly have a stellar record when it comes to animal companions—have allowed their marital disputes to affect their family, and I'm not talking about their eight kids.

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Jon has packed up the family's dogs and is returning them to their breeder.

Returning them—like taking a sweater back to the mall.

Jon claims that Kate doesn't take care of Shoka and Nala when it's her turn to look after the family, saying, "It's not fair to the dogs to not be wanted in their own home."

We can agree with him on that. It's also not fair to buy dogs from breeders when millions are sitting in animal shelters waiting for homes. And it's not fair to dump your dogs when they've outgrown their puppy cuteness and are becoming a tad inconvenient. Dogs aren't disposable.

If you aren't going to be able to provide an animal with a home forever, you shouldn't get an animal in the first place.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Remember when Al Roker suggested to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt that there are some people who believe that they just might be "everything that is wrong with celebrity in this country"?

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It looks like the dreaded "Speidi" are proving Mr. Roker's point for him. Much like other famous airheads, "Speidi" have shown their total disregard for the plight of homeless animals by buying themselves a "designer dog."

When the duo first expressed an interest in adding a canine member to their family, PETA sent them a letter clueing them in to the importance of adopting dogs and cats from shelters—but, apparently, Heidi and Spencer are too caught up in themselves to care about the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats who are turned over to animal shelters every year.

We probably shouldn't be surprised, though. Here's a question for you: What happened to Bella the Chihuahua?

Posted by Amanda Schinke

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Worried about what will happen to Rover when the Rapture comes? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets has you covered.

Evangelical Christians who want to ascend to heaven during the Rapture—but who worry about leaving their heathen hounds and hamsters behind—can now rest easy. For a mere $110, this company of animal-loving atheists and "certified sinners" (how often can you use that on a résumé?) promises to "step in when you step up to Jesus."

Personally, I don't see the necessity of this service, because in my world, all dogs go to heaven.

Also, I'll be damned if I'm going anywhere without my dog, Henry. But that's just me.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

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I'm having a hard time typing this with a straight face, but scientists at the University of Vienna have recently released a study claiming that, in the words of a news article, "living with humans has taught dogs morals." Apparently, the researchers attribute dogs' sense of "fairness" to their contact with humans.

Are they drinking from their lab-bench pipettes again? I mean, don't you always think of dogs as exemplifying the finest attributes we look for in humans? Loyalty, love, and—of course—fairness … aren't these qualities we can all learn from dogs? With all the human injustices—the wars, rapes, pillaging, cutting other people off in traffic, etc.—it seems a bit grandiose to claim that dogs learned their sense of fairness from us.

Consider this news story from Argentina: A 14-year-old girl abandoned her newborn baby outdoors, in winter, in the middle of the night. When the baby was found, she was being kept safe and warm—not by the human being who left her to die or by any other human but by a dog.

The dog, China, was keeping the baby girl safe among her own puppies and, perhaps seeing that she was weirdly hairless, had even covered her with a rag! Authorities theorize that China found the baby outdoors and carried her back inside. If not for China, the baby would have died unprotected against the cold outside.

So let me get this straight—who should learn from whom here?

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Still looking for that perfect swimsuit but don't want your hard-earned bucks going to a company that hurts animals in the name of fashion? Meet Ashley Paige: bikini designer, animal rescuer, and founder of Ruff Houzen Rescue.

This down-to-Earth designer is taking the swimsuit world by storm with her creations. Her designs are highly sought after by celebrities and have graced the cover of the much coveted Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Ashley also has her own reality show, Bikini or Bust, which airs Saturdays at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on TLC and gives fashion fans an intoxicating glimpse into her world of design, business, family, and, you guessed it, her love for animals! To ensure that Bikini or Bust gets picked up for a second season, you can e-mail the network at viewer_relations@discovery.com or fill out their Web form here.

See for yourself just how fab Ashley is. Check out the interview that she just did with PETA. Here she is in her own words.

As a fur-free fashion designer, what do you think of designers who continue to work with fur—sometimes even on bikinis?
They truly disgust me.

What has been the best part about running Ruff Houzen, your animal rescue group? Has there been a particularly memorable rescue? When people who have adopted animals from me and bring them by to visit, it's so adorable that I can't help but think back to when I first rescued them. Sometimes it makes me cry. I'm "sensitive," I'm year of the dog. I have so many memorable stories, here's two:

Memorable story 1
One day my boyfriend was coming down hard on me for bringing too many strays home. Later that same day he called and said, "I just spent the last hour chasing a little 'mangy' mutt all over Sunset Blvd." I laughed and said, "Well, did you catch him?" and he said, "Yes, he's sitting in my lap!" Funny how passion persuades!!!

Memorable story 2
So I eventually got a new boyfriend, who was much more supportive of my love for rescuing animals. He also happens to be year of the dog, like me. One morning, a little stray dog decided to play chase with us in the center divider line during rush hour morning traffic. I was in a bikini and Alek was wearing only his underwear. After we managed to catch the little "wild" dog, we slowly let traffic continue and thanked everyone for stopping. One woman rolled her window down and commented, "How cute!" I couldn't help but wonder if she was talking about the dog or my new boyfriend.

You say your favorite breed of dog is the mutt. Why is that?
I'm against breeding and selling animals, and puppy mills break my heart. People who showcase their purebreds to better their image are such sad, delusional people. The Mutt is humble, and I believe the world could use more humble people!

Your mom seems like such a sweet, caring woman. Did she influence your love for animals? Did your family have companion animals when you were growing up?
When I was a little girl, my mom would always bring home strays, but we lived in an abusive home where she could never keep them for long. It angered me for many reasons, and I would always tell myself, when I grow up, I'm going to have a house full of animals that need a loving home. And I did!

What animals do you share your home with now?
I have 8 dogs and 2 cats, but it fluctuates, between successful adoptions and "rescued newbies." My permanent guests include a Pit/Wiener dog mix named Petunia, a Senior Shepherd named Cali, a Wiener dog named "The Flying Peeing Weiner," and a feral cat that lives under my bed named Crazy Eyes!

What advice would you give to somebody who's looking to adopt a dog?
Adopt two! Haha, no really, it's usually much easier for both you and your rescues. Remember, dogs like to be in a pack and they get lonely when you're not around. Just make sure you're the pack leader!

Do you frequent any of the vegetarian restaurants in L.A.? Have any favorites?
There's a great little Thai vegan restaurant right by my shop named the Vegan House on Wilcox. They even make vegan sushi, one of my favorites. And my boyfriend likes Real Food Daily on La Cienega, which specializes in raw.

We love Bikini or Bust. Can you tell us what's coming up on the show?
The final episode is me having to choose between a corporate apparel job or sticking it out at "my little company that could." I announce my decision during pet adoptions in my store. You guys probably could guess the answer … but make sure to tune in.

What are your ideas for next season?
I am praying for a second season, but the new president has not given us a green light yet. I know how important it is to stay on the "boob tube" as long as possible, for the animals. If we do get it, you bet there will be a great anti-fur demonstration in NYC during Fashion Week, lots of dramatic animal rescue, and probably some friendly fashion thrown in there somewhere. Oh—and as for mom, she's planning a cross country road trip with Spring Louisee to pick up maw and paw paw to bring them out to California. So let's do the math, 5 people, 8-10 dogs, 2-5 cats, and hopefully a camera crew of about 30.

Ashley often uses the spotlight to draw attention to animal rescue. In fact, this Saturday's episode of Bikini or Bust is all about the canines! We'll definitely be tuning in for some puppy love—and you should too! Don't forget to catch the show and let TLC know that this compassionate show deserves a spot on television.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

An Excerpt From "Grooming Sounds Grand Until Bowser Gets Baked" (From KP's Dog Blog)

Little Miss came away from her grooming appointment with a broken tail.

Many people saw the grooming exposé "Pet Grooming Dangers," on the Today show on August 1, which was prompted by the grooming death of Sushi, the 2-year-old Labrador retriever of one of the Today show's employees. Sushi had been left for a week at a boarding facility and was supposed to get a bath before being picked up. When her guardian, Amanda, arrived to pick her up, instead of the thrill of a joyful reunion, she experienced the horror of learning that Sushi was unconscious. Not long after that, Sushi died at the vet's. Later it was determined that Sushi had been put inside a "cage dryer" for 30 minutes with the temperature set at 100°F.

I took one look at those dryers in the Today piece and shuddered. I couldn't believe my ears as I watched person after person, including someone from The Humane Society of the United States repeat some version of the mantra, "These cage dryers are safe if used properly."

Excuse me? First of all, the cage dryer has a setting that goes up to 100°F, so it has a built-in setting for death. Secondly, machines malfunction. A groomer might think that the dryer was set at 80°F, but in reality, it might go haywire and shoot up to 100°F or even 135°F. Thirdly, there are many dogs who, for various reasons, are automatically going to be at high risk inside one of these contraptions. These include dogs with flat muzzles, older dogs, dogs with heart problems, dogs with respiratory problems, etc. Finally, the dryers are run by mere mortals, who work for a largely unregulated industry. On any given day, a person can be distracted, tired, hung over, ill, depressed, or just plain stupid—any of which could cause a careless mistake, leading to tragedy…

Read the full entry on KP's Dog Blog.