thewe / CC

Two years ago in Bangalore, a man named Vijay took a shine to one of India's numerous needy, homeless dogs. Vijay named the dog Johny and started feeding and caring for him. Johny quickly became a popular member of the neighborhood.

Little did Vijay know that his good deed was destined to lead to another.

When a thief snatched jewelry from a woman who was walking down Johny's street, it was Johny to the rescue! Johny chased the man down, caught him by the pants, and refused to the let the man go until police arrived and arrested the bandit.

With the perp in custody and the jewelry returned to its rightful owner, Johny has been promoted from favorite neighborhood dog to local hero, which just goes to show how a simple act of kindness keeps on giving.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

azcarpetandtilecleaning / CC

Kudos to caring California residents, including the folks at Social Compassion in Legislation, for helping to get SB 250, known as the Pet Responsibility Act, passed by the California Senate.

Introduced by state Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, SB 250 would require that nearly all dogs and free-roaming cats be spayed or neutered. (Breeders would be required to obtain permits to keep unaltered animals.) California spends $250 million every year to shelter homeless animals, many of whom are eventually euthanized.

If it passes the State Assembly, SB 250 will save lives. After Santa Cruz County enacted similar legislation, the number of euthanized animals dropped by 60 percent, so it's crucial that this legislation becomes law.

Concerned Californians—please don't wait to write a letter (calls and e-mails won't be effective at this time) to your state assemblymember in support of SB 250. Put this quick, simple task on today's "To Do" list and it can lead to a huge victory for animals on tomorrow's "Ta-da!" list.

Posted by Karin Bennett

It's officially Spring (Allie and Lis, who sit at the desks next to me, are informing me that it has, in fact, officially been Spring for, like, two weeks already — so, I dunno, sorry for the old news. I've been busy, so I only just noticed.) Anyway, for anyone who's rocking a little Spring cleaning this April, it's worth remembering that PETA accepts donations of those hideous fur coats from straight out of the '80s that seem to lurk in closets and attics everywhere, waiting for just the right time to pounce. We mark them up so they can't be resold, use them in street-theater-style demonstrations, and give them away to the homeless, making the point that only those in desperate need have any excuse to wear fur. Ain't that just philanthropic as hell? By way of an illustration, here's an image from a recent demonstration outside a Burberry store conducted by my current favorite PETA affiliate, PETA Germany.