Four Eared Cat

Yoda is Purrfect!

Meet Yoda the four eared cat.

A genetic abnormality gave Yoda, of Downers Grove, Ill., four ear flaps instead of two.

Ted and Valerie Rock firs saw the cat in 2006 at neighborhood bar on the South Side of Chicago before a Bear game .He was the last of his liter to be adopted that halloween season.

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The Value of a Dog's Life

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Amanda Beard Poses Nude to Help Save Animals on Fur Farms

Amanda Beard Poses Nude to Help Save Animals on Fur Farms View behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot here. Swimmer Amanda Beard might be the sexiest and most compassionate U.S. Olympic athlete of all time. Need proof? Check out the anti-fur ad that she did—naked—for PETA. Even with her busy and demanding training schedule, Amanda took the time to bare her skin to help save animals' skins. With the tagline "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin. Don't Wear Fur," Amanda posed nude to help raise awareness of the cruelty inherent in the fur industry. With Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, Amanda's ad couldn't have come at a better time. An investigation into the fur industry in China—which is where most fur originates—revealed that minks, foxes, dogs, cats, and other animals are kept in tiny wire cages in all weather extremes. In the video footage, animals were strangled or bludgeoned, and they were often still alive and struggling when workers flipped them onto their backs or hung them by their legs or tails to skin them. The cruelty of the fur industry does not end at the borders of China. Every dog, fox, rabbit, mink, and baby seal suffers immensely, whether they are killed in China, Europe, or North America. "I have seen a lot of the videos, and [it] brings me to tears," Amanda says. "What [some people] think is pretty is actually something that's very gruesome and gross." The origin of a particular fur product can't be traced, so anyone who wears any fur at all shares the blame for the horrific conditions on fur farms. The only way to prevent such unimaginable cruelty is never to wear any fur.

For More Information and to Sign a Petition, Visit PETA

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Animal Witness

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) announced that its experts will be featured in the August 24 premiere episode of a new program on Animal Planet called Animal Witness: the
Michael Vick Case. The hour-long special which will feature interviews with Dr. Melinda Merck, senior director of Veterinary Forensics for the ASPCA and Annemarie Lucas, Supervisory Special Investigator for the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement team will focus on one of the most talked-about stories of 2007 the Michael Vick case.

“The involvement of an extremely high-profile celebrity in the horrific sport of dogfighting prompted universal public outrage and condemnation,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “The ASPCA is proud to have provided its expert resources not only to the investigation of this serious case but to the evaluation and rehabilitation of the animal victims. This case will forever remain a pivotal point in the history of animal welfare in this country and the world.”

The ASPCA worked closely with federal authorities at every step of the case, first assisting in the investigation itself through the forensic examinations by Dr. Merck, and later when Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, C.A.A.B. and executive vice president of ASPCA Programs, led a team of several Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (trained animal behavior experts who have been certified by the Animal Behavior Society) in the behavior evaluations of the seized dogs.

The episode is scheduled to air Sunday, August 24 at 10 p.m. local time. For more information on the ASPCA’s fight against animal cruelty, please visit www.fightcruelty.org.

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