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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.

The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, some 560 kilometers (348 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.

"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female. read more...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A hound mix named Trucker has survived having two long nails driven into his skull by his owner, according to Kansas City TV station KMBC.

The nails were driven into his head with a hammer, according to KYTV in Springfield. The nails just missed the dog's brain and major nerves. Veterinarians were able to remove the nails, but Trucker will be blind in one eye and deaf.

Dr. Robin Toner, an emergency veterinarian, said it is the worst case of animal abuse that the workers have seen. One nail was allegedly driven into the dog's skull, and another was hammered into his cheekbone, KYTV reported.  more...

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- When is a dog not a dog?
 
When it's a greyhound in Kansas.

It may sound like a punchline to a joke, but it's true. Two years after the Parimutuel Racing Act was passed in Kansas, the law protecting pets in the state was changed to exclude greyhounds from the designation of dog.

"A greyhound ought to be a dog in the state of Kansas," said Kevin Neuman, of Overland Park.

Neuman and his wife, Sherri, have fostered and adopted greyhounds for 11 years. They are also active in a greyhound placement organization for retired racers.

"We fell in love with the breed. They're definitely a dog . They're a great dog," Neuman said.

Monday, he went to Topeka to try to change the law.

The National Greyhound Association, based in Abilene, Kan., disagrees. The executive director called the change unnecessary and said greyhounds aren't bred for pets, and therefore, shouldn't fall under pet protection laws. keep reading...

I received this message from my friend Jessica…

Please, everyone! Take Action! www.nochancearkansas.org

DAVIS, Calif. -- The animal research department at the University of California, Davis, is under fire after seven monkeys were killed over the weekend.

The university said the deaths were caused by a problem with a heating and air conditioning system. They said the system got stuck on heat, and that before anybody realized something was wrong, most of the monkeys were already dead.

UC Davis officials said the monkeys' deaths have saddened the entire research staff. The director of the UC Davis Primate Center, Dallas Hyde, said the monkeys were left unattended overnight inside a temporary housing facility on campus.

Officials said the temperatures inside the room reached 115 degrees. The monkeys' water ran out, and seven of the eight that were in the room died of dehydration.

"I'm heartbroken over this, that we lost these animals. But it's not just their death; it's the way they suffered while they died," Hyde said. more...

THE COLONY, Texas -- A Texas man has been arrested after police say he taped the muzzle of his brother's dog shut -- and the dog died.

The 1-year-old black Labrador retriever -- named Bull -- was euthanized after suffering from heat stroke.

Police said Richard Swift of The Colony, near Dallas, taped the dog's muzzle shut last week to stop him from barking so he could sleep.

Swift was arrested two days later on a felony animal cruelty charge. He's free on bond. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

An official with the SPCA of Texas told The Dallas Morning News that the taped muzzle kept the dog from panting. Panting allows dogs to cool down, since they don't sweat like humans. full story...

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Six puppies were killed, apparently by fireworks placed in their mouths, shortly after teenage boys were seen carrying Roman candles in a north Tulsa neighborhood.

Animal control officers said they were following leads Tuesday but had no suspects in Sunday night's attacks, during which one person told police they heard a puppy yelp.

more...

At age 51, Badger, the oldest horse in the world, may have expected to live his golden years in green pastures.

Unfortunately, his keepers kept him in such sqaulor that he was neally starved to death.

Four months aga Jullianne Aston, founder of the Veteran Horse Society, rescued him. "Badger was in an awful state, disgusting. When we first saw him he looked similar to a greyhound. His age didn't warrant that sort of condition... read on from Ananova...

Michigan Humane Society Investigators spent Friday searching for dogs that may have been left out in the bitter cold, WDIV Channel 4 reports.

Investigators had already found one dog dead from exposure when they found a rottweiler chained to car inside an uninsulated garage.

After investigators spoke with the homeowner's daughter, she attempted to bring the dog indoors, but it snapped at her. At that point, investigators decided to seize the dog and bring it to the warm shelter.

Experts advise not to use blankets for dog beds as they retain water and freeze. They recommend hay or straw in dog houses at least 4 inches off the ground.

Read more from WDIV Channel 4...

Constrained in small concrete cages, bears in Japan's Bear Parks are left hungry and exposed most of the day and are encouraged to fight by tourists that throw food at them.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals and ALIVE, a Japanese animal welfare group have been investigating the situation for over 12 years.

more from Ananova...

51 year old Valerie Archer or Norfolk, England kept 74 animals in the 3-bedroom farm house she shares with her brother and sister.

After being convicted of over 13 separate charges f animal abuse, her rights to keep animals, as well as her siblings, have been stripped for life.

more from Ananova...

Editor's Note: This article is extremely disturbing. Please be advised.

Japanese fishermen have previously been successful in concealing the brutal massacre of dolphins near their shores.

That was until Animal Activists camped out on cliffs for weeks to catch the slaughter on tape.

Because the fishermen lure the dolphins into shore side coves, they are not protected under international regulations. Japan is one of the few fishing nations that still support the killing of whales and dolphins. more...

This 4 month old Australian Blue Heeler pup named "Aussie" was badly beaten in a Dearborn neighborhood on August 26th.

Follow Up: Anonymous witnesses have reported that it was a group of "kids" that beat up poor Aussie. Investigators still need those witnesses to come forward to testify.

Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter is offering the reward.

Think she's cute in the picture? Click here to read a little more from WDIV Channel 4 and see a video!

The RSPCA and ISPCA are mounting a joint investigation on a shipment of greyhounds bought in Ireland and then trucked & ferried 18 hours to Spain. view footage of the investigation

Cages were too small preventing the dogs from completely standing and each contained two dogs so only one could lay down at a time. Temperatures reached 104 degrees in the cages.

Only one water break was taken on the entire trip, and only four of the 40 were taken out of their cages for exercise.

The Irish Ferries' company guidelines prevents cats and dogs transported for commercial purposes from being checked during the duration of the journey. The owner of the Irish Ferries was unavailable for comment.

more form Ananova...

editor's note: ACTION = REACTION! I have included links to the transportation company above. Write them and demand change!

An American soldier resqued a German Shepard from the hands of a few Iraqis. He found them beating the dog and dragging it by a wire.

The soldier, who happens to be a veterinarian, cared for the dog at camp, and then spent $1,500 of his own money to fly the dog to the care of a friend in Michigan.

When the soldier returns, he will bring the dog home with him to Texas. BRAVO!  WDIV Channel 4