Blog Posts by Sarah D. Bunting

The American Pet Products Association reported last week that Americans spent $50 billion on their pets in 2011 -- actually, $50.96 billion, an all-time high and an increase of more than 5 percent over the previous year.

Where'd all that money go? The single biggest pet expense is food; almost half the nation's spending on "household animals" went towards feeding the critters. Food and vet expenses together accounted for 65 percent of the total. (The $50 billion figure also includes purchases of the animals themselves, which bore a $2.13 billion price tag in 2011.)

VIDEO: Man who registered his dog to vote now faces criminal charges

But the fastest-growing category of pet expenses is "services" -- things like grooming, doggie daycares, spas, and pet hotels. Such services might seem like unnecessary luxuries in this economy, but pet owners didn't agree; the sector grew nearly 8 percent over last year. APPA president Bob Vetere said he expected similar growth or better for pet services in

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Did you know that March 1 is National Pig Day? The celebration began 40 years ago; in 1972, sisters Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave founded National Pig Day, as Rave asserted, "to accord the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place as one of man's most intellectual and domesticated animals."

So, to answer your question, no, it is not in fact an excuse to put extra bacon on that cheeseburger, but each of us celebrates in her own way, we suppose. Shine Pets honors our porcine friends with these five pop-culture factoids about pigs.

1. George Clooney's pet pig, the late Max, was purchased as a gift for his then girlfriend, Kelly Preston -- now John Travolta's wife. Max, born in 1987 (and pictured here on Clooney's Wikipedia page -- the picture is awesome), lived to nearly twenty years old, dying of natural causes in 2006 -- but not before he hitched a ride on the Travoltas' private jet; saved Clooney's life by waking him up before the Northridge earthquake in

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The American Kennel Club has released its list of most popular dogs in the United States -- and the top slot is no surprise. Labrador Retrievers once again led American registrations for the twenty-first year in a row, and German Shepherds held on in the number-two slot.

But the top-ten list did see some interesting changes, including a move into third place by the Beagle (fourth last year); a drop down to fifth place for the Yorkshire Terrier, previously in third; and the Rottweiler clambered into the top ten, taking the spot held last year by a breed that seems like its complete opposite, the Shih Tzu.

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The Rottweiler is a somewhat controversial breed; what explains its ascendancy? Well, the Rottie's been hovering near the top ten for the last decade. Adds Gina DiNardo, Assistant Vice President of the American Kennel Club, "We don't have any specific reason why [the Rottweiler] itself has cracked into the top ten, but

Read More »from Labs, Rottweilers headline the AKC's most popular breeds list

With the Oscars coming up in just a few days -- and Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" in the running (so to speak) for Best Picture -- we got to thinking about our favorite movie horses, from fictional characters like The Pie and The Black to real-life equines Phar Lap and Seabiscuit.

Who's YOUR favorite film horse? Tell us in the comments. In the meantime, check out our gallery of photos and factoids about equines on film.

The father of our country is also, according to legend, the father of the American Foxhound. George Washington bred his own hounds; knowing this, the Marquis de Lafayette – American ally during the Revolutionary War, and Washington's close friend – sent Washington several hounds. (Future president John Quincy Adams was detailed to escort them by sea from France, and got into Washington's doghouse – excuse the pun – when he ditched them in New York harbor after the ship docked.)

We can't say we blame him; the hounds were apparently so keyed up that Washington had to assign a servant to watch them during mealtimes, lest they rip each other to shreds over their food. But enough of the stock survived these combative suppers for Washington to breed them with his own hounds – and create the American Foxhound.

Washington also bred mules, sometimes using donkey stock sent to him by King Charles III of Spain.

John Adams kept, among other pets a mixed-breed dog named Satan; some sources say his Read More »from Presidential pet stories

We know that Presidents Day made this week a short one for many of you. But sometimes those short weeks can feel even longer for some reason, and you just need to take a break from work to look at cats: cats with bread on their heads, cats who give advice, cats who get picked last for kickball.

So save that spreadsheet, postpone that PowerPoint, and enjoy these seven kooky cat sites. (Warning: You may see some language on some of these sites. "Vet" them first before sharing with the kids.)

1. Nerd Cats
Whether it's sleeping in the lid of a comic-book box, playing with Star Trek: TNG's Data, wearing aqua goggles, or turning into Transformers, these cats get a little geeky -- not that there's anything wrong with that. Click the link to ask the Nerd Cats a question!

2. Ask A Tiger
Email or call/Skype your questions to Sabin, Big Raj, and Rick Styles, the tigers who dispense advice on common house-pet problems. ...No no no, not your problems; your pet's problems! The tigers counsel little dogs

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And the winner is...the Pekingese! Congrats to Gr. Ch. Palacegarden Malachy and his team; Malachy is the first Peke to take Best In Show at Westminster since 1990.

(And congrats to Johnny Avello with another correct call on the winner. We were betting the Setter; shows what we know.)

Your finalists:
Hound Group: Wire-Haired Dachshund (750-1)
Toy Group: Pekingese (6-1)
Non-Sporting Group: Dalmatian (100-1)
Herding Group: German Shepherd (22-1)
Sporting Group: Irish Setter (350-1)
Working Group: Doberman Pinscher (35-1)>Terrier Group: Kerry Blue Terrier (45-1)

More fascinating facts from the final broadcast, in case you missed it:

The Golden Retriever proceeds from a single foundation litter of four puppies, born when a Tweed Spaniel and a Flat-Coated Retriever were bred together.

You probably already know that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular/registered AKC breed in the U.S. But it's been the most registered for 20 years.

This year's Great Pyrenees works for a living; he herds free-range

Read More »from Westminster 2012 Best In Show!

Two separate women in Oahu have filed suit against Petco, claiming that the Kaneohe store of the chain is responsible for cutting off part of a dog's tail; over-clipping a dog's nails so as to cause bleeding; and snipping off the tip of an ear, then supergluing it back on to avoid detection.

Gladys Kapuwai took her dog, Dodo, to Petco last July; the suit alleges that the Pomeranian-Maltese mix was returned to Kapuwai with part of an ear cut off, then glued or sewn back on. Kapuwai assumed that the ear, whose cut portion fell off a couple of days later, was infected, but when she took her pooch to the vet (along with the ear), techs put the tissue under a microscope, and truth came out: the ear had been re-attached using "a SuperGlue-type glue." Vets told Kapuwai that the ear segment could have been saved, had proper action been taken in time. Says Kapuwai, "Even the doctor said they could have saved her ear if they told me right there, but they didn't."

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Read More »from Angry owners sue Petco over grooming gone bad