Here's the latest news from SOFA (speaking Out For Animals) that intrepid and charming group of youngsters and their indefatigable teacher who are campaigning to have microchipping of dogs made a legal requirement. Seems like they are well on the way - and the best of luck to them!

If you're a UK resident please follow the link below to help support the campaign:

Dear Supporters,
Thank you for your support of SOFA's microchipping campaign; we do really appreciate it.

We've had another example of how dangerous trying to save our dogs can be. It seems our protective side kicks in and we don't think of our own safety. Last week we had the incredibly sad news of the couple following their dogs into a swollen river to rescue their dogs, with neither humans or dogs surviving. This week we have the equally sad news of a mother-of-three and the sister-in-law of comedian Ruby Wax dying while trying to get her dogs away from a train track.

There is currently an advert on a website for a litter of pups. Nothing wrong with that you may say, but this advert is horrifying. The pups are one day old but according to the seller the bitch has no milk and is not interested in her litter, so the pups are "ready now". In other words, those tiny puppies, who have not even the protection of antibodies from their mother's milk, will be hurried off to new homes as quickly as possible, at £300 (around $550) per pup.

I've just read about the Orang Utan and the dog who are going to appear on Oprah Winfrey soon. There are lovely photos with that article and the postures of the Orang Utan are so human it is amazing. I love the photo of the two cuddling, that surely could be a human and his/her dog.

Okay I needed some cheering up tonight, so I turned to You Tube in search of something to make me smile. I found a little gem, in the shape of a sweet dog having fun with this flinging machine. I love the way he is so precise in how he puts the ball onto the machine, and how he runs off as soon as the machine pulls back its flinging mechanism, without waiting for the ball to actually be flung.

It also amuses me that someone found it too much effort to throw the ball for the dog, but was prepared to put the required effort into making that machine. There's no arguing with logic like that.

Take care,

Julie x

After posting last week about Jon Katz questioning whether our dogs love us, there was a very sad news item in the UK that demonstrated just how much we love our dogs. A couple with their young baby in a pushchair, were walking their two dogs along a river, when the dogs got into difficulty in the river.