Petra University

On this earth, everything can change in an instant... The Tsunami disaster need is so urgent that all of us who can are asked to aid the disaster victims. CNN lists some of the most effective charities. I chose AmeriCares because they have resources already in place in SE Asia and they can leverage $100 donation to the equivalent of $3000 or $4000. You can use the Charity Navigator to check up on a site before you donate.  (Related: Tsunami Help blog via blogdex.net)

In the face of the Tsunami disaster, if you choose to 'clone' a pet for $50,000 instead of helping disaster victims, you deserve the 'heartless dork' award. (I'd exempt the woman who cloned her cat from that award, because she did so before the disaster... )

The death toll could rise to over 100,000 because there are at least 60,000 people still missing...

how you help others. two sentences are enough..) First come, first served.

Scientists repair animal hearts with implanted human stem cells TX The heart of a pet may someday contain human cells... [Press Release: Americans for Medical Progress] (Full Story at Bioresearch Online]

UK pet owners spend more on dogs' healthcare than on cats UK Almost a third of UK dog owners have invested in medical insurance for their pet while only 17% of cat owners bought pet medical insurance. In addition, the survey indicates dog owners are willing to spend more than cat owners on veterinary services. [Saga Pet Insurance]

Divorced man ordered to pay 'dog' care support Italy "With food and vet bills a dog can cost almost as much as a child to raise..." [Ananova ]

Dog, shot by police, spent night in shelter without medical care TX Investigations into the shelter's management are underway [Houston Chronicle]

Chiclet chewing 'gum' for dogs Brazil [Ananova] (leather dog bones]

Pets help with new years resolutions [News 10 Now] (video)

Maryland police follow bloody trail in suspected violent crime ... to a yellow lab with slashed throat. [Baltimore Sun]  Followup: Slashed dog survives injuries [Local 6]

Man arrested for shooting neighbor's barking dog NM [News Mexico Channel]

A year later, a Florida mobile home community forgives man charged with manslaughter for dog mauling of his neighbor by his six pit-bulls...  Dog-mauling death trial pending  FL "You have to forgive, you can't hold a grudge forever. It's a hurting thing, but you have to let bygones be bygones..." [WCJB]

Pet owners beware: pet microchips fail as standards change The pet microchip industry, previously standardized on a 125 kilohertz broadcast, now also offers a 134.2 kilohertz broadcast frequency, leading to errors in scanning and fewer lost pets recovered.

'There's no way to know how many lost animals might have been unclaimed by their owners and improperly euthanized because their chips couldn't be read by available scanners...'

Shelters using 125 microchip scanners cannot identify Banfield PetSmart pet microchips, implanted with 134.2 microchips. [Herald Sun, American Association Veterinary Journal] Related: Reuniting pets with families

If you can't trust your pet's microchip, maybe it's time to Network your pet [Big Green Monkey] (might as well put some of that spyware to work for you... Future Fido may someday sport a cellphone, a GPS , a wi-fi modem, integrated with a live Microsoft Security Spy Center from Microsoft Windows Security and a microchip.)