What could be more eye-catching than a basket full of Vizsla puppies?

My Internet buddy, JArnold gives us a delightful treat with his jim-dandy photographs of these wrinkly babies.

Wouldn't you just love to snuggle with these little ones? Let us know by leaving a comment.

When I heard about the fatal tiger attack at the San Francisco zoo on Christmas Day, my initial reaction was one of shock and dismay. My second reaction was to wonder what prompted Tatiana's deadly behavior.

Today, these and other provocative questions are being asked in a new light. With the discovery of blood,and an unidentified shoe print found on the rail of her enclosure, authorities now suspect the victims may have taunted and possibly entered the tiger's exhibit area. The staff entry into the enclosure remained secure and was ruled out as the tiger's possible escape route.

I get the feeling that this adorable stray orange-and-white tabby kitten recently trapped and rescued by my cat loving friend Gene, is a shoe-in for his new home.

With an abundance of bottled water, plently of good food and tender love, this little guy must be delighted to find a warm home, away from the snow and ice.

All that is missing for this little boy, is a name. Help Gene by leaving a comment with your suggestions.

I was thrilled to read the wonderful news shared by Pure Thoughts, Inc. a nonprofit horse and foal rescue organization located in Loxahatchee, Florida, regarding their recent Thanksgiving rescue mission called, "Horses Give Thanks 2007."

This event was scheduled to save the lives of as many horses, yearlings and foals as possible at the well-known "slaughter" auctions. This effort by Pure Thoughts, Inc may be one of the biggest (if not the biggest) rescues ever. Jennifer Swanson, founder of Pure Thoughts, Inc, had planned to save 17 to 18 horses from slaughter at the Sugarcreek, Ohio horse auction, and she was not able to say,"no" to all the horses that called out to them for help. They rescued a total of 82 needy horses directly from the "kill buyers" (this total includes unborn foals and a few donkeys), and prevented them from going to slaughter. This rescue organization gave the majority of these horses a new lease on life with a future in forever loving, adoptive homes.

"At what age should I adopt or purchase a kitten?" is a question that I have been asked many times. Serendipitously, my good friend, Kasparcat, sent me an email today, which contained excellent information on this subject.

Reputable breeders agree that kittens should not leave their mothers until at least 12 weeks-of-age This extra time allows them to mature sufficently, to bond with humans, and to be fully socialized with their siblings. RP Cathouse's classic red and white kitten born on 9-25 is almost ready to go to his new home.

Sometimes I wonder what inspires scientists to initiate research projects that seem to have little relevance to helping mankind or animals.

For instance, "Scientists create 'fearless' mouse," which I read online yesterday amazed me. It seems that a mouse in Japan has been genetically altered not to fear cats. And this is important because?

I sit here scratching my head, bewildered, as I consider the huge amount of money that has to have been spent on what seems to be a project that has no redeeming qualities. Could it really benefit mankind, or for that matter, cats and mice? I would bet my bottom dollar that that money could have been spent on something really vital.

Michael Vick, the former star NFL quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, was sentenced to 23 months in prison yesterday for his participation in dogfighting. A strong message has been sent that raises public awareness to the fact that animal cruelty of any kind is a serious crime and will no longer be tolerated.

The Humane Society of the United States' mission is to protect all animals from cruelty and suffering. Dogfighting is just one of the animal welfare issues that they confront on a daily basis.

Enjoy this video from the HSUS highlighting the progress made in animal welfare during 2007.

If you wish to take action, please visit Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.

"Purrs and Headbonks" is a salutation frequently shared among my online cat-loving buddies. Headbonks is an endearing sign of affection that felines use. Understanding the language and behavior of cats takes patience and experience, and enhances our relationship with these extraordinary animals.

One of my online friends, Dani, aka NEMESIS1IM, is a cat lover extraordinaire. Since she is fluent in "cat speak," she has been accepted by a colony of feral cats to whom she has been ministering lovingly. Dani is the author of the journal MEOWZ, featured on Animal Hubbub's blog roll. This is a delightfully written journal chock full of information and valuable resources about feral cats.

If you're an animal lover looking for an experience that's fun, interesting, empowering, rewarding and educational, spend a weekend training with your local emergency animal response team.

(Above: Volunteer Ashley Hall gets a visit from Lexus the rottie during a training session.)

I learned so much during "mock disaster" training with SUN CART in Lewisburg, Pa. -- including that a) animal response volunteers are amazing people, and b) in the event of a flood, I have no business going anywhere near the water.

Water Rescue Awareness Training was one of the first courses offered during the weekend -- it's the most basic level of water rescue instruction, where we learned about things like "strainers" -- those are obstacles where debris piles up, but water gets through -- think picket fences, tree limbs, etc. Water behaves differently around strainers than when it's flowing freely, and that can be used to your advantage in a water rescue. (Want details? Look for a course in your area -- it really was quite interesting, even if you never plan to get into the water.)

Are you looking for an unusual gift to share with that special animal lover on your holiday list?

I found a delightfully unique one that also offers an opportunity to support a worthwhile charity devoted to horse welfare and rescue. Angels Acres Horse Haven Rescue is offering beautifully decorated horseshoes, which of course, bring good luck to your friends.

There is a wide variety of horseshoes from which to choose, and if you order by December 22 they will arrive in time for the holidays.

Visit the Angels Acres Shoe Store to view them.

Two wise kitties, Kai and Orion, who own RIA P27, are making their lists and checking them twice in the area of pet safety for the holiday season. They generously requested that I share their concerns with our readers. So without further ado, here are their suggestions.

"With company coming and going, we want to be sure that we are in a safe area of our house. Strangers can make us anxious, so we would much rather be enclosed in a familiar room with our litter box, water, toys and of course some yummy nutritious cat food. Some soft, soothing music playing is delightful too.

"Christmas trees are tempting objects to be conquered. Trees need to be fastened onto a secure stand so they cannot fall. Electric cords for those pretty tree lights and other ornaments are potential dangers to us, as well. The shiny ornaments are tempting to play with, so please hang them out of reach. Tinsel trimmings and curly ribbons are hazardous, as we might accidentally ingest them during play. We do not want to spend time in the veterinary ER for emergency surgery. We are sure you don't either.

When I met Jeff and Claudia Brabant at Woofstock, I thought it was pretty cool that they cared enough about the health and comfort of animals to do pet massage. I soon found out that was just a tiny part of their commitment to animal welfare.

The Brabants are heavily involved in the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team -- in fact, Jeff is the coordinator for SUN CART, the Snyder Union Northumberland County Animal Response Team. In the event of a fire, flood, hurricane, chemical spill, accident at Three Mile Island or any other disaster you can think of, these are the folks who come in to rescue and shelter your pets and livestock while you're being taken care of by firemen, doctors or the Red Cross. They're heroes for animals.

I got to attend a SUN CART mock disaster drill, and it was an experience I'd strongly recommend to any animal lover. The participants were from all walks of life -- firefighters, nurses, veterinarians, ham radio operators, accountants, insurance salesmen, whatever. Everyone was there to learn and practice rescue and sheltering skills -- some were experts, some were beginners (like me).

Stay tuned for more about what I learned, but in the meantime, here are shots of some of the T-shirts and stickers showing a few of the organizations represented by the volunteers. Click on a picture to find out more about each group.

Angel's Gate Hospice for Animals is one of my favorite animal welfare organizations. I have been following their events for over a year. I admire the tenacity and courage that they demonstrate, even in the face of adversity and challenges presented by the town in which they are located.

This highly specialized shelter, hospice and rescue facility presently located in Fort Solonga on Long Island, opened their doors over 13 years ago to provide a forever loving home for special needs animals. Many of their residents are disabled or dealing with serious illness. But with the tender care that Angel's Gate is providing, these animals will live out their lives surrounded with love.

"Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." This poignant sentiment written by Albert Schweitzer is the theme Angel's Gate Hospice for Animals adopted to represent the compassionate work that they do to help animals relinquished by people no longer able to take care of them due to their pet's extensive illness or handicaps.

It has not been an easy road for Angel's Gate. Challenged by neighbors who beset them with accusations of heavy traffic, delivery trucks coming and going day and night, and extensive garbage which blighted the neighborhood, they were in imminent danger of having their doors closed.

Calling all horse lovers! Here is an opportunity to help support the National Horse Protection League's vital mission to "protect horses and help owners who can no longer care for their animals find a humane and loving alternative to cruel death or abandonment."

My "adopted" horse Mattie (left) approves of the NHPL's first-ever gift offering, sheets of beautiful first-class, USPS-approved 41-cent postage stamps featuring Sir Wimborne, a former champion thorougbred who was undefeated in three career starts then retired at stud, producing winners of over $9 million.

Every time you use one of these stamps, you will be helping to protect our magnificent horses and at the same time letting people know how much you love them. What an excellent gift for your horse-loving friends and an exquisite equine addition to your holiday cards! Visit National Horse Protection League: Horse Stamps for more info.

Around the holiday season, a young child's thoughts may turn to a kitten, a puppy or even a pony for their best gift ever. We can easily be moved by our children's desires to get a pet at this time of year. Is it wise to give a pet to a child during the holidays, however? Please take these considerations into account before making that decision.

A new pet in your home needs a lot of contact and supervision. This is a time when pets and humans start their bonding process. Pets can become anxious with strangers and need time to acclimate to their new family members. Young pets must be fed several times a day, housebreaking routines can be disturbed by holiday-related activities, and attention to the new pet can often dwindle during this festive time of year.

Why not wait until after the excitement of the holidays is over to give a pet to your child? Instead, you might consider getting a book about the type of pet you will be giving and all the necessary supplies, and perhaps a stuffed animal to represent the soon-to-come pet. Additionally, you will have more time to educate your children about the responsibilities of sharing their lives with a pet. When the pet "present" finally does arrive, everyone will have the time and energy to devote to the newest addition to the family.

No matter what time of year you're considering getting a new pet, the ASPCA offers some excellent advice. Take a look at this ASPCA video: