Dogs

Puppy Mills: Missouri, Worst State In U.S., Passes Bill To Block Anti-Cruelty Efforts?

Missouri has the worst puppy mills in the nation -- and lawmakers in the state are working hard to make sure it stays that way! So says the Humane Society, which announced this week that Missouri ranks No. 1 for terrible puppy farms in the United States and is now going after a piece of legislation ... More >>

Humane Society: "Right to Farm" Bill Would Protect Puppy Mills, Block Anti-Cruelty Efforts

Is a so-called "right to farm" bill in Missouri just a front to protect the controversial puppy mill industry in Missouri? The Humane Society of the United States is going on the offense against proposed legislation -- versions of which both the Senate and House have now approved -- that the organi ... More >>

Jim The Wonder Dog (Who Predicted the Future!), Old Drum: Missouri's Official Dogs?

Legend has it that Jim the Wonder Dog successfully predicted the sex of unborn babies, correctly chose the winner of seven Kentucky Derbies and the World Series, could comprehend complex human speech -- and so much more. And now, the hard-at-work Missouri legislature is one step closer to making Jim ... More >>

Photos: Fired Columbia Officer Rob Sanders Gets His Dog Fano Back After Long Separation

In 2011, Rob Sanders, a Columbia, Missouri police officer, lost his job after he was accused of using excessive force against someone in custody in a holding cell. That wasn't all he lost. He was also forced to separate from his police dog named Fano, a german shepherd. What followed, Dale Roberts ... More >>

Kevin Bacon's Band to Play Beggin' Strip Pet Parade, Dogs Everywhere Confused

Kevin Bacon's band, the Bacon Brothers, is headlining the Beggin' Strips-sponsored Soulard Pet Parade this year. As fans of music, fun word play and general hilariousness, we jumped at the chance to look deeper into this symbiotic event.The pet parade is a Mardi Gras staple and a must-see for both a ... More >>

What Brings Rappers, Punks, Funk Bands and Lewd Folkies Together? Pit Bulls: Man's Most Misunderstood Best Friend

This weekend, a strange crew of local talent will assemble in support of man's most misunderstood best friend: the pit bull. Ruka Puff, Breakmouth Annie, Hazard To Ya Booty, Bad Mother Healers, Rev. Whiskey Richard and the Buster Hymen Band and Everything Went Black with their Californian friends, S ... More >>

Daniel Hopkins: Godfrey Man Charged with Aggravated Cruelty to An Animal

The Madison County Sheriff's Office sent deputies to a home at 4708 Snow White Terrace at 7:19 a.m. on Tuesday at the request of someone living at the residence. The caller indicated that the police needed to check on the welfare of a family member -- the family's pet, an English bulldog. The caller ... More >>

Our Little Girl: Dog Found Starved in North St. Louis Now Living Sweet Life in Suburbs

Last time we wrote about the dog "Our Little Girl" was back in October when Randy Grim's Stray Rescue discovered the dog and her litter mate, Our Little Boy, living in squalid conditions in north St. Louis. The owner of the animals had tossed Our Little Boy in an alley Dumpster. The severely starved ... More >>

Newborn Dumped Next to Residence in Ellisville

​An Ellisville woman was walking her dog at 7:45 a.m. today when she saw something wrapped in a towel under a pine tree next to her home in the 100 block of Westridge Parc Lane (above). She thought it might be puppies until it moved, revealing a newborn boy. The umbilical cord was still attached a ... More >>

Established Dog Trainer in Lincoln County Fights Animal Abuse Charges (VIDEO)

Image viaTrainer Ed Nelson stands accused of abusing this yellow lab​Trainer Ed Nelson of Lincoln County openly admits it: Teaching hunting dogs how to fetch ducks and geese safely and effectively requires the use of force -- at least sometimes. The legal question is this: Where's the line between ... More >>

50/50 and Lunch at Half & Half

Kristie McClanahanHalf & Half's salmon BLT.​ Here's a joke: What's the difference between dogs and cancer? People actually want to talk about dogs. That's an original, by the way, not one culled from 50/50, the recently released Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt dramedy (brocom?) about canc ... More >>

Our Puppy Panel Tastes Treats from Bittersweet Bakery

Your typical Fight Club Sandwich throwdown pits one thingie against another thingie. You know: cupcakes. Hot dogs. Designer beer in cans. Trouble is, when you're talking dog treats -- and today we're talking dog treats -- you need to bear in mind that given the choice between two treats, a dog is go ... More >>

Pup Power

UPDATE: Tank the Bulldog Stolen from Safely Home at O'Malley's Irish Pub

Ian FroebTank the English Bulldog safe at home with his dad, O'Malley's Irish Pub owner Tommy Gage​Update: (Friday, May 27, 6:45 p.m.) Tank the English bulldog returned to Tommy Gage and the O'Malley's Irish Pub family this evening. He appears somewhat perplexed by his ordeal, but in goo ... More >>

St. Louis is Tops in Postal Carrier Dog Bites

It's up to you to prevent this.​We're No. 5! Celebratory chomps all around.OK, it's not actually that funny. The U.S. Postal Service today released data on the nation's top cities for dog attacks on postal carriers, and St. Louis tied for fifth (along with San Antonio) with 39 attacks in 2010. Hou ... More >>

Republican Legislators Will Compromise Only After Governor Signs Bill to Kill Puppy Mill Act

Nixon: Standing proud (as recently as Monday)​What a joke. Just a few days old and Governor Jay Nixon's "solution" regarding new regulations for Missouri's notorious puppy mills is already falling apart. After remaining silent for months on Proposition B (the ballot initiative 51.6 percent of Miss ... More >>

Wolfgang's Pet Stop: Special Dog Treat Edition!

Your typical Fight Club Sandwich throwdown pits one thingie against another thingie. You know: cupcakes. Hot dogs. Designer beer in cans. Trouble is, when you're talking dog treats -- and today we're talking dog treats -- you need to bear in mind that given the choice between two treats, a dog is go ... More >>

Stone County Dog Breeder Had Issues in Previous Inspection -- State Didn't Follow Up

Jennifer Silverberg74 dogs were confiscated from a Crane, Missouri, facility last week -- one year after the state gave the business a passing grade​A Crane, Missouri, dog-breeding facility shut down by inspectors from the Missouri Department of Agriculture last week for a host of severe deficienc ... More >>

Pups on Parade

Comment of the Day: Repeal of Puppy Mill Law Sparks Online Dogfight

Today's comment(s) of the day is more of an argument. The blowback follows our report this morning on the efforts in Jefferson City to overturn Proposition B, the so-called "Puppy Mill" law that places new restrictions on Missouri dog breeders. Soon readers "NikB" and "burgs" were at each others thr ... More >>

Accused Dogfighters Missing in Southern Illinois

​Two men indicted earlier this year as part of the largest dogfighting bust in U.S. history are missing on the eve of their trial, which is scheduled to begin later this week.Judious Kizeart and Gary Payne were part of a group of seven men charged with "conspiracy to commit unlawful activities of ... More >>

Pupocalypse Now?: Local Blogger Imagines Disastrous Repercussions of Prop B

What horrible fate lies ahead for this little pup?​We've got less than a month to go till Election Day now, when Missourians will go to the polls and determine the fates of Robin Carnahan, Roy Blunt, Ed Martin and thousands of puppies. If Prop B, officially known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prev ... More >>

Undercover Video Footage: Did John Bacon Brag About Ripping Out a Pit Bull's Tongue?

photo by Keegan HamiltonJohn Bacon: convicted dogfighter, alleged tongue puller.​This week's feature story about the largest dogfighting bust in American history includes a section that details a series of interviews with John Bacon, a convicted dogfighter from Washington Park, Illinois, who is c ... More >>

Undercover Video Footage: Biggest Dogfighting Bust in U.S. History

illustration by Brian Stauffer​At 6 a.m. on July 9, 2009, agents from the FBI, the USDA, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service and myriad local police departments raided 29 properties in 8 states, including Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. They sei ... More >>

Readers have choice words for a prodigal son

Feud Between East Side Pit Bull Breeders Leads to Shooting

Think his bite hurts? Try messin' with his breeder.​There used to be a time -- not long ago -- when two pit bull breeders living in a seedy Metro East community got into an argument they'd settle the issue mano a mano (or rather "muzzle a muzzle") in the dog-fighting ring. The man with the most bl ... More >>

Dog Gone Shame: Woman Says Cop Shot Her Beloved Pet for No Reason

Jade seated with one of Alvarez's three adopted children.​Billie Alvarez was on her back patio eating breakfast the morning of Friday, April 16, when a man dressed in all black jumped out from behind a tree. Her dog, Jade, a two-year-old terrier mix, woke up from a nap and sauntered over to the ma ... More >>

St. Louis' Best Hot Dog of 2009: Frank's N Brats

Step up to Frank Merrins' hot dog stand and order your favorite style. His cart, "Frank's N Brats," can be found on Broadway just south of Busch Stadium and is open two hours prior to every home Cardinals game. Frank sells his wieners in a brown paper bag so you can walk right into Busch Stadium wit ... More >>

Let Every Dog Have this Day

With Thee, My Bark, I’ll Swiftly Go

Pick of the Litter: Puppy Mill Dogs Up for Preview Thursday

flickr.com/photos/27302612Not a puppy mill. 'Cause every dog deserves a home...The Humane Society of Missouri is holding a preview Thursday of the nearly 200 pure-bred dogs rescued from a Newton County puppy mill last month. The event runs from noon to 7 p.m. at the Humane Society's headquarters at ... More >>

They Call it Puppy Suds

Coming, Going, Barking

More openings and closings — and Ian's a cat person, dammit!

Show Dogs and the Original Original Pancake House

Curious Gorge: Ian tests the animal magnetism of Three Monkeys

Go, Dog. Go!

Have You Herd?

See Spot Fight Cancer

Pool Pups

Bully for You

Unreal explores the sociology of the well-timed wedgie. Plus: Praying for pets, bargaining for Pez dispensers — and sticking up for independent business in Rock Hill.

The Dog Whisperer

(Tower Grove Park)

Howl and Bark!

An Andy Warhol show opens today!

Vodka and Grapefruit

Unreal gets the lowdown on the Dirty Dog, meets plants who love a free lunch and finds a blogger who can't get enough Favre. Plus, Scientology's "volunteer ministers" are bringing relief to hurricane victims -- but not the kind you'd think.

Best Hot Dog

The Monte Cristo

Bush Whacking

With humor and a hat

Best Hot Dog

Woofies Hotdogs

Release the Hounds!

Dogs are born free, but parks are extra

Best in Show

Nobody denies Debi Baker's talent with animals. Too bad she doesn't have the same gift with people.

Letters to the Editor

Hunting Dog

When a frisky retriever paid an unexpected visit to the neighbors, he wasn't welcomed -- he was shot. And such killings are anything but uncommon.