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Top 10 Dog Stories of 2008
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It's been a roller coaster year. From the presidential election to the imploding economy, 2008 was punctuated by distinct highs and lows. Before slamming the door on '08, let's take a look back at the top dog stories that entertained us, captured our imaginations, and yanked at our jaded, old heart strings.
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Barack Obama with Baby, posing for A Rare Breed of Love. (Photo courtesy
of CBH Communications)
1. Obama Dog Mania. Hands down the biggest dog story of the year is What Kind of Dog Will the Obamas Get?? From Malia's dog allergy to Barack's promise to adopt a rescue dog, every aspect of the Obamas' canine conundrum was dissected and debated till there was nothing left to talk about. The Obamas announced that they would not be getting a dog until early winter or spring 2009--after they've moved into the White House.
Barney, the Scottish Terrier with a temper.
2. Barney Bites. The feisty 8-year old Scottish Terrier belonging to president George W. Bush made headlines when he bit a Reuters reporter on the finger. Pundits wondered whether Barney was angry with the liberal press or grouchy about having to move out of the White House.
3. Hero Dog Saves Friend. A dog in Chile who was caught on camera pulling another dog out of traffic was celebrated around the world as a hero. The unknown dog risked life and limb, dodging speeding cars to reach an injured dog lying in the middle of a highway and pulling him to safety.
Buddy and Joe.
4. Dog Dials 911. Buddy the German Shepherd proved the old saying that dogs are man's best friend. In September, the intelligent canine dialed 911 when his owner, Joe Stalnaker, suffered a seizure and fell unconscious. Buddy barked into the phone until help arrived.
5. Puppies Keep Boy Alive. A three-year old boy who wandered away from his babysitter's house and spent a freezing night in the woods was found alive the next day. He had been kept warm through the night by two 12-week old puppies. Impressions in the ground revealed where the puppies had sandwiched the boy between them, keeping him safe.
6. Stop Puppy Mills. Public awareness and education about puppy mills got a huge boost from Oprah this year when she finally did a show exposing the inhumane conditions at most puppy mills. The Humane Society of America also released the results of a lengthy investigation that showed that Petland Stores is the biggest retailer of puppy mill puppies in the country. Along with Obama's pledge to adopt a shelter dog, consider this the year that puppy mills came into the national consciousness.
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The vice-president with his new pup.
7. Joe Biden Buys a Dog. The vice-president elect 's wife made good on a campaign promise and let her husband get a dog after the presidential race was over. Mr. Biden bought a German Shepherd pup from a Pennsylvania breeder; his grandchildren named the dog, "Champ." The Bidens were delighted, but animal rights activists were disappointed he didn't adopt.
8. Shiba Inu Puppy Cam. A live camera feed of a passel of newborn Shiba Inu pups in San Francisco became an Internet sensation. Millions of viewers worldwide visited Ustream.TV and could not get enough of the little critters. We couldn't either, and posted the live video feed, above.
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Gus, the Chinese Crested.
9. World's Ugliest Dog Dies. Gus, a nine-year old Chinese Crested who'd been rescued from someone's garage, was endearingly named the "World's Ugliest Dog" this year. He was a brave dog who battled skin cancer, losing a leg to the disease, and finally succumbing to the cancer earlier this year. His unusual facial appearance was attributed to a fight with a tomcat, in which Gus lost one of his eyes.
10. Shoplifting Dog Lifts Our Spirits. A dog who snitched a rawhide bone from a supermarket in Utah gave us all a chuckle over the holidays. The store's security cameras caught a Siberian Husky saunter into a store and pick out a $2.79 bone from the pet aisle and flee the store on foot. The brazen dog refused to drop the bone despite ordered to do so by the store's manager.
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